What Lies Inside (A Blood Bound Novel, Book 1) (25 page)

The day’s tension had dissipated. Still I couldn’t shake my unease over everything that had happened, or relieve the pain that still gripped my aching heart. Mental exhaustion weighed me down like rocks accumulating over my chest, and I had fallen into a fitful sleep.

Now I felt the panic of disorientation setting in. I rubbed at my eyes with balled hands and propped myself upright, forcing my rising breath to slow. The surroundings slowly cleaved into focus. A small clearing, bordered by a thicket of pine and oak trees surrounded me. They thinned on one side, letting the moon’s three-quarter light through.

I rose from the dew-dampened ferns, following the ghostly shine of moonlight through the clearing. On the far side, I found the edge of a sheer cliff that plunged into indistinguishable darkness. Above, not a single cloud blemished the night sky. Instead, a million stars glittered like someone had thrown a fistful of diamonds across its dark surface. Their shine along with the moonlight illuminated not only the space around me, but the jagged-mountain terrain layered with snow that rose up before me. I sucked in a breath of awe as confusion set in. My conscious mind had just caught up with me. How in the world did I get here?

With a sidestep I leaned against the rough bark of a large oak tree. A light breeze brushed past me, carrying with it the strong scent of pine. There was another scent too. It was so diluted that I almost thought I was imagining it.
I’m dreaming,
I realized suddenly.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” breathed a familiar and yet not entirely unexpected voice.

Rearing off the solid tree, I spun. A boy was standing at the bordering tree line. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of cut-off jeans. His hair hung over his forehead and his eyes glowed with intensity.
Ty.

My breath caught in my throat and my heart ached with its rapid beat. The sight of him instilled a deep longing within me, tainted by irrefutable anger. “
You
brought me here?” Disbelief edged my sharp words. “How…” Ty stepped forward and my hand rose in repudiation. “No! I don’t care. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

I stormed past him, making for the tree line. I still had no idea how he’d brought me here. And there was no way in hell I was about to stick around to find out.

Ty reached out to grasp my arm, but I darted away. “Wait!” he called out, a crackle evident in his voice. “You can’t go. You have to listen to me.”

I whirled on the spot and glared at him with skewering eyes. “No, I don’t!” I turned back, continuing on my intended path. “I’m leaving.”

“Amelia, stop!” he demanded. “You can’t…”

His words died as my forehead connected with something. Caught off guard, I stumbled back. Shock and embarrassment hammered my pulse, bringing a warm buzz to my ears. With a shake I recovered. Then I raised my hands until they connected with an invisible barrier. What had looked like a living tree line was not. It was a flat surface, somewhat like a looking glass that peered into a place I couldn’t quite touch. I pushed against its flat, hard surface. It rippled beneath my palms, so rigidly stiff that involuntary twitches crawled up my arms. I pushed again, harder this time. An electric shock bolted through my hands and I repelled back. With my jaw set and arms dropped, I turned. Tension fixed my fingers into clawed weapons that strained every muscle along my arms and up to my neck. “What have you done?”

Ty clasped his hands in front of him. “Amelia, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do this. But it’s the only way I could get you to listen to me.” He shook his head, looking almost regretful. “Please understand. You left me no other choice.”

A warning hiss blew through my lips and they parted, revealing fully extended fangs. In Ty’s silent hesitation, I scanned the clearing for a possible escape. Would his conjured force field extend past the cliff? I decided I wasn’t past hurtling myself from the edge to find out.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Ty said, seeming to have read my mind, or to have at least interpreted my searching expression. “Look,” he rushed on, lines of frustration pinching his brow. “This is a dream. You’re dreaming. It’s the only way…”

“Well then,” I scoffed, cutting him off. Dreaming? What a joke. “If what you’re saying it true, and I highly doubt it, then I’ll just wake up.”

Ty shook his head looking rueful. “I am afraid I can’t let you do that. I brought you here. See,” his voice dropped to a whisper and he spread his arms out wide. “I created this place.”

In an instant shift, the moon and stars began to disappear. The sun rose swiftly over the adjacent mountain. Captivation held my widened eyes, as the burning globe crept higher and higher. Its growing beams of light stretched down to the valley below. Warmth and a golden hue spread over everything it touched. Wakened by the dawn, the sounds of chirping birds rose from the treetops.

The tension stiffening my clawed hands released. I cocked my head to the side, wide eyes shifting to Ty. I believed he was telling the truth. Still, there was no way in hell I wanted to stay here and listen to his version of events. My own memories of that night were enough. But I was trapped and out of options. “If I listen to you, you’ll let me go?” At Ty’s nod I walked back over to the oak tree edging the cliff and dropped to the ground. My arms and legs crossed in defiance. “Hurry up. I’m already bored with this.”

Ty edged closer, hands clasped under his chin. “I know you don’t want to hear anything I have to say. But I need you to know the truth.”

Like a stubborn child I ‘
humphed
’, irritated and unwilling to give him any satisfaction.

Ty blew out a breath of exasperation. “Fine, if you won’t respond at all, I’ll just do the talking.” Angst radiated from his tightly coiled body as he began pacing. “What happened that night, it’s not what you think. See, I thought I was in bed with you. I was mortified when you appeared at the door.”

My head came up with eyes throwing poison. “Liar! You are so full of shit!” His words infuriated me, tearing fresh, jagged strips from my heart. It took every ounce of my self-control not to lunge at him with barred fangs. The idea of tearing into him was so tempting. “Why don’t you do us both a favor and stop talking? You’re just insulting my intelligence and embarrassing yourself with your ridiculous lies.”

Ty raked his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated. I glared away, struggling to hold at bay the boiling anger that was cascading up my neck and across my face, verging on an uncontainable explosion. What a jerk!

“Amelia, please,” he pleaded. “It’s true. Didn’t you notice that the girl looked like you?”

A jolt of pain-filled memories rose to the surface; her pale vampire skin and long, blond hair. Then I saw the eerie dream that shockingly revealed my own likeness as the girl beneath him. The overwhelming sensation to gag curdled my stomach. It
was
just a dream, wasn’t it? My brain pulsed against my skull. He’s lying, he has to be. “So what,” I hissed. My eyes closed while I struggled to slow my elevating breath. “We looked slightly alike, and, and that was good enough for you? I can’t believe…”

“No!” Ty shouted, cutting off my rant. “Not slightly, exactly!”

The conviction that radiated from Ty’s voice forced my eyelids to fly open. For the first time since this so-called ‘dream’ had started, I actually wanted to hear what Ty had to say. “What the hell does that mean?”

Ty stepped toward me, realizing the slight shift in my temper. Though his words rushed as if he feared I’d shut off at any moment. “After I went up to your room to call my father, you came in. Well, at least I thought you did. She looked like you in every single way. She even sounded and smelled like you. You—I mean, she—coaxed me into the bed, and I followed. I never thought for a second…” His expression strained, hands curling into fists. “Amelia, I honestly thought she was you. I would
never
jeopardize what we share. Never betray you in any way. You mean
everything
to me.”

Tuning my senses, I studied his face. There were no hints of deception. His eyes were glassy and despairing, unwavering as he held my gaze. On top of that there was no flutter to his heart, which he’d taught me was an indication of deceit.
I believe him.
The realization shook me like the aftershock of an earthquake. “How is that possible?” I whispered. “And who was she?”

Ty’s expression darkened. “The girl was…Marika.”

I slapped my forehead. So freaking gullible! The girl I had glimpsed had been a stark contrast to Marika and her black abyss of hair, deep brown eyes and dark-tan complexion. “Well done.” I clapped with mock applause, masking the fresh sting of barbs that pierced my heart. “I almost believed you.” The anger was rearing within me again, like a deep and sickening inferno. It engulfed my stomach, sending scorching waves snaking outward. I had to get out of here. I wouldn’t endure this revolting torture and longer. Beyond contemplation, I dug my heels into the dirt. My muscles tightened, ready to leap off the cliff.

“She’s a werewolf!” Ty’s desperate, shouted words brought me to an abrupt halt at the edge of the cliff. He continued in a breathless rush. “I didn’t know it then. Female-born lycanthropes are so rare. I never suspected.”

Shaking my head I turned, lips pinned to look at Ty. My head was pulsing with the rapid beat of my heart, fueling a confusion-driven migraine. Where is he going with this? Marika being a werewolf made her wanting to get between Ty and me understandable. Their kind was raised to despise ours. I recalled her intense argument with Troy at his party and her plea for Ty’s forgiveness in the cafeteria. At the auction I had even directed Ty to my room after she’d brought up the sleepover. She knew where to find him. All of this provided a valid motive. Still it was not enough to explain all the evidence away, the fact that the girl resembled me and not her. “Tell me how.”

Ty’s lips parted, but no sound came out. He was vanishing right before my eyes. As he did, mouthing “
sorry,
” my surroundings darkened. Empty blackness enveloped my body as everything became quiet and still.

I ambled from English class, our last subject for the day, feeling totally disheartened.

After last night’s dream, I had woken disorientated and utterly confused. Had any of it been real? I’d waited all day to see Ty, to catch a glimpse of him. His expression alone would give me the answer. But he had been glaringly absent from the cafeteria at lunch. I sighed. I’m seriously losing it. Losing my grip on reality…

“What’s wrong?”

The sudden voice caused my body to stiffen. Kendrick had been walking beside me this whole time. Crap. As usual, I’d been wrapped up in my own jumbled thoughts. Who I was with or what surrounded me hadn’t even been a second thought.

I shook my head and ambled down the aluminum-treaded stairs. “It’s nothing.”

Kendrick looked doubtful. His eyes slid sideways, watching me. “You didn’t sleep well.”

Surprise stole my face and my pulse jumped. “What?”

We had reached the bottom of the stairs. Students rushed left and right, wanting to escape the end of a school day as fast as possible.

Kendrick smiled. “I came in to check on you last night. You were tossing and turning and I tried to wake you. But nothing I did worked. You just mumbled incoherently and struggled harder against me. It was like you were locked in your dreams. So I just waited until you settled.” He raised his hand, thumb grazing my cheek to hook a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “The nightmare, what was it about?”

My heart skipped a beat and I looked away. How could I tell him what I’d dreamed? And that I wanted to believe that the dream itself and Ty’s ability had been real? I barely believed it myself. Hell, I was wondering if I was losing my mind. He’ll only think the same. I shook my head, forcing my eyes back up to his. “Nothing worth worrying about…”

Soft lines creased Kendrick’s face. “You don’t have to tell me. I know he still haunts you.”

Kendrick’s clear perception turned my stomach. He had spent the night in my room and bed the night after Ty’s texts, his arms holding my shaking body through every waking nightmare. He was well aware of how much what Ty had done still affected me. And he was forever devoted. He’d only returned to his own room and bed last night after I claimed I’d be okay. I blinked back the tears threatening my eyes. I had to tell him. Tell him everything, about Ty, the wolves…

“Let’s go bowling,” Kendrick suggested suddenly, face brightening.

Caught off-guard I frowned as my inner thoughts of confession crumbled. “What?”

“Take your mind off everything,” Kendrick said smiling. “Have fun. You do remember fun, don’t you?”

I slapped his arm, the corners of my mouth lifting in an unrestrained smile. “Okay.” I motioned to the books cradled in my arm. “Let me dump these and I’ll meet you at the car.”

Kendrick nodded and fell in step with the throng of students heading out the building’s main doors.

I sighed again and weaved through the remaining students down the hall. Passing the procession of double-stacked lockers spanning between each classroom door, I made for my own. I felt torn apart inside. Continuing to keep secrets from Kendrick was taking its toll. A deepening pit was weighing down my stomach. Eventually I’d have to come clean, about everything.

When I reached my locker, my head was beginning to ache with a rhythmic throb. A fluorescent-pink flyer was taped to the door, announcing that there was a Creative Arts and Psychic Fair coming to town. I yanked it down, turned the combination then swung the door open. A folded piece of paper slipped from behind the TVD poster I’d taped to the door, and flitted to the ground. My eyes scanned the faces of preoccupied students moving up and down the hall, but no one was watching me. I bent to retrieve the paper and unfolded it. Inside was a note, hand-written in neat cursive.

‘Sorry I couldn’t explain everything last night. Lost without you, Ty.’

My heart clenched, tight in the hands of a vice-grip. The dream
was
real. Even now, I could remember every scent, every detail, and every word Ty had said. Not crazy. The relief that washed over my entire body tingled all the way down to my toes. The throbbing within my skull ceased. I ached to believe everything Ty had told me, but all the pieces weren’t in place. I needed the whole story. I needed to talk to Ty. But Kendrick was waiting for me. Calling Ty would have to wait.