by V. Vaughn
“Tally.” Izzy sits next to me on the couch, and it sinks from the weight of a woman who is seven feet tall. “My god, you look horrible.”
“I know. I haven’t been able to work out for days.”
She chuckles. “I bet you haven’t had any of my morning shakes either.”
I grin. “See? I’m a mess without you.”
Izzy turns her attention to Bella. “So tell me this great plan you have to save Tally.” A low growl rumbles from Izzy before she adds, “And then I’ll tell you mine.”
Chapter 11
Kelsey
I run my tongue over my teeth and wish I had a toothbrush to scrub off the film. The faint light coming in from the crack in the ceiling of the cave I’m in makes me think it’s morning, and when I pull my covers down to sit up, my breath catches at the icy temperature. There’s no way I would have survived the night if Linda hadn’t brought me a sleeping bag. I glance around the cave and notice what looks like a small backpack set far enough away I can’t reach it. I thought Linda left with her bag last night, but now I wonder if she left it here by mistake.
I slide back against the edge of my cage, and my hamstrings ache as I extend my legs. I bend over them to stretch. When my stomach growls from hunger, the urge to cry is strong, and I whimper. Why hasn’t anyone come to save me yet? I wonder what Val is doing. He couldn’t have slept well last night either. Was he out searching for me? I let out a sob that I can’t contain. I want to be wrapped up in his arms, where nothing can hurt me, and I hug myself tight as I shake with my silent crying.
I can’t believe I’m suffering because of a life my sister led, which had nothing to do with me. I close my eyes to squeeze back the tears as fear begins to take over. I’m not sure what the hunters want with me, and I recall Linda said I wasn’t going to die. But the memory of Buck slapping her puts ice in my veins, because what I may endure could be worse.
As tempted as I am to give in to a major crying jag, I shouldn’t, so I swallow down the lump in my throat instead. I need to think clearly if I’m going to find a way out, and I can’t waste my time on self-pity. I take a deep breath and focus on the bear that lies within. While I can’t feel her because I haven’t been changed, I know she’s there, and I imagine the strength my feral side can bring me.
As I replay the conversation with Linda last night, I reinforce my plan to use her close friendship with Caitlyn to my advantage. I also wonder if she might want to get away too. I didn’t get the impression she wants to be involved with men like Buck--it was more like she was resigned to it.
The light footsteps I’ve come to know as Linda’s sound in the distance, and my stomach growls again in anticipation of breakfast. She doesn’t speak, and I wait for her to talk to me as my stomach sinks. Did she wise up and realize she shouldn’t befriend me?
She squats down by the bag I saw earlier and blocks it with her body. She turns to me with a large takeout cup. “My god, it’s freezing in here,” she says as she approaches me. “I can see my breath.”
“I know. If you hadn’t brought me a sleeping bag, I would have frozen to death.”
“I’m glad I brought you hot coffee this morning.” She pushes it through the bars to me, and paper rustles as she hands me food. “Sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel, and lots of hash browns.”
“Thank you.” The bag and cup have the logo of a chain fast-food place I know isn’t in the states, and it confirms I’m still in Canada. I bite into the greasy goodness and wash it down with coffee that’s been sweetened with a lot of sugar.
Linda asks, “Were you able to sleep?”
“I did. Thanks.”
She shakes her head. “I hate seeing you in that cage like an animal. Oh--”
I want to put her at ease so she’ll stay, and I hope I’m not sharing too much when I say, “Caitlyn didn’t know she could shift. When she couldn’t make it happen, her mother sent her away.”
“So she was kicked out by her family.”
Now I flat out lie, because I’m sure the whole story of Julie stealing Caitlyn isn’t something I should tell Linda. “Not by her father. Everyone thought she had run away. Her mother sent her to prep school so nobody would find out she wasn’t a full werebear.”
Linda lets out a small noise of disgust. “She didn’t fit in at the prep school, and that’s how she got recruited for the Eradicators.”
So they’re called the Eradicators. I glance at my fried disc-shaped potatoes, and while I’d love to devour them, I need a reason to keep Linda here. “Do you want some of these? They’re really good, but I can’t eat them all.”
Linda lowers herself to the ground to sit across from me. “I love these things. Maybe just one.” She reaches over to take one from the carton I hold out to her.
I ask, “Were you recruited too?”
“No.” She barks out a quick laugh. “Buck picked me up in a bar. I had less than ten dollars to my name and was hoping to find a warm bed for the night.” She frowns at me. “I suppose you think that’s slutty.”
“No.” I like Linda, and while I’ve never had to worry about where my next meal came from, I can imagine what it would be like if you did. “I think that’s called survival.”
“Yeah. Well, I’ve done a lot of things to survive that don’t make me feel so good.”
I wonder if she’s killed any werebear and am tempted to ask. “Did you know Caitlyn was a werebear?”
“No. She hid it real well.” She sighs and scans me with her gaze as if she’s looking for clues that I’ve got a bear under my skin. “I’ve never seen one of you up close. At least that’s what I thought. You blend right in, don’t ya?”
Considering I didn’t know I had werebear in me until a few weeks ago, nobody would have ever known. “I guess. But I can’t shift, so it’s really only in my genes.”
“So you’re like an illegitimate child or something.”
I smile because I guess I am. “Yeah. I grew up without a father.”
“Me too. But there were daddies, you know?” She wraps her arms around herself as her face clouds over with what I think are unpleasant memories.
A scenario of men walking in and out of Linda’s life as a child runs through my head, and I say, “Yeah,” as if I experienced the same thing. “It makes for some messed-up relationships.”
“Tell me about it.” Linda groans as she stands. “I gotta go, but I’ll be back with more food later.” She gathers my garbage and packs her bag.
I wish I could make her stay longer, but the last thing I need is for her to think I’m trying to get her on my side. “Okay. Thanks for being so nice to me. I know you don’t have to be, and I appreciate it.”
“Eh. It’s not hard.” She takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh. Her eyes glisten in the dimly lit cave as she speaks. “I know what it’s like to be trapped.” Linda turns away and walks off quickly.
Once she’s gone, I let myself smile, because now I’m sure Linda doesn’t want to be with the Eradicators. All I need to do is figure out how to work it. I think about a class I took in college. We discussed the characteristics of resilient people who manage to rise above the lousy life they were born into. They have hope and keep fighting toward their dreams. I wonder what makes Linda want to survive, and if I can find out, maybe I can use the information.
I know what is keeping me hopeful. I have a lot to live for. I have a wonderful life planned with Val, a father I’ve just met, and a mother who is my best friend. So while I’d like to believe that Val will find me, and it would be so easy to depend on that, I can’t. I’m not sure if my bear is waking up, or if there really is a warrior within me, but I’m determined to work on a way to escape instead of waiting to be rescued.
It might be the lack of sleep or the constant darkness that causes me to start chuckling. I came to Canada to start a career in boatbuilding, but what I’ve managed to do is enter into a secret world very few people know exists, and most wouldn’t believe it’s true if they did
. I’ve got shape-shifter genes in my DNA, and with a bite from the man I love most, I’ll become a werebear. As if that’s not crazy enough, I’m currently trapped in a cage, waiting to find out what the people who plan to kill off my kind want from me. My laughter echoes off the cave walls, and it takes a while for it to subside.
When it does, my body is weary, and the ground beneath my prison floor is cold on my back when I lie down. Metal clangs when I press my feet against the bars. I recall how my mother never wanted me to come to Canada, and for a moment, I wish I’d listened to her. But then the teal-blue gaze of my true mate locked with mine floods my mind. “Oh, Val. Even with all that’s happening, I can’t imagine life without you.” I refuse to believe I’d find the love of my life only to have it yanked away. So I close my eyes and replay my memories of Val as I try to get more sleep.
Chapter 12
Izzy
When I get to Bella’s house to talk to Tally, I have to fight to hide my horror at her appearance. She is pale and appears as fragile as a china doll as she sits across from me on the couch and sips on tea. My blood boils with the knowledge that Victor Veilleux is sucking the life out of her in order to stay on earth instead of returning to the dead where he belongs.
When I spoke with his daughter Tori, who is the current alpha of the Veilleux clan, she was as angry as I am that our witches called him up, and has her warriors searching for him. Apparently, he took his true mate, Lily, and disappeared. While Tori assured me Lily is a good woman, neither of us is sure what Victor has told her or what she knows, and Tori’s attempts to communicate with her telepathically seem to be blocked.
The Ouellette warriors are spread dangerously thin right now with the need to protect our clan and the search for Kelsey, but Jean Luc, René, Henri, and I decided we had to send a team to help find Victor. Our warriors working with the Veilleux will keep us in the loop.
I glance around the room at Lucian, Leanne, and Bella, who are all standing, and ask, “Who’s going to tell me this great plan you have concocted to remedy your mistake?”
“Izzy,” says Tally. “This didn’t happen because we were careless.”
I tilt my head at her but bite my tongue before I make a smart remark. Lucian says, “Victor disappearing wasn’t something we could have predicted.”
Now I can’t hold back. “Really? You let Kimi take him away all by herself. And you’re surprised a petite older woman couldn’t control an alpha werebear male? What a shock.”
I notice Leanne is trembling from my harsh tone, and she should be. I turn to Tally. “Perhaps you should explain the plan to me, because while I seriously question your judgment right now, I think you’re the only one I won’t hurt.”
“I know you’re mad, Izzy. But if I had the energy, I’d remind you how powerful a tiny person can be.” Her eyes are flashing with anger at me, likely for insulting Kimi and witches in general, but it fades quickly. “We had to take the risk. All clans are in danger now, and we have to stop the new coven of witches who are behind the multipronged attack.”
I don’t want to back down, but I realize that’s exactly what I need to do in order to solve the problem, so I take a deep breath. “Fine. You say you have identified who is leading this coven.”
Lucian must have a death wish, because he jumps in. “Cassandra is one of the most powerful witches of our time.”
I whip my head around and let my fangs come out as I growl at him. His eyes widen, and he steps back, which calms me a bit. Tally pulls my attention back to her. “She’s leading a coven of outcasts. These people”--she takes a shaky breath--“don’t take rules of conduct into consideration.”
“So they practice black magic. And now you have to do the same, which is why you’re in this current predicament.”
Tally nods weakly, and her eyelids lower a bit as if she’s struggling to stay awake. She whispers, “Bella.”
Bella glances at me, and I nod to let her know she can speak for Tally. She says, “What we fear is that Victor will continue to suck out Tally’s life force and magic until it’s all gone.” Tally has lain down on the couch, and Bella sits on the arm of the sofa to stroke Tally’s hair. “We need to travel through Tally to him and break the connection. Because he’s a werebear, we need magical werebear to be our anchors. That’s you and Carly Le Roux.”
That sounds logical enough to me, but I know better. “What’s the catch?”
“Black magic is tricky, and there is no guarantee that we can stop Victor pulling the power through Tally or--” Bella swallows hard. “Or if we’ll all end up losing our magic to Victor.”
I glance around the room and imagine the love they must have for Tally to do this. I don’t have to consider losing my magic for her life, but I wonder if Carly Le Roux will be so quick to agree to this plan. “You’re all prepared to take this risk?”
Lucian says, “May I speak?”
I nod.
“I’m confident this spell can work because of your immense power.” A smile plays on my lips at his attempt to suck up to me. He becomes animated as he says, “With strong anchors, we’ll be able to blast in and blow up the connection to send him down to the bowels of hell!” The man’s hands fly up in the air as if he’s preaching.
“Lucian!” says Bella. “Sorry, Izzy, he’s got a flair for the dramatic.”
I offer a wry smile, but I’m not amused. “That he does.” Tally’s asleep, and she snores softly as Bella continues to pat the tiny witch’s hair. “How long can we wait before we have to do this?”
“We have a couple days,” says Bella.
“Okay. I’ve been in touch with Tori, and we have teams searching for Victor. Let’s give them some time before we try your plan. Has anyone heard from Kimi?”
They all shake their heads, and my stomach sinks. I suspect Kimi has suffered an incapacitating fate at Victor’s hands, and I hope it’s not a permanent one. I turn to Jace, who has been sitting quietly in the corner through our discussion. I know he’s used to more exciting assignments like the rescue mission for Kelsey, but he is one of the best warriors in out clan, and I want him to stay with Tally. I think about Lance and Gene outside, who came to be my guards as well as to relieve Jace if he wanted it. I won’t go against Jean Luc’s wishes, so I ask, “Would you like to be relieved?”
He shakes his head. “No. It’s an honor to be guarding Tally, and I’d like to stay.”
“Thank you, Jace. I appreciate that very much.”
He shrugs. “She’s grown on me.”
Now my smile is real because I recall he was not happy about having to guard her at first, but Tally managed to win him over as she does with everyone. I look at my best friend, and my heart aches. “Bella, I want to give her some of my magic to help. I don’t mind if she takes it all.”
She shakes her head. “It’s too risky. Now that we know Victor didn’t honor the deal Kimi gave him, I don’t doubt he’d suck it all out of her.”
I think about my healing powers. They were strong enough to repair a torn trachea on my sister-in-law, and I wonder if I can do anything to help Tally feel better. I say, “I’d like to try something else. You know I have the ability to heal. Do you think it would work?”
Bella says, “It can’t hurt as long as you don’t touch her.”
“I don’t need to.” I get up and walk over to kneel by the edge of the couch. Placing my hands over her body, I call up my magic and let threads of it travel through my fingers to create a glow around Tally. I envision her muscles strengthening and her blood filling with more oxygen.
Her eyes flutter open. “Izzy.” She lets out a small sigh. “That feels so good, but you shouldn’t be wasting it on me.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “I’ll recover after a good night’s sleep.” When the color returns to Tally’s face, I stop. I close my eyes as I sink down to the floor. My body feels as if I ran a marathon, but if it helped, it’s worth it. I glance at Tally. “How do you feel?”
But I didn�
�t need to ask, because before my eyes, her face turns to a sickly pallor. She smiles. “I love you for trying, Izzy.”
I make sure my mental shields are up and reach for her hand. “Maybe it’s my green shakes you need after all.”
She chuckles softly as her eyelids lower. “Or a good view.”
I picture my friend on the elliptical at the gym as she ogles the shirtless werebear working out. Even though I know she’s fallen asleep, I whisper, “I’ll see if I can get Marcel to take care of that for you.” Emotion wells up in me, and if I weren’t here in Prima capacity, I’d let tears fall. Instead I take a deep breath and stand up to glance around at the witches. “I’ll leave you all to tend to Tally. We’ll be in touch.”
When I get to the door, I turn to look at Tally one last time. She’s barely hanging on, and my sadness turns to simmering rage. Victor Veilleux has picked the wrong clan to mess with, and I can’t wait to show him why.
Chapter 13
Nadia
The aroma of coffee hovers in the kitchen as I prepare to make breakfast. As I expected, Caitlyn got drunk enough last night that I decided to keep her here rather than take her back to the cabin in the woods where a guard may have had to deal with her crazy ideas. She was talking about taking a road trip to meet as many werebear as she could with the hope of finding a true mate, and I have no doubt she’ll regret that confession this morning.
René contacted me a few minutes ago to say they have a lead on where Kelsey is being held and have set up a stakeout by a cave just out of our territory. Bacon sizzles in the pan as I crack eggs into a bowl. My bear is frantic with the need to be part of the mission, and once I get Caitlyn safe in her home, I’m going to insist René let me join them.
I turn to the sound of shuffling feet. “Coffee,” mumbles Caitlyn.
