The man was pale and hunched over, his dark eyes watching her intently between his grimace.
‘So it’s true then,’ he murmured, the twang pronounced.
‘I don’t know what you have heard about me,’ Nicci replied, too angry to be embarrassed. ‘But I am not who you think I am.’
‘You’re exactly who I think you are,’ his voice was getting weaker, and his skin was now pallid and sweaty. ‘Hello Cousin.’
The words echoed around them into the trees. Nicci’s vision narrowed and a darkness was seeping in. The man’s face went limp and his hand dropped away from his neck, releasing another gush of blood onto the ground. Corey looked up at her, and his eyes grew softer. He nudged her hand and then motioned towards the town.
‘Yes, you better go find Dru,’ she agreed, reaching down to help stem the flow from the stranger’s neck. ‘We need to make sure he doesn’t die.’
The last thing they needed was a dead Knute on their hands. Whether she believed the theory about her being an illegitimate heir to the pack or not, she knew that his death would bring nothing but pain and misery for anyone associated with it. That would make Corey the prime target. And given that their pack wasn’t even fully formed yet, they didn’t have the strength to to defend him. Saving this guy was their only hope.
It seemed to take forever until she heard the soft thud of their footsteps. She had done the best she could to stop the man from bleeding, and his body was trying to repair itself, but he had lost a lot of blood. His breathing was short and shallow, and he was still unconscious. While she was waiting, she had studied his face, looking for similarities to her own. They were there. The same, square jawline, but the nose wasn’t. Hers was short and pert, his was broader. Their hair definitely was the same, but lots of people shared her hair colour and not all of them were real. But the smell…
Close up, she could scent a lingering touch of sweetness in him that seemed to very familiar to her from long ago. This one was a little different, more oaken and rounded, but even so, the same. Memories tugged at her, and something about a man staring down at her face, his dark eyes piercing into her as he said something. But it was such a long time ago, and the face was foggy.
Dru and Corey shifted back, and as she looked up into Dru’s face she could see the tight line of his mouth and the dark furrow of his brow.
‘Jesus,’ he swore, dropping to his knees beside her to look at the wound. ‘Well, you did a good job on this one Corey.’
Corey had been carrying a first aid kit in his mouth which he had dropped to the ground when he turned. Pulling it open, he started ripping out crepe bandages and disinfectant. ‘But he was going to kill Nicci. Adrenalin just kicked in, and when I saw his neck I took my shot.’
‘Remind me to never piss you off.’ Dru was trying to make light of the situation, but their patient wasn’t looking good.
‘Shall I ring an ambulance?’ Nicci offered, inching back from the body and feeling the ripple of helplessness sink in.
‘No, I think he’ll come right. We don’t want to get the outsiders involved in this one unless we absolutely have to.’ Dru wiped the wound clean and was wrapping bandages around it carefully. Already the gash had stopped leaking. ‘But he’s lost a lot of blood, so it’s going to take him quite some time to recover. We’ll have to make up a room back in town where we can give him time to convalesce. Thank god we heal so quick and he’s so fit. On anyone else this would have been fatal.’
‘I’ll go see if there’s anything in the van we can use and then we’ll drive him back to Nowhere.’
‘Sounds good.’ Dru caught Nicci’s gaze. ‘I’m glad you’re okay.’
She could feel the humming of her pulse and the tingling in her stomach as she tried to wrench her gaze away.
‘Thanks,’ she muttered. ‘Come on, Corey, let’s go get this sorted. We’ll be back in a minute, Dru.’
He nodded, and the two of them ran in the van’s direction. Nicci picked up the torn clothes from the guy on the ground and found his mobile phone. Flicking it on, she noticed there were several missed calls. An American number. Shit. She hoped that they hadn’t already sent someone to investigate why he wasn’t answering his phone. But the phone was password protected, so she couldn’t ring them back if she wanted to. Which she didn’t.
Dru and Corey carried him back to the van as best they could. He was so big that it took the strength of both of them to get him that far. He was muttering something under her breath, and she tried hard to hear it. But it didn’t make any sense. Whatever language he was using, it was foreign to her. But it was also strangely familiar. Once again, the tug of an old memory stirred.
#
CHapTEr TwenTy THree
Dru had a terrible sense of impending dread about this whole scenario. As they rolled around next to each other in the back of the van, their hands holding onto the stranger, the red gash on his neck stood out in stark contrast to his pallid skin. He hoped that the guy made it through the night. It was hard to tell with shifters what healing was going on internally, and they had elevated pain thresholds. He could still be bleeding they just couldn’t see it.
Nicci was watching his face, her eyes large and rounded. He knew without even asking that the violence of it all scared her, and it was hard to ignore the similarities in their features. Their similar colouring. The way their jaw-lines looked side by side. There was little doubt about it. They were related.
Dru sighed. He was going to have to explain to his potential new pack what had just happened. It would be impossible to hide the stench of blood that clung to their clothing and radiated around the back of the van. Not to mention that this guy, who had been introduced to them all as an official, was now lying unable to move and with a giant wound to his neck. This would not be fun.
He’d only ever seen his Dad attack someone twice in his life. The first time, a guy had broken a key pack rule by breaking the law, making the police turn up at their residence. It was something his father could never tolerate. Privacy was key to safety, he had drummed into everyone, and the last thing they wanted was the police poking around. The second time he was attacked by another pack in an attempt by them to claim territory . They were unsuccessful. He killed every single one of them and sent their claws back to their families as a reminder of who was in charge. The smell that hung in the air that day now clung again to his nostrils. Both times he had been terrified of his father. He didn’t want to see that fear reflected in the faces of the kids who had been kicking the soccer ball around earlier.
The van slowed eventually and stopped, and the back door swung open. Dru was first out, as he checked to make sure that the kids were safely removed. Behind Corey people had congregated, their inquisitive faces peering around his shoulder and then looking away aghast. A murmur grew in the crowd as Dru and Nicci hauled the lifeless form of the visitor out into the later afternoon sunshine. Mark spoke up first.
‘What the hell happened?’ He stroked at his red beard, the highlights of it flashing in the sunlight.
‘Turns out this guy isn’t who we thought he was,’ Dru answered. ‘Corey, can you please give me a hand, mate?’
The two men twisted their bodies into the back of the van to haul the unconscious figure out, their muscles straining with the effort.
‘We have a spare camping stretcher if you need it?’ someone called out.
‘Yes please’’. They set the man back down until someone returned with the stretcher.
Corey called out, ‘Does anyone have any medical experience?’
The murmur grew louder before the small plump form of Clare stepped forward. ‘I have some. Not much, but I’ll help if I can,’ she offered.
‘Thanks Clare.’ Corey gave her a smile and her cheeks blushed red.
‘Great,’ Dru grimaced as the full weight of the fellow pulled on his muscles. ‘Lead the way.
’
They walked the few yards to the house, and the stretcher was rushed in ahead of them. Setting him down on the floor, they picked up limbs at either end and moved him across to the bed. He groaned loudly. Nicci had followed them in and was standing at the end of the stretcher, her face pinched, while a small group of people were hovering around the door. Clare pushed her way through and moved up to the side of the bed. She grew pale when she saw the damage.
‘Jesus,’ she murmured under her breath.
‘Is it bad, do you think?’ Corey asked, his fingers running through his hair. ‘I mean, is he going to survive?’
She gently pressed at the wound, causing a few more groans before she made her assessment. ‘No, I think he will be fine. His body is already healing itself nicely, but it’s been a deep wound. It might take him a day or two before he’s back on his feet. If we leave him to rest for now, we can bring him something to eat later on. Hopefully, he hasn’t damaged his vocal cords or the trachea so he can still speak and eat.’
‘He said something to me earlier,’ Nicci offered. Corey, Dru, and Clare turned to look at her.
‘What did he say?’ Dru prompted, his eyes drilling into her.
‘Nothing much,’ she stuttered. ‘He just called me something.’
‘What?’ Dru asked, feeling a sinking feeling in his chest.
‘Cousin,’ the words fell out barely above a whisper, but as the entire room was silent they echoed into the darkness.
Clare looked confused and the two men turned to look at each other.
‘It might not be true,’ Corey whispered.
‘Fuck,’ Dru swore.
Whispers came from the open doorway, and they turned to find Gloria shooing away the twins.
‘So sorry,’ she added. ‘They shouldn’t be hanging around being nosey. I’ll just go get rid of them.’
‘No wait,’ Dru added. ‘Can you please tell everyone to meet us by the fireplace? We need to chat about this. It’s important.’
She nodded and scuttled away, leaving just the four of them and the patient in the room. Clare had placed her palm on his forehead, her brow knotted. ‘He’s warmer than I would like. I think I’ll go find some paracetamol. Glo might have some liquid stuff for the kids we can feed him. Do you need me at this meeting?’
‘I think you should be there,’ Dru admitted. ‘This affects all of us. But if you need to be here for him, we understand.’
Her lips pulled tight. ‘Okay then, I’ll grab some medicine and be back in a sec.’ She disappeared out of the door, leaving just the three of them.
Dru looked across at Nicci, who was staring silently at the stranger. ‘Why didn’t you tell me before that he recognised you?’’ His fingers were tingling, the anger barely restrained in him. Corey was getting too involved in all of this. He was there to save Nicci, not Dru. He was the one who heard the guy pronounce her as family. Every important moment of the day, Dru wasn’t there, but Corey was. He loved Corey like a brother, but he was feeling the animosity building. Clenching his teeth, he waited for the answer.
‘Corey was there before he passed out. He said it then,’ she replied, her eyes not meeting his own.
‘Right,’ Dru didn’t know if he believed her. It was impossible to tell with Nicci if she was lying or not. Maybe she was falling in love with Corey and felt like she needed to protect him. His stomach rolled in complaint. It was growing hard to stop his brain from creating images of the two of them making love in the woods that afternoon from crowding his vision. Corey’s hands pressed against her smooth skin. Her head thrown back in ecstasy as Corey sucked on her nipples. Maybe they were playing him for a fool? Maybe this whole time they had been laughing behind his back? His fingers clenched into his fist until he could feel the sharp sting of blood on them.
He shook his head. Now was not the time for this. He needed to chat to the new arrivals and make some kind of plan. Without it, they might all be lost. Pack, or no pack.
#
CHapTEr TwenTy FouR
Nicci pulled up a log seat on the opposite side of the fire to Dru. She had seen the dark look in his eyes as he had left the temporary infirmary. The stormy gaze that seemed to look right through her. She didn’t know what had caused him to get so angry, but she could feel it rolling off him in waves and she was confused. If Corey hadn’t been there that afternoon, she might not have made it.. The thought of it made her shudder, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
The crowd gathered were all still unfamiliar faces to her, and now they all seemed to be worried. Instinctively the children had not been invited to the meeting, and the adults were talking in low and hushed tones. Dru and Corey stood at the front, shoulder to shoulder, as they faced the crowd. She compared them while she was waiting. Dru was broader in his shoulders but slimmer in his waist. Corey was shorter and stockier, but he was equally handsome if she was honest. There was a glow about him that radiated kindness. Dru did not share that same glow. Instead, he had what she could best describe as an animal-like quality to him. Like his panther was sitting directly under his skin, ready to pounce at any moment. It made her skin shiver and tingle just thinking about it. One was safe, and the other was. Well, she didn’t really know what the other was, except deliciously enticing. She licked her lips as they spoke.
‘First, I want to thank you all for being here.’ Dru began. ‘I know that the decision to come here, potentially risking my fathers wrath and your position in his pack, was brave. And I can offer you nothing more than an appreciation for this. As his son, I understand completely how hard that would have been and how scared you might be. ‘
There was a tremble in the audience of nods and agreement.
‘Corey would have described to you what we are offering here, but I wanted to reiterate it. Not as the leader, but as someone who is wanting something bigger for all of us. Better for all of us.’ The silence fell back down like a shutter. ‘This town will be a town built on equal opportunity. Where people can make their own destiny and where leadership is not beyond anyone. And I am still keen to hear all your ideas about how this might work, and what this might look like.’
The crowd murmured again, nodding at each other.
‘But obviously there has been an incident this afternoon, and I think we need to share what we know address the story about the injured stranger. ‘
Corey spoke up next. ‘I think Nicci would like to speak first. She was there and saw it all.’ She could feel all the eyes swivel and fall on her face as a red heat burned into her cheeks. ‘‘ Whilst we met her here only a few days ago, and until then she had not met another panther pack, she has proven herself to Dru and I to be a dedicated pack member. As such, I hope that you will all treat her with respect and let her talk without interruption.’
The whispers intensified and the crowd were now staring at her intently. She felt the tingle in her legs to move, but remained planted on the spot. Nicci wished the world would swallow her whole, but she suspected they would just follow her down into the depths of her own personal hell. Shuffling on the spot, she couldn’t avoid the drilling eyes all around her.
‘Hi everyone’ she choked out, her tongue feeling thick and slow in her mouth. Her pulse was throbbing in her neck, and her hands were shaking. ‘My name is Nicci Robinson.’
Nicci found it hard to swallow as her eyes darted around the faces. All eyes were on her.
‘Well,’ she gulped. ‘I guess I should start at the beginning.’
A few nods from the women, and Clare gave her a reassuring smile.
‘ I don’t know who my parents are. I was raised in state care since, well birth I think, and they moved me around a lot as a kid. ‘
There was a murmur of sympathy from some group. Nicci swallowed again and looked down at the floor. ‘Most of my carers were not pleasant people, particularly when I came of age to transform. It
scared them, I guess. I didn’t have anyone like me to ask questions of, so I fumbled my way through it. My experiences with other non panther packs and shifters, has been,’ she paused trying to catch her breath, ‘difficult, at best. So I’m sorry if I don’t have the social graces you are accustomed to.’
She could hear more sympathetic murmurings.
‘Recently I ran away, and found myself stranded here when my car broke down. Dru found me and helped me. But his Dad turned up the next day and when he found us here together he assumed the worst. I can assure you all, it was not planned. However, while he was trying to figure out where I might be from, he had heard a rumour of an illegitimate child from an American pack born here in Australia.’
The whisperings got louder, and Nicci kept her gaze firmly on the ground. She felt like everyone was judging her. ‘So he said he would do some research. I don’t know what he found out, because he hasn’t been back since, but this guy who turned up today was American. I was collecting wood when I overheard him talking on the phone to someone, telling them that he was casing out our town looking for a girl. I got scared, and tried to run but he chased me.’ she looked at Corey and gave him a tight smile. ‘Luckily, Corey rescued me, and fought him. Obviously, Corey won.’ She gulped again. ‘While we were helping to stop him bleeding and before he passed out, he said I was his cousin. So I guess maybe the rumours are true. I don’t really know.’
She shrugged, feeling helpless and unable to give them any more information since she didn’t know herself what, or who, she really was.
‘So what’s the story with you and Corey?’ a woman yelled out. Nicci glanced at Corey quickly and noted how tight his lips were.
‘We’re friends,’ she answered. ‘He’s was trying to be a good friend.’ His lips drew tighter.
‘Why were you running away?’ a man called out from the back.
She let out a sigh. Perhaps she could just tell them half the truth? She had plenty of reasons that would explain why she was running away. Her life living under the rule of Beavers would have been enough to make most of her breed understand the need to leave. No. This was her chance at a new start, and she didn’t want it to be based on a lie. Her shoulders slumped. It was time to tell the truth and let the cards fall as they may. ‘Because I stole some jewellery from work. It wasn’t planned. A stupid impulse really. I was running away, so I didn’t get caught.’
A Town Called Nowhere Page 13
