by Laura Hysell
I had to tell Mark something, so I went with the short version. “I was captured by Sarah and her vampires. That’s how I wound up with Kirk and Jared. I don’t know what happened to Patricia, except that she got away.”
“You were captured?” Mark asked, his voice rising in surprise.
I felt his eyes on me, but I turned to look out the window again as we pulled into a hotel, ignoring his question. Mark pulled at my shoulder, turning me back toward him. “Izzy,” he said softly.
Jed pulled the truck into a parking spot and got out. The second Suburban pulled in beside us and I unbuckled my seatbelt. I couldn’t see through the windows to the other truck. “I need to check on Kirk,” I said.
I saw the hurt and anger flare on Mark’s face briefly, before he schooled his expression. He took a breath and put a restraining hand on my arm. “Wait until Jed gets back,” he said simply. “You don’t even have shoes on.”
“Fine,” I said, shaking off his arm as I settled back to wait. I tapped my foot impatiently and kept my eyes glued on the other truck as worry gnawed at me.
Jed came back shortly and we moved the trucks around the hotel, parking in the back. Everyone piled out of the trucks, grabbing what bags they had. I removed my socks before getting out of the truck and stepping onto the wet pavement, but I had left Sarah’s coat where Mark had thrown it. I wanted nothing to do with it. We hurried out of the rain and into the building, following Jed’s lead down the hallway.
Kirk and Jared had scurried up beside me the moment we’d left the trucks. Kirk had his head down and his good arm clutched around mine. Jared was on the other side of Kirk, speaking softly to him. Mark walked on the other side of me silently, his eyes darting toward Kirk and me.
Jed had rented several rooms along the back of the first floor. He stopped at the first one, handing the key to Hugo. “Hugo, I want you here with Clay,” Jed said, and one of the wolves from the other truck went with Hugo. The room across the hall went to the two wolves that’d been in the truck with us, Aaron and Glen.
The third room Jed assigned to John, Kirk and Jared. Kirk whimpered and clung to my arm when I tried to get him to go. I looked at Jed, unsure of his room assignment. Jed must have known what he was thinking, because he said, “John has the most experience helping with… victims. He can handle it. Plus, they’ll be safest here.”
I nodded and whispered to Kirk. “Kirk, go with John. He will help you. Do you understand?”
Kirk stared at me for several moments, our eyes locked. “Izzy?” he asked softly.
I smiled and nodded my head, relief filling me. “Go with John and Jared,” I told him.
“Where are we?” he whispered fearfully, pulling me close.
“We’re just staying the night here. You need to go with John now.”
“Where are you going?”
I glanced around, noticing that Jed had taken the remaining werewolves down the hallway to their rooms. Mark put a key card in my hand and pointed to the next room. I turned back to Kirk. “See, I’m just in the next room. You’ll be fine. John and Jared are friends and they’re going to take good care of you.”
Kirk frowned, but nodded his head after a couple of deep breaths. He turned and followed Jared into the room. John waited until they were both in the room before he turned to me. “Don’t worry, Izzy. I’ll take care of them. This isn’t my first time dealing with this sort of thing. Is there anything I need to know first?” John asked.
I swallowed and nodded. “They’ve been tortured quite a bit, and Kirk seems to slip out of reality. If he doesn’t respond to his name, try calling him Rover. And Jared was hurt. He hasn’t said anything, but he has quite a few burns. We haven’t had the chance to treat them, but they’re pretty bad.”
“I have a first aid kit. I’ll tend to them,” John replied before he turned and walked into the room behind Jared and Kirk, shutting the door softly behind him.
I moved to the next room and inserted my key card, with Mark following on my heels. “Jed’s across the hall and the twins are on the other side of us,” Mark said as he threw a duffle bag onto the queen bed. “It’ll be safe here.”
“Us?” I asked, looking from the duffle bag to Mark.
“You’re not staying here alone,” he replied gruffly.
Mark seemed angry and I thought I caught a hint of golden yellow around the edge of his eyes. I turned away from him and moved toward the window. We were on the side facing the back parking area and I could see our trucks lit under the lampposts. The twins hurried through the rain to one of the trucks and drove off. Mark moved up beside me and I closed the curtain, turning away. I walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge.
“The twins are going on a food run,” Mark said as he turned back toward me.
I could feel his eyes on me again. He wanted answers and I didn’t want to talk about what had happened. I felt so much guilt surrounding the events of the past few days as it was. “Are we really safe here?” I asked.
“That depends on the vampires,” he replied as he moved toward me. He pushed the duffel bag out of the way and sat down beside me. “If that Patricia vampire is still alive, she can probably find you again. Can Sarah and whatever other vampires she has with her track you, Jared or Kirk? Did she exchange blood with them?”
“I don’t think so,” I replied timidly. “From the sounds of it Sarah wouldn’t let any of the vamps drink from them.”
Mark breathed out and he seemed to relax minutely. “And Patricia isn’t on the same team as Sarah?”
“No,” I shook my head, “definitely not.”
“So the only vampire who can find you right now is Patricia?”
And Henri, probably, but I wasn’t going to say that out loud. Instead, I nodded my head. “I suppose so,” I replied.
“Did she try to strengthen her connection to you at all? Drink your blood?”
“Yes,” I replied testily.
“Damn it, Izzy. Did you drink her blood too?”
“Yes, actually, I did,” I retorted angrily. “It wasn’t by choice, though. I wanted to, or at least I thought I wanted to. She made me… I just did it, okay, Mark. But don’t worry, she can’t control me anymore.”
Mark growled and stood up, pacing in front of me. “Damn vampire games,” he muttered. “How do you know she can’t control you anymore? From everything we’ve gathered, every blood exchange deepens the connection. It doesn’t remove it.”
I shrugged and looked away. Mark would be happy I was free of Patricia, but he wouldn’t be happy about the method. “I just sort of broke free,” I muttered.
“Izzy, quit evading my questions,” Mark growled as he stopped in front of me. “All you’ve told me is bits and pieces. You just disappeared while we were under attack by vampires, and when I see you again you’re half naked with your ex-boyfriend who is totally naked and completely nuts! You smell like blood, sex, your ex, and vampires! Please, just tell me what happened.”
“Ahh!” I screamed, standing up and pushing Mark back several steps. His eyes were wide with surprise. “It’s been hell, okay. Don’t you get that? Do you really want to hear about every single detail? Is that what you want? What’s the point? You can’t fix it. I just want to concentrate on finding my brother!”
I started to turn away when Mark’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly to him. I fought him at first, but he was too strong. Part of me wanted to just give in while the other more stubborn part of me refused to shed another tear. “What happened to you, Izzy? Just say it. You need to talk about it, whatever it is. Don’t hold it in. I… I promise I’ll try to be as understanding as possible. Please, trust me.”
It was his last few pleading words that got to me. “You think I don’t trust you enough to tell you?” I murmured. I laughed suddenly, an almost hysterical laugh.
“Whatever happened that’s hurting you so much, you need to face it. Don’t worry about what I’ll think, or what anyone else will think. We just need
to know what happened.”
I pushed him back angrily and this time he let me go. “Face it, huh? Fine. Fine.” I shook my head and walked back to the bed. I climbed in and pulled the blankets around me, feeling suddenly cold. I was trying to gather my thoughts, still unsure if I should tell him everything or not.
Mark stood at the end of the bed, obviously unsure what to do. He had taken one step toward me when there was a knock at the door. Mark walked to the door and looked through the peephole before opening it. John was at the door and motioned Mark into the hallway. They were gone for several minutes and I took the time to use the bathroom and get cleaned up. I had rifled through Mark’s bag and had found a pair of sweatpants that were my size that I took with me into the bathroom, along with some clean underwear and a soft t-shirt. Obviously, a girl had helped Mark pack this bag, and I was thankful for that.
I peeled off Mark’s shirt, wincing when the dried blood caking my body stuck to the shirt. I glanced in the mirror before climbing in the shower, but I didn’t recognize the blood-covered woman who looked back at me. I took a long shower, relishing in the hot water. Away from everyone and everything, I was able to think and let myself cry in peace. I scrubbed at my skin, trying to wash away the feel of the whip that seemed to linger on my skin. No matter how hard I tried, I kept feeling the sting of the whip. I kept seeing the smile on Sarah’s face as she watched my wounds heal so that she could inflict more pain.
When my skin was red from the scorching shower, and the water finally ran clear, I got out and toweled off, avoiding looking in the mirror. I didn’t want to see my reflection right now. The knife Patricia had given me was sitting on the counter and I debated what to do with it briefly. I didn’t want Mark to see it and ask more questions, so I strapped it to my thigh. The knife felt surprisingly warm next to my skin. Next, I pulled my sweats and shirt on and put the towel on my hair before coming out of the bathroom. Mark was back and had laid food out on the table. I hurried over and sat down, neither of us talking as we ate our burgers and fries.
Mark threw the last of the wrappers away and leaned back in his chair, looking at me as he sipped his soda. “Feel better?” he asked.
I nodded and half smiled at him. “Food and a shower were just what the doctor ordered,” I replied.
He smiled back at me and sat forward, taking my hand in his. “I’m sorry I pushed you to talk. If you’re not ready, that’s okay. Just know that I’m here for you, no matter what. Whatever happened, it’s not your fault. I don’t blame you for anything.”
I took a deep breath and sat back, staring at Mark’s sincere face. “Will you help me rescue my brother?”
“Of course,” Mark replied, looking hurt that I’d asked that. “I’ve already spoken to Jed. Jared drew a rough layout of the building you were held in for John and gave him a rundown of what he knew. Hugo will drive you, Jared and Kirk back to Jed’s place first thing in the morning. The rest of us will head to Idaho to deal with this vampire issue. We have to be careful, because we’re entering another wolf’s territory, but Jed is already working something out with the Idaho pack. Nobody likes vampires in their territory. If your brother is there, we’ll find him.”
“I’m coming,” I replied immediately, standing up. Mark opened his mouth and I cut him off. “No, Mark, this is my brother. I’m coming and you can’t stop me. You’re not going to send me off. You’re going during the day, right? When the vampires are asleep?”
Mark nodded his head and opened his mouth again. I was about to shoot him down when he said, “Okay, Izzy, you win. As long as you stay with me at all times, and do as I say. That’s not up for discussion. If I say run, you run.”
He must have known I wouldn’t stay behind, but I was truly surprised he’d given in so quickly. I narrowed my eyes at him. “You knew I would insist on going.”
He quirked a smile at me and stood up, chucking me under my chin lightly. “I figured as much,” he replied. “I had to take personal responsibility for you if you came, though, or Jed wouldn’t have allowed it. So I meant what I said about you doing as I say and staying with me at all times. This is vital. Oh, and I am also being reinstated into the pack.”
“Is that what you want?” I asked. He hadn’t told me anything about his odd status within the pack, or the reasoning behind it. I wasn’t sure what his reinstatement meant, but it seemed important.
He shrugged and plopped down on the bed, pulling a pillow up behind him. I followed him, sliding myself under the blankets on my side of the bed. He flicked on the television and we browsed through the channels, finally settling on a local news channel. We watched TV for a while until Mark finally turned it off and shut the light off, settling in to sleep. Mark was breathing the slow, deep breaths of slumber within minutes, while I lay there with my eyes wide open.
A small stream of light filtered in from the crack in the curtains, but other than that, the room was dark. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of Sarah’s face and felt the whip sting. I drifted off to sleep only to jerk awake, feeling as though the whip was biting into my skin once more. Mark moved and put an arm across me, pulling me toward him. I stayed where I was as Mark pulled himself closer to me, his arms encircling me from behind.
“It’s going to be okay, Izzy. You’re safe. Go to sleep,” he whispered. His lips brushed across my cheek in a gentle kiss.
I finally let myself relax into his arms, relishing in the comfort. This was safety. I could stay like this without worry, knowing that Mark and the other werewolves would protect me. For tonight, that was what I needed. I eventually closed my eyes and slept, but despite the comforting arms around me, my dreams were still plagued by whips and a vampire in a pink trench coat.
Chapter 20
I awoke with a jerk to the phone ringing, my heart pounding in my chest. I sat straight up as Mark rolled over and picked up the receiver. “Hello,” he mumbled. He listened briefly and hung up the phone. “Wake up call.” He turned on the bedside lamp and sat up.
I nodded and stretched before crawling out of bed and walking to the window. I peered out the curtains, but it was still dark out. A quick glance at the clock showed it was only 4:30 in the morning. It wouldn’t be light for two hours yet and the thought had my heart pounding in my chest.
“Are you okay?” Mark asked suddenly. I heard him walk across the room toward me. “Your heart just started pounding pretty fast.”
Damn werewolf hearing. I took a deep breath and nodded my head, pushing the curtain back into place. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why are we up so early?”
He stared at me for a beat before responding. “Jed wants us downstairs in half an hour. If we can get to that warehouse in Idaho early enough, we’ll have more time to find Justin. Plus, we have to meet with the Idaho pack at the border.”
“But it’s still dark out. Won’t the vampires be out?”
He shrugged but didn’t look concerned. “If they were coming after us they could have just attacked us here at the hotel. This is a public building. They can come and go here the same as anyone else. Besides, from what Jared said they have a lot of newbie vampires who usually settle down well before the sun comes up.”
“You’re not worried.”
Mark shook his head and smiled. “Do you want to use the bathroom first?”
“Yeah, I’ll be quick,” I replied.
I got ready quickly, dressing in a pair of jeans and the same shirt. I still had the knife, which I strapped to my thigh again, not because I thought it would do me any good, but more because I had nowhere to put it and I didn’t want to lose it. It wouldn’t fit under my jeans, so I had to strap it over the top of my clothes. My shirt was long, but only covered the top of the hilt. Mark would probably see it and begin asking questions, but I didn’t care at this point.
I let Mark use the bathroom as I quickly pulled on a pair of tennis shoes that had been stuffed into the bag as well. I ran my fingers through my hair, but didn’t bother to look in the mirror or do an
ything more to fix it. I didn’t have makeup or hair tools, so there was really no point. Mark showered quickly and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He pulled a thick sweatshirt out of the bag and handed it to me while he pulled his jacket back on.
The sweatshirt was navy blue and smelled of Mark. I pulled it on and pushed back the sleeves before following Mark out of the room. Mark hadn’t noticed the knife, and with the sweatshirt on, the knife was sufficiently hidden from view. The rest of the werewolves were in the lobby when we arrived, already picking through the continental breakfast. Jared spotted me immediately and waved me over to him. Kirk stood beside him, quietly eating a muffin.
“John said you’re not coming with us back to Jed’s place,” Jared said as soon as I was beside him.
I nodded as I grabbed a bagel and began smearing it with cream cheese. “I have to find my brother.”
“I drew them a map,” Jared replied. “Let them handle this. You may heal fast, but you still get hurt.”
“Justin is my brother. He’s my responsibility,” I retorted.
Jared leaned in close and placed his hand on my arm. “What about Kirk? He didn’t do so well without you last night.”
I took a bite of my bagel and chewed as I thought, my eyes drifting from Jared to Kirk. When did Kirk become my responsibility? “It’ll only be a day, Jared, maybe two,” I said finally. “You can take care of Kirk until I get back.”
“Kirk doesn’t listen to me,” he replied, shaking his head. “He did okay with John, but John’s going with you guys. The big guy, Hugo, is taking us.”
“Jared, please, I have to do this. You understand, right?”
Jared nodded and leaned in close to me. “I get it, Izzy. You think I don’t want payback?” I blanched but he continued in a whisper. “Don’t try and pretend this is all about rescuing Justin. I was her pet for months! I would love to drive a stake through her heart, but I have a sense of reality, Izzy. Human, remember? Plus, I don’t have a death wish. If you go back, she’ll be even angrier. She won’t just torture you this time. She’ll kill you!”