Authors: T. L Mitchell
“What happened?” Seeing the horror in Daniel’s eyes told me something had gone wrong.
“Julie, just lie still for a moment. You had a panic attack. Jason gave you something to calm you down.” Daniel’s voice was controlled, trying to hide the worry in his voice.
The medicine took its full effect. I felt calm, very calm. I rose up on the bed as Daniel and Jason reached toward me. Feeling a little woozy, I still felt I was able to stand on my own.
“I’m all right.” I said waving my hand at the two of them. “We need to go.” I pushed myself up from the bed. Daniel grabbed me under the arm and we all headed toward my car.
Daniel drove like a bat out of hell toward his parents’ house. I sat in the passenger’s seat and fought the medication as the world swirled around me. I was undecided whether it was Daniel’s driving or the medication, which caused the trees to blur when we drove past them. Soon we made it to the house. I couldn't have been any happier. The blur from the trees nauseated me.
Inside the house, Charlotte and Thomas lingered in the living room. Thomas paced back and forth on the phone. Charlotte sat on the sofa, holding a tissue between her trembling hands. Her red eyes were swollen from crying. From the immediate fear, it was evident something terrible had happened to Casey. I stumbled toward the sofa with Daniel’s assistance.
“What happened?” I asked fighting the ability to keep my speech.
Charlotte looked at me strangely, then at Daniel. Her eyes widened. I thought for a moment it was because of the medication.
“We had to give her a sedative. She had a panic attack before we came over here. What is going on with Casey?” Daniel interrupted trying to distract her from her obvious observation.
“Someone called early this morning while Charlotte was on the phone with Julie. They have Casey. They said if we want her back alive to be at the barn where you and Julie went the other night. They want the whole pack there, as they called it.” Thomas snorted. “Oh, and he said to be sure and bring your friends.”
“Werewolves?” Jason tossed in. Thomas nodded.
“What do they want with Casey? What do they want with us?” Heather sat down on the other side of Charlotte.
“Apparently, they felt we tempted them into a fight.” Thomas poured himself another drink. It looked as though another bottle of Cognac would be gone before the night ended.
“But why Casey? How did they know she had anything to do with the trail? How do they even know who we are?” Daniel paused thinking a moment. “What the hell?” His head jerked toward Jason.
Jason sent Daniel a blank stare. “‘Friends‘?” Daniel mumbled as his eyebrows drew into a frown. “He said bring the whole pack and your friends? Has this thing gone rabid or something? What’d he mean ‘friends‘?”
Thomas’s eyebrow rose, a look of curiosity crossed his face.
“Looks like there’s something else going on we don’t know about.” Jason responded. He stepped over to Thomas. “I think I’ll have one of those, sir.”
Thomas pulled out another glass and filled it to the top with the Cognac. He then poured another glass and looked over at Daniel. “Give this to your mother.”
“Maybe he meant Jason and Heather?” Charlotte spoke softly.
Daniel shook his head. “No. There’s someone else involved here.”
Thomas stopped, the glass rested on his lip when he looked at Daniel again. “I think you are right. Who was this friend that Casey had been going to the movies with?”
“I think he was someone she met at school.” I forced myself to answer keeping my voice from slurring.
“Do you remember any names?” Daniel looked to me for an answer.
“Um, Nathaniel… .MacArthur. I think that is it.” I nodded feeling a little stupid in my condition.
“All right, let us see if we can find this Nathaniel.” Thomas said pulling out his cell phone.
He scanned down the phone and pressed a button. Placing the phone to his head, we all sat in silence while we waited.
“Nick? Hello this is Thomas Maxwell. I need a favor. It is an emergency. I cannot say right now. You are just going to have to trust me. Look, I need a phone number and address of a Nathaniel MacArthur. Yes. He is supposed to be a student at a local college. Yes. No, I cannot say. Excellent, I will owe you a big one for this. I will wait for your call.” He clicked the phone off. “Nick is a good friend of mine. He will find out who this Nathaniel is, and call me back.”
“Why would he want to take my baby?” Charlotte spoke out tears welled in her eyes again.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with Casey, Mom. I think it concerns the whole issue around the werewolves,” Daniel stated while he tried to keep his mother calm. “She’s is going to be all right. I’m pretty sure they will not do anything to her. They know if they did it would be a death sentence.”
Charlotte paused and looked to Thomas then toward Daniel. Something set their attention on Daniel’s words. I knew it wasn’t the conversation. The looks that passed between the two of them were more of shocked and confused.
“Daniel, I am so afraid for her.” Charlotte’s voice trembled.
“Casey’s a tough girl, Mom. I’m sure she is all right,” he assured her.
I knew Daniel’s words were only for his mother’s comfort. Daniel thought they must have harmed Casey in some way. I felt his thoughts.
Everyone in the room jumped when Thomas's phone rang. He answered it immediately, holding it to his ear. “Wait… .Wait” He looked around and motioned for something to write on.
We all scrambled to find what he needed. Heather pulled out a pen and paper from her purse and ran it to him. He nodded a half smile and returned to the phone. Writing on the paper, we all were held in suspense. He closed the phone and looked at the information.
“Okay, his name is Nathaniel MacArthur. He is twenty-four, moved here from Oklahoma two months ago. He signed up with the local college to finish his degree in Physics.
He lives in Villianow, which is on Route 136. I think that is, what, forty minutes from here. I have his home address and phone number.”
“Dad, okay let’s be a little reasonable here. I don’t think we should all pack up and head over to this person’s house- just in case he is not involved in this. Heather, why don’t you call him and see what you get from the phone call.” Daniel handed her the cell phone and paper.
She paused for a moment then looked at me. “My accent is pretty heavy. I think Julie should do this. She has a gift that I don’t have.” She handed me the phone. I looked at her in confusion. Buttering up my nerve, I handed her the phone back. I reached into my purse and pulled my cell phone out. I had an idea and hoped it would work.
Punching the number into my phone, I waited for it to ring. Two rings and a voice came on the phone. I winced slightly as I heard the tone of his voice sting my ears.
“Yes, may I speak to Nathaniel please?” I asked in a soft tone.
“Yes, this is he. May I ask who is calling please?” The tone still stung my ear. I twisted my head to the side because of the pain.
“Nathaniel, my name is Julie Knight. I’m Casey Maxwell’s friend.”
“Yes, Julie. Casey has mentioned you. It is a pleasure to speak with you.” His voice was pleasant except for the stinging tone in my ear.
“Nathaniel, could you hold on for one second please, there is something wrong with my phone.” Everyone looked at me in surprise. I clicked the button to lower the volume on my phone and hoped it would take care of that tone I was hearing. “I’m so sorry. The reason why I’m calling is that I know Casey said she was going with you to the movies last night, and I was wondering if she’s still with you. She never came home last night.” There was a dead silence on the phone. I checked the volume quickly to make sure I hadn’t muted my phone. “Hello?”
“Yes, I’m here.” His voice was better, the stinging tone was gone. However, the sound of his voice had changed. “I dropped Casey off at her car around ten o’clock last night.
She was headed back home. I wondered why she hadn’t called. She always calls me when she makes it to the driveway. I was afraid to call the house because I knew she hadn’t told her parents about me. I would’ve called you Julie, if I’d your number. I know you two are close.”
Nathaniel had no idea where Casey was located. However, there was something else I wanted to know that no one else needed to hear. I stood with the phone in my hand and walked out onto the patio closing the door behind me.
“Nathaniel, listen to me. Something has happened to Casey. Do you know if anyone might want to harm her or us? Do you know anything concerning Casey?” I persisted.
“No, I don’t know anyone who would want to hurt her.” He paused and inhaled a breath. “Yes, I know Casey’s is a Lycan, just like you and her family. She has told me all about you. I promise you your secret is completely safe with me.”
“That’s all good, but… .” I paused. “Someone has taken Casey. They aren’t good people and we are going to rescue her tonight.”
“Where?” I swear I heard a growl when it came through the phone. I wondered if… .no, I thought… well, maybe.
“It’s an old barn, miles behind my property. Past an old meadow behind my house. I don’t know any other way to meet you there. Are you sure you don’t know anyone that would cause her harm?”
“Julie, I promise you I don‘t. But I have a good idea that the werewolves are behind all of this.” So he is aware of the werewolves, Casey must have filled him in more than I’d realized. “My brothers and I will be there. It appears I have a score to settle with the dogs… no offense.”
“None taken. But… I think it might be a little too dangerous for you.”
A chuckle came over the phone. “Nonsense. We’ll be there. I’ve been to Casey’s house and she has showed me your home. Please understand I care for Casey very much. I love her; I promise you if any harm comes to her I’ll kill the beast with my bare hands.” He hung up the phone.
My eyebrows rose slightly and looked at my phone. I hit save quickly and stored the number under N. I may need to call him again, I thought. Walking back inside I could tell the tension had grown in the room from my disappearing outside. Daniel glared at me. He knew my thoughts and I wasn’t ashamed of them. He knew that I wanted to keep the secret between Nathaniel and Casey from his parents. I was afraid that Daniel already knew that something was different with Nathaniel, and hoped he wouldn't question me on this.
“All right.” I began. “I’m positively sure that Nathaniel doesn’t have anything to do with Casey’s kidnapping. However,” Daniel glared at me. His eyes darkened. The lack of trust Daniel had in me was frustrating. I tried desperately to ignore his loud thoughts. “He said that he dropped her off at her car around ten last night. She didn’t call him when she made it home. He says he is worried as well.”
“Did you pick up anything from him, Julie? His voice?” Heather asked.
“He’s an honest person. I believed him, his heart is true.” I kept the difference and suspicions to myself.
“What is he?”
I heard Daniel shout at me through his thoughts.
I glared back at him. “
I don’t know!”
I shouted my thought back to him.
“
YOU KNOW SOMETHING! You’re keeping from me!”
He shouted his thoughts to me again.
“Stop shouting at me!” I screamed aloud at Daniel.
Everyone’s eyes settled on me. They looked toward Daniel when stormed out the back door. I jumped when I heard the door slam. Looking at Heather and Jason I shook my head.
“Julie,” Thomas began. “What is going on?”
“It’s between Daniel and me. Look.” I tried to regain my thoughts. “Nathaniel is all right, he is as concerned for Casey as we all are. He’s truly a nice guy from what I gathered on the phone.” I walked to the back of the house. “I need to take care of this.” I headed outside after Daniel.
Once outside by the garden I saw Daniel pacing back and forth like his father. He was in a rage.
“Daniel.”
Quickly he turned to me. His black eyes filled with anger. “What?” He growled.
“Why don’t you trust me?” I asked calmly.
“I should ask you the same thing,” he hissed between his teeth.
“I do trust you. However, my thoughts concerning what Nathaniel may or may not be are only speculations. I’m not sure.”
“Do you feel that since I can hear your thoughts I can’t understand you? Is that what you
really
think of me?” He spat out. The words seem to sting. “We’re one, Julie. One mind. One heart. One Soul. One thought.”
“Daniel, I do trust you. I trust you with my life. You know this!” I spat back at him trying to control the rage welling inside of me.
“Then who are you trying to protect? Casey? Nathaniel? Or Me?” Daniel drew his eyebrows together while his eyes narrowed.
“I’m not sure how to answer your question. I want Casey to be happy. I want you to be happy. Daniel, why are you doing this?” I pleaded with him.
“Because, I want you completely,” he roared in my face. He moved to me so fast that I was unable to comprehend his actions. His black eyes filled with fury.
“Save your fury for tonight then. Use it for something good other than scaring the hell out of me!” I hissed at him feeling the same rage coming forth from me. I pivoted on one foot and turned to storm off inside the house.
“NO!” he growled loudly as he grabbed my arm. His fingers dug into my arm with an excessive force that hurt.
I whipped around startled by his attack. My eyes widened while I bore my teeth at him. “Get a grip!” I growled and involuntarily snapped my teeth at his face.
Surprised by my reaction, Daniel released me. He stepped back and allowed a few feet between us. His eyes softened. The colors from black to a soft brown melted before my eyes.
“Julie, I’m so sorry. I frightened you. It’s just that I want you to tell me everything. Please. I don‘t want us to have any secrets.” He pleaded.
I felt a cooling rush over me as I calmed down. The medication that I was given must have been burned out of my body when I had my wolf moment.
“Daniel.” I walked to him slowly and then slid my arms around his waist. “I love you so much it hurts. My thoughts can sometimes be extreme. An exalted imagination if you will. They’re not always something that needs to be discussed. Nathaniel has a sweet heart. I’m just as curious as to what he may be as you are. I don’t know. I know he’s not human.”