“We won’t leave her,” Devon said, sitting on the other side of the bed.
Nothing had turned out the way Sarah expected it to. Besides Channing’s name, they didn’t know anything new. Now, not only was her head pounding away, her stomach still felt heavy with nausea and the effects of Gavin’s kiss. The combination wasn’t something she liked very much. At least she knew an aspirin would take care of the headache. As for her craving, well, she’d take care of that as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
“Ev, go get some rest. I’ll call you later. And, I want details of everything you’ve thought of so far, names, ideas for a nursery, everything.”
Her friend laughed and leaned her head on Brandon’s chest. “I’d be happy to go over everything with you later. Right now, I’m going to nap. It seems lately I can’t get enough rest.”
“No joke. She’s been sleeping all the time. I’ve never known anyone to not hear an alarm clock in the morning, take a nap during the day, and still want to go to bed early. She sleeps more than a newborn,” Stephen said, teasing her. “Anyway, we’ll see you all tonight, right? It’s movie night at Ayden’s. He called me just before we got here. Nicole is anxious to meet Sarah.”
“We’ll be there,” Devon said.
Everyone said their goodbyes, and Gavin quickly locked the front door behind them and brought Sarah medicine. Thoughts of movie night set her heart racing and her head throbbing harder. Finally, she’d really get to meet Nicole. Evelyn spoke of her so frequently, she felt like she already knew her. Sure, they’d spoken on the phone, and been introduced before, but it wasn’t the same.
Evelyn and Nicole were a part of something so big, a culture humans never even really thought about—vampires and werewolves. Would the gathering be just like any other, just movies and a group of people hanging out, or would she be walking into something unexpected? Maybe movie night wasn’t really a movie night at all. What if the words were code for something else entirely?
“What are you thinking about?” Devon asked.
Sarah jumped. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
“No, it is something. You looked somewhere else entirely. Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
“I’m fine, I promise. But about this movie night. It is a movie night, right? I mean is that a code word for something else?”
Devon laughed and looked at Gavin, who took Sarah’s glass of water and sat it on the bedside table.
“It’s definitely code,” Gavin said seriously.
Devon’s eyes shot to the floor and then looked back up. “Yeah, we should have told you sooner. What we wolves call movie night is really hunting/orgy night.”
Sarah looked at Devon and then Gavin, and then back at Devon. “No! You said hunt. What are you hunting? And wait…orgy. I can’t see that happening. I mean…I’m not so sure I’d be comfortable with that. I don’t know these people and…”
The guys burst out laughing. “Sarah, honey, no one is going to be hunting or participating in an orgy. We were just messing with you. It’s movies, that’s all. Don’t worry. We’d never stay anywhere you would feel uncomfortable.”
Heat moved to Sarah’s cheeks. She should have known. Devon always did this to her. Why hadn’t she remembered the playful side of him? “I knew that,” she said, hitting both of them with her pillow.
“Oh, did you now? You should have seen your face.” Devon laughed.
“Do I need to smack you with my pillow again Devon Lewis or are you going to quit teasing me? How am I supposed to know what werewolves or vampires do? Besides, you haven’t been to one of these movie nights. How do you know that’s what they really are?”
“She has a point,” Gavin said, his smile slowly falling.
“If it would have been anything besides what Stephen said, he would have mentioned it. We’re watching movies and nothing else. You both act like we’re walking into an ambush of some sort from our own leader.”
No one said anything as they all stared at each other. Why did Sarah feel that’s exactly what they were doing? The thought was beyond ridiculous. Evelyn would never let anything happen to her, but the twisting of her stomach didn’t calm her suspicions that something was going to happen tonight.
Chapter 16
The two-story, red brick home sat nestled in an upscale Corpus Christi neighborhood, in a subdivision anyone would dream of living in. Dark green shutters trimmed every window facing the cul-de-sac. Hedges lined the walkway that reached a large oak door. The door alone looked impenetrable. It certainly didn’t come with the house when Ayden and Nicole bought it. Being a real estate agent, she knew that for a fact.
“Calm down, Sarah. I can hear your heart from here.” Devon pulled her body against his while he held her close. “I promise Gavin and I won’t let anything happen to you. We’re here for movies, nothing else. Whenever you’re ready to leave, just signal. I’ll think of something.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know what it is. Evelyn would never let anything happen, but I can’t shake this feeling like we’re all in for a surprise.”
Gavin cleared his throat. “Either I’m picking up what Sarah is feeling or I can feel it myself, but I think she’s right. Something doesn’t seem right.”
Sarah and Devon both turned toward Gavin, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck. He pulled at the collar of his dark green T-shirt as if he couldn’t breathe. His nervousness made Devon tense against her side.
“You stay with Sarah,” Devon said, looking around. “I’m going to check it out. When I wave, you can get her out of the truck and bring her inside. If I go in without waving, get her out of here as fast as you can.”
Sarah clung to Devon’s black shirt, stopping him from opening the door. “No, we’re all just a little freaked out over nothing. Let’s all go. Really, think about this. Stephen would never set us up. I know him. He wouldn’t do something like that. Tom is just messing with all of our heads. The thought of him has us all on edge.”
“I don’t know. Are you sure you don’t want me to check it out first? If it’ll make you feel better, I will.”
“No, Devon. Let’s just go.”
The men opened the doors to the truck, and Sarah followed Devon out of the driver’s side. They walked around the front, and Gavin quickly fell in step beside them. She didn’t hesitate to take their hands in hers. As they neared the front door, Evelyn opened it, standing next to a girl who could easily pass as her sister, if not her twin. Nicole.
“I’m so glad you all made it,” Evelyn said, rushing forward and taking her from Devon and Gavin. The uneasiness slipped away while Ev and Nicole led her into a large living area filled with people.
“I’d like to introduce you all to our newest threesome,” Nicole said, gesturing toward them. “This is Sarah, Devon, and Gavin. Some of you already know them, some don’t. Sarah, these are my mates, Ayden and Trevor. You know Evelyn’s, and the three guys on the couch are Jeff, Preston, and Riley. The two guys leaning against the wall are brothers, Nicolas and Nathaniel. And there are three in the kitchen making drinks, Julian, Aston, and Travis. They’re all pack and practically live here off and on.”
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Sarah managed to get out. The uneasiness still existed just along the edge of her nerves. There were way too many people here. The house might have been large, but still, too many strangers set her on edge, and she could tell she wasn’t the only one.
The three guys got off the couch, and Ayden motioned for them to sit. Sarah’s heart escalated, but she complied and followed Gavin and Devon to the couch to face Ayden and Trevor who sat directly in front of them. Sarah could tell from their expression there was something Ayden wanted to tell them, and it didn’t look good.
“Before the movie starts, there’s something we need to discuss. And don’t blame Stephen, he didn’t know. I neglected to mention my guest this morning. Channing!” Ayden called.
Sarah watched spellbound as a tal
l man began walking down the stairs. There was no denying his beauty, but a sense of power emanated from him that left her speechless and in complete awe. She couldn’t feel fear or nervousness. She couldn’t feel anything past a need to figure out the mystery that surrounded him. Black hair stood out against his extremely light blue eyes. Tom’s eyes.
“Channing, we’ve discussed this. No glamours on the guests. Leave Sarah alone, or I quit being nice.”
Ayden’s voice broke the spell, and she shook her head, trying to clear it. She looked back at the vampire and didn’t feel anything besides aggravation for what he’d just done. Why was he wearing a business suit anyway?
“You pull that shit again, and I’ll rip your throat out,” Devon snapped, bolting up from the couch.
“My apologies. I forget myself around beautiful women. And your woman is stunning. Her face reminds me of an angel, flawless.”
“Save the pick-up lines. I have a bone to pick with you,” Sarah said, standing.
“A beautiful face and a lively spirit. You men are fortunate, indeed. I love women with spunk.” Channing walked closer to the couch until he stood a mere foot away from Devon. From the closeness, Sarah could feel his power. If she didn’t know vampires existed, she’d have pegged him as unstable and steered clear of him. The aura he gave off screamed “run for your life.”
“Listen, Mr.—”
“Just call me Channing. No need for formality.”
“Fine, Channing.” Sarah took a step closer to Devon, bringing her closer to the vampire. She could feel Gavin almost molded against her back. “I…” Gavin cleared his throat, making her turn to look at him. “Sorry, we, have a problem with one of your…people.”
“My people? You mean one whom I created. Is this correct?”
“Yes,” Sarah whispered. “His name is Tom. He won’t leave me alone. I’ve made it abundantly clear over the telephone that I’m not interested, yet he’s destroyed my car and he calls nonstop only to remain silent. He’s broken down my door! Can you please get him to leave me alone?”
Channing was quiet for so long Sarah could feel herself tense while she waited for him to say something. The longer she waited, the more nervous she became. The fear caused her to look around and see if she was the only one. Evelyn was sandwiched between Stephen and Brandon, Even Nicole was positioned between Ayden and Trevor. Not a single soul in the room was sitting. Everyone seemed on alert, which caused her muscles to stiffen even more.
“Tom has…how do I say it? He’s slipped under my radar. I haven’t been able to get a hold of him now for weeks. Why do you think I’m here? He’s blown his last chance and, therefore, is not to be trusted. I see now why he’s neglected to keep in touch. You.”
“Me?” Sarah took a step back and collided with Gavin, but he held her against his chest firmly. She instantly felt better having him close. “Since that one night, I haven’t seen him. I never led him on. He was given an option I never would have offered had I not been under some type of spell, and still, he refused even that.”
“Yes, I believe you. Please do not worry about Tom. I’m on my way out to take care of him as we speak. I’m sorry for any inconveniences he’s caused you, and your car will be taken care of. My humblest apologies for the trouble you’ve been going through.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat as Channing lifted her hand to his lips. He felt so cold, nothing like Brandon, or even Tom. He kissed her palm and suddenly vanished. No opened door, no step backward away from her, just gone.
“What in the hell…” Sarah looked around, shocked. Everyone remained quiet as they stared where Channing used to be.
“I got twenty on Channing,” Evelyn said, reaching for her purse.
“Oh, no way, Tom’s a determined little shit. I have fifty that says Devon and Gavin get to him first.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped as Brandon reached into his back pocket. They seriously weren’t betting on the outcome of her situation. But…if they were, she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. “One hundred on Channing. Did you see him disappear? Freaking Houdini if you ask me. Plus, I’d like to keep my men safe with me. Let Channing take care of his own mistakes.”
“You people are crazy,” Devon gasped, collapsing down to the couch. Sarah immediately felt herself pulled on to his lap. “I understand this is your way of dealing with your emotions, betting that is. But, seriously, we still need to be careful. I’m not trusting Channing to take care of Tom.”
“Me either,” Gavin said, sitting beside them, placing her legs across his waist. “So, what movie are we watching tonight?”
Relief settled throughout the room. Nicole walked to the flat screen TV while Ayden and Trevor sat back on the couch across from them. Chairs were pulled in from the kitchen as men took their seats randomly throughout the room.
Stephen sat down next to Gavin, placing Evelyn in his lap while Brandon sat on the floor in front of them. Sarah noticed Ev’s fingers mindlessly running through his dark hair while she gave all her attention to Nicole. The crowded, comfortable environment put Sarah instantly at ease.
“We’re not watching The Notebook again, are we?” Evelyn groaned, leaning closer to try to see the DVD box in Nicole’s hand. “As much as I love that movie, I’m afraid we wore it out.”
“Oh no, not tonight. I thought we were in serious need of comedy, so I picked up something today while we were out. It’s going to be great.”
“Well, what is it? Brandon asked, scooting forward.
“All in good time, my man,” Ayden laughed. “You’re going to love it. The idea really belongs to me, but don’t tell that to Nicole.”
“Don’t you dare try to take my credit,” she said, turning toward them. “You didn’t even notice the movie on the shelf until I picked it up.”
“But this was the one I told you about the other day.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t remember that when we were looking for movies, now did you? I saw it and remembered, so I grabbed the damn thing. Point for me, not you. If I wouldn’t have found it, we’d have walked away with My Best Friend’s Wedding like you wanted, but no, we’re watching The Hangover because of…me.”
Trevor laughed, and nodded, addressing Gavin. “I told you, it’s nonstop. But Nicole, she wins every time. I love it. She gets away with things us guys only wish we could.”
“Hey, watch it,” Ayden said threateningly, looking over at Trevor. Sarah caught his wink and the beginnings of a smile. Nicole gave Trevor a frown but turned back to the DVD player.
“This happens all the time,” Trevor whispered back to Gavin. “You should see it, it’s hilarious. Ayden always thinks he’s winning, but Nicole, she doesn’t put up with his shit.”
“Trevor, if I thought for a minute you were airing our dirty laundry, so help me, you’d be sleeping in the guest room.”
He turned to Nicole, his face instantly serious. “Who me? No way. What would make you think that? Gavin over there has no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” Everyone turned toward their direction. Nicole especially interested, with her hand on her hip.
“Seriously, I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Gavin said lowly.
“Good, he better not be talking behind my back.” She turned back around, and Trevor leaned forward.
“Thanks for covering my ass.”
Gavin’s jaw dropped as he shook his head confused. Sarah knew Trevor was joking. She’d only met him on two occasions, but both times he seemed to be goofing around.
“I heard that,” Nicole said, walking back toward the couch. “Gavin, don’t listen to him. He’s so full of shit sometimes. You couldn’t believe the things he’s told me that I completely bought into before he admitted to it being a lie.”
“What? I’m easing the atmosphere. That seriously freaked me out. The way Channing just disappeared like that, geez. I have money on that guy. If Tom can hide from him, he’s got serious skills.”
Nicole glared at Trevor. “We’re not
going to talk about this, are we, Ayden?”
“No we’re not, not in front of the ladies, anyway.”
Sarah caught Ayden’s glare in Trevor’s direction. The movie began, and everyone watched, but her mind wouldn’t focus on the large screen. Thoughts swirled around her mind, and she couldn’t fight the growing anxiety. Would Channing find him? What would happen once he did?
Regardless, she caught herself laughing throughout the movie even though she couldn’t completely focus on it. Once the movie ended, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief. Even though she enjoyed the time she spent with her new friends, she still wanted to go home and be in her own comforting environment, just her, Devon, and Gavin. The thought made her sigh happily.
“Well, well, someone seems to be in a more relaxed mood,” Brandon said from the floor. His head rested against the arm of the couch, but his hand sat upon Evelyn’s leg. Her limp body was sprawled across Stephen lap.
“I told you she sleeps a lot. She was out within the first thirty minutes.”
Sarah looked at him quizzically. “Does everyone here know?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know they know. Wolves can tell even before a home pregnancy test can detect it. Trevor, big mouth, told Nicole, but she promised not to say anything. Evelyn wants to surprise everyone after the ceremony.”
“Oh, okay…Really, wolves know that soon?” Sarah couldn’t grasp how that was possible.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. I’m sure Devon can explain it to you. We really should be getting Evelyn home. We have a big day tomorrow. She gets to trade her beloved sports car in for an SUV. She wasn’t too happy about it at first, but she knows she gets to drive mine if she ever feels the need.”
“We should be going, too.” Devon lifted her in his arms and placed her on the floor. “Thank you for inviting us. The environment was refreshing, believe me. It reminds me of Waco.”
“We’re glad to have you all here. I know how hard this must be on you,” Ayden said, suddenly getting serious. “Really, I do understand. If you ever want to talk, call me.”
Saving Sarah Page 12
