“Thank you,” I whispered and then left her in the warm flow.
I toweled off and stalked into the bedroom, ripping open the darker duffel bag. A hodgepodge of clothing met my search and I found underwear, an undershirt, and a pair of socks. After I pulled my undergarments on, I found a pair of jeans, sliding them on before grabbing a flannel shirt. I hesitated, glancing between the blood-ridden sneakers by the door and my stocking-clad feet. My work boots were still in the car and there was no way in hell I was going outside again. I jammed my feet into my sneakers and headed out of the bedroom, buttoning my shirt as I descended the stairs. It took me exactly five minutes from the time I entered the bedroom to the time I hit the landing and my heart hadn’t stopped slamming the walls of my chest.
“Your turn,” I said, hand combing my dripping locks away from my face before putting my hand out for the gun.
Tom nodded and handed over the weapon, slipping upstairs.
“Steve?” CJ asked, putting his hand out for Steve’s gun.
“You go,” he said.
“There isn’t an open bathroom for me,” CJ said and Steve sighed, looking between his adopted son and me. “We can handle five minutes alone,” CJ added.
“Fine.” He handed over the gun and sprinted the same way I had.
CJ moved toward me, his gun trained on the front of the house and I stood with mine on the back entry. He stopped at my shoulder and met my gaze. “You need to learn to control it,” he said.
I started laughing and looked out at the darkness beyond the glass. The power he had transferred seemed to take on a life of its own inside me, snaking through my cells like a forest fire during a drought. My gaze dropped to my hands holding the gun, specifically the tremor in them. Fear didn’t drive the shakes, the tornado inside me was responsible, and I glanced back at CJ.
“How?” I whispered.
He stared at me and then focused on the front again. “How did you control yourself when you were a vampire?”
“I didn’t in the beginning,” I admitted and shame painted my face with heat. “But I learned to feed when I had to and not just when the need struck. It was a delicate balance. And when they started storing blood, it made things much easier.” I glanced at him and shrugged. “Scotch helped, too.”
He grinned, his white teeth a stark contrast to the bloody streaks still present on his skin. The water went off overhead and he glanced at me. “Every time you use the destructive ability, it gets stronger and when you lose control, it blooms like a sun flare.”
“You’ve never lost control,” I said, thinking about his memories.
CJ shook his head. “No, I haven’t. I came close a few times, but I was able to rein it in before I lost it. Let me leave you with something to consider. You took the equivalent of a raindrop in comparison to the ocean out there and you’re having a rough time controlling that small infusion. Can you imagine the kind of damage that would result if I ever lost control?”
He met my gaze and I shivered at the possibilities.
Naomi stepped into the room and glanced at the two of us before putting her hand out. “Our bathroom is free,” she said and CJ glanced at her hand, raising his eyebrow in question.
“She’s a better shot than I am,” I said and he glanced at the ceiling, then at me before he relinquished the gun.
Naomi stepped next to me, adopting the same stance CJ had, her focus on the front window as he disappeared up the stairs. When her gaze met mine, she gave me a strained smile. I took the time to glance at her attire, sweats and an oversized t-shirt that stretched over her belly.
“I’m not going to have any clothes left, am I?” I said and refocused on the glass sliders wondering if we’d get the chance to get maternity clothes. Her belly had grown disproportionately and at this rate, even my oversized bum-around sweats would be too small for her.
“They’re the only thing that sort of fits at this point,” she said and shifted. “Every time I change into the tiger it’s acting like an accelerant. The good news is I can feel the baby moving. A lot.”
I dropped my left hand, placing it on her extended belly and a foot connected, pulling my attention from the glass back to her. The flurries within made me blink and stare at her stomach. I focused and let out a small laugh at the distinct, simplistic thoughts coming from inside.
“They’re hungry,” I said, raising my gaze to hers.
“They?”
“Yes, you are carrying more than one.” I pulled my hand back to steady the gun, my heart feeling both lighter with the new knowledge and fiercer on my intent to defend my family.
“How do you know?” she whispered, her focus on me and not the window in front of her.
“Keep watch,” I hissed and her gaze went back where it belonged.