Chapter 9: Connection

I was running down a vast alley that seemed to never end. I was out of breath and bleeding, from so many places that I couldn’t tell what part of me wasn’t bleeding. I needed to run faster but no matter how fast I ran I couldn’t get any farther down the alley. I heard the snarls coming faster and an opening appeared to the left and I ran towards it, slamming my back against the wall to hide from them. How many were there? It sounded like dozens. I touched my stomach and pulled the hand away slick with blood. I gasped and felt dizziness start to overcome my senses. The snarls were becoming louder, and I checked my jacket for my stakes. They were all gone. I screamed and regretted it immediately. The wolves rounded the corner and began to slowly walk towards me. Terror gripped my body and glued me to the spot. The first wolf to reach me had deep rich soft black fur and emerald eyes full of hate.

“Please don’t.” I said, a desperate plea as I sank back against the wall. He came forward ignoring my words and all I saw was teeth before the world went dark.

***

In the distance of my nightmare plagued mind, I thought I could hear voices, I Couldn’t remember where I was or why I could hear them, but they whispered intensely into my subconscious.

“She can’t be asleep for much longer “a deep velvety voice whispered.

“I know but I had the human doc I know check her out and he said it could take time.” The other voice whispered back.

“It has been a day. We do not have the time and she needs to be okay.”

“Needs too?” the other man said, it sounded like he thought something was funny but what would be funny right now?

“Yes. Needs too. Don’t look at me like that. I need her help remember?”

The other man said nothing he just laughed, I found myself wanting to laugh as well, but I couldn’t seem to open my eyes or make the sound.

***

I woke up and almost bolted into sitting, the excruciating pain as I tried kept me still. I blinked and looked down at myself. I was naked, but bandaged up along my chest, the bandage wrapped all the way around my shoulder and covered my whole right breast. I frowned the entire bar brawl coming back to me in a flash, right down to passing out in the kitchen. If anything, else happened after I had no clue. All I could remember was the nightmare I had and how real it felt. I examined my surroundings; I was covered in a purple blanket and was laying on an obviously old couch. The room was big and there was a lot of furniture covered in tarps and the windows were covered with boards. This place had to be condemned, yet I felt comfortable and saw an IV had been inserted into my arm. I tried to sit up again more slowly and managed to sit up a little my head now on the arm rest of the couch.

There was a portrait on the far wall, and it was covered in dust. I frowned and tried to lean forward to examine it further. It was a Man who looked a lot like Markham, it had to be his father. Maybe this was their house? I wanted to get up and look around and see what I could find out, but my body was telling me it wasn’t possible.

Before I could even try, a door opened, and I tensed before seeing Markham and Lonnie coming in. Lonnie saw me and grinned. He was bandaged by his throat and a black eye but otherwise looked okay. Markham looked at me and smiled slightly. He had a healing bruise under his jaw, but I could see no other injuries. Looked like the human was the only who got herself hurt. Great.

“It was about time you woke up.” Lonnie said, leaning against the far wall “Boss man over here was getting really nervous.” He said with a grin towards Markham.

Markham shot him a glare and I raised an eyebrow “Lonnie, please go and pick up the doctor from his home, now that she is awake, we need to get moving.”

Lonnie was still grinning as he looked at me, winked and then walked back out the door he came from. And then it was just us. Markham was silent as he limped over to me; I hadn’t noticed it when he first came in.

“Are you okay? “I asked, my voice coming out softer than I wanted, my mouth and throat felt like they had been rubbed with sandpaper. He came over without saying anything and handed me a cup of water from the bedside tray and I looked up at him expectantly. He sighed and picked up a chair bringing it over to my bedside and sat gingerly.

“I will be fine. There is just a little bit of damage to my leg. How are you feeling?” he was still looking at me intently his emerald eyes fixed as if I would disappear if he blinked. I felt my cheeks color and hoped he would chalk it up to me starting to feel better.

I cleared my throat and took a small sip of the water which felt amazing. “Better. Still sore, but better. What happened?”

He raised an eyebrow at me “What do you mean?”

I frowned at him “All I remember is passing out in the kitchen.” ‘And a dream where you killed me’ I thought as he gazed at me.

He snorted “Oh you don’t remember starting a fight you couldn’t finish before that?”

Heat rose in my cheeks again but this time in anger. “I didn’t start anything. You were late I was tired of standing around. One of those dick heads in the bar started it so shut up!” I yelled; I hadn’t meant too but he was pissing me off. What was it about him that got so under my skin?

He rolled his eyes “Was it not you telling him that you would send him out in a body bag? He couldn’t take that coming from a human.”

I wanted to hit him. “What? You’re on his side?” I said my voice shaking

He sighed and sat back; whatever anger he was feeling seemed to just dissipate from his body. “No, I am not on his side. You should have waited for me.”

“You should have been on time. “I said right back and crossing my arms the best I could with one of them bandaged up.

He looked up at me and his eyes looked sad “I apologize for being late. I should not have been.”

I looked at him in shock, I wasn’t expecting an apology. “I am sorry that I didn’t wait for you.” I said, the words ripped from me before I could stop them. I didn’t want to apologize to him. For some reason it was making me squirm.

He just nodded and looked down at his hands and I pushed myself into a more sitting position, using the blanket to cover me with my good arm and leaning back slightly. “Did Lonnie talk to you about the name he gave me?” I said trying to change to subject and keeping him from looking at me with those sad eyes.

He cleared his throat and sat up again “Yes, he did. Vincent Ferrer. He is the leader of the panther clan in the city. Unfortunately, wolves and panthers don’t get along and I do know that Vincent has a deep grudge against this clan.”

I frowned and shook my head “What kind of grudge? Do you think he did it?”

Wade ran his fingers through his hair, and I watched beside myself, I couldn’t stop noticing that I was naked underneath this blanket and he was so close to me. I felt feverish, I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“It doesn’t matter. It is an intense one, but I strongly doubt he would kill Devon.”

“Kill Devon and frame you. That seems pretty intense to me.”

He shook his head and moved a little closer to me, I swallowed and leaned forward. “It just doesn’t add up to me. Why Devon and not my uncle? Why frame me? Why strike now?”

I could see the thoughts spilling from his head as he rambled them out. He was lost and confused. I reached out without thinking, placing a hand on his.

“We will figure this out.” I said softly. I could feel my heart beating faster but I didn’t take my hand from his. I hoped he really wasn’t the murderer. To fake this kind of emotion would take the work of a sociopath.

He looked down at my hand and placed his other over mine, the roughness of his thumb stroking my hand, he leaned forward, and I leaned forward in anticipation, closing my eyes, and then wincing because I moved too fast. My wince seemed to bring him out of the spell we were under.

“You should get some more rest. Before we check out Vincent, we must see a friend of mine, he will know if it’s worth looking into and should be able to help. “

I nodded and looked down at the floor, trying not to show my disappointment or think about it. I looked up at him and he looked away before turning around and then saying over his shoulder “The doctor will be here soon. Go back to sleep.”

I wanted to say something else, but I didn’t, and he didn’t wait, he walked out, and I closed my eyes, sleep claiming me before my head hit the pillow.