Gemma
Gemma hid out in the women’s restroom at a casino. She was so tired. All she wanted was to crawl into a hole and sleep forever. Maybe she should just give up. The wolf pack would let her sleep until she was sacrificed. There would be a little bit of pain as they cut her heart out, and then she could be with her parents.
She knew there were other wolves here, but they would be very careful because Las Vegas was dragon shifter territory, and the wolf shifters wouldn’t want to start a war with the dragons. The wolves outnumbered the dragons, but one or two dragons could take out half a pack.
However, that didn’t mean that once the five men who ambushed her got word back to the pack that they wouldn’t send out groups to hunt her down. She had no idea how she could get out of this situation. She was cornered.
She wanted to wail and beat the walls with her fists. She thought about giving up, but then she remembered her promise to her mother. No matter how tired she got, she would never fail the woman who gave her life.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to come up with a plan. Obviously, she couldn’t stay in Las Vegas. She didn’t know where to go. They were always watching her.
As she thought about her next move, she felt the jade dragon necklace she always wore heat against her skin. The crystal was about an inch long, but it was a very unique piece.
Her mother had given it to her right before she died. She had told Gemma to never take it off because it would protect her. Gemma never believed that, but she always wore it to honor her mother.
This was the first time the necklace had ever warmed. She didn’t know what it meant. Then she remembered something else her mother had given her. Gemma hurriedly searched through her fanny pack and pulled out one of the few family photos she had, flipping to see the address on the back written in faded ink.
Her mother had told her she should go to this address only if she was at the end of her rope and had nowhere to go. She was to show the necklace to the person living there. That person would help Gemma.
Gemma trusted one person in this world, and that was Aliyah. She couldn’t go to her because that would put Aliyah in harm’s way since the wolf shifters would tie Aliyah directly to Gemma. They would kill her, even if she was a mundane human.
With nowhere else to turn, she decided she had to trust her mother and go to the address written on the paper.
When she exited the stall, a heavy-set woman in a white button-down shirt with her name on the left pocket was washing her hands. The company logo showed she worked for the city bus line. If anyone would know where the address was, it would be her.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Gemma said, “could you tell me where this address is.” She held up the back of the photo to the bus driver.
The woman’s face turned ghostly white. “Honey, I can tell you aren’t from around here. No one goes up that mountain. There is a demon up there,” she warned, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Unfortunately, I have no choice,” Gemma said.
The bus driver glanced at Gemma’s face with a questioning expression, then her eyes widened. The wolves had accidentally scratched her during their wrestling match. One of them managed to get an elbow to her eye, which was turning several shades of purple, blue, and black.
Gemma’s adrenaline had been so high that she hadn’t even noticed her injuries.
“I can take you to a woman’s shelter,” the woman said. “They have very good security. No one can get through. You would be safe.”
You have no idea who would be coming through those doors.
“Thank you for the offer, but I can’t put other people at risk. The person who wants to hurt me will not let anything or anyone stand in his way,” Gemma said, pocketing the address and turning toward the door.
“Wait. My route takes me past the base of the mountain. I can’t take you any further, but there is a path you could take to get to the old mansion at the peak,” the woman said.
Gemma sighed in relief. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I truly appreciate your help.”
When they reached the mountain base, the woman asked, “Are you sure this is where you want to be?”
Gemma nodded and handed the woman a fifty. Her eyes grew wide. “I can’t possibly accept this,” she protested.
“You are the first person in Las Vegas to show me kindness and to help me. Please take it,” Gemma said.
Nodding with a sad frown, the woman gratefully pocketed the money. Then she hastily scribbled out her name and phone number on a piece of paper. “If you need me, you call me,” she said.
Gemma spontaneously hugged her and then got off the bus. She was grateful this stop was the last one, so no one else saw where she had gone.
After the bus’s taillights disappeared, Gemma ripped the woman’s name and phone number into tiny shreds. She couldn’t let anyone get hurt for helping her, and she knew the wolf pack was getting desperate.
Gemma undressed and stuffed her clothes into her bag. Then, taking her fanny pack into her mouth and strapping the bag to her back, she shifted into her white wolf and ran the length of the trail.
She stopped short when she saw the imposing house silhouetted against the darkness of the sky. The full moon accented the details.
What have I gotten myself into?
She shifted to her human form, redressed, and knocked. When no one answered, she gingerly opened the door and called out.
No one seemed to be home, so she entered to wait for whatever danger lurked here.
