by Lila Rose
“It would be better and faster if I carried her,” Isaac said. My heart soared from the thought of having his arms around me once again. I couldn’t let it happen. I stiffened.
Ty felt it, because he said, “No. I will carry her.”
Isaac uttered some swear words I’d never heard come out of his mouth before and disappeared into the night.
What about Sofia? She needed help more than me.
Thankfully, Ty answered my unasked question. “Don’t worry, Leila. I won’t drop you, and I will have someone bring Sofia along. Steph, have Peter do it.” Ty smiled down at me, and I suddenly saw a flash of silver through his eyes before it disappeared.
What was that?
He took in a deep breath and started running. He was just as fast as I was in my human form.
Who was this guy?
Did I really know anything about him?
Was he actually blind? Because honestly, no blind guy could run through the woods like he was and not hit a tree.
Lies. There were too many lies.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ty walked in through the already opened back door to my house. I looked at the door as we passed through and saw it was nearly pulled off its hinges. What happened to it?
Other than the door, the rest of the house seemed unharmed. Ty bypassed the living room, where Isaac sat stiffly on the couch, and went straight to my bedroom. He laid me down on my unmade bed.
“I will l-leave you to…” he cleared his throat, “change. Just call if you need me. I’ll wait outside your door.”
Once the door closed, I wanted to lay there and succumb to sleep. However, I had no chance of it. Grunting and groaning, I moved into a sitting position. Blood had started to dry into my fur. I was in pain with every move I made, and now I was about to make it worse. But I had to shift back. I needed answers.
Still feeling nauseated by the small amount of blood I had managed to ingest, I started the shift.
My bones cracked, shrank, and moved around inside my body. Most had healed from my beating when I’d laid watching on in the woods. Still, every bit of me was tender.
I whimpered, growled and hissed through the agony, and once I was in my human form, the sounds changed to screaming, panting and cursing.
“Leila, what can I do?” Ty asked. I couldn’t answer him; it would take too much out of me. “That’s it, I-I’m coming in.”
A crash echoed in the hallway.
“You will not dare enter Leila’s room,” Isaac yelled.
“She’s in pain.”
“I know and neither of us can help her.” Isaac’s voice cracked, his sorrow showing. “Take your hand away from the door,” Isaac hissed. Something crashed to the floor.
“S-stop ordering me around, Isaac. I’m not one of your groupies and throw something at me again, I’ll fucking hurt you.”
Isaac scoffed. At least their bickering helped distract me for a little while. I fell back on the sweat, dirt and blood-soaked bed, breathing hard.
I wanted to take time to think, to lay there and rest, but I didn’t. Weakly, I stood from the bed on shaky legs, grabbed some clothes and swayed to the door, leaning my head against it.
“Ty.” I cleared my dry, raw throat. “Ty, move away. I want to go to the bathroom.”
“Do you need help?” Ty asked.
“Help will not come from you. Jezanna, please attend to Leila.”
Jezanna’s here? Please, Jezza come help me.
“Ty, move away please so I can get through. I think it best if you watched your own people in the living room. They seem tense enough to shoot one of us.”
You go, girl. I smiled at her teacher tone.
Ty’s footsteps retreated. A knock on my door jerked me away from it.
“Leila, I’m coming in.” I backed up and the door opened. Jezanna gasped at the sight of my bruised, beaten body. “Oh, darling. Oh, dear God.” Her hand went to her throat. “Look at what she’s done to you.”
My control cracked and I broke down. Jezanna was at my side in the next second, wrapping me in a blanket and taking me into her arms. “She will pay for this. Mark my words, she will pay.” She gently pulled me over to the bed and sat me next to her, holding me in her arms until the tears dried up. I wanted to cry more, guilt clawing away at me as it felt like I was cheating Gregory from the time I’d taken away for grieving him.
Jezanna stiffened beside me. “Someone’s coming.”
A soft knock at the door soon followed.
“Leila, can I come in?” Sofia asked with a shaky voice. Instead of having to answer, Jezanna went over to the door, opened it and walked back to sit next to me, placing her arm around my shoulders. I knew it was to show she would protect me if she had to.
Sofia looked as bad as I felt. Her hair was a mess. She had dirt, scrapes and bruises all over her and her clothes. Warily, she entered and closed the door behind her. Instead of sitting on the bed, she sat on the floor near the door.
“You should not be here. You caused this to happen. You tricked Leila. For that, you had better watch your back. I don’t take kindly to people who hurt my family members.” It was the first time I’d heard Jezanna speak so threateningly.
“Jezza.”
“No. It’s all right. She’s right, Leila, you and I both know it. I was glad when that Peter guy brought me here. I needed to talk to you, to check you’re okay and to apologize a thousand times over.”
Licking my dry lips, I asked, “Just tell me why, Sofia.”
“Let me start at the beginning, please. Then I hope you can… I don’t know, understand. Maybe, forgive me?”
“That will never happen,” Jezanna snapped.
Sofia nodded. “I get that. I do,” she said then sighed. “My parents were both attacked by different people who carried the canine disease. It wasn’t until many years later they met and married. Then Raven and I came along. They thought we’d be born like them, but we weren’t. We were human. So they gave us a choice. They offered to turn us when we turned sixteen, to make us like them. We both saw the advantages of having canine blood. So we said yes.” She looked down to the floor, absentmindedly rubbing at her collarbone.
“Everything was going along fine. We were all happy. I really loved the days we’d be out running together as a pack. Until one night Jason had caught Raven and I shifting.”
Tears fell freely from her eyes.
“The night I told you about, Leila. It did happen. Only it was different. Jenna had left the car and Jason kept driving. Then he pulled over and turned to me. Before he, he r-raped me. He said if I wanted to keep my secret, I had to do whatever he wanted. To start off with, I refused. Which was when he hit me and, and… I was too shocked to run. I just started crying. He said if I didn’t do as I was told, my family’s secret would get out and we’d be driven out of the town. I was sure my parents wouldn’t care. They’d be proud of me for fighting back. But then, he said if I didn’t follow the rules, he and his friends would have some fun with Raven, before… before they killed us all. Do you see? I couldn’t let that happen, so I played along.” She wiped at her eyes. “I’m so sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. I know I should’ve told you right from the start it would be a set-up because he wanted to impress MaryJane. But I thought… You see, I didn’t believe those things about you. I still thought you were an average teenage girl. I had hoped a witch, but now that I know you can change as well, we could have helped each other and we wouldn’t be like this now.” She sobbed into her hands. I wanted to console her. It wasn’t her fault I had someone gunning for me.
“Sofia. Sofia, listen. I don’t blame you for anything. There’s nothing to forgive.” I shrugged. “You were tricked as much as I was.”
Jezanna cleared her throat and we both looked at her. “I still think none of this should have happened, but I can understand your reasons for protecting your family.”
“Thank you,” Sofia whispered.
“I would get up and h
ug you, but I’m naked under here and that would just feel weird.” I smiled, making her laugh.
“Don’t your clothes change with you?”
“No. When I shift, my clothes fall away. Why, do yours?”
“Yes.” Sofia nodded.
“I believe the difference is that Sofia is a shape-shifter, where Leila is a were. Your cat form is at one with you; they’re both the same person. Leila was born this way.” Looking to Jezanna, she saw my questionable look. “I’ve been Googling.”
Sofia and I burst out laughing at the random answer from a vampire.
But if what Jezanna said was true, then Holy crap. There were many different species out there.
“Jezza, since you have all the answers, what in the hell happened to my back door?”
Jezanna laughed. “Uh, yes. That would be because Isaac received a mysterious call from someone using my phone.”
That was right; when I put my hands in my pocket at Jason’s, I found the phone and dialled the first number on it, hoping it would be someone who could help. Turned out it worked.
“He came straight here looking for you and in the process of entering the house quickly, the door just seemed to come right off. He found us all in your room, demanding to know where you were. I knew something happened, so I told him what you’d planned.”
Now I was grateful I’d mentioned to Jezanna where Jason lived or else they could’ve turned up too late.
“Leila, I’m going to have to go,” Sofia said sadly.
“That’s okay. I’m sure you feel as I do, ready to crash. Look, I hope you’ll come by more often.”
Fresh tears filled her eyes. “I would love that. Thank you, Leila, and I’ll bring Raven with me. She’s always wanted to get to know you.” She stood, came over and gave me a quick hug. I tried not to grimace in pain at the contact. “Bye, Jezanna,” she said as she opened the door.
“Yes, goodbye. And don’t fear. Jason has been dealt with,”—she glanced to me quickly, I nodded—“for what he did to Leila. He was not allowed to live, and now that I know what he did to you, I wished we had prolonged his death a little longer. Still, know this. He did suffer.” Sofia nodded, taking it all in before Jezanna added, “The others will no longer remember what happened this night or even if Jason had said anything to them regarding you and your family.”
Sofia sniffed, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you, thank you so much.”
Once she left, Jezanna turned to me. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jezanna helped me to the bathroom. She stayed that time because from my swaying, I couldn’t convince her I’d be safe enough in a shower on my own. Not that she got in with me; she stood silently by the door. I turned off the water and Jezanna handed me a towel. I tried to be quick drying myself, but there was no hope in that. My body still ached too much with every move. I got out with the towel wrapped around my body, and the first thing I saw was my reflection in the mirror. MaryJane had done a wonderful job on me. I was covered in bruises and scratches.
At least you’re not dead.
Well, there was that to be grateful for.
Jezanna helped me dress in a warm hooded jumper and tracksuit pants. I tied my wet hair up in a ponytail and looked to Jezanna’s concerned face.
“I’m all right.” I gave her a small smile.
“I know you’re not, Leila. We can do this another night. I can tell them all to leave.”
Scoffing, I said, “Yeah, right. No, it’s better to get it over with. But thanks.”
She gave me a nod, opened the door and walked out first to the quiet living room. As I came out behind her, the first movement I saw was Isaac rising from the couch coming towards me at the same time Ty was.
They pulled up in front of me, standing next to one another. Isaac went to reach out to me, but I stepped back.
“Don’t,” I whispered. I couldn’t look him in the eyes, knowing he’d be hurt by my word.
Instead, I walked around him and Ty to stand near the front window, next to Jeremiah and Jezanna. Isaac’s sigh was loud enough for everyone to hear. I heard him move to sit back down on the couch as Ty took back his position on a kitchen chair in front of the television.
My stomach growled. I was starving, but I knew if I ate something, I’d be bringing it back up in the next second. My stomach was unsettled. I was unsure if it was my nerves or fear from what they had to say or just plain exhaustion.
I opened my mouth to get the show on the road, only to clamp it shut again when some commotion started outside in the back yard. I turned to face the back door as others moved quickly to stand in front of me, ready to take on whatever was coming in. My heart thumped hard to see Isaac was one of them.
He wasn’t alone. Before me was also Ty, Jeremiah, Caelen, Jezanna and another of Ty’s people. All I knew was it was a guy, from the build—tall, broad, strong. The scent wafting off him filled in the rest. Yes, definitely male. The testosterone was too strong to think otherwise. It was too bad a black balaclava hid his face, like all of Ty’s people, except Ty. For some reason, I wanted to see what he looked like.
The back door opened and in walked Darik, Xavier, Adan, Jensen and two others Ty had sent off to track MaryJane. Jensen didn’t pause at the doorway of the living room, like the rest. He kept coming and then fell to the ground on his knees in front of Isaac.
Bending low, his face touched the ground. “My apology. I didn’t know what she had planned. I would have stopped it if I had. Please, if you will have me, I wish to swear my allegiance to you and your people.”
“Rise, Jensen Neon,” Isaac ordered. Jensen was on his feet within a second. “I will accept your oath. Tomorrow night, the ceremony will be held for those who want to be a part of my family.”
A small smile lit my face. At least Xavier would be happy.
“Thank you, Master.” Jensen bowed and stepped into the background.
People started to relax around me. I sank to the floor, crossed my legs and looked out to them all.
“Someone had better start,” I said.
“I would like to explain my part, but I’m not permitted to speak in front of the vampires,” Ty said as he walked back to his seat, with the other fella, who kept my attention, following. The sway of his body, the liquid movements did something to me deep within my stomach. I let the blush come, because it was obvious to anyone who was watching me I’d just checked out the guy’s butt. And, bloody hell, even that said guy knew and started laughing. His laugh was deep and rich, and I wanted to drink it down. I turned away and shook my head. Unfortunately, I’d turned toward Isaac on the couch. He openly gave the guy a death glare. When he looked to me, his expression softened.
“Sire,” Darik called. “We need to update you.”
“Very well,” Isaac said.
Darik dipped his head. “We couldn’t catch her, Sire. She’s still out there. I’m sorry.”
My stomach dropped.
God, she was still out there, still after me. What would she do next? Murder me in my sleep?
“Leila,” Isaac said.
But I didn’t—couldn’t stop all the thoughts of how MaryJane would plan to kill me next. Panic rose in my chest, but I didn’t want to break in front of everyone. Even though most of them already knew or had heard I had a near breakdown in my bedroom before. So why not let the terror take over? Why not let myself drown in it?
It was bound to happen, because I was destined to be dead.
“Leila. Look at me.” Someone shook me. My gaze focused on Isaac crouched in front of me. “She will not harm you again. I will not allow it.”
Could he stop it? He couldn’t before. Would he want to? I didn’t know. I knew nothing, and it was mixing all my thoughts up. What was right? What was wrong? Who could I believe?
Hissing and growling started around me. I shook off my stupid paranoia. Damn it, she would not beat me down. I was stronger than that.
I
can do this. I have to do this. I want to live. I want to love and protect my family freely.
Clenching my fists, I took a deep breath and looked up to see Jeremiah holding back Isaac, while Ty was… holding back the masked guy with the cute butt.
What’s that about?
Standing, I yelled, “Stop.” Everything quieted. “I don’t care what’s going on. I need answers and I want them now. Ty, if you want to speak with me, you have to do it in front of my people. They’re my family. Everything you say, I’ll just tell them anyway.”
Isaac shrugged off his brother and gave Ty a smug look. Ty shook his head and let go of who he held.
Rolling my eyes, I added, “And, Isaac, the same goes for you. Everyone speaks freely in front of everyone or I’m going to scream.”
“I agree, Leila,” Isaac said.
“Yeah. I guess. They’ll just kick my arse later for it,” Ty replied mildly.
Who was going to kick his arse?
“Good, great.” I nodded. “Now who’s starting?” No one said anything. “Okay then, I will. Seems you two are being stubborn jerks.” A few laughed. Only I wasn’t trying to be funny. I looked to Isaac, who stood by the wall near the front door. “How did you know she worked with Gerald?”
He came back to sit on the couch, glancing up at me as he said, “I found out the day she arrived. After leaving your room that night.” I didn’t miss the emphasis, but I had no idea why or to whom he was trying show off to. It seemed all men, regardless of species, could be confusing idiots. “Darik and I were driving home when Seraphine and Hamish came out of nowhere. They explained they followed Mervin,”— known as Freckles to me—“to MaryJane’s residence. There, they overheard Mervin informing her of where I was. The strange part was, he never mentioned who and what you were, Leila. She ordered him to stay at her house, because she would be the one to take care of everything by controlling and delivering me to Gerald, along with my people. Seraphine and Hamish quickly left to inform me of her plan. I asked them to return to her house to… end Mervin and stay there in case they could learn more.”
My breath hitched. “So you played along with her, why?”
