Moon - New Moon Part 13

"I... don't know."

"He went out, and I followed him."

"But where would he go?"

"You're asking me?" he answered sharply, but the look of terror on her face softened his heart.

"I'm sorry. I know you're upset."

"Upset!" she echoed.

"Before he left, he looked like..." Logan stopped and swiped a hand through his hair, wondering how to describe what he'd seen.

"Like what?" she demanded.

"Like he was listening to something I couldn't hear."

She gasped. "No."

"You know what was going on with him?"

Her face had taken on a look of alarm. "I... not for sure," she said in an uncertain voice.

"Are you thinking he'd rat you out?"

"No." She raised her chin, apparently eager to go back to her previous theory. "What really happened. Did he go after you... and you killed him?"

"Jesus! All you want to do is blame me."

She took her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice.

He took the opportunity to ask a question. "You've been with Haig a long time?"

"Since I was a little girl."

"He's your father?"

"My friend." She gave him a direct look. "Why did you go outside? I told you it was dangerous."

"Like I said, I tried to follow Haig. But he disappeared before I could get through the door. When I couldn't find him, I tried to go home."

"You can't. Not without my help."

"That's just great! Where the h.e.l.l are we-I mean, what world is this?"

She swallowed. "A universe parallel to yours."

He wasn't exactly surprised, yet the confirmation shook him.

She glared at him, but below the anger, she looked shaken.

Now that he had her talking, he kept probing for information. "You say it's dangerous. Give me the tools to cope with this world. I saw men herding people along, people chained together. Who were they?"

Rinna swallowed. "Slaves," she finally said. "And if you don't want to end up as one of them, you'd better try not to get caught. If those guys could have subdued you without damaging you too badly, they would have sold you to the highest bidder."

"Sold a werewolf?"

"That makes you especially valuable."

Before Logan could respond to that observation, a low buzzing sound made Rinna's gaze shoot to the place where the door was located. "Carfolian h.e.l.l."

"What?"

"Somebody's out there."

"It's just Haig coming back."

"No. It's someone who isn't keyed to enter." She moved to a spot along the wall where a c.h.i.n.k in the rock let in light from the outside. When she looked through, she gasped.

"Slavers?"

"No, Falcone's men."

"Can they get in?"

"I hope not."

Logan moved to the spy hole. He could see a man on the outside of the rock, moving his hand along the flat surface, probably looking for the mechanism that worked the door.

"Interesting coincidence that Haig goes out and soldiers show up right away," Logan muttered.

"He wouldn't turn me in," Rinna breathed.

"Then how did they find us?"

"I DON'T know," Rinna snapped. But her insides were churning. Turning away from Logan, she looked toward the place where the door would open, struggling not to let her panic drown out rational thought, She'd told him he could end up as a slave. She hadn't told him how bad it could be.

"If they get the door open, they have us," she whispered, hearing her voice shake.

Logan's expression had turned hard. "We could change to wolf form and fight."

"There are too many of them. And... and you still aren't up to full strength."

"Unfortunately." Logan looked over his shoulder. "Is there another way out?"

"No."

"What about the river?"