Masquerade

by Cambria Hebert

  “You’re crazy,” the guy on the ground said, his eyes narrowing.

  Sam didn’t respond. He just stood there waiting to see what they would do.

  “What do you want us to do?” The guy on the ground gave in while the other nodded.

  “As leader I’m telling you to leave town. Don’t come back.”

  “What if we don’t want to leave?”

  “You don’t have a choice.” His hands flexed at his sides as he waited for them to argue.

  I sucked in a breath. My legs were shaking, and I reached around my neck for the cord that held the whistle, thankful I found it at the base of the tree after the fight was over.

  “Mind if we get our stuff before we go?”

  He shook his head.

  “Thanks for taking her down. She was a real bitch.” The dark-headed roommate said.

  “Stay out of trouble,” Sam said, and I thought I heard the slightest hint of fondness in his voice. It made me wonder if he regretted sending away the only people he knew who understood what it was like to be a hellhound.

  “Not everyone’s a hero like you.” With that the two of them turned and walked away.

  Sam didn’t respond, but stood and watched until they were out of sight. A million questions raced through my head, and I opened my mouth to start asking. But then he turned toward me, and my words died on my lips. His eyes were hard, but the weariness was undeniable.

  He approached and held out his hand, and I took it. We walked through the woods in silence.

  The scent of peroxide filled my nostrils as I doused a cotton ball in the bubbly liquid. Sam watched me quietly as I leaned forward to begin cleaning the deep cut on his skin. “You might need stitches.” I told him, as I gently wiped away blood and dirt.

  “I’ll heal,” he murmured as I went for another cotton ball to repeat the same process as before. “I have to go back to work.”

  “Did you get in trouble for leaving?”

  “No, but I need to go back.”

  “Would you have killed them too? Your roommates, I mean?” I asked, picking up a tube of antibiotic ointment.

  “I would have done what I had to do. If they had challenged me…I wouldn’t have had a choice.”

  I nodded and focused on taking care of his injury. “I understand,” I said quietly even though I didn’t really know what it meant for him to be ‘leader’. I didn’t want to get into it now after everything that just happened. I wanted to relish in the fact that my stalker was dead, and we could finally relax, let our guard down, and just be us – even if it was for only a little while.

  Thank you for coming after me. I pushed at him, looking up into his eyes to smile.

  He grasped my hands and kissed the tips of my fingers. Always.

  Once the bandage was applied and I cleaned up the first aid kit, I handed him his shirt. He accepted it but made no move to put it on. He looked down at the kit in my hands and grinned. “I carried this thing around for months, thinking that I might need it for you – praying that I wouldn’t – but wanting to be prepared if I did. I’m glad it’s only me who’s needed it.”

  “You carried this around for me?”

  He laughed. “Do I look like the kind of guy who would need to carry around some Band-Aids?” He arched an eyebrow and looked down at me.

  “No?” I asked laughing, injecting a bit of doubt into my voice.

  He growled and came forward, tackling me to the ground. “You would dare insult me after everything I just went through for you?” He pinned me to the ground, his eyes sparkling gold again, and I enjoyed the sensation of his bare chest against me.

  “What are you going to do about it?” I asked, breathless.

  He lowered his head, his full lips parting slightly, and my eyes fluttered closed. I waited for that first moment when his lips would brush mine, that first little brush of excitement before the fire he always lighted in me took hold.

  “I sure could go for one of those Bubble Teas about right now,” he said mere inches from my lips.

  I paused and my eyes flashed open. “What?”

  He laughed. “They’re pretty good, and I’m hungry.”

  I attempted his growling noise, and he laughed. I pushed at him, but it was half-hearted. Then he finally pressed his lips to mine. Laughter spilled through his mouth and into mine. The kiss was full of swirling emotions: happiness, fear, relief.

  When he pulled back he sighed. “I wish I could stay, and we could celebrate.”

  “You’ll be back later…” I smiled. “We can go get one of those teas then.”

  He grinned, a wolfish grin, and stood, pulling me up along with him and reached for his shirt. I watched, a little disappointed, as he covered up his spectacular body.

  “I think when I get back I want to be alone with you.” His deep voice dropped and goose bumps raced along my arms. I hoped that the excitement I felt wasn’t tinting my cheeks pink.

  He smiled and caught my chin to look into my eyes, “I’ll be back later.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Sam

  I could still taste her on my tongue. The metallic tang of blood seemed to fill my mouth and stick between my teeth. I swallowed, forcefully. It made me sick. Ripping China apart had been good, exactly the kind of vengeance I wanted…but now that it was over – it made me sick. How she could destroy people like that and enjoy it was beyond me. A flashback of flinging around her remains made my stomach turn and the truck veered toward the side of the road. I righted the truck and fought back the memory. Sounds of ripping flesh and ragged breathing filled my head.

  China had fought for her life…until there was literally nothing left to fight with. I could still see the look in her evil eyes when she realized that she was dead. I shuddered and tried to blink the memory away. But it wasn’t leaving. Her eyes…they had looked almost smug in a sick sort of way. Who acted smug when they knew they were going to die? It was almost as if she knew that she would haunt us even in death. But that was impossible. Wasn’t it?

  Even still, that hadn’t been the worst thing about killing China. The worst thing was that Heven had seen it – seen what I was capable of.

  How she still looked at me with love in her eyes I didn’t always understand. But I was grateful for it. I wasn’t going to let anyone take her from me. China had to die; she should have died a lot sooner than today. Refusing to give her a single second more of thought, I turned my attention back to the road and glanced in the rear view mirror.

  Every mile I drove further away from Heven felt like a knife in my chest. I had wanted nothing more than to stay with her, just to reassure myself that she was fine and that the threat to her was gone.

  Even though I knew that there was no longer a threat to Heven I still wasn’t able to relax. I guess I spent too long protecting her for those feelings just to vanish. I glanced at the clock and sighed. I still had two hours left on my shift at the gym. Thankfully, we weren’t busy, so when I told my supervisor I had to go home because a pipe had burst beneath the sink, he let me go. But only after he told me to come back once I shut off the water.

  I pulled into the parking lot of Planet Fitness and parked the truck. Two hours I told myself. You can do this. Act normal for two hours. Forget that you just ripped apart your roommate and claimed leader over the group. Forget that they may not have listened to the order you gave them and you would have to take action.

  The two hours I dreaded so much turned out to not be as bad as I thought. I thanked the Mindbond that I shared with Heven for that. The sound of her voice purring through my head throughout the remainder of my shift kept me from staring at the clock. When I finally walked through the parking lot toward the truck it was dark. The air wasn’t cold, but without the sun it wasn’t hot either. I knew that Heven was fine and safe at home, so I decided to stop by the apartment to see if my roommates had indeed decided to accept me as the leader…the Alpha.

  I would know as soon as I arrived because if th
ey were still in town I would know where we stood. I had enough energy in me tonight for another fight, but I didn’t relish the idea. I didn’t want to make good on my earlier promise and rip them to shreds. But I would if I had to, so I prayed they left. I didn’t enjoy killing, and while I might not like them…they were kind of like family. They were the only ones that I knew like me. Still, I couldn’t have them stay. They were loose cannons, threats to Heven’s safety and really to the entire town.

  As I turned onto the main road I thought over the word that I really struggled to even say – Alpha. Being an alpha wasn’t really even something that seemed relevant to me. To me an alpha controlled a pack; he was the strongest, most cunning of the group. He could take on any challenge thrown at him and win. An alpha was the term for a werewolf leader. I was not a werewolf, nor did I think that any of the other characteristics of an alpha applied to me.

  Sure, I was strong and had abilities. I was young, which up until this point, I think the others saw as a weakness…they didn’t realize that maybe it was a strength. But most of all, I think I was underestimated. They all thought my attraction to Heven was a phase, was just something that I played with. They hadn’t realized how deep my feelings for her go…perhaps because they themselves are not capable of that kind of affection. I think what gave me the advantage was that I was incredibly driven. Driven to keep what was mine safe.

  Did those things make me an alpha? No. But if my roommates wanted to think that it did then I wasn’t going to argue. I could use it to my advantage and run them out of town. I could probably control Casey if they stayed. He was violent and he liked to stir up trouble, but I could probably convince him to lie low. But…Riley…he was a wildcard. I felt like he underplayed his abilities and his strengths. At first I hadn’t noticed, but the more time I spent with the group, the more apparent it became that he allowed China to be leader. Really, if we wanted to get into naming and calling alpha – I would have said Riley had that in the bag. In fact, I found it curious that he let me strong-arm them earlier today, agreeing to leave. That only meant one thing: Riley had an agenda of his own.

  I pulled up to the apartment and sat in the dark staring out the window. I was tired. Not so much in body but in mind. The events of the past year had been draining. Worry over Heven’s safety and sanity had been all consuming. Now that the immediacy of the threats against her was removed, I felt as though I might be able to breathe easier.

  I looked up at the apartment. A light was on. The tension that I had been allowing to drain away just moments before returned. There would be no relaxing while Casey and Riley were still in town. Maybe I hadn’t been as convincing earlier today as I had originally thought.

  When I got to the apartment door I paused. Then without another thought, I put a shoulder to the door and sent it crashing in. It banged against the wall and bounced back to slam behind me. I let out a growl and launched even further into the room, catching Casey off guard. I slammed him up against the wall and held him firm, ignoring whatever he dropped at my feet.

  “I told you to leave town.”

  “Chill,” Riley said coming out of the bedroom carrying a large black duffel bag. “We were just leaving.”

  I looked at Casey. He nodded, so I shoved away from him and looked down. There was a duffel bag at his feet as well.

  “I thought you would be long gone by now.”

  “We were just getting our stuff together,” Casey said, bending to pick up the bag and swing it behind his shoulder.

  I glanced at the bedroom the two guys shared. It was bare of all their belongings with just the old wooden dresser and bed, which was switched down to the mattress. I watched as Casey grabbed up a few other bags and went to the door, then he turned back to Riley. “I’ll be in the car.”

  Riley nodded. Casey’s gaze shifted to me.

  I wasn’t really sure what to say to someone that I ordered to leave town. “Stay out of trouble,” I said again to him, not sure he would take the advice this time either.

  Casey’s mouth tilted up. “As long as I ain’t around here, what do you care?”

  I shrugged, because, really, I didn’t.

  Casey’s small smile stretched to a grin and then he walked through the door. I wondered if this was the last time I would see him.

  I turned to look at Riley. He looked back with a level expression in his dark eyes.

  “Why did you stay here? Why did you put up with China?” I asked.

  He lifted a dark brow. “For the same reasons as you.”

  “You and I both know that you already knew all about being a hellhound before China found you.”

  If he was shocked I knew, he didn’t show it. Calmly he shrugged. “I have my reasons.”

  “What are they?”

  He said nothing just stared straight at me. I figured now would be the moment to see if he really accepted me as leader. Finally something shifted behind his eyes and then he said, “She never found it, after all this time.”

  “You mean China and that dumb map?”

  Riley bent to pick up a few duffel bags and swung them over his shoulders.

  “Is that why you were here? You wanted it too?” What was the big deal over some stupid map?

  “I’ll see you around.” Riley said and headed for the door.

  I hadn’t really expected for him to answer my questions and really, I guess I didn’t care. I just wanted him gone.

  “I don’t want you coming back here,” I told him, the hint of threat in my voice.

  “Relax,” he said, “I’ll stay away from her. I know who she belongs too.”

  “Don’t forget,” I growled.

  He grinned. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

  And then he was gone.

  My conversation with him left me oddly unsettled. Hev? You okay?

  Yup. Waiting for you. How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days is being played on TV in half an hour.

  It’s a date.

  I looked around the room once more and my gaze landed on the open bedroom door. I moved quickly, pushing the door all the way open to survey the room. It was as I noted on first glance: empty. But there was something I hadn’t noticed before. I went toward the bed and picked up the piece of paper lying in the center of the bare mattress. I recognized Riley’s handwriting instantly. I stared down at the words and committed them to memory, not really sure why I bothered. Then I tossed the paper back down and left the apartment all the while wondering why Riley left me the location of where he was going.

  Heven welcomed me as she always did, with warm eyes and smiling lips. I wanted to grab her and kiss her until nothing else existed but us…but I wasn’t sure it was the right time. For some reason my brief encounter with Riley left me feeling restless. I felt like something was coming, like there was something out there that I didn’t know about. I told myself that I was just too used to being on high alert, always on constant watch.

  But those thoughts didn’t go very far in fighting my instincts. Instincts, I had learned, were usually right. It wasn’t until I was settled in the warmth of Heven’s bed, beneath a blanket, with her at my side that I began to feel any bit of relief.

  And if I held her a little bit tighter and a little bit closer…she didn’t seem to notice, and I never once let on.

  If something was comingI would be ready.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Heven

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything,” Sam said, looking up from the bagged lunch I’d brought him.

  I looked out across the lake. It was calm and peaceful, the waves moving in the breeze. It didn’t appear at all the way I knew it could be: black, choking and life threatening. I shook myself and looked back at Sam.

  “I’m going to teach you how to swim,” he declared.

  “What? No.”

  “Then you won’t be afraid of the water.”

  “I’m never going to swim as well as you.”

  He laughed.
“No, but at least you won’t drown.”

  I looked back at the lake. Maybe learning to swim wouldn’t be so bad…if Sam taught me.

  He grinned and took a huge bite of the ham sandwich I’d brought for him. “Thanks for bringing me lunch.”

  “You weren’t going to eat,” I accused.

  “I can’t leave the shack. I’m the only one here renting boats today.”

  I know. So I brought lunch to you. I liked switching into the Mindbond sometimes, it reminded me just how close I was to Sam, and I liked having conversations that no one else could hear.

  I like to eat. He grinned, taking another huge bite.

  “I noticed,” I said dryly, then laughed.

  A car pulled up and a couple got out and walked up to the rental shack. “I’ll be right back,” Sam said, hurrying off to help them.

  I watched him work. He was friendly and helpful, getting the couple into a paddle boat and seeing them off. He came back only after he was sure they could work the boat and were headed off toward the center of the lake.

  “So you wanted to ask me something?” he said, picking up his sandwich.

  I nodded. “They said that you’re Alpha now.”

  He paused from chewing and looked up. Not really.

  But they said…

  He sighed. Hellhounds were never made to be pack-oriented. We’re too independent. That’s part of the reason we were tossed out of hell. Too hard to control even by an Alpha. We don’t really have Alphas.

  I don’t understand. They said you were leader now. You told them to leave and they listened.

  The four of us lived together for a while; China kind of took over and the rest of us let her because we were younger and weaker. It just kind of became our group dynamic.

  Then you killed her.

  He finished the sandwich and opened the bottle of water and took a long drink. Then I killed her. I guess the guys thought I would try to take over where she left off.

  They wanted you too.