Chased By The Light: Scion Series Book One

by L. P. Dillon

  When he came so close, I could feel the heat radiating from him, he shouted, "Aubrey, get in the house. Now!"

  I raised my eyebrows at his demand, but I didn't argue. Instead, I turned around and made my way into the house. The wolves had shifted back into their human forms and, luckily for me, had gotten dressed, too. I sat on the couch and a now human Bear brought me a cup of coffee.

  "Thank you, William," I said while holding the coffee cup in my chilled hands.

  I sipped my coffee, but as soon as Chase walked into the room, I set it on the table and leaned back.

  Storming in, his voice was stern as he bellowed, "Shift and cover the entire woods. I want that Alpha found now!"

  One by one, the guys began to glow with a bright white light that quickly engulfed their bodies. Once fully surrounded by the light, as if by magic, they shifted. I still found it hard to get used to, but I had to admit it was beautiful to watch.

  Once they had all shifted, they ran out of the house, howling a war cry as they went. Connor ran up the stairs as a wolf and came back down as a human. He carried some clothes, which he handed to Chase.

  "I'll make you a new coffee, Brie." Connor left the room at that.

  I furrowed my brow and went to reply that I already had one, but before I had a chance, Chase growled menacingly into the air. He lifted the coffee table up with one hand, then effortlessly threw it across the room. It smashed against the wall, and I screamed, pulling my legs up to my chest on the couch. I sat there with my head hidden in my hands and waited for Chase to calm down. His heavy breathing drifted to my ears as I heard him getting dressed. After a long sigh, he plopped on the couch beside me, placing an arm around my shoulder as he pulled in against his chest.

  Caressing my hair, he placed a soft kiss on the top of my head. "I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to scare you."

  I tilted my head and looked at him. "Chase, what's wrong? What happened?"

  I wasn't expecting him to tell me because it seemed like pack business, but to my surprise, he did.

  "I woke up last night and heard a wolf howling in the woods. I didn't think anything of it at first, but as soon as my mind started working, I realized that it wasn't a howl I recognized."

  I sat back and crossed my legs on the couch. "Who was it?"

  "I'm not sure. I woke the boys and told them to shift, and we hunted the woods, but as soon as we got out there, all that was left was his scent. The guy was fast, I'll give him that. It's strange though..." He paused while rubbing his chin.

  "What?" I asked, my curiosity dying to know more.

  "Well the scent smells familiar, but I know I haven't smelled it before. I don't understand it." He paused again as he sat forward. "It's definitely an Alpha scent, but I think it’s someone I know or have at least met."

  Connor entered the room then, halting our conversation as he placed two coffees on the TV unit, grabbed a dining room chair, and sat it in front of us. After that, he moved the coffees on the chair, and I could tell just from how casually he moved, he must have seen this behavior from Chase a time or two. Then Connor left, grabbed his own coffee from the kitchen, and sat in the armchair.

  I looked back at Chase just as he went to continue.

  "See, when we become an Alpha of a pack, our scent and everything about us changes. Howl and everything. We become fused with the power and energy of every other wolf within our pack. That is what makes us stronger than other werewolves."

  I nodded in understanding and then grabbed my coffee cup, holding it between my hands as I continued to listen.

  "That wolf has a familiar scent, but it's been changed too much for me to recognize..."

  "Do you have a guess to who it could be?" Connor interrupted.

  "No, not really. I've met so many different werewolves in my time that it could be anyone," Chase replied with a shrug.

  "Could it be Kyle?" I asked, nerves making my voice shaky.

  They both snapped their heads to me before glancing at each other. It looked like they were having a silent conversation, and then Connor stood up, placed his coffee onto the dining chair, and ran out of the house. "I'm on it!"

  "Were you two mind linking?" I asked Chase.

  "Huh? Oh, no, we can only do that in wolf form. Unless you're the Alpha. He can talk to any of his pack no matter where they are," he replied while picking up his coffee.

  "What was that, then?"

  "We have been best friends for a long time, so we pretty much know what the other is thinking now." He chuckled.

  "So?"

  "Huh?"

  "What were you thinking?" I said playfully.

  "Oh yeah. I thought that Payton could help us out, find out if Kyle has taken over any packs lately. She can ask around with some of your old friends."

  "Oh, yeah. They will probably talk to her more than they would me. Most of them are wolves, and now I know why they looked down on me. They thought that Kyle was going to be their future Alpha, and I dumped him," I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

  "Exactly. She should be able to find out if it was him or not fast. Nice call."

  "Thanks. So, what happens if it wasn't him?" I asked, resting my coffee cup on my knee.

  "Well, we will definitely up security around you..."

  "What? Why? You already have half a dozen keeping an eye on me," I whined.

  "Yes, I know baby, but the older you get without being turned, the stronger your scent gets. You already know that your scent is stronger than most Scion's. We can smell you a mile away. Alpha's have a better sense of smell than we do, and shifters, well, depending on what type they are, would be able to smell you from one-hundred miles away."

  Even though I knew a lot about the supernatural world now, I still had a hard time getting used to it.

  "Your parents would kill me if I let anything happen to you. I promised them I'd keep you safe."

  "I know, Chase, and it's okay. Do what you need to. Um..." I paused, not quite knowing how to approach the next question.

  He looked at me and raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to continue.

  "So, what would happen if I were turned? Would the Alphas still come after me?" I asked, my voice shaky with nerves at what I had just suggested.

  I really wasn’t sure I even wanted to get that serious. The thought of settling down this young scared the hell out of me. But if what he said was true, other Alphas, Sires, and Kings would keep coming after me. And how was it fair to put their pack through that. And if I went home, my pack would have to work harder every year to keep me safe. I knew there would be many there trying to convince me to take Kyle back. I couldn't deal with that.

  He cleared his throat awkwardly and then sat up to face me. I didn't know if his hesitation came from me putting him on the spot, or if he was concerned, I didn’t want him

  "Well, that's a huge step, Aubrey. You'd need to make sure it was something you wanted. Once you're turned, you're bonded to that person for eternity. It's not something you should choose unless you're completely sure it’s what you want," he said while staring into my eyes.

  I gazed back into his gorgeous emerald green eyes, and as much as I loved him, I still couldn't get Jesse out of my head. Even though I knew he was dead, my heart still belonged to him.

  But isn't Chase the next best thing? You could search for years for someone that made you feel the way Jesse did. At least Chase comes a close second. I hated myself for even thinking about it. How cruel would it be to build a future with him while in the back of my mind I knew I loved someone else. What could I do differently? Jesse wouldn’t walk through that door, and I had to believe that maybe, just maybe, my heart would eventually heal from the pain of losing him.

  Suddenly, the door burst open and my heart almost jump from my chest at the thought of it being him. My heart sank back into place when I realized it was only Payton and Connor. Jesse was never coming back, and I had to move on, but telling my heart that was impossible. It still held hope that he would co
me back to me. My brain knew that he wouldn't, and it wanted me to decide based on facts. It wanted to know that I had a safe and happy future, whereas my heart was content to spend its life being in love with a dead man.

  I ignored my heart’s cries for Jesse and decided to listen to my head instead, knowing I would never feel for Chase what I did for Jesse, but my heart couldn't deny that I did love him.

  My eyes fell on Chase. "Let's do this, turn me!"

  Chase sat there staring at me with his mouth wide open. I turned to look at Payton and Connor, and they had the same look.

  "What?" I said in a high-pitched tone.

  "Brie, are you sure? Do you even know what it all entails?" Payton asked me, her eyes wide with shock.

  "Well, no, not exactly, but I'm sure you can all fill me in. Doesn't he just bite me, then you know, I turn?" I asked with a shrug.

  "Oh, no honey, there is so much more to it than that. Chase, you need to tell her," she said while sitting down in the armchair. Connor dropped on the floor beneath her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. My gaze landed on Chase as I waited for him to explain.

  "Well, first I'd have to talk to my uncle and try to convince him to let me take over early as Alpha. We don't usually take over until were twenty-five..."

  "Yeah, good luck with that," Connor chuckled.

  Chase growled at him and Payton slapped him on the head.

  "Ow, what was that for?"

  "Just shut up, Connor," she hissed at him.

  He huffed and fell silent.

  "Do you think he'll say no?" I asked Chase.

  "Probably, he didn't want me to take over as Alpha, anyway. He knew Jesse could have beaten me, but when he threw the fight, there was no way the pack would have accepted him."

  I slumped back into my seat with a sigh.

  Chase took my hands in his. "But if this is really what you want, then he won't stop us. I will challenge him if I need to. Nothing will get in the way of me making you my mate."

  My heart melted as soon as the words came out of his mouth. He really did love me, and I couldn't deny that he was going to make a wonderful mate. Still, my heart pined for Jesse, wishing it was him that sat in front of us.

  I gave him a soft smile and I could tell it didn’t reach my eyes. "It is what I want. A future with you is what I want."

  "Aww, that is so cute," Payton gushed, and as soon as she did, Connor gently slapped her upside the head.

  "Hey, what was that for?" she whined while rubbing her head.

  "Shhh, you're disturbing their moment," he said, sarcasm thick with each word.

  I chuckled at their antics; they really did make an adorable couple. Then I turned back to Chase. "So, any other details that I need to know?"

  Chase flushed red for a second and then smiled widely, showing me those adorable dimples. "Well, after I become Alpha, and before I turn you, we have to get married."

  "What?" I half-shouted and half-whispered the word.

  "Married. It’s a ceremony that..." he started to explain.

  "Chase, I know what a wedding is. It's just…isn't that a little fast?" I asked, my breath quickening at the thought of being a wife at my age.

  Payton shifted in her seat, leaning forward with her arms hanging from her knees. "Brie, being turned is a bigger deal than a wedding. At least with a marriage, you can break it and get divorced. Being turned means that person will be your mate for life, and there is no way out of that bond."

  I tried to keep the panic from showing on my face. Why hadn’t I thought this all through? If I was honest with myself, I’d admit I hadn’t been thinking about anything other than not wanting my next few years spent having a babysitter, either from Chase’s pack or mine. Potential kidnappers wouldn’t go away until I became a wolf, so my guards would always be around, keeping me safe while I tried and failed to live a normal life.

  In my mind, I had no choice. It wasn’t an option for my family and friends to have to live like that. Their days of looking after me and protecting me were over.

  I kept my voice steady, measured, as I gazed into Chase’s eyes and said, "Okay, let's get married."

  "Are you serious?" Chase asked, and I could hear the surprise in his voice. I could also hear the excitement he tried to suppress, and I couldn’t help but grin.

  "Yeah!" I said with enthusiasm.

  He jumped up into the air and howled, picking me up and twirling me in the air, then he brought me down and placed light kisses all over my face. I giggled, and that giggle held a mix of happiness and nervousness. This was a huge commitment, but I had made up my mind. It was for the best, for my family, and both of our packs. I would never get over loving Jesse, but I could make a happy and exciting future with Chase.

  Payton jumped up and squealed. She was so excited for us. When Chase put me back down, Payton hugged me, and Connor hugged Chase. I looked over Payton's shoulder and the beaming smile coming from Chase made my heart melt. I really did love him.

  We had been unofficially engaged for two weeks, and tonight Chase wanted to take me out. I had a suspicion that it was the night he was going to officially propose. He'd been acting weird, and so had Payton and the other Sorority girls. I still had classes today, so I got up and got ready for college. I walked down the stairs and was greeted by my two bodyguards. Bear was one of them. Looking at him, one wouldn’t peg him as smart, but looks are often deceiving because he was the smartest guy in our class. I also liked having him around. He joked a lot, and I laughed often. Plus, he was sweet.

  The other guy’s name was Dawson. He was the silent type and spoke very little. Most of his communication came from grunts and mutters.

  "Morning gorgeous," Bear said while holding the front door open for me.

  "Morning William, where are we having breakfast this morning?" I asked while walking out of the house.

  "I thought we'd try the new place that opened up in town. It's supposed to have the world’s best pancakes," he replied as he followed behind me.

  Dawson walked ahead and then opened the back door of the car for me.

  I got in, then glanced up at him. "Thank you, Dawson, how are you today?"

  "Hi, good."

  That was it, that was the extent of our interaction. I didn't take offense to it; he was like that with everyone. To be honest, it was nice not having to make small talk for once.

  When they were both in the car, we drove into town. Dawson parked the car and we got out and made our way to the diner. I looked up at the sign and my heart jumped when it saw the name of the place. It was called Darlin's Diner.

  I inhaled heavily as thoughts of Jesse flooded my mind. I stood there frozen for a while, just staring up at the sign, until finally Bear interrupted my train of thought.

  "You coming, Brie?"

  "Uh, yeah," I replied, while trying to shake the thoughts out of my head.

  We sat down and ordered breakfast, and since the guys ate like horses, they got a ton of food. Since seeing the sign, I'd lost my appetite, so I just sat there poking my pancakes with my fork.

  "Are you okay? You're not eating," Bear said with a mouthful of food.

  "Yeah, I'm fine, just not that hungry, I guess. I’m just going to wait in the car if that's okay? Maybe I didn't get enough sleep or something."

  "Okay, do you want us to finish up?" he asked while picking up a handful of bacon.

  I laughed, but it was more forced than I care to admit. "No, I'll be fine. Take as long as you need. I think I'll just take a nap in the car."

  "Okay, if you're sure. Here," he said while throwing me the keys.

  I caught the keys and headed out of the diner. Once I climbed into the back seat of the Land Rover, I burst into tears. Thankfully, the windows were blacked out so nobody could see me. I had no idea what had come over me. Well, that wasn’t all true. I knew it was because of Jesse, but I couldn’t explain it. We weren’t even together. Hell, I’d only known him for a few days. But I couldn’t move on, couldn�
��t forget him. It made no sense how he had wedged himself so deep inside my heart that I couldn’t move on from him.

  Finally, my tears subsided. Maybe all I’d needed was a good cry. And when I looked up and out the window, a man with a familiar build walked past the Land Rover, causing me to gasp. "Jesse?"

  Fumbling to unlock the door, my hands shook, and my heart raced. When I finally managed to open the door, I sprinted down the street, trying to catch up with the guy. He turned a corner, and when I followed, he was nowhere in sight. Bending over, I planted my hands on my knees, sucking in much-needed breaths. I was so out of shape. Then, there he was. The mystery man I knew deep inside was Jesse, right across the street.

  "Jesse!" I shouted, running into the road.

  A car horn blared beside me, and everything that happened after that came in slow motion. Turning, I threw my hands in the air, as if that would somehow stop the freaking car from smashing into me. Closing my eyes, I held my breath as I prepared for impact, but the hit came to my side as I went airborne, then crashed onto the ground, my head flew forward and collided with the concrete.

  Even in my dazed state, I knew the rest of my body wasn’t on the ground. I was on top of a person. With his strong arms encircling me, he’d taken most of the impact, and I could tell it was a he just because of the feel of his shape against mine.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, and while my heart pounded in my ears, the only thing I could focus on was the faint brush of his heavy breathing on my cheek, and the rise and fall of his hard chest. It was rhythmic and strangely soothing, so much so that I had no idea I’d been holding my breath this whole time. Black lights danced behind my eyes and I realized I was about to pass out.

  "Darlin’, I'm here. You're safe..."

  Faint voices filtered through the room as I started to stir.

  "Jesse?" I whispered.

  "What happened? Why weren't you watching her? How could you let this happen?" Chase shouted.

  Unable to open my eyes yet, I listened, hearing Chase rushing toward me, and in a moment of pure madness, I asked for Jesse again.