Berkr glanced over at me and started shifting towards me to block me with his body.
All of his damn weapons are still in the sack by the door, right by the intruder! Fat lot of good those are going to do us!
"Uh, uh, uh," the man tsk-ed Berkr, "Get back over there, beast."
"George?" I asked stunned, the familiar timber sending shards of icy dread and shock through my veins.
I would know that voice anywhere.
"Hello, Willy. Did you miss me, my love?" he asked sweetly.
He pulled off his mask, his shock of blonde hair sticking straight up at a hundred different angles, plastered to his head at others.
He smiled, crooking his finger at me, motioning for me to join him.
I gaped at him.
"What the fuck are you doing? Are you insane! You can't just go around shooting people all willy nilly when it suits you! You could kill someone!" I waved my arms wildly, gesturing at him angrily.
He motioned for me to join him again.
I stayed right where I am though, glancing surreptitiously for a place to duck if he does decide to shoot at us.
Hopefully, I can duck fast enough or I'm toast.
George chuckled and looked me up and down lasciviously.
"Oh, how I've missed you, Willy," he said wistfully, "You haven't changed much at all. The same feisty woman I fell in love with. I've been waiting for this moment, my love. Our reunion. Did you miss me too, pumpkin?"
I didn't respond, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He just kept giving me a scary, stalker, googly-eyed look.
How did I once find him so attractive?
I shuddered at the very thought.
He's giving me hives. That look on him and just the look of him is beyond creepy.
He looked nervous and excited to see me, continuously wiping his right hand on his jacket, easing from foot to foot as I stared at him saucer eyed.
"Meanie," Berkr said quietly, catching my attention.
I glanced over at him.
"Man Candy's George?" he asked pointedly.
"No!" George burst out angrily, glaring at Berkr.
I tensed and scooted a little closer to Berkr.
"I would never do something as stupid as taking up with that insipid, sniveling, double crossing, little bitch!" he spat.
He looked at me again and gave me a puppy dog look, flashing me a crooked smile.
"I've been faithful to you, Willy. I haven't strayed once since they took you, pumpkin. No matter what Candy said, I knew you were alive and I've waited."
There was a fanatical gleam in his eyes as he gazed me.
He seems worse than he was the last time I'd seen him.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked quietly.
"Don't you know, Willy?" he asked lowering the hand that held the gun a little, "It's all for you."
To say the least, I was horrified, appalled.
"For me! I don't want you shooting at people, acting like a crazy person!"
"I am not fucking crazy!" he snapped at me, his facing suddenly contorting angrily.
He flushed crimson and veins throbbed in his neck.
He tightened his grip on the gun again.
He took a step towards me and Berkr leapt at him swiftly, pouncing on George when he thought he was distracted enough.
The gun went off unexpectedly and I jumped, the shot ringing out in the room.
I screamed when Berkr slumped and fell on his side.
He grunted in pain and tried to wrestle the gun out of George's hands, making sure it wasn't aimed at me, just in case it went off.
It seemed like Berkr's strength was starting to wane, his actions suddenly becoming delayed and sluggish.
George hit him with a well-aimed blow to the head and Berkr groaned.
He looked at me and mouthed the words 'run' before his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped.
Everything in me froze momentarily when blood began to pool underneath him.
"Oh, god, Berkr!" I cried as I stood there like a dumb ass.
I wanted to rush over and help him, but his words echoed in my head over and over... run... run... run...
George pushed Berkr the rest of the way off of him and popped up, then tried to run over to me.
I screamed again and tried to run away from him, heart pounding fiercely in my chest, pulse pounding in my ears as I panicked and tossed a cooking pan at him.
It hit him square in the face and he flew back a little, shouting out in pain as he brought both hands up and clutched his face, the gun still tightly clutched in his left.
I ran out the front door and straight towards the woods.
Somehow this is all my fault! He's here because of me!
No! He's crazy! I argued with myself.
Hell! I don't know what to fucking think!
"Please be okay, Berkr! Please be okay," I chanted, dashing head long into the woods, no real direction in mind, just escape.
I clamped my lips shut tightly when I realized I might as well put a huge neon sign on my head that says 'She's right here, ya crazy asshole! Come and get her!'
George's heavy tread and harsh breathing sounded too close for my own comfort.
I pushed myself harder, trying to keep enough space between us, but when I reached an area that was dense with trees and underbrush, I found a good spot and dove in, crouching down low to help camouflage myself.
A few minutes passed and the bushes to my right bristled, rustling as George entered the clearing.
He froze when he found it empty.
He took off in another direction immediately, but I stayed quiet and stayed put.
I'd learned enough now to know that you never underestimate anybody.
I can already surmise how little Miss Candy fits into all of this.
Guess who helped George find this place in the first place?!
No way could he have found the portal without her help.
…But why did she come back instead of just leading him here?
Was she still that deluded into thinking he'd snap out of his 'crazy' and marry her? Do I really want to figure out the inner workings of her mind?
Nah.
...I'd probably unintentionally lose I.Q. points trying to put myself in her shoes.
...best not even go there.
George came back into the clearing and I was relieved I'd decided to stay put.
"Oh, Willy," he sing song-ed, scanning the area, hazel eyes skimming right over me.
I held my breath, trying to keep myself perfectly still.
"You know, this wasn't easy," he said as he started searching the tree tops for me.
"If Candy had done what she was supposed to in the first place, I wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic measures."
He set his pack down and settled himself on the ground, leaning against a tree.
"I know you're here. I can feel it," he said easily, closing his eyes, his hands resting over his stomach, the gun now resting by his leg.
I'm trapped!
I tried to tamp down the panic that was trying to seize me and keep my breathing quiet.
I couldn't back up with the way I was snuggled in to my little spot. He would hear me rustling around and I'd give myself away before I could make a run for it.
"I was the reason she got caught by that giant, yellow eyed, white monster in the first place," he admitted.
My lips parted in surprise, but I muffled any sound quickly with my hand.
He chuckled to himself.
"He was heading for the cabin. Our cabin. He’d come back. I watched him, waiting to see what he would do. He broke in and was filling a sack with a bunch of your things, pumpkin. Can you believe it?" he asked angrily.
Kirch was putting my things in a sack? He didn't go there to find another mate?
"He only took your things and I knew he was the one who'd taken you. I could never forget those evil yellow eyes."
Then why did he end up with Can
dy? I contemplated, hoping he'd continue.
He didn't disappoint.
"Candy had shown up earlier, trying to get me to live with her. You'd already been gone for a while and I was beginning to fear you really had died. They all said I was crazy." He snorted at the idea and continued. "I am not crazy! It was not a damned bear! I knew, even if they didn't believe that I knew what I saw really was what I thought."
I took me a minute to follow the rambling at the end, but I got it.
"That's when I got my idea. It was brilliant really," he said smugly, "he wanted a woman, so I gave him one. Candy."
He snickered at that for a few minutes.
Does he really think I'm here... or does he just like hearing himself talk?
"Of course, the little bitch didn't want to do it at first. I made up some bullshit about marrying her if I could find you and finally get past our break up and the guilt I felt for your disappearance. She actually bought it." He shook his head, smiling crookedly. "What a twit... where was I? Oh, yeah, so she acts like she's stumbled across him and starts screaming bloody murder. She's a terrible actress, by the way, but the screaming worked. I slipped into my truck and started the engine, revving it up to make him think I was just pulling in. The stupid beast panicked, grabbed the screaming bitch and took off, leaving your things behind."
Kirch didn't really want her!
Kirch was getting my things for me....
"I brought them for you," he said coaxingly, "I thought you might be missing having your own things with you. I hid them in some caves I'd found my first night here."
There was a noise in the brush off to the side and George jumped up, pulling a syringe out of his pocket.
I gulped quietly as he pulled the cap off and inched towards the bristling bushes.
He left the gun behind!
I eyed it as he started whacking the bushes looking for me.
"Wilhelmina! Come out now! I am at the end of my rope! I have been patient up until this point! We need to make it to our new house before it gets dark!"
I shrank down more as he paced angrily right in front of me.
Our home?
New house?
Whah....?
"I know what you've been doing," he accused, catching my attention, "I know you've been fucking them. All three of them and I won't be having it! I'll kill them before I let them touch you again!"
My breath caught a little, a whisper of breath.
No!
George paused and cocked his head to the side, listening for me to give myself away.
He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, his jaw unclenching after a few minutes.
"It worked, you know," he said quietly, "You were trying to make me jealous. I get it. Make me see how desirable you are. Believe me, pumpkin, I know. I know..."
His eyes took on a weird faraway look and he shuddered.
"I imagined it was me," he murmured huskily, "When I saw the smaller one fucking you outside. I pretended it was me. I know you saw me there. How could you not? Our love is too strong not to."
My stomach clenched and bile rose in my throat.
He’s sick!
…And he's never going to leave me alone…
He followed me through a god damned portal for Christ’s sake!
He was watching us...
He lunged forward and suddenly parted the bushes by me, looking disappointed when he didn't find me.
The syringe disappeared behind his back again and his gaze roamed the area speculatively.
"You don't really love them. I don't care what Candy says. I'll prove it to you. I'll cure you of your fascination with those beasts."
He crouched down and thrust his hands into the bushes, rummaging through them.
I backed up a little and squelched my yelp when a branch snapped loudly and dug into my hand.
George grinned and walked right over to where I was hidden.
He started to part the bushes, but I sprung up and knocked him over. I scrambled over him and grabbed the gun.
I gripped it tightly with both hands and made sure the safety was off, swinging around to face him.
George picked himself up and looked at me incredulously.
"You won't shoot me, you love me," he said confidently.
"Wanna bet?" I aimed it right at his chest.
He must have seen something in my eyes and backed up, his hands high in the air.
Where's the damn syringe? I wondered a little distractedly.
"You don't mean that," he said quietly, hurt lacing his tone.
"How exactly did you get here in the first place?" I asked coldly.
"I tried to follow the overgrown white monkey when he snatched Candy up and took off, but I lost him. I thought all hope was lost until she came back later, found me and told me everything. She showed me to the portal and I made her come back with me. She was supposed to get you alone so I could rescue you and take you back."
He took a step towards me and I double checked that the safety was off.
"Okay. Okay. I get it," he sighed heavily, "they've brainwashed you."
"Brainwashed me?!"
"But I can fix it! We can even live here if you want to. In fact, I've made us a little love nest and everything. I'd do anything for you, Willy," he said reasonably, cajolingly, but then his voice hardened, "Even save you from yourself."
He launched himself at me and my hands shook uncontrollably as I fired.
George shoved my hands at the last moment, effectively deflecting my shot from hitting him.
We wrestled around on the ground.
I kept my hands gripped firmly on the gun, unwilling to let it go.
George grunted as I managed to elbow him in the neck, one of his hands relinquishing their grip.
George punched me in the side of the head and black spots danced in my vision.
I would have kicked at him, but he had my legs pinned with his weight.
He managed to pry one of my hands off and slammed the other into a tree repeatedly, trying to smash my hand into relenting.
I cried out at the pain that shot up my wrist, but I held tight.
There was a sharp pain in my shoulder, out of nowhere, and I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the sudden sharp jab.
What the hell was that?
George stopped fighting me and just held me there, freezing us in place.
"It's okay, Willy. It's okay," he crooned, voice turned soothing.
"What did.... what did... yoouuu...?" I mumbled, my words getting slurred and garbled.
It feels like I have a wad of cotton in my mouth.
The world started going fuzzy and I felt my grip going lax.
NO! my mind screamed, while my body twitched uselessly, unable to cooperate, flopping inadequately.
There's the syringe, I thought as my mind muddled.
"Don't you worry, pumpkin. I'm going to fix everything," he promised, kissing my lips as my body went completely limp and I was swept into oblivion.
Chapter 21
I woke up when I heard a noise.
It was a strange noise and my mind was trying to figure out exactly what it was as I regained consciousness.
My blurry eyes opened and the first thing I noticed was dirt... lots of dirt.
Why am I sleeping on dirt?
I scrubbed my face and sat up a little.
The world spun and a wave of nausea rolled over me.
"Here, drink this."
Something was thrust under my nose.
My muddled mind was still trying to get its self together as I reached a shaky hand out to grasp what I realize now is a cup.
I brought my other hand up to cup it and sipped a little.
Water, it’s water.
I drank some more and sighed when the worst of the nausea eased.
A hand came up to caress my face and I jerked when I realized it wasn't one of my mates.
It was a human hand...
"What happ
ened? Where am I?"
I rubbed at my eyes and was relieved when my vision started to finally clear.
"You're safe. You're with me, pumpkin. I've saved you."
Everything came rushing back when George's voice finally registered.
I jumped and stumbled around, trying to scramble away from him.
"Don't be like that, Willy. I've missed you. Don't I even get a hug," he pouted.
"No!" I barked at him, using the wall for leverage as I tried to get away.
His hand touched my shoulder and I shoved it off, my head throbbing, heart pounding, legs still wobbly as I tried to navigate my way out of the cave he'd taken me to.
It doesn't look like the ones I'd explored myself, but I'm sure I could find my way out.
"Where do you think you're going?" George chuckled.
He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, his grip firm as he lifted me and carried me kicking and screaming to his sleeping bag.
"God, I love it when you get like this," he said excitedly, sniffing my hair.
"Meanie!" bellowed Veck from somewhere in the caves.
George froze with me in his arms.
"Here!" I screamed as loud as I could.
George clamped a hand over my mouth, muffling me.
"Shut up!" he hissed at me, "They'll find us!"
I bit his hand as hard as I could and he yelped out in pain, dropping me to clutch his hand as it bled.
I flopped to the ground.
"Oh, my god! You bit me! Fuck, Willy, you drew blood!"
And it was your shooting hand, you left handed bastard! I crowed inwardly.
There was a rock next to my hand and I clutched it, getting up slowly to face George.
I saw the gun by the sleeping bag and didn't hesitate when I swung the rock at his face, hitting him as hard as I could.
George fell back, landing into the hot springs pool in the middle of the room.
I leapt towards the sleeping bag and grabbed the gun, running on rubbery legs out of the room as I took off down one of the cave tunnels.
George was splashing and screaming at me from his ‘love nest’, his voice echoing throughout the tunnels.
My body was running on pure adrenaline, fear keeping me upright, helping me when I needed the boost of energy most.
Where the hell am I?
I don’t think I’ve been here before…
Nothing looked familiar, my mind still fuzzy.
The Bridal Hunt Page 18
