Chapter 6

The first thing Addie became aware was were voices. Soft but sounding agitated, caressing against her mind. The next was the pain. It was paralyzing, radiating from her head down her neck to her limbs. Everything hurt like she had been hit by a truck. A small whimper reached her ears. She was horrified to realize the pathetic sound came from her. Strong arms tightened their hold on her protectively. Arms? Yes, someone was holding her. No. Not holding. There was a gentle swaying motion. They were carrying her somewhere.
She tried to peel her eyes open but they were too heavy as if someone had glued them shut. She laid there trying to manage the pain, adamant not to make another embarrassing sound. Every heartbeat felt like a knife stabbing into her head. The events from earlier rushed back to her, stealing her breath. The last thing she remembered was that guy from the woods, Jace, with claws pressed to the tender column of his neck, then red hot pain before the dark abyss of unconsciousness. What if the woman that tried to kill Jace had her? What if she had killed Jace? What if that Derek guy had her or any of those others.
The thought had her struggling violently with her jellied limbs. Her eyes almost opened but still stubbornly remained closed. Addie could feel the surprise from her bearer before the arms tightened slightly to keep her from wiggling out of their grasp. More embarrassing whimpers fell from her lips as she struggled harder.
"Shhh. Addie it's ok. You're safe. Calm down." The quiet voice was like balm to her frazzled nerves. Calvin had her. That meant that he had escaped Derek.
"If we hurry, we can be there before nightfall." The other voice was just as recognizable as the firsts', even if she had only known him for a few minutes at most. Jace hadn't been killed either. All of the fight drained out of her, taking with it the small boost of adrenaline. She felt even more drained than she had when she woke up. She turned her head slightly towards Calvin's chest, breathing in his woodsy scent as unconsciousness claimed her once more.
Jace watched as her body went lax. He glanced at Calvin who was also watching her as he shifted his arms a little so he had a better hold. In all of the years that Jace had known him, he had never seen him be so...gentle. In their line of work people were knocked out all the time, usually bleeding profusely. Calvin wouldn't bat an eyelash, just sling them on his shoulder and take them somewhere safe. And that was towards pack members. It was no secret that Calvin hated humans. Especially after what they did to his family. He always glared and refused conversation with them, holding them beneath everyone else. But this little human had Calvin's scruff firmly in her grasp.
When Calvin had stumbled into the clearing covered in blood that was mostly his own, he had seen Jace crouched over someone. When he had seen it was Addie, his healing injuries were forgotten and he rushed over in the blink of an eye. Jace remembered the unmasked look of fear on Calvin's face as he felt around her pale wrist for a pulse. The look of pure relief when he found one confirmed Jace's suspicions. He cared for the girl. And not just because of what she was. Calvin had adamantly refused Jace's offer to carry her despite the deep lacerations that were still gaping open on his torso. He hadn't even let him help. He had tried to make an excuse by mumbling something about her being more comfortable with someone she knew, but Jace knew better. Calvin had not wanted him touching her for any reason. What was it about this human?
They trudged through the rain- soaked leaves in silence. The only sound being the soft pad of their near silent footfalls until Jace broke the stillness.
"We're almost there. What are you going to tell Jim? He's going to be furious that you brought her along, and that every one of The Turned knows her identity. He's going to rip you a new one when he finds out the reason they know is because you led her straight to them. Careless Calvin. You should have known she would have followed you." Calvin ground his teeth together irritably.
"I don't care what he thinks. They would have found out sooner or later. He's not my alpha" Jace stopped walking at his words.
"Now Calvin that isn't fair," he argued, jogging to close the distance his halt and Calvin's long strides had put between them. "You can't live with us and still expect to be an alpha. You live under his house, with his rules."
"I will do as I please. If he has a problem with it, he can tell me to my face." Calvin's eyes were dark with anger and the two lapsed into silence once more.
Calvin thought about the girl in his arms. He had been less than pleased about being sent on babysitting duty, but understood the need. If this girl was ever to fall into the hands of The Turned...well, the results would be disastrous. When he had first ran into her, he vented some of his anger out. She had merely bumped into him, but he blew it out of proportion. He was stunned when she had shown a backbone and stood up to him even though he had a good half foot on her.
He had quickly shook off the initial shock and scared her away. He thought that it would have made him feel satisfied, she was a human after all, but he had instead felt something akin to guilt. It infuriated him. Why should he feel guilt for a mere human. By the end of the day, he had two classes with her, one of which he sat in front of her and the other he was her lab partner. It made keeping an eye on her easy enough, but something about her set his teeth on edge.
He discovered what it was when she helped him. The instant she had seen the half attempted bandages, her eyes had shone with genuine concern. Even after the way she had treated him, she had wanted to help. Her hands were gentle when she touched him. When she had come to his aid with just a tree branch to defend herself he knew. He knew in that moment that he didn't hate her like all the others. No. He actually liked her.
The house quickly came into sight in all its white glory. It sat far into the woods, at the end of a long driveway that no human would dare take the time to go down. It was large enough to house any other their kind that might need shelter. It was three stories and white, with a huge wrap around porch. The doors opened into a huge entry room, branching off to living rooms and in the back was the kitchen. Both of the upstairs had living quarters.
Calvin made his way up the stairs to the second floor. He thought about putting her in the first room, but instead walked to the end of the hall and put her in one of the end rooms. This one had a great view of the meadow, where deer often grazed lazily and let their fawns amble about. He thought she would appreciate the view when she woke up. As he was pulling the blankets up around her, the door flew open, crashing against the wall. Jim stood in the doorway, his wild eyes flashing in fury as they settled on the sleeping girl.
"Calvin! What the hell is she doing in here?!" He rushed over to her, yanking the blankets off so he could get a better look at her. He immediately took in the ugly bruise, stretching from her forehead down to her jaw and the dirt that covered her from head to toe.
"What's happened!" He spun around to glare at Calvin. Calvin glared back, challenging his authority until the older man relented some and turned back to the girl.
"I answered the call that Jace put out and she followed me. I had no idea until Derek attacked and she walked out from behind a tree wielding a branch. He got her before I could get up, but she and Jace managed to escape while I held him back. As far as I know, more of The Turned showed up and were about to kill Jace when her powers went off. You'll have to ask Jace if you want to know the exact details." Jim sighed deeply.
"You should have been watching Calvin. Not only could Derek or the others killed her, but she could've killed herself. Her powers are so great that she hasn't the slightest clue how to control them. She could end up taking half the state before it killed her. But the past is the past. All we can do now is try to train her how to defend herself before they come. And they will; soon. I can feel it. And God help us when they do."