Animal Lover Ch. 09

[She went with Stephanie willingly, to the healer, and we came to the circle.]

[She's injured?]

[Nothing to make a fuss about.]

[Thomas, humans are much more fragile than we are.] Ariel replied.

[Stephanie!]

[Yes, Madam Alpha.]

[Where are you?]

[Taking the human to Emmett's room. Joanna is with me.]

[Leave her there with Joanna. Then come to the circle.]

Stephanie winces at the tone. [Yes, Madam Alpha.]

[What are her injuries?]

[Scratches on both legs, claw marks on her neck, a bite on her right breast, a bruise on her face.]

Emmett is seething. [He went after my mate, I have the right..]

Thomas is just as adamant. [She had no mark. She isn't pack...]

Randall's reply thunders in their minds. [ENOUGH.]

Thomas rolls to his back; Emmett sinks to his belly.

[My punishment hinges on what she says.]

Thomas' voice trembles. [But, she's not pack.]

Randall snarls at Thomas, who whimpers and sinks back down.

Stephanie looks at Joanna as they get to Emmett's door. "I've been summoned. Will you watch her?"

"Sure." Joanna shifts to her hybrid form and takes Lyssa into Emmett's room, to the bathroom.

"We really should get his scent off you if you're here."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Emmett said to." She looks at Lyssa. "Do you want to go to Thomas' room?"

"No!" The answer comes quickly. Lyssa looks at the enormous shower. "I would feel better clean."

"Alright, then. Do you need help?"

"No."

[Joanna, I'm coming to speak with Lyssa.]

[Give it about 10 minutes Dad. She's cleaning up and humans are funny about nudity.]

She hears her father sigh through the bond. [Ten minutes, then.]

Joanna pulls the discarded clothes from the floor and drops them outside Emmett's door. [May. There is laundry outside of Emmett's door that needs to be cleaned.]

[I'll send Cassie up for it.]

[Thank you.]

Joanna goes into Emmett's closet and pulls out a warm robe. She takes it into the bathroom where she finds Lyssa furiously, yet gingerly, scrubbing herself clean.

After the second cleaning, Joanna speaks up. "I don't think your skin will take much more."

Lyssa stops, startled, and just stands in the spray for a time. She then turns off the water, and stands. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Dad wants to ask you some questions but it's mostly up to you."

"What?"

"You'll probably want to get dressed."

Lyssa dries off, leaving a couple of bloody spots on the towel, and slips into the proffered bathrobe. "My clothes.."

"No time for that, Dad's on his way. Come on."

Joanna puts Lyssa on the couch and pulls a blanket out for her, when there's a knock on the door. "Come in, Dad."

Joanna sits beside Lyssa and takes her hand.

Randall Wyeth enters the room, dressed in navy slacks and a light blue button down shirt. He exudes the same charisma and air of authority she had seen at her house. The picture is slightly marred, however, by his lack of shoes.

He strides over to the seating area and drops into a chair with the same grace she had seen in Ariel.

Lyssa grips Joanna's hand tightly. "Turn it down a notch, Dad, you're scaring her."

Randall exhales. "I've come to find out what happened. Did you sneak away from Stephanie?"

"No. No, I didn't. It wasn't her fault."

"She was told to watch out for you. She failed to do so."

"But.. but.. are you going to hurt her?"

"Her punishment will hinge partially on your statement. Tell me what happened."

Emmett's words come back to her. 'Don't lie.' Joanna pats her hand.

"She didn't want to take me outside but I wanted to see what was happening. So I said there had to be some place out of the way." Randall does not look pleased. "She brought me out to the side and told me to stay where she put me." He nods. "She was watching the fighting.. [Fighting?] [The women were sparring.] ..and she moved a little closer." Her eyes flick to Randall, then down again.

"There was howling and somebody grabbed me. I tried to scream but he had his hand over my mouth. Plus it was loud." She stops.

Randall looks at her. "Continue."

"He took me into the woods. I tried to get away but he grabbed me."

She closes her eyes. "He said I had no status and if I didn't submit to him he'd kill me. And that he wouldn't even be punished for it."

"Then he tore my clothes off, and, touched me."

"Did he mark you?"

"Well, yes, I've got scratches and bite marks! He hurt me! I thought you didn't let women get hurt here."

He's confused by her reply and looks to his daughter. "Joanna?"

"Yeah, Dad, he marked her."

"OK, what does that mean?"

Joanna looks at her. "We didn't get into specifics, Dad. Lyssa, Thomas has marked you as his."

"What?! No. No way I don't want to be his. I just want to go home."

"The mark exists." She looks horrified. "Did you, willingly, kiss him last night?"

She chews on her lip. "Answer."

"Yes. Tears now run down her face.

"Did you call to Emmett, with your mind, when Thomas had you?"

Breath hitching, "Y, yes."

Randall shakes his head. "Unfortunate. However, by our laws you now belong to Thomas. Because of the situation, we will give you some time with Emmett tonight. But you and your things will be moved to Thomas' room by daybreak." He stands to leave.

Lyssa stands. "No. No! You can't do this to me!"

Randall walks over to her. She glares at him. "I can, and I will. This is our world. You will abide by our law." He raises a hand at her continued defiance.

Joanna warns her. "Lyssa.."

Lyssa eyes the hand. "Go ahead. Kill me. Prove that you're just a bunch of animals."

Randall takes a deep breath, pivots on a heel, and leaves. [Joanna, she and Emmett have two hours.]

Lyssa collapses back onto the couch. Joanna pats her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Lyssa. I tried to tell you."

Lyssa pushes her away. "You didn't tell me about this! How was I supposed to know? What was I supposed to do? He's stronger than I am. He could have done anything he wanted."

Just then Emmett walks into his room. He stops at the spectacle before him.

Joanna looks up. "Dad says you have two hours, then she's to be taken to Thomas' room."

"I will not allow you to take her to him."

"Emmett.."

"Get out."

Joanna, looking hurt and distressed, leaves the room.

Emmett stands over Lyssa, arms crossed, glowering.

She curls into a little ball and starts sobbing.

It takes a couple of minutes before he breaks. He crouches beside her and says softly, "Do you want me to take you to his room now?"

"No! I wanna go home!"

Emmett stands and quickly grabs a duffle, throwing clothing into it. Next come a couple of small boxes and a wad of cash. He opens one of the windows.

He walks back over and slides a pair of his socks onto her feet.

"Lyssa, I'm going to take you out of here, do you understand?"

She looks up at him, her face bruised and tear-streaked, and nods.

"You have to trust me. And you have to be quiet." He takes a deep breath and looks around his room one last time.

He shifts to the intermediate form, slings the duffle over an arm, and picks her up.

"Close your eyes." She looks up into his face and closes them.

She feels cool air and then has the feeling of falling. She bites her lip to keep form shrieking on the way down and is rewarded with blood when they land.

He immediately takes off running, away from the house.

Two hours. Maybe a little more if Randall was feeling generous.

How far could he get her?

He had the bares outline of a plan in mind. If any of the links failed they would be caught tonight.

Five miles out, he pounds on the door of a house. "C'mon. C'mon."

The door opens to a young male, with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Cameron. I need to borrow one of your cars."

"What's going on?" Cameron eyes the female in his arms, sniffs.

"No time to explain. Please."

"Cam? Who's there?"

"It's OK, Ter. Go back to bed. I'll be right up."

"Em, I.."

Emmett looks down at Lyssa, then toward the upstairs. "Please."

Cameron moves off to the side and something jingles. "Toyota's got a full tank. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Thanks, Cam. I'll pay you back, somehow."

"Just," a sigh, "watch your back, man."

Emmett turns and runs to the side yard. The remote reveals a blue Camry. Emmett slides Lyssa into the passenger side, throws the duffle in the back, gets in, starts the car, and takes off.

Emmett heads for secondary road and turns the headlights off.

Lyssa is terrified by the speed in the darkness. Emmett hears her heart rate pick up. "I'm sorry. But I can see quite clearly, there's no need to be afraid."

"Where are we going?"

"As far as I can get you in an hour, then we change cars again."

"Won't he tell?"

"Yes. He'll have to."

"Won't he... Won't they punish him for helping?"

"Probably."

"Why are you doing this?"

His hand comes over to gently cup her face. "I love you. I won't see you go to Thomas."

She's quiet at this statement. He brings his hand back to the steering wheel and concentrates on driving.

Her voice is quiet, when she next speaks. "But you said they'd kill us if we ran."

He growls. "They will when they catch us."

"Not if?"

Emmett shakes his head. "What if we go back now?"

She braces herself as he slams on the brakes. Panting, incredulous, he looks at her. "Did you want to be Thomas' mate?"

She taken aback by the question. "No. Why would you ask that?"

"You kissed him. Now you want to go back. If we go back they will give you to him."

He looks at her. "Tell me what you want to do."

She looks at him and thinks for a minute. "Run."