She hadn’t even been aware that the stuff had a taste when she first woke up. But now that it was going away, she could feel its metallic weight on her tongue and throat. It reminded her of artificial strawberry flavoring, the really nasty kind that tasted nothing like real strawberries.
But there had been something under that. Garlic? No, that was for vampires. This was a peppery, gingery sort of taste, overlaid with several other flavors. She frowned, trying to think about what it might be and whether or not the liquid had any scent. The only way to find out was to open a vial and check, but somehow she didn’t want to get any closer to the Nester cure than she needed to right now.
Instead, she walked over to the window and looked out. It was still open from earlier, which was surprising. But then with Oya fighting with Scott and who knew what else going on, it probably hadn’t occurred to anyone to close it again. Dawn was beginning to break over the mountains and she took in a deep breath, her spirits rising despite her nightmares.
Then she glanced down into the bushes, wondering if she could see a trace of whoever had been there last night. A flicker of something pale caught her eye. There was a scrap of cloth tied to one of the bushes, its ends fluttering slightly in the air. She glanced around to see if there was anyone nearby. The clearing was deserted.
She reached out slowly, bracing herself on the window’s metal edge, and pulled the cloth free. She palmed it and straightened up, fast enough that the movement made her head swim. Her knees buckled a little until she caught her breath. Then the momentary faintness passed.
Becca stepped back from the window. Was it too early for Oya to come and check on her? She shoved the cloth into her pocket until she got back to the table. Then she stretched out on her side, her back to the door so she could feign sleep if anyone looked in.
With trembling fingers, she pulled the cloth from her pocket and squinted at in the early morning light. There seemed to be something on it, lines of symbols that weren’t quite words, or at least not any she recognized. It looked like it might be some kind of code. She brought it up a bit closer to her face and turned it back and forth to see if it looked any different from other angles.
On the third turn, she thought she recognized at least some of what she was looking at. There was a circle and a stick figure that looked like a dog, then something that might be a mountain with a dark blotch on it. Then there was a number 12. She turned it over again; the other side was blank.
Then she thought she heard something outside the door and hurriedly stuffed the message, back in her pocket. The thing that stood out was the 12. Was something going to happen at noon? Maybe. But midnight seemed more likely. If it was midnight, then the circle must be the moon.
The door opened quietly and she could smell Oya as she slipped into the room. She clamped her eyelids shut and tried to even out her breathing. Snoring might be too much but she did let her lower jaw flop open a little. She could hear Oya moving around near the countertop, then opening the fridge.
Becca tried not to hold her breath. What was the Nester leader doing? If she was going for more of the vials, who were they going to be used on? Shelly? From across the room, she could hear the clink of glass. Now she cursed the impulse that made her lie facing away from the door. She might have been able to see what was going on otherwise.
Oya paused and Becca concentrated on breathing and keeping her muscles relaxed. Get kidnapped by werewolf hunters. It’s cheaper than yoga. She suppressed a nervous giggle.
There was silence from the other side of the room, then the fridge door closed. Then there were steps going back to the door and Becca heard it open and close. But some suspicion kept her limp and quiet. After a few moments, a scrape of boot on the floor made her stiffen. Was Oya testing her? She decided it was time to find out.
She rolled over with a groan as if she was just waking up, giving the room a surreptitious glance as she stretched. Oya’s eyes were bright despite the dimness in the trailer, nearly glowing as the Nester leader watched her from a few feet away. Becca faked a startled jump. “What are you doing over there?”
“I didn’t want to disturb you but I thought you might be waking up soon. I brought you some clean clothes. There’s a shower in there and breakfast will be ready soon.” Oya tossed something onto the chair and walked out.
Great. And what happens after breakfast? Arts and crafts hour is probably too much to expect. She got up slowly, expecting the room to spin again but this time everything stayed pretty steady. The shower in the tiny bathroom was the size of a postage stamp and didn’t look like the Nesters made cleaning it much of a priority but it felt good to get under the lukewarm water. Once she was washed up and dressed, with the message cloth carefully transplanted to the pocket of the new pants, she took a deep breath and opened the trailer door.
Outside, the sun was just coming up. Birds were twittering sleepily in the trees. And Leroy was cooking something she couldn’t identify in a pan over an open fire. Oya nodded, “There’s coffee on the picnic table.”
Becca walked over to the big thermos, trying to look casual as she peered around. There were a couple of guys she didn’t recognize talking near the trees some distance away, but no sign of Scott. She wondered if she could smell him if she tried, but then, her sniffing around might suggest that the cure wasn’t as complete as they thought. Of course, after what she’d seen of Oya and Scott last night, she wondered how complete they really believed it was anyway. Given her thoughts, it didn’t surprise her that when she sipped at her coffee, it was like mud, thick and bitter.
Oya grunted something at Leroy, then moved over to stand next to Becca. Becca forced herself to hold her ground and keep looking at the clearing, deliberately not meeting the Nester’s eyes, just as if she couldn’t feel the other woman boring a hole in her head with her stare. From the corner of her eye, she saw Oya’s lips curl in what looked like amusement.
Slowly, Becca turned her head and met the other woman’s eyes, and tried to ignore the churning in her gut. “Excellent. You’re already breaking free of Pack indoctrination. I should have had your full attention the minute I walked up.” Oya gave her a real smile, one tinged with anticipation. “I think we’ll start training today.”
“Training?” Becca wondered if she could make it to the trees before they caught her. One of the men walked toward them, the rifle at his back giving her the answer to her unspoken question. She wouldn’t have a chance. Not without a distraction.
Oya nodded to the new arrival. “This is Anderson.” He was a big man, a good foot taller than Becca, with shoulders like a linebacker. Aside from being big, he looked like he’d been living outdoors for a long time, long enough for his skin to turn to leather. Ice-cold dark eyes met hers from a nest of wrinkles and she couldn’t suppress a shudder. If Oya was one kind of alpha, Anderson was another. And it was pretty clear that he thought he was looking at a monster. She had a good idea of how he dealt with monsters.
Oya touched his arm lightly, drawing his attention away from Becca, though she kept talking to her. “Anderson found me and helped me develop the cure after I left Wolf’s Point.” She smiled up at him, her face lighting up for the first time since Becca had known her. Anderson didn’t seem to reciprocate, as far as she could tell. But then, he was back to studying her again. Becca didn’t try to meet his eyes either, settling for staring at the bridge of his nose.
“She had her shot already?” he said finally, breaking a silence that threatened to collapse under its own weight.
“Yep. I wanted to start her on training as soon as possible.” Oya trilled slightly. “We’ll see how she does at that, then give her another dose next week or sooner if she needs it.”
“Hmmm.” Anderson didn’t look too pleased as he turned away, but at least he was moving away.
Becca chugged at her coffee to try and hide her sigh of relief at his departure. But now she was worried about the “sooner” part. “So what’s in the stuff anyway? And what hap
pened to only needing a shot once a week?”
Oya smiled, her eyes glinting in the light. “The formula’s a secret but the part that gives it the kick is wolfsbane. “ She shook her head. “Before I started taking it, I always thought that those old stories were full of it. Just goes to show that our ancestors knew what they were doing.”
“Somehow, I don’t remember Grandma ever mentioning ‘wolfsbane’ as a cure for anything. It sounds like it would be fatal.” Becca didn’t even like using the word; it made her think of the wolf hunting video up at the Wolf Preserve, the one they showed to demonstrate that the preserve was doing essential work. She’d never be able to hear about wolf hunting or trapping the same way again.
“Well, your grandma probably had a different set of priorities than the ones around here.” Oya’s lips curved in a slight smirk.
Becca managed to not hiss at her. Maybe it was time to play all her cards and see what happened. “You know, you still haven’t told me what happened to Shelly.”
Oya gave her a sidelong look as a sly expression settled over her features. “Happened to her? Why?”
“Well, she wasn’t at the store and Pete was looking for her, right? I just figured maybe you had something to do with it,” Becca reached over and picked up a roll from a grimy platter that sat on the table next to the coffee. There was no butter to be seen anywhere nearby. She gnawed a small bite off the end and choked it down.
Oya was looking away, apparently at Anderson, judging from the angle. “Why do you care?”
“Well, I’ve known her a few years. I’d like to know that she’s okay. If she’s with you, that is,” Becca studied Oya, noting subtle changes in body language. The other woman was trying too hard to look relaxed, innocent. There was a second when she blinked too much, another when her fingers nearly curled into a fist then were slowly stretched out.
Shelly was out here and being held somewhere nearby. That had to be it. So that just left figuring out where and how to get her rescued. Becca wasn’t going to consider any other possibilities.
“She’s not here so let’s not worry about that right now. We need to get started on training.” Oya said and walked away with a jerk of her head that indicated Becca should follow. After a moment, Becca did.
Chapter 24
~
By evening Becca wished she hadn’t gone with Oya. Not that it had looked like she had that much choice in the matter this morning, of course. Right now, she was hoping that her shoulders would stop screaming sometime soon. And that there would be a dinner worth eating. Neither one of those things seemed likely.
Becca sat on the edge of the table and tried to stretch her arms out. A few moments of experimentation made it clear that wasn’t the best idea. She gasped as a new sharp pain danced up her neck. Her state of mind wasn’t improved by watching the trailer door bang open to admit Leroy and Oya. He went straight for the fridge and emerged from behind the counter with a syringe in his hand.
Oya moved over to stand very close to Becca, the muscles in her arms twitching a little, at least to Becca’s addled wolf senses. It was pretty clear what was going to happen next and every cell in Becca’s body screamed at her to fight or run, preferably both. The breath caught in her throat, leaving her gasping. “What the hell are you doing? You just gave me a shot!”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Oya was nearly purring. “It looks like you needed a refresher, just to make sure it’s taking.”
Leroy filled the needle from the bottle in his other hand and Becca scrambled off the table, just ahead of Oya’s grab for her arm. “Shit! I told you we should have strapped her in first!” Leroy snarled the words as he put the full needle back down on the counter.
“Wait a minute.” Oya held up her hand. “Come on, Becca. You know you want this. The shots will make you all better. No more turning into a monster, remember? That’s a good thing.”
Becca panted, glancing from Leroy to Oya, then back again as she waited for them to make their move. This was just nuts. There was no way she could get away from the two of them in here and she didn’t have a prayer of fighting them off. She shifted sideways, her hip hitting the chair. The window was still open, or at least it felt like there was a breeze against her back.
But Leroy was nearly at the table and Oya was beginning to circle around it. There wasn’t going to be enough time to get out the window, open or not. But she had to try. Instinctively, she grabbed for the chair and hurled it at the glass. It bounced off with a loud crack and she felt a pang of pure despair.
Then part of the glass came loose and tumbled to the floor, shattering. The noise and motion made Leroy and Oya each take a step back. Becca lunged for the opening, her muscles screaming at this new effort. She clutched the window frame and started to jump out only to feel her legs get caught and held. “Oh no, you don’t,” Leroy muttered as he dragged her back into the trailer.
Almost on cue, Anderson charged through the door. “What the hell’s going on in here?”
“Nothing!” from Oya and “Escape attempt” from Leroy, spoken at the exact same moment.
Anderson looked at Becca hanging limp in Leroy’s grasp. “Told you that you should kill that one. She’ll never really turn.”
Oya paled, but before Becca could plead for mercy, the Nester leader stepped forward. “No. This is my fault. I was careless. She’s a new wolf. You remember how hard that is.” Oya’s voice quivered a little. “You don’t know who or what to trust. I thought we were done winning her over and we weren’t.”
“Which is why she gets strapped down now,” Leroy grunted as he heaved Becca up on to the table. She squirmed and kicked but he was too fast for her, and the straps soon clicked in place. Becca bit her lip to keep from crying.
It didn’t look like that would help anyway. The minute she was fastened down, Leroy went for the syringe. She could feel a single tear trickle down her cheek. If last night was any indication, she’d be too disoriented to try and escape tonight either, even with help. But she was damned if she was going to give them more than that tear. Grimly, she clenched her teeth together, closed her eyes and waited for the needle.
Something outside made a noise, some sound that cried out for her attention, but she made an effort to ignore it. Whatever it was, it couldn’t help her now. She’d have to just figure out a way to get away from them on her own, somehow. And the easiest way to do that was to play along. Becca took a deep, shuddering breath and opened her eyes.
Oya was still standing close to her, though now she seemed to be standing between Anderson and the table. All to the good, Becca thought briefly, then cleared her throat. “You’re right. I was overreacting. I don’t like the way the cure makes me feel.” She paused between her words, trying to make them sound sincere, if hesitant.
Oya glanced back and flashed her a relieved smile. She shifted slightly and Leroy stepped forward, clearly unwilling to cross between her and Anderson. Instead, he walked carefully around them to approach the table from the far side. The noise outside, when it came again a moment later, was much closer and louder this time.
Anderson scowled at the window. “Don’t you set any guards on this place? Or was that assigned to one of your wolf-boys?” He tossed the words in Oya’s direction, but was on his way out the door before she could respond.
Oya yanked the gun from her belt and raced after him, leaving Leroy and Becca staring after them both. After a moment, the medic shrugged and yanked up Becca’s sleeve. Something inside her took over and she jerked away from his grasp, her body twisting in a fierce convulse jerk that broke her legs free of the restraints. She kicked out fiercely, forcing Leroy back. Another sharp twist and she slid down the table, out of the upper restraints as well.
When she hit the floor in a crouch, she could feel, ever so faintly, her body start to change. And a hot flash, which was almost inevitable. Leroy stepped back, putting the table between them. They stared at each other for a long couple of seconds as if they wer
e both wondering what was going to happen next.
The gunshots outside answered that question for them. Something pinged sharply against the side of the trailer and Leroy hit the floor, rolling past the table. He disappeared behind the countertop, gun in hand, while Becca pressed herself against the wall, trying to watch the kitchen and the window at the same time. It sure wasn’t midnight, so what was going on outside?
Her heart was racing, sending the blood pounding through her head as she felt a wave of heat wash over her. Breathe, she thought, breathe, forcing her body back under her own control. The wolf was still coming though. She could feel the beginnings of fur, here and there along her arms and her fingers were longer than they should have been. It wasn’t too hard to figure out what would happen if Anderson came back through the door. If he thought she was a monster before, this would be her death sentence.
When she gathered herself up and jumped through the window this time, there was no one to grab her legs. The bushes outside hurt when she landed in a tangle of limbs though. Fortunately, there were more shots and a lot of yelling to cover the noise that she made. She untangled herself and rubbed at a few bleeding scratches while she looked around. It was hard to see what was going on from this angle; all the action seemed to be on the other side of the trailer.
She wondered if it was Erin, trying to rescue her. The idea gave her a momentarily warm, happy feeling until she remembered that could get Erin killed. At the same time, she couldn’t imagine who else the Nesters could have pissed off around here, if whoever was firing back at them wasn’t the Pack. She ventured a cautious peek out of the bushes. It didn’t look like there was anyone nearby. If she ran to the nearest stand of trees, she might be able to look around and see what was going on.
Before she could think too hard about what might happen if this was a bad idea, she rolled out of the bushes and ran awkwardly across the short open stretch into the trees, keeping her head low. Something pinged by, shattering bark down on her head and she threw herself to the ground under the first tree, scrambling to get it between her and the shooters. More bullets flew by, sending a cascade of bark and twigs down on her and she bolted.
Silver Moon (A Women of Wolf's Point Novel) Page 19