“Ana…” He whispered, and it was like music to my ears.
Relief flooded through my whole body.
“Hey, you guys are back!” Lily shouted, finally making an appearance.
Bobby trailed behind her and they both looked disheveled. Lily’s cheeks were flushed, and Bobby had light smudges of lip gloss on his lip. What have these two been up to? Something told me they weren’t in need of rescuing.
“Oh crap! Is he okay? What’d we miss?” Lily added, noticing Jace was lying on the ground.
“Ana? Are you hurt?” Jace asked, his voice filled with concern.
His question threw me off. Of course I was okay. Why would he ask? Even so, I followed his line of sight down to my chest. To my shock, there was a small hole near my heart and blood was freely flowing out.
Oh my goodness! The bullet!
With everything going on, I assumed the shot Kim fired just missed everyone, but I was hit. My adrenaline, combined with the need to protect my friends, must have shielded me from the pain. Too bad, that moment was lost the second I acknowledged it. The cold burn began to spread with a fury I couldn’t bear. I clutched my hand to my chest, willing the pain to stop.
“Seb…” I whispered before my body collapsed to the ground.
***
Seb
When I saw my sister being held by Talon, I exploded! This was the breaking point. Talon had taken so much from our family already. He wouldn’t take Marie too.
I charged Talon at full speed while Ana went for Kim. When I reached the vampire, I wasted no time taking him down. Unfortunately, Marie also hit the ground, but she was trained well enough to roll out of the way.
“So good to see you again!” Talon teased once he was back on his feet.
I didn’t bother replying, and instead tackled him yet again. We rolled and rolled all the while landing blows against one another. First, Talon would get the upper hand and then me. The fight carried on for several minutes with each of us fighting with all we had.
I finally gained the advantage by landing a powerful punch to Talon’s face, knocking him back against a tree. I kept my lead by using a large branch to whack the vampire repeatedly as hard as I could. It felt good to finally take him down after all these years. While the vampire was hunched over, hurt and bloody, I pulled a sharp platinum knife tucked behind the waistband of my pants and pressed it to Talons bobbing Adams apple.
“I’m going to take this blade and rip your dead heart out.”
I used one hand to wrap Talon’s throat and rose the other with the knife, preparing to end the existence of the vampire that destroyed my family. The satisfaction I felt at Talons wide black eyes wasn’t nearly enough. I wouldn’t fully feel justice until the threat of Talon was over once and for all.
“Wait!” Talon screamed as my blade began to descend. “You-you can’t kill me!”
“Oh, yes, I can.” I replied and I repositioned my arm to strike again.
“NO!” Talon yelled again, trying to squirm out of my deadly grip. “If you kill me, you’ll never know the truth.”
“What truth?”
“The truth about your mother.”
“My mother’s dead. You killed her.” I snapped, tightening my hold on the knife
“No, I didn’t kill her,” Talon said. “I turned her.”
I was stunned speechless. My mother was alive? It couldn’t be true. This must be some trick Talon was using to buy his life.
“You’re lying!” I spat
“I can prove it.” The vamp added “Inside my wallet is a picture.”
Talon tried to reach into his back pocket, but I wasn’t easy fooled. I quickly took the vamp’s hand and stabbed the knife through, it nailing it to the tree.
“Fuck!” Talon hollered.
I pulled out my second blade to warn Talon against trying anything else.
“Just so were clear,” I warned, “If you’re lying, I’ll make your death painful.”
I took the second blade and stabbed it through Talon’s leg. The vampire screamed again. I reached into Talon’s pocket, ripping out his wallet. With one hand, I went through it, throwing the contents to the ground carelessly. Tucked away in a corner, was a folded picture. Slowly, I pulled it open and nearly dropped it in shock at what I saw.
Sitting on a bench in a place unknown to him was a beautiful woman. Her long honey-blonde hair shone in the sun. Her pale-blue summer dress flowed around her. Even though her face was frowning, she still looked exactly the same way I remembered her.
It was true.
Our mother wasn’t dead; not in the human sense anyway.
“She hates me if that makes you feel better.” Talon began. “She hates what I turned her into, amongst other things”
“I saw her die…” I trailed off as I continued to stare at the photo. It amazed me how much Marie resembled her.
“No, you saw me take her blood. Then, I knocked you out and gave her mine. After that, I handed you and your sister over to Marcos while I stayed and waited for her to change. I wanted to kill her, but I couldn’t. She’s my mate even though she refused me. I couldn’t let her go…” Talon spoke, and I could actually hear the sincerity in his voice.
“Why didn’t she come for us? Why didn’t you tell me?!” I snapped in Talon’s face.
The shock wore off only to be replaced by rage.
“Because I told her you were dead! It was the only way I could get her to see me. I told her I’d kill Marie as well if she ever followed me or tried to contact her daughter in any way!”
My hate for him only grew. All these years, he let us believe our mother and father were dead. Now, I find out my mother was a vampire who believed her only son is dead too.
“This only makes me want to kill you that much harder.” I sneered.
I yanked the knife from Talon’s leg and pressed it against his throat.
“Wait! Wait. There’s more.” Talon gulped “Once a year, we meet at that place in the photo. I get a new picture of her, along with a kiss, in exchange for a new picture of Marie to prove I hadn’t harmed her. Kill me, and you’ll never find your mother”
I could hear the truth in his words, not to mention I remembered seeing Talon take pictures of Marie over the years. I just always thought it was some sick joke Talon was playing.
Now, I knew the truth.
The question was what was I going to do about it? Keeping Talon alive may cause more harm than good. That had been proven to be truer over the years.
Just as I’d made the decision to end the vampire, something came over me: pain. It clenched in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
That was when I heard it
“Seb…”
My name was being called by Ana. I knew without a doubt she needed me now.
“This isn’t over. I will find you.” I promised Talon before taking off, leaving the vamp still stuck to the tree.
I knew the vamp would be long gone by the time I got back, but that wasn’t my main concern. Whatever was happening to Ana was bad; so bad I could feel her pain as if it were my own.
I pumped my legs as hard as I could and hoped I could get to her before it was too late.
***
Marie
Ana had collapsed to the ground, shaking profusely. We all surrounded her, trying to figure out what had happened.
“I think she’s been shot!” Simon’s panicking did little to calm the others.
“Cut it out then! Jace, do something!” Lily ordered, equally afraid. Judging by Ana’s reaction, the bullet was platinum, and it hit somewhere dangerous.
“I’m trying! My magic…it’s weak right now.” Jace replied as he held his shaky hands above Ana’s chest, but nothing was happening.
I knew Ana didn’t have long to live if something drastic didn’t happen soon. I wished there was something I could do.
An instant later, Seb burst onto the scene. My brother rushed right to Ana’s side, and began assessing the damage,
forcing Jace out of the way.
***
Seb
“Oh, thank goodness you’re here! Teen witch was no help.” Lily threw in.
Jace scowled at her.
“The bullet is in her heart.” I informed them after I ripped her dress open to get a better look at the puncture. My eyes watered with unshed tears. Not one vampire ever has survived a shot like this.
I can’t lose you, Ana.
As if she heard me, Ana opened her eyes. The blues blazed so bright, it was astonishing. It was like she was seeing inside of me, reaching a part of me I never knew existed. The moment took my breath away,. but it also stirred something deep within me
“I have an idea!” Jace said suddenly.
The witch started searching all throughout the sand until he found a piece of broken glass. Jace surprised them by using it to slice through his palm.
“I SACRIFICE MY BLOOD AS AN OFFERING TO SUMMON THE CRONE! GRANDMOTHER, I CALL THEE HERE NOW!” Jace yelled, letting his blood drip to the ground.
Suddenly, the sand began to move and whirl. It twirled faster and harder until it formed a cone shaped tornado of blood, sand, and wind. I took Ana in my arms protectively, shielding her from all the chaos around us. I wanted to remove the bullet, but I knew that would only cause her more pain and a faster death.
After what seemed like an eternity, the tornado died down. Standing in its place was the leader of witches herself, Helia.
“You summoned me, grandson? You know, I do have a cellular phone.” Helia joked.
“Grandmother, its Ana. She’s hurt.” Jace rushed, bringing Helia to where I was holding her. Ana was covered in cold sweat. The platinum tendrils coated her entire body, and she was shaking. Helia knelt down, touched Ana’s wet forehead, and sighed deeply.
“The poison is taking her. She doesn’t have much time.” The crone said sadly.
“Then save her!” I yelled.
“I am a witch. This is not within my powers.” Helia replied as she stared directly at me.
Something inside me began to stir again.
“Ana can’t die! No! It’s my fault. She got shot saving me!” Simon cried. Marie tried to comfort him but he turned away.
Again, something within me started to come to life. It was a surge of strength unknown to me.
“Save her, Sebastian. Only you can.” Helia whispered cryptically.
“Grandmother, there must be something we can do!” Jace yelled. At this point, everyone was screaming and yelling except me.
Calmly, I bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“I will not lose you,” I said softly to Ana.
I now knew what I had to do. I felt it inside me all along, but I never understood what it was until now. It all fit together; the dream, the enhanced senses and strength. All of it was leading up to this point. This was the moment when I finally realized I wasn’t human.
Now, the words of the wolf in my dreams finally made sense. “I want out,” it said, and now, I was ready to comply. Deep down, I always knew it was there.
Today, everyone would know too.
I rose to my feet and took my shirt off. Closing my eyes, I finally did the one thing I’d always been afraid to do.
I let go.
I opened my mouth…
raised my head…
and roared.
“What’s going on?” Marie asked, startled by my actions.
Helia smiled with pride. “What you’re hearing is the howl of the wolf, and the return of the beast the world should have never forgotten.”
Chapter 46
Transformation
Marie
In a matter of seconds, everything changed. The brother I grew up with was no more.
Everyone watched speechless as Seb disappeared right before our eyes. The sound he was making was anything but human. It reminded me of a lion’s roar but it hit deeper; so deep in fact that I could feel it in my own chest.
“What do you mean roar of the wolf?” I asked Helia.
“I mean that your brother is very special. Just watch.” The crone replied.
I turned my attention back to Seb, and my heart dropped. Seb wasn’t howling anymore but growling. His eyes were beaming a bright yellow and had doubled in size. His fingernails had changed into claws, and he began using them to rip off large chunks of skin off his chest. Beneath the skin was black thick fur like hair. It was the color of the night sky, and it was so shiny, it looked wet. Seb dropped to his knees, withering in pain, when his bones began to snap and pop at unnatural angles.
“Oh my goodness! Help him! Please!” I begged. I ran towards my brother, but Helia’s arms wrapped around me, holding me in place.
“Let me go! I need to help him!” I cried.
“I’m sorry, honey. The first change is always the hardest. You must not interfere.” Helia replied gently
“Change? What’s he changing into?” Simon asked.
“Holy crap! He’s a werewolf, right? Oh, I so called that.” Lily exclaimed.
“Vampires, witches and werewolves; man, this group gets crazier by the minute,” Bobby said, speaking for the first time
“Grandmother, how is this even possible? And we should move Ana away from him if that’s the case. She still needs help.” Jace interrupted, moving closer to Ana.
Seb’s half-deformed body roared viciously at the movement.
“NO!” Helia shouted. “Don’t go near either of them unless you want to die. His wolf will protect her.”
All of Seb’s skin had been ripped off and was lying on the ground around him like a bloody murder scene. He was completely coated in black fur. In between the growls of the beast, you could hear the screams of a man. It was excruciating to listen to. I cried and cried in Helia’s arms. I didn’t understand what was happening to my brother or why. All I knew was I couldn’t help him. That was the worst part.
On top of everything, Ana was still dying. Her shaking had stopped, but she was as pale as the moon lighting the sky. The silver tendrils all over her body with her dark hair made her look like a twisted porcelain doll. Seb was changing in front of her, blocking us from getting near Ana.
“Did you do this?! He can’t just change into a wolf! It’s not possible!” I shouted, getting hysterical. Helia tried to soothe me, but it wasn’t working.
At this point, Seb had tripled in size. His body was huge. His face was unrecognizable. The snout of the wolf was growing in, pushing his human nose off of his face. I had to bite my lips to keep me from screaming. Seb roared again, showing off his mouth which was full of sharp deadly teeth. He then flipped over on all fours. His arms and legs transformed into huge beastly ones. His spine hunched up and cracked as it, too, made its final adjustment. The last part of the change was a tail smoothly rolling out from his behind. Unlike the rest of his body, his tail was completely silver and glistening. The grand black wolf with the silver tail howled to the moon.
“Incredible! He has the silver tail of an Alpha.” Helia stated in awe.
“Does that mean what I think it means?” Jace asked, looking timid.
“Yes, Seb is a descendent of the great Lycus. Seb is an alpha.” Helia watched the enormous animal stretch out its legs.
In the end, it was a magnificent sight; one that hadn’t been witnessed in over a thousand years, according to Helia.
The wolf then went to Ana’s body and softly nudged her head with its nose. Ana didn’t respond. Wolf Seb huffed before sniffing all around her wound.
“What’s he doing now?” Lily asked, intrigued.
Seb started licking the bullet hole, clearing it of blood. His saliva was unusually thick and shiny.
“He’s doing what no one else can. He’s saving her.” Helia explained.
The wolf opened its mouth wide. It shocked everyone when it’s two long canine teeth changed color to a transparent clear white. It then sank them through her shoulder, right above the wound. The teeth were so sharp, they cut throu
gh her skin as easy as knife on butter.
“Stop him! He’s biting her!” Simon shouted.
Helia held up her palm to silence him. I knew my brother would never hurt Ana. But now that he was a wolf, I didn’t know what to expect. The wolves were a supernatural creature I knew nothing about.
When the wolf removed its canines, something amazing began to happen. Where he had bitten her, a glow began to spread under her skin. It was a soft beautiful glow; the color of a setting sun; the color of life. The hue made her skin transparent, and you could actually see the veins and muscles beneath the surface. The light then glided down to the gunshot wound in her chest where it remained for several minutes.
Everyone was watching so intently, not a sound was made. Crickets didn’t even chirp. Then slowly, the tiny bullet emerged from her chest and rolled to the ground. Collectively, they all gasped at what just happened. Something in Seb’s saliva just forced the bullet out of Ana’s heart. The glow died down, and the silver tendrils coating Ana began to fade.
“That was badass! Can someone make me a wolf instead of a vampire?” Bobby said, breaking the silence. Lily punched him in the gut in response.
Ana gasped in a breath, scaring us all, but no other movements were made. She lay perfectly still even after her complexion returned to its normal creamy color. The wolf nudged and rolled her with its nose, practically burying his head under her. When it was directly beneath her, it popped its head up and flipped Ana onto its massive back. The wolf glanced at each one of them, but it only held its golden eyes on me. We shared a brief moment before Seb took off sprinting away with Ana on his back.
“Where’s he taking her?! We have to go after him!” Jace demanded angrily.
“Don’t worry. She’s safe now.” Helia reassured.
I had all I could take right now. Tearing away from Helia, I ran off down to the beach in the opposite direction.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 50