Enchanting Wilder (31 page)

Finally, when I force my eyes open, I take a deep breath and center myself. I wipe the moisture from my face and stand, straightening my shirt.

It was just a panic attack. There’s nothing wrong with me.

Satisfied with my mini pep talk, I nod once and turn from my reflection and head out the door.

As I’m about to pass the master bedroom, the murmur of voices flows from under the door and I stop in my tracks.

“Dad,” I hear Declan say. “It can’t be true. I don’t believe it.”

Noah sighs. “I’m sorry, son.”

“No!” Declan shouts, followed by a loud bang, like he punched a wall. “Dammit dad.”

I flinch and then there’s silence.

Seconds pass by as I rock in place, biting my lip, contemplating what I should do. My brain tells me to move away from the door and mind my own business. My heart, that snoopy little thing, it’s telling me to stay in place, find out what they’re talking about.

“How am I supposed to tell her?” Declan asks, his voice cracking.

I move closer to the door, placing my ear on the cold wood. My hands lay flat, steadying me.

“That’s for you to figure out, son. I can’t do this for you.”

Declan sniffles. “And me? How is that possible? How am I…”

“There’s so much you don’t know,” Noah cuts him off.

He’s a what?!
I want to yell at them.

“But you’ll tell us everything? After I tell McKenna, you’ll tell us the whole story? I can’t be in the dark any longer.”

My breath stops in my chest.
What about me?

Heavy footed feet pace the floor. “I promise.”

Declan exhales.

“You have to tell her…”

“I know,” Declan stops him. “I have to tell her she’s a demon.”

Heavy steps barrel down the stairs, and both Dad and I perk up at the interruption.

“What was that?” he asks.

I wipe my eyes and stand up. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Dad stands too, his hand on my shoulder. His eyes are dejected and his mouth is turned down. Pity emanates through him. “You going to be okay, son?”

My neck stiff, I fidget.

“Is she worth this?”

My mind instantly goes to McKenna. The way she so willingly accepted me into her life and encouraged me to be me. I don’t know how she’s going to take the news, but I know she’s better than a demon.

Christ, she’s better than me.

“She’s worth it all, Dad. I can feel it with everything I am.”

Dad becomes quiet, pinching his bottom lip.

“And—and Kai? Are you okay with him?” I’m almost afraid to ask. My chest tightens, the guilt setting in. I didn’t really get a chance to fully explain what happened with Kai and how he came to be a part of our team.

Dad lets go of his lip and looks me square in the eye. “I’m trusting you on this one. He’s not the first monster I’ve met to have some humanity, but tread lightly. You know your mom would have my hide if she knew we didn’t at least try to give him a second chance.”

“Your mistakes don’t define you,” I say with her voice in my head.

“Right.”

“Let’s get going. I know I can’t put this off. Should we do it with everyone?”

“I would. It’s easier, and I think McKenna will need some help to cope with it.”

Dad rocks on his heels and trails behind me.

Everyone but McKenna is outside when we get downstairs.

“Where’s McKenna?” I ask, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“She’s in the house somewhere,” Candy offers and sits on the railing of the front porch. Kai settles next to her while Wood, dad, and mom sit in old, rickety rocking chairs in front of them.

I nod. “I’m going to go find her, but we need to talk to you.”

Candy swallows.

I give her sympathetic eyes and turn back for the house.

The living room is empty as well as the kitchen. Something thumps inside the closet just off the hallway and I take a quick glance outside. Everyone but McKenna is accounted for. Pulling my gun out of the back of my jeans, I cock it and place my hand on the door knob. When I open the closet, I find McKenna with her head between her knees rocking back and forth on the ground. Switching the safety on, I shove my gun back in my pants.

“McKenna?” I say, rushing to her, putting my hands on both sides of her face. “What’s wrong?”

When she looks up to me, her eyes are bloodshot from crying and the mascara she put on this morning is running down the apple of her cheeks. Her body shutters, sobs wracking her body.

“Mighty…” I sit down next to her, pulling her into my lap. “What happened?”

She tucks her face into my neck, her cries muffled by my skin. She shakes her head and holds onto my body, refusing to let go.

“Shh,” I say rocking her. I close my eyes and will myself to stay strong. I don’t know what’s going on, but somehow I can feel her anguish. It barrels through me like a bulldozer, hitting me straight in the heart.

“I know,” she finally says.

“You know, what?”

“I heard you,” she whispers. My heart stops, taking my breath with it.
She heard what?

She holds me tighter now.

I keep my arms around her for a long while, her cries subsiding and then starting back up again.

“We need to talk,” I finally tell her.

She sniffs and pulls back her body, her skin blotchy with redness. “Okay.”

Brushing my fingers under her eyes, I kiss her forehead and help her stand. Threading my fingers with hers, I grab a hoodie from the closet and one of my mom’s long sweaters for McKenna. She quickly shoves her arms through the light purple cardigan, her eyes puffy.

“Everyone’s outside.”

She winces, pressing her fist to her chest.

I look ahead at the front door, my vision tunneling like I’m in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Each step we take feels like a step away from the life we had only minutes ago.

“We’re going to be okay,” I promise when my hand lands on the doorknob.

McKenna’s chin trembles and she stares at the ground.

As we pass the threshold, our families sit, eyes wide in worry.

“Is everything all right?” Wood asks, taking note of McKenna’s obvious distress.

Candy immediately stands. “McKenna…”

McKenna puts her hand out, stopping her, shaking her head.

Dad takes a deep breath and looks to mom, her eyes shining with tears. “I think it’s time, my love.”

Mom bites her lip and looks to me, apologies pouring from her expression.

“Mom?” Wood says.

She takes a deep breath and grabs dad’s hand. “I guess we should start from the beginning.”

McKenna sits down next to mom and I take a seat next to her, the old chair creaking under my weight.

“I don’t know any way to buffer this,” dad begins. “I’m—I’m immortal.”

“What?” Wood says, his tone rising in pitch.

McKenna’s eyes blink rapidly.

“How? How is that possible?” Wood asks, a little put off my dad’s blatancy.

Dad gulps. “Many years ago, God wiped the world clean. He sent a flood and killed all life on Earth.”

“Like Noah and the Arc?” McKenna clarifies.

Dad nods slowly, giving a side-glance to mom.

Wood barks a condescending laugh. “So you’ve been around since the Great Flood. Dad,” he deadpans, “how are we supposed to believe that?”

Mom tilts her head and Wood looks at me, his eyes harsh with accusation.

“You don’t believe this, do you?”

I look away. I had the same reaction. I’m still confused, but how can I not believe dad? He’s the greatest man I’ve ever known. I don’t think he’s ever lied to me. Not even once. Not even when he probably should have.

“Hear him out,” I coax.

“Did you survive the flood?” Wood asks, but you can tell he thinks the words coming out of his mouth are ludicrous.

“I—I did.” Dad’s eyes skirt around the group. He grips the rocking chair, his knuckles turning white.

Wood shakes his head, his hands fisting. “You really expect me to believe you’re actually Noah? Didn’t he have an entire family? Three sons and their wives?”

Everyone stays silent and McKenna sits up straighter, her eyes expanded. She whips her head to me and I nod.

“You’re…” Candy jumps in, “you’re Noah? As in
the
Noah? Noah’s Arc, Noah?”

Kai crosses his arms over his chest, curiosity in his eyes. “Whoa.”

Noah clears his throat. “Well, technically, you’re right. The bible says our three sons and their wives survived, but that’s not true. Exposure, dehydration and starvation were something we all struggled with on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, we lost them all. You can’t imagine losing your children that way.” Dad struggles, air catching in his throat. He covers his mouth and mom pats his knee, tears falling from her eyes. Taking a deep breath after a few seconds, dad leans down, his elbows on his knees. “We were the lone survivors. Us and a whole bunch of animals.” He laughs, though I can tell it’s not in jest. “God asked me to build the arc. It took me years. It’s all I did—all I thought about. I still remember the way my limbs ached as I worked and scavenged for materials. The countless nights of no sleep. The way my eyes burned from the harsh weather. I can’t forget any of it. It’s permanently etched into my mind. But, I was tested. God trusted me to save the world and I did.”

Wood’s body deflates.

“Because I was able to do as He asked, I was granted immortality. And,” dad stops to look at mom, “because your mom helped so much, He allowed her to live forever, too.”

I gasp. I didn’t know that part of the story.

“She proved herself as I did, and when the rain finally dried, we began to build a life. Restore the world. Only, how were we supposed to save the human race? Sure, we’d have kids, but then how do we repopulate? That would be incest. Disgraceful and disgusting. I’d never allow it. I didn’t. If we were going to be forced to make our children mate, I wasn’t going to procreate.”

“Dammit,” Wood grimaces.

“But God didn’t tell me the entire story. He allowed another couple, on the opposite side of the world, to live as well. With animals of different species on their boat. After long decades of nothing and no one, somewhere in what’s now known as Europe, we came across more human life.” He smiles. “The problem was solved. We’d have children and they’d have children, and we could do everything we set out to do.”

“So you conceived children?” McKenna probes.

“We did. A boy and a girl.” Mom smiles, her hand on her chest.

Wood stands, pacing the ground. “I can’t believe this.”

“Son?” Dad says.

Wood laughs, covering his mouth. “You didn’t even change your name, dad.”

“I haven’t always been known as Noah. Just this cycle, I decided to take my original name.”

“And mom?” I say. “Is Sarah your real name?”

“It is. We tend to keep the same names over and over throughout the decades.”

“You were once a Ruth.” Dad laughs.