Cold Blood (26 page)

Alex repositioned the stake in his hand, and I caught a gleam of metal on the tip as it began to arc through the air and cut a path towards the wolf.

The Were came, teeth first, but Alex spun and deflected it easily. The stake grazed fur but didn’t penetrate. Alex completed the turn and rammed his fist into the Were as it went by, sending it flying forward, legs sprawled. It was completely off balance and Alex took full advantage. He ran and leapt at the Were, stake extended, and caught the Were in the stomach. There was a definite hiss in the air as the stake pushed through fur and into flesh.

Alex pulled his stake free and stood, looking down at the Were. It was trying to get up and move away as Alex stalked towards its head, but it faltered. It couldn’t seem to put weight on its front left paw and blood was already seeping heavily from the stomach wound.

Alex showed no reaction to the Were’s injury, at least not outwardly. He walked right up to the Were and stood over it, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I had the distinct impression that if I could, I would see the same killing intent there that I had in the pack.

He didn’t hesitate or give the Werewolf any chance at last words. He simply reached down and plunged his stake into the Were’s shoulder, yanking on it to move it through the heart.

The Were jerked once and opened its mouth in a silent growl and then went slack. Its eyes were open but unfocused and pointing towards me.

Something rippled in the air and then it was still. I could only watch–and wonder if this was what it had been like when I’d killed Leo. I couldn’t remember anything except the ice cold, excruciating pain of it.

I felt the air ripple again as the stake was pulled free.

Chapter Twenty Four

“
You want to tell me what the hell made you come out here alone?”

I didn’t answer.

“
Or why you decided to try and fight an entire pack of Werewolves who don’t enjoy killing unless it’s slow and painful?”

I kept my eyes averted. If I looked up, I knew I’d be drawn back to the empty stare of the Werewolf pack leader where he lay bleeding in the dirt. All I could think was that it was almost me, glassy eyed and lifeless in the middle of the woods. It was almost me…

“
Tara, dammit!” Alex stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the river, and crouched down until we were eye to eye. “Answer me!”

I brought my eyes to his and saw the coldness in his stare give way to something else. I wasn’t sure what, but something hot and dangerous looked back at me.

I swallowed, and focused on his eyes instead of his mouth. I suddenly felt stupid for what I’d done, which only made me angry. “It was dumb. I was dumb,” I said. “Is that what you want to hear? Or thank you for saving me, how about that one?”

His eyes flashed, and his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. I wasn’t sure if it was from the fight or from being so angry with me. He leaned closer. I blanched, sure he was going to kiss me, and not sure if I’d be able to stop him right now with my heart pounding so hard in my chest and the panic of near-death still in my veins. But he stopped an inch away and did something completely unexpected.

He sniffed.

Then he sat back. “Huh.”

“
What?”

“
You smell like…”

He didn’t finish, and I was sure I didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t let it go. “Like what?”

“
Well, like them, a little,” he admitted.

“
Probably because the alpha over there rubbed himself all over me and drooled a little for good measure,” I said.

Alex nodded, really slow, and I knew neither of us was convinced with that answer; but now wasn’t the time.

“
Did they hurt you?” he asked. His voice was quieter now and whatever had been in his eyes was cooling.

I allowed myself a deep breath. “No. I mean, yeah, some scratches. No teeth, though, so I’ll be fine.”

“
Good. Can you walk?”

“
I think so.”

“
Let’s get going then. I really don’t want to wait around to see if there are more on standby.”

“
You think?” I asked, stricken with the idea.

I was sort of ashamed I hadn’t thought of it, but Alex was right. Even if the rabid pack was taken care of, Miles would surely be sending someone else to check on me any minute; I was running late for our little reunion. And after what had just happened, I was in no shape to carry out my plan.

“
Let’s get out of here,” Alex said.

I nodded and let him help me to my feet. When I was sure I was steady enough, we headed through the trees. On the other side was a path I hadn’t seen on my way in. Probably because it had been pitch black. Alex led me onto the path and we veered around and splashed across a shallow portion of the river, downstream from my rendezvous point. The path was leading us straight towards town.

“
Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked, slowing my steps and hesitating.

“
We don’t have a choice. If we stay in the woods we risk another attack–and you’re not up for that.”

“
Yeah but…” I wanted to say that Miles was that direction but I wasn’t ready to admit to my real reason for being out here yet.

“
You need to get cleaned up. We’ll get a room and then rent a car to drive back to school.”

My shoulders sagged in relief at the mention of a hot shower. Alex must’ve taken my reaction for disappointment, though, because he glanced at me with something close to sympathy.

“
I know it’s a lot to handle right now, but it’ll get better. You should really stand up to Victoria. Let her know not to mess with you,” he said. “I’m sure she’d back off.”

I gaped at him. “You think this is about bullying? You think I ran away?”

“
Didn’t you?”

I bit back a laugh because for now, until I worked up the nerve to tell him why I was really here, it was as good excuse as any. “Okay,” was all I said. “Let’s get to that shower.”

Alex nodded, and we started walking again.

Less than an hour later, we were unlocking the door to a motel room that wasn’t exactly five stars but smelled clean, as long as you didn’t mind the scent of mildew mixed with bleach. Alex still hadn’t asked me more about what I was doing here so I hadn’t asked him how he’d found me. I figured it was sort of a mutual understanding and tried not to think about what I’d tell him when he ended the truce and demanded answers.

I walked inside and clicked the door shut. I eyed the single bed, did my best to ignore the weird ping I got in my chest, and headed for the bathroom.

“
Wait,” Alex called to my back. “Your shirt is pretty shredded. Here, let me.”

He came up behind me and began picking and peeling at the fabric on my back. I watched through the mirror as he grimaced with each poke and pull, and bit my lip against the pain. The blood must’ve dried on the scratches, making the shirt stick in places, because peeling it off wasn’t easy. When all the small pieces had been removed, Alex met my gaze through the mirror.

“
Lift up your arms.”

I felt his fingers go around the fabric and gently pull up. The shirt caught a couple of times, and I made a face, but Alex managed to pull it free and work it up over my head and arms. He dropped it into the trash can and met my gaze again, still hovering close behind me.

I stood in full view of him, in only a bra and beat up jeans, and I knew I should’ve moved away, but I didn’t. I stared back at him, caught in his expression. He’d made it a point not to let his eyes wander from mine, which I found frustrating and sweet at the same time. A part of me wanted him to let his eyes roam over my body, but the other part of me knew where that could lead – and knew better.

“
Thanks.” My voice came out in a hoarse whisper, but it was enough to shatter the tension.

Alex nodded and turned away, his face carefully blank.

“
I’ll find you some clothes,” he said, scooping up the room key and heading for the door.

I walked into the bathroom and closed the door, leaning against it and just breathing. What had happened out there? We hadn’t even touched but it felt no less powerful than if we had.

I peeled off my jeans and dropped them in a heap on the floor, hoping Alex was true to his word about finding me clothes. Cambria wasn’t going to be happy when she realized I’d ruined her roommates outfit. She might not let me borrow anymore. I’d have to get Alex to take me to a clothing store in town before he took us back to school – and I’d have to use my emergency cash so my mother wouldn’t find out.

The water finally waned from hot to warm and I shut it off, my skin flushed pink from the heat and the steam. It was the best shower I’d had in weeks. It didn’t get this hot in the drafty dorm bathrooms at Wood Point.

From the other side of the door I heard, “I’m back.”

I hurried to dry off.

I debated whether I could walk out in nothing but a towel without my face bursting into red hot flames when there was a sharp rap on the door. I yanked the towel around me as the knob turned and the door slid open a crack.

“
Here,” Alex grunted. He shoved some fabric through the opening, careful to keep his face turned away.

It was a motel-issue robe; once made of soft, fresh terry cloth, it now looked like a worn, faded washcloth. I looked up to mutter a “thanks,” but the door had already closed.

I pulled the robe on, used the towel for my hair, and eased out into the room. There was a full length mirror outside the bathroom door, and I caught sight of my reflection. I went closer and pulled the neckline of the robe aside, inspecting the puncture wounds on my shoulders left by the Werewolf’s claws. They were small and had already stopped bleeding, but they stung and ached like I’d been punched. Repeatedly.

The pain radiated out onto my arms and chest, so I pulled the robe a little further down and gasped. I was a collage of bumps, bruises, and scrapes. Some were newly forming, so they were blue and swollen, but some – thanks to my speedy healing – were yellow, gross, and looked three days old. I looked like a painter’s palette.

“
Feeling better?”

I turned and found Alex watching me, frowning at the sight of the bruises and cuts.

“
Yeah, thanks,” I said, trying to decide whether I could sit on the bed without revealing too much. The robe suddenly felt very small.

“
Let me see,” he said, walking closer, eyes on my shoulders.

I braced myself against a shiver when I caught sight of his expression. It wasn’t passionate or suggestive or any of the emotions you might see in a guy who had a semi-naked girl in front of him. It was soft and gentle and made me wonder how in the world I’d ever overlooked this Alex. Or how different things might be if this were the version of himself he always carried.

He stood in front of me and waited, almost like he was asking for permission. Without a word, I pulled the fabric aside, revealing my wounds. My skin felt overly exposed under his sharp gaze, but I didn’t feel embarrassed or self-conscious.

Alex examined the wounds with the intensity of a scientist with his microscope. At one point, he pressed against a bruise and I winced. He pulled back and continued the rest of his exam without further contact.

A minute later, he walked away, and I felt some sort of loss I couldn’t explain.

He came back and produced a tube of antibiotic cream. He rubbed a small amount into the open cuts on my shoulders and bandaged them with gauze. I waited for the tension, like before, but his expression remained blank and his demeanor was precise and brisk–like a doctor.

When he was finished, he stepped back and his gaze swept over the rest of me. He frowned, and I wondered if he’d felt any of the sweeping heat and emotion that I had while he’d examined me. If he did, there was no trace of it now.

“
Looks like you had quite a workout before I got there. Care to tell me about it yet?”

“
If I say no, will you leave me alone or keep asking until I give in?”

“
What do you think?”

I cocked my head to the side, not ready to answer. “How did you find me?”

He shook his head. “You snuck off school grounds. By yourself. Got attacked. Almost died.” He crossed his arms. “That means you go first.”

I stared back at him, pretending to think it over. My mind raced as I tried to figure out what story to give him. The ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips.

“
And don’t give me that bull shit about meeting Wes like you told Cambria,” he said.

“
She ratted me out. That’s how you knew?”

He shook his head again, refusing to answer. “You first.”

“
All right, fine.” I decided to come out with it. If there was anyone I knew who’d be on my side about my fighting alone, it was Alex. “I’m here for Miles.”

“
Miles?” Alex’s eyebrows shot up and his arms fell away. He apparently hadn’t seen that coming. “What about him?” His eyes narrowed, and I knew I’d better talk fast.

t="0" w"
He called me yesterday and left me a message. He said I should meet him instead of waiting for him to come get me.” I started to pace back and forth in the small space between the bed and the door. “He didn’t say why but I think something must’ve happened to spook him. Anyway, he said to come here, to the edge of town, and he’d call me with further instructions on where to meet up.”

“
So, you decided to rush right into it. Head first.” Alex sat on the bed, stiff and impatient. He’d gone back to glaring at me. “You never even thought to ask for help, did you? Just had to be the hero.”

“
Of course, I thought about it,” I said. “I thought about how unfair it would be to ask any of you to come. Cambria, Logan… they don’t deserve this kind of danger. And you…”

“
What about me? I don’t deserve it, either?”

“
My best chance was going alone. Miles won’t hurt me. He wants me alive. I can get close enough to him to end this. Any other way would’ve meant more violence. This was easiest.”

“
Uh-huh. And how’d that work out for you?”

I sighed, putting all my frustration into it. “Obviously, not well. But those Werewolves weren’t sent by Miles. They ambushed that clearing and killed Miles’ guy before I had a chance to stop them. I took out as many as I could before…Well, you know the rest. So, thanks for that.”

“
If they weren’t sent by Miles, then who were they?”

He’d completely ignored my thank you, which grated on me, but I bit my tongue. I wouldn’t say it again. “I don’t know. The one who had me pinned said something about a mistake and death being the only way to right it. I think I did something to piss them off.”

Now it was his turn to get up and pace. “Great. Just great. You’re a magnet, you know that? Damn.”

He ran a hand over his face and the gesture, combined with those words, reminded me of Wes. For a moment, the emptiness I felt was more painful than the aching and stinging of my wounds, and I couldn’t even see Alex’s face in front of me. Only a mental image of Wes. Of the way he’d looked on our last day together before I’d come to school.