Sanctuary (A Hunted Novel Book 1) (2 page)

“I’m sure. I don’t sense any other shifter’s in the bar, and she came in by herself,” Eden sighed.

“Hunters could be right behind her,” Nate growled. He opened the car door, but instead of climbing in he turned, taking in the burnt village behind him. Hunters had been here too. Their enemy’s numbers were growing and they, the prey, were quickly being extinguished. Eden would be no match against a hunter. If they sensed her werewolf heritage they would slaughter her even if she didn’t have the power to shift. “Keep an eye on where she goes, but keep your distance. Hunters are everywhere, Eden, I don’t want you in the crossfire.”

“You’re still coming back tomorrow, right?” Eden asked quietly.

“Yes. But don’t do something crazy. She could turn on you too if she feels threatened. Stay out of it, Eden,” he warned. Eden had developed a false sense of security around shifters. She’d never seen how lethal they could be.

“Just get home safe,” she countered. “I’ll see you when you get here.”

“Eden—”

“I have to go,” she cut him off. “Be safe.”

The line went dead. He cursed under his breath as he punched the side of the car. Pain rippled through his palm and up his wrist. He stared down at his bloody knuckles. Shaking his hand out, he grunted as he transitioned his hand. The bones elongated as they broke and took the shape of a wolf’s paw. He curled his clawed hand in and out a few times, working the muscles before triggering the shift back. His sister was far too reckless sometimes. If Eden weren’t careful, she would get herself hurt—or worse.

“What’s going on?” Xander asked as he approached.

“There’s a shifter at Gordy’s,” he explained. “I think Eden’s going to put herself in danger.”

Xander growled low in his throat. “I’ll tell the guys we’re heading out. They can finish the clean up without us.”

Nate nodded as Xander turned quickly on his heel and headed back to inform the pack of their plans. Nate scrubbed a tired hand over his face. Eden was going to help the female shifter, he was certain of it. His sister was one of the most compassionate people he knew. He hoped it wouldn’t get her hurt.

His mind drifted to the lone shifter. What was she doing out alone? Female shifters were never out by themselves. His pack coveted females, ensuring their safety at all costs. What had happened to her protectors?

***

T
ess threaded her fingers through her snarled locks as she stared into the rectangular mirror. The music from the bar hummed under the bathroom door. Eden had warned her that the bar would be closing in fifteen minutes. Tess was beat with nowhere to stay. The waitress had mentioned there was a bed and breakfast in town, but that it was probably full since it was a Friday night. It was probably safer to keep moving anyway. She’d get herself freshened up and be on her way.

Once she’d gotten her hair semi-decent, she tugged a few paper towels free from the black machine on the wall. She turned on the faucet and wet the brown towel before carefully dabbing at her dirty face. Slowly but surely, the dirt and crusted blood wiped free from her forehead.
Yikes. I am disgusting. It’s a wonder no one did call the cops. I look like a victim from a horror movie.
Satisfied, that the only marks on her face were cuts and bruises, she disposed of the paper towel.

Next, she slowly lifted her shirt and carefully removed the bandages she’d applied the night before. She grimaced as she saw the swollen, angry red flesh. The wound was getting worse not better. Maybe there were still bullet fragments imbedded in her side along with the poison. She’d never removed a bullet before and had worked on herself hurriedly. She needed a doctor, but that wasn’t an option. Her DNA was different from humans—not to mention, they would have questions about her injuries. Questions she couldn’t answer without opening another can of worms.

She opened her backpack and pulled out her bottle of peroxide, carefully pouring a decent amount on a towel before applying it to her side. Tess hissed as the antiseptic burned through the infected skin.
Holy crap that hurts!
She bit her lip as she removed the towel and looked down at her bubbling skin. At least it was killing the bad germs—she hoped. As bad as it hurt, it’d better be helping.

After she finished cleaning the wound, she removed a large bandage and carefully applied it over her injury. That would have to do for now. She gasped and fell forward, gripping the counter as a sharp pain shot through her belly and down her leg. It’d be nice if her body got used to the discomfort and muted the pain. The stabbing sensation ended after an agonizing moment. She released the sink and sucked in a deep breath, trying to control her ragged breathing. After a long moment, she closed her eyes and began to move again.

Gingerly, she rolled her filthy shirt back down. She needed new clothes. No one had said anything about her grungy appearance, but people had definitely stared. She only had the little bit of stuff she’d grabbed in her hasty escape—and it wasn’t much. Biting her lip, she dug out the pouch that held her money and counted the few bills that remained. Twenty-eight dollars. Yeah, that would get her far. Food and medical supplies were more important. Perhaps she could find a Goodwill or another second hand store. Until then, her beat up, tattered clothes would have to do. Tess gave herself a final once over before walking back out into the bar. Eden looked up from where she wiped down the counter and gave Tess a wave before returning to her task.

Tess nodded in Eden’s direction, noticing that the creep from earlier still lingered at the bar. The waitress was stationed at the far end of the counter, but the greasy haired man was sauntering toward her. He’d made catcalls at Eden for the past hour and had even groped her a few times. Tess swallowed as unease pitted in her stomach.
He’s stalking toward her like she’s prey. It’s not your problem
—it wasn’t, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to help. Eden didn’t deserve to be treated like that. What good could she do though? She was injured.
You could still take him. You still have most of your strength.

“Hey, sweet cakes, what are you doing after your shift?” the man called out as he approached Eden.

Tess stopped and turned slowly around. Eden tucked one of her long brown locks behind her ear as her eyes darted around the empty room. The restaurant had cleared out completely; it was just the three of them.
I wonder if someone is in the back?

Tess tilted her head to the side, trying to listen for other movement. Nothing. Great. Inhaling a deep breath, she walked confidently toward the bar.

“I’m ready to go whenever you are,” Tess announced as she leaned heavily on the bar. She gripped the counter for support, ignoring the throbbing in her side.

Eden’s eyes widened, and she blinked before smiling. “I’ll be just another minute.”

“You two together?” the greasy haired man asked, turning to take her in. His eyes roamed up and down Tess’ form. She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her middle as if that would keep him from staring.

“She’s my roommate,” Eden spoke up. “My ride home.”

He licked his lips. “I see,” he said allowing his eyes to glaze over Tess again.

Tess gritted her teeth.
Talk about demeaning
. She clutched the counter tighter and stood upright.

“Bars closing,” Eden prompted.

The jerk glanced between them before taking a step back from the counter. “I’m in town for a few days,” he grinned, wagging his brows suggestively. “I’ll be sure to stop back before I leave.” He pursed his lips as he fixed Eden with one final stare before turning to leave.

Eden swallowed but didn’t say anything as Tess glared.

Tess suppressed a growl. The man’s passive aggressiveness had her on high alert. There was something odd about him, but what?

“See you around, sweet cheeks,” he laughed before trudging to the door.

Tess sagged against the counter for support as the man exited. Eden let out a long breath.

“Thanks for that,” Eden acknowledged.

“No problem,” Tess replied, gently sliding onto the barstool. Pain sliced through her side at the action, causing her vision to go black momentarily.

“Hey. You okay?” Eden asked, placing a cool hand on Tess’ arm.

Tess blinked in an attempt to fight through the haze. Passing out wasn’t an option she could afford. While Eden seemed nice, she was certain the other woman would call for help, and she could not go to the hospital. Hunters would be alerted for sure. But as her head began to spin and her vision continued to wane, she realized unconsciousness was inevitable.
No. No. No. Stay awake. Please stay awake.
She ferociously blinked her eyes as her body slid backwards and the darkness swallowed her whole.

“S
he’s been poisoned,” a female voice said. The soft melodic tone was familiar. Tess fought through the fog to try to place it.
Eden. Wait. What happened?

Tess’ eyes shot open, and she looked up at the speckled white ceiling. She flipped to her side, grimacing as pain ricocheted up her side. Two light grey curtains were open, allowing the room to be bathed in sunlight. She propped herself up taking a further look around the room. She was in a bedroom. Blankets pooled around her and she forced a shaky breath in as she tried to recall what had happened last night.
Where am I?
Her heart pattered frantically in her chest as she glanced around the room. How had she gotten here?

“How bad is it?” a man’s voice asked. Footsteps creaked across the floor, growing louder with each step.

Get up. Whoever is here is coming to you.
Eden wasn’t a threat, but she didn’t know who the mysterious man was. She sat up, suppressing a hiss as a spasm shot through her side. Her vision blurred, but she swung her legs over the side of the bed anyway. Terrified, she searched the room for an escape. There was a window to her left. It would do. Shoes. Where were her shoes?

“It’s pretty bad. She passed out and has been unconscious all night. I cleaned her up as best I could, but you can see the red streaks coming off the wound where the poison is spreading. Tess, that’s her name, she has a high fever too,” Eden explained.

“Did she say anything to you?” another man inquired.

Crap. There are two of them. Please don’t let them be hunters.
If her enemy had found her she was done for.
Forget the shoes and run.
She darted across the room and flung the window open. Her side screamed in protest, but she didn’t care, she had to get out of there.

The door to the room creaked open. She ducked down and went to jump out the window, but someone caught her about the waist and pulled her back.

Tess thrashed against the muscular embrace, breaking free. She wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Her head spun as dizziness threatened to pull her under.
Fight. Stay awake.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed her hands to change into black paws. The man grasped her from behind again, holding her tightly. Clarity seeped in, and a sense of calm washed over her. For a second, she considered letting the man win.
Don’t be fooled. You’re sick. Fight.
She flexed her shifted hands and then curled her nails inward. The man behind her hissed, loosening his grip as her claws sank into his flesh. Using the distraction to her advantage, she rammed her elbow backwards into his side, and then stamped on his foot. Her attacker grunted, and stumbling away from her.

“Holy shit, Eden, you brought a werecat in here?” the second guy hollered as he stalked toward her with a snarl.

Tess hissed as the hairs on her arms rose.
Wolves. Great. Wolves were worse than hunters. Run.
She twisted in a vain attempt to dash toward the door. The man reached out to grab her, and she swung her clawed paw at him. Pain scorched through her at the movement, causing her vision to darken. She squinted her eyes, forcing them to focus, but her vision blurred, causing her to see double.
Get yourself together. Wolves are not friends.

“Xander stop,” Eden cried as the man in front of her sprang forward.

Tess tried to move, but she wasn’t fast enough. Xander grasped her elbow tightly as he spun behind her and kicked the back of her leg. She fell to her knees, the hard wooden floor jarring her, and causing her to whimper in pain.
Get up.

“What are you doing here?” Xander demanded as he shoved her to the floor, holding her down.

Tess writhed on the floor, not willing to give up. Pain sliced through her abdomen and shot down her legs. White clouded her vision.
Don’t pass out.

“Xander that’s enough,” the other man said quietly.

The pressure on her back subsided. Xander stumbled away almost as if he’d been shoved.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the calmer man said. His hand slid under her arm and gently pulled her up. He clamped a firm grip on both of her wrists, holding her clawed paws away from him. “Can you put those away so we can talk, no one is going to hurt you,” he assured, meeting her eyes.

Tess swallowed as she met the wolf’s gaze. His cobalt eyes stared intently into hers. Tranquility rolled through her as she peered at him. The fact that his stare soothed her was unnerving. He was a wolf—a threat—not someone she should trust. Her eyes raked over him wearily trying to assess if he was dangerous. He was taller than her by at least a foot. His russet hair was cut short and mussed as if he’d been in a scuffle. And he was attractive—very attractive, the cat inside her yearned to caress his full lips with her own.
What? Where is that coming from? What is wrong with me? Wolves are not your friends.

“Nate, she’s dangerous,” Xander warned.

“Nobody’s going to hurt anybody,” Nate replied, snapping his eyes from hers to look at the other wolf. “Right?”

“It’s okay, Tess. This is my brother, Nate,” Eden explained, moving into view.

“Stay back,” Xander growled, stepping protectively in front of Eden.

“Oh relax,” Eden chided, pushing past the overprotective male. “She helped make sure a creep at the bar left me alone. And she stayed the night and didn’t hurt me. I doubt she’s going to do it now. Besides, she’s injured. You need to take her to Sanctuary for medical attention.”