by Sara Dailey
We only had two houses left, Shari’s and Kendall’s.
Shari’s mom, of course, was the ultimate hostess. She’s always been one of the more matronly members of our pack, and she must have known that we were near because she had a pot of hot coffee brewing and some fresh pastries waiting for us. As we headed to our last stop, I had a feeling that we might not receive such a welcome in the next home.
Man, I couldn’t have been more right. Kendall’s mom, Claire, was definitely not awaiting our arrival with home-baked goodies. She had the you-are-not-welcome-in-my-home look down pat. I hesitated at the front door, not sure if I should even step foot inside the Stuart home, but when Claire walked up to me and said, “Oh Cade, get in here. It is so good to see you. I’m afraid Kendall’s not here right now, but you get in here out of the cold.” I figured that everyone but me must be on her shit-list. Kind of unbelievable that she was still holding out that Kendall and I had a chance. She must think I’m a real fool if she thought that I didn’t realize that was the only reason she was being nice to me.
After she dragged me safely inside, Claire gave the rest of the crew a stone-cold glare before she rattled off, “You know how unnecessary this all is? I can’t believe Marcus is allowing this nonsense to go on. As if any one of us would be responsible for that girl’s disappearance.” Then, she had the nerve to turn her attention to Mrs. Wright and say, “Did you ever consider that she ran away? You know a lot of unhappy teenagers run off. I bet she shows back up in a few days.”
Mrs. Wright stopped what she was doing and replied, “You know Mrs. Stuart, this will only take a few minutes. Why don’t you go have a seat, and we will be out of your hair shortly.” And then she smiled smugly. It was clear that she wasn’t going to let Claire get under her skin. It was hard to believe that she was holding it together as well as she was, under the circumstances.
Claire took the hint and surprisingly stayed out of the way while our team finished our search of their home and vehicles. Before we headed out, Mrs. Wright reminded Claire, “Mrs. Stuart, we were hoping that Kendall would be here, with the curfew and all. Please let us know when she gets home. We will need to search her car as well.”
We were done with our search for the night, but there was no way in hell I could just go home and go to sleep. I wouldn’t be able to get a good night’s rest until Alli was back. On the way back to the Wright’s house, I thought I picked up on Alli’s scent. For some reason, I didn’t tell anyone. Not yet. I wanted to check it out for myself. I thanked everyone for their help and quickly said my goodbyes. I didn’t want to be rude, but I couldn’t afford to lose her scent.
As soon as I was out of sight of the others, I transformed and dashed off into the night.
Chapter 52
Allison
I knew I couldn’t have been asleep for more than ten minutes when the door opened and a blast of frigid, November air blew through the cabin, immediately sending chills deep down into my bones. Kendall came in already yelling up a storm about the “ridiculous search” that was going on at the estate. It made me feel a little better about the predicament I was in knowing that people were out searching for me. Kind of gave me a renewed sense of hope.
“Can you believe that they are actually going to search everyone’s homes? And Cade is actually… holy shit, Dylan, what happened to your head?” she asked sounding genuinely concerned about the fresh cut on Dylan’s forehead.
Dylan reached up and lightly touched the small gash as if he had forgotten it was there. Smiling sheepishly, he said, “Oh this? It’s nothing. We just had a little accident.”
With her hands now on her hips, Kendall said, “What do you mean we? What the hell was going on here while I was gone?”
Hoping to cause a rift in their little alliance, I admitted, “I convinced Dylan to untie me, and then I smashed a lamp over his head so that I could escape. If it makes you feel any better I didn’t mean to cut him. I meant to knock him out. Anyway, it didn’t work. He’s tougher than he looks.” Then I grinned and waited for the fireworks.
Kendall turned toward me, and I could literally see the rage building in her eyes.
“You, don’t even speak to me,” she yelled, and then turned to Dylan.
“Dylan, I am only going to say this once. You better open your god-damn ears and listen. If you untie that bitch one more time, I will gut you! You stupid dog. Jesus!”
Dylan just sat there completely shell-shocked. I think that for the first time since I’ve met him, he was speechless. He remained there a moment longer just looking at Kendall with eyes full of fury, then got up and left the room. Kendall shot me one more death glare before she followed him into the living room.
Even from the other room, I could hear their conversation thanks to my super-were ears.
“Kendall, I know that you are upset, and you have every right to be, but you will never talk to me like that again, understand? I’m not Cade. I’m not going to put up with that shit. Yeah, I’m the first to admit that untying Allison wasn’t the smartest decision I have ever made, and I promise that it won’t happen again, but I really thought she was harmless. Well, until she smashed my head in.”
There was a moment of silence before Kendall apologized. I couldn’t believe my ears! Kendall, stone-cold were-bitch, was admitting she was wrong.
“I’m sorry, Dylan. I just had a horrible day. Marcus announced to the entire pack, in front of all my friends, my family, my freaking crazy-ass mom, that Allison was Cade’s true mate. I was mortified. Seriously, I wanted to die right there in front of everyone. They all turned and stared at me like I was some kind of freak. Dylan, I didn’t know what to do, so I ran. I literally ran out of the Lodge. It was horrible,” Kendall whined.
Marcus told everyone about me and Cade? Did that mean that he would accept our relationship? That he would allow Cade and me to be together?
Dylan changed his tone after Kendall’s little breakdown. “Baby, come here. It will all be over soon. You don’t need Cade. You have me now. And as soon as we get Cade and Marcus out of the picture, you will get back on top. Speaking of Cade, how did he look? Did he look sick, yet?” I heard Dylan ask.
Just hearing Cade’s name made my head and my heart ache. If only I could find a way out of here. I looked around for like the hundredth time hoping to see something that I could use to escape. After my first failed attempt to flee, Dylan made sure that not only my arms and legs were tied together, but that I was tied to the bed as well.
I was just about to give up, when Kendall told Dylan that she thought their plan might really work out because the pack was only searching the estate. She said that Cade looked awful and that it served him right. Hearing that Cade was already feeling sick instantly made me panic.
I remembered Dylan saying that it would only take about a week for Cade to be sufficiently weakened, and I had no clue how long I have been here. I had to get out of here. I needed to help Cade, and I certainly didn’t want to die in this stupid cabin. So, with no better option in mind, I started screaming for help and yanking on the ties so hard that my wrists began to bleed.
I saw Dylan and Kendall rushing toward me, but I didn’t stop. With Dylan close enough to reach, I managed to kick him in the face with my tied-together feet. Again, the jackass didn’t seem too fazed. Then, I saw Kendall coming at me with a syringe filled with God knows what. I thrashed about trying to stay out of her reach, but Kendall was able to hold me down, and the crazy bitch actually smiled when she jabbed the needle in my neck. Seconds later, my world went black.
Chapter 53
Kendall
I pulled into my driveway, turned off the engine, and sat in the car. I wasn’t ready to go inside. I knew what I’d be forced to deal with once I opened the front door, and to be honest, it terrified me. An angry mother was one thing, but my mom took it to a whole other level. She will look at me with shame in her eyes, but only for a moment before she lays into me and tells me how this is all my fault. How I
wasn’t good enough, smart enough, pretty enough. How I wasn’t strong enough.
I never have been.
Resisting the urge to pull out of my driveway and never look back, I gathered up my cell phone and purse and headed toward the front door. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that I could handle whatever she threw my way before I walked into my own little hell-on-earth.
She was waiting for me on the couch, drinking red wine. God only knew how many glasses of wine she had treated herself to before I wandered in. Not even bothering to look my direction, Mom asked, “So what did you do with the little tramp?”
Completely flabbergasted, I replied, “What?”
“Come on Kendall. I’m not an idiot, though I am quite surprised. I didn’t think you had it in you. I just hope you don’t screw this up like you do everything else.”
Dropping my purse and keys on the console table near the door, I tried my best to appear innocent. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Mom. Maybe you’ve had a bit too much to drink.”
Comments like that always got her blood boiling, and as soon as it came out of my mouth, I knew it was a mistake. She put her half-empty wine glass down on the end-table and shot me her famous death-to-Kendall look.
“Mom, I didn’t…”
“You didn’t what dear? Mean to be a complete and utter bitch? Too late for that.”
Her words slurred together a bit, which told me she was probably working on her third, maybe her fourth glass. She wasn’t ready to hang her head in her soup just yet, but just buzzed enough to make this encounter as difficult as possible. If I’d waited another hour or so, she would have been passed out on the couch, and I wouldn’t have had to deal with her.
“Kendall, I know you’re involved in the Wright girl’s disappearance, so just tell me, how are you planning on screwing this up even further? Obviously, you’re too stupid to pull off something like this by yourself. I just hope your partner in crime knows what he is doing.”
I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know whether to confess or not. She’d most likely tell me what a dumbass I was and try to take over the whole situation. No, I couldn’t tell her.
“Mom, I had nothing to do with it. I have no idea what happened to her,” I lied, trying to ignore the fact that she could always see right through me.
Picking up her wine glass again, she smiled smugly and said, “Sure… I guess I should have known you didn’t have the balls to take matters into your own hands. You’re as worthless as your father.”
I couldn’t help but resent her. I wanted to hate her. But I didn’t hate her. My heart betrayed me, as usual. I have spent my entire life trying to please her, and just once, it would be nice if she didn’t look down on me; her worthless daughter, who couldn’t do anything right.
I was groomed since birth to be the most beautiful, the strongest, the most popular; the girl most deserving of the future alpha’s love. It never mattered to her what I wanted. It had never been about me; only about finding her way back to the top.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t have found the right words to say anyway. Nothing I said was ever what she wanted to hear. Even when I tried my very best to be the daughter she expected me to be.
I turned away and headed for the kitchen, but she didn’t hesitate to follow me.
“We weren’t finished here, Kendall Avery Stuart.”
Without looking in her direction, I said, “I don’t want to talk about this, Mom. Allison is missing. This could be a good thing, you know. I could get him back.”
Slamming her glass down on the counter, Mom slurred, “You better find a way to get him back. Whatever it takes Kendall. You know I am counting on you. We need this.”
I wanted to tell her how desperate she looked. How pathetic she was sitting back guzzling wine when that was the very thing that got us into this mess. I wanted to tell her that she was an awful bitch for pressuring me to get with Cade all these years, just to raise her status in the pack. Just because she married for love, and it screwed everything up, shouldn’t mean that I shouldn’t have the chance to find someone to love; someone who would love me back.
Instead I said what she needed me to say. “I know Mom. I will figure this out.”
If only Dad could have controlled his impulses. If only Mom hadn’t tried to cover it up. I could have been living my life for me and not for her. But no. The sad truth was that my dad was a raging alcoholic who ended up “accidentally” killing a human, and my mom was so worried about her rank that she tried to sweep the incident under the rug. Now, Dad’s gone and Mom’s lucky she wasn’t kicked out of the pack as well. And poor little me was barely old enough to walk when everything went to shit.
Now, it was left up to me to make things right.
I pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and told my mom goodnight. She didn’t respond until I was almost out of earshot.
“You know, if you tricked him into knocking you up like I’d told you to, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I kept walking straight to my room. There was nothing more to say.
Chapter 54
Cade
I followed her scent through the woods and down the trail that led to the lake. I hated that her delicious scent was now tainted with the stench of fear. I should have never left her alone. I should have been able to protect her. I should have stood my ground with my father. But I didn’t. It’s my fault that she was scared and alone. In the distance, I could barely make out the pier, our pier. I ran closer to the edge of the water, trying desperately to find her.
Finally, I did find her. Down at the end of the pier. She appeared to be alone, but from the way she was shaking and staring off to her left, I knew that she wasn’t. Without thinking, I took off down the pier running as fast I could. The pier seemed to be growing, getting longer and longer with each stride I took. She was now even farther away than when I started. Suddenly, a figure came out from the shadows, grabbed her around the waist, and pushed her toward the water. I froze. I just stood there and watched as she was thrown into the freezing lake.
***
I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. It took me a moment to remember where I was. Last night, after chasing Allison’s scent around in circles for hours, I was too exhausted to go home and face my father. So I went back to the Wright’s house. Someone must have known that I would be coming here, or maybe they left the door open in case Allison came home on her own. Either way, I was relieved to find the door unlocked and was able to get out of the cold. I probably should have slept on the couch in the family room, but I didn’t. I don’t even remember walking up the stairs, or opening the door to her room, but I woke up in her bed, wrapped in her scent.
“Hey man, you okay? I heard you screaming,” Aiden said as he busted into Alli’s room.
I felt embarrassed, being caught in Alli’s bed, even though she was not here with me. It still felt awkward. The situation became even more humiliating when Mr. Wright came in with a cold rag in one hand, and without a second thought, said, “Good morning guys.”
“Good morning, Mr. Wright,” I said getting out of Alli’s bed.
Mr. Wright put his hand on my shoulder and told me that it was okay and that I should stay put. Then he put his hand on my forehead, which made the situation stranger. I had seen mothers and fathers do this to their children to see if they had a temperature, but being a werewolf, no one had ever done that to me.
“I heard you come in last night. Man, you are still burning up. Here, take these,” he said.
“It’s okay, Mr. Wright. I don’t feel that bad, plus I don’t think they will work on me,” I said waving off the small white pills.
“That’s what Lillian said, but it’s just some aspirin. I don’t see how it can hurt. You never know until you try.”
I took the aspirin and walked to Allison’s bathroom to get a cup of water. I was willing to try anything to feel better. And judging from the look of my reflection in the mirror, I n
eeded to. By the time I came out of the bathroom, both Aiden and Mr. Wright had left.
***
It may have been kind of odd, but it was also comforting being at the Wright’s house this morning, and honestly, I think the aspirin might have helped a little. I was feeling better, if only slightly, by the time my search party met up. The plan was to search the opposite side of the lake today, which included the Wright house. So, we all decided that we might as well start right there.
Searching through Alli’s stuff was just too much for me. It was difficult seeing people touching her personal belongings, even though they were my pack mates, and I’ve known them all my life. I found the note that I slipped into her locker asking her to meet me, in her nightstand, and it made my heart throb. It was then that I decided to take a break and get some fresh air.
I was sitting on the porch talking to Aiden about what’s next in the search when Gage pulled up in his car.
“Hey man, how are you holding up?” Gage asked as he walked over to me and shook my hand.
“I’m hanging in there, man. Hey, have you met Alli’s brother, Aiden?” I asked.
Aiden walked over and shook Gage’s hand, “Oh yeah, we’ve met. What’s going on?”
Gage pointed to his car and said, “Gotta get my car searched. I wasn’t home yesterday when you guys came by, so I thought I would bring the car to you.
It sure would be nice if everyone on the estate was as understanding and accommodating as Gage. I would bet my life that Kendall’s not going to come driving up so that we could take a look in her car. I guess I still looked a bit worn out because Aiden stepped up and said, “I got this one.”
I walked down to the end of the driveway and stood there just staring out into the woods thinking about Alli. I hoped that she was at least somewhere inside. She hated the cold and it has been getting colder and colder as we got closer to Thanksgiving. And with the way the wind was picking up, it looked like a winter storm was on the way.
