Chapter Six

I undressed and began the shower. The entire day replayed in my mind as the hot water hit my back, the room quickly steamed up and I grunted to myself. Running a hand through my hair I couldn't get the kiss out of my mind. I told him, he'd never see me again unless it was in a desolate canyon where a coyote would howl, and just my luck we kissed. I pressed my forehead up against the wall. I forced myself to think about the plan and my brothers and what to do next. I knew it was plain and simple. Get close to him, encourage him to simply get rid of everyone he knows, have him tell everyone he's falling off the grid to start over in his life, and then have him completely disappear.

I took my forehead off the wall and finished up my shower by washing my hair and body then drying off. Wiping the condensation off the mirror, I stared at myself in the mirror but couldn't recognize myself. Straying away from my reflection, I brushed my hair, put it in two braids then headed into the kitchen. After everything tonight, I'd forgotten I hadn't eaten a thing but just to my luck, there wasn't a thing in my fridge. Hearing my phone ringing, I slowly stalked toward my mobile device. I was rather confused, I wasn't drunk enough to give anyone my number and it couldn't have been Isaac, he gave me his number. I stared down at the screen and answered the call.

"Hello?" I said softly. When I heard his voice speak to me through the phone call I started to drown in the walls of fear. It was my worst nightmare.

"Hello, runt. I hear you have updates for me." Adrian snarked.

"How did you get this number?" I guess I wasn't as low profile as I wanted to be if he found me.

"Collier tapped your information when you two had your little visit, which allowed me access to your every move since you left." I rubbed my neck and felt anger rise through my body as he expressed my brother's betrayal.

"Of course he did," I growled.

"Now, what does my little mutt have to tell me tonight?" I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"We went for a drive and walked through the canyon while having a conversation about him and his past." I briefly stated. I knew better than to give him too much information that he could use against me.

Unfortunately, he was smarter than I thought him to be.

"Oh? That's all? You guys didn't share an adorably pathetic kiss or valuable information about your past? You know what happens when little mutts lie to me, don't you Holland? They get punished. However, in your special case, you get a choice. Should I give Hayes a lovely new scar on his arm or should I give Collier a new piercing with an iron stake through his leg?" My heartbeat pounded in my chest, I contemplated which one and desperately wished I was there to take their punishment but knew it was no use. Just as I was about to speak, I felt a searing pain across my chest and in turn heard a male yell in pain.

"Too late, looks like you took a little too long to decide, mutt." I didn't understand. How could I have felt that?

"There are new rules, Holland. See, a nifty little witch friend of mine knew this linking spell and since things are taking longer than I'd like, I figured we could speed things up by linking you to Collier. We still have a deal, I just figured since Hayes was having so much fun taking all the pain and Collier looked so bored sitting there while his brother suffered, he could have a little fun too!" He squealed in excitement as I felt my airways closing. I gasped for air.

"Now, every four hours you don't do something I want or update me on your progress, I will harm Collier and it will take him longer to heal. This means, that if you don't do what I want fashionably or behave, you get to feel that too and suffer. Understand, mutt? Bring Isaac here or else. Talk soon." With the call ending, I felt my airways opening up and my lungs getting a sweet breath of oxygen it was desperately deprived of. I was fucked and needed Isaac to be dead. I was infuriated by Collier's betrayal and enjoyed the idea of him suffering but knew I would too in the end. It was a losing battle either way. I had trouble sleeping that night. It sounded so ridiculous to me but all I wanted was Isaac to hold me and tell me everything was alright. I was so frustrated that I couldn't figure out why he meant so much to me, I wanted to protect him against myself and what fate had in store for him.

He was just a dumb human who had yet to become my worst enemy. I took this as a sign that I needed to connect to my inner coyote and see what she thought, although it had been ages since I relied on her to have a civil conversation with me. I was praying to the moon goddess that she would hear me out. I sat up from my blowup bed, crossed my legs, and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, I held it until I collapsed against my pillow. I felt the texture beneath me change as I heard the sound of rushing water, opening my eyes. I was surrounded by thick forest and bright green brush.

I remembered everything. The black dahlia flowers that surrounded a small lake which a glorious waterfall fed, I remembered the full moon and the crystal-clear waters. Everything was the same, except for one thing. White lilies were floating on the surface. I fell onto my knees and observed the lake, picking up a lily, I heard shuffling behind me and then a scruffy voice.

"It's been ages since I've seen you here. What do you want? I thought you didn't need me anymore, Holland." I felt tears emerge from my cheeks and I quickly turned around to hug the coyote. I let myself sob into her soft fur and I mustered all the words I could.

"Crissane, I'm so sorry." An eerie silence was left between us before I found the strength to speak up and ask for her help. I knew I couldn't do this alone.

"I need your help," I mumbled into her fur. The coyote pulled back and sat in front of me with a dead look in her eyes.

"After all these years of being feral and shutting me out, you finally dare ask for my help? I was your guide, Holland. I told you how dangerous it would be if you shut me out and look where you ended up. That's on you. None of your problems have anything to do with me so why should I bother helping you? For all I care, I should abandon you as you did to me." To be fair, she did have an excellent point. I did abandon her for my selfish reasons but at the time I thought it was the right thing to do.

"You are right, Crissane. You were my guide and I let you down. I chose to shut you out rather than face my emotions. It was easier to go feral than to feel. I didn't want to feel. I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do to show you just how sorry I am but I'm running out of time and there is something you need to know. I understand you don't want to help me, but Hayes and Collier are in danger." She perked up her ears and began to lie down.

"I'm listening. Explain your reasoning and what has happened to Hayes and Collier then I'll decide if I want to help you." I felt a glimpse of hope and began my story.

"It started on the day Collier died. I didn't want to believe it. After Hayes had been shut out for not wanting to initiate his curse and activate his wolf and then Leia died, I shut everything out including you, and ran. I knew I would be a lot safer if I was feral than having my coyote side fully emerge. The Tzula's were after me for some prophecy that I didn't understand. I've been running since that day, Crissy."

"Adrian found me, he has Hayes and Collier captive and if I don't kill Isaac, then Hayes and Collier will die. Hayes is still human, and you know his soul will be lost in the void if he dies human, Crissane. I don't want that to happen to him. He doesn't deserve it. Adrian linked me to Collier. Any harm that Collier endures gets pushed onto me, I can feel every bit of pain he's in and I don't know what to do." I rambled on while bursting into tears, I couldn't help myself. I was trapped and lost.

"I don't know why I feel so much for Isaac when he's just a human, I don't understand why I have such a drive to protect him with every fiber of my being, but I can't kill him. I've tried but I can't bring myself to do it. I need your help, Crissane. Please, I'm so lost." At this point I was lost in my tears, I had let 14 years of buried pain and anger flow out of my body. Crissane stood up, placed her muzzle onto my shoulder, and spoke softly.

"Just let it out, Holland. I understand, I am still very angry with you but right now Hayes and Collier are more important, I will help you with this Isaac character and get our brothers back." I pulled away and wiped my tears.

"Where do we start? I'm linked to Collier and if he gets hurt, so do I, and I'm assuming vice versa. The Tzula's want Isaac dead and want me to be the one to kill him." I sighed and rubbed my temple. I felt a migraine coming from my crying and the anger I'd felt. I was feeling too many emotions at once and all I needed was an escape, but I knew I wasn't going to find one. It didn't exist.

"Well, for starters let me meet him. Let me take control and observe this person you call Isaac to see why you feel so certain of him." She said calmly but I felt very hesitant. Crissane and I hadn't spoken in a while, I hadn't known what her intentions were, but I knew she had better knowledge than I did and maybe she could figure out why I felt the way I did toward Isaac.

Allowing the sliver of trust, I'd felt toward Crissane to be my anchor to this unsettling deal and what was left of my sanity I closed my eyes and allowed my body to morph, soon I was in my coyote form and Crissane was in my human form. All I knew was that I would still be conscious and in control of my mind, but she would be in control of my body and mouth.

The texture beneath me began to feel like the cold concrete floor and suddenly I was back inside my house. I sat back in the consciousness of my mind and settled on my nerves as Crissane had gotten up from the cold floor and observed the place I'd been hiding in for shelter. By the time we switched places, it was morning time.

"This place is a dump, Holland. How did you survive this long without me?" Crissane muttered condescendingly as I huffed softly.

"I'm stronger than I seem and to be honest, Crissy. You aren't exactly the cleanest coyote out here." She laughed at me before someone began pounding on the wooden door. Crissane held her ground and stood in a fighting position before a familiar whiny and high-pitched voice began calling out my name.

"Makenzie! I know your ass did not just leave me at that damn party last night! Girl if you don't open this door in two seconds I am coming in!" We kept silent but eventually, I knew I had to tell Crissane who this was, why she was screaming at me, and who the hell Makenzie was before she did any kind of harm to Vanessa.

"Let me explain, she's someone I was using to get close to Isaac and now she's kind of a parasite, but I enjoy her company, she calls me Makenzie because that's the cover-up name I gave her to protect my identity. You've missed a lot since I blocked you out." I stated softly. I could feel Crissane's judgment washing over my body as I explained the situation, but she brushed it off and opened the door.

"Bitch you better explain!" Vanessa said as she stormed into the house. I didn't even have time to gussy the place up yet or at all really. Vanessa was left speechless as she saw the interior of my house, it was still a broken mess.

"Oh, girl. Why didn't you tell me? I would've helped you out if I knew you were living like this." Vanessa said as she rubbed my shoulder. I could feel Crissane flinching at Vanessa's touch.

"I didn't want you to know about the situation I'm in and I didn't want your help, I can take care of myself." Crissane stepped in to save both of us from telling her the truth. A rather perfect cover story was made all thanks to Crissane.

"Kenzie, sis. Just because I live in a one-bedroom doesn't mean I don't have a total bank in my pocket. I'm loaded, I just wanted to make sure you weren't using me before I told you, and besides! You helped me with that whole skank situation with her, who shall not be named, so the least I can do is help you get on your feet and get you some nice furniture." She said as she began walking toward the sink. Turning it on she jittered slightly "And maybe a working faucet."

Looking me up and down, Vanessa shook her head and sighed softly before grabbing my hand and yanking me outside to her car. "Thank god I am here because you need a lot of help." At this point, I felt Crissane give me back control and switch places with me.

"Sorry, Holland. I just couldn't handle how whiny and bipolar she was." I laughed a little and relaxed in the passenger seat of Vanessa's MX-5. As she got into the driver's seat, she looked over at me and sighed. "But seriously, tell me what happened last night because you ditched me and left me to get hit on by Weirdo Walton."

In truth I didn't ditch her, she ditched me, but I wasn't going to say anything. Instead, for people like her I knew exactly what excuse to use to shut her up.

"I'm sorry but um, Isaac asked me to leave the party with him, so we went for a drive." A simple and short explanation was perfect, but I knew she was going to have more questions.

"Um, excuse me? Tell me more! Hot Isaac asked you to leave the party with him? Mackenzie, you don't understand how awesome that is. Hot Isaac never talks to anyone, only his friends."

"Well, I spilled my drink on him, and I offered to help him clean up, but he told me he was going to leave anyway and asked me to come along. All we did was go for a drive and go for a walk. Parties aren't my thing, I guess, and besides we met before, at Subway so I highly doubt I'm anything special." I looked down at my lap and played with the fabric of my pants.

"No way! Makenzie you seriously need to give yourself some credit, you are hot! It's no wonder he asked you to leave the party with him! You're a babe, we just gotta get some confidence in you." She shimmied her shoulders before starting her car and driving to the mall.

"Luckily, me being your best friend and all, I have just the plan for that! You need a makeover, an entirely new wardrobe, and a fresh new look! It's on me, I need a little pick me up too. Us girls gotta spoil each other now and then, more so now than later." I was dragged from store to store and with each purchase Vanessa had made for me whether it was clothes or an order of furniture, the shadows floating over my trust with her slowly lifted as I felt Crissane's trust toward Vanessa increase as well. Maybe there was an angel in the world of the devils, but I was still hesitant.

"So, tell me more about you and Isaac! I'm eager to know. Did he ask you on a date? Did you guys kiss? OH MY GOD, did you guys have-" I cut her off mid-sentence by shoving her arm and shushing her.

"First of all, we are in a public place, so this is hardly the time to discuss this, and second yes, yes, and hell no." We continued to walk past the endless pathway of shops until one caught my eye.

"Do you mind if we look in there?" I asked softly, I really hated getting help and Vanessa had already done a lot for me, but something was drawing me toward this store, and I needed to find out why.

"Sure, I don't see why you'd want to go into that honky antique shop but why not! Your place could use a couple of rustic things and I don't mean the furniture you already have, Kenz." Vanessa said in a snarky tone, and I couldn't help but laugh. I opened the door and looked around the store, we were greeted with a kind welcome though I could sense something was rather off about the shopkeeper. Vanessa browsed with me until she got distracted by the shopkeeper's assistant and flirted herself away. I let the feeling of being drawn guide my way inside the store until I was led into a corner of worn-down weapons, boxes, and a wall of old keys. Another one of the store's attendants walked over to me and greeted me with a smile.

"Looking for anything particular or are you just browsing?"

"Oh, nothing in particular." As I was about to walk away and give up on finding what drew me here, I began to feel as if I was dissociating, and my body went numb. When I was finally back into reality, I realized I was holding a rather heavy antique box and a silver key. The box was a deep blue color and had silver spirals on the box as a design, an engraving in Greek was carved into the top of the box and before I knew it, I was fumbling with the lock on the antique box, however the same attendant from earlier had grasped my attention.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother, half of these boxes came without their keys, and no one has wanted to sit here for hours and test all the keys to see what box they go to or what is inside the box." The female store attendant mentioned this to me, but I wasn't interested. I had grabbed the box and key for a reason. If I had learned anything in my years of being on the run, it's to always trust your instincts.

"I'll take both. How much for both?" I yelled across the store before walking to the counter and putting both the box and key onto the counter.

"We'll sell it to you for 100 bucks. That is an old antique and it's very rare and in mint condition." I was astounded as the man behind the counter gave his price, but I wasn't leaving without it.

"Okay, fine." I caved and reached for my wallet before Vanessa stopped me and gave her best puppy eyes to the man.

"Oh, honestly, you can do it for a little lower, can't you? It's just a box and you have plenty more in this store worth so much more than this old thing."

She reached across the counter and brushed his hand gently with hers, I could tell her charms were working because she had this guy blushing in a matter of seconds. "Besides, if you let us take it for 30, I'll let you take me on a date." She winked.

"I, er, you can have it for 45 but no less!" He stammered a bit, but I was still adamant on getting the box.

"The best I can do is 35, take it or leave it," I said. I knew he wasn't going to pass up this chance to go on a date with Vanessa, it was rather clear he was already wrapped around her finger. I read his name tag and spoke again.

"35 dollars, a date with Jessica here or we walk, and you get nothing, Gerald." I bargained before grabbing Vanessa's hand and walking away. She gave me a dirty look and I assumed it was the name I gave her but just as we were about to head out the door Gerald yelled out.

"Deal! You have yourself a deal, fine ladies."