Flight

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  I called Mom, dialing my house number with absolutely no idea what I was going to tell her. After three rings I expected the machine to pick up, but instead an unfamiliar male voice said “Hello?”

  “Hi.” I wondered if I had hit the wrong contact on my phone. “Is Diane there?”

  “Allie?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hey, it’s Andrew.”

  “Andrew Thomas? What are you doing at my house?” I asked, completely taken aback that one of my least favorite acquaintances from high school was answering my home phone.

  “Didn’t your mom tell you about her and my dad?”

  “She said they were dating, but why are you there?” I repeated, getting frustrated.

  “We’re staying here while we redo the kitchen at our house.”

  “Oh… I didn’t know.”

  “Yeah, my dad says he’d never be able to sell it without some upgrades.”

  “Sell it?” I asked fearful of the response I would get.

  “Your mom really didn’t mention it? My dad’s probably moving in with your mom once we leave for school in the fall.”

  “No. I guess she forgot to mention that,” I said angrily. And my mom got mad at me for not telling her about Levi? What else was she keeping from me?

  “Geez, that must be weird. But on a good note, we’ll get to hang out on breaks and I think our parents are planning a cool vacation for winter break for all of us.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yup. Cool, right?”

  Nothing about it sounded cool.

  He continued. “By the way, you have an awesome DVD collection in your room.”

  “You’ve been in my room?”

  “Yeah… it’s not a big deal, right?”

  “I’ve got to go.” I hung up without waiting for his response. I felt sick. The thought of going home no longer appealed. Andrew was a total jerk most of the time, and never stopped bothering me. I considered where else I could go.

  My mind clouded with dark thoughts, and I needed a distraction. I needed ice cream. Not just any ice cream, I needed a hot fudge sundae. There was nothing like it to help drown your sorrows. Of course, the craving hit me just after passing Chattanooga and miles from Knoxville.

  As I drove through the middle of nowhere, scanning every sign advertising food, I was almost able to forget about the stupid ring. I flipped through the channels on the radio, frustrated by every song that came on. Who would have thought it was possible for so many songs to be about taking it slow? After giving up on the radio, I saw a sign for Dairy Queen. Even though it was half a mile from the exit, I couldn’t pass it up.

  Pulling into a spot in the nearly empty lot, I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand. Find a bathroom, get some ice cream, and get as far from New Orleans and Levi as possible.

  The Dairy Queen was the kind connected to a small gas station and convenience store. On a Sunday I would have expected a post lunch crowd, but I was the only customer. The clerk disappeared as soon as she handed me my cup of vanilla ice cream with gobs of hot fudge (I had asked for extra) so I took a seat at a small table by the window.

  Indulging in the first creamy bite, I tried to pretend that the events of the past few hours hadn’t happened. The problem was that I wore a constant reminder of it on my left hand. I sat on my hand to avoid the temptation to keep trying to pull it off. My finger was getting sore from messing with it so much.

  After only a few bites of ice cream the bell above the door jingled, signaling the arrival of more customers. I heard mumbled voices and assumed the new arrivals were ordering.

  “Hello there sugar,” a deep voice drawled from right behind me.

  I fought the urge to turn around and instead took another bite.

  “Oh, come on now, I know you heard me.”

  I bristled as I heard a chair scrape the floor. Great. He was going to try to sit with me.

  “So what’s your name?”

  Clearly, ignoring him wasn’t going to work.

  “Listen, I’m not in the mood—” I faltered when I saw the hulk of a man seated across from me. Unshaven, with shaggy hair and a worn out t-shirt, the guy wasn’t a pretty sight. I hoped my usual evasion tactics worked this time. A quick survey made it clear he wasn’t alone. Two other men stood behind me now. Fear crept up on me as I realized that I was being sized up.

  “You were saying?” His wry smile did nothing to relax me.

  “Hey, nice ring baby.” My eyes darted toward the voice, and I noticed a pair of incredibly dirty jeans. One of the friends now hovered beside me, boxing me in.

  “You can have it if I can ever get the damn thing off.”

  I stood up and prepared to throw my ice cream in the trash. “Excuse me.”

  “You are definitely not excused.” The first man smiled and ran his hands through his greasy hair.

  “Hey Harriston, that’s what I think it is right?” My exit was blocked by the second man.

  “No question, I wonder what this little princess is doing out here alone. Trevor is going to be happy with us, very happy with us.”

  “I need to go.” The hairs stood up on the back of my neck, things weren’t looking good. Suddenly being back in New Orleans didn’t sound so bad.

  “You’re not going anywhere other than with us. You sure you don’t want to finish that ice cream?” The original man, who was evidently named Harriston, smirked.

  I tried to hide my fear. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

  “Well then, I guess we’ll be going.” Harriston grabbed me roughly by the arm. “You are going to come with us nicely, little girl.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I looked around, figuring that someone had to see what was going on, but the cashier was missing. Two other large men stood at the door, and by their mocking expressions, I deduced they were part of the same group.

  “Hey, leave me the hell—”

  A dirty hand covered my mouth. “No one’s coming to your rescue. Better make it easier on yourself.” Harriston pushed something cold and metal against the back of my neck. “I have no problem cutting you; you’re still worth a lot roughed up.”

  I nodded as Harriston led me out to the parking lot. I gazed longingly at my Land Rover as we stopped in front of a rusted out old Chevy pickup.

  “Get some tape,” Harriston ordered and removed his hand from my mouth to quickly replace it with a strip of duct tape. He let go of my arms long enough to tie my hands and feet together. I tried to fight them by flailing but they just tied the rope tighter, making it dig into the skin of my wrists. The next time I flailed, all I accomplished was losing my flip-flops and gaining a small cut from the knife.

  “I hope you don’t mind riding in the back, sugar.” His sinister tobacco stained smile suggested he didn’t care what I thought.

  “I’ll ride in back with her,” the guy with the filthy jeans said.

  “She’s your type, huh, Riley?”

  “Exactly my type.” Riley picked me up and jumped into the back, looking down at me the whole time. He was younger and appeared less threatening than Harriston, but I knew he could be just as dangerous. He put me down before sitting next to me.

  A door slammed shut. The engine started up after a few tries and the truck noisily sped out of the parking lot.

  Riley didn’t say anything for a while, he just looked at me, but as the truck continued to travel, he decided to open his mouth.

  “You’re really pretty. I wish I knew your name.”

  Obviously, I couldn’t answer him with my mouth taped so he continued.

  “I wish you were my girl. I’d take better care of you than your boyfriend. Why would he let you wander by yourself? I would never let you out of my sight.”

  I wondered why he assumed I had a boyfriend, was all this somehow related to Levi? As angry as I was at him, I could have used him at that moment.

  The truck started to bump up and down, and I was thrown against the side p
ainfully. I had the impression we were on a dirt road.

  I shivered involuntarily as I thought about where they might be taking me.

  Riley scooted over to pick me up. “It’s okay baby, I’ve got you.” He moved my hair to examine the small cut left by the knife. I hoped I was bleeding all over him; it served him right. As if to prove his point about “having me” Riley started to let his hands rove up my legs. I really regretted wearing a short sundress. I tried to scream in protest but the tape limited me to mumbles.

  “I can see why he picked you. I’d have picked you too if I were him. Maybe you won’t go back to him. Maybe Trevor will let me keep you.” Riley smiled happily and I started having visions of being kept on a leash like a pet. Damn, how did I get in this situation? Me and my craving for ice cream.

  Just as I thought I couldn’t take any more time spent with Riley’s dirty hands all over my legs, the truck came to a stop. In one motion, Riley scooped me up, stood, and jumped out.

  “Looks like Trevor’s already home,” Harriston called as he headed toward a rustic cabin. That’s when it clicked; I was essentially living in my own horror movie. Trevor was going to be some lunatic that wore human skin as a mask or mutilated girls for sport. I was petrified. Looking around me I noticed giant cats, or really more like mountain lions moving in toward us.

  Harriston entered the cabin leaving the door open behind him for Riley to enter.

  From my position in Riley’s arms, I looked around me. The large room was surprisingly well furnished. It didn’t fit. Several couches and armchairs filled the room with a large area rug on the floor. The furnishings did nothing to cover up the squeaky floorboards. It seemed like whoever owned the place was trying to show off. Several men walked into the room, all of whom were shirtless. Fantastic.

  “We brought you something, Trevor,” Harriston said blocking me from the man’s view.

  “I told you I didn’t want anything from Dairy Queen.”

  “I think you’ll like this one.” Harriston moved aside and Riley stepped forward. “Put her down, idiot.”

  Riley set me on my feet but with them tied together I swayed for a moment. He grabbed me before I could fall.

  The man I could only assume was Trevor approached me. “I admit she’s a looker, but I can get my own women.”

  “One with that kind of ring?” Harriston challenged.

  Trevor pulled my bound hands toward him. “Since when did Levi get a mate and what the hell is she doing this far from New Orleans?” My chest tightened. They definitely knew what the ring was.

  “Only thing to do is ask,” Trevor said. “I’m going to take this tape off baby, I’ll make it fast.”

  “Ow!” I yelled as the tape ripped from my face.

  “That tape was such a waste of those lips. I may have to rectify that later.” Trevor watched me with a heated gaze. I was pretty sure he was undressing me in his head. With rugged features, tar black hair, and intense blue eyes that looked at me like I was prey, Trevor screamed intimidation. He stroked my face with his hand.

  I shook my head trying to knock his hand away. “Get your hands off me!”

  “No, I don’t think I want to do that, but how about I untie your feet?” Without waiting for an answer, he bent down and began untying the knot at my feet, spending way too much time on it. His hands grazed my legs as he stood up. Ugh. “I’ll untie your hands too if you promise to be good. I’m guessing that rope doesn’t feel too good on your wrists.”

  “What do you care?” I was now completely surrounded by large men, I tried to calm my breathing.

  “I’m only trying to be a good host.”

  “Host? You mean kidnapper.”

  “It’s all in the terminology,” Trevor said as he untied my wrists. “So why did he pick you? Other than the obvious, of course.” He gestured up and down my body.

  “Why did who pick me?”

  “Don’t play stupid.”

  “Then spell it out for me.”

  “You’re wearing the ring of the Pteron ruling family. Why did the prince pick you?”

  Prince? Hailey had said he was the future leader, but a prince? “Listen. This is all a big misunderstanding. Levi never even told me what the ring meant. Had I known, I wouldn’t have accepted it. I’m just a girl from New York who wants to get home.” I realized after the words left my mouth, that I was probably giving too much information.

  “Wait, are you trying to tell me you were duped into accepting the ring? You had no idea when you jumped into bed with the prince that you’d leave it his princess?” Trevor’s laughter was deep and primal.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. So would you please just let me go?”

  “Why would that change anything?”

  “What do you want from me? What can you possibly gain by holding me here?”

  “You really don’t realize how much you’re worth, do you?”

  Something told me I didn’t want to know.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “You didn’t find a tracker on her?” Trevor asked while I still processed his comment about my worth.

  “No. But we never thought to check her,” Riley admitted.

  “Are you idiots? You think he didn’t leave something on her?” A small smile spread on his lips. “I guess I’ll have to do it myself.”

  “Hell no. Whatever you are thinking, keep your hands to yourself. Besides, he didn’t put a tracker on me. He only gave me the ring last night.”

  “Wow, and you ran out on him that quickly? Oh wait, you did it when you found out the truth, huh?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” I was hanging on by a thread; discussing Levi anymore threatened to push me over the edge.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he sneered.

  “Do what?”

  “Take off your dress,” he ordered.

  “Excuse me? Do you really think I’m that stupid? No way!”

  “Like I said, we can do this the easy way or hard way. Either you take it off or I do, and I really don’t mind.”

  There were at least ten men in the room by this point. “You honestly expect me to take off my clothes in a room full of men?” I wondered where all these guys were coming from.

  “Yes, of course, I do,” he said without hesitation.

  “First, tell me, who are you?” I needed to stall him.

  “I’m Trevor, I thought that was clear.”

  “Not your name. Okay, I guess I mean what are you?” They knew about Levi so I assumed they were more than they seemed.

  Trevor smiled. “Don’t you know?”

  “If I knew why would I be asking?”

  “Didn’t you notice anything outside?”

  “No way… Are you guys tigers or something?”

  “Did you see stripes? No, we’re not tigers, we’re cougars, or mountain lions, or panthers, or pumas. Whatever colloquial term you like.”

  “Oh.”

  “‘Oh’ is right.”

  “So you really can change into a cougar?”

  Trevor smiled. “If I didn’t know you were sleeping with a Pteron, I’d think you had never seen a shifter before.”

  “I’m still new to all of this, and besides Pterons don’t actually shift into birds.” I decided not to mention that I’d seen wolves shift.

  “No more stalling.”

  “Stalling?”

  Trevor smiled again. “Yes. You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”

  Damn. “Listen, I don’t have a tracking device on me. I’ve already been tricked and kidnapped enough for one day. Can’t you let me keep my dignity?” Real and intense fear engulfed me.

  “Either take off your dress or I’ll do it for you.”

  “No.” There was no way I was taking off my clothes.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He reached for my dress, ripping the fabric easily. With one more swift motion, I was left standing in only a bra and panties. All eyes were on me and I
wanted to sink into the floor. I shuddered, noticing the hungry looks of the men surrounding me as I attempted to cover myself with my hands.

  “Hot pink, huh? Maybe I’ll have to organize some alone time for us before we turn you over.” Leering, Trevor reached out a hand to touch me. I slapped it away.

  “Oh, you want to play that way?” He reached out and grabbed my wrists. Another man handed him the rope so he could rebind my hands. “I told you to be good.”

  “Please, just let me go,” I whimpered. I was ready to do anything to avoid any further undressing.

  Trevor studied me for a moment. “Okay, I’ll compromise.”

  “Compromise?”

  “Riley, take her into one of the back rooms and finish the search.” Trevor smiled.

  “What! You call that a compromise!?”

  “Would you prefer to have it done in front of everyone? Better yet, is it that you’re disappointed it won’t be me?” Trevor taunted.

  “It’s okay, baby. I won’t hurt you,” Riley said as he took my arm. As much as I wanted to fight, I figured one guy’s grubby hands were better than a room full of guys watching, or worse, participating.

  Catcalls followed as Riley led me out of the room. So far I was wearing as much as I would have on at the beach, but I knew it was about to get worse.

  Riley led me into a bedroom with several bunk beds lining the walls. I shivered from fear and not the cold.

  “Shh, it’s okay.” Riley tried to comfort me. He looked torn.

  I couldn’t help it and started to cry. I just couldn’t take anymore, especially not that kind of violation.

  “I’m sorry about this.” With my hands still bound, I could do nothing to cover myself as he prepared to unclasp my bra. The sense of violation burned and the tears fell hot and fast. Fear of what might come next kept me as still as a statue.