I stepped inside their tub and wiped the sweat from my forehead. The tub tilted. Dizziness and nausea washed over me like a cold shower. My stomach, unused to heavy, rich food like bacon and eggs, voiced its protest. My palms grew clammy, and I felt the blood drain from my face. I didn’t have time to vomit or be sick. It would pass.
Feet planted firmly in the tub, I allowed my body a minute to prep for this run. It was my only chance. I wouldn’t get another one, because our house was on lockdown and Vice watched me like a hawk. Too much activity in the past few days as I broke in and out of Mayhem’s house, hid from neighbors and guards, didn’t get enough sleep, coupled with the adrenaline highs and lows, tired me. The adrenaline jumps alone felt like after-drug highs, and now my body simply wanted shutdown. It was all catching up, my body demanding I rested some more.
Head between my legs, I drew long, deep breaths. Just this one last time so I could get the pairs in the shelter food.
After a few minutes, when blood returned to my face and the cold sweat subsided, rope in one hand, I opened the window. Rey’s hound, Dark, swam in the pool, his body gliding as capably as an otter’s. Beyond the pool was the beach, but around the front and to the left was the City Park. A few floors with a rope were doable, and I was light enough to hold. I tied the rope around the tub’s faucet, calculating it was the closest strong point that would hold my weight. Rope tied in place, I looked out the window again.
Grass would be better than gravel, but it would have to do. Thick rope around my middle, I swung my legs over the window. The rope bristled in my hands when I lowered down, then untied the knot and hung. My muscles trembled, and I shook my head in disbelief when my fingers locked. I had to do this, had to leave, so I forged on.
I let go of the rope and hit the gravel. Knees bent, my left side hit the ground. Huffing, I sat up and dusted off the small rocks imbedded in my forearm. Good to go.
Dark barked.
I put my finger over my mouth, eyes wide. He shook out his wet fur after he came out of the pool to stand before me. I crouched. “I bought you a meal and saved your ass. Don’t give me up now.” Dark sat back, his intelligent eyes locked on mine. Okay, maybe we understood each other. I plastered my back against the house and sidestepped quietly around the back corner to the one in the front.
I peeked around the corner.
Vice
Outside, I stepped up next to Jamie and Rey. Four good males had died recently in their sleep, and their pairs were still at large. We’d only discovered Men of Earth after plowing through Rey’s community and coming away with a few men as prisoners. Jamie had intended to hang them at Beast City gates, but I convinced him they’d talk. We hailed Mayhem from Tineya. He made them talk.
Interrogation revealed a group of males intent on exterminating us. If Dewlyn worked for them in the way we presumed the pairs of the dead mated beasts had, she wouldn’t try running, she’d stay and catch me off guard. We’d slept together for the past two nights, and Dewlyn hadn’t even moved in her sleep.
It was the only time she seemed at peace.
We stood on the driveway, a little way from where Mayhem inspected Rey’s bike. “What’s he doin’?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Rey said.
“He’s gonna ride that thing?”
“I hope not,” Jamie said.
“He got a mate?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Maybe he’s nesting, preparing,” Rey said. “It’s cute.”
I slid her a side-glance. Mayhem was an obnoxious, arrogant ass. A great hunter, but also a complete ass. The concept of nesting required a nurturing nature, so that couldn’t be it. He did collect strange bikes like that old Harley, so maybe he wanted an obnoxious pink one to add to his collection.
“I feel you glaring at me,” she said, “and I want you to know Jamie is cute too.”
“Hear that? I’m a fucking peach.”
“Yeah, fell-off-the-apple-tree kind of a peach.”
Rey stepped forward.
Jamie followed. “Where’re you going?”
“To make a sale,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”
“Quit caging me! I can walk down the driveway.”
With that, Rey wobbled down the driveway.
I raised an eyebrow. “Caging?”
“I may’ve suggested it.”
“Very cute.”
“So,” Jamie continued while watching Rey, “me and you got a problem.” Jamie spoke of the dominance problem. When our father’s three dominant sons started challenging his rules, he pitted Jamie and me against each other. We took the bait, but Goner stepped in and showed us another way, showed us how to work off our beasts. We trained longer and harder. More than once we got placed in the middle of Tineyan forests, which forced us to work with each other. This training went on until Jamie got into an argument with our father. Jamie and Father couldn’t coexist, and Jamie didn’t want to have to kill him, for Mom’s sake.