"You don't understand at all. How can you be so dense?"
I didn't like being called stupid at the best of times, and this certainly wasn't the best of times. I thrust my face into his in a challenge to his own actions. "Why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on? Werewolf this, people that, can't let me go and don't want to keep me. The only thing I've learned is you and your butler guy are nuts with a capital squirrel."
"Master Luke, you're hardly dressed for an outing in the woods," a voice called from the house. We both looked in that direction and saw Alistair standing at the back corner of the house.
Luke snapped his head back to me. "You want more proof than what I've shown you?" he asked me.
"If you want me to believe you, then yes," I shot back.
He stood and hefted me up with him. "Alistair, hold her for a moment, will you?" Alistair raised an eyebrow, but came over to firmly hold my arms. Luke stepped back five yards and narrowed his eyes. "I will show you proof, but don't blame anyone but yourself for your fear."
I didn't know what to expect, but his body changing wasn't one of them. His muscles swelled and bulged out of his white nightshirt and pants. Fur sprouted all over his body, and his hands and feet lengthened to long, dangerous claws. His face stretched out into a long snout and his ears became pointed and fuzzy. He bent over on all fours as though it was a natural position, and when he lifted his head a great howl escaped from his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
Luke turned his orange eyes on me and stomped toward where I stood. I pushed back against Alistair, but the manservant held me tight against his chest so I couldn't escape. Luke stopped a foot from me and his nostrils flared as he looked me over. I shut my eyes and turned my head away. All I could imagine was being fed to this creature, this monster. He leaned forward and his nose brushed against my hair. I shuddered and whimpered, and he pulled away. I didn't hear anything for a long while, so I dared to open my eyes. Luke stood in front of me human once more and completely naked. I blushed, gave myself a moment to admire his nice package and muscles, and slammed shut my eyes.
"Now do you believe me?" he asked me. I furiously nodded my head. "Good. Take her to her room. She can stay in there until we leave."
Chapter 8
I didn't fight to free myself. What would have been the point when I had to go up against something like that? All those times I escaped were lucky breaks, surprise attacks against a man. Now I understood who, or rather what, I was dealing with and frankly it scared the shit out of me. Alistair led me to my room and locked me inside. I stumbled over to the bed, but my legs didn't make it and I collapsed to the floor. My thoughts buzzed with the incredible, terrifying miracle that I'd just seen. It all seemed so fantastic, so impossible, so-
"-screwed. . ." I muttered. That was the general gist of my situation, and I shuffled over to the bed and fell face-first on top of it. I was captured by a monster, probably two when including Alistair, and they were going to take me to someplace far away where nobody would ever find me. "How did I ever get into this mess?" I grumbled.
The day passed through my depression and crying, and I occasionally checked the time on the watch. Five o'clock rolled around and there was a knock on my door, followed soon by it opening. Alistair stood with a suitcase in each hand and a surprisingly apprehensive expression on his face. "I have your clothes for the trip if you would like to inspect them."
I wiped the most recent tears from my eyes and sat up. "What does that matter? You'll just make me wear them anyway."
"I wish to know if I matched your style. I only had the clothes you're wearing to guide me."
I turned away from him, and burned holes into the floor with my glare. "I don't care."
I heard him drop the suitcase and walk over to me. His feet came into my vision and I cringed away from him. He knelt down in front of me so his eyes stared into mine. They actually held pity. "This isn't easy for you, Miss Becky, but things will improve."
I scoffed and fought back tears. "How?"
"In time your freedom will be returned to you, I swear it on my service to the family."
A bitter smile slipped onto my lips. "Is that a swear you won't break?" I asked him.
He firmly nodded. "Indeed, it is."
I sighed and nodded. "Fine, I'll see them." Truth be told I was a little curious to see what he'd bought for me to wear, and a little eager to get out of the dirty ones I was wearing. Alistair picked up the suitcases, and led me over to the table. He dropped one beside the table and hefted the other onto the top. He clicked open the latch and opened the lid while I stood by, though far enough not to brush against him. Knowing he was a werewolf made me feel a creepy vibe come off him. He stepped back and let me have free rein, and I stepped forward and rummaged through the contents. Jeans, check. Shirts, check. Socks, check. Even a new pair of nice shoes. "Not bad, not bad. Really high-end stuff," I complimented him. Alistair actually smiled and bowed his head. I finished rummaging and realized there were two important pieces of clothing missing, so I glanced down at the other suitcase.
Alistair noticed where my attention turned, and coughed. "Yes, miss. Your more personal things are inside. If you will excuse me I have other-"
"Hold it right there, mister." I wasn't going to let him get away until I'd inspected everything, so I switched the luggage and opened the second one. Inside was a collection of underwear and bras I could only classify as extra-large Victoria's secret. I pulled out a scanty piece of fabric that loosely resembled underwear, and looked through it at Alistair. "Mind explaining this?"
"It was at Master Luke's insistence," he defended himself.
"Uh-huh, likely story," I replied. It was actually the most likely story, so I dropped the fabric back into the suitcase and watched it flutter down atop the pile. "I suppose this stuff will work." I couldn't hide the pleasure in my voice at his gifts of clothes.
"Master Luke will be pleased, but I'm afraid we must hurry. We mustn't miss the train," Alistair reminded me.
"Yeah, that would be a real bummer. . ." I mumbled.
"She has time to change," a voice spoke up. We glanced over to the door and saw Luke in the doorway. He had on the same casual attire I'd first seen him in, the shirt and pants, and he strode over to the table. I recalled his transformation earlier that day, and put the table between us. Luke glanced over the clothes and nodded approvingly. "Some very good choices, Alistair."
Alistair bowed his head. "Thank you, sir."
Luke turned his eyes on me, and I shuddered against the heat hidden in their depths. Some anger still resided in them, too. "Where what's most comfortable. The train runs smoothly, but the trip is a long one." He turned on his heels and left the room.
Alistair turned and bowed at me. "Please hurry with your dressing," he repeated. He left and locked the room behind him. I didn't have any other choice but to dress, and choice a pair of jeans with a simple t-shirt. I'd just finished when there was a rap on the door. "Are you done, miss?" Alistair called through the entrance.
"Yeah," I glumly replied.
Alistair opened the door and showed himself wearing a coat with one draped over his arm. "If you would put this on we can leave." It was a beautiful, thick, blue-colored coat with fur trimmings on the large hood and cuffs. He held it open and I hesitantly slipped into the sleeves. It was snug and warm, and I wanted to bury myself in it. Alistair picked up my loose clothes, carefully put them in their suitcases and closed the clasps. "If you would follow me."
He walked out of the room and I followed. Fleeting thoughts of escape were quashed when Luke exited his room with a suitcase in hand. He stepped up to my side and Alistair guided us down the twisting staircase and into the main hallway. I hadn't gotten a good look at it the last time I was down here, and I had to admire the decor. The walls were painted white and the floors were made of a light-colored wood. The main lower passage was in the shape of a lowercase 't' and the intersection was at the staircase. Behind us was the rear
of the house where stood the large lawn that lay outside my bedroom windows. In front lay the front door and the small entrance hall. To the left and right was another hall, and I knew to the left lay Luke's book-filled study.
Alistair led us through the front doors and to a black sedan with heavily tinted windows parked in the gravel driveway. He dropped the suitcases in the trunk and opened the rear door. I hesitated, but Luke put his hand on my lower back and guided me forward. I turned and glared at him, but he only nodded at the door. I sighed and slid into the leather seat. While Luke handed his suitcase to Alistair I tested the door to my left, but it was locked. The pair slipped into the car, Luke beside me and Alistair at the wheel.
We pulled out of the circular drive and traveled down a dirt road. I turned away from Luke and glanced out the window. There was nothing but dark shapes of trees as far as I could see. "The view is much better during the day," Luke informed me. I ignored his words, but I couldn't ignore his hand when it settled on my shoulder. I flinched at the touch, but he turned me so I faced him. "You're afraid of me," he stated rather than asked.
"It's kind of hard not to be," I replied.
"Because I'm a monster?" he guessed. I shrank back from him and nodded. "The monster may be more than skin-deep, but it doesn't consume me like it does for some normal men."
"But you're not normal," I argued.
"Neither are you," he countered.
I scoffed and gestured down at myself. "This looks pretty normal to me," I countered.
"I already proved that outward appearances can change, but I was speaking of your character," he explained to me.
I shrugged. "I don't really go for that feel-good, inner beauty stuff."
He smirked. "I thought not, but I still hold to what I said. You're not normal. You wouldn't be here if you were."
"Then I wish I was normal. . ." I muttered.
Luke frowned, and his eyes traveled down to my bandages hands. They were stained green from my vine-climbing earlier that day. "How are your wounds?"
"Wounded," I quipped.
Luke ignored my snarky comment and took one of my hands in his. He carefully unwrapped the bandages and inspected the cuts, but I faced away from him. "They're healing well. Did you want to see?" I frowned and cast a glance to my right at my hand. My mouth fell open when I saw that the deep cuts were now very shallow. There would be scars, but they would be a third the size I expected them to be. Luke chuckled. "You're surprised, but you shouldn't be. Your change has already started." I scowled and yanked my hand from his. That is, I tried to. He held my fingers firmly in his hand and pulled me against him. His hot body warmed me in ways I hated to admit. "Only one more night and you'll be mine."
I shuddered and turned away. "I'll never be yours," I boldly argued.
He chuckled, and I felt the vibrations run along his firm chest. "A day is a long time to change your mind, and the nights are even longer."
Chapter 9
Our heated conversation was interrupted by Alistair. "We're nearly to the station, sir," he informed us.
I broke from Luke's seductive spell and glanced out the windows. The scenery changed from forest to small country town. Old clapboard houses popped up on either side of the road with their backs nestled against the thick woods and small gardens in their front yards. The road widened and sidewalks sprang up in front of two-story shops with quaint window displays. I felt like I was in a different world than the one I'd known, one that was about eighty years in the past. Nothing was familiar except the stars above us, and the stars and I weren't acquainted enough to be useful to one another.
Most of the shops were closed, but there were a few restaurants open and people mingled on the sidewalk. People. I would be saved if I could get to them. They'd get up a pitchfork and torch-wielding mob and drive these monsters from the area, and most especially from me. I tried to pull away from Luke, but he firmly held me against him. "I know you what you're thinking, pet, but these people won't help you. Their livelihood thrives on the train, so without our kind they wouldn't survive."
I saw what he meant when we reached the train station situated at the end of the main road. I expected a simple platform with one set of tracks, but instead there was a long, low building that comprised the waiting room. Inside through the wide, tall window panes I could see diners feasting at a small restaurant or warming themselves on the opposite side beside a huge rock fireplace. The platform was covered by a roof to shield from the rain, and long, elegant metal benches sat on the platform against the wall of the waiting building. There were two sets of tracks, one that ran past the station and a side track that veered off to a small, simple platform on the other side. The place exuded opulence and comfort, and I noticed there were several stacks of fresh, roughly hewn logs waiting to be placed on the coming trains.
This was very different from the concrete jungle of the city. "Where are we?" I asked Luke.
"My domain," he replied.
"Who died and made you king?" I quipped.
He smirked. "My predecessor died, and I was made the leader of the werewolves in this area. This town is called Townsend, and is peopled by humans who know of us, but who won't reveal our secret."
Great, everybody was against my escaping. "So you lord over them like you do me?" I mused.
Luke's smirk slipped off his face and he shook his head. "No. They obey me because they believe I'm a fit leader."
"Sounds like a whole village of idiots. . ." I mumbled.
"Those idiots will be under your care once you've changed," he shot back.
I blinked in bewilderment. "Come again?"
Luke's lips pursed together and he glanced away. "We'll speak of this later." I scowled, but he was unmoved by my glare of death.
Alistair parked the car in a garage park not far from the station, and we got out. Luke held onto my arm so I couldn't bolt and led us onto the platform. A clock sat on the wall above the double doors that led into the waiting room, and the time read fifteen minutes until six. Far off I heard the whistle of a train, and two dozen people moved from the waiting room out onto the platform. Many of the people caught Luke's eye and bowed their heads at him in respect. I wanted to gag.
Some of the people were dressed in the same elegance as Luke, but others wore shabbier clothes with patches and worn colors. There was a family close beside us with a mother, father, and a little girl of about five. She had long golden hair whipped into a braid, and wore a simple white dress. The little girl caught my eyes and smiled at me, and I managed a smile back.
With such a crowd around us and the train fast approaching, I chanced one final rescue. I pulled hard against Luke's unwavering hold and frantically looked about at the other platform occupants. "Somebody help me! This guy's kidnapped me and-"
Luke wrapped a hand around my mouth and stifled my words. He smiled at the shocked crowd. "She's a new one," he explained to them. I was horrified when many of them smiled, nodded, and looked away. They weren't going to help me. Luke pulled me hard against him and leaned down to whisper into my ear. "You're only embarrassing yourself," he scolded me. He nodded at the crowd. "These people are all werewolves and won't help you to escape. They don't want to risk their lives by having a new werewolf escaping," he explained to me. Luke removed his hand from my mouth but kept me pressed against him.
For my part I felt numb. Everything I tried had failed, and miserably. There was nothing to do but except accept whatever terrible fate these monsters had in store for me. The train, the vehicle to my destiny, slipped into the station. It was an old steam engine with twelve cars. Luke guided us into the front cars. We had the entire car to ourselves as the usual cramped space was opened to create a large sitting room with narrow bedrooms and a bathroom off to one side.
Luke set me down on the short couch that sat opposite the doors to the bathroom and bedrooms. The windows looking outside were just to my right, but I didn't glance out them. I sat limply on the cushion, too depressed to care as
the two men made themselves comfortable in our temporary home. The train whistle blew a last warning for late passengers, and in a few minutes the engine jerked forward and carried me away to some unknown place, and at a few minutes before six. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered.
"Cold?" Luke asked me. I glared at him and turned away. My entire being was filled with hatred for him, and we he'd done and was doing to me. Luke went into one of the narrow bedrooms and returned with a thick wool blanket. He wrapped it around my shoulders and stood over me. "Better?" I refused to reply, and he sighed and knelt down in front of me. His eyes tried to catch mine, but I refused to look at him. "This won't last forever. I promise you you'll see your friends and home again, but there are a few more important things to deal with first." I didn't answer him, but at his promise hope sprang up inside me.
Our fuzzy, feel-good conversation was interrupted when the door swung open and the little girl from the platform rushed in. She swung around, shut it behind her, and giggled. Her breath was ragged as though she'd been running, and her cheeks were a rosy red color. She didn't appear to notice us until Alistair spoke up. "Can we help you?" Alistair asked her.
The girl jumped and swiveled around. Her eyes widened when she noticed all of us staring at her. The girl glanced around the room and her eyes stopped on me. She raced past Alistair and sprang into my lap, toppling Luke back with her wild limbs. I instinctively grabbed onto her to keep her from falling, and she wrapped her arms around my sides. She tilted her head up and gave me a big, wide smile. "Hi!" she yelled. Her voice reminded me of the ringing of far off church bells that signified a joyous occasion.
"Hi," I laughingly replied. Her good humor was contagious.
"I've never seen you on the train before. Are you new?" she asked me.
"I-um-" I stuttered.
"Very new. She's not quite a werewolf yet," Luke answered for me as he righted himself to a seated position on the floor. "She needs one more night."
The little girl's face lit up with joy. "And then we can run in the woods together around the Sanctuary?" she pleaded.