CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY

CHAPTER4

JONAH AND ELIJAH IGNORED HIM AND I BIT MY LIP, TRYING TO REMEMBER THAT I NEEDED TO KEEP MY REACTIONS HIDDEN. JONAH PUSHED OPEN THE DOORS. WE WALKED INTO A GREAT ROOM WITH A SINGLE TABLE IN THE CENTER. THE TABLE WAS ROUND AND MASSIVE, LIKE SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN LIFTED OUT OF KING ARTHUR'S COURT. THE WALLS WERE LINED WITH BOOKS, OLD AND LEATHER BOUND, LIKE THOSE WE'D HUNTED THROUGH AT THE DOYLE ESTATE. THE SIMILARITY WAS ENOUGH TO SET MY TEETH ON EDGE.

OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I SAW TWO PEOPLE STANDING NEAR A SET OF BOOKSHELVES, TALKING QUIETLY AS THEY LOOKED OVER THE TITLES ON THE SPINES. ONE OF THEM WAS SOMEONE I KNEW, AND LOVED. EMMETT'S HEAD TILTED AS HE LISTENED TO THE GIRL WITH HIM. SHE LOOKED ABOUT MY AGE AND HAD LARGE LIQUID BROWN EYES HALF VEILED BY WISPS OF MAHOGANY HAIR THAT ESCAPED FROM THE THICK KNOT CAUGHT WITH A METAL CLASP AT THE BACK OF HER NECK. SHE WAS DRESSED IN FIERCE APPAREL, HEAVILY WORN LEATHER PANTS, THICK HEELED BOOTS, AND A CLOSE-CUT TUNIC OF UNDYED LINEN. CLOTHES JUST LIKE THOSE I WAS NOW WEARING. LOW ON HER HIPS WAS A WIDE BELT, FROM WHICH TWO STRANGE METAL SPIKES HUNG. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WERE. TWO FEET LONG, THEY LOOKED SKINNY, BRIGHT SILVER RAILROAD TIES THAT TAPERED TO NEEDLE SHARP POINTS. IN ONE HAND SHE HELD A BUNDLE OF FOLDED PAPERS, WHICH SHE TAPPED RHYTHMICALLY AGAINST HER THIGH.

I BRISTLED WHEN I SAW THE OTHER HAND RESTING ON EMMETT 'S ARM. JEALOUSY'S BITE STARTLED ME, AMD IT'S TEETH SANK IN DEEPLY. I DIDN'T WANT ANY OTHER GIRL TOUCHING HIM. HE WAS MINE!

EMMETT LIFTED HIS HEAD AS IF HE'D HEARD MY THOUGHTS. WHEN HE TURNED, I REALIZED HE RECOGNIZED MY SCENT. THE THOUGHT MADE MY SKIN HUM AND I FOUND MYSELF RUNNING TO MEET HIM, CASTING THE DARK-HAIRED GIRL A MENACING LOOK AS I PUSHED PAST HER.

"AMELIA!" EMMETT SAID, REACHING FOR ME. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

MY HEART WAS POUNDING TOO FAST AND I COULD BARELY CATCH MY BREATH. I'D BEEN AFRAID I MIGHT NOT SEE HIM AGAIN, THAT NEITHER OF US WOULD LIVE THROUGH THIS ORDEAL.

I STARTED TO NOD JUST AS MY LEGS GAVE OUT, BUT EMMETT WAS THERE. HIS ARMS CAUGHT MY WAIST AS I COLLAPSED. I CLUNG TO HIM, KNOWING HE WOULD HOLD ONTO ME. HE WAS SOMEHOW AS STRONG AS ME NOW. I COULD CRUSH HIM IN MY GRIP WITHOUT FEAR THAT I MIGHT HURT HIM. EMMETT TIGHTENED HIS ARMS AROUND ME AND I PRESSED CLOSER. ONE OF HIS HANDS CAME UP AND CRADLED MY HEAD AGAINST HIS CHEST, HIS LIPS BRUSHING THE CROWN OF MY HAIR.

EMMETT. EMMETT. I TOOK A DEEP BREATH. HIS SCENT WAS WASHING OVER ME, THE SCENT OF SPRING, WARM AND HOPEFUL AS THE SUNLIGHT THAT FILLED THIS PLACE, POURED THROUGH ME.

BURYING MY FINGERS IN HIS HAIR, I PULLED HIS FACE TO MINE. I COULD TASTE HIS SURPRISE, SWEET AND BRIGHT, WHEN I KISSED HIM. THE SWEETNESS TURNED TO WARMTH, THEN HEAT AS HIS MOUTH TRAILED OVER MY CHEEK.

"AMELIA" HE WHISPERED, CATCHING MY EARLOBE IN HIS TEETH. A WOLFISH GESTURE THAT MADE ME NUZZLE HIS NECK AFFECTIONATELY. MINE! HE IS MINE! "IT WAS KILLING ME THAT I COULDN'T BE WITH YOU" HE SAID, PULLING BACK SO HE COULD LOOK AT ME. "GODDESS, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU."

JAKE WHISTLED, AND THE GIRL 'S CURIOUS GAZE SPARKLED WITH MISCHIEF. DESPITE MY RELIEF AT EMMETT'S PRESENCE, I SILENTLY CURSED THE MOMENTARY LAPSE IN CAUTION. I SHOULD KNOW BETTER. THIS WASN'T A PRIVATE REUNION. OUR EVERY MOVE WAS BEING OBSERVED. I'D MISSED EMMETT, EVERY OUNCE OF ME ACHED JUST WANTING TO TOUCH HIM FROM THE MOMENT I LAID EYES ON HIM, BUT I DIDN'T NEED THE OTHERS TO KNOW THAT. I FORCED STEADINESS INTO MY MUSCLES, WRIGGLING OUT OF HIS EMBRACE.

"I'M FINE, EMMETT," I SAID. TRYING TO IGNORE THE WRENCH OF LOSS I FELT NOW THAT HE WASN'T HOLDING ME. "FOR THE MOST PART. A LITTLE CONFUSED."

"THAT'S WHY WERE HERE," JONAH SAID, COMING TOWARD US. "EMMETT, I TRUST THAT YOU'RE WELL."

"I'M BETTER NOW," HE SAID, NOT TAKING HIS EYES OFF ME.

MY TOES CURLED AS HE IGNORED MY ATTEMPT TO DISTANCE MYSELF AND HE PULLED ME BACK INTO AN EMBRACE.

"I'M PLEASED THAT AMELIA HAS MADE A FULL RECOVERY TOO," JONAH SAID. "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC IF WE'D LOST HER."

I BARKED OUT A HARSH LAUGH. "LOST ME? I SEEM TO REMEMBER BEING SHOT BY HIM."

ELIJAH DIDN'T FLINCH WHEN I THREW AN ACCUSING GLARE HIS WAY BEFORE LOOKING BACK AT JONAH.

"AND THAT YOU KNOCKED ME OUT."

HE NODDED, OFFERING AN APOLOGETIC SMILE. "WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHO YOU WERE BEFORE WE KNEW IF YOU COULD REALLY BE AN ALLY."

I CAST HIM A SUSPICIOUS GLANCE.

"AND WE DID EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT YOU RECOVERED SWIFTLY."

THIS TIME IT WAS EMMETT WHO SNORTED. "YEAH, LIKE I HAVE ANY REASON TO TRUST YOUR HEALERS."

I TURNED IN HIS ARMS TO LOOK AT HIM. "HEALERS?"

MY MEMORIES OF THE TIME BETWEEN THE BATTLE AT THE DOYLE ESTATE AND WAKING HERE WERE JUMBLED AT BEST, TERRIFYING AT WORST. IT WAS OBVIOUS SOMETHING HAD HELPED HEAL ME , BUT I DIDN'T REMEMBER WHEN MY WOUNDS HAD BEEN TREATED.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO YOU." HE SHOT AN ANGRY LOOK AT JONAH, WHO SHRUGGED.

"THE HEALERS KEPT HER UNDER FOR A LONG TIME," JONAH SAID. "THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. OUR HEALERS MADE SURE ALL THE TOXINS WERE REMOVED FROM HER BLOOD. THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY LINGERING EFFECTS."

I HOWLED, STRUGGLING ACROSS THE FLOOR TO HIS SIDE. EACH STEP WAS AGONY. THE CROSSBOW BOLTS STILL PROTRUDING FROM MY CHEST. THE BLOOD IN MY LUNGS WAS SLOWLY DROWNING ME. WHEN I REACHED HIM, I SHIFTED FORMS BURYING MY HANDS IN HIS FUR, AND SHOOK HIS SHOULDERS.

"EMMETT! EMMETT!" EVEN AS I CLUNG TO HIM, I COULD FEEL STRENGTH EBBING FROM MY LIMBS.

"ENCHANTED BOLTS, HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THE RIDE." ELIJAH'S ROUGH GRAVELLY VOICE DREW MY EYES TO THE SIDE. HE HAD THE CROSSBOW TRAINED ON ME ONCE MORE.

"ARE YOU THE ONE WHO TURNED HIM?"

MY CHEST WAS ON FIRE, MY VISION BLURRED. I NODDED AND SLUMPED TO THE FLOOR, ROLLING ALONGSIDE EMMETT.

MY FINGERS FLEW TO MY CHEST AGAIN, WHICH HAD TIGHTENED AT THE MEMORY, AT THE THOUGHT OF THOSE BOLTS PIERCING MY FLESH. "KEPT ME UNDER?" I WHISPERED. "HOW LONG?"

"WHAT?" SHAY HAD PUT HIS HAND OVER MINE, CURLING MY FINGERS AROUND HIS OWN.

"HOW LONG WAS I OUT?" I ASKED. HOW LONG SINCE WE LEFT THE PACK?

"ABOUT A WEEK," HE SAID.