Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,66
to center myself. When I opened them, I felt more focused.
“The night Sarah kidnapped me, I had my cell phone. I’d mostly forgotten about it until Mom showed up here today, claiming she got an urgent text from me. It said she needed to come get me right away, or I was going to kill myself.”
“What?!” he exclaimed, the wildness in his eyes strange and disconcerting. I’d never seen him like this.
“It had to have been Sarah,” I explained. “She has my phone, and she texted Mom to get her here. Maybe taking my mother was her plan all along. Or maybe she expected Mom to take me home, and when that didn’t work, she decided to improvise. Either way, I feel it in my gut. I’m right, Levi. Sarah has my Mom.”
“She’s right.”
We both spun toward the door at the sound of the voice. My mouth fell open as I spotted Micah standing just on the other side of the threshold. She wore her signature frown, and the sight of it made me lose my grip on reason.
“Go away, Micah. I can’t handle your bullshit right now.” I looked at Levi and jabbed a finger in her direction. “She’s with Sarah. I told you she helped load me into the boat the night Sarah and Lars tried to kill me.”
“Oh, calm down,” Micah said, stepping inside the office, “and stop exaggerating. No one tried to kill you.”
Anger taking away all of my common sense, I lunged for her, but lucky for me, Levi held me back. Micah was a freaking vampire. She could probably squash me like a bug while my very human, very frail fingers tried and failed to scratch her eyes out.
“I don’t have time for this,” Micah drawled, crossing her arms over her chest and giving me a pointed look. “I may not like you, but I never wanted anyone to get hurt. That night, on the dock, Sarah said she just wanted to scare you. She never mentioned hurting you. And I didn’t know anything about her and Chloe drinking from the children.”
“And Naveen?” I asked. “Lars?”
She shrugged. “I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that other than Sasha and Dean Purty, she is the strongest of us. We’re all used to doing what she says, no questions asked. Did Lars and Naveen know her true motives? I don’t know. But it’s not like it would have mattered. Sarah could’ve made us help her.”
My eyes flicked to Levi, and he nodded. I turned back to Micah, crossing my own arms to mimic her stance.
“Why are you helping me, now?” I asked. “You’ve hated me since the moment you first laid eyes on me, though I don’t know why.”
Her eyes skittered to Levi for a split second, and suddenly everything made perfect sense. My eyes widened, and I barely managed to keep my mouth from falling open.
Micah was jealous. Of me.
She wanted Levi, and he wanted me. Had she somehow sensed his attraction to me from the beginning? I almost felt bad for her, but her stern countenance warded off any sympathy or understanding I might have offered.
“I’m tired of being bossed around by Sarah, and this time, she took it too far. She got busted for feeding on human children, and she can’t just kidnap, compel, or kill anyone who might’ve witnessed it.” Her face softened as she said those words, and she looked… pretty. Nice, even. “I had a mom once. I haven’t forgotten the importance of a mother’s love. I can tell you where she is.”
“What? Tell me,” I demanded, trying to bulldoze my way toward her as Levi grabbed me from behind and held me back once again. “Let me go,” I shouted over my shoulder at him.
“Piper, stop. I’ve got you, and I’m not letting you go. I’ve. Got. You.”
His words had an immediate effect on me, and the fight drained out of my body. I slumped against him, his embrace comforting me, making me feel relaxed… and… safe.
“Are you compelling me right now?” I demanded as shock filled me at how easily I’d given up my fight. My gaze collided with his, and my anger returned.
Micah’s laughter shocked me out of my pique, and I broke eye contact with Levi to look at her. She shook her head as her laughter died off, but a smirk remained on her lips.
“First of all, Levi would never compel anyone without their knowledge or against their wishes, least of