Chapter 21 Ch 21

He wouldn't answer my phone calls. I tried calling Matt three times, and each time it went directly to voicemail. While it seemed to me like I should be crying in worry or confusion, I felt totally cold. Merely the idea of Matt being the monster in the forest two nights ago made me want to laugh. There was no way it could have been him. It just couldn't have. Matt was no monster, and he certainly wouldn't have tried to tear me to bits if he was.

"I need to go find him," I spoke for the first time in a few minutes.

As I moved to get off the bed, pain ripped up through my abdomen. I growled instead of cursing. Tandan grabbed my shoulders to still me before caressing my cheek.

"You're not doing anything but staying in this damn bed until you're healed," he ordered, stern voice wholly different from his gentle hands. "Got it? Tell me you got it, Lee."

I rolled my eyes in spite of the pain. "You can't expect me to just sit here and waste away when my best friend is out there somewhere. Possibly naked and passed out. That would make me the definition of a horrible friend."

"In fact, I can expect you to just sit here. Because you will. I am going to look for him, and"—his eyes flashed to a dark color—"if I have any evidence that he had anything to do with the other night, I am going to behead him with my left hand."

My mouth fell open. He was so brutal and specific. I shuddered.

"No, you will not," I said firmly. "And he had nothing to do with it anyway."

"Then why did he wake up in the fucking forest, Rylee? Use your damn brain. I know you have one."

Another growl ripped out of my throat, but it sounded hoarse. "Don't be so condescending."

"I wouldn't have to be if you put two and two together! Now, keep your ass in this bed and I will be back in a few hours. Put one foot on this floor and I will tie you to the bedposts."

I was out of yelling and growling, so I just silently glared at him. He sighed heavily before storming out of the room. To hell with him, I thought, thinking he can boss me around. We're not at work right now, buddy!

Only five or so minutes had passed until my bladder began to swell. I smiled a little to myself. He wouldn't want me to pee all over his bed, would he? Wiggling slowly so as not to trigger my wound, I finally made it to the edge of the bed. My bare feet reached down to touch the cool wood floors. I took special care to stand upright, then hobbled out of the bedroom. The bedroom door opened out to a hallway, on which there was another door. It just so happened to be a bathroom.

I did my business and hobbled to the sink to wash my hands. What I failed to expect was how atrociously hideous I was. After all the crazy things I'd been through, my tangly, frizzy hair shouldn't have bothered me. Or the makeup smudges that circled my eyes, giving me a clown/hooker/druggie look. I cringed at my own reflection.

A shower sounded nice. The sole item of clothing I wore pulled easily over my head and puddled to the tile floor. The bandage would have to come off or it would just get wet in the shower. My fingers rubbed the edge of the bandage, hesitating to peel it back. What if it hurt? What if there was a giant gouge in my body? What if it was infected and full of puss and blood and other gross things? I nearly barfed in my mouth thinking about it.

Waiting would only make it worse, so I just bit my lip and peeled the damn thing off. The adhesive made my tender skin burn. I paused to let the pain settle before peeling the rest off. My torso really didn't look that bad. Aside from the chub clinging to my ribs and lower stomach, there wasn't anything disgusting. The marks from the beast's claws were already scabbed over. Dark bruises surrounded the scabs, which I assumed had been the source of most of my pain.

I folded up the bandage and placed it on the toilet lid since there wasn't a trash can in the bathroom. Then I cranked on the shower and stepped over the tub into the warm stream. The tub was filthy—there was no telling when Tandan had last cleaned it—but I forced myself to ignore it. For a long minute, I simply stood and let the water douse my body. My mind started to wander. I had never seen or heard anything about the creature I saw in the forest.

Was it a different species of wolf? If that was the case, how hadn't I heard of it? I wasn't an expert or anything, but I liked to think I had a pretty good understanding of the supernatural world. So if it wasn't a new species, was it like a genetic mutation? Wolf genes gone wrong? I had absolutely no basis to make an accurate guess. There was no telling what that animal was or where it came from. I just prayed to God it would never find me again.

—(—)—

"What are you doing?"

My head snapped up as I heard the door to Tandan's apartment close and his voice filling up space between us.

I forced a smile. "Uh, nothing."

"I told you to stay in bed," he grumbled annoyedly.

"And you should have known I would eventually have to pee and eat," I said, gesturing to my body.

I had found a clean t-shirt and boxers in his dresser drawers, amongst condoms, lube, and actual fuzzy handcuffs. He and Lorrie must have been into some kinky shit. Anyway, I pretended thinking about them having hot, sweaty sex didn't feel like a knife to the chest while I stood in his kitchen hunting for food like the fatty I was. The mate bond was the only reason I was in his kitchen to begin with.

"Whatever." Tandan collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table. "I couldn't find him."

"Matt? You couldn't find Matt?"

His eyes narrowed as he growled, "Who the hell else?"

Shrugging, I tried not to let his tone get to me. He really was a jerk. The only good thing that came out of having sex with him was making the heat go away.

"You checked his apartment?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"And where else? You were gone for a hot minute."

"And I went to your place and then the forest. I didn't know where else to look."

I couldn't think of anywhere else either. Except the bar, maybe. Tapping my chin, I closed the fridge.

"I might know where he is," I said.

"Where?" Tandan asked.

"Not telling you. You're not leaving me behind this time."

Shooting a glower in my direction, he appeared to want to retaliate. But he didn't. I smirked victoriously.

"I need to drop by my apartment to change, though." I started towards the door of his apartment. "And I need some food. Your fridge is the saddest fridge I have ever seen."