Secret Worlds (356 page)

I dared to open my mouth and the word came out as a shout. “What?”

A pained expression crossed his face. “You don’t want to know what comes next. It’ll upset you too much. Just go. Head into the woods and get acquainted with nature.” He pasted an obviously fake smile on his face. “It’s about to become your new best friend.”

I knew what was next. This was the part that scared me most of all. I was to be hunted down and savaged. And not in the good sense of the word.

I gulped back the lump in my throat. “Isn’t there another way? Couldn’t you just bite me?”

“I’m not a vampire, babe. Just go. I’ll see you in the morning.” He sounded light, but the strain in his voice gave his true feelings away. He was just as nervous about this as I was.

If I survived
. “Sure.” I picked up my favorite sweatshirt off the floor and started to pull it over my head.

“You might not want to wear that. It’ll get destroy... uh, dirty.”

“Thanks.” The irony wasn’t lost on me. Moments before he’d be forced to nearly kill me, he was still worried I’d ruin my favorite sweatshirt.

I dropped the sweatshirt on the bed and walked to the dresser to grab one of his. “Try to go easy on me. And I’m wearing your Bruins jersey to ensure it.”

“That’s not fair. I love that jersey. I think I have a Yankees jersey around here somewhere.”

I laughed. “You know you don’t have one of those.”

“And you’re stalling. Let’s just get this over with,” he grumbled. I could see he wasn’t looking forward to the next step either.

“Wish me luck.” I pulled the yellow and black jersey over my head and painted the most convincing smile I could on my face.

“Just go, babe.” To avoid continuing the conversation, he stood from the bed and started to transform.

The air in the room took on an electric charge. Dark gray fur began to grow all over Aiden’s body as he began to twist and contort. Each movement was accompanied by a strange popping sound, like the cracking of knuckles. His nose lengthened into a muzzle; bones began moving and shifting underneath his fuzzy skin. It was hard to witness because it looked so painful, but Aiden did not cry out as he continued to contort, slowly becoming the large wolf, his other self.

A hundred thoughts ran through my head. Was the transformation painful? Would I make it through this next step, or would I die tonight? How would everyone react if I did die? No, I couldn’t think like that. If I did, there would be no way I could leave the room.

Please go easy on me.

I sighed. My stomach churned from both nerves and the blood and flesh I’d just had to ingest. I walked out the door and down the hall to the front entrance.

Outside, winter’s chill felt colder than ever, and I was too exhausted from the day to withstand it. Immediately, I wished that I had worn more clothes.

I heard a howl. A rallying cry. Was it Aiden? I couldn’t tell. Though I had been through a few moonlight revelries, I hadn’t yet learned to distinguish each wolf and his or her particular tone. I wondered if that would change.

Too many questions. Too many worries.

The wind picked up and goosebumps prickled across my skin. My teeth chattered. I needed to move. I hugged myself tight and started walking. The wolf preserve was a mere clearing amid a thick forest, and the treeline was not too far away. I headed toward it.

Moving helped. Moving kept me warm. Moving kept me sane. What was I thinking, letting myself be put into this situation? I was walking into a fight. Willingly!

Another wolf answered the first call with a long low mournful howl.

Two? How many were joining in on this hunt?

My heart picked up speed and my feet matched it. I found myself trotting now, heading for the darkness of the forest, wishing I could escape the horror that was to come.

My stomach churned and bile rose again. My throat burned from the effort it took to keep it down. My whole body began to warm from the inside. The contrast made the bitter cold feel even more biting.

I tripped over a shallow root and landed on my palms. There was no stopping it now. I lost the fight with my stomach and it all came spewing out, searing my throat.

When I looked up, I spotted two ice blue eyes staring back at me. Those eyes weren’t Aiden’s. They weren’t Brady’s either. The owner had silvery-white fur and dusky gray paws.

The wolf’s ears were pinned back. It bared its teeth but didn’t growl.

That scared me more than anything. It was almost as if the wolf were smiling, as if it were happy about what was about to come.

I took a deep breath, hoping to calm my racing heart. “I’m not afraid.” I hoped I sounded convincing. Weakness is always frowned upon.

The wolf snapped its jaw in response and crouched low with its front paws, ready to attack.

If there had been anything left in my stomach, I’m sure I would have thrown it up. My nerves were shot. I couldn’t hide the trembling in my legs, but I still managed to stand tall. I looked the wolf in the eyes and said, “Do it.”

The wolf leaped into the air.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, readying myself for the pain.

Sharp and vicious, the first bite tore through my shoulder, narrowly missing the critical jugular vein in my neck.

I let out a cry but it was muffled by thick fur. The wolf toppled me over and pinned me to the ground. I thought that would be the end of it. I’d been seriously injured. I prayed that it would be enough, but the wolf wasn’t done with me yet.

It snarled and took another bite, digging its teeth into my already ruined shoulder.

Agony rang out in my voice. I howled louder than any wolf I’d heard in the past. Still the wolf would not stop its assault.

Though this was part of the process, my instinct to survive outweighed any thoughts I might have had at allowing any more of this torture. I threw my good arm around the wolf, grabbed as much fur as I could grip, and pulled. Clumps came away, but the wolf wasn’t fazed at all. It towered over me, biting at my shoulders and chest as if playing with me, purposely avoiding the deadly blow, dragging out the moment of death.

Adrenaline fueled me, giving me the strength to continue through the raw, angry pain. I reached out and grabbed a fallen branch lying near my head. Swinging as hard as I could, I slammed it into the wolf’s back. I fought back the best I could, popping my knees up into the underbelly of the beast.

Nothing I did had any effect. The wolf would not be moved. My throat was hoarse from retching and screaming already; the only sound I could manage was a raspy squeal. “Enough, please.”

Diving for another deadly blow, the wolf’s teeth dug in hard around my collar bone. I felt something snap, and I lost all control of my left arm. It should have been a different level of hurt, but I was already too overwhelmed with pain to feel the new damage. Warmth rose up through the pain. A mild and sticky heat. It oozed over my shoulder and dribbled down my neck. I knew it now. I was bleeding to death. This was the end.

Through watering eyes, I looked up at the wolf. “That’s enough!” I choked. “Stop now before you kill me.”

But the wolf didn’t respond. It pawed at me and dug its massive claws into my chest. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was actually trying to ensure I did die and would not turn.

How much damage could I really endure? I’d already thrown up, even though Aiden had told me not to.

Blood loss and pain were finally taking their toll. I’d burned through all of my adrenaline. I couldn’t fight back any longer. My limbs went limp. I watched the wolf open its mouth one last time, ready to strike the final blow that would end my life.

Goodbye world. Goodbye Aiden.

But thankfully, the blow didn’t come. A dark gray blur swept across my vision. I’d recognize Aiden anywhere. There was a yelp, and then a thud on the ground next to me.

Though woozy and ready to pass out, I still managed to turn my head to spy what was happening.

The two wolves were tangled together, looking as if they were hugging before falling to the ground and rolling around in the dirt. Each wolf, it appeared, was lunging and snapping its jaws at the other’s neck. Then a third appeared. This one was a two-toned masked wolf with a dark line down its snout. Three wolves turned into four and five. Was I seeing things or were the wolves actually multiplying? I was losing it. Dizziness struck hard and fast and the world faded into cold darkness.

Scratch what I’d said before about the worst headache ever.

Though thankful to be alive, part of me wished for death when I awoke. Every muscle in my body screamed with rage. My chest felt as if it were on fire, throbbing, aching, and burning all at once. I didn’t dare try to move my left arm. If it was still there. Last I remembered, it looked as if the wolf wanted to tear it off. I wouldn’t have been surprised if all that was left was a ruined stump.

The all-over pain was so acute that it drowned out all other senses. My body screamed so loudly that I couldn’t hear anything else around me. I didn’t dare open my mouth, fearing the sound would actually escape my body and give away the agony I was in.

Aiden’s deeply concerned face appeared above me. His dark eyes pleaded for forgiveness without having to hear him speak the words. He shook his head and gently swiped a hand across my forehead. I might not have been able to hear, but I read his lips well enough.

“Sleep, babe,” he told me. “It’s going to be all right.”

I wanted to believe him, but I knew my body had taken too much damage.

Aiden brought a cup of what felt like boiling liquid to my lips. He tried to pour it in, but the moment my mouth opened the sound I’d been fearing came roaring out. Without wanting to, I was screaming at the top of my lungs. The hot liquid bubbled and gurgled in my mouth. It stung my cheeks but never made it down my throat. I screamed and screamed while Aiden frantically tried to silence me. Eventually, someone else entered the room. I felt a pin prick and something cool traveling into my arm. The cold spread up to my shoulder, then into my chest. With the pain numbed, for the moment, exhaustion could finally take hold; and being too weak, I succumbed and fell back into the abyss.

***

That unrelenting pain woke me, but it took all the strength I had just to open my eyes. Alyssa stood over me this time.
How long had I been out?
The effects of whatever drug I’d been given had worn off, but I still felt raw. My body was done. Spent. Used up. Trashed. Useless.

“Can you hear me?” Alyssa said.

I couldn’t hear, but I read her lips loud and clear. I tried to open my mouth but my lips wouldn’t move. When that failed I tried to nod my head. Nothing worked. I found the simplest of movements to be impossible.

Why can’t I move?

“Can you talk?” she asked me.

I struggled just to blink my eyes. I couldn’t move a muscle, but every one still ached. Pain was the only thing holding me conscious.

Alyssa turned away from me. She was talking to someone, but I couldn’t move my head to see who.

This was unnerving. I hated this painful state of limbo. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t react to anything. I couldn’t even blink my damn eyes. Was I going to remain in this perpetual state of pain and nothingness? Was I a vegetable? My heart began to race. At least one part of me was reacting properly.

When Alyssa turned back to me, she looked as if she were about to cry. Her jaw tightened.

I’m going to die.
I just knew it. This was the end. I was too injured to heal. My body was finished. I should have never agreed to do this. Where was Aiden? Maybe I could find some way to tell him I love him before I died?

As I was mentally saying my goodbyes Alyssa did something strange. She lifted her wrist to her lips and bit down. Blood dribbled out of the side of her mouth and down her chin. She pulled her wrist away and let the blood drip down on to my chest.

What the hell? Alyssa is a vampire. Why is she bleeding on me?

Before I could put two and two together, I felt a tingling sensation. Where her blood touched my skin, it brought relief. Cooling relief. Strange, but also so wonderful. I tried to forget that the source of this relief was blood, vampire blood, and just revel in the respite it brought..

“We’re trying to heal you.” Alyssa looked me in the eye as she said this to ensure I could read her lips.

We?

Then I saw him. Lysander. He stood next to Alyssa, unbuttoning the collar of his shirt. He smiled at me, and I caught sight of his sharp fangs. For a brief moment, I wondered if he were going to attempt to turn me to save me; but instead of biting me, he bent his head to my chest and began lapping up the blood Alyssa had dribbled on me.

If I hadn’t been in such agony, I would have most certainly found the sensation arousing. Lysander’s tongue was magic. Each tender lap of it soothed my inflamed skin. Every stroke accompanied a tingling that caused my whole body to buzz.

I’d experienced this kind of healing once before. Vampires have some healing properties in their blood and saliva. As long as it isn’t ingested, it works like a miracle salve. When I’d been shot by the Acta Sanctorum and was bleeding to death, Nicholas had not only sucked out the bullet but also licked my wound clean. By the next morning, you couldn’t have spotted the entry wound, though my muscles still ached from being torn apart.

Just as before, the sensation was exquisite. Lysander’s velvety tongue smoothed over my angry wounds. It felt so dirty. This was Alyssa’s mate tonguing my wounds … in front of Aiden. It felt so wrong to take any enjoyment from it, but I couldn’t help it. The relief it brought to my agony was heaven on earth.

Though I couldn’t see it, I felt my skin tightening and pulling itself back together.

Other senses were coming back as the tension released. I tried to imagine that it was Aiden and not Lysander tending to my wounds and caressing my skin with his skillful tongue, though I had to admit, Lysander had quite a lot of skill. No wonder Alyssa was head over heels for him.