The Truth About Kadenburg (9 page)

A calm breeze swept over the hospital grounds then,
picking up leaves and carrying them short distances as she shivered from the
air licking at her naked legs. She curled her toes against the soft grass as
she swallowed the growing lump of dread in her throat.

What if her Uncle Arnold had followed her somehow?

Impossible,
she thought.
He was still inside
when I took off. There’s no way he knows which direction I went.

A frown tugged at her lips as her brows furrowed and
Presley’s eyes scanned every direction. She didn’t see anyone, but she could
feel
them. Someone was there.

“This isn’t funny,” she gulped.

There was still no reply.

Maybe she was just being paranoid. It had been known
to happen before. Of course, back then it was because she’d discovered the
joys and wonderments of marijuana and she was always so sure the cops were
waiting right outside the door to take her in for lighting up.

The rustling of the leaves as the wind picked up caused
her to jump as she whirled around to gaze in the direction of the wooded area
behind the hospital. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she licked her dry
lips, eyes darting back and forth to catch any signs of movement. She still
couldn’t see anybody.

Presley’s hands curled into fists as the muscles in her
body began to tense up. That often happened when she felt scared. Maybe she
didn’t have anything to be afraid of, but her gut instinct was rarely wrong.
There was
something
or
someone
watching her and she didn’t like
it.

“I’ve got mace,” she called out. Lie. She didn’t have
anything
at the moment. She wasn’t even sure where she’d left her
cellphone and even if she did have it, there was a good chance she wouldn’t get
service in this area anyway.

You’re a genius, Presley,
her mind scolded as
she whirled around upon hearing the sound of a twig snap. The quick rhythm of
her heartbeat echoed in her ears as she willed her breathing to remain steady.
She wasn’t in the dark and she could see everything right now, why did she feel
like she was stuck in a corny 80’s horror film?

Flashbacks from the night before suddenly flooded her
mind as she recalled the wolf that stared her straight in the eyes. The image
seemed so vivid.

It wasn’t a dream.

She remembered now. She remembered everything. Jim
had given her a lift home but they never made it there. Oh God, poor Jim! Was
he okay? A hand quickly darted to her mouth as Presley’s eyes widened and a
thick feeling of dread pooled in her stomach. Her chest ached as she realized
the bear and wolf nightmare had in fact been a reality.

Presley’s knees nearly gave out on her as she took a
step backwards and then turned around to run in the direction she’d come from.
She was only a mile or so out from the main road and she suddenly felt very
threatened. She had to get out of here.

As her right foot swung forward, her legs gave out on
her when her eyes fell upon the colossal gray wolf that stood near the path
she’d walked on only moments before. Presley collapsed against the grass as
her mouth fell open and a silent scream ripped past her lips.

This wasn’t real, right? This couldn’t be real. Logic
and irrational fear began to collide in a waging war in her mind as she pressed
her palms against the grass beneath her body, trying to push herself up. Every
nerve in her body screamed for her to stay still, but her mind told her she
needed to run.

A low growl sounded from the wolf as it lowered its
head, paws as big as Presley’s head moving, bringing it closer to her as she
stood on shaking legs and took a step backwards. Her eyes lowered to the wolf’s
black muzzle, watching as its mouth opened to reveal razor sharp fangs.

Better to eat you with, my dear,
Presley thought
as her eyes widened. Her breathing had grown shallow as she managed to take
another step back, trying to keep distance between herself and the majestic
murderer whose silver eyes were zoned in on her.

She’d seen a wolf once. At the zoo when Uncle Arnold
took her during the summer of 6
^th
grade. She couldn’t remember
being overly fond of them then, and she sure as hell wasn’t keen on seeing one
with no barrier between them. It was a staring contest as the wolf continued stepping
forward and she continued stepping back.

Presley’s eyes finally tore away from the wolf as she
tried to evaluate the situation. The road she needed to be on was directly
behind the wolf; the chances of making it past him were slim to none.

Glancing to her left, Presley saw the extension of more
woods. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to go in there either. Despite the
advantage of trees that may temporarily throw the wolf off her trail, if she
fell she would be in some serious trouble.

A thought came to Presley then, and as crazy it seemed,
she knew it may have been her only hope. As she met the wolf’s gaze once more,
she pleaded to an unknown higher power that her plan wouldn’t backfire. It was
the only chance she had at avoiding being this monstrous predator’s next meal.

As if it happened in slow motion, Presley did an about
face and her right leg moved forward. She didn’t dare look back as she
sprinted towards the open door of the hospital. Did she know if the door would
close behind her? No. Did she know if once inside, she wouldn’t contract some
freaky disease? No. All Presley knew in that moment was that the hospital’s
thick walls were a lot stronger than her skin. If the wolf was going to claw
at anything, it would be the bricks.

She could hear the growling bark of the wolf and she
knew he was giving chase. At one point, she was certain she could
feel
his hot breath against her neck. The distance was very short, but for her it
was a lifetime. Her adrenaline had never been so powerful before.

She let out a cry as she bounded up the steps that
would take her inside, nearly tripping over what appeared to be a rusted oxygen
tank. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but she was suddenly flying through the
air before she found herself in the entrance of the hospital. Her bare feet
barely touched the dirty concrete floor before she was darting to the left and
racing down the hallway.

She heard the wolf’s teeth snapping together and she
knew he was still in hot pursuit. She didn’t look back as she mentally paced
herself, mind reeling with the next step of her plan. She hadn’t thought of a
next step!

And then, like the chiming of an elevator sounding off
to signal its next stop, Presley’s eyes landed on the doorway that led to the
stairwell. The very same stairwell her uncle had raced up to greet her in
would now save her. Hopefully.

Presley’s leg muscles were burning as she moved her
hand out in front of herself, her eyes on the knob as her bare feet slid over
the dusty tiles. She braced herself for impact against the door and just as
her body slammed into it, she turned to see the wolf lunging at her.

His claws were out. He was ready to strike. Presley’s
eyes squeezed shut as the air in her lungs escaped in a blood curdling scream.
This was it. This was the moment. She was going to die.

It was only upon hearing the ferocious growl of another
animal that she opened her eyes and watched as a blur of gray and red collided
mid-air. The gray wolf hit the floor with enough force to crack the surface,
and then his gigantic body slid halfway down the hallway before stopping.

The world around her began to blur, sounds becoming a
hum in her head. Presley’s body was on fire and pain surged through her from her
harsh greeting with the door. She lifted her eyes to the blurred figure that
stood before her and the only thing she could make out was the reddish-orange
fur covering its enormous body.

The last thing Presley could recall before darkness
enveloped her were the kind hazel eyes getting closer and closer.

Nine

D
imitri wiped the perspiration from his brow with
his forearm as he glanced down to the unconscious female who lay comfortably
against the tattered clothing he’d been wearing before he transformed. It was
a somber moment for him at the realization of what he’d just done. He defied
his alpha, killed someone of his kind-someone of his pack. A lycanthrope’s
blood was on his trembling hands.

The muscles beneath his sweaty skin quivered as his
human form tried to take control from the wolf. His heart rate was quick,
blood flowing through his veins to circulate each limb as bones healed back
into place. He kept his hazel hues on the young female as he rubbed his
crimson stained palms against the dirt of the cave’s floor. Once his hands were
significantly cleaner, he pulled his fresh jeans over his hips and buttoned
them.

It had been a close call, and maybe he wasn’t thinking
straight when he acted on impulse. All Dimitri could be sure of was that no
more ursithropes deserved to die because of his alpha’s hatred. He’d failed to
save Liam, but a part of him was grateful that he hadn’t allowed the same to
happen to another innocent person.

Lifting his eyes towards the ceiling of the cave,
Dimitri attempted to catch his breath. He should have known that Breslin
wouldn’t stop after just one kill. His alpha felt threatened by the
ursithropes and he wanted to ‘take care of the problem’. That’s how Breslin resolved
everything; by murder, but sending his beta, Thomas, to carry out the act had
been a stupid move.

Thomas should have known it would be a suicide
mission.
He should have realized I wouldn’t let it happen again.

Dimitri still felt that it was his fault Liam died. He
never should have expressed interest in leaving the pack-but that was how a
pack operated. If he wished to be with someone who wasn’t in his pack-and
definitely someone who wasn’t a lycanthrope-he had to seek permission from his
alpha. He never should’ve said a damn word.

Technically, Breslin
wasn’t
his alpha. Dimitri
was more than aware that he was only adopted into the pack because he had
nowhere else to go. His parents were killed when he was a young boy and Breslin
took pity on him. Dimitri wouldn’t have survived this long if it hadn’t been
for Breslin taking him in as one of his own.

It still gave him no right to kill Liam,
he
thought as he tugged a clean t-shirt over his head and glanced at the female.

They will come for me now,
he frowned.
Such
betrayal is punished with death.

A part of him didn’t care. Death would be welcomed
with open arms if it meant he could be reunited with Liam. He missed him so
much. If only he’d been faster….

He eased himself down beside the girl, listening to her
steady heartbeat as his head fell back against the moist wall of the cave. His
elbows rested against his knees as he closed his eyes and Liam’s face came to
mind.

“I want to be with you,” Liam murmured as he traced
his fingertips over Dimitri’s jawline.

Dimitri touched his jaw,
remembering how gentle his mate’s touch was.

“I don’t care what anyone else says, I love you.
You’re my missing piece, Dimitri. Complete me, forever and for always.”

His brows furrowed as he felt
his shattered heart throb with longing for the other male.

“I’ll complete you,” Dimitri promised as he rested
his forehead to Liam’s. “Forever and for always.”

He could feel the burn in his nostrils
as the onset of tears flooded his eyes. He kept his lashes tight against his
cheeks as the hole in his chest expanded.

“Forever and for always,” he whispered.

Life for Dimitri had never been easy. He was so young
when his parents died. He couldn’t even recall what they looked like. There
were moments when he wished he could remember his mother’s smile or the scent
of his father’s cologne-but when he tried to think about them, he could only
draw a blank.

Breslin was the only family he knew, even if they weren’t
related by blood. He gave him a pack to belong to, food, and shelter. There
wasn’t much more that a wolf could ask for-except for one thing, perhaps. The
one thing he’d found with Liam. The glue that brought all the pieces together
and helped life to make sense. The reason for his existence.

Even the smallest of creatures could form a monogamous
relationship that lasted for a life time. The termite, for example. The
termite queen selects a king to help give birth to their entire kingdom, she
remains faithful to him for the remainder of her life and he will do the same
for her. Swans select mates to live out their days with, and penguins, too.
There were a lot of animals in nature that lived for that one love. The one
piece that completed their puzzle. Liam had been that piece for Dimitri. It
didn’t matter that Liam was a man, or that he was an ursithrope. What mattered
was how Liam made him feel.

It wasn’t fair.

“This isn’t natural,” Breslin growled as he stared
at Dimitri from across the table. The rest of the pack remained silent as the
alpha voiced his decision. “You are to breed with a female lycanthrope and
continue this pack, Dimitri. I will not allow you to mate to a male, in which
you cannot reproduce.”

“I do not want to be with a female,”
Dimitri argued bravely. He could feel the eyes of the pack on him. They
probably thought he was being too bold, but he would stand his ground. “I want
to be with my mate.”

“I will not allow it,” Breslin promised as
he straightened up in his seat. “You do not have my permission to mate with
anyone outside of our pack and that is final.”

Dimitri was not willing to give up without
a fight. Breslin could not run his life for him. The alpha was trying to
force him into a heterosexual union and Dimitri couldn’t blind his heart for
the sake of reproduction. He couldn’t do it for the sake of Breslin’s ‘laws’.

“I do not seek your permission then,”
Dimitri stated as he stood from the table. “I love him. I want to be with
him.”

“You dare to disobey me?” Breslin challenged.
“After all I have done for you?”

Dimitri lifted his chin as he gazed at the
older male, watching the anger brew in his silver eyes. “Yes.”

“Perhaps you did not hear me the first
time, Dimitri. I will not permit you to mate with someone who is not from our
pack, and I will most certainly not approve of another male.”

Dimitri frowned as he gazed at him and then
he shook his head slowly. “It is already done.”

That’s where he had made his
mistake. He never should have told Breslin it was already done. He should
have left quietly and then asked Liam to run away with him.

Liam wouldn’t have run away though. Unlike Dimitri, he
did
have a family. A real family who cared about him and would miss him
if he disappeared.

And now that family mourns for him and it is my
fault,
he thought sadly as he lifted his hand to run his fingers through
dark red hair.
It is my fault Liam is dead.

His train of thought derailed
when he heard the soft whimper sounding from the girl and he immediately leaned
over her with concern etched on his handsome face. He watched her eyes moving
back and forth behind closed lids and he frowned.

“Hey,” he urged gently as he nudged her shoulder with
his hand. “Wake up.”

She mumbled as she swatted at his hand, rolling onto
her side. He lifted a brow as he nudged her upper back. “I’m serious. Wake
up.”

He knew, deep down, he had done the right thing by
saving her life. Breslin had made it clear that he would wipe out the
existence of ursithropes in Tennessee and claim their territory as his own.
The alpha was nearly psychotic when it came to marking his turf.

He knew that ursithropes and lycanthropes were supposed
to be enemies, but if that was the case, he wanted someone to explain how he’d
fallen in love with Liam. If it wasn’t natural, then how was it
possible
?

The soft groan sounding from the female pulled him from
his thoughts again as he gazed down at her once more.

“You need to wake up,” he insisted as he moved his hand
down to smack her cheek gently with his palm. “I’ve got to get you to a safer
place.”

He watched as her eyes finally opened. They were as
green as freshly cut grass in the summer time. He could almost see his
reflection in her gaze as her eyes widened. She sat up quickly, nearly
knocking him backwards as she looked around.

“What the hell happened?” She demanded as she moved her
arms to hug around herself. “Who are you? Why am I here? I..” she seemed so
confused as she lifted her fingers to the back of her head, wincing. “Ow.”

“You’re hurt,” he offered as he leaned around her to
examine the back of her head. He didn’t see a wound, but there was dried blood
that served as evidence to a cut that had previously been there. “You must’ve
hit your head pretty hard, but don’t worry. It’s nearly healed.”

“Nearly healed?” She asked with a small scoff. “I’m
not Wonder Woman.”

Dimitri pulled back to gaze at her again, lifting a
brow. “No, but you’re an ursithrope, are you not? You heal just as quickly
as I do.” He lowered his gaze to the gash on the top of his left hand. Thomas
had taken a nice bite out of his paw before he managed to kill him.

“An ursi-what?” She asked quizzically.

Both brows shot up high on Dimitri’s forehead as he
stared at her. She wasn’t serious, was she?

“Did you receive a concussion?” He pondered aloud as he
shifted to sit in front of her. He kept his eyes on her face, already well
aware that the only thing she was wearing was the oversized t-shirt that reeked
of a male ursithrope. The scent was similar to Liam’s, and he was confident
her mate was related to him.

“Judging by how much it hurts, I’d say I knocked the dickens
out of it,” she muttered as she reached her hand back to touch the tender
area. “Am I bleeding?”

Again, Dimitri leaned over until he could get a better
look at the back of her head, even though he’d already done so once. “No, the
bleeding’s already stopped.”

When she didn’t respond, Dimitri pulled away to meet
her gaze. He wasn’t sure what to make of the expression on her face, but it
was a mix of confusion and distrust.

“Who are you and why are we in a cave?” She asked.

“I’m Dimitri and I’ve brought you here for safety,” he
nodded. “But we’ll have to move soon or else they’ll find us.”

“Who will find us?”

“My pack.”

“What do you mean, ‘my pack’?”

“My pack,” he repeated impatiently. “My alpha. My
family?”

He could almost see the gears working in her mind as
the girl’s mouth fell open and before he had a chance to say anything else, her
fist found a good sized rock nearby and it was colliding with his temple.

Dimitri cried out from a combination of surprise and
pain as he fell back, reaching his hand up to cradle the side of his head.

“Why did you do that?!” He asked as he closed his
eyes, groaning from the splitting headache he’d just received.

“You’re the wolf!” She exclaimed as she struggled to
stand up. “You tried to kill me!”

“No, I didn’t!” He argued as he opened one eye to look
at her, feeling the hot blood that was trickling down the side of his face. “I
saved you.”

So this was what he got for betraying his pack and
saving an ursithrope? Pain pulsated through his head as he moved onto his
knees, trying to push himself up with one hand as he felt his inner wolf
desperately trying to resurface.

No, no. Stay calm!
He pleaded as he steadied his
breathing.
She’s only frightened of us.

But the sudden kick to his ribs
made the wolf howl with anger and Dimitri clenched his teeth as he fought the
change. She was making it unbelievably difficult for him to protect her from
his beast when she was attacking him.

“Ah!” She cried out.

Dimitri’s head lifted quickly, forgetting his own pain
temporarily as he watched the girl fall to her knees. He could see the muscles
tensing beneath her soft skin as her eyes widened to the size of saucers, but
this time something else was scaring her. Her mouth fell open but no sound
escaped as her back arched and a tear slid down her cheek.

Oh no. No, no,
he pleaded silently as he kept
his eyes on her. She was going to shift on him. It would be a recipe for
disaster if she changed while he was battling to cling onto his human form. He
had only been able to save her because he didn’t feel threatened at the time,
but if he came face to face with her as a bear, the outcome could possibly be very
different.

“Control it,” he ordered as he moved closer to her.
“You can’t do this right now. Please.”