He led me into the small, musty smelling room that had been revealed by the hidden door in the back wall. A crushing sense of panic settled over me, I could not see the walls surrounding me, but I could feel their nearness as it pressed against me. I wanted to turn and bolt from the room, wanted to run into the streets screaming the whole way. But I somehow managed to keep myself under control, mainly because Cade’s hand was strong and reassuring on my elbow and I could not humiliate myself in front of him.

   He pulled the door most of the way shut before tugging on another string. Light flooded into the room, which was about twelve by twelve feet wide. There were only a few boxes within it, one of which was taller than me and nearly twice as wide. I couldn’t help but wonder what treasures were hidden within these boxes, and stashed away in this secret room.

   “Stay here.”

   I whirled as Cade released me. “Wait!” I gasped, lunging for him. I could maybe stay in this room if he was here, but by myself…

   By myself I would go crazy.

   He grasped hold of my shoulders, surprisingly gentle as he held me back and shook his head at me. “I have to get him.”

   I couldn’t form words. I couldn’t argue with him. He was right, that poor man couldn’t be left up there to be drained dry by that awful, bloodthirsty thing. But I couldn’t be left here either. I hated to be trapped within tight confines. It was a fear that had taken hold of me a long time ago, and it had never let me go. I didn’t think it ever would.

   He was already shaking his head as I spoke again. “I’ll help you.”

   “No Bethany. Stay here.”

   “Cade…”

   “It will be better if I go alone, quicker. Quieter.”

   I wanted to protest, wanted to cling to him, wanted to make him understand that I was just as terrified of this room as I was of that damn thing out there. I didn’t do anything though. He was right, that man needed help; he could not die because of my fear. I couldn’t bring myself to look like a sniveling coward in front of him. Neverin front of Cade.

   I didn’t know what it was, but I had always found myself needing to appear less childlike, and more confident around him. But then again, I hadn’t been childlike in a very long time. My childhood had been cruelly ripped away from me years ago.

   We had lived in this town together almost our entire lives, but we barely knew each other, and yet he gave me a sense of strength I had never known before. Even when we passed in the hallways, not speaking, not touching, I had always felt a strange sense of comfort just from knowing that he was there. There had always been a connection to him that I had neither understood nor tried to develop. I considered my feelings for him a silly crush, one that was rearing painfully, and inappropriately, back to life right now. All hell was breaking lose above us, and yet I found myself strangely lost to the magnificent force of his onyx gaze.

  He most certainly did not feel anything for me, a dull, clumsy, shy girl that was as far off his radar as Jupiter. Though he was intimidating, and aloof, girls had still flocked to him. They had been drawn in by his dark good looks and the air of mystery that enshrouded him. However, I had never seen him with any of those girls, and as far as I knew he wasn’t dating anyone. I didn’t even know if he ever haddated anyone, no matter what the rumors said.

  But even with his distant attitude, and seeming disinterest in everything and everyone, I had still found him watching me within the halls, or on the street. Sometimes I would look up and he would be staring at me with an intensity that never failed to make me shake and quiver inside. Staring at me in a way that made me feel he knew me better than anyone else, maybe even knew me better than I knew myself.

   I knew his attention didn’t mean anything, that I just wantedit to, but whenever I found him watching me it always left me rattled and aching for something more. Something that I couldn’t begin to understand, but knew that I wanted desperately. Those were the few times I actually did feel like a silly child again, because there was no way that Cade Marshall could ever see anything even remotely interesting, or special, in me.

   I was feeling that strange connection to him again now, and it was giving me an odd sense of security and warmth. I couldn’t turn into a blathering idiot in front of him. I just couldn’t. No matter how much I didn’t want to stay in this cramped room by myself.

   My hand fell back to my side, my lips pinched tight as I managed to give him a brisk nod. He studied me for a moment longer, but I kept my face impassive, tried to keep my fear hidden from him. I wasn’t sure it was working though.

   Finally he turned away from me and slipped silently out the door. It wasn’t until I heard the soft lock click into place that I realized I did not know how to escape the small room if he didn’t come back.

CHAPTER 3

   I was shaking, damn close to tearing my hair out, and on the verge of screaming hysterically by the time that Cade returned. He had not been gone long, minutes only, but I was sweating so badly that my clothes were soaked and I was horrified by the realization that I was probably starting to smell worse than the dank room surrounding me. Though I tried to hide my distress and terror from him, tried to put on a brave front and prove that I wasn’t a weak idiot, I knew I failed miserably. There was no hiding my fear anymore.

   He closed the door silently behind him. “The man?” I managed to choke out.

   Cade raised a dark eyebrow, his head cocked slightly to the side as he watched me. My shaking had eased now that he was back, but my throat was still clogged with terror. I was humiliated by the fact that I was on the verge of tears. When I needed to be at my strongest, I was close to completely falling apart, and all because of four stupid walls and a damn door.

   “In the basement. He’s fine, or as fine as he can be, considering.” I managed a nod. My hand fluttered nervously up to push my dampened hair back. “Are you ok?”

   “Fine,” I croaked. “Just fine.”

   “Are you claustrophobic?”

   I started to shake my head to deny it. I had never admitted it to anyone, even if there were times when I couldn’t hide it. Hell I hadn’t even truly admitted it to myself. I was too ashamed by the fact that tight spaces tended to upset and frighten me, too ashamed of the weakness. Though, my family knew about it as I went out of my way to avoid tight enclosures, including cars for extended periods of time. “Maybe a little,” I hedged.

   “I can open the door again if that will help, but we won’t be able to talk.”

   My gaze darted longingly to the closed door. I was unreasonably certain the air out there was much fresher than the air in here. I found that I wanted to speak with him though, and the last thing I wanted was that hideous thing slithering into this room. “No I’m fine.” It wasn’t a complete lie, I did feel better with him here, and I was certain that my fear would only continue to ease the longer I was exposed to, and forced to acknowledge it. Though he didn’t look as if he believed me, he didn’t reopen the door. “Will he be ok out there?”

   “I think so. They seem to only be going for the people on the street right now.”

   “Why?”

   His jaw clenched, a muscle in his cheek jumped. “I think they are trying to clear it.”

   My stomach heaved and rolled. I wanted to vehemently deny his words, but the second I heard them I knew he was right. Those things were focusing on the streets because they needed to clear them, and the frozen people were obstacles right now. I hadn’t been sick since I was a kid, but I was fairly certain that by the end of today I would end up losing my breakfast. If not my life.