I glanced around the room, looking for something I could use to defend myself before my brain kicked in.  There was no use fighting him.  The best I could do was hope for Emmitt’s arrival.  I started to scream Emmitt’s name, but Frank clapped his hand over my mouth before I could form the second syllable.

“Time to go,” he growled as he grabbed me.  His fingers bit into my arms as he tossed me over his shoulder.  I landed forcefully on my stomach and grunted in pain.  I quickly braced my arms on his lower back to alleviate the throbbing ache, then I filled my lungs for a second yell.

Frank suddenly turned and took off at high speed out the door.  The abrupt turn sent me swinging to the side, and my head connected with the doorjamb so hard my vision tunneled.  I hung limply for a few stunned moments and struggled to think coherently.  Another hit to the head would knock me out.  I feebly wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled myself in closely.  I couldn’t let go and hit my head a second time.  Being unconscious was not an option. I closed my eyes against the growing nausea, forgetting to call for help.

He turned several times, then I felt cool, fresh air as he began to run faster.  My hair flew out behind us, and I held on tight.

With my head so close to him, I couldn’t help but notice his smell.  My stomach continued to churn unbearably.  He smelled like leftover soup, the kind that was slowly shoved to the back of the refrigerator and found three weeks later.

Bile rose, or rather, fell.  If he didn’t put me down soon, I would throw up all over his back.  I couldn’t decide if it would help the smell or not.

He stopped abruptly and turned sharply again so my head flew out, despite my hold, and connected with something solid again.  I slowly registered the sound of an idling engine as he gave a mocking laugh.  Dark spots further clouded my vision as he lifted me from his shoulder.

We stood by the back door of a car.  I could see blood on the back quarter panel.  My blood.  He opened the door and shoved me forward.  I reached out to brace myself as everything went black and my legs crumpled under me.

*    *    *    *

When I came to, my cheek was stuck to the vinyl of the back seat.  Before I could lift my head, the car stopped unexpectedly, and I flew from my semi-sprawled position to the floor.  I felt too sick to move.  My head pounded steadily, matching the rhythm of my heart.

A door opened and closed.  A moment later, the door by my feet opened.  I hadn’t even tried opening my eyes yet, but the feel of his rough hands clamping around my ankles motivated me.  He violently pulled me out before I had time to reach for anything.

My chin thumped on the tan carpet of the middle floor divider, and I bit my tongue.  Once my waist cleared the door, he stopped pulling, picked me up, and tossed me over his shoulder again.  I groaned but was grateful he hadn’t yanked me all the way out of the car.  Landing face first on the asphalt would have been much worse than having a shoulder planted into an already bruised stomach.

My fear raised a notch when he turned and started walking again.  I wanted to fight but my arms felt like noodles when I attempted to brace them on his back once more.  He opened a door and dropped me onto a wooden chair.

I tried to scramble from the chair but was slow and clumsy.  He used one hand to pin me in place and the other to zip tie one of my ankles to a chair leg.  When I realized he intended to bind me, I fought harder.  I connected a fist to the side of his head.  It bruised my hand, but he didn’t even notice the blow.

Desperate, I bit his arm and gave a disgusted cry when he groaned in pleasure.  It guaranteed there’d be no more biting on my part.  I tried kicking with my free leg, but he just caught it and zip tied it to the other chair leg.

He slowly backed away.  Hurting and out of breath, I stared at him as he stalked to the window.  He moved the curtain aside with his finger to create a minute gap and checked outside.  Satisfied with whatever he saw, he moved away from the window.

“I’ll leave your hands free and your mouth ungagged if you behave,” he said as he sat on the bed.

“You need a shower,” I slurred, angry at him and at the taste of rotten soup now in my mouth.  My vision swam dangerously as I panted in pain.

“Your coy invitations won’t work on me.  You smell like him, you know.”

I stared at him for a moment, shocked.  Who would have guessed he’d know how to use the word coy?

Then, I turned away from him, not wanting to hear how I smelled like Emmitt.  How long had I been out?  Was there even the slightest chance Emmitt had heard me scream?

I carefully looked around the old hotel room.  The blue curtains and worn carpet matched the faded paisley comforter on the bowed bed.  Streaks of yellow from the prior occupants’ smoking habits ran down the once white walls of the room.  Mustiness, sweat, and stale smoke permeated the air.

When I turned too far, trying to look behind me, I winced at the pain in my stomach and head.

I turned to look at Frank again.  He’d been studying me while I examined the room.

“How soon until Blake gets here?” I asked.

He grinned nastily.  “It’ll be awhile.  He’s out of town trying to tie up two loose ends.”

I knew he was talking about my brothers so I smiled back sickly-sweet, not letting a hint of fear or concern show.  “He’ll be back soon, then.  There’s no way he’s going to get them now, not without exposing himself to a whole lot of angry werewolves.”

Frank narrowed his eyes at me again.  “You’re choosing the wrong side in this, Michelle.  You side with those mongrels, and you’ll get hurt.”

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re the same mongrel.”  And I was already hurt.

He grunted his disbelief.  “We may have started out the same many millennia ago, but we are nothing alike now.  When this is over, it will be the Urbat who rule the earth, not you humans or the werewolves.”

He got up and walked over to me.  Grabbing my arms, he forced me to overlap my hands so he could zip tie them together.  So much for leaving my hands free, I thought as the small strip of plastic bit into my tender flesh.  It was just one more pain to add to the list.  The worst, by far, was my head.  When I turned, I could feel a slight tug on the back of my neck where dried blood had glued my hair to my skin.

He stepped back, putting distance between us.  “I think you’re right; I do need a shower.  I need to wash your deluded filth from me.”

Despite his appearances, I was beginning to see he was no idiot, just crazy.

“I’m not the deluded one here, Frank.  You are if you think you’re going to rule the world.  You may be strong, but there are more humans than you can deal with.  And you know it, or you wouldn’t be hiding the fact you’re a werewolf.”

“You know nothing.  You’re just a tiny, insignificant piece in a global puzzle.”

“There is no puzzle, just a greedy, crazy werewolf leading other crazy, greedy werewolves.  And If I’m so insignificant, then why take me?  Let me go.”

“The only crazy thing about Blake was his decision to let Richard keep you for four years.  Your time’s up.  We’ve waited long enough for you to come to the right decision on your own.  Now, we will decide for you.  We’ll start with you, and then we’ll help the rest of your sisters.  We will stop this cycle, and a judgment will be made.”

He slowly approached me with a wild light in his eyes.  He didn’t look upset anymore, and that worried me.  He slowly knelt in front of me, spreading my knees so his hips were against the chair.  His stench was overwhelming.

“You can end this now.”  He tilted his neck so I could see the dirt rings there.  “Claim me.  I will raise your brothers to be strong, not the little weaklings Richard made them.”