Their Light

Chapter 9

Hadley

I let myself sit for a moment before I headed to the bathroom. I got out another fluffy towel and nuzzled my face into it. It was amazing how soft they were. A knock on the bedroom door interrupted me. Opening the door, I found Caspian on the other side, a plastic bag in his hands.

"Here you go," he said, handing it to me. A slight blush decorated his cheeks. "I made a quick trip down to the store for whatever I thought you might need."

"Thanks," I mumbled. I grabbed the bag. He made his leave immediately. I wanted to laugh at his retreating form. Opening the bag, I found new clothes, underwear, a brush, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and body wash. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

The shower was fantastic, especially with the fruity-smelling products. The t-shirt and sweats were a little big, but very comfy. They had gotten a couple different sizes and style of underthings so I was able to find a good fit. I was torn between laughing and cringing at the thought of them picking this stuff out.

My wet hair dripped onto my new t-shirt as I stared at the door. My mind bounced around, focusing on different things. I agreed to live, temporarily, with seven guys I just met. I had an entire society to learn about. My entire life just changed, and I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I shook my head, as if it would dislodge all of my worries.

I could do this. I could do this. I could do this. Wasn't there a saying that if you said something three times, it would come true? I reached for the doorknob. I could do this.

I pulled my hand back. Who was I kidding? I could just stay in this room, this safe, amazing room. I could avoid everything that had happened, the seven questionable guys that had saved me not just once but twice, and stay in this room. Ugh, I ran a hand over my face and through my wet hair. Since when did I become such a coward?

Nope, it was time to put on my big girl panties and get out there.

Taking a deep breath, I grasped the doorknob and cracked the door open. I peaked into the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when I didn't see anyone. Carefully, I stepped out into the deserted hallway, followed closely by Joe. Closing the door behind us, I headed for the stairs.

Getting closer, I could hear noises coming from downstairs. Pausing at the top step, I took another deep breath. I could do this. I had to face them at some point. So down the stairs I would go. I would get more answers. I could do this.

Just as I went to take the first step, my foot caught on the floor. I propelled forward, out of control. Just my luck.

I braced for impact, but an iron bar caught me around the waist, hauling me backwards away from the staircase of near-death. My breath left me as I flipped around, coming face to face with the giant himself. Zeke.

Even though he was supporting my entire weight, he didn't look fazed at all. Our faces were just inches apart. I felt the warmth of his breath on my cheeks. All forms of speech left me as we froze in that moment.

Emotions flowed from him to me. Powerful emotions. The most dominant one was concern. Instinctively, I grasped his bare arm, trying to right myself. He stiffened and stared at me in shock.

Confusion filled me until something caught my eye. His shirt had pulled down away from his neck. Black spirals materialized on his skin just past his collar and disappeared under his shirt. I jumped away from him, heart pounding.

"Did I do that?" I asked, suddenly terrified. Looking down at my hands, I saw nothing abnormal, though they were shaking. Zeke just stared at me in silence. His shock spoke volumes, though. This wasn't his doing. It happened right after I touched him.