Chapter 34

Chapter 34
I stood over her for a second, watching the rise and fall of her chest slow into a shallow, ragged rhythm. The wolfsbane was a masterpiece of chemistry; it didn't just subdue the wolf, it turned the human body into a leaden weight. I peeked out from the mouth of the alley. The street was quiet, just the distant hum of traffic and the occasional bark of a dog. My car was parked half a block away, tucked into a shaded spot under a dying oak tree. I couldn't just carry her—not even with my enhanced strength, it would look like a scene from a horror movie.
I reached into my gym bag and pulled out the oversized, heavy-duty black trench coat I’d stashed there earlier. I draped it over her limp shoulders, pulling the hood deep over her face. To any passerby, she would look like a drunk friend who had overdone it at lunch, or a sick woman being helped to a vehicle. I hauled her up, tucking her arm around my neck and locking my hand firmly around her waist.

"Come on, 'sister,'" I muttered under my breath, my voice loud enough for any phantom witness. "Just a few more steps. I told you that workout was too much."

We staggered out of the alley. Every footstep felt like a mile. My heart was a drum in my ears, but I kept my head down, my bright red hair shielding my face. A car drove past, its tires splashing through a puddle, but the driver didn't even turn his head. People see what they expect to see, and they never expect a kidnapping in broad daylight. I reached the SUV and clicked the trunk. I’d already cleared it out, lining it with a thick, rubber mat and heavy blankets to muffle any sound and catch any scent. With one final, lung-bursting heave, I shoved her inside. She hit the floor like a sack of grain, her blonde ponytail splaying out across the black fabric. I slammed the hatch shut.The silence that followed was intoxicating.

I got into the driver’s seat, adjusted my rearview mirror, and pulled away from the curb with the steady, law-abiding grace of a saint. I even turned on the radio—soft, upbeat pop—to mask the frantic thudding of my own pulse. The drive home was a blur of suburban streets and green lights. I pulled into my driveway, checked the neighbor's windows—empty—and hit the garage door opener. The heavy door groaned open and I pulled inside, the darkness of the garage swallowing the car whole. I didn't waste a heartbeat. I opened the hatch and dragged her out, her body already beginning to twitch as the first wave of the wolfsbane wore off. She wouldn't be able to shift, but she might find her voice. I couldn't risk it. I jammed a silk scarf into her mouth and secured it with silver-threaded tape.

I half-carried, half-dragged her across the garage floor to the basement door. I fumbled with the key, the metal slick with my sweat, until it finally turned. Click. The door creaked open. I didn't turn on the lights yet. I didn't want to see her eyes. I hauled her down the rickety wooden stairs, her heels thudding dully against each step. Thump. Thump. Thump. It sounded like a countdown. When we hit the cold concrete of the basement floor, I finally pulled the string on the overhead bulb. The room flooded with that sickly, yellow light, reflecting off the polished silver bars of the cage. I dragged her toward the alcove. The air here was already heavy with the metallic tang of the silver and the chemical sweetness of the wolfsbane tanks. I could feel her struggling now, a weak, pathetic thrashing of her limbs as she realized where she was. She looked at the cage, her eyes wide and bloodshot, filled with a primal, suffocating terror.
I wrenched open the heavy silver door and shoved her inside. She collapsed onto the silver floorplate, let out a muffled shriek against the gag as the metal scorched her skin.

"Welcome home, Christine," I whispered, stepping back and swinging the door shut.

The heavy iron bolt slid into place with a final, echoing clack. I walked over to the control panel on the wall and flipped the first switch. Above the cage, the copper pipes began to hiss, a fine, shimmering mist of purple wolfsbane descending like a veil. I leaned against the cool brick wall, watching her through the bars. She looked so small in there. So fragile.

"Don't worry," I said, a slow, beautiful smile spreading across my face. "I'll make sure Paul knows you left him. I'll be very, very convincing."