Finding Abigail (10 page)

She had to be dying.

Or…what had Aeneas said?

She felt the sweat roll down her temples, her spine, and everywhere else as she rocked back and forth in the chair…or was she on the floor? She wasn’t sure anymore.

What was happening? What was she turning into?

A harpy.

Abby didn’t know what that was beyond the crazy demon-like creatures she’d read about in some of her romance books. She moaned as the pain flared, trying to suck her into the abyss. She knew if she fell, she wouldn’t be able to climb her way out. No, she had to focus on something else. 

What did she remember about harpies?

They had claws—sharp talons that could tear through flesh as if it were butter. They were warriors. Some stories even said they were stronger than any other supernatural creature in the world, or any world for that matter.

That was, of course, if she believed in such things.

She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

Some stories said they had wings, their only weakness.

The sharp pain stabbed at her again, and she gasped. Oh, God, thinking wasn’t working.

“Abigail, baby, open your eyes and look at me. Breathe, baby,” a voice said as it wrapped around her like velvet.

Her body cooled from the pain but warmed from a whole new sensation at the thought. 

Why did that voice sound so familiar? 

“Abigail, open your eyes. We’re home now; you’re safe. I’ll take care of you, baby, but you need to open your eyes. I need to know you’re okay.” Desperation laced his tone, along with something else, something that sounded like care or…love.

Who was it?

No one loved her. Not like that.

A vision of Tyler’s face filled her mind, and she sighed, the pain not so bad anymore. It was only her wish that the voice belonged to him. It couldn’t be his…could it?

Her rescue came back to her, and she gasped. Tyler had come for her. He’d gotten her out of that room, had held her to his chest and cradled her like something precious.

Could the voice belong to him?

Abby forced open her eyes, the slow movement tearing at her, but she needed to see. Needed to feel something other than pain.

“Tyler?” she croaked out, and the man in front of her smiled. 

It was him. Tyler, the man she loved and the man Aeneas said she’d never have. His strong jaw and cheekbones were fixed in a state of tension, even through his smile. His blue eyes were a deep pool of ocean water framed by dark lashes. His hair was a dark brown, short, cut close to his head.

That whole military-cop look was always sexy on him.

And he’d called her baby.

Maybe she was still dreaming.

“Hey, Abigail, it’s me,” Tyler said as he traced her jaw with his finger then pushed the hair from her face. “How are you feeling?”

“Hot,” she said then blushed. Well, yeah, she was hot for something, but it wasn’t the fact that her body was on fire.

Oh great, way to look desperate.

Tyler brought a cool cloth to her face and neck, touching her so gently she wanted to weep.

“What happened?” she asked.

Tyler’s face stormed over, but he kept his touch gentle. “Aeneas took you from your home, but you’re safe now. I’ll take care of you.”

She looked at her surroundings and sighed. He’d brought her to his home, not hers. She’d vaguely remembered asking him not to bring her home. She hadn’t wanted to be at the place where Aeneas has taken her. The final pieces of where she’d been and what had happened slipped into place, and she looked down at her body, expecting to see the pools of blood and cuts from the non-cupid maniac that had smiled when he’d cut into her flesh.

But now she saw only long, healed scars. 

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Only an hour or so, baby.”

“But, no, that doesn’t make sense. How can I be healed like this?”

Tyler pressed the cool cloth to her temple and gave her a sympathetic look. She wasn’t going to like his answer.

Her body bent in pain and her hands felt as though someone had sliced into them. She cried out and looked at her fingers. 

“Oh, God, Ty,” she whispered.

In place of her hands were claws with long, pointed nails that looked like they could rip a heart of out of someone’s chest with one swipe. 

No, this couldn’t be happening. She didn’t want to be a harpy. Harpies were mean, evil, and could only be controlled by the person they loved the most.

This couldn’t be her.

“Abigail, it’s okay. It’ll go away. You’re still you.”

She shook her head, unbelieving. He picked up her clawed hands and kissed them, sending a coolness through the fiery pain and her claws receded.

“See? I told you it’d be okay.”

Tyler had made them go away, not her. What did that mean?

“What do you remember about what happened to you?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I remember everything, Tyler. The way he took me from my home, how he explained that he hated Cupid and all the other cupids—including you.” She raised a brow; yeah, they would get to that. “I remember him cutting me then…” She took a deep breath. “Then he hit me with his own arrow. He said it would take away what mattered most about me—my kindness.”

Tyler brushed another lock of hair from her face. “He said he’d turned you into a harpy, Abigail. I think that’s why you’ve healed so much and why we just saw your claws.”

“But I don’t want to be a harpy.”

Real mature, but honestly, she didn’t know what else to say. Why couldn’t she just wake up from this nightmare?

“I know, baby, but we’ll take care of it. We’ll take it one step at a time together, okay?”

“Why do you keep calling me baby? I thought you didn’t even like me.” And there was the crux of the matter. She didn’t recognize this caring Tyler, though she’d seen him like this with his family. He was a kind man to others, just not her. That’s why she hated herself for loving him for so long.

Tyler took a deep breath and ran his hand down her arm to grasp her hand. She didn’t pull away, though she should have. She liked the touch of his skin, the calloused fingers on her soft ones. She might have been a glutton for punishment when it came to him, but she was too sick to deal with it. At least that’s what she’d tell herself now. 

God, she was pathetic.

“Aeneas shot me with an arrow. I don’t know when, but it had to be when I was a lot younger. His arrows take away the things that make us ourselves. With you, it took away your kindness, though I don’t think he could ever do that, not really. I haven’t seen any evidence that you aren’t the best Abigail you can be. Yes, you had claws for a moment, but we’ll find out what else happens.

“But, with me, it took away my ability to see the one person who would be perfect for me. I’m a cupid. I’m the one who helps people find those who could love each other in each possible and precious way. It makes sense that the one thing that made me myself would be the ability to find my own love.”

Memories of every time he’d ignored her or acted like she didn’t exist assaulted her. “You’re saying it was his arrow that caused you to ignore me and treat me like crap? Because I don’t know if I believe that.”

Tyler frowned and took a deep breath. “I need you to, Abigail. God, I can’t believe I lost so much time. That
we
lost so much time. I didn’t see you, not really. You were always there in my peripheral vision. I think deep down I knew who you were…what we could become. I fell in love with you, Abigail, yet, I didn’t know it. I
couldn’t
know it.”

Love? Did he just say love? Because that didn’t make sense. People just didn’t magically fall in love like that. Not in reality, anyway.

“I can see by the expression on your face you don’t believe me. I’ll prove it to you, baby. I promise.”

“This is really fast, Tyler.” Though even as she said it, the woman inside her that loved the man in front of her did a little dance, shaking her hips with glee. 

Subtle.

Though the woman inside her wasn’t as perky as she usually was, no she seemed a little more sultry. Like a vixen.

“I know. I don’t know why I’m not freaking out more than I am either, but we can deal with this, you know. I’m more worried right now that you’re in pain. What can I do?”

As he spoke, she felt the pain recede. For some reason, she knew the change was complete, though as she looked down at her body, she couldn’t see a change. Maybe it was only on the inside. That didn’t sit quite well with her, though. She didn’t want to change. She didn’t want to lose Abigail.

“I’m okay now, at least I think so. I don’t look different, do I? Besides the claws, of course.”

Tyler traced a finger along her chin, her lips. Shivers of need scaled over her body as she looked into his eyes to see his pupils dilating. 

“You look like Abigail. Beautiful.”

She swallowed hard at his words. “This is so weird. I’m not used to you saying things like this to me.” Though she loved it. 

Tyler nodded but kept touching her. “I know, but I’ll fix that. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean now that I’ve found you, I’m not letting you go. You’re stuck with me, Abigail Clarke.”

Stuck with Tyler Cooper? Well, that didn’t sound too bad. No, not at all.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I’m going to prove to you that I’m not the same man I was before you cut me with that arrow.”

“Wait, it was my fault?”

Tyler laughed, a deep chuckle that reached her in all the right spots. “No, I’m saying that the arrow I cut myself on broke the curse.”

“Do you think it could help me?” She tamped down on the hope that swelled. It wouldn’t be that easy; she knew it.

Tyler gave a sad smile. “No, baby, I don’t think so. My arrows are to help in crumbling the walls people build between themselves and those they could love. That’s what happened when I saw you. I love you, Abigail. I can’t explain it, but I do. I know it’s too fast, so we’re going to start fresh.”

He loved her.

Maybe she was still dreaming.

“Fresh?”

“Fresh. We’re going to start as though we’re just now finding each other. I know we have history, and you shouldn’t forgive me for the way I’ve acted, but I want to make it up to you.”

“But, you’re saying it was because of the curse.”

“I’m saying that a lot of my actions were because of it. But I can’t be sure which ones. I mean I was a horrible person to you, Abigail. I ignored you, and I took advantage of your kindness because I didn’t think you were really there, not for anything more than just a background. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m going to prove how much I want it. And I’m going to help you deal with whatever being a harpy means. I’m not letting you go.”

Cautiously, she lifted her hand to cup his cheek. “I believe you, Tyler Cooper.”

He smiled and leaned into her touch. Okay, she was really liking this new Tyler, even though she’d loved the old one, too.

“I don’t know what the future brings, Abigail. I’m a freaking cupid, and it’s almost Valentine’s Day. I’m going crazy enough. But when Aeneas took you…” He shuddered and placed his palm on the top of her hand. “I felt as though I’d lost something I hadn’t even realized I had. That bastard is sick, baby. I still don’t know why exactly he hates the cupids.”

“He said it was because Cupid had taken something away from him. But I don’t know what. Maybe there’s something we can look up. Cupid was a legend or god or whatever, right?”

“It depends on the mythology, but yeah. I haven’t really looked into what being a cupid meant, even though I should have. I’ve been hiding what it meant to be one this whole time.”

“So, you’ve known what you were for a while then?”

“I’ve known since I was a kid, but I haven’t had to deal with the whole cupid thing until now. This was the first year I’ve had the arrows and had to deal with the physical connection I feel when I see someone who could love another. I’m still so new to it, and it’s kind of weird.”

Abby smiled. “So, you shoot people with arrows, sheriff?”

Tyler grinned. “Yes, though they can’t see them. I’m still trying not to look like an idiot hiding behind a bush or something so people can’t see me playing with thin air.”

Abby laughed, the warm feeling spreading through her. She’d be okay; she’d figure it out. Plus, she had Tyler by her side now to help. Well, for as long as he wanted her. She couldn’t get rid of the feeling that, even if it weren’t a dream, he’d find someone better. There were so many women who wanted him, and she was “just Abby.”

“Hey, what’s that look for?”

“Nothing,” she lied.

“Are you still doubting me?”

“How can you read my mind? Is it a cupid thing?”

“No, it’s a me thing.” He cupped her cheek. “I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, and I know it’s my fault, but I’ll prove it to you. I don’t want anyone else, Abby.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. He tasted of coffee and candy, sweet and goodness. His lips were firm, yet soft, sinful.

Oh, my God, I’m kissing Tyler Cooper
.

Yes! The want-to-be cheerleader in her was shaking her pom-poms and squealing.

She opened her lips and let his tongue dance with hers. She moaned into him, and he pulled back, his gaze heated.

“I’ve wanted to do that forever, though I didn’t know it.”

She nodded, unable to speak.

“I’m going to do it again soon. Just warning you,” he said as he brushed his thumb along her cheek.

She swallowed hard, trying not to think about that because her body was heated enough. “So, do you wear tights when you’re on your cupid adventures?”

Tyler threw his head back and laughed. “Hell, no. Thankfully, we don’t have a uniform. Just the arrows, bows, and quiver.”

“I would have paid to see that,” she teased.

Tyler shook then shifted so he could lie on the couch, bringing Abby with him. She leaned into his hold and inhaled that crisp scent that was just Tyler.

“Sorry to move you. I just wanted to hold you. Okay?”

Hell, yeah, it was better than okay, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. She merely nodded while leaning harder into him.