I Bite She Sucks, Bloom, Penelope [recommended reading TXT] 📗

brought me to this room. There were no windows and no way to know what time it was outside. Our phones were dead, and I hadn't bothered to ask Riggs, who was usually busy bringing me meals or glowering in the corner of the room like he didn't even want the shadows getting too close to my bedside.

He was as dedicated to watching over us as a guard dog. There was a relentless energy to him, and I'd literally seen him sleeping with one eye open a few hours ago. When I waved my hand, his other eye shot open and he had just stared at me before eventually closing his other eye again and going still.

Fang was spending his time downstairs, as far as I could tell, and Felix hadn't returned since Riggs sent him off to find food for Maisey.

I hadn't completely let myself consider what "food for Maisey" meant. She'd scarfed down what Riggs had brought her until our last meal. She looked at it like she wanted to throw up, then went back to her near comatose state.

Thankfully, I felt like my energy was a little higher after the doctor's adjustments to my medicine and the pills Riggs had sent Fang to get from the pharmacy for me.

I sat up in the bed, noting how desperately I needed a shower and change of clothes. I was still wearing the same oversized t-shirt I'd been rocking sans pants when I met Riggs the first time. Thankfully, I had put on a pair of athletic shorts beneath it but lounging in bed sick for a day or more made me feel like peeling it all off and jumping in a hot shower. He’d brought me some clothes that were in a plastic bag on the floor, but I hadn’t felt quite up to getting out of bed until today.

The grossness clinging to me was quickly overpowering any lack of energy I had.

The feeling was amplified when I looked at Riggs, who was watching me impassively.

The more time I spent around him, the more wolf-like qualities I picked up on. He had all the intensity and bottled-up potential energy of a wild animal. He seemed to stalk when he moved, rather than walk. It was in the way he moved so smoothly and quietly, despite his size and apparent power.

“How is Steve doing?” I asked. I’d almost forgotten about him, but it was hardly surprising since I’d only known him for a few seconds before he was nearly gutted and rendered unconscious by the cleaners.

“Recovering. Felix agreed to take him to the Rebels when he’s well enough to move.”

"When is Felix coming back?" I asked.

"When he comes," Riggs said. His dark hair was a mess, and I suspected he hadn't given himself permission to leave long enough to take a shower since this started.

"And how long do you suspect that might take?" I ground out.

"Felix has connections to some of the rebel vamps. I have no idea what he's going to need to do, but he's going to figure something out."

I sighed. Maisey was sweating in her sleep, forehead wrinkled in pain. She'd grown so pale I could see the blue webs of veins at her temples. Her lips were practically purple, too. "He needs to hurry."

"How are you feeling?" Riggs asked.

"Better. Medicine doesn't usually kick in that fast for me, but I guess I got lucky. It must've been a mild bug."

"Good." Riggs closed one eye and leaned back against the wall.

I wanted to groan. I'd been ripped from my boring existence to this, only to be plopped right back into being bedridden and bored out of my mind. If I sat in bed with nothing but silence for company, I was going to worry myself sick over Maisey. "Can you get me a book, maybe?"

"A book?"

"Those things with lots of words in them? Usually there's a picture on the front. Or maybe you're used to the ones with pictures on every page?"

"Funny," Riggs said. "But I'm not leaving you alone to go get a book."

"You said I'm safe here."

"For now. And only so long as I'm here keeping the howlers from coming after your sister. Some of them have started to pick up the scent. There's a small group of them that gathered at the base of the stairs. When I go down for food, I can sense them thinking about coming up here."

A chill ran down my neck and across my spine. "What is a howler, exactly?"

Riggs hesitated, then seemed to decide not to answer my question.

"You keep saying you'll only tell me as much as I need to know, but the more I know, the better I'll be able to survive whatever is coming."

"Not necessarily true."

"What will it hurt? Don't the vampires already know most of this stuff, anyway? It's not like you're risking me telling them something new."

Riggs met my eyes, and I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw the impression of a smile on his lips. "We share our body with our wolf. The stronger the mind, the more control the werewolf has over their humanity and body. When the change comes, not every werewolf has a strong enough mind to keep the wolf at bay. Howlers are more wolf than human. But we watch over them because it's our responsibility. They're like the children of our clans, and our inner wolves are especially protective of them."

"Were you all born this way? Or is it if you get bitten?"

"Enough questions."

"Come on," I said, halfway pleading. I glanced at Maisey, then back at him. "I need something to keep my mind off all of this. At least talk to me. It doesn't have to be about werewolf stuff."

"Then ask about something else," Riggs said stiffly.

"Uh, why did you retire?"

"Something else," he growled.

I shook my head. "Okay, what does it mean to be the alpha of the pack, like you said you used to be?"

"That's a werewolf question."

I threw a hand up in frustration.