Page 85 of Marked By the Pack
I closed my eyes and cried. I couldn’t catch my breath.
I thought I’d had it all figured out. I thought I’d finally found a way formeto be happy. An unconventional way. But I didn’t want anythingthisunconventional.
I hugged my knees tighter to my chest as the banging noise continued. Louder and louder. The sound was echoing in my head.
I wasn’t sure how long I sat there. But my tears eventually dried on my cheeks. And my breath slowly returned to normal as the banging ceased.
The vault door hissed and I pushed myself backward on the floor. I wanted to get as far away from whoever was on the other side as possible.
I expected a huge werecat to come barreling inside the vault. But it was just Otto.
“Hey,” he said as he stepped toward me.
Hey? Really?That was all he had to fucking say?! “Are you one of them?”
“Zoey…”
“Answer me!” But I already knew the answer.
He nodded as he stepped closer to me.
“Don’t,” I said.
He stopped. “Zoey, I wanted to tell you. But I couldn’t. We all took a blood oath so our secret wouldn’t get out. You just had to see for yourself.”
He was a monster.
“We’re working on controlling it. We’re working on finding a way to reverse the curse. But until then…when we turn we use that pocket watch to get us in these vaults. So that nothing bad happens.”
So that nothing bad happens?I looked at the dents in the metal walls. That could have been me instead of the metal. I could have died.
“This vault is mine,” he said.
Jesus.I started shaking as he stepped closer to me again.
“There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m stillme.” He reached out and touched the side of my face.
I shuddered.
He knelt down to try to look me in the eyes. “It’s me, Zoey.”
No. The man I knew wasn’t a monster. He was kind and funny and sweet. And…cursed.
“It’s me.” He cradled both sides of my face. “Zoey, look at me.”
I realized I was trying not to stare into his eyes. Because I knew his eyes. But everything I thought I knew was a lie. I started crying again. I tried not to let my body shake.
“Zoey.” He brushed away my tears with his thumbs. “You know me,” he said
“Get away from her,” said a deep voice.
I turned to see Callum and Emma standing in the vault doorway. I never in my life thought I’d be happy to see Callum.
But only a monster could protect me from another monster. And I’d never seen Callum lose control. I pushed myself away from Otto and ran over to Callum.
I threw my arms around him. It was like hugging a cold brick wall. I was a little surprised when he put one of his arms around me to hold me against his chest. He was a cold brick wall that would protect me.
“I’ve got you,” he said. “We’ve got you.”
