Malevolence - Legacy Series Book Two (The Legacy Series) (15 page)

           
Oakley and I were lying on our side spooning on the couch.
 
I could feel the steady inhale and exhale of his breath on the back of my neck making it hard to concentrate on the movie.
 
My body was heightened with the feeling of his hand on my hip and his other arm as a pillow under my head.

           
“I’ve missed you Pru.
 
Lying here next to you, feeling your back pressed into my chest, and how your hair tickles my nose, makes me forget our time apart.
 
If it were in a different place, I’d roll you over onto your back and explore every inch of your gorgeous body.”
 
Oakley thought to me.

           
“
That would be pretty amazing, however we have our Great Wolf over there cutting some serious logs and Gus looks like he is enjoying himself some Angelina Jolie.”
I scooted to the edge and flipped myself so we would be chest to chest.
 
“I don’t see any reason we couldn’t kiss a little bit, I’m sure Gus is too busy fantasizing over there to even notice.
”
 
I closed my eyes and lifted my mouth, anticipating his lips to press against mine.
 
His hand reached behind leg and pulling it over his thigh.
 
I entwined my foot in between his legs and my arm around his back, almost as if I was trying to make us as one.
 
At first the kiss started out slow and sweet, he put his hand into the small of my back, pulling me as tight to him as possible.
 
The hunger behind his kiss fooled my brain into submission.
 
My thoughts were clear and impure, my heart jumping a beat with my temperature rising “
we have to slow down; we can’t do this right here.”
 
 
I pulled myself away from his embrace so fast I fell off the couch with a giant thud.
 
I curtsied and hurried into the kitchen to pop some popcorn before I had to explain myself to Oakley.

           
“Gus?
 
Have you used this microwave before?
 
I have no idea what buttons to push,” I said as I fumbled around pushing random buttons.
 
I felt hands on my waist and a loud “BOO!” in my ear. He scared me so bad I thought I peed my pants a little bit.
 
I turned around and smacked my assailant Gus.
 
“If you ever do that again, I will make sure you sing soprano for a year,” I said as I poked my finger into his chest.

           
“You can dish, but you can’t take.
 
I’ll be sure to wear a cup for the safety of my jewels.”
 
Gus said as he pushed the buttons on the microwave and the popcorn bag started rising up.

           
I took a deep breath and stepped in closer to him, “Gus, I can take whatever you want to give”, I whispered as I reached up and stroked his face.

           
He bent down and whispered in my ear, “be careful what you offer, little girl.”
 

           
“You’re full of yourself tonight. Ever call me a little girl again and I’ll teach you the meaning of little.” I turn away and strutted back to the living room with my bowl of popcorn.

           
Walking into the room, Oakley looked up at me with a quizzical look on his face. “You are still aware that I’m a werewolf with amazing hearing, right?”

           
“What?
 
I was popping popcorn.”
 
I sat next to him, scooting over to place the bowl in his lap.
 
I put a piece of popcorn in my teeth, leaning forward offering it to him.
 
His eyes glazed over and his hand went behind my head as he pulled me closer and gently took the popcorn with his teeth.
 
He swallowed it whole and pulled me in for a deep lingering kiss, the kind that made you forget your name.

           
He pulled back and whispered in my ear, “if you’re going to flirt with another pack-mate, make sure you aren’t in hearing vicinity.”

           
“I wasn’t flirting; I was talking and joking around.”
 
I leaned back on the couch, grabbing one of the sofa pillows and hugged it to my chest.

           
“Call it like you want, but in my book that is flirting.
 
I’m kidding with you P, don’t be sensitive.”
 
He reached over putting his hand under my chin and lifting my face to see him. “What’s wrong P.”

           
“I don’t know.
 
I think I’m a little homesick.
 
You have no idea how badly I’d like to sleep in my own bed for a change.
 
Tomorrow is my dad’s birthday, the first one since he died.
 
Everywhere I turn I feel like I hear him, or sometimes I smell his
Drakkar
cologne.
 
I
dunno
; I miss the way things were.”
 
I pulled the pillow in tighter, hoping it would hold my shattered heart in place.

           
“I know baby, it’s hard on all of us, but I know it’s even more so for you and Dolly.
 
You know you can always talk to me.”
 
Oakley said as he brushed a few hairs off of my face, tucking them behind my ear.
 

           
“I’m okay, go ahead and play the movie, I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
 

           
Oakley sat back on the couch, pulling me over to him. I placed my head on his chest and we watched a movie, like any other normal couple.
 
Funny to think that, since we’re anything but normal.

Chapter 18. Drugged

“Do you know, said the stranger, whilst he was getting up, who I am, and who it is whom you have helped on his legs again?” Deaths Messengers ~ Grimm’s Household Tales

           
We’d all gone to bed leaving Gus and my mom’s bodyguard Chad to take turns guarding the pack as we slept.
 
I was still having a hard time sleeping in the twin sized bed my room had to offer.
 
I was too embarrassed to tell anyone that I’d fallen out of it almost every night.
 
As I lay there waiting for sleep to claim me, I did my usual rituals.
 
I’d thank all of the elements of wind, fire, water and spirit for protecting our family.
 
I prayed for each member of the pack and all of the pack wolves in the world.
 
I even said a short prayer for all of the rogue wolves so they would find their way back to a pack.
 
I was confused about religion, not knowing if it helped or not but I figured it didn’t hurt anything.
 
My body relaxed and my thoughts trailing to Pascale, wondering what he was up to.
 
My body twitched and slumber was claiming me…when my phone received a text; at the same moment the phone to the house started ringing.
 
I heard the doorbell and its harsh ringing sound echo through the once silent house.
 
Everyone in the house was on guard, running to the front door to find who was visiting at two in the morning.

           
Chad answered the phone, I heard him call out to Dolly that she had a phone call.
 
Gus opened the door in time to catch the intruder as he collapsed face first into Gus’s arms.
 
Oakley and Gus carried the stranger into the common room setting him down on the floor to access his wounds.
 
Mom came running into the room telling everyone to be careful; this was the wolf that was left behind by the O’Connell pack.
 
All of us were tagged with a little micro-chip that could be tracked via
gps
.
 
Last winter the O’Connell pack flew in to Oklahoma from Ireland; they intended on taking Abel back with them.
 
After negotiations it was decided that Abel was staying with us.
 
Our I.T. guys were able to pull the chip info from everyone in their pack.
 
When one of the chips didn’t fly back to Ireland and stayed in Oklahoma, we kept tabs on his movement.

           
Physically, we didn’t see any damage but it was obvious something was wrong with him.
 
His tuxedo was too expensive to be hanging out in bars so I didn’t think he was drunk.
 
Mom came over with her medical kit in hand.

           
“Back up all of you, right now!”
 
Mom shouted at us.
 
“Pru, go into the dressing room, inside the right hand drawer is a bottle of ipecac syrup, grab it and bring it to me quickly.”
 

           
I ran as fast as I could and brought it back to my mom.
 
“What do you think is wrong?”
 
I asked.

           
“I don’t
think
it is anything, I
know
it is an herb poisoning.
 
He’s been poisoned with
wolfsbane
.”

           
The room collectively gasped in disbelief.
 
“Oh wow, will he survive?”
 

           
“I don’t know” mom said as she pointed to each of us and gave orders.
 
“Abel I need you to come over here and help me undress him.
 
As you take off his clothes, be sure to watch for any bruises or his veins looking like they are black.
 
You’ll know what I’m talking about the minute you see it.”
 
Mom pulled Abel’s hand as he knelt on the ground next to her.

           
“You’re afraid he’s developing sepsis aren’t you?”
 
Abel said as he unbuckled his elegant black belt that was hidden under his jacket.
 

           
I pulled off his shoes and helped mom hold him up so the guys could pull off his pants.
 
I heard a loud thud as something fell to the ground; I reached down and picked up the black leather wallet.
 
Thumbing through it I found his name to be Kenneth Bourne; his passport was recently stamped from New York to Paris, France.
 

           
“Faster boys, we’ve got to get him completely naked so I can monitor his progress.
 
The ipecac will make him vomit; I need to make sure that none of you get it on you.
 
You’ll be right here on the floor with him.” Mom said.
 
Her hands searched frantically through her medicine bag, pulling out a small vial and a dropper; she closed her eyes and said a small incantation.

           
“What are you suspecting?” I asked.

           
“It isn’t just wolfs bane that he has ingested, I think he has toad venom and if the venom is from an African toad, we are in for a ride.
 
Look right here on his upper shoulder, see the small hole?
 
Someone gave him a shot, and I’m guessing it was a lethal dose of wolfs bane and something else.” she smacked her forehead and said, “Pru, go into the kitchen and boil some water in the microwave - not a lot, maybe three ounces.
 
Gather up some Rosemary, Thyme, Nettle Leaf, Valerian Root, Hawthorne, Kava
Kava
, and a jalapeño.
 
I’ll measure it; you put it on a tray and bring it to me.
 
I think he has about ten more minutes before he is dead.
 
Run!”

           
“I’ll help Pru, Gus will help Abel.
 
Where is Chad?”
 
Oakley said.

           
“He’s outside patrolling the area, checking for any clues he can find.
 
We don’t have time to chat, go help Pru get that stuff together.”
 
Dolly said.