Beautiful Moves (Shifting Steel Book 3)(48)

“No!” Ella screamed.

The room started to vibrate, raining dust down on their heads, as Ella’s mind reeled, overwhelmed with panic. She felt a sharp pain in her neck then nothing at all.



Ella awoke and bolted upright. Her hand flew to her sore neck.

“You’re fine,” Drake stated.

Drake was sitting in a new chair, blocking the metal door. Beside him stood the two goons she’d seen earlier. Instantly her gift surged, and the light started flickering overhead.

“None of that,” Drake grimaced at her, baring his fangs. “See what I was saying boys. The way her power washes over you. It’s invigorating, though rather messy.” Drake rolled his head from side to side, like he was bathing in the unseen force she threw at him.

The two burly guys smiled menacingly, baring fangs like Drake’s. As frightened as Ella was, she instantly put a lid on her curse. Whoever, whatever these men were, her gift had little effect on them. They even derived some sort of pleasure from it.

Ella looked around. She was in the same concrete room, though the light she shattered had been replaced, and the glass cleaned up. Ella looked down to see she was sitting on a bare mattress. A horrific thought entered her mind.

What did they do while I was passed out?

Ella was relieved to see her skirt and blouse didn’t look like they’d been messed with, and she wasn’t sore, besides the spot on her neck.

“Do you think you can behave?”

“What the hell are you, and what do you want?” Ella demanded ignoring Drake’s question.

“What the hell are you?” Drake countered.

Ella was silent, because she had no answer.

“We,” Drake gestured to his companions, “are Shifters. Jackals to be precise.”

Shifters? Jackals?

“You, my little treasure, are going to be my guest. I’m sure you will prove invaluable. I think it’s only fair since you were attempting to steal from me,” Drake replied casually, as if holding someone prisoner was an everyday occurrence.

Ella closed her eyes as the weight of the situation pressed down on her. This was exactly what she feared when she thought about being discovered. Except this nightmare had a twist. Her captors were aberrations, who were just as odd as she was. Ella felt her panic rising again.

“Calm down! If you wreck this room again, you’ll be left in the dark, and can sleep on the hard concrete,” Drake snarled.

Ella took several deep breaths and reeled it back in.

“So, I’m to remain in this prison? As what? Your slave?” she spat out.

“You prove you can behave yourself and do as your told, and we’ll see.” Drake stood and left the room, leaving his two thugs behind.

Ella dropped her head into her hands as she fought to maintain her composure. It wasn’t just that she’d been discovered and was now the prisoner of some psychotic creature. Her failure had far broader consequences.

I’m sorry Sabine.





9 Lost and Found




Wolf

“Ella didn’t say a word about where she was going?” Wolf demanded.

“No. She just said she’d be back in a few days.” Char sat nervously petting Wright, who was curled on her lap.

“Well it’s been more than a few days. This isn’t like her.” Wolf paced his apartment. “I’m going into her place to see if I can figure out where she went. Maybe I can find out which hospital her sister’s in. She might know what’s going on.”

Wolf didn’t like the foreboding feeling he was getting. Ella would’ve called him by now, for sure. After the party, when he and Ella reached a truce, they had talked or seen each other daily. Of course, there was always the possibility Ella got cold feet about their relationship. Maybe she was using this time to clear her mind.

No, I don’t think so. Something isn’t right.

Wolf shoved his keys into the lock and entered Ella’s apartment. He walked over to her desk, in the corner of the living room. There wasn’t any clutter or papers sitting out. She was as neat in her housekeeping, as she was in her personal appearance. Wolf didn’t expect anything less from his Little-Miss-Straight-Laced. There wasn’t a lock on the two-drawer filing cabinet, so he slid open the first drawer and thumbed through the manila folders.

Sabine’s Hospital Bills. Wolf pulled open the folder and paused.

“Holy fuck.”

“What?” Char asked, as she put Wright down.

“Her sister’s bills are astronomical, and that’s with insurance.” Wolf glanced at the most current statement. “It looks like Sabine is at The University of Chicago Medicine.”

“Um, Wolf.”

“Huh?”