"It's the only one?" She hated the sick feeling in the pit of her gut at the news.
"The only one on standby," he said roughly. "The others are on missions and farther away. They can't be called back. Besides, even waiting for it to return to Sanctuary before heading out, Jonas would be faster. "
"What's their ETA?' She watched the coffee begin to drip into the pot.
"Almost midnight. " He growled. "But, on the other hand, you slept most of the day away. We have three teams outside the house and plenty of protection until he arrives. We'll go through the pictures, get the information we need and be ready by the time the jet gets
here. No problem. "
No problem.
She pressed her hand to her stomach, hoping to still the instinctive fear rising inside her. Sometimes it meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. Other times She couldn't think about the other times. She wouldn't think
about them. She couldn't afford to lose her cool now. Not when they were so close. Not when she could feel the answers moving inside her head.
Her hand rose to her hair, her fingers clenching in it as she fought to force the memory forward, to understand what was going on and why.
She clenched her fists to keep from calling her father.
He would come for her. He would call out her uncle from the reservation and throw a net over her that would make her feel safe, at ease.
She almost shook her head at the thought. She couldn't involve her father in this. No matter how sickening the feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing, she couldn't involve her family.
God help her if she caused even one of them to die. She couldn't live with herself. It would be more than her conscience could bear. Besides, she wasn't defenseless, she reminded herself. Braden and his teams were here. They were well trained, too well trained. They would surely be a formidable force against anyone who might try to attack.
Again.
She watched the coffee pour slowly into the pot, her frown deepening as
she fought the mists that swirled around the memory, fought to understand why she had forgotten the event.
Because it hadn't been the first, she answered herself. It wasn't the first time emotions and sensations had attacked her with no clear reason. During those days at the Academy, confined to an area filled with so many different people and personalities, she had often suffered such episodes.
Pushing her fingers restlessly through her hair, she turned from the coffeepot and walked to the shadecovered window. She lifted a slat and stared out bleakly as she remembered the emotions that had poured from one or perhaps even all of the Breeds she had seen that night.
The grief had been horrible, and it had been feminine in nature. She remembered that from the dream. She stared into the distance, focusing on the ridge of low mountains rising beyond her home.
It was early evening. She was amazed she had slept that long. The sun was already beginning its slow trek along the horizon before allowing the dark sky to converge over the land.
She closed her eyes, and as she did, a face wavered before her inner sight. A familiar, affectionate smile. Pale blue eyes filled with laughter_
with ice. Her heart rate increased as dread began to quake through her veins.
It couldn't be him, she told herself fiercely. She had to be mistaken.
"Megan, come sit down and have some coffee. "
Braden's voice was low, soothing. "Calm down and then we'll go over the pictures again. "
She turned back to him, surprised. "I am calm. "
"Are you? His gaze met hers solemnly. "I can feel your mind raging, baby. You're not going to find answers like that. You have to learn to sift through the information. How to set aside what isn't important to get to what is. "
She dropped the slat as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and turned fully to him.
"They've been watching us. " She knew it; she could feel it in the sick rolling of her stomach.
He knew. She saw it in his eyes. Lucky for him he didn't try to lie about it.