by Tate, Sennah
“When what?” he asked.
She licked her lips absently, her eyes flicking to look at his mouth and back to his eyes. She didn’t know it was possible to want something so badly. Aaron consumed her thoughts for so many years; she thought for so long that it was a one-sided attraction. Could she really have a chance with him?
“You said when you kiss me,” she answered, her words nearly silent, breathless.
His eyes darkened with desire and against his better judgment, he reached for her hand.
“Yes, Izzy, when.”
Chapter Eight
His kiss took her breath away. For a moment, she actually couldn’t remember how to breathe. He invaded her senses, overwhelmed her brain and made her dizzy in the most wonderful way.
For years — decades — Izzy dreamed about this moment. Now, here it was, better than she ever could have imagined.
His warmth flooded her; her body was alive with the sensations. His lips moved against her, gently at first. She parted to grant him entrance and he plundered her mouth with his tongue like a man starved.
He groaned, his hand on the back of her head pulling her in deeper.
She felt like she could just melt into him. Everything suddenly seemed right.
His tongue drew a moan from her. Izzy’s skin buzzed with awareness of him. She wanted his fingers on her, she wanted to strip him bare and see every inch of his gorgeous skin.
She’d wanted it for so long. She wanted it that night, but they’d never gotten there. Why?
Cursing her own brain for ruining the moment, Izzy pulled away.
Aaron looked disoriented, out of breath, and still hungry for more.
He moved in for another kiss and Izzy placed a hand on his chest to stop him.
“What happened that night? When you… left me,” she asked.
Aaron could kick his own ass for the pain in her eyes.
“I… I thought you wanted me,” she whispered, a sob breaking her voice.
“Oh… Iz. Of course I want you. I just… that night and nearly every night… I just don’t deserve you. I never have. I wanted to become the man that deserved you, but I’m nowhere close.”
She touched his cheek and he leaned into her hand, placing a kiss on her palm that sent butterflies to her core.
“You shaved,” she remarked, feeling his smooth skin against hers.
“Like I said… I don’t deserve you. I just want a chance to try my damnedest.”
She snickered.
“You didn’t have to shave for me.”
He shrugged with a wry grin, “I want to do whatever I can to make you happy. I know I’ve sucked at it. I’ve sucked at pretty much everything lately. I still don’t know what all of this shit is, but I can’t help but feeling like we should be dealing with it together.”
She leaned in for another quick kiss, her heart full to bursting. Could this really be happening? Could she and Aaron actually work?
Aaron’s cell buzzed in his pocket but he moved in for another kiss.
Buzz.
His hand wrapped around her neck and he tried to angle his height in the car to get a better position.
Buzz.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” Izzy asked.
Aaron shrugged, “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
Izzy answering giggle made him smile — a real smile, not a carefully crafted one.
Buzz.
Aaron groaned and pulled away from her, letting his hand fall from her neck to her thigh.
“One sec,” he answered the phone, “Hello?”
“Yeah.”
“Uh… yeah?”
“No shit?”
“Sure. Be there in five.”
Izzy frowned; just that quickly she was shoved to the side.
He turned to her with an apologetic glance.
“Your brother,” he said, answering the question she hadn’t asked.
“What’s happened now?”
“Ty said he got a video.”
<<<>>>
“All right, whiz kid, what’s this urgent video that everyone needs to see?” Trick said, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
“Uh… you’re all going to want to sit down for this,” Ty said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Everyone took their usual seat at the conference table, but something was different.
Izzy and Aaron sat next to each other.
No one commented on the new development. It was too difficult to predict either of them.
Ty lowered the projection screen and turned the lights down until the disturbing image came into view.
A masked man — Preston Waters — held a woman by the hair and taunted the camera.
“Lookie loo, Travelers. I think I have something you might want,” he sang merrily.
The woman’s eyes had dark purple circles under them, her hair was matted and old dried blood stained the rags she wore.
Ty paused the video.
“That’s Reddy Francis, the secretary that went missing a few days ago,” he said, hitting play.
Preston grabbed her by the throat and slowly applied pressure to her windpipe.
She clawed and fought against his grip; Waters only laughed.
“Who’s ready for dinner?” he cried as Reddy’s face purpled.
Alina couldn’t watch. She knew what that meant.
From every corner of the warehouse shadows crept out. They latched onto Reddy and fed from her.
She grew paler and paler.
Aaron expected him to let her go any moment. They seemed to prefer live hostages; he didn’t expect this to be anything more than a taunt.
“Oooh ho! Looks like we’re hungry today aren’t we?” Waters laughed.
“Stop it! You’re killing her!” Izzy screeched.
Aaron placed his hand over hers.
“Why… why doesn’t he stop?” she asked in a whisper, tears streaming down her face.
Reddy went limp in Waters’ arms. He dropped her to the floor without another thought.
He stepped forward until his mask filled the frame.
“There’s plenty more where that came from. Who’s going to stop me?”
The lights came back on and the projection screen retracted. For a moment, no one said anything. They were all in shock.
“Did he say…?” Gemma asked.
“Travelers,” Carson said, confirming her suspicions.
“Are there more?” He asked Alina.
She shook her head, “There were… I don’t think there are any more. I believe you’re the only one.”
“So what does Preston Waters know that we don’t?” Ty asked.
“I don’t know,” said Carson, “but I’m not going to let him keep killing innocent women. Reddy Francis should not have died. This ends now.”
Izzy looked at her brother, her eyes shining with wetness, “You can’t.”
“Izzy’s right,” said Gemma.
“It’s way too dangerous,” added Aaron.
“You’re going to get hurt if you go.”
“So, Gemma will heal me,” Carson said.
Gemma looked offended, “I thought you didn’t like me using my magic.”
“Gemma, he’s holding hostages and calling me out.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious?” asked Aaron. “Have you considered it might be a trap?”
“Carson, I’m serious; if you go to that warehouse, something really bad is going to happen to you,” Izzy said, hoping her older brother could hear her sincerity.
“Please,” Gemma said, resting a hand on his arm, “Izzy’s feelings have been really accurate lately. Don’t discount her.”
Carson sighed and dropped his head into his hands.
“All right. Fine, you all win. But we have to devise a plan to get those women out,” he said.
Most everyone decided to go back to sleep after the meeting. Sleep came in short unpredictable bursts these days and
they learned to snatch a few minutes whenever they could.
Carson couldn’t though. He knew that Preston Waters meant that video for him. He felt like the bastard was talking directly to him through the screen.
He watched the video again.
And again.
And again.
He watched the video until he had it memorized. He knew every word, every inflection, and every deranged laugh.
He didn’t know what he expected to see in the video. He wanted a clue… something to tell him how to get in past Waters’ goons.
He hoped there would be something revealing Preston’s weakness. So he watched it again.
He watched the light drain out of Reddy’s eyes. He pinpointed the exact moment she died. He saw the disgusting shadows feasting on her pure white shimmer until they’d drained it completely.
It made him sick to his stomach. But Carson couldn’t give into that reaction. He had to find something. Anything.
Gemma’s hands slipped over his shoulders from behind, traveling down to his chest, she gave him a kiss on the neck.
“Are you coming to bed?”
She finally looked at the computer screen and her hands froze.
“Why are you torturing yourself with this?” she asked, unable to look at the gruesome image.
“I just… I keep thinking… Could I have saved her? What about the next Reddy? Can I save her? Is there something in this video that will help me do it?”
Gemma smiled sadly and rubbed his shoulders with gentle hands.
“There’s nothing you could have done to save her.”
“I could have beat him last time,” Carson said, starting the video again.
“How can you say that? You were out-numbered, out-gunned and on their home turf. You all made it out alive. I’m grateful for that,” she said.
“But Reddy Francis didn’t make it out of there alive.”
Gemma sighed.
“You can’t save everyone, sweetheart,” she said.
His bloodshot eyes darted to meet her gaze.
“But it’s up to me to try.”
She rested her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. She couldn’t win this argument. He wasn’t going to give up.
“Okay. I’m heading to bed. Join me when you’re ready,” she said, stooping down to give him a kiss.
Carson watched her leave and wished he could follow her.
Every time he closed his eyes he saw Reddy’s face. He watched the light drain from her; heard the whispering death that came with the shadows; he saw the satisfied gleam in Preston’s crazed eyes. He couldn’t let this continue. This needed to end.
He turned back to the computer and resumed his study of the gruesome video.
Chapter Nine
Izzy awoke to the sound of Aaron’s snoring next to her. His body radiated an enveloping warmth that pulled her in closer. She couldn’t resist him. He groaned and his hand slid over the swell of her hip, around her waist to pull her tight against him. There was no doubting how much he wanted her and Izzy smiled with a satisfied feminine purr as she snuggled into him.
“Izzy! Aaron!”
She realized that maybe it wasn’t his snoring that had woken her.
“Aaron,” she whispered, trying to wake him.
He groaned and tightened his grip around her waist. Izzy was tempted to slip back into her mercifully dreamless sleep, but a frantic knock on the door kept her from relaxing.
“Please,” Gemma pleaded from the other side.
Izzy didn’t hesitate another moment; she popped out of bed and slipped into Aaron’s discarded t-shirt before opening the door a crack.
“What’s up Gem?” she asked with a yawn, wondering how long they’d been asleep.
“He’s gone,” Gemma said, hysteria creeping into her voice.
<<<>>>
A few hours earlier…
Carson watched the life drain from Reddy’s eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. There was nothing here. Nothing that could give him any more information about what Preston was doing or how he was holding these women. As much as Carson wanted to save them all, if he didn’t know Preston’s end game they were just going to keep running around in circles.
The wolf inside him protested against being stationary. It was his obligation to save these women; he was the one with the powers and the knowledge.
He restarted the video.
Immediately the wolf bristled at the sight of Preston Waters. The more intense his anger grew the harder it was to control the ferocious beast inside of him. It didn’t help that he was itching for a rematch with the enormous lion. No part of Carson was accustomed to coming in second.
He knew when to admit defeat, though. By himself, he couldn’t find anything in the video that was helpful. All he had was a taunt — Preston Waters was worried about him, that was at least something in his favor. He knew it was time to throw in the towel.
The shadows wrapped around Reddy’s pale bruised flesh and drained her little by little. He saw the teeming mass just behind Preston and it seemed to be growing.
That’s when he saw it — it was tiny, no doubt, but it was there — fear. Preston wasn’t in complete control of those shadows; it was only for a split second, the maniacal gleam in his eyes faded, gave way to something new and frightened. If he’d blinked, Carson would have missed it, for in the next instant, Preston’s facade was back in place as if it had never left.
The thought of Preston Waters controlling the terrible shadow creatures was horrific enough, but to know that they were getting stronger — too strong for him to handle — that only made the situation more dire.
There was no time to waste. If the shadows over-powered Preston or broke free of whatever hold he had on them, the women he held captive wouldn’t stand a chance.
<<<>>>
“What? Who’s gone?” asked Aaron, sitting up in bed, his chiseled chest exposed and silvery scars clearly visible in the dim light.
“Carson,” Gemma sobbed, “He’s gone… left… I told him… gone…” she muttered over and over incoherently.
Izzy tossed a questioning look back to Aaron who was already dressing himself.
“Slow down. Just tell us what happened,” she said.
By then, others started to hear the commotion. For the time being, they were all staying in the clubhouse; they all agreed that sticking together was the best idea both for general safety and for quick response times if something happened.
Trick stumbled into the hallway, rubbing at his bleary eyes.
“What’s all the blubbering for?” he mumbled.
Ty peered around the corner of his make-shift bedroom door. He squinted before sliding his glasses on.
“Is everything all right?” He asked.
Izzy could see that Gemma was already getting overwhelmed with the attention and magnitude of the situation. She rested a hand on Gemma’s back and led her to the main living area of the upper floor.
“Okay, so tell us what’s going on with Carson.”
“What’s going on with Carson?” Trick asked, suddenly more awake.
Aaron glared at him, “That’s what we’re trying to find out, genius.”
“Oh, shove it, G.I. Joe,” Trick snapped.
“Both of you shut up and let Gemma talk,” Izzy barked.
Gemma sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to shake of the desperate shaking sobs that silently wracked her body.
“He was… obsessed with that video,” she sniffled, “I went to bed… when I woke up he wasn’t there. Well…” she paused, flicking her eyes to Izzy’s before finding the floor again, “he’s there. He’s just not there.”
<<<>>>
As much as Carson knew he would catch hell for it later, he also knew that he couldn’t leave the fates of those women up to chance.
He leaned over the blissfully unaware sleeping beauty that he called his girlfriend and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
“Please don’t be too a
ngry at me for this,” he whispered.
The transition came easily now — the connection between Carson, Gemma and the wolf was strong and resilient. He trusted her; this could work, he just knew it.
Without much of a plan, Carson set off for the warehouse headquarters of Preston Waters.
The hair on the back of his neck bristled as he made his way through the abandoned industrial section of the city. He could feel the pulsating energy coming from the frenzied and Waters’ minions.
The stench of vinegar was almost a pleasant distraction from the fetid odor that met his keen nose now — decay and fear.
A high-pitched scream made his ears twitch.
Carson padded his way closer to the warehouse, but he felt himself growing weaker.
The connection to his body seemed to be slipping.
He looked down and saw that his feet were nearly transparent.
Another scream.
He had to save her.
<<<>>>
“What do you mean he’s not there?” Ty asked.
Gemma swiped the tears away from her cheeks and led everyone into the bedroom she and Carson had been sharing.
Carson lay on the bed with his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling rhythmically. If they didn’t know better, it would be easy for a person to think him simply asleep.
Upon further inspection, one could tell that he didn’t react to anything in the room around him. Sounds, light, smells, even temperatures didn’t faze his prone body.
“Isn’t there anything you can do?” Aaron asked.
Gemma nibbled her bottom lip and sat on the edge of the bed next to Carson, one hand covering his.
“Well… There’s one thing…” she muttered.
“What?” Izzy asked, unable to look at her comatose brother. “Whatever it is, you have to do it. He can’t be out there alone, Gem.”
“I know! It’s just…” her hands trembled as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
Aaron’s heavy hand rested on Gemma’s slumped shoulder, “Tell us.”
“I…” she started, her voice catching in her throat, “I used to be able to pull him back. But now…”
“Now the bond is too strong,” Alina finished.
