Poisoned Ivy

Chapter 14

"Benji and Wren will be arriving any minute with some important guests." Garret's words pulled Roman's shielding figure away from me, "Go upstairs and freshen up Ivy."

The exposure of my emotional vulnerability made me run into the bathroom as quickly as I could. I started my hot shower immediately, but the scalding water was too much for my battered body, so near the end I turned it frigid cold. The transition between the temperatures soothed my skin in a bizarre way.

Then there was a knock on my door and Garret called from the other side of the door. "Ivy?"

I turned the shower off and stood rigid. "Yes?"

"I left some clothes on your bed. Get changed and come down." He finishes.

My bed?

"Yes, your bed." Garret explains, "The one in the room Cole and Henry cleaned up today."

"Okay." I reply as I shiver with my blood rising from the idea of Garret invading my thoughts. He disappears from the hallway and I climb out of the shower to wrap myself in a fluffy towel.

I make a mad dash for the bedroom. I make sure to lock the door behind me before I discard the towel and see what Garret had left me. On the bed I see a black skater skirt and a green long-sleeved sweater. I put some underwear on before I get dressed in the new clothes. I lay back on the bed and sigh. They'll come up and get me if it really matters, but for now I just want to lay here, thoughtless.

I stare at the ceiling, it's painted a dark blue night sky with small stars shining around the crescent moon. It reminds me of my first night in this house all those years ago. I was so small, so weak, so insignificant. Funny how some things never change.

That man who pulled me out of that car in the river, the one who saved me from drowning, had brought me to Grandpa Walter's doorstep. I remember he had parked many miles down the road from the house. He had taken the shape of his wolf, a midnight black beast the size of a grizzly bear. He had me climb onto his back, and I clung tightly to his thick fur as he walked me up to the house. He let me climb off his back and nuzzled me with his soft, gentle head. I gave him a tight hug when I saw the deep sadness in his jade eyes. I remember sensing how badly he didn't want to turn around and leave me. I tried to follow him down the deck, but he turned and gave me a soft growl. I stayed put as I watched him walk off into the woods. I never knew his name.

I pull my arm over my eyes. I can't let myself cry for a third time today. I hear a tap on the door, which makes me sit up and blink back my thoughts, "Come in."

The door squeaks open and I see it is Henry. "Benji sent me up to get you." I slowly get up from the bed and I'm sore from the bending of my core. Henry asks, "How are your injuries?" I don't have any bandages on, but all my injuries are covered by clothing. I pull up my right sleeve and look at the cut. It's pretty deep, but it's closed up on its own. Henry stares at it before telling me, "Keep that covered while we have guests." Yeah, I guess it's a little disturbing to look at, plus the story of jumping out of a window probably won't be a good first impression.

Henry leads the way out of the bedroom. I stop him at the top of the stairs, "Who are these people? Why are they important?"

Henry averts the subject, "You'll see." He turns to disappear into a room down the hall. I have no clue what I'm walking into. I doubt my body could take another daring escape.

I descend the staircase and follow the sound of voices to the living room. There Benji and Garret stand with glasses of amber liquid in their hands as they socialize with three other middle-aged males. Hayes is one of those other men. I tense as I suddenly recall Hayes.

He was the real reason I jumped out of the window. He is going to kill me. He already tried. If Garret hadn't tackled him, I'd be dead right now. And then I remember the entire event, including what happened with those weird marks on the back on my neck and Roman and Benji's forearms. I look at my covered arm and see a cut peeking out. It's not a cut, it's a bite. Roman bit me. Why did he bite me?

"Ivy." Benji calls, "Join us."

I look up and pull my sleeve down to ensure it's covered. I give Benji a nod and enter the living room. All the men turn and stare at me. Their gazes are invasive and uncomfortable.

I make my way to Benji's side, partially hiding behind his figure. Benji turns his attention to the man next to him, "Ivy Rose, meet Yuri Sokolov."

The man closest to Benji is short, not much taller than me, stocky, with gelled back grey hair. He wears a well tailored suit and has rings on nearly all his fingers. He offers me his hand and I take it. He cups my right hand with both of his, slightly bows to me, and greets with a heavy Russian accent, "Very nice to meet you."

Benji then turns to the other man that isn't Hayes. He is the tallest man in the room with dark skin and black hair that is beginning to grey at the roots. He also wears a well tailored suit, and wears less rings than Yuri, but has one that matches. The ring is silver with a wolf emblem on it. Benji pushes me forward to greet him. He takes my hand to shake, "Lyell Washington, pleased to meet your acquaintance."

Hayes makes his way over to me, but I reflexively take a step back. He laughs, "You're right to be scared lil' darlin'."

"Behave yourself, Hayes." Lyell warns. "We do not need you here." While Hayes makes me stiffen and defensive, Lyell's presence alone makes me cower. I try to prevent myself from backing up against the wall.

Hayes lowers his head to Lyell before turning back to me and offering his hand to shake. I hesitantly offer my right hand, but he jerks my sleeve up to reveal Roman's bite. I wiggle out of his grasp, but everyone in the room has seen the mark.

Hayes turns to Lyell, "It's just as I said."

Yuri stares directly at Benji, "Why did you do this?"

"She tried shifting during her first new moon." Benji explains, "Without a pack to share the pain, she would have gone mad."

"Yes, but you could have had her sync up with Grace's cycle." Hayes bites. I can sense Garret tense at the sound of his dead sister's name. Lyell turns his gaze back to me, "Instead you have your pack sync up with her."

Garret appears by my side and Benji gives him a nod. Garret pulls my hair aside and reveals the mark on the nape of my neck. Benji turns to Yuri, "I'm surprised you couldn't sense Ivy is shifter-born."

Lyell reaches his hand out to touch the nape of my neck, but a hand stops him. "Don't touch her." Wren coldly glowers from the entrance that I had come from. The tension in the room skyrockets when Wren locks eyes with Lyell.

"I won't hurt your Luna." Lyell calmly replies, "But I won't hesitate to kill you if disrespect me again." Lyell removes his arm from my proximity, but I still cower in his presence.

"Wren, Ivy, you are excused." Benji commands. I don't realize I'm shaking like an earthquake until Wren takes my hand in his and whisks me back upstairs.

Wren brings me past my room and opens the door further down the hall next to it. Inside the room, Cameron sits on the floor reading a comic book while Roman naps on one of the three beds. Cameron looks up as Wren leads me into the room and Henry and Cole open the door from across the hall and run into the room. Cole closes the door behind us.