Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Chapter 16

Kas’s POV

According to the clock, it’s one in the afternoon.

My stomach growling rouses me out of bed.

Before he left, Bronx said Mrs.Miller was going to bring food up to the apartment.

Seems as good a time as any to go see what goodies she brought up.

I go into the walk-in closet and find a pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt.

As I’m getting dressed, my mind churns with the events from yesterday, trying to put some sense to all of it.

How did I end up in the pool in the first place? Where have I been for the last four days? I think they are questions best thought about over a turkey sandwich and hopefully a banana.I put my hair up ina floppy bun before I head out to the kitchen.

As I get to the bedroom door, I smell someone’s scent.

It definitely isn’t Bronx’s dark chocolate and coffee scent that I love so much, besides, he told me he was going to the office.

This scent is out of place in my home and I'll be damned if I’m disappearing for another four days.

My brain immediately switches from questions of my disappearance to defense mode.

I let my fangs and claws extend, ready to attack as I slowly, quietly crack the door open.

A large man is standing half-way between the bedroom door and the sofa with his back facing me.

He is in jeans and a white t-shirt with his arms crossed in front of him as if he’s waiting for something.

All the training James and Marco have given me over the past year floods into my brain.

If I can get a foot planted on the small of his back, I can get leverage over him and try to bring him down.

"Kas, what are you doing?" Lex hisses at me.

"Attacking a man who broke into my apartment.I’m not getting kidnapped again, Lex.What do you think I’m doing?" I snap.

"Kas, that’s just-"

"Not now, Lex," I interrupt.

Before she can respond again, I let a purple aura build around me.I suppress a growl as I launch myself at the man from behind.

One foot securely lands on the small of his back while my knee is between his shoulder blades, giving me leverage to lean back without falling off of him.

My hands wrap tightly around his thick neck at the same time.He lets out a strangled cry as my claws bury deep into his windpipe.He grabs my wrists and starts to pull, but not enough to throw me off of his back.

The growl I was suppressing lets loose from my chest, making the room rumble as he grabs me.I start to push my claws deeper into his neck, pulling them back toward my body at the same time.I can feel his pulse quicken against my fingertips as I get closer to his jugular.

The metallic scent of blood is thick in the air as he drops to his knees.

Something's wrong.

defending himself? Why isn’t he fighting against me? Just as his knees hit the ground, Marco throws the apartment door

just James! You’re gonna to kill him!" he

in the air in front of

from James to me

second of distraction is enough for the intruder to reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw me

the ground, forcing me to dislodge my

to see

between his fingers as he falls to the

fangs and claws retract at the shock of

side and drops to his knees, "James,

voice isn’t nearly as panicked as it

mind links someone, then I watch in horror as

I done? What have I done? "Kas, don’t just sit there.Heal

tears stinging my eyes as I pull myself up.I can’t catch my breath as

done? There’s

his usually cheerful

so sorry.I’m so sorry.Can I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink if it's okay for me to heal

now.I force down a sob as he looks to me and slowly blinks.I position myself next to

looks at James with disbelief in

at me and

and closes, but nothing comes

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We

which isn’t very calm at all.I

my energy, Kas.Let’s go," she whines,

hands away from his

I see the extent of the damage my

the distance, I can hear and feel people around me, but they all fade away as I focus on saving James’s life.I send my energy out into his

repairing tissue that I tore in half.I feel

their touch, intense but familiar

like a truck hit me? As I come out of the darkness of sleep, I

that voice, but I can’t

for Delilah’s mom, Lady Camille.It definitely isn’t

woman sound so familiar? I slowly

light is shining through the doorway into the dark room,

where are we?"

important visitors," her tone is full of

laying on.I jolt up

the doorway.I

I can burn her a little, she will

try to focus to

freeze these two women in time, I can escape out the door and no one gets hurt.I try to

there is a way to escape around them, but the only exit is

minute? Is that who I think it

more clear with Lenora’s strong

woman looks annoyed, "No, I’m not Lenora.Are

floor in front of the cot.I look more carefully at the woman in front

in dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail.She has scarlet irises, red as blood.Her sun-weathered skin