Once I was naked from the chest up, I tore the rest of the branch out, throwing up blood as my vision swam. I tossed it to the ground, fighting to remain awake and upright. I struggled as I unzipped my bag, pulling out the gauze I kept in it, and wrapped the gauze around my stomach where the wound was. I reached for the knife to cut the gauze and tied it off. I brought the knife up to my hair, and sliced through the braid, leaving it severed just below my ears in a crude fashion. They’d fucking held me with it, used it against me. I’d known for a while that it had to go. It was time.
“Emma,” Jaeden growled as he watched me toss the hair to the ground. I turned my head, finding Shamus beside him, his hand restraining Jaeden from moving to me. “I can heal you,” he whispered.
“No, you cannot,” Shamus spat out. “I forbid it. She needs to be punished for attacking those weaker than her.”
“No, you should keep listening to Shamus.” I coughed out the words, feeling my body already beginning to heal itself. For me, it was the principle of the matter; I didn’t want his blood running inside of me. I could heal on my own, away from him. I would leave them, find somewhere I was safe, and heal from the injuries. I could hear him arguing with Shamus, but I knew this was one argument Jaeden wasn’t going to win, and whatever Shamus said was law.
I looked up at the hammock that still hung high in the trees, and winced.
“I can put you in it,” Jaeden offered.
“I-I need it down…” I hissed, barely able to get words out, as whatever my body did to heal began doing so. It burned. I was on fire. Tissue and muscles were reattaching. Bones were trying to reset, but I had no idea how long it would take to heal.
Raphael took the hammock down effortlessly, and I accepted it with one hand before setting it on the ground and pulling things out of my bag as I cradled the other arm close to my body. I stared briefly at the strawberry blonde hair that covered the bag and the ground, and then dismissed it. I pulled out holsters, weapons, my hoodie, and mask. Slipping a shirt over my naked breasts, I winced as the front of it blossomed with blood as the wound refused to heal. I slipped the harness on over my shoulders, tucked the weapons into place, and then pulled the hoodie over my body. Pushing the hood off, I slipped yet another harness into place and then ran my fingers through the thick black make-up, covering my eyes before slipping on the mask.
I pushed knives into the sides of my boots, and shoved a canteen of water into the bag along with the hammock, and zipped it up. I bit my lip hard enough that it tore the flesh as I hefted the pack onto my back. It took effort to make it to my feet; a gurgled cry escaped my parted lips as I clung to the tree for support to make it to my feet. I was going to find Lachlan, and then sleep until my body finished healing.
“No,” Jaeden growled as it finally hit him that I was leaving. “Not alone, not like this!” His voice shook, but I was beyond caring. I turned to look at him, and whatever he had seen in my eyes stopped him cold. Maybe it was the death rattle in my chest, or maybe it was the betrayal I felt. Whatever it was, he stopped, dropped his hands, and shook his head.
“Let her go,” Shamus hissed as Astrid slipped her hand into his and Jolene pushed her way closer to Jaeden. “I need the receiver for the Ark, Emma.” He held his hand out expectantly, and there was something cold in his eyes.
Fine; Addy had orders. Orders I’d given her as a safeguard the day I left the Ark. If I didn’t personally make contact within a three-day timeframe, she’d lock it down, and the wolves would guard them until I could get back to them. I’d started moving pieces together in case they’d planned a hostile takeover. The wolves were on our side; at least, I hoped they still were. Without Lachlan, it was hard to know what his people were doing.
I struggled painfully with the bag, wincing when Raphael got too close, and glared at him. He backed up, and my eyes focused on Jaeden’s as I struggled to get one of the pockets unzipped. He silently pleaded for me to stay, even though Astrid and Jolene flanked him on both sides. I pulled out the phone-like device, then dropped it to the ground as my hand refused to hold it.
I turned and slowly but surely walked away from the group who watched me. I knew without needing to be told that Jaeden would come after me, especially once Shamus learned that the shelter was locked down, with his vampires on the outside. They may need blood to sustain their lifestyle, and to live, but they weren’t using my people to do it.
I’d made it less than a mile before my legs gave out and I hit the ground. I’d searched for signs of the pack, or even the Sentinel, but it was useless. Delirium was setting in, and I couldn’t force my eyes to remain open. I heard a twig snap and moaned in pain as strong arms lifted me and my face was pressed against something solid and warm. I mumbled when I heard a Scottish brogue, and gave up. I couldn’t fight the darkness that was pulling me towards the abyss. It was seductive, the numbness it brought, divine.
“Jesus, lass, what the fuck did you do?” Cian’s voice tried to break through, but my lungs were done. I’d used everything in my reserve just to put distance between me and the vampires. I allowed my face to press against his chest for warmth.
“We’ve got you, Emma, girl, you’re going to be alright. Sleep, heal. You look like you need it more than Lachlan does right now,” were the last words I heard as I sank into darkness’s warm, welcoming embrace.
Chapter 5
I woke up to something warm and wet licking my face. I pushed it away, but it came back and continued licking. It stunk, and I hurt. I pushed it away a few more times before I opened my eyes to striking emerald ones that were filled with worry. He nuzzled me, and continued to do so until I tried to move my arm, only to scream as white pain tore through me. I looked down, and found my arm tied to some kind of stick, and my chest bare of clothing, the wound exposed to the crisp morning air.
“Lachlan,” I whispered as my eyes tried to focus on the huge black wolf that lay beside me, whining as he watched me. His paw moved to my face and he continued to push at it, as if he worried I’d pass out at any moment.
“What the fuck happened, Emma?” Cian demanded, noting the through-and-through hole in my stomach. Cian’s eyes lowered to my breasts and lowered even more as he reached beside him and pulled a wet cloth from a bowl and washed the wound. “Answer me girl, so he stops his insistent bitching in my head.”
“You can talk to him?” I asked, watching as a small smile spread across his lips.
“Duh, Emma, he’s the alpha. He wants to know how this happened, and where the fuck Jaeden was when it did. He vowed to protect you in Lachlan’s absence.”
“Hard to do when he had orders to do otherwise,” I mumbled, wincing as he pushed against the wound.
“Elaborate, Emma,” Cian continued as more wolves crowded into the crude cave we were in.
“Astrid and Shamus set me up. I walked into the feeder camp and one of the new girls we saved was with Astrid. God, I knew better than to go in there. I got lost in my head, wandered in, and she attacked me. She started hitting me, Astrid grabbed my hair from behind, and we started fighting big time. It got ugly, and then Jaeden showed up, Shamus told him he had seen everything, that I’d started it. I told Jaeden I wasn’t willing to deal with it anymore. Shamus carried on until he got Jaeden angry at me, so I flipped him off, told him I was leaving. He followed me, grabbed my arm that Astrid broke, and I started fighting him. He didn’t hit me, just dodged every blow I threw at him. He was getting me away from the women, but he grabbed my arm. I threw myself away from him, ended up stuck to a tree on one of the pikes that we were using to clean the animals with.”
He winced and shook his head. “That explains the bark I just spent an hour digging out. I knew I liked you for a reason.” Cian didn’t have the accent that Lachlan had; his was almost as American as my own when he wanted it to be.
“Our people are safe,” I stated, nodding to Lachlan, k
nowing he’d want to know that his people that he’d left with mine were alive and well. “Addy and Liam had orders from me to wait until the vampires went out, and then lock it down if they didn’t hear from us for a few days. I haven’t spoken to her in three as it stands. Tomorrow she’ll lock them out as soon as they leave. Any that were left behind will meet up with a friendly boot out the door from Liam.”
“That was smart, but by now they may have figured out how to get back in. I found a radio a few days ago, contacted Liam; he said the vampires were watching them, but other than that, no signs of any plans to take over the shelter. Shamus wouldn’t hesitate to hunt you down if you cut them off from the Ark, Emma; he’s as ruthless as they come.”
“I noticed.” I grimaced in pain and ignored his hand that had risen to rest on my breasts.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, lass, but you have to go. In case he is hunting you, I won’t allow them to get close to Lachlan in his current state. He’s on the mend, but he’s got a few more days of recovery to go. They had silver bullets; silver is a bitch to get out, even for someone as strong as he is.”
“I understand.” I’d known that if Lachlan wasn’t healed yet, I would be sent away soon after I found them. I understood why it needed to be done. “How’s he doing?” My hand absently found Lachlan and petted him while I ignored the other arm and the incessant itching that was from it healing.
“He’s stubborn as hell, refused to rest until he knew you were safe. Now maybe he’ll sleep. What’s your plan, Emma?” he asked, ignoring the growling wolf who hadn’t taken kindly to his taunt.
“Find Grayson,” I said softly. “Rest, heal, and head out on my own, I guess. I have to find him, and I know I can’t do that with Jaeden, not with Shamus gunning for me. He isn’t on my side, that much I know for sure now. He wouldn’t allow Jaeden to heal me; he ordered him not to.”
“We noticed that he and Jaeden haven’t always seen eye to eye. I figured their bromance was in danger with the way Jaeden was grasping on to you. Didn’t know he’d do something like this. By the way, what the fuck happened to your nose?” he asked offhandedly.
“Got a nose job, what the fuck you think happened to it?” I snapped, pissed that she’d caught me off guard and that I’d been stupid and hesitated.
“You need a better surgeon,” he snapped back. “I reset it while I worked on the rest of your injuries while you were passed out.”
“I hesitated. I’ve never hesitated in combat in my life, and I did. Jolene’s human and I was afraid my powers would show up, and I’d hurt her; the last time Astrid tried to fuck with me, they kicked in, and I knocked that bitch’s ass across the yard!” I laughed, which hurt like hell. If my powers had kicked in with Jolene, I could have killed her and lost Jaeden forever. It shouldn’t have even crossed my mind. My father would be disappointed.
“I could see that after watching you take down the rogues, but your life was in danger, girl. When you’re backed into a corner, claw and chew your way out of it even if you think your enemy is weaker,” he said, and Lachlan’s sudden barking made me jump and cry out in pain. “He says stay away from Shamus; he probably has orders to separate you from Jaeden. He’s bound by the same laws, but he’s also running on his own agenda. It wouldn’t surprise us if he was aiming for a seat to become an elder so that he would be out of reach and above reproach.”
“I get it,” I mumbled. “He wants to be untouchable.” My eyes grew heavy with the need to sleep.
“Rest, you look like you need it. I’ll cover you up so Lachlan stops staring at your tits,” he smiled, and used his shirt to cover me up, which caused Lachlan to growl and huff. It was funny, since he looked like a dog that had been denied his favorite chew toy.
My eyes closed and I felt the other wolves moving in, surrounding me and the alpha while we slept. I slept the sleep of the dead as I healed. When I awoke the next day, it was to Cian nudging me with his foot.
“Jaeden’s out looking for you, so you’ll need to head out soon. Are you healed enough to manage it?” he asked, and I heard distinct growling beside me. I slowly sat up, testing my body as Cian peeled the bandages and stick from my arm. My arm was weak, but I was able to move it without too much pain. My stomach was another situation. It hurt like hell, but then again, internal organs probably needed a lot of time to heal.
“I’m good. You’ll find me once he’s healed?” I was already digging through my bag for clean clothing.
“The moment he’s healed enough, we’ll find you. He said to head east, and then south again. Zigzag, no straight lines. We’ll follow you, but we can’t move as quickly as you will need to. Jaeden will slow them down, according to Lachlan. He won’t be able to do it too much without Shamus figuring it out, though. Jaeden is the brains and the brawn, but he is blooded to his maker, which means he is Shamus’s property until he finds him. Watch the woods around you for Cayla. She’ll be Shamus’s eyes. She won’t like it, but she’s bound to him, too. Stay alive until we can get to you.” Cian handed me the bloody bandages. “Throw these somewhere, make sure it’s not into water, or it will lose the blood scent; it should buy you some time.”
“Okay, and if they catch me?” I hated that, with my stomach still on fire and in pain, it was a probability.
“Then we’ll save you at the soonest moment we can do it without endangering Lachlan. They won’t kill you, remember that. They can’t if they expect to get back inside the shelter. Last Lachlan heard, they’d collected enough supplies to last them a few more months. They’re holding up; we are the ones falling apart right now. Think about you, not them. Liam won’t let them starve; he’ll hunt wild game before that happens.”
“Thank God,” I whispered.
“Lachlan says he hates your hair, but he understands why you did it. It kind of looks badass, in a sexy way,” Cian grinned.
“He said it looks sexy?” I asked, disbelieving.
“No, I did,” he replied easily as he sat back, handing me the harnesses. “They’re slowed down by the humans they travel with. Use it to your advantage. If you feel them getting close, scream. If we are close enough, we will do what we can to help. Lachlan needs a few more days of healing before he’ll be able to take human form. Unlike most of us, he’s a born wolf. Takes him a while to regain his human form, and healing is simpler in this one for him.”
“Tell him…”
“You tell him, he understands you.”
“You were right; he broke my heart.”
The wolf didn’t gloat, or maybe he did and I just couldn’t tell, but he scooted closer and licked my face a few times before he sat down in front of me.
“He says nae being stupid, lass, be the Emma who kens how tae survive.”
“Did he also tell you to use a brogue?” I laughed, and Cian nodded. “I’m me; there’s no part of that Emma left for now. I’m my father’s daughter again. I will get through this; I have to. See you soon, wolf boy.” I bent down to lean my face against Lachlan’s furry muzzle.
“He says he’s going to hold you to that, lass. He’s a man, virile and ready to claim his mate, however stubborn she may be,” he said, looking pointedly at me. “He says there’s no boy left in him. He’s his father’s son. Born alpha to the pack, he’s a survivor like you. Fate is tricky, you know, throwing this crew together at the end of the world. Like she knew what we needed.”
Chapter 6
I was on my own, zigzagging through some pretty rough terrain. I’d had a few close encounters with the vampires, who didn’t seem as hostile as I’d assumed they would be. I’d managed to get away because they didn’t want to hurt me when they tried to capture me, and I’d used that against them. I was back to being me, the Emma before I’d allowed myself to be duped by hope that we didn’t have to be alone. By trusting Jaeden, I’d brought in more problems.
I watched th
e stream of smoke from a fire, high in the mountain range, about five miles from where I stood on a jagged hillside that was filled with rocks. The terrain had begun to slowly change as we approached Utah.
I could hear muffled shouts, some catcalls, and something that sounded like it was screaming in pain. The latter was muffled and sent a chill up my spine. I slipped my mask into place, checked the weapons I carried, and unsnapped my bow from the pack, checking it carefully to be sure everything was in working order. Once I’d made it closer to the area of the fire, I climbed a tree, trying to get a better look at what was actually going on.
The problem with the aftermath of the virus was that people who were normally pretty decent became dangerous. They were desperate to survive, and with time moving on and food growing scarce, they’d turned into animals. Then there were those who enjoyed the animals they’d become as a result of the breakdown in society since the virus.
My father had never sugarcoated anything. He was brutally honest about what life would be like after the government was gone. People always complained about it, but the government kept order; it maintained a balance in the world that worked. It may not have always been correct, but it had kept humans somewhat safer from the animals we were now left with.