wasn’t until he saw the rabbit hopping away that he realized where the delicious smell had resonated from. Licking his chops, he leaped toward the small animal, and in less than thirty seconds, devoured almost everything, including its fur and bones. When he’d finished, he felt sated and exhausted. Thirsty, he licked some of the new fallen snow, and then went back behind the tool shed and curled up. Within seconds, he was asleep.
***
Nathan woke up several minutes later, to the sound of his sister’s voice.
“Wake up,” she repeated, loudly.
Shivering and slightly disoriented, he opened his eyes. “Nikki?”
“ Thank goodness for you it is. Meet me in the house. And, you might want to wash up.”
He sat up, grateful for the blanket she’d given him, and pulled it in closer. Then, he stared down at his hands, which were red with dried blood. He shuddered.
Shit.
I’m a lycan, he thought, this time in dismay. Shivering, he stood up and headed for the house.
Chapter Eighteen
Nikki
Wh en Nathan stepped into the house and met me in the kitchen, I could tell from his expression that he was overwhelmed.
“You know, don’t you?” he said.
I nodded. “Yes. I’d just arrived when you bolted out of Faye’s office and escaped. Do you remember anything?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I remember everything.”
I stared at the dried blood under his mouth and on in his hands and it made me want to feed. “You should really go and take a shower. Then we’ll talk.”
“Okay,” he replied, walking toward the hallway. He looked back over his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re all right. Did you find Duncan?”
“No. I think Faye is keeping him prisoner, though. I followed her to this ranch and she asked if I wanted to see him.”
“ Oh shit.”
“ Exactly.”
“I take it you didn’t go inside?”
“No,” I sighed angrily. “I was too scared. I know she would have either killed me or made me a prisoner, too.”
“ We have to rescue him.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. “Yes, I know.”
“I can’t believe she’s still alive.”
“Hopefully not for long.” I stared at him again and it gave me the shivers. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a horror movie. “Seriously, you’re freaking me out. Please go take a shower and get dressed, so we can come up with some kind of plan.”
“Sure ,” he replied, disappearing down the hallway.
I walked over to the window and thought about Martin. Although he seemed reasonable enough, I knew that when he found out Nathan had been the one who attacked Celeste, he’d come looking for him. It added another person to our list of enemies to avoid and I still had no idea where our mom was.
Then there was Duncan…
I felt bad for not trying to rescue him, but the little voice inside my head kept reassuring me that it would have been a suicide mission. That I would have never left that place. Neither would Duncan, if he was even still alive. I should have forced her to bring him outside. Or at least tried harder. At least then we might have had a chance.
When Nathan was finished with his shower, he stepped into the kitchen and went directly to the refrigerator. He had on one of Duncan’s marina T-shirts and a pair of jeans that looked brand new.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m hungry,” he said, pulling out a package of ham and Swiss cheese, a jar of pickles, and the mayonnaise. He then grabbed the loaf of bread I’d picked up the day before for him, and began making himself sandwich.
“Are you sure it’s okay to eat regular food?” I asked, watching him make a double-decker sandwich.
“I have no idea, and frankly, I don’t care. I’m freaken starving and if I get sick, so be it.”
I leaned over the counter and watched him do something so ordinary, it was almost comforting. His hair was still damp from the shower and I could smell the toothpaste. He definitely didn’t look like someone who’d just
***
Nathan woke up several minutes later, to the sound of his sister’s voice.
“Wake up,” she repeated, loudly.
Shivering and slightly disoriented, he opened his eyes. “Nikki?”
“ Thank goodness for you it is. Meet me in the house. And, you might want to wash up.”
He sat up, grateful for the blanket she’d given him, and pulled it in closer. Then, he stared down at his hands, which were red with dried blood. He shuddered.
Shit.
I’m a lycan, he thought, this time in dismay. Shivering, he stood up and headed for the house.
Chapter Eighteen
Nikki
Wh en Nathan stepped into the house and met me in the kitchen, I could tell from his expression that he was overwhelmed.
“You know, don’t you?” he said.
I nodded. “Yes. I’d just arrived when you bolted out of Faye’s office and escaped. Do you remember anything?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I remember everything.”
I stared at the dried blood under his mouth and on in his hands and it made me want to feed. “You should really go and take a shower. Then we’ll talk.”
“Okay,” he replied, walking toward the hallway. He looked back over his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re all right. Did you find Duncan?”
“No. I think Faye is keeping him prisoner, though. I followed her to this ranch and she asked if I wanted to see him.”
“ Oh shit.”
“ Exactly.”
“I take it you didn’t go inside?”
“No,” I sighed angrily. “I was too scared. I know she would have either killed me or made me a prisoner, too.”
“ We have to rescue him.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. “Yes, I know.”
“I can’t believe she’s still alive.”
“Hopefully not for long.” I stared at him again and it gave me the shivers. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a horror movie. “Seriously, you’re freaking me out. Please go take a shower and get dressed, so we can come up with some kind of plan.”
“Sure ,” he replied, disappearing down the hallway.
I walked over to the window and thought about Martin. Although he seemed reasonable enough, I knew that when he found out Nathan had been the one who attacked Celeste, he’d come looking for him. It added another person to our list of enemies to avoid and I still had no idea where our mom was.
Then there was Duncan…
I felt bad for not trying to rescue him, but the little voice inside my head kept reassuring me that it would have been a suicide mission. That I would have never left that place. Neither would Duncan, if he was even still alive. I should have forced her to bring him outside. Or at least tried harder. At least then we might have had a chance.
When Nathan was finished with his shower, he stepped into the kitchen and went directly to the refrigerator. He had on one of Duncan’s marina T-shirts and a pair of jeans that looked brand new.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m hungry,” he said, pulling out a package of ham and Swiss cheese, a jar of pickles, and the mayonnaise. He then grabbed the loaf of bread I’d picked up the day before for him, and began making himself sandwich.
“Are you sure it’s okay to eat regular food?” I asked, watching him make a double-decker sandwich.
“I have no idea, and frankly, I don’t care. I’m freaken starving and if I get sick, so be it.”
I leaned over the counter and watched him do something so ordinary, it was almost comforting. His hair was still damp from the shower and I could smell the toothpaste. He definitely didn’t look like someone who’d just
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