The door inched forward. “Cecil, move away from the door,” Sam said.
“Just…go…away.” She cried harder.
Sam pushed the door open a little further and slipped in. He reached down, pulling her into his arms. “Cecil, stop. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
“I couldn’t save them, Sam. None of them.” She grabbed his shirt and held on.
“Look at me, Cecil.” He pulled away and lifted her chin up. “What could you have done? You were sixteen when they took you. No sixteen-year-old could have stopped them. Do you really believe Mom and Dad wanted you to die?”
“But…”
“No, Cecil, you know I’m right. Now, you have two mates down there that are pacing back and forth, worried about you.” He turned her around and pushed her towards the door. “Go to them, Cecil.”
“Let me wash my face. I’ll be down in a minute.”
Cecil stepped into the bathroom and stared into the broken mirror.
She could still see the faded scars on her cheek from the first time she had tried to escape.
Turning on the cold water, she splashed it on her face. The cold water washed away the tears. She opened her eyes. Rory stood behind her and handed her a towel.
“Thank you.” Cecil wiped her face and turned to face him. “I’m sorry, Rory. I didn’t mean to make a scene.” Gazing up into his dark blue eyes, she reached up, rubbing his cheek, the five o’clock shadow rough against her hand.
“Cecil, everyone downstairs knows it’s going to take you time.
Come on, let’s get down there before Jaycee decides to try to make the food for tonight.” Rory laughed, leading her out of the bedroom.
“That’s a bad thing?” She frowned.
“Honey, everyone knows Jaycee doesn’t cook and shouldn’t be in the kitchen.” Rory whispered into her ear as they stepped off the last stair.
“Hey, I heard that!” Jaycee snapped.
48
“Now, Jaycee, he’s only telling the truth.” Dane grinned. “You even said so yourself.” He flipped open a folder from one of the boxes they had brought in.
“Fine, but does everyone have to tease me about it?” She pouted and winked at Cecil as she stepped into the kitchen.
“Well, you already know how to make the biscuits, so that’s a start.” Cecil grinned, putting the last batch of biscuits in a large bowl.
Remi and Dane came over and each grabbed a biscuit, smiling.
“Have to taste these so I know what they are supposed to taste like if she tries.” Remi teased Jaycee, kissing her cheek.
“Ha, that’s
not
funny.” Jaycee frowned. “Where’s Bo?”
Dane sat back down at the table, going over the files again. “He’s at the clinic, making sure we have enough security there. He’ll be by in a few.”
Cecil watched Tug and Rory as they worked on the files. Neither showed any signs of the injection, but she knew there would be side effects. It was just a matter of time. She had been sick for more than a week from the injection, but then again, Cecil had been starved and beaten.
49
Chapter Eight
Tug glanced up at Cecil and knew she was watching him. She had been for the past three hours, making sure both he and Rory were okay.
Cecil’s file never mentioned the internal freezing, or what was first freezing before it turned to gut-wrenching pain. He glanced at Rory as beads of sweat formed along his forehead, and his hand was clenched into a fist by his side.
“So, are you two going to sit there and pretend you’re not in pain, or are you going to go lie down?” Cecil glared at them both.
Everyone in the room glanced at them and frowned. The doctor moved towards them, but Tug waved him away. “We’re fine, just a little pain.” He snarled, glaring back at Cecil.
Cecil leaned over the table. “For Pete’s sake! Let the damn doctor take a look at you. Please.”
He grumbled, but stood and went to the den. “Come on, Doc.”
Rory and Cecil followed them into the den. “Well, tell him,” Cecil said to Tug. She put her hands on her hips, and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth.
“It’s as if every organ inside me freezes, then the pain rips you apart.” He fell down onto the sofa.
Rory sat down next to him and nodded. “After the pain starts to wear off in one area, it moves to the next organ.”
The doctor glanced at Cecil and she sighed. “When they gave me the injection, this phase lasted about six hours.” She hopped on top of his desk.
“What do you mean phase?” Rory asked.
“Hey, don’t get all snarly with me. This was
your
bright idea,”
Cecil said. “I went through three phases. The second phase starts about halfway into phase one, and I’m afraid you should stay in here when it happens.”
“Why?” Tug asked.
Cecil glanced up at him. “Because the snake DNA will try one more time to break through the wolf’s. Your skin will turn to snakeskin. It will feel like your skin is turning inside out. You’ll be cold, clammy, and no one should be in the same room with you. You’ll attack anything in the room other than snakes.” She smiled.
“I don’t think this is funny,” Rory grumbled.
50
Her smile quickly faded and her big brown eyes filled with tears.
“I wasn’t smiling because of you two. I was remembering when I turned.
The scientists were in the room and I attacked one, killing him.”
Rory started to get up, but fell down onto the couch, grabbing his stomach.
Tug doubled over and growled. “Get out,
now
.”
Cecil jumped off the desk and pushed the reluctant doctor out of the room. “No, I have to be here in case something happens,” he protested.
“I’ll stay here and let you know. They won’t attack me.”
Cecil looked back at Tug and cringed.
His skin swelled and split open. Greenish yellow skin replaced the old skin. Fangs started to protrude, venom dripped out of fangs.
Rory fell off the couch, and soon joined Tug as his clothes fell away from his body. Cecil had been right. He didn’t want to attack her, but he sure wanted to mate with her. His legs and arms disappeared into the skin of the snake’s as he slithered around on the floor.
Tug rose, his body swaying back and forth. He flinched, staring at the big snake in front of him.
Damn, she was right.
He moved closer to her.
“I told you two. Well, at least you aren’t deformed, as far as snakes go. In about a half hour, you’ll change back.”
“Cecil, is everything in there okay?” the doctor asked through the door.
She groaned and watched Rory attack the door as she sat back, not moving. “It would have been fine if you hadn’t said anything. Now Rory has his fang in the damn door.” Cecil moved very carefully to him.
“Easy, Rory. I have to get you unhooked. Please don’t bite me.”
Tug hissed, pissed off as she put herself in danger getting Rory unhooked. “Don’t hiss at me, Tug. I can’t very well leave him hooked to the door.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I hope you two know I hate snakes, and if you bite me, Rory, I’m going to bite that little thing in between your legs.” She grabbed his head gently, removing his fangs from the door.
She sighed and leaned against the door as Rory hissed at her.
“
Don’t
even think about it.”
Tug curled up by her feet, staring when he felt the wrenching pain inside him start again. He hissed, moving away from her and into the middle of the room. He didn’t know how much time had passed before he could feel his arms and legs pushing through the snakeskin. The shed skin fell to the floor.
The fangs retreated and his vision returned to normal as he 51
glanced around the room. His skin was covered in slime. “What’s the…last phase?” he snarled.
Cecil moved out of the way as the doctor pushed back into the room. He glanced around the room and picked up parts of their fallen skin.
“I want to take these to the lab. Do you mind?” He glanced at Tug, who shook his head.
“No, get them out of here.”
Cecil stood and stretched. “The final phase, well, you’re seeing it now.” Then she backed up two steps.
Tug doubled over, throwing up everything he had in his stomach.
“Your body is getting rid of toxins from the snake,” Cecil said.
“You now have a special sack inside your throat where the venom is kept, but everything else is being thrown out by the wolf. I’ll go get a bucket of hot water and the mop because it’s going to stink in here in a few.” Cecil moved towards the door, but the doctor stopped her.
“Cecil, wait. I want to get samples of this too.” The doctor ran from the room, carrying the skins. Someone squealed in the kitchen and he knew it was Jaycee.
“Damn it, Doc. You could have put those away before you came in here.” Remi snarled and came into the room. He watched Tug and Rory for a moment, then looked at Cecil.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. I’d better get the hot water and mop.”
“Cecil, we’ll clean you. Go keep Jaycee and Sheila company while I clean this up. Then I’m going to take a damn shower and get this crap off of me.” Tug growled and slowly stood up.
Rory turned and glared at Cecil. “And don’t think I forgot about that comment. When I’m up to it, I’ll show you how small it is.”
Cecil laughed, walking out of the room. “After all that, and you’re more worried about the size of your cock. Jeez, talk about deranged.”
Rory snarled as the doctor came in with a large bag, pulling out tubes and scooping the stuff off the floor. “Don’t take your shower yet. I want samples of that stuff on your skin too.” The doctor put the tubes from the floor in his bag and came at him with a small scalpel and test tube.
“You know, I swear you seem to be a little too happy to get a hold of this stuff,” Rory said as the doctor gently scraped the goo from his skin.
The doctor smiled. “Most of the samples at the lab were either gone or destroyed, so any information we get here will help us tremendously. I don’t think Cecil is ready yet to have a doctor poking around her.” He swung around and put the test tube in his box.
“You’ll not go near her for a while,” Tug demanded.
52
Remi stepped forward. “Easy, Tug. That’s why the doctor wants to get as much as he can from you two. God, it stinks in here. What the hell is that stuff?” He squinted at the floor.
“I don’t know, but it needs to be cleaned up before it stains.” Tug was on his way to the door when it was pushed open and Cecil stepped in, carrying a bucket with hot soapy water.
“Cecil, don’t you listen to anything?” Tug grabbed the bucket from her and the mop.
She stuck out her tongue at him. “Yes, when it’s important. That smell is gagging everyone out here, especially Jaycee.”
“Damn.” Remi moved out of the room.
“Fine, but I’ve got this. Now, go.” He pushed her towards the door, but she stopped.
“Um, I got your robes for you.” She reached around the door where Sheila handed her the robes. “That way you don’t have to run upstairs naked. There are others here now and no one needs to see…” She glanced down at his cock.
“Jaycee, most of the pack has seen us naked. I don’t want us to get the robes all nasty. It’ll just be something else we’ll have to wash.”
Cecil crossed her arms over her breasts. “Really? Then you wouldn’t mind if I was to walk around naked in front of the men out there?”
The snarl started deep in his gut, rising up before he could stop it.
“You’ll never…” He grabbed the robes. “Fine, but if you even
try
it, your ass will burn for days.”
“I thought not,” she said, “and the same goes for you too, Tug.”
* * * *
Cecil moved into the dining room, noticing more pack members going through the boxes from the lab. Very quietly she moved into the kitchen and started making supper. It would take at least two hours for three lasagnas to cook.
Sheila came into the kitchen, smiling. “A little much out there, isn’t it?” She nodded to all the people.
“Just a little, especially since I’ve been alone for so long.” Cecil saw Tug and Rory come out wearing the robes. She smiled as Sheila laughed.
“Good for you.” She nudged Cecil, but then frowned, and Cecil followed her gaze.
A tall, skinny brunette had her arms wrapped around Tug, pressing her breasts against him.
“Cecil, are you okay?” Sheila put her hand on her arm and she 53
pulled back into the kitchen, shaking her head.
“Don’t come near me right now, Sheila, and please tell that bitch to get…her …hands…off Tug.” She bent over, grabbing her stomach.
Sheila ran out of the kitchen. Chairs scraped the hardwood floor, the room quieted down, and a woman’s cussing reached her ears.
Tug moved into the kitchen and Cecil backed away from him and ran into the kitchen counter.
“Get away. You smell like that bitch out there.” She hissed and knelt on the floor.
Rory came to her and bent down. “What’s wrong?” He lifted her chin up and gasped.
“Tug, go shower now and have Remi remove Belinda from the house.” Rory sat down on the floor and pulled her into his arms. “Easy, Cecil, I’m here. She’s leaving.”
Cecil closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s never been this bad, Rory. God, what if I had attacked her?”
Remi and the doctor came in and knelt down next to her. “What set her off?”
The doctor pulled out a syringe and came at her with it. She hissed and tried to scoot back away from him. “Nooo.” Her voice changed as she watched Remi pull the doctor back.
“Don’t. They told you to stay away with that stuff. She’s not ready.” Remi snarled.
Rory tightened his hold on her and she could smell the snake inside him rising to the surface, coming to protect her. Once more she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest.
“I’m okay, Rory. Push it down. That’s all we need is for two of us flipping out.” She tried to laugh, but failed.
Dane came in and sat down next to them. “I want to thank you, Cecil. Sheila told me you pulled back, afraid you’d hurt her.”
Cecil shrugged. “I can control it most of the time now, but seeing that woman wrapped around Tug was something new. I don’t know how I’d do if something more intense happened. I never had my mates with me, so I can’t tell.”