Bloodbond

Chapter 11

"Cassia, are you in there? Open up!" came the rough demand from my front door. I had no idea what happened after Walker had me drugged, but my head felt foggy and I could feel a headache coming on. Just great.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was lying in the middle of my living room floor. They couldn't even put me in my bed? Jeez, lazy bastards.

The banging continued and I knew that one of my neighbors would cause a stink if I didn't deal with it now. I slowly climbed to my feet but almost lost my balance when my vision began to blur. I was still really dizzy and I guess standing wasn't the best thing for me at the moment.

"Cassia!" Gabriel was getting really pissed so I slowly made my way over to the door to let him in. The second I had the door open, he pushed past me so that he could search every room in the apartment. I have to say, this door-being-shoved in my face thing? Yeah, it was getting real old, real quick.

When Gabriel was satisfied that there was no immediate threat inside, he walked over to me, shut the door, and began to examine my body for any injuries. When he got to the giant bruise that good old Tyson had left on my arm and the smaller one from the needle, he hissed and ran his fingers over the discolored and tender skin. He was being so gentle and it felt so nice. My body was achey and my head still hadnt completely cleared, so I wasn't in possession of all my faculties. I found myself leaning in to him and I felt him wrap his arms around me.

"I'm so sorry, Cassia. I should never have let you leave. I should have kept you safe, resentment be damned." He was trying to keep his tone soft, but I could hear the guilt that haunted his words.

I shook my head, too disoriented to trust my voice. Gabriel pulled back but kept his hands firmly planted on my shoulders. "You're coming back with me, Cassia. Somehow, they broke though the wards and I will not let you stay here where I can't protect you, do you understand?" He was looking me right in the eyes and I could see that he was prepared for a fight if I said no.

"Okay." I suprised him with how easily I submitted to his demand. Normally, I might have put up a fight, but I just didn't see the point. Walker had truly terrified me and I would have agreed to almost anything if it meant that I would be safe from him.

Gabriel nodded his head and went to grab my keys and purse from the couch. It was nice that one of us had a little foresight because I would have just walked right out of there empty-handed and regretted it later.

He took my elbow, locked the door behind us and led the way to a jeep that was waiting downstairs. Gabriel open the passenger door and helped me climb inside. He made sure I was buckled before he closed the door and walked around to the other side. I was merely going through the motions right now. My movements were jerky and automatic, so I was grateful for Gabriel's help. A little surprised, but grateful nonetheless.

The twenty minute car ride to his house was made in total silence. I was completely blank and Gabriel seemed unsure of how to proceed. Oh well. I just didn't care enough at the moment to attempt a conversation.

When we finally pulled up the long driveway to the house, I saw Claire anxiously waiting at the bottom of the steps. As soon as the car pulled to a stop, she ran over and opened the door to pull me in for a hug. My seatbelt offered no deterrent for her and she was still able to manage a fairly decent embrace before she unfastened me and pulled me out of the car.

"Oh, we were all so worried about you! I didn't know what to think when we heard that Walker had taken you. I'm so glad you're okay!" she hugged me again but pulled back after a few seconds. "You are okay, aren't you?" she asked me.

I nodded my head and I saw her shoulders slump in relief. I still didn't really feel up for talking. It wasn't just that I was in shock. There was more to it than that. Everything that came before Walker needed to be re-evaluated. Everything that I had been told before was so much more real than it had been when I'd first heard it. The danger was real for me now and I needed to sit back and process what it all meant.