"We'll follow in the cars," Jayden heard Dad say before he was loaded into the back of the ambulance. Noah got in and sat where he was instructed to followed by the EMT who set to work gathering all Jayden's vitals. The doors were closed and before he knew it they were on their way to the hospital.
CHAPTER 11
Noah sat in a hard plastic chair next to Jayden's hospital bed. Once they had arrived at the hospital Noah had been asked to go wait in the waiting room while they assessed Jayden's condition.
Noah had walked out of the emergency room
department to the waiting area where he was immediately surrounded by Jayden's family. He hated that he couldn't tell them what they wanted to know. Jayden had fallen asleep not long after they entered the ambulance and hadn't woken up by the time they'd arrived and Noah was kicked out.
They waited together until finally a doctor had walked out and told them the bullet had lodged in his right upper humerus, and Jayden was being taken to surgery to remove it.
Noah sank into the waiting room chairs and quietly cried for what his mate had gone through. The doctor disappeared but was soon replaced with one of the policeman from the scene.
Noah answered his questions as best he could, but didn't really know anything other than what Jayden had said in their brief phone calls. Several hours later they were
notified that Jayden had made it through surgery and was now in recovery. They could go up and see him as soon as he had been moved to a private room.
So here Noah sat, gripping Jayden's slightly bandaged left hand in his own and waiting for his mate to wake up. Jayden's right arm was strapped across his chest to restrict his movements. Jayden had slept through the night, but Noah had refused to leave. Instead he put his head down on the side of Jayden's bed to nap on and off, wanting to be there when he woke.
Jayden's black and blue hair was stark against the white of the hospital sheets. He'd undergone a transfusion last night as he had lost too much blood during his ordeal.
His skin was a healthier colour now than it had been the previous night.
Jayden groaned and his fingers twitched in Noah's hand.
Noah lightly squeezed back and stood up. "Jay, that's it, open those soulful blue eyes and let me see them again," Noah said quietly and he lifted his left hand and brushed Jayden's hair back from his face.
Jayden groaned again and his eyes fluttered before finally opening. Jayden opened his mouth to say something,
but he only managed a croak.
Noah bent down and kissed Jayden quickly. "Hold on, Jay. I'll get you some water," he said as he extracted his hands and reached for the movable tray that had a plastic jug and a cup with a straw sticking out. Noah filled the cup and placed the straw to Jayden's lips. "Small sips."
Jayden nodded and took small sips of the water until he collapsed back on the bed, his tongue darting out to moisten his dry lips.
"How do you feel?"
"Like I got shot." Jayden smiled.
"So not funny. You scared the shit out of me and your family. Don't ever do that to me again. I love you too much to lose you."
"Didn't mean to. I love you too. Not how I wanted to tell you, but the one thought going through my head when everything happened last night was how I'd never told you I loved you and that we might never get to have our ceremony and grow old together."
"Not going to happen. As soon as you're better, your mum's going to organise everything, and I'm going to tie your ass to mine so you can never leave me."
"Sounds kinky." Jayden chuckled before groaning.
"Don't make me laugh. Hurts like a bitch," he said as he
took a deep breath.
"Sorry, sweetheart." Noah kissed the back of Jayden's hand as he sat down in his seat. "Your parents called just before to let me know they're on their way. In the meantime, do you think you're up to answering some questions? There are a couple of officers outside the door."
"Sure. Why not. Not in too much pain at the moment."
"Good." Noah bent over and captured his mouth in a soul searing kiss. Pulling away, he watched Jayden run his tongue over his lips before Noah turned and walked to the door. He stuck his head outside and got the attention of one of the officers.
"He's awake," Noah said before turning and heading back to sit at Jayden's side. There was no way he was leaving his mate alone to re-live what he had just been through.
Picking up Jayden's smaller hand in his own, he turned and watched as the two officers entered the room.
"Good morning, Sir, I'm Detective Daniels and this is my partner Detective Nelson."
"Good morning, Detectives. Call me Jayden, God knows I'm no sir." Daniels smiled briefly but Nelson's face didn't even twitch.
"What can you tell me about the events that took place last night in Bayview?" Detective Daniels asked.
Jayden took a deep breath before he re-told the story of how he had been walking when he tripped, fell, and started bleeding. He told of how shocked he was when his powers started to investigate the area searching for the dead, and how he had felt the connection with six dead women before the front door to the house he had been standing in front of opened.
Noah had no idea how the hell his mate was still alive after being shot at for what sounded like a half a dozen times. To walk away from something like that with only a gunshot wound to the arm was pretty amazing if you asked him.
"Just to clarify, you didn't set out that night to cause mischief with your little trick?" Detective Nelson asked with a slight sneer.
"Seriously?" Jayden and Noah asked at the same time.
"Dude, you know nothing about me, therefore you know nothing about my powers. Why the hell would I go strolling around suburban Bayview looking for dead people to raise? If I wanted to do that don't you think a cemetery would be the likely place to start not the 'burbs?"
Noah couldn't blame Jayden for being pissed. That had to be one of the all-time most stupid questions he'd heard asked.
"Well, just look at you. You have punk written all over you. It's a fair assumption that you were out looking for trouble."
"Okay, I'm not talking to him any longer," Jayden said to Detective Daniels. Even Detective Daniels was looking at Nelson with exasperation on his face.
"Understandable, Sir."
"I thought I told you it was Jayden?"
Detective Daniels chuckled. "So, Jayden, did you get a good look at the guys? Do you think you could pick them out of a line-up?"
"Yeah, I did. Before the guns came out, I got a pretty good look at the pair as they were standing in the front door of the house with a light shining right above them. Did you guys find the house last night?"
"Yes, we did. We had a half a dozen calls come in last night all from neighbours, some reporting shots fired and others reporting seeing ghosts. Let me tell you the switchboard wasn't a hundred per cent sure what to make of the second report."
Jayden laughed then groaned.
"A team was sent in and after your brothers laid those women to rest all six bodies were recovered from the backyard. They were also holding a young woman, Amanda Seymour, in one of the rooms, handcuffed to the bed. She's currently in another hospital room with guards posted."
"Please tell me you caught those sick bastards,"
Noah said, unable to imagine the horrors those poor women had gone through.
"We apprehended Bruce Dexley last night; the idiot was still hanging around the house when we arrived on scene. However, his partner in crime is still missing."
"Do you have any idea who it is?" Jayden asked quietly. Noah didn't like the idea of the man who had tried to kill his mate still being free.
"Yes, we know who it is as all his identification was still at the house. We have units out looking for him but, so far, no luck. We'll need you to come down to the station when you're able to make a formal statement and identify the man from the house through a line-up if you're up for it."
Noah watched as Jayden nodded his agreement.
"I'm sorry for everything you went through last night, but I can't begin to tell you how good it is to have
finally got a break in this case. This has been an ongoing investigation for more than six months with very few clues.
We were hoping the stories we've been running in the papers would help jog someone's memories of something they might have seen, but they all turned into dead ends.
"Thank you for your cooperation. Here's my business card with your case number on the back. Give me a call when you're better and we can arrange a time for you to come down to the station." Noah took the card from the detective and placed it in his wallet. He watched as they left the room.
They sat in silence for several minutes until the peace in the room was disturbed by a nurse and the entire Thompson family filing in. Thank God they had a private room.
The nurse set about checking Jayden over, taking his temperature and blood pressure and filling out his chart.
They visited with Jayden's family for about a half an hour, his brothers firing questions left, right, and centre about what had happened. Jayden took it all in stride and answered what he could.
"So, I hear you had to go out to the crime scene?"
Jayden asked Jackson.
Jackson laughed. "Hell, bro, you have more magic
in your little finger than we do in our entire bodies."
Jackson smiled, showing there was no malicious intent behind his comment. "It took all six of us working for hours to lay the women, and every single pet that you managed to raise in a matter of minutes, back to rest."
Noah really didn't think he misheard the awe in Jackson's voice as he spoke to his brother. They continued to talk until it became obvious that Jayden needed some rest. Once they were alone again Noah kissed Jayden on the lips.
"Sleep, Jay."
"Don't go, please?"
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be right here when you wake up,"
Jayden nodded then slowly moved over and rolled onto his side. "Hold me, please?" His voice was so soft and quiet that Noah didn't have the heart to tell him no.
"Okay but you tell me if I hurt you."
"'Kay." Noah walked around to the other side of the bed, kicked his shoes off before climbing up on the bed behind Jayden. Gently pulling the man back against his chest Noah kissed the nape of Jayden's neck and settled down to get a little sleep of his own. Jayden's sigh of contentment was all the encouragement he needed to close
his eyes and sleep.
CHAPTER 12
Six weeks had passed since Jayden had been
released from the hospital. His bullet wound was now fully healed, and he had received word from Detective Daniels yesterday that they had finally caught up with Eric Benson, the man who had chased him through the streets shooting at him. Eric had been found in New South Wales, and the police were currently in the process of getting him extradited back to the Territory so he could face charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, rape, and a whole host of others.
Now, however, Jayden stood in his parents'
bedroom looking at himself in their full length mirror. He'd had his hair done again especially for the occasion. His eyes were lined in black liner, he had a light sheen of gloss on his lips, and he wore a tailored black suit. Any other time and Jayden wouldn't be caught dead in one of these things, but tonight was special.
Tonight he and Noah would finally be joined as mates, and he wanted to make an effort to look good. He'd even given his boots a miss for the night and went with a shiny pair of dress shoes. His tie was a vivid blue to complement his hair and his eyes.
Jayden turned at a knock on the door and watched as his mother came into the room.
"Oh, Jayden. You look wonderful."
"What no 'baby'?" His mother laughed
"I can learn." Jayden laughed at his mother's comment. Jayden smoothed his hands down his jacket.
"You don't think it's too much, do you?" he asked.
"Nonsense, you look stunning. Noah is a lucky man to be getting you. Plus the weather's cooperating and it's a lovely June evening so you won't be too hot."
Jayden hugged his mum before giving her a light kiss on the cheek.
"I'm the lucky one," he whispered. He truly believed that. Noah was everything he could ever want in a partner.
He had finished moving Jayden into his apartment with the help of Jayden's brothers, since Jayden had been unable to help due to his wound.
He and his brothers had finally sat down and had a long conversation about anything and everything after his shooting. They were all getting along better than they ever had before. Jayden was happy that his brothers were actually taking the time to get to know him better. He found that he actually liked his brothers now, instead of just putting up with them for his parents' sake. His new
relationship with his brothers was far from perfect, but he was pleased with the progress made and was looking forward to the future.
Jayden looked at his watch and noticed the time was getting very close to sunset. "Okay, are we going to do this or what?" he asked his mother.
"Of course, dear. Everyone's already waiting outside for you."
His parents had been in contact with the Guild of Necromancers, and the Elder had agreed to fly up and perform the handfasting for them. Francis Blackwood had been intrigued with Jayden's powers and had sat and talked with him for hours about their extent.
Jayden followed his mother down the stairs and out through the back door. The entire backyard had been decked out with fairy lights, tea-light candles floated across the surface of the pool, and all their friends and family had gathered down on the lawn.
He stopped about halfway there when he caught sight of his mate. Noah was standing at the front with Elder Blackwood, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked gorgeous in his dark grey suit with a sapphire blue tie. His dark brown hair was styled neatly and his green eyes shone with happiness.
Noah noticed him and headed his way. Jayden
stayed still and waited for his mate to reach his side.