Читать книгу Rebirth - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 7

I woke up from the cold, I think. I got to my bed, covered myself with both of the warm blankets in the house, and passed out completely, exhausted. And now I woke up to a tap on the shoulder, or maybe it was the clatter of my own teeth, or the shivering that shook my whole body. It felt as if someone had replaced all my bones with their icy copies, and now they were freezing out my insides and muscles. The sweat was pouring down like a stream, and the bedding around me was so wet, as if it had been poured out of a bucket. I was hungry and thirsty and wanted to go to the bathroom-all at once. But the thought of getting out of the hot nest of blankets made me feel even more pounding. I thought I could tolerate all my needs for a while. An hour or two… or next week. Had the damn dog not only torn me apart, but infected me with some kind of crap? I touched my collarbone through the bandage, but strangely enough, it didn’t hurt much. If it was infected, it must hurt a lot, right? After all, the toothy creature had attacked me just outside the dumpster, and it was scary to imagine where it had been picking its stinking face before, and what it was gnawing with the same teeth that it had plunged into me. To think that the aggressor looked very little like a normal dog, and that the animal could not toss me around like a weightless plush toy, I refused for now. I was nearly frightened to death, I bumped my head hard the first time, and I wondered what could have happened next. My thoughts were sluggish, swirling around how I felt, everything else on the periphery, and it didn’t take me long to realize that the annoying repetitive sound was the doorbell. The green numbers on the clock said it was half past four, and it was unclear who had been brought in at that hour. In any case, I already hated that someone, just because I had to get out of bed anyway. When I looked through the peephole, I saw a tall blond man in a black leather jacket staring at the door like he knew I was looking at him from the other side. He didn’t look as intimidating as the bouncer at the hospital, but I still didn’t like him very much. So I just stood quietly at the door, waiting for him to get tired of calling and go away. I didn’t invite him in, I don’t know, so I was being polite. After ten minutes, the visitor gave up. Glanced through the peephole again, I saw an empty floor, and, sighed with relief, staggered toward the bathroom. There was a straining creak behind me, a clang of metal, and the door swung noiselessly open, revealing both the hospital bully and the blond man at once. I squealed with a strangled shriek and ran straight down the hall to the kitchen and slammed the flimsy door with my hands on it, but it was kicked open and tossed me back against the cabinets. The big guy from the hospital was in front of me in a flash, and he grabbed me by the neck and pulled me up into the air, taking away my footing and my ability to breathe at the same time.

– What the hell are you doing? – The blond man snarled at him.

– I’ll snap her neck and be done with it! I’ll wring her neck and be done with it! – The big guy’s voice sounded like a thunderclap.

My eyes began to roll back, and the scratching and kicking were useless.

– It’s all right for you to break the laws! – The blond said more angrily, and struck the hand that held me, and I collapsed to the floor as the boogeyman’s fingers loosened.

– You’re out of your mind to hit me! – He roared and turned around, tossing my rather weighty dining table aside. – I’m going to fucking kill you!

– You can try! – «You can try!» snapped the other one, striking a defensive posture. – You’ve got enough on your pack as it is, so let’s add assaulting your partner on patrol together to the mix. By the way, the attempt to kill the victim, who had already begun to change, without waiting for the verdict of the alphas, I will also report.

I was lying on the floor at their feet, trying to regain my ability to breathe and see, while at the same time fumbling with what I had heard. What the hell were they talking about?

– What was the point of messing with her? – He continued to growl, but it was obvious that he had slowed down and was ready to retreat, for which I felt a sudden sense of gratitude to the blond. – It had been a long time since any pack had taken in a changed woman. It’s a chance to raise a man to be a fighting man, but she’s a burden.

– It’s not your decision! If we’re supposed to bring her into neutral territory, we will. The rest is not our concern!

– Who are you, and what the hell do you want? – I finally let out a hoarse cry as I crawled back against the wall.

Both followed my maneuver intently, like predators ready to lunge, but continued their argument, completely ignoring my question.

– Look at her! Small, miserable, how the wildling didn’t kill her on the first bite is beyond me! It’s a waste of time to waste time with her instead of trying to hunt the bastard down. – insisted the big man.

– I’ll take her myself,» said the other man, who glanced at me a little more steadily, but it made me want to cover myself with the blanket. – And besides, a pretty face, blonde, a figure does not seem to suck, maybe after the change, when it becomes stronger, someone will be interested in her.

– Don’t be ridiculous! A turnover wouldn’t make her any taller or any heavier, and she’s six feet tall! Pull it right, and it will be torn in half! – sneering laughter «closet with mezzanine. – Nail it in place – and forget it.

– Hey, morons, is it all right that I’m right here? – I somehow managed to get up, and started shifting, hoping to get to the drawer with the knives.

– You poke me with anything and I’ll break both your arms! – He threw me a curt but wicked look, as if he were talking about the weather, and then returned his full attention to his adversary: «I said we’ll do it right, and that’s it.

– You have no power to order me about! – growled the boogeyman. – We are equals.

– Exactly. You try to break the rules, and I have the right to hurt you without any consequences!

– You ain’t got the guts, you Vidian whelp! – And he grinned. He grinned, and in a very unhuman way.

– Try me, Rugot hog! – The other one mirrored him, adding even more surrealism to what was going on. Maybe I’m delirious. Lord, let it be so, please!

Delirium or not, however, it was a shame that these two were completely blocking the way to the door with their carcasses. Judging by the way they were busy glaring at each other, I would have had no trouble slipping away. This confrontation was accompanied by a mutual low growl that seemed to make my insides vibrate and my dishes tinkle softly. What was going on? What had the damn dog done to me to make me have such glitches?

– If you want it, go ahead,» the big man finally interrupted the battle of looks and temper and walked away from my kitchen, seemingly completely losing interest in me. – I’ll do something really worth the effort!

– It’s in your best interest to come with me quietly and willingly,» the blond turned to me without hesitation.

– And if I don’t?

– I’ll knock you out and drive you. It’s more comfortable, really. – He took a step closer, and I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender and shook my head.

If I’m going to be dragged anywhere now, and I can’t prevent it, I prefer to be awake.

– Can I at least get dressed… I don’t know… take my personal belongings? – pointed with an eloquent gesture at her pajamas.

– There’s no point. Even if your clothes didn’t turn to rags the moment you turned, you probably wouldn’t even have time to wear them later anyway. The full moon is tomorrow, so the inspection and selection of all the recaptures will take place the morning after tomorrow, when you show yourself once. That’s good enough.

– I have no idea what you’re talking about, and why that means I have to leave the house almost naked! – creating the illusion of submission, however, followed him.

The blond man turned his back on me, as if he didn’t fear any surprises. You shouldn’t have.

– I mean, you,“ he glanced over his shoulder at me with a dismissive look, „have almost no chance of being chosen by a pack. Unless someone takes a cue from your puppet looks and thinks you’ll do as a bedtime chew toy. Otherwise, you and the rest of the culled will be put to death. So you certainly don’t need clothes and things.

At this point we arrived at the coat rack in the hallway, where I kept my bat under my clothes. I don’t really remember what led me to buy it a long time ago, but it seemed to have been there forever, and it had never been used for any purpose. But, apparently, its moment of stardom had arrived. I quickly fumbled for the handle, pulled it out, and, swinging it as far as the cramped hallway would allow, struck the blond big guy in the back of the head. It was a hell of a blow, judging by the way the concussion reverberated through all my aches and pains. But instead of collapsing to the floor, the blond turned around, dodged my second attempt to knock him out with ease, and yanked the bat out of my hands without even seeming to strain.

– I knew you’d be trouble! – He grumbled and struck me lightly on the chin, extinguishing the light of consciousness.