Her voice mail picked up, much to my chagrin.
I waited for her message to go through, and then the beep.
“Hey Perc, this is Gretchen. I had an accident and ended up in New York City. Can you come pick me up? I’m hanging out in the park. Thanks, bye.” I hit the end button, then deleted Percy’s number from the sent calls list.
“Thanks,” I said to the girl, handing her phone back. “You can go now.”
She squeezed away from her spot between me and the tree and hurried away.
“Oh, and it would be awesome if you didn’t mention this little incident to anyone,” I called after her.
I emerged from my hiding place and found a bench to wait on. I was tired, so I laid down, keeping half an ear open for cops, but soon dozed off.
I woke to voices.
“I don’t know, she smells like the woods, not like a bum.”
“Yeah, so? She’s not drunk, she has no money, she’s obviously far from home. And I bet those aren’t even her clothes. No one’s gonna miss her.”
A hand clamped on my upper arm and dragged me upright.
My eyes flew open, staring into the dark red irises of a vampire, who grinned at me toothily.
I turned my head to the side and noted the owner of the second voice. I wanted to be soothed by the fact that there were only two of them, but during the new moon, I was as helpless as any other human.
“I want to speak to Lacey-Marie or Kern.” I was really hoping that there wasn’t another family of vampires in New York, or that these weren’t loners.
“Oh come on,” the one not holding me whined.
“No seriously, I want to see them.” I added authority to my voice. “I’m Lacey-Marie’s.”
Technically speaking, I was her property, I had her fang marks on my neck if they cared to have a look.
“What are you doing out of the house?” The one holding me was probably a couple of inches taller than me, wiry, and sporting the choppiest haircut I’d ever seen.
“I went for a walk and got lost.”
“You’re not really dressed in Lacey’s normal style,” the other, an over-sized blond fellow, commented.
“Yeah, well, I’m a rebel. Please take me home?”
This was not at all how I’d planned to spend my evening waiting for Percy. Who knew if she’d be able to find me, or if I’d be alive when she did.
I was hoping that without the drugs that had been in her system the last time we’d had words, Lacey would see me as a friend.
“Kern’s not going to be happy that you got out,” said Blondy.
“My problem not yours.”
“Lacey-Marie’s problem, actually. Everyone’s responsible for their own meals,” my capture interrupted.
Lovely.
But frankly, I didn’t care if she did catch it. After what she’d done to me, she owed me.
The vampires each took one of my arms and pulled me to my feet.
I was of a height with both of them, so at least it wasn’t too uncomfortable in that respect, but they were traveling a much faster pace than I could keep up with.
They heaved up, lifting me off my feet. Their pace quickened so that I couldn’t keep track of the turns as they wove their way through their streets.
The ritzy apartment they approached had a guard at the door, a vampire, now that it was night. I could only assume that they had humans in their pay to keep watch during daylight.
The lobby was quiet, and I was willing to bet I was going to be hauled directly up the stairs.
I was sort of right; I was hauled into the elevator.
My stomach flipped as we headed upwards. I’ve never been a fan of elevators, I’d have much rather taken the stairs, even if I had to go 13 floors.
The door we stopped at had music blaring out, and loud voices behind it.
Blondy knocked, and there was shuffling and muffled curses as the music was turned off, and the door opened.
Lacey-Marie stood in the doorway, her mouth gaping, as she stared up at me.
“Hey, mosquito, what’s up?” I asked, forcing myself to grin.
“Gretchen, what are you doing here?” Lacey-Marie asked, swinging her eyes from me to the men on either side of me.
“Hey, she said she was yours. If she’s not, we’ll be on our way.” Bad haircut turned me to go.
“You don’t want to do that.” Lacey reached out and grabbed my arm, getting ready to tug if she thought it was necessary. “She’s a werewolf, under the protection of Hades. You know, the god of the dead.”
“She doesn’t smell like a wolf.” Haircut leaned and stuck his nose to my hair.
“It’s new moon, you idiot.” Lacey yanked me from their grasp, causing me to stumble through her doorway.
My captors held up their hands in surrender, then backed into the elevator, leaving me in my former best friend’s clutches.
She yanked me the rest of the way into her apartment which looked like a Pepto-Bismol bottle had thrown up all over it. The sickening shade of pink was only broken up by one white accent wall, which did nothing to tone the rest down. I wanted to close my eyes against the pink glare but decided focusing on my surroundings may be a key to my survival.
The windows were thrown open to the night, light-blocking shutters pulled tight to the walls, letting in a crisp breeze. For the first time that day, I was grateful for the new moon dulling my senses. I hated the overwhelming stench of the city
“So, I asked you a question, what are you doing here?” Lacey tossed me in the direction of a pink leather couch with black throw pillows.
Landing a little less than gracefully, I righted myself and tugged at my too short shirt.
“Well, it could be a very long story, but I’ll cut it down to— I’m not sure really.” I spread out, resting my arms on the back of the couch on either side of me, sitting with my legs wide in a masculine stance, in a desperate effort to look even bigger. It was animal instinct, yes, and I was willing to use whatever resources I had.
“You’re not sure.” She took a seat on a delicate Victorian-style chair, adjusting her black mini skirt and crossing her exposed legs.
“I went for a run. You know, to escape . . . things. I got to a point where I thought I wouldn’t see people and started wolfing out.” I detailed all of what I did, what I suspected about the hunter, and how I ended up in the living room of her apartment.
She sat quietly as I talked, bouncing one foot and chewing her lip with one fang.
“So someone is coming to pick you up?” she asked finally, standing to pace for a bit.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I left a voice mail on Percy’s phone. So I hope so.”
“Don’t you be bringing trouble to my doorstep.” She crossed the room to loom over me. “I have a good thing going here.”
“I don’t give a shit! You brought trouble on yourself; you’re lucky I didn’t hunt you down.” I thrust myself to my feet in an attempt to force her to step back.
But she, knowing in what condition I was in, stood her ground. She could end me without a thought, and there was no way I’d be fast enough to get away. Even if I could wolf out, vampires are still stronger. Of course, I could usually depend on Lacey-Marie to make stupid mistakes, but I was thinking I wasn’t going to get so lucky, especially on her turf.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She stepped back of her own accord and cast her eyes to the ground.
“Yeah, well, you almost killed me. Actually, I’m pretty sure I did die, that part’s all a bit fuzzy. Have you been terrorizing the city? Easier pickings?” I held strong in my stance.
“It’s not even like that here. I keep my happy meals in the house with me.” She turned her eyes up to glare at me, her ruby irises flashing.
“Uh, happy meals?” It wasn’t a term I was familiar with.
“Willing donors. We pick up people off the streets, bums, prostitutes, runaways. Humans no one will miss. We clean them up, then offer the
m a choice.”
“Live or die?”
Lacey rolled her eyes, then jutted out one hip to support her manicured fist on. “No, stay and be cared for, or go back to the streets. Some do go back, you know. We don’t just go out on sprees. Empty bodies draw attention.”
Gee, ya think?
“Those two goons didn’t seem to be up to giving me any choices.” I crossed my arms under my chest.
“Oh, they’re harmless.” She waved her hand dismissively. “They just pick up likely candidates for Kern to sort through. He matches up meals with his people, you know, who he thinks will get along best.”
“Oh yay, you get playmates.” I threw up my hands.
“There’s also a chance that we will locate a changer that will be willing to make them one of us.” She ignored my comment.
“Hey, babe, who’s the chick?” A tattoo-covered man filled one of the doorways off to the side, leaning his naked torso against the frame and crossing his arms over his muscular chest. My eyes traveled down over baggy jeans and steel-toed boots and back up to his gauged ears.
He caught me looking and gave me the man nod. “Hey, sweetheart.” He smiled languidly at me.
I raised my eyebrows at Lacey-Marie. “He’s not your usual type.”
“No, I know, he’s more your type. But he’s got plenty of blood to spare, and he’s a great cook, among other skills.” She turned to smile at him, licking her lips.
He unfolded himself from his post and strode over to her, kissing her hard while his hand strayed over her petite body.
I watched in mild disgust. Lacey had always liked attention. Now she had a house full of people who were required to give it to her.
They unwound from each other and turned to catch my reaction.
“This is my best friend, from Maine, Gretchen. She’s a werewolf.” She moved so that she was tucked under his arm.
“Werewolf, huh? Hot.” Again he smiled at me, though the twinkle in his eye told me he was just trying to get a rise out of me.
“No thanks, I’m mated,” I said.
“You’re what?!” Lacey-Marie tore her attention away from her plaything, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped.
“Doug and I are mated,” I clarified for her.
“Awe, congratulations!” She flew across the room and threw her arms around me.
I stood stock still, not wanting to give her a reaction.
She pulled away. “Not congratulations? Sit down and talk to me, damn it.” She tugged me down onto the couch as she sat.
I resumed my former position. “My wolf made the choice. I woke up to the fact right after the last full moon. He’s been kind of a jackass since he was changed.”
“Doug, a jackass to you? Come on, he was the one who was calming you down at the end.” She pulled her legs up so that they were tucked sideways and she was leaning against the arm of the couch.
“Yeah, well, that was before his testosterone kicked up 5 million notches.”
“He’s not more dominant is he?”
“No, I’m still crazy alpha, but he hasn’t exactly felt submissive either, which also pisses the woman and the wolf off in me. I think he’s pulling on my dominance now.” How on earth was I sitting there acting like we were still best buds?
“So you ran away and ate a hunter?”
“I told you, I don’t know if I killed that guy or not.” I shifted so that I was mirroring her position.
“Come on, Gretch, you were midway through the change, he was going to shoot you, and the last thing you remember is flying at him? My bet is on a dead hunter. Have you found any bullets in you?” She sniffed the air in my direction, searching for the scent of my blood.
“Um, I haven’t checked, but nothing hurts, so I’m going to go with no.” I rested my head to the side, against the back of the couch, my body slumping.
“I really am sorry that I tried to kill you.” She leaned her head over as well, mirroring me.
“It was the drugs, I know, and I could forgive you for that. But what about Penny? All those innocent women?” She hadn’t been on drugs for all the other kills.
“I just couldn’t take it anymore. I went a little crazy. Penny, I felt guilty about, she was my friend too, but she was so easy.”
“And then you got a taste for warm blood again.” I almost felt sorry for her.
She nodded and avoided my eyes, picking at a thread sticking out of one of the cushions.
I could understand it. She wasn’t human, hadn’t been for a good 40 years or so. She didn’t get days off like I did. But we’d made a pact a long time ago, not to hunt in our own backyard. She’d broken confidence.
“If you ever step foot in Maine, I will kill you.” I looked away from her. It wasn’t an ultimatum I wanted to issue anymore, but it was my responsibility, as the alpha wolf in my state, to keep all my people safe, including those who didn’t even know I existed.
“I know.”
We sat in companionable silence, her boy toy sitting in the seat she had vacated when he entered, not saying anything. I wondered if he knew what kind of person she was. I wondered if he cared.
Eventually, he stood. “Well, I’m going to get something started for the girls. Do you want some dinner, Gretchen?”
My stomach growled and I glowered at him. “What do you think?”
He backed away, looking, not frightened, unsure perhaps?
“Feed her. She’s grumpy when she’s hungry, even when she’s human,” Lacey instructed.
“I’ll send someone out to the park until dawn, then you can decide what you want to do. I think it’s probably best that you don’t wander the city tonight, now that the people have your scent.” She studied me. “And let’s get you into something that actually fits. Grace!” she yelled, her voice carrying and bouncing off the walls.
I winced.
A plain looking brunette, dressed in black and pink appeared in another doorway.
“Take Gretchen to the closet and get her something decent to wear, will you? Isaiah’s cooking supper.” Lacey stood from the couch, gave me a kiss on the cheek, then left the room.
“Good, I’m starving, I hope it’s steak,” the girl said with a grin. “Come on.” She waved me to follow her.
I did as I was bid, wondering what kind of monstrosity I’d find myself in. Did Isaiah choose to go shirtless in the chilly apartment, or was it part of Lacey-Marie’s chosen wardrobe? Either option was feasible.
I studied Grace’s clothes and was soothed somewhat, despite the pink. She was wearing black jeans and a pink sweater, so at least she was covered and warm. She led me down a dimly lit hall and through a door to a bedroom which seemed to have been made over into a massive closet. There were so many clothes, I didn’t know where to look first. It didn’t help that there was way too much pink, which may have been why boy toy was shirtless.
Apparently, Lacey-Marie required her meals to wear some sort of pink on their bodies, and as I didn’t see any pink pants in the men’s department, their only options were shirts and ties.
The women’s, I had better luck with. There was some black mixed in with the pink, meant to be mixed and matched, I’m sure. I just grabbed black that looked like it might remotely be the correct length. I ended up in leggings and a soft, baggy sweater.
“Shoes?” I asked, staring at Grace expectantly.
“Over there.” She pointed at a wall of shoes. Boxes stacked on shelves of shoes.
Lacey must have had quite the spread of girls on her menu, to get such an array of sizes. Low and behold. I found a pair of knee-high boots with enough buckles to make my heart happy, and much more expensive looking and feeling than the ones I had lost. Those babies were going home with me. Lacey owed me.
Dressed once again in my customary head to toe black, I followed Grace out to the dining room, where a group of women waited.
This threw me off a bit. I’d have thought that Lacey would have preferred a houseful of men to serve her every whim, bu
t I’d only seen one. Could it be that Lacey-Marie was in an actual relationship? What is this world coming to? Although, I wouldn’t put it past her to sleep with her women, even though I knew she definitely preferred men. Lacey wasn’t picky.
I looked around at the women seated at the table, eight, including Grace. I noted that none of them were standout beauties, though none were ugly either. These women were particularly hand-picked to stroke Lacey’s ego. How accommodating of Kern.
I wondered if she had chosen Isaiah, or if he’d been assigned to her. He seemed eager enough to please her, but that could be an infatuation with his . . . rescuer.
“So what’s your story?” Grace took a seat next to me, appearing eager to listen.
“It’s a long one, I’m not sure I have time—” I tried to back out. She hadn’t been in the room when Lacey had told Isaiah that I was a werewolf.
A hot werewolf, evidently.
“Oh, no need to worry about that. We’ve got all sorts of stories here, don’t we girls?” She smiled around at the others, who nodded in response and returned her smile.
“If you insist. I’ll edit it down for you real quick, anyhow.” I leaned my chair back on two legs and crossed my arms. Story time, goody.
“Back in the 1800s, I was a soiled dove in a brothel down in Texas. Since I was a mutt puppy, and not worth a bean as a prostitute in the color respect, I received special training and entertained clients in their own homes.
“I was in demand, and my notoriety reached the ears of someone of different tastes and respects. I was put in a buggy one night, a few days before the new moon, and bundled down the road to the local inn. When I got up the stairs, I encountered something that scared the shit out of me and offered me a way out of my hated life. I woke up back in my own bed some days later and went back to work until full moon hit. When I came to again, everyone was dead. The other whores, the madame, patrons, everyone inside the brothel was slaughtered. By me. I was so distraught that I gathered my things and set fire to the place so no one could discover what I had done.”
I took a breather and sucked down half of the glass of water that had mysteriously appeared in front of me.
“I spent the next 100 years or so hiding what I was, killing when I couldn’t hide. In the ’80s, I had the less than bright idea of going to hair school here in New York, which is where I met Lacey-Marie. It was hate at first sight, and eventually, we became friends and parted ways. We met up again in Maine, where we lived and worked in the same hair salon. Everything was hunky-dory, until one new moon when I discovered that Lacey was going on killing sprees, targeting hairdressers, and I got in her way. She tried to kill me, she left the state. If she ever goes back, she’s a dead woman. A deader woman, I mean. How’s that for a story?”
Pack of Freaks: Beasts Among Us - Book 2 Page 9