Dannie took a moment to catch her breath before answering her father’s question. Also, she wasn’t exactly sure how to answer when she wasn’t sure what happened. Dannie decided to go with what she did know. “Laina,” she said, seeing the shock registering in her parent’s faces. “What exactly happened when I was a baby and why didn’t you tell me?”
It took Dannie almost five hours and a long hot shower before she calmed down enough to be willing to be around anyone. When Sara looked up when she entered the infirmary, Dannie expected her to make some kind of comment or snide remark. Instead, Sara immediately set the broom against the wall. “Come over here and sit on the bed.”
Dannie left the infirmary and shook her head. Sara, the others, they didn’t know any more than she did. Dannie wasn’t going to find answers here. There was no reason for her to stay. At home, she could dig more and not have to deal with werewolves. This clearly wasn’t a werewolf problem anyway. Dannie thought about telling everyone before actually leaving, but she was still too angry at her parents. She’d send Cass a text since she was irritated at her too. Dannie went to her for help and Cass didn’t believe her.
With Voss busy with Balric, Dannie crawled to her car. She needed to get the suppressant before it was too late. Dannie didn’t make it far when a foot landed on her back, pushing her down and grinding Dannie against the asphalt. “You know, this is mercy. She’s a freak.” Dannie gasped as pain tore through her. Her muscles were starting to contract. “See, too weak to even fucking defend herself. Like I said it’s a mercy. Most of my people wouldn’t be as kind.”
It took everything Balric had to leave Danielle’s room, but he needed answers. Balric stormed down to the ground floor. Caius was in his office as he expected. “We need to have a meeting now. All of us.”Caius’ expression didn’t change as he stared at him. Balric had no idea how h
The ranch was the closest thing werewolves had to prison, in the entire country. Their criminal activity that didn’t carry a death sentence was very low. Currently, the ranch had twenty men and women worked there and served their time. Most of those there were paying back to the community for crimes where they lost control of their instincts or disobeyed their alpha. Crimes like murder were rare and were what made Ian, Desi, and Balric become so notorious, not that Balric was proud of the fact. Though, only Danielle seemed to enjoy reminding him of his past.
Dannie came down the stairs cautious of her heavy stomach. She slept well now that she wasn’t having nightmares, but waking up wasn’t so nice. So many injections all in a row Dannie thought was taking a toll on her system. She threw up five times before she felt strong enough to come downstairs. The plan was to get her laptop and see what she could find on Laina. Maybe if Dannie knew more about her she would be able to figure out where the demon might have left hints for her.
“Shit man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” Dannie said rushing over to Balric. He grunted as she helped him sit up. Dannie dusted off the dirt and grass that stuck to him. “Are you hurt? Should I go get Sara?” “Danielle,” Balric said, grabbing her hands and holding them in his. “I’m perfectly fine.” “Are you sure?” she asked, feeling guiltier and guiltier by the minute. “That was like twenty feet.”“And? I can handle a lot more than that, Little Mason.” He grinned at her as he brushed the hair away from her face with one hand, yet still held her hands in his other one. It was only then when Dannie realized how close they were. She swallowed and tried to suppress her body’s reaction to said closeness. “I’m more concerned about you. What happened? Your heart was racing and your breathing out of control.”As Balric looked at her, concern etched in his face, Dannie felt exposed and everything she was, was out there for him to see. “I felt something. A otherness,” she admitted, tugg
Sara frowned as she saw Dannie and Balric walk in the infirmary. Dannie wondered if she ever left this room. Sara always seemed to be here. “On the bed. What happened this time?” She asked, gathering instruments and herbs.“I was trying to find answers,”
“Apparently to save the demon race,” Dannie told him. “Naberius claims he wants to find a peaceful co-existence in this world as werewolves have. He says what Laina did to me is the key. If I tell him what I know about Laina’s spell, it would allow them to survive.”“I see,&rd
Jarret led Dannie up into one of the buildings, to the top floor. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from a demon lord’s apartment, but certainly not warm and homey. Decorated in whites and grays with wood and glass furniture, that screamed ‘I’m rich.’ Dannie started to relax until she saw the man in the corner. Tall, athletic, he too had that ‘I’m very wealthy’ look to him only it came along with a sense of arrogance.
Dannie stared up at the red sky, watching the clay-colored clouds float past her. What the hell? She groaned as she sat up. Her body ached, but it was more annoyance than anything else. Dannie looked around her, hugging her knees to her chest. The land around her was all too familiar. Iztal. She was in Iztal. Dannie swallowed at the implications of what being there meant. She was dying. Dannie knew that much. So the fact she went there meant she was more deabru than anything else? Could she go back to earth and if she could, would she have to possess someone to do it?
Sara jumped and cried out as Balric appeared in the middle of the infirmary with Dannie in his arms. “Help her,” he demanded.Sara’s eyes widened. “On the bed. What happened?”
Dannie saw herself, well not herself, but Laina. She paced a sleek, modern-looking living room. Her resolve to go through with the plan was solidified. Laina would save this world from the deabru and Balric perhaps would see her as more than a necessary evil for once.Everything went dark and it cleared Dannie w
The next week, Dannie spent her days developing enough charms for everyone who was going to go to Cody with her, as well as almost thirty magical bombs. During the night, she spent her nights with Balric’s wild side. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this new side of his or that, after a week, he didn’t seem to tire or be weirded out by her at all. It was something new and kind of scared Dannie a little.
Dannie’s vision went white and her back screamed with pain. She groaned and looked up to see Cass was trying to keep a very angry Balric from a very scared Will. She stood up shakily, her whole body now singing with aches and pains. “Stop, unless you want to go flying too,” she told Balric.
As Dannie kissed Balric, she realized he wasn’t kissing her back. Her stomach sunk and she pulled back from him. “I’m so-” she started when Balric wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her back to him. His mouth fell on hers, demanding and hungry. Dannie’s heart stuttered as she kissed him back just as passionate. Their kiss deepened, and the taste of him exploded on her tongue. Balric smelled of musky earth, but his taste was robust and fresh.
Dannie spent the rest of the evening and some of the night, thinking about how she’d be able to get an advantage over Voss when he would follow the breadcrumbs of her magic. In the library, the next day, Dannie was researching through the many books there when she smelled Balric, a moment before she saw Balric join her. “What can I do for you, Betrayer?”