Visions Unveiled Ch 04

4.

Out of darkness.

Shane had been carrying the unconscious girl for nearly a mile when he came to a crossroads in the trail. His original intention had been to take her to the shelter of his home but now he realized that even at his quickest pace, it would take over an hour to arrive there traveling in his human form. If he turned left instead and headed east he could make it to Gregor's cottage in less than ten minutes. He momentarily felt conflicted. On one hand he treated the cottage as if it were a shrine, and was reluctant to desecrate the place by exposing it to a stranger. On the other hand, he knew the human in his arms was dangerously close to experiencing hypothermia and he wasn't certain she would survive if he didn't get her indoors and quickly. It was the sensibility of his wolf deep inside which swayed the decision. His more feral half was irritated with him for doubting this female was worthy of entering the cottage. Shane sighed as he realized the wolf was right and he felt ashamed of his human emotions. A life was a life, and a cottage was just a building, nothing more. He glanced down at the girl and noted her chattering teeth and her sickly skin tone. He didn't have time for this delay, so he turned east and quickly made his way to the cottage.

Once he was standing at the door he shifted the weight of the girl so that he could retrieve the key for a second time that day. He was briefly aware of the fact that she was light enough to allow him to easily support her weight with just one arm while he unlocked and opened the door with his other hand. Though it was dark, Shane had long since memorized the layout of the rooms within the cottage. That knowledge coupled with his enhanced vision in low lighting allowed him to easily navigate the way until he was able to switch on a lamp. He hesitated to place her on the furniture because her clothes were soaked through, so instead he took the afghan which was draped over the sofa and wrapped it around her. Again, the feeling that he had been in this moment before assaulted his senses. He shook it off and then gently placed the girl down, laying her on the floor.

His priority was to first get her dry and warm, and then he could worry about how to fully handle the situation he found himself in. She had yet to awaken and he figured that might be a good thing, because if she did to find herself alone with a naked man he was fairly certain she would be terrified. First things first, the air inside the cottage was just as frigid as the temperature outside. Quickly he built a fire and when it was blazing he turned his attention back to the girl. Her shivering had lessened since entering the cottage, but he still had to get her out of the wet clothing she wore.

Rising from the floor he proceeded to the back of the cottage and entered the larger of the two bedrooms located there. Before he could talk himself out of it, he went to the chest of drawers which held Gregor's clothing and started pulling out multiple pairs of socks, t-shirts, a pair of jeans and other flannel wear. While the clothing was old, it had been preserved well because of the care Shane gave to the cottage and all things within, so it was clean and dry. It was exactly what he needed. Next, he went into the hall and opened the linen closet, withdrawing several towels and another blanket. He stopped in the bathroom where he took the first of the towels and quickly rubbed his skin dry. He dressed himself in a pair of Gregor's jeans and a white t-shirt. The size of the clothing wasn't much different from what he wore, and while the shirt was slightly snug across is his broad chest, the jeans fit almost perfectly. It was the first time he ever realized how similar Gregor's build was to his own. Musing over the thought, he took the same towel and ran it through his hair briefly.

That done, he collected the remaining linens and clothing and returned to the front room where the girl still rested, wrapped in the afghan. The fire had already warmed the air in the room and Shane was glad for it. Dropping the pile of clothing and towels beside the girl, Shane kneeled beside her and slipped an arm beneath her back, raising her slightly off the floor. He opened the blanket and then removed her coat. Gently, Shane positioned her arms to allow him to pull her sweater off as well. Next was the tricky part, he thought, as he eyed the white cotton top she wore. He had hoped her inner layer of clothing would have remained dry so he didn't need to completely undress her, but it wasn't to be. The thin white top was also drenched with ice cold rainwater. With a sigh, Shane quickly pulled the soaked shirt over her head and immediately started to dry her skin with a towel. He averted his eyes so as to not see too much of her skin. He knew humans were modest, and though this one was unconscious, he still treated her respectfully. When her skin was dry he took the second t-shirt of Gregor's and pulled it over the girl's head and arms as quickly as possible.

With each item of clothing he removed, the scent of rainwater grew stronger in the room. It caused Shane's heartbeat to quicken unwittingly. When it registered to him that the scent was affecting him, he shook his head sadly, thinking the weather had been most unkind to him today. With a sigh, he pushed dour thoughts of his lost mate away, as he resumed his task of caring for this girl who needed him in the here-and-now.

He turned his attention now to her boots, which he unlaced and pulled off, followed quickly by the saturated socks she wore. He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, thinking only of removing the heavy, cold material from her still chilled body. The denim proved to be the most challenging article of clothing, and he resisted the urge to shred the obstinate material off of her legs. With patience, she was finally free of those as well, and he picked up the towel once again to methodically rub her skin dry.

Shane did all of these things without once registering the feminine curviness of her body, or the soft creaminess of her skin. He had long ago lost any sense of attraction to females. Those impulses died the day he lost his mate. And so, as lovely as this female may or may not have been, Shane never noticed. His every movement was detached and clinical.

Finally, he dressed her in Gregor's sweat pants, which were naturally way too large for her. But they would keep her warm and that was all that mattered. Also, onto her feet he slid not one, but two pairs of socks to keep her warm. When he was done dressing her, he took the last of the towels he had brought into the room and dried her hair, sopping up as much of the wetness as he could. Then he gently picked her up off of the cold floor and placed her onto the sofa. He positioned a throw pillow beneath her head and covered her with another dry blanket. Satisfied that she was as warm as he could possibly make her at the moment, and also that she was nowhere near waking just yet, he turned and gathered up all of the wet items from floor and left the room.

* * *

"Wearing a hole through the floor will not bring him home any sooner, my love."

Abruptly, Erin turned to face her mate where he stood in the doorway assessing her. She had been pacing in front of the large bay window in the great room on the first floor for over an hour and she had no intentions of stopping any time soon. She waved a hand at him in dismissal before turning her eyes back to the darkened window, where rain was sheeting nonstop. "I can't help it, I am worried. This storm, it won't let up."

Logan nodded in agreement, that this was not the most comforting weather for their Alpha to be out in alone. Still, he believed in Shane, and had faith he would return to them unscathed. With an air of calmness that clearly irritated his mate, Logan casually took a seat in a comfortable armchair and held out his hand towards her. "Here, come sit with me."

Though Erin rolled her eyes, she still went to him as if a moth to a flame. She settled herself instantly into his lap and rested her head against his shoulder. "I hate this," was all she said.

Logan rubbed her back soothingly. "I know," he answered, "But your brother, our Alpha, is strong. He knows the forest. He is a survivor."

Erin knew all of this to be true. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, allowing the scent of her mate to calm her before saying, "He is concerned for someone. Someone in distress."

Logan tensed briefly, knowing his empathic mate was always in touch with Shane's emotions, though distance at times could lessen the intensity of the feelings she picked up on. Digesting this information, he asked, "You perhaps?"

Erin shook her head slightly before raising her face to look into Logan's eyes. "No, I'm not certain who it is. It may be an old friend? This soul he feels for ... seems familiar. But I can't place them."

Logan studied the far off look in Erin's eyes before reaching up a hand to run his fingers through her auburn hair. "He is alone, isn't he?" Concern filled the Beta's voice. Erin knew he was contemplating the need to lead out a team to assist the Alpha, should he be in need.

Though Erin wasn't certain, she felt the need to reassure her mate. "Yes, I believe so. If he does have company, I cannot sense them." She placed her arms around her mate's neck and gave him a gentle squeeze. How quickly roles reversed, she thought with a brief smile, as she now comforted him. "I sense his worry for this person. But otherwise, he is well."

Logan released his breath, trusting that if Shane needed any sort of back-up, he would be the first to know. He gave his mate a gentle kiss. "It's late."

Erin nodded and rose to her feet, giving Logan room to stand. She was just about to turn off the light so they could go to bed when a figure appeared in the doorway. Erin looked over to see her aunt wringing her hands, looking worried.

It was Logan who spoke first, taking charge. "Tabitha, what is it?"

Erin felt the woman's tears before she could see them. "Aunt Tabby? Please tell us what's wrong."

Tabitha started to shake slightly, and twisted her fingers together tighter. "My dear niece ... Logan, I must speak with you both. I apologize for the hour, but it cannot wait."

Logan nodded, the Beta in him coming instantly alive. "The hour does not matter, just talk to us."

More tears sprang from the woman's eyes and she grabbed onto Erin's hand. "I'm so sorry. But you must know. My son ..."

Logan's jaw clenched immediately, his wolf rushing to the ready. He found it difficult to speak, so he was relieved when he heard his mate say, "Everything will be fine Aunt Tabby, go on."

Tabitha hung her head in shame before speaking again. "Justin," she said, "Justin has done something terrible."

* * *

Shane took the wet towels, blankets as well as the girl's clothing into the kitchen where the laundry area was also located. He opened the valves which he normally kept closed in case there were problems with the pipes while he was not at the cottage. He then added laundry soap to the basin of the washer, turned the settings to start the machine and tossed in the wet things. After that he returned to the main fireplace where he added more wood to keep the fire burning strong.

He continued to roam the cottage, busying himself with small tasks all the while trying to ignore the pain that came with being in such close confines of the cottage. He frequently checked on the girl, only to find her unconscious still. When the washer stopped spinning, he transferred the contents to the dryer. From there, he picked up an old clothe and set about the menial task of dusting items around the cottage.

Apart from the times Shane moved things to either clean or fix them, everything in the cottage remained where it was originally placed by Gregor and Ilsa. The couple had never owned many valuable possessions, but Shane treated each item he touched as if it were a rare, expensive gem. A shelf in the main room held several of Gregor's books, as well as a ceramic flower vase, a set of silver candlesticks and a framed photograph of Ilsa. After removing the miniscule amount of dust from each, Shane gingerly returned each item to its spot. He then turned his attention to the desk below the shelf, which is where he imagined Gregor had done most of his work at home. The desk held the usual things like Gregor's notebooks, pencils and pens, as well as a large blotter calendar which still boasted the month of February, 1981.

Shane could not resist glancing over the page, reading the appointments and notes Gregor had long ago written there. He could have recalled the details from memory, as this was most definitely not the first time he'd viewed these dates. The month began on a Sunday, and on the 10th was written the words "Dr. Weiss, 11:00am." Since the first time Shane saw the calendar, he had learned that Dr. Weiss was the Oncologist Ilsa saw, but she would not allow the treatment of her tumors, for fear of endangering her pregnancy. The name "Natalie" appeared written on the 12th, a date Shane believed to have been a birthday. He didn't know who Natalie was, but there was a sealed envelope addressed to her on the desk which had obviously never been mailed. His own initials, "S.K." appeared on the 17th, signifying the standing appointment he and Gregor kept which was always the third Tuesday in each month. This was when they discussed articles and letters, written in foreign languages. Shane owned two ancient books. One held the history of his paternal pack over which he still reined. The book had been written in Gaelic and Shane had no trouble with it at all, being completely fluent. However, the other text was from his mother's original pack, and she was of Spanish descent. Her pack lore contained several ancient Spanish and Latin dialects which Shane admitted to having difficulty with over a century before. It had taken him years to find a soul who he could trust to help unravel the secrets the book held. That person had been Gregor, and since Gregor's death, the translation of the text had also ceased.

All of the notations on the calendar were scratched in pencil, in what Shane recognized to be Gregor's distinct, slightly slanted handwriting. Gregor had been left-handed, and the manner in which he scrawled his words was unlike Shane had ever seen before or since. The only item on the calendar which appeared to be written by Ilsa wasn't even a word at all. On the 14th, there was a heart drawn with a red pen. The plump, curvy shape of the heart was clearly the work of a female, and it was also the only use of color on the page. Shane imagined it was a playful addition made by Ilsa, to remind Gregor that even while he worked, she loved him, and thought of him.

Shane fondly ran his fingertip over the Valentine's heart before taking a deep breath to steel himself for what he was about to see next. Feeling resolved, he lifted up the edge of the calendar and raised the page high enough to look at the following month. The month of March 1981 was written on just once: the date of Monday, March 23rd had been circled. There were no other words or numbers written there except for a question mark. From the moment Shane had first viewed the calendar it hadn't taken him long to realize that March 23rd was the date Ilsa and Gregor expected their baby to be born. Shane remembered asking Gregor about when he and Ilsa believed their child was to arrive, and Gregor told him it should be early spring. He was also told by Kevin who, after the fact, said that he believed the baby he delivered had been six to eight weeks premature. It all added up that way to Shane as well, looking back. In the early hours of February 3rd was the when she was actually born and died, but Shane also mourned for his mate on March 23rd as well. A date that would have blessed his life in the most amazing way had things been different.

Lowering himself into the chair before the desk, Shane rested his head in his hands as he pondered her, his mate. He typically did not allow himself to wallow in the world of might-have-been, but when he was at the cottage, it was especially difficult to fend off. He closed his eyes and let himself briefly imagine the life she might have had. He conjured up the image of a perfectly healthy child born to Gregor and Ilsa. He wondered if, as she grew, would she have dark hair like her mother? Or the fair features of her father? Would she be shy and quiet? Or a fiery, daring child?

He thought of how he would have known, from the moment he first saw and scented her, that she was his mate. He knew it would be difficult for Gregor to accept, but in time, the intelligent man would come to understand. And time they would have. Years, really. For it would take that long for her to mature, and until she did, Shane would make sure the family wanted for nothing. Through the pack, he would provide the highest protection there could be. If his mate grew to favor the piano, he would have the finest Steinway commissioned. Had she taken a liking to skiing or mountain climbing, he would invest in the best protective equipment money could buy. Maybe she would have an interest in sewing, like her mother. If that were so, he would import top quality silk and cotton by the yardful.

In these rare times, when Shane envisioned his mate's life, he also always treated himself to the thought of Ilsa surviving as well. For the family to be complete, happy and healthy. Gregor and Ilsa had long been his dear friends, and in this fantasy world, they continued to be so. And he would be the best friend and provider possible to his mate, until she grew older. Until she aged into maturity, and only then would she begin to feel the pull towards him, as he did towards her. He would patiently wait until she did, until she came to see him as not only a protector, but as a man. Then she would be ready to fully accept him, and he would claim her, allowing her to take her rightful place beside him in his pack ...

A flash of lighting, instantly followed by thunder strong enough to quake the cottage shook him out of his thoughts. Shane rubbed his hands down his face, surprised to find his eyes wet with tears. He took a shuddering breath and suddenly went tense, as the scent of rain yet again assaulted him. He looked to the window beside him wondering if there was a leak. He would be aggravated if so, as he made it a point to regularly check the seals around all of the windows and doors. He was glad to see there was no such moisture around the windows, but that didn't answer the question of where the scent was coming from.

To his left, he heard the girl stir in her sleep and he snapped his head around towards her. His eyes narrowed as he approached her slowly, but she did not wake or move further. He took a step back, suddenly feeling rattled and not knowing why. With a shake of his head he backed away fully. Suddenly remembering the laundry, and relieved at having a task yet again, Shane walked away from the girl once again.

* * *

Hours later in their room, it was now Logan who would not stop pacing. Erin sat on their bed, watching her mate warily. Suddenly Logan stopped short and spun towards her with a flash in his eyes. "I must alert him right away."

Erin knew Logan was speaking about Shane. That he felt the need to immediately relay every detail her Aunt Tabitha had just dropped on them. But Erin was steadfastly against this idea. "This is not the time. He will come undone if we tell him this now."

Logan shook his head, "We cannot lie to him."

Erin frowned, "I would suggest no such thing. We will tell him when he returns. But we will not interrupt him with this dreadful news. His emotions are already too volatile."