The Gathering (4 page)

“Hard but not impossible.” Bryce snapped his
fingers at her to get her attention. She looked at him through a
veil of hair. “Did Caleb bring you here or did you wander up here
by yourself?” She opened her mouth again and shut it, her eyes
clearly showing her frustration. He edged closer to her. “Did Caleb
bring you?” A quick nod of her head that time. “Well at least we
know how she got here.”

“Yes, but you’re not going to be able to find
out why if she can’t talk.”

Henry ran back into the tunnel a few minutes
later and Bryce reached for the wire cutters. “I’m going to cut the
wire holding you to the wall but if you try to bite me again, I’m
going to knock you out, got it?”

She glanced away from him but nodded her head
moments later. He stood and edged closer, keeping a watchful eye on
her. When he reached her, he fell to one knee and hesitated,
half-expecting her to jump him again. When she just sat there, he
relaxed. “Someone hold the wire so it doesn’t come back on me.”

He lifted his hand, moving her mass of hair
away and clamped the wire cutters across the wire under her ear. It
snapped with a loud pop. “Turn your head.” He waited until she’d
done so before cutting the other side.

When she was loose, he waited. Waited for her
to jump him again. She didn’t move.

Standing, he backed away from her and stopped
beside of Garrett. “So, what now?”

Garrett stared at her before crossing his
arms over his chest. “Hell if I know. We can’t leave her up here,
though. We need to find out why Caleb had her and where the wolves
he made have gone.”

“Take her back to the house then?”

“We have to put her somewhere and see to that
wire still in her neck.”

Dillon cleared his throat. “Aren’t you guys
forgetting something?”

“Like what?”

“It’s noon.”

Bryce lifted an eyebrow. “So?”

Dillon grinned. “So….sunlight? Vampires?
Makes them go all ‘balls of fire?’ Does that ring any bells?”

“Oh.”

Bryce glanced at Garrett. “So what now?”

“Well, someone can wait with her until
nightfall or we can cover her and take her back with us.”

“I have a tarp in the back of the truck.”
Henry said. “That should work.”

Bryce looked back at the girl. She was still
crouched in the corner staring at the floor. He noticed for the
first time that her hands were shaking. Whether that was from
hunger or fear he wasn’t sure but even though the girl had attacked
him and damn near killed him, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for
her. She’d been tied like an animal to the wall and left to starve
to death. As much as he loathed vampires, this was cruel. Of
course, Caleb was responsible, which explained the world. It was
hard to tell what Caleb had done to her. The thought alone made him
cringe.

Turning his head, he looked at Henry. “Go get
it. I don’t want to sit in this foul smelling tunnel for another
six hours. We’ll take our chances with the tarp.” Walking back in
front of her, he leaned down. “Can you stand up?”

She grabbed the wall, placing her palm flat
against it before trying to stand. Her head was bowed, her face
obscured by her mass of hair. Her clothes were in ruins, he
noticed. Tattered jeans, a loose fitting top that was so filthy it
was hard to tell its original color. She was barefoot and the
stench coming from her was enough to take his breath.

When she was on her feet, she raised her head
to look at him. He stared back, speechless. Her eyes were the color
of dark jade. Small flecks of gold shined in her irises and his
pulse jumped to life the longer he stared at her. Warmth spread
through his limbs and he blinked before looking away when he heard
Henry running up the tunnel.

Taking the tarp from Henry, Bryce took a deep
breath and looked back at the girl. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll
get you something to eat and see if we can get that wire out of
your neck.”

He thought she smiled but it was hard to tell
in the dim light of the flashlights. As she moved toward him, his
heart raced. He locked eyes with her and the heat he felt running
laps over his body increased. He looked away, holding the tarp by
his side and motioning her forward.

They moved as one, back toward the mine
entrance.

* * * *

Rayna grabbed Garrett by the arm the moment
he stepped inside the house. She dragged him down the hall, away
from the others, before turning to look at him. “There’s a wolf in
the living room.”

Garrett raised one eyebrow. “There are wolves
in every room.”

“He’s not one of ours!” she hissed. “I’m not
sure where he came from but he smells funny.”

He laughed. “Funny how?”

Rayna scowled. He turned his head to look
behind him, watching as Bryce carried the vampire up the stairs.
“What is that?”

“A vampire.” He turned back to face her and
smiled at the look on her face.

She blinked. “A vampire?”

Garrett nodded. “We found her in the mine.
She’s pretty messed up. Half starved, too, from the looks of
her.”

“Why was there a vampire in the mine?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “No clue. She was
chained like an animal and living off anything stupid enough to
venture down the tunnel she was kept in.”

“Is she all right?”

“Not sure. Let’s tend to our guest first and
we’ll go find out.” He turned and started walking toward the living
room, Rayna following close to his side. “Did this guy… it is a
guy, isn’t it?” When she nodded at him, he said, “Did he say what
he wanted?”

She snorted a laugh. “Yeah. He wants
Malcolm.”

Garrett stopped and stared down at her.
“Malcolm?” She nodded again and his blood ran cold. He turned and
hurried to the living room without another word. The man he saw
when he entered the room caused him to pause.

He looked young, dressed in black, and
walking around the room inspecting the items on the tables. Their
appearance was noted when the man said, “You’re not Malcolm.”

Garrett’s wolf slinked along his bones at the
sound of his voice. “No, I’m not.”

He turned to look at them. His hair was dark,
falling past his shoulders. Bright blue eyes looked cold and
indifferent. Garrett guessed his age to be somewhere in his
twenties, by appearance, but he knew never to trust the eye when
dealing with a wolf. “What can I do for you?”

“Bring me Malcolm.”

Garrett crossed his arms over his chest. “I
can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I killed him.”

The man stilled, nothing on him moving. When
he blinked long moments later, his shoulders relaxed. “And who are
you?”

His attitude annoyed Garrett in ways he
couldn’t describe. “I think a better question is, who are you?”

* * * *

Bryce carried the vampire into one of the
spare bedrooms on the third floor, waiting by the door as Judith
closed the curtains to block out the suns rays. When the room fell
dark, he crossed to the bed and sat the girl down. He let go of her
and pulled the tarp away.

He took a few steps back, glancing over at
Judith before looking at the girl again. “This is Judith. She’ll
help you get cleaned up.” Judith smiled and walked toward the bed.
“She can’t talk,” Bryce told her. “There’s a wire imbedded in her
throat.”

“Oh.” The word came out as one long breath.
Judith stared down at the girl before shaking her head. “Well, lets
get it out, then we can get you cleaned up.” When she took a step
toward her, the girl’s eyes turned ice blue, her pallor went
ghastly white as blue veins spider webbed her temples and down over
her cheeks.

Bryce grabbed Judith’s arm and held her back.
“Don’t get too close. She hasn’t feed in lord knows how long.”

He stared at her, not sure what to do. He
hated asking Garrett. Since being named Garrett’s second in
command, he’d done his best to act without guidance, but some
things left him wondering what to do. This girl was one of them.
Especially since every time he looked at her his pulse leaped and
his skin felt hot and itchy.

Turning to Judith he said, “We need to find
her something to eat first.”

“Okay. And where do you suggest we find a
willing donor for that?”

His neck tingled then, the bite she’d given
him in the mine obviously healing. She’d taken a chunk out of him
but he knew it wasn’t enough. It was hard to tell how long she’d
been without anything to eat. He sighed. “Hell if I know.”

The girl was staring at him, her gaze
drifting toward his neck. She sat quietly while they contemplated
what to do but not a second went by that Bryce didn’t think he
looked like a meal to her. “Stay here. I’ll send Dillon in to sit
with you.”

“Where are you going?”

He reached the door before turning back. “To
find her something to eat.”

“I’m Erik Foster. Malcolm invited me.” He
smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “I was late getting here.”

Garrett stared at their visitor and took a
step toward him, placing himself in front of Rayna. “Well, like I
said, Malcolm is dead.”

“I see.” Erik looked at Rayna, studying her
for longer than Garrett liked. “Who is in charge of the pack
now?”

Garrett raised his chin. “Me.”

“And you are?”

Rayna had been right about one thing. This
guy smelled funny. Garrett inhaled again and filled his lungs. Erik
was a wolf, his scent was enough to tell him that, but something
was off about him. He smelled familiar but… not. “Garrett Kincaid,”
he finally answered. “I’m the new pack leader and if you’re one of
Malcolm’s friends, you’re not welcome.”

Erik raised an eyebrow. “I never said I was a
friend of Malcolm’s.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Like I said, he invited me.”

“For?”

“For the meeting of The Collective.”

Garrett saw Rayna move out of the corner of
his eye and turned to look at her. “Can you go see how Bryce is
doing with our other guest?”

She frowned at him and the look in her eyes
let him know she didn’t like being dismissed. She glanced at Erik
before turning and walking out into the hall. He watched her until
she started up the steps before turning back around. “What is the
Collective?”

Erik moved across the room and sat down in
one of the chairs near the fireplace. He lounged back into the
cushion, stretched his legs out in front of him and clasped his
hands together on his stomach. “The Collective is the order Malcolm
wanted to be a part of. Every powerful leader of the Breeds is a
member.”

“And what does this, Collective, do
exactly?”

“Nothing,” Erik said. “Well, not yet, that
is.”

“And what is it they will do?”

Erik shrugged a shoulder. “Anything they
want, I suppose. They’re the most powerful creatures on the planet.
There isn’t much they can’t do.”

The guy was purposely evading the truth.
Garrett bit back a smile before crossing the room and sitting in
the chair opposite Erik. He stared at his unwanted guest, took in
his posture, the look on his face and read him like a book. Being a
cop for the last ten years had its uses. He could smell a liar a
mile away and this guy was up to something. “So,” Garrett said.
“This Collective. You’re a member?”

“No. I’m not a breed leader.”

“Then why did Malcolm invite you?”

Something flashed in Erik’s eyes before he
diverted his gaze, looking down and fumbling with the buttons on
his jacket. “I was asked, like I said. My purpose had not been
discussed.”

“So you came without knowing why? And two
months late at that?” Garrett leaned back and smiled. “Sorry, Erik,
but I don’t buy your story.”

Erik shrugged again. “It doesn’t matter to me
one way or the other if you believe me. I was told to come by my
pack leader so I did.”

“And who is your pack leader?”

The smile was back. Garrett saw the arrogance
in Erik’s eyes before the man stood up. “I’m afraid my business is
done here.” He straightened his jacket before looking Garrett in
the eye. “I was told Malcolm would give me instructions to what I
was to do and since he isn’t here, I’ll be on my way.”

Garrett followed him to the door, watching as
Erik stepped outside and turned his face up at the sky.

“I do love this mountain air.” Erik inhaled
deeply. “Makes a man just want to find a good woman and forget
about the rest of the world.” He turned, tipped his head and walked
down the driveway to the main road and started back toward town.
Garrett watched him until he was out of sight before shutting the
door.

“Who was that?”

Garrett turned when Bryce spoke. “Erik
Foster. He’s not pack and he’s up to something.” He walked across
the foyer. “Is Dillon still upstairs?”

“Yeah. I have him sitting with Judith and the
vamp.”

They climbed the stairs and made their way to
the vampire’s room, looking inside once they reached it. Garrett
motioned Dillon outside to the hall. He left the door open to keep
his eye on the girl. He didn’t trust her with Rayna and Judith
alone in the room with her.

“Who is Erik Foster?” Bryce asked.

“A wolf. Not of this pack but he smells
familiar for some reason.” Garrett lowered his voice. “He said he
was asked to come by Malcolm. He was needed for something to do
with the Collective. Did you ever hear Malcolm or Carmen mention
that before? The Collective?”

“No,” Bryce said, looking toward Dillon.
“You?” he asked. When Dillon shook his head no, he shrugged. “What
is it?”

“The Breed leaders, apparently.”

“They’ve formed a group?”

“That’s what this Foster guy said.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Dillon said,
speaking for the first time. “If the Breed leaders have banded
together they had to have had big plans.”