Part 7 (1/2)

”Well, what am I supposed to do?” She challenged all of a sudden. ”Christoph hasn't gotten around to teaching me the appropriate way to hunt and no one's given me blood. He's gone for the night. Elektra told me to simply go to my room, but how does that help me? I really am sorry I was so reckless, but what did everyone think was going to happen? I need blood,” she ranted until her breaths got the best of her and she began hyperventilating.

Brandon sandwiched her chest between his hands, placing one firmly just beneath her collarbone and the other between her shoulder blades in back.

”What. Are. You. Doing?” She asked, as her inhale hitched in her throat, causing the question to jut out of her in a staccato rhythm.

”Breathe,” he said, as he pressed against her.

She tried to and found that the pressure of his hands helped her breathe deeply and slowly. When her upset subsided, he softened his hold, lowered his hand from her chest, and used the other to rub long strokes up and down her back, which helped her calm down even further. Then he guided her to sit at the back of the sled beside him.

”I feel like I have no control over myself,” she admitted. ”For a second I felt empowered with Christoph, but I lost that feeling. Now it's like I'm just as helpless as I was when I was human and knew I was dying.”

Brandon stilled his hand so that it rested on the small of her back. He studied her face, though she was looking down at the leaves and brush that were scattered across the ground. It was getting dark, and the temperature was falling, but he didn't want to head back until Gwen felt comforted and restored. He brushed his hand through her short blond hair, tucking the longer pieces behind her ear.

”You'll get through it,” he a.s.sured her. ”It's only been a day.”

Gwen gravitated towards him, sinking into his warm body so that her head was resting on his shoulder. As she moved in, he caressed his hand further until it rested on her hip, while at the same time the other hand crossed over her lap so that he could join his hands and hold her tenderly.

”I feel like there's something dark inside me that's itching to get out,” she whispered. ”I'm worried it'll take over and there will be nothing of me left in here.”

”That's not going to happen,” he said softly, as he drew her even tighter against him. ”I shouldn't have been so hard on you. I'm just concerned. That's all. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. But I get that your actions seem beyond your control. In a lot of ways they are, but you still have a choice, deep down. You still have the power to hold yourself back from doing impulsive things. You have the power to ask for help.”

Gwen felt his right hand disengage from his left and soon he was stroking his fingers through her hair and caressing the length of her neck then across her shoulder and down her arm until he couldn't reach any further, at which point he started from her head again, tracing the same path downward.

”When I was first turned,” he resumed, speaking softly and continuing with his soothing caress. ”I had a mind altering fever for weeks. I couldn't string two thoughts together, that's how consuming it was. It was like I was losing my mind and it terrified me. When the sickness pa.s.sed, at first I was relieved, but then I realized I still didn't really have a command over my thoughts, never mind my impulses. It was like there was someone else inside my head thinking for me, acting out, and I was watching it all, unable to do a thing about it.”

”How did you gain control?”

”I had to be patient with myself. I had to trust my trainers.”

”But what did you do when you got hungry?”

”I told them,” he admitted. ”And they provided an appropriate meal.”

”Well that's what I need,” Gwen said, her voice shaking with the intensity of that very need.

”Ok,” he said. ”Let's get you back.”

Brandon helped her to her feet, but when he let go of her waist Gwen didn't release her arms from around his neck.

”Can you stand on your own?” He whispered, as he returned his hands to her waist reciprocating her embrace.

”Yeah,” she said, though she didn't let go. She tipped her head back so that her mouth grazed his neck. He smelled so good, masculine and delicious. She didn't see the need to go anywhere. She could have what she wanted right here.

”Gwen, let's head back. I have to get the cub set up at the Sanctuary with its mother,” he said, encouraging her to let go, though it wasn't exactly what he wanted.

He urged her back then looked into her blue eyes, which seemed hazy with exhaustion. The way her body felt pressing into his, sent smooth, burning excitement through Brandon. Their faces were so close, hers tilting up and his angling down. She looked beautiful and delicate. Then her lips parted and her eyes floated closed, as if she was asking him to kiss her.

Gwen was melting into him. She could feel his cool breath grazing her lips. She wanted to disappear into his kiss, but he hadn't pressed his mouth to hers yet. When she opened her eyes she noticed Brandon was looking past her, as though he heard something.

”What?” She asked unsure of what had stolen his attention.

”We have to get back,” he said urgently, as he left her so that he could pick up the unconscious bear. It took a great deal of maneuvering, but Brandon managed to scoop the bear into his arms. The dogs seemed to understand what that meant, because they padded over and aligned the sled next to him so that all Brandon had to do was muscle the bear down beside its cub. Once the ma.s.sive heap of fur was securely resting on the sled, he strapped it down then whistled. The dogs heaved the sled into motion and as it gained speed they trotted easily. ”Come on,” he told her, as he followed behind the sled.

Gwen hopped to it, found her place beside Brandon, and they started briskly after the sled making their way back to the Sanctuary.

Brandon seemed to be in a hurry. He quickened his pace, while Gwen kept up, until he was walking flush against the back of the sled. He gave a sharp whistle, causing the dogs to pick up their pace. The sled sped up and soon Gwen was nearly out of breath in effort to keep up at Brandon's side.

”What's the rush?” She asked. ”Did you hear something?”

”It's just not a good idea to be out here so late,” he said, dismissing her curiosity.

”Then why did you invite me out for a night walk in the first place?” She challenged.

”I wouldn't have walked us into this part of the Cascades,” he said curtly.

Gwen remembered her ability to glide, which was an infinitely faster mode of movement, so she began gliding in order to catch her breath. Once she had, she took hold of Brandon's arm, allowing him to guide her. Despite the warmth of her touch, he was still clammed up and it caused Gwen to wonder what the precise danger was that he'd sensed. It was certainly causing him to race them back even though by now they'd put a mile of wilderness between themselves and the site she'd encountered the bears.

”Where would we have gone for our walk then?” She pressed, but Brandon seemed suddenly on edge and didn't answer. Not wanting to aggravate him, she let her question drop, but not her curiosity. Something had triggered his sudden urgency. The man who had an a.r.s.enal of tranquilizers strapped to his back and the strength to lift a two-ton bear had gotten spooked, and Gwen was highly interested in what on Earth could've possibly caused that.

They came to a clearing where the Sanctuary sat across the way and finally Brandon seemed to relax in her grip, as though the very sight of the building caused him to release all tension.

”Do you want to see where we keep the animals during their rehabilitation?” He asked, suddenly lightening up.

”Sure,” she said.

They followed the dogs to a gate, which Brandon unhinged before they all pa.s.sed through. Beyond the gate sat several hundred acres of spa.r.s.ely wooded land that was sectioned off by domed metal fences that essentially formed a grid of cells for the animals. As they traversed the aisle that cut through the center, Gwen noted that each cell had to be a good seven-square-acres, which seemed to be a sizable amount of s.p.a.ce for an animal to roam while healing. A few of the animals cautiously approached the fence as they pa.s.sed. First a wolf, then in the next cell a bobcat, and on the other side, a black bear.

”We'll have to put the bear and her cub in the last cell up there on the left to give them as much privacy from the others as possible. Since she's rearing her cub she's more aggressive by nature and the smells and sounds of the other animals might make her anxious.”

When they arrived at the last cell, Brandon asked Gwen to wait outside while he proceeded with his dogs. Once he entered with them, he shut the fence then unstrapped the bear and her cub. Gwen was in awe at Brandon's super strength. He lifted the mother bear off the sled with ease, though he certainly strained to do it carefully. Then he set the cub beside its mother and exited the cell, shutting and locking the fence behind him.

”Were we in a rush to leave the forest because you sensed whoever shot the cub was still out there?” She asked, making the connection all of a sudden.

”You could say that,” he said.

”Well who was it?” She wondered.

”I don't know,” he said, though something in his tone told her he had his suspicions.

The moon overhead was s.h.i.+ning down and casting an iridescent glow over Brandon, who was looking at Gwen with an unwavering gaze. His steel blue eyes looked black in the low light, which also gave his expression a dark allure. There was a glint in his eye that stirred up a reminder in Gwen that this was the man she'd envisioned to exude glamour in her training.

”Will the cub be Ok?” She asked, staring up at him.

”Joseph will check him out in the morning and administer antibiotics if the wound shows any signs of infection. Otherwise, it's just a matter of time before the cub is healed, and then we'll release him. He was shot in the gut so it wasn't life threatening.”

”That's good,” said Gwen with a twinge of guilt at her prior selfishness. She'd been blinded by hunger, and even though she still felt dull blood thirst, she'd come to her senses enough to see her impulse for what it really was, detrimental to a suffering animal's wellbeing. Brandon, as well as the werewolves and the s.h.i.+fters seemed to appreciate the balance of life, and Gwen was beginning to understand that what drove vampires was well outside of that balance. It disturbed her.

”I'm more concerned with you,” he said, scanning her face for signs she wasn't well.

”I feel fine,” she said, glancing down at her shoulder.