Taylor glanced at Chantelle, who was sitting up, hugging her knees, staring at nothing.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Rusty?” Taylor asked. She cleared her throat. She was so very, very thirsty.
Chantelle laid her head on her folded arms. “We couldn’t risk Jerrold finding out, and Rusty was worried that he might have spies in Cliff’s house, or he might be listening in on my cell phone or Rusty’s cell phone.” Her voice was weary and faint. “We fell for each other right away, but if we told Jerrold, he’d have pulled Rusty out and replaced him with another guard, so we had to act as if we hated each other. When we…uh…fooled around, we made sure we were alone in the room and Truman had our cell phones with him. Truman was in on it all along.”
Taylor shook her head in confusion. “I don’t understand why you let Rusty bite you. You had all the pills you could ever need.”
“They stopped working. I’m getting sick again. My only hope of survival is being turned.”
That was why she’d been wearing makeup. To hide that she was deathly pale. She’d been pale when she’d showed up that first day and Jerrold had caught her. And the headaches… She just hadn’t told Taylor because she didn’t want to worry her, but Taylor should have guessed something was up. Maybe she’d sensed it on some level but denied it, because she couldn’t bear to think of Chantelle getting sick again.
“I sat in on those meditation sessions with you,” Chantelle whispered. “I’m prepared. I should be okay. Rusty said so.”
If Chantelle was sick and weak, there was less chance of her surviving the turn, but Taylor didn’t want to tell her that because she didn’t want to stress her out.
Instead, she stroked her hair and talked to her about changing. Rusty had started the process with her, so maybe Chantelle would have a chance. The change wouldn’t come as a complete shock, and she wouldn’t be alone. Taylor would be with her.
Still. She was so weak. And as the hours marched on, she grew weaker and stopped talking.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The moon hung overhead, fat and round and just a sliver short of being full. It bathed the woods in an otherworldly light. Cliff, Truman, Rusty, Mandy, Taurus, and a dozen other pack members raced through the underbrush, in wolf form, following Dax and Fergus.
Mandy had insisted on coming. When Cliff had tried to argue, she’d picked up the end of a car with one hand. “Super-strength,” she’d said to him, as Truman gaped at her in amazement and said, “Whoareyou?”
Grant and Austin had offered to come, but Cliff had refused. He couldn’t risk all three of them, not before the trials were done.
Fergus had led them to the spot where he’d found the dead woman’s purse and shoe. It gave them something to go on. And Roger had the best scenting ability in the entire pack. Cliff had a strong feeling deep in his gut that the death was somehow connected to the kidnapping of Taylor and Chantelle, and his gut was never wrong.
Rage rushed through his body.Perry has Taylor.That bastard who kissed up to Cliff every time he called the office, that monster with his Judas smile and fawning words. He’d plotted and schemed and taken Taylor. He was going to die.
They had mere hours to find the girls and get back to the property before the next day’s trial began. The day before the full moon. The Elders had taken a vote and insisted that things proceed according to the pack charter, despite the fact that the two women had been kidnapped. In a few hours, they had the final physical test, and if Cliff wasn’t there, he’d forfeit.
Most likely, Grant would win. Immature, impulsive, a vain peacock who craved attention…he had too much of their father in him to be an effective leader. And Austin – what would he do if he won? He’d likely forfeit out of spite.
And even worse…Jerrold might win.
The moon clouded Cliff’s thinking, its powerful pull calling to his animal nature.Taylor. Must find Taylor. My mate. Need. Find.
Roger stopped, and shivered, and shifted into human form. Rare for one so young to be able to shift so quickly. He’d be a force to be reckoned with some day. Cliff hated to bring a child with him on such a dangerous mission, but he had no choice. Dax had the best chance of catching Taylor’s scent.
They all stopped in their tracks. He was pointing downwind. Could he really scent them?
“There.” Roger pointed ahead into the woods, finger trembling. “I smell her, and Chantelle, and another werewolf, and a human man. Half a mile.”
Half a mile. Fuck.
Cliff nodded at Mandy, indicating that she should stay with Dax and Fergus – she’d insisted on coming along – but she growled and raced ahead. Rage boiled through him. No time for this.
Taurus ran over to his nephew and Fergus, then nodded at Cliff.Go. I got this.
Cliff and the rest of them ran, faster than they’d ever run before. Their legs slashed through the brush. Tree branches slapped their snouts, thorns snagged at their fur. Their tongues lolled from their mouths and the fur stood up on their backs. Rusty kept pace with Cliff, legs churning, eyes maddened. Froth hung on his lips. Chantelle was his. Cliff knew what he was feeling.Painragefearkillneeddestroy…
A small cabin came into view up ahead.
They slowed down and began creeping forward, keeping to the cover in the underbrush.
Perry and Joel were standing in front of the cabin, both holding rifles. They were arguing about something. Perry was trying to calm Joel down, and Joel was waving his arms around, yelling.
