A new emotion stirred, pushing itself to the forefront—fury, and with it came incredible power. This was my dream, mine to control, and I refused to remain trapped and weak.
“Let me go!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and with everything I had, I surged to my feet. It broke the spell, and I found myself sitting up in bed with the sheet twisted around my body. Sweat dripped from me, causing some of my hair to cling to my face. My breathing was ragged. My chest heaved in the effort to calm and still my racing heartbeat, I couldn’t help but break down and sob.
Even knowing it was a nightmare, it had been so real—terrifyingly real. It was as if all the insecurities and fears I’d been ignoring had held a meeting and decided to come torment me. I suddenly felt the need to see Mason, to have him hold me in his arms.
Driven by that desire, I stood from my bed, my legs shaky from exhaustion, and my first few steps were stumbles. I staggered, the adrenaline still coursing through my body causing it to react as though I was a newly born foal.
Making it to the bathroom, I flipped on the light switch and recoiled from the reflection in the mirror. I looked like a mess—blood shot eyes puffy from crying, and black bags causing me to take on a haunted look. My appearance scared me.
I bent forward and turned on the faucet. Cupping the cool liquid in my hand, I began splashing it onto my face. It helped revitalize and soothe me a little, and once I was finished, I stood there quietly. My stomach rolled as images from the dream flashed, and for the second time that day I bent over the toilet bowl and purged. My body tensed as my muscles began trembling from the constant heaving, and I let the tears fall.
Mason, I thought, praying our connection would work this time. Slumping down onto the floor, I let myself topple, and closed my eyes.
He’d come. He always came.
So I waited.
Chapter Eleven
The throb in my temples woke me up, and a sense of relief swept through me. Instead of feeling the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, my body was sprawled over my bed, my face buried under a pile of pillows.
I sat up slowly, the room spinning, and gripping my head, I looked around. My eyes were sensitive to the light, and for a moment it felt like I was suffering from the world’s worst hangover.
Mason was nowhere to be found, but a tell-tale piece of paper folded on my bedside table told me he’d been here. I couldn’t remember much of him answering my call, but I hoped the sleep I’d gotten had done the trick and put an end to the sickness.
I groaned, wincing as the noise made my headache pound further, making it feel as if a herd of elephants were in the midst of an angry stampede. I quickly grabbed two tablets from my nightstand and swallowed them with a drink of water. I hoped the pain medication would begin working its magic, and I settled in to read the note, and smiled.
Just three small words—I love you—but they made all the difference.
I gingerly got up from the bed, and making sure I looked presentable, slipped from the room to go look for Mason. I knew he was somewhere here—the trick was finding him.
His bedroom was empty, so I headed toward his office. He did most of his business there, both for the Pack and his own computer company, and I was hoping he had some updates on the Amber situation.
Speaking of the she-devil, curiosity flared as I spied Wade and Amber coming down the hallway from the opposite direction. I hadn’t realized the two of them knew each other, and I wondered if this was something the young wolf was doing to help with the investigation. The more people that got involved, the scarier it was in my mind because the last thing I wanted was for Amber to get her treacherous claws into him.
They seemed to be arguing, and as Wade saw me approaching, a look of immense relief crossed his face. I glanced at Amber, and the moment she recognized me coming toward her, she instantly stopped. Looking at Wade once more, and seeing him shake his head at her, she turned around and fled back in the direction she’d come from.
“That is one stubborn female. Nothing I said would shut her up!” the young wolf commented as I came to stand by him.
Looking around him at Amber’s retreating figure, I shook my head. “Let me guess, she was trying to get you to do something for her, right? Trust me, Wade, stay away from her. She’s nothing but trouble, and you don’t want to get involved.”
“I know. Mason’s already warned me, so I knew there was a possibility she’d try to corner me, but she was relentless.”
“What did she want?”
“She asked me to get her in to see Mason. He’s refused to meet with her, and she’s trying everything she can to convince others to help. I saw her talking with Nathan, but he just blew her off, and he’s not the only one either. I’m pretty sure she’s working on Eric also.”
“You going to see him now?” I asked.
“Yeah, I figured if I couldn’t stop her, the door being slammed in her face would.” He grinned. “You know, I don’t believe in violence toward women. Only weak men lash out, but I’m telling you, Darcy….” Wade swore under his breath, dragging his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“She has the same effect on everyone. You did good to keep your cool, don’t let her get under your skin.” I noticed we’d arrived at the office, and knocked on the door.
After we announced ourselves, Daniel swung the door open, and we found Mason sitting behind his desk with the phone pressed against his ear. He looked like he was receiving news that annoyed him as he tapped his pen rapidly against the surface. I raised my eyebrow at Daniel, and he shook his head in answer.
“I don’t care how it looks, I don’t want her here. She’s been harassing some of my pack, and I won’t stand for it.” He paused, listening to the person on the other end of the call, and their response caused him to push himself up out of his chair to his feet. “Fine, she stays, but if she doesn’t stop, I’m going to lock her in the basement—screw civility.” Grunting his goodbye, Mason hung up, and scrubbing his face with his hands, acknowledged us standing there.
“Hey,” I said, wishing there was something more I could do to help him.
Moving around the desk, he pulled me into a quick embrace, and slapped Wade on the back as a greeting.
“I guess you already know about Amber. I caught her outside with Wade just now, and he was explaining what’s been happening. He was just coming here to tell you about it.”
Mason glanced over at Wade, and signaled for him to take a seat on one of the sofas. “Looks like we need to talk then.” He sighed, and I watched Wade join Daniel.
“You look tired. You need to sleep.” I traced the skin under Mason’s eyes, noting the dark circles there. I was starting to get really worried about him. He looked worn out, and that meant something, seeing how he was used to working under pressure.
“I can sleep when she’s gone.” Realizing his response was a little gruff, Mason bent slightly so he could look me in the face. “But enough of that, why are you up? You know you need your rest.”
“I woke up and saw you weren’t there, so I wanted to come and say hello. Thanks for helping me back into bed … and for the note.”
“You’re very welcome—now get back there.”
I opened my mouth to protest, to assure him I was starting to feel better, but the look of determination and protectiveness on his face told me I’d be wasting my time.
Turning me around, Mason excused himself from the others, and with a watchful eye, walked me to my room.
“There’s no need to escort me, I know my way.” I smiled, leaning against him. The trip back and forth had begun to wear me out, and I took hold of his arm to steady myself. Stifling a yawn, I was ready to take another nap.
“I know. I just wanted to spend a few extra minutes with you.”
He opened my bedroom door, and I couldn’t help the groan of relief as I lay on the mattress. My eyes instantly closed, and I felt the blanket being pulled over me.
“I’m so tired,” I murmured, a
lready feeling the tug of sleep.
Mason’s fingers traced the side of my cheek tenderly. “Sweet dreams, baby.”
I mumbled something in return as I gave in to exhaustion.
“Darcy. Darcy….” I could feel myself being shaken, and cracking one of my eyelids open, I was confused for a moment as to why Daniel was here in my bedroom. Gratitude also filled me—he’d pulled me from a horrendous nightmare, one that had me on the verge of screaming.
Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I looked down and saw my clothes were drenched with sweat, and clinging to me. The sheets were pooled at my feet, twisted and in complete disarray. What disturbed me most, however, was the claw marks scratched down the center of the mattress, the stuffing scattered. I frowned as my mind tried to register what I was seeing—I’d done that.
“What’s happening, Daniel?” I asked, shoving my hair out of my eyes. I desperately needed a shower. The sweat on my body was starting to cool and sending a chill to my bones. I must’ve looked like a mess, but it was the least of my worries. I still hadn’t been able to take my gaze from the shredded bedding.
“We wanted to let you sleep, but you were screaming.”
I could feel him observing me, and peering up at him I noticed his stare was also fixed on the destruction of the bedding. “I came in and found you thrashing about—growling and groaning, and begging someone not to leave. It was hard to wake you up.” Daniel sat down beside me, the mattress giving under his weight, and he took hold of my hand. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”
My mind seemed to have a hard time focusing. “I had another nightmare.” I dropped his hand, and turned so I could face him. “This is the second one, but I don’t remember much of the details—just that I was terrified.”
He grabbed my chin, and tilting my head, peered into my eyes, checking from different angles. “Something’s going on. I know you think it’s something you ate, but my gut tells me it’s more. You should be feeling better by now.”
“Maybe I got hit with an extra dose of whatever it is?” I spoke softly, but even I was starting to worry. Sleep should’ve given my body time to heal and, if anything, I was feeling weaker. Anxiety began to stir inside me, and a large ball of dread settled in my stomach. “If it’s not food, or the flu, something’s wrong, isn’t it?” Agony lanced through me, signaling another attack. “It’s starting again!”
My vision doubled, and I balled myself up into the fetal position. My skin felt like it was on fire, my blood boiling, and I did the only thing I could—I screamed, and screamed, and screamed.
I barely registered Mason entering, or him lifting me into his arms. “Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop,” I chanted over and over again.
“Tell me where it hurts, Darcy. Stay with me … tell me so I can fix this.” Mason’s voice was strong, but it also held a hint of desperation.
“Everywhere,” I moaned, restless. I began to rock, not able to keep still. “I’m hot—so hot. Put me down, please … it hurts.” There were whispers exchanged, then the door opened and closed as Daniel left.
Placing me back on the bed, I heard the faucet in the shower turn on as Mason moved about the bathroom. I wondered what he was doing when shortly after I felt a cool weight cover me. Opening my eyes, I noticed he’d placed a wet towel on me, and the relief was enough to drive me crazy. With the intensity of heat subsiding, it made the pain bearable, and I was able to finally catch my breath. I paused as a thought began to surface, a lump forming instantly in my throat.
“Am I dying? Is that it?”
“Not if I can help it,” Mason growled. “Daniel and I have been talking about this, and neither of us can shake the bad feeling we have. It’s more than just human sickness, but we need to act quickly. My gut says I need to get you out of here, somewhere safe so we can figure out what’s happening. And I’m sorry, but with Amber here, this just seems too coincidental.”
“I can’t leave. I need to stay here with you.” I watched him pull out his phone and begin punching in numbers. “Who are you calling?”
He didn’t respond, the person on the other end answering instantly.
“I need your help, something’s happening to Darcy.” Nothing else was said as he hung up.
“Who was that?” I asked again.
“Devlin.” It was all he offered, and he dragged a chair over to the side of the bed. “How you feeling?”
“Well, I don’t feel like I’m being burnt alive anymore,” I answered, even as my body began to beat to a relentless throb. Everything hurt, and I clenched my teeth tightly to weather through the worst of it. The pain had started rising again, and I moaned with frustration.
He carefully lifted the towel, carrying it back to the bathroom.
“Mason?” I asked, watching him stop and turn around.
“Yes?” The look of concern on his face overwhelmed me.
“Can you stay? I don’t want to be alone.” I hated sounding like a frightened little girl, but I needed him so badly. I was afraid.
He nodded, and I offered him a grateful smile as he placed the item on the counter before returning to sit beside me.
“You’re never alone, sweetheart.” Bending forward, he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I will always be there for you. There’s no need to ask.”
I reached for his hand, and weakly squeezed it, offering up a silent prayer of thanks for having such an amazing man in my life. Closing my eyes, I sighed.
I hope Devlin can help, I thought.
Chapter Twelve
Devlin came barreling into the room, eyes blazing with worry, and Daniel slipped in behind him. I was starting to believe Mason was right, and the sight of all three of them in the room sent a sense of relief through me. I knew they wouldn’t rest until the mystery was solved.
I’d napped a little, only to be woken by pains in my chest. Not knowing when the next painful attack was coming, I’d been adamant about having a shower, the need to be clean again overwhelming. I’d felt sweaty and grimy, my mouth feeling as though a pile of dirt had been dumped in it. Those first moments standing under the hot stream of water had been a blessed relief. I had no idea what was happening, but I knew it wasn’t food or flu related. That theory had been tossed out as my body refused to heal.
Now, freshly dressed with my hair brushed, Mason helped me sit up, propping the pillows behind me, and I could only imagine how pitiful I looked. Offering a smile to Devlin, I watched as he dropped to his knee on the other side of the bed. He studied me—giving me the same kind of inspection the others had, and he didn’t stop until he was satisfied I was in one piece.
“Thanks for calling me. I’m not going to lie—I was worried something like this might happen with Amber in the house.” He looked over at Mason, who had started pacing.
“What annoys me is we can’t prove this was her,” Mason added, shaking his head in frustration. “But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Darcy keep getting worse.”
The tension was thick in the room, and I wished I could do something to wipe the look of apprehension from everyone’s faces.
“We’ll figure this out. I thought this was just a bad case of food poisoning, or something, and a few days in bed would make me right as rain, but I’m not sure now.” I fiddled with the edge of the blanket and let out a sigh. “I just don’t want to be overly dramatic.”
“I wouldn’t call you not being able heal quickly over the top, Darcy, or the fact that you can’t seem to stop having these painful attacks. Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me it doesn’t seem strange?” Daniel added, coming to stand beside Devlin.
“So what else has changed since you started feeling like this?”
“Nothing. I’m doing the same as I usually do,” I answered.
“Well, it’s something, so we need to put our heads together and start thinking outside the box,” Mason added, coming over to join everyone. “I’m worried if we don’t find out what’s causing this, it’ll ke
ep getting worse until it kills you.” He grimaced, as if the words were almost too painful for him to utter, before he continued. “That’s not an option. So other than food,what could be the problem?”
“How much time have you been spending with Amber?” Devlin queried, and I shook my head.
“Not a lot. I went into Woodside Hollow with her, but it wasn’t long before she showed her true intent, and we parted ways. She wasn’t there when I first got sick, and I haven’t seen her since earlier outside Mason’s office. She did try to bring me some kind of home remedy before that though.”
“I poured it down the sink,” Daniel added. “So, what do you think, Devlin? Could it be poison, or is it magic? Like she’s been enchanted? Maybe hexed?”
“It could be. Magic’s what I’m leaning toward. The trouble is we need to find out quickly, and there’s a way, but Darcy isn’t going to like it.”
Daniel looked confused, but Mason nodded, understanding what he meant
“What am I not going to like? If it means we’ll be able to make it stop, I’m all for it.” The attacks came and went at random, and it made me cringe to think at any moment I could be reduced to a bawling mess by one again.
“I’ll need to taste your blood. If something is there that shouldn’t be, I’ll be able to sense it straight away.”
“No way. Nuh uh. Not coming near me with those fangs.” My response was instant. “It’s not like I don’t trust you, but after Avery, I … he made me feel things when he bit me, and ….” I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Even though I loved Devlin with my whole heart, I wasn’t ready to have sensual and erotic feelings pulsating through my body. It would be too strange to have him as the object of my desire.
“He compelled you to feel those things.” Devlin took a hesitant step forward, his voice lowered. “Remember, vampires are masters at manipulation, and we can make those we feed on feel anything we choose. I would never do that to you, Darcy. It would feel like a pinch as my teeth pierced your skin, and from the amount I’d take, you would barely feel it.”
Forget Me Not (#2, The Mystic Wolves) Page 8
