91: It's For The Best

Gretchen disappears at my words. She knows what it means without me saying more. Everyone does. The vampires have been vying for the top seat for years. The wolves have been fighting them tooth and nail to keep them from it. Witches...we tend to mind our business except for the few stupid ones that take sides.

The silence between Monty and I has my stomach tossing and turning. It’s as if I know this feeling, know the dread that’s bound to come. Maybe I do. Maybe it’s already happened? Or it’s just that dream playing tricks on me, messing my emotions, making me more fearful of what could be to come.

Gretchen arrives back with a slick look on her face, pure determination. Oh God.

She doesn’t meet my eyes again and continuously busies herself, so she doesn’t have to meet my gaze. She shuffles papers, rearranges things on nearby shelves, stares at the floor. Her silence speaks volumes. It speaks louder than my pounding heart.

The minutes tick by and even though it feels like hours, it’s only twenty minutes before I find out what her silence was screaming at me.

Caleb comes marching through the door, stopping right in front of me. “Ready to go?”

“What? Go where?” He nods his head and my eyes dance between him and Gretchen. “Why? No.” She didn’t.

“It’s for your own good, Hazel.” She did. “Until I can find a reversal or something to mend the lines, you should be away from Gabriel. Kept...safe.”

“No.” Just saying that one simple word, I sound like a child, but I don’t need Gretchen to keep me safe. I don’t need Caleb to babysit me. I don’t need others to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do, especially when it comes to Gabriel. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Being told not to go near him only makes me want to go near him. They don’t understand. I have this need to see him. Even though I know he’s a liar, scheming to rule over all demizens with his maker, I still have this pull that drags me to him. Is it real? Or is it the effects of whatever spell put on me?

As I look from Gretchen to Caleb, I know there’s no way out of this. It’s either go willingly or be dragged. So, with my head down, I follow Caleb out. It’s for the best, I repeat to myself . Even though there’s this aching pit in my stomach that says otherwise. It’s for the best. It has to be.

The car ride is long and fearful. I know where Caleb is taking me and this can’t be good. I keep my doubts to myself hoping that maybe he’ll voice something, anything. His anger, his worry, his inability to understand what the hell is wrong with me.

I know he wants to. He wrings the steering wheel through the entire drive. His lips are smashed together in a tight firm line. He’s holding back his words and I can’t decide if I’m thankful or annoyed.

His silence eats at me. His anger and frustration, I caused it. And I’ll cause more. I can feel it. Everyone’s bound to feel the trouble that’s coming.

My words inch to the tip of my tongue, ready to spill over my lips, but when the pack’s den entrance comes into view each syllable gets stuck in my throat. Coming back here doesn’t sit well with my stomach. As we drive through the compound, I feel the eyes on me. More questions fill my head.

Do they know I’m coming? Are they aware of the vampire’s plan on ruling over all demizens? Is that wolf girl still cursed? Where’s Marcus?

Caleb leads us to his cabin. My heart beats a little faster, a little harder with each step. The small cabin still looks the same as it always has. Memories of the past blind my eyes. The first time I was here, Caleb and I were together. Nothing could separate us...or so we thought. Time and his duty to the pack wedged its way between us.

The last time I was here was facing the cursed wolf girl, but there’s another time I was here. I can feel it, but I draw a blank on the details, unable to put words to the foggy memories. It’s right there, I feel the words, they creep up my throat and tickle at my brain, but it doesn’t connect. Maybe if I scream, yank at my hair, hit something, it’ll knock it loose.

“Hazel, are you listening to me?” Caleb asks. He only continues when my eyes meet his. “You can sleep in my room and I’ll take the couch.” Two large familiar bags, one in each arm are draped over each shoulder.

When did he get those? “How did you-you know I can’t stay here forever, right?” He must’ve gone to my apartment to get my things before picking me. How else explains how he got them. I try to stop the images of him rifling through my drawers and closet, but little pieces sneak through.

The bags land with a heavy thud as the straps slip off his shoulders. “You’ll stay as long as you have to.”

I give a puff of laughter, “I’m sure Marcus will just love that.”

“Marcus is aware of what that vampire is trying to do. Keeping you is the least of his worries.” Caleb’s voice is cold and has a strictness to it that gives me goosebumps. He’s not happy. It’s been a very long time since I’ve heard that tone. The tone of someone who is over it...someone who is done.

I want to say some snappy reply, but I know it will only make things worse. Things are already bad and I’m not sure I can handle more. So, I keep my mouth shut. Neither of us have the energy to fight each other.

Not enough hours tick by before I’m forced to come face to face with Marcus. Not that I was doing anything besides pacing Caleb’s bedroom, my bags still packed. But being ordered like a actual dog and expected to comply with Marcus's every beck and call, I could do without. The order comes as a text to Caleb’s phone. Demands to bring me to his cabin. I’m pretty sure it said ‘bring the witch’.

Caleb gives me rules as we make our way across the camp. He calls it advice, but it’s rules. Don’t do this or that. Don’t say this or that. It’s the start of walking on eggshells. I wouldn’t get treated this poorly with Gabriel.

The truth hurts and it is the truth or I only think it is. Would Philip treat me better than Marcus does? Would Gabriel express how I should be treated with a more serious tone than Caleb does. My head races with thoughts and daydreams, but being stuck here, I may never find out.

All those pesky thoughts fade away when Marcus’s evil gleam lands on me. The hatred in his eyes has my feet stumbling over one another. He definitely knows about the vampires’ plans.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised you’re in the middle of this.” Marcus has always had a way with words. Always making sure each sentence points blame. I tune out the start of his menacing speech. “What have you told him?” “Witches. Always thinking about fairy dust and intentions.” “Pathetic excuse for a demizen.”

“Enough. She has nothing to do with this.” Caleb shouts into the room. It stops Marcus’s vile rant and breaks through my daze. “She’s a victim and an asset.”

What? Everything was perfect, he was perfect. His stern voice that demanded Marcus to stop is music to my ears. Calling me a victim was a little much, but the asset part. I didn’t see that coming. Apparently, I’m being kept safe only as a cover up. I’m being used for information.

“Fine.” Marcus snaps. “What do you know? What did they tell you?”

“Nothing. They didn’t tell me anything.” Willingly at least.

He steps forward, eyes blazing, “are you protecting them?”

“They didn’t come out and tell me. They didn’t involve me in their plans of taking over if that’s what you’re thinking. I saw it.”

His hard features soften, “oh, you witches and your intuitions. I saw it.” He mocks.

All my blood rushes to my head in a fit of rage. “You know what Marcus. Fuck. You.” I whip around and head for the door. If I’m going to be held here against my will, but ‘for the best’, I’m not going to put up with anyone’s crap.

Marcus believes this is his fight. Wolves against vampires. I don’t need to be in the middle of this. I don’t need to help the wolves defeat the vampires. Maybe I don’t want the wolves to win. It doesn’t mean I want the vampires to win, but right now with Marcus’s hateful words still ringing in my ears, right now I want the vampires to tear every wolf apart.

Caleb follows me as I stomp my way back to his cabin. I’m surprised when I make it back before he catches me. I even manage to slam the door in his face, cutting off the words before they have a chance to be made vocal.

Locked in his room, betrayed by my friends, all I’m left with is my thoughts, thoughts of Gabriel. I’m sure this isn’t what any of them wanted.
I wonder if he can find me. I can’t help but to hope he can.