Possession (4 page)

S
omething
in my face or my voice must’ve made an impact. There was a deep silence, during
which the three of us continued to stare at each other. Finally, Oscar spoke in
a soft, hushed voice. "May we ask you for an oath of silence?"

I
looked at him, my damp fists opening and closing on the soft blanket covering
me. "I need to know what exactly happened. What was that thing? And...how
did Dax do what he did?"

A
shadow crossed Dax's face. "Absolutely not. That is none of your
concern."

Oscar
turned to him. "Dax..." he began, placating.

“It’s
none of my concern?” The drugs had definitely lowered my inhibition. Anger
heated my cheeks more than the fire. “That thing attacked me. It could attack
me again—or someone else in town. I deserve to know what it was.”

But
Dax was glaring at me. "I saved your life. Now I'm asking you not to
divulge what you witnessed. I believe that's a fair trade."

Just
like that, my resolve began to crumple. There wasn’t much I could say to that;
he
had
saved my life. If he hadn’t been there, I would’ve died. Without
a question. “Fine,” I muttered.

Oscar
cleared his throat delicately. “May I have a word, Mr. Allard?”

Dax
glared at him, as if he wasn’t sure if he wanted to grant him that, but they
moved off to the side nonetheless. There was a hushed conversation which I
couldn’t hear in spite of straining my ears. They sounded like they were
speaking much too low, and I wondered how they understood anything that was
being said at all.

When
they returned back to my side, they each had a reflective, cautious expression
on their faces. “Ms. Beaumont,” Dax said in his sandpaper voice. “For your
troubles, we’d like to offer you one thousand dollars.”

I
stared at him, my head spinning, and not just because of the medicine. They wanted
to pay me for my silence? As much as I was indignant that they felt like they
could buy my loyalty, I wasn’t delusional enough to say no. I needed that
money, desperately. But a thousand dollars wouldn’t go very far. “The job,” I
said, my voice hoarse. “That’s what I’d like.”

Oscar
glanced at Dax, as did I. His face was furious, anger and alarm all over it
just as it had been when he’d first seen me. He folded his arms across his
chest, biceps bulging with the movement. Entranced, I watched his every move,
his change of expression.

“No,”
he said flatly.

Blood
rushed to my face at his tone. “What...” I swallowed. There was no way I’d ask
this if I wasn’t hopped up on whatever they’d given me, but I wanted to know. “Have
I offended you in some way?”

For
a moment, Dax stared at me, confusion coloring every facial feature. When
understanding seeped in, his eyes widened. Seemingly unconsciously, he took a
step closer to me. In spite of the giant fireplace roaring just a few feet
away, I could feel his body heat waft out toward me. He was like a walking
furnace. “You think...you’ve
offended
me?” He actually sounded astounded.

I
stared up into his copper gaze, the effects of the drugs somehow melting away.
I was completely hypnotized. There was no way I could’ve lied to him, not even
if my life had depended on it right then. Nothing else existed in that moment
but the two of us—Oscar, the room, even what had just happened to me in the
forest fell away.

In
a quiet voice, I said, “You act like I’m the most abhorrent person you’ve ever
met. You refuse to come near me. And you don’t want me working for you. Why
else would that be?” Ridiculously, I felt a lump in my throat, simply by
speaking of his rejection.

A
muscle tensed in Dax’s jaw, as if he was physically biting back what he wanted
to say. His fists tensed into balls, thick veins standing up on his arms. “Ms.
Beaumont,” he finally said. His quiet voice held a hint of a tremor. “Believe
me when I tell you I am not in the least...
offended
by you.” He took a
deep breath. “It pains me that you think so.”

“Then...then
what is it?” I asked, still gazing into his eyes.

But
he shook his head.

“Another
secret,” I muttered. “You seem to have so many.”

He
smirked, his gorgeous face transforming into something hard and bitter as he
looked away, toward the windows and the woods outside. “Yes. And none of them
are good. It’d be in your best interests to stay away.”

The
fire crackled. I realized that sometime during our conversation, Oscar had
slipped away. I looked down at my hands, fisted in the blanket. “What if...what
if I don’t want to stay away?”

I
couldn’t believe I was saying the words out loud. I had just met this man. But
somehow I knew that he felt exactly the way I felt. I was beginning to suspect
it was the reason he was so...strange around me. There was something between us
that eschewed the traditional hesitant, “play it cool” attitude normal guys and
girls our age displayed before they got to know each other.

I
expected him to become furious or stalk away. It surprised me when he sighed
deeply instead. “Then we’re in trouble,” he said, his voice barely a rumble. “Because
I don’t want you to stay away either.”

I
jerked my gaze back up to his eyes. My breath caught when I saw they were
practically smoldering, the copper turning to molten liquid. As my heart began
to pump furiously in my chest, I asked, “Then it’s settled? I’m working for
you?”

He
kept his distance, but the heat wafted off him again. Sweat beaded along my
hairline. The room seemed to get much, much warmer, as if the fire were
encroaching into it. “Yes,” he muttered, still staring at me. “If that is what
you wish.”

I
smiled, the warm, fuzzy feeling seeping back into my body. “It is,” I said, and
I felt my eyelids begin to slip shut.

W
hen
I woke up again, I was disoriented. All I remembered was Dax. My eyes swept the
room, searching for his face with a voracity I didn’t understand. They settled
on Oscar’s instead.

His
pale silver-blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “Do you feel a little better,
Ms. Beaumont?”

“Cara.”
My voice was hoarse, my throat dry.

“Of
course,” Oscar said, handing me a glass of water. “Here you are. I imagine the
medicine must’ve rather dehydrated you.”

After
I’d gulped down the entire drink, I nodded. “What did you give me, anyway?”

Something
in Oscar’s face closed up and I knew he wouldn’t tell me the truth before he
even opened his mouth. “I’m not sure of the exact name,” he said, putting the
glass away and refusing to meet my eye. “But then, I’m not a doctor, of course.
If you’d like, I can find out for you and call you with the information later.”
He smiled kindly.

“Right.”
Another secret. “No, that’s not necessary. I feel much better.” My hands felt
for my injured waist, but found a heavy bandage covering it instead. There were
no holes in my shirt, and I glanced down, surprised.

Well,
that explained it. I was wearing a t-shirt that was much too large and came
down to my knees...and nothing else. Blushing, I looked at Oscar. I didn’t know
which was harder to think about; Oscar stripping me down, or Dax. “My clothes...”

He
seemed to understand. “Victorine—my daughter—was the one to change you. Your
clothes were ruined, I’m afraid.”

Oscar
had a daughter? Why hadn’t I seen her yet? “Oh. Please thank her for me.”

Oscar
smiled placidly. “Of course.” Tactfully, he glanced at the clock on the wall. I
followed his gaze and gasped. It was almost midnight. “When you are
well-rested, I can drive you home. Dax has had your car towed; it will be fixed
soon.”

I
wondered at him calling Dax “Dax” and not “Mr. Allard.” That careful,
respectful veneer he kept while addressing his employer seemed to have slipped,
if accidentally. But I knew asking wouldn’t get me any truthful answers. And more
than that, I wanted to ask where Dax was, why he wasn’t here. Didn’t he feel
the need to see me, just as I felt the insatiable need to always keep my gaze
on him?

But
instead, I swung my legs around. I felt naked in the shirt, which was silly,
because I wore dresses and shorts much shorter. I wondered if it was Dax’s
shirt, but the thought made me blush. Instead, I busied myself with thinking
how remarkable it was that my side didn’t hurt at all. They must have a superb
doctor, and even more superb pain medication, though I didn’t feel nearly as
drugged anymore.

“I’m
ready to go now,” I said. “I’m sorry. I had no idea it was so late. You
should’ve woken me.”

“I
was under strict instructions to let you sleep,” he replied quietly. I didn’t
know whether he meant the instructions came from the doctor or Dax, but his
tone told me he didn’t really want to discuss it.

Oscar
led the way back out into the long hallway I’d seen earlier that morning. He was
in a hurry, walking as fast as he could go without running. My cheeks flushed
as I realized it was probably because I’d long overstayed my welcome. It was likely
well past his bedtime. Overcome with guilt, I quickened my pace and struggled
to keep up with him.

The
gold silk wallpaper glowed softly in the light from the wall sconces as we
raced along. It was a perfectly magical house, I thought to myself. Just like
Dax, just like whatever secret he was hiding. Reality seemed to take on a
different dimension around him.

One
second it was quiet, the only sounds my footsteps and my internal monologue.
But the next, a piercing, agonized howl ripped through the air. My hand
automatically flew to my mouth, my eyes went wide as the horrible sound went on
and on.

There
was also a thunderous banging, as if a wrecking ball was pounding into
something that wouldn’t give way. In front of me, Oscar’s steps staggered, but
he kept walking. Turning around, a tense smile on his face, he beckoned me forward.

I
stared at him. When the howl and the banging cut off, I waited for him to say
something, but he didn’t. I shook my head back and forth, slowly, trying to get
a grip. “What...what the hell was that?”

“We
must keep walking,” Oscar said, his voice tight. “Come along, Ms. Beaumont.”

“But—”

I
didn’t have a chance to finish. Another howl split the air and I clapped my
hands to my eardrums. The howl went on and on again, and my eyes filled with
tears, my heart aching for whoever was in so much pain.

I
stared at Oscar, half in shock, wordlessly imploring him to do something,
anything, but he gazed at a spot above my head, lost in thought. It looked like
he was trying hard not to show any emotion. This time the howl didn’t taper off
as it had previously. This time, it morphed into a scream—a full-throated,
wholehearted scream. And I recognized the voice of the person screaming.

It
was Dax.

My
feet propelled me forward without any conscious input from my brain. I grabbed
Oscar’s arm—he was still standing there like a statue. His skin was blazing hot
even through his suit, but I didn’t really register it. “That’s Dax,” I said,
my voice shaking, hysterical. “That’s Dax. Oh my god. Oh my god, he’s in pain!
We have to help him!”

That
seemed to break his trance. He brushed me off and grabbed my upper arm with a
gloved hand. With surprising force, he began to drag me forward. I tried
futilely to resist.

“No,
it’s not Mr. Allard,” he said. It was silent again—the howling and screaming
had temporarily stopped. My heart was trying to pound itself out of my chest as
I waited for it to start back up again. “It’s just an animal out in the woods.”

“No,
it’s not!” I tried to pull away from him, but his hand was like a steel trap
around me. “Let go! Why don’t you want to help him?”

“Believe
me, Ms. Beaumont, it’s best if I get you home now.”

I
kept asking, but he wouldn’t relent, lapsing instead into complete silence. Finally,
I shut my mouth too, my heart still racing as I waited for more screaming. What
was happening to Dax? And why didn’t Oscar want to help?

O
scar
pulled me to the giant attached garage in silence. His footsteps were
completely quiet compared to my loud shuffling walk. Inside, there were several
different, shiny cars. We headed to a black Range Rover. Oscar released my arm,
waited while I clambered in to the passenger’s seat, and then went around to
the driver’s side.

He
sat staring out the windshield in the quiet. I looked at him out of the corner
of my eyes, my blood roaring in my ears. I wondered if I should be afraid.

I
wasn’t; not at all. Nothing about Oscar scared me, just as nothing about Dax
did. But I still wanted to know what was going on, why Dax had howled and screamed
that way.

Oscar
finally turned to me. “I know this must be hard for you to understand,” he said.

I
nodded and waited for him to go on.

“But
please, trust me when I say Dax is fine.” “Dax” again, not “Mr. Allard.”

“So
what...what was the screaming all about?” I swallowed, my chest clenching tight
with the horrible memory. “Is he...in pain?” The thought of him in agony was like
a knife in my flesh. It actually, physically hurt.

Oscar
sighed and started the car. “I cannot say any more, Ms. Beaumont,” he replied.
“I do apologize.”

Of
course. Of course he couldn’t say any more. Everything was a big secret that I
wasn’t in on. But I still needed to see Dax. I wanted to make sure he was okay
with my own eyes. I didn’t have much hope of Oscar letting me, but I had to
ask. “Can I... can I see him before we go?”

Oscar
shook his head as he sped toward the hill. “I’m afraid not. He’s otherwise
occupied.”

Right.
How had I known he’d say that? “Oh.” I watched the shadows of trees and bushes
speed by us as Oscar drove. The Range Rover was a much smoother drive than my
Volvo, and I could barely hear the noises of the rocks and pebbles under us. “In
that case, what time should I be at work tomorrow?”

A
small frown creased Oscar’s eyebrows. “Mr. Allard wants you to take the day off
tomorrow. You’ve had a rather hard time of it today.”

“No.
I want to be there.” I had to see Dax again, to see if he really was all right.
If I couldn’t see him now, I’d see him tomorrow. “I’ll take a taxi.”

“I’m
afraid I must be firm about this,” Oscar replied, disapproval heavy in his tone.
“Mr. Allard would be extremely unhappy were you to turn up tomorrow.”

I
frowned and shook my head, but my heart soared at the thought that Dax’d be
fine enough to be unhappy with me. So Oscar wasn’t just trying to pacify me—the
screaming really wasn’t as bad as it sounded? I shuddered at the memory. “All right.
I suppose I can wait another day.” Or maybe I’d show up there tomorrow anyway.
What could they do at most? Send me away? At least I’d have a chance at getting
a glimpse of Dax.

Oscar
beamed at me. “Excellent. We’ll see you the day after at nine a.m.”

I
smiled weakly back.

Oscar
jetted off after he’d extracted a promise from me to not overdo it the next day.

Inside,
the house was dark and quiet; Mom was in bed. I peeked into her room. She lay
on her side, just a small lump under her covers, Dad’s side of the bed vast and
empty. She’d never learned to sleep in the middle of the bed. I considered
waking her to tell her I was home, but what would be the point? Mom wasn’t
aware of my presence in her universe, not really.

I
closed her door and tiptoed into the bathroom. Grimacing at my image in the
mirror, I began to pull out twigs and leaves from my frizzy mess of hair. My
mind slipped back to Dax’s howling and screaming. It had sounded so
animalistic, so primal. I couldn’t imagine that Oscar wouldn’t rush to Dax’s
aid. Or even Oscar’s daughter, Victorine. What sort of a person could ignore a
sound like that?

But
I knew from the way Oscar had reacted that it had to do with the big secret
they’d paid me off to keep. Something weird was going on up there on that hill.
Something that involved dogs as large as horses and incredibly strong,
scalding-hot men...

When
I’d washed my face and scrubbed the dirt out from under my fingernails, I
figured I should brave looking at the bite.

I
wasn’t good with physical wounds. Blood made me dizzy and anything bigger than
a paper cut made me vomit. But this being my body, I figured I needed to check
it. I felt bile begin to rise up my throat at the memory of the searing pain
and smell of burning flesh, so I quickly pushed it to the far recesses of my
mind.

The
doctor had covered the wound with a thick bandage. Gingerly, gritting my teeth,
I pulled the edge of the tape off and peeled the bandage away from my skin. I
stood staring at the spot where the bite
should’ve
been for a full
minute.

There
was almost nothing there—just a smattering of faint pink, slightly puckered
spots where the creature’s teeth had sunk into my flesh. I rubbed my skin in
wonder. It felt warmer than the rest of my body, but other than that, there was
no indication anything near the terror of what I’d experienced had really
happened. It should’ve taken weeks for a bite wound to heal to this point. What
the heck had happened? I flipped the bandage over to see if there was blood on
the other side, but it was snow-white.

It
was too late and I was too exhausted to think about it further. Tossing the
bandage in the trashcan, I decided that I’d ask Dax about it...not that I
expected any answers.

After
a quick, hot shower, it hit me just how tired I was. I crawled into bed and, in
spite of all the impossible memories and images my brain was buzzing with, I was
asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.