The sky should be fuming along with me, but it’s not. Colin reaches out and unwraps my arms. He gently holds my hand within his. Why does his touch always bring me the comfort I need?
“Where are we going?” We weave down a dirt road I’m not familiar with.
He doesn’t answer.
He parks his truck at a dead end. “Come on.” He pulls me through the driver’s side door.
A frog croaks, then another. Colin leads me through a maze of trees with overhanging moss to a dock. A canoe is tied to the end of it. “You’re taking me on the water? If you’re planning to kill me and feed me to the gators, you should know, I don’t taste that great. I’m sure of it.”
“Would you shut up?” He pulls me to him, igniting the electricity between us, and kisses me deeply.
All the anger melts away between us. My head grows fuzzy, and I have a momentary memory lapse of why I was angry with him. Our lips part. He places his forehead against mine.
“Come on.” He pulls me down the dock and helps me into the canoe. “No one will bug us out here. Except maybe the mosquitoes.”
I have no choice but to face him in the canoe. “Do you think every time I’m mad at you that you can kiss me and everything will be fine?”
He unties it and paddles away from the dock. “Would you like me to stop kissing you?”
No. No. No. I turn, but say nothing.
The three-quarters moon illuminates the rippling water. Two red eyes dive below the surface. Flying bugs skim the water as if dancing on it, reminding me of fairies sliding across a lake I’d seen in a childhood cartoon. A musty scent, like a mixture of mud and damp wood, assails my nostrils. Crickets and frogs play a melody on the water’s edge. Hearing the paddle as it ripples through the water reminds me of a babbling brook.
“Will you answer my questions now?” I softly ask the wind.
“Jealousy.” He moves the paddle over, and a few water droplets fly to meet my back. “I told Kyle to stay away from you because I was jealous.”
“You told him we were intimate.”
“To me, our kisses are intimate.” He stops paddling. “They are special. Don’t you feel it?”
I did, but I’m too stubborn to say it aloud.
“Kyle is a good guy.” I think. Hearing him on the phone talking about Colin and his pack makes me think I don’t know him as well as I thought. But, my gut tells me he means well; even if he does have other intentions.
“He’s the wrong guy for you.” Colin paddles on the left to avoid an overhanging branch.
“That’s not for you to decide.”
“You’re right. It’s not.” His voice tightens. “I shouldn’t have acted like a crazed, obsessive dick.”
The stars are bright and there’s not a cloud in sight. I do a mental scan and realize I’m completely calm.
He steers further down the bank and drifts into an alcove. He jumps from the canoe, shaking it. I gasp in a breath. “I’ve got you.” Colin ties the canoe to a tree and helps me to the bank. He leads me inland to a spot under a large oak tree and unfolds a blanket.
I sit and hesitantly lie back. I look up through the moss hanging in the branches to see the moon and stars twinkling. I feel the heat from his body as he lies next to me. A shiver runs through me as he presses closer and wraps his arms around me. “Do you accept my apology?” he whispers.
“What are you apologizing for?”
His shadowy face blocks my view. “Everything.” He kisses me. His right arm slides behind me, cradling me. His left hand follows my curvy side, leaving sparks in its wake.
A moan escapes my lips. A fire burns inside me that only he can extinguish.
All my worries fade away, replaced with a wicked longing; a desire I’ve never felt in all my life overtakes me. I need to have him. My body aches for him to do more than caress me.
A frisson runs through me and Colin trembles. I pull his shirt off. He kisses my jawline and moves down to my neck, a pulsing sensation follows the trail of his lips.
Nothing in the world matters more than this moment, us together, joining as one. My fingers feel numb as if the storm is happening inside of me and needs to be released.
We lie with each other for minutes, hours…all track of time vanishes.
The moon watches over us; the tree protects us; the moss fans us.
I rest my head on his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat slow. “You’re forgiven,” I whisper.
He laughs and brings my hand to his lips and kisses it.
A howl erupts in the distance. His body tenses underneath me.
“What is it?”
“They’re calling me.”
“Don’t go. Please stay with me.”
“For you…anything.” He relaxes. “I can’t explain it, even though I know I should go—I’m supposed to go—for the first time in my life I can resist the call.”
I prop my head up. “When we are together, you comfort me. Even when I’m so angry that I feel as though I could crush buildings, you calm me. I can’t explain it.”
“Why are you still here, though?” His expression turns serious.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I sent the stones to protect you; to protect your family. You shouldn’t be here still.” He pushes me up. “Something worse is coming to town and as much as I want you to stay, you need to leave.”
Suddenly, the puzzle pieces seem more scattered. “You sent the stones?”
“Yes.” Colin rises, tugging me up with him. “If you could stay safe with me in this moment forever, I would want nothing else, but the reality of the situation is you need to get out of town with your family.”
The sun’s morning rays beam through a string of clouds on the horizon. I gasp. “We’ve been here all night. My cousins must be freaking out.”
“Here, call them.” He hands me his phone.
“It’s going to voice mail.”
“Leave a message.” Colin dresses, handing me my shirt.
“Fonso, it’s me. I’m okay. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. Something came up. Call me back at this number.” I hang up and hand Colin back his phone. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He tosses me my jeans. “We need to get going.”
“What’s coming?”
He shakes the dirt off the blanket, wrapping it up in a ball. “The packs are coming.”
“Packs? As in multiple?”
“As in the powerful ones. As in too many to hide you from.” Colin helps me into the canoe.
“Why do you need to hide us? I don’t understand.”
He pushes off from the bank. “They aren’t friendly to Gypsies. They despise them.”
“You’ve been fine with Emilian.”
“We’re different. Riley, Brayden, Kayla, and I see things, we don’t feel the hate our kind generally does. We’re natural enemies, Elysia. Werewolves harbor an instinctive need to eliminate your kind.”
“Eliminate? Like you want to kill us?”
“We know about your abilities. Your kind sees things, they can do things. Emilian knew exactly what we were when he first saw us. His sister finds things. His aunt talks to the dead. These things are threats to my kind.”
“Emilian told you all of this?”
He nods. “He also told us you have no ability, but I think he’s wrong.”
My stomach turns.
“The way that I’m attracted to you. The effect you have on me…you must be a siren.” He smiles. “Look at Kyle. He’s hooked on you, too. Don’t deny it.”
It’s a miracle no one here has figured out the weather is wacky whenever I’m around and can’t control my emotions. Kayla almost died because of it, and he thinks I’m a siren? I laugh. “I promise you, I’m no siren.”
“There’s a theory the younger Gypsies don’t have abilities; like they are being bred out of them. Makes sense to us, since our werewolf gene isn’t passed down to everyone, either.”
“My father wa
s taken by the Hunters. Do you know anything about that?”
“No. When did this happen?”
My gut instinct tells me he’s being honest. I give him the short story and why I’m here. He listens intently. When the sadness comes, clouds form overhead, but they don’t betray me. They hover, waiting for me to give the order.
“I don’t think it was my kind that did it. They’re impulsive, aggressive and unsteady, but not calculating enough to hold hostages.” He pauses. “You’re sure he’s still alive?”
“He’s alive. I feel it. I think my aunt knows where he is or who has him.”
“The one who talks to the dead?” He ties the canoe up, helping me out.
“No. Aunt Mirela. Emilian’s mom.” I become angry and a boom cracks in the distance. “We believe she was paid to tell someone Dad’s location over the years.”
“Let’s go. We need to get you and your cousins out of town today. I don’t know when the others will arrive, but it’ll be soon. I hope they’re not already here.”
Colin drives slowly through the town. He watches every movement, glancing down alleyways, and constantly staring in his rearview mirror. Even when we hit the road heading toward the campground and my aunt’s place, he can’t take his eyes from the woods on either side.
Sitting close to him, I rest my head on his shoulder. “This can’t be it. Am I supposed to leave and never see you again?”
His phone vibrates. “It’s Riley. I’ll text him in a minute.” He places the phone on his lap and grabs my hand. “I don’t want you to leave me, either. It’s better this way, though.”
He pulls into my aunt’s place. It’s empty. No cars line the driveway.
Colin parks and helps me down from his truck. He runs around to the back of the doublewide trailer, while I look in the windows. The furniture remains, but all the trinkets are gone. The door’s locked.
I sit on the stoop.
Colin appears in front of me. “There’s no trace of them.” He texts someone. “Emilian is with Brayden and them. He’s a damn fool. Why didn’t he leave with his mother?”
“Is he?” I rub my temple. “Don’t you get tired of running?”
“We aren’t the runners, Elysia. We’re the chasers.” He sits next to me. “But, yes, I’m tired of this game. I’m tired of all of it.”
“Why do you take money from Roger and the other shop owners?”
“None of us want to.” Colin hangs his head. “My father gives orders and we can’t ignore them.”
“Your father?”
“He’s our pack leader. He sent us here to secure the area a year ago. We were hoping he’d let us live alone, away from the larger pack. No such luck. He called a few days ago.”
“What if you run away? With me?”
“It’s not that easy. We’re bound to his will. It’s hard to explain.”
“This is unbearable.”
His phone vibrates again. He glances at it and hands it to me.
“It’s Fonso.” I put it on speaker. “Fonso, I’m so sorry. I’ll be home soon.”
“Good. We thought the Hunters had gotten you. That wasn’t cool, Elysia.” He pauses. “Am I on speaker? Who’s phone is this?”
“It’s Colin’s.”
Colin walks toward his truck.
“Wonderful. Take me off speaker.”
“What’s going on?”
“Nadya thinks she’s found your father.”
Chapter 22
I’m jolted forward as something rams into the back of Colin’s truck as we begin to back out.
“What the fuck?” Colin’s arm flies out to protect me from hitting my head.
I look out the back window to see Kyle’s Jeep behind us. “Why is he doing this?”
Colin jumps down, raging madness etched on his face. “We don’t have time for this. Move that piece of shit and get out of our way!” he yells at Kyle.
I climb out of the truck. Kyle circles away from his Jeep, coming closer to Colin.
“He’s not who you think, Elysia.” He yanks his gun out, pointing it at Colin.
Thunder roars.
“You’ve lost it, Kyle. She knows exactly what I am.” Colin grabs me and shoves me behind him. The moment he touches me, the thunder subsides.
It’s Colin. His touch—his body—being near him stabilizes my abilities.
“Elysia, step away from him. You’re not going to believe this, but—”
“He’s a werewolf.” I move under Colin’s arm, standing in front of him. “And you’re looking for his pack leader. I heard you on the phone last night.”
“I knew there was something off with you. You’ve always had it out for me. Even in class when we’d fight I felt that aggression.” Colin tries to move me back, but I push him away. “Put the gun down. You’re pointing it at her.”
Kyle aims it toward the ground. “Yes, I’ve had it out for you. I knew what you were the minute I set eyes on you.”
“How did you know?” I ask. “Why are you after them?”
“He killed my mother.” A tear forms in the corner of his eye. “He and his kind killed her in cold blood.”
Colin stiffens.
“I wanted to kill you the first time I saw you in town.” Kyle’s jaw tightens. “I couldn’t because we needed to know who the pack leader calling the shots was.” He raises his gun again. “Who is it?”
“I’m sure Colin didn’t kill your mother.” Colin paces near me; his body trembles. “Right, Colin?” I touch his arm and his body calms.
Kyle pulls out a picture from his back pocket, throwing it on the ground. It’s a security camera picture of Colin near a woman’s body. He’s naked, blood dripping from his mouth.
“Oh, God.” Bile rises in my throat.
“Her name was Sonya.” Colin drops to the ground, squatting. “She was my first and only kill. He made me do it. I had no choice. I had to prove myself.” Remorse is laced throughout his words.
“Oh, God.” I clench my stomach.
Colin stands. He grips my hips and looks into my eyes. “She was Rom. She could manipulate thoughts…make people do things they wouldn’t normally do.” His eyes water.
I shake my head as I stare at him with disbelief.
Kyle’s eyes bore into Colin. “Do you know the restraint it’s taken not to kill you these last few months?”
I’ve never seen this side of Kyle. His anger and hatred turn him into an entirely different person.
“You ripped her throat out and left her there. She didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve to be attacked by some wild, raging animal. That’s what you are. You’re a fucking beast.”
Colin faces him. His back is to me as he tucks me behind him. “Kill me, then. Will that make you feel better? I won’t even try to run. And, to make it easy on you, I even agree with you, I deserve it. But, if think I enjoyed that?” He points to the picture. “Then you are sadly mistaken.”
“No!” I wedge between them, holding my arms up. My hand covers the gun barrel.
“You still take his side?” Kyle lowers his gun. “After you’ve seen what he did?”
My heart aches for them both. It starts to rain; this time, I want it to.
“Who’s the pack leader?” Kyle asks Colin, raindrops dripping down his face.
“My father. He’s the one who gave the order. He wanted your mother dead.” Colin grabs my hand. “All of us, the entire pack, follow his orders, or the consequences are severe.”
“I’m part Rom; does he want me dead, too?” Kyle asks.
“I don’t sense a trace of Rom blood in you. If we had, you’d already be dead.”
The gun shakes in Kyle’s hand. “We’ve been tracking your kind for years and killing every one we find. Did you know that?” he asks. “My dad sent me here on a hunch, and I found you. You’re all I wanted. After you and your father, I’m done with your kind. I don’t care about the rest of you dogs.”
“You’ve been killing innocents, then. The lon
e wolves don’t belong to a pack. If you tried to kill a pack member, you wouldn’t be standing here talking to me.” Colin wipes his face. “Even the best predators don’t stand a chance against a pack of werewolves.”
“You were sent here?” I ask Kyle.
“My father knew your family was in the area,” Kyle explains. “Where there are Roma, there are usually werewolves close by.” He bites his lip and his body trembles. “I didn’t mean to—you weren’t supposed to get involved, Elysia.”
“Your father knows my family?” I ask. “Is that why you wanted to go out with me? To get close to my family?”
“I liked you because from the first moment I saw you, I was attracted to you. I imagined a future with you, a life outside of this crazy, revenge-seeking life I’ve been living for years.”
“I trusted you, and you lied to me. What happened to the free-spirited, easy-going lifestyle?”
“The moment you walked into the diner, I wanted to shut the entire world out, forget about werewolves, my father’s orders, and my mother’s death. You made me want to forget all of it. There’s something special about you.” He steps forward.
Colin jerks me back. “Don’t come near her.”
I hush him. “Is your father responsible for hunting Gypsies like me and taking my father?”
He shakes his head. “No, we only hunt werewolves. He wouldn’t…” Kyle bites his lip.
“You’re not sure, are you?” I ask.
Howls erupt in the distance.
Colin looks in their direction. “We need to set our differences aside and get Elysia and her cousins out of town now.”
“This isn’t over.” Kyle lowers his gun and takes out his phone.
“Wait, Kyle. Don’t call your father, yet. Nadya thinks she found my dad. Please let me see where he is. Maybe you can get some answers, too.” The rain slows.
The howling intensifies. Colin pushes me to his truck. “If we don’t get out of here soon, a lot more people will die.”
“This is awkward.” Kyle looks out the passenger window. His Jeep wouldn’t start, so we piled into Colin’s truck after they had pushed the Jeep to the side of the road.
“Thank you both for setting aside your hate.” I clasp my hands in my lap. “I know this isn’t over, but right now all I want to do is find my dad.”
Lightning Struck (The Roaming Curse Book 1) Page 13
