He examined me for a long time, looking at things that had nothing to do with what occurred in the library; it didn’t take me long to realize he was stalling me. From his office, I couldn’t hear what was going on in the library. After Dr. Baker finished with me, he escorted me back to the room, taking the back way, ensuring that I didn’t go past the library.
I waited until Dr. Baker’s footsteps had padding down the stairs. I took the stairs on the opposite side of the hallway and headed back to the library. Standing just outside the door to the right, I was hidden only by the open door from the next room. The debate was so emotionally charged, they were unable to keep their voices down. .
“So, if we retrieve the gem, this will all go away?” Sebastian’s edgy voice inquired.
“That’s a great big if,” Josh responded, frustrated. “I know Demetrius has it, but he has a protection spell on it. He’s using dark magic, and I can’t find it. I’ve tried several times today. Tomorrow, I’m going to talk to London. She is more skilled than I am in matters like this and may be able to remove the protection spell. Once we locate it, the rest is easy,” he admitted.
“Are you sure she will help? In the past, she always resisted assisting us,” Sebastian said.
“That’s before we helped her. She owes us, and I believe she will be relieved to no longer have that debt.”
He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he was drawn into his thoughts.
Josh watched him intently. “Sebastian,” Josh stated respectfully. “Storming in the vampires’ home and threatening them until they give you the gem won’t work. A battle like that will end with a great number of dead vampires but were-animals as well. We would be no better off,” Josh stated gravely.
“I am assuming that killing Demetrius won’t help either. Is it safe to assume anyone in his seethe can perform the ritual?” Sebastian asked.
He must have confirmed, because Sebastian made a frustrated sound.
“Then kill her,” Winter suggested calmly. “She is the most imminent threat. At least that will give us time to find the gem.” Her voice was far too casual for someone who was suggesting the murder of another being.
“She’s not the threat,” Steven interjected.
“Stop it with that load of crap! You can’t still believe she’s not a threat.” Winter rumbled angrily.
Apparently, this wasn’t the first time Winter had suggested this option, but now with everything that had taken place, she had a more compelling argument.
“She isn’t. Nothing she’s done has threatened us,” Sebastian stated firmly.
I walked from around the door that I used to hide me. If she wanted to me dead then she would have to say it to my face. As I stood at the threshold of the library door, it was Winter who noticed me first. I had lost my status as a person—now I was a situation. She held my gaze for a long time before she directed it back to Sebastian.
“Her very existence is a threat. She is not one of us, and we should stop protecting her as though she were,” Winter stated sharply.
“Josh, what do you think?” Sebastian asked, his voice calm and level, a direct contrast to Winter’s.
“She’s is capable of things within the magic realms that aren’t typical of were-animals. But Winter can charm, which is atypical of were-animals’ abilities and she isn’t a threat to us but rather an asset. I can’t say Skylar isn’t capable of being dangerous because I am not quite sure what she really is. However, she would never endanger us intentionally.”
“I am not saying it would be intentional,” countered Winter “But she is dangerous for so many reasons, starting with why the vampires wish to have her. Is anyone else concerned that we really don’t know what she is? You said yourself that the necromancer got a weird reading on her. Terait, were-animal, odd magical ability, there is something terribly wrong with her. Kill her and this all goes away.”
“Until they find another sacrifice,” Steven interjected. “Then what? Keep killing anyone who can be potentially used? Then what form of evil do we become? She needs protection, not death. What we need to do is locate the gem and make sure the vamps never have the chance to use it.”
“Yes, sounds so very simple. However, if it were that simple, then why don’t we have the goddamn thing? Demetrius is going all out for this. His legion—seriously, when has he ever used them? He’s risking the safety of his seethe to keep the gem hidden with dark magic and accruing a huge debt in the process. He has the gem, and we have her. It’s simple. Kill her, and things get a lot less complicated.”
“Can you take the life of an innocent were-animal without cause in cold blood?” Ethan asked calmly, but his voice held a twinge of unease, disappointment.
“For the safety of this pack, I’ll do it without hesitation. If we keep this up, there will be a battle. Lives will be lost—our lives. And for what? Her? Ethan, If you find it too distasteful for your civility, then I will do it right now … ”
“ … Winter!” Sebastian snapped.
She exhaled a ragged breath. “She’s not one of us,” she declared in a desperate voice. Winter began to fidget, searching desperately for the right words to persuade them. “She is dangerous. We need to kill her. It will give us time to find the gem and not have to worry about protecting her," she stated calmly. But it was a calmness that came from a place of resolve. Whether she convinced them or not, Winter had decided she was going to take my life.
“She’s right,” I stated with a heavy sigh, stepping into the room. I looked at Sebastian, who seemed to be the most approachable at this time. Who would have thought?
“I am not one of you, and I don’t warrant this type of loyalty and sacrifice. It is a lot to ask. I am terrified of what I am capable of, so I can understand her concern. It would be easier to end my life, but I ask that you don’t. I will leave.”
I wanted to leave the house because the wavering trust I had for them had changed. It was only a matter of time before Winter convinced them that I wasn’t worth saving. Trapped in the house with my potential murderers or being hunted and possibly captured by vampires to endure a ritual that would ultimately kill me left me between a boulder and hard place.
“Leaving this house isn’t enough. Your very existence is a danger. Death is the only option for you.” Winter hissed so coldly it would have sent shivers through me if I weren’t so numbed by fear.
Sebastian looked in Winter’s direction but spoke to me. “Skylar, if I thought you were capable of protecting yourself, my pack would not have intervened. You will continue to stay here under pack protection until the gem is retrieved. Your life is protected and all members of this pack will do what is needed,” he stated firmly, directing the last part toward Winter. With much effort, her eyes returned to their deep hazel color.
“Then you are protected,” she stated, her words mechanical and forced.
“Thank you.” I glanced in Winter’s direction. As much as I disliked her, I understood her position. This was her family, and I was putting them in danger. I had already lost my family. It was unfair that she could lose hers.
Winter stared at me, “Don’t offer thanks to me. I do it because I am commanded to. If it were up to me, you would be dead right now,” she admitted honestly, before heading out of the room.
Sebastian followed her toward the door and stopped her. “You take as much time as you need. She’s under our protection and if you kill her, I will enforce the law to the fullest extent. I don’t want to, but I will,” he stated firmly as he leaned in touching her gently in a fatherly gesture.
She looked at me again, then Sebastian. “If I kill her, the maximum punishment is exile from the pack,” she said softly.
“It is considered pack betrayal if a were-animal dies as a result of your direct disobedience to an order. The penalty is death,” he corrected her.
Winter’s face softened, her eyes gentle with a subtle defeat as they seemed to plead for leniency.
Sebastian took a deep
breath, studying her intently. “Winter, if you kill her while I consider her protected, it is betrayal. I would recommend death and see that you die at my hands,” he responded in a crisp firm voice. “If you blatantly disobey my orders, then you are no good to me or the pack because you can no longer be trusted. You’ve always followed my orders loosely and interpreted our rules in ways that were questionable at best. But it was never a clear violation of my authority.”
She nodded once, looking hurt—really hurt. Subdued, she didn’t seem like herself. If I weren’t mistaken, her eyes seem to glisten from unshed tears. With her head down, she left the house.
At the moment, I battled with the love-hate relationship I had with pack laws and obligations. I hated how stringent they were, and yet at this moment, they were the only thing saving me from Winter’s wrath.
Ethan stood in the corner of the room. He had remained silent and expressionless, throughout the discussion. I fidgeted, wishing he would say something—anything. I didn’t know where he stood on the matter and something about the way he looked back at me indicated that he didn’t either.
The murmurs downstairs continued long after I had returned to the room. At times, the voices rose, fueled by passionate deliberations. I cracked the door but couldn’t make out all the words because they moved the conversation to the kitchen and further away from my room. I couldn’t stop my heart from racing. The sounds of the house, which for a short period had brought me a level of comfort, now scared me.
Winter had given a compelling argument for my execution. Ethan seemed to be on the fence, and heated discussions were taking place only steps from the room I stayed in. None of these things did much to help me feel safe. Sebastian claimed my life was protected. But as quickly as he had given that protection, could he remove it? This torture was no better than what Demetrius had planned for me. It was enough to drive me insane as I sat quietly in a room, questioning my fate at the hands of the were-animals. I shuddered at the thought of how easily my life could be taken upon Sebastian’s command. Did I still trust them that much?
CHAPTER 8
The discussions stopped about five that morning. I hadn’t slept. Instead, I watched as the sun broke through the darkness. With only my wallet, a few weapons and my keys, I opened the window and leapt out. I ran from the house as soon as my feet touched the ground. The sun shone brightly, which ensured that I wouldn’t be attacked by vampires. I felt confident that I could handle the garden thugs if they showed up. However, functioning on the ten-minute naps I had taken between the sounds of the house left me less than sharp.
I hadn’t formulated the best plan, but I was leaving anyway. I refused to sit around while everyone else decided my fate. If the vampires wanted me, they were going to have to search. I wouldn’t make it simple by sitting in the pack’s retreat. If the pack decided my life wasn’t worth protecting, killing me would be as easy as a walk upstairs to perform the execution.
I had enough money saved in my personal account to stay hidden for a while. Going home to pack wasn’t an option because that would be the first place they’d looked. I planned on going straight to the airport. My passport was tucked in my wallet. It was always with me. It was a neurotic obsession because I partly expected a village of torch-wielding people at any moment to come to our home once my werewolf was discovered. Although it was a silly expectation, today I was glad my neurosis had driven me to such paranoid preparation.
I followed the path of the driveway but stayed deeper into the wooded to stay hidden. I realized it wouldn’t be long before they discovered I was gone. The powerful smell of oak accompanied by the enticing smell of pine, was a pleasure to the olfactory but it also dulled them—I needed theirs dulled to make it harder to track me.
As I hurried through the dense arboreal area, I made sure to follow the path of the driveway. The clicking of tongue against teeth brought me to an abrupt stop. Damn.
“Here wolfie, wolfie,” called Gabriella’s grating voice. She appeared from behind the trees fully healed from Winter’s assault and still sporting the atrocious, orange-red hair. She looked weird—well, weirder in daylight. Her pale skin was a grayish opaque color, taking away from her previous attractiveness. I shuddered, scared and confused because I wasn’t aware that vampires could walk in the daylight. I had no idea what to make of this situation. She stayed close to the tree. I assumed she needed the shade. Taking steps back from her, I listened for Chase. If she were here, he wasn’t far behind. She smiled, exposing bloodstained fangs. What the hell was the vampires’ deal? Why didn’t they feel the need to wash away evidence that they had fed?
She smiled as she quickly advanced toward me. Her movements were quick but not as quick as I remembered. I had her by the throat by the time she was within striking distance. Fear worked in my favor, my actions came swift and precise. Pushing her hard, she landed with a thud against the tree she had come from. Turning quickly to my right, I plunged the stake into Chase. I didn’t have a chance to direct my strike and thought I missed his heart until he let out a ragged gasp and fell to the ground. The foul smell of necrosis filled the air as the reversion processes started. Taking out my knife, I prepared to decapitate my first vampire.
Gabriella grabbed me roughly and tossed me to the ground. I swiped her legs with mine and she crashed down next to me. Moving to my feet at what I thought was lightning speed, I still wasn’t fast enough to beat her.
“I don’t have time to play with you,” she lashed out, dragging me toward Chase. She pulled the stake out of him and slammed me hard against the tree next to him.
“Stay.” She pushed the stake through my right shoulder, impaling me to the tree. Taking the knife I dropped, she pierced it through my left hand. I screamed as tears blurred my vision.
Gabriella ran into the woods and came back quickly with a woman in her late twenties, dressed in running clothes. Her hands were bound with rope. She continued to struggle against Gabriella as she dragged her toward Chase. Her face was flushed from either screaming or crying, her eyes panicked with fear. She was covered in dirt. They must have grabbed her early this morning and kept her stashed in the woods. Gabriella loosened the bindings, and when the girl fought back, she hit her hard several times until she was unconscious. I moved forward from the tree, trying to loosen the knife or stake. Sharp wrenching pain overwhelmed me as I twisted and lurched in an attempt to dislodge at least one of them.
Chase took the girl’s wrist into his mouth, pulling his lip back he sunk his teeth in and began to feed. I looked away, the sounds of him hungrily drawing blood from the poor woman made my stomach queasy. It took a long time—too long as he drained the woman of her life.
Once finished, he stood up, looking good as new, the lifeless body lying at his feet. A rivulet of his recent feeding ran down his chin; Gabriella wiped it away with her thumb and then her tongue slivered out to lick it. “Welcome back,” she said, pleased. When he exposed his blood-covered teeth, terror swept over me. The horrible duo, reunited again. Ignoring the pain, I moved frantically from the tree, trying hard to release myself, disregarding whatever damage I was causing to the soft tissue.
“The big wolf is coming,” Chase stated with a grimace, turning slowly as he scanned his surroundings. Gabriella smiled and started to walk toward me. He grabbed her hand, “We won’t be able to take her now.”
“No. We have to take her now,” she urged, taking several steps toward me.
“The big wolf is here,” Chase repeated in a strained voice. His lips turned into a grim sneer as he tugged her toward him. Then they disappeared. Staring at the empty space where they once stood, I came to the painful realization that I knew very little of vampires’ strengths, weaknesses and gifts, which made them an even bigger danger to me. I laid my head against the tree. The wolf was definitely here. I could feel his anger smothering me. My throat began to close, fearing my encounter with the angry wolf.
Once he was in my line of sight, I prepared myself for an enrage
d rampage but instead Ethan seemed unusually calm as he walked toward me. His face showed signs that he was working hard to achieve that level of control.
“Inhale,” he instructed me, his face inches from mine. “Now exhale.” As the air slowly escaped from me, he simultaneously pulled the stake and knife out. I wailed as gushes of blood spewed onto his shirt. I leaned against him, gasping for breath. His body was rigid as he held me against him until I could stand on my own. Once the pain had subsided to barely excruciating, Ethan stepped away from me. I doubled over, trying to catch my breath, fighting the bile that crept up. I was becoming too acquainted with pain and it was quite annoying.
“Look to see if there are others,” he commanded Steven, a were-dingo, a were-jackal and a were-panther, who were unfamiliar to me. They moved quickly, with the exception of the were-panther who snarled then licked his lips. His short black fur shimmered in the light as he stalked toward me responding willingly to the smell of blood and fear that inundated the air. Deep aggressive rumbles reverberated as his tongue darted out of his mouth licking his lips. It took a step closer; Steven growled angrily, abandoning his undertaking and returning to stand next to me.
“Gavin, she’s under our protection,” Ethan stated firmly. The rumble came again deeper and more forceful. Ethan’s stance changed as he raised a brow; flashes of gray swept across his pupils. The panther stared at him for a moment then roared violently. Ethan took a step closer, crouched and growled the most inhuman vicious sound I ever heard. Dropping his shoulder in recoil, the panther slowly backed away.
I leaned against the tree, wiggling my fingers, touching each finger to my thumb. I moved my shoulder up, to the side and back as shrill pain shot through me with each movement. Everything hurt like hell, but at least they still worked and there wasn’t any apparent nerve damage. Ethan glanced in my direction several times but still hadn’t spoken to me. I assumed he realized that if he did, he would succumb to rage and Joan wasn’t here to intervene or coerce him into behaving civilized.
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