“I had it under control. Besides, if it weren’t for Levi and the rest of you I wouldn’t be in this situation.
“Under control? Have you looked at yourself?”
I resisted the urge to examine the extent of the damage.
“Not that I don’t enjoy seeing you half naked, but you can’t possibly tell me you had it handled.”
“Just take me home.”
Jared shook his head in frustration. “This isn’t over. You’ll have to talk to Levi and accept reality.”
“Please, just take me home.” As much as I didn’t want to see our houseguests, I wanted my mom.
“Not a chance. You aren’t safe outside New Orleans.”
I shuddered at the thought of getting taken again. “Fine, then take me to the hotel. I am not going with you unless you promise to take me there.”
“Then what are you going to do, just stay out here?”
“What are you going to do, tell Levi you left me out here?”
“Fine, but first we need to get you something warmer to wear.” Jared moved behind me like he was ready to get us flying again.
I spun around, facing him. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a Pteron cabin nearby. We have a man here.”
“You just happen to have a cabin in the middle of nowhere?”
“We have homes everywhere, get used to it.”
“I don’t plan to.”
Jared placed his hands roughly on my already sore arms. “We don’t have time to argue, but what you need to understand is that you aren’t safe. What happened back there can and will happen again if you try to run. It was one thing when only a few of us knew that Levi and you connected, but now everyone knows. Your life as you knew it is over, deal with it.”
I shivered at his words, my fear returning as the adrenaline from the anger faded.
“Let’s go.” Jared wrapped his arms around me and took off. I closed my eyes tightly, too emotional to handle anything else.
Jared landed, still keeping me close to his body. I leaned into him, unable to put too much weight on my legs.
“Who’s out there?” A voice broke through the night catching me off guard, preventing me from responding.
“It’s Jared, Allen. I have her.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” An older man walked out of the shadows moving towards us. I tensed beside Jared. His eyes went wide as he looked at me.
“Don’t worry, it’s being taken care of.” Jared answered an unasked question. “I need to get her something warm, I’ll have to take her up high.”
“What? I’m not flying with you again. Let’s find my car.” Even though I argued, I didn’t try to fight when Jared picked me up and carried me inside the cabin. I didn’t care how angry I was; I needed more clothing.
“I’ll get your car,” Allen answered.
“Great.” Jared tossed something to Allen and as he caught it, I realized he had my car keys.
“Hey, where did you get those?”
“We found your purse at the Dairy Queen.”
“How did you know it was there?”
“The GPS.” He smirked, seeming more like the Jared I knew.
“You have a GPS tracker on my car?” I struggled against him until he put me back down.
“Of course we do. You are Levi’s so we had to watch you.”
“Oh, just shut up. You know what, I don’t care.”
Allen stared at me openmouthed before talking. “There is clothing in the bedroom through that doorway.”
I limped over to where he pointed and headed back.
I was just pulling a sweater over my head when Jared walked in. “I found a parka for you, you should be fine.”
“Do we really have to fly?”
“Yes! I never took you as being dumb. How many times do I have to tell you about the danger before you accept it? We have to get you back to New Orleans.”
Maybe it was the exhaustion or the intensity in Jared’s glare, but I nodded.
Allen looked at me warmly as we walked outside. “It was an honor to meet you. I only wish it were under better circumstances.”
An honor? “Um, yeah you too.”
As Jared got ready to take off, I asked about it quickly. “What was that about?”
“You haven’t figured it out yet, huh? I would have thought those stupid pumas would have told you.”
“Told me what?”
“That you’re the newest member of the royal family.”
Hearing it from Jared shocked me. “So it’s true?”
He laughed. “Yes, it’s true. Hold on Princess, it’s going to get cold. You may not breathe much for a minute or so, but it will be over soon.”
Jared took off. As we rose up, I watched billowing smoke snake its way up through the night sky as sounds of wounded animals filled the air. Something told me there was nothing left of the cabin.
Jared wasn’t kidding about going high. My eyes were no match for the wind and I had to give up the fight to keep them open. I felt intense pressure and panicked as I realized I couldn’t really breathe. Just as I thought I couldn’t take anymore, we began to descend. My ears screamed at me, it was worse than a quick descent on a plane.
Jared landed on the balcony outside my room. “There will be someone out here all night, you’re safe.”
I nodded, wanting nothing more than to go inside. Jared knocked on the glass door. A girl I didn’t recognize opened it. Jared walked in with me limping behind him.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my room?” I winced as I put too much weight on the cut up leg and turned ankle.
“It’s all clear.” She nodded to Jared. “I apologize if you don’t like my presence. I will be out in the hall if you need me.” The girl bowed her head slightly before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.
Jared took out his cell phone. “We’re back, and Allie definitely needs to be checked out. Send Dr. Ellis up.”
“Dr. Ellis?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch.
“Yeah, he’s our doctor.”
“But what’s he going to think?”
Jared smiled slightly. “He’s our doctor, he’s seen a lot weirder than this.”
A knock on the door interrupted us and Jared went to open it.
“She’s over here,” Jared said formally, leading in a gray haired man with an old-fashioned black doctor’s bag. “Her leg got swiped by a cougar.”
“Hi, Allie, I’m Dr. Ellis. May I take a look at your leg?”
“Yes.” I looked at him, wondering if he was human.
“All right, this looks worse than it is. Evidently, he or she used the least force necessary on you. I’m sure it’s painful but it should heal.”
He applied a coat of some sort of cream and bandaged my leg. “Try to keep it clean and I’ll leave a tube of this ointment for you. You should change the bandage once a day. Take some ibuprofen every eight hours and it should be healed up in a few weeks. Call me if you have a fever or any increased redness.” He handed me a nondescript business card with just his name and a phone number.”
“Thank you.”
“You are very welcome. Rest up.” He smiled, nodded to Jared, and left the room.
“You think you’re okay here? There’ll be guards outside your room and on the balcony all night,” Jared explained.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, you have my number right? Call if you need anything.” He headed toward the door.
“Jared?” I called just before he closed the door.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for saving me.”
“Not a problem. I’m glad you’re okay.”
I made sure to lock the door behind him.
I pulled off my borrowed clothes and took a hot shower, not caring that the bandage would have to be changed. No amount of water and soap could wash off the dirtiness I felt. I slid down the wall to sit on the floor and cried harder than I ever had in my life.
&nb
sp; As the water in the shower turned cold, I finally got up and limped out. Slipping into a tank and PJ pants and applying a fresh bandage, I went to sleep hoping that when I woke up it would all be just a really bad dream.
Chapter Nineteen
My stomach woke me up the next morning. I hadn’t eaten anything since the few bites of ice cream. I wasn’t sure if I would ever eat the horrible substance again. If it weren’t for my stupid craving, I might already be back in New York.
Walking into the kitchenette, I poured myself some cereal before collapsing in a chair in the living area. I finished quickly, rinsed out my bowl and pushed back the blinds. A man was sitting in a chair on the balcony wearing sunglasses with a paper in front of him. He could have been any tourist. At least he knew how to blend in. Tugging on the ring, I had no idea what I was going to do.
A knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I ignored it but the knocking only got more intense.
“Allie, it’s Owen, open up please.”
“Go away; I don’t want to talk to any of you.”
Things got quiet and I thought he had left before a lighter knocking resumed.
“I said go away!”
“Allie, it’s me,” Hailey called out. “Please open up.”
A part of me refused to believe she was in on all of this. If anyone was going to help me make sense of things it would be her.
“He isn’t with you, is he?” I didn’t even want to mention his name.
“No, I told him he’d only make things worse. And okay, he’s being physically restrained, but either way he’s not here.”
I decided to trust her and reluctantly opened the door.
Returning to my seat on the couch, I pulled my knees up against my chest.
“Nice pjs,” Owen joked. I guess opening the door to Hailey gave him an invitation as well.
“Shut up, Owen,” Hailey snapped.
I laughed despite myself. “Are you seriously going to come in here and make fun of what I’m wearing after everything that’s happened?”
“No, sorry. I honestly don’t know what to say. Jared told us… He said you were in rough shape and weren’t exactly dressed…”
“Stop, I’m not talking about it with you!” I let out the anger that felt ready to boil over.
“Okay. I get it. I wanted to make sure you realized you were safe now. You’re safe here.”
“What if I don’t want to stay?”
“You don’t have a choice,” Owen said calmly, with no hint of the seriousness of what he was saying.
“Jared told me that, but why? Can you really guarantee I’m safe? Besides, can’t someone reverse things and take off this damn ring?” I struggled once again to pull it off.
“Don’t waste your energy, it’s not budging. And you are safer here, where we can protect you,” Owen said. “Besides, to answer your question, no one can reverse it. Levi chose you, and you agreed, so it’s a done deal.”
“I didn’t agree to anything.” I felt my temper rising.
“Maybe not with words but—”
“Don’t go there Owen. Just don’t,” I warned.
“It wasn’t fair of him. I’m not going to sit here and defend him.” Owen cracked his knuckles.
“You better not!” Hailey fumed. “Levi can be such an idiot and jerk sometimes, or okay most of the time. But this is his biggest mess yet.”
“If it helps any, he did it because he cares about you,” Owen said.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s true. Levi wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t care. He tied himself to you as much as he tied you to him,” Hailey said lightly.
“What do you mean he’s tied to me? I still don’t understand it.”
“He can’t be with anyone else now that he’s given you the ring.”
“Oh, come on! If that’s true why did he do it? We barely know each other!”
“Honestly?” Owen asked, pausing to look out the window. “He was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Of how he would feel when the inevitable happened and you left at the end of the summer. He was afraid of losing you.”
“That’s ridiculous. We were just having fun.”
“No, it was more than that. Levi is crazy about you; he has been since he first met you. Then you challenged him and it just made things worse.”
“So where does that leave me? I can’t stay here forever.”
“Would it really be that bad to stay in New Orleans longer? Forgetting about Levi for a second, you’re not safe away from here. Do you really want to risk it?” Hailey asked carefully.
“My life isn’t here.”
“Not to be a bitch, Allie, but where is your life exactly?” Hailey sat down next to me. “I mean, what’s waiting for you up north? An ex-boyfriend who doesn’t get what over means and a college you are only going to for your parents?”
“My mom is up there!” I argued even as Hailey’s words rang true. So much had changed, especially now that I knew about Mom’s boyfriend moving in.
“You’re leaving home either way. What’s the difference between a two-hour drive and a two-hour flight? Both ways you’re not at home.”
When I didn’t respond, Hailey placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Look, I’m sorry I said that. I was out of line, but I don’t think staying here would be the worst thing for you, and besides I want you to stay.”
“Owen, can I talk to Hailey alone?” I asked, even though I was prepared to kick him out if necessary. There was so much I wanted to say but not in front of Levi’s friend.
“Well, I told Levi I would report back to him about—”
“Just leave, Owen. Who cares what Levi wants, this is about Allie.” Hailey got up and started pushing him towards the door.
“Fine, but I’ll be down the hall,” he relented and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Hailey took her seat next to me again, sitting cross-legged. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”
The sincerity in Hailey’s words matched the emotion in her eyes. Even as I struggled to understand the situation, I knew she was a friend and had no role in Levi’s deception. Our friendship, as new as it was, was one of the only solid things I had to hold onto.
“It was horrible. The way he touched me... If we hadn’t been interrupted…” I couldn’t finish the thought. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“And the worst part is that even though it’s over, I still feel so dirty. I can still feel the guy’s hands all over me, and when I close my eyes I see his face. I’ve never felt so helpless before.” I bet a million self-defense classes wouldn’t have saved me, but I planned to sign up for one the first chance I got.
“I wish there was some way for me to erase what happened, but I know I can’t. All I can do is promise you that I will never let that happen to you again. None of us will.”
“I think that’s why I’m tempted to stay. I’m afraid to leave.” The thought of ever being in that situation again terrified me. I hated having to rely on others, but at this point, I had no choice.
“Will you at least consider it?”
“Staying?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll think about it.” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. “But let’s stop talking about what happened. I can’t handle it.”
“Really? You might stay?” Hailey’s face lit up and she hugged me. “It’s going to be so awesome; we’ll be roommates and get to hang out all the time.”
“Whoa, slow down. First of all, I said I’d think about it, not that I’d do it. Secondly, in case you forgot, I’m not enrolled at Tulane, and lastly, you already have a roommate.”
“If you’re thinking about it, you are going to do it. Anyway, be realistic, between our connections, money, and your ridiculous academic background are you really worried about getting in
?”
“My ridiculous academic background?”
“You’re supposed to go to Princeton. Don’t tell me you don’t have perfect SATs and grades.”
“Well, what about your roommate?”
“What about her? You think I want to live with that girl? Besides, getting things changed will be easy. All I have to do is tell my dad about her panties on the door plan and it’s a done deal.”
Talking to Hailey about living together got me excited. If I was being honest with myself, Levi aside, I didn’t want to leave New Orleans. Even without the fear for my safety, I would have been tempted to stay.
“Like I said, I’ll think about it.”
“You do realize what you still have to do though?” she asked, avoiding my eyes.
“What?”
“You have to talk to Levi.”
“Why? Just because I stay doesn’t mean I’m going to be with him.”
“Well, then you can tell him that. He’s not going to back down until you two talk things out.”
“Lovely. Will you come with me? I don’t trust myself to refrain from slugging him.”
Hailey laughed. “You ready then?”
“Now?” I asked alarmed.
“What time were you thinking?”
“Never…”
“Exactly. Let’s go, the sooner the better.” She tugged on my arm to pull me up from my seat.
“At least let me get changed. If I’m facing him I’m not doing it in this.” I gestured to my pajamas.
I didn’t wait for a response and walked into my room to change. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt because I wanted to cover up my bruised up knees and my bandaged leg. Hopefully, no one noticed my wrists. I was bound to run into someone, and I didn’t want any extra questions. Natalie knew what happened, but no one else did.
***
Levi leaned against the window at the front of the corner coffee shop. He didn’t notice us approaching, and he looked way too good. If I thought I could avoid thinking about the last time we were together, I was totally delusional.
“Hey man,” Owen called out. He flanked me with Hailey on my other side, both helping take some weight off my bad leg. The several times I attempted to turn around, the two of them had me facing forward again. I knew that avoiding this confrontation was pointless but it didn’t mean I wanted it.
Flight Page 16
