CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
CRY WOLF
EMBRY CALL:
My eyes opened to reveal the grey light of dawn permeating the small dirty windows of this place I'd been taken to. I groaned as my head began to pound. Taylor had drugged me with some sort of sedative. I never even took an aspirin for a head ache before. I didn't like medicines and drugs, they interfered with my shape shifting abilities. I had hoped I would have been able to phase last night and escape my confines. The chemical soaked pad had put that idea right out of the window. Mind you, I don't think I was ready to phase in front of a human. A human who was clearly unstable and unhinged. Plus he had a rifle. I wanted to escape but I wasn't desperate to get shot! Katherine had spoken about Quinn but I hadn't realised just how crazy he really was. My heart ached to see my love. She must be worried. I was meant to pick her up for a late romantic dinner last night. I bet my phone had a dozen missed calls. I hoped she had told Rebecca, hopefully between them they would know something was up. I would never let Kat down. She knows that. Memories of her and I in my hotel bed yesterday filled my head. I smiled. I had to get out of here. Time to phase. As the grey wolf with black spots I easily broke out of the ropes binding my arms and feet. I growled as I shook my fur vigorously, it was good to be free, it was good to be a wolf.
I needed my strength so first I needed to hunt. I broke down the door of this shack easily despite my weak limbs. After finding some small animals in the woods, I felt more like myself and I was able to think clearly. I phased back. I didn't want some lone hunter thinking it was his lucky day. I went back into the wooden shack to retrieve my clothes. My jeans were now shorts and my shirt was now sleeveless. I could cope with that, at least my trainers were still intact. I quickly got dressed. I didn't know how much time I had before crazy Quinn reappeared. He had indicated he was going to see Kat. I cringed inwardly at the thought. To be honest though I really didn't think he would hurt her. Would he? He seemed besotted with her. I knew that feeling. I had to protect her, so was I best to wait here? Or should I try find my way back to Vancouver? I had no idea where he had taken me. It felt like over an hour had passed when I was in the back of the van, but I couldn't be sure. My head had been fuzzy and my mind was racing with thoughts of escape. Should I risk trying to find a way out of these woods and back to my love? My head hurt again from my dilemma.
After a bit of deliberation I decided to wait at this deserted place to see if Quinn brought Kat here. I found my mobile on the table in the kitchen. Of course there was no signal. I saw that there were a few missed calls from Kat. There were no voice mails but there was one text from her. "Embry you've broken my heart. I thought imprinting meant forever? Who is the other girl? Do you love her? I don't understand. You could have spoken to me instead of leaving town with just a pathetic text to explain your absence! I am so hurt. K " No kisses like usual. No I love you s. I had no idea what she was talking about! What other girl? As if! Kat was my world, my everything. How could she even get this silly idea in her head? I didn't leave town either! Well literally I suppose I did but not through choice! This had something to do with Quinn Taylor. It had to. I racked my brains for five minutes. A light bulb went on suddenly in my mind. The GIRL! She kissed me! Somehow Kat knew about my random encounter in the park. She followed me? No! Not Kat. Her crazy ex boyfriend was the stalker not her! I had another brain wave. I checked my phone for outgoing messages. There were the usual ones to Kat, telling her how much I missed her, how important she was to me and how much I loved her. The stuff I told her about ten times a day at least! Then there was one which had been sent last night when I reckoned I was trussed up in the back of that van listening to that damn song playing over and over Come on baby (Don't fear the Reaper).
This one said "Kat, I am sorry. I need to be on my own just now. Hope you can forgive me. E xxx" The sneaky, crazy deranged fool had pretended to be me! So that explained Kat's angry, hurt text to me last night. She wasn't worried about me, she was annoyed and upset! Quinn must have either told her about the girl or …...he set it all up! My mind was clicking all the parts into place now. The final loud click rang out like a bell when I realised that Kat had never sent the text asking me to meet her in the bar either. Of course she hadn't. Embry Call you fool! I chided myself. I knew there was something strange about that but I let my heart rule my head as I always did. If I had used my head we wouldn't be in this mess. I was really scared now. Scared for Kat. Quinn was a lunatic. He had asked me what imprinting meant. Now I knew he'd read all of my texts to Kat. Damn! I was sure he wouldn't find out what it meant. How could he? If he knew what I was he would hunt me down. Just what did Mr Taylor have planned for Kat and I? What was the purpose of holding me captive up here in the middle of the woods? I wished I had my half sisters here. Rebecca and Leah would know what to do. They would be able to help me. I walked around the perimeter of the cabin trying to find even a small weak signal on my phone. Nothing. I tried to quell my panic. I wished I had my wolf pack around me. I walked further out into the woods. There in a clearing dotted with beautiful wild flowers, I observed one bar appear on my phone.
A signal! At last! My happiness was short lived though when I noticed that the power only had one measly bar too. It had to be enough! I didn't want to risk using my last vestige of battery power on a phone call. Surely a text would use less juice? I typed out a quick message to Kat. "Not left. Taken by Quinn. All a set up. At a cabin in the woods. Not sure where. Don't worry I'm safe and I'm ready for him. Get Rebecca! I love you xxx" I pressed send and prayed Kat would get it. Now I had to formulate my next plan of action. I had definitely decided to wait here. That would be the best plan. It was coming up for midday. I found it hard to believe that twenty four hours ago I had been holding my beloved Kat in my arms on my hotel bed, kissing her, touching her, and becoming one with her at last. I must not let my mind wander! I didn't want to spend a long lonely night up here in the woods. If Quinn did not come back in two hours then I was going to try my luck at finding my way back to Vancouver myself. He was going to get a big shock if he did turn up! I prayed Kat got the text. I prayed it wasn't too late. What if he had her now? I didn't want to think about that. I phased again to distract myself from the various horror scenarios in my head.
Katherine Constantine I love you. Please get that text, please please please!