I text back a quick reply.
Angel at 12:36am: Thanks. I would have been in some serious shit if they smelt a witch. The thought didn’t even cross my mind until just now.
I guess that’s just one of the perks of being friends with a witch who knows her stuff.
With my head swimming with information overload, I head for the shower to wash yet another day of secrets, truths and discoveries away.
Chapter 13
I wake up drenched in sweat. I kicked all my blankets off during the night, and even thought about lying in the tub to cool down. I take a cold shower and it cools me down to an extent, but as soon as I step out, my temperature increases again. I feel drained and am seriously fighting a losing battle with the exhaustion that racks my body. Alongside the fact that I can’t seem to get this damn temperature down, I’m feeling pretty wrecked.
I look out the window to see that it’s raining hard outside and the water droplets are calling my name. I run downstairs and into the open yard, letting out a sigh of relief as the droplets cool me. I close my eyes, opening my mouth to let the drops slither down my dry throat.
I start to hear faint growling, but I’m too deep in this nirvana that I don’t even bother to open my eyes. I then hear an oomph sound followed by more growling. I slowly open my eyes and jump back, just as Talon tackles one of the younger guys from the pack to the ground. Tyler has another one by the throat. Both boys look up to me with black eyes and canines extended.
The guy in Tyler’s grasp passes out and falls to the ground, and I watch as three more men come out from the bushes. They’re staring at me and I’m starting to feel rather uneasy. I take a step back and bump into something. I turn around as big burly arms wrap around me; I’ve met this guy before, he’s a friend of the twins.
“Carl, hands off… NOW!” Tyler lets out a deathly roar as he holds another pack member down.
Carl ignores Tyler and pulls me into his body. He pulls my wet hair away from my neck then moves his hands towards my ass.
I don’t know what the fuck is happening.
My mind is telling me to push him off of me, but the way he’s looking at me and the way he holds me oddly provides me with comfort. I’m not so heated anymore and It’s making me lean into his touch. He squeezes my ass cheek and the growls erupt again.
Why are pack members fighting pack members? I don’t understand.
“Get her out of here… GO!” Talon’s angry voice breaks through my daze.
A hand tugs on my elbow and I look to find Nixon’s hard eyes as he stares Carl down.
“Move,” he says through gritted teeth.
Carl reluctantly removes his hands from me and I’m tugged into protective arms. Nixon immediately strides away from the fighting, with me being pulled along behind him.
“What the hell is happening, Nix? Why are they all fighting?” I pull my arm from his grasp and stand firmly. Nixon stops and turns around to look at me.
“Heat, Angel. It’s a full moon tonight. We need to get you out of here.”
I look back to see the twins still scrabbling around on the muddy ground with a few pack members.
Talon looks up and screams, “Fucking move it, Angel. Get out of here!”
I wince and run to Nixon’s car, quickly jumping into the passenger seat.
****
After being on the road for two hours, we finally reach an old small cabin. It’s hidden up amongst the trees and there’s a ladder you have to climb to reach the entrance at the top. The air conditioner in the car didn’t do shit, I’m soaking wet from rain and sweat. I’m so thankful we’ve reached our destination, I struggled to sit still for the whole journey and Nixon hasn’t said one word to me. He seems tense and a little angry, holding the steering wheel with clenched hands and scowling face the entire way.
He motions for me to climb the stairs and I do, but just as I’m about to lift myself up he grabs my ankle.
He shakes his head. “Okay, bad idea. You go after me.” He climbs up the ladder and I follow.
He helps me and after I’m up he pulls the ladder and closes the hatch on the floor where the ladder came through; no one can climb up and get in without the hatch being opened.
I look over the balcony and I’m at a loss for words. It’s absolutely beautiful. We are high enough to be hidden amongst the trees but we have a beautiful view of the surrounding wooded area.
“What is this place?” I say in awe.
“My Grandparents were birdwatchers, foragers too. When the real word became too much for them, they built this tree-house so they could be amongst the things they loved in their own secluded sanctuary. They’re long gone now, but it’s the one thing that my family left me,” Nixon says, and I turn to see him unlocking the door and opening it.