The Shadow Alpha

Chapter 38: Here and Now

Chapter 38: Here and Now

River

I return to the house quickly, hoping to get back there before Holly wakes. As I near the front door, I realize I'm too late, my ears picking up on the sound of absentminded humming coming from the kitchen.

I enter the house to find Holly's back to me, her hair piled up on top of her head carelessly as she pours water from a still-steaming kettle. She fills the large orange pottery mug sitting on the counter, and without turning her back, speaks to me.

"I hope you had good reason for leaving me here to wake up alone." She says, and I feel a pang of guilt hit me at the truth in what she says.

I remember suddenly that I'm still holding Vivian's note in my hand, and I quickly shove it into the back pocket of my jeans.

I cross the floor to Holly, looping my arms around her waist as she turns to glance up at me. Her blue eyes are sleepy but full of humour, and I frown when I see a large dark bruise forming along Holly's temple and cheek.

"I'm sorry; I was expecting to be back before you were up." I say, sweeping my fingers down gently across the bruise. "How are you? How do you feel?" I ask, searching her face for any signs of distress or masked pain.

Holly smiles, a chuckle passing her lips.

"I was only teasing, you know. And I feel fine, River, I promise." She raises her hand to hold my own, drawing it away from her face. "I thought all your worrying was going to stop after the big showdown?" she smiles, shaking her head with a laugh.

I lean down to her, closing the space just enough to leave only an inch between us. I use my free hand to pull her closer to me.

"You're the single most precious thing to me in this world—how the fuck do you expect me to stop worrying about you?" I murmur before claiming her mouth, her gasp getting lost on my tongue.

Holly moans softly as I angle her chin upward, allowing me to deepen the kiss. Her hands land on my chest, running a trail up to my neck before settling there.

I pull back and Holly lays her face against my chest, wrapping her arms around my middle. I reciprocate the gesture, holding her against me for a few long moments.

"It almost doesn't feel real, does it?" she says, straightening up to hold her steaming mug of tea in both her hands. It's peppermint; the smell soothes me. "It's over now, and yet, it also isn't." Holly slips into one of the barstools at the counter, and I follow along, leaning on the counter itself just beside her.

"You mean the Strikers." I say, and she nods as she sips her tea. "I know." I feel the weight of this knowledge on me as if it's a lead ball balancing on my shoulders. "But this has got me feeling better—capable. We've neutralized one threat, now we get ready for another." I put it into simple terms, the only terms I can handle thinking in right now.

Holly nods with a thoughtful look, and I wonder just where her head is at right now, really. I know she can tell me she's fine, but she nearly died facing off with Kyra, and I don't imagine that wasn't anything less than traumatizing.

"I want to talk about something else, first." I say to her, and this catches her attention, her eyes snapping up to lock with my own. "Kyra." I say simply. "What happened?"

Holly shifts in her seat, and I carefully watch the way her throat bobs as she swallows hard.

"Right," she gathers a deep breath before letting it out, sighing. "So, I thought I was done for, for a second." She admits, and I feel my heart clench at the mentioning of her on death's door. I remember the feeling of me nearly phasing, watching Holly fade. "But then...I don't know, River, it was like...This insane heat, like fire, but it almost felt good? I don't know— it just spread through me and little by little, I was coming back." She explains with a distant look in her eyes, clearly reliving the moment.