Chapter Twenty-Four
Madelyn sat in a small sitting room outside of Colonel Flood's living room, listening to what was being said. Each voice remained even and not very loud. They were trying to make sure that she heard nothing. She thought of moving the chair countless times, but each time she even shifted, Alcide, Jackson, or Colonel Flood would stop talking. She rested her head on the back of the chair as she looked out the window. She was nervous about being back in Mississippi again. Suddenly, there was a loud slam on the counter in the other room.
"Colonel Flood," the voice was Alcide's, and he was almost growling. "He was there when James explained everything. It makes sense that he might want the necklace or even Madelyn for himself."
"Alcide, you are making accusations to a man that is not even here."
Madelyn shivered a little as she heard the edge in Colonel Flood's tone. She didn't want Alcide to face another punishment. She started to stand when the three men entered the room. She got to her feet as Colonel Flood looked at her. Alcide reached out and took her hand. She looked at Colonel Flood for a moment.
"You don't believe Alcide, do you?" she asked.
Colonel Flood looked at her for a long moment. She stood tall before him and then saw that his eyes roamed to the necklace. He stepped forward and took the charm in his hand. Madelyn was used to this by now. She just wished she knew how to make the thing work. He dropped it against her neck and stepped back.
"The necklace is a powerful piece, but I can't imagine that Patrick would risk banishment or worse for it," Colonel Flood said with a shake of his head.
"I know that," Madelyn started, "but he was there when James explained it to all of you."
"Madelyn, that is not enough for me to accuse him."
"We can call the council," Jackson threw in quickly. "Let the council decide his fate."
"Jackson," Colonel Flood hissed. "You and Alcide are over stepping you bounds here. I can't call the council for something like this. She is a human, and even if we have accepted her as Alcide's wife, it is not enough to call the council and accuse a pack member of treason."
Alcide sighed and pulled Madelyn to him. She turned back to Colonel Flood for a moment and tried to think of something to say. She was not a wolf and only a pack member by marriage. When the marriage finally happened. She had no right asking any of these men to fight her battles. She pulled free from Alcide and walked outside. She let the fresh air hit her in hopes that it would clear her mind. She leaned against the car for a moment, thinking. If she wanted to survive this, she had only two maybe three allies. She would have to rely on them.
Alcide walked out the door a few minutes later and looked at her. He sighed as he stepped closer to her. She looked up at him with a sad look in her eyes. He pulled her close and just held her tightly. Something like this really should bring them closer, but he could see that it might just tear them apart.
"Maybe we should go to Eric for help," she whispered.
Alcide took a deep breath. "We may have to."
"You trust him now?" Madelyn let a smile play on her lips.
Alcide shook his head. "Not a chance."
Madelyn laughed a little. She wasn't really sure how she felt about Eric. He was playing both sides for his own end. She looked at Alcide. Eric had helped him, and she was pretty sure that he would not do anything to hurt her.
"Do you think Colonel Flood believes Patrick is a traitor?" Madelyn asked.
Alcide shrugged. "I don't know. I think he knows something is wrong."
Madelyn nodded. "That's a start. Let's get out of here."
Madelyn stared out the window as they drove back to Alcide's place. It would be dark soon and she had started to fear the night more than she ever wanted to admit. She hoped that Russell was licking his wounds. She looked over at Alcide to find that was probably hoping close to the same.
"Have you heard from Eric?" he asked suddenly.
Madelyn looked up completely caught off guard. "What?"
"Has he called you or anything?"
"No. Was he supposed to?"
"I thought he would come and at least make sure you were alright."
Madelyn sighed. "If Russell knows he's working against him, he's probably killed him."
Alcide had already thought about that. Russell Edginton had not gotten to be King of Mississippi by being a fool. He probably knew from the start what Eric was really about. If he had any doubts, they were gone now. He would know that Eric was lying to him.
"Russell won't kill him," Alcide sighed. "Yet."
Madelyn nodded and turned back to the street lights as they flew past. She thought about Eric and all that happened since they had been involved with each other. He was most likely being tortured now. She shivered at the thought when she noticed something moving at the side of the road. She started say something when there was loud smash into the car. Alcide grabbed for Madelyn's arm as he tried to correct the wheel. He had almost managed to correct it when there was another slam.
This time the hit had come at the front of the car. Madelyn looked up in time to see a very large vampire. She stared at him for a moment and looked at Alcide. He slammed the gas pedal to the floor, knocking him aside.
"Put on your seatbelt," he snapped.
Madelyn scrambled in the seat. She pulled and tugged as Alcide jerked the van this way and that. She kept looking around to see where this assault was really coming from. She knew that Russell had engineered it. She didn't get much of a chance to think of that when there was a sudden screech and then an explosion of glass. She shook her head, clearing the glass from it and looked around. Alcide reached for her as he brushed glass out of his hair. Madelyn started to move when there was a very ominous creaking. They both looked at each other for a long time.
"Don't move," Alcide said.
Madelyn nodded slowly when she felt blood in the corner of her mouth. She shifted in the seat when the loud crack suddenly turned into spinning. The van bounced, spun, and cracked as it fell down a small ravine. Madelyn heard a scream rip from her throat over all the other noises as Alcide grabbed her. She heard metal crushing and glass breaking. And just as it started, it suddenly stopped. Alcide's grip loosened as Madelyn's world went black.
There was no idea how long much passed before Madelyn could feel anything. The first thing she felt was something warm and thick sliding down her throat. She felt her eyes start to open and she noticed that she could see stars. She was still outside. She moved her head slightly when a cold hand touched her cheek. She looked up, finding a pair of bright, blue eyes looking at her.
"Eric?" she whispered.
Eric smiled. "Long time no see."
Madelyn laughed a little and found that she felt a lot better. She sat up suddenly to find that her body didn't hurt, and she didn't even have a cut on her. Then, she remembered what she had tasted in her mouth. She looked at Eric for a long time and noticed that he was hiding a part of his wrist.
"Did you give me blood?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"I had to," Eric explained. "You were almost dead."
Madelyn stared at him for a long time. If she was almost dead, what did that mean for Alcide? She looked around. The wreck was nowhere around. Eric must had taken her pretty far off. Her mind started spinning.
"Alcide? Where is Alcide?"
Eric quickly looked away. Madelyn was on her feet quickly with a new strength. She felt life along with something else course through her body. She walked up closer to Eric.
"Eric, did you leave him?" Madelyn growled.
She was still no match for Eric, but she might at least make a mark. She started for him when Eric turned around. She took a step back suddenly. The look in his eyes was one that always made her think twice about what she was doing. The look faded as he leaned against a nearby tree.
"He was already gone," Eric said.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not!"
"He wouldn't leave me!"
"You know him that well?"
"Fuck you!"
Eric suddenly rushed her. She brought her knee up and slammed him in the stomach hard. Eric seemed a little winded and glared at her. She held up her hand. Eric stepped back, letting out an angry breath. He had not meant to make her this upset. He must have missed something somewhere.
"There was a trail of blood leading out of the truck," Eric started. "It looks like he might have been dragged."
Madelyn sighed. Alcide never would just leave her in the truck like that. Maybe he had gone for help. She shook her head. He would have picked her up and carried her. She swallowed. Did someone take him? A member of his pack would have got her too.
"Were there tracks?" she asked.
"I didn't look," Eric admitted. "All I saw was you bleeding."
Madelyn turned to him. He was worried about her bleeding and most likely dying. She turned to him to find that he actually meant every word. She sighed. She sat down on a fallen tree and put her head in her hands. She needed to get back and find Alcide.
"Take me back," she said, looking up.
"Where?"
"The crash."
"I can't."
"Eric, don't start this. I have to find Alcide. He could be dead."
"Well," a voice said from the trees. "If that is the case, it won't be long before you join him."
Madelyn felt Eric's arms around her before she even noticed that he had moved. The figure came out of the dark and she felt the grip suddenly tighten. She looked at figure and felt sick. She knew who the short man was even before she saw his fancy suit.
"Russell," she whispered.
"Hello again my dear," Russell cooed. "You are looking lovely."
"Where's Alcide?" she snapped.
"I don't really know," Russell said as he looked at his nails. "Thank you for helping get well Eric."
Madelyn looked up at him. He was wearing the same look that he had last time. Russell had not sent him for Madelyn. She felt his hand press her behind him. Other vampires suddenly moved into her line of vision. She froze as she watched. One of them had on gloves.
"Eric, watch out!"
The words never even left her mouth before she hit the ground. She heard the flick of a chain and looked up. The silver hit Eric so fast that he barely had time to react. She saw the smoke from his skin before she ever heard him scream. He fell to his knees as the other vampire tightened the chain.
"Stop it!" Madelyn suddenly screamed.
Russell looked over at her. "This is how we punish people in our world."
Madelyn heard the words. She heard exactly what he said, but it took her a moment before she realized what he meant. She let it process and then looked up at him. Russell was smiling as if he had just eaten some cute little kitten. She stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. Those simple words proved what Alcide suspected. Patrick Furnan was a traitor. He must have told Russell about his plan to get Alcide out of the way. She thought of asking him about it when she heard another chain lash out. Eric grabbed for it. All he achieved was to burn his hand.
"You see Eric is a traitor," Russell said as he yanked her to her feet. "And I like to make traitors die slow."
"You know a lot about traitors don't you?" Madelyn snapped.
Russell grinned. "They flock to me."
Madelyn knew the minor amount of vampire blood was nothing compared to Russell. But she had to try. She let Russell pull her very close. She could smell death on his breath as he looked at her. She felt his fingers digging into her arm. She waited. The element that would make this work was surprise, and she needed it now. Out of nowhere, Russell spun her around where she was staring at Eric. He was in such pain. He looked up at her for a second, giving her a small wink. Madelyn felt tears prick her eyes at that. She quickly blinked them back; her mind had to be clear.
Eric looked at her for a long time when another chain was laid on him. She had to make her move soon. Eric yelled as one of the vampires moved a chain to give the skin time to heal. She took her chance. She brought her elbow up in a flash, catching Russell's jaw. He fell back, releasing her arm. She flew at the other vampire, knocking one away from Eric. It was in that decision that she made her mistake. It gave Russell enough to grab her again. And grab he did. He shoved her down on the ground with all his weight and strength on top of her.
"You need to learn to not be the hero," he scoffed.
Madelyn growled when there was a warm sensation on her neck. She looked down. There was a faint glow coming from her neck. She tried to maneuver to get to the necklace. Her arms were pinned too tightly to do anything. Eric yelled again, forcing her to look up. He was dying, and she was going to. She closed eyes when Russell brought her to her feet. Her arm was free long enough to grab the necklace. She threw it behind her and smashed into Russell's face with a blinding light.
"Eric, close your eyes!"
Eric did what she said and found that in a few moments all his pain was gone. He opened his eyes finally and looked around. Madelyn stood in the middle of everyone, breathing hard. Two vampires laid close to her dead. Another was badly burned. Russell was heaped against a tree, completely unconscious. Eric pulled the chains away and stood slowly.
"We have to get of here," he said heavily.
Madelyn nodded. "I think I'm figuring this thing out."
Eric smiled and held out his hand. "Let's go."
"He'll be able to find us when he wakes up."
"Oh," another voice that Madelyn knew all too well said from the trees. "I wouldn't be worried about him."
Patrick Furnan emerged from the trees with a huge smile and about five other werewolves. Madelyn knew the one behind his left shoulder. It was the biker guy that Debbie was dating. She quickly looked around the rest of the group. Debbie was nowhere in the group. Madelyn wasn't sure how she felt about that.
"Now, that I have seen that necklace work," Patrick said, snapping her back to the moment. "I should have killed you a long time ago."
Madelyn looked at Eric. He was in no strength to fight all the wolves they saw. She bit her lip and looked down at the necklace. It was just on her neck like a regular necklace. Obviously, the thing was only good for one try. She touched Eric's arm. He seemed to looking for the same thing. An escape route. Patrick took a step forward. Madelyn got ready to defend herself when she heard leave rustle behind them. She spun around to see a man walking forward. He had dark hair that seemed very familiar and a face that she knew. He stepped into the small amount of light and Madelyn almost felt like her legs would give out.
"You touch that girl, and it will be the last thing you ever do, Patrick," the man said and his voice had an accent.
Patrick growled. "I thought you were dead, James."
Madelyn's jaw fell all on its own. James walked out next to her and Eric. If he was alone, he wouldn't be much help. Then, she thought about everything. He wouldn't come alone.
"Did you come alone?" Patrick suddenly voiced what Madelyn was worried about.
James walked up next to Madelyn and Eric. Madelyn couldn't help but give him a soft smile. She was glad that he was alright. She just wondered where he had been this long. He gave her a soft wink. She smiled and turned back the Patrick. He seemed to backing down from his plan. Patrick turned to one of the other wolves. James took a step forward.
"I don't recommend it, Patrick," James said.
"You're bluffing."
James smiled. "Try me."