Chapter~36~Half truths cause whole pain.

Harley~

Nick pampered me in every way he saw fit, and I was loving it. One might not put a bounty hunter and an attentive caregiver in the same category, but I sure would now. After my bubble bath, he put me to bed and snuggled close to me, wrapping me in his cocoon as if I were his butterfly about to emerge. Delighted and satisfied, I closed my eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep; however, it didn't last long.

My eyes flew open as I woke in a cold sweat after finding myself alone in the delivery room. With no Ben or Nick by my side, I clung to Nick, only breathing again when I was sure it was just a dream. My eyes filled with tears, and I closed them as tightly as possible as I begged the goddess to hear my prayer. This had to be Nick's child growing inside of me; it just has to be!

'You don't need to get yourself so worked up, Harley. It isn't good for you or our baby. We will know for sure tomorrow, but it won't matter to Nick.'

'Maybe not right away, but eventually, he will care very much, Rae. If the baby doesn't look like him, act like him, or morph into a wolf like him. Nick will try to hide it and suffer for our benefit, but he will still always know the kid isn't his.'

'You don't know that the baby isn't Nick's or won't have a wolf; you are still a werewolf, a Lycan, and a guardian. The child is half of us, so it is possible it would help if you'd reconsidered letting them mark us.'

'I haven't stopped considering it yet, Rae. I have to be sure it is what Nick wants first.'

'That is tomorrow's problem; for tonight we should rest in peace, try to get some sleep, Harley.'

Bright and early Saturday morning, I called to check in with the captain, told him I had a hunch about where the stalker got the rope, and that I was going to check it out. After disconnecting the call, I looked over at Nick, and he had worry written all over his face.

"It's going to be ok, Nick. I will meet you in a bit and get the rope; keep in touch!"

Though he didn't have a response, his kiss told me his insides fell just as shaky as mine. My nosy downstairs neighbor is eyeing me suspiciously as I leave my apartment. I'm sure she's wondering where the man I came home with last night is. Not a lot goes on at the Seadowns Apartment complex that Mrs. Childers doesn't know about. Still, I smile friendly and wave as I get in my car.

We head to the northern Channel Islands, where Melinda still lives within her native community. As we pull into the drive, it's as if we've taken a step back in time; aside from the modern housing, Melinda's village is as close to a Native American reservation from decades ago as you'll find. 'This is it, Rae.'

'It's going to be ok no matter what we find or don't find. We should have done this when Lauren first appeared.'

'Shut it, Rae!'

It's a short walk into Melinda's village. I'm so engrossed with my natural surroundings that I don't realize I have made it until I see her waiting for me at the door of her lodge. We go in; the first thing that catches my attention is the big-ass fire blazing in the middle of the room, with no smoke or heat coming from it.

"It's good to see you again, Harley." Melinda embraces me.

"It's good to see you, too, Melinda."

"Come, sit." She leads me to the fire, where we sit Indian-style on the grass; only the grass feels like feathers, and the 'ground' beneath us isn't hard. "What brings you to me, Harley?"

"I need a vision quest."

"Alright, I must warn you going in; every quest is different and personal. You will take the path your spirit guides determine is most necessary. Good or bad, the quest doesn't discern."

I nodded my understanding. She got up and returned momentarily with a cup of what looked like blue slime. When the smell of it hit my nose, I nearly heaved. Melinda chuckled as she sat back down and handed me the cup. I was hesitant, not wanting to ingest something that might hurt my baby. As if she could read my mind!

"It won't harm your baby, Harley."

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious to the trained eye."

I held my breath and drank the blue goo. "Now, Harley, I want you to gaze at the fire. Don't take your eyes off of it."

She flicks her fingers at the flame, and it flares as if she'd just sprinkled gas on it. This time, I do feel the heat; in fact, my body is being sucked into the firepit, and when the fire spits me out, I'm in the middle of a dark space, but I hear voices, so I follow them. My pace quickens when I recognize my Wolfman's voice, though I do not know why he is here.

I stumbled-stopped as the darkness surrounding me lit up with scenes, each more horrible than the last, appearing as if an old-time movie theater projector had turned on. Nick is sitting casually with my father in his office. Though I couldn't hear them clearly, I knew they were talking about me. My father first slides Nick two stacks of banded hundreds, and I clutch my chest for fear my heart is coming up my throat.

Nick thumbed through the ends of the bills, a smile crossing his face, and he nodded, setting them aside. I gasped in horror, but it got worse; Ian then slid an envelope across the desk to Nick. He turned it upside down, and his FBI credentials slid out. Nick looked at the identification, put it back in the envelope, rose from the chair, and shook my father's hand.

One hand goes to my stomach, and the other covers my mouth as I try to back away. The reel keeps rolling, the view grows, and I am forced to watch. Again, I see Nick go inside a cafe and take a seat in front of a man; it takes a minute, but the man's face comes into focus, and it's my brother. Nick goes through the same process with Kyle. By the time they get to the handshake, I am on my knees begging for it to stop.

All coherent thought escapes me; my entire world and everything in it just came crashing down around me. Nick was on my father's payroll, and either he was playing my brother for a fool, or my brother was his accomplice. Either way, I was completely and utterly alone. I cry out to the universe or the goddess or whoever can save me.