“What?”
“She’s not with us. It’s just me and Ruby.”
“Kirsten’s not here?”
“No.”
The man chuckled to himself and ran a hand through his blond hair.
“What the hell was that in there?” Ava demanded.
The man glanced back to the door. “None of your business.”
“Of course, I just –”
“I’m only going to say this once,” the man said. “Tonight you’re to be on your best behavior. Speak only when spoken to. Do as you are told.”
“By you?”
“Yes, by me,” the man said. “But it’s not me you have to be worried about. Unless you want to find yourself behind one of these dreaded doors, being tortured, experimented on, treated like meat –”
“Oh man, this is way too creepy,” Ava interrupted. “I don’t want to be a part of this.”
The man stroked his chin. “What’s your name?”
“Ava.”
“Ava,” the man whispered. “Ava, Ava, Ava…”
“What?”
“You’ve come to see Callum, haven’t you?”
“He’s here? For real?”
“Oh yes he’s here,” the man replied. “And if you want to see him tonight, you’ll be on your best behavior. No interrupting. No talking back. No smiling or giggling to yourself. No running off. Understood?”
“Yes,” Ava said softly.
“No rolling your eyes.”
“I wasn’t.”
“No telling lies.”
There was a moment of silence. Ava glanced up at the man.
He wasn’t looking at her.
“And who are you then?” she asked. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Chase,” he replied. “Welcome to Shifter World.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Behind one of the many ominous doors lay an elevator that allowed Ava and Chase to travel to a higher floor where the party was located. The room itself that the party was held in was circular, and had windows covering most of the perimeter so one could peer out and see the theme park at great height. Judging how evenly spread out the vastness of the park was, the building they were in was roughly in the centre of the park.
The occupants of the party were dressed in the grandest attire, making Ava in her simple work clothes stick out like a sore thumb.
As Chase entered, no one appeared to notice him, everyone in the clustered groups standing around talking amongst themselves.
“Wait here,” he said and moved away from the door.
Ava leant against it, feeling intimidated and squeamish. A woman with elaborately fixed blue hair appeared to the side of her and approached.
“Who are you?” she asked in a soft, accusatory tone.
Ava turned to her, looking sheepish. “No one.”
“Who are you with?”
Ava shook her head. “No one.”
Then she remembered Chase’s advice to behave herself, and forced an additional answer.
“One of my friends knows Chase.”
“Male or female.”
“Pardon?”
“Is your friend male or female?”
“Female.”
“And where is she?”
Ava turned away from the woman’s glare, as Chase was now returning. Accompanying him was a tall, slender man with dark hair and somber features.
“I do hope you’re being polite, Lindsay,” Chase said to the woman.
“She’s a stranger,” Lindsay said coolly.
“And also a guest of the party,” Chase said. “Perhaps you could fetch her a drink.”
Lindsay lowered her head and peeled away from them.
Ava looked from Chase to the other man.
“Leon Stalker,” the man said extending his hand. “This is my party.”
“Um, I’m Ava,” she said shaking it. “I’m sorry, but my friend Ruby, she’s gotten lost –”
Leon’s hand fell away from her and he turned to Chase. “This is your –”
“No, that was Kirsten,” Chase said. “She decided not to attend.”
“How tragic.”
“Ava is one of her friends. She’s also a friend of Callum’s.”
“Oh yes,” Leon said. “I recall he may have mentioned you.”
“Who?” Ava stammered. “Me?”
“Yes, you.”
There was something off about his tone. As if he had taken a dislike to her.
“I’m sorry about what I’m wearing –” she began.
“Find the friend,” Leon said turning to Chase. “Do it quickly.”
“Of course.”
“And check to see no one is trying to escape.”
“Certainly.”
Chase stepped away from them and exited the room.
Ava pursed her lips together, fearful of the man in front of her. She sensed there were unsavory things running behind his eyes.
“May I ask,” Ava said, “is Callum here? Am I going to see him tonight?”
“I suspect a reunion is imminent,” Leon said.
Lindsay came back over and handed Ava a glass of champagne. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Lindsay, will you escort Ms. Ava to where Callum is?”
“What?” Ava said. “Now?”
“Yes,” Leon replied. “Now.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It seemed like a thousand years ago, but he still remembered her face. He remembered how she smiled, how she looked at him, how she tasted. He was trapped, in these feelings. These thoughts. So much time had passed now that he was sure she would have moved on, and hopefully found someone that could make her happy. For Callum, there was no happiness. Not in his past. Not in his future. And certainly not now.
There was one hope. One final chance that he could make it back from the depths of hell to which he had fallen. Long ago, when he had once ruled his pack, as they had plundered the towns of humans and shifters alike, he came across a man who tried to change him. Tried to make him see the error of his ways. He couldn’t remember the man’s name now, only that they had shared wine over an open fire, and he had told him of this dark fortune. Of the horror that was to pass…
He had spoken of vampires. Three brothers who were the same in appearance, yet varied in character. Since his time here Callum had grown to realize that the Stalker brothers were whom the man had referred to. He had only met two of them so far, and he knew already that it was the third one to which his destiny was tied. The man gave him a specific set of instructions for when he was to encounter this third brother, the leader of the three as he was described. Even here, in the thick of their territory, neither Curtis nor Leon, nor anyone else, made mention of the third brother – and yet – he had been alluded to. Callum suspected they were afraid of him, for reasons unseen. He had dreamt of his escape night after night – even seen ways out of his cage, and the path to freedom. But he had also seen the face of that third brother in his dreams – the face of an evil that would prove far more damaging that anything beyond his comprehension…
And Callum knew that his place was to be here.
Until the Dark Prince arrived.
Callum slowly opened his eyes. He had been asleep for sometime in the darkness here, but he could sense his Mistress’s presence. Her gown was moving across the floor, sweeping and swooshing, gathering all the dust other filth with it.
Callum climbed out of his basket, in wolf form as human form was forbidden. He went to the gate to his cell and waited for her, sitting in an obedient stance.
“Good evening, Mr. Ren,” the vampiress’s chilling voice began. “Your hour of reckoning has arrived.”
She unlocked the cell door and held it open for him. Callum swiftly moved along the floor towards her, and then followed at her side.
As they passed by manage a cell and cage, he felt the wandering eyes of those trapped within gazing out. But there wasn’t a moan, a cry or whisper among them. Only the Mistre
ss could break the silence.
She opened the door at the end for him, and they proceeded into a carpeted section of the tower, moving through passages, and climbing stairs when necessary. Eventually they reached one of the experimentation rooms.
This one was brightly lit and wide reaching – big enough to fit a hold ward of patients. There were several glass windows overhead, which Callum was drawn to for a moment, but there was only darkness within.
Two people were waiting for them in the centre of the room.
“That’s close enough,” the Mistress said to him. “Sit.”
Callum sat.
Looking up, he saw one of them was the cheetah shifter Chase, who was working with the vampires. The other was a girl with dark hair sitting in a chair, her eyes closed, and head titled. For a moment he thought he recognized her.
“This is your final test,” his Mistress explained to him. “Gaining our trust and displaying your loyalty has no doubt come at great cost to you. The question of whether we should trust you further perhaps lies in the answer of whether you trust us.”
Callum was suddenly frightened. He sensed they wanted him to do something horrid.
“Lindsay, can we have some light up there?” the Mistress called.
Callum followed her gaze up to the dark windows, only to have their contents now lit and revealed.
Standing at the face of the glass, was a tearful, hurting…
… Ava.
He had not forgotten her face. Nor had he forgotten her name.
But she was the last thing he wanted to see now.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Ruby!” Ava screamed. “Ruby, wake up!”
The woman standing behind the chair glared up at her crossly, sending shivers down Ava’s spine. She quickly pushed passed Lindsay so she could get to the door again.
“It’s too late for her,” Lindsay called after her. “You won’t make it in time.”
Ava glanced back. “Can you tell me where the room is?”
“I’m not on your side, darling,” Lindsay murmured.
Feeling disorientated, Ava decided to return to the windows overlooking the room. As if perhaps it would provide her some much needed information…
The wolf was circling Ruby in the chair.
The woman had taken a few paces back and was muttering something under her breath.
“You see,” Lindsay said. “He’s going to do it. He’s chosen you over her.”
“What do you mean?” Ava replied sharply.
“Madame Patricia said if he wishes to gain their trust, he must murder your friend, and in return they would let you go. So you would be safe.”
Ava recoiled, her heart racing, tears in her eyes. She pounded on the glass.
“Callum!” she screeched. “Callum, look up here!”
The wolf slowly looked up at her.
“Don’t do it!” Ava shouted. “Don’t hurt her!”
The wolf turned away, startled and unsure.
Madame Patricia stepped forward to look up to her, a cold menace bleeding from each eye…
“You think your words have any sway here, girl?” Patricia challenged. “Do you think for one moment, our dearest Callum would forget his love for me?”
“It’s his love for me that makes you afraid,” Ava fired back. “Whatever you’re doing to him, you know it’s just a trick. With me, the love is real.”
Patricia angrily turned away from her and back to Callum, who was sitting at Ruby’s feet.
“Kill her now, pooch, or I swear you’ll be sorry.”
Callum’s eyes widened, and his jaw descended. He was starting to growl.
“Don’t even think about it,” Patricia whispered.
But now Ava could see it was her who was afraid.
As Callum leapt from the floor to attack his mistress, Ava ran to the corner of the room, where she found a metallic trolley. She wheeled it out, and aimed it in line with the windows.
“You’re finished,” Lindsay said, moving round to the room’s exit. “All three of you. You won’t last ten minutes.”
Ava turned away from her and faced the glass again.
Then she, and the trolley, ran straight through it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
With shattered glass raining from above, the trolley hit the floor of the room below with Ava riding on top of it. A split second passed before she and the trolley plunged into the chair Ruby was sitting on, sending them all crashing to the ground in a wave of destruction.
Ava sat up, bruised but unharmed, and turned to Ruby who appeared to be regaining consciousness.
“What the fuck…” Ruby moaned.
Ava turned just as both she and Ruby were pulled from the floor.
She stared at Callum dizzily, now in his human form. He allowed them space to recollect their footing by themselves.
“Callum,” Ava whispered. “It’s really you?”
He nodded. “Are you okay?”
“I’m … I’m…”
“Where the fuck am I?” Ruby gushed.
“We’re in the middle of the theme park,” Ava said quickly. “You’ve been unconscious. Someone must have attacked you.”
“Shit, my head hurts,” Ruby said.
“Can you walk?” Callum asked.
“I – I’ll try –”
Ruby walked a couple of paces. “Slowly.”
“Can you walk?” Callum asked Ava.
“Yeah, I was on top of the trolley,” Ava said. “My legs are fine.”
Callum glanced over his shoulder. “Well we have to get going. Now.”
Ava followed his glance. She could see Patricia on the floor with her back to them. A pool of blood was spreading.
“Is she…?”
“No,” Callum said firmly. “And I don’t know how long she’ll be out for.”
“Is she dangerous?” Ava asked.
“She’s one of the vampires,” Callum replied. “Come on, let’s get out of this mess.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Callum held Ava’s hand, and Ava held Ruby’s. Together the three of them slunk through the carpet corridors – moving down stairs and through archways and sliding doors till they were somewhere near the base of the tower. As they turned round one corner, the surroundings began to seem familiar to Ava. Ahead in the distance, she saw what appeared to be the area where Ruby had disappeared –
“Stop,” Callum said suddenly halting their tracks. He inhaled deeply, sensing something in the air. “Through here.”
He opened the nearest door which led to a room without light and the three of them went through. Then they waited behind it, as group of figures moved past.
A couple of minutes went by and then Callum reopened the door and they hurried back down the corridor.
To their left now were the glass doors which led out to the railing which overlooked the park.
Ava nodded to the stairs. “Down there leads to the underground car park.”
“We’ll be spotted too easily there,” Callum said. “We’ll have to go out the front, with the rest of the crowds.”
They hurried through the doors then, out onto railing, and followed it along till they reached the door at the end of it. From there they were able to find a set of steps leading outside to the ground below.
“Okay,” Callum said. “If follow the signs on that pathway, it should lead you to the main entrance.”
Ava followed his gaze with confusion. “What about you?”
“They’ll recognize me at the gate,” he said. “My face is everywhere here. I’ll have to find my own way out. I don’t want to put you at risk.”
“Makes sense to me,” Ruby said clinging to Ava’s wrist. “Come on.”
“Just a minute,” Ava said pulling it away. “Are we supposed to wait for you? Where shall we –”
“I’ll find you. Just go.”
“No,” Ava argued. “I want don’t want to leave you again.”
“Ava, please, just �
��”
“HEY!” a voice boomed above them.
They looked up and saw Chase standing on the railing.
“SECURITY!” he cried.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Callum grabbed hold of Ava’s hand, and they were running off once again. Ava turned and saw Ruby trailing, having trouble with catching up to them.
“Stop,” Ava urged.
“What?” Callum replied.
“We have to wait for Ruby.”
They slowed down as she caught up and Callum led them into one of the tent stalls which wasn’t being operated at this time. They moved through to the back of it and hid underneath a large work bench cluttered with beakers and other science junk.
There was a moment of silence.
“I think they saw us,” Ruby whispered.
“Shut up,” Ava hissed back.
“I think we should keep running,” she said.
Ava turned slightly and looked into Callum’s eyes. He didn’t seem certain either way.
Suddenly light from the park spilled onto the surface in front of them. People were entering the tent.
“Check those cupboards,” Chase instructed. “And underneath the tables.”
Footsteps shifted along the ground.
“I saw them!” a woman’s voice called breathlessly. “Chase, I –”
“Where are they?” Chase demanded.
“They went through the side entrance to the tower. I think they’re going to the underground parking.”
“Shit!” Chase shouted. “Everyone, after them! They must be found at all costs!”
Noise shifted through the tent.
The footsteps, away from them.
And then silence.
Callum, Ava and Ruby held onto one another, too afraid to speak.
“Okay, you can come out from there.”
They froze.
Lindsay’s face peered down at them. “Yes, I know you’re there. Everyone out.”
They climbed out from underneath the table. Ava searched round and realized the guards were all gone.
“You sent them in the wrong direction?” she asked.
Callum: Trillionaire Shifter Club Book Four Page 3