Chapter One Hundred and Five
Catherine wasn’t sure how long they sat in silence meditating. Muriel instructed her to clear her mind and “let herself over to her gift.” She wasn’t sure how she would do both, yet as she cleared her mind and focused on her breathing she could feel it. The energy around her, the energy flowing through the open windows. She could even feel Graham, in his office across town.
When she felt his spikes of anger or stress she focused on their tether. She inhaled and when she exhaled, she imagined her energy twirling around his soul, calming him down. She felt the moment when he gave in to her and the serenity that coursed through their bond nearly put her to sleep. After that, she explored the world around her home, following the energy of critters in the woods and insects beneath the soil.
Muriel groaned and mumbled under his breath. A moment later the front door clicked. Catherine opened her eyes and spied Graham rushing down the hall toward their bedroom. She looked back to Muriel to find him standing and stretching his back.
“I’ll be back tomorrow for another session. 5 pm,” Muriel announced. Without further explanation he left the house.
Catherine stood up and went to find her mate. Graham was in the closet, throwing clothes out onto the bed. Anxiety gripped her and she clutched her chest in anticipation for whatever news he had. Sensing her unease, Graham stopped what he was doing and poked his head out of the closet. His eyes widened at her expression.
“It’s okay, Baby,” he reassured her.
“What’s happened?”
He hesitated. His mouth opened and he looked as though he was about to tell her something but stopped. He ran his hand through his hair and walked back into the closet.
“There’s been some rumblings of rogues outside of Sterling. Jensen is forcing me to go check them out.”
“You? Isn’t that Lucas’ job now?”
Graham walked out of the closet with his duffel bag in hand. He started shoving the clothes inside with quick, agitated movements.
“He’ll be coming too.”
The dread in her stomach deepened. Two of the men she relied on to keep her safe were leaving? “But…”
“It’s really important, Baby. I have to leave right away.” Graham rushed into the bathroom.
“How long will you be gone?” she asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling.
“Just… til tomorrow… maybe.”
He reappeared in the doorway, skirted around her and deposited his toiletries in the bag. He zipped it up quickly and threw the bag over his body.
“Graham!” Theo called from the front door. “Let’s go, we’re all loaded up!”
“Coming!”
“Theo is going too?”
“And Toma.”
“What? Isn’t he tracking…” Catherine couldn’t say it. “Is that why you’re going? Have you found him? You promised you’d take me if you…”
Graham spun in the hallway to face her. “No.”
“No you didn’t find him?” Catherine asked. He shook his head. Catherine tried to read him, to get a sense of his emotions and what he was hiding because she knew he was hiding something. Instead she was met with an impenetrable wall in his mind. He turned and walked toward the doorway again. “Can…” Graham halted, his right hand braced against the doorframe. “Graham, can I come with you?”
He sighed and his head fell forward. He pulled the bag over his head and let it fall to the floor with a thud. When he turned his face was filled with regret. “Baby, I…”
“I’ll wait in the car, like you wanted,” she said, trying to smile. “I don’t want to be left alone at night.”
Graham’s eyes perused her face. He sighed and his head dropped down again. He ran his hand through his hair and then straightened, looking resolute, giving her his answer before he even spoke it. He walked toward her, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her desperately. Catherine clung to his shoulders, drinking in the taste of him on her tongue, savoring the feel of his hard body pressed against hers as if to memorize the way her body felt. He pulled away and kissed her forehead.
“I’m so sorry. I need to go. Do not leave packlands. Don’t leave the house unless you have to. I love you.” Graham took a step back and another.
Tears shimmered in her eyes as he turned and picked up his duffel. She walked to the door and watched him sprint across the stone walkway to where Lucas waited in his jeep. Lucas gave her a sheepish wave which she returned. Toma sat in the back seat, his expression set and focused. The moment Graham slammed the front passenger door shut, Lucas revved the engine. Smoke plumed behind his tires as he slammed on the gas. A moment later, his tail lights disappeared around the corner, leaving her completely alone for the first time in months.
Catherine took in a shaky breath. She walked through the empty house and checked every lock. Fear started to grip her chest. Dominic’s ghost haunted her every night. Even with Graham there, his presence a valiant fighter against her fears, she couldn’t keep him away. Now that she was truly alone, it was only a matter of time before she fell asleep and her nightmares would come again.
To distract herself, Catherine planned out the packhouse meals for the rest of the month. She called Mary and confirmed they would be able to make the next family dinner. Of course Mary was ecstatic. With everything going on, she and Graham missed the last two altogether. Mary, most likely sensing her unease, talked with her aimlessly for over an hour and even invited Catherine to spend the night. She refused, claiming she was tired, but really she didn’t want to scare her if the nightmares came.
After hanging up with Mary, Catherine cleaned the house. Unfortunately, they’d only really been using the house for sleeping lately, meaning there wasn’t much to do besides fold a few loads of laundry. As she finished her pile of clothes, she picked up her phone again. She checked her messages and sighed when she scrolled through the ones she’d sent Juno.
It had been a week since she’d spoken to her friend. She even called Timone a few days ago to see if Juno had been to work. He told her she had, but she didn’t seem quite herself. When Catherine asked what he meant, he said she had been very quiet. Right then Catherine knew something was wrong. Juno was nothing if not an extrovert. She commanded attention and if she wasn’t getting it, she would make a scene until she did. Quiet was not a word in Juno’s vocabulary.
For the hundredth time that week, Catherine put her phone to her ear to call her best friend. For the hundredth time the phone rang and rang until Juno’s comedic voicemail picked up. Catherine sighed and sent her a text.
I hope you’re okay. I miss you. I wish I could talk to you. Graham left for a mission and I’m… alone. Please call me back. There is so much I need to tell you. Love you, Chick.
Catherine fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was past two in the morning and yet she couldn’t bring herself to sleep. She laid there like that for several minutes. Getting an idea, she sat up, crossed her legs and emptied her mind of everything except one: Juno. She followed the traces of energy through the dark, holding on to the goldish pink one she felt connecting her to her friend. Her forehead creased as the energy sent her past Sterling and into the woods bordering the town. As she grew closer, she felt fear, emptiness, desperation and pain.
Catherine’s phone buzzed beside her, pulling her from her meditation. She glanced over, expecting to see Graham’s name. When she saw Juno’s instead she leapt off the bed and answered with shaking fingers.
“Juno?! Juno, is it you?!” Catherine asked. The other end of the call was quiet. She could hear some shuffling and then a sniffle. “Juno?”
“Kitty,” Juno finally answered, her voice meek and clogged with emotion.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“1…” Juno’s voice cracked and Catherine gripped her chest in fear. “Kitty, I need you.”
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