Dark Knight of the Skye (28 page)

He chose not to mention that D’nae and her companions would be coming through something that he couldn’t stop, even if he tried, but it would give him time to prepare for their departure. He left her momentarily, going in to draw her a warm bath, then left to find her more appropriate clothing. Tammy had no room to enjoy the silky feel of the oils that he had added or the scent of roses that lifted from the bubbles which wrapped around her body. Alasdair tapped on the door, then opened it just enough to see that she was down in the water.

“These should fit. I’m sorry I have no undergarments, but in time you will have everything your heart desires.”

“All but the one thing,” she replied with furrowed brows, turning her head so he couldn’t see as the crimson tears began soaking her cheeks again.

Alasdair lowered his head, telling her he had things to do, but would return before the coming dawn. She heard the bolt on the outside of the bedroom door slide into place when he left, and she sat up, rubbing the washcloth on her face.

“I’ll play your little game, you son of a bitch, but when the time comes… when the time comes.” She reached up and touched her face, thinking what he could have done to her child, knowing so much about her, that her anger rose to a point where a peaceful calm took over and the knowledge of Alasdair’s payback would come soon enough.

* * *

Danny was taking his turn at driving, and the scenery had changed from a land of nothing but rocky hills of sand and weeds to one of lush green forest that towered to the very bottom of the black star-filled sky. The roads got narrower the higher they went and the drop-off looked more like a bottomless abyss to a swirling world of endlessness. Danny rolled his window down and whistled. “Ye dinane be wantin tae hing oot this side o the windae. Holy Mairi Meither o Christ, ane slip,” he laughed, making a crashing hand motion on the steering wheel, with sound effects bubbling from his lips.

“I’m gonna be sick. I ain’t kiddin’, I hate being this high up,” D`nae admitted glancing out the window. “Oh shit, Danny, you’re too close to the side!”

“I do not know what Valium is, but you can have some of our bag food. It’s very tasty,” she smiled, titling her head, while running her hand down Duchess’ back.

“This doesn’t bother you at all, does it?” D`nae asked, getting little more than a shrug of Tabitha’s shoulder.

“There’s a small community not far up where we can stop for a while,” Arnaud suggested, twisting around from the middle of the front seat, looking right at D`nae.

“I agree, I wanna stop!”

“We don’t have time,” Grady said never looking up from his notes that were spread out from the dash to his chest.

“Like hell we don’t. They sleep when we do and can only do so much in one night. I want out of this damn truck. I have to pee,” she claimed.

“But…” Tabitha started to say.

“Hush, I already know that part. Please, I just need a break from this feeling of plummeting over the fuckin’ edge, Grady!” Then she threw herself into the seat, looked out by mistake, and slammed her eyes closed.

“Duchess has been in here for some time, and I
do
need to pee,” Tabitha spoke up, winking over at D`nae, who reached out and took her hand.

Arnaud smiled back at D`nae, pulling his lower lip down, showing her that it was getting to him just as much, and he was ready to put his feet on solid ground as well. D`nae smiled back with true gratitude in her eyes, not only for him wanting to pull over and even acting like it bothered him, but sticking with them, leaving Alasdair and his ways. They would go in strong, because no one knew how many people or creatures that he had under his control, be it by power or money, but adding one more to their side helped even the odds, if even in a small way. Grady becoming one of the dark world was the most ironic. He served as an agent for years, fighting the very thing that he had become. Agents Against Dark Forces would either have to change their way of thinking, or come after one of the best agents they’d ever had. The point of his dedication was to stop the crimes committed by the dark side. Had they not been on the wrong side of the law, they too would still be alive, but he now faced the same prejudice that he once freely gave out.

Danny and D`nae didn’t know it, but they were no longer under the wants of the one they were now seeking. The air hung heavy about them even in the midst of their own laughter. The lump at the back of D`nae’s throat threatened to leap forward and free the scream of anguish she held for her mother, the only living person she had left in the world. She was always the person that hid her own pain, working on those around her. The truth be known, she was dying on the inside to get to her mommy, but the fear that her gut was telling her made the line between wanting and needing extremely thin. Was she too late, was the question that haunted her. With the truck swaying, and her mind pulsating on what she didn’t want to find, she needed to stop and take in a deep breath of fresh air. As soon as Arnaud pointed out the turn-in, and Danny slowed the truck, she was out.

He looked out to make sure she was alright. Once he saw her wrap her arms around herself, and Tabitha step up behind her with Duchess close behind, he continued up the small overgrown trail that the truck barely fit on. It opened into what looked like a recently cleaned out cul-de-sac, where most of the trees had been chopped down, and drug to the side, some removed root and all. Danny stopped the truck, and Arnaud slid over and into the back seat. Both Grady and Danny turned around and looked at him. He started making his way to the door then stopped.

“It’s a trap. I should have told you but he has my brother, Michael. He’ll kill him, you know he will,” he pleaded, hoping they would understand, when Danny cleared the seat, grabbing him around the throat.

“Danny… the girls?” Grady yelled, grabbing the back of his shirt, doing nothing more than ripping it off of his body.

“Ye better nae fail me agin,” Danny said, leaning close to Arnaud’s face. “Ye’ll be fur worrin aboot me.” Then he vanished from the truck, leaving Arnaud shaken, holding the throat that he expected to be gone.

Grady was already running back to the girls who were walking slowly toward him. Duchess’s hackles went up and she back peddled away from the girls to face the darkness behind them. Tabitha dropped her shoulders and pushed D`nae forward, knocking her to the ground right before a furry beast flew over, swiping it’s massive claw where her head had been just mere seconds before. Tabitha cried out, grabbing her face, coming back around with blood streaming between her fingers. She bent forward, raised her head and belted out a howl from hell, instantly bursting into her seven foot creature. She stood and shook the remnants off of her fur, raising her claw filled hands in the air, clearing her lungs with another guttural cry of fury.

Grady saw the second one coming up on all fours, running with a speed like no wolf he had ever seen, right toward Duchess, only to get to his mate. He, on the other hand, wasn’t anywhere near as good at the transformation as she was. He was running one moment then on the ground the next, rolling to his back, screaming out in frustration at the beast’s confusion of his wants, his needs. He threw his head back just in time to see Duchess fly across the twig covered tall grass, and disappear with a single yelp into the undergrowth. Grady gripped handfuls of earth, pulling himself toward the beast that was making its way to Tabitha. He watched through wolf eyes as it swung and knocked her to the ground.

Danny landed beside D`nae and had her in his arms when another, the third werewolf, kicked him in the ribs, rolling him and D`nae a good fifteen feet. Danny came up with his shoulders pinned close to his head and his fangs shining brightly in the light of the trucks high beams. He was now pushed to the point of no return, and flew straight for the belly of the beast. It swung and missed, taking the full tackle of Danny’s shoulder in its lower left ribcage. A loud crunch could be heard throughout the area, and Danny continued. The beast landed hard on its back and Danny’s fist planted several hard blows on the same spot, until it was soft enough to pierce the flesh. He pulled back and with a full release of his lungs in a battle cry, plunged his fist into the beast and ripped out its heart.

Grady’s transformation was complete when he was finally about to get to his feet again. His rage was so focused on the creature that was harming Tabitha that he didn’t see the two rushing out of the woods. Danny yelled out and ran to fight at his side. D`nae rushed to the truck and started looking for Grady’s gun, finding it in the floorboard. She remembered that he had different bullets that he had told her about, but didn’t know which ones would work on what was now his kind. She stepped out and saw each of them heading straight for the two that were coming out of the woods, and she screamed, breaking their stride. She jumped when they looked over at her, because she saw the two beasts take advantage and move faster, bringing down their huge arms as Grady and Danny were turning back, taking both men down.

* * *

Tammy got out of the bathtub, dried off and dressed in the long blue silk skirt and white cotton men’s t-shirt that Alasdair had left her. She sat down in front of the vanity and thought about what he had said about Michael paying the price for her. She knew that he hung on the cross outside for her child to find, thinking it was her. She knew they would find ashes and after what he had told her, and the things she had seen in his mind, she knew it to be true. She realized she didn’t want D`nae to think she died a horrible death like that, even though it was exactly what Alasdair was planning on. She bit her finger and wrote, “I live, my moomoo” on the mirror, and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Alasdair came back later to find her reclining in the chair with a fire blazing. He gave a half smile, dropping two bags down by the door, and began heading for the bathroom. “Can you not take me out of this room for a while, Alasdair?” she asked standing up taking a deep breath, showing her figure in the clothes he’d picked.

She thanked him, taking his offer and the two left the room. She let out a sigh of relief that he didn’t go into the bathroom. Now if she could just keep him out until they left, which she was hoping would be very soon, and most definitely before D`nae and her friends came looking for her.

* * *

D`nae held the gun at the head of the beast that was on top of Tabitha, but she was swinging and clawing just as much and as fast as the one who was holding her down. D`nae swung around and pointed the gun instead at the battle going on with her boys, and yelled out her confusion, fueling Danny’s fire. He bit down on the neck that was stretched out over his face, and it was then that the beast tried to claw his way off of Danny. Danny punched at the werewolf’s head, as he drank with all his might. The claws dropped from the flesh of his back, and the beast was taking in his last surges of air. Before long, the creature lie still, transforming back into the body of a Hispanic man. Arnaud came out of nowhere and leaped on the back of the beast that was fighting Tabitha. He had Danny’s blade in his hand. He lifted it in the air and rammed it through the top of the creature’s head, then went manic, slamming his fist wildly into the creature’s skull, screaming obscenities.

D`nae saw and ran over and took a shot at the head of the beast that had turned to look at her when Grady pushed its head back. Its brains exploded all over her face, and the body dropped like a rag doll on top of Grady, spilling gore all over his. He yelled out in his wolf voice, and pushed the headless being off his body as it shifted back. Tabitha laid curled on her side, holding her stomach. Grady’s huge form kicked his way out of the woods, and dropped down on his werewolf knees, picking her up lovingly, pulling her small human form close to his animal chest, then stood and let out a triumphant howl. Danny limped out, blood soaking the back of his legs. Arnaud’s face was busted up, but he had proven himself by saving Tabitha. Grady laid Tabitha in the backseat then walked out into the woods. A few minutes later, they all heard him change, and shortly after, he came walking out in his human form.

“Wait,” Grady said, pushing off of Danny, and moving back up where D`nae was covering Tabitha. “A baby? How do you know, we just-”

“I was in heat. It is why you had my scent,” she smiled. “You do not mind?”

“Well, no,” he laughed, “Just never thought I’d be a dad.” Then he turned around and looked at Danny, then busted out laughing and hugged him like a brother.