Yet Melody wasn’t ready; only part of her body had undergone the genetic changes needed. Could anyone live when their bone structure shifted to that of a wolf, while all their internal organs were still human? Brain signals would be speeding up her human heart to that of an animal, but how would it react to the strain? Ryne clutched her closer, knowing he wouldn’t be able to bear it if she died. Melody was exasperating and smart mouthed, quirky and headstrong, but he loved every inch of her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, squeezing tightly. She had to make it!
Knowing he had to get her someplace dark, away from the moon’s effects, he picked her up and eyed the pipe they’d crawled through, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was too small for him to carry Melody and she was in no fit state to crawl. He glanced around for a solution, then saw Aldrich’s key chain on the ground; the little flashlight was cutting a small beam across the ground.
At least the man had proven useful for something. Snatching up the keys, Ryne gave the lawyer one last glance, before turning away. Melody needed him. He’d come back to deal with the bastard once she was safe.
Even in human form he was able to move more swiftly than a normal person might, cutting through the trees and attempting to avoid the low hanging branches that clutched at his hair and ripped his skin like the talons of some evil creature. Ignoring the pain, he was acutely aware of Melody’s laboured breathing and the rapidly setting sun. A wash of blood red was beginning to flood the sky by the time he arrived at the safe house where Aldrich had left his car. Setting Melody gently inside the vehicle, he buckled her in, jumped into the driver’s seat, and sped away. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, he noted the large house in the background was ablaze with lights and there were at least two figures running in front of it. His jaw clenched and he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Where had that young girl gone? Who had she told? Beside him, Melody gave another pained cry and he refocused on driving. She needed him right now; the rest he’d figure out later.
If he remembered correctly from the taxi ride to the estate earlier, there was a shopping mall with an underground parking garage just a few miles away. The lowest level should provide a sufficient shield.
As he drove, he glanced at the speedometer. The needle crept ever higher, trees and sign posts flashing by as he ignored the posted speed limits. His heart pounded heavily, while Nadia’s dreaded words played over and over in his head; ‘lives or dies,’ ‘too risky,’ ‘how much can her body handle.’ The phrases swirled in his mind.
Negotiating a sharp turn, something thumped against his hip. Glancing down he spied the cell phone that Aldrich had taken from him earlier. A quick look at the clock on the dashboard had him swearing. Shit, his agreed upon check-in time was past! He prayed Kane had held off, that he hadn’t made any rash decisions!
Ryne fumbled with the phone, speed dialling his brother’s number.
“Damn you, Ryne! Where the hell have you been?” Kane’s voice roared in Ryne’s ear.
A wave of relief washed over him. If Kane was still alive and angry, then the rest of them were safe too! “I don’t have time to explain. Just hold off. Don’t do anything, hold off!” Melody whimpered beside him and he looked at her, causing the car to swerve. “I’ll call you later!” He shouted the words over his brother’s swearing and threw the phone down, concentrating on driving.
Shooting glances sideways, he noticed the air around Melody kept shimmering. Hell! Her change was getting closer. Could she fight it off? “Hang on, Melody, we’re almost there. Just a few more minutes, babe. Focus on me, on the sound of my voice.”
Ryne babbled away. Teasing her, apologizing for the mess she was in, for how he’d treated her. He told her he loved her, that everything would be all right. Bribes spilled from his lips; offerings of coffee and chocolate, giving her free rein in decorating the house in Stump River...
She was quieter now, her breathing seemed shallow, and her face was pale. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. God, how could such a string of unlikely circumstances ever have happened? He never had unprotected sex, yet around Melody, he just didn’t think. And then the fight, his broken nose, her cut arm... The chances of those events occurring in the correct order and time frame were a million to one, and yet they had.
What had Nadia said? “If anyone were to ask before attempting this type of thing, medical advice would strongly discourage any genetic changes during a full moon. It’s way too risky.”
Yeah. Easy for her to say. He hadn’t planned this, though. It was as if the fates had conspired against him. His eyes stung and he dashed his hand across them, trying to clear his vision.