I looked away every time, my loyalty to Cass flaring like a beacon in my heart. Not that she had any idea. It was about the biggest protest I could manage though.
As we climbed out of the canyon, I didn't spare much thought for the sheer fall beside me, or what fate might await me at the institute. All my brain-power was focused on how to break this bond with Ulvic. I went over and over in my mind of how I'd done it before. When I'd been pressed up against Cass in the narrow food lift, ordered to kill her. I that felt the answer lay in my love for her. But that didn't help me much now. Perhaps I'd only be able to break a bind if she was in direct danger because of Ulvic's commands. And I didn't think kissing Nadine's face off counted as life-threatening. Unless Cass choked on her own vomit induced by our sickening display. Yeah, I could hope for that...
So how did I make being with Nadine a life-threatening situation to Cass? That was the answer I searched for as we finally reached the top of the cliff. Because, cheesy as it was, my heart was probably going to give up on life if it had to pretend to love Nadine much longer.
Cass
Jameson can kiss whoever he likes. It doesn't bother me one bit.
I made a silent vow that if he ever tried to kiss me again, I'd rip his lips off and shove them up his arse. Not that he had eyes for anyone but Nadine now she'd shown up.
I was essentially the anti-Nadine in terms of my looks. Not that I cared. I wasn't self-conscious. I had a lot of pride in my own appearance. But the fact he was melting all over her like a snowman in the sun, definitely picked the scab off an old wound.
Seeing him with Nadine, confirmed what he'd told me. Jameson clearly wanted her. I had to accept that. But it was hard to ignore the fact, that even in our current predicament, he was happy to shower affection on her like a puppy with its favourite toy.
It made me sick to watch, so I tended not to as we headed on through the forest. I kept at Silas's side, soaking in his company. Silas was hot. And he cared for me. And he had even offered to provide me with somewhere to live and raise my child. For free. What wasn't to like?
Reason kept casting curious glances in my direction. She walked a few feet away from me, forging a path in the undergrowth. I raised my brows in a question. “What's up?”
“It's just...I can't feel anything you're feeling.”
Selena had told me this about Reason, that she could sense other people's emotions.
Reason frowned, gazing from Silas to me again. “Are you really one of us now?”
“Well, I'm only half Werewolf,” I explained.
She nodded. “I saw you turn, back on the ship.”
I gave her a smile. “I haven't be able to do it since, though.”
“You'll work it out,” Silas said, his shoulder bumping mine.
“What remains of the Vampire part of you?” Reason asked.
Silas explained it better than me, so I let him take the lead. It struck me that I was strangely grateful to him for the new life I'd been given. My feelings toward him would always be soured by the fact that his father had transformed me against my will. I hadn't asked Silas if his father would be present at the institute on this island. Probably because I feared the answer. I didn't want to meet the man who'd decided my fate for me. Who'd decided to have me cut open to replace my heart. No matter what I was because of it, I could never forgive that fact.
As Silas began telling Reason about my diet, I started to notice the burning sensation in my throat. My mouth grew dry and I sucked my lips as I tried to stave off the desire for blood.
“You're hungry,” Silas cut off mid-sentence as he noticed my expression.
Mekiah glanced over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes on me. Most of Ulvic's pack were wary of Vampires, probably because Ulvic himself despised them.
I felt eyes on me all round and I halted, backing up from the wolves. “I'll find you soon. Keep walking.”
“But-” Silas shifted toward me. I shook my head firmly, widening the gap between us.
I caught sight of Jameson and Nadine watching me from the back of the line, his arm slung over her shoulders. My fangs dug hard into my tongue as Jameson's gaze slammed into mine. I could tell he was on the verge of arguing my decision, clearly having heard me with his bloody wolf ears.
Before he could utter a word, I turned and strode off into the trees, letting the jungle envelop me. It wasn't long before the group were out of sight, but I'd find them easily enough with my heightened senses. I wasn't in any hurry to get back though. Being alone suddenly felt like a breath of fresh air, and I allowed myself to meander through the ancient trees, soaking in the earthy scent and the sound of twittering birds.
After a while, I paused amongst a copse of teak trees, their huge trunks at least twice as wide as me. I ran my fingers across the rough bark of the closest trunk, gazing upwards into the canopy, breathing in deeply as I searched for the scent of something big enough to sate me.
Another scent found me instead and I turned as the mellow smell of Jameson washed over me. Irritation spiked through me. I didn't turn around as he approached, cracking twigs beneath his shoes. I didn't want him to think I was angry with him. Because then he'd know that I cared about him being with Nadine. That seeing them together made jealousy rear its ugly head inside me. It was turning me into someone I didn't like. Someone I'd been a very long time ago when I'd discovered my ex was cheating on me.
I'm not that girl anymore.
I forced my features into a look of casual disinterest, turning and raising a brow.
His expression was slightly disarming; his eyes were like burnished brass and his mouth was curved down tightly at the corners. I could probably count the amount of times I'd seen Jameson frown on one hand. It didn't suit him. And it also meant he was hurting. Which, despite my best efforts, tugged at my heart strings.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“No,” he murmured, then cleared his throat. He pointed to his neck, a smile finally finding its way onto his lips. Looking more like himself, he said, “Thought I could save a critter or two from a premature death.”
My hunger urged me toward him in two steps, but I forced myself to halt.
Don't you dare drink from him.
I shook my head. “Go back to the others.”
I moved to walk away, but Jameson caught my hand, his rough palm encasing mine wholly. My heart beat a desperate, hungry tune.
“Come on, I don't taste that bad, do I?” He tilted his head to one side, his expression playful, but I could see a flare of hope in his gaze.
A swell of bitterness hit me and I decided to hit him with a little stab of my own. “Look, I never told you before...but when I drink from you, I see snippets of your memories. Moments from your past.” I took a sharp breath before delivering the painful blow. “So I'd rather not have to witness fifty one-night stands today, thanks.”
I pulled free of him and he let me go. I started walking, but his footsteps followed, making my shoulders stiffen in frustration.
“You can see my memories?” he asked, not sounding annoyed as I'd hoped, but kind of happy. Elated even. What was the matter with him?
I increased my pace and he increased his. We entered a ridiculous game of cat and mouse. Every time he sped up, so did I, not letting him get a hand on me.
“Cass, stop,” he begged. “If you can see my memories, then you have to drink from me!”
“You're insane!” I called back in exasperation, but a niggling thought entered my mind again. Was he really responsible for all of his actions lately? Was he trying to show me something?
In a flash, I halted, turning to face him. He nearly crashed into me and had to brace himself on a tree to stop.
“Please.” His metallic gaze was full of longing and it broke my resolve. Jameson was not normally one for begging.
“Alright,” I gave in, moving toward him, curious. “But I can't control what I see.”
He nodded, his Adam's apple rising and falling. I stepped i
nto his personal space and his breath sent a whisper of air across my neck. “But maybe I can...”
I nodded, our eyes clinging to each other's until I dropped my mouth to his throat. His scent was all-consuming. Desire and hunger collided. I lost control, sinking my fangs into his neck and forgetting everything but how good his blood tasted, how sweet and warm and sating it was.
I shut my eyes, vaguely aware of digging my nails into his back to keep him in place. Not that he was struggling at all.
Flashes of memories crossed my mind, but nothing was tangible. I kept drinking, relaxing as the Vampire part of me took over.
A memory burst across my vision in full force. I was dragged back to the first day I'd met Jameson, sitting beside him in a cell in the Helsings' castle. The bloody remains of a body sat across from us; a man we'd killed together, forced out of our right minds to do so. Jameson wore only a pair of navy boxers as he sat beside me. It was strange to see what I'd looked like on that day. A newborn Vampire. Dressed in jeans and a white vest, all stained with fresh blood. I was as pale as the moon, my eyes wide and alluring. Nothing like how I looked now. It hit me how much I'd changed since. Back in a time when I'd considered ending my life just so I didn't have to endure another day as a dead, blood-thirsty thing. But now I realised, I didn't feel that way about Vampires anymore. Not after getting to know Varick and Kodiak and all the other Vs I'd met in The Sanctuary.
The memory played out before me through Jameson's eyes.
“What were you, before all of this?” He nudged me with his bare knee.
Past-me grimaced as she answered. “I was still a monster. Now I just have the fangs to match.”
Jameson's thoughts carved a path through my mind.
Is it weird I find her super hot even though she's dripping in blood? I can't stop looking at her, she's mesmerising. She's like...fire.
Jameson rocked back and forth. “Funny, 'cause you don't look like that to me.”
“What do I look like?” Past-me asked, seeming wary, but somehow hopeful.
Jameson tilted his head to look me in the eye. “You look like a firefly; the first light I've seen in all this godforsaken darkness.” And I think I just met my next obsession.
The memory rippled and changed. Ulvic's face came into view. He was standing in Jameson's bedroom back in The Sanctuary, looking fierce.
The ground rocked beneath my feet and the vision disappeared. I stumbled backwards, my fangs coming free of Jameson's neck.
“No-wait-” He reached for me, but a tremor shook the ground again and he finally noticed, his gaze dropping to the earthy forest floor.
“What is it?” I gasped.
“I don't know,” Jameson growled. “Let's get back to the group.”
We started jogging, then running as the ground continued to tremble. The trees whipped past my ears as I picked up my pace, running at full-speed, listening out for the others. I heard them calling out our names. It wasn't long before I spotted them through the foliage, just up ahead.
The forest floor crumbled away beneath my feet. I screamed in alarm, dropping like a stone. My torso smashed into the side of a pit and I clung on for dear life. A new sound met my ears, a whirring, slashing noise. Something dragged at my legs and I realised I was being sucked downwards.
I glanced down into the hole, spotting a rotating blade, sharp and silver, spinning at high speed, causing the suction. I cried out in fear, clawing my way upwards. Jameson's hands were on mine in seconds, hauling me out.
“Keep going!” I shouted as he tried to check me over. He kept close this time as we pelted back toward the group. They were running ahead of us. Pits were opening up all over the place. Whole trees were sucked into them, and a shredding, tearing noise filled the air as the entire structures were digested, reducing them to nothing but sawdust.
A hole fell away before us and I tugged Jameson sharply to my side as he nearly ran straight into it.
We weaved through the plain of death, the undergrowth concealing the pits as we moved. The sound of the rotating blades was so loud as it devoured parts of the forest around us. The only other noise I could hear was the thumping of my heart in my ears. We leapt over two more pits before we caught up with the group.
The ground suddenly dropped away sharply and the whole world seemed to crumble around us. The forest floor was dragged forward down an enormous slope. I fell, slamming into the ground, trying to find something to catch hold of.
Mud, bushes and branches slid past me as I rolled and rolled. Screams filled the air.
I gazed down into the huge pit which had opened up before us, the size of a valley. The whole jungle was being swallowed by an enormous blade, spinning so fast, I could feel the wind dragging me down toward it.
I slammed into a small tree jutting out of the ground, catching hold of the bendy trunk and gripping on with all my might. I spotted some of the others further up the hill, the three of them clinging to a large boulder. Mekiah, Reason and Silas.
I gazed desperately around for Jameson, spotting him far below me, running down the hill.
Down?
I screamed his name, then spotted the reason he was defying all logic.
Nadine and Lorena were in serious trouble. The two of them were clinging to a fallen tree, but the roots holding it in place were snapping one by one. It was going to be ripped free at any second. Jameson fell forward, wrapping his arm around a group of sturdy vines before climbing onto the tree trunk, boldly making his way toward the two girls. The vines holding him started to break, the cords fraying and ripping. My heart almost went into cardiac arrest.
He's going to die.
Making a wild decision, I let go, stumbling and running down the hill. Jameson caught hold of Nadine and Lorena, guiding them up onto the trunk of the fallen tree. Two of the vines holding Jameson snapped and he skidded forward, crashing into the girls. He grasped Nadine's hand and she held Lorena's, the three of them screaming as the drag of the vortex pulled them backwards.
Jameson was down to one vine.
I nearly fell a hundred times. One trip would be the end of me. But I couldn't stop. If anything, I increased my pace. I caught sight of the final vine holding him, keeping them all alive. It was wound around another tree that was still planted in the ground further up the hill.
The sinews were breaking. Any second now, the vine was going to snap and all three of them would be killed.
Sweat sailed down my brow. I pushed my legs harder and faster than I ever had in my life.
I reached the upright tree just as the vine broke. I jumped.
I caught it, slammed into the ground and was dragged down the hill, bruising my hips as rocks battered my skin. I dug my heels in, tugging hard backwards before slamming into the tree trunk they were all clinging to.
I held them in place and Jameson climbed the vine as I dug my heels into the roots of the tree. It was going to be unearthed at any second.
I couldn't think beyond getting Jameson back at my side. But what then? How were we ever going to climb out of this valley?
Jameson clambered up the trunk-one handed, keeping Nadine's wrist in his grip. Lorena clung to Nadine's arm with both hands, following her as they climbed toward me. The tree groaned as it was uprooted and I cried, “Jump!”
Jameson, Nadine and Lorena dove forward, crashing to the ground beside me. The trunk flew away behind us, cascading down the hill into the blades. Everyone was sucked backwards. I clung to the broken roots in the ground with one hand whilst Jameson held onto me and the others hung from him.
Fear took hold of my heart.
We were done for. We couldn't move unless that blade stopped. My arm was being wrenched from its socket.
Jameson lifted his head, his eyes widening. A hand slammed onto my shoulder and I turned, finding Mekiah, Reason and Silas all attached to vines around their waists, holding onto each other in a line, just as we were doing. Reason took my hand and I gripped on firmly, hauling myself upwards. Me
kiah was at the head of the line, looking fierce as he battled his way uphill, one slow foot after another, heaving his way up the vines. Everyone followed suit, moving upwards, pulling each other along.
Slowly, impossibly, we closed in on the top of the valley. I started to hope there was a chance we'd still survive. A tree flew overhead and everyone ducked as it slammed into the ground beyond our group.
Incredibly, we all made it to the top. Mekiah led the way behind an enormous boulder that didn't seem to be in danger of being uprooted. He slammed his back to it and we all followed suit, wedged up against each other. Jameson was sweaty as he dropped down beside me, his arm crushed against mine. He patted my knee. “Thank you,” he panted.
“Any time,” I breathed, resting my head back against the mossy rock. The groaning of the forest continued on and on until it seemed the entire world would be sucked into the blades. But the whirring eventually stopped and the remaining forest grew quiet once more. Everyone was silent, panting, tending injuries as Reason passed out V blood and Larkspur.
Next, she handed out bottles of water. “What was that?”
“The third security ring. We must have passed through another force-field without noticing,” Silas answered. “We need to get out of here.”
“No shit,” Mekiah muttered moodily.
“Thank you for coming back for us, Jay,” Nadine said, dropping her hand onto Jameson's.
Jay?
I tried to ignore the sight in the corner of my eye as Jameson slipped his fingers between hers. My gut felt like it was being shredded in those rotary blades.
“Well we'd be looking like ground beef right about now if it wasn't for Firefly.” Jameson nudged me and I managed to form a smile.
Nadine leaned around him, placing a hand on my arm. Sweat gleamed on her brow, her eyes wide and full of thanks. I softened toward her, smiling more naturally this time. “Thank you. Really,” she pressed. “I don't know what we'd have done without you.” Guess it wasn't her fault Jameson was in love with her.
Wolf Games: Island of Shade (The Vampire Games Book 5) Page 18
