Catching an Evil Tail

by Mary Abshire

  Another spasm tore at my stomach and I groaned. My insides burned as though something had ripped them open. I squeezed Jeremy's hand and pressed my other hand over my belly. More blood came up when I coughed. This time, it even came out of my nose.

  Drake turned my head to the side so I wouldn't choke.

  "Fuck!" Jeremy yelled. "What's wrong with her?"

  "I don't know for sure, but whatever is going on, it has to do with her stomach," Drake replied.

  I spit out as much disgusting blood as I could. I took a few shallow breaths. The ache inside me grew every time I took a deep one. What was going on with me?

  Drake gently set my head back on the hard ground. He gripped the front of my gown, then ripped it apart. He tore the cloth all the way down to my abdomen.

  "Holy fuck!" Jeremy said. His eyes grew wide.

  "What?" I asked.

  "Are those scratches?" The question came from a man who stood behind Drake.

  I wanted to look, but I was too sore to move. I clutched Jeremy's hand and captured his attention. "Tell me."

  "Claw marks," he said.

  If they were seeing claw marks on the outside, it could only mean that damn werewolf was tearing at my insides. Why couldn't he just quit fighting and accept his fate? Note to self—avoid sending other werewolf souls to Hell.

  More pain sliced through me. I put a death squeeze on Jeremy's hand.

  "Jesus!" Another onlooker gasped. "Look at that!"

  "Shit!" Jeremy said with an equal amount of surprise in his voice. He tentatively touched my stomach. Warm energy penetrated my flesh. It swarmed in my gut and eased some of the ache.

  Blood came up and into my throat. I choked again and Drake turned my head to the side. I eagerly spit out more of the thick goo.

  "I'm not going to let you die," Drake whispered in my ear.

  He'd told me the same thing after I’d claimed Alexander's soul. After all we'd been through in the last twenty-four hours, it amazed me that he still cared enough to keep me alive.

  I rolled my head back slightly so I could see Drake's face. The man I'd hurt still held deep compassion in his dark eyes. I could see that he still cared for me. If I weren't in so much pain and wanting to scream, I could've cried.

  "Alan," I said between spitting and breathing. "How is he?"

  "Not good," Drake said.

  I wondered if Alan would survive. The fight had been brutal. I closed my eyes and prayed he would live. He was a good man and loyal to his pack. He'd done nothing wrong. The Alpha didn't deserve to die out in the desert like this, at the hands of a rapist and murderer.

  I swallowed more disgusting blood and looked at Drake. "Save him."

  "I would rather save you," he said, pushing the hair away from my face. He pressed his lips to the center of my forehead.

  "Save him, please," I said as he lifted his head.

  "Jessie—"

  "Please, Drake."

  He gazed deep into my eyes. His black orbs—so mysterious and alluring—captivated me. I didn't dare blink. I didn't want to miss a second of his undivided attention.

  He looked at Jeremy. "If she passes out or her heartbeat drops, yell for me."

  Jeremy's gaze dropped to mine as Drake stood, then left.

  "Just you and me, baby," Jeremy said.

  I would have smiled, but another deep slash ripped through me. Not as intense as the last one, yet painful enough to warrant a groan. Jeremy's hand stayed on my abdomen. His energy relieved some of the pain. More blood worked its way up my esophagus. Pressing my eyes and lips closed, I swallowed the awful fluid back down.

  The frequency of Matthew's attacks on my stomach lining lessened as minutes passed. The blood on my chin and neck dried and felt like a mud mask when I moved, thick and tight on my skin. Jeremy's warm energy continued to invigorate me. It was as if he was healing me. Men stood around, watching me. I bet I looked real pretty in my ripped dress, scratches on my belly, and dried blood on my face.

  As my strength returned, I moved my head to try and look at Alan. More men were gathered in a cluster and their attention was focused in the center. Drake was not in sight. Between breaths, I tried to listen for any indication of his death or recovery. The night was quiet, except for the occasional footsteps and bugs whizzing around.

  "Did Gabe get away?" I asked, seizing Jeremy's attention.

  He nodded. "We'll find him. Ryan will put out the word, and he'll be brought in."

  After several minutes without another scrape inside me, I guessed Matthew finally reached his destination. I hoped the devil would keep him busy for a long time.

  Squeezing Jeremy's hand, I said, "Help me up."

  "Maybe you should take it easy for a few more minutes."

  Frowning, I let go of his hand, then rolled over to my other side. My stomach ached as though someone had kicked me several times. Cursing Matthew, I pressed my hands in the dirt and pushed myself up. Wincing with soreness, I stood. My legs wobbled slightly.

  Jeremy put his hand on my arm to steady me.

  "I'll be okay," I said. He kept his grasp.

  "Take me to Alan," I said.

  He stared at me for a moment. As if he knew not to argue, he said, "Come on."

  I took slow steps as I headed for the cluster of men. Jeremy held onto my arm. With his free hand, he unbuttoned his shirt. I gave him a questionable look.

  "You can't walk around like that," he said.

  I paused and looked down. My ripped dress revealed my bra and string panties. A bit of dried blood clung to my stomach. I gently rubbed my belly.

  "The scratches are gone," I said upon finding my skin smooth and free of gashes.

  "They disappeared." He removed his shirt. "Here." He draped it over my back.

  I slid my arms through the long sleeves and double layered the front. "Thank you."

  Jeremy stood shirtless with a grin on his face.

  "What?" I asked.

  He tugged the strands of hair stuck in the dried blood on my neck. "You look frightful, but in a beautiful way."

  I longed for a bath and something to drink as he separated the hair clinging to me. My sore body felt scraped and filthy. The Band-Aids on my knees still clung to my skin in a last-ditch effort to stay on. And the taste of blood coated my tongue. Not only did I look like I'd been dragged to Hell and back, I felt the same way.

  A ring of werewolves were several feet away. They were surrounding Alan as if they were protecting him. They stood stiffly with their arms crossed and their faces tight. Other werewolves drifted around the circle, chatting and puffing on cigarettes. As Jeremy and I walked closer to the group, I attempted to peer through the crowd to catch a glimpse of Drake or Alan. The large men blocked every angle.

  Jeremy stopped. "We should leave," he said in a low voice. "If you feel up to moving."

  I gave him a look of surprise. "Why? We don't know about Alan yet."

  "That's exactly why we should go."

  I shook my head. "No. We should stay to make sure he's all right."

  Jeremy gripped my arm and gently nudged me. "Just come with me."

  "No." I pushed his hand away from my arm. "I don't want to leave yet."

  "Just come with me, and I'll explain," he said, voice calm and low.

  I glared at Jeremy, wondering why he wanted to leave so urgently. It didn't make sense to leave without knowing Alan's fate or to leave Drake alone with two hundred werewolves.

  "I'm not taking another step until you give me a reason," I said.

  Jeremy stepped closer to me, his face hovering above mine. "When Alan comes to, he's not going to be happy that a vampire saved him."

  I looked at him, confused. "What? Why?"

  "He didn't ask you, or anyone, to save him. He's been in challenges before. If it was his time to die, then so be it. If he lives because of Drake, he won't only be in Drake's debt, he'll appear weak to the pack."

  I threw up my hands. "How is saving a man's life a bad thing? I didn't wan
t him to die in the middle of the freaking desert."

  Jeremy directed his attention to the circle of wolves. Several pairs of eyes watched us. The werewolves didn't look happy.

  "Crap," I said in a softer voice.

  "Are you ready to leave now?"

  Following a heavy sigh, I turned and started walking away from the wolves.

  "What about Drake?" I asked.

  "Don't worry about him."

  I stopped. "I don't want to leave him if he's in danger. He's only saving Alan because I asked him to."

  "Will you shut up?" Jeremy snapped. "He's not the one in danger." He took hold of my arm and nudged me into motion.

  My heart picked up an extra beat as we headed away from the werewolves. It didn't take long for me to realize I was the one in deep shit since Drake wasn't. I wondered if Alan really would be angry with me.

  "How do you know so much about them?" I asked, and took a glimpse over my shoulder. A couple of men followed us at a distance, the beams of their flashlights sweeping across the ground.

  "I've known Ryan a long time. He really is like a brother to me."

  I glanced over my shoulder again.

  "Just keep walking," he said.

  Although the bonfire was far behind us, it let off enough light for us to find the parked cars. We headed briskly toward them, trying to avoid the larger shrubs and cacti. Some small ones didn't survive our footsteps.

  "Where are we going? We don't have a car," I said.

  "I have Ryan's keys." He pulled them from a pocket in his pants, then jingled them in front of me.

  When we finally reached the cars, I dropped back behind Jeremy. For the life of me, I couldn't remember which vehicle we'd arrived in.

  A cold chill triggered the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. I slowed my steps.

  "Jeremy…"

  Ignoring me, he turned between two cars. He stopped in front of one and placed his hand on the door handle. I came to a halt near the trunk.

  "Where are you going?" Drake asked from behind me.

  I jumped, then spun to face him. He looked normal. "You're okay." I threw my arms around him and squeezed. His stiff body didn't respond. It didn't take long for me to realize something was wrong. I let go of him, then took a step back.

  "Where's Alan? Is he okay?" I asked.

  "Jessie," Jeremy said.

  I twisted to face him. Catching me by surprise, Drake locked his arms around me. He held me tight with my back pressing against his body.

  "Let her go!" Jeremy yelled, and took a step toward us.

  Kuri appeared in a flash behind him.

  "Close your eyes," Drake whispered in my ear.

  "No!" I shouted, but it was too late.

  Kuri grabbed Jeremy's head and twisted it in one quick jerk. Ligaments snapped. The keys fell from Jeremy's hand. Then, his body became limp. Kuri held up Jeremy's body by his arms, then bit into Jeremy's throat faster than a viper snake.

  I wiggled in Drake's arms, struggling to break free. "No! Stop him! Please!"

  Drake lifted me and dragged me back. I watched in horror as Kuri sucked viciously at Jeremy's throat.

  "Let me go, Drake," I yelled.

  "Why?"

  "I need him!"

  "Why?" he asked.

  "He's going to help me. He's going to teach me how to fight." I struggled with all my strength to wriggle free from his grasp.

  Kuri held Jeremy's body tight. Rivulets of blood rolled down Jeremy's bare chest. Jeremy's broken neck would heal, but I feared by the time it did, Kuri might have drained all his blood. Jeremy would die and his soul would move on.

  I tried to slide under Drake's arms. "Please."

  "You don't need his help."

  As much as the demon got on my nerves and irritated me, I didn't want him to die. I needed him. He understood the demon part of me more than I did. He knew more about demons and their abilities than I did. He had power, knowledge, and strength that he could share with me. Drake might love me, but he didn't know me the way Jeremy did.

  "If you love me, let me go," I said behind clenched teeth.

  Drake snarled and released me. Stumbling on my heels, I ran into the side of the car and fell. Pain gnawed at my already-scraped knees. The bandages ripped free from my skin. The keys Jeremy dropped lay a foot away. I reached forward and picked them up.

  As I pushed myself to my feet, I wedged the keys between my fingers. They were the only weapon I had. Clenching the keys tight, I rushed at Kuri.

  His gaze flicked to me. I swung and punched him in the eye. Blood spilled over my fingers. Kuri released Jeremy and his body fell forward like a ragdoll before it hit the ground.

  Groaning, Kuri slapped his hand over his eye.

  I stepped back with the keys poking up through my bloody fingers, preparing myself for his retaliation. I glanced down quickly and saw Jeremy's hand move.

  "Demon," Kuri said, snarling. He removed the hand from his bloody eye. "You are mine."

  I swung at him, but he was too fast. He grabbed my throat and lifted me. Then, he shoved me back against the car. The window shattered, sending tiny fragments of glass everywhere. His hand tightened around my neck and I gasped for air.

  Drake rushed up behind Kuri. He gripped Kuri's hair and yanked his head back. Drake held a knife near his throat. "Let her go."

  Kuri hissed. "You would destroy me to save this demon?"

  Drake pressed the sharp blade into Kuri's throat. "Do not make me answer that question."

  I clawed at Kuri's hand as he tightened his grasp, cutting off my air supply.

  "What will the VETOV say if you destroy me?" Kuri asked.

  "I don't care what they say," Drake said.

  Blood dripped down Kuri's neck. "You are a fool."

  "And you're going to lose your head if you don't release her." Drake pressed the knife deeper.

  Kuri let go. I dropped and hit the pavement, twisting my sore ankle. My legs screamed with pain, throbbing and burning. Band-Aids weren't going to hide the marks anymore.

  Drake pushed Kuri away from the cars. "Stay away from her." His voice was rich with violence as he pointed the knife at Kuri.

  Jeremy lifted his head. I scooted over to him and helped him roll onto his back. His eyelids fluttered. I placed my hand over his heart. His body felt cool and his heartbeat was slow, but he was alive.

  "I'm here for you," I said, hovering over his face.

  "Thank you," he breathed, then his head rolled slightly to the side.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The ride back to the hotel was quiet and awkward. Ryan drove with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. Jeremy sat in the front with his head against the window, half-awake, half-asleep. He'd passed out in the parking lot. If I had to guess, he'd lost too much blood. The snapping of his neck didn't help either. Bones were easy to heal for us demons, but add blood loss and it slowed us down. Spoken from experience.

  I sat in the back, behind Jeremy, with Drake at my side and Kuri at the other end. The Asian vampire stunk up the vehicle with his charred clothes. His body had healed mostly, but he had red splotches on his face, neck, and arms. Tension hung thick in the air. Nobody had said a word since we'd left the site of the challenge. Dried blood still stuck to me. Worse yet, the taste still clung to my tongue. I was in desperate need of a shower, something to drink, and a toothbrush.

  A few times I glanced at Drake. His stone-cold face pointed toward the front window made him look like a statue. Hands on his knees, he never moved. When I looked at his hands, I wanted to touch him to let him know I still had feelings for him. But fear stopped me. Fear he would reject me. Fear he would hate me and want to turn a blind eye.

  Swallowing, I chased those thoughts from my mind. I couldn't handle his rejection right now. In my heart, I realized I deserved it. I'd hurt him, not trusted him, asked him to save the life of a werewolf, and practically shut the door on our relationship. I had said, "If you love me, let me go," and he had. Cou
ld the writing on the wall be any clearer?

  We finally made it back to the hotel. Ryan parked under the canopy, then handed the valet the keys to his vehicle. Jeremy and I were next to leave the SUV. He wobbled on his feet as he shut his door, then leaned against the car for support. We all looked a bit worn around the edges. Ryan talked to the valet for several minutes, then handed him several bills.

  "Maybe you should go to the hospital," I suggested, standing next to Jeremy.

  "I just need rest." He blinked several times, as if trying to clear his vision. His skin was pale. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I think Ryan should stay with you."

  "I'll be fine," I said, layering Jeremy's shirt over my front to hide my bra and panties. Enough people had seen them for one night.

  "I don't trust him," Jeremy said, tilting his head.

  I turned to look. Kuri stood on the edge of the curb, glaring at us with arctic eyes. His tattered shirt and pants stuck to his body and were well beyond repair. His hair had grown back and was in dire need of a brushing. The vampire was frightful to look at.

  Drake walked up to my side. "She will be fine with me."

  Jeremy met Drake's eyes. "I don't trust you either."

  "You don't have a choice," Drake said.

  "Let's get inside before anyone else sees us," Ryan said, tucking his wallet in his pocket.

  Agreeing with Ryan, I walked into the lobby with my arms tight across my ribs. The male attendant behind the counter turned a shade whiter when he saw the five of us. As we walked by, I gave a small wave and smiled. So what if I had dried blood on my chin, neck, and legs, or if I had a man's shirt covering me? Manners still counted.

  Drake opened the door to my suite for me. Before I stepped through the doorway, I glanced down the hall at Jeremy. The tight frown on his face made it clear he wasn't pleased with Drake and Kuri staying. I gave him a nod before I entered the room.

  Without stopping, I went to the bedroom, then shut the door. I needed a little time to clean up and gather my thoughts without anyone around. After I removed my clothes, I eagerly stepped into the shower.

  The warm was a blessing to my skin. I stood under the spray for the longest time, cleansing the blood and dirt from my body, then just letting the water run down me in streams, soothing and relaxing me. By the time I finished, I was as silky and clean as a newborn. My legs and stomach were tender, but with a little rest, I was certain I'd be as good as new.