The Sacrifice

"I probably pulled his fur pretty hard on the way here, so I can't be too mad about it," I said, shrugging, as I slathered the cream onto my hand with another cotton puff, then carefully did the same to my foot.

"Here, do you want some help?" Pops asked when I tried to wrap my foot.

"She's not a child, Pops," Sully objected.

"No, but she is a lady. You'll excuse these brutes," Pops said, shaking his head as he carefully took the wrap from my hand. "They haven't had a woman around here in a while. They've clearly forgotten their manners." He'd said the last part loudly, a chastisement to Sully who took another drink in response. "There now. All better. What do you say we get you something dry to wear?" he asked. "You're shivering."

I hadn't even noticed.

My head was racing too much with everything else going on to notice something so small.

"Yeah, heaven forbid she gets pneumonia," Sully agreed, snorting. "The coven might hex us all."

Pops and I both chose to ignore that as he led me back through the doorway that opened up into a hall. "They're rude," he said, shaking his head. "I try to talk manners into 'em, but they're not my boys. There's only so much I can do."

"I appreciate your kindness," I told him, offering him a small smile.

"It's nothing. Here. Through here," he said, leading me into a small room with a bed, nightstand, and dresser. "I have some clothes in here that should fit you," he said, rummaging in his dresser, pulling out a button-up shirt and a pair of sleep pants in dark gray. "I wish I had something more appropriate."

"These will be fine," I told him, already dying for something dry and warm on. And maybe something a little less feminine, a little more concealing.

"You can stay here," Pops offered. "This is my room," he added.

"I can't stay in your room."

"Sure you can. I don't need it right now. And it will allow you to get some rest. In private. While we all figure out how to get you home."

"She's not going anywhere, Pops," Sully said from the door, shaking his head.

"Your father would be rolling over in his grave," Pops growled, reaching into the bottom drawer of his dresser, pulling out a spare blanket and pillowcase, setting about making the bed.

"We burned my old man. But I get the sentiment. Doesn't change shit. Come on. She is dead on her feet," Sully said as Pops fussed with the blankets, trying to get them just so.

"Thank you again," I told him as he passed me. "I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he said, but his eyes were warm as he moved into the hall, closing the door behind him.

I listened for a moment before moving to the door, carefully sliding the lock, cringing when it clicked. But no one came running.

Certain I was alone, I stripped out of my wet clothes, slipping into the new ones that hung around my body, concealing my form beneath, then grabbed my wet clothes, draping them over the foot of the bed.

I could hear the shuffling of feet down the hall and into the common space, the low timbre of male voices engaged in some sort of intense conversation.

While my weary eyes begged for the bed, my survival instinct had me rushing across the room to the small window, moving the heavy curtains to the side. My fingers had just grabbed the pull on the window when a face appeared, making me jump backward, a gasp rushing out of me.

Lex.

My supposed savior.

He was good-looking as a human like the others. Tall, fit, black-haired, dark-eyed, chiseled features. There were tattoos up and down his arms, across his neck, giving him an even more dangerous look as he gave me a head shake that said there was no escape.

Stifling a whimpering sound, I closed the curtains, climbing into the bed, curling up under the blanket Pops had provided me, and letting the helplessness sink in.

My situation wasn't much different, all things said.

I was with a group of creatures who wanted me for something.

I was being treated reasonably well.

I had no idea what my fate was.

I shouldn't have been sad. Not much had changed.

Except here, nothing was familiar.

And, of course, there was no Ly.

It was stupid that my mind went there, but it did, until the well inside that had felt drained dry the night before filled up and overflowed again.

I could hear a hissed curse outside the window as the raindrops pelted the pane.

"Not a-fucking-gain," Sully hissed from the front room.

The rest of the day was a tear-soaked blur followed by a nearly numb abyss as I lay there, waiting on my fate.

But then, out of nowhere, I could hear it.

Something familiar

Something oddly comforting.

The rumble of motorcycles.