And then I would fight.
Chapter 14
Sylvia
I woke from horrible nightmares when Eric shifted my body, and I recognized the workshop illuminated by the truck’s headlights when Theo pulled into the yard.
I was back at his home. If he had his way, it would become my prison. I vowed to myself that it wouldn’t.
Theo turned off the engine, threw open the door, stepped down and then turned to grab my ankles. I kicked him and he cursed me.
“Eric, get her out, then.”
My cousin grabbed me under my arms and got out before pulling me after him. I didn’t struggle much, my face hurt terribly, my eye was swollen shut and pain pulsed in my head. The pain in my ankle was almost an afterthought.
Theo threw me over his shoulder again, and I was shocked that he was carrying me to the workshop rather than the house.
“Eric, get the rope. This girl won’t go anywhere.”
Rope could be cut, I told myself, but found it hard to banish the memory of Ben getting tortured in that workshop. Did he have something similar in mind for me?
“Grandpa, Sylvia is hurt.” Eric was hurrying after Theo. “She needs to be in bed.”
“She chose to go with a monster, she’s getting what she deserves.”
“But Grandpa, you said you wanted to rescue her. I don’t understand.”
Theo dumped me on the ground, tied my wrists to one of the grommets on the wall, put a rag in my mouth and tied a second one around my mouth to gag me. Finally, he glared at me.
“Maybe a cold, miserable night will teach you to appreciate my home, you ungrateful wretch. Maybe then you’ll learn to be happy in my kitchen. Until I find a man to keep you in line.”
I could see Eric’s shock, watched him shake his head.
“Go inside and heat those pizzas, Eric, then bring one out to me. I’ll stay here to see if they take the bait. By now, those monsters should be aware of what happened.”
My heart almost stopped.
Theo settled into Eric’s old truck, the one they had tied Ben to. I watched him reload the gun he had used to shoot Ben, saw him wind down the window and rest the gun’s barrel on the opening, and my heart sank.
I had severely underestimated Theo’s desire to kill as many werewolves as he could. And with that gag in my mouth, I couldn't even warn them.
Soon, breathing became difficult. And my hands and feet were starting to get numb.
I made sounds, hoping to alert Theo, scared that he wouldn’t mind if I suffered permanent damage, but he just cackled.
Where was Ben?
My imagination showed me his lifeless body in the forest, and I angrily pushed that image away. He could not be dead! I would not accept that until someone showed me his body. Instead, I clung to the hope that he would save me somehow, because I certainly could not.
And with a flash, I realized that this was what I had been afraid of when that creep attacked me at that gas station. Getting tied up and abused, and eventually killed.
Except it was my own grandfather doing it to me.
What had Ben said?
You would have found a way to fight him.
I let his words fill my mind, until I found new strength. There wasn’t much I could do, but I could make noise. I shifted around and started banging my feet against the wall of the workshop, even though it hurt where the zip ties chafed my skin.
At the very least, I hoped to get on Theo’s nerves, so he would come and change the way he had immobilized me. For that he’d have to put down his gun, and that would be a huge improvement.
“Stop that!” he growled after a while.
I glared at him and did not.
“I said, stop it!”
I raised my eyebrows at him, grinned into my gag and continued hitting the wall. It was not easy, I had to focus on breathing through my nose and not choking on that gag, but just annoying Theo was worth it at this point.
He would regret what he had done to us. Fury filled me, gave me strength, gave me the determination to keep going.
When Theo put down the gun, both fear and elation flooded me. As he came closer, I could see his eyes, filled with anger of his own.
“Stop that right now!”
Looking directly into his eyes, letting him see my defiance, I deliberately hit the wall again, and he roared. And pulled back his arm to hit me, hand balled into a fist.
“Grandpa, no!” Eric yelled and came running, putting a plate with pizza onto the hood of his old truck. “No!”
Theo lashed out at me and I jerked my head away. His fist grazed my cheekbone and hit the wall. He screamed in fury and pain. When he pulled back for another hit, Eric grabbed his arm.
“No!”
Theo rose and whirled. “Stay out of this, you sissy!”
“This is Sylvia!” Eric screamed. “Stop hurting her!”
“She is a worthless werewolf toy now,” Theo roared.
“You are insane!” Eric stumbled back, his eyes wide. “I’ll call the police.”
“The hell you will!” Theo turned and lashed out at Eric who ducked too late, still in disbelief. Two blows later, Eric was on the floor, moaning. I watched helplessly as Theo got zip ties and tied up Eric.
My cousin’s eyes met mine, filled with horror. Then Theo dragged Eric out of the workshop, and I was alone. I trembled with fear. Yes, my grandfather was insane, there was no doubt about it now.
Where was Ben?
Realistically, there was no way he could be even close. I told myself to hang on, to play for time.
Theo returned after just a few moments, and removed the gag from my mouth. I wondered why.
“Time for you to scream,” he growled, his eyes wild. “Draw them here. Make them come to me.”
“Grandpa…” I managed to mutter, deliberately using that name for him, trying to reach him, and he shook his head.
“You chose the wrong side. You’re no longer part of my family.” He pulled a hunter knife from a sheath on his belt.
“We’re alone here, Grandpa. Nobody will hear me.” That was probably not true, but I really didn’t want him to hurt me any more.
“Ah, but I will.”
I stared at him. “Grandpa, please.”
“They defiled you. Just like they corrupted my Emily. My sweet little Emily.”
“Grandpa…”
“They destroyed everything I cared about, they took my daughter, they drove the others away. They took Sylvia. And even Eric is no longer listening to me.”
“Theo…”
He wasn’t even looking at me. “They are all gone. And soon, those monsters will pay for what they did to me.”
“I’m here,” I said, trying to reach him through the pain, through the delusion.
His eyes focused on me. “You’re not my sweet Sylvia anymore, either. They poisoned your soul, and that’s why you didn’t want to cook and clean and be the woman you’re meant to be.”
My mouth dropped open in dismay.
“I’m here,” I repeated, helplessly. I was familiar with this kind of delusion, with choosing a scapegoat for every real and imagined slight. I had studied the witch hunts. And I knew there was nothing I could say that would change his mind.
He stared at the knife. “It’s in the blood. It must be.”
“Grandpa…” I had to stall for time. “Tell me about Emily.”
His eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, I felt his pain.
“She was the first baby we had. She was so beautiful. Such a good child. Always did what we told her to do, unlike Erika.”
Now I fully understood why my mother had left, and I felt a clear kinship with her. Not that I would say so to Theo.
“She was good in school. Did chores with a smile. Until she met that blonde, handsome monster.” His voice dripped with venom.
Mal. Ben’s father. No wonder he had gloated over his death so much. Tears filled my own eyes. Beth had been right, our families were tangle
d in a bad way.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with hate. “And you brought in a monster just like Emily did. I knew him for what he was right away.”
There was nothing I could say. His mind was completely fixated on blaming everyone except himself.
“After you freed him, I tested you. Oh, yes, I know you did that. With the silver in his body, he couldn’t have gotten away otherwise.” He glared at me. “And you turned just like Emily had, resenting the work of a woman in the house, refusing to obey me. That’s when I knew those monsters had already defiled you. When did he rape you?”
I blinked several times. “Never,” I said, completely stunned. How could he even believe such things?
He laughed, a bitter, hysterical, wild laugh.
I trembled inside. My grandfather was very clearly insane.
“And now, I will get that bad blood out of you. I learned that beating doesn’t work.”
He lifted his knife, and I screamed.
Chapter 15
Ben
I woke from my doze when the truck’s engine was turned off, but I didn’t dare look around. Instead, I snuggled deeper into my corner, wolf senses wide awake.
I listened to Theo and Eric talk and realized that Sylvia's grandfather was taking her to the workshop instead of the house. I trembled with fear for her, and rage flowed again.
He was going to torture my mate just as he had tortured me.
I needed to get off the truck, and so I listened intently. And when Theo was in the workshop and Eric had gone into the house, I shifted into human shape, wincing with the pain in my shoulder and taking shallow breaths.
My body was healing fast, but not fast enough this night.
I quickly dropped over the wall of the truck’s bed, crouched on the ground and shifted back into the wolf.
The pain receded again as I crawled below the truck. That felt good but it also made one thing clear: I was in no shape to fight both of them, let alone at the same time.
Silence fell.
I waited, counting every second, trembling.
But silence meant that nothing was happening, that Sylvia was probably safe for now. I could hear Eric move around in the house, clattering with plates in a way that told me he was upset.
That was good.
And then I heard a rhythmic knocking sound coming from the workshop. I perked my ears. Was that Sylvia trying to tell me something?
Probably not. She couldn’t know I was here. Most likely, she believed I was still lying in that forest, and I knew that this thought would hurt her.
The wolf in me wanted to rush in and just tear apart Theo, but he had that gun. Rushing in was a certain way to get myself killed, and that would hurt Sylvia even more.
Theo was shouting, and I mentally applauded Sylvia for thwarting whatever plan he had. Then Eric marched out of the house to the workshop, carrying a plate with something that strongly smelled like pizza.
My mouth watered, and I sternly called the wolf to order.
More screaming and shouting echoed through the workshop, with Eric’s voice being defensive, and I strained to understand what they were saying. I couldn’t, but suddenly, Theo was dragging Eric out of the workshop. The young man had been bound with zip ties and was barely conscious. I managed not to yip in surprise.
Had he turned on his grandson already?
He dragged Eric into the house and hurried back into the workshop. The door fell almost close but got stuck on something, probably one of Eric’s feet.
I could get into the house.
That meant I could get to a phone and alert Beth.
Which in turn meant she could send help.
I slipped out from under the truck and ran to the door as silently as I could. I nosed it open and saw that Eric was staring at me, looking woozy and confused.
“Wha…?”
I nudged him then ran the few steps into the kitchen and shifted. I dug through some drawer to find a pair of sturdy scissors before returning to him.
“Eric, where’s the phone?”
He stared at me with huge eyes. Yes, I knew I was buck-naked, but he looked more than shocked.
“Eric, come on. Sylvia needs help. Where’s your phone?”
He glanced at a spot in the living room, and I smiled. “Thanks.”
It was a landline, but I didn’t care. I dialed the number of our outfit, and prayed someone would pick it up, preferably before it went to an answer-phone.
It did after three rings. Dammit. I dialed three more times before a very exhausted voice answered the call.
“Yes?”
It sounded like Beth. “It’s Ben. We’re at Theo’s. He caught Sylvia.”
“Got you. We’re coming.” Yes, it was Beth, and now she sounded wide awake. She also hung up on me. I put the receiver back and turned to Eric.
He was still staring at me.
“Ben?” A shocked whisper.
I nodded, picked up the scissors and went to his side.
“You… how… you’re hurt.”
I glanced at my bare shoulder. Blood was still slowly seeping out of the wound and it still hurt like hell. “Yes, well. You shot me.”
“I’m sorry.” His eyes focused better. “Grandpa wants to kill Sylvie. I… I couldn’t stop him.”
My heart froze. “Will you help us?”
He nodded. “He’s… insane.”
I cut through the zip ties on his hands and ankles.
“I’m… I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. But why…?” He glanced at my nakedness.
I grinned, obviously with some of the wolf in me because he flinched. “Clothes are not included when shifting.”
“So you are…?”
“Yes, I’m a wolf. You know that, you saw me come in and change. Does it matter?”
I could see him make a decision.
“Sylvia loves you. She wouldn’t if you had hurt her, like Grand… like he claims. And you freed me.” He sat up, rubbing his wrists.
“I love her, too,” I said softly. Eric relaxed a little.
I heard a scream from the workshop and knew our time had run out.
“Do you have a gun?”
Eric stared at me, then shook his head. “Grandpa has.”
I sighed and opened the door, determined to do what it took to save Sylvia.
Eric pushed past me and ran towards the workshop. I followed him on his heels, even though it was a very stupid thing to do.
“Grandpa,” he screamed. “No, no, no!”
I saw Theo draw a handgun from a holster at his back, lift it in a smooth motion, and I threw myself at Eric just as the shot rang out.
It grazed my left arm, and I growled. The next shot went above us and then I rolled, shifting into the wolf as I did so, barely evading the third shot.
Sylvia was screaming and as I scrabbled away, she rolled over and kicked Theo as hard as she could.
He whirled and his next shot hit Sylvia in the leg.
Her scream tore through my heart. Rage flooded me and I stopped thinking. With two huge strides I was on him, jumping his back, snarling into his ear.
He went down under me, and I grabbed his neck in my teeth, about to shake the life out of him.
“No, Ben, no. Don’t kill.” Sylvia called out to me, and I hesitated. Theo roared and bucked, and I jumped off him before he could throw me, intent on keeping control.
He got up on his knees, lifting his gun. I dashed away, and Sylvia kicked him again.
She was so brave.
He shifted to aim at her, and just as he squeezed the trigger, I thew myself at him, toppling him over.
The shot hit the wall, ricocheted through the workshop, and a metallic sound told me that it had probably landed in the old banger.
I lunged and grabbed the gun with my teeth, tearing it out of his hands, and then I ran out of the workshop, his curses following me.
I was just dropping the gun into a bunch of poison ivy when I he
ard Eric scream again and rushed back.
Theo had a knife in his hands, and Sylvia was cringing away from him as best as she could, with her hands tied behind her and lashed to the wall.
Rage made me growl as I raced towards him, as Eric tried to grab his hand. Theo turned and slashed at Eric, and the young man staggered back with a shocked gasp, his arm sliced open. He would need help very fast or bleed out. And he didn’t deserve that.
So I jumped Theo, shifted mid-jump and landed on him as human. Sylvia kicked out again, and his knife went flying. I grabbed his head and slammed it down, breaking his nose.
Theo screamed, I turned his head a little, slammed it down again and then punched as hard as I could. He went limp and I breathed a sigh of relief before remembering Eric was badly hurt.
Sylvia's cousin was clutching his arm, eyes wide in shock, face pale and drawn with pain. He was still bleeding too much, and so I ran to him, tore his t-shirt off him and twisted half of it into a thick rope before using it as a tourniquet around his upper arm to slow the bleeding.
And blessed my father for drilling us in first aid.
“Stay down, Eric. Help is coming.”
Eric swallowed hard, still clutching his arm but bleeding much less. I was hoping that help would arrive soon.
“The zip ties are in the top drawer of that metal cabinet,” Sylvia said calmly, although I could hear the pain in her voice.
“That is a very good idea.” I took the time to thoroughly tie up Theo before freeing Sylvia and pulling her into a tight embrace, ignoring my own pain, damning those ribs. Theo had given her a black eye, as well as shot her, and my rage flared.
She clung to me, shaking and trembling.
“How bad is the leg?”
“Dunno. It hurts.”
I held her close, rage still roaring, and took a look. Blood was staining her jeans but it wasn’t pooling, so I could hope he hadn’t hit an artery. I still wrapped the remains of Eric’s t-shirt around her leg. Gradually, she stopped shaking.
“What do we do now?” she whispered into my shoulder.
“We wait for help. I called Beth.”
“Oh.”
A little later she lifted her head, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You look great, my love. But maybe you should borrow some jeans from Eric. First room to the right when you get up the stairs.”
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