Marked by Destiny (15 page)

Michael watched me stomp to the bathroom. I
could feel his eyes on me. When I slammed the door and locked it, I
heard him mutter to himself, “What’s gotten into her?”

I showered and changed in less than ten
minutes. While in the shower I tried to figure out how I woke with
such a feeling of dead calm; not the kind of calm that comes with
peace and acceptance, the kind where you know trouble is lurking
just around the corner, and there’s nothing stopping you from
running head-long into it; the kind of feeling that made you want
to run towards the trouble instead of away from it, to get
resolutions from it. I had no clue where it came from, but I had no
intention of letting it pass me by. It would get answers. Without
fear. Without feeling or sentiment. I needed them, now.

“Ready to go?” I asked as I stepped out of
the bathroom and grabbed my backpack. I’d dressed in capri pants
and a black shirt, and felt a little like Lara Croft. I wanted easy
movement in case I had to make a run for it at some point
today.

“Sure.” Michael gave me a strange look but
didn’t say anything else.

We took the elevator in silence.

Outside I walked to the passenger side of the
Jeep and waited for Michael to unlock the doors. He hit the button
on the keys and went to the back, pulling open the rear door. I
came around, wedged between the jeeps door and the board on board
fence of the property line.

Michael pulled a suitcase I hadn’t noticed
toward him and opened it. Inside lay strange weapons and knives. He
handed me a knife with a cover on the blade, and also another
weapon that looked like a gun. “It’s a like a tazor. You’re not
shooting bullets but it will freeze or throw a Grollic off for a
few seconds.”

I tossed it in my backpack and went around
while he fiddled around with items for himself. “You do remember
we’re going to a cemetery, right?”

He grunted in reply, finally slammed the back
door shut and then came around to the driver’s side. “They might
not be on to you, but they are on to me. I don’t feel like dying
today if it can be avoided.” He leaned over and touched the pendant
around my neck. “Keep that safe with you always.”

We drove back toward the less than privileged
end of town, avoiding the road with the apartment on it.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Michael
asked as the cemetery came into view.

I nodded. “I don’t see anyone here.” No
Grollics was my unspoken comment.

Michael pulled the Jeep to the curb and
stopped in front of the cathedral church. “I want you to wait here.
Let me check the cemetery first.”

“No one’s here,” I repeated.

“I know!” His voice rose in frustration.
“There look to be over three hundred stones, angels, raised and
flat monuments. It’ll be quicker if you let me run through and
look. We could be here for two days looking otherwise.” He picked
his perfectly clean fingernail. “And it doesn’t hurt to double
check.”

I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me
off before I had a chance.

“Give me ten minutes. I promise I’ll be back
by then.” He checked the review and stepped out of the Jeep. “Wait
in the driver’s seat… just in case.” He leaned in again. “And lock
the doors!”

Low blow. Damon had gotten into the Jeep
because I hadn’t locked it. Michael didn’t seem to have a problem
subtlety reminding me.

I obeyed and crawled over the stick shift
into the driver’ seat. I blew a kiss to his back as he sped off. I
set my watch and watched it count up to two minutes, then glanced
at the graves to see if I could find Michael or any eminent
danger.

Nothing.

Until I glanced to my right and nearly
screamed out load.

Marcus Brutus sat on the stairs leading up to
the church. He waved when I noticed him.

My fingers reached for the knife on my belt
as I looked around the entire vehicle for a hidden Grollic just
waiting to pounce.

He stood and sauntered over to me, motioning
me to roll down the window.

Grabbing my purse I hid the knife in there
close by the tazer, ready to grab either one if I needed it.

I let the window down a crack.

Marcus watched it and then shrugged. “I’m not
here to fight.” He held his hands up in surrender.

“What do you want?” My eyes darted toward the
tombs, trying to see if Michael was visible or if any beasts might
be chasing him down.

“Nobody’s there. Just your buddy.” He reached
around him as I squeezed the tazer inside my purse, ready to use
it.

Marcus pulled out a manila envelope his back.
A loud sigh of relief escaped through my lips. I had thought he was
going to draw a gun.

“I believe this is yours.” He slid it through
the slightly opened window.

I realized it was the file folder. “What are
you giving this back to me?”

Marcus shrugged. “It belongs to you.”

“Aren’t you going to piss a few Grollics off…
you being here?”

“Very much. We’re all sworn to protect this
area and never let you back in it.”

What did he just say?
“Back in?”

He nodded, checking for Michael before
looking back at her. “I shouldn’t be here. This is a mistake.” He
started to back away.

“No!” I jumped out of the Jeep and ran around
it. “You need to tell me what’s going on. Please!”

He hesitated. “Look,” he said, shooting a
glance toward the cemetery. “I know who you are and I’m torn
between helping you or protecting my ass and my pack.”

“What do you mean?” I heard Michael call me
name.

Marcus flinched, his eyes burning to a yellow
color. “Meet me back here at dusk. Alone. I trust you but I…” he
began running in the opposite direction that Michael had taken. “I
don’t trust the dead-walker,” he shouted before tearing around the
street corner.

I stared at the spot he had turned and I’d
lost view of him because of the church building.

“Rouge, why are you out of the Jeep?” Michael
touched my shoulder.

I jumped, unaware he had returned. “I… I
thought I heard you call my name.”

He shook his head. “I found your mother’s
stone. It’s safe. Nobody’s here.” He held his hand out to me.

I entwined my fingers with his and let him
lead me through the old and new gravestones. My heart was torn;
should I tell him about Marcus, or forget the Grollic had found me,
or did I go and meet him tonight? He could be planning to ambush
me. Or he could be trying to help and just not sure if the risk was
worth losing everything if he did.

I sighed. I wished I could ask Michael, but I
knew he would never let me come here on my own. And Marcus would
never believe me if I told him Michael was safe. Trust had to be
earned. No werewolf would even consider trusting a “dead-walker” as
Marcus had called them. I thought back to Damon. He had been big
and burly like Marcus, but different.

“Harder to do this then you thought?” Michael
squeezed my hand. “You never knew the woman and yet you feel
connected to her.”

I nodded, guilt washing over me for letting
Michael believe it was for something else.

“We’re almost there.” He pointed, using our
hands together to show where the stone was. “It’s very clean.
Someone’s been taking care of her stone.”

We walked along a row of raised and flat
stones. Michael stopped me in front of a raised soft gray marble
stone. I nearly laughed aloud. On top sat a small angel similar to
the one I had nearly decapitated the day I met Michael. The only
difference was this angel had her wings spread, as if looking down
on the stone.

Rebekah Gnowee

Here for but a moment.

I ran my finger over the engraved letters.
The stone had been there for over ten years but looked new. A
bouquet of flowers lay near the base in a vase screwed into the
marble. “Someone misses her.” I kneeled on the grass before the
stone wishing I had brought flowers as well. “I wonder how she
died?” I said the thought out loud.

“When we get back to the hotel, I’ll call
Caleb and see if he can find some medical records or a copy of the
death certificate. We have a name and an address, it shouldn’t be
too hard to find.”

I remembered Marcus’ words and wondered what
he knew about Rebekah Gnowee. He could have information that a
death certificate or any medical records would never show. I
realized I didn’t have a choice. I had to see him that night.

Chapter 15

I wrote in my journal and waited for time to
pass after we returned to the hotel. Michael tried calling Caleb,
which went straight to voicemail. He left Caleb a message to call
him back when he had a chance. I spent the time trying to figure
out how I would get out without Michael. It was going to be
impossible.

“What do you want to do for dinner tonight?”
he asked just as his phone rang. He glanced down. “It’s Caleb.”

The perfect moment had just landed in my lap.
“You talk to him and I’ll go grab us some dinner.” I grabbed the
keys and my purse, slipping the wolf book under it so he wouldn’t
see. “I’ll surprise you with something local that’s really good.” I
didn’t give him a chance to reply. I kissed his cheek. “Answer the
phone, silly. You know how Caleb is.” I winked and forced myself to
walk a normal pace out the door without looking back.

In the hall I broke into a run, taking the
stairs to save time. Outside I walked to the Jeep and glanced at
our hotel room window. Michael stood by the window, phone to his
ear. I waved and smiled before unlocking the Jeep and pulling out
of the parking lot.

I took the same route Michael had driven
earlier. My hands shook against the steering wheel so I gripped it
tightly to try and stop the tremors. I might be scared but Marcus
was risking everything to talk to me.

The sun had started its decent. I had about
twenty, maybe twenty-five minutes before Michael would start to
worry and begin calling and looking for me.

I slowed the Jeep as I turned on the road
just before Saint Andrews. Butterflies hammered against the inside
of my stomach when I saw Marcus sitting on the steps waiting. I
swallowed and pulled the Jeep to the curb. It took several deep
breaths to physically calm myself. I grabbed my bag and slipped it
over my shoulder, only pausing to stuff the Wolf Book inside. I had
no idea why I brought it, except I was somehow, magically, hoping
to draw strength from it.

He was alone. At least nobody seemed to be
hiding behind a bush or in the cemetery. I tried to make my face
unreadable as I walked over and sat down beside him. I planned to
stay in plain sight and if the need to protect myself arose, I had
the taser Michael had given me in my bag, the knife on my belt, and
the words of the Wolf Book in my head. I figured I could
manage.

“You came.” Marcus smirked. “I, uh, wasn’t
sure you would.”

“I did. Now what did you want to tell me?” I
was hesitant to be his buddy.

He chuffed. “You’ve no idea, do you?”

I had somewhat of an idea. I just wasn’t
going to tell him.

“How old are you? Seventeen?”

He obviously didn’t know as much as he
thought he did. “About that.”

“When did you get your file?”

“Yesterday.”

“Oh… so you just found out about Rebekah?” He
reached for my knee but dropped his hand before touching me.

“Yeah.”

Marcus rocked his feet back and forth. He
sighed, his big chest rising and dropping. “She was good. There’s
not a lot of good in this group here.”

“Group of Grollics?”

He gave me a funny look. “Of course. What you
think we are? A bunch of half breeds?”

“You can mix?” By the annoyed look on his
face, I’d hit a nerve. “I… I don’t know much about
werewo-Grollics.”

“You seriously don’t know anything?”

I played with my keys for a moment, debating
what I should reveal. In the end, I didn’t know much anyway and saw
no point in trying to hide that. “I know about the birthmark below
you collar bone and you can shift. Michael’s different.”

“Yeah, he’s the enemy.”

“He’s not. If you—”

“He’s part of the Higher Coven. Or somewhere
close to it. It’s obvious by the way he walks and holds himself. I
can’t imagine he let you come here alone.” He glanced up the road.
“Is he hiding somewhere or got you on a mike?”

“No.” I sighed and watched the setting sun.
“He thinks I’m grabbing dinner.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

Marcus stood. “Let’s take a walk.”

“No. I’m more comfortable staying here.” I
reached inside my bag, my fingers touching the taser.

“I just figured we could walk through the
cemetery as we talk.” He remained standing, waiting for me to get
up and follow him, which I had no intention of doing. He eventually
figured that out “Fine. What do you want to know?”

The question threw me. He had been the one so
adamant about helping me and now he seemed annoyed that I wanted
information. It didn’t make sense. “Why did Rob say I shouldn’t be
here?”

“Because you shouldn’t. We’re controlled by
a…an alpha.” He tilted his head. “Does that make sense?” When I
nodded, he continued. “We’re not allowed to let you here. If you
show up, you’re supposed to be toast.” He made a line with his hand
across his neck.

“Then why aren’t you doing the same? If
you’re controlled by the alpha?” I stood, slipping my purse over my
shoulder. Suddenly my gut was telling me I needed to leave
soon.

“I am.”

“You’re what?”

“Controlled by the alpha.”

“Rebekah wasn’t.” I had no idea how I knew
that, but I just did.

He spat. “That’s because she wasn’t a
Grollic.”

My eyebrows pushed together. I opened my
mouth but nothing came out.

“She stuck around because of Rob.” He
snorted. “Took the beatings. All of it.”