Animal Instinct

by Noelle N

  I felt almost limbless after the luxuriating bath, and I sleepily stumbled out of the bathroom a good while later, tying the bathrobe firmly around me. I knew that the man who'd given me this room probably wasn't going to begrudge me from going to the kitchen to grab some food, but it was the last thing on my mind now because I was just that tired.

  Inspecting my arms, I noticed that some parts of my skin were still bruised where Diego and Bianca had grabbed me. I shut my eyes, forced those images out of my head and lay down on the bed, my damp blonde locks fanning out on the pillow.

  Catching sight of the black jacket hanging on the edge of the bed, I reached for it and tucked it to my chest. The iPod from earlier was still in one of the pockets, and I pulled it out. It wasn't until then that I noticed the faint words scratched on the edge of it.

  Jed

  With a sigh, I lifted the iPod closer and scrutinised it. "So you're the Jedediah Trevino," I mused quietly, my voice barely a whisper in the silence as I thought about the man whose path had unexpectedly crossed with mine. "Defendant. Murderer. Rescuer." I plugged the earpieces in, listening to the first song that began to play as I curled up on my side with the jacket clutched to my chest, my finger tracing across the letters of his name. "Who are you, really?"

  04

  WRECK

  Waking up to sore limbs and a racing heart the next morning wasn't the best feeling in the world. It took awhile for me to make sense of the lush blue curtains instead of the faded cream ones I was used to seeing, but then I remembered that I was in a different place altogether.

  Jed's house.

  That was – bizarre. I didn't even know he existed two days ago and now that man, with his green eyes and mysterious behaviour was all I could think of.

  Shaking my head at the thought, I dragged myself out of bed and went to freshen up. Making my way downstairs after that was a matter of confusion. Jed was there to lead the way last night, but I realised today that there were many twists and turns, many empty rooms and empty hallways.

  After taking several wrong turns, I finally found my way to the kitchen, only to freeze in my steps when I saw Jed standing there, with his elbows braced on the counter and his hands wrapped around a mug, with the coffee-pot on his left and various documents laid out in front of him. It was a cold morning so I wasn't surprised to see him in a grey sweater with the hood pulled up over his head.

  He glanced up immediately, setting his cup down when he saw me. And as he straightened, I belatedly realised that he'd had the zip of his sweater undone, black sweatpants riding low on his hips. And he wasn't wearing a shirt on underneath, the smooth planes of his tanned chest and the muscle lines stretched taut across his abdomen visible even under the dim lighting in the kitchen.

  In a different situation, this would've been one hell of a good morning.

  "Hi," I greeted softly, willing myself not to blush under the heat of his gaze.

  He stared at me warily, and I didn't miss the way he started to push aside the files and papers into a haphazard stack so that they were out of my line of vision. Clearly, this was information I wasn't supposed to see. It didn't quench the flicker of curiosity within me, however. Things had happened too quickly within the past two days and I had plenty of missing blanks that I wanted to fill.

  "So, um, this is yours," I said instead, setting his jacket and iPod on top of the counter, before pushing it across to him. "I'd have the jacket washed if I knew where the laundry room was or if I was back home and actually able to do the laundry but – well…"

  My words faded when he simply took the jacket and iPod from me. Then he pushed himself away from the counter and crossed the kitchen. Absentmindedly, I began worrying my bottom lip as I watched him shift some cups around, turn on the tap as the sounds of water filled the silence.

  "Still not going to talk to me, huh?" I asked wryly when he turned back around with another cup in his hands, picking up the coffee-pot and filling it to the brim. "Shame. And I had plenty of questions I need answers to, but I guess – oh." I stopped in surprise, my eyes widening when he pushed the cup into my hands. The expression on his face was indecipherable when I looked up, but I smiled brightly at him anyway. "Thank you."

  He stared blankly at me for a second before looking away, reaching out to gather his files in one hand, the jacket and iPod in the other. He was halfway out of the kitchen before I could even blink and, flustered by his sudden departure, I didn't think twice.

  "Wait," I blurted, and he paused, his head turning slightly but not quite looking at me. The silence spanned for a moment or two, and I found myself stumped for words. Because what could I say – don't leave, because it's lonely in here? That was how things felt at the moment, but I hardly knew Jed well enough to say that.

  Fortunately, the sudden ringing of the doorbell relieved the awkward tension between us. Jed threw a quick glance at me before striding across the hall to open the door. Adrian was the first to step in, along with two other men who looked so foreboding that I hardly dared to look at them. Granted, Jed was taller than them and his physique was clearly nothing to take lightly, but somehow, after the previous night's craziness had worn off, it had never crossed my mind to feel afraid of him.

  "Alpha," Adrian greeted, all professional and business-like, until he caught me standing there awkwardly, a mug of coffee clasped in my hands and my eyes wide. "Luna."

  I frowned for a moment, then smiled. "Hi." My greeting was meant for all three of them, but only Adrian grinned. The other two simply lowered their heads in brief acknowledgement.

  "There's a car waiting outside to take you home. For awhile," Adrian added, before I could jump to any conclusions. "Forty-five minutes, an hour, tops. We can't stay for long. But we're ready if you are."

  "Oh, right."

  My eyes rounded as I suddenly remembered what I'd asked the previous night. My confusion was quickly replaced by an anxiousness that left my stomach twisted in knots, along with the sinking feeling of dread because I knew I would eventually have to face the inevitable. My home was gone. And I was just going there to salvage what was left. If there was anything left to begin with.

  Pushing that thought aside for the moment, I quickly took several huge gulps of my coffee, wincing when the hot liquid burned its way down my throat. "I'm ready," I said quickly, rushing into the kitchen and chucking the empty cup into the sink, flipping on the tap to rinse it. "I'll wash it later, promise," I assured Jed, as I stepped out of the kitchen.

  Adrian seemed amused, but he politely dipped his head and gestured me to the door. True to his word, there was a black car waiting in the driveway. I began to head out, only to pause when I realised that Jed hadn't moved at all.

  Pausing, I threw a glance at him over my shoulder. "You're not coming?"

  "He shouldn't," Adrian stated flatly, as he exchanged a look with Jed. "It's not safe for him out there. We can't risk it."

  "Oh. Okay, then." That flutter of uncertainty I felt was odd, like something would be off-balance if I went out there without him. Nevertheless, I shoved that feeling down and smiled at Jed. "I'll see you later?"

  He paused, before taking a step closer, one hand reaching into the pocket of his hoodie. He drew out a cell-phone and held it out to me. I was beginning to see the trends in Jed's actions. There was always a reason for the things he handed to me. The iPod – to keep the sounds out. The jacket – to keep me unrecognisable. The knife – to keep me safe.

  And now the phone – just in case.

  So I took it and slipped it into the pocket of my jeans. "Thank you."

  He nodded and fell a step back.

  Satisfied at getting some vague form of acknowledgement from him, I followed Adrian and the two guys out to the car. It wasn't ideal to be in a car with one guy I barely knew and two others I didn't know at all, but at least I knew I could trust Adrian, if the events from the previous night were of any indication at all. And I wasn't entirely without protection either – my knife still rem
ained with me, bundled up securely in the inner pocket of my jacket.

  Yeah, like that would help, a tiny voice inside my head reminded me, because it worked out so well the first time.

  I almost sighed aloud at the thought of that. So maybe a knife wasn't sufficient to guard myself against three men. Jed's phone was in my pocket, and I found my fingers instinctively reaching out for it.

  "Relax," said Adrian, as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye, "we're not going to hurt you. Alpha would have our heads if so much as a hair on your head was hurt."

  I stared at him for a moment before easing back into the leather seat. "Okay. Well, I guess I'd feel more comfortable if I knew your names," I added, glancing at the two guys in the backseat through the rearview mirror. "I'm Quinn, by the way."

  The blonde-haired guy laughed, his eyes glinting in amusement. "Yeah, we know who you are. I'm Spike," he introduced, before pointing to his friend, "and that's Lancelot."

  The other guy rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his crew-cut. "It's just Lance."

  "Nice to meet you two." I smiled. "You guys were there last night to rescue me?"

  Lance nodded. "Yeah. Was one hell of a fight – " He started, only to be stopped when Spike elbowed him. Adrian was glaring at them through the rearview mirror and Lance quickly subsided. "Sorry."

  "No, it's no problem," I hastily assured him, "I knew what was happening even though I couldn't really see much. But judging from what I've seen of Bianca and Diego, I don't think they would've given me up without so much as a fight so – thank you, really."

  Spike flushed when I caught his eye. "It was an honour, Luna."

  I smiled at him before turning to Adrian. "So, speaking of Bianca and Diego, I have to ask – what did they want with me? I know that I was under some sort of protection programme, but it's hardly protection when you're hit on the head, captured and then locked in some room."

  "They're full of shit," Lance said bluntly, his jaw tight and posture rigid after he heard my words. "Don't listen to anything they say."

  "Well, there was a murder, that much they're right above. Because I saw it," I added, as an afterthought, hardly able to suppress the shiver that slithered down my spine at the thought of the vicious fight I saw between the two wolves the other night. "But – I know there's something more to this, and I'd like to find out what."

  Adrian sighed. "Luna, this isn't something that's easy to say."

  "Then start simple. Start from the beginning."

  "I don't think so. It's not our story to tell," he said, taking his attention momentarily off the road to exchange glances with Spike and Lance. The two of them seemed to agree with him and didn't say a word. "I think you're better off finding out the truth from Alpha."

  "Because he's the one with all the big secrets, huh?" I deadpanned, before smiling and shaking my head. "Okay, I'm not going to press for answers if you guys aren't willing to tell me. I'll just ask him myself when I get back."

  "If he answers," quipped Lance.

  "Of course he will. I mean, if I ask, he'll tell me, right? There has to be some logical explanation as to why I'm here with you guys instead of being able to go home."

  "There's a logical explanation, alright." Spike shrugged. "Only Jed won't give it. Because he doesn't speak."

  "You mean he's the silent type. Because that's the kind of vibe I got from him."

  "No." Lance shot me a strange look. "Because he really doesn't speak."

  "What?"

  "You didn't notice?"

  I blinked, backtracking to the sparse interactions I'd shared with Jed so far. "Well, not exactly. I just figured he's kind of shy and just doesn't like to talk. Some people don't take well to strangers."

  "No, that's not the case with our Alpha. He just doesn't say anything, not because he can't, but because he won't. I've never heard him say a word for as long as I've known him. Nor has Lance. Adrian hasn't either, and he's known our Alpha for even longer."

  "He used to speak, but he hasn't for a long time," was all Adrian had to say on the subject, when I glanced over at him.

  My forehead creased in confusion as I remembered that vivid memory of when we first met. The two words he said to me when he opened the closet and found me. "But that's ridiculous. Because he spoke to me."

  My words were met with a startled silence. Adrian almost missed the red light at the junction and jammed on the breaks at the last second. He pulled the car to a stop, and then looked at me in disbelief. "What did you say?"

  "I said that Jed spoke to me." I stared at them with wary suspicion. "Just last night. We met and then he said 'hello, Quinn', and that was that. I mean it wasn't much but he did say something."

  "What?" Adrian shook his head. "That's impossible. He hasn't spoken for a long time, ever since – " he trailed off, a dark look flickering across his face for a moment before he shook his head again, " – doesn't matter. He really spoke to you?"

  I met his gaze and shrugged. "Yes."

  "Well, I'll be damned." Adrian let out a soft whistle and eased down against the pedal as the traffic light turned green. Both Lance and Spike seemed to be equally as bewildered as he was, which I supposed wasn't too far a reaction to expect from them.

  Because, apparently, Jed didn't speak.

  To anyone but me.

  My mind was in a rapid whirl of thoughts that begged to be answered. The hows and the whens and the whys were all I could mull over for the rest of the drive. It wasn't until we turned into a familiar street that I straightened, eagerly gazing out of the window in search for the apartment building that I called home.

  "Here we are," Adrian said at last, as he pulled the car up along the street. He glanced at his friends in the backseat, and I noticed that the atmosphere had suddenly taken a turn. They looked tense now, their easy-going smiles and good natures blanketed into something completely professional. "You two," he told Lance and Spike as we got out of the car. He held the door open, waiting until I stepped out before shutting it behind me. "Secure the perimeter. I'll head up with her."

  I frowned, but didn't question Adrian's arrangement. While the three of them seemed nice enough, I could practically feel their reluctance to tell me anything that, apparently, wasn't theirs to tell.

  Adrian nudged me when I remained standing by the sidewalk. I looked up at him and he smiled. "Lead the way, Luna."

  I nodded and headed towards the main entrance of the building. Once in the lobby, I didn't waste a moment, pressing the button for the lift and leaning back on my heels as I waited. Adrian was silent behind me, while Lance and Spike lingered behind. It almost felt like I had bodyguards with me, which I suppose wasn't too far from the truth, but what with getting captured by Bianca and then meeting Jed, I was pretty unfazed by now, come what may.

  A sudden chill swept in when someone pushed open the main door of the lobby, and the three guys immediately stiffened, Adrian stepping closer to me almost instinctively. But the person who had entered was no stranger, and I found my shoulders loosening with relief when I saw Jed stride towards us, wearing his jacket with the hood pulled over his head.

  "Alpha." Adrian immediately lowered his head and stepped away from me. He seemed both relieved and surprised to see Jed, a reaction that was mirrored by Lance and Spike.

  I smiled when Jed looked at me. "Decided to tag along, huh?"

  He quickly averted his eyes, but when the elevator doors opened, he stepped in after me, with Adrian following behind. Lance and Spike hung back, and I realised belatedly that this was what Adrian had meant about guarding the perimeter. Kind of over-precautious, but then again, if what they were guarding against was Bianca and her men, then it was just as well. I had no wish to return back to that place anytime soon, or ever.

  I led the way back to my apartment, pausing on the way over when I passed a familiar door. "Mrs Dermot," I said softly, gesturing to the closed door in front of us as I turned to Jed and Adrian, "she thinks I've left for good, huh?"
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  Adrian hesitated. But Jed gave a short nod, and that answer was sufficient. It was heart-breaking to think that the old woman who'd always talked to me, gave me food when I worked double shifts and made sure I never exhausted myself was now a part of my past. She was going to miss me and I was going to miss her, but we'd never know just how much.

  I knew the answer to my next question before I even asked it. "And I can't say goodbye, can I?"

  "I'm sorry, Luna," Adrian said quietly, hardly daring to look me in the eye.

  But Jed dared to, and his eyes scanned my face intently. I swallowed and shook my head. "It's fine. Let's just go and see what my apartment looks like."

  Without waiting for either of them, I headed towards my apartment, pausing in front of the pale blue door. Adrian produced a key and slotted it into the lock, which made me gaze up at him in surprise.

  "We had to change the lock," he informed me. "Once we realised that Bianca and her men had raided this place, we needed to keep them out. So when they left, we got a new lock and sealed up your home. We haven't had the chance to check what's left, so – just be prepared, okay? It's likely that they didn't leave much once they found out how important you are."

  I let Adrian's statement slide for a moment and placed a hand flat on the door, pushing it open with unsteady movements. To say that the place was ransacked would be a huge understatement. It looked – wrecked, like a hurricane had swept through the place and left nothing in its wake. Everywhere was a mess, with plates smashed in the kitchen, chairs overturned and drawers left open.

  It felt like the oxygen had been dragged right out of my lungs and I'd never felt so off balance all my life. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I registered Jed stepping into the living room behind me, while Adrian shut the door behind us as he kept a lookout outside. But all I could think about was how everything that I'd worked so hard for in the past few years – everything was gone.

  Swallowing hard, I blinked fiercely and headed into the kitchen first. Somewhere amidst the litter of smashed plates and cups, I managed to locate one plate stacked in the corner of the cupboard that was still intact. Pushing myself up on the tips of my toes, I tried to reach for it. This would work if the counter didn't have splintered ceramic and glass pieces all over it, but now that I couldn't use anything as a lever, it was harder to retrieve the plate.