6. Valeria: Running away
*What were you thinking Valeria? He's going to tell Devon, and then they are going to send you away. *
Tears filled my eyes. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to know what his lips would feel like against mine and what he would taste like.
“Stupid Val!” I scolded myself out loud. “You always ruin everything!”
A soft knock on the door made me tense. I glanced down at myself and pulled a face. Before I could answer whoever was at the door, the handle turned and the door was pushed open. My eyes widened when they entered. Devon glanced up and then froze which made David bump into him.
A low growl filled the room. I couldn't look away from his eyes as they darkened to nearly black.
“Get dressed,” he ordered harshly.
Fear flashed through me. I stumbled to the bed and quickly climbed under the sheets. With it pulled up to my chin, I watched them with wide eyes. David muttered something against Devon's ear before stepping around him. He hesitated and then took a seat on the edge of the bed. His dark eyes locked with mine.
“We need to talk.”
“Did you call my Aunt to come to pick me up?”
He frowned. “Why would we do that?”
“Did the other packs do that?” Devon asked as he moved closer. “If you did something wrong or went against what they ordered you to do, they called your aunt to pick you up?”
I hesitated and then nodded. “Some of them created a game to see if I was strong enough to join them.” David moved closer. “It was like a treasure hunt but it was held in the woods and at night which made it hard for me to see anything.”
Devon muttered a curse. I jumped when he spun around and suddenly punched the wall. David ignored him. He moved closer and placed his hand on my leg. His eyes locked with mine.
“Doll, I need you to do something for me.”
“W-what?”
“I want our doctor to take some of your blood to test it.” He gave my leg a squeeze which instantly silenced me. “I suspect that you might be more Lycan than you think.”
“Have you ever. . .” Devon trailed off. “I don't know how to word this.”
“What Devon means is if you’ve noticed some changes since you arrived here? Do you feel different? See things differently?” Heat flooded my cheeks. “I have a theory and we want to test if it's true.”
“W-what theory?”
David smiled. “I'll tell you once we get the results.”
My eyes darted between them. I took notice of the way their shirts clung to their muscular chests. The material was thin enough to see every groove on their abdomens. My eyes dropped to their legs. They both wore a pair of light blue Levi jeans. It clung to their muscular thighs.
Something inside me changed. I had the sudden urge to jump them. They could end the pain. They could make the ache go away. A strange sound fell from my lips.
“Shit.”
I glanced up at David. His eyes widened. I glanced at Devon. He growled and took a step closer. I sucked in a breath and allowed my eyes to flutter close as his scent entered my nostrils. That strange sound fell from my lips again. I blindly reached for him. My fingers brushed warm skin but a second later it was gone. My eyes snapped open in time to catch them fleeing from the room.
I was frozen in place. They ran off. Tears filled my eyes as their rejection settled deep within me. It was all just hopeful thinking on my part. I thought that they would accept me even if I was a half-breed. Devon made me think that I had a chance. He said their pack was different than all the others. Then why did they reject me?
I glanced around the room. The sudden urge to get out hit me. I threw the sheets off me and stumbled to my feet. The bags of clothes we got in town still sat where David placed them after we returned from town. I grabbed the bag and searched through it. Ten minutes later I was dressed from head to toe in winter wear. The ankle boots fitted me perfectly; even the clothes were different from the ones Aunt always bought me.
I wrapped the scarf around my neck as I stared at the window. It was already dark outside. I knew it was a bad idea.
But I just needed to get out.
I made a mistake.
Another howl echoed around the forest. It made my skin crawl and fear race through me. It was the howl of a predator hunting its prey.
It was probably past midnight already and I was lost in the forest. The flashlight I had found in the kitchen drawer died a few minutes ago. I could barely see a thing now. The outlines of the trees were clear enough thanks to the full moon, but I couldn’t see farther than a few feet in front of me.
My boot caught on something. I stumbled. My shoulder slammed into a tree which made me stumble backward. A scream fell from my lips when something clamped down on my leg.
Agonizing pain shot up through me. I hit the ground hard.
I sucked in a breath and let out another scream. This time the scream was answered by two loud howls.
It was hard to keep my eyes open. Darkness was threatening to pull me under. Sitting up, I reached down and hesitantly touched my leg. My fingers brushed cold metal, but when I moved my hand a little lower I felt the warm blood that was soaking my pants leg. My stomach turned. I jerked when I heard the growl from somewhere behind me. Ice ran through my veins. I was going to die tonight.
Turning my head slowly, I glanced over my shoulder. Crimson eyes stared at me.
The wolf growled again and then he suddenly charged. I squeezed my eyes closed and braced myself for impact, but it never came. Something soft brushed against my cheek for a few a second before it was gone. I opened my eyes and caught sight of a large shape tackling the other wolf. They rolled away and sprang apart again. Leaves rustling in front of me and drew my attention. My head snapped towards the sound.
“Valeria.”
The familiar voice made tears fill my eyes. Devon kneeled in front of me. His big hands cupped my cheeks and forced my attention to him. The sounds of the fight were getting louder and distracting.
“Keep your eyes on me, doll,” he ordered softly. “Okay?”
I nodded as tears started dripping down my cheeks. The situation was starting to set in and so was the shock. A sob fell from my lips. I was cold and in pain and so damn scared. He rubbed his cheek against mine before moving down to kneel at my legs. Devon muttered a foul word in a harsh voice that made me flinch.
He moved. I felt the pull of the metal teeth being pulled out of my skin. A moan slipped past my lips before the darkness pulled me under.