The doorknob rattled and I cowered in my seat like a scared child.
“Cora?” It was Max. He entered the room, oblivious to me in the corner of it. The cherry colored loveseat blended in with the wallpaper. Once he spotted me, he looked relieved, like for a moment, he thought I had been dumb enough to run away. “There you are.”
“Here I am,” I responded with a shrug. “Alive for now.”
His shoulders slumped, more out of annoyance than anything. “Knock that off, all right? I didn’t spend two hours talking to Aga last night for you to pull this defeated shtick.”
“Two hours? Is that a good or a bad thing?”
“Find out for yourself. He’s asking to talk to you.”
“Oh, God...”
“Don’t flip out. He’s not waiting for you in his den with an ax or something. I just told him about what happened last year and he’s interested in hearing your perspective.”
“What exactly did you tell him about last year?”
“Everything.”
I grimaced. “Even about what I did to Owen? Max, I killed someone, and not just anyone, but a werewolf. What if they see that as some kind of unforgivable crime against their kind?”
He quickly sat down on the arm of my chair and said, “They won’t.” He was towering over me, his arm rested on the back of the loveseat behind my head. “Not every case is so black and white, Cora. He’s always known that I was turned after an attack. If anything, you saving me made you more endearing.”
“Why, are you two close or something?”
“He took me in, didn’t he?”
I ran my fingers through my bed head and then slumped forward in my chair. “If he’s such a great guy and this is such a great place, why did they take me? Why were they actually talking about killing me?”
“That was Paul,” he quickly pounded into my head. “Paul’s paranoid about every person who crosses his path. He thinks we’re going to end up in science labs being experimented on. Everybody is his enemy.”
“But what about Aga? He looked like he was considering it.”
Max went silent, his bottom lip tucked into his mouth. “You don’t understand what it’s like being what we are. We’re at high alert at all times. Everything sounds louder, everything smells stronger. We’re human beings overtaken by animal instincts and senses.”
“So, you’re saying he’s like a dog with a bone while on crack?”
His eyes momentarily closed, none too pleased with my comparison. “You could say that,” he said. “My point is, our paranoia can run a little high. And it’s not like we don’t have reason to. We’re goddamn freaks of nature. Who wouldn’t want to contain us?”
“Yet, when I brought up someone searching for you, you acted like I was crazy for being paranoid.”
“I never said that.”
“You brushed it off.”
“And I’m brushing this off, too, aren’t I?”
“Because you know me. Because you know a broken twig under snow is deadlier than I am.”
“I’m just saying his paranoia, even if it’s a pain in my ass, is justifiable. Your job now is to get them to let their guard down.”
“How do I do that?”
He shrugged very slowly. “I don’t know, get them to like you.”
I threw my head back and scoffed. “I can’t even get my relatives to like me and you think I’m going to win over a literal pack of wolves that want to murder me?”
“Nobody is getting murdered. I know Aga, he’s a fair guy. Just put on some of your weird ass charm, throw him a wink, and everything will be fine.”
“Yes, yes, because my form of seduction has proven successful in the past,” I responded sarcastically and rolled my eyes. About the only way I ever wooed a man was by accident and odds are, they had some form of brain damage that made them susceptible to my apparent charms.
“Just be yourself,” he said. “Hell, it worked on me, didn’t it?” His mouth formed a crooked grin and I felt my cheeks go hot as the sun. Why did that work on me every time?
I lowered my face and tried to recover from my sudden heated thoughts. “I forgot to say thanks,” I told him. “If it weren’t for you, Paul would have hung me from a tree.”
“You saved my life, I saved yours. Consider us even.”
Were we really even? Sure I stopped Owen from devouring him last year, but it was probably my fault to begin with.
“What are you waiting for? Are you going to go talk to him or what?”
I dragged myself off the love seat, messy hair, old t-shirt, sweat pants and all and sluggishly made my way to the door like a woman on death row. I looked about as horrible as I felt and I was in desperate need of a hairbrush.
“Wait,” I said abruptly and stopped in front of the door. Max was following me so closely we practically knocked heads. “What about Melanie? Where is she?”
How could I forget?
“She’s fine,” he assured me. “She’s in her room.”
“She’s probably freaked out right about now,” I said with a groan.
“As soon as you talk to Aga, I’ll tell someone to bring her down.”
“Thanks.”
I took a breath, composed myself, and then nodded for Max to open the bedroom door. I wanted him to lead the way just to feel safe. That, and I had no idea where we were going.
The place looked different in the light of day. Less scary, you could say. The candles arranged all over the angel statues were no longer lit, the red hallway carpet appeared lighter in shade and less gothic, and there was sunlight pouring in from the windows on each side of the spacious entrance hall that the room now looked alive and welcoming; almost heavenly from the glow.
When we went downstairs, there were about a dozen people filling the entrance hall, huddled together in groups of threes engaging in casual conversation. That was until I entered the picture. Their voices hushed, their eyes glared, and not a single one of them looked like they were pleased to see me here. I was a stranger, an outcast, a possible snitch. If I didn’t know it already, it’d be clear as day to me now; I was seen as an enemy.
The worst part was that I couldn’t even pretend to be brave. These were werewolves who were trained to turn at will. One comment out of me they didn’t like and they could devour me like the pack that they are.
Max set his hand on the hollow of my back, rushing me across the floor and toward the long hallway in front of us. He must have been able to sense the insecurity brewing inside of me. How could I not be a little timid? Every person in that room was watching me and the second I was out of sight, no doubt the whispers would begin. How the hell was I going to survive potentially weeks of this?
Goddamn, I needed to find out when the next full moon was.
As soon as we got to the hallway, Max abruptly stopped, turned around to face me, and then reached his hand out toward the wall beside me. I was surprised to see an oak door there, closed. I hadn’t even spotted it on our quest. I had anticipated it’d be at the end of the hallway to make my walk a much more dramatic stroll, but here it was, the very first door, and Max already had his hand on the doorknob.
Suddenly, he pulled away and said, “You better go in on your own. It’ll make a better impression if you meet him without me.”
“So, you’re saying you’re not going to feed me my lines?” I teased, garnering only a sympathetic grin from him. I exhaled slowly and said, “Wish me luck,” before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. I left Max behind, and could only pray that he wouldn’t wander too far, so I had someone to latch onto once I was finished. It was a pretty pathetic thought, I must admit, but so far, he had been the one thing keeping me alive. You think I was going to let something like that drift too far from me?
When I walked into the room, I immediately saw Aga seated at a brown desk, head hung low, focusing on a book, as he flipped his aging dreads to one side of his head so it wouldn’t disturb his reading. The room was a small study
, with wall to wall books, a tan shag rug that took up the entire room, and leather sofas situated around the desk facing him. On the upper walls were all these tribal paintings and symbols I didn’t understand. It reminded me of what I had seen at the front of the gate.
He was wearing a pair of glasses and when he saw me, he slid them off his nose and leaned back in his chair. “Don’t just stand there, take a seat,” he told me as his eyes were locked onto mine.
I was nervous and I fumbled my way toward one of the black leather seats in front of his desk and then slithered onto it like a snake. My stomach was in so many knots, I felt like I was a kid being called into the principal’s office.
“And how are you feeling today, Miss Cora?” he asked.
I rubbed my hands together and tucked them between my quaking knees. I then answered, “Fine,” which was a complete and utter lie. I didn’t sound the least bit convincing, either, so I don’t know why I even tried.
“Afraid, are you?”
I nodded.
“As you should be,” he responded, and even though the words were threatening, his voice was soft and bordering on friendly. “You’ve put me in a bit of a conundrum.”
“I know, and I am so sorry. There’s no one that wants you in this position less than I do. You just have to believe me when I say I am not a danger to you or any other person here.”
“Yes, as I’ve been told repeatedly,” he said and crossed his arms against his chest with an almost twinkle in his eye. “Max speaks very highly of you and what you’ve done for him in the past. I hear you saved his life.”
“I never looked at it that way.”
Shut up, Cora. Now is not the time for humility. Brag and say you’re a champion for the werewolves.
“He does,” Aga countered. “In fact, he believes if it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be alive today.”
“I only did what was right.”
“Not many do. If not for your swift actions, he’d never be here and I would have missed out on meeting such a fine boy. Perhaps I should be thanking you as well.”
“Let’s not get crazy,” I joked, but then immediately lowered my head and forced myself not to crack a smile. I wasn’t sure what the right or wrong thing to say was. Maybe he wanted me to remain terrified and if I smiled, it meant I was letting my guard down and it’d piss him off to know he lost his power over me. I honestly wasn’t sure what to think.
“What were you hoping to accomplish coming here?”
I thought long and hard. “I just wanted to see my friend,” I said candidly.
“And you said your cousin knows nothing of this?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, that’s about to change. With her staying here, she will be exposed to who we are and what we’re capable of. That’s on you.”
I slammed my eyes shut and nodded. “I know.”
“Someone from that town must know as well. Who else?”
I knew telling him I was the only one was downright insulting to his intelligence, so the best I could do was downplay it. “Most of the people that know the truth are dead. My Grandma knows, but she’s kind of loopy, so most people take what she says with a grain of salt. I have a friend that knows, but she wants nothing to do with this. I don’t think she told anyone. She’s kind of a loner, anyway.”
“And who have you told?”
“No one.”
He looked skeptical. “Not a soul?”
“Who would believe me anyway? We just said there was a wolf attack. I was only in town for the summer, so anyone I had a friendship with wasn’t there, so they just would have thought I was crazy. I didn’t want to be made fun of.”
“So, an entire year passed and you never felt compelled to confide in someone?”
I felt a lump form in my throat. “It’s not a time I enjoy thinking about.”
“Why’s that?”
Great, I could feel the sting of tears. I closed my eyes, trying to fight them away, and then answered, “Because I lost a lot that night. I guess it’s why I was looking for Max. I wanted something good to come from that summer.”
“And do you regret coming here now?”
“Yes and no.”
“Why no?”
“I found my friend,” I responded candidly again. I was feeling vulnerable, sitting there in my sweats and black Skid Row concert tee that had faded extensively from one too many washes, having to explain my feelings, actions, and past to a man I didn’t know, hoping and praying that he wouldn’t feed me to the wolves. Literally. Usually, I’d try to play coy with my answers, but I was just too exhausted and afraid to come up with a clever lie. I could only hope he appreciated my honesty.
Aga’s face looked to warm up, and as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his hands on the surface of his desk, I couldn’t help but feel he knew deep down I wasn’t a threat.
“I told you, you’d be going through a trial period here to see if I can trust you, and I meant that,” he began. “I also mean it when I say that if you prove to be a danger to anyone here, that I will have to remove you, whether I want to or not.”
“I understand,” I replied with a nod. “But I also know that won’t be necessary.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
I nodded once again, knowing it wasn’t my place to tell him what to think.
“You said I’d be staying until the next full moon—when is that?”
“Thirteen days,” he informed me, and quite precisely, I must add. Then again, what werewolf wouldn’t know the phases of the moon by heart?
“So, I’ll be here for thirteen days then?” I asked.
“That’s correct.”
“And what will I be doing? Am I confined to my bedroom the entire time?”
“Not at all. You have the freedom to roam the premises however you like. You just can’t leave.”
“So, I’m a prisoner then.”
“If you are to leave the compound, you must have one of my men with you at all times. You can’t go alone, and you absolutely are forbidden from leaving the city. This is as lenient as I’m willing to go.”
“I’ll take what I can get, I guess.”
Could I call this kidnapping? Was I a hostage here?
“You’ll need to call your work and tell them you’ve fallen ill,” he told me.
I shook my head quickly. “I recently started working for myself. I’m a freelance photographer.”
“A photographer, huh?” He looked genuinely impressed. “An artistic eye is always welcomed around here. Could help break up the monotony. Maybe one day, you’ll show me some of your work.”
“You’ll enjoy them as long as your standards remain mediocre.”
He chuckled. I actually made him laugh.
“Is there anything I can do for you during your stay?” he asked.
I was a little dumbfounded. He wanted to know what I wanted? What a bizarre captor he was.
“You’re asking me?” I inquired, my voice laced with bewilderment.
“Yes. You may be stuck here, but you are not a prisoner and thus, you will not be treated as one. While you live on my grounds, you will be treated with the same amount of respect as everyone else. You’ll just be under a watchful eye is all.”
This didn’t sound like the perspective of a man eager to kill me.
I blew air out of my mouth, feeling a little relieved that my odds were looking good. “Getting my stuff from my motel would be nice,” I replied. “Sweatpants are comfortable, but after two weeks they’re not going to smell so comfortable.”
He nodded. “I’ll send someone to get your things as soon as possible.”
It was such a small gesture, but knowing I’d be wearing my own clothes and not some stranger’s put me at ease. It was the closest thing I was going to get to home.
“Do you have any questions before you leave?” he asked. I was a little surprised to see our conversation coming to a close already. I felt like there was still so muc
h to talk about and for me to understand.
“I do have one question.”
“And what’s that?”
“Why all the secrecy? Why do you feel the need to keep me here, just so no one finds out about you? I’ve seen a werewolf in action and they’re, without question, stronger and faster than any human, and with you guys being a pack, I would figure that would make you unstoppable. What could you possibly fear?”
“We may be fast and we may be strong, but we are not invincible.”
“You’re the closest thing to it that I’ve seen.”
“Tell me, when you first discovered the truth, what was your first thought?”
“That I was terrified.”
“And that’s the problem. You are one woman, who is seemingly a logical thinker, and yet your gut reaction is terror. Take that mindset and that fear and multiply it by millions. History has taught us repeatedly that when people are faced with something different, something unexplainable, they lash out in the most destructive fashion.”
“So, you’re afraid of what will happen if people know?”
“Not afraid−protective. It is my job to look out for these people. I will not subject them to ridicule or possible execution just because they are different.”
“You really think the world would react that way?”
“You’re naïve enough to believe otherwise?” he asked and cocked his head to the side. “I don’t say this out of hate for the human race, but only from experience. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and we as people have not shown the utmost kindness toward those that are different.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but if you’re on the top of the food chain, wouldn’t the world be forced to accept you? Wouldn’t this put you above everyone else?”
“Who said anything about wanting to be at the top? All I’ve ever wanted was to raise my children and create a better world for them. A world where they can be accepted and embrace who they are without public ridicule.”
I couldn’t deny that it was a nice sentiment, I just didn’t expect it from someone I perceived to be king of the werewolves. Why would they choose to live their lives in the shadows when they could obliterate everything in their path? There were only three at that massacre last year and barely anyone got out alive, and we outnumbered them greatly.
Lunar City (Lunar Rampage Series Book 2) Page 12
