21 Shades of Night, page 13
She shook her head, gaze stuck on the plate in my hands. “It’s fine as is. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I last ate yesterday evening with Brendan.” She grabbed the utensils and awkwardly carved the meat into manageable pieces, her shoulder splint restricting her movement.
I wished I’d thought to cut it up for her, but it was too late now. “If there’s anything else I can get you, let me know.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared around the kitchen, remembering the time I had just spent in here with Elliot. The faint sound of Carmela eating filled my ears as I tidied up. While I wanted to chase down Elliot’s kidnapper right this second, I couldn’t leave Carmela alone.
She chewed the meat very little before swallowing each piece. She paused as I watched her, and her gaze rose to meet mine.
I turned away, not wanting her to feel uneasy. Werewolves were known to be protective of what was theirs. They also needed to shapeshift, especially to heal themselves when injured. Her injury couldn’t be the sole reason for her not having changed yet. She might be weakening herself further by not shifting.
“May I look at your shoulder after you finish eating?” I said, returning my gaze to her. Surprisingly enough—or maybe not—she was already done.
She leaned back in the chair, her face scrunching up a little from pain. “Yes.” She put her free hand over the sling.
“Let’s go upstairs for that. It’s more comfortable and private.” I put her plate in the sink as she climbed to her feet.
“Why haven’t you shifted since I first looked at your shoulder?” I asked as we reached the spare bedroom. I removed her shoulder splint and watched her face carefully to note her reaction. I needed to know what kind of pain she was in, since I was sure there was more than just the shoulder. I wanted to help her, but I didn’t want to push her too hard.
“The doctor said I shouldn’t shift for a few days afterward, and with everything that’s happened, there hasn’t been a convenient time.” She grimaced as I lifted off the bandage. The skin underneath was still not healed. It had a strange grey tint and was possibly infected.
Perhaps it was silver poisoning. Brendan had mentioned it could be the reason why her foot wasn’t healing properly.
I ran my fingertip near the wound. If only I’d kept some of the fragments, I might’ve been able to discern more. This did appear different from a normal silver-bullet wound, but then again, I’d only seen what they did to vampires; I hadn’t been up close and personal with any werewolf injuries.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, looking up at me. Her eyebrows drew together.
“Don’t worry. Do you think you could shift? That might be for the best, love.” Although it would likely be painful as hell, especially with the multitude of wounds she had.
She nodded. Her hand went to the button on her pants, but she stopped, her gaze meeting mine.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
Chapter 34
Carmela
GETTING UNDRESSED BY myself was harder than dressing had been, but I finally managed. I was glad that Derek had offered to step into the hallway. Having him in the same room when I was naked and helpless...so soon after...
My hands shook, and I clenched them into fists. Stop! How could I concentrate on shifting my body with those thoughts plaguing me?
I knelt on the floor. My injured arm hung freely. At this point, I should’ve gained more control over it, which concerned me. Maybe Derek was right about this.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on changing my form, pouring each drop of lunar power into what I needed. My bones broke and reformed. My muscles stretched until I thought they’d rip apart. I dropped to my stomach on the hardwood floor as torment burned within every inch of me. Every injury, from being shot, to the broken glass, to the wounds I’d suffered at my father’s hands, clawed at me. If my concentration broke, I could become stuck between forms forever.
My body lengthened into my wolf form, and fur pierced my skin, making me incredibly itchy for a few moments. When it was over, I leapt on the bed and curled up, placing my chin against one paw. Pain still weakened me, but at least it had generally lessened. My shoulder still bothered me. I’d have to keep most of my weight away from my front left leg.
Derek tapped on the door. I barked, and he opened it slowly. His eyes widened a little before he returned to his calm demeanor. Maybe it had been a while since he’d seen my kind in wolf form, or perhaps he’d never been this close to one of us.
I wasn’t sure, but Derek had been around for a long time. Smelling him as my wolf confirmed that. He didn’t smell horrible, but the power cloaking him was awe-inspiring. How had I not been aware of this sooner? I had no clue, but now I finally had a better idea of his ability.
I stretched the muscles of my new form. My shoulder ached, and I sat down, keeping my weight off the paw.
Derek took a few steps toward me, and the hair on the back of my neck shot up. A slow growl trickled from my lips. He held out his palms. “It’s me. I’m sorry. I just want to help.” He took a small, slow step forward.
I continued to growl, but I scanned the room, seeing it with new eyes. My attention returned to Derek. He stood next to me now.
His hand stroked the fur on my head and neck, scratching gently behind my ears. I’d never had anyone pet me. My kind didn’t interact with one another this way. But it did feel good, as if he knew where to find every itch.
He slid his hand down slowly until he reached my shoulder, where he parted the fur. I recoiled a little, but somehow I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. He was just looking at the wound, so I let him continue his examination. His other hand returned to scratch my neck and the back of my ears. My eyes drifted closed at the soothing pleasure. He’d found a hidden sweet spot. How could I resist? He knew how to make me feel so amazing, and I had nowhere else to go anyway.
Part of me wondered about Brendan, but I highly doubted his father would want me to mate with his son now, especially when I was unclean and broken. I barely felt acceptable to Derek, although something about the way he cared for me proved he didn’t feel like I was tainted.
“The wound seems slightly better. Slightly being the operative word. It’s as if the lycanthropy in this area died. The shifting helped some. I’d guess that more shapeshifting—and time—will be required for it to fully heal. I don’t claim to be an expert on lycanthropy, for obvious reasons, but I have read extensively.” He trailed his hand along my spine.
I whirled around and clenched his hand in my teeth. My prickly wolf didn’t like to be touched so thoroughly and that far down our body, especially after what happened. But Derek had no part in that; he hadn’t been the one to nearly violate me.
I turned away and hopped off the bed, landing clumsily as I kept most of my weight on three paws. What he said made sense, and might be why the shift had been so painful in my shoulder.
I limped to the stairs but stopped as Derek blocked my path. My wolf saw him move; she wasn’t awed by his super-speed. “Where are you going?” he asked with a frown on his lips. “I hope you’re not planning on leaving. You shouldn’t go anywhere like that.”
I drew my lips away from my teeth and snarled up at him. If I could have, I would’ve rolled my eyes. I didn’t plan on running off in my wolf form, but I needed food. After shifting, werewolves needed to hunt and rip their prey apart...or at least eat. Shifting took a massive amount of energy to pull off, and I didn’t have much to spare at the moment.
Sighing, he shook his head. “Of course, telepathy would be a godsend right now. You can’t talk. Are you trying to leave?”
I swung my head left to right, doing my best to communicate with him. Werewolves relied on instincts and body language in our other form to talk. It was easier than playing fifty questions.
“Do you need something? Is that why you’re walking around?” He crouched, keeping a little distance.
I bobbed my head, hoping he’d let me show him instead of answering him like this.
“What do you need?” He cursed himself and stood. “Never mind. Show me. Can you do that?”
Growling, I brushed past him. Silly vampire.
I padded down the steps, putting minimal pressure on my injured leg. Taking a deep breath, I paused in my tracks as scents assaulted my nose. Elliot’s smell came to me, as well as that of a magical nocturne. But why would a nocturne be coming to Derek’s place and kidnapping his friend?
I walked closer toward the scents, sniffing the ground. I noticed where Elliot and Derek had been, then I followed my nose as I scouted around for more information on what had happened, especially now that I was in the perfect form to investigate it.
Footsteps encroached from behind, but I ignored them, focusing on my senses. A faint chemical odor drew me in as I searched for the source. I leaned closer to the door, but pulled back as the chemicals burned my nostrils. Lightheadedness rocked me for a moment, but I shook it off.
Glancing over my shoulder at Derek, I tilted my head toward my finding. Whoever had taken Elliot hadn’t done so with brute force. They must’ve knocked him out or weakened him with a potent drug in order to grab him and go.
The discovery made me fear for Derek.
Chapter 35
Derek
I GLANCED AT the spot Carmela nodded to, noticing a small drop of clear liquid on the floor. I crouched on my hands and knees to take a breath, and recoiled from the scent. No wonder Elliot hadn’t put up a fight. They’d drugged him. Not many drugs worked on a vampire, and not many knew which ones did.
Anger flowed through my veins. Rising to my feet, I smoothed my hands over the wrinkles in my pants. If only I had an idea of what happened and where my friend could be. I needed more. “Thanks for showing me that.”
She nodded again, then limped toward the kitchen. Ah, that’s what she wanted. Food. Made sense. “Do you want the steak raw, rare, or thoroughly cooked?”
She cocked her head to the side and stared at me. Right, of course she couldn’t answer me in that form.
Digging into the freezer, I pulled out a cold piece of raw meat. She wouldn’t want it like this. I cut open the package, then tossed the steak onto the skillet. Staring down at her, I wondered what it would be like with her in my life instead of living the way I did now. I wanted her, mind and body. For better or worse, she brought out this in me. I didn’t mind these simple moments together, even cooking.
I slid the warm meat onto a plate and took the knife from earlier to start cutting it for her. A low rumbling growl warned me to stop. I stared down at her as she circled around, her nails tapping the kitchen floor. The wolf in her was growing increasingly impatient. “Okay, I’ll put it down and let you have it, love.”
She carefully sat, but her gaze remained glued to me.
I placed the plate on the floor, letting her eat while I went into the den and sat in my worn leather chair. Prescott needed to know about Elliot’s disappearance. Who would want to come after me? The Cazador hadn’t been around for a few days, so I didn’t think it was them, especially with the necromancer being involved.
Could a High Council member be entangled in this? But why would someone work against Prescott’s orders for unity so openly? Sometimes hunters went rogue. That possibility made more sense than vampires, but how would they get their hands on this?
I picked up the phone to dial Prescott, but the clicking of nails on the hardwood floor drew my attention.
Carmela bobbed her head around the corner. She padded across the room, putting only a little weight on her injured leg, which probably made walking difficult, to say the least. Licking her wolfish lips, she sat in front of my chair, simply staring at me.
I set the phone back down. “What is it?” What did she want now? Maybe if she shifted back into human form we could communicate again.
She padded away and headed upstairs. Did I follow her or go ahead and call Prescott? I sorely needed to speak with him. Her soft whine brought me to my feet, and I strode after her. Maybe she needed my assistance with something. Or she might just need sleep or to change her shape again.
I waited outside of the guest room for a moment as loud snapping, ripping and popping echoed from inside. When I glanced into the room, she was crouched on the bed in the throes of the change. Her body rippled and stretched with the grotesque restructuring of her limbs.
When she was finally done, Carmela lay face-down on the bed, naked and fragile. I hesitated to move, not wanting to draw her attention and make her feel vulnerable, but she didn’t get up. Perhaps she’d injured herself during the shift. That thought had me sprinting to the edge of the bed.
Her long, even breathing sounded restful. I placed my fingers gently to her neck and felt her steady pulse. She was merely asleep.
I ran a hand through my hair and blew out a calming breath. Maybe when werewolves changed back into their human forms, they passed out from the energy spent, and when they shifted to wolf form, they needed to hunt.
I grabbed a warm blanket from the foot of the bed, then tucked her in. She gifted me with a small smile in her slumber.
Chapter 36
Carmela
I OPENED MY eyes and twisted onto my back. With the shift back into human form, I must have fallen asleep. It was common for werewolves to pass out after shifting too soon, especially into human form. My arm and body still hurt, but I was able to move my fingers instead of the limb being completely useless.
Yawning, I looked around. Soft warmth covered me, and I glanced down at my naked torso. While the bruises were gone, not all of the pain had left me, especially the mental anguish. I jerked the blanket over my chest, but I was alone. I released a breath, comforted by the space.
Rolling to my feet, I spotted my clothes on the floor. I needed to pull them on before seeing Derek again.
The soft creak of the hardwood floor alerted me, and I jerked the blanket around me before glancing at Derek in the doorway. He stood there, wearing an unbuttoned shirt as he had when I first met him, looking utterly relaxed. “You’re awake,” he said. “You slept for a quite a while. It’s just after nightfall.”
Blinking, I sat on the edge of the bed, his words sinking in. Normally when I crashed after the shift, I didn’t sleep this much. I’ve been out of commission for almost a day. “Really?” It was a silly question. It couldn’t be daytime, since he’d be asleep. I shook my head and glanced back up at him.
“Yes, you did.” He turned around, facing the hallway instead of the bedroom. “I’m sorry for startling you. I heard movement and wanted to make sure you were okay. I was worried.” He leaned against the doorframe and ran a hand through his hair.
The muscles in his shoulder and arm flexed, and I tore my gaze from him. Pulling on my pants and shirt with one hand was hard, but I managed it with very limited use of my other hand. At least it was starting to get better, even if it hurt to use it. I dropped the blanket and rubbed my eyes as I sat on the side of the bed.
“You can turn around again,” I said.
“Are you feeling well enough to be up and about, after earlier?” Concern tightened the corners of his eyes, creating faint lines.
I couldn’t help but smile. “When werewolves change shapes, our bodies expend so much energy that if we shift within a short period of time, we pass out. Nothing more than that, Doc.”
He raised an eyebrow at me, and the concern shifted to amusement. “Ah, okay. I wasn’t sure if that was natural or not, but you appeared to be sleeping. Should I look at your shoulder now that you’ve shifted twice?” He shoved his hands in his jean pockets, and I watched his abs ripple.
Stop it, Carmela. Why would he want you?
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push those thoughts away. “Okay.”
He slid my shirt’s collar aside for better access to my shoulder. “This seems to be doing a little better now. The lycanthropy seems to slowly be recovering. After a few more shifts, you should gain more mobility in your arm. For now, I recommend that you keep the sling on to prevent further injury. Can you move it around now?”
Wriggling my fingers, I glanced up at him. “Still hurts though.”
He watched my hand, then drew his gaze up to meet mine. The soft emotion in his eyes seemed foreign to me. “Yeah, I figured it would, but I’m pleased you have more mobility now.” He brought his hand up as if to caress my cheek, but reluctantly dropped it. “Sorry. How is the rest of you?”
Thankfully, some of the pain my father inflicted had vanished with the two shifts last night. However, the emotional trauma remained. Tears bit at my eyelids, but I refused to cry in front of him. I would remain strong, at least until I was alone.
But I did need to decide what to do with my life. While Derek said he wanted me, I couldn’t expect to stay here with him forever. Someone would find me eventually, and I didn’t want to bring the Pack’s wrath down on Derek. Not when he’d been so kind to me.
But I couldn’t run forever. My father needed to be punished for the hurt he’d caused. Where did that leave me?
“The shift helped.”
He sat beside me but kept a little space between us. He seemed to be tiptoeing around me now, and while I appreciated it, I didn’t exactly like it. “I’m sorry you went through that. Please let me help you.”
I wouldn’t mind his help, but maybe it was better I do this on my own. But what good had my training done? I’d tried to fight, but he’d made me feel so weak and helpless...like I was nothing better than what my father said I was. Don’t focus on those thoughts.
What about Brendan? I’d been so caught up in myself that I hadn’t considered he might be thinking about me. But I doubted he’d want me after he found out what my father had done. Heaviness settled into my heart.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’m just not sure what to do, really.” I sighed. “If I go after my fa...my attacker, then I could get in trouble with the werewolves. They might come after us if I were to seek vengeance without consulting them. And they’d really hunt me if they knew I was with you.” I laughed at the absurdity of my life. “It seems I’ve gotten myself into a world of trouble.”
