We finally pulled off the hallway. I haven't been able to sleep, no matter how tired I was. I offered to drive because Nathan also looked like the Walking Dead, but he refused and insisted on driving because he actually knew where it was. Which I guess was right.
The gas station came into view and I had a horrible sense of deja-vu. In another small town just trying to get gas—let's hope this one isn't getting robbed.
I wasn't soaked anymore, but I was caked in crusted mud, head-to-toe. Nathan looked a lot better than I did because he didn't have to roll around in the mess, but still looked pretty dirty. As soon as we pulled up, he told me to go rinse off in the bathroom sink as he filled up the tank.
Familiar trees started surrounding us on the small, winding road. The small car we got was barely able to climb up this mountain, but slowly, it sputtered along the hills. I had mixed feelings about seeing the house again. I mean, if it was still standing and hidden, it's probably where Claire and Junto were hiding. But seeing that Blake was a Spiritwalker has started to disintegrate my hope. There was only one way to find out who survived, but I don't know if I could live with myself knowing I got my friends killed. Nathan cut the engine as we came to the front of the house. The beautiful garden was dead and deflated, void of any color. The ivy snaking around the structure were just dead vines and made the house look haunting.
My breathing ceased from breathing and fear made my heart stop as I read the paper. I fall back to the chair, clutching the letter in my hand. Hurriedly, I skim the other papers in the pile, each one confirming even more that Stephan Night was the man behind that dreadful night. I found the last letter in the stack.15 DecemberTo Stephan Night,I have made progress on my developments, and I am pleased to declare that I have succeeded on breaking the imprint bond. I would recommend that you proceed with the Gathering so we can get this done as quickly as possible.
“What did you just say to me?” I asked, taking a step away from Nathan and crossing my arms over my chest. “The Night Shade Pack. They all said you were dead. What are you doing here?” “I think I should ask you that,” Nathan rumbled behind me. Ryan straightened his spine and looked at Nathan. “Don't question my motives. Now tell me why you are here.” “What, rather than six feet under?” Nathan spat, moving a little closer to Ryan. I saw another impending f
I instantly felt utterly alone when Nathan left and hugged my body. I'll just be gone a couple minutes, I told myself and walked out the door. I crept back down the hallway, looking at the pictures and tables spewed out on the floor. Now that I knew what happened, it almost seemed more depressing walking down this hall. I stopped by my room and swung open the door. The comforter and sheets were throws on the floor and pillows disarranged from the front of the bed. The dresser was still set up next to the window, but the drawers were open and my clothes laid all over the floor. Worried, I marched straight up to one particular drawer and fumbled around for my notebook. I let out a breath of relief as I came across
Ryan insisted that their own safe house was only a few minutes away, but a half hour later, we were still following the black Corolla. The darkness had surrounded us, mist covering the world completely. The outlined objects off to the side of the road were nothing more than hidden shadows. Despite Nathan's protest, we still had to go to the Blackmoor pack house. Gabriel was only here to get us and none of their shelters were within a couple hours' drive. Which meant we were back to our original plan. I'm glad I wasn't the one driving. The only sign that Gabriel was in front of us was the occasional break lights, even with the headlights on. But Nathan probably saw the vehicle with no problem. And although he looked exhausted, he showed no sign of it while
There was only one bed in the room and Nathan insisted we share it. I said it was fine if I slept on the ground, but Nathan said that we had a long day ahead of us and we both deserved to have a good night rest. Grumpily, I agreed. I was too exhausted to hold a good argument. I barely showered and got my pajamas on before crashing onto the bed. It was a little bouncy, but I still fell asleep in seconds. I hardly noticed the mattress dipping down on the other side as Nathan slumped in after me. The scene that lay before me was nothing short of terrifying. The room looked to be a makeshift jail. Junto and Nathan were up against the wall, thei
“What?” I blinked. That was not at all what I was expecting him to say. “The night of the gathering. I called your phone because your fear was so strong I could feel it from where I was. But then your brother answered your phone and said you left it behind. I was going to go back when he said he just talked to Hyene and she said you were just fine.” I tilted my head, not understanding him completely. “But Junto was there for me when we pulled up. You were waiting for Claire.” Then I remembered what he said earlier. “You knew about our connection since the first day. Why did you go to the Gathering with
“Gabriel’s here,” Nathan said just as I was putting the last of my clothes in the bag. Nathan came back in and took his own bag, pulling it over his shoulder. We woke up at noon, a lot later than we thought we would be. It was a goo thing Gabriel was running late, because we weren’t actually ready to go until an hour after. I ran into the bathroom, having one last stop before our long trip on the road. For some reason, I felt really nervous about seeing the pack again. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see them again. Especially Claire.