Chapter Fifteen
When I woke up sometime later, I was strapped laying down into the backseat of a big SUV and gagged loosely. The only three people I could see were strangers, but they smelled like werewolves. For a moment, I couldn't help but hope that they were the Russians and that this was all some bizarre Russian Werewolf initiation ceremony.
And then I saw the vampire from the airport in the driver's seat. He must have felt my glare and looked at me through the rearview mirror. He smiled apologetically, and I knew (as well as I'm sure he did) that the restraints were all that held me back from ripping his head off. The vampire told his werewolf counterparts, "She's awake."
One of the three werewolves just grunted and went back to studying the landscape out the passenger window. Mutt #2 looked at me curiously, but then he saw my glare and suddenly found an interest in his lap. And of course, the insolent one of the bunch was positioned right behind me in the last row of seats.
"Hello." He said in a British accent. I couldn't turn far enough to see anything but his hands which were draped over the seat I was in.
I growled and pushed against the straps to at least reach his hand and bite it off. I, however, failed.
"Hmmm… Michael warned us you are a violent one." As he mentioned Michael he flicked his hand toward the vamp.
I only snarled.
"I see. Well sweetie, let me know if there's anything you need. We still have an hour to go, that's quite a while, sweetie. Let me know if I can... provide any comfort to you," he purred.
That just set me off like a two-ton firecracker on the Fourth of July, I spit out my gag, "You fucking bastards! Who the hell do you think you are? You kidnap my brother, then proceed to insult me by calling me a damn 'sweetie'? And then you go and make vulgar insults to me like I'm going to allow your dick within a ten-mile radius of me!" I kicked and I flailed until someone put the cloth back under my nose. Before I blacked out I am incredibly proud to say that I successfully took a very large chunk out of the guy's hand.
XxXxXxXxX
This time, I woke up to the sound of a piano and the feel of cold cement beneath me. When my eyes managed to open themselves, I found myself in a cage not unlike the Danvers'. This one though, was in the center of a large ballroom that, in any other situation, would have made me gasp at the sight of it.
The room had ceilings about two stories tall; the ceiling was also designed in a sphere shape like an upside down bowl. The walls were in a velvety red and the floor was marble. The room had huge pillars at regular intervals made of the same marble as the floor. Staircases led up to a balcony thing on both sides of the room. Overall, it looked like something off a cheesy princess movie; beautiful but cliche.
Then of course, the Grand Piano that I had heard was off towards the side of the room. At it sat a man who looked to be about Jeremy's age, though, like Jeremy, was probably a lot older than appearances. His hair was brown with a couple wings of silver in it. His eyes were also brown, and they were only a few shades lighter than his skin. When he saw my eyes had opened, he stood up and I noticed that he had a slight limp with his left leg.
"Hello Kaine." He looked at me in the most loving fashion that I almost puked. Only now did I realize only my hands were bound. I started to struggle to my feet and instantly figured out why they hadn't thought to tie my ankles. My whole body was sore. And I really mean sore. When I tried to lift my leg, my whole body racked with shudders until I collapsed back onto the cement.
"Yes," the mutt said, "I really wished you would come willingly. But when my friends saw the American Pack with you, we knew it was not going to happen." This mutt had an English accent.
"Where's William?" I demanded, and was quite happy to hear my voice was as steady as a rock.
"He's upstairs resting. Don't worry, we made an agreement and I will stick to it." He smiled like it was the funniest thing in the world and I could feel my temper boiling.
"What did you do to him?"
The scientist (I was sure this was him) had the nerve to look appalled, "I did nothing to him. Just like I said, I keep my promises. He's fine."
From the way he enunciated I, I was willing to bet anything that Willy was the farthest thing from fine. "Okay," I snarled, "what did your Pack do to him?"
"Now that," he grinned, "is the million dollar question."
I growled louder and fiercer than I ever had before. And without waiting for the pain to overtake me, I jumped to my feet and walked over to the bars. Every step was a struggle, but the look on the mutt's face was enough to keep me going. He was completely shocked.
"But? How? You not supposed to do that!" He screamed with enough rage and girliness that I almost laughed.
I finally stopped next to the bars. There, I found out that resting is worse than moving under the influence of whatever he had done to me. But I knew that if I could just stop the pain, I could get William and me out of here. I also remembered when I had broken open the bars on the cage at the Danvers' what seemed so long ago. This mutt didn't know what I could or couldn't do, I could get us out of here. I really could.
At least, I kept telling myself that.
My hand grasped the two bars in front of me and pulled. They snapped with a loud crunch. I was ecstatic to learn that as soon as I stepped out of the confines of the cage, the pain was gone. They mutt was frozen in place as I made my way over to him, with what was sure a sadistic grin on my face.
"Wait!" A small, frightened voice said from behind me. I didn't even consider the fact I had turned my back on the enemy, because there, standing on the balcony, was William.
He leaned weakly against the railing in tattered grey sweats and a blue t-shirt. His face was bruised and puffy, the rest of his skin was red and blotchy. I wanted to cry at the sight of him.
"William?" I whispered.
"Kaine, don't kill him!" he shouted as loud as his weak voice could.
"William, he kidnapped you, he kidnapped me and my mother and then did horrible things to all of us. I have to kill him!" I was begging him to understand. Because, I knew I couldn't stand in front of my brother and kill this man if he wouldn't allow it. Willy was here because of me, and I wasn't going to put him through anymore of this shit if he didn't want me to.
"But Kaine, he's figured out so much in genetics! The world would accomplish so much if he shared his knowledge! Don't kill him!"
And then I understood why William had been kidnapped in the first place and not, say, my parents. The mutt had known I'd do anything for William, including turning myself in. He knew once William pleaded for me to spare the mutt's life that I would have to listen because I loved him so much. "William," I whispered just loud enough to be heard, "you really want this monster unleashed on this world?" I'm almost positive I felt a tear roll down my cheek, but I was too stunned to really care.
Before William could respond, the door behind him was opened by Michael. The rush of air that left the room was carried into my face and instantly I knew what had happened to William. The air smelled like werewolf, and Michael didn't have a scent.
I turned on the mutt and charged him, only now he held a gun in his hands. "You turned him!"I screamed, "You turned my little brother!" I know at this point tears were freely falling (out of equal frustration and sorrow).
The gun was aimed directly at me, but with one swift kick it was out of his hands and halfway across the room. I kicked his temple and he crumpled, I had no idea if he was dead or alive, but I really didn't give a shit.
"Nooo!" William shouted and half walked half fell down the stairs. Michael, still standing in the doorway did and said nothing. He just calmly watched the scene below unfold.
When William finally made it down the stairs, I was crouched over the mutt's body. I was almost disappointed to see that he still had a pulse.
"Kaine!" Willy suddenly found the strength to push me over and send me sprawling. "He didn't force me to become a werewolf! I asked!"
I sat there completely and utterly stunned, "Willy…" I whimpered, "Why?"
"At first it was because of you," he accused, "I always looked up to you. Then it was because of the implications. I could have superpowers, I could help save mankind from destruction, I could be a part of the process that saved Earth."
I felt like someone had taken a rusted, dull knife to my heart and just sawed right through it. Not only was I the reason William was here in the first place, but I was also the reason he was a werewolf, even if it was indirectly.
"William," I struggled to my feet again. Suddenly I had no strength. When I finally regained my footing, William pushed me back down again.
"Kaine," he had a hard edge in his voice that was never there before, "leave before we have to hurt you."
I shook my head stubbornly from my position on the floor. "I'm not leaving without you!" I shouted.
"I'm not leaving, Kaine." He growled threateningly.
"Kaine," Michael spoke calmly from up above, "you really should leave. The rest of the Pack is on their way, and Mathew isn't too happy about his hand."
"Why do you care?" I snarled.
"Because," he grinned, "I always hate to see the pretty ones die."
I knew William wouldn't leave because he could be as stubborn as me. I needed help in order to get him out (unwilling or otherwise). So with one last pleading look at Willy's stony features I turned and ran. I didn't run from him, but rather toward help. For some reason, I didn't kill the mutt then and there. That one little decision to keep him alive was the one that was going to cost me a whole lot of sorrow later.
Out the door and through a maze of hallways littered with my scent that eventually led to the front lawn. I turned down the road and ran faster.
I knew I was leaving a scent trail, but until I could find a car or something, my feet were all I had. Four miles down the road I neared a hotel parking lot and my prayers were answered. Quickly I hot wired a car (I learned that from my dad) and hoped in. It was a nice Ford Avalanche, not that I cared much. My head was still reeling from seeing my innocent little brother.
I knew I wasn't all there as I drove down the road, but I didn't really care. I somehow managed to find my way to a gas station. I pulled in and hoped out of the truck.
I opened the door and those stupid annoying little bells that hung above the door rang. "Map, I need a map," I rasped to the clueless cashier who was looking at me strangely.
"Miss, you have… blood on you," the cashier held her hand over her mouth.
"I know," I snapped, though I really had no clue what I looked like. "Map, now!" I threw a couple American ten dollar bills on the counter. I probably overpaid, but I didn't care much.
"Map of what, miss?" the cashier whimpered.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"About three hours out of Manchester," she informed me.
I blinked, "As in England?" Last I knew, I was in Ireland.
She nodded at me like I was dumb.
"Forget the map, I need a phone." I patted my pockets but either someone had taken my cell or it had fallen out.
"There's a pay phone right outside, miss," she looked impolitely relieved that I was leaving her store.
"Thanks," I muttered and scooped up all the money but one ten dollar bill.
Outside, I dialed Elena's cell phone number, one ring later her voice answered with a wary, "Hello?"
"Elena?" I was unreasonably happy to hear her voice.
"Kaine! Oh thank god! Where are you?" her voice was frantic.
"Somewhere outside Manchester, England. I got away, but Will- William's a werewolf. He- he's-" I started to ramble. I probably would've continued but Elena cut me off.
"Meet us in the Palace Hotel in the middle of Manchester. We'll be there as soon as we can. Don't worry, Kaine, it'll be okay." She hung up.
About two hours, out of the estimated three the cashier had told me, later (what can I say, I drive really fast) I entered the lobby of the Palace Hotel. The hotel was nice but not extravagant. It almost even had a homey feel to it. Since the check-in counter was unmanned, I sat there on a low couch that was pushed up against the wall. The lobby was decorated with crappy art and fake plants, but it was almost nice. I was shivering in the chair for god knows how long. I jumped at every sound and flinched at every change in the air currant. Miraculously, the person manning the desk hadn't returned; although it might have only been minutes.
When the door finally opened, I almost screamed before I processed who it was. The Pack poured into the lobby. Logan was the first one through the door, he ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, and I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face into his shirt. We just rocked back and forth for a while. He rubbed my back and I think I was crying again. I had cried more in the last two weeks than I had in all my life.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," he murmured into my ear over and over again. Finally after the tears stopped running down my face, I pushed him back a little bit and wiped my eyes with my sleeve.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
He leaned down the few inches he had on me until he could look me in the eyes, "It's okay, Kaine. Everything will be fine."
"You're right," A man said, I looked behind Logan to see Karl, "they do make googly eyes at each other."
Kat nodded, "But they make a cute couple."
I dropped my hands that were wrapped around Logan's neck in embarrassment. Logan also let go and muttered, "I'll go check us in." He walked over to the check-in counter and rung a bell I hadn't noticed before. A little man stuck his head out of a door behind the counter and gestured for Logan to follow him.
"Kaine," Elena touched my elbow and gently guided me back onto the couch, "tell us what happened."
I did, and by the time I finished I found I was more furious than upset. Just as the last word left my mouth, the door burst open and four men walked in. The man in the middle had the same build as Antonio (muscled, short, and stocky) with salt and pepper hair and a thin mustache over his upper lip. His eyes were dark and his skin was a little tanned. Two of the men surrounding him looked identical; lean, tall, dark hair and eyes, and a seriously long nose. Then the fourth guy stuck out like a sore thumb with his almost white, blonde hair, grey eyes, and broad shouldered build. He looked to be around the same age as the first guy. All of them were werewolves.
The big guy walked forward (since Clay only glared I figured they were okay) and stopped in front of me.
"Kaine, what happened?" from his voice I knew this man was Roman.
Before I could say anything, Antonio pulled Roman aside to relate my story. The blond man stepped forward to take Roman's place. The guy's grey eyes seemed strangely menacing, "Forgive Roman, we Russian Pack. I Sasha, this Grigori and Lev," Sasha had a much stronger accent than his Alpha, and I had to work to understand him. Almost as an afterthought, Sasha stuck out his hand. I took it and he squeezed to the point of being uncomfortable. I could tell I wouldn't like this man.
The room was intensely crowded and so when Logan reemerged from the room behind the counter, I exhaled in relief at his announcement. "I got eight rooms for all of us."
The short, little man following him out looked a little intimidated. I didn't blame him; I didn't know exactly what I looked like, but I know it couldn't have been pretty, and then the other people in the room looked scary angry. On top of that, the atmosphere was tangible with anger and violence.
All of the rooms Logan booked were right next to each other. Except for one of the rooms the Russians were staying in, which was located on the second floor. I was bunking with Kat; Logan with Jeremy; Nick and Antonio; Elena and Clay; Karl with Hope (who I hadn't talked to yet); and then Morgan, Reece and Noah. I wasn't positive, but I think Sasha and Roman and then Grigori and Lev- neither spoke a word of English but 'hello'- were the other sets of roomies.
We had gone to our rooms without further discussion in the lobby because, as Jeremy put it, I was in "emotional distress". So I was ordered to my room to try and get some sleep. Of course, that wasn't an option at this moment, but I went along with it at first until I found out that they were making plans without me. At this knowledge, I left the bedroom and made my way to the little dinning room the hotel had. Although at this point I was seriously thinking this place was more a bed-in-breakfast than anything.
With everyone being werewolves, they knew I was there before I even stuck my head in the door. Most of them gave me disapproving looks, but then they must've realized it would just be a waste of time. I pulled up a chair between Kat and Noah and looked at the map they were looking at.
Then something dawned on me, "Wait," I said, interrupting the tense silence, "why are you guys even still here? The plan was to get William," I cringed as I said his name, "out. Clearly he doesn't want to leave."
Elena nodded her head, "Your right, that was the plan. But Roman made a point in saying that this thing will never end unless we take out the mutt and make a point with the UK Pack we won't accept this kind of behavior." She shook her head in disgust, "So here we are, planning to attack an unknown force of unknown numbers and capabilities. I hate going in blind!"
I understood their reasoning now, and was ready to help (I was never someone who could jump in without knowing the why's and who's and what's of things). "What do you need to know?" I figured I might have some useful information I could contribute.
"Do you know where they are?" Clay asked.
I studied the map below me. My photographic memory was retracing my path out of the city and through the suburbs to the rural area where the mansion had been. I found the general area on the map and pointed, "Right there was where I was being kept. It's a mansion or castle or something."
"You sure it's there?" Clay asked, somewhat surprised at my abilities.
"Yup," I tapped my head and smiled a little, "photographic memory."
The people grouped around the table studied the area where my finger had been.
"Do you know how many werewolves they have?" Elena questioned.
I shook my head no, "Three were there in the car with me, plus the scientist at the house, a vampire, and William," my voice broke at the end. "I know they have more than that though."
One of the Russian twins- I think it was Lev- spoke rapidly in his native tongue. We all looked at Roman to translate.
"He ask if you," he looked at me, "know layout of house."
I thought for a moment, and then grabbed a piece of hotel stationary and pen from off the table. "From where I was kept in, the ballroom I think, you have to go," I drew a couple hallways that I remember going through, "this way to reach the door." I added some more branches off the hallways I'd drawn that I hadn't gone down.
Lev nodded excitedly and turned to Grigori, at which point they had a very animated discussion. I'm not positive, but I think I heard the word bomb.
"Did you hear 'bomb'?" Kat whispered from next to me.
I nodded and cast a worried look at the twins.
"Do not worry," Roman said, "they went to University and got advanced degree in pyrotechnics. They know what they doing."
Yeah, that reassured me.
After another hour of debating and arguing, we still hadn't thought of anything. There were two main problems. One, we had no clue as to their numbers. And two, we didn't know how many other locations they were stationed in. We only knew about the mansion I'd been kept in. And since that was for sure not their headquarters, we had really no clue were the majority of their people were.
So yeah, an hour and no progress later, we decided on the one thing all werewolves can.
"We need food," Elena proclaimed.
Grunts, nods, and happy sounds accompanied this announcement.
"Everyone write down what they want and we'll put in an order," Elena ordered, passing around a pen and paper.
Just as I'd finished writing my food down, someone tugged my arm. I looked up, I was surprised to find Hope there. She was much shorter than I was, and very petite. She had long, dark hair and big, brown eyes. Her skin looked tanned, but I'm positive it was naturally like that. Actually, she kind of reminded me of Tara from school.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi, I'm Hope," she smiled, and her white teeth stood out dramatically against her skin.
"Right. Oh, I'm Kaine," I stuck out my hand.
She took it and glanced over her shoulder at where the Russian men were standing in conference. "We need to talk."
I looked at her quizzically and shrugged, nonchalantly walking away from the men. It was clear Hope was referring to talking away from them.
"Kaine, you need to watch your back around Sasha. He… just watch your back," she whispered really quietly, so that I had to strain to hear her.
"What do you mean?" Yeah, sure I didn't like Sasha, but I didn't think he'd hurt me.
"I- I see things, okay?" her look said that's as much as she'd say. "Just watch your back," then Hope walked over to where Karl was standing by a wall, surveying the scene around him.
I have to say, I was incredibly curious about Hope. All I knew about her was what Kat had told me shortly after my first Change. Kat had said that Hope was Karl's mate and that she was a half-demon. I wondered what kind of demon she was. I didn't know if there was a code of etiquette when it came to the supernatural races, but I thought it would probably be best if I didn't ask Hope outright who in hell her father was (no pun intended).
Logan, Kat, and Noah were in a corner of the dinning room talking, I walked over to join them. "Hey," I greeted quietly.
Logan smiled, Kat gave a little two finger wave and Noah just said hi back to me. I wasn't sure what to say, but luckily, Noah broke the silence, "So Kat, I heard Alex might be coming up here."
Even though Kat tried to look indifferent, I saw a little light appear in her eyes at the news, "Oh, and who told you that?"
"I overheard a phone call from Alex to Jeremy last night. Alex said he'd be here on a minutes notice if we needed help," Noah shrugged, but anyone could see he was watching Kat's reaction carefully.
Kat responded with an "Oh" and walked slowly away from our group to the general direction of our room. Shortly after, Noah drifted off too, going to talk with some other people while we waited for our food.
"Are you sure you're okay now?" Logan asked me in a hushed voice. He wasn't looking at me, instead he was gazing around the room.
"I don't know," I sighed in frustration. "I'm worried about William. He's a werewolf, brainwashed, and very adamant about what will happen if I go back. I'm just… frustrated I guess."
Logan nodded. "It'll all work out in the end."
Before I could respond, Roman came up to me, "Hello, I do not think we officially introduced, I'm Roman."
"Hi, I'm Kaine."
He sighed, "You look so much like your parents. Mother's eyes and skin, Father's hair and height. Beautiful."
I blushed and looked at the ground. A lot of people have called me pretty, but not many have ever called me beautiful. And I've never been compared to my parents before. "Uh, thanks."
"I'm sorry we not bring more men, but we having a problem with a few of the younger Pack members, and so we leave men there to watch over them," he grimaced and I suddenly remembered the little boy on the phone.
"Your son, Dmitri, right? He answered the phone for you one day?"
"Yes, he- and some of his cousins- going through first Changes all at once, they have difficult time," Roman's voice sounded really worried,
"But Dmitri sounded only five or six," that was really early to Change from what I knew.
He nodded sadly, "That part of problem."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Roman!" Sasha called from the other side of the room. Roman looked at me apologetically and sighed, and then he walked over to his Beta.
The food finally arrived, carried by some seriously pissed looking delivery boys, about six to be exact. When they entered the room, and took in the fact there was less than twenty of us, they checked the address again.
"Yes," Morgan said impatiently, "that's for us, we're expecting more," he lied. Everyone chipped in for the bill and we set about dividing food.
For a while, no one spoke. We were all too busy eating. I wasn't even sure the last time I ate, or for that matter, how long I'd been gone. I nudged Logan next to me, "How long was I away?"
Around a mouthful of food, he got out, "Three days."
I was surprised at that information. I knew I'd been gone for a while, but three days seemed like a long time to be away and not notice.
After we finished eating, we resumed our struggle to form a plan. For the most part, I was quiet, taking in everyone's ideas and trying to fuse them into one. During a brief lull in conversation, an idea came to me that made me kick myself for not thinking about it sooner.
"The reason most of these plans wouldn't work is because of lack of information, right?" I asked, my eyes focused on the table.
"Right," Roman responded gruffly.
"What if I get myself caught, and then get all you need to learn?" yeah, not the most original, foolproof, or detailed plan out there, but it was a start.
Most of the table was silent, then Logan stood up angrily, "I don't like it."
I glared at him, "I didn't ask if you liked it, I asked if it would work."
He shut up and sat down, pissed.
Clayton looked up at the proposal, "How would you relay information back to us?"
I thought a moment, "I don't suppose you guys have one of those communication thingies spies use?" I asked hopefully, my plan already collapsing.
Clay shook his head with a slightly amused look. Sasha had been translating our conversation to the twins, and when he got to the part where I asked about the spy things, Grigori nodded his head rapidly and shouted, "Da!"
I took that as a yes. Everyone's head swiveled to Grigori and then to Roman. "Really?"
"Da!" Lev said.
Roman nodded, "Sometimes we use them for such things as now. They not excellent quality, but they work. You must stand within three miles of each other."
Sounded good to me, "Do you have them with you?"
Roman nodded, "I think so." Then he turned to Grigori and issued a command. Grigori left the room to presumably get the gadgets.
"And so when you have enough information, just uhh, come in, get me, and kill the mutt?" Again, it wasn't an amazingly elaborate, foolproof plan, but I thought it would serve our purposes.
Morgan nodded his head approvingly, "Best idea we've thought of all night."
"Sounds good," Karl agreed.
The following seconds were filled with agreements and a couple of added details to the idea. Logan was leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his chest and glaring daggers at me. I glared right back.
Elena looked at me sympathetically, "They're all like that," she whispered. Then in a louder voice she asked more gently, "What do you want to do about your brother?"
"I- I'll handle it," I muttered grimly.
Shortly after that, we left the dinning room and went to our rooms to sleep. Kat and I had to share a queen size bed, and admittedly, it was a little uncomfortable. I liked her, but I barely knew her, and I was a firm believer in personal space.
"Logan's really pissed with your plan," Kat commented. She was lying on her back looking at the ceiling.
I tiredly growled, "I don't care, I'm going to do it rather it kills me or not. That mutt is not going to hurt anyone else."
Kat giggled, "You guys make a horrible match."
"I really don't want to talk about it right now," I begged. "So what's up with you and Alex?" I just meant to tease her, but at his name her body went rigid.
"Alex? What do you mean?" her questioning sounded false to my ears. She knew exactly what I meant.
"Oh come on, whenever anyone mentions his name you look like a puppy with bacon getting waved in its face."
She grimaced, "That obvious?"
"Just a tad," I replied. I rolled over on my side so I was facing her, "So you like him?"
She shrugged, "He was really nice, I guess I would say I have a crush on him." She sighed, "I haven't seen him in almost five years. Well, actually there was that time about a year ago that he came up from Virginia to visit…" Kat smiled at the memory.
That's a long time to go without someone you might love. Inexplicably and infuriatingly, my mind drifted off to Logan. Before my mind could wonder any more, I told Kat, "Sasha creeps me out. I don't know why though."
She nodded, "Yeah, I know how you feel. Actually, he was involved in some creepy shit about six years ago."
I looked over at Kat, startled be the news, "What do you mean?"
She flipped over on her side so that we were facing each other, "He was here in America for a few years on 'vacation' from Russia. We found out later he'd been temporarily kicked out of his Pack. When he was here, he killed (and ate) a few human prostitutes. That didn't go well with us, so we shipped him back to Russia. Right as he left though, Jaime-the necromancer- talked to a couple of the ghosts of the girls. They told her Sasha did a number of disgusting and irredeemable things to them before he ate them for dinner. Any other mutt and we would have killed for such a crime, but him we couldn't 'cause he was Roman's Beta."
I was appalled that I had shook the hands of such a monster, "And Roman just accepted him back in?" I asked incredulously.
Kat shrugged, "I don't think he knows. Or if he does, he kept him because of a family obligation. Roman would in no situation kill Sasha, but he'd have to if he ate any more people. So Roman keeps him in his sight at all times, Sasha has an incredibly short leash."
I shuddered. How could any sane person eat somebody? My answer was probably right there in that sentence too, what sane person would. Maybe Sasha wasn't in his right mind.
A moment of silence passed, we rolled back over onto our backs.
"Kat," I questioned suddenly, "how many supernaturals are there in the world?"
"I don't know, millions?"
"What about werewolves?"
She shook her head sadly, "A hundred? That'd be my guess." She grinned wickedly and her head lolled to the side, "Just think, you wanna get the population up, you and Logan better get busy," she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
My mouth was hanging open as I stared at her. With one swift motion I kicked her off the bed, "I can't believe you just said that! What the hell is wrong with you?"
She landed on the floor with a loud thud. I saw her head peak up above the comforter looking to see if I'd do anything else to her, then Kat climbed back up. Before she could say anything else, our door was banged open, breaking the dead bolt.
Logan, Noah and Reece burst into our room dropped in crouches, which would have been hilarious in their plaid boxers if they weren't... well breaking into our room. "What happened?"
I blushed and muttered, "Kat fell off the bed."
"Yeah, fell," Kat snorted.
"You guys okay though?" Reece asked.
We nodded and Reece left, came back a second later and grabbed Noah and towed him out of the room.
Logan stared at us suspiciously. I glared and said, "You can leave now too. Not that we ever really needed a rescue team."
"Hey, I was just being cautious," Logan defended and started to leave the room.
"You're too overprotective, all we made was a little thump and you send in the reserves," I could protect myself, thank you.
"Excuse me for making sure you and my sister weren't getting kidnapped," Logan snapped and left, shutting the door behind him.
Right as we heard Logan door shut, Kat and I burst into laughter. I playfully shoved her, "I still can't believe you said that!"
She shrugged and wiped some tears of laughter off her face. "Get over it." She giggled.
I sighed and tried to get myself under control. I giggled a couple more times. "We should probably get some sleep. I have to get myself kidnapped tomorrow." Even coming right off my happy high I was so exhausted that just as the last word left my mouth I passed out.
Four hours later (5 a.m.) our plan was put into action. Although on a side note it was a second from ending when I almost killed Kat for waking me up at such an ungodly hour.
Step 1: Make the call (right after I eat my wheaties).
All of us were again gathered in the dining room. We were being extra quiet as to not wake the owner of the hotel or his one other guest- a middle aged businessman. Tired and groggy, I downed my second mug of black coffee. Surprisingly, even that did little to wake me up, but it'd have to do.
"Okay," Elena started, "we eat, and then Kaine calls and gets the ball rolling."
I nodded mechanically and ate the piles of food set before me. No idea where it came from, but it was pretty damn good. Much to my dismay, I soon woke up enough to realize the food was gone.
"Kaine," Jeremy said, "are you ready?"
I nodded, took a deep breath and then picked up my cell phone. Which as it turns out, had been in my pocket all along.
Everyone went silent and watched me carefully as I dialed in Willy's cell number. It rang twice.
"Hello Kaine," the mutt's voice registered absolutely no surprise, but I suspected my call really had shocked him.
"Hey bitch," I replied cheerily. Some of the werewolves in the room looked amused, some smiled, others looked impatient and worried. But I figured it'd be too obvious I had an ulterior motive if I wasn't a little… well, me.
"Considering your successful escape, I not guess this is pleasantry call. In which case, you need something. Meaning if you want what it is, be polite," his voice sounded bored, almost as if he was teaching a child proper etiquette.
I sighed dramatically, "Actually, I do believe I can talk however I feel like."
"And why that?" he suddenly sounded frantic.
"Because I have something you want probably more than anything else at this point," I answered still in tone with my cheery demeanor.
"Oh, and what's that?" his voice perked up a bit with interest.
I laughed, "Geez, for someone with enough brains to genetically engineer a living organism, you're horribly dumb. Isn't it obvious? You want me."
He snorted, "I somehow find hard to believe you give yourself up. What you want in return?"
"Nothing," I paused, "I only want to be able to spend time with my brother. You can do whatever you want to me, just let me talk to him," I pleaded quite convincingly. But for all I knew, I might very well have been serious, even though I was only supposed to be finding a way in.
"How I know you not sic Pack on me once inside?" he was being thorough, something I would have respected coming from anyone but him.
"Two reasons; one, you can't really afford to pass up the opportunity to get me, and two," I sounded bitter, "I'm alone now, everyone left me." My voice purposefully cracked at the end.
He chuckled, "Don't lie to me, Kaine," he warned. "Russian Pack want blood, they won't leave me alive if they had chance to do otherwise. And I know about you and American boy. You still have people behind you."
I paused and sniffled, as if to regain my composure, "Roman and his Pack… they wanted to kill William," I lied. "I wouldn't let them, so they left me. Yes, they still want your head, but I could help you fight them." My voice was so hopeful I almost gagged. Out of the corner of my eye, Kat flipped me a thumbs up.
"Kaine," I had the impression that, had I been in the same room as him, the mutt would be leaning intently forward, "if you lying, I find out and kill everyone; your precious brother, mate, friends in Ohio, everyone. We have superior power, numbers and technology, we would win. Understood?"
I whimpered a pitiful yes.
"Good. Now, use pretty, photographic mind of yours and go back to gas station you stopped at. We pick you up there." He hung up.
I stared at the phone in my hand with a triumphant smile.
"Okay, one, I'm a freaking awesome actress," I stated and received a couple of proud and amused grins. "And two," I gestured to Elena and Roman, "I really need to talk to you. Now," I added when I saw they weren't moving.
The three of us, amid much concern from our self-sanctioned security teams, stepped out into the parking lot behind the hotel. We all did a quick 360 degree sweep of the area. It was only us, a few cars, and litter. I looked them both in the eye, "I've been suspicious for a while, but now I know. We have a mole."