The shock of landing jolted through my shins. A gasped cry burst from me. Even with the aid of the mattress, it hurt like hell.
Shoulders hunched, I leaned forward onto my knees and rolled Daniel over my head onto the padding. On straightening, a kick of each leg tested them for damage. Apart from a splintered scream of resistance at the altered stance, I seemed unharmed. I stuck my thumb up at Beth.
Dragging Daniel’s deadweight across the lawn, through the gate and beyond the wall left me panting. Once I’d hidden him around the corner, I jogged back, took a running leap and rejoined Beth in his recently vacated cell.
Gaze aimed toward the ceiling and the third floor above, I whispered, “Any disturbance?” The other witches had to be up there for us not to have encountered them.
Beth shook her head.
I didn’t know whether to be elated that we’d gotten so far with so little interruption or concerned over what the witches were up to out of my sight—either way, we had to get moving. “Let’s go.” I already headed for the door.
The next room housed Kyle.
After he’d been serviced with the same checks as Daniel, I slung him over my shoulders—harder the second time—and manoeuvred him out to the open window, where I hoisted us both onto the ledge.
On impact with the mattress, my muscles bunched. Pain stabbed into my bones as if I’d developed the worst case of shin splints in the history of mankind.
After I’d reunited Kyle and his brother, I met back up with Beth in the house. “Just Josh.”
She nodded.
“I’m sending you out.”
Her head tilted as her eyes narrowed.
“Go for the truck. Bring it round to the rear of the house—if you can do so without drawing attention. No headlights.”
Her eyebrow lifted. “And you?”
“I’ll bring Josh out.” As her mouth opened, I continued over her, “This is already taking longer than I want it to. I need to get to Sean, and I can’t do that until I know the others are safely on their way home.”
I failed to mention the whole reason I’d come in search of the others before tending to Sean was because I feared I wouldn’t give a damn about them once I had him in my sights. The urge to drag his arse to safety would be too strong for me to pause and consider I had other responsibilities.
She didn’t argue or question. Perhaps she understood. With a small nod, she stepped with me onto the landing and jogged her way down the stairs whilst I headed for the final bedroom.
As I reached for the door handle, footsteps creaked across the landing above.
I froze.
The mover paused.
“Amber, did you check if everything’s ready?”
My chest vibrated at the sound of Stephanie’s voice. Temptation flooded in to just rage up the stairs, punch her, maybe have another go at merging cartilage with brain matter, possibly even scout around for a pencil to stab one of them with—in the eye worked well, I believed.
“Just going now,” Amber’s voice called.
When footsteps swished across the upper floor toward the top stair, I backed away.
Divide and conquer made for a much better battle plan than diving into the midst feet first. I’d heard that once when watching a naff history programme in a bored stupor. Maybe I hadn’t been as stupefied as I’d thought.
My hand reached out to draw Kyle’s door closed as I passed, and I snuck into Daniel’s room. Leaving it ajar, I hid behind the exit, waiting for her to take the prominent bait of the unsecured barrier.
No carpet coated the stairs to muffle her footsteps, and their increase in volume made them easy to trace.
I heard when she hopped off the bottom step onto the landing.
A minute swish indicated her hand clung to the newel post as she rounded it.
The quiet hum that vibrated from her suggested her excitement for the upcoming event.
When a low grunt punctuated the tune, I knew she’d spotted the open door.
My mind’s eye conjured the whir of her brain whilst she attempted to come up with an explanation, especially as the door led to Daniel’s room. Daniel had been her catch, hadn’t he? I wondered if her head spun back the way she’d come, if she considered calling back up to the other two to ask if they’d opened it.
I almost shook my head at my line of thought. She wouldn’t do that. To suggest they’d left the door open when she found it ajar would be to hint at some ineptitude on their behalf. I didn’t believe for one second Amber would question the competence of the two witches. I’d seen the way Amber studied her twin, the way she’d look for guidance or reassurance. Less dominant in every way, it came as no surprise when her pause ended and she stepped toward where I waited in the shadows.
I readied myself, took control of the adrenaline surging through me and steadied my breathing. My nostrils flared on a quiet inhalation as I allowed my senses to follow her position.
The scrape of fingertips hit the door—a gentle push, only an inch or so, as though testing for surprises.
She’d have to come in farther for those.
The door nudged another couple of inches.
I flexed my toes until I stood on the tips. My heels pressed against the skirting, my back flat against the wall.
The door opened farther, faster. I could almost taste her confusion over the empty bed. She’d most likely spotted the open window.
She probably wondered if Daniel had woken from his deep sleep, possibly suspected he’d opened it and leapt to his escape. That would have been my trail of thought in her shoes. She’d need to check, wouldn’t want to believe she’d lost him. Maybe she could find him in the garden and redeem herself.
I knew I’d called it right when she scurried across to the window. As soon as she passed me, I stepped out behind her, waiting for her to sense me or turn.
She leaned out through the opening, ducked back in. Her fingers lifted to her lips as she trod backward, breaths short and shallow, before she spun.
I gave a slight wave of my hand. “Hey.”
She froze.
I sent her a smile—a decent one. Although I’d aimed to scare and terrorise, my facial features couldn’t be bothered to disguise how much I’d begun to enjoy myself.
She stared, confusion and fear in her eyes—but then she went and spoiled it all by lowering her fingers and shifting her eyes toward the upper stairway.
As her mouth opened, I darted out, grabbed a handful of scalp and slammed her face down onto my upcoming kneecap.
It hurt—me—a little more than expected. I looked down at the throbbing for a second, my lips formed in a silent ‘ouch’, and I dragged her head back up.
The fact I supported her entire body weight told me I’d knocked her out cold.
I needed reassurance she wouldn’t get back up once I left her, though.
Peering off to the open window, a smile tugged at my lips as an idea formed. Keeping my grip on her hair, my other hand grasped the back of her trousers, and I flung her as hard as I could through the gap.
She speared through, performing a dive of Olympic standards, and landed on her head with a loud crack.
I considered it information to be stored away for future use. If traditional methods of neck breaking didn’t work, tossing bodies from second story windows made a good backup plan. At least she hadn’t landed on the mattress. That would have meant more work.
With a sigh of satisfaction, I went in search of Josh.
31
My waning strength couldn’t hold up forever. By the time I’d slathered Josh with kisses, dragged his limp form through the gate and spotted the truck peeking round the corner, relief flooded me.
I reached it just as Beth attempted to lift Daniel onto the bed.
&nb
sp; “You were a while.” Although incredibly fit for a woman, Beth did not possess superhuman powers, and her voice panted through her hauling. “I was getting worried, Jem.”
“Ran into a witch,” I said.
Her eyebrows lifted. “Problems?”
“All taken care of. I want you to get the boys home whilst I go back in for Sean.”
She stopped manhandling Daniel and looked at me
When he slipped from her grasp, I dived forward to catch him, shoving him back up to her. “Don’t panic.” I slid the body over the duvets. “I just don’t think this is the right place for Sean to learn you’ve returned. He’ll be disorientated enough without extra issues to deal with. I’ll send Jess back with you . . .”
“But then—”
“…and I’ll ring Ethan before you leave and ask him to come and help. I’m exhausted, Beth.” I shrugged. “This clean-up, on top of everything else . . .”
“I’ll ring Ethan now.” Her expression made it a suggestion, though her tone said otherwise. “At least that way, he’ll be coming before we’ve left and get here sooner. I’ll feel better about that.”
I nodded. “Okay, do it. I’ll finish loading the boys.”
Whilst she ducked into the cab to make the call, I set to work. Having to drag one body up, climb in to slide him across before repeating the process sapped my strength. By the time I’d finished, sweat trailed paths across my body.
I rubbed a forearm across my head as Beth climbed from the truck and held out her phone.
I took it from her. “Hello?”
“What the hell are you playing at? Do you have—”
“Did your mum tell you where to find me, Ethan?”
“Yes, but—”
I cut him off, passed the phone back to Beth. “Sorry. He’ll have all night to rant once this is over.” I went to walk away but pivoted back. “Wait for Jess, then head home.”
“Sure, Jem.”
I strode away from her unsure smile and headed back to the house. Through the kitchen, I yanked on the cellar door, jogged down the stairs.
Okay, baby, I’m all yours.
At the whoosh of rapid movement through air, I ducked—narrowly missing the steel bat as it skimmed across the hairs of my head. “It’s me,” I hissed.
“Thank God.” Jess’s breath heaved with her words. “I thought you were one of them.”
“Well, I didn’t think you wanted to cave my head in.” I searched for Sean as I spoke.
“Did you bring the keys?” Jess asked. “I can’t get him out.”
I studied the cage. “But you got the plants out.”
“I sealed them in bags, chucked them outside.”
I crossed to the door, my attention on Sean where he’d wedged into the corner as I tried to locate the correct key.
Jess came closer. The key ring left my fingers.
Unable to take my eyes off him, I vaguely heard as she tried different keys in the lock.
He looked bad. Weak, filthy, barely conscious—at least he’d stopped changing. His scent, for the first time ever, smelled pungently strong—musky, with a powerful staleness that could have only been created by someone who’d perspired for days.
“Got it,” Jess whispered.
The key connected, the lock clicked, and the door swung open.
I marched in.
Dropped to my knees.
Palms down, I pushed my head forward, eyes peeled for signs of recognition. My nostrils searched for a stronger dose of him as my ears listened for sound.
When he didn’t move or speak, I edged nearer—cautious.
As I reached him, I lowered my head farther, raised only my gaze to study his downturned face. So close to him, my suppressed sob erupted.
No longer caring if he attacked, I pushed my face into his, into his throat, around his neck. Beneath his ears, I sniffed at him, drowning in his aroma, trembling at the contact.
“Jem?” The word arrived so low, I couldn’t be certain I’d heard it at all.
I found his chin with my fingers, tilted his face to mine.
At the gentle fluttering of his lashes, I sighed. When his eyes opened, despite them only achieving narrow slits, my first tear of relief spilled over.
“Baby, it’s going to be okay.” The promise came out a hushed whisper. He’d hear me, though—he always did.
He attempted to shift his body, his fingers brushing my arm, yet his eyes held confusion. Logic would warn of a trick whilst every one of his senses would scream that his mate knelt before him. Mingled with the deep uncertainty was the high glisten of desperate hope. “Jem?” he murmured again.
“Sean, it’s me.” I brushed my lips across his cracked, dry ones.
Another attempt to shift came with a low groan from deep within his chest.
I took the hand he willed higher, linked his fingers with mine and leaned my cheek into his contact. “How long until he’s strong enough to move, Jess?” At that moment, he looked as if he’d be going nowhere.
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Isn’t there something you can do for him?”
“I wish there were.”
“Haven’t you got something—anything? You’ve always got something, Jess.”
“I bloody left them behind.” She groaned. “Unless . . .” Her footsteps scuffed the concrete behind me.
I tore my attention away from Sean and looked to her.
“I might have something. Not sure how well it’ll work on him. But . . .”
“What?”
She sighed and dug into her pocket, seeming to cringe as she handed over a foiled strip that resembled most over-the-counter treatments.
I stared down at it.
Pro Plus. Caffeine pills?
She had to be kidding me? My eyebrow made a slow upward journey as I peered back at her.
“They could work …if you give him enough …maybe.”
My eyes narrowed. “How many’s enough?”
“The lot?”
I counted the undamaged spots on the strip—nine. Anything had to be worth a try if it would provide enough energy to get him out of there.
Right?
“Okay.” I nodded before waving her off. “I’ve got this. I need you to head back with the others.”
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“There’s only two of them left, and Ethan’s on his way. I’ve already spoken to him. I want you to get the boys home for me and wake them up.”
She stared down at us for a moment. Clearly, she didn’t want to leave me with an invalid wolf to watch my back.
“Go!” I said to her.
With one final glance in Sean’s direction, she took a step back and obeyed.
I listened to the sound of her passage until certain she’d left the house and not gone after the remaining witches. Only once her footsteps faded to a muted run did I give my full attention back to Sean.
“Baby, I need you to open your mouth.”
His pupils dilated—unsurprising after days of raging in and out of violent changes—when I gripped his chin and tilted his face.
After fumbling single-handed to release one of the pills, pushing it past his lips took little effort. The hard part came with getting him to swallow. I cringed as I clamped his jaws together and pinched his nose until the bob of his Adam’s apple assured me the tactic had worked.
When I prodded at his lips with a second tablet, a low growl brewed in his chest, and my head tilted toward the cellar stairs for sound, though even the threat of the last two witches flying down them didn’t alter my position. Sean had to find strength. Given the choice between taking down Stephanie and Marianne or remaining by his side, I’d have c
hosen the latter every time. I poked some more until I’d deposited another inside his mouth and blanked how long it seemed to be taking.
His teeth ground beneath the force of my hand pinning his lips closed. He gave a feeble attempt to tug himself from my grasp. I held him tighter, pressing my forehead to his as I once more smothered his airways until he swallowed.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against his temple.
Desperation bled in, jerking my movements as I ripped the packaging in search of more and rammed two tablets into his mouth.
At his groan, I slapped my hand across his mouth and nostrils.
He coughed, the pop of his lips hitting my palm, and I grabbed the back of his head to force him steady.
“Come on.” A tear leaked over my lid. My temple rolled across his hairline as I drew him closer. “Swallow it for me.”
His jaw shifted. A quiet crunch followed.
I released him only long enough to snatch up the silvery packet. Four down. Five left. With trembling fingers, I poked the remaining pills from their pockets and, grabbing his cheeks until his lips parted, I shoved them all into his mouth in one go.
That time, his chin flicked upward—another attempt to shake me off—as the thunder within his chest vibrated against my forearm where I pinned him.
“Damn you, Sean.” The whisper hissed through my teeth as I forced his face down and ducked forward until he would see only me. “You will take these tablets, and you will swallow them. That is an order. Do you understand me?”
His eyes stared into mine, though I had no idea what he saw—if anything. The tightness of the skin surrounding them told me his discomfort remained. What had I expected? That the stupid tablets would wipe out every ailment he had in a flash? Jessica had done too much over the past few days for me not to put my faith in her once more. I just hadn’t expected the hope to be unfounded.
His shoulders bounced up before a cough erupted. His eyes shone bright—from the water suddenly invading them rather than the return of any life to his expression—as he heaved one breath after another, his mouth working as though to process what I’d force-fed him. If possible, he slumped even more against the wall, his head leaning back. Quiet rasps arrived with each rise of his chest.
Blue Moon Page 31
