Caged

by Amber Lynn Natusch

  I relaxed at the sentiment, though I still wasn’t sure where his earlier outburst of anger came from. He never struck me as the yell-at-someone-because-you-were-worried type. Clarification was necessary.

  “Why did you freak out on me just now? Way to pull a Jekyll and Hyde,” I said, keeping my tone level. “And what exactly could he have ruined?”

  “I’m sorry, Ruby. It was a knee-jerk reflex. Sean brings out the worst in my personality,” he apologized, sounding dutifully contrite. “You’re not stupid at all, quite the opposite in fact, but a terrible judge of character.”

  I smiled at the phone. That’s a recurring theme…

  “And the ruined comment?”

  “I just meant that he could’ve taken everything from me. Again,” he whispered, “He’s very good at that.”

  I felt saddened by his tone, and a twinge of anger flared deep in my core. An uncharacteristic flash of violence shot through my mind. Sean will pay for this.

  I shook my head, surprised by what my mind was thinking, and disturbed by the unfamiliarity of it. “Ruby?”

  “Yeah, sorry, I’m here. What’s the plan?”

  “You need to get down here as quickly as you can. Marcus has booked us tickets for this afternoon out of Logan. You’re going to be gone for a long time, so be sure you pack accordingly.”

  “But how long? What about the store? I have to let Ronnie know I’m leaving and find someone who can…”

  “NO!” he yelled, quickly interrupting me. “You can’t let anyone know you’re leaving or where you’ve gone. They’ll be in danger. He’ll use them to track you far too easily. Leave everything as it is, the pack will take care of everything else. I’m sorry about the shop…I know it means a lot to you.”

  I pondered what he said for a moment and then realized the sobering truth - nobody would really feel my absence. There was nobody to report me missing, nobody to send out a search party for me. I had isolated myself to the point that my existence didn’t register on the map. Ronnie would notice, of course, but wouldn’t think much of it. We didn’t have the depth of relationship that would require me to announce an extended vacation. It’d likely pique her interest for a while and then be forgotten. It was a sad reality to face. Luckily, I had Eric; maybe I’d make some new friends where we were going. I promised myself right then that I would make a concerted effort to do so.

  “OK,” I replied. “I’ll be down in a couple of hours.”

  “Meet me outside Marcus’s building. I’ll be waiting,” he said softly. “And Ruby…don’t worry.”

  I started to say that I wasn’t when it became clear that that was his sign-off for the conversation.

  Guess he needs to go pack, too.

  24

  As I drove to Boston I thought about how rapidly my life was changing, and how I was so not in control of any of it. The past few days had been a roller coaster of revelations and experiences that amounted to more than most people would have in a lifetime. Next on the agenda was going into hiding with Eric; yet another adventure for sure, though I wasn’t convinced it was necessarily positive. Somehow I got the sneaking suspicion that Sean would not be easily evaded if he had a duty to carry out, or his eyes fixed on a target. It made me wish I wasn’t one.

  I managed to snap myself out of a downward spiral by thinking of the state my apartment was in. My mother would never have tolerated such mayhem. Eric told me to bring a lot of stuff since we would be gone for an undetermined amount of time. He also told me to get my ass down to Boston ASAP.

  Major packing in a short period of time could only lead to one thing: complete wardrobe explosion. There were panties hanging from the chandelier, boots in the sock drawer, and jewelry dotting a trail through the hall. I had also gone quickly through the bathroom, collecting products I would need in a not-so-organized fashion. The only casualty in the whole thing was a bottle of perfume that I adored dearly; its remains shattered across the tile floor. It was a limited edition too. I seemed to always break things that couldn’t be replaced. I giggled to myself thinking of the virtual crime scene I’d be leaving behind.

  I rolled up outside Marcus’s place about an hour and a half after I spoke to Eric, having driven as fast as I packed. Eric was waiting on the steps of the building for me, alone. He met me at my car as I parked it, looking surprisingly unfazed.

  “Did you do as I instructed?” he asked pleasantly, helping me out of the driver’s seat. His touch sent energy prickling through my body.

  “Yes. I’m packed and didn’t mention my travels to anyone, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Good,” he replied, “This needs to be secretive.”

  I looked around for Marcus, knowing we needed to leave soon. Since he was taking us to the airport, I was curious as to his whereabouts.

  “He’s upstairs,” Eric said coolly, having read my mind. “He’s finalizing the agreement.”

  “Oh. I hope he didn’t have to trouble himself too much.”

  I wasn’t sure what there was to finalize, though I was admittedly new to this whole pack thing and I figured they must have their own protocols for lending asylum to foreign wolves. At that moment Marcus appeared through the double doors looking as dapper as I’d remembered him in a full three-piece suit that fit him beautifully. His energy still wasn’t sitting well with me, but I just couldn’t put my finger on why.

  I then remembered that Eric had said that Marcus was one of the ”old ones”. Maybe age created a certain aura or frequency that I just wasn’t attuned to. It was irrelevant anyways, because he was willing to help me out of one hell of a jam. He thought nothing of lending a helping hand when I needed it, and regardless of my sixth-sense confusion about him, I owed him my gratitude, not my scrutiny.

  He reached out his arms to embrace me as he approached. I went to him uncomfortably, silently repeating the mantra ”I owe him my life, I owe him my life”. I felt like a five-year-old who didn’t want to give grandma a kiss.

  “Ruby, my dear,” he said affectionately as he held me. “I’m so sorry about all this nonsense. I had no idea that Sean was up to something.”

  “It’s OK,” I said as I tried to politely wriggle free of him. “You can’t know everything about everybody. Besides, I’m not sure he knew, but I don’t want to stick around and find out what the verdict is from Italy once they know.”

  “Smart girl,” he said, releasing me from his embrace. “That’s an attractive quality in a woman.” He sneaked a glance at Eric and they both laughed out loud.

  Before I got the chance to ask what the punch line was, Eric turned and addressed the issue.

  “It certainly is,” he said, his eyes swallowing me up. “High praise from Marcus is hard to come by, Ruby. He knows something valuable when he sees it.”

  “It’s true. I’ve made a career that has spanned lifetimes out of seeing the worth of something that others couldn’t. We all have gifts…” Marcus said, trailing off as he looked at me intently. “Now my dear, we must get you out of here.”

  He and Eric snatched up my bags and threw them into the empty trunk of the Mercedes. Eric motioned me over to the car and into the backseat while he and Marcus sat up front. It was a quick trip to Logan Airport, filled mainly with idle banter and trivial conversation. I had so many questions to ask about where we were going, what it’d be like, and how long we’d be staying, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Maybe a leap of faith was exactly what I needed.

  We pulled up to our Northwest terminal and parked curbside to unload. As Eric brought the bags out, Marcus came over to say goodbye.

  “It’s been such a pleasure,” he said as he hugged me yet again.

  It seemed an odd thing to say, but I was starting to realize that Marcus was an odd kind of guy, so strange things coming out of his mouth seemed more appropriate than not.

  “You say that like you won’t see me again.” I nervously chuckled as he slowly released me from his grasp.

  “Perhaps I will,” he
said, and nothing more.

  “Time to head out,” Eric called from behind me.

  The two men shook hands, leaning in close. Marcus said something amusing, and a wide smile crossed Eric’s face in response, but he said nothing in return.

  Maybe werewolves don’t hug…

  Marcus turned and waved goodbye as he rounded the driver’s side of his Mercedes and got in, leaving Eric and me to our luggage and our adventure. I looked ominously at the monstrous pile of bags, wondering exactly how we were going to manage to get them inside all at once. It had taken me three trips to load my car. I rifled through the stack looking for things that could easily be slung over my shoulder before picking up things that actually had to be carried by hand. I would have killed for some bags with wheels at that moment. While I wrestled to sling a single duffel on, Eric asked if I was ready yet. I looked up to see him stocked up with two other duffels, holding a suitcase in each hand. All the bags were mine.

  “Are you ready or what? The plane doesn’t leave from the parking lot.” He was looking at me with feigned annoyance.

  “Where is all your stuff?” I asked, thoroughly confused as to why I’d packed like Paris Hilton, and he brought nothing.

  “My things aren’t necessary there. You’ll see,” he said as if that made all the sense in the world. Why he didn’t need a stitch of clothing (while I needed a wardrobe to dress a movie set) was beyond me. Pack life was something that was going to take some getting used to - a lot.

  We went through the usual rituals to get on the plane, and after we were seated in a row all our own, I finally got to ask what the plan was.

  “It’s not that exciting, Ruby. We’re going out to Utah to stay with the Provo pack. They’re amazingly self-contained; the perfect place to go if you never want to be found,” he said reassuringly as he reached over and grabbed my hand. I melted instantly.

  “How long will I be there?” I asked.

  “Indefinitely,” he said as he raised my hand up to his lips and kissed it. “It’s important that we know what’s going on with the PC before we do anything. Marcus has people abroad working for him to find out the ruling regarding your life. When we know this we can plan better. Until then, you will stay put in Utah.”

  “So Marcus will be in contact with you while we’re there?”

  “He’ll be sure that I know Sean’s status.”

  “OK,” I muttered quietly. After a long pause I meekly asked, “Do you think I’ll like it there?”

  A crooked smile stretched across his face.

  “I think you’ll learn to love it.”

  I smiled and nestled into my seat. The flight was direct into Salt Lake City and promised to be a long one; a nap was in order. As I drifted off to sleep, my head resting on Eric’s shoulder, I felt at ease. The situation was harrowing, attempting to avoid my death and all, but there was comfort in knowing that Eric would be with me, keeping me safe as he promised.

  Though he seemed a bit out of sorts, not quite himself all morning, I realized that this was an intense situation for him, too. There would be retribution, surely, for those who helped me if I were caught. He was also now in charge, and going to be away from his mentor and pack. I was selfish to not acknowledge that this was equally stressful for him.

  I smiled as I dozed off. Regardless of what Sean had said, Eric did have honor. The fact that he was willing to risk his life to keep me safe proved that in my eyes. Perhaps it really was true that duress could forge the strongest bonds, and bring two people together. It appeared to be working in our case.

  I slept peacefully at the thought.

  25

  I stared at the sizable crowd that crammed together on the front lawn. That’s a lot of friends. I couldn’t fathom how Eric knew all those people or why they’d all gotten together. It couldn’t have been him coming to visit.

  Weres.

  It was the only thing that made any sense. They lived as a pack and this ‘house’ we were visiting was more like a compound than anything else, stretching over acres and acres of land. I wondered if maybe he had been somehow affiliated with them before and wanted to show me off to them. I smiled to myself at that thought. Perhaps that was another reason why he had been so off on the trip out - he was nervous about me being accepted by his friends.

  He came around to the side of the car and opened the door for me. I had been so consumed by the grandeur of both the building and the crowd that I had forgotten to get out of the car. He half-smiled at me, then cast his eyes over to a man emerging from the group. Eric took my hand and led the way over to him.

  They shook hands like business associates rather than old chums. I was surprised by the gesture, but I figured that, like with Marcus, maybe male weres weren’t big huggers. Maybe it took the testosterone level down too far for their liking. I stood behind them a few feet, still engrossed with the surroundings and the crowd who was slowly closing in around us.

  I never really paid attention to what was being talked about between Eric and his mystery friend, but rather focused on the faces of those around us. They were painfully hard to read, but I became more aware of one thing as they neared us - they were not friendly. The energy I was picked up on was lust, peppered with malice.

  The lust made sense. Eric had said that male wolves could smell an unmated female and it made them crazy. The malice, however, made no sense at all. Maybe he didn’t leave on the best of terms with these guys…

  “And here she is,” Eric was saying. It snapped me back to attention as I turned and smiled at my new acquaintance. I reached my hand forward to shake his and was met with a strange expression as he turned to look at Eric with incredulity. I wasn’t sure if I had offended him somehow. Maybe I had violated some rule I was unaware of. Surely Eric would have told them that this was all new to me and some concessions would have been made.

  A smile slowly crossed his face as he shook lightly at first, slowly working himself into a low-rolling laugh that eerily spread through the hundreds on the lawn.

  Left in the dark yet again…

  “She doesn’t know why she’s here?” he asked Eric, looking painfully amused. Eric was laughing now too, wearing a matching expression.

  “Not a clue. I knew she was naive, but this is way beyond that.”

  I tried to join in with the laughter, to cover up my confusion and not feel like the odd man out, but it was unsuccessful. I tried desperately to see what I was missing, what my naivety had left me ignorant of.

  “I’m not sure she’s going to be pleased with you when she finds out,” he said, still carrying a note of mocking. I started to not care for him very much.

  “No,” Eric replied, stepping closer to me. “I’m not sure she will be.”

  The laughter died down and the tone became increasingly serious. As the two of them bantered enigmatically back and forth, I heard someone from behind me approaching. I turned to see a black haired, twenty-something male directly behind me. He did nothing and appeared to be awaiting acknowledgment from the man in charge.

  I saw the leader nod in his direction and before I knew what was happening, my hands were shackled behind my back. At that point I was aware that something was wrong. Very, very wrong. I felt my fight-or-flight response go into overdrive and I looked to Eric for assistance. I was met with a cold, complacent expression.

  “Oh, that’s just darling, Eric. She thinks you’ll save her,” said Eric’s strange companion as he stepped closer to me. He gently took my face in his hands and bent down to put his directly in mine. “There’s no helping you now, dear.”

  I tried to tear my head from his hands but his grip tightened violently and squeezed until I thought my facial bones would break like glass.

  “I’ve waited centuries for one of you. You will give me the power to change all of this mess, and your offspring will be invaluable to the cause.”

  Hatred coursed through my veins. He was evil incarnate, a cocktail of Satan, Hitler and Bin Laden all rolled up into
one. I was his, and I was terrified. My shaking became uncontrollable and I wasn’t sure if it was driven more by anger or fear - perhaps a healthy dose of both.

  “Would you like a moment to say goodbye to her properly,” he asked Eric.

  Fuck that!

  “Yes. I think I’d enjoy that.”

  With that, the man I presumed to be the Alpha turned to the group and ordered them all inside. He backed away, leaving Eric and me to our privacy that I was so not interested in at that moment. The only privacy I wanted with Eric was in a torture chamber with him on the receiving end.

  He stood in front of me and had the gall to look me directly in the eyes.

  “Ruby, Ruby, Ruby…what can I say?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders for effect. “I thought you and I would work out, but I guess you could say I got a better offer.” I could think of nothing to say, so I spat in his face instead. He scoffed to himself as he wiped the phlegm off with his shirt sleeve. “Oh, Ruby, you’re taking this so personally, but it’s business, babe. Just good business.”

  “For you,” I shouted at him, kicking him square in the kneecap, driving his leg backwards. He stumbled for a moment then slowly returned to his position.

  “I take it that means you haven’t forgiven me yet?” he asked condescendingly.

  “You’re a dead man.”

  “Ahhh…and how will you accomplish that, my dear?” he asked while stroking his index finger down my cheek. “You’ll be locked up here with no chance of escape, and nobody knows where you are. Not even your precious Sean. You made sure of that.”