Tess nodded in Eden’s direction, noticing that the creep from earlier still lingered at the bar. The waitress was stationed at the far end of the counter, but the greasy haired man was sauntering toward her. He’d made catcalls at Eden for the past hour and had even groped her a few times. Tess swallowed as unease pitted in her stomach. He’s stalking toward her like she’s prey. It’s not your problem—it wasn’t, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to help. Eden didn’t deserve to be treated like that. What good could she do though? She was injured. You could still take him. You still have most of your strength.
“Hey, sweet cakes, what are you doing after your shift?” the man called out as he approached Eden.
Tess stopped and turned slowly around. Eden tucked one of her long brown locks behind her ear as her eyes darted around the empty room. The restaurant had cleared out completely; it was just the three of them. I wonder if someone is in the back?
Tess tilted her head to the side, trying to listen for other movement. Nothing. Great. Inhaling a deep breath, she walked confidently toward the bar.
“I’m ready to go whenever you are,” Tess announced as she leaned heavily on the bar. She gripped the counter for support, ignoring the throbbing in her side.
Eden’s eyes widened, and she blinked before smiling. “I’ll be just another minute.”
“You two together?” the greasy haired man asked, turning to take her in. His eyes roamed up and down Tess’ form. She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her middle as if that would keep him from staring.
“She’s my roommate,” Eden spoke up. “My ride home.”
He licked his lips. “I see,” he said allowing his eyes to glaze over Tess again.
Tess gritted her teeth. Talk about demeaning. She clutched the counter tighter and stood upright.
“Bars closing,” Eden prompted.
The jerk glanced between them before taking a step back from the counter. “I’m in town for a few days,” he grinned, wagging his brows suggestively. “I’ll be sure to stop back before I leave.” He pursed his lips as he fixed Eden with one final stare before turning to leave.
Eden swallowed but didn’t say anything as Tess glared.
Tess suppressed a growl. The man’s passive aggressiveness had her on high alert. There was something odd about him, but what?
“See you around, sweet cheeks,” he laughed before trudging to the door.
Tess sagged against the counter for support as the man exited. Eden let out a long breath.
“Thanks for that,” Eden acknowledged.
“No problem,” Tess replied, gently sliding onto the barstool. Pain sliced through her side at the action, causing her vision to go black momentarily.
“Hey. You okay?” Eden asked, placing a cool hand on Tess’ arm.
Tess blinked in an attempt to fight through the haze. Passing out wasn’t an option she could afford. While Eden seemed nice, she was certain the other woman would call for help, and she could not go to the hospital. Hunters would be alerted for sure. But as her head began to spin and her vision continued to wane, she realized unconsciousness was inevitable. No. No. No. Stay awake. Please stay awake. She ferociously blinked her eyes as her body slid backwards and the darkness swallowed her whole.
Chapter Two
“She’s been poisoned,” a female voice said. The soft melodic tone was familiar. Tess fought through the fog to try to place it. Eden. Wait. What happened?
Tess’ eyes shot open, and she looked up at the speckled white ceiling. She flipped to her side, grimacing as pain ricocheted up her side. Two light grey curtains were open, allowing the room to be bathed in sunlight. She propped herself up taking a further look around the room. She was in a bedroom. Blankets pooled around her and she forced a shaky breath in as she tried to recall what had happened last night. Where am I? Her heart pattered frantically in her chest as she glanced around the room. How had she gotten here?
“How bad is it?” a man’s voice asked. Footsteps creaked across the floor, growing louder with each step.
Get up. Whoever is here is coming to you. Eden wasn’t a threat, but she didn’t know who the mysterious man was. She sat up, suppressing a hiss as a spasm shot through her side. Her vision blurred, but she swung her legs over the side of the bed anyway. Terrified, she searched the room for an escape. There was a window to her left. It would do. Shoes. Where were her shoes?
“It’s pretty bad. She passed out and has been unconscious all night. I cleaned her up as best I could, but you can see the red streaks coming off the wound where the poison is spreading. Tess, that’s her name, she has a high fever too,” Eden explained.
“Did she say anything to you?” another man inquired.
Crap. There are two of them. Please don’t let them be hunters. If her enemy had found her she was done for. Forget the shoes and run. She darted across the room and flung the window open. Her side screamed in protest, but she didn’t care, she had to get out of there.
The door to the room creaked open. She ducked down and went to jump out the window, but someone caught her about the waist and pulled her back.
Tess thrashed against the muscular embrace, breaking free. She wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Her head spun as dizziness threatened to pull her under. Fight. Stay awake. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed her hands to change into black paws. The man grasped her from behind again, holding her tightly. Clarity seeped in, and a sense of calm washed over her. For a second, she considered letting the man win. Don’t be fooled. You’re sick. Fight. She flexed her shifted hands and then curled her nails inward. The man behind her hissed, loosening his grip as her claws sank into his flesh. Using the distraction to her advantage, she rammed her elbow backwards into his side, and then stamped on his foot. Her attacker grunted, and stumbling away from her.
“Holy shit, Eden, you brought a werecat in here?” the second guy hollered as he stalked toward her with a snarl.
Tess hissed as the hairs on her arms rose. Wolves. Great. Wolves were worse than hunters. Run. She twisted in a vain attempt to dash toward the door. The man reached out to grab her, and she swung her clawed paw at him. Pain scorched through her at the movement, causing her vision to darken. She squinted her eyes, forcing them to focus, but her vision blurred, causing her to see double. Get yourself together. Wolves are not friends.
“Xander stop,” Eden cried as the man in front of her sprang forward.
Tess tried to move, but she wasn’t fast enough. Xander grasped her elbow tightly as he spun behind her and kicked the back of her leg. She fell to her knees, the hard wooden floor jarring her, and causing her to whimper in pain. Get up.
“What are you doing here?” Xander demanded as he shoved her to the floor, holding her down.
Tess writhed on the floor, not willing to give up. Pain sliced through her abdomen and shot down her legs. White clouded her vision. Don’t pass out.
“Xander that’s enough,” the other man said quietly.
The pressure on her back subsided. Xander stumbled away almost as if he’d been shoved.
“Hey, it’s okay,” the calmer man said. His hand slid under her arm and gently pulled her up. He clamped a firm grip on both of her wrists, holding her clawed paws away from him. “Can you put those away so we can talk, no one is going to hurt you,” he assured, meeting her eyes.
Tess swallowed as she met the wolf’s gaze. His cobalt eyes stared intently into hers. Tranquility rolled through her as she peered at him. The fact that his stare soothed her was unnerving. He was a wolf—a threat—not someone she should trust. Her eyes raked over him wearily trying to assess if he was dangerous. He was taller than her by at least a foot. His russet hair was cut short and mussed as if he’d been in a scuffle. And he was attractive—very attractive, the cat inside her yearned to caress his full lips with her own. What? Where is that coming from? What is wrong with me? Wolves are not your friends.
“Nate, she’s dangerous,” Xander warned.
&nbs
p; “Nobody’s going to hurt anybody,” Nate replied, snapping his eyes from hers to look at the other wolf. “Right?”
“It’s okay, Tess. This is my brother, Nate,” Eden explained, moving into view.
“Stay back,” Xander growled, stepping protectively in front of Eden.
“Oh relax,” Eden chided, pushing past the overprotective male. “She helped make sure a creep at the bar left me alone. And she stayed the night and didn’t hurt me. I doubt she’s going to do it now. Besides, she’s injured. You need to take her to Sanctuary for medical attention.”
Sanctuary? What is that? Would they help someone like her? At this point, she wasn’t sure she’d make it to Ohio. But if she didn’t have a choice, then she’d have to figure it out.
“You want us to take a cat into Sanctuary?” Xander exclaimed, shaking his head.
“Why not?” Eden asked as she looked between the two men.
“Let’s put the claws away and then we’ll talk about what we need to do,” Nate suggested, nodding toward her furry paws.
Tess eyed him for a long minute. He hadn’t hurt her. And she knew that he could if he wanted to. She was injured, and in no condition for a fight against two wolves. It would be in her best interest to play nice for the moment. She closed her eyes, willing her hands to change. Her arms trembled as the bones snapped and then popped back into place. Once the shift was complete, she opened her eyes and eased her hands free of Nate’s grip. She instantly missed his warmth and softly rubbed her fingers over her tingling wrists.
***
Nate hesitantly released his hold on Tess. She stepped back, but her sweet vanilla pine scent wafted around him. Her long hair fell in waves to her elbows and her chartreuse eyes studied him. She was enchanting—unlike any woman he’d seen before.
“I’ll just see myself out,” Tess stated as she took a few more steps back. She wavered on her feet, but managed to stay upright.
“You’re not going to make it very far,” Nate warned, nodding to her side. Crimson bled through the yellow tank top she wore. She was hurt, her wound reopened from the fighting. If she left, he’d wonder if she made it to her destination safely. The thought of something horrible happening to her frightened him—she was a stranger, his fear was unwarranted—but it was there.
Tess looked down and shook her head. “I’ll be fine,” she insisted.
“Let her go,” Xander shrugged.
“No,” Eden said, stepping in front of Tess. “You’re hurt. You passed out last night. What if someone catches up to you? Do you even know where you are going?”
“She said she’d be fine,” Xander replied.
Nate clenched his jaw. Werecats and Werewolves had a long-standing feud. It would cause an uproar to bring her into Sanctuary, but things had changed recently. Hunters were everywhere and were no doubt the cause of the werecats injuries. They couldn’t let her leave—he couldn’t let her leave. Why? Why couldn’t he let her go? He didn’t have an answer. Sure, Tess was attractive, but that didn’t explain why he needed her to stay. He could worry about that later. Right now, Tess required medical care, and he was going to see that she got it.
“Nate, please,” Eden pleaded looking between him and Tess.
The werecat had walked to the bed, and taken a seat on the plush purple comforter. She moved slowly and deliberately as she slipped her socks and shoes on. When she stood up, there was a fine sheen of sweat on her brow. He couldn’t let her leave. She probably wouldn’t make it out of town. If she collapsed and was brought to a human hospital that would only draw further attention to the shifter community. Attention they did not need.
“You’re hurt and there are hunters all over the area,” he explained, before turning to Xander. “We can’t risk her collapsing and being taken to a hospital. Protecting our species from people is important. We should take her before the council. There could be more going on than meets the eye.”
Xander let out a long breath and eyed the feline wearily. “Fine. But this is on you.”
“Thank you,” Eden sighed.
“I’m not going,” Tess snapped, her eyes flicking between the two wolves, the door, and the window.
“There are lots of shifters at Sanctuary: wolves, bears, snakes, and birds,” Eden explained.
“Things have changed in the past decade. Shifters have come to realize we need to work together against our common enemy,” Nate coaxed. He wasn’t sure that the truce extended to werecats, but it was worth a shot.
Tess tripped over her feet, wobbling as if she were going to pass out. Her face was pale—too pale. “Fine. I will go with you,” she whispered quietly.
Nate nodded. He just hoped this wasn’t a mistake. There was a long-standing war between the wolves and the cats and though his generation hadn’t been involved, he suspected the older wolves wouldn’t take kindly to her being there. I guess I’ll just have to convince them otherwise. Yeah. That will be an easy task.
***
The trees and brush whirled by in a blur as the car flew down the back country roads. Tess tried to focus on the landmarks so she’d know where they were going, but her brain refused to work. Everything spun, and it took every ounce of strength she had to stay coherent. The poison was taking its toll. She just hoped she hadn’t waited too long to get help—not like she’d had much choice in the matter.
Nate and Xander talked in the front seat, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She clasped her hands tightly together and dug her nails into her palms to keep herself awake.
If she passed out, who knows what would happen to her. Nate she trusted—she couldn’t explain why. Everyone else, not so much. Her eyes flicked to Nate. There were two of him, but that didn’t stop her from staring. She’d had a similar reaction to Eden the night before. But why? What did it mean? How could she trust two complete strangers so easily?
She was pulled from her thoughts when the car lurched to one side. Tess squinted as the vehicle bounced up and down. They weren’t on a road anymore. Tire tracks wound up the hill they were on and disappeared into the thick trees.
Tess drew in a deep breath as they entered the shelter of the brush. The scent of grass, leaves, dirt, and animals assaulted her senses. There were a lot of different shifters here just as Eden had described. She shuddered, realizing she was outnumbered. It’s going to be okay. They’re like you—sort of.
The car came to a halt and Xander shut the ignition off. Tess fumbled for the handle on the car door and let herself out. Her head spun as she stood up. Stay strong. Don’t pass out.
“We’ve got a bit of a hike,” Nate said.
Tess jumped, wondering how he’d gotten so close so fast. She was losing it. As apprehensive as she was about being here, she knew she would never have made it to Ohio. The poison was mixing with her blood. If she didn’t get help, she would be dead sooner than later.
“I’m not sure she can make it,” Xander said, watching her.
Tess gritted her teeth and fought through the double vision, glaring at the man she thought was the real Xander. She’d show him. “I’m fine.”
“I’m going to go ahead and warn the others. Let them know we got a cat here,” Xander said, before jogging—or was he walking, away?
“Send a medical team,” Nate called.
A blurry hand reached out for her and she batted it away.
“I’m fine,” she insisted as she stumbled.
“If you say so,” Nate sighed.
Tess pushed off the car and inhaled sharply, her side didn’t hurt anymore, in fact, she didn’t have any pain. Am I so close to death that the pain has subsided? No. You’re going to be fine. You’re still thinking coherently. Take what you can get and be happy about it. Now if she could make the world stop bouncing she’d be okay. She took a minute to focus her sight before falling in step with Nate.
“How’d you end up in Tennessee?” Nate asked.
“Passing through,” she mumbled, not entirely sure she could have an ac
tual conversation and maneuver up the hill. It was taking all of her focus to stay on her feet.
“By yourself?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Your pack was attacked?” Nate continued to question.
“My pride was attacked, yes,” she replied.
“I’m sorry,” Nate murmured. “The Hunters have been lethal the past few months. I’m part of a team that goes out and helps packs, other shifters, or prides that are in distress. You from around here?”
“Washington State,” she answered, trying to take in the scenery. It’d be important to know the way out—if she needed to escape. You have to get fixed up before you can worry about fleeing. Nate was okay, but that didn’t mean everyone else would be.
“You’re a long way from home,” Nate commented.
Tess shrugged. “When you’re running for your life you keep running.”
“Anyone follow you?” Nate asked his voice growing deeper as his feet halted.
“No. I don’t think so. I think I lost them somewhere in Georgia.” She may have lost them before that. She’d been in her leopard form and had run for a full day without looking back.
“Good. Hunters haven’t discovered Sanctuary yet we want to keep it that way,” Nate said continuing on.
Tess nodded in understanding. The longer they went without detection the better. “How did Sanctuary come about?” she asked curiously.
“I’ve been here since I was three. My pack originated in Virginia, but hunters overran us. We ended up here along with some other packs, and overtime, it just kept growing and we started taking in different shifters. The council was formed and—”
Sanctuary (A Hunted Novel Book 1) Page 2