have to obey whatever he commanded, but the truth was they just wanted to go home.
“Very well,” Raja said finally. “We will leave. For now. But if she is not taken by the time I return, I will take her.” Outside the room, guests were starting to migrate towards their door, curious about the roars and crashes. William threw the remains of their tattered clothes and they dressed quickly, leaving without another word.
Marcus turned to the hotel manager, “Jeron, thank you for coming. I’m afraid I was in a losing battle there.”
The two men stepped towards another and clasped each other’s forearm; a tradition from the old days they still kept.
“I better get out there and do some damage control.”
Marcus could hear him shouting polite orders to the guests, letting them know that everything was fine but that they must return to their rooms.
He turned to William, taking in his wounds. “You look rough,” he commented as he drew his pants back over his hips.
William snickered. “Perhaps you should look in the mirror, old friend. You are just as in bad of shape as I am.”
From behind him, he heard the click of a lock and swiveled around. Ameera stood at the open door of the bathroom, visibly shaken.
CHAPTER 5
“I think that it’s time that someone actually told me what is going on.” It was not a question. Ameera, though frightened, spoke with clarity and strength.
Marcus took a step towards her, but she held up her hand, stopping him. “No. I want to know the truth first. You can tell me while I clean you up.”
Raising his eyebrows, he looked at her, clearly surprised. William took a step towards the door to leave.
“And just where the hell do you think you’re going?” He was silent, just as surprised at her as Marcus was.
“Marcus, please call the front desk and ask them for a new room and a first aid kit.” Still shocked by her wave of authority, he did as she asked. Twenty minutes later they were in a new room with a sturdy door and an impressive first aid kit. William and Marcus sat on the edge of the bed like two punished schoolboys while Ameera tended to their wounds.
“Somebody better start talking,” she warned. She was sitting on the floor, sewing up a gash on William’s left calf. Ameera wasn’t fazed at all by the blood. Growing up with such a large family, she had to learn a trick or two about nursing to avoid expensive hospital bills.
Finally, Marcus spoke. He started from the beginning, telling her about his people, who he was, what he really was, and why it was so important to him that he keep her safe. To prove he wasn’t lying, he placed his hand in hers and shifted it into a paw. When he was finished, he waited silently for her reaction.
“Well, that’s that then, isn’t it? Funny, I always felt like I wasn’t quite like anyone else. I guess that explains it. I’m hungry. Shall we order up some room service?”
Her cavalier response dropped both Marcus and William’s jaw. “That is it?” William asked. “You accept what we are then go get food?”
Ameera shrugged. “I always thought it was a little pretentious to think that the only intelligent life out there was humans. Now I know I’m correct. Anyway, food?”
William smiled, nudging Marcus in the ribs. “I like her.”
Not sure what else to do,