Kindred Soul (Otherworld Book 2)

by Brynn Burke

  She looks up and gives me a small smile, “You’re okay now. I got to you just in time. You’re okay.” It was like she knew I need the reassurance, and most of all, as if she could tell I need her calmness.

  * * *

  Still, to this day I am grateful of Officer Cole. She’s no longer an officer, but instead takes the highest ranking position within the precinct. She’s the Chief of police.

  My boss.

  She gives all of us woman hope to someday be as successful as her.

  I never asked her what happened to my father. I didn’t care, and I still don’t. He’s dead now, though. The bastard died a few months after that tragic beating. I’ve always been a fan of karma. He got his and I feel nothing towards it. No remorse, no pity, nothing.

  Shows how much I cared for that man.

  Anyways, Officer Cole took me under her wing. She cared for me when I had no one else and she helped me with anything and everything I could have needed. I found myself opening up to her about everything, and that was a feat considering I really didn’t like authority.

  She asked me if I had any other family and I told her about Oksana’s parents. She kept my situation to herself… I probably should have ended up in a foster home for a few months until I was eighteen, instead she let me stay with Tobias and Jade. I had to call her once a week and fill her in on everything that was happening in my life. Those were her terms, and I respected them. After all, the woman bent the law for me. Or maybe she hid things. I don’t think I’ll ever truly know everything she did for me. But, I’ll forever be eternally grateful.

  At first moving in with the Summers was difficult. We looked for Oksana every single day for a good year. We put up flyers, and once again Officer Cole helped out as much as she could. She’d come over to the house and discuss the investigation, telling us almost everything.

  It was no such luck though… there was no evidence of Oksana disappearing anywhere.

  It’s as if she vanished in thin air. Footprints were found deep in the woods outside of the hotel, but they just stopped under a fallen log. We were all at a loss. What could we do?

  Most assumed she ran away from home, but I knew that was not the person Oksana was.

  I open my eyes and stand up from the couch, stretching as I go. There is no changing the good and bad memories that float around my head. I don’t know if I would want to as they made me the woman I am today.

  I make my way to my room stripping off my uniform in the process. I lift my arms and remove the hair-tie, and bobby pin, that’s been holding my hair up in the restricting, tight bun. I didn’t need to wear it like a female soldier, otherwise known as military style for this job… It’s just my preference. I’ve seen hair being pulled or grabbed too many times in past, even experiencing some for myself. I shake it out when everything is removed, grabbing my roots giving a slight pull. It almost feels as good as taking your bra off after a long ass day.

  I reach for the folded pajamas place on the bed and put on both the over-sized shirt and the comfy sleep shorts.

  Beer. I need a beer.

  I go to the kitchen and grab the much-needed alcoholic beverage. I take a swig and as I remove it from my lips…

  Time ceases to exist.

  It is like everything is in slow motion. The bottle falls out of my hand and I barely feel it as it crashes and shatters on the ground near my feet.

  My head starts to throb, pounding in a way that it never has before. My vision starts to become blurry and as soon as I close my eyes, I see things I’ve never seen.

  I’m not me, if that makes any sense. I’m not in my apartment anymore. I’m in some sort of woods or some sort of forest area.

  I feel terror and happiness. I feel alive and free. I knew these aren’t my thoughts, because let’s be real… no one would ever consider me a happy person. Most of the time I keep a resting bitch face. A bitch in general. Doesn’t bother me in the least because that’s exactly how I want to be seen. This just means less people I have to waste my time talking to.

  I notice that I’m not wearing any shoes because I keep feeling myself step on sharp branches and twigs. Then I look down and realize in horror, I am stark naked, covered in… is that mud? Or… no fucking way… blood? Is it mine or does it belong to someone else?

  Then the obvious hits me… this is not me.

  I notice the scars first. The difference is that I have scars on my arms from my father’s cigarettes. Even some small ones all over my body in attempt of trying to protect my face from his belt. Now some large ones from when he was drunk and just didn’t know when to stop.

  These scars are longer, thicker, and some look as though they were teeth marks. I see some that are fresh and know that it’s definitely not me. It’s been years since I have suffered like this by the hands of another.

  The person picks up their pace when they see headlights off in the distance. They stumble a bit, exhaustion setting in, breathing coming out hard and fast, but they make it to the country side road and start waving their arms back and forth.

  The whole place looks quite familiar. I just can’t pinpoint exactly where. I swear it’s on the tip of my tongue, and I know I have been there before.

  The car skids as the driver steps on its breaks, most likely not expecting a naked woman to run right out of the surrounding trees. I can feel her chest rise in fall rather rapidly, dizziness starting to set in. The car remains still. No sign of life, that is until an older gentleman steps out, using the door of the vehicle as a shield.

  “Ma’am, are you alright?” He says cautiously and slow.

  “Phone.” The voice says very quietly, raspy and sounding parched. The person takes some steps in the direction of the man and catches them self before collapsing to the ground.

  The man races forward helping to steady this person.

  “Phone… Please. Can I use it?”

  “Of course.” The man says helping this person towards the vehicle.

  A woman steps out from the passenger side of the car: “Henry?” She must have seen this man, Henry, carrying the person because one minute she is by the car, the next she is taking off her old lady shawl and throwing it around this person’s shoulders.

  “My sweet dear, what in the world has happened to you?”

  “Jane, this young lady needs a phone can she use yours?” He nods down to her hand and she quickly unlocks it and hands it over.

  “Thank you so much.” The voice rasps out, swallowing hard.

  I know this voice is female. I know because of the obvious fact they have breasts, but it seems disrespectful to call it woman or female so I will just stick with person.

  The person takes the phone and brings it to their chest, seeming grateful. I see the person dialing a number I know all too well.

  No.

  No… it cannot be.

  How does this person know my cell phone number? A number I have kept since I was a teenager? A number I have saved in case…

  Not possible.

  She has been missing for so long, too long.

  No way.

  One moment I am dialing a phone number and then next I am back in my body. Adrenaline pumping through my veins with a hint of shock and anxiousness. When I was younger something similar would sometimes happen.

  I would just know things. Random things, but I never questioned it. It was my sixth-sense.

  Right now, so many emotions are coursing through my body. I have never experienced anything like that, something that felt so real.

  Holding my chest, I look down at the broken beer bottle. Shit. I see that it’s cut me in a few places on my feet and legs. I bend down and pick up all the larger pieces and then jump over the smaller ones I cannot pick up with my hands. I need to take care of these cuts before I even think about cleaning up the rest of the mess.

  As I make my way to the bathroom my phone starts to ring. I walk to my room, pulling off the charger from the cell while looking at the caller I.D. No number I hav
e seen before or saved. Experiencing what I just did and then having a random phone number call me… my god, what a night.

  I pick up the phone, but I remain silent skeptical of who the fuck this could possibly be.

  “Hadley?” I hear a voice say with longing, pain and sorrow. I can hear the tears wanting to fall by the tone of her voice.

  All these years.

  Seven years.

  Years of torture believing that her disappearance was my fault. I couldn’t help it. I hiccup into the phone and let all my heartache out, sobbing.

  “Oksana?”

  5

  Oksana

  Just hearing Hadley’s voice…

  It’s soothing, relaxing me to the point where I can’t hardly stand up anymore and it is a battle keeping my eyes open.

  I know my body is weak, really weak... all thanks to Monster practically starving me for years, but somehow I made it this far. Mostly with help, but a little bit on my own. So, I consider that a feat. I believe I’m the girl who rescues herself rather than being a damsel in distress.

  The fact that someone… any one person knows I’m alive, is something that I’ve craved for so long. It makes me want to forget about how fucked up my life has been these past few years. How trying they have been on me, both mentally and physically. But I know I’m not in the clear. Two fucking men… werewolves… are after me, along with Monster. I have this tiny little feeling that he’s not going to let me go all that easily. I’m not safe. Hell… I may never be safe. I know deep down, in the bottom of my core I cannot stay here, standing in the open, exposed for all to see.

  “I have to go,” I whimper to Hadley on the other side of the phone after I feel a slight chill work its way down my spine. It wasn’t a long conversation between the two of us, all that has been said so far is our names and slight crying, but in order for the two of us to actually reunite I need to go, I need to stay alive and focus on my own safety.

  “What the fuck do you mean you have to go?” She says to me and I can feel a smile play across my face.

  God, I have missed her.

  “I will call you,” I murmur my answer and hang up the phone, handing it back to the woman, Jane. Not even a few moments pass, and her phone is ringing. She huffs out a breath, answering the phone. I see her hands moving a mile a minute while talking to the person on the other line. Her face is flustered and I can see the discussion she is having is intense.

  I start thinking about how those two men are honest to God wolves and where I can go to get away from them.

  I have to start thinking outside of the box.

  The city.

  The city is the perfect place. Lots of people, lots of sounds, lots of smells… the last one is key.

  I look up to the man. “Will you take me to the nearest city?” I ask as I try to wrap the cardigan-like-sweatshirt thing more comfortably around my body. It’s light grey and falls right before my knees. It looks to be knitted. I never realized how small I am until this moment. I ca wrap it around my body twice. Goodness, it feels so nice to have clothing, even if it's just a measly little piece of fabric.

  The man nods his head at me and continues to guide me to the car with his arms wrapped around my shoulders. I don't get creepy vibes from him or anything like that, but that sure as hell didn't mean I'm a good judge of character. If I was, I wouldn't have ended up in this whole fucking mess that is my life in the first place. For all I know, he and his wife are killers.

  Or even worse... what if they are like the two twins, or something else entirely.

  I don't like thinking about it. It makes goosebumps breakout all over my flesh.

  We get to the rear driver's side door. The man steadies me with one arm while he uses the other to open the door.

  Out of the corner of my eye I see a bit of movement in the tree line... the same exact area that just minutes before, I came out of.

  It's them.

  The twins.

  I don’t know how I know it, but I just know.

  As I focus my attention on them a bit more, I can see one is standing directly in front of the other. The one in the front just gives me a look that makes my heart rate pick up and my breathing quicken. I’m pretty sure he’s the same one I kicked in the face, whoops.

  I have no idea how I can tell the difference between them, considering they are identical but I can.

  I start to feel the same way I felt in the auction. The way he’s staring at me... it brings forth these feelings, this animalistic need that I feel like only he can satisfy. I don’t understand it… For some reason, I crave to approach him, lick him, rub my body against his. I want to wrap my scent around his body and vice versa.

  Just as I am about to take a step forward and go to him, I see more movement come out of the brush next to the man who just held my attention moments prior. My entire body locks up, frozen in the moment while my my throat becomes drier than it ever has before.

  My whole body begins to shake.

  Panic. Terror. Fear.

  "No…" I whisper out loud.

  It cannot be.

  I know who it is even if he's not wearing that stupid fucking mask. I can tell by his posture, the way he stands over there, looking at me as if I am a piece of meat. It’s like I am nothing, worthless, scum.

  The man who has made my life a living hell for the past several years stands before me. I don’t mistake the color of his hair, or his defined jaw structure. It's the color of his hair, the structure of his jaw, the man who has made my life a living hell for years is standing right before me.

  The elder man turns his head in the direction that holds my interest. If only he knew that the direction we stare in houses monsters, things that are only created in our nightmares.

  I can tell he is just a little freaked out, skiddish even. It could be over the fact that these men are out of this world huge or that they have eerie glowing eyes.

  The twin’s eyes are both a bright yellow color. While Monster’s eyes are a crimson, deep blood red. It's not every day you see men standing on the side of the road with glowing eyes. I would be freaked out too if this was the first time I was witnessing something such as this.

  It wasn't though.

  Nope.

  I had a front row seat to two men changing into fucking wolves. He should count his lucky stars that this is all he is seeing. I’m sure there are far worse things he could be witnessing right now. He could come up with excuses as to why they had glowing eyes, what I saw... well, once you see it, it's impossible to be unseen.

  I get a sense this is about to escalate rather quickly. Feeling the pressure… I know I need to act fast, but I also need to be smart about it.

  I lean over to the man and as quietly as possible, almost to the point I am unheard and I tell him, "Sir, I need you to get into the vehicle. Quickly. But not obvious to what I am about to tell you to do. You need to get in the driver’s side, and as soon as your ass hits the seat you need to put your foot on the gas and drive hard and fast away from here, you hear me?"

  Once again, I receive a slight head nod. Thank god he is a man of few words. For a moment I am really worrying about this man's wife who is on her phone, gabbing away. As I direct him on what to do in this dire situation, his next course of action… she enters the vehicle and continues talking on the phone without a care in the world. Not noticing the tension that surrounds her.

  The man slowly grabs my hand and places it on the top of the car so I will be able to steady myself when he leaves my side. It’s a kind gesture and one I am grateful for because I know for a fact my weak legs won't be holding me up for very long.

  He turns and walks around the back door to the front of his vehicle, all the while I continue to stare in the direction of the three males. They are staring right back… each making me more uncomfortable then the next. Monster has his arms across over his chest, a smirk playing on his lips as if he know something I don't.

  I want the man to be in the car before I j
ump in myself. In good conscious, I refuse to let anything happen to these two people because of me.

  Yes, I know deep in my soul if any harm were to befall on them it would be my own damn fault. Unacceptable. So, as the moments tick by in a painfully slow pace, I stand here on wobbly legs praying that the man does what I told him to do.

  He places one foot in the car, about to take his seat and I turn my body in order to jump inside before he steps on the gas.

  While my body is hovering in midair, a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist and the car peels off. But I am not in it... and there in the distance goes my only escape.

  There goes my freedom.

  I have a feeling about whose arms are wrapped tightly around me. I don't know what compels me to look but I know I have to…

  My anger spikes, rage coursing over every fiber of my being. He is not going to take me back! Never will I suffer by the hands of that… that… Monster ever again.

  I start to flail, kicking, punching and screaming with all of my might.

  "No. No. Let go!" I am in full panic mode. Tears stream down my face. I can't go back, I just can’t! I would rather die a million deaths than ever be condemned to the life of hell I had lived through for so long.

  "Killian! Let go of her. Don't you see she is fucking terrified?" A voice says, anger written in his tone. The arms around me loosen and I fall to the ground.

  I don't even take the time to question why I’m being released. I pick myself up as quickly as possible and run into the arms of the man who saved me… who for some unknown reason gives me comfort. I run as fast as my legs can take me and I jump, leaping into his arms, hugging him tight. It’s as if he’s my only saving grace in this moment.

  "Please. Please don't let him take me." Tears continue to cascade down my face.

  "I... I... can't go back." I say in between hiccups as a burrow my head deep into his neck.

  His hand comes up and caress my hair, softly in a soothing motion.

  "Shh. Everything is going to be okay. I will protect you." He hushes me, somehow calming me.