A Howl In The Night by Lorelei Sutton (life books to read .txt) 📕

Then I finally spot it, by Xavier's side.

For some reason, it is hard to ask him for the remote. It is hard to even speak, to ruin the strained silence that has settled over us like a thick woolen blanket.

I sit there for a long while, until I am about to snap. Briefly I wonder if Danae planned for us to be in the same room together. If she did this on purpose, then I might just hate her.

"May I have the remote?" I finally ask, my voice robotic and expressionless. Xavier looks up at me, his green eyes gazing right into mine. He puts the magazine down and picks up the remote, leaning over to give it to me. I reach out my hand, stretching to close the distance.

My hand grasps the remote, and the tips of my fingers touch his in the process. With this touch comes a shock as frightening as a bolt of lightning, electricity and a crazy burst of uncontrollable passion boiling through my blood. The remote tumbles from our hands, hitting the floor with a thud.

Xavier immediately gets up, a spark in his eyes and despair in his features. With a sudden urgency, he races to my side, remote forgotten.

"I can't stand this any longer! I'm sorry for being mean," he begs, "just please, let us be anything but this! You can treat me like dirt, or a child, for anything from you is better than nothing at all. I can be a plaything to you if you wish, as long as I am something!"

"Xavier." I attempt to calm him down, my voice alike to his in nervousness and pleading.

"Even if you like Ray, please keep me at your side! Allow me to be your friend, or at least your acquaintance. This bond of ours is too strong for either of us to sever, even though you may wish it so-"

"Xavier," I say in a slightly louder voice.

"Because I don't think I can do it anymore! Your scent is so overpowering that it envelops me, causes me to lose all train of thought-"

"Xavier!" I command, "stop!"

Finally his tender lips come to a close, and with it comes peace. For a few seconds, this peace washes over us like a tidal wave, and everything is perfect.

"I have never-"

"Don't say anything," he whispers breathlessly, "I promise I will accept any conditions as long as you will acknowledge me. Please, no matter how much you must hate me..." He trails off, his eyes alight. I want to protest, but now doesn't seem like the time. We both lean in, I realizing how close we actually are. Not much more of a hairsbreadth away, his perfection and insecurity shines plainly for me to see. If only one of us tilts his or her head, then we will kiss. My heartbeat quickens and excitement floods through me.

I can't believe it. We just have a major problem or fight, caused by a misunderstanding that hasn't fully been cleared up between us, and right after we will share our first kiss.

Our "bonding", I suppose. I can only hope it leads to something good.

My hands shake and my face turns a cherry red. With barely contained anticipation, I purse my lips, looking up at the man mated to me. The one that was chosen to be mine.

Centimeters away, and edging closer...

His top lip brushes against my cheek as he suddenly swivels his head in response to the blare of his cell phone. Red is on his face too, spreading like wildfire. He sneaks a quick glance at me before grabbing his phone, a small pout dancing on the corner of his lips. Disappointment crackles through the air.

I curse that phone.

He fiddles with a few buttons, and then a small message is displayed on the screen. As Xavier reads it, his face turns a deathly white. "It is from Jake."

"What does it say?" I ask fearfully.

He sits in complete silence for a second, staring at me. Then, after the moment is over, he says, "Took the house. We are prisoners. They are coming for you too."

Alarm overcomes my being, the shroud of doom once more descending upon me. For some reason, I can already tell that we are completely finished.

My bed is soft, but not nearly as warm as I wish it to be.

I shiver underneath the thick covers, tossing and turning furiously. I struggle to get warm, yet only the cold embraces me. The desire for a certain man grows at an alarming rate, as I know that one touch from him would instantly make my body go hot with passion.

But at the same time, I am afraid of him. Sadness and a strange fear races through my mind as I recall once again his confession to me, his impassioned plea for forgiveness that strangled my heart. I wanted to rectify our misunderstanding, but he refused to listen. I could tell that he was stressed, his eyes full with pain and desolateness. He was almost desperate for me, as if I was his bread and water. Just remembering that one look from his statuesque features ashamedly brings a tiny tingle of happiness to my heart.

But what is he truly desperate for? Is it just for our mating to be fulfilled, or because he loves me for who I am?

Once I really think about it, if I was not his mate, he would not have fallen in love with me at all. In fact, I would have been dead now. I would have been given everything I asked for on that one awful night.

"I can tell you are thinking hard," a deep voice cuts through my pondering state. His words are followed by a little laugh, and the crinkle of a smile.

"Ray?" I slowly sit up, struggling against the headboard. Looking up at his grinning face, I reluctantly smile back. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you. Everyone else is in the car."

"How long has it been?"

"About three hours. It's time, Mona." His face is now deathly serious. "We cannot stay here anymore. Our lives are at stake."

"I feel so woozy..." I attempt to swing my legs off the bed, clutching Ray's shoulder for support. "Please, help me," I whisper into his shoulder, leaning on his broad form.

Without another word he sweeps me into his arms, cradling me like a baby. It feels so good... so warm. As I look up at him, I can see his concern and determination. For a minute, I see another in his place, with bright blue hair and smooth skin.

"Forgive me," I quickly apologize, slipping into the vast nothingness as my eyes slide to a close once more.

* * *

The first thing I see is Danae's face leaning over mine. Now she seems as young as a teenager, with luscious, dark hair. As I sit up, my own flaming red hair slaps against my arms. For some reason, I feel extremely nauseated.

Her large eyes search mine with great concern. "Are you okay?" she asks softly, and I grasp her arm tightly.

"I don't think so," I confess, "I think I am car sick." Being in a car like this reminds me of... that fateful journey with my parents. I haven't really been overly fond of them since then.

"What's wrong?" Ray twists in his seat, staring at me. I try to avoid looking up and seeing the whiz of cars in front of him.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up,” I confess, holding my stomach. His eyes carefully examine my appearance; obviously trying to decide for himself how bad of a condition I am in.

“Xavier, we are going to have to park the car soon or Mona will vomit all over the seats.” Ray turns his head back to the front, leaning forward in his seat. “I don’t know where… but we need to find a safe place to either get some meds for her or to ditch the car completely.”

I spare one glance outside of my window but all I can see is miles and miles of road. There is no gas station, no store of any kind.

“Where are we going to hide?” I inquire, my voice coming out a little raspy and low.

“I’m hoping that when we reach Pack 24 they will help hide us, but if they don’t, then we will continue to travel north until we reach one of the sanctuaries,” Xavier says firmly, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Even from the back I can sense his fierce determination, his desire to escape the invisible villain.

Miles and minutes pass, and with every bump I feel a new wave of nausea. Ray keeps his gaze focused on me, somehow encouraging me without words. Danae is just as tired as I am, leaning her head against the window.

CRACK!!

My head leaps up as a resounding noise fills the air. “What was that?!”I scream, searching for the source of the noise. Xavier jerks the car off the road and races towards the trees on both sides of the interstate. “Hold on!” he yells, narrowing his eyes. The speed escalates from 80 mph to over 100.

CRACK!!

A gasp escapes me as I hear the same sound again. The window beside me splinters as a small metal ball is suddenly wedged inside of the thick glass. Spider webs blossom in the small area, reaching to the far corners of the window. “WATCH OUT!” Danae screams, tugging me over to her side just as it shatters, glass shards falling all around us. One hits my leg, and instantly blood starts to drip from the small wound.

We are all jerked around as he navigates us into the forest. I am thrown against the opposite seat where the glass is, Danae unable to hold me. Tears slide down my cheeks as I feel thousands of tiny pieces pierce my body. I crawl back over to her, and begin to break down as I hold her arm. There is another blur of movement and Ray is at our side, shielding us both from the waves of glass flying towards us.

“We are going to have to ditch the car!” he yells to Xavier as another shot rings out. This time it hits the window that stretches across the back. “Normal bullets wouldn’t shatter windows like these,” Ray mutters to himself angrily as cracks run through the back window.

“What do we do?” I ask, mashed between Ray and Danae. Many more gunshots crackle through the air as we swerve deeper into the forest, scraping past trees and rocks.

“On the count of three, open the door,” Ray instructs me calmly.

“Why? If we do, we will be killed by the bullets!”

“Mona.” He stares into my eyes, serious as ever. “This time, you are just going to have to trust me.”

My fingers reach the handle, gripping it tightly. Tears are flowing like a waterfall from my face onto my shirt and jeans.

“1-“

“Ray, don’t! That’s what they want! They are trying to scare us into leaving the vehicle!” Xavier shouts, twisting around briefly, “They know bullets can’t seriously injure us!”

“It’s safer out there than it is in here! We are