I Kissed a Dog

chapter 32

Back in Plumb Beach, I bustled around our tiny apartment, gathering a minimal amount of must-have essentials for my trip to Portland.

Zane and Alcuin were out in the barn with our resident mutants. I was happy for Stryder. As far as I could tell, he’d make a great addition to our growing team.

Tom, I wasn’t sure what their plans were for him — probably nothing very pleasant, unless he decided to denounce his mutinous ways. From what I’d seen in his thoughts, he wouldn’t be joining our cause anytime soon. A decision he would regret.

With my small travel bag stuffed to capacity, I slipped out front where my car was parked next to Zane’s. As quietly as my humanness allowed, I popped the trunk and deposited my bag. The last thing I needed was Zane asking why I needed an overflowing travel case for a sixty minute meeting with Luke and Rhonda.

We hadn’t talked much since Seattle. I was still frustrated about his impromptu introduction that had left me at the mercy of strangers. The way I saw it, not warning me about his intentions equaled not trusting me. He thought I was too weak and emotionally unstable to handle the truth. Granted, he had a point. I’d become prone to fainting in his arms since we’d first met.

And, yes, I’d had my encounters with Valamir, but how could he fault me for something I had no real control over. The vampire had vamped my mind with magic mojo. And in the end, I’d rejected Valamir’s invitation to become his woman. Just because my body was beguiled by the ancient bloodsucker didn’t mean I was.

“Hey, Princess.” Zane strode from the pole barn looking like the most magnificent specimen of manhood I’d ever seen. All I had to do was confess my eternal love for him and I’d allegedly receive the mating symbol and live happily ever after.

Why did I continue to resist the inevitable?

“What are you doing out here?” He pulled me to his chest where I rested my head.

His heartbeat accelerated as I ran my hand down the length of his muscled arm. I had to tell him about Valamir. He’d have time to process the revelation while I was in Portland.

“I need to tell you something.” I tilted my head up, searching his eyes.

“Excuse the interruption,” Alcuin said, appearing without warning.

A low growl vibrated in Zane’s chest, and he shot an annoyed look at Alcuin. “Why do my partners have such bad timing?”

“Down wolf. No need to howl over it.” I could tell Alcuin was in the mood to bait Zane. I hoped Zane wouldn’t bite. We needed to talk before I changed my mind.

Hoping to remind them I needed to be at the park soon, I made a major effort of sighing and lifting my wrist to study my watch.

Zane noticed. “I think Chloe’s trying to tell us something.”

“I have to meet Luke and Rhonda in thirty minutes. And the wolf here has an appointment with Rita and some ancient coins.” I made a point of raising an eyebrow at my vampire transporter.

He refused to meet my questioning gaze. If he abandoned our plan, I’d be stuck traveling the old-fashioned way. Even worse, I’d have to find an unguarded route into a locked down psychiatric facility on my own. Not a feat carried out by any untrained mortal.

Our initial plan had us rendezvousing at the wildlife park, where I’d hide my car on a back road, and teleport, with Alcuin, to our first stop in Portland.

Hopefully, that stop would be our only one. I needed to find out what Joshua Smart had seen. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t with his mother. He’d seen something more than his father’s brutalized body, as if that wasn’t enough. Whatever he’d witnessed that night had scared him into complete silence; landing him, if I was correct, inside a state-funded, psychiatric, research center. Not a place I’d want my kid, regardless of his mental capacity.

“I’ll see you at the park, Chloe. Zane would like me to be your escort,” Alcuin stated, all business. “I’ll keep out of sight; your boss won’t know I’m there.”

Luke and Alcuin would need to provide the same explanation to my whereabouts, and without Luke knowing about Alcuin, I had yet another thing to worry about.

Alcuin vanished and left me facing Zane, wishing I’d kept my mouth shut. Revealing my most secret sins didn’t seem wise under the circumstances.

It was regretableregrettable Zane didn’t share my concern. “Babe, you wanted to tell me something?” He leaned back against the Corvette.

“I’m afraid we don’t have time. I’ll tell you telepathically on my drive to the park.” I knew I was taking the — I’m-a-chicken-escape-route — but didn’t care. I couldn’t bear to see his face when he learned of my indiscretions.

I snuggled against him, inhaling his exclusive wild and musky scent for what might be the last time. He was, after all, an alpha male, not willing to share what he considered his with anyone else, least of all a master vampire.

Even if he forgave my mishaps, there was the chance I could get hurt, or worse, attempting to break into a secured mental facility. Either way, the thought of losing him was almost more than I could handle.

“I love you,” he whispered into my mouth before devouring it.

Following an extra long kissing session, I pushed away, blaming the time, and hit the highway. My thoughts remained on Zane, and the way his heated kisses had branded my lips. How I could have thought, even for a moment, that Valamir had anything over Zane. The only explanation was his vamp voodoo. Sure, he was sexy. And indeed he was a force to be reckoned with. But he lacked one very important asset: a pure heart.

Regardless of Zane’s lifestyle as a werewolf, there was something clean, refreshing, even heartwarming about him. He oozed sex appeal, but he didn’t use it to control me like Valamir.

I’d be at the park soon. It was now or never.

Are you there? I reached into Zane’s mind.

I’m headed to Rita’s. Before I forget, Stryder is ready to be released. If you need him, the key is in the kitchen drawer. It’s embossed with a number one. What did you want to tell me?

First, I love you. I’m ready to do whatever is required to be your mate.

Are you sure?

I’m very sure. But …

But what? All you have to do is face a full moon and proclaim your love for me. Claim me as your mate forever, and mean it. A symbol will appear around your ankle, like a tattoo. You’ve made me the happiest werewolf around.

It sounded easy enough … if I could just skip the next part. Choosing my words, I shared what happened in Vegas, including my vague memory of Valamir drinking my blood.

Zane remained uncharacteristically silent. I forced myself to continue with the incident at The Crab Cove, and, lastly, I shared last night’s bedroom encounter. Ashamed, I told him about my body’s betraying reaction to his blood feeding.

He didn’t say a word, but growled. The throaty rumbling swelled until it sliced through my mind, shattering my heart.

I slammed on the breaks. A truck I hadn’t noticed behind me, swerved, breaks squealing, around my car, avoiding what could have been a fatal crash. Taking a deep breath, I maneuvered the car onto the right shoulder and flipped on the emergency lights.

Zane, are you there? Say something. Please. I’m so sorry. God, I’m so sorry. I would have never done it without the magic. Please, you have to believe me.

I waited, and waited. Realizing I was already late getting to the park, but unable to move.

Oh, I believe you.

Zane! Thank God!

I wouldn’t thank me just yet. The kissing part hurts, but not as bad as the lying. You put me through hell over my supposed dishonesty, but have lied to me all week. I thought I’d found a woman I could trust. A woman I could spend my life with. You’re not that woman.

Panicked by the coldness in his voice, I did something I’d sworn never to do: I begged a man. Please, don’t say that. It will never happen again. I promise. I need you.

I realized right then that I was still lying. Alcuin was lying, and Luke too. Going to Portland was yet another secret between us. Somehow I’d put the Valamir situation in a different category, but it was all the same. Lies. Betrayal. He was right.

He couldn’t trust me.

Forget what I told you about the mating ceremony. I’ll protect you until this is over, but after that you’re on your own. So am I.

Zane! Wait! Please!

He reinforced the mental brick wall he’d constructed when we’d first met. I was blocked out — maybe forever.

Alcuin found me slouched over the steering wheel, sobbing. He flashed into the passenger seat and rested a cold hand on my shoulder.

“I was worried. I tried to call Zane, but he didn’t answer. What happened?”

I lifted my head. My eyes felt tight and swollen. I didn’t dare look in the rearview mirror for fear of what I’d see in the reflection. “I told him.”

“About this?” Alcuin said without emotion.

“About Valamir. I was ready to accept the mating mark and wanted Zane to know everything. Well, almost everything. That’s the problem. The lies. We both kept secrets, and rather than protecting each other, we’ve destroyed everything.” The more I talked, the more my grief transformed into anger.

Why was it my burden alone to carry? He’d lied more than once. He’d taken my virginity without my knowledge. In my drunken state, I’d consented, but that didn’t count. Not really.

We’d both theoretically had good reasons for our deceit, yet neither of us was able to forgive the other — so much for love.

One thing I remembered from my church-going days was that forgiveness was a huge part of love, the most important part. If we couldn’t forgive each other, there was no point in me shouting some ridiculous promise at the moon. Divorce wasn’t something I wanted, but considering the situation, no one would blame me.

Zane was right. We needed to finish what we started. Find the killer and get on with our lives. We’d known each other for just one week, for crying out loud. I was being ridiculous.

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Alcuin asked, his face still void of emotion.

Did I? No. As far as I was concerned, we were over. “Don’t bother. I’m going to Portland, and then I plan to solve this mystery like Nancy Drew.”

Alcuin’s blank-faced mask cracked. “Nancy who?”

“You don’t know who Nancy Drew is?” I guessed vampires didn’t read much.

“Should I?”

“She’s only the greatest ever girl detective. When there’s a mystery to solve, you can count on Nancy Drew.”

“Should we contact her?” Alcuin asked, his excitement rising.

That was all it took to send me over the edge. My tears vanished in a wave of uncontrollable laughter. Maybe I’d trade places with the Smart kid and let them experiment on me instead. My mental state was in serious question.

Alcuin had told me to curb my emotions the night we’d first met. That particular memory added fuel to my hysterics. When I caught a glimpse of the baffled expression on his face, it acted like a match thrown on gasoline, sending me even further over the edge.

“Why do you laugh like a maniac?” Alcuin clasped my face between his hands and stared into my eyes.

Dammit! Now he was using mind magic on me, trying to calm me down.

It was working.

After a few minutes of strange staring, I’d reestablished a sense of sanity, and was grateful for Alcuin’s interference. He’d saved me a ton of time and trouble. If everyone had a mind-melding vampire on hand, no one would need medication.

Alcuin shook his head, still looking somewhat dismayed by what had just transpired. “Chloe, doll, please, I beg you, don’t do that again.”

I wished I could make the promise he wanted, but considering our current predicament, I didn’t dare. “I’ll do my best. Though laughter, even somewhat crazy laughter, can be healing. For us humans anyway.”

“I’ll have to take more time to research human emotions,” he said to himself. “When you’re seven hundred years old, it’s difficult to recall past emotions.”

We drove in blessed silence to the park. I’d never enjoyed the quiet so much. Being around a vampire like Alcuin was downright soothing. He didn’t require conversation, or music, or anything, as far as I could tell. Unlike Valamir, he didn’t seem the least bit interested in my blood. That was a relief. The last thing I needed right now was my vampire friend going berserk for my blood.

Luke was in the gatehouse when we arrived. I’d never seen him so frazzled. He raced to the car.

Alcuin had vanished, keeping Luke unaware of his presence.

I rolled down the window. “I didn’t realize how late it was. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” I knew he wasn’t.

“I was worried. It’s not like you to be late for anything. You’ve never been impulsive. Now you’re married. You’re late. I don’t know what to think.” Luke ran his hand through his hair.

“With the murders and everything, I think I’m kinda losing it.”

He relaxed. “Yeah, we all are. It’s just if anything happened …”

“Nothing is going to happen to me. I just need some time away. Zane is overprotective. That’s why I need you to cover for me. If anyone asks, we had a meeting, and I headed home. No matter what happens, please, stick to that story.”

“I’m not sure why I’m agreeing to this. We sure need you here. The animals need you. I can tell they’re acting differently. Mack and Michael are great and all, but you, Chloe, are one of a kind.” He gave me the warm smile I’d come to love over the past two years. Why couldn’t I have fallen for him?

With that question still harassing me, I pulled out of the lot. I hadn’t bothered confirming with Alcuin the place where I planned to park my car. I’d have to trust in his vampire honing skills to locate me.

Just to park’s south side, there was a little dirt road, hidden behind a wall of brush and connected to the wildlife park’s property. No one used it anymore. It led to a tiny cabin that had been boarded up ever since I’d started working for Luke, who’d stayed there when he’d first inherited the land from his grandfather. No one would notice my car tucked conveniently behind the cabin.

I found the entrance without a lot of trouble, because I knew what I was looking for. An old tree trunk, a white cross propped at its base, marked the place I needed to turn.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, I confirmed no one was following me, and made a quick right turn and drove through the undergrowth, trusting I’d find the road on the other side. Sure enough, my tires crunched along as they rolled across the gravel. I slowed to a crawl and flicked on my brights. I saw the old cabin looking as forlorn as I’d ever seen it. It sat off to the left of the road about a hundred feet ahead

A few minutes later, I’d parked behind the now-slanting structure. I was amazed Luke hadn’t either remodeled the place, or torn it down. I was partial to the second option. It looked ready to collapse on its own.

Maybe my emotional outburst had made me stupid, but it hit me like bullet between the eyes just how dumb it was for me to be sitting in a pitch black forest with Jazmine, mutants, and God knows what else seeking my destruction.

I tried again to reach out for Zane. As before, the mental brick wall kept me from entering his thoughts. So much for his promise to protect me despite our breakup, it appeared he was off duty tonight.

Ignoring the insane urge to leave the car like the idiots in every known horror movie, I turned my attention to the landscape. The cabin was boarded up and looked like it hadn’t been used in years. I couldn’t see beyond the edge of trees and foliage that surrounded the structure. Eerie shadows drifted through the trees — a thick coastal fog was blanketing the area. As much as I hated to admit it, the place looked haunted. I expected an army of ghosts to appear any second.

“Alcuin, please hurry. I need you,” I whispered urgently.

From the corner of my eye I saw one of the shadows separate itself from the trees and dash to the cabins opposite side, then another did the same, and another.

I wanted to believe my eyes were playing a cruel trick on me, but I knew otherwise.

I wasn’t alone out here. I was being surrounded.

***