by Melissa Haag
I didn’t blame Charlene for her shudder. Anything with eyes still in place was off the menu for me.
Plate loaded with Crab Rangoon, General Tso’s Chicken, and fried rice, I made my way back to the table. Carlos was already sitting. He barely had anything on his plate. He had a bit of rice, a bit of something that didn’t look familiar, and that was it.
I studied him as I sat. As usual, he gave nothing away.
“You sick?” I said.
He exhaled slowly and turned to look at me. His dark eyes hinted at sadness, though he continued to be an emotional void.
“No.”
“Don’t you like Chinese food?”
He glanced at his plate.
“I’m not sure I’ve had it before.”
Not had it? It wasn’t in my trinity but it was darn close.
“Then you need to start with one of these,” I said, holding up a Crab Rangoon. He didn’t even look at what I offered him, just leaned forward and took a bite while maintaining eye contact. My hand started to shake. He reached out to steady it, eating the second half in one bite. His lips brushed my fingertips.
“Thank you,” he said.
I cleared my throat before I attempted to speak.
“No problem.”
For the rest of the meal, I kept my food to myself. Slowly, the emotions of everyone else in the room started to bleed into me.
If Ethan thought I was unusually quiet, he didn’t mention it.
* * * *
Grey beat me to the room, and I saw my bag on the bed with him.
“Werewolves are ridiculous,” I said before closing myself in the bathroom to change into my exercise clothes and pull my hair back. When I stepped out again, Ethan was on the opposite bed, reclined and watching TV.
“You game for a little exercise?” I asked him.
He glanced at me and gave me a reassuring smile.
“Nah, I’m going to milk it another day.”
I shook my head at him and left the room. He probably wasn’t milking it. He hadn’t asked me to rub any more ointment into his shoulder, and I was willing to bet it was because he didn’t want me to see the ugly colors his bruise was turning.
The exercise room in this hotel was almost nonexistent. The tiny room had a treadmill, an elliptical, a TV, and a Carlos. He leaned just inside the door and straightened when I walked in.
I debated turning around but knew I would regret it if I did. My skin already itched. He was here and sparring was always better than running. So I stayed.
Ethan had made a valid point before we’d eaten. Running wasn’t an option. That left tolerating these people. Most days, I didn’t tolerate well. I needed to set things straight with Carlos.
“We’ll need to be careful in here,” I said, looking around at the foot room.
He nodded and got into his ready stance. I started out slow with easy jabs. He blocked each one with an open palm. His stoic silence, both emotionally and verbally, bugged me.
“What did you think talking would accomplish?” I asked, just before I picked up the pace.
He shrugged.
“Not good enough.”
I dodged around his block and caught him in the ribs. He exhaled slightly, so I knew he felt it, but otherwise gave no other indication I’d even touched him.
“It was obviously planned,” I said as I continued with a few jabs. “I mean, you had Winifred say something to Ethan, so he wouldn’t ride in the car with us. And you said Grey wanted you to drive, so you would stay calm. Meaning, you talked to him about it beforehand. If you planned something, you had to have an expected outcome.
“So, what did you hope to accomplish?”
“Alone time.”
“We’ve had alone time. This is alone time.”
“Alone time where you weren’t angry.”
“Then you picked the wrong topic.”
He stopped blocking and straightened. I automatically stopped hitting.
“Why did it make you angry?”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve known about you people for what? Three days? You flipped out when I first met you. The girls in this group—my ‘sisters’—are all paired up with a werewolf; then, the first night Ethan and I join the merry men, Michelle comes to my room and mentions how she was attracted to Emmitt. Next, you try to start talking about ‘the pull.’ Three days. How would you react?”
“So, it has nothing to do with him?”
I knew he meant Ethan.
“It has everything to do with me. Just me. I will never be with anyone. Ever. I kill people, Carlos. Slowly. I leave behind burnt-out shells of who they used to be. Ethan understands that. He jokes, and I know he would be there waiting for me if things ever changed; but he knows that, to keep him safe, I have to keep my distance.”
“I’m not like Ethan.”
“No. You’re not. You’re scarier. The control you have over your emotions is incredible. But, you’re a volcano. When your emotions finally erupt, you will leave devastation behind. If I’m around you when that happens, I can’t imagine how it would feel under my skin.”
I sighed and rolled my shoulders.
“Now, are you going to help me purge or not?”
He nodded and got back into a ready stance.
* * * *
“Isabelle, get up and get dressed.” Grey’s loud, firm voice startled me awake. I sat up as a light turned on.
Grey was out of bed, grabbing my bag. Carlos was reaching out to shake Ethan. Grey tossed the bag to me. His urgency seeped into me.
I quickly got out of bed.
“E, get your lazy ass out of bed. Now.”
Ethan sat up and looked around at us.
“What is it?”
“Gabby said we need to leave immediately,” Grey said. “A group of ten are netting this way. We have five minutes to be a mile from here.”
Crap. I shouldered my bag and slipped on my shoes. I had a tank top on and leggings. Good enough.
Ethan bounded out of bed, grabbed his shoes and bag, and went to the door. As soon as he opened it, I heard movement in the hallway.
“Hurry,” Winifred said.
I hustled to the door with Grey close behind me. The others were already speed walking the hall, heading toward the lobby. I kept pace with Ethan. The glass door showed the lit parking lot. The sun wasn’t even close to rising.
Ahead, I saw Clay walking near Gabby. She was speaking softly.
Ethan went straight for the car and slid into the backseat. I got in and closed my door a second before Grey and Carlos closed theirs. Ours was the second engine to roar to life. We were in the middle of the procession out of there.
“Talk, Grey. I want to know what’s happening.”
“There are more now. They’re closing in fast. Gabby says they aren’t veering at all, almost as if they know right where we are.”
We sped through the streets. The city wasn’t overly large, and it didn’t take long to reach its outskirts.
“They’ve made city limits and have split up. Five in each group. They’ll find our trail.”
The vehicle in front of us accelerated suddenly. Carlos pressed the gas to keep up.
“Buckle up, Isabelle,” he said, glancing in the mirror.
I hadn’t realized I’d skipped that part. I clicked the belt and reached out for Ethan’s hand. His strong fingers wrapped around mine.
“We’ll put as much distance between them as we can. It should be fine,” Grey said. He faced forward, watching the road, so I wasn’t sure who he was reassuring.
For the next two minutes, only the sound of the wheels devouring the blacktop kept us company. I wasn’t sure if it was because Grey had no update or because he focused on something we couldn’t hear.
His uneasiness worried me, though.
“Grey?”
“They have our trail. The net’s closing.” The quiet way he spoke sent a spike of fear through my chest. Ethan’s reassuring fingers squeezed mine lightly.
“How many?”
“At least sixty, more closing in behind them.”
My pulse spiked. Sixty? I looked around. Fields and trees and a few houses.
“Stop the car by the next field,” Grey said.
“There’s no way to avoid them?”
“None.”
I turned to look at Ethan. He met my gaze steadily. He’d already closed himself off.
“Keep that wall up,” I said, squeezing his hand. He nodded.
“Grey, warn the rest. They need to close themselves off from me as best they can or stay away from me.” My insides quivered with what I knew I would need to do, what I didn’t want to do. But I needed to protect everyone. I needed to protect Ethan.
“Done.”
The vehicles pulled over and doors opened. I wanted to tell Ethan to stay in the car, but given our last experience with Urbat, a car wasn’t any safer than out in the open. We moved into the field. Emmitt, Clay, and Thomas pushed their women into the middle of our loose circle. Winifred stayed near them. Bethi came to stand beside me after handing something to Ethan. She oozed fear.
“Take a hit,” she said.
I pulled her fear away from her like the thick, unwanted skin it was. It filled me with energy. She pulled out a wicked knife from her jacket and held it with ease.
“Have you used that before?”
“Yeah. You taught me how in another life.”
“Good.”
After that, no one spoke. We waited in silence under the stars.
Nine
The thunder of feet hitting the ground reached us first, then the Urbat came out of the darkness like a swarm of locusts. My pulse leapt at the sight of so many creatures devouring the distance between us. They sprinted on all fours, and their teeth glinted in the moonlight as their challenging snarls filled the air. I shivered, rolled my shoulders, and stepped a few feet ahead of the group. I needed room.
I glanced over my shoulder, a look that took less than a moment, but the details seared into my memory.
Luke and Bethi stood together, just slightly back to back. Clay crouched in front of Gabby. She had a hand on his back as if restraining him. Emmitt and Jim had Michelle pinned between them, her pale, frightened face seeming to glow in the moonlight.
Thomas was pushing Charlene closer to Michelle, so he could box the women in with his sons. Sam, Grey, and Winifred encircled them with Sam near Gabby and Clay. Ethan stood directly behind me, the knife he clutched in his hand very similar to Bethi’s. His gaze focused on the oncoming horde. My breath hitched in concern for him, and I shifted my gaze to Carlos, who stood a step away from Ethan and me.
Where Ethan looked nervous, Carlos appeared calm. A mountain, unyielding against the approaching storm. His gaze met mine. Maybe it was his stoic presence or maybe I caught something more in that brief connection, but whatever I saw firmed my resolve.
I turned back to face the approaching mass. One hundred yards away, two branches split off the main group to surround us.
“Give me your fear,” I shouted. It didn’t matter if it came from my companions or the beasts.
As soon as the dogs were within range, I pulled hard. A few staggered. My skin tightened and energy heated my blood. I bent my knees slightly and brought up my fists.
Then the beasts crashed upon our group like a wave upon a shore.
The men shouted. My sisters screamed in fear.
Kicking out, I caught one of the creatures in the face. Teeth and blood flew. I inhaled his fury, grabbed his head, and twisted. I didn’t break his neck, but I did turn him. Bethi dove forward and used her knife to finish him. Luke moved with her, shielding her from another attack. She immediately withdrew her knife and spun to help him. I dropped the wolf and swung out at the next beast.
The brutes pushed against us, a wall of furred bodies bent on our destruction. I kicked and hit and pulled in emotion until I felt bloated with it. When one beast fell, another took its place.
Someone screamed again. Gabby. I risked a look.
The wolves were trying to get to us, the Judgements. One beast had caught Gabby’s arm, but quickly lost his hand with a swipe from Grey. Grey, the liar, fought beautifully, his moves a testament to his strength and precision. The wolves around him fell rapidly, a few seemingly helped by an invisible hand. Sam fought much the same as Grey, taking on three or four wolves at a time. Winifred was gone. A white wolf now guarded Charlene, Michelle, and Gabby. The Elders weren’t letting any Urbat near the three.
Ethan and Carlos fought together behind me.
Seeing everyone protected, I turned again, hitting a wolf hard enough that he staggered toward Bethi. He noticed her and started to change, growing human arms to try to grab her. Before I could move forward to intercede, another animal lunged for me. It met my fists. From the corner of my eye, I saw Luke turn and attack the wolf going for Bethi. The distraction cost Luke, though, and another wolf’s claws raked bloody gashes into Luke’s chest.
Bethi started yelling obscenities, and her anger flooded the area. It gave me the power I needed to push back the beast I fought and gain enough room to bring both hands up and shove a thumb in its eye. The creature yowled and screeched as it fell away from me.
Something crashed into my back. The weight nearly brought me down but immediately disappeared. I almost turned but caught myself in time. There were too many circling us for even a moment’s distraction.
“Back to back,” I yelled. I shifted positions and felt Ethan move closer. We’d sparred together so many times, we now moved in a fluid harmony that seemed surreal in the violent chaos around us. I knocked an Urbat to the side, and Ethan lashed out with his knife, silencing the snarl.
“More coming!” Gabby yelled.
More? We couldn’t handle more.
Behind me, I heard Carlos growl. The sound gave me shivers.
A wolf in the wake of the one I currently fought, crouched low, its hind legs bunching. It sprang in the air, sailing over its fellow monsters, right toward me. Carlos jumped and intercepted it with a thud. Midair, as they fell, Carlos wrapped his massive hands around the wolf’s head and twisted, successfully executing the move I’d tried earlier. The body fell to the ground.
My arms were growing tired. Even while sparring with the werewolves, I’d never moved so quickly, hitting and blocking seemingly within the same second. I needed more juice.
“Walls!” I yelled, only giving them a moment before I pulled hard.
I used the new power to push away yet another attack. But my narrowed focus enabled another wolf to lurch closer.
Carlos reached out and grabbed the creature by the throat, stopping its forward advance. In the second before he yanked the beast away, it lashed out with its claws, raking my side. I grunted at the pain but didn’t stop moving.
Behind me, Ethan’s anger slipped. He’d been holding his guard well, trying to shield me from his emotions as much as to shield himself from my pull. Now, he fought furiously, irate that someone had actually hurt me. I also felt his exhaustion and pain. He favored his right shoulder. I’d done that to him.
Turning, I caught one of the attackers by the throat and threw him away before he could touch Ethan. Ethan swiped out with his knife and caught another man’s forearm.
The rumble of more feet vibrated the ground, and I felt a flicker of fear. My own. There were too many. Sweat coated Ethan’s face and wet the back of his shirt. Even the infallible Carlos strained against five partially shifted men.
I fought harder. We needed to reduce their numbers before more came. I stepped forward, slamming my fist down on a muzzle. The crack I heard should have worried me—my bones or his?—but I was already turning to face the next creature.
Then, the world stilled.
Pain ripped through me, sudden and sharp. I struggled to breathe and clutched at my middle. My gaze fell to my hands. But there was nothing there. No blood. My eyes widened as I realized the pain wasn’t my own.
&nb
sp; Lifting my head, I saw the unthinkable. A half-formed wolf stood toe to toe with Ethan. Ethan’s mouth was open in a silent cry of pain, his knife paused in the air, mid-swing. I saw why. The thing’s furry arm had vanished into Ethan’s stomach, piercing him. As I watched, the creature pulled his bloody hand out. A drop of red fell to the ground in slow motion.
No, this wasn’t right. It wasn’t real. I blinked and made a sound of denial when the image remained. The thing before Ethan cackled and turned toward me.
Like a marionette cut from its strings, Ethan crumpled to his knees. The knife fell from his loose fingers. His arm pressed against his bloody stomach, and he fell to his side.
I barely noticed Carlos jump between the creature that had hurt Ethan and me.
The thing cried out in pain while I dropped to the ground beside Ethan. Someone shouted something at me but I couldn’t hear.
Ethan’s gaze found mine, and his lips twisted in a sad smile as the chaos around us seemed a world away. His ragged breathing filled my ears, and I felt everything.
His hopelessness and pain.
His love.
His acceptance of his death.
The acceptance cut me deep. I clutched at his hand and petted his cheek.
“No, Ethan,” I said. “Stay with me. Come on.”
Memories flashed through my mind. Us walking to school together. Me defending him when kids would pick on him for his crappy clothes. Him convincing me to go to my first high school dance.
His hand rose and touched the loose ends of my hair.
“I love you.”
The pain in my gut intensified, and tears tracked down my cheeks at his words. He wasn’t just saying he loved me. He was saying goodbye. I wanted to scream. He wasn’t supposed to die. It was E-Z all the way. We’d made that promise so long ago. Together, always. I held his hand tighter.
“I love you, too.” I bent forward and kissed him. My lips trembled against his. His fingers touched my cheek. I tasted blood, and my tears fell faster. I couldn’t let him go like this.
Slowly, I inhaled, pulling in emotions from everyone around me. Bethi’s anger and fear. Luke’s devotion to Bethi. Clay’s determination to keep Gabby safe. Gabby’s despair and resignation. Sam’s outrage when someone clawed Gabby. Grey’s deep sorrow.
