The cage closed, and all she could do was scream. Kellen squeezed her hand until it opened, and the knife dropped to the ground.
"Leo!" Kellen yelled. "Get a towel or..."
Before Kellen finished, the blond wolf yelled "On it!"
In the meantime, Stephen pinched closed the hole she had created, following her body as Kellen supported her back as she fell to the ground.
"Maria, look at me."
She shut her eyes. No way. He'd hypnotize her with those beautiful brown eyes of his. No, wait. That was what vampires did. Oh, hell, are vampires real as well? Why hadn't she considered that before she got off the train? She should have thought about it the second she escaped. Her grandfather would have. He'd be so disappointed in her.
The world was filled with supernatural creatures, and no one knew except her. No one human, that was.
A soft cloth replaced Stephen's fingers. The rush of blood in her ears couldn't drown out her harsh breath as her pulse pounded.
"Maria, open your eyes."
Nope. Nope. Nope. Not even in response to his frustrated sigh. Something else was happening to her. Her eyes opened and not because she wanted them to. Kellen had somehow managed to mesmerize her without even using his eyes. Was it his voice? What if he was part vampire? It didn't matter because she couldn't close her ears.
"Relax," Kellen said, his warm breath tickling her nose. "We're not going to hurt you, but we can only protect you if you stay with us. We can show you how to better evade the Riverstone Pack. I promise, this isn't forever if you don't want it to be. You will not lose your freedom, but we can't keep you safe if you fight us."
She managed to squeeze out a few harsh words so she wouldn't fall victim to Kellen's calm, rational words. "Need money, need supplies. Don't need help."
The pressure on her neck continued, and waiting for Kellen's response felt like hours. "I'm so sorry. I truly am sorry. The last thing I want you to think is that we're like the Riverstone Pack.”
He made a frustrated noise that made her wonder again about his connection with them.
“We need to find a new town where there are no clues for Josiah to follow. We're good at disappearing, but we cannot leave you behind or let you continue as a rogue. Josiah will find you. I swear to you, I will do whatever is necessary to keep you out of his hands, and away from the Riverstone Pack. In order to do that, I need you to trust me. Will you do that? Just for a little while?"
His soft words slowed her fight or flight response. She couldn't find the energy to talk, so instead she just nodded. Stay with him for a little while? That she could do, and she would hold him to his promise.
"How bad is it?" Kellen asked Stephen, she assumed.
The cloth on her neck lifted, the cool mountain breeze soothing on her damaged skin.
"It's still bleeding."
"Give it another minute."
There were voices in the background. Other pedestrians had noticed her on the ground.
"No, no, no." She heard Leo's emphatic voice. "We don't need 911. She tripped. She'll be fine. Hey, Richie, no pictures."
"We're in public. I'm allowed. Hey, give that—no, don't throw it—you son of a bitch. My father gave me that phone. I'll call the sheriff."
"Go ahead and then tell your father and Sheriff Durning we'll all be having a long conversation about your after-school activities. It would suck if you had to mop the floors of the restaurant and gym every single day until you graduate."
The exchange broke through her adrenaline rush. Her thoughts slowed; her panic subsided.
"She's still bleeding," Stephen said. "Even a wound this deep should have clotted by now and started healing. What if she did kill her wolf and she's just a regular human?"
"Maria." Kellen breath breezed past her again. "We have a first aid station in the gym. I'm going to pick you up and bring you around the building toward the back entrance. We can take care of you there without creating another scene inside."
Again, she nodded, the rest of her limp and helpless. "Samara," she whispered. "My real name is Samara."
With ease, Kellen lifted her off the ground, tucking her head into his shoulder. Stephen shoved a clean cloth between Kellen's chest and her neck. She curled into his security, finding comfort in his scent. The uneven ground around the building made the journey bumpy, but Kellen never loosened his grip. Judging by the clomping of sneakers on soft dirt behind them, she assumed Stephen and Leo followed.
A moment and a squeak of a door later, the air conditioning hit her again. Damn, and she had finally managed to warm up during her escape attempt. A shiver rattled her bones. Kellen lay her down on what felt like a hospital bed.
