(Un)bidden

Thomas’ gaze held mine in the lamplight, and I realized the purpose behind this tour and why he still stood there. He didn’t care about the bed or the dresser or the changes I’d made.

“You want to bite me, too, don’t you?”

He didn’t flinch in guilt or look away as a spark of need lit in his eyes.

“Yes.”

His softly spoken word made me shiver.

“Biting hurts, you know. A lot. So, I’ll pass.” I turned and started to walk away from him.

“I saw you, and I couldn’t breathe.” His quiet admission slowed my steps. “The world and all of the responsibilities it’s given me fell away. There was only you, and I wanted nothing else.”

I stopped walking but didn’t turn. “And now?”

“Now…”

I looked over my shoulder and caught him running a hand through his hair. His gaze was on the floor, and he frowned.

“Responsibilities never go away. My people depend on me. I want you. But I can’t walk away from my responsibilities to chase you.”

“Chase me? I don’t want to be chased.” I’d been chased twice already and had hated it.

“Then give me your permission to Claim you.”

I snorted. He’d almost been sweet for a minute there. But I doubted any of his kind really knew what it meant to be sweet. It just didn’t seem to be in their nature. They were too wild, too disconnected with their human sides.

“You don’t know the first thing about what it takes to be human,” I said.

“What does that have to do with Claiming you?”

“I’m human,” I said in exasperation. “Just what are you going to do with me when you Claim me?” I ignored the glint that flared in his eyes and pressed my point. “Do you think I’d survive a winter in these woods? Are you ready to live in this place permanently? How will you feed me? I’ve noticed your kind doesn’t seem to think vegetables are a requirement in their daily menu. For me, they are. I can get sick from lack of the right foods, from exposure, from…well, a lot. And I don’t heal like you.” I tilted my head so he could see the bite marks still there.

“You need to learn what it means to be human before you can care for one.” I didn’t just mean physically, either.

He stood there for several breaths just watching me, frustration plain on his face. When he spoke, there was a hint of it in his voice, too.

“While you’re in here hiding, they’re out there fighting. This needs to end. I know you’re the right one.” He eyed me for a moment as if he expected some reaction to that statement. I gave none, and he let out a half-growl. “With your permission, we could end this chaos.”

I didn’t like the way he said permission, as if he thought it completely unreasonable that I had a say in my own future.

“What if you bite me, and it doesn’t work again?” I said.

“It will work.”

“I understand you’re certain, but I’m not. What if it doesn’t work?”

“I’m certain enough for both of us. I smell you, and I know.”

I snorted again. I could see it becoming a habit with him around.

“The other two that bit me thought they knew, too. So, since you’re not inclined to think ahead and plan for more than one possibility, allow me. If you bite me and it doesn’t work, those men out there will become more aggressive. They won’t content themselves with just meeting me because they’ll know I’ve given my permission to someone, and each one will want his chance at a little nip. The fighting will escalate. And—here’s the important part—I’ll have another wound to try to keep clean.

“My answer remains a very firm no. If you don’t like it, tell me to leave. I’m not sure this is the right place for me, anyway.”

A collective howl rose outside my window. I realized too late that I’d grown a bit loud.

Thomas studied me, his expression once again closed. Then, he turned and left.

I sat on the bed. I wasn’t ready to return to the main room, just in case he hadn’t actually left. So I stared at the dresser that now served as shelves for the few clothes Mary and I owned. As I stared at the items, I realized that without a source of heat I would freeze in this bedroom when winter arrived. I’d need to move my bed back into the main room near the fire. Picturing the big and drafty room, I knew I’d need better clothes regardless. How many weeks did I have left before the weather started to turn cold?

When I estimated enough time had passed, I went back downstairs. The main room was empty and the fire almost out. I set the lantern on the table, put another piece of wood on the small flames, and moved to inspect the paper bags.

Winifred was smart about the supplies. There were cans of vegetables, fruit, and tuna fish, and bags of pasta, rice, and dried beans. Enough for a variety of meals. Flat sheets filled the last bag along with three spools of thread and four needles.

“I scoured rummage sales,” Winifred said, making me jump.

I turned and saw her closing the door.

“Mary told me you were fixing the windows. I thought you might want curtains. Especially, for this one.”

“Thank you.” I fingered the fabric of the top sheet. It was plain white, well used and soft. “I might be able to find other ways to use these, too.” Like for more bandages. I might need them soon.

“I thought you might,” she said, and for a moment, it seemed as if she was answering my last thought. “How are you doing?”

“Just fine,” I said as she walked toward me. “This won’t stop, will it?”

She shook her head.

“I never meant to cause any of you trouble. I was just looking for a place to sleep.”

She patted my hand. “Despite how it looks, we are glad you found us.”

“We?” I laughed. “I don’t think everyone’s happy.”

“Don’t worry. Those who aren’t will come around.” She sat across from me and picked up a cookie from the plate. Only six remained. But I still had some squeeze cheese and bread and jam left. I was pretty sure Mary and Gregory had sampled everything while I napped.

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow night. But I’ll return Friday evening again.”

That meant today was Saturday since she’d arrived late last night. The idea of spending another tense week here bothered me. I frowned and reached for another cookie.

“Don’t give up on us,” she said, watching me. “We’re rough around the edges, but we can learn.”

I nodded, took a bite, and sighed. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t give up on them. Those men wouldn’t let me leave, and I had nowhere else to go. We sat together in silence. Once I finished the cookie, I quietly excused myself and went to bed.

In my room, I listened to the muffled night sounds until my lids grew heavy.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew something was different. I was staring at a wall—a close up view. Since my bed had been in the middle of the room, the view didn’t make sense.

I lifted my head and looked around. My bed was now against the right interior wall. Against the other wall, Mary lay in a bed similar to mine. She was awake and grinning at me.

“I don’t have your morals about stealing,” she said as I eyed the clean sheets and nice blanket. “And if you would have seen what was crawling around in that junkyard, you wouldn’t either.”

Sitting up, I didn’t say anything about the stealing. I was happy she had a bed, but I wondered who was now sleeping on the floor because of it. Come to think of it, how could they steal a bed at night? I hoped it hadn’t been in use at the time.

“While you were gone, I looked through the extra bags Winifred brought. We can make curtains,” I said.

Mary shrugged, and I guessed having curtains made little difference to her.

“Or maybe a plain sundress for each of us.”

“That might be nice,” she said with a small smile.

“How was your time with Gregory?” I asked.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “He was angry at first. Like Thomas said, Gregory thought I was playing a game with him. But when he saw what was in the junkyard, he was the one that suggested going somewhere else.” She opened her eyes and looked at me. “He really is sweet.”

“Good. It gives me hope that it’s possible for others to be sweet.”

She sat up with a stretch. “Winifred says they’re already lining up. She’s wondering if you’re up for meeting some more today.” Mary got out of her bed and began to remake it neatly.

I wanted to groan and hide under my covers at the thought of going through yesterday all over again. But I didn’t. The sooner I met them, officially, the sooner they might leave me alone.

“Sure,” I said, sitting up. “I just need a few minutes and something to eat.”

She nodded. “I’ll see if anything is cooking. Meet you downstairs.”

She left me in the room; and though I was tempted to take my time, I slipped from the bed. Like Mary, I neatly remade it. Then, I stripped from the clothes I’d slept in. They weren’t pajamas, but it kept the bed clean if I slept in a clean set of clothes. I set them on the top shelf in the dresser and looked at what was left. One clean pair of pants. I’d need to do some laundry or start rewearing things from the small pile of dirty clothes beside the dresser.

I reached for the pants and tugged them on. As I did up the button, my door creaked open. I turned, expecting to see Mary.

A man stood in the doorway. He was shaggy, a little dirty, unfamiliar, and staring at me as I stood there in my bra. My eyes bugged, and I quickly folded my arms across my chest. I opened my mouth to tell him to leave but didn’t get anything out.

He moved in a blur, knocking me backward. My breath whooshed out of me as I landed on my bed. He fell with me, pinning my crossed arms between us.

Before I could register what was happening, he reached up, fisted his hand in my hair, and pulled my head to the side. The move exposed my neck. Fear gripped me. A desperate cry ripped from me, and I bucked under him. He darted forward, his mouth open.

“No!” I wailed as his teeth pierced me. Distantly, I wondered what had happened to Winifred’s promise.

He bit hard. It was as if he thought his Claim would have a better chance of sticking the deeper his teeth sank. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I did the only thing I had left.

Instead of trying to grab his will, my will surged from me, a thick unyielding cane comprised of a single thought: get off me. I hit him right between the eyes with it. To my shock and pain, he flew backward, his teeth ripping from my skin. I gasped and whimpered as he hit the dresser with a crash.

My shaking hand automatically went to my neck, trying to ease the pain there. I was making weird noises that I couldn’t seem to stop. The man stirred.

My door crashed open, and Winifred flew in. Her eyes widened at the sight of me on the bed.

She didn’t pause to address the man but came to me and gently lifted my hand. I focused on her, desperate for someone to help make the pain stop.

“Mary, your sheets,” she said.

There was a slight rustle, and Mary appeared at Winifred’s shoulder with the sheet from her bed. Winifred grabbed it and pressed the material against my neck. Something crunched sickeningly.

God, he broke me. I struggled to think past the pain.

It took a moment to realize the sound hadn’t come from me. My eyes wandered a bit, and I saw Thomas, his face twisted in anger. He had a hand wrapped around the throat of the man who’d bitten me. He opened his grasp and dropped him. The man’s head lolled on his shoulders, his eyes open and vacant.

“Thomas, we need to get her to a hospital,” Winifred said.

I shifted my attention back to her worried face. She didn’t meet my eyes but focused on the sheet she held to my neck. That scared me.

Thomas moved closer and stared down at me.

“They will ask questions,” he said softly.

“I know.”

They shared a look. I sobbed a little. They were going to let me die to keep their secret. I wanted to tell them they didn’t need to worry, but I couldn’t talk. My throat didn’t want to work.

“I’ll carry her,” he said. Surprise and relief made me sob again.

Winifred nodded.

“Mary, hold the cloth. Keep moderate pressure on it. I’ll get the truck.”

“Truck?” Mary said, bending to take over.

“We can’t run with her. It would hurt her more. The truck is the best option we have.”

Thomas picked me up, holding me gently. Mary walked with him, keeping pressure on my neck.

“Stay with me, Charlene,” he whispered as we moved.

If they would just stop biting me…

Voices pulled me from the dark place. My neck hurt so much my eyes watered; the sensation of those tears trickling down my cheeks woke me further. I was lying flat but felt like I was moving.

“…animal attack…”

“…form of ID…”

The conversation danced around me, and I couldn’t focus fully enough to understand it.

“Help me,” I rasped.

A hand gently touched my shoulder.

“We’re going to fix you up, honey,” a strange voice said. “Can you open your eyes?”

I tried and couldn’t quite manage. Was I dying? I thought of my mom and her request to call her when I could. Would she have to live the rest of her life never knowing what became of me?

“Help me.” Tears and my torn throat made it hard to speak.

“We are, honey. Can you tell us your name?”

The moving stopped. I heard counting, a quick moment where I felt like I was floating, then I settled on a solid surface again. I didn’t know what was happening, and it terrified me.

Behind my eyelids, I focused and found three strands of will near me. I gently reached out and touched each one. I wasn’t imposing my will, rather feeling their wills. One of the wills was a doctor. He remained focused on examining me. He wanted to stop the bleeding. The two nurses were there to help the doctor and comfort me.

Someone put something cool on my neck. It stung and tears started streaming in earnest.

“This will hurt for just a moment, and then you shouldn’t feel a thing,” the doctor said.

I breathed through the pain until it, and the stinging, eventually faded. A relieved sigh escaped me.

“All right. I need you to hold still for a bit.”

I held still and drifted.

In that odd place between sleep and awake, I was only vaguely aware of the next few hours. After the doctor stitched me up, they brought me to another room. I wasn’t sure why and was a bit too tired to care.

They gave me a pill to swallow, and it was a hard task to complete. Though my throat didn’t hurt, it didn’t quite want to work the way I thought it should. After I sputtered and choked a bit, the pill went down, and the nurse let me be.

I dozed awhile, happy with the quiet. Then the doctor was back with a man in a uniform. What were police called in Canada? I liked his hat and smiled at him.

“Miss. Can you tell me your name?”

My name. I almost answered but then remembered why I couldn’t. Penny. I had to stay hidden. I touched his will. Suspicion, worry, and impatience lay there. I soothed them away and replaced them. The girl looks tired. Poor thing. She should be resting, not trying to speak.

I barely shook my head to answer his spoken question. The man sighed and patted my hand.

“I understand. Your throat must hurt. I’ll try back later.”

I nodded ever so slightly and watched him turn to leave.

“Are you able to speak, miss?” the doctor asked, eyeing me with concern. “The bites weren’t too deep, and missed your—”

“I can speak,” I said slowly. “But everything is spinning.”

He nodded. “You lost quite a bit of blood. Nothing that should require a transfusion, but your blood pressure is low, and we’re keeping an eye on it. I made the stitches as small as possible. Between that and your age, the scars will hopefully fade into nothing with time.”

I didn’t care about scars. “Can I leave?”

“We’d like to see your blood pressure improve before we send you home.”

He left, and I dozed again. When the nurse came to check on me, I woke and asked for another drink. She returned with a full cup of water then took my blood pressure.

“Your blood pressure is holding steady. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake again. I’m sure there are a few people who need to speak with you if you’re up for it.”

Her will was too cloudy to read. So I grabbed it. “Tell me what you mean.”

“Administration will want to talk to you. We’ll need your social insurance number to submit your stay for reimbursement. And the Mountie is waiting.”

I knew what the Mountie wanted. I also knew I couldn’t afford to stay any longer.

“I need a few things so I can leave,” I said. “Medicine if this becomes infected, bandages, creams, salves, or whatever else you think might help. Please get everything and bring it back here as fast as you can.” I could feel her resistance as she nodded slowly. “After you give them to me, you will forget me entirely. If anyone questions why you can’t remember, you work a lot and need a break.”

I held firm until she gave in.

With a small paper bag filled with supplies, I slowly made my way out of the room I’d occupied. Lightheaded, I had to keep a hand on the wall so it didn’t feel like the room was spinning so much. Any staff member who moved to question me, I turned away. The effort and the constant struggle of wills exhausted me more than walking.

When I made it down the hallway, I came to a set of double doors and peered through the small windows into the waiting area. Winifred and Mary tensely sat on the couches near the entrance. Across the room, the Mountie was having a friendly chat with one of the staff. I lightly touched everyone’s wills to gauge the situation.

The Mountie wanted to speak with me again. A woman behind the reception desk wanted to question Winifred about who I was. I delved deeper and understood that Winifred had claimed to find me on the road and had given everyone a false name. I influenced the woman to forget Winifred and Mary’s association with me and did the same with the Mountie. No one else in the room really cared about us.

Winifred spotted me and stood as I pushed open the door. My knees wobbled unsteadily with each step, and I felt cold and dizzy. I kept my focus on the exit and the people around us. Winifred hovered beside me. Mary wrapped her arm through mine and let me lean on her. It helped. But I hoped they would catch me and run if I passed out.

No one paid us any attention as we crossed the room. They wouldn’t remember us leaving.

Outside, the sun hung low in the sky. I’d lost another day to another bite. I was as mad as I was annoyed.

Mary led me to the truck, and I carefully climbed in. The numbing medicine the doctor had put on my neck was starting to wear off, or maybe it was the pill the nurse had me swallow. Either way, the pain crept in; and the ride back home was rough.

Home. What a funny word with so many meanings. Home wasn’t a place I liked. It wasn’t where the people who loved me lived. Home was the place I slept. Nothing more. Should I really call it home then? What would I call it if not home? It was so much closer to a prison with wardens who liked to bite me.

My thoughts drifted as the truck bumped its way along the road. Mary had her arm around me, and I rested my head against her shoulder to help against the jarring.

The driveway to the buildings was the worst, even with Winifred going so slow.

“Stop,” I finally said. “I need to walk.” If I stayed in the truck, I would throw up.

Winifred eased the truck to a stop. Mary and I got out. The waist high grass was no longer untouched. Two paths, from Winifred’s visits, marked the way. I thought it might make walking easier, but my feet tangled in the matted grass and I tripped often.

“I can carry you,” Mary said as she walked along beside me. I didn’t doubt she could.

“Thank you, but I think it would be better if I walked. Maybe I could hold your arm, though,” I said when I almost fell again. I wrapped my fingers around her upper arm and moved forward. Having her as an anchor did help steady the spinning. The fresh air and slow pace settled my stomach, too.

Winifred followed us with the truck. My shuffling pace forced her to stop frequently, but neither she nor Mary said anything about our progress. I kept my eyes on the ground until I noted a patch of grass ahead where the shade gave way to sun. We’d almost reached the clearing.

I looked up. The men must have heard the approach of the truck because they all stood silently waiting. For what, I didn’t know. But as long as I had their attention, I would use it.

I stopped walking and turned to Mary. Behind us, the truck’s engine quieted.

“Can you help me take the bandages off?”

She glanced at the truck then back at me before she reached forward and gently peeled the tape back from my skin. I held myself still through each tender tug and watched her face. Worry pinched her brow when she saw the stitched wounds for the first time. I hadn’t yet seen them for myself and doubted I would here, not unless I used one of the mirrors on the truck. Based on her reaction, I might be better off if I didn’t look. However, I wanted everyone else to see.

Once she had the bandages in her hand, I started forward again. This time without her support. I slowly wove my way through the men, more concerned with my pain than their intense attention. When I stood in the center, I carefully turned and let my gaze sweep them.

“Biting hurts,” I said, enunciating each word as if I spoke to toddlers. “Stop biting.” When I found Thomas and Gregory in the crowd, I stopped moving. “Kindness and consideration are not games.”

Thomas gave a barely perceivable nod. Satisfied, my gaze passed over the men surrounding me. Their expressions no longer held aggression or eagerness. Each held a mixture of guilt and concern.

“I need a week. Please, leave me alone. I just want to sleep.”

Most of the men around me had the grace to look away. I should have felt triumphant, but the pain in my neck robbed me of my victory.

I trudged to the door, and everyone parted to make way for me. It was odd to see the group so still and silent. Even the ones on four legs.

Mary moved ahead and opened the door for me, but Winifred remained behind. Inside, the table was set, and a rabbit was on the fire.

I ignored the food, went to the pump, and dug in the bag for the pills the nurse had given me. I shook out a painkiller, ignored the antibiotics, and reached for the pump handle.

“Let me do that for you,” Mary said.

She pumped a cup of water then followed me as I slowly made my way upstairs. I stood in the doorway and blinked at the room. The man was gone, but there was blood on my pillow. Quite a bit of it. Some even sprinkled the fitted sheet.

“Here,” Mary said, quickly grabbing the pillow from her bed and exchanging the two.

I willingly lay down, and Mary covered me with an extra blanket.

Maybe sleeping on bloody sheets was just one of those things I needed to get used to while living here.

A gentle touch pulled me from sleep, and the soft glow of the lantern greeted me when I opened my eyes. Everything around me was silent and dark, except Winifred. She watched me from a chair beside the bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like someone bit my neck,” I said softly. Actually, I felt thirsty, but the idea of walking all the way downstairs for a drink made my mouth seem a little less parched.

“Weren’t you supposed to leave already?” I asked.

“Yes. I should really leave within the hour. I didn’t want to go without speaking to you first.”

“About what?”

“What happened. I promised you’d be safe here…” Regret and sorrow pulled her face into a slight frown.

She had promised, yet I didn’t blame her for what had happened. Promises are dangerous things. They were thin and frail and much too easy to break. My life had taught me that.

“Winifred, no one is ever really safe. I don’t hold you responsible for what happened.”

“You should. I spoke the command to everyone here, and as new ones came, I spoke it to them as well. He somehow slipped by me.” She sighed. “I wish I knew how.”

Thomas’ sudden appearance and the abrupt end of my attacker ensured she would never know. But at least, I knew that creature wouldn’t bother me again.

None of them would.

Chills danced along my skin as I recalled how I’d hardened my will and physically pushed him away with it. In my desperation, I’d tried to wield it as Winifred had done and succeeded, in a way. However, the implications of what I might be able to do now frightened me.

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to sleep some more,” I said quietly.

She nodded. “Mary’s in here with you. Her father and a few other older, Mated men are here to help keep the order as well as report any newcomers to me. I will do everything I can to keep you safe, Charlene.” She tenderly touched the top of my head. “And I am so sorry for what has happened.”

“I know.”

“I’ll see you again in five days.”

I closed my eyes. Five days. If I could sleep through them all, I’d be fine. Yet, I knew it wouldn’t work that way. Even though I’d asked for rest, I had a feeling the men would still want to see me.

For the next three days, I skulked about inside. Mary didn’t comment on my pensive quiet or complain when I drifted off without helping clean up the dishes. I wanted to help, but I knew if I stayed in the common room too long after eating, one of the men would knock on the door for some reason or another.

So I slept, ate, and stared at my bedroom walls until I wanted to scream with boredom and maybe just a little resentment. My neck, though still sore, felt the tiniest bit better each day. The swelling went down, and the stitches started to itch, but I knew better than to scratch them. The scabs from the original bites were flaking away.

While I stared at my wall Wednesday morning, wishing for something to do, the door opened. A man with light hair and an inquisitive expression stood there.

Panic surged, robbing me of breath, but not thought. My will solidified, not a cane, but rather a branch, thick and heavy and hard to wield. Regardless, I pulled it back ready to swing it forward. Sweat beaded my upper lip, and I began to tremble, not with fear but from the effort.

“Mary is worried about you,” he said, not moving into the room. “Her father and I have cleared the yard if you’d like to come out for some sun and a walk.”

I hesitated a moment then released my breath and my panicked defense.

“You cleared the yard?”

He nodded.

I stood and edged to the window while keeping an eye on the man. I wasn’t about to turn my back on him. His brow furrowed in concern as he watched me. I spared the yard a quick glance and found it empty like he’d said. How had he managed that? Satisfied he at least told the truth about the empty yard, I motioned for him to lead the way.

Mary sat at the table in the common room when we pushed through the door. She perked up at the sight of me. The man nodded to her, and she smiled at him in return.

“Given my recent bite,” I said, watching her, “maybe it’s better if you don’t send strange men to come get me.”

She cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that. This is Paul, my father’s brother.”

I glanced at the man again, noted little resemblance, and said a quick hello.

“So how did you manage to clear the yard?”

“We told them you weren’t going to step out until they gave you space,” Paul said.

Space wasn’t what I needed. But I would take it, anyway.

“How much time do I have?” I asked.

Mary shrugged and glanced at Paul. He scratched his jawline and thought for a moment. “I’d say an hour or two before they get too impatient and start trickling back in.”

Walk outside or take a bath? It was a hard choice. Fresh air and sunshine tempted me. Maybe I could have both if I hurried.

I walked to the pump and started filling the pot. Mary seemed to read my mind because she went to the fire and added wood. Once I had the pot hung over the flames, I went to the door and opened it.

A cool breeze swept through the room. Outside, birds sang. I stepped into the light, closed my eyes, and sighed. The clearing was empty, but the woods beyond was not. Their wills tickled my senses. The men waited and probably watched. It didn’t dim my enjoyment of the moment. I soaked up the sun, tilting my head only slightly, just enough to show my stitches. After a few moments, I walked back inside, determined to make use of my time.

Two hours saw Mary and I both bathed in tepid water and our dirty clothes washed. As we stood outside, hanging our clothes on the line someone had setup for us, I sensed the restless wills of those near. I excused myself, and Mary was quick to follow me.

I’d barely made it to the other end of the common room when someone knocked on the door. Before I could take another step, the door swung open and Thomas strode in.

“Enough,” he said, his gaze immediately falling on me.

“Excuse me?”

“You made a big speech about showing you kindness and consideration, then you run off and hide. Where’s your consideration for us?”

My mouth dropped open. I barely registered that he stalked across the room. What I’d said was that it wasn’t a game. How did he get a speech from that? Why did he think I needed to show them consideration? After everything they’d put me through?

“By hiding in here, you’re denying us a chance to show you any kindness.”

“By leaving me alone to heal, you are showing me kindness.”

He stopped in front of me and slowly shook his head. His nearness worried me, and I shuffled back half a step. He scowled and followed.

“You are not allowed to hide in here like a frightened rabbit.”

I stopped and stared at him, too angry to speak for a moment. A rabbit?

I had every right to cower in here. Despite my stitches and still sore neck, almost every man out there had the same thought: try again. They couldn’t even give me the week I’d asked for to let me rest. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if they all started stomping their way into the room insisting.

“Wait. Why are you in here?” I asked.

“To talk some sense into you.”

“No. I mean, why you? Why not Paul or Henry or one of the other men out there waiting to meet me? You’ve already met me, talked to me, and told me you’re interested in me. Why did they let you through the door without a fight?”

He cocked a humorless grin at me and leaned close. A finger of fear trailed down my spine, and I struggled to hold myself still. He hadn’t attacked me. He’d killed the man who had. But I knew he still wanted to bite me.

“Who says they didn’t fight me?” His exhale brushed my ear on the side that was still stitched up. I wanted to step back but didn’t want to prove his words about hiding in fear correct.

I’m not defenseless, I reminded myself.

He didn’t immediately pull away. Instead, he stepped closer, set his hands on my shoulders, and breathed deeply. I trembled.

“Charlene,” he said softly, “let me protect you.”

I turned my head slightly to meet his gaze, our faces inches apart. The twist pulled at my healing skin.

“How? By letting you bite me? That’s not protection. If you wanted to protect me, you’d promise never to bite me or let anyone else try.”

He scowled, and I could feel his frustration and anger. His fingers on my shoulders twitched, and I held my breath. Without meaning for it to happen, my will solidified again. I held it ready.

After another moment, he straightened away and let his hands drop. With relief, I dropped the hold on my will as he gave his attention to Mary, who hesitated by the exterior door.

“Gregory misses you,” he said to her. “He didn’t realize he wouldn’t be able to spend time with you when he agreed to postpone the Claiming.”

Mary flushed, and I grew angry. He was only trying to manipulate the situation to get me to return to my old routine…if you could call it a routine. But how dare he make Mary feel guilty.

“Gregory is welcomed in here any time,” I said, staring at the back of Thomas’ head. “Just as Paul and Henry are. In fact, any of you who are not interested in biting me are welcome.”

He turned to eye me.

“And I’ll know when someone’s lying,” I said, crossing my arms stubbornly as I’d seen him do so many times.

He slowly bent his head in acknowledgement. Then, he turned and left.

A moment after Mary closed the door behind him, someone else knocked on the door. She arched a brow at me, and I nodded.

She pulled open the door. A smile lit her face at the sight of Gregory. Guilt jabbed me a bit. I turned and made my way back to my room. There, I went to the window and seriously considered my circumstance.

I was so convinced there was nowhere else for me. But, how did I really know for sure? Was I willing to continue to risk my wellbeing by staying here? I watched men stride from the trees. They looked at the laundry, the closed door, then up at my window. I didn’t flinch away from their stares. I’d known they weren’t ready to give up. More came until the yard filled. I saw Thomas, Paul, Henry, and Anton in their ranks.

This wasn’t how I pictured my life when I’d left. I’d known it would be hard, that there would be struggles. But to this degree? No. I’d imagined I would eventually find a place to settle down where I could start over, and people wouldn’t care where I’d come from. I’d thought I would find a place where the Pennys of the world wouldn’t find me. Though I doubted Penny would find me here, I also began to doubt I could live any kind of life here.

With what I’d learned about my power during my attack, I was no longer a prisoner. I could defend myself against these creatures. I looked down at the number of men in the yard and wondered if I was crazy enough to try leaving. Did I actually think I could fight them all? Yet if I stayed, didn’t I face that same potential fate? Just a few minutes ago I’d wondered what was keeping them all from storming into the room.

With a sigh, I turned away from the window. The bag I’d brought from home leaned against the dresser. Could I leave? Would they let me? I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try.

I packed what few clothes I had into the bag. The zipper sounded like thunder in the room, loud and ominous.