The Gathering by Lily Graison Page B

wondering
what to do.
    She was sure this wasn’t their last stop.
Sabriel had said he was taking her to the Breed Leaders. Maybe they
were coming here, she thought, before looking around the house
again. She hoped not. She needed to let someone know where she was
and with no phone, that was impossible.
    Her thoughts went to Garrett then and her
mood, and appetite, plummeted. This was the first day in three
months she hadn’t been right by his side. She felt the loss
constrict her chest before her eyes grew damp. How did she ever
think she would be able to just… walk away from him? He was a part
of her now. Her wolf was created by him. By the infection he
accidentally gave her the night he’d killed Malcolm. Being
separated from him felt like a limb had been cut off.
    She pushed the plate away and wiped at her
eyes. “You’re so stupid, Rayna. For once you should have listened
to Garrett instead of being so pig-headed. You wouldn’t be in this
mess now.”
    Walking back to her room, she locked the door
behind her and crawled into bed. The emptiness she felt only grew
when she realized she might not ever see Garrett again. He didn’t
know where she was and the chances of him finding her were growing
slimmer by the minute.
    Once the Collective had her, her days would
be numbered.

Chapter Eight
     
     
     
    There were clothes on the end of the bed when
Rayna woke, including under-things. She raised an eyebrow as she
picked up the panties and bra. Black lace and see through.
Surprisingly, they were her size and not so skimpy they would be
uncomfortable to wear. Jeans, a royal blue shirt, and socks were
also there. Beside the clothes was a bag that held toiletries and a
perfume that smelled faintly of flowers.
    She didn’t want to even think about who
picked out the clothes, especially the black lacy things, and
dressed quickly, brushed her hair and teeth, slipped on her shoes
and walked out of her room. She glanced at the door as she pulled
it shut behind her. She was sure she’d locked it before she’d lain
down. How did someone get in to deliver the clothing? She shrugged
her shoulders before heading down the hall.
    The smell of food drew her to the kitchen and
the man who had driven the SUV the day before was by the stove,
cooking. He turned to look at her and motioned to the table with a
nod of his head.
    Sabriel was there, reading a newspaper and
sipping something from a cup. He was dressed casually again and the
scene looked so domestic she almost laughed. Seeing a vampire doing
things that seemed so normal wasn’t what she expected.
    He must have sensed her presence for he
turned and smiled at her. “Good morning… well, evening, I should
say. Please, have a seat. Luther will have your breakfast ready in
a few more minutes.”
    Rayna looked at the table, noticing then
there was another place setting beside her own and it wasn’t
sitting in front of Sabriel. “Are you expecting company?”
    “We are.” He sat his newspaper aside and
stood, pulling out the chair next to him and waited for her.
    She sighed and debated on not cooperating.
Her stomach didn’t give her much choice, though. It growled,
loudly, and her cheeks heated before she walked to the table and
sat down. “Thanks,” she said, quietly, as Sabriel slid the chair
under her.
    A soft, “you’re welcome,” followed before he
once again took his own seat. “Did you sleep well?”
    “As well as could be expected after being
kidnapped and taken to only god knows where.”
    “New York.”
    Rayna cut him a quick look when he replied.
New York? Her pulse raced all of a sudden. They were close to
Bluff’s Point. Well, depending on where in New York they were, but
she was still close. If she could make her way home, she’d at least
be among people she knew and could get back to Wolf’s Creek and
back to Garrett. She hoped her face didn’t reflect what she was
thinking. “What are we doing here?”
    Sabriel smiled and picked up his