***
I was grateful for my dad’s honesty. He was right; I needed to know this. The timing of it all wasn’t lost on me either. Blake got home last night… another coincidence? Part of my heart shouted back at me, Kory just got here too! It could have been him. Why do I believe Kory over Blake? As much as I wanted to hope Blake had nothing to do with my abduction, I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t have said something to me already. He’d seen me with my wings. Why lie, why hide? Too much of what Kory said made sense for me not to doubt Blake, no matter what my heart said.
No one bothered me the rest of the evening, leaving me trapped in my own personal prison. I’m sure my parents are happy that I’m safely tucked away in my bedroom. At least they didn’t have to worry about me inside the home. My dad would lock every window and door tonight, and probably sleep with his 9mm ready. Surprised he hasn’t stuck one of his guns in my nightstand… just in case. Though I wasn’t proficient with all my dad’s firearms, I’d gone shooting with him enough to know I could do a lot of damage.
The funny thing is, if he knew where the bad guy would actually enter the house, he’d make my bedroom firearms headquarters. My window stared back at me as I lay on my bed, almost mocking my situation. I hated that I longed to slide the glass open and take off for the reservoir. Kory’s right—I do crave water now. But it’s not safe out there.
One thing bothered me. Even if Blake was the one taking girls for his own whim and pleasure, Kory had come seeking Blake’s help. Which meant one thing—the ‘bug’ Kory referred to was a bigger threat than what Blake had done to me. Kory hates Blake, but he is willing to work with him to get rid of the real monster. I thought of Cally and shuddered. That poor girl. She must be terrified right now. Does Blake have her tied up to some bed, slurring scary words to her? Or, my spine tingled, does the bug have her? Could it be possible Blake wasn’t the kidnapper this time? Perhaps the real hunter had found its prey? And, my heart begged, maybe the bug had something to do with my abduction too, not Blake.
I turned over, not wanting to see my black windowpanes anymore. I knew it was too early for me to sleep. Having spent the entire day in bed when I wasn’t actually ill, I felt restless. Maybe if it were darker in my room, I could relax better. I sat up, snapped my lamp off, and then settled down into my covers.
When I inhaled deeply, I caught the scent, faint, but there. My heart stopped. It wasn’t Kory’s… it was different, and familiar somehow. I commanded myself to breathe steadily, the scent difficult to pick up. I don’t think he or she is in my room this time. With Kory, his smell overpowered me. This time, it was barely discernible. They must be outside my window. I remembered the small crack at the top of one of the panes and figured that was how it came through. Someone’s there. Breathe in… breathe out…
I waited for the shattering of glass or, I realized with a start, for them to merely slide it open. I was pretty sure it remained unlocked, since I hadn’t fastened the lock shut since my last visitor. Dumb me, you’d think I’d learn my lesson!
Nothing happened. No sounds, no movements, nothing. Just the faint, earthy smell of the woods mixed with something warm like amber or honey. The scent tugged at my memory. I bit my lip so I wouldn’t make a sound when I realized who it was. Memories of warm skin, a neck so close to my lips, smelling of a sweet autumn morning… Blake.
I couldn’t move. It felt like hours as I waited for the scent to be gone, but he remained there. The later it grew, the more rampant my emotions ran wild. My face twisted in anger and then spilled tears. All the while, I was so glad I wasn’t facing the window. I didn’t want him to see and hear anything. I tried to keep my breathing regular and even. Time droned on slowly. I kept waiting for the scent to disappear. Surely, he must be bored of watching me sleep, but it remained there, soft, faint, and constant. What’s he doing? Stalking me some more?
When the clock read 4:07, my body grew heavy and my mind began wandering into strange places. When my own inner dialogue became nonsensical, I gave in. I didn’t care what Blake did outside my window—I needed sleep.
Hidden Monster Page 25