Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) (70 page)

As I stepped inside the shelter, I
switched on all the lights. It was still early, and the sun had yet
to rise on this cool October morning. I checked to make certain the
heating was set at the correct temperature, and then walked into
the kitchenette to start making the coffee for the busy day ahead.
After I had the coffee percolating, I went into the back room of
the shelter to start putting feed into the animals’ bowls. It took
a good half hour to get them all filled with various foods and
whatever medicines they might need. I carefully carried an armload
of food into the surgery area and started feeding the sick animals
first, some of which I had grown to love deeply. I half-wished they
wouldn’t be adopted, as I’d never see them again if they found
homes. Shaking my head, I sighed. The sad fact was that I’d get my
wish with many of them, as quite a few would never see a loving
home.

The doorbell chimed. Visitors,
already. I walked back through the surgery and into the
foyer.

“
Gretchen,” I said,
greeting the tiny, old lady. “How lovely to see you!”

Although she stood barely five feet
tall and was thin as a rail, Gretchen was a firecracker with a huge
heart, and a regular volunteer at the Society.

“
And it’s always a joy to
see you here, too, Ivy.” She spoke with a thick accent, despite
having arrived in the U.S. from Germany over eighty years ago, as
in infant in her mother’s arms.

I smiled and reached for the bag the
old woman carried. “Here, let me take that for you.”

Gretchen always arrived with a
donation of some sort—usually pillows she made herself and puppy or
kitten food. Without people like her, we would be closed in no
time. I set the bag behind the front counter, and then invited her
into the other room for some coffee.

We talked a while about some of the
animals we’d had around for awhile and sipped our coffee. An hour
or so later, a young couple came in, asking to see the
kittens.

Mr. and Mrs. Clark—Adam and
Elizabeth—were new to the area, they said, and they wanted a new
addition to their family. Just as I started to lead them into the
back, where we kept the kittens, the phone in the little
kitchenette rang.

“
I’ll get that for you,
Ivy. You see to your customers.” Gretchen waved me away and headed
off to answer the phone.

I shrugged. The elderly woman knew
almost as much about adopting a Humane Society animal as I did, so
she could probably handle the caller just fine. I turned to Adam
and Elizabeth.

“
Let’s find you a kitten,
shall we?”

While the couple examined and cuddled
half the kittens we had available, we talked in depth about what
was needed to raise a kitten to a healthy cat and how much shots
and neutering or spaying would be. By the time they’d made their
choice—a tiny, ginger-colored female I simply adored—the Clarks had
agreed they could afford the expense and were ready to sign a
contract. We walked into the surgery and I looked toward the
kitchenette. Gretchen had the phone to her ear and appeared
engrossed in a conversation. I led Adam and Elizabeth into the
front room, where I readied their adoption papers while they chose
a blue collar with a tiny bell on it and some kitten toys and
treats from a display rack. They said they’d buy the rest of the
items they’d need at their local supermarket, so I wished them all
well and walked them to the door. Surprised to find the weather had
turned sour, I stood and watched as the couple raced to their car
through an icy downpour.

The sound of Gretchen’s German accent
reminded me of the phone call she’d taken, and I headed back to the
kitchenette. She looked up and waved me over as I came to the
doorway.

Assuming it was the local vet, who
rang regularly to see how his patients were doing. I took hold of
the phone, noting Gretchen cheeky smile.

“
Hello?” I said
hesitantly.

“
Ivy, it’s me. I just had
to ring to see how your day is going for you so far.”

My cheeks heated, and I squirmed as I
noticed Gretchen watching me. I gave her a pointed look, and she
giggled and went into the back, no doubt to find Max, an old
shepherd we’d had for ages, and Gretchen’s personal
favorite.

“
I’m fine, Lucius,” I said,
returning my attention to the phone. “Thank you for calling me.
What a nice surprise.”

I found myself scuffing my foot on the
tiled floor. I shook my head at my childish behavior and tuned back
into the conversation.

“
Are we still on for five
o’clock?” he asked.

His soft accent brought a smile to my
face. “Yes, I’ll be ready.”

Without warning, the scar on my wrist
flared with a searing heat and an intense itching, and I dropped
the phone.

“
Ivy, are you there? Are
you okay?”

As quickly as it had come on, the pain
eased, and I snatched up the phone. “Yes, sorry. My wrist . . .it
started burning for some reason, but it’s stopped now.”

“
Make sure you have the
phone close by you at all times today, and please be careful.
Remember what I said about your wrist?”

I assured him I was fine and I’d see
him later that day. After hanging up, I found myself smiling
uncontrollably. I felt so lighthearted and happy; I truly could not
remember the last time I felt this way.

“
Ivy, I’ve never seen you
look so happy. Who is this gentleman, Lucius?” Gretchen
asked.

I had almost forgotten she’d talked to
Lucius for quite a long time. My face grew warm as I found myself
beneath her careful scrutiny.

“
I met him last night,” I
said quietly. “We’re going out for dinner tonight.”

Gretchen smiled and took hold of my
chin. “You need someone in your life, and this man feels right to
me. Trust me on this . . . he’s good for you.”

I nodded, a bit puzzled by Gretchen’s
words, but passing them off as the essentricities of an old
woman.

“
You might be right,” I
said with a smile, and then walked into the surgery to put old
Zeus’ collar on him. It was time for his morning walk.

After shouting to Gretchen that I was
heading off with Zeus, and telling her to ring my cell if she
needed me, I zipped up my coat and headed out the back door of the
shelter.

For a few moments, Zeus and I walked
quietly along the old track into the field beyond the shelter. It
was very windy and cold, but at least the rain had stopped. Falling
leaves flew on the breeze and hit our faces. Shuddering, I pulled
the hood up on my parka and held Zeus’ leash tightly.

“
We won’t be out here too
long today, old boy; I don’t want you getting sick.”

Zeus looked up, and, as if in
agreement, he waggled his tail. We plodded along the outskirts of
the field, the tree line of the woods keeping us somewhat
sheltered. Again, my wrist got extremely hot to the touch and very
itchy. I looked around warily and checked in my pocket to see if I
had remembered to bring my cell. I clutched the phone like a
lifeline as we wandered along our regular path. Feeling more and
more apprehensive, I decided to cut our walk short, telling myself
old Zeus would catch a cold if I didn’t. As I neared the back door
to the shelter, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I swung
around, but saw nothing . . . not even a bird in the nearby trees.
As I turned back around to open the door, Zeus started to snarl,
and the fur on the back of his neck stood up. I gasped and rushed
to open the door, knowing for certain I wasn’t alone. I pushed the
door open and tried to pull Zeus inside, but he stubbornly stood
there, as if determined to defend his territory. Against what, or
whom? Lucius’ words ran through my worried mind. I reached for the
phone to call him, but dropped the phone back into my pocket,
feeling silly. After all, I had just met the man, and besides,
nothing happened. I was fine. Shaking my head, I heaved Zeus’ leash
and finally managed to drag him inside. Grateful for small mercies,
I locked and bolted the back door. With a sense of relief to be
safely inside, I took Zeus’ leash and collar off and walked him
back into the surgery, where I gave him a small treat to compensate
for his shorter-than-usual walk.

Gretchen greeted me with a warm cup of
coffee. Eyeing me, she frowned. “What’s happened, Ivy; you look
like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shivered at her observations, but
determined to keep my reality in check, I smiled. “Nothing’s wrong.
I’m just cold. It’s freezing outside.”

She grunted, shrugged, and then walked
to the desk, where she’d sit and do her knitting or read a novel,
unless and until I needed her to help out with
something.

The afternoon flew by, between calls
about animals that were available and people coming in to visit and
play with the adoptees. All too soon, the clock struck four.
Someone knocked on the front door, and I looked up to see Fausto
walking inside. Again, my wrist burned with an intensely painful
itch. I rubbed it furiously and pulled my sleeve down to hide my
scar as Fausto approached me.

He nodded and said, “Miss, Sir
Valentine sent me to collect you.”

I did not recall Lucius saying Fausto
would come for me, and I was pretty sure we had arranged for five
o’ clock, but I could have been wrong, as I was so easily
distracted when it came to anything to do with Lucius. The shelter
had become quiet over the past half hour, so I calculated that it
was safe to leave early. Gretchen could handle anything between now
and when the part-time evening manager, Georgia, arrived at five.
We’d already fed the animals, and for whatever reason, Zeus did not
want to go on his afternoon walk. I told Fausto I would meet him at
the car in a few moments, as I needed to get my coat and lock up
the shelter. He nodded and walked back out the door.

For a moment, I stood there watching
him through the window. He walked to a darkened SUV and climbed
inside. Why wasn’t he driving Lucius’ Jaguar? Perhaps Lucius
preferred the SUV in the stormy weather that was brewing outside
again. I shrugged.

“
Gretchen, will you be okay
if I leave early?”

The elderly woman looked up from her
book. “Oh, of course, honey. You go on. I’ll be just
fine.”

“
Thank you, Gretchen.
You’re a lifesaver. And Georgia’ll be here in less than an hour, so
it’s not like you’ll be stuck here ‘til closing.” I slipped on my
parka, zipped it up, and wrapped a scarf around my neck.

As I headed out the door, I heard what
sounded like Zeus’ howling, coming from the back room. The noise
bothered me; Zeus was usually such a placid old boy. I decided to
call the vet in the morning to check him out.

I crossed the lot to the SUV, the wind
hurling dancing leaves around my face. A strong gust of wind came
up, blowing me sideways, and as I veered back on course toward the
vehicle, I saw what appeared to be Lucius driving his Jaguar up the
street.

“
Fausto, is that not Lucius
driving toward us?”

No sooner had the words left my mouth,
than my head exploded with pain as it slammed against the door of
the SUV. I heard glass smash, tires screeching, and then before the
darkness took over, I heard savage growling.

Chapter Eight

I woke up and gingerly tried to reach
the side of my head that was pounding, but nausea prevented me from
my objective. Instead, I rolled onto my knees and threw up. Gasping
for breath, overwhelmed by the pain, I shook from head to toe.
Suddenly, I realized with absolute clarity that I was in mortal
danger. I tried to open my eyes wide and see where I was, but my
they felt dry and raw. I reached up and rubbed them, and my vision
cleared enough for me to see my surroundings. I had no clue where I
was or what time it was. I tried to stand up, but legs wouldn’t
hold me, so I sat back and stared, horrified at what I saw. A
concrete room—no windows, no flooring, no furnishings just
concrete. The only non-concrete item in the room was the door, and
it was made of a thick metal. I pushed myself up on to my
protesting feet and sluggishly shuffled over to the check the knob.
I did not really believe it would open, but I had to
try.

Of course, the door would not budge; I
laid my head against it and listened for any sound from beyond,
something to indicate where I was, but I heard nothing. I
remembered I had my phone in my pocket and hoped there was enough
of a charge for me to make a call. Surely, Lucius would be missing
me. Then, what he’d told me earlier hit me, and I fell to the
ground, cowering in fear. Was this to do with the king? What was
going to happen to me? I absently rubbed my wrist, although it
wasn’t throbbing. Surely, with me being in this much danger, it
should have me screaming? Maybe my ward didn’t work anymore. Did
that mean I would die? I sat for a moment, wondering who I would
call. Gretchen? Was she still at The Humane Society? I hit the
speed dial button I had pre-assigned to my work and waited. Nothing
happened. No ringing, no busy signal. Nothing. I tried Gretchen’s
number with the same results. What was going on? Why wouldn’t my
phone work?

As I closed my phone and was about to
put it back in my coat pocket, I noticed scratches on the back
cover. I lifted up for closer inspection, pulled off the backing,
and saw the chip had been removed. That would explain why it didn’t
work. I froze. While I was out cold, what else had been done to me?
Apart from the pain in my head, I didn’t really any different. I
had a few bruises on my wrists, and I noted my ankles felt sore.
Opening the zip on one of my boots, I saw the beginnings of a
wicked bruise. Who’d done this? Fausto? But he was supposedly
Lucius’ trusted friend. As I sat there trying to piece things
together, with the makings of a ferocious migraine forming behind
my eyes, I heard footsteps approaching. I hastily retreated farther
back into the room against the wall. The few martial arts classes I
took suggested if you were in the line of attack and couldn’t run
away to back yourself to a wall. I never did finish the course.
Cursing my stupidity, I sat like a duck with a target on its head.
The lock clicked, and the door slowly opened.