“Right. He’s down there.”
A cry escaped my mouth.
Footsteps sounded.
I glanced around. There was a door a few feet away. I had no other choice, so I ran inside and closed the door fast and as quietly as I could. Clothes hung all around. I darted behind some and pressed myself into a corner.
The door opened, lighting up the closet full of suits just like the waiters wore in the restaurant.
I held my breath.
“No one. Are you sure we heard something?”
The door closed.
I breathed again and slunk down to the ground, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure they could hear it out in the hall. I gasped for air and tried to listen for the men outside the closet once I calmed down. I waited a full five minutes, counting out the seconds, before I dared to open the door.
The hallway was empty.
I smoothed down my hair and went down the way the two men had been talking about Toby. There were a few doors, and I checked all of them. Most were utility closets, but the one at the very end opened to a dark staircase.
If there was a chance Toby was down there—locked in a dungeon—I had to see. Especially if they thought he might be dead. Tears stung my eyes. My insides felt like they were jumping around.
I clung to the rusty railing as I descended down the staircase. It was steep and narrow. Water dripped somewhere. When I got to the end, I came to another door.
Barely breathing, I opened it. I came to a hallway, and it was better lit. There were a few doors off to my left. I pressed my ear against the first one, but didn’t hear anything. I opened it anyway.
It appeared to be some kind of cellar. Old, dusty canned food sat on shelves. Underneath them were brown bottles. Some were labeled moonshine.
This place was as old as Prohibition?
I opened the next door and found another closet full of old food and drinks. When I got to the next door, I fully expected to find more of the same.
Instead, it was a mostly empty room with chains hanging from the ceiling and the walls. It smelled of bile and urine.
Someone jumped out from behind the door, positioned to attack.
I screamed, my voice echoing around both the cell and the hallway.
“Victoria?”
I stared at the man. It took me a moment to realize it was Toby. And he was naked.
My eyes shut and I turned my head. “Toby! What are you doing here?”
“They’re trying to kill me.”
“We’ve got to get you out of here, but first I need to get you some clothes.”
“There isn’t time.”
“You want to run through the Jag like that?” I exclaimed. “I know where some clothes are. Stay here.”
With my eyes still closed, I spun around and ran up the stairs. He called after me, but I ignored him. I made sure no one was in sight, ran to the closet, and grabbed a suit.
When I got back down to the dungeon, Toby was standing outside his cell. I looked down at the ground and handed him the clothes.
“Thank you.”
I turned around and tried to pretend he wasn’t naked. “So, do you need anything?”
The sounds of him putting the clothes on echoed all around us. “To get as far away from this place as possible.”
“Have you been here all this time?”
“Right in that room.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll explain later. Someone could come down any minute.” He walked over to me.
I covered my eyes.
“I’m dressed now.”
“Come on. We’ll get out of here.” I opened one eye, and sure enough, he looked like a server. Only the clothes barely hung on and his face was bloody and bruised.
“What did they do to you?” Instinctively, I reached for his face. “You poor thing.”
“Let’s go. The way I came in is pretty secluded.”
“Because that worked out so well for you?”
“That wasn’t where I was caught.”
“Where—?”
“Come on.” He grabbed my arm and led me up the stairs. I followed him down the maze of halls until we neared the kitchen. He took me down another turn. We passed a line of mops and then he opened a door, which opened to the outside.
Toby glanced around and then ran for the woods.
“We can take my car.”
“Which is probably parked in the main lot, right?”
“Okay, never mind.”
“I know the way to my home. Are you up for a run?”
“To your house?” All the rumors of cult members chopping people up ran through my mind.
His expression softened. “What’s the matter?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Let’s just get out of here.”
“How did you find me?” He took my hand and ran.
“I had some help. Are you going to be okay running barefoot?”
He glanced at me. “We used to do this all the time.”
My mouth gaped. Had my dreams actually been real?
“Let’s go. We’ll answer each other’s questions at home.”
We darted through trees and bushes, jumping over exposed roots and ducking under branches. Unlike with my solo runs, I didn’t fall once. I felt completely in my element, like all the pieces of a puzzle had finally come together.
Finally, we came to a large gate. He punched in a code and it opened. We ran inside and the gate closed behind us. A gorgeous blue home with plenty of decks and pointed peaks loomed in front of us.
“This is where you live?” It was even more impressive than Carter’s place.
“Yeah, it reminds me of the one you always had your eye on.” He squeezed my hand and led us up the stairs to the front door.
Before we reached it, the door opened, and a group of people piled out, cheering and talking over each other. I let go of his hand and watched as everyone hugged him and expressed their gratitude of seeing him alive.
I followed everyone inside. Toby put his arm around me, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. “I have someone I want you all to meet.”
Eyes widened around the room. They apparently knew who I was without Toby needing to say a word.
He squeezed my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. “This is Victoria—she’s the one who rescued me.”
All the attention turned to me, and the group of strangers practically piled on top of me, embracing and thanking me. Several people mentioned a pack.
“Give her some space, guys,” Toby said.
“And get this man some food,” I added. “They’ve been starving him.”
We all went through a living room and then came to an enormous kitchen with a table big enough to seat an army. Toby introduced me to everyone, but the only names I could keep straight were the odd ones—Jet and Brick.
Everybody talked over each other. Toby leaned back in the chair, grinning wide. Even with the bruises and cuts covering his face, he was exquisite. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
He kept glancing over at me, seeming to enjoy my sight as much as I was his. Brick and another guy brought over plates and platters of steaming food, setting them all in front of Toby.
Toby waved his arms to the others. “Eat up, you guys.” He turned to me, holding my gaze. “You, too.”
“I couldn’t. You need the food more than any of us.”
“Yeah,” said Jet.
“Eat,” urged Brick.
“We don’t need it,” said another.
He laughed. “Okay, then. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have actual fresh food.”
Jet’s brows came together. “Didn’t you eat?”
“Scraps from a restaurant.” He dug into some roast beef.
“Gross,” someone said.
My stomach dropped. All the times I’d stuffed myself at the Jag with Carter, Toby had been in the cell forced to eat everyone’s leftovers?
“In your human form?
” someone exclaimed.
My head snapped up.
“Dillon,” Jet exclaimed. He nodded toward me, still looking at his friend. “Remember? Memory issues.” Jet looked at me. “Don’t mind him. He’s an idiot. Always has been, always will be.”
“Hey!”
“Guys,” Toby said. “Remember what we talked about before I was taken hostage?”
Both Jet and Dillon’s heads fell.
“Sorry, sir,” they said in unison.
I stared at them. As odd as their behavior was, it was also strangely familiar.
Toby pushed a platter of grilled salmon covered in a yellow sauce and spices in front of me. “Eat up. You need fuel after that run.”
The smell of the meal not only made my mouth water, but conjured warm feelings.
He tilted his head. “We ate that together on several picnics.”
My cheeks warmed and I glanced away. “Thanks.”
Toby piled some fish on my plate. “Come on, people. I don’t want to be the only one eating.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Brick grabbed a plate and piled on food.
I couldn’t help smiling.
The front door slammed. “I heard Toby’s back,” came a familiar feminine voice. Soleil entered the room and her face lit up. “You are!” She ran over and hugged him, nearly knocking him out of the chair. “So good to see you!”
He chuckled. “Who told?”
“I’ll never tell.” Soleil winked. “But I was at the Faeble and I might have mentioned it to Tap. Loud enough for everyone there to hear.”
Toby shook his head. “Did everyone know about my imprisonment?”
“Just about.” She sat on the other side of me and dished up some lamb and vegetables. “Once you’ve had a chance to rest, you’d better head over to the bar and say hi to everyone. Tap was worried sick—as was your pack. Gessilyn’s been working nonstop on locator spells, but coming up with nothing.” She turned to me. “How was it you found him?”
“How’d you know—?”
“Valkyries know just about everything.”
My mouth dropped. Valkyrie?
She winked. “It’s because we’re so nosy. And we can drink people’s essence. But you know all about that.” She went on to talk about the fliers all over town and gossip from Toby’s colleagues.
While she rattled on, I tried to make sense of everything. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I was at Toby’s home. Everything had happened so fast—me finding him and then us fleeing the Jag to this mansion.
Was I really surrounded by paranormal creatures?
Could I be one myself?
Chapter 27
Victoria
Toby and I sat on the porch swing. He put his arm around me and smelled of a different soap than I seemed to remember. “I hope this is okay.”
I nodded. Sitting there with him, it didn’t feel like the majority of my life had been taken from me.
“Sorry about my… family. They can be a little overwhelming at times. Even for me.”
“You mean your pack?” I glanced up at him.
“Yes. How much do you remember? Anything?”
I swallowed and held his gaze. My lips longed for his. But I couldn’t bring myself to budge. Not when I’d been kissing Carter earlier that same day. Not when the man with his arms around me was my professor.
“What do you remember?” he asked.
Instinctively, I reached for his hand.
He laced his fingers through mine and leaned his head against mine.
“I have no idea. I’ve had some dreams, but who’s to say if they’re real or not?”
“Perhaps I can help.”
My body shook.
He tightened his hold around me. “Or we can just sit here.”
I took a deep breath. “I really want to remember everything. It sucks so bad to only be able to remember the last month of my life.”
“Don’t I know it.” He kissed the top of my head again. “I really hope this doesn’t make you uncomfortable. I get that I’m just your professor, but you don’t know how much restraint it’s taking me to hold back.”
I turned and studied him. “Why don’t you give in?”
Toby closed his eyes. “It certainly wouldn’t be appropriate for a student-teacher relationship.”
“We both know this goes way beyond that.” I reached for his beard and ran my palm over it. “Have I ever seen it this long?”
“No, I like to keep it short.”
“It’s kind of sexy.”
His face broke into a wide smile. “You say you want me to let go of all restraint?”
I bit my lower lip. “Maybe it’ll help restore my memories.”
Toby swallowed, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
I leaned closer to his face. “But I want to find out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Wholly.”
Toby reached under my arms and stood, lifting me into the air. He spun me in circles and then pulled me down against him. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to do this.” He pressed his lips on mine and spun around again, stopping in front of a wall. Desire burned in his eyes and he pinned me against the house, kissing me again, but taking it deeper this time. His arms wrapped tightly around me and one leg curled around me.
My heart raced and I kissed him back greedily. It was like a well-choreographed dance that had been practiced for hours on end. I explored his mouth—the tastes so familiar, his aroma like a trip back in time. My hands went to the back of his neck and my fingers ran themselves through his soft hair.
This was what I was meant for—he was what was missing from my life. Even if no other memory ever surfaced again, I had all I ever needed.
His hands moved to my hair, pulling it back. “Is this okay?” he whispered.
I grabbed his face and pulled him into another exploratory kiss. His hands moved down to my waist and rested there.
A moment later, he pulled back and gasped for air. “That was just like old times.”
“Let’s bring the past to life.” I kissed his ear. “Help me restore my memories.”
“We should slow down.”
“Now?” I exclaimed.
He nodded toward the window. “We have an audience.”
Five faces were pressed against the window.
I turned back to him. “I don’t care.”
Toby took a deep breath. “I need a moment.” He took my hand and led me back to the bench.
Groans sounded from inside.
Toby rested his hand on my leg, just above the knee. “That was… It was like… like no time had passed.”
“How much time has passed?”
He squeezed my leg and gazed into my eyes. “Years.”
I paused, doing the math. “That doesn’t add up, especially given the age difference.”
Toby’s smile faded. “There is no age gap.”
“Wait, what?”
“It’s complicated. I don’t know where to begin.”
“How about with how a college professor has no age difference from someone who just graduated high school?”
He kissed the top of my head. “You didn’t just graduate, sweetness.”
“When did I?”
“Like I said, years ago.”
I tilted my head. “I don’t understand.”
Tears shone in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Promise to keep an open mind?” His voice wavered.
My heart shattered, seeing him in pain. “After everything I’ve been through, that shouldn’t be hard.”
Toby cleared his throat. “You died some decades ago.”
“Died?”
“In my arms. I never thought I would get to see you again.”
I stared at him, trying to make sense of it. “How is that possible?”
“The easy answer is that you were brought back to life.”
/> “Is that why I can’t remember anything?”
He shook his head.
“How do you know?” Everything seemed to spin around us. I clung to him.
Toby held me tighter. “Because others came back to life around the same time as you, and they all remember everything.”
My mouth dropped.
“Like I said, everything is really complicated. I don’t want to drop it all on you right now. Hopefully it’ll all come together when your memories return.”
White dots danced around in the air. My eyes fluttered and I fell toward Toby’s chest just as everything turned black.
I woke up in an unfamiliar bed and sat bolt upright, gasping for air. The room was pretty, decorated in lavender and silver hues with the sun shining in brightly.
It took me a minute to remember everything that had happened before I blacked out. Everything came flooding back—well, not everything, everything. My life before college was still a mystery, but I recalled finding Toby and coming back to his home. That had to be where I was. Maybe a guest room or something. Such a feminine room wasn’t his.
A girl with rainbow hair came in and smiled. “You’re awake. Hi, I’m Ziamara.”
I stared at her. A strange odor lingered in the air. I couldn’t place it. “Are you… part of the pack?”
She sat at the edge of the bed. “Kind of an honorary member. I’m married to Jet.”
“Oh.”
“I’m a vampire.”
My eyes widened. “I see.”
Ziamara winked. “I won’t bite, I promise. Want me to tell Toby you’re up?”
“Sure, if he’s not busy.”
“He is, but he’s been waiting for you to wake.”
“You’d think he would be the one sleeping after all he’s been through.”
“That dude is as tough as nails.” She walked to the door then turned around. “Oh, do you need anything?”
Just my memories. I shook my head and leaned back against the pillows.
She left the room and I thought back to my conversation with Toby after dinner. That kiss… It was unbelievable. I sighed, wishing I could remember our life together before—especially since that had reminded him of kisses from then.
“Knock, knock,” came Toby’s voice.
“Come in.” I sat back up.
He smiled widely and stepped inside and paused after a couple feet. “It’s so strange being in a bedroom with you.”
Lost Wolf Page 18
