by Jenna Aileen
“Badly enough. I had to take her to the hospital,” I replied with a shrug.
“Are they infected? Or were they infected at some point?” Valko question while tearing off her shirt.
“I don’t know, I figured she would tell me if something was the matter.” I gazed down at my feet, knowing Kathryn would be terribly angry if she knew that I saw her with her shirt off again.
Vladimir grunted and I looked up to see him staring at her with raised eyebrows, a look of lust in his eyes. The only thing covering her womanly curves now was a thin black bra and pair of panties.
A sick feeling settled in my stomach as I observed how his eyes gazed upon her exposed body. I had to clench my fists and grit my teeth to keep from saying or doing anything stupid.
“They seem alright, though I expected that they would heal more quickly than this. He must have cut her deeply.” Valko started to smear some sort of ointment on the wounds and Kathryn whimpered. Pain was written all over her face, and it took all that was in me not to rush to her side and comfort her.
“Thank you for bringing her here safely—for the most part,” Vladimir said, turning to face me. I nodded my head, having a hard time meeting his eyes. I desperately wanted to know exactly what he was going to do now that he had her. He hadn’t ever made that very clear to me, and I never really cared. Not until I had actually met Kathryn.
“You should go rest now, have a beer, relax. You’ve earned it.” He slapped my shoulder. My feet felt heavy as I turned to leave the room.
“Hey Vladimir…” I called back. There were so many things I could have done in that moment he looked back over at me— so many things that I regret not doing or saying that would have made this story have a much happier ending. “Just…keep a close eye on her. She’s got a temper and is easily flustered, which—”
“I got it, Conan.” He cut me off, laughing a little. I nodded and headed out the door. As soon as I was out in the silent, snowy night, I remembered that I didn’t exactly have anywhere to stay yet.
With a mirthless chuckle, I walked back over to Valko’s place, figuring he wouldn’t mind if I stayed with him for a night or two. My heart grew heavier with each step that I took, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t knock my guilty conscience.
The first thing I did when I walked in the door was go straight to the fridge and grab the first alcoholic beverage I could find. In a matter of minutes, I drained that and went back to find something else to drink—completely ignoring the small voice in the back of my head that warned me about what could happen if I lost control again. All I was focused on was numbing the pain. I wasn’t initially sure what the cause of the pain was, but I wasn’t exactly in the mood to do any sort of soul searching.
It takes a lot to get a werewolf drunk. I must have cleaned out Valko’s entire cache of booze before finally passing out on the couch, completely wasted.
*~*~*
“I love you, Conan,” Selene whispered to me. Her sweet voice was music to my ears.
“Love you too, baby,” I said, kissing her dimples. Her green eyes lit up and disappeared as she smiled at me. She looked so beautiful lying there next to me in her yellow sundress.
“This has been the best day of my life.” She sighed, snuggling closer to me. I played with her black braid as we watched the sunset together.
“Beautiful sunset, isn’t it?” she whispered.
“Not as beautiful as you,” I whispered back, kissing her forehead. She shook her head and laughed. The stars slowly started to appear, and the moon began to rise. A strange feeling came over me, and my skin started to tingle.
“Are you okay, honey?” she asked, sitting up.
I started sweating and panting.
“Conan?!” Selene stood up quickly and stepped away from me. Pain racked my entire body, excruciating pain. I heard cracks and pops. My screams of pain drowned out Selene’s screams of fear.
“Conan!”
The horrified look on her face was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.
*~*~*
My head was throbbing when I awoke the next morning, or afternoon rather. Valko was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book.
“So you’re that upset about her, huh?” he asked dryly.
“What are you talking about?” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. He gestured at the pile of empty bottles that surrounded me, and I just grunted.
“Well it isn’t exactly a secret that you’ve developed some…form of attachment to the girl.”
“That’s not—no,” I snapped, defensively.
“Conan, anybody with eyes can see it, or sense it. Even Vladimir has caught on and I think—”
“I’m going for a run.” I cut him off, striding over to the front door.
“Conan, wait—” Valko ran over and grabbed my shoulder. “I’m really worried about you.”
“Don’t be. There’s no reason for you to be.” I pulled myself away and headed out into street.
My wolf was calling to me, and I wanted so badly to give in. But the last thing I needed was to add any more confusion to my already discombobulated thoughts.
I sprinted out of the town and into the surrounding wood, not stopping until my legs gave way beneath me. By that time, the sun was setting and the stars were starting to appear. A low growl rumbled through my chest and up my throat, rising to a scream. The animal inside was now fighting to break free and take over.
My nails grew into long, razor-sharp claws, and I could feel my bones starting crack and reshape into the form of the beast. The slightest bit of doubt found its way into my mind, and suddenly, the monster came out. I had a split second to pull my clothes off before they were torn to shreds. My nakedness was soon covered up by thick, black fur, and my thoughts of Kathryn were replaced by a thirst for blood.
About half an hour into my killing spree, the beast took full control of my mind, thus leaving me with no memory of how many creatures I killed or where I finally ended up.
When I came to, my body was completely numb. I cursed when I noticed the blood-stained snow surrounding me. The sky was dark and cloudy, and I wasn’t sure of how much time had passed since I had left Valko’s house.
My joints popped and cracked as I stood to my feet, my muscles stiff from the brutal transformation. With a sick feeling of regret in my stomach, I trudged through the snow in search of my clothing. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far away, and my wolf had left a trail of bloody paw prints in the freshly fallen snow.
Anger burned in my chest as I pulled my clothes on. Going for a run was supposed to help, but I was not expecting to lose control like that.
You can’t go back like this, Conan, you’re a mess.
Valko was right. My temper flared, and I found myself punching a tree trunk until my knuckles were completely raw and dripping with blood.
“I can’t go back,” I whispered aloud, falling to my knees.
Kathryn needs you. A small, sweet voice in my head called out.
“That’s why I can’t go back!” I shouted into the night. “She’s not mine to care for. I want nothing to do with her.”
Chapter Twenty-Three, Kathryn
“Listen, Aidan, you’ve got to help me!” Vladimir cried desperately as blood flowed steadily from the wound on his shoulder, dripping on the floor.
“Vlad, I’m sorry, but I don’t know how—“
“A cure! There has to be a cure, and you of all people would know that. Or you at least know where to hide me until they find a cure. I can’t be like this forever; you saw what it did to my brother.”
Dad ran his fingers through his hair and nodded solemnly. “I know.”
“So please, why can’t you help me? I need you now,” Vladimir’s voice cracked, and I thought I saw tears in his eyes. Seeing him sad made me sad. What did he need help with? Why wasn’t daddy helping him?
“You know why! You know what I do for a living! You know what they told me to do if the worst should happen— and it has! The only cure I know of rig
ht now is a silver bullet. Do you know what kind of danger you’re putting my family in just by being here? If they find—Kathryn!” I jumped as I made eye contact with my dad. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”
“Daddy, what’s wrong with Vlad?” I asked, worried for my friend. The blood on his arm was scaring me. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Kathryn, now go upstairs. In bed, now!”
Reprimanded, I started to crawl back upstairs to my room.
“What would you do if she got bit, hmm? What about Ryan?”
“That’s not a fair question…”
The voices of my father and Vladimir grew faint as I climbed back into bed. My chest was so heavy it felt like someone was sitting on it. Cold fingers brushed against my thigh. I tried to scream but a large, dirty hand covered my mouth.
*~*~*
My sheets were damp, and my skin was covered with beads of perspiration. The clock beside my bed read three a.m., but I was wide awake, shaken up by the dream that was too vivid to be anything but a memory.
I threw the blankets off and let my feet hang over the edge of the bed. With a raspy grunt, I pushed myself off the bed and made my way to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water.
Unfortunately, all of the lights were off and my night vision was not good. I ended up stubbing my toe on the table and stumbling over a chair. Strong arms caught me before I landed on the floor. My heart raced wildly in my chest as I saw Vladimir’s knowing eyes glowing in the darkness.
“I thought you were in bed,” I whispered meekly.
“I don’t sleep,” he replied curtly before letting me go. “What are you doing up?”
“Getting a glass of water,” I rasped.
“What’s troubling you?” he asked curiously. I thought I heard one of the cabinets opening, then suddenly the room was illuminated by the light of the refrigerator.
“Nothing’s troubling me,” I shrugged, trying not to look at him. The fridge door closed, and the room was once again covered in darkness. I felt something cool pressing against the palm of my hand, and I realized that Vladimir was giving me water.
My slender fingers wrapped around the circumference of the glass, and I slowly brought it up to my lips.
“You always were a bad liar,” Vladimir chuckled.
“No I’m not,” I growled defensively. I heard a creak as he sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.
“What’s wrong, Kathryn?” he asked again, a little more impatient.
“Nothing is wrong,” I lied, taking another sip of water.
“Tell me what’s bothering you,” he commanded, slamming his fist on the table.
“I think I remember what happened,” I whispered, afraid of his response. “Or at least…I think I do. I had a dream..."
“What do you remember?” Vladimir asked after a moment of silence.
“You…you were at our house. And you were bleeding and yelling…at my dad. You asked him to help you with something, but he kept saying no.” I shook my head, trying to remember more. “You said something about your family.”
Vladimir chuckled. “Do you remember anything after that?”
“N-no…I don’t. It’s weird…I mean once mom left dad, I kind of just…forgot.”
“I knew it! I was right.”
“Right about what?”
“You, not knowing anything about your dad. And what he did. What he still does.”
“What do you mean? Dad’s a lawyer…I think…I mean he was…”
“No, he’s not. He’s never been a lawyer. Come on, could you really see your dad ever winning an argument without screaming profanities and letting his Scottish temper get in the way? Your dad was—still is—a werewolf hunter.”
I probed around in the darkness to find a chair to sit on. Werewolf hunter?
“There’s no way, this has to be some sort of joke…or mistake. I think you have the wrong Kathryn.” I stood up to leave, but Vladimir grabbed my arm and shoved me back down in my seat.
“There’s no mistake Kathryn.”
“But why me? Why did you kidnap me?”
“How else am I going to get my revenge?” The way he said revenge sent chills down my spine.
“Why do you want revenge?” I asked in a low voice, almost afraid of his answer and what exactly the revenge had to do with my kidnapping.
“Because!” he shouted in my face, slamming his fist on the table. The fact that I couldn’t see him in the pitch black room made it all the more frightening. “Your father refused to help me in my darkest hour.”
“There has to be some reason he couldn’t—”
“Don’t defend him!” The chair was kicked out from under me, and I landed hard on floor. “He just sat there and watched as my father—his best friend—wasted away and was completely taken over by the animal inside of him. In my father’s final moments of sanity, your dad promised that he would take care of me, but he didn’t. I was bitten and he did nothing. After what happened with my mom...” Vladimir’s voice was filled with such animosity it made me cringe.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, trying to scoot myself away from where I thought he was.
“You’re not sorry,” he spat, ripping me off the ground and slamming me into the wall.
“Yes, I am! I’m sorry this happened, Vlad, I’m sorry it has to be like this—please, you hurting me!” His hot breath tickled my nose, and I thought I saw a twinkle of light reflecting in his dark eyes.
“You being sorry can’t change anything,” he claimed, his voice low.
“Neither will your revenge. What good is that going to do, hmm? What is the point of all this?” I couldn’t help but flinch as he let out a feral growl. His grip on my arms grew tighter and tighter until I finally cried out in pain.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you. But know this, Aidan is going to pay for what happened.” He picked up my body and threw me across the room. My back slammed against the table—knocking the wind out of me—and I slid to the floor, gasping for air.
The room was silent except for the sound of my ragged breathing. Just as I was beginning to think I was alone, Vladimir picked me up and shoved me so I was lying flat on the table. My body trembled as I felt his lips gently brush against my cheek.
“Goodnight, Kathryn,” he breathed.
And with that, he left me alone in the dark.
Chapter Twenty-Four, Abel
The snow crunched loudly beneath my boots, and Aidan motioned for me to walk more quietly. I slowed my pace and turned to see Ryan coming up behind me.
“Are we almost there?” he whispered to his father, who slowly nodded his head.
“The city should be just over this clearing of trees,” Aidan whispered back. “Keep quiet and stick to tree line as we scout around. I sent Boone and Locke around the east side; Ryan, take the west. Abel and I are heading straight through the middle. Be ready for anything.”
And with that, Aidan took off sprinting through the trees.
We entered cautiously right into the heart of the little city where Vladimir’s pack supposedly resided. It was deathly quiet. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I was ready to take a shot at anything that moved.
The city was smaller than it had appeared. Aidan and I soon found ourselves crossing paths with Boone and Locke.
“This place is like a ghost town,” Locke grunted, spitting a wad of tobacco in the snow. “There’s not a soul in sight.”
“I found absolutely nothing,” Ryan panted, running up to join us. Aidan cursed, before looking up to the sky. “What do we do now?” I asked, after a moment of silence.
“We start breaking down doors,” Aidan stated, pushing past me. He strode over to a tall brick building and began kicking at the door until it cracked and fell open.
One by one, we went building to building kicking the down doors and searching for any signs of life. We found nothing. But then, we reached the little stone house with the bright red door.
>
The windows were broken, the door left ajar. I crept slowly through the house. It looked like it had been a month or two since anyone had been there. The oddest thing, though, was that the house seemed like it had been vandalized. Chairs were smashed, desks turned over. Papers flew wildly about the room as a brisk wind blew through the house. The kitchen table was completely cracked in half, and the granite counter had huge scratches in it.
However, the most unsettling thing that I found was the picture taped to the refrigerator. I did a double take when I saw it. My hands trembled as I reached up and plucked it from its place. It was an old photo of Kathryn and Aidan.
“Come and get me” was written in bold, black letters right across the middle of the picture.
“Oh my god,” I whispered. “Aidan! Come here! You need to see this.”
Aidan’s face was ghostly pale as he took the picture from me.
“That bastard,” He whispered, his eyes filled with both anger and regret. “There’s no time to lose.”
Chapter Twenty-Five, Kathryn
I awoke on the kitchen floor the next morning, my body aching and covered in bruises. With a grunt, I slowly sat up and brushed my hair out of my eyes. For a brief moment, I was confused as to why I woke up lying on the floor instead of a bed, but then I remembered what had happened last night.
Vladimir strutted in wearing nothing but his boxers. I flinched as he walked past me. I drew my knees to my chest and waited for him to say something, but he was silent. After a moment, I stood slowly and walked down the hall to my bedroom. Once the door was shut, I collapsed on the bed with a grunt. The beating I had last night was taking its toll on me, and it hurt just to move.
Tears streamed down my face and onto my pillow as I recalled the events of the past month and a half. Everything from the night that Conan kidnapped me to the week and a half I had spent with Vladimir so far. And as I lay there, I wondered if I would ever be free again. I wondered if I would ever see Abel, or my mom or dad or Ryan ever again— if I would ever live a normal life. At this point, the chances of that seemed very slim, the future so uncertain. My life was no longer in my hands, but in the hands of an animal.