Healing Tilly hadn't been the same as when I'd healed Mara.
Instead, as I pushed energy and power into Tilly I felt something sick and dark moving up my spine, creeping like a snake. I didn't feel the energy leave me like I used to, but I felt the swirling of pain that I'd taken from Tilly feeding the darkness at the bottom of my belly.
"You should get some rest," I told her.
She agreed and one of the younger members of the pack took us to a spare room with two single beds. The room was small and barren expect for the two beds and a small dresser. Tucker obviously hadn't hired an interior decorator for his pack headquarters.
Tilly fell asleep quickly and I, however, could not stop the rapid beating of my heart and the racing of my brain. There was no possible way I could sleep not knowing the outcome of the fight we'd left. Instead, I stared up at the white ceiling and tried to sort out my thoughts.
My mind immediately went to Rose and I knew that her sister had taken her broken heart and used it against her. It only made me hate Alice Galloway more than I already did. Which, admittedly, I did not think was possible.
Alice worked with Owein to attack the Denver's camp in order to find the Codex.
But why would Owein want the Codex?
The answer was right in front of me, but I didn't want to believe it. My father wanted the Codex and, somehow, he'd enlisted Owein to get it for him. Someone like Owein wouldn't work for somebody so hellbent on the destruction of supernatural creatures like my father- unless, that wasn't Johnathan's end game.
He wanted something from me, I knew that much. But what could I give him?
No matter how much the answer stared me in the face, a part of me still ached for the idea that he wasn't responsible. That he couldn't be. Because when I had needed someone, Johnathan was there.
Not Tilly. Not Ben. Not my family. Not Tucker. But Johnathan.
There was one success from tonight's disastrous event. Alice had given me an address. Whether she gave it to me willingly because she thought I wouldn't escape or because I wouldn't like what I'd find there- I didn't know.
But I would find out very soon.
Tilly's soft snores came from beside me and offered a sort of peace in the otherwise bare room. Without depleting myself of my extra power into the apport that my father had given me, I feared that the nightmares would be even worse than they had been.
Would it be the face in the locker? My friends standing over bodies? Or would it be Owein again, with his decaying face and cryptic riddles? As my eyes began to close, I hoped that there would be a fourth option.
Naturally, I was right. But when was I not?
A darkness surrounded the chemistry hallway, lit only by roads of moonlight on the tile floors. As I walked along the rows of lockers and classrooms, I had the sneaking suspicion that this hallway would never end.
With each step I took, loud crashes came from the locker next to me. The banging seemed to follow me the further I walked. I knew that if I did open the locker, my own grotesque darkness would be waiting for me.
A growing panic began to fill my stomach and my feet picked up their pace down the hallway, running at full speed. Sounds of something chasing me filled my ears along with the pounding of my heart.
Until I ran straight into a man in a red hat who grasped me with both arms. The hallway filled with streaks of sunlight, as if the night had quickly turned into day. The panic ceased and I was looking up into familiar brown eyes.
"Sunshine," a soft voice whispered and my eyes shot open as I sat up, my ribs still protesting sudden movements.
Tucker's face filled my field of vision and I let out a huge breath of relief. He was kneeling beside the bed, his hand on my arm from gently shaking me awake. Without another thought, I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into me wrapping my arms around him.
He chuckled a little at my reaction, but squeezed me back all the same, careful of my ribs. "I'm okay, Lou."
I buried my head into his neck breathing in the familiar smell of teakwood and pine. Except now, he smelled a bit like blood and dirt too.
"You better be," I murmured into his neck. "Is Alice..."
He sighed and pulled away from me, sitting on the bed. Both of us spoke in hushed whispers as to not wake the sleeping witch in the room.
"Alice is alive, unfortunately. After you and Tilly drove off, she sent hunters after you so we had to chase them down. She escaped during the chaos of the fight."
I let out a shaky breath. It's fine, I told myself, then I get a chance to face her myself.
"Was anybody hurt?" I asked quickly, throwing the blanket off of me. "Does anybody need my help?"
I made to get up off the bed even if my ribs were twinging, but he put his hand on my leg, keeping me in place. He shook his head with a small smile.
"The hunters weren't using poisoned blades or bullets. They weren't expecting us. Most of the wounds are healing by themselves," he explained. Oh right. Werewolves. "I assume Tilly is alright?"
I nodded and when I inspected his face I found no traces of injury, for that I was grateful. Leaving a fight that he was in was difficult and I'd hoped to never do it again.
"Are you angry with me?" I asked.
He looked surprised. "Angry with you? Why?"
I twiddled my thumbs in my lap. There were many reasons (some that he didn't know) but the most recent came to mind.
"For trying to look for the hunters on my own."
I expected many different reactions, but he always surprised me. So when I saw one corner of his mouth pull up in my favorite smile of his I was slightly taken aback. He placed his large hand softly on my cheek, as to not press too hard on the fading bruises there.
"Do I wish that you would've at least waited until your injuries had healed? Yes. Am I angry that you and Tilly were the ones that found out where the hunters had been hiding all this time? No. I learned awhile ago that I shouldn't tell you what to do." He laughed a little, "I'm actually pretty proud."
I smiled and cocked an eyebrow.
"Proud, huh?" I puffed up my chest and he nodded, rolling his eyes in a teasing way. "How did you find us anyway?"
He seemed surprised as if I already should've known the answer. "Tilly used a spell to send me a message. I think she meant for a note to be sent but it was scribbled on my office wall...I'll have to ask her."
"Oh, that's what she was muttering," I whispered and looked over at the witch.
When I turned back toward him he quickly pressed his lips to mine, flooring me with the contact. My cheeks flushed and my heart pounded as he pulled away. The kiss lasted only a moment and yet my lungs still forgot how to breathe and chills ran up my back.
"W-what was that for?"
He smiled that stupid, wonderful smile again.
"Because I can," he replied simply and I looked at him in amusement.
His face faded into something more serious and I swallowed nervously.
"You know by now that you can tell me anything, right?"
I thought of the message. Of the dreams. Of his mother. Of my father. Of the growing darkness inside. All of the things I couldn't- or hadn't- told him.
"Yes, I know."
"So, uh maybe just give me a call when you're going to meet up with people who want to murder you."
I shrugged. "Next time, I will."
His eyes widened as he looked at me and groaned softly, putting his head in his hands.
"Next time?"
I shot him a look.
"Oh, come on, you know there's going to be a 'next time.'"
***
I woke up in the warehouse to 18 new messages and 5 phone calls all from either my mom or Harry.
Shit.
It was almost noon and I hadn't told them where I'd be going. My mom pre-Owein's death or pre-fake car accident probably wouldn't have noticed my absence. But now that she was back, I was totally going to be grounded.
Quickly, I called Harry, hoping he could do some damage control.
"You are so screwed," he said, by way of greeting.
I ignored him. "Something came up last night. I need you to tell mom that I left early this morning to go to work because they needed extra help."
Call it intuition or my psychic abilities, but I could see Harry roll his eyes through the phone.
"Lou, you work at a club. What club is open on a Saturday morning?"
After some berating, he finally agreed to tell her I was on clean up duty. Hopefully, that would hold her off until I could explain better in person. Finally having somewhat dealt with the human part of my life, I was ready to face the supernatural.
"Well, damn look who decided to join the living," Ben greeted as I made my way to the warehouse cafeteria.
I shot him a look, but with my groggy expression and bed head I knew it didn't have much force behind it. Tucker had stayed with me until late last night and when he'd left the nightmares returned. Restlessness was becoming a personality trait.
"I'm glad you're not dead," I told him.
"You know, I tell myself that every day."
He dug in to the sandwich in front of him and I looked around at the other people who were sat at tables around us. Tilly wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"She went home," Ben explained, guessing at my curiosity, "her mom and grandma were freaking out."
I grumbled in response. Now that I had a somewhat coherent mother, I knew the feeling.
Ben and I talked about last night's battle with the hunters. He explained to me, in detail, who was injured and how Alice had escaped. I told him about how I'd seen Rose in the middle of the street and how she'd tried to crash into us. He made a similar expression that Tucker had when I'd told him last night.
Ben let out a low whistle. "Tell you the truth, I didn't think she had it in her."
His words rang true. I'd thought of Rose as little more than an ex-girlfriend of the boy I l-liked. Now she wanted to kill me and that seemed like a bit of an extreme advancement.
Tucker joined us after Ben and I'd talked for about twenty minutes. He placed a plate of food in front of me and I groaned in thanks.
He was able to join us for only a moment before he was needed elsewhere.
"Sir."
I looked up in surprise at the formal way Megan was addressing him. Tucker seemed confused too until he spotted the important-looking people behind her. He rose from beside us and greeted them all, assuming the air of superiority and authority that was becoming a second nature to him.
He was about to walk off with these mysterious men, but after contemplating something for a second he put his hand on my shoulder and I stood too, suddenly conscious of the fading bruises on my face. If these men were important, surely they wouldn't be pleased seeing a beat up teenage girl.
"Gentlemen, this is my girlfriend, Lou DeVue."
I drew in a sharp breath. Each of the men took turns shaking my hands and I felt strength from all of them and a strange sense of curiosity. They were all werewolves, that much I could tell. The power they all radiated, however, only came from an alpha.
As the men began to move away, Tucker hung back for a moment.
"Did you sense anything?" He asked quietly.
I shook my head, suddenly understanding the purpose of his introduction.
"They're curious about you, but they like you."
He smirked a little. "How could they not?"
I scoffed at his cocky comment and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before he left. Megan, however, stayed behind. Ben looked up from his food as he sensed something interesting about to happen. I wiped my hands on my jeans, ready for a bitch battle if that's what she was here for.
"That's the first time you've heard it, huh?" Megan asked, and I cocked my head in confusion. "Tucker calling you his girlfriend, I mean. I could tell by your face."
"Oh," I stated lamely, surprised at her question. "Yeah, it was."
She scratched the back of her arm awkwardly.
"Look-" we both began at the same time, but she motioned for me to go first.
"I- uh well I wanted to say thank you. I saw you save Tucker last night."
"I didn't do it for you." I stiffened at her words and she quickly backtracked. "No! I don't mean that in a rude way, I just mean that Tucker's the best pack leader we've ever had and protecting him is my job."
"You're doing a good job then."
She was a little breathless and I wanted to laugh at how strangely awkward this conversation was. She clearly didn't like me and I wasn't her biggest fan, so I was confused why she'd even come to talk to me.
"I think what you did for your witch friend was pretty badass," she admitted and I flushed. "You can't heal yourself?"
She pointed to the bruises on my face and I flinched, my hand raising to cover them.
"No," I muttered, unhappily, "I've tried."
She shrugged. "At least they're serving a purpose."
My eyebrows narrowed as I looked at the blonde girl in front of me. She had no hint of malice on her face, just apprehension.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, every time our alpha looks at them he's reminded of the restrictions. I mean look at him now," I did as she said, Tucker was talking animatedly with the important looking men, "he's trying to change things. Werewolves love tradition but he- well, he loves you more I guess."
At that, Ben choked on a piece of bread and I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe. Megan's eyes widened as she watched both of our reactions. I considered her words carefully, and didn't let my mind wander too far to determine the validity of them. That was dangerous.
"Anyways," Megan drawled, eyeing Ben's coughing fit, "I guess I wanted to say that I'm sorry if I've been a bitch, but I didn't trust you. After seeing what you'd do for your friend, I do now."
I shrugged off her apology, feeling uncomfortable.
"We're all good," I told her honestly.
With a curt nod, she left. I sat back down across from Ben and we were both completely silent for a long moment. Ben, however, broke the silence by clearing his throat meaningfully.
"So," he began, "let's unpack all of that, huh?"
_______
Hi.
So...Megan?
Thanks for reading!!!!!
Leave me some comments on your thoughts so far!!!
Stay safe. Be kind.