That voice. Where have I heard it before?
She laughs and steps into the light over my fallen body.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s the witch that sold me the tonic. Melinda fucking Ruttelidge.
“Thought you got rid of me, did you?” She laughs again, flicking her long silver hair over her shoulder. “No such luck, I’m afraid. You killed my sister, and I let you think it was me. I’ve been waiting so long to gather my strength, searching for just the right spell that will take you out once and for all. And now, it’s finally time.”
I try to move. Try to scream, but I can’t do a goddamn thing. Rage coils deep in my chest. This fucking bitch.
“Take him into the cellar. We don’t need him ruining our plans. Besides, we can use him later. We’ll need his energy.”
The witches all move in unison like they’re under some spell. And looking at their faces, I realize they are. They grab and pull me away, shoving me into a cellar that’s more jail than anything. They lock me away behind the bars and walk away like they’re in a trance.
I don’t know what Melinda is planning, but I know that I have to stop her. Whatever the cost.
Chapter 19
Hendricks
Maverick has slept all day again after getting injured in that werewolf fight last night. I should have been there with him, but watching over Lydia took priority and now I feel guilty having left him to that deranged pack by himself. At least now they were vanquished once and for all. The question is what the hell were they doing back here at all. With no survivors there’s no one to ask. All I have is speculation and theories at this point, but something is telling me they weren’t here on their own volition.
I wish I hadn’t left things with Lydia the way I did though. It’s been eating at me all day. Replaying it again and again in my mind.
She’s everything I could have ever hoped for, and there I went fucking things up.
It’s a lot to ask someone to accept you for all your fucked up bits normally. But add in being an immortal monster? Forget it. The minute she figures out this place is real— she’s out of here. She’ll run and it’s stupid to get my hopes up that she can really be ours. No matter how right it felt being with her. There’s no shaking reality.
Reality is a bitch like that. Always popping up to remind you that it exists.
“The fuck are you doing, Hen?” Maverick mumbles.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. You’re watching me sleep.”
“Well, you never do, and you look like a fucking angel. So can you blame me?”
A pillow zips past my head, hitting the wall behind me. I’m sitting on the ground in our room, unable to rest. I pick up the pillow that smells like Maverick and throw it back, hitting him square in the face.
“Fuck, you’re asking for it,” he grumbles, but I just chuckle. I love pushing his buttons.
“It’s nearly dusk. Time to get your lazy ass up, old man.”
“Have I told you how insufferable you can be?”
“Not lately,” I respond, pushing myself off the floor.
Since I couldn’t sleep, I took the tunnels down to spy on Lydia earlier today. I caught her in the showers looking like the most delicious snack. I wanted to take her right there, but I held off knowing that announcing my presence during the day could lead to countless complications.
Complications I’m not ready to deal with yet. While Lydia still thinks we’re humans the chances of her staying longer are higher. Call me selfish, but I don’t want our time to be up just yet. Not when we’ve just found her.
“You ready?” I ask after he’s finished pulling on a fitted t-shirt and dark wash jeans.
As he fixes his hair, he winces.
“Still bad?” I ask coming up next to him.
“Werewolf injuries are a bitch.”
