13
Shauna fought against the rope that bit into her wrist. She’d woken in a shed, not even clean enough to be inside the house, not yet, she was told. It actually made her feel better to know that they saw her as filthy, it saved her from being handled by any of the men. It was a small blessing.
These people were nuts and crazy people were dangerous. She had to be careful or she would end up buried in a shallow grave where no one would ever find her.
No. someone would find her, Ricky would find her and he would make these assholes pay for this. She had to be strong, have faith and stay alive. Dakota needed her.
She had been afraid when they’d taken her and cleansed her, but now she was just pissed off. Monsters. The only monsters around here were these wackos. Her skin was raw and even the thin dress she wore chafed her. They had told her that the pain would help cleanse her, but it was making her mind sharper and they would regret that.
She heard a sound, scraping, snarling. She shivered, that wasn’t human. She looked around frantically, but saw nothing. She suddenly felt almost glad to be trapped in the shed. Whatever was outside sounded pissed off and it didn’t sound like it was a rescue party. She struggled harder. If that animal got inside she didn’t want to be helpless. She looked around for something to use to cut the ropes, but nothing was in reach and the room was so dark she couldn’t see to search very far. She tugged at the knot, hoping it would give way, but it only pulled tighter on her wrist.
“Be careful with that. We really don’t need you to bleed.”
She turned sharply when she heard a whispered voice. The young woman came into view, Harmony.
“What the hell do you want?” Shauna spat and was stunned when Harmony let out a laugh.
“Hang onto that fire lady. You may need it before this night is over.”
She came closer and tossed a pocket knife onto the cot Shauna was tied to. She snatched it, but kept a warry eye on Harmony.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I came to bring you something to eat.” She whispered and produced an apple from the pocket of her skirt.
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to eat until I had given up on my evil ways.” Shauna rolled her eyes. “This is all complete bullshit.”
Harmony stepped closer. “Do you love your son, really, even knowing what he is? You love him? You don’t care what he is? You love him the way a mother is supposed to love a son?”
There was something in the girl’s eyes that made Shauna measure her words carefully. “More than my own life, he is my world. I have to get home to him. Please, if you can help me…”
There was another sound from the back of the shed, it rattled the filthy windows and cut off Shauna’s words. Harmony didn’t seem to notice.
“I came to make a deal with you.” She cut her eyes to the door and looked terrified. “I’m risking more than you could understand, but if you agree…”
“What do you want from me?” Shauna questioned.
“Look, you can get out of here and I won’t do a damned thing to stop you. I’ll take the punishments for letting you go and they won’t be fun and I may not survive. Or, you can take me with you.”
Shauna stopped. “I thought… You’re one of them.”
“I’m not and I will never marry Pete. If he ever found out...” She shivered. “I have to leave and you are my only chance.”
“Why do you stay? You could leave anytime.” Shauna questioned. It could be a trap, all of it. Harmony could let her go and whatever was outside could chase her down and eat her, taking the blame off of the family.
“My mother has something that is dear to me. I need your help to get it back and then I need you to promise that you will take us somewhere safe. I have nowhere to go and I need help with, well I need help.”
“Of course, no one should be held against their will. I’ll do all I can to help you. I’m not saying that’s a whole lot right now, but I will do anything I can and if we can escape, I will make sure they protect you.”
“Do you really mean that?”
Harmony’s hands shook and she clasped them together.
“I do.” Shauna nodded. “I swear it.”
She finished cutting through the rope and shook it off. She rubbed her raw wrist, it stung, but she would worry about that later. Harmony walked quickly to the back of the room and tugged a heavy looking table away from the wall. She then opened what looked like a trap door in the floor and disappeared inside. Shauna heard snarling, but Harmony kept her voice calm as she spoke to whatever was down there. When she climbed back up she wasn’t alone, there was a man with her.
“This is my half-brother, Reed, he is like your son and I love him. Please, help us. Help us escape? Help me find someone that can help my brother?”
Reed looked around with wild eyes, more animal than man, but Harmony held tight to his arm.
“He is like my… Oh my God. He’s a hybrid...you?” Shauna stammered.
Harmony nodded. “He is. I’m not. I’m older. My dad died when I was two. Mom married Reed’s dad a year later. The rest will have to wait, but he is like your son. I love my brother and if Pete and Douglas find him, they will kill him.”
Reed’s eyes burned with hatred as he looked at Shauna, but he made no move to hurt her.
“Will he hurt me?” Shauna asked.
Harmony shook her head. “We have to hurry. Don will come out to check on you after mama falls asleep and you don’t want to be here when he does.”
That sounded ominous and Shauna agreed that she didn’t want to find out what he would do during his visit. She nodded and followed Harmony as she and Reed slipped from the shed. They were like shadows and Shauna had a hard time keeping up with them in the pitch darkness.
A beam of light pierced the night as it bobbled near the house.
“He’s coming.” Harmony hissed and the terror was clear in her voice.
Shauna could feel the heat as it emanated from Reed, he was struggling with a change, trying to hold on to his human form. She reached out and touched his arm, he was so hot he almost burned her.
“You must stay in control. You must fight. I swear I will help you, but you must stay in control. Can you?”
His eyes glowed yellow in the darkness and Shauna saw something that made her heart sink, he couldn’t fight it much longer. She stumbled back, fear making her thoughts scatter as she realized that she was in far more danger with Reed than with Don.
“He will be fine, he can do this, but we need to hurry.” Harmony whispered.
They heard a shout and a curse from the shed and lights flooded from the scummy windows.
“Harmony! You will pay for this you little bitch!” Don screamed.
“Oh no.” Harmony’s voice shook.
“Let’s go.” Shauna grabbed Harmony’s hand and took off through the forest. No one could track them in this darkness, at least not quickly. With any luck, they would be safe before the sun rose and they lost their advantage, but Don didn’t seem to understand that plan. He plunged after them, keeping his light on the ground. He seemed to be able to track them without sight.
Reed was shaking. “I can’t go any further. I’m sorry sister. I’ll hold him off.” He whispered a moment before a monster wolf ripped from his body. Shauna had never seen a wolf that huge. He towered over them, as big as a car, but he was focused on the threat that approached. He nudged Harmony with his nose.
“No!” Harmony shouted, but it was too late, Reed was charging toward Don.
Shauna tugged at Harmony’s arm. “We have to keep going. Reed can take care of himself.”
“No! You don’t understand. Don isn’t human. He will kill my brother if I don’t go back. I have to go back.” Harmony fought against Shauna’s hold. Shauna did the only thing that came to mind, she slapped the shit out of Harmony.
“Do you think he changed so you would go back? Do you think that is what he just did for you? Are you really that fucking stupid? He is giving us a chance to escape. Will you let that go to waste?” Her heart sank as she remembered the words Ricky had said to her in the cab of his truck earlier that day. “He wants you to get away and be happy.”
Harmony paused, but shook her head. “This way, the road is this way and we can find town.”
She didn’t speak for long moments, the sound of battle raged behind them, but they didn’t look back. Branches tugged at them as they ran, snagging pieces of them as they made their escape, but Shauna knew Harmony was leaving a far bigger piece of herself behind.
Shauna let out a breathless scream when she ran into something solid and arms the size of tree trunks wrapped around her. She heard Harmony fighting and assumed she was also caught, but how had they gotten to them so fast?
How had they known? Had it all been a trap?
She cursed and fought like a demon, but his grip didn’t loosen, she was trapped.