Reluctantly, I allowed her to try to stand again. She managed several steps on her own before her knees started to buckle. Heart hammering, I picked her up in my arms, cradling her the same as Clay did Gabby. My insides gave a twisting ache as I started running. Holding her felt so right.
She sighed and closed her eyes. A moment later she went limp.
Behind the wall, my worry started to echo Clay’s. Isabelle remained semi-conscious as we race back, veering around the houses and re-entering the trees.
Grey, Luke, Bethi, and the human waited near the place where we’d left the trees. As soon as I reached them, the man stepped forward.
“Is she okay?” he rasped.
His voice seemed to rouse her because she opened her eyes and looked around semi-vacantly. Their gazes locked, and he continued to her side. My hold on her tightened slightly, and I wanted to growl at him.
“She’s fine and wants to be put down,” she said, groggily.
As much as I was glad she was awake, I didn’t want her near the man. I also didn’t want to upset her in her current state by saying so. Reluctantly, I set her on her feet and helped steady her. The human reached out to do the same. She looked pale and shaky.
“You should rest,” I said, not taking my eyes from her.
“Is it the hit to the head or overload?” the man asked, ignoring my comment and reaching up to run a hand over the side of her head.
He’s going to lose an arm, I sent Grey as I waited for her answer.
“Both, I think,” she said.
Be patient. She still doesn’t know anything about us or herself, most likely.
“When will they get here?” the man rasped, looking at Bethi.
“Soon. They were just a few—”
A caravan of three vehicles pulled up. Winifred and Sam rushed out of the first two and ran toward Clay and Gabby.
“What happened?” Sam asked, worry aging his features.
“I couldn’t kick open the door without help,” Isabelle said. “She’s not hurt. Just the opposite. She’s floating so high, it’ll be awhile before she’s back. As long as she’s still breathing, she should be fine.”
She and the male shared a look. Her words had been true, but I didn’t miss the sorrow or doubt in them. Guilt clouded her scent as she moved toward Clay.
“She’ll be okay. I promise. I accidentally did this to my parents a ton of times while growing up.”
Clay gave a single nod. Isabelle sniffled. At first I thought she was crying. But then I caught the red on her hand and understood. She’d pushed herself too far, again. The human saw the blood, too, and frowned.
“We need to go,” he said.
“Clay, put Gabby in the back with you,” Sam said. “Bethi and Luke, there’s room for you, too.”
You and Winifred will go with your Mate and the man, Grey sent me as he moved to follow Sam.
Jim opened the door of the SUV for Clay.
“I need to go with Isabelle,” Bethi said. “She needs to understand what’s happening.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Isabelle said, speaking of herself. “She needs to be isolated.”
She sniffed and wiped her nose again, the bleeding more earnest now. Bethi glanced at the blood then went to the SUV.
“You three are with me,” Winifred said, moving toward a smaller car.
I’ll drive, she sent me.
I trailed behind Isabelle and the human, studying the way he watched her. The blood coming from her nose seemed to worry him more than a normal nose bleed would.
As soon as Isabelle got in, Winifred passed her some tissues. The human slid in next to Isabelle as she pressed the tissues to her nose and leaned back against the seat.
It went against all instinct to allow him back there with her.
I know the seating arrangement is not ideal, but she’s been through so much in less than a day. We need to give her time.
I know. I eased myself into the cramped front seat and closed the door. Winifred started the car forward as the other vehicles started pulling away.
Behind me, I heard Isabelle sigh. A moment later, I heard Ethan move and glanced back to see him elbow her in the side. My hand started to shake.
You need to stay in control, Winifred sent me, setting a warning hand on my leg. I will command you if need be.
I faced forward and focused on control. Then, I heard him elbow her once more.
“Boy, you touch her again, and I’ll rip your arm off,” I said softly.
Behind me, Isabelle moved.
“How are you doing, dear?” Winifred asked.
“Not good,” Isabelle said. “How much longer?”
Winifred was quiet for a few minutes. “There are too many in this town. We need to keep driving for a while to confuse our scent trail.”
“You’ve got an hour to get us somewhere reasonably safe. She needs at least thirty minutes when we stop,” the human said.
Isabelle made a small sound.
“I’ll kill you.” Her soft words, and the scent of her despair twisted my insides.
The next forty minutes were hell. The human continued to jostle her to keep her awake, and his methods grew increasingly disrespectful to her. Although he’d taken over holding the tissue to her still bleeding nose, he’d tugged her hair, slapped her thigh, and threatened to push her out of the moving car.
He knows her. Perhaps, like a concussion, she needs to stay awake for her safety. Winifred’s messages were meant to reassure me and keep me calm. I was past that. I wanted to kill the human.
“This is good enough,” he said suddenly. “Stop the car.”
The urgency in his voice broke through my rage, and I glanced back as Winifred quickly pulled to the shoulder.
He removed his hand from Isabelle’s face, opened the door, and started tugging her out of the car.
My canines lengthened. She couldn’t stand, but he didn’t stop. Only his fear and worry kept me from reacting like I wanted to. Something was wrong with her, and he knew what and was trying to help.
“Tell them to drive ahead,” he said. “She needs everyone to stay back for a while. The bleeding has to stop.”
While he spoke, he dragged her further from the car. I got out.
“Stay by the car,” Winifred said softly. “Bethi is assuring me that Isabelle is in trouble, and she thinks he is trying to help her.”
The other cars pulled away, driving a distance up the road.
“Z, stand up now or I drop you,” he barked in her ear.
He let go of her, but caught her again. It roused her enough that she opened her eyes.
“Ass,” she whispered.
“What are you going to do about it? Come on, stand up.”
He jostled her. She yanked an arm free and swatted at him. He laughed and jostled her again. It didn’t matter that he was trying to help her.
My limbs were shaking. Winifred moved to stand beside me.
“Bethi says that the emotions she pulls in are like energy to Isabelle. Too much and it starts destroying her from the inside. She needs to move around, fight. Wear off the energy. The bleeding won’t stop until she does.”
I watched Isabelle push back against the human. She tottered for a moment before finding her footing. The human watched her closely, poised and ready to catch her.
She stood with her feet wide apart for balance. Her head hung forward as if it was too much effort to lift it.
“Poor little Izzie,” he said in a mocking voice.
He tapped her arm provokingly, and she swung out at him, wide and loose, the grace she’d had when she’d faced me, gone. He easily stepped out of the way.
“That’s it? All you have is noodle arms?”
She sighed heavily.
“No, Z.”
He pulled back and slapped her. The crack of sound splintered my control. I exploded into my fur with a roar and ran for the human who’d hurt her.
Before I could reach him, Isabelle came to life and stepped forward.
“Ethan is mine,” she yelled a moment before running at me.
I tried to jump over her, wanting to tear him apart, but she drove her fist into my gut with enough force to give me pause. I grunted and twisted to the side. She spun toward me, fists up and ready to fight me again. Why? He’d hit her when she’d been defenseless? How could she condone that?
“Stop,” Winifred yelled.
Isabelle turned and looked toward the road. Everyone had left their vehicles and stood clustered on the shoulder. Winifred and Grey sprinted toward us. All of the energy Isabelle had to face me suddenly left her, and she swayed on her feet.
“No,” the boy said, stepping close and steadying her. “Let them go. Now.”
“Boy,” Grey said, coming up to us, “he means to kill you.”
“Hear that, Z? He wants to kill me,” the human said, nudging her. His complete dismissal of the threat I posed stunned me as I realized he didn’t care about his wellbeing. Only hers.
“No,” Winifred said. “We don’t have time for this. We need to move.”
He let out a frustrated breath.
“Fine. Ten minutes. Please,” he said, then turned her to face him.
“Just me and you. Show me what you got.”
Her anguish wrapped around me.
“It’s okay, babe. I’ve got you,” he said, comfortingly.
Tears wet her cheeks as she rolled her shoulders and started swinging. He blocked and didn’t try to hit back.
I thought I needed to protect her, I sent Winifred. I apologize.
“I’ve got you,” the boy said, frustration giving his words a sharp edge. “Come on!”
She gave an anguished yell then really started to move. She kept a rhythm. Jab, jab, uppercut. Always three repetitions to the right then one to the left. When she worked the left side, she always pulled her punches just a bit. The boy kept up with her as best he could, but he started favoring his right within minutes.
Her comment in the car about killing him made sense. She was beating him. Hard. And it was killing her.
You need to stop this, I sent to Winifred. She’s no longer bleeding.
“Time’s up,” Winifred said.
I turned away when he opened his arms, and she fell against him.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“I know you are, Z.”
Winifred and Grey walked with me back to the car. Grey went to the trunk and got me a pair of pants. I shifted and put them on.
“Still want to kill him?” Grey asked.
“Yes and no,” I said, watching the pair in the field.
Grey laughed.
Isabelle finally stepped out of the man’s embrace and wiped a hand across her face.
“There’s no point to that,” he said. “You’re a complete mess.”
She stopped.
“Did I hit you anywhere too hard?” she asked.
Even with the distance, I could hear the worry in her voice.
“Not too hard. Just enough to remind me to keep up with you.”
“I’m—”
“Isabelle,” he said, cutting her off. “Get your butt to the car before tall and half-naked goes caveman on you and drags you there by your hair.”
“Bet you’re wishing you’d just stuck with yes,” Grey said with a grin.
I said nothing as Isabelle snorted and started walking our way.
“It’s a good thing you have an endless supply of patience,” Grey said softly. “I think you’re going to need it.”