CHAPTER 36
"What are you?" She gasped, not able to process her thoughts before speaking. Her words cut
through Adam's heart as deeply as if she'd run him through with his sword. She saw the veil fall
over his eyes and as much as she hated herself for it … she was powerless to do anything to
stop it.
"You're like him. You're like Devan." She accused. Shaking her head Beth backed away from
Adam, stumbling against the end table as she tried to understand. Richie kept her from falling,
but she pulled her arm from his grasp as soon as she had her footing … looking around the room
and realizing she was the only one surprised by this.
Adam could see her heart breaking in her eyes and cursed himself for being something she
obviously feared.
"You all knew?" she asked, looking from one face to the other. And then it dawned on her. "That
was the secret … that is what Devan was talking about … he knew about Adam … you all knew."
"Beth you need to let him explain." Duncan tried to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but
she wouldn't have it. "No … no … I need … space. I'll listen … but I need … some room." She
told him, not knowing what else to call it.
Adam couldn't bear to see the fear and pain in her eyes any longer. Completely spent, he turned
and rested his weight on his hands against the mantle, staring down between them at the empty
grate. Duncan could see he wasn't in any shape to explain anything to Beth and saw Adam's
retreat as his request for someone else to do it.
"Beth … it's not what you think. There's a reason why Adam is the way he is … and the reason is
a closely guarded secret." He began. For the next few minutes he explained about immortality
and why if mortals became aware of their existence, they would most likely hunt them down and
destroy them out of fear.
Beth listened and tried to understand, but it was hard … so much had happened in such a little
time, and now to find out this?
"Duncan … how do you know so much about immortals?" she asked, and when he didn't reply
immediately … she realized the answer. "That day in the dojo … the day I walked in on you and
Richie …" she turned and looked at the young man. "You're … you're one of them too aren't
you?" They both nodded.
"Beth … I'm an immortal as well." Amanda added, coming to stand beside Duncan. "But I'm also
your friend … we all are."
The room was starting to get very warm, as Beth felt it close in on her. She turned to look at Joe
… her eyes asking him a silent question.
"Me? No …" he shook his head and let out a nervous laugh, tapping his cane on one of his
prosthetics. "Mortal man with feet of clay."
Beth seemed relieved to hear that, but only for a second.
Her eyes drifted to Adam, who hadn't changed position the entire time except to occasionally
raise his head to look up at the mortar between the bricks.
"Adam … I don't know what I'm supposed to say …" Her confused voice shook softly. His eyes
shut tightly as her words reached his ears. This was tearing both of them up inside and neither
could reach out for the other … even though it was what they both desperately needed. The
weight of her eyes were heavy on him and it took everything he had to turn and face her …
knowing what he would see when he did.
As she looked into his face, Beth's mind replayed everything that had happened in the last few
hours. She thought about the way he'd opened up to her … the things he'd shared … the way
he'd held her … and kissed her … and the way she came alive in his arms. She thought about
the terror she felt as Mitchell attacked Adam … about watching the sword slice into him … how
she wondered as Richie forced her to leave with him, if she would ever see Adam again. How
she thanked God when she'd seen his face hovering above hers ...
… and now this secret of all secrets.
Her heart and her mind were at war with one another. She wanted more than anything to throw
her arms around him and rain kisses on his face until the pain she saw melted away. She wanted
to make herself forget about anyone or anything but how much she loved him … and she knew in
that moment that she did love him. God help her, she loved him so much. But a part of her was
so unsure about what she'd just learned … The room began to spin.
"Beth honey … maybe you should sit down." Joe said as he saw her grab the edge of the chair to
steady herself, her eyes still locked with Adam's.
"I don't want to sit down … I need to … I need to … owwwww" she grabbed her stomach and
doubled over. Adam rushed to her side, picking her up and carrying her back to the sofa.
"No … no … this can't be happening." Beth grimaced, pulling her knees up to her chest and
holding herself so tight. "Please … I can't lose my baby … I can't." she cried as Adam and
Amanda tried to calm her.
"I'm calling an ambulance." Joe stated flatly, daring anyone to challenge him.
In a few minutes paramedics arrived, put Beth on a stretcher and lifted her into the ambulance.
As much as Adam wanted to jump in the ambulance beside her … he knew that what had just
happened was caused by the stress he put on her... and he was the last person she would want
to be with her. "Joe please …" he asked the older man and then assisted him as Joe carefully
climbed in.
"I won't let her out of my sight." Joe promised as they closed the doors.
'We'll be right behind you." Duncan replied, waiting only long enough for Amanda to lock the door
to the house and hand him his coat before driving the four of them to the hospital. When they
were in the car she tossed one of Adam's sweaters to him in the back seat. "Thought you might
need this." She said, nodding at the torn, bloodstained sleeve that he hadn't given another
thought since he watched Beth collapse.
"What are you?" She gasped, not able to process her thoughts before speaking. Her words cut
through Adam's heart as deeply as if she'd run him through with his sword. She saw the veil fall
over his eyes and as much as she hated herself for it … she was powerless to do anything to
stop it.
"You're like him. You're like Devan." She accused. Shaking her head Beth backed away from
Adam, stumbling against the end table as she tried to understand. Richie kept her from falling,
but she pulled her arm from his grasp as soon as she had her footing … looking around the room
and realizing she was the only one surprised by this.
Adam could see her heart breaking in her eyes and cursed himself for being something she
obviously feared.
"You all knew?" she asked, looking from one face to the other. And then it dawned on her. "That
was the secret … that is what Devan was talking about … he knew about Adam … you all knew."
"Beth you need to let him explain." Duncan tried to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but
she wouldn't have it. "No … no … I need … space. I'll listen … but I need … some room." She
told him, not knowing what else to call it.
Adam couldn't bear to see the fear and pain in her eyes any longer. Completely spent, he turned
and rested his weight on his hands against the mantle, staring down between them at the empty
grate. Duncan could see he wasn't in any shape to explain anything to Beth and saw Adam's
retreat as his request for someone else to do it.
"Beth … it's not what you think. There's a reason why Adam is the way he is … and the reason is
a closely guarded secret." He began. For the next few minutes he explained about immortality
and why if mortals became aware of their existence, they would most likely hunt them down and
destroy them out of fear.
Beth listened and tried to understand, but it was hard … so much had happened in such a little
time, and now to find out this?
"Duncan … how do you know so much about immortals?" she asked, and when he didn't reply
immediately … she realized the answer. "That day in the dojo … the day I walked in on you and
Richie …" she turned and looked at the young man. "You're … you're one of them too aren't
you?" They both nodded.
"Beth … I'm an immortal as well." Amanda added, coming to stand beside Duncan. "But I'm also
your friend … we all are."
The room was starting to get very warm, as Beth felt it close in on her. She turned to look at Joe
… her eyes asking him a silent question.
"Me? No …" he shook his head and let out a nervous laugh, tapping his cane on one of his
prosthetics. "Mortal man with feet of clay."
Beth seemed relieved to hear that, but only for a second.
Her eyes drifted to Adam, who hadn't changed position the entire time except to occasionally
raise his head to look up at the mortar between the bricks.
"Adam … I don't know what I'm supposed to say …" Her confused voice shook softly. His eyes
shut tightly as her words reached his ears. This was tearing both of them up inside and neither
could reach out for the other … even though it was what they both desperately needed. The
weight of her eyes were heavy on him and it took everything he had to turn and face her …
knowing what he would see when he did.
As she looked into his face, Beth's mind replayed everything that had happened in the last few
hours. She thought about the way he'd opened up to her … the things he'd shared … the way
he'd held her … and kissed her … and the way she came alive in his arms. She thought about
the terror she felt as Mitchell attacked Adam … about watching the sword slice into him … how
she wondered as Richie forced her to leave with him, if she would ever see Adam again. How
she thanked God when she'd seen his face hovering above hers ...
… and now this secret of all secrets.
Her heart and her mind were at war with one another. She wanted more than anything to throw
her arms around him and rain kisses on his face until the pain she saw melted away. She wanted
to make herself forget about anyone or anything but how much she loved him … and she knew in
that moment that she did love him. God help her, she loved him so much. But a part of her was
so unsure about what she'd just learned … The room began to spin.
"Beth honey … maybe you should sit down." Joe said as he saw her grab the edge of the chair to
steady herself, her eyes still locked with Adam's.
"I don't want to sit down … I need to … I need to … owwwww" she grabbed her stomach and
doubled over. Adam rushed to her side, picking her up and carrying her back to the sofa.
"No … no … this can't be happening." Beth grimaced, pulling her knees up to her chest and
holding herself so tight. "Please … I can't lose my baby … I can't." she cried as Adam and
Amanda tried to calm her.
"I'm calling an ambulance." Joe stated flatly, daring anyone to challenge him.
In a few minutes paramedics arrived, put Beth on a stretcher and lifted her into the ambulance.
As much as Adam wanted to jump in the ambulance beside her … he knew that what had just
happened was caused by the stress he put on her... and he was the last person she would want
to be with her. "Joe please …" he asked the older man and then assisted him as Joe carefully
climbed in.
"I won't let her out of my sight." Joe promised as they closed the doors.
'We'll be right behind you." Duncan replied, waiting only long enough for Amanda to lock the door
to the house and hand him his coat before driving the four of them to the hospital. When they
were in the car she tossed one of Adam's sweaters to him in the back seat. "Thought you might
need this." She said, nodding at the torn, bloodstained sleeve that he hadn't given another
thought since he watched Beth collapse.