I decide against waking him up and toss on my clothes. I see Thad's necklace staring at me from the drawer, and I take a deep breath before pulling it on, giving it a place to reside that seems better suited than a forgotten drawer.
I head through the empty living room to the outside to be engulfed by the dark night air. It feels good. The red moon isn't supposed to be out tonight, so that's comforting. It's also the only reason I'm not locked in a cage.
I hear a phone ringing before I sense a presence, and I turn to see Chaz in the distance, talking quietly so as not to let me overhear. I don't strain my ears. I'm sure he needs some privacy just as I do.
"Alyssa," Gage says softly, materializing beside me.
"Don't. I don't want to discuss this."
He breathes out heavily, probably silently cursing me. He's so convinced I have to be with him. I can't though. Every day I care about him less.
"We need to talk about it at some point. You'll eventually lose yourself, and God knows what you'll do once you lose your light completely. I love you. Don't you see? I'm trying to save you."
I turn to face him, watching my blond locks stay untainted. "You have no faith in me. How can you love me and doubt me?"
His eyes fall down to cast their shadows to the ground.
"I'm just worried. How can you be so indifferent? You used to be full of worry and concern. Now you don't care. Don't you see—"
Screams break our conversation apart, and vicious snarls erupt from beyond the woods. Chaz materializes beside us, staring out into the woods just as we are.
"Lycan or Were?" he asks, trying to cipher the sounds of the growls, and then a roar breaks free, confirming what it is.
"Lycan," Gage mumbles before sending a shock of power my way to knock me far back from him.
I bounce to the ground, though it doesn't hurt, and I feel the necklace break. I search for it, but I'm distracted. My eyes widen, my jaw drops, and my heartbeat quickens to the point of exhaustion, as the most monstrous beast of a lycan I've ever seen steps into view with its huge glowing orange eyes.
"Son of a bitch," Chaz whispers, seeming as shocked as I am.
"Gage!" I yell, needing him to back the hell away from it before I freak out more.
"You might want to go grab me some help," he says without looking, keeping his attention focused on the beast who seems to be alone. Dear God, let it be alone.
Chaz vaporizes, but my feet are cemented to the ground.
Howls break free as two lycans join us, but they're friendly lycans—well, sort of. One of them is Amy after all. But Amy starts yelping and whimpering when her eyes lock on the beast in front of us, and the male lycan snarls, sniffing the air as he stares in her direction.
He paws at the ground, and I swear that fucker smiles. Amy rolls to the ground and bows her head, seeming submissive. Now is so not the time for her to be a coward. Where is the bitch-from-hell side of her when you need it?
Sierra rushes to be in front of her, snarling and pawing the ground as she paces in warning, turning her body but never her head. They resemble wolves right now—hairless, huge, crazy, orange-eyed wolves with a thirst for bloodshed.
Kane's arms are suddenly around me, pulling me behind him before he releases me and shields me.
"Oh fuck," he says just as the rest join us, night stalker eyes beaming from Deke and Zee, glittery trails following Chaz, and Dice's aura beaming his incubus promise—not that it's a very intimidating promise.
"What?" I ask, trying to peer around him to assess the scene.
"Get out of here, Alyssa. Now," he orders, taking a step toward the rest of the group, ready to fight.
"No. What the hell is going on?"
He shakes his head, just as Zee tries to start pulling Amy away. I gasp when she contorts and shifts back to her naked human form.
"It's him—Amy's sire. Go. Go now," he says again, just as he joins Deke and Zee in a sudden attack.
Chapter 13
Taken
I don't know what to do. My heart won't stop pounding, and I'm scared to throw any power for fear of hitting Zee or Deke. It wouldn't hurt Kane, but I don't want to hurt the other two.
Yelps and roars escape the blurry scenery, and Sierra charges in to join them. Chaz swoops in to scoop up the naked girl who has passed out. They vanish from sight as he takes her away.
Amy's sire came to claim her, forcing her into submission. But how did he find her? And why now? Of all the times, why now?
Gage materializes beside me, and wraps his arms around me, threatening to haul me away, but I shock the hell out of him with a blast of power before he can vaporize us.