“Now comes the big moment! My family has been waiting for this for centuries,” he said quietly as he lined a few tools neatly on the tray. She was reminded of being in a dentist’s chair, one she couldn’t escape. “There is a bit of bad news for Mark,” Parker added as Mark raised his phone and pushed the record button. “This won’t be very painful if you don’t fight it.” His long fingers picked up a scalpel. The angular tip glinted in the light. She shrank when he raised it to her arm. Mark leaned in to get a better shot. She waited for the prick of pain, but only felt pressure when he touched. When he pushed harder, she hardly dared peak. He leaned back with a cuss. Something was wrong. Her arm was completely unscathed.
“Turn that blasted thing off!” Parker snapped at Mark. He raised the surgeon’s knife once again and attempted to make another hole. He pressed and the knife bent, but didn’t leave a mark. Both men stared, perplexed by the anomaly.
“That was unexpected,” Mark commented, lowering his phone.
“How do we retrieve the blood if we can’t cut her skin? Take her back until we can figure this out!” Parker snapped.
Mark glanced at his phone disappointedly. “But—”
“Forget that stupid camera and take her back!” Parker snarled. His voice was uglier than a growling wolf. Mark sighed and pulled the straps loose, taking her arm. In the hall, the brawny man that had taken Beth fell in step behind them, his heavy boots echoing off the empty walls. Mark was about to open the door to the cell when he hesitated and glanced to his companion. She watched impatiently, anxious to see her mom. “Just because Parker can’t have any fun doesn’t mean we shouldn’t, eh Felix?” he said, and they shared conniving smiles. He opened the door and allowed her access. Beth had returned and was on the floor holding Luzy’s head in her lap while stroking her hair. They were on the furthest bed huddled together. Clara felt lightheaded. The bed squeaked when she knelt on the mattress.
“Mom!”
Luzy’s emerald green eyes flashed open and she grasped Clara’s hand. She choked on her emotions when she spoke. “Clara! My dear, Clara!” They hugged and Luzy was barely strong enough to complete the action. “I missed you so much.”
Their embrace was torn when Mark ripped Luzy away. Felix caught Clara as she lunged toward her mother.
“Leave her alone!” she yelled.
“You may be interested to know that we just learned we can’t hurt your daughter.” Mark held Luzy up by her arm because she was too weak to support herself. Clara didn’t like the evil, enthralled look on his face, or the chuckles emanating from Felix. Mark turned his phone back on and began recording. “I have good news, brother,” he said and allowed the lens to sweep first to Beth then Luzy and, finally, Clara. Beth’s jaw tightened and she glared. “As you can see our cousin isn’t as dead as you thought. As for the Rita mother…” His fist smashed across Luzy’s jaw. She rolled to the ground and let out a small whimper of pain.
“Stop!” Clara screamed and pulled against Felix’s unwavering grip. Mark kicked Luzy’s ribcage. Beth’s scream matched Clara’s and she hurried to try and stop him. With silver coursing through her veins, she was too slow and he threw her with little effort. She crashed against the bed then fell to the floor, only half conscious and moaning in pain. Clara let her weight drop and struggled to be free. Felix yanked her back, still laughing.
“Mark, please stop!” she yelled. “You’re going to kill her!”
“If only it were that easy,” Mark said nastily. Beth hadn’t moved from where she’d landed.
Clara’s chest and fingers went hot. She kicked back and jerked her arms free, nearly falling in surprise when Felix actually let go. She wheeled on him her hair whipping the air. “STOP!” she screamed. He was taken aback and there were hints of fear in his eyes. His arms were suspended in midair from trying to refasten his grip, but he let them fall to his sides.
“Mark, maybe that’s enough for today,” he said.
“I suppose I have what I need. Do you want to say anything to Jo?” he asked and turned to Clara. She ignored him and rushed to her mother, barely hearing when they left. Beth joined them a moment later, nodding her head when Clara started to ask if she was okay.
“Mom!” Clara sobbed, unable to stop the tears. Bruises were forming on her mother’s cheek. “I’m sorry, mom, so sorry.”
“No,” Lucita said and sat up with help. “You’re in this mess because of me.”
“No, don’t say that,” Clara breathed and drew her mom into an embrace. Luzy gasped as if trying to contain the pain. The moan that followed said she failed.
“She needs to rest,” Beth said.
“Try to relax mom, everything will be alright,” Clara said in a trembling voice. “Beth is right, you need to rest.”
Luzy snorted at the irony, but her body relaxed bit by bit until she fell asleep. Clara looked over her mother’s slight frame and dirty skin, guilt ridden to know she’d lived in the horrid conditions well over a year. She glanced at Beth, not daring to dwell on all she’d endured.
As she thought, Clara realized she’d been making a fist. Her hand was cramping from the tension and her fingernails digging into her palm. Slowly she forced her fingers open and was surprised to see little curved red marks where her nails had cut her skin. She stared at the marks, transfixed as they gradually healed before her eyes. If a knife couldn’t break her skin how could her pitiful little nails? She couldn’t dwell on the matter. Beth helped Clara move Luzy to a bed. Clara sat next to her, holding her hand. Beth took to pacing about the room.
“Your wolf instincts didn’t return,” Clara observed.
“I thought I sensed something, but the silver has already weakened me.”
Clara’s heart fell when she heard footsteps in the hall again. Felix strode through, his huge arms flexing menacingly.
“They want to see you again,” he said.
She bit her tongue when words of protest came to her lips. The last thing she wanted was to risk hurting her mother by not complying, so she followed him. They passed two other men dressed in the similar uniforms and armed with monstrous, rippling muscles as well as a gun on their belt.
“How can you work for a werewolf hunter?” she asked without looking either in the eye.
“I don’t work for a werewolf hunter,” he answered. “I work for a cure seeker. We know you are the cure, girl. I would watch what I say if I were you. Most of us would not hesitate to drink your blood this very moment if immortality would ensue. We can only hope he will find the key to spilling your blood before the new moon.”
Her stomach tightened with further dread and she bit her lip. Soon, she was back in the chair with the restraints. Parker produced a small plastic cup of water. “Be a good girl and drink this without a fight.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“Silver,” Mark answered.
“Shut-up!” Parker warned. “If you open your fat mouth again, I won’t let you back in this room.”
“It’s alright,” she said. “I’ll take it.”
Parker scowled and brought the cup to her lips. She swallowed the concoction. It wasn’t very different tasting from mineral water. Mark whipped out his phone but lowered it when Parker gave a warning glare. They waited a few minutes before Parker pulled her left arm straight and tried once more to prick her skin. The scalpel could not break the surface.
“It doesn’t affect her,” Parker slammed the knife down.
“Maybe the silver just needs more time.”
“You know it works instantaneously,” Parker growled. “There must be a way to retrieve her blood! How could a werewolf drink and be cured unless there is a way?”
Clara thought of how she’d been able to break her own skin but she bit her lip. She wasn’t about to let Parker know of her findings. She held her breath and prayed they would let her go back to her mom. Parker took a hold of her chin and fear coursed down her arms when she temporarily forgot he couldn’t hurt her.
“If you find a way to give us your blood, I will release your mother,” he said. Desperation built behind his eyes. Clara might have taken him on his offer right then, but she could see the desperation wasn’t strong enough. She needed to know he’d lost all hope of gaining her blood. She nodded with his fingers still grasping her face. Parker growled something under his breath. “Lock her up,” he muttered.
Mark grinned gleefully and Clara’s stomach knotted. “Please,” she gasped when Mark loosened the straps again. “Don’t let him hurt my mom anymore.”
Parker’s eyes flashed to Mark. “What is she talking about?”
Mark shrugged one shoulder carelessly. “I had a little fun, so what?”
A groan escaped Parker’s lips and he massaged his eyes with his thumbs. He stood up and his hands fell to his sides. “Felix!” The thick, muscled man returned. “Take Miss Rita to her cell.”
Felix moved to obey without question, taking her by her arm. He escorted her back to the horrible room and shoved her just inside the door. The room was quiet and appeared empty. For a gut rending moment she thought her mother had been taken again, but she was there, curled up under the covers.
“Mom?” Clara whispered when her mother didn’t move. Luzy’s eyes fluttered and she smiled weakly. “Where is Beth?”
“They took her to a different room. They separate us to keep us from plotting too much. Don’t worry, my beautiful daughter. How I’ve missed you,” she said in a whisper. “How long has it been?”
“Almost two years,” she whispered, trying to hide the ache in her heart at seeing her mom so weak and sickly pale. Every second she spent remembering Parker’s offer was misery when she knew her mother suffered.
“It feels as if it’s been ten,” she struggled to sit up.
“Don’t move, mom,” Clara objected.
“I want to embrace you, I want to touch your face.” Her fingers brushed her daughter’s cheek. Clara scooted onto the bed and pulled her into a hug.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too, sweetie.” There was a gentle pressure as Luzy’s arms came around her waist. The hug wasn’t broken until Luzy became too weak and lay back down. Clara held her in her arms instead. “How is your father?”
“He…he mourns you,” she said, unable to reveal the entire truth of the matter.
“And your brother? I’ve heard rumors he’s a werewolf now.”
“It’s true,” she affirmed. “Ironically he was bitten at random before he found out anything about you.”
“Your father didn’t tell you?” Luzy’s eyes opened and she tilted her head to look at her daughter.
“Not until after Tyson questioned him.”
“He was supposed to warn you. You were all in terrible danger and he was supposed to get you out of the state, if not the country.”
“I think he hoped you would come back,” Clara murmured.
Luzy sighed and shook her head. “Your father isn’t very good at listening to instructions.”
“I’m sorry, mom, I didn’t know Parker was holding you here. We thought you were gone.”
“I am glad he listened in that regard.”
“You mean to say you faked your death?
“Of course I did, I was trying to keep Parker from seeing you. Everything was spiraling so fast, I couldn’t keep track of the days, but I knew I had to protect you and your brother. I should have warned you myself, but there wasn’t time.”
“How did he catch you?” Clara asked.
“They used your scent. I should have known better than to believe they actually had you. I was just so scared that I’d waited too long.”
“My scent?” Clara remembered Tyson telling her Mark had been in her room.
“Yes, Mark was so covered in your smell that it didn’t wash out for days. Just when the smell was fading, he’d leave and come back with your smell fresh on his clothes. Were you dating him?”
“No! Why does everyone ask me that? He was my boss at the animal shelter.”
Luzy chuckled. “I was only trying to tease.”
It was wonderful to hear her mother’s laugh and tears bit Clara’s eyes. She sniffed and wiped them away. “Will they be terribly cruel to Beth?”
“I doubt they will even remember her by now. There is too much excitement at having found the cure. She’s feisty sometimes though.”
“You don’t put up a fight?”
“I used to, especially when they wouldn’t let me know if they had you, but I learned it was useless after a time. It’s less painful to just do what they ask.”
“What do they do?” Her voice was low again, afraid to voice the question and discover the answer.
“They took my blood for a while in the hopes of finding the secret of the cure. That’s why I’m weak. They took it daily for a few months. Was he able to extract your blood?”
“No, my skin is protected from them. They can’t make a mark let alone an incision.”
Luzy smiled and nestled her head against Clara’s arm. “That’s good. Perhaps they will never be able to hurt you.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“I would be better if you weren’t in this horrid place.” Her voice was weak and Clara held her as she drifted into sleep. She stroked her hair and hummed a little lullaby Luzy used to sing when Clara and Callan were toddlers. She bit her lip, trying not to imagine an eternity spent there. Parker would live forever once he had her blood and he would keep her for eternity and a day if he could. The concept might have been more tolerable if she knew her mother and Beth were free.
Chapter 16 - Truth
A few days passed before Parker demanded her presence again. She was surprised when Felix escorted her to a bathroom and instructed her to wash. A tub, filled to the brim with steaming water and frothy bubbles, beckoned to her. New clothing had been left under the mirror in a neat pile. She washed quickly. Once done, she waited, alone with her thoughts for a small window of time. A knock came on the door and she answered it almost eagerly. Parker greeted her with his pleasant smile. “I’m happy to see you’re well, Miss Rita.”
She lowered her eyes disappointedly, silently willing him away.
“My dear, you show such distaste before you’ve truly gotten to know me?” He pulled her arm through his and led her up the hall. “You may find you can tolerate my presence if you let your guard down just a moment.”
“You hunt my friends and keep my mother and Beth captive in gruesome conditions. You want nothing more than to taste my blood. You must admit these would seem character flaws to someone like me.”
“I am not the monster Jothram has led you to believe. I keep your mother and Beth caged like animals because they behave like animals. As for your blood, I don’t want it for myself.”
“I can imagine you want to become rich by it. What good is immortality if you can’t sustain the lifestyle?”
“You think very little of me indeed,” he muttered under his breath, but didn’t answer her accusation. He led her to an elevator that had to be summoned by a key.
“Can you deny it?” she asked when he’d pressed the button for the uppermost level and the door slowly slid shut.
“Let’s save our discussion for dinner.”
The elevator glided to a stop and the doors slid open to reveal a floor very different from the one she’d come to know. It was brightly lit and evocative of an expensive hotel. The halls were painted ivory and gold. Mirrors lined the walls accented by deep mahogany woodwork. Her stomach knotted as Parker brought her to a room where a table was laden with good things to eat. He seated her in front of a plate where the good smells tantalized her senses. Her stomach jumped and growled as if it would eat without her if she didn’t take a bite.
“I understand you don’t take meat,” Parker said as he sat across from her. He shook out the white napkin and placed it in his lap.
“My mother and—”
“Darling, don’t speak of them. Eat up, there is much to
discuss once you’re through.” His blue eyes almost sparkled when he smiled. When she hesitated again, he chuckled warmly. “Your concern is adorable. You have my word they will be taken care of.”
Her hand took the fork almost before she knew what she was doing. Her stomach was emptier than she ever remembered it being and the baked potatoes slathered with butter looked wonderful. There was also lentil soup and pasta salad. The spicy, savory scent made her stomach grumble. The plates clattered on the table’s surface when she rammed the fork into the wooden surface and Parker jumped.
“I’m not hungry,” she said smoothly and crossed her arms, leaving the fork protruding from the tabletop.
Parker recovered as if he witnessed people stabbing tables on daily basis and cut into a beef wellington that sat atop his plate. “There you go snapping at me again,” he said. “As I mentioned before, I’m not the monster your Jothram has led you to believe. Why, even now, I show you kindness and you return it with bitter words.”
“I have some trepidation in regards to your purpose,” she seethed.
“You mentioned that I want to keep your blood for myself? I assure you this is not the case. In fact, it’s the furthest from the truth you could possibly imagine.”
“Why then? To cure werewolves?”
“No, my concern lies far from them as well. I only took interest in them to find you. Now that you’re here, I needn’t squander my time.”
“If you’re to share my blood, who is there to share it with other than werewolves?” Clara asked, watching him closely. He sighed and placed his utensils to one side, getting to his feet. He made a show of pacing seriously before the window with his hands locked behind his back.
“Do you know how many children suffer from terminal diseases, Miss Rita? Do you know how many are plagued with sicknesses doctors can’t seem to heal, or even diagnose? My own daughter died a few years ago. Her name was Jodie and I’m sure you can imagine she was the light of my life.”
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