Treyton: Shifters of Timber Rock Page 3

  “She left after talking to Mr. Abrams. But I was right…” Betty crossed her arms over her chest. “…she couldn’t take the heat. She must have decided she couldn’t handle working here and she didn’t even show up for training the other day. Mr. Abrams said she was probably just scared. Like I said, these city chicks can’t handle working here.”

  I exhaled. “So, you didn’t get a chance to give her the number I left?”

  Betty shook her head. “No. Like I said, she left after her interview I think and then we had to evacuate the place…”

  I developed a weird and frightening theory. I was probably worrying too much, like I always did. Tatia hadn’t called me because she never got the number. That’s all there was to it.

  Would she return? Had she decided that Arrow Lake wasn’t the place for her and left for good?

  I sighed. “Look, um…if you see her around here, tell her that I asked about her. I have to leave town for a bit, so I probably won’t get to swing by here again anytime soon.”

  Betty put her hand on her hips. “Sure thing, but I warned you all about these city chicks. Make sure you’re careful. Don’t get eaten by a wolf or anything like that out there.” She laughed at her own joke.

  I forced a chuckle. Betty didn’t know I was a shifter. She thought I was a loner who just lived out in the mountains because I had no choice. There were a lot of things Betty didn’t know about this town. Today wasn’t the day to give her a clue.

  I diverted my gaze for a moment, trying to make sense of my theories. The sun must have beamed down at just the right angle because I spotted something round on the pavement embedded in a crack. It almost looked like a nickel. I bent it down to pick it up and realized that it was a button. This would seem ordinary to most, but it just so happened that the button was the same exact beige color as the blouse Tatia was wearing on the night I met her. I rolled the button around between my thumb and forefinger. Instinct told me to look for another, but a quick glance on the asphalt where Betty and I were standing turned up nothing.

  Betty stared at me strangely. “Lucky button, huh? If you look long enough, you might find some loose coins too.”

  “Betty, about that lunch…never mind. I just remembered I have to do something before I leave town.”

  She frowned. “Oh…well, okay.”

  I walked off, leaving Betty standing there looking perplexed. She must have gotten tired of watching me walking around the parking lot searching for buttons, or coins, or whatever and she took off inside. I didn’t find any more buttons and soon every fresh tire tract started looking the same. I realized how ridiculous this was and knew there was a better way to connect with Tatia again.

  I only had a few hours to find out what happened to her before I left. She had mentioned something about hearing the trains at night. If she was an out-of-towner who’d just moved here, there was only one or two Inns in town near the railroad tracks. I prayed she hadn’t left yet.

  CHAPTER SIX

  TATIA

  I only had myself to blame for the messed-up situation I was in. I had escaped one moment of cruel fate only to be thrown into yet another disastrous and dangerous predicament.

  Seven other women and I were crammed together in a room with prison-style cots lined up against the wall waiting on instructions from the ringleader of this cult-ish group from hell. I didn’t even know what this place was. They blindfolded us whenever they loaded us into the van. But whatever this dark, cold place was, we’d been here for the past two nights.

  These violent men had already demonstrated to us what would happen if any of us tried to escape or cause a scene. If one of the us didn’t listen or disobeyed an order, we all paid for it. Asking them questions was out of the question. They only told us where to go and passed out sandwiches and drinks to us twice a day. My biological time clock was off somehow, so I couldn’t tell if it was day or night. Plus, this prison didn’t have any windows. The men didn’t seem to mind the unpredictable schedule. They took turns monitoring us and sleeping.

  What had I done to get picked off by this group? What did they want from me? Were my bad decisions finally catching up to me?

  I had to get the hell away from these men somehow. Were they even men? The way they acted was questionable. They eyed us like predatory animals. Of course, the women talked when the men declared it was time for sleep.

  There was a rumor going around in the circle that the scumbags who held us hostage were really men who could shift into animals and had bought us for breeding purposes. When I first heard one of the girls whispering about this, I thought it sounded absurd. Now as I waited on the rickety cot, I started putting things together. The way they acted. How they had lurked in the shadows before snatching me up. The weird tattoos on their bodies. One notable tattoo, which represented a solid black star inside of a circle stood out the most. It was clear that the men who had interrogated Mr. Abrams were part of the same group as those who took me.

  What did they want? And if they were animals—shifters—why would they need humans?

  I hadn’t exactly been living under a rock, but was this what was going on these days? There was evidence that some of us were actively being used for breeding. Two women already believed they were pregnant and kept this information to themselves.

  But wouldn’t they be able to tell if a woman was pregnant? Couldn’t animals sniff that type of thing out? I’d heard of shifters’ existence before, but I’d never seen any of them actually shift into wolves.

  Even in Russia where I lived most of my younger days at a boarding school, my friends used to talk about these half human people. In the US, it was different. The shifters roamed freely here, but in Russia, they lived on the outskirts of town, deep in the forests and mountains, and away from civilization.

  I had no idea how far down the name my list was, but it seemed that every day or so, they’d pull one of the girls away and she’d either return the next night or not.

  I wanted to believe that many of the women like me had found a way to escape, but deep down, I knew some of them had been disposed of for being uncooperative. One girl, in particular—the one who told us the men were shifters—had claimed she’d been kidnapped more than a month ago. She’d been with this cult group longer than any of us. She never said much to the men, just kept her head down and did what they asked.

  We all had one thing in common. We were at the mercy of our captors. Yet, I knew I had to escape. I didn’t sign up for this.

  I heard the men’s voices down the hallway. They were coming closer, probably to give us orders. I looked around me as the other women slept on their cots. I couldn’t blame them for wanting to rest. The days prior had consisted of being moved from place to place and sometimes even having to sleep in the van with our captors keeping watch nearby.

  What would happen if I never escaped? Would they eventually breed me and impregnate me? And then what? Would they let me go? Would they keep my baby?

  I sighed and pulled my blanket up to my chin.

  I noticed something else about our captors. They were getting increasingly paranoid, like they were afraid someone was catching up to them. I had recently caught wind of them bickering over the death of someone they called an alpha. They were waiting on new instructions from the new leader and had mentioned the Canadian borders more than once. I was almost certain we were heading in a northerly direction. The temperature in the air had grown colder and the terrain was rough.

  I never thought I’d be a victim of kidnapping, possibly even human trafficking, but here I was, barely able to get any sleep as I contemplated when I’d make a break for it. But I was smart. These weren’t human men. They were wolf shifters. And they were deadly. I wasn’t fast enough to outrun them. I had to be clever about this. And I had been. I prayed that someone somewhere was picking up the clues that I left behind whenever we stopped. I was running out of clues to leave. I feared that my last clue would be my lifeless body somewhere in a ditch—as some name
less woman with no connections to this area. I had to make sure that didn’t happen. I wanted to live.

  The young woman beside me poked me in my side. I turned over on the cot and looked at her. Her name was Katlyn. She had been thrown in the van the same night I was. She said she was working at the laundromat which was across the street from the bar I interviewed at.

  “Another girl is gone,” she whispered.

  I shivered. “What happened?”

  “They called her out last night. She went willingly.”

  “I think I know which one you’re talking about. She smiles whenever they look at her…”

  Katlyn frowned. “Yes. It’s disturbing really. I wonder if she’s trying to trick them. Is it a front or does she actually like this stupid game they’re playing with us?”

  “Don’t know. Maybe she’ll be back. Maybe we can get her to talk to us.”

  “It seems to be the only way out, though. Befriend them. Act like you like being handling like an animal.” Katlyn shuddered. “If I’m called, I’m going to do the same. I’m going to make a run for it.”

  I grabbed her arm under the blanket when I heard a voice just outside the hallway. “Sssh.” I pointed to my ears, reminding her that the shifters had a keen sense of hearing.

  Katlyn frowned. “That night when they took me from the backroom of the laundromat, I saw one of them. He shifted and assaulted the maintenance boy. I want to go home.”

  “I know.” I couldn’t say much, but I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. I just had to believe that someone was going to find us and help us.

  “Up! Up! Up!” One of the men charged into the room and banged his fist against a wall. “Get up, you cunts! We’re moving out. Clean up and get dressed. Time for the lottery.”

  “Lottery?” Katlyn whispered, fear riddling her eyes.

  I shook my head and mouthed; I don’t know.

  “One at a time in the bathroom. You know the drill. Use it and get out,” another ordered.

  The girl who Katlyn believed to be missing from the night before was shoved into the room with her dress and tights in tattered rags about her. I felt sorry for her as she scurried to the opposite corner of the room.

  I sat up on my cot and adjusted my baseball cap. I found it under the cot when they shoved us in hair. That same night, I plaited my long hair French braided and tucked it under the cap. My eyeliner was already smudged, and I made sure to keep it that way. I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself. What I truly hoped was that these shifters thought I was the ugliest hag in the bunch and left me untouched. So far, it was working.

  At least I thought I was out of their crosshairs until I exited the bathroom and the burliest one pointed at me.

  “You.”

  “Huh?”

  “Come here,” he demanded.

  Keeping my head down, I walked slowly to where he stood by the door.

  “You can walk faster,” he said.

  When I reached him, I looked into his eyes, knowing deep down he was some kind of feral animal without remorse for what he had done to the other women or what he would continue to do if someone didn’t stop him.

  “Remove your cap.”

  When I didn’t immediately comply with his demand, he repeated himself, more firmly this time.

  I snatched the cap off my head and my braid fell down my back.

  He moved to stand behind me and picked up my long braid. I shuddered even though he hadn’t touched my body or anything like that, but just the thought of him examining me unnerved me.

  In that moment, a bearded shifter barged into the room. The scumbag behind me dropped my hair.

  “You found a red head bitch, huh?” the bearded shifter exclaimed. “Fair game to sample, you think?”

  “No, we aren’t to touch the redheads. You know that,” the scumbag who ordered me to remove my cap snarled.

  The bearded shifter snorted. “Marshall’s dead. Didn’t you get the PSA, you dipshit? A new Alpha has claimed the pack.”

  “New Alpha?”

  “Hoyt returned while you were out back. The lottery has been pushed up. We’ve just gotta get the girls over to the new territory where no one can stop us, and then…you know the drill.”

  The scumbag rubbed at his chin. “Word?”

  The bearded shifter nodded. “Yeah, some Timber Rock lowlife killed Marshall. Executed him on the spot. New alpha is Hoyt’s uncle. He won the fight fairly. They say it didn’t last long. He went up against a young shifter.”

  “That’s good news. We don’t have to carry the goods any longer. It’s time to take what we were promised,” the scumbag exclaimed. “Nothing’s changed about that, right?”

  “Not a thing has changed, just a new alpha giving the orders, so don’t worry. We’re still getting first dibs like Marshall promised, after the new alpha chooses of course. Get these girls ready. I’ve gotta hear more about this fight,” the bearded shifter said and began backing out of the room.

  After the bearded shifter was gone, the scumbag turned his attention back to me and glared at my chest. “What happened to the buttons on your shirt?”

  “They fell off. It’s an old blouse.”

  His nose flared. He could probably tell I was lying. I looked away.

  He growled softly. “No more cap for you.” He snatched the cap from me. “Doesn’t matter about the blouse either. You won’t be wearing it for long.”

  Anger boiled inside of me, but I swallowed it down and stepped back in line with the others. If they thought I was going to remove my clothes and be lined up like cattle and presented as a breeder, they had another thing coming. I’d rather die before I let them use me like that.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  TREYTON

  “Excuse me?” I walked up to the front desk of Trolley’s Inn where a lady was sitting behind the counter.

  She got up and placed her book down before coming to assist me. “Do you need a room? We’re booked right now, but Jackson’s got some vacant units up the road.”

  “Uh…no. I was wondering if I could speak to one of your guests here?”

  “Well, don’t you have their room number? You can call them from the phone in the lobby. It’s free.” She pointed at a spot behind me.

  “I don’t have their room number. I was wondering if you could help me out here. I really need to talk to them.”

  The lady looked behind her at a door and then at a small laptop sitting behind the counter. “We’re not supposed to, sir.”

  “It’s important.”

  Suddenly, a taller guy came out of the back and dumped a black bag on the counter. “Paige, please tag these. I need them all done tonight.”

  The guy gave me quick fake smile and walked back through the side door.

  “I’m so sorry,” the lady exclaimed. “I can’t.”

  “Understood, ma’am. I wouldn’t want you to lose your job.”

  She smiled. “Maybe come back later tonight. There’s free dinner in the lobby. BBQ night. You might catch the person there.”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled and walked out of the hotel.

  Once outside, I fished my cell phone out of my pocket and toggled through my contacts. This person was on speed dial, so I had his number pulled up in less than a few seconds. The phone rang three times before he answered.

  “What now, Trey?” Trip answered.

  “I need a favor.”

  There was a silence on the other end. “Well, you’re in luck, because I need a ride.”

  I looked down at my wristwatch. Two hours left. “It’s a deal then.”

  “Wait! What do you need this time?”

  “I need you to hack a computer system for me. A laptop. At Trolley’s Inn.”

  All the former hacker needed was a name. He’d be able to tell me the last time the guest checked in or out of the room. As a former computer programmer for a successful software company, Trip had moved to Arrow Lake from California years ago after his pack’s home
got wiped out during a wildfire. They decided to move west and ended up here to regroup temporarily. Some of them never left—namely Trip. His family moved on, but for some reason, Trip stayed behind. He lived in a secret community park in the woods, worked as a fry cook at Donnie’s, and took side projects freelancing. The guy held loads of promise, and Draven and I had already entertained the possibility several times of him mentoring with us to take on a leadership role within our pack. Since he was so young, Draven told him to take his time to make the decision. He’d already befriended several of the other guys taking the mentoree route, so he had an idea of the level of commitment and job duties.

  “It’ll have to be at night. During the shift changeover,” he said.

  “Shit! You know, I really need that info now. I’m leaving in a few. I can’t show up late,” I said.

  “It’s too risky. I can get to it as soon as I get off work. I can hack a system in about five minutes. You’d have the info immediately.”

  I exhaled. “Okay. You’re right. It’s a deal.”

  “By the way, you’re asking two things of me, Trey,” he exclaimed.

  “We can talk about payment later. When I get back. I’m doing a thing for Draven,” I replied.

  “Yeah, I know. Noah St. Patrick told me about it. He’s one of the nine.”

  “Yeah, that’s right. I’ll come get you now. You home?”

  “Yup. Blow the horn when you pull up.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  TREYTON

  Trip put his smartphone on the bed of the truck where four of us were gathered. “She never checked into the Inn on the night of the raid at Donnie’s. She left the Inn just before sundown and never returned,” he said, pointing to the various notes. “This girl is paid up through the end of this month. Long-term tenant, so nothing would have seemed out of the ordinary to the staffers there.”

  My heart dropped, confirming what I’d already feared. I scrubbed my palm down my face and looked up at the sky. The beauty of the surreal backdrop of orange and gray hues couldn’t conceal this sordid situation. I felt like I had failed Tatia somehow. Although, I didn’t want to think the worse, something didn’t seem right.