by Abra Ebner
I twisted to face her; she looked frantic. “Listen, Jane. I know this is going to sound strange, but I think there’s something dangerous about Max and his brother.”
I felt my heart stop. How did she know about Greg? “Emily, what are you talking about? Max is fine.” I tried to deny it, not willing to give him up.
Emily shook me. “Jane, I don’t have time for to you be naïve, okay? There is something about them I don’t trust.”
I glared at her, crossing my arms against my chest. “Max is fine, Emily. You’re hardly the one to judge.”
She shook her head, her arms in the air. “Then at least believe me when I say that his brother is dangerous. I mean, I know that you do.”
I laughed slightly. “Okay, I agree with you there. But I don’t understand. How do you know all this?”
“I’ll explain later, Jane, but I think Alexis is in trouble.” Her eyes were wide.
Everything was happening so fast. “In trouble? What do you mean?”
Emily was pacing in small circles. “Greg took her to dance, but now I can’t find her or Wes.”
“Greg did what?” I’d heard what she said, but hearing it made the hairs on my arm stand on end.
“Emily!” I heard a yell from the other room, and we both looked.
Emily’s face was relieved. “Wes!” She yelled back.
I saw Wes push his way into the room.
“There you ar—” He froze when he saw me, his body becoming rigid.
Neither of us spoke for a moment as we stared at each other, speechless.
Emily finally grumbled, shaking her head as though irritated. “Listen, Jane. There are some things you need to understand. I’ve been meaning to find a better time to tell you, but I have a feeling this is as good as it’s going to get.” Emily’s eyes scanned mine, a weight carried within them. “The truth of the matter is, well...” She exhaled, seeming to gather her words.
“What, Em?” My own words were curt. I didn’t have time for her games.
“It’s just that...” She eyed Wes one last time. He gave her an approving nod. “I hear things, Jane, and Wes, well, he changes into things. Mostly animals. That’s what all the pain was about.” She was nodding arbitrarily, as though urging me to find what she was saying acceptable—believable.
I was in shock. I said nothing.
Emily went on. “Because I can hear things, Jane, I also know that you dream about certain things…” She shook her head, her eyes now avoiding mine. “Apparently.” She continued to eye Wes, “And then... Wes and I are dating. Got it?” Emily paused as though the fact that they were dating was meant to shock me, but it wasn’t that part that was shocking. It was the first three things she’d said. “But right now it’s important we find Alexis. So, please, Jane, try to keep up!” Emily’s cheeks were flushed.
“What?” I finally spoke, digesting her words but paralyzed by the absurdity of it all. Wes was staring at Emily with a half smile.
She grumbled again. “Get over it, okay? For the last time, Jane, Alexis is with Greg right this second, and Greg hardly seems like good company, especially alone.”
It finally sank in. I felt my heart lurch, and horror engulfed me. Whatever it was she’d just laid claim to was something I was just going to have to trust her on—for now.
“We need to find her!” I gasped.
Emily rolled her eyes at me. “Exactly!” She was nodding enthusiastically. “Finally, I’m not the only one that thinks he’s a cree—eep.” Emily froze, the color in her face draining.
“Emily, what is it?”
I felt a cold hand on my back then, and spun around. My eyes met Max’s. I smiled and looked back at Emily, her mouth ready to scream. Max was quick to grab her arm, his eyes like darts. Emily’s face instantly seemed to release, the color returning.
Emily looked confused for a moment, and then looked up at Max. “Oh.” It was as though she had discovered something new.
I heard Wes spout an angry breath. He pushed past Emily, breaking the hold Max had on her.
“Don’t touch her,” Wes hissed, his veins suddenly bulging on his forehead.
I gasped. I’d never seen Wes this mad before, not to mention protective, as though Emily was his mate.
Max put his hand in the air, his fingers splayed in a display of innocence. “Calm down, Wes. I’m not here to cause harm.”
Wes was huffing hard, his face beet red.
Emily looked like a pot ready to boil over, and the frantic look on her face returned. I could hear a scream slowly began to rise from her throat. I lunged at her, putting my hand over her mouth and latching my arm around her neck. I stood behind her, my chin on her shoulder. I hated that she was taller than me. Wes looked at me, his anger fading as he found himself conflicted—hurt me in order to help Emily? Or give in.
“Can we just stop this?” I spoke calmly, addressing everyone.
I could see that Emily was glaring at Max. She wriggled away from me. “What are you?” she spat at him.
I looked back at Max but he wouldn’t look at me. Max didn’t answer Emily’s question, instead burying it with a remark. “We need to find my brother, before he…” Max’s mouth shut, his face nothing but business.
I finally spoke. “Before he what?” I felt a little betrayed, as though I didn’t know Max at all, even though I thought I had.
It was then that a scream erupted from somewhere in the house. I looked at the crowd in the living room, but everyone was carrying on as though they hadn’t heard what we had. Why had I heard it? I looked to where Max was, but he was already gone.
“Where…” I looked at Emily, seeing she had the same look of confusion on her face that I did. “Did you hear that?”
She nodded gravely. “Clear as day.”
I heard the scream again.
“I think it’s coming from upstairs,” I added.
Our eyes grew wide, and our bodies lurched to life. We took off in the direction of the noise, pushing past the couples that were making-out in the middle of the dance floor. Reaching the stairs, we stumbled up the flights, stepping over one student that had fallen asleep there. In the upstairs hall, we saw Max standing outside a door toward the end. How had he gotten there so fast? He turned his head as he heard us, motioning us forward.
We walked carefully, trying to be quiet in case we heard the scream again. I scanned Max’s eyes for answers, but they were void of knowledge, void of the serene blue ocean I’d grown to love. Max grabbed the door handle as another low scream echoed in the room beyond. Emily and I looked at each other with fear in our eyes.
I heard the cold scratch of metal against metal as Max twisted the handle, finally throwing the door open. Emily and I arrived at his side. I was anxious to look in as I peeked over his broad shoulder.
The scream turned into a crazed bout of laughter. Alexis was jumping on the bed, screeching as she let herself fall onto the pillows, blankets fluffing all around her. Her hair was wild, and she was in her underwear. I scanned the room, seeing Greg was in a nearby chair, watching her with a look of amusement on his face.
Greg’s attention slowly turned to us. “Oh, hey, Brother.” He gave Max an innocent wave, but I knew better than to fall for that. “I think this one is a little drunk.” He winked, speaking in a whisper as though Alexis couldn’t hear.
“I’m not drunk!” she squealed.
I watched Max’s jaw tighten as he stepped into the room, his hands clasped tightly at his sides. He walked up to the bed, getting Alexis’ attention. “Alexis, are you alright?”
She giggled into the covers of the bed.
Max glared at Greg. “What did you give her?”
Greg looked annoyed by the question. He rolled his eyes and exhaled dramatically. “I don’t know. Something good, though. I can’t—”
In the blink of an eye, Max had crossed the room, grasping Greg by the neck. He lifted him out of the chair with one arm.
I gasped. “Max!”
It was as though I’d broken him from a trance. The blue color in his eyes returned, and his stone like face released. He dropped Greg.
Greg smiled at me from where he’d been discarded on the chair. His expression instantly made me regret saving him.
Max turned his head to look at me, his pupils still dilated. I stepped away from him, frightened by the familiar madness I saw in his eyes. It was a face I could never forget, even after ten years. He blinked a few times as he stared at me, his body seeming to deflate in size. I stood as still as I could, afraid that if I moved, Max would snap me in half. He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. The color had changed, the familiar stare of his past replaced with deep blue guilt.
He reached for me, but I backed father away from him, frightened by what I’d seen. Turning to look into the hall, I saw that Emily and Wes were no longer there. I looked back at Max, guilt still lacing his gaze as his brother began to chuckle. The chuckle was a song I’d told myself never to forget, a song that reminded me of death, and more specifically, my father’s death.
Not knowing what to do, I fled the room, too confused to understand what had been real and what had been a dream.
Emily:
“Wes, calm down.” I grabbed his face, willing him to look at me. His pupils wavered. “Listen to my voice, Wes.”
I’d managed to get him out of the house, stashing him in the cramped backseat of his car with little success. He was breathing hard, unable to focus on anything but the overwhelming urge to change.
I licked my lips, frightened that this wasn’t only dangerous for him, but also me. If he did choose to be the lion, or monkey, or anything for that matter, there was no telling what he would do to Greg or Max, especially when triggered as he was. I knew now that it was a bad idea to come tonight. Wes had been right to feel anxious.
I grabbed Wes’s hand, my own knuckles turning white as I grasped as hard as I could. Thinking of nothing else that could calm his anger and mimic the adrenaline, I crawled into his lap and straddled his legs. I took his hand and placed it on my hip before grabbing his face. I pressed my lips against his, his breath streaming through his nose and across my face, hot as a furnace.
His hand gripped at my skin and I winced, letting out a small squeal of pain, but refusing to let it stop me from distracting him.
His hormone fueled rollercoaster of thoughts began to slow, and he responded to my touch for the first time since I’d dragged him from the hall. My tactic was working. Wes was coming back to me. My muscles were taxed, but I continued to grasp his face. It was no easy feat for a one-hundred-and-twenty pound female to haul a two-hundred pound, blood hungry brute out of that house. I was sweating.
He bit my lip, splitting the skin. I tasted the metallic flavor of blood fill my mouth, but I didn’t care. He pulled me against him, his hands like steel. Slowly, his breathing became more regular, his thoughts no longer sinister, but rather something sweet. With all my strength, I pushed away from him.
“Wes.” I said his name, hoping he could hear me.
His eyes were shut as he tilted his head back against the black leather, groaning. I felt him rub my hip where he had grabbed it, his touch so soft that you’d think it was another person all together. I licked my lip, still tasting blood. As he opened his eyes, guilt flooded them.
“Emily, I’m so sorry.” He saw my bloodied lip, though I tried to hide it. He touched his finger to the cut, his eyes filled with hurt.
“Wes, it was my choice,” I reassured him.
He gently rubbed both my hips where I knew there had to be two large bruises forming. He relaxed into the seat. “I never want to hurt you, Em.”
“You won’t, Wes. I’m a strong girl.”
He grinned and pulled me against him, pecking the cut on my lip before twisting his lips with mine.
Just don’t break my heart, I thought.
Max:
I saw Jane walking along the street as my headlights shown across her familiar silhouette. I slowed, rolling up beside her and dropping the window. The tires slowly crackled against the cement.
“Jane.” She refused to look at me, though she knew I was here. I rubbed my head with my hand, frustrated with myself. “Jane, please.”
She stopped, her arms crossed against her chest. Still, her gaze remained on the sidewalk before her, staring straight at the ground. At least she had stopped.
“Jane, I’m sorry. Please, let me drive you home.” I was pleading. “It’s cold, and it’s too far for you to walk alone.”
I saw her lips move as thoughts jumbled inside her head, filtering through in cloudy snippets of information. “What was that all about, Max? What just happened?” She sounded scared; she felt scared. “I don’t understand. What. Is. Happening?” She was inspecting her hands.
I put the car in park and got out, sensing that I couldn’t let her do this alone. I watched her from over the hood. Her breathing was erratic, and I could almost feel the cold sweat that coated her skin. I couldn’t stand to see her this way. I wanted to comfort her.
I slowly navigated my way around the car, my hands held before me in my attempt to show her I wasn’t a threat. She backed away a few steps, but stopped. I knew she trusted me to some degree, but she had been caught off guard by my anger. I walked up to her. Her eyes remained locked on the ground, her muscles tense as she tried not to shake.
I weighed my options, knowing what I wanted to do, but unsure of what she wanted. The ring had hampered my efforts to completely understand her thoughts. I was fumbling in the dark, something I wasn’t used to. After much debate, I went with my gut for a change, carefully reaching up and touching her face. She flinched away from me at first, but as I coaxed her, she began to relax against my touch. I hadn’t done anything to persuade her relaxation; I couldn’t, not like I did with Emily in the kitchen.
Finding it an open invitation, I clenched my teeth and wrapped my arms around her. Jane’s calm enveloped me, the world relaxing for the both of us. Her tense muscles succumbed and our bodies welded into a comfortable shape. I shut my eyes in relief, knowing that my relationship with her was salvageable. Running my hand down the back of her hair, she buried her head in my shirt.
“You’re as cold as I am,” she muttered. She shivered against my chest, and I knew my lifeless body was only making it worse.
I pulled her away so that I could look her in the eyes. “Please, will you get in the car?”
She nodded, her teeth chattering as an icy drizzle began to fall from the sky, matting her hair.
I led her to the car, opening the door as she got in. Shutting it, I walked around to the other side and got behind the wheel. I cranked the heat and pressed a button on the center console for the heated seats. I shut the door and shifted into gear, planning to take her home. The car was silent as we drove, intensity filling the gap where calm once lived. I watched her from the corner of my eye, seeing her rigid and still in her seat. Her hands remained tightly wrapped in a ball on her lap, the shiver in her breathing slowly fading as the car grew warm.
I turned down Jane’s street, her house just up ahead.
“I don’t want to go home,” she whispered, seeing the front porch light through the dying fall trees.
I gripped the wheel, swallowing. A part of me was elated, but also sad. “Where do you want to go?”
She shook her head, and I could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes. “Anywhere.”
I sped up as we passed her house. I didn’t see Wes’s car in his driveway, but I knew that he and Emily were safe. Something inside me told me so. Being that close to Wes had allowed me to tap into his thoughts.
He was a shape-shifter as I’d originally feared the first day I’d brushed past him.
It was clear now that there was more magick in Glenwood Springs than I’d originally suspected. The Priory wouldn’t be happy to learn that it had gone undetected for so long. They will want to get to Wes and Emily before the Black Angels do. My brother would kill them if he knew, or if he already does know, then he’s planning to recruit them to his side. I only prayed that Greg didn’t notice what I had tonight; hoped he hadn’t yet narrowed his focus on Wes. He was important.
I’d left the Priory, gone rogue, but I feared that now that I was back, my old ties would resurface. The Priory always regarded me as a strong force against the dark evils of Greg’s world. They knew I had a special connection with him, almost like a tap into their very plans. It was only a matter of time before the Priory found out I was back, but at the same time, I feared I needed them as much as they needed me. I knew I could protect Jane on my own, but Emily wasn’t connected to me the way Jane was. She needed the protection the Priory could provide.
I was confident that Emily’s clairvoyance had given her a fair warning about Greg, and the shape-shifter could also protect her. I just hoped she was smart enough to recognize what Greg’s energy meant before he could suck her in. Wes’s magick was stronger than ours. A shape-shifter is one of the few beings that can defeat our kind. I don’t think Wes understands that yet, but if my brother decides to reap again, as he has before, Wes will learn the extent of his power soon enough.
I drove out of Glenwood Springs and down the long highway toward Denver, where the road was lonesome and the forest foreboding. I didn’t know where else to go, but I knew that driving in a car always helped me to relax. Hopefully it helped her the same way.
I knew how abandoned Jane felt. I knew she had been forsaken by everyone she loved: her mother, her sister, and worst of all, her father. I knew that what my brother did to her family was uncalled for. Jane’s father was hardly a threat to the Black Angels, but to put Jane in harms way in Greg’s vendetta against her father was unforgivable. I had to save her. She was innocent.
