章 6: Chapter 6
Gianna's POV
I go back to the closet and grab a leather jacket off a hanger and put it on before zipping it up. With how cold it is, I would love to put on a scarf and gloves too, but I'm worried that would hinder my ability to scale across the exterior of the very tall building I'm in. Goddess, I must be crazy. I inhale slow and deep before nodding with determination. I lock my bedroom door just in case and head to the small balcony. "Okay... okay.... You can do this." I mumble as I try to psych myself up.
Holding onto the railing, I hoist one leg over and then the other. I take another deep breath and force myself to not look down. Werewolves heal fast, but a fall like this would crush me beyond repair. "This is ridiculous. Go back inside before you kill yourself," my wolf scolds.
"Shut up. Don't distract me."
"Don't be stupid and then you don't have to worry about it. You should just tell our mate what you know."
"No way! He'll go in there guns blazing like last time," I argue.
"You mean claws drawn?"
"Shut up! You know what I mean! What if next time Ella or Will are the ones that get in the way? Then what?" I insist. My wolf finally quiets. She cares about Ella and Will too and has finally realized there is no talking me out of my decision.
Before taking the first step onto the ledge, I reach up and make sure my grip on the ridge above me is secure. After that, I move my feet one at a time and get myself positioned so that my nose is practically touching the exterior stone wall. The wind is strong this high up, stronger than I had originally anticipated. My grip tightens as I think of what would happen if a random gust of air was the cause of my demise. Slowly, I inhale deeply before blowing it softly from my lips. Once I've calmed my nerves, I begin to inch my way toward the fire escape cautiously. I can feel my palms getting sweaty and my heart rate accelerating. My anxiety is through the roof right now... well, figuratively speaking.
When I finally reach the fire escape, I hastily clamor over the rail and sink into a crouching position in the corner as I try to catch my breath. Oh my Goddess. That was terrifying. Once I've managed to get my bearings, I begin the long trek down the stairs. Despite being in pretty good shape, I have to stop multiple times. Meanwhile, I keep looking over my shoulder and keep my head on a swivel. I don't want anyone to see me. I'm not sure who all knows who I am so being caught in the city could be potentially dangerous. Not to mention, Daniel is going to be furious about this. Luckily, the escape isn't close to the windows and is somewhat hidden from the other buildings around it. Hopefully, my luck will hold up and I'll make it pass the borders and back to packless territory.
I try my best to remain hidden in shadows and dark alleys as I make my way toward The Bane. Whenever another wolf gets too close I quickly hide and wait until they are gone. It seems to take forever, but eventually I make it back and enter the familiar path to the shelter. Blood stains the stone walls of the buildings on either side of me and the same goes for the gravel path. "Gianna! Oh my Goddess! You're alive!" Rebecca, Annie's mom, says as she runs up to me and throws her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a tight embrace.
I pat her back soothingly. "Yeah, I am. How is everyone?"
She lets me go and links an arm around mine as she leads me towards the entrance. "They'll be much better when they see you. We heard from one of the others that they saw you get stabbed! But when we were collecting our lost members you weren't there. We didn't know what to think."
"To be honest, I'm not sure either. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all." She quirks an eyebrow at me, clearly trying to figure out exactly what I mean. Luckily, she can tell that it's not a topic currently up for discussion and she chooses not to pry. "Who all did we lose?"
Rebecca sighs sadly and casts her gaze down. "Old Sam, Cody, Mr. Luckett, Bernie, and Mr. Garber." Tears prickle my eyes. I knew all of them. Cody was my age and was always making people laugh. Old Sam was a grandfatherly figure to all of us packless. Bernie had a mate and two pups to take care of. Mr. Luckett and Mr. Garber had both been warriors when they had been part of a pack and were always teaching some of the younger wolves. I hurry to wipe away a loose tear before anyone can notice and Rebecca continues. "I'm afraid you already missed their send off." I nod sadly. I guess I'll have to find my own way to say goodbye to them. Werewolves do a ceremony, much like a human funeral except we do ours under the moon and ask the Moon Goddess to bless their souls and return them as wolves so that they may guide the next generation.
As we enter the dining hall, chatter seems to cease as everyone's gazes turn towards me. Before I have the chance to do or say anything I'm plowed into and lifted from the ground in a tight embrace. The smell of mint and clover surround me and I wrap my arms around him tightly. "Will," I murmur into the crook of his neck as he continues to hug me as though his life depends on it.
"Where the hell have you been baby girl? You had us worried sick!" he whispers next to my ear. He is holding me so close that I can feel his heart thudding against my chest. It feels so nice to see him again. I've missed him so much and my body seems to instantly relax as his familiar scent envelops me. Finally, I sigh and pull away from him. I can't get distracted. I still have a job to do and I need to finish it sooner rather than later.
Will holds my arms as his gaze roams over me, checking for injuries. He purses his lips together and I'm sure he has noticed how worn I look after my stay in the New Moon's dungeons. When his eyes creep over my neck they suddenly widen. "Hey! Where's your necklace?"
My eyes bug out as I place a hand on my chest where the necklace should be. "Shit! It must still be at the hospital!" I realize and grimace.
"The hospital?..." he begins before I cut him off.
"Yeah, I have a lot to catch you up on. But first, where's Jo?"
He gestures behind me and I turn to see Ella coming up to me as she wipes her flour-covered hands off on her apron. "Well look what the Goddess dragged in," she remarks with a mischievous smile before holding her arms out to me.
I quickly rush up to her and give her a hug. "Oh Jo! It's so good to be back!"
"I'm sure it is. But where the hell did you go?"
"I'll explain everything. I promise. But is there somewhere that we can talk in private?" I ask her softly as I try to avoid prying ears. It's hard to do in a room full of werewolves with enhanced senses, but the dining hall is once again loud so hopefully no one is paying attention to us. Ella looks around, seeming to be hoping the same thing before she jerks her head over to the door. Will and I immediately follow her as she leads us through the kitchen and into one of the large pantries. She instantly shuts and locks the door before turning to me. With a huge sigh, I tell them everything.
*****
"The asshole that stabbed you is your mate?!" Will asks with a wide-eyed expression of utter disbelief. I simply nod. "Alpha Daniel fucking Lopez is your mate..." he continues, seemingly to himself.
"Unfortunately," I agree with a shrug.
"So, what now?" Ella asks with her arms folded across her chest sternly. She doesn't seem too pleased, though I'm not sure if it's because of who my mate is or the fact that I am planning on going after Hudson on my own. Technically speaking, there are no rules in The Bane. People tend to do whatever they want. As long as they aren't hurting anyone, no one really cares. However, most of us tend to help out and take care of each other. Hudson and his gang have never really included themselves in our little community though. They take advantage of our kindness and eat the food we provide and such, but they don't help out. They tend to cause more trouble than they are worth and this time it cost innocent lives. The New Moon Pack will be seeking retribution against the wolves that killed some of their men. I can't let anymore innocent wolves get killed in the crossfire. So, I need to find out if what my gut is telling me about Hudson is right.
"Well, I need to figure out what to do with Hudson," I begin. "But before I confront him, I want to be sure it was him."
"Oh, I think it is probably safe to say that it was. You said they were cleaning fresh blood off their knives when you saw them right before the attack. And sounds like his scent matches the one they had followed back to The Bane," Will says.
"I agree that it likely was him. But I want to find proof. I need it. Especially if I'm going to condemn him to death," I answer back sternly.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Ella questions harshly.
I shrug. "I was hoping I could look around his place. See if there are any clues."
"Yeah, because that's safe..." Will groans sarcastically and rolls his eyes at me, causing me to glare at him.
"Well, when was the last time anyone has seen him?" I push, already sure of what their answer will be.
"As far as I know, not since the New Moon Pack stormed the area," Ella replies.
I nod with a smile. "Exactly. He's probably in hiding. I'll just swing by his place and take a quick look around. In and out."
"It's not as simple as that and you know it Gianna," Ella scolds.
"Stop worrying. It will be fine."
*****
Despite further protests from Will and Jo, I find myself creeping through an empty street. Ella is at the shelter, keeping an eye on everything. Will had wanted to come along, but I told him it was better if I went alone. The more people involved the harder it is to be stealthy. And that's not something I can afford right now.
Trash and debris line the unused sidewalk. Cars sit idly, unused and forgotten after years of having no owner. Stray dogs dig through a mess at the corner of another alley, one looking up at me and growling. My wolf instantly shines her aura through and the dog whimpers and runs off. I can't help but to think of the differences between New Moon City and The Bane. The inner parts of the city have shiny new buildings and streets lined with fancy modern cars. Ruins have been cleared out to make room for everything new. But here is the exact opposite. Everything is old, rusted, in disrepair.
After a few more blocks, I arrive at an old brick building that is still mostly standing. Hudson and the members of his gang took this place as their own. They didn't want to share space with the rest of the packless, probably so no one would witness all their illegal activities. Even though we don't have any sort of justice system in The Bane most of us still have morals and wouldn't willingly let Hudson cause too much trouble. If he really did kill those wolves, he would certainly be kicked out of the territory or executed. Rogues have it much worse than packless. They aren't allowed anywhere near the New Moon territory. They have nowhere to call home and no one to turn to.
I use my enhanced hearing and sense of smell to see if there is anyone present. As soon as I deem it is safe to do so, I enter the building, careful to not let the old screen door slam behind me. I slowly and cautiously move up the steps one at a time, keeping close to the wall and stepping over all the trip hazards that litter the floor. Following my nose, I find his room on the fourth floor. The room has a bed, a small kitchen, and a single bath. Some necessities seem to have been left behind, but the space is in complete disarray and smells like rotting food and dirty clothes. My nose wrinkles in disgust as my eyes take in the room. Luckily, Hudson is still nowhere to be seen.
Very carefully, I begin picking through the piles of stuff scattered all over the floor. I dig through drawers and every other nook and cranny I come across. When I get to his nightstand I find a scrap of leather with a white New Moon on it. My fingers brush against what looks like dried blood and I lightly sniff at it. The metallic scent tells me that my assumption is correct. I look around before folding the piece of leather and sticking it in my pocket for safekeeping. Hudson always seemed like the type of person to keep trophies, always looking for a reason to brag. I knew that he would have had some sort of memento if he was guilty and I'm glad I'm right. Now I need to figure out what to do with the information. It certainly wouldn't be the smartest thing to confront him on my own. But I also don't want to include members of the New Moon Pack.
After searching for another ten minutes or so, I decide I should get out of here. I wish that I could mind-link with other packless. That would make things so much easier. I could have had people on the lookout to see if Hudson and his thugs came back. Unfortunately, wolves can only mind-link with members of their pack and since we are packless we can't do it at all. I have heard of rare instances where wolves from different packs were able to mind-link, but it was because their bond had been so strong or they had once belonged to the same pack.
I sneak down the steps and begin the trek back to the shelter. Suddenly, I hear the crunch of footsteps coming toward me and I instantly freeze as I go on the alert. The smell of earth, sandalwood, and whiskey floats through the air causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Shit. "Get out now Gianna! Run!" my wolf urges, but it's too late.
Hudson is standing only a yard ahead of me. His hands are stuffed in his pockets and he has a cocksure smirk on his face. "Well well well, what do I have here? To what do I owe the pleasure beautiful?" he asks as he strolls closer to me, my body tensing as though ready for him to pounce.
"Not that it's any of your business Hudson, but I just needed some fresh air," I respond as I try to sidestep him.
"I find that pretty hard to believe. You never come around my part of town," he insists, continuing his slow strut up to me.
"Yes, well I needed a change of scenery and I heard you hadn't been around."
"Indeed. But neither have you. Last thing I heard, you were stabbed in the gut," he remarks, now standing right in front of me. His stale breath making my nose scrunch in distaste. "And now here you are. Looking as fine as ever." He reaches out and slips his hand under the hem of my shirt, brushing his fingers over the spot where I had been stabbed. I quickly swat away his hand and take a step back before speaking.
"What's it to you anyway? Just get out of the way Hudson. Ella is expecting me to help with dinner."
I go to push passed him and he suddenly snatches my wrist, bringing it up to his face. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. When his eyes open, his gaze hardens suspiciously at me and he jerks me towards him, smelling my ear and neck. His closeness is making me feel nauseous and I take a slow, unsteady breath, trying to calm myself. "You were in my room," he states in a low growl. "What were you doing there?" I shrug and try to back away, but his grip tightens on my wrist causing me to grimace. "Answer me Gianna." He twists harder, forcing a whimper to escape my lips and he smiles viciously. He likes that he's causing me pain.
"Damn it Hudson! Let go of me! I was just curious okay!"
He glares at me for a moment before his hand reaches into my pocket and pulls out the leather scrap. He grins triumphantly as he holds it up for me to see. "Did a little snooping I see. And what did you find?"
I angrily yank myself away and take a step back. "You're the reason the New Moon Pack attacked us. You're the reason innocent packless died. Why Hudson? Why did you kill those men?" I question angrily.
He sneers at me. "Maybe because they deserved it. Maybe I just felt like it," he seethes as his lips twist in disgust. "Maybe because I recognized one of the assholes I've had run-ins with before and wanted a bit of revenge."
"You're insane," I spit at him. "You killed those men! You murdered them! And for what? One of them hurt your pride once or twice? Grow the hell up Hudson! You are not going to get away with this. Not this time," I state bravely though my body is itching to make a run for it. Even my wolf is begging me to get the heck out of here.
"Oh yeah? And who's going to stop me princess? You?" he scoffs.
"Why not?" I question defensively.
He lets out a big guffaw that makes my face heat with anger. "Alright honey. Let's see what you got," he states as he gestures with his hands to come at him. I know it's a bad idea. He's just trying to get me worked up. I growl in frustration.
"I think I'll let the others decide what to do with you," I spit.
"Too late for that now sugar," he teases before suddenly swinging at me.
I quickly raise my arm to block before he swings with the opposite arm, connecting with the same spot where I had been stabbed a week and a half ago. Luckily, the spot is already healed from the previous wound since enhanced healing abilities comes with being a werewolf. I stumble back and dodge another blow. He is swinging at me in such quick succession that I have to use everything I got just to keep from getting hit again. Suddenly, he kicks out his leg causing me to fall backwards before he straddles my hips. His fingers elongate into large claws as he swipes at my chest, tearing my top in two and leaving a long gash across my skin. I cry out in pain before managing to block another attack.
His eyes darken as he looks down at me and the next thing I know he has grabbed my wrists and has pinned them above my head. I buck my hips and squirm underneath him as I try to free myself, but it is to no avail. He leans down so that his lips are next to my ear as he begins to speak softly to me, "Has anyone ever told you how heavenly you smell? I think I may want to have some fun with you before I kill you..." Without any other warning he licks my neck with a deep, throaty moan.
My eyes widen as I realize what he is saying, fear and disgust immediately bubbling up inside of me. "GET OFF!" I yell and a burst of white light shoves him off me. For a moment, I lie there in shock. What the hell just happened? Did I do that? I shoot up into a sitting position and my head swivels around to see if there is anyone else around, but it is still just me and Hudson. Unfortunately, my confusion allows him a moment to jump on me again and he backhands my cheek so hard that black spots begin dancing in my vision. I groan in agony and he hits me again. He has the upper hand and I can't seem to summon enough strength to get out from under him. I don't know what to do as I blink my eyes trying to rid them of the stars that I'm seeing. I'm too disoriented to call my wolf forward so I do the only thing I can think of. "Will.... Help me..." I try to mind-link, hoping to Goddess that it Will work. I've never tried it since I've never really needed the ability before. But now I'm desperate.
"Scar? Where are you? What's wrong?"
"Hudson.... Outside Hudson's. He caught me..." I manage to get out as I feel Hudson's hands beginning to paw at my exposed flesh and I let out a whimper as I use my last bit of strength to try to fight him off.
I manage to free one of my hands from his grip and swiftly jab at his eyes. He wails and tumbles off of me. Quickly, I turn onto my stomach and pull myself away from him, struggling to force myself into an upright position. My hair is roughly yanked back and I claw at the ground, trying to reach some sort of weapon, some way out of this. His body climbs onto me, pinning me to the ground as he flips me to my back once more. His meaty hand wraps around my throat and I struggle to breathe. Suddenly, I hear the pounding of several footsteps and Hudson goes flying backwards before blood spray everywhere.
It happened so fast that it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to understand what just transpired. From my position on the ground I see Daniel standing over me, his eyes black from his wolf that is clearly raging inside of him. He is breathing heavily as he tries to calm himself and his fists are clenched tightly at his sides. About a dozen men are surrounding him including the one that I know of as Mason. Hudson's body lies on the ground and his head is a few feet away, the crimson of his blood splattered around us.
"Gianna!" I hear Will's voice behind me before he's helping me up and pulling me into his arms. I squeeze him tightly and bury my face in his shoulder, vaguely registering the low growling sound that is coming from my mate. Will's hands run soothingly up and down my back as he quietly shushes me as though trying to calm a baby.
"Drake, Leo, clean up this mess," Daniel barks. I'm assuming he is referring to Hudson's body. I'm too shaken up to bother looking back at him. Not to mention I'm not ready to face whatever his reaction might be. He is probably furious with me for running off and disobeying him. And then he finds me with the man he had been looking for. What if he throws me in the dungeons again? I don't know if I can handle that. Not now. Not after everything I've been through lately. "Gianna. Come," Daniel orders from behind me.
I don't let Will go as I turn to look over my shoulder. Daniel's whole body is tense and his eyes are black with anger. Turning back to Will, he kisses me lightly on the forehead. "You don't have to go with him if you'd don't want to," he whispers softly to me.
My gaze travels to Daniel once more as I internally debate. I'm scared to go back with him. I'm sure he is furious with me and I have no idea how severe the consequences will be. And he clearly heard Will's words because he somehow looks even more enraged now. His body seems to be vibrating with the effort he is putting into trying to stay calm. There is no way he would let me stay here without him. And I don't want him and will fighting because of me. I let out a sigh as my focus returns to Will. "It's okay. I'll be fine," I assure him before smiling and tapping a finger to my temple. "And I'll keep in touch."
He grins back at me and nods. "I'm going to hold you to that."
"You better."
I finally let go of him and pull the tattered remains of my shirt closed as I hesitantly walk over to Daniel. He instantly takes off his black leather jacket and throws it over my shoulders before his hands come up and lightly cup my face as he looks over my injuries, causing a tingling sensation everywhere his fingers touch. I know my face must be black and blue and I definitely have a split lip. He gently pushes my hair back from my face as he looks into my eyes, his gaze softening. Warmth fills me up. How can he treat me so poorly and then look at me with so much love? Suddenly, he bends down and scoops me up bridal-style before he turns to carry me away, his entourage flanking us all the way to his SUV. I bury my face against him and close my eyes, wondering if I'll be sent back to the dungeons.
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