Shadows Within

Chapter 3

Aiden's P.O.V

          I watched her sleeping face for a long time, the constant rise and fall of her chest giving me a sense of calm and relief. She was safe, and I couldn't even begin to understand why that mattered so much to me. It was just as unexplainable, as the urge I had to punch someone, when I saw the way she was staring at that plate of food. She had looked at it with indescribable hunger but refused to eat, because she thought I was trying to trick her. Had the bastard who ingrained that fear in her been present, I would have torn him into little pieces. Somehow, I am certain I would not have only enjoyed it but I would have felt accomplished for doing so. How someone could harm such an innocent soul was beyond me.

          I stood up and went to head for the shower but the sudden move made Liah fidget. I stopped dead in my tracks and waited to make sure she wasn't waking up. With the painkillers and my blood still in her system, she should be feeling sleepy. Especially, given the unnecessary exercise she had put herself through earlier in the day. Still, I didn't want to risk it so, I stood there until she settled back down and then silently went into the bathroom.

          As the hot water hit my skin, I was already frowning. I didn't care about her, did I? I mean, it's not like I knew anything about her. She was a stranger to me and the sooner she recovered the better. I had the option of giving her more of my blood but that would eventually only make things worse. There was that slight possibility that she would become addicted to it. It would mean that her life would literally depend on me, which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place. Throwing her out didn't sit well with me either. It would only make my efforts so far, pointless and I hated wasting time. There was no one I could leave her with and the only other option was to wait for her to get better on her own. It would take time but it was the logical solution.

          I went on, washing my body slowly and carefully, like I was trying to rinse away the filth of the day, along with any other thoughts. Just when I was about to shut off the water, I heard Liah's whimpers of pain. The sharp pitch of fear that coated the sound, had me rushing out to her side in nothing but a towel. She was having a nightmare and I just stood there watching her helpless, panic starting to claw at my chest. I was definitely not qualified for this. I had no idea how to deal with the situation. All my life I had been taught how to shut away fear and any other emotions for that matter so, how was I supposed to know what to do? She was obviously not me and it seemed like fear had been a constant companion in her life. This was beyond my level of competence.

          I made my decision on the spot. I was going to shake her awake and have her calm down on her own. But when I crouched down to do it, a feeling that I couldn't describe and I hadn't felt before washed over me. My hand moved on its own, my fingers gently brushing the soft skin of her cheek. When she leaned into the touch, I found myself enjoying the feeling and a sense of warmth spread inside my chest. Soon enough, she was settling back in, her nightmare apparently fading away.

          I sat there for a long time, not really believing what had just happened. Eventually, I went back to finish my shower. This was not going to end well. Still, I couldn't help but wonder why it was that she could so easily wake up that part of me, without even trying? It was scary to say the least. What would happen if she realized how much power she had over me? Worse, what would happen if any of my enemies would figure it out? She had to go. There was no way she could stay close to me. As soon as she was well enough, I would make sure she had the chance at a new beginning. After that, I was leaving her behind. I felt an ounce of relief that I had a plan but I also had a knot in the pit of my stomach, for some reason.

          If anything, I could always just shoot her and be done with it all. I blinked at my reflection in the mirror at the thought but shook my head realizing I wouldn't be able to pull the trigger. Maybe it was because she was a rare pure soul or maybe it was something else. All I knew was that I couldn't kill her. I was honest enough with myself to admit that much. If I could, I would have left her to die in that alley and obviously that wasn't the case.