Chapter Eighteen—Sweeny

“Momma signed the permission slip saying I could ride home with you.”

Lucas walked with her up the steps to the school. “Oh yeah, cher? Maybe we could make a pit stop,” he whispered. “My wolf has been aching for another taste of you.”

Sweeny grinned. “We could make that happen.”

“It’s a thirty-minute drive to Slidell, but we could make it longer,” he said.

She smiled. It felt nice being next to him with no talk of monsters, rougarou or witches. Despite the elephant in the room of her having powers, it didn’t matter to him. She couldn’t imagine it going so easy with anyone else.

Lucas pulled her toward his locker to grab a book before first period. Kurt stood a few lockers down. He looked like hell with heavy circles beneath his eyes.

“Hey Kurt,” Sweeny said.

He glanced her way and slammed his locker door. “Hey,” he mumbled, shoving his way through the hallway.

“Have you told Jaxson?”

Lucas shut his locker door. “Yeah, he figured he’d been following him. He’s laying low at his house for a few weeks. Have you had any dreams lately?”

“No,” she said. “Thankfully, I hate them. I wake up and feel like someone is in the room with me.”

“We have to talk about some things after the meet today.”

Maybe I thought too soon.

“Should I be worried?”

His eyes told her yes but he said, “No.”

Lucas kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to worry or be scared. I’ll always be here.”

***

Sweeny met the other track members by the bus station at two. With her new cleats in her bag that Lucas took her to buy a couple days before, she felt ready for the meet.

She joined the line outside of the bus, and her nerves skyrocketed when the boy's track team lined up behind them.

“Do they ride on the same bus as us?” she asked Samantha, one of the other four-hundred-meter runners.

“Yeah, our school doesn’t have enough funding for extra buses. We always ride together.”

Great. Sweeny parked her butt on the first seat behind the bus driver. She hid her face in a book for English class, hoping Jeremy didn’t take her empty seat as an invitation. Once the bus doors shut, she sighed in relief.

Only thirty minutes to Slidell and she wouldn’t have to worry about Jeremy riding with her on the way back.

She finished her assigned reading on the way. The bus parked and Coach gave them a briefing before the meet. Sweeny stretched on the sidelines with her teammates, looking for Lucas as the night went on.

Right before the meet started, she noticed Lucas and Theo sitting in the stands. His wave made her stomach heavy. She hoped Theo drove himself there because she couldn’t wait to get Lucas alone.

The meet started, and one event bled into another. She ran a 48 for the 400-meter dash coming in second place.

It wasn’t the best, but better than her 50 second at the beginning of the year. Sweeny wiped the back of her neck with a towel and watched the boys practice from the fence.

Lucas came up behind her. “I love watching you run, cher,” he whispered. Sweeny remembered Hattie saying he probably watched her boobs bounce and laughed to herself. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”

She leaned back against him. “Please tell me Theo drove himself.”

He chuckled. “He drove Jaxson’s truck.”

“Good,” she said turning to face him. “I stink but brought a change of clothes.”

Lucas glanced over her shoulder. When she looked, Jeremy stood at the starting line of the pole vault. His tall frame ran with grace, soaring over the pole, and landing on the mat.

Sweeny turned to face Lucas. “Maybe he didn’t join the team for me.”

Lucas’ eyes turned stormy. He hid something else from her. “He did join the team for you. Head back over and I’ll see you afterwards.”

She joined the rest of her teammates on the sideline. The meet was over by seven, leaving them to gather for their pep talk at sunset.

“Sweeny, I have your note from your mother to ride home with … Lucas LeBlanc.”

Most of the team looked over at her. She cringed at their stares. “Yeah, he’s over there.”

Even Coach looked stunned. “Okay, well, go ahead. Good job today. We’ll see you at practice on Monday.”

Sweeny met Lucas at the gate.

“Ready?” he asked.

“I’ve been dying for this,” she said.

Lucas and Sweeny hopped into his Hummer, following the bus from the parking lot to the highway. She felt giddy knowing they’d make a stop to spend time together.

“You’re excited,” he said.

She shrugged. “To be alone with you? Yeah.”

Lucas reached over and ran his palm up her thigh. “I’ve been buzzing on the inside. My wolf hasn’t calmed since the start of the meet.

She smiled, moving his palm up the edge of her shorts she changed into. Lucas’ palm tightened. “Calm down, cher. We won’t make it home.”

“I’m feeling that out of control feeling,” she whispered into the cab. He glanced over at her, his gaze dark—then something ran out in front of them.

Lucas swerved to the side. Sweeny held onto the handle, her eyes meeting that something in the road. Not a werewolf, not a deer—some kind of beast.

Lucas screamed at her but she couldn’t make it out. The Hummer flipped in the air, landing on its top. Sweeny was strapped tightly to her seatbelt, her head dizzy, and her hand smashed against the roof.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Smoke rose from the engine while distant screams hit her ears from underneath a high pitch ringing. “Lucas,” she said.

He groaned, trying to move around.

Sweeny straightened her hand and cried when she moved a hurt wrist

“Hold on,” he said.

She tasted blood as it ran down her neck and into her mouth. Pain seared her hand as she tried to wipe it away. Lucas pulled at his seatbelt until it snapped, releasing him to the roof below with a thud.

Sweeny noticed something move out of his window. “Lucas someone is coming.”

He reached toward her seat belt, to release her, when he was jerked out of his opened window. Sweeny could only see the beast's legs, and her heart hammered at the sight of hooves instead of feet. Tears threatened her eyes. This can’t be real, she thought.

“No.” Her voice hoarse from the smoke.

Lucas’ feet dangled above the ground. Panic settled in her and she snatched her seatbelt from her body with a strength she didn’t know existed.

She fell to the roof and crawled out of his window. The beast held Lucas by his throat, squeezing the life from him. The bus sat in front of them, with Coach halfway out of the door, frozen in mid-air.

What in the actual donkey butt is going on?

A bird, in midflight, was frozen above their heads. This must be the rapture her Uncle Carl threatened her with growing up.

Is this Hell?

The crow from the night of her attack sat on the power line, cawing at her, the only other creature alive in the moment.

Lucas gurgled causing her to panic.

“Let him go,” she screamed.

The beast snarled at her, long fangs hung over his hairy lip, and extended talons squeezed Lucas' neck. Sweeny’s lip trembled and he chuckled as if he could feel her fear.

“Stop!” she screamed, her palms shooting outright. The beams of light hit the beast in the head and knocked him backward onto his side.

Everything jolted back to normal. Coach landed on the asphalt from the bus and the bird continued his flight. Screams and noises from their crash slammed into her ears.

Lucas dropped to his knees, glaring up at her with golden eyes. The beast disappeared into thin air. “What was that?” she asked.

“A demon.”

Sweeny felt chills run over her arms and leave fire in its wake. Coach made it to Lucas and examined him. “What happened? Some kid said he saw a bear run out in front of y ‘all.”

Lucas stood up. “Yeah, it was big. We were knocked out of the vehicle.”

Sweeny nodded at Coach.

“We need to call the police for your vehicle and get y’all checked out. I’ll call your Mom, too.”

She ran toward the bus to grab her clipboard with all their information.

Sweeny wrapped her arms around her waist. “Why would a demon want to kill us?” she whispered.

Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. “I don’t know.”

But she felt he did know.

Sweeny lifted her head toward the bus. Half of the kids hung their heads out of the window but one stared through the back glass with dark eyes.

Jeremy.

“Do you see that?” she whispered.

Lucas squeezed her tighter. “I think we know why we were attacked.”

***

Momma brought Sweeny and Lucas to their house, at almost midnight, after a trip to the hospital. Once she realized Lucas was alone, she offered him the couch and a warm meal.

Sweeny fractured her wrist, which wasn’t bad considering Lucas’ broken collarbone. He said it would heal in a few days and he’d play it off longer. They put him in a clavicle fracture bandage that refrained his arm to his body.

Momma told them she’d bring some soup and to go relax. She didn’t protest when Lucas followed Sweeny to her room. Sweeny fell back onto her bed. “That turned out way different than I planned.”

Lucas chuckled. “Tell me about it. I just wanted a taste, instead I get choked out by a demon, yeah. He wanted me dead.”

Sweeny curled into a ball. “Jeremy sent him. Does that mean he is a warlock?”

Lucas sat down beside her. “He threatened Theo and me the other day.”

“When?”

“We were roaming the woods by your house and saw him looking into your window.”

“Creep.”

“Yeah, he knew we watched him, snuck up on us in the woods, and put some kind of voodoo magic on Theo.”

Sweeny frowned. “Do you think that he wants to kill me?”

“No. He wants to kill me, yeah. He’s here to use your power for something.”

She couldn’t imagine what he wanted with her. Besides a few outbursts from her palms and a screaming match—she didn’t feel like much.

His phone buzzed and she helped him dig it from his pocket. “Jaxson,” he said. “We’re fine. You think you could come over later? We need to talk. Yeah.”

Lucas hung up. “Theo and Jaxson are gonna stop by.”

She nodded.

Momma knocked on the door. “Hey, you two. I left soup on the bar. If you start to hurt, let me know, I have the medicine the doctor prescribed you. I have to work the morning drive through tomorrow; can I trust you two to separate at bedtime?”

“Yes ma’am,” Lucas said.

Momma gave them a glare and shut the door.

Sweeny sat up. “I need to eat. I’m sure soup doesn’t sound good to you. I can cook you something else.”

“Don’t worry, cher. Jaxson will bring me something. Go eat your soup.”

“I’m scared, Lucas.”

He stood up, sliding a palm against her waist. “Don’t be,” he said. “I’ve got you, yeah? Or maybe you got me,” he whispered. “You saved me tonight.”

“I don’t know how,” she said before walking to the kitchen.

She ate her soup in silence. It felt weird keeping so much from Momma and the police, but who would believe that a demon attacked them? Not to mention she felt like crap digging through Momma’s belongings.

She needed to call the number on the old checks and at least give it a shot, or drive to the Louisiana address, but she didn’t know what to say? Hey Pops, it’s your only daughter that you don’t have time for? Why are birds following me?

She finished both soups and put them in the sink.

When she walked back inside, Jaxson and Theo both sat in her room with Lucas.

Lucas ate a huge steak on her desk while Jaxson and Theo looked concerned. She was sure they thought it was her fault.

Theo got up from his spot by her window and hugged her. It felt nice to hug him—not too nice, but nice enough to have another friend to share her demon anxiety with.

She let out a harsh sigh and he pushed back with both palms on her shoulders. “Thank you for saving Lucas.”

“Of course,” she said.

Theo nodded. “He’s our pack leader and we’d be lost without him.”

Sweeny glanced at Lucas who winked at her.

Jaxson stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. “What did the demon look like?”

Sweeny shrugged. “Something out of a Stephen King novel. He had hooves for feet but talons for hands. Fangs—the whole shebang.”

Jaxson paced the room. “I don’t understand why they are showing up now?”

“It’s Jeremy,” she said.

Jaxson stopped. “He isn’t going to show us his true form unless you get close to him. He wants your power for something—I just don’t know what it is.”

Over a mouth full of food, Lucas said, “Forget it, Jaxs. I’m not putting her in danger.”

Theo scoffed. “She saved you, Lucas.”

Sweeny bit her bottom lip. “I could apologize to him and see—”

“No,” Lucas hissed.

Sweeny rolled her eyes. It felt frustrating that he shut down any idea that might work. How did he expect them to find out anything if he wouldn't let Sweeny near the guy? “I’m going to take a shower, and then I’m calling my dad.”

All three of them looked at each other as she walked to the bathroom. She shut the door to rest her forehead against the worn wood.

She stripped from her clothes and stepped into the stream of hot water. It felt nice against her sore muscles and bruised body.

She was lucky to walk away with just a fractured wrist and a few bruises. However, she knew why she wasn’t hurt, because the demon wasn't sent there to kill her. Jeremy needed her safe, but wanted Lucas dead.

He’d have to do more than a car wreck to hurt Lucas.

Sweeny slipped her fingers in her hair, running the conditioner out and into the drain. She touched the end, feeling something heavy fall into her palm.

She brought her hand in front of her and jumped back against the wall, making a loud thump. A snake slithered on the bottom of the bathroom floor. Sweeny raked the conditioner from her eyes and felt another one slide down her back.

She whimpered, trying to get to the edge of the bathtub, but they hissed and snapped at her.

The bathroom door opened and Lucas pulled back the curtain. “Holy Hell,” he said, reaching down to snatch them both from the tub. He disappeared holding both by their necks and Sweeny sunk down and brought her knees to her chin.

Lucas returned a few moments later. Behind the curtain he asked, “You okay in there, cher? Come on out. They’re gone.”

Sweeny stood up. Lucas handed her a towel and she wrapped it around her before pulling back the curtain. Lucas leaned against the sink, his eyes fighting a battle she felt too many times.

“You can look.”

He glanced up at her. “This ain’t the time to gawk at you.”

“Hold me then,” she said.

Lucas stepped forward and held her against his chest. “I hate snakes.”

He chuckled. “They seem to like you, yeah?”

She shivered. “They never bite me—it’s almost like a dance.”

Lucas pulled back to look at her. “Do you think they're dancing for you?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I have a feeling my dad knows. I’m going to call and leave a message. It’s a long shot but maybe he has the same number. Are the boys still here?”

“Nah, they left.”

Sweeny walked into her room and dressed while Lucas finished his food. She grabbed her cell phone from her duffle bag and pulled up the picture of the uncashed checks.

She dialed the number before she lost her nerve. The phone went to voicemail. His voice was deep and southern, but it didn’t say his name.

It beeped.

“This is Sweeny Harper—if this is Patrick Harper, I’m your daughter. I need you to call me and tell me what is going on with me. I know you know. Please.”

She pressed the end button.

Lucas walked over and took her chin in his fingertips. “We’ll figure this out.”