Beasthood (The Hidden Blood Series) (45 page)

             
Jaz cringed. “Lovely...” she muttered facetiously.

“
That's not even the half of it. Trust me, you don't want to know how we think.” Jaz flashed Nik a startled look. “Yes, we all think that way, it doesn't mean we act on it. But we're probably one of the most civilized Pack in this country. The arena is no place for anyone they can prey on.”

“
I'm not a victim, or prey. I have a right to be there.”

             
Kelda dropped in, “I'm not being funny Skin, but you're new to this Pack- this
whole
world- and they'll see you as a little puppy. A pretty untouched, unclaimed puppy. Because you care about Nik, you may as well be wearing a 'Pack Leader's pet' t-shirt. The fact that he'll definitely miss his 'pet' if someone decided to mess with it, with you, I mean.” She added as if Jaz hadn't worked out who his 'pet' was. “Well it would be too much to resist for some of them.” She looked squarely at Jaz then glanced from person to person as she said, “I mean let's all face facts. We know what we're all thinking but won't say out loud. You both have feelings for each other,” she focused on Nik and Jaz.

             
Nik's glare from across the room shut her right up. If he hadn't, Jaz would have thrown the nearest thing at her instead.

             
Jaz avoided Nik's eyes as she declared,“I'm
sick
of these rumours. I'm flattered you guys are concerned for me but it's really unnecessary. I don't know why I s-smell this way, but it isn't what you think. I've already told Swain and anyone else who asks me, and this is the last time I'm gonna say this. I don't love Nik. I
care
about him very much. And it's only natural. He was everything to my sister. They were in love, and because me and Lora had such a powerful connection, some of the bond she shared with Nik may have just rubbed off on me. So I've become close to him because of it. That might be what my scent is really saying. We're good friends, nothing more. And I want to be there for him. For Lora. I owe her that much.” She looked up into his face then, with pained eyes, pleaded, “
Please
let me go.”

             
His jaw slid to one side, thinking, maybe considering her request.

             
But he simply said, “No. You stay.”

                                                                                                  *

              She dialled Nik's number after hovering her fingers over the buttons for the past half hour. When he picked up he didn't speak.

             
She exhaled. “I get why you won't let me go, okay?”

“
Okay,” he replied, not giving any inkling of what was going on inside his head.

             
She massaged her temple in irritation, resting the side of her face on her thumb and fingers. “I just want to know something.” She waited. He was silent so she continued. “Do they know?”

             
She thought she'd have to elaborate but he answered, “They know you're the same as them. You just haven't Changed yet. They suspect you and me are an item, though it was always something people thought might happen because of... after Lora...well, you proved them wrong anyway.” He spoke in a way that made her confused of his feelings on the subject. She sighed heavily. He then said, “You spend more time with them. Why ask me?”

“
Because if they suspected anything, wouldn't they come to you?” He 'hmm'ed. After a short moment she inquired, “Is there something
wrong
with my smell?” She was surprised when Nik laughed through the phone.

“
Sorry,” he breathed. He cleared his throat. She smiled but her brow remained furrowed. “I don't know if it something mystical or whatever, but we can read things in the scent of others. Especially in their blood. Although even for me, I've not smelt anything in your scent to suggest... otherwise.” Jaz nodded, knowing he couldn't say her 'possible hybrid blood' aloud in case someone was listening. “But there are a few females in a Pack who like we said, if they form an attraction with a particular male, especially the Pack Leader, sometimes they can be scented out.

“
And they're usually strong, powerful women, with protection, status and a lifetime of training. You have a huge disadvantage there.

“
I also believe because you and Lora are a rarity, two twins alive into adulthood, that might also be why you have a slightly different scent. It could be like you said, that they might sense your strong link to me because of Lora and misunderstand the connection. People have already done that as you know.”

             
As he said this, he was thinking back to her response to Kelda. That they didn't have feelings for each other. She'd made it sound so convincing it had left a cold, sickness in his chest. But now was not the time for his emotions.

“
So it's not accurate then?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“
No. It's a feeling. A sense. But that makes it worse. People speculate, judge. And if the wrong people know, or think they know someone's weakness, especially someone like me, well, that's not good.”

             
Jaz scowled, ignoring the tears that were watering her eyes. “What do you care anyway? If you lose the fight, you won't have to worry about anything anymore,” she retorted.

“
I'll always worry. Alive or dead, I'll always worry about you.”

             
She couldn't find a response for that. The sensation of nails pressing, digging, into her chest was too distracting.“I've gotta go.”

             
She hung up and didn't sleep that night, drifting in and out. Dreaming of drowning in blood.

~
Chapter 38-
Set~

Friday, July 1
st
, Early Morning.

             
The day of the fight came too soon.

             
It was set for midday. But Jaz had gotten up before six after giving up trying to sleep. Only to find to her horror and fury, she had been put under official house arrest.

             
Two guards were standing watch outside.

             
She wished it was bitterly cold, and the sky was pelting with hailstones the size of melons. But it was twenty eight degrees and sticky. Her 'Life's A B****' t-shirt was glued to her dripping back. She wriggled uncomfortably as a droplet of sweat left a trail between her breasts.

             
She sat on the sofa, facing the front door. Her foot repeatedly tapping against the coffee table it rested on. Her arms folded so tightly she lost the feeling in her hands.

             
Edda stayed with her for two hours and then left just after eight-thirty when the silence dragged on. She'd tried to convince her that Nik was doing it for her own protection but the words fell on very pissed off ears.

             
When she was alone she muttered, “How could he? That bastard. I wasn't planning on escaping. He can't even trust me.” She stood up, pacing back on forth across the room.

             
She stormed over to the fridge-freezer and opened the freezer, pulling out the pot of double chocolate fudge ice-cream. It was for special treats. Now was as good a time as any for sugary comfort food.

             
She slumped on the sofa and scoffed the lot whilst watching Miss Congeniality.

             
Two hours after the movie finished, she was just coming out of the shower, dressed in fresh pajamas when she was alerted to the sound of frantic, hushed knocking on the door.

             
She jumped out of her skin, straining her ears to listen, thinking she'd imagined it. The knocking came again, more urgent this time, and she rushed to the door, opening it slowly, leaving only a small gap for her to see through.

             
Alf was standing there, a little breathless, a determined look in his eyes. She opened the door wider to find the two guards slumped unconscious on the floor.

“
Help me carry them in,” Alf breathed. Jaz stared, her astonishment swallowing up her words. “Skin, come on!”

             
She jumped into action lifting up Leif, a Pack member 'with the gift of the gab' Alf mumbled as he grabbed his shoulders, and she dragged in his legs until he was sprawled onto the living room. Leif had jet black hair and a soft cream pallor. He was half Japanese, slim and gigantically tall, Jaz saw from the length he took in the room.

             
The other unfortunate man was Garth, who Jaz had worked under during the barbecue construction. He had tight sun-bleached curls, in a short cut, and bronzed, freckled skin. He was bulkier, and much heavier, than Lief. Jaz nearly dropped him twice on the short trek to the living room.

             
When she caught her breath, with her hands propped on her hips, she then opened them out and demanded, “What the hell is this?”

             
Alf looked up at her with a hard mouth. “I have a bad feeling.”

“
Seriously? Okay, give me a heads up next time you have a bad feeling in case you try to smash
my
skull in instead.”

“
I'm serious Skin.”

             
From the hard look in his big eyes she knew he was. “Tell me.”

             
He said it was small things he'd noticed. A slight change in the food menu that day, from the night before. Only it seemed to only affect Nik. For some reason, the cook had changed Nik's menu, apparently due to a few things going missing.

             
The cook, Ron, who mainly served for council members, or special dinners had been throwing up all night and morning. Alf had gone to investigate and heard him mention through his repeated vomiting fits that he'd not eaten anything bad, no one else had gotten sick. “But,” he added, “he said last night, he'd been test-tasting the new food he'd planned to serve for Nik. A bone soup dish was his second choice when the steak went missing. Nik had it this morning.”

“
I'm not sure what you're-”

“
I think someone's poisoned Nik.”

             
Jaz's eyes widened. “How do you know? Is he okay?”

“
I don't know. I haven't seen him since this morning, just before he left.”

             
Jaz slapped her hand to her forehead. “Shit, what time is it?” She glanced for the first time at the clock. It read 2:45 p.m. “Of course, they're there already. They were supposed to be there
by
midday right? So... he's already in the arena?”

             
Alf nodded gravely.

             
She'd been so mad at Nik she'd forgotten to be worried for him. She'd purposely ignored the clock on the mantelpiece. Maybe that had been his plan all along? “Well can't you call someone, find out if he's sick?”

“
They don't allow phones or any technology in the arena. In case it can affect the outcome in anyway.”

“
Morons,” Jaz scoffed. She thought for a moment then gazed at him inquiringly. “Why would anyone run off with a steak?”

             
Alf shrugged. “Maybe it's easier to put poison in a soup?”

             
Jaz bit her bottom lip. “Have you told anyone?”

“
Yes, but I don't have proof. It's just a gut feeling. Our most basic instinct is to use that feeling, but when it actually counts, like our Leader possibly being weakened so Kain stands a chance at fighting him- which now shows his whole standing up against us actually makes sense- well, they won't do anything about it. Because they're more concerned about me disrupting the duel than his possible death.”

“
Like I said... morons.” Alf cocked his head sideways as he nodded in agreement. “What if we're already too late?”

“
We'd feel it,” he replied gravely. Jaz involuntarily shivered. If it was anything resembling how she'd known Lora had died she wouldn't stand it. “We need to go.” 

“
I want to... but after what you guys said-” she hesitated.

“
I need you there, to help me to catch their attention if I'm right. And you're the only one I trust. Because you'd do anything for Nik.”

“
Not,
anything
.”

“
Anything that matters.”

             
She couldn't argue with that.

             
She changed her clothes and met Alf out back by climbing out her bedroom window. So no one saw her leave. Though she didn't know how to hide the fact the guards weren't outside, but knocked out on the floor in her living room.

             
As she climbed out her bedroom window, she nearly screamed when Alf caught her.

             
He stifled a snigger. “Sorry. Here.” He handed her a small spray bottle with a clear-ish liquid inside.

“
What's this?”

“
Scent blocker.”

             
Jaz eyed the bottle and them him dubiously as she took it. “Will it work?”

             
He inhaled deeply. Jaz squirmed a little when she realized he was sniffing her scent.

“
You showered this morning.” She nodded slowly. “And you're bleeding is less. I can barely smell it. About what it would normally be.”

             
The way he said it made Jaz feel it was accusatory. She inhaled sharply, despite her cautioning inner voice.

             
He leaned forward. Jaz's neck muscles stiffened, her tendons protruded as she tipped her neck and head back the closer he got. When she couldn't lean back anymore he stopped inches from her face. “I know. I've known a while. I promise you no one else does. I've always made them believe otherwise. And always will.” After a moment she finally breathed and swallowed. The lump was very obvious in her tight neck. “Now spray this. It should mask your scent enough.” After a moment of studying his face, she sprayed it all over her. Alf helped spray it on her back. “Okay. Now getting there will take three hours or so on foot. But I know a quicker way.”

“
A car?”

“
Nope. Someone will notice.” He led her ahead into the thick curtain of the trees. “Okay. Wait there.”

             
She watched his back disappear into the shadows until she couldn't hear him move anymore.

             
She waited for what seemed like hours. Several times she thought she heard him breathing heavily but wasn't sure if it was her mind playing tricks. She used her nose to sense any unwanted guests but no one came.

             
The sun was starting to lower in the sky now, disappearing behind thick clouds and making this part of the woods gloomier by the minute. After five minutes or so, she heard a rustling in the trees where Alf had headed. “Alf?” she whispered.

             
She listened carefully to the footfalls. They sounded heavier. And wider. Not like a man's boots. But a Beast's paws. She immediately tensed. She heard him before she saw him, inch by inch approaching her, his animal head down.

             
She observed him, feeling her fear subsiding.

             
It was Alf. He would never hurt her. She told herself that over and over again.

             
She released the breath she'd been holding captive and studied the fine blonde hairs on his body.

             
He was naked (which made Jaz blush a little) -he had his clothes tied in a bundle around his waist-  but his privates seemed to be protected and concealed by a layer of skin and thick hair. His back hair was also thicker spiking up like a mane. His jaw was longer, pointing downwards like a lion. His teeth were large and the canines protruded from his upper lip. His face was covered in fine hair, his nose had flattened also like a big cat and the skin was crinkled. His whole coat looked velvety and thick.  His blonde head of hair was the same length as his human hair but wilder and thicker. His eyes were the same ocean blue, bright and gentle and looking right at her.

             
She exhaled loudly. “Okay... so what am I supposed to do? I can't Change yet.”

             
He made a motion with his head, cocking it back. A noise escaped his mouth but she understood it as, “
Get on.”

             
She sized out his broad back that looked about ten feet high, but was probably only half that, with nothing to hold onto.“Er...” He made the same noise again. “Okay. But I'm gonna pull your hair out holding on.”

“
It's stronger than you think.”

             
She awkwardly climbed on, finding a clump of thick hair at the base of the 'mane' which made a pretty good pommel.

“
Hold on, tight.”

             
She tucked her ankles into his sides, squeezing her thighs in and leant forward, gritting her teeth.

             
She lost her breath when he set off, flying through the trees like a silent banshee. She was so amazed at how quiet he was. And how smooth the ride. But one wrong move and she'd fall, maybe breaking her neck if she smashed into a tree. She held on as hard as she could, to a point where she thought she was bruising Alf's sides. If she was, he didn't complain.

             
The sensation of the wind's fingers trailing through her hair, down her neck and across her cheeks was exhilarating. She felt like she was flying. Alf's grunts as he moved were like the soothing repetitions of a steam train's wheels.

             
But after twenty minutes, her legs started cramping and her thighs felt like they had been sandblasted. When her breathing came out in painful gasps, Alf growled to her questioningly to see if she wanted him to stop. She grunted, “No.” So he carried on.

             
Forty minutes later they arrived at a small shack in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by overgrown fields and Alf halted. 

             
Jaz got off rather inelegantly, then her legs gave way and she fell to the floor. She sat there, grass blades digging into her sore behind as she tried to massage blood flow into her legs. Her fractured jaw was aching like mad and she wished she was wearing her bandage again. As she rubbed it soothingly, Alf brushed his nose against her cheek, and she stroked the hair on his forehead. “I'm fine,” she sighed glancing at her yellow watch that read 4:12 p.m.