Icy-cold fingers trailed down my spine at his words. I had my powers bound, they shouldn’t have been growing. They should be dying or muted. He moved closer. I could smell him and I knew I had to move. I took off as silently as I could through the Funhouse. I made it to a maze like room. I could hear him warlock behind me.
My ears pounded with wave after wave of blood and adrenaline. I needed to move. I tried to follow a faint smells to find out where everyone had gone. I made it out and the door slammed behind me.
I took a second to look around when the door exploded open. I screamed and covered my head.
Through the crook in my arm, I saw him. He was pissed. He breathed heavily watching me.
“That’s it,” he started to mutter under his breath.
I could feel the magic building in him. It was strange, like static electricity filling up my body. I could sense him release the spell. I shut my eyes and tucked in closer to myself. Nothing happened so I looked out once more and he watched me, amazement in his eyes.
The tent behind me was knocked down. My heart in my throat, I looked over at the shell shocked warlock. His eyes met mine and a cold smile spread across his face. I realized that right then, it wasn’t his power that felt like static electricity.
It was mine. Had I broken the binding because I was under so much stress?
“Colette!”
I heard Hunter screamed my name. I turned to look at him. He was coming toward us, though I was certain that he hadn’t seen what just happened. I didn’t have time to worry about it before the warlock started to mutter another spell. This time, though his eyes were on Hunter.
I watched in horror. Hunter glared at the warlock but still made his way toward me. The warlock released his spell hurtling toward Hunter. A massive ball of malevolent fire.
Coherent thought left me. I could only act.
I felt a power inside me grow to the point that it was painful, I pushed aside my howling wolf, and let it take over. The fireball exploded half way to Hunter. My eyes turned to the warlock and I just knew what to do. I started to create energy between my hands. I felt it leech from my body into the air between them.
The warlock’s eyes lit up as he watched. My body felt like it was on auto-pilot. Everything I hoped would never happen was on the verge. I felt something smash into the back of my head. The world became dizzy. A throbbing took over so strong that my vision faded in and out. The last thing I saw as I fell to the ground face-first was the utter horror on Hunter’s face.
“Hunt…”
My world went black.
Chapter 23 — You’re Safe
I wanted to feel his warmth. I wasn’t sure what possessed him to wake up so early to make breakfast. I reached out to feel his usual place and found nothing. Then a sickening sensation, like my feet falling out from underneath me, and my eyes popped open.
It all came back to me.
The carnival. Witches were attacking. Attacked. And the warlock from months before! The hatred in Hunter’s eyes. Then blackness.
He was back for me. And Hunter knew. He had to be suspicious about me now.
My fear rose. It soured my stomach, making the carnival food twist and churn. He had locked me up. Or did he? I wasn’t sure, my vision was still foggy, but as my eyes focused my blood turned cold. Hunter was there, he must have seen me fighting the warlock with my own magic.
The room was small it fit the twin bed I was on and had a small nightstand. I was covered up with a comfortable blanket. I expected the end of the bed to have the bars frame. Instead there was nothing. It was a floating frame with nothing around it. The walls surrounding me were painted a light, sky blue color.
I closed my eyes and pulled in the scents around me.
Nothing smelled familiar. I scented the air. The scents were foreign and that was terrifying. A foreign sensation, like static electricity but more unpleasant, brushed over my skin like a warning.
I opened my eyes and tilted my head. I strained my hearing to its limit. The clacking of someone’s footfalls approached my room. I searched the farthest wall for a door, but I didn’t see any. The footsteps stopped. I stared at the door, my brows knitted. But there wasn’t a door there? Yet the scent that accompanied the footsteps was coming from behind that wall. I stood and looked for anywhere I could hide. I didn’t like that I was in the open for all to see if I didn’t know where I was.
I slipped off the bed thankful that I was still wearing my jeans and shirt from when I was at the carnival with Hunter. I did notice that I was now bare footed. I didn’t care, it would make moving around quieter. I slipped over the farthest wall. I watched and waited.
The wall formed slowly into a door. The classic, wooden frame pushed out from the brick. Four rectangular depressions added depth, but the knob never appeared on my side. I heard the lock turn, and the click of the latch pulling away. The person on the other side started to creep the door open. I plastered myself against the adjoining wall.
I slowed my breathing, but could do nothing for my racing heart. A rather tall woman walked in. Her hair was thick, sleek, and a rich, dark brown. I watched as her head turned towards my empty bed. Her waist-length hair screened her body from my view, but she stood tall, and her back straight. She had sleek black pants with sharp, ironed creases. I wanted to shake my head at her. I couldn’t focus through the static electricity feeling that was in full force. It was almost uncomfortable to be around.
Her head tilted for a second. Could she hear my pounding heart? She let out a little sigh. She pivoted and turned right to me. She stood with her hands on her hips as she sized me up.
What was that smell? She was no were. The perfume she wore was overwhelming. It clogged my nostrils, making me want to cough out the scent now coating my throat. I wasn’t sure what to expect but she turned to me and raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed and slightly annoyed.
“Why aren’t you in bed?”
The woman’s voice was lighter than I expected it to be. I looked at her predatory litheness. It made me cautious. Add to that the energy buzzed over my skin, and my teeth were set on edge. There was something about her. I scrunched my nose in disgust at her. She was taller than me, especially with the deadly looking heels she wore. I stared at them a second longer convinced they were weapons, not shoes.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
I pulled myself away from the wall. It was lit by a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling, and an unvarnished nightstand, it looked light enough for me to lift. There was a possibility that I could use it as a weapon. But I wasn’t sure if I would be fast enough. I kept on eye on the woman and moved away from her. She laughed lightly, but her eyes were empty of humor. She looked deadly, but also like she was planning something.
“I wouldn’t do that, love,” she said with a light warning.
“Do what?” I growled, wishing I could feel my wolf. It would be a great comfort to feel her nearness.
“Try to harm me in anyway. Oh love, there is so much you don’t know.”
For a split second her eyes went soft as she watched me. I didn’t trust her, and just as I thought, as soon as they softened, they hardened again. I felt her gaze sweep over me. For some reason she was familiar to me. Like she knew me.
“My, how you have grown,” she said. Her appraisal of me was starting to get under my skin. I didn’t know her and yet she acted so familiar.
“Who are you?” I demanded again.
My teeth clenched with the reflex to snap my teeth at her. I didn’t realize how wolf-like some of my actions were becoming until I was around someone who wasn’t wolf. If I had snapped my teeth at Hunter, he would have understood the anger behind the actions. This woman didn’t have any idea what I was communicating.
“In due time, love. In due time.”
Her words felt like a slime against my skin, a dark promise. One that I wanted nothing to do with. The woman was gorgeous, there was no ignoring that. Her eyes were dark chocolate brown, matching
her hair color. Her lips were full, the bottom just a little plumper than the top, and her cheekbones were high, and sharp. She tapped a long tipped finger nail against her chin delicately as she looked at me with narrowed eyes.
“Ah, yes. I know what to do with you.”
She dropped her hand and moved towards me. I backed away quickly and looked for something to grab. The only thing around was the nightstand. I clutched at its top drawer.
I didn’t know what else to do. I ripped it out and held it up like a ramming bat. She tsked at me and waved one hand at the drawer in my hands. Weight disappeared in my hand and I was left staring at nothing.
I looked back at her. The drawer was now in her hands. My heart stopped in my chest. My wolf noted my fear, but even as she retreated deeper inside of me, as something else built up. A new type of defense. I had to trust my instincts.
“Oh, are you a child about to have a tantrum?”
She waved her pretty manicured hand at me again, and the feeling building inside of me subsided. The whole thing felt unnatural, like I was violated. My insides felt like they were being caged, restricted to the most unpleasant of confined spaces.
“Come with me, love.”
“There is no way in hell I would go anywhere with a witch.”
This time I did bare my teeth. She must know I was a wolf. If I could help it, I didn’t want her to know about my other half, but I think she already might. With that dark gleam in her eye. She was somehow a part of these plans. I wasn’t sure how she knew. But I didn’t know much about witches in general; when I was growing up we didn’t study them. Hunter came into the picture the same time my powers did, they weren’t ever my concern then. Wolves usually knew instinctively when another wolf was around. Was it the same with witches? Is that how the warlock from the forest knew about me?
His face popped into my head. He was there, at the carnival. My thoughts moved rapidly to a dark place. Fear slipped into my veins.
Hunter.
“Where is he?”
My wolf rushed forward, knowing her mate might be in danger. But she hit a brick wall when she started to take more control. I wanted her to. I needed to feel her strength. My gaze narrowed on witch who was watching me with great concentration.
“None of that now.”
The woman snapped, her gaze turning arctic with her words. She threw the drawer on the desk casually as she crossed toward me, staring at me as she approached. She made a humming noise in the back of her throat. I eyed the potential weapon carefully, wondering if I could reach it. She straightened and seemed to come to a decision.
I didn’t know what she was planning, but I knew if she left the door would likely disappear when she passed through it. I would be stuck in this room with no answers with only the knowledge that witches were on the other side. Worst of all, I had no idea if they had Hunter and if they did what they would do to him.
“You will join us for dinner tonight, love. Please change into something else, you will find everything you need in there.”
She motioned to the wardrobe that hadn’t been there before. I was certain wasn’t there before. My eyes turned back to the woman.
“Behave my dear.”
With that she walked out of the room, and as she left the door molded back into a solid wall. I ran to it hoping I could somehow stop the transformation by touching it, but that didn’t work. The shape disappeared into the smooth, sky blue paint of the wall again. I was left alone with my fears ruling.
I looked around the small room that seemed to be getting smaller by the second. My thoughts were too big for this small place I was in. Fear that they had Hunter and they were hurting him. Fear that in a couple hours I would be forced to dine with witches. What would they do to me?
The walls were collapsing in on themselves. Collapsing in on me. I stood pacing the room trying to remind myself the space wasn’t closing in on me.
I had space. I had space.
My breathing was short now that my deep rooted fear was alive and impossible to ignore. I hated small spaces after those cages. I hated feeling like I couldn’t spread out and move. I touched the wall and walked around the room. I kept my other arm out reminding myself I always was touching air. I was safe. Sort of.
I sat down on the bed and rested my elbows on my jeans. My legs bounced restlessly. I closed my eyes and leaned my head between my knees. The terror in my body finally started to subside. I reclined onto my side and lay down.
****
I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep again until I heard knocking where I the door was. I still hadn’t fully figured out where their spell ended and the door began, though I was sure of the general area. As I opened my eyes, I could feel my heart start racing. I looked to make sure nothing had changed. Nothing seemed disturbed. Then the knocking came again. I just stared at the wall, wondering what the person on the other side wanted me to do. I stood up and pressed my hand against the wall where I had saw the door appear last time. I shut my eyes, taking in the scent of the person on the other side.
Happiness cascaded through me. I could smell wolf on the other side. I stepped back and waited. I didn’t know what else to do. The door started to reappear and when I heard the latch move I was practically bouncing where I stood. I hoped Hunter’s pack had come for him, that possibly he hadn’t told them about me and that they would at least assist me in escaping. I would try to explain to Hunter. The Lowe pack would never take me back if they knew what I was. They might even think now that I was in on the kidnapping. But I would try to get him to see. I realized with the all-consuming fear I felt that night at the carnival, I would do anything to stay with him.
The door opened. My heart sank deep into my chest.
The woman from before stood there with her hand on her hip. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her pants-suit was of a different color than before. It was blood red, her perfectly manicured nails the same color. Her eyes looked me up and down. I saw the sneer that was starting to form over perfectly painted lips. She made me uncomfortable with her well put together style. It seem unnatural. One perfectly shaped eyebrow raised up.
“You didn’t change.”
Her displeased eyes locked with mine. I stood my ground, but didn’t say anything.
“I see you are stubborn. Fine then, come along.”
She turned on her high heel, she didn’t even look back to see if I was following. I followed because if I did I could hopefully find out how she had briefly smelled like a wolf. I might even be able to see Hunter if he was here. I followed quickly, but I kept my distance from her.
Outside of the room we walked through a narrow hallway, there wasn’t much to look at other than other doors. I wondered if they all functioned the same way as mine. I kept my senses as expanded as I could, but I didn’t smell anything familiar. It was a confusion of foreign scents and, every once in a while, that feeling of electricity on my skin. Though the feeling never lasted very long.
We arrived at the end of the hallway, it was a solid wall and I started to wonder if she missed a turn. Instead the woman just reached out her hand and a doorknob appeared. The rest of the door started to reveal itself.
That’s when I realized what this hallway was. This wasn’t just a regular walk-way. There was so much more to it. Even if I got out of my door-less room I would have to try to get out of a hallway that had no windows, and no normal doorways.
I was in a maze of dead ends.
Finally we stepped out of the room and into a mansion. The floors were made out of marble. The entire room looked elegant, but I focused on the scents. Wolves were here. I could smell them. I couldn’t stop the confusion from showing on my face. I wanted to rush forward and ask for their help, but I wasn’t sure they didn’t need my help.
The woman made powerful strides forward and I followed after her, feeling smaller every moment. I contained my fear as best I could. I needed to be brave. The wolves in this house would smell my fear immediately.
&
nbsp; I kept my glance lowered, but I tried to keep track of everything around me. Where were other escape routes? This soon proved useless, as a rather large window revealed us to be on a higher level. Jumping would be impossible at the height we were.
We started down stairs and my heart jumped into my throat. I looked up and realized we were in a foyer area, the doorway to freedom right there. I could see double doors with panel-glass windows. My breathing changed with my excitement. I was sure if I just let her outpace me a little I could make an attempt at escape.
I hadn’t seen anyone else. Of course I smelled other people. Obviously the halls of this place were roamed frequently, but I hadn’t seen another physical being. Maybe they were stupid enough to make it easy for me. I wasn’t sure if there were any spells that might have warded the door, but I had to try. She was at least ten, if not fifteen feet from me. I crept closer to the door.
And a hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped and scrambled out of its hold. Nails dug in and I couldn’t get out of the grasp. I growled in warning. In return, a growl answered my own and I instantly felt the power of it.
Alpha.
My neck bent in automatic submission. I had been taught since birth that when an Alpha, any alpha, asks you to do something, you do it. I wasn’t stupid enough to think that I could take this Alpha on. I might have magic, but I didn’t know how to use it, and I didn’t think I would ever be able to use it against a wolf.
“Darling, it looks like you were about to lose something here,” his voice was deep but there was a hint of humor. The woman turned in a graceful sweep toward the wolf. I saw the sickening sweet smile spread across her face.
“Well love, I knew you wouldn’t let her get away.”
Her eyes met mine and they went cold again.
“How long will it take you to realize it is safe here? You’re safe.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I saved you from the Lowe Pack’s enforcer, you stupid girl. Of course we know what you are. You would never have been safe with them,” her voice started to rise. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. After opening her eyes, she looked calmer. If she thought she was saving me from Hunter, then what did she do with him?
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