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Melissa Haag

Clay:

Finding Isabelle and Losing Gabby

Scene Extra from (Dis)content

 

“She’s stopped moving,” Gabby said from beside me.

Squeezed into the car parked in a busy shopping area, our tensions were still high after our run in with Isabelle.

Gabby rested her head against my shoulder, tickling my beard with her hair.  Over the last few weeks, since she Claimed me, we hadn’t had the time to talk about where we were in our lives or what we wanted from the future.  It wasn’t something I would have normally thought of talking about, until this morning.  Seeing Gabby crumble to the ground and being unable to do anything about it had ripped me open and left me raw.  Her nearness helped ease some of the concern I still felt.  But I knew my tension would remain until Gabby and I were back home and she was safely going to school once more.

“I think we should give her a little while to calm down,” Bethi said from the seat behind us.

I didn’t need to turn to look at Luke to know what he was thinking.  He’d been vocal since shaking Bethi awake that we leave Isabelle alone.  Bethi had been just as adamant that we retrieve her.

“There are Urbat not far from where she is,” Gabby said.  “I’m not sure how long we can wait.”

“Keep an eye on them,” Bethi said.  “We can’t let them get to her.”

Gabby inconspicuously laced her fingers through mine.  I gently squeezed her hand, giving as much comfort as I was taking.  Every night when we lay in bed together, I told her that I loved her.  She no longer tensed up at the words.  She’d accepted me, despite what I was sure was her accidental Claiming of me, but I knew she wasn’t yet ready to be my Mate.

Mate.  The idea of a permanent bond with Gabby still made my heart race, as did the idea of losing her.  I turned and pressed my lips to her forehead.  This morning had been too close.

We sat quietly for almost an hour before she spoke again.

“We need to go know.  They turned back and are heading right for her.  Something must have tipped them off.”

Grey started the engine and backed out as Gabby gave him directions.  Her heart accelerated, and I knew she saw was upsetting her.  When I gave her hand another light squeeze, she turned to meet my gaze.  Worry flooded her soft brown eyes while the scent of her light fear teased the air.

“It’ll be all right,” I said quietly as we pulled into the parking lot of a hotel.

I would make sure of it.

As soon as I opened the doors, I could smell the others.  According to Bethi, these were the ones after the girls.  The same ones who had sent a wolf to challenge me for Gabby.  My canines lengthened at the thought of anyone trying to take Gabby from me.

“Two of them,” Carlos said, already heading for the hotel doors.

Grey waved for us to follow Carlos.  Reluctantly, I let go of Gabby’s hand.  I would have rather had Gabby stay in the car with Grey.

“This isn’t a good idea,” I said, walking close to Gabby as we entered the hotel.  Fear still drifted from her, clouding her usually sweet sent.

“I agree,” Luke said.

Normally, I would care less if Luke agreed with me.  I didn’t like him and doubted I ever would.  That he now had a Mate of his own didn’t erase the fact he’d hit on Gabby.

Bethi rolled her eyes at Luke but kept walking, following Carlos down the hallways.

“She only knocked us on our asses because she’s scared, Luke.  It wasn’t personal.”

“Like hell,” Luke said under his breath.

I had to agree.  Again.  I took anything that happened to Gabby very personally.

“I think they are already in the room with her.  It’s hard to tell with so many floors,” Gabby said.

“How much further, Gabby?” Carlos asked.

“End of the hall, I think.”

When we neared, I let my claws lengthen.  Gabby brushed against me, unknowingly making my possessive anger worse.  I wanted to grab her and get out of there.

Carlos pushed the door open, the wood splintering under the strength of his anger.

“Empty,” he said, turning toward Gabby.

“Then it’s gotta be the room above us.”

We hurried up the emergency stairs, and I saw Carlos inhale deeply.  I did the same, scenting the other woman, too.  If she was in there, then so were the others.  I nudged Gabby behind me and saw Luke do the same to Bethi.

Carlos didn’t pause.  He crashed through the door, Grey just behind him.

Luke and I had only made it into the room as Carlos tossed the first mongrel out the window.  The girl, Isabelle, hadn’t even had a chance to tug her friend toward the door when the second one cleared the broken glass.  I understood Carlos’ anger and concern as he watched her.

Bethi stepped around us.  Gabby moved to join her, gently touching my arm as she passed.  A wave of reassurance washed over our connection.  She was getting the hang of being Claimed.

“We need to leave,” Carlos said, still looking at the girl.

“Come on, son,” Grey said, moving to help lift Isabelle’s friend.  The guy didn’t look so good.  But then, humans didn’t hold up well to chokeholds.

“Isabelle, I’m Bethi,” Bethi said, stepping forward quickly.  “I dream our past lives.  Mine, yours, hers.”  She nodded toward Gabby, making me want to tuck Gabby behind me, out of harm’s way.

“More of them are coming,” Gabby said, the fear in her scent spiking.

Bethi nodded to show she heard, but kept addressing Isabelle.

“Gabby can see their locations and the locations of the others like us.  We need to leave.  We can’t let them find us.”

I palms grew damp and tensed, waiting for that feeling to wash over me again and bring us all to our knees.  The need to shield Gabby had me stepping closer to her.  But bone weakening feeling didn’t come.

“Yes, let’s leave,” Isabelle said, suddenly too agreeable.

Bethi and Luke moved out to the hallway as Grey helped Isabelle’s friend.  No one seemed suspicious of Isabelle as we quickly left the building.  I didn’t like it but kept quiet, until the hair on the back of my neck started to stand up.

“How many?” I asked quietly as we trailed the group.

“It’s hard to say.  They are moving in from all over.  Twenty?  Maybe thirty?”  Gabby said softly.  Her gaze remained slightly unfocused as she continued to watch.

We followed Isabelle as she led the way to her car.  Gabby glanced at Grey and motioned for him that we needed to hurry.  He nodded and moved away as Isabelle’s friend slid into the front seat.  Isabelle tried taking the keys to drive, but Carlos took them first.

“I’ll drive,” he said.

“No thanks,” she said, holding out her hand.

“We don’t have time for this,” Gabby said.  “They’re grouping to the east.  We need to go.”

Gabby’s fear wrapped around me.  Her fear and the feeling creeping along the back of my neck had me eyeing the parking lot, watching for signs of movement.

“Fine,” Isabelle said.  Carlos opened the back door and waited for her to get in.

Gabby turned, snagging Bethi as she moved to the car.  I had to hurry to keep up with the pair.

“We need to move.  Now,” Gabby said.

Grey was already in the front seat with the engine running when we reached the car.  Luke beat me to the back seat, sliding in beside Bethi.  I quickly got in the front.

“Tell me what you’re seeing, Gabby,” Grey said as he backed up.

“They are closing in from all directions.  Turn right out of here,” Gabby said from behind Grey.  “Speed Grey.  Don’t stop for anything.”