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Grace watched him leave and then rushed over to me and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m glad you’re okay. I wanted to come to Niagara Falls, but Caleb said I needed to stay back, and Michael didn’t want me to come either.” She glanced at Rob. “I think I know why now.”
Rob’s stomach growled. He gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
She laughed and motioned toward the house. “Come on, let’s get you some food. You must be famished! Michael wouldn’t stop, right?” She shook her head. “He always does that.”
“We ran into an unfriendly pack of wolves. Michael probably figured it was best to drive straight through till we got here.”
I stared at Rob wondering why he was defending Michael. I thought he hated my boyfriend.
“I can throw together some bacon and eggs. Come on.” Grace slipped her arm around both of us and pulled us toward the door beside the large barn door that had closed when I wasn’t looking.
The inside of the house didn’t have the same extra-ordinary appeal as the barn did. It literally was an old farm house, just very clean inside for somewhere that no one supposedly lived in. Old, antique furniture filled the front entrance and everywhere I seemed to look.
Michael was nowhere to be found.
Part of me wanted to go hunt through the house for him.
“Did you know Rouge was alive before she showed up at your door?” Grace asked Rob, completely distracting me from my train of thoughts. She led us to the large country style kitchen covered in ugly floral wallpaper.
“No. I mean, sort of. I knew I had a sister but didn’t have any idea if she was alive or dead. My mother never told me what happened to her.”
“You live with your mother?”
He gave her a slow single nod, obviously not quite sure how to respond.
“She died,” I said, filling her in. “How much did Michael tell you? About what happened?”
“Not enough.” She shot a dirty look toward the stairs where the sound of running water could be heard.
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled.
Grace hugged me. “Sorry you didn’t find your mom, or the answers you were hoping to find.”
“I found Rob. He wasn’t too keen on helping me at first...” I grinned and winked at him. “But he came ‘round in the end.”
“More like two rounds. One to Marcus’ chest, the other to his head.”
Grace spun around to give Rob an ‘I’m-impressed’ look. “You shot another Grollic?”
He shrugged. “I had to. He was going to kill Rouge.”
“Very cool.” She moved to the fridge. “I picked up some food. I thought you guys wouldn’t be here until lunch.” She made a face. “And I didn’t know you were coming, Rob, or I’d have grabbed more. A steak sub okay?”
“I’ll eat anything, I’m starving!” Rob accepted the sub she offered and sat down at the linoleum table. “What time is it, by the way?” he asked as he unwrapped the sub.
“Five thirty.” I yawned and glanced toward the ceiling as the shower water above us turned off. Too early for a steak sub. I sat down at the table across from Rob and set my bag on the table. The Grollic book and my journal slipped out.
“What’s that?” Grace asked.
“Wolf book, plus my lousy attempt at copying it.”
“You still trying to translate it for Caleb?”
I ignored Rob’s loud snort. He obviously disagreed with sharing anything with High Coven Leader Caleb. I didn’t have the energy to argue that it was my journal, not a book for translating. I rubbed my eyes and rested my elbows on the table. “You guys mind if I jump in the shower? I need to wake up.”
Grace patted my arm. “First room on the left is yours. I took clothes along for you. There’s a suitcase opened on the bed. I haven’t had time to put stuff in the closet.”
“That’s okay.” I stood, the chair scraping against the floor as it slid. “I don’t think we’ll be staying here very long.”
“You’re probably right.” Grace frowned at the stomping coming from above them. “What’s he so angr—uptight about? I haven’t seen him like this since the day Damon kidnapped you.”
“Who’s Damon?” Rob wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Grace flicked her wrist as if to dismiss Damon’s importance. “A stupid, young, dumb Grollic who got what was coming to him. Did I mention he was an idiot?”
“Really?” Rob grinned, clearing enjoying her disgust.
“He was part of a pack on the west coast that clearly had no brains. He kidnapped Rouge. He didn’t know who she was or her... her special ability.”
I wanted to shower and Grace could fill Rob in on most of the story. “I didn’t know much about anything back then. The Grollic journal kinda found its way to me. I had no idea what it was. I don’t have a birthmark just below my collarbone.”
Grace’s head twisted in my direction but she said nothing.
“You’re not marked?” Rob’s hand went to the spot every Grollic carried their mark.
“Not on my chest.” I’d kept the mark on my shoulder blade a secret from Michael. It didn’t seem right to tell Rob before Michael. “Damon kidnapped me on my birthday. It would make sense to say it was planned but he had no clue it was my birthday. He knew I was the Seventh Mark, he just didn’t know I had the power already.” Neither did I at the time. Above me, something crashed to the floor, followed by a slew of colorful words. “Grace can fill you in on the rest. I’m jumping in the shower.” I turned and headed up the stairs as the two of them started talking quietly.
Holding my breath at the top of the old winding wooden staircase I tiptoed to the first room on the left. A large suitcase sat on the bed, half empty, the clothes inside a mixed mess.
A shirt suddenly flew from behind the bed in the air and into the suitcase. Another slew of clothing articles got tossed into the suitcase. Michael straightened from behind the other side of the bed. He blinked in surprise before a scowl covered his handsome features. “Dropped the suitcase.”
I walked over and grabbed a pair of red panties hanging on the bed post and quickly stuffed them into my pocket. Grace obviously assumed Michael and I would be sharing the room.
“How long have you known I was the Seventh Mark?”
Michael hesitated, throwing the last pile of clothes off the floor into the suitcase. “I didn’t.”
I sighed. “Whatever.” I moved to the bathroom to shower.
Michael reached for my hand as I passed him. “I didn’t know.”
I stood and waited as he wrestled to organize his thoughts.
“This isn’t a quick talk, Rouge. It’s complicated.”
“It must be. You’ve been lying to me since the first day we met. I’m going to jump in the shower. Maybe when I get out you’ll have had enough time to consolidate another lie, or excuse, to explain it away.” I pulled my hand out of his and hurried to the bathroom, closing the door behind me, purposely flipping the lock to the door as loud as I could. Luckily it was an old wooden door and the brass joint clicked noisily shut.
I flipped the shower on and stripped down as I waited for the water to get hot. The house was old but the bathroom had been modernized. The antique claw tub still acted as the bath and shower, but a new shower head and shower curtain ring surrounded it. If we weren’t on the run or our lives in such a mess at the moment, I would have taken the time to enjoy the shower.
Instead I hopped in, cleaned and scrubbed the dirt and tiredness away before quickly washing my hair with the expensive looking bottle of shampoo and conditioner on the shelf by the window.
As the water rinsed the shampoo away, I give up on not trying to think. Michael had known what I was all along. He had to have. It made perfect sense. Why hadn’t I realized that earlier? We met in a graveyard for Pete’s sake. Why would a handsome-looking guy like him be there?
He was a Hunter.
That was why.
The realization hit me like a blow to the stomach. I lost my breath and leaned forward in the shower as if I’d been hit.
He had been hunting that night.
Looking for Bentos’ daughter.
Hunting the Seventh Mark.
