Emerald Eyes (26 page)

When Chuck didn’t make it to the reservation right away, Indian Joe went looking for him. Chuck wasn’t at his cabin, and he wasn’t at the store, but Joe finally found him, just before dawn, lying in the bed of his truck that had been parked at an angle on a back road that led to the reservation. His clothes were in tatters in the floor of the cab. It disturbed Joe greatly that there was dried blood on Chuck’s legs and arms, but what really got his attention, was the fact that Chuck’s left arm was out of socket. Only something more powerful than a werewolf could have managed that – a vampire!

“Oh…no…” the old Indian mumbled under his breath. “You tangled with Devin Knight, didn’t you?”

Joe leaned over the side of the bed and laid a gentle hand on his son-in-law’s left leg. “Chuck! Chuck! Wake up!”

Chuck woke with a start, eyes popping open, confused. Then he yelled out and grabbed his dislocated shoulder with his other hand. “Jeezze!”

“We need to take care of that right away,” Joe stated. “It is already badly swollen. The longer we wait, the worse it is going to get.”

Chuck sat up, face contorted in pain. “Holy shit!” he winced. “Gawd! What did I do?”

“I believe you tangled with something a little stronger than you.”

“Say what? What are you talking about?”

“That’s not all, Chuck. That is not dried mud on your limbs.”

Chuck took inventory of himself. “Shit! Blood!”

“Even if it is yours, any cuts would have healed by now, but I have the feeling it isn’t your blood. And I seriously doubt that it is Devin Knight’s. Although it seems you pissed him off enough to pull your arm out of socket.” The old Indian held Chuck’s gaze firmly. He didn’t want to verbalize what he believed had happened.

Chuck caught the meaning in his friend’s statement. “You mean…Oh God! No!”

“We don’t know for sure. But you need to prepare yourself for the worst, son.” He went around and took down the gate of the truck and jumped in. “First things first.” Without giving Chuck time to think about it, Joe gently picked up Chuck’s dislocated arm and then, placing one hand on Chuck’s shoulder and bracing his knee into Chuck’s ribs, he gave a strong yank. There was a loud pop and Chuck screamed out. But the arm was now back in socket.

“
Shi-it!”
Chuck reached up and massaged his shoulder with his other hand.

“Now,” Joe said, “I have some clothes for you in my pickup. He hurried over to his parked vehicle and grabbed the change of clothes he had gotten from Tickling Feather and tossed them in the bed of Chuck’s truck. “Get dressed. Then follow me to the reservation. Tickling Feather is very worried about you.”

“But what about…”

The old Indian gave him a dark look.

“Madison? I need to know if I did hurt her.”

“I do not believe that is a good idea. I understand your concern, but if you did hurt her, Devin will more than likely not hesitate to kill you the next time he sees you. And I have a distinct feeling he’s not going to wait until you transition again.”

“Yeah…You’re probably right. But if I did hurt her, can’t say I don’t deserve it.”

“
Chuck! I will not listen to that kind of talk! Get dressed and follow me!”

With a nod of his head, Chuck indicated that he would. He had taxed the old Indian’s patience. Still, he couldn’t help worrying about Madison. He silently prayed that he hadn’t killed her…Or caused her to lose the baby.

“Oh…shit!” he mumbled to himself as he climbed into the cab of his truck. “Please let her and the baby be all right!” He started up his truck then, as Indian Joe was pulling out and waving strongly for him to follow. It hit him then that he did not remember driving the truck here. He had been at the cabin with Ticking Feather the last he could recall. Somehow, he must have transitioned back and forth at least a couple of times during the night, without any recollection of doing so. This was not good! Not good at all!

Eleven

Madison needed human blood for her first feeding, but it would be extremely difficult to get into a blood bank during the daylight. Devin suggested that their best bet was that she feed on a live human. Her heart and mind still thinking in human terms, but her body having the powerful urges and thirst of a vampire, Madison admitted she had qualms about the whole thing, but she thirsted to the point of losing her sanity. She was weak from lack of nourishment, so Devin had her stay just inside the Lady’s restroom in the back of the little gas and grocery while he remained invisible just to the right of the Men’s.

At last, a young man pulled up, obviously in his early twenties and in good shape, and got out to get gas. He set the handle on automatic and went around to the left side of the establishment towards the men’s bathroom. Devin slipped inside with him, and just as the young man finished peeing, Devin materialized, startling him. But quicker than lighting, Devin had his hand over the man’s mouth and compelled him not to be afraid and to walk outside as though nothing was wrong and, after making sure no one was around to see, to go into the Lady’s bathroom.

The young man did just as he was told, opened the door and walked in where Madison stood waiting for him. Devin slipped in behind him. “Go ahead, my love. Feed!”

She glanced at him unsure for a second, but then her eyes immediately fell to the man’s neck. It was instinctual. In a blur, she had the man by the neck, drinking in hungrily, stopping only when Devin convinced her that if she didn’t control herself she would kill the young man. She pulled back. “Gawd! That was the best stuff I’ve ever tasted!” Much stronger now from feeding, she cut her now bright eyes around to Devin’s. “Thank you!”

“I think you should thank the gentleman, Madison,” he said, showing a hint of amusement at her reaction.

She snapped her head around. The poor man was now sitting on the toilet, looking very pale and weak. “Thank you!” she said.

“Now compel him to forget everything that happened.”

“How do I do that?”

“Just look deeply into his eyes, my sweet. Your mind…Your will…is stronger than his. Tell him he doesn’t remember what happened, but to walk into the store after we leave and tell them to call an ambulance. He was attacked by a big animal, but couldn’t see what it was. Passed out.”

She did as she was told. Then they waited and watched as the young man weakly made his way around the building, steadying himself along with his hands on the wall and into the store. They could hear him telling the young woman inside that he needed an ambulance and gave her his cell phone to make the call. Soon as the woman made the call, they flashed home.

“I have to know if Madison’s all right or not!” Chuck stated emphatically to Indian Joe, who was telling him to stay away from her.

Tickling Feather just stood there in her grandfather’s kitchen, observing them, eyes misted over, not knowing what to think or what to do. “I think you should listen to my grandfather, Chuck.”

He stared at his young wife. She deserved better. This wasn’t her fault. He shouldn’t have married her, but how was he to know he was going to start transitioning at basically anytime. He blew out air. “Okay. I won’t go. But will one of you go? Please!”

“I will,” Ticking Feather said without reservation.

“No!” her grandfather protested. “Too dangerous. Even though Devin Knight has been living among humans for some time now, and seemingly without really harming anyone, doesn’t mean he won’t start. Not if Madison is really hurt. Or worse, dead.”

“Gawd!” Chuck ran his hands through his hair and dropped them down. “You think she really might be dead?”

“There was a lot of blood on your clothes, Chuck. We must face the possibility. Also, you must consider this. If she was hurt really badly to the point of dying, he may have changed her to save her.”

“Shi-it!” he hissed and spun around momentarily, trying to grasp everything without totally losing it, and then turned back. “Okay…But that is even more reason to know what happened. If you don’t go, I am! And that is all there is to it!”

“Okay, Chuck. I will go. But don’t you dare leave the reservation. You stay here with Tickling Feather.”

“What if I start to change? It is a possibility, you know. Tonight’s the actual full moon. And being upset as I am God only knows what can happen.”

“I will have a couple of our young men stay with you until I get back.”

Chuck glanced at his wife. That idea seemed to be a good one for her. She smiled encouragingly.

“Okay. You do that. Get someone here. Only make it fast. I’ve got to know what has happened to her.” Then speaking to his wife, “I’m sorry, Tickling Feather. You do understand, don’t you? You are my wife now. But I still care what happens to Madison.”

With an understanding nod she, stepped up and hugged him.

“I will leave now,” Joe stated. I’ll send Jake and Bob over to hang out until I return.” With that said, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind.

Indian Joe eased his black Ford truck into Madison Stevenson’s driveway. Her car was in the drive, but he had the distinct feeling that no one was home. He got out and slowly walked up on the porch and knocked on the front door, waited several minutes, and when no one answered, he knocked again. Still nothing. He stepped off the porch and went around to the back and knocked there. He peeked in several of the windows. Clearly, she was not home. He returned to his truck. There was one other place he knew she could be, and that was Devin Knight’s.

Sated from having fed, both vampires lay on their bed asleep in the basement bedroom. The second Indian Joe stepped up on the porch, their eyes popped open. Madison met eyes with her mate. “A human is here,” she whispered.

“Yes…That’s Indian Joe. I recognize his scent.”

“Why would he come here?”

“I am sure it has to do with Chuck Smith, my sweet.”

At the mention of Chuck’s name, anger instantly came to her face. “That sonovabitch caused me to lose my baby!”

He kissed her forehead. “I know you are angry. And you will be for a long time. Maybe forever. But you must not let it rule your thinking. As much as it infuriates me, as well, I am sure that in his human form, Chuck would not have wanted you to lose the child.”

“Still…” she said, eyes briefly turning red.

“I know, my darling.” He jumped up. I’ll go see what he wants.”

She followed him, but stayed behind, out of sight when he opened the door.

“Indian Joe,” Devin said, with all his old-world politeness. “What brings you here?” he glanced around, it was pouring down rain now. “And in such weather.”

“I’ll get to the point. I know what you are. And I am certain you are aware of that. What’s more, I also know about Chuck.”

Devin’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Yes. And?”

“Chuck is worried about Madison. Last night…Well, he transitioned unexpectedly. Anyway, when I found him in his truck, there was dried blood on his limbs. And, he suffered from a dislocated shoulder. You and I both know that only a vampire would be strong enough to do that. Question is—.”

“I did it!” Devin admitted. Face now not quite so pleasant. “He tried to kill Madison. Hurt her seriously.”

Instantly his glance went past Devin as though looking for her. “Is she okay now?”

“Ummm! That all depends on one’s perspective.”

He was pretty sure what the vampire meant. “And the baby?”

“I’m afraid she lost it,” he coldly replied.

Madison zipped forward then. “Yes! You can tell that sonovabitch to go to hell!”

Devin turned his face to her and wrapped an arm around her. “My sweet…” he hugged her gently to show support.

“I’m truly sorry to hear that, Madison,” Joe said in all honesty, his weathered face mirroring his regret.

“She won’t be having any more, either,” Devin informed him. “I had no choice but to turn her. She was dying.”

Joe took a long look at Madison. She was paler than normal, but her eyes were bright and angry. “I understand,” Joe said, very saddened at the news. “I am so very sorry… about the baby.”

“I can see you are,” Devin replied, now more sympathetic to the old Indian. It had taken guts for him to come. “You are a good friend to Chuck. I hope he appreciates you.”

“That makes two of us,” he replied. “And now he is my son-in-law.”

Madison spoke up again, “Yeah. We heard that.”

Joe let out a long sigh. “Well, thank you for letting me speak to you. Chuck knew he’d done something terrible. And though it might be hard to believe, the human side of him would have never dreamed of hurting you or the baby.”

“But his wolf side did,” Devin commented. “I…having been a vampire for a very long time, can understand that.” He glanced down at Madison by his side. “She will too, eventually.”

“I’m not going to forget, though,” she stated with anger.

“No one expects you to, my sweet.”

Joe sighed audibly. “Again, thanks! I’ll be going now and leave you two alone. I sincerely hope you two will be happy together.”

“Thank you, Joe,” Madison said, her voice now kinder. It was more than obvious that all of this was very hard on the old Indian.

“You have a good rest of the day,” Devin said, as Joe stepped off the porch and headed for his truck.

“You too,” Joe replied, now smiling cordially. “The both of you.”

“I did not mean to focus my anger on you,” Madison said.

“I understand.” He smiled in a hopeful manner.

“Thanks for coming!” She called out as the old man got in his truck and shut the door.

He waved and backed out of the driveway.

“Not the worst case scenario,” Joe stated, as the anxious Chuck swung the door open to allow him entrance. “But the second worst.”

“Ah…dammit!” Chuck closed and opened his fists. “Tell me.” He followed his wife into the living but didn’t sit down with her on the sofa. Instead, he faced his friend. “Let me have it, Joe.”

“She lost the baby.”

Chuck’s face contorted in anguish. “No!”

Tickling Feather jumped up to console him.

“Gawd!” He pulled away from her, breaking down and crying hard for several minutes, while Joe and Ticking Feather observed with compassion, but not knowing what to do.