by Jen L. Grey
When the line began to ring, I felt my heart beating so hard I could hear the pounding in my ears. This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t be doing this. Right when I was about to press the red End button someone picked up the line.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded breathless.
Someone answered on the first ring. I hadn’t prepared myself for that. I figured I’d have to leave a message.
“Lexy?” There was so much hope in her voice. “Is that you?”
“Uh … yeah.” I had no fucking clue what to say.
“Oh, my God.” She sobbed and took a shaky breath. Her voice sounded farther away as she called out, “Cole. She … called us.”
“What? Really?” A guy’s voice sounded ecstatic. “I told you she would call, Jess. Put her on speaker.”
In all the scenarios I played out in my head, this wasn’t one of them. It surprised me when they sounded so happy to hear from me.
“Oh, yeah.” She must have pushed a button because I could hear the commotion in the room.
“Hi, Lexy.” The guy’s voice filled my ears and somehow sounded familiar. “This is Cole. I’m your daddy.”
“Dude, they don’t say daddy at nineteen.” Another guy’s voice in the background caught me off guard.
“She will.” The guy who just proclaimed himself to be my father replied. “Even when she’s forty, she’ll be calling me daddy. Shut up so I can talk to my daughter.”
“Excuse your father.” Jess giggled. “He has issues.” Her voice turned serious. “How are you? Have you felt the change?”
“If by feeling hot and sweaty like something is inside of me trying to claw its way out, then yeah.” Only that wasn’t the reason I had called, and I needed to get to the point. “But I’m calling for another reason.”
“Is something wrong?” Her tone took on an edge.
“Well, if you mean there’s a problem with two guys in all black hiding out in the woods behind my house, then I’d say yeah.” I didn’t know what to tell them. “They tried talking to me earlier today, but I was feeling so bad I rushed to get home. Now, they’re watching my window.”
“Shit, that’s not good.” Cole growled out, “Raven. Rage. We need you in here.”
There was a lot of commotion, but I heard a strong woman’s voice. “What’s wrong?”
Jess spoke first. “Lexy is on the phone …”
“Really?” The woman’s voice took on an excited edge. “I’m going to finally meet my niece.”
“The hunters are there.” Cole’s tone of voice was deep and cold. “They’re after my daughter.”
“How the hell did they find her?” Some guy’s raspy tone filled my ears.
“It doesn’t matter.” The woman that must be Raven spoke up again. “All that matters is she is in danger.”
“Lexy, we’re on our way.” Jess’s tone was tender and laced with fear. “Don’t leave the house for anything, and if something strange happens, give me a call back. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, but why are they outside my window?” I needed at least some kind of answer.
“Honey, long story short, you’re a special supernatural.” As she spoke, I could hear movement in the background.
“A supernatural?” This had to be some kind of joke. Supernaturals didn’t really exist.
A car beeped in the background, followed by the sounds of doors opening, and then a car starting filled the background at the other end of the line. “I know it’s hard to believe, but those two guys outside your window hunt down special paranormal creatures. That’s why we tried to keep you hidden. We will be there in about ten hours. Call me if you need me before we get there. I love you.” She hung up, and the line went dead.
There was no telling how long I sat on the floor staring at the phone. I had spoken to my real mom and dad, but they had to be damn crazy.
Supernatural.
That word kept repeating in my head. It had to be crazy for me to consider it. If I was truly some type of creature, I would’ve known it by now. The idea was preposterous … maybe.
Despite that, there were two strange people staking out my house. There had to be a reason for it. On top of that, if my birth parents were telling me I was a supernatural, then that would make them supernaturals too. Could it be that all the paranormal romance stories I read growing up were true?
I crept back toward the window and slowly glanced out. The two people were gone. Maybe they had given up.
Not feeling comfortable enough to stand, I bent down and made my way to bed. I laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling. There was a tickling feeling down my spine as if I was being watched, which made no sense at all. The guys were gone, and I was alone in my room.
Tossing and turning, I finally gave up after an hour. There was no sleeping in this room tonight. Grabbing my pillow and blanket, I creeped downstairs. I tiptoed so the floor wouldn’t creak, trying to prevent waking Mom and Dad.
The living room was right next to the master bedroom, so I settled in there. Right before lying down, I peeked through the curtains to find the road and our front yard was bare. Nothing looked out of sorts either, so at least there was that.
Maybe I could finally fall asleep down here. As soon as I got comfy on the couch, my eyes began to close.
“Honey, are you okay?” Mom’s hand touched my face, stirring me from my sleep.
“Uh … yeah.” My mind was groggy and needed more sleep. “I couldn’t fall asleep in my room last night.”
“Did you start feeling bad again?” She hovered over me, her forehead lined with worry. “You should’ve woke me last night.”
I wanted to tell her what was going on, but something made me hold it back. I wasn’t sure if I believed it all yet, so how could I expect her to take it in stride. “You needed your rest too.” I hated lying, but damn, I wasn’t sure what else to do. “Once I got down here, I didn’t have a problem falling asleep.”
“Are you feeling alright now?” Mom stood, the sun hitting her blonde hair making it appear as if she was angelic.
“Yeah, just sleepy.” My eyes were beginning to close again. I probably only got a few hours of sleep.
“I was going to run out, but I’ll do it later.” Mom smiled and touched my arm. “Is there anything you need?”
“No, I’m okay.” I didn’t want to be the reason she would change her plans. “Go ahead and go. I can always call if I need you.”
“Dad’s already at work.” She tilted her head and bit her bottom lip. “Are you sure you’re okay being alone?”
“Of course.” I yawned and snuggled more into the covers. “I have my phone right there.” I pointed to the end table that was within arm’s reach. “I’m golden.”
“If you’re sure.” Mom appeared to want to stay, but she kept her mouth shut. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
“I’ll probably still be sleeping when you get back.” That was not an understatement. I felt hungover without having any of the fun last night.
“Okay, get some rest.” Mom headed toward the door and nabbed her purse from the table next to it. “I’ll hurry back.”
Not wanting to argue with her, I gave her a thumbs up and closed my eyes once more.
The door closed, and I heard the lock click.
I tossed and turned a little bit after she left. I was being stupid and needed to stop being so paranoid. I forced my eyes to close and waited for sleep to overtake me.
Right when I was about to drift back to sleep, I heard some sort of scraping noise that startled me. I jumped off the couch and ran to the window. I could see the back of someone’s black shirt and pants.
Holy shit, it was the hunters.
Cold realization settled on me. I had to get my phone and get out of this house. The longer I took, the more likely they were to get in.
As I rushed away from the front door, I hit redial.
Jess answered on the first ring. “Are you okay?”
“No, one of those people is tr
ying to get in my front door.” I tried to remain quiet, but I couldn’t hide the hysteria in my voice. “Should I call the cops?”
“It won’t do you any good.” Jess sighed. “You need to run and fast. Go somewhere crowded …”
The front door slammed open, and the older guy stood, breathing heavily in the doorway.
“What was that?” Jess’s voice was hysteric.
“There’s no reason to be afraid.” The guy’s blond hair brushed his shoulders with each step he took. “I just want to talk.”
“You broke into my house.” This guy couldn’t be serious. Did he expect me to run over to him with my arms wide open for a hug? “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Run, Lexy,” Jess shouted into the phone. “Now.”
Not needing any more encouragement, I spun on my heels and ran for the back door. If I could get into the neighbor’s yard, I was sure someone should be able to hear or see me.
“So, we have a runner.” The guy behind me chuckled.
Somehow, in my sprint to get away, I managed not to run into anything as I pushed my legs toward the back door. As soon as I cleared the kitchen, the other guy in black was waiting for me.
“Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.” The younger one yelled, his cold blue eyes staring at me.
Yeah, I wasn’t going to stop and make conversation with him. I turned left, trying to make it into Betty’s yard. She was older and hard of hearing, so you had to be on her back deck to have a chance of her hearing you.
“Get her.” The older one ran out of the kitchen and turned, following my lead.
I needed my crazy speed to pop up now. All the other times, it showed up when I didn't want it to, but now when I needed it, it was nowhere to be seen.
Right as I crossed into Betty’s yard, strong arms knocked me to the ground.
“Why do they always have to make this hard?” The younger guy grumbled as he kept me crushed against the grass.
My arms were flattened against my body, and I was glad that somehow I had managed to sneak my cell phone into the pocket of my pajama bottoms. Luckily, my pants were on the baggy side so they probably wouldn’t notice what I’d smuggled in.
“I gotta admit I expected way more than what she just did.” The one who appeared to be in his thirties squatted down where he could see my face. “What mix are you?”
“Mix?” I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “I’m white. Can’t you tell by my pale skin?”
“Do you think we’re that stupid?” He rolled his eyes but kept his gaze on me. “You have some vampire in you. What else do you see, Aaron?”
“Fae.” The guy groaned as he fought against my weak attempts to get away.
“She’s not a very good fighter.” The older one pulled out some handcuffs and grabbed my arms, yanking them uncomfortably together behind me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” In twenty-four hours, my life had taken a one-eighty. “I’m not a vampire or fae.”
“Nice try.” Aaron shook his head and grabbed my hands. “Mac, put the damn cuffs on her.”
“You’re getting all snarky.” Mac chuckled as he snapped them on my wrists. “Are you going to turn into Betty White?”
“No, but a Snickers sounds delicious at this point.” Aaron got off my back and stood up. “I didn’t think we were ever going to get to her. I’m going to get the car. Be right back.”
They were planning to take me somewhere. That wasn’t a good sign.
“How did you talk the humans into letting you live there?” Mac yanked on my arms, forcing me to get up from the ground.
“What do you mean letting me live there?” None of this made sense. “They’re my parents.”
“So you compelled them?” Mac arched an eyebrow.
“No, I don’t know how to do that.” They had to have found the wrong person.
“Do you think no one has tried that strategy before?” He tugged on my arm and took me back to my backyard. “If you yell, I will hurt them.”
Of course, he would. That’s what all bad guys do. “I’ll go with you. Just leave them alone.”
“Oh, don’t pretend to have a heart.” Mac wrinkled his nose in disgust. “We won’t fall for it.”
A van with the logo reading Elite Flooring pulled up right in front of my house. Mac dragged me toward the van.
I desperately looked for anyone to be outside, but it was a workday, and I couldn’t find anyone.
Aaron opened the back of the van. “Let’s get her in and go.”
Within seconds, I was locked inside the back, and the van took off. I had no clue where the hell we were going.
Chapter Three
Time stood still as I sat in the dark bed of the van. It had been rigged so I couldn’t see or talk to the guys in the front seat. It could have easily been hours or minutes. All I did know was that I needed to pee … badly.
The cell phone felt as heavy as a brick in my pants. Honestly, I was a little surprised I’d kept it that long. I was itching to give mom and Jess a call, but I couldn’t risk it. There could be a camera watching me, for all I knew.
Granted, it wasn’t like I could’ve called them if I had wanted to. The nice asshole hunters still had my hands cuffed behind me. The only thing they were good for was telling me what kind of supernatural I was. I was a hybrid so part vampire and part fae.
That little revelation probably should’ve meant more to me than it actually did. How could I be a vampire if I never craved blood? Even though the thought didn’t entirely disgust me either.
As the van slowed down, I was crossing my fingers for a bathroom break. It might get messy back here if they didn’t let me out soon. Huh, maybe I should do it so they’d have to at least clean it up. Poetic justice maybe?
“Be careful when you get her out.” The older guy had to be walking away from the van.
What was his name again? Mac … that’s it. So the one who was going to be getting me out was Aaron.
A click on the back door alerted me to Aaron’s presence. When the doors opened, the sun was setting. “How long have I’ve been back here.”
His light brown hair seemed blond in the fading light. He frowned at me and used his pointer finger to beckon me forward to him.
He was probably one of the most handsome guys I’d ever seen, so it was only natural for him to be a complete douche. That’s always how it went.
“I really need to go to the bathroom.” Maybe he could at least sympathize with that.
“You’ll be able to here in a minute.” He took a few steps back so I had room to climb out. As I stepped to the ground, he grabbed my arm, helping me balance on my feet. “You have to get processed first.”
The words ‘what does that even mean’ wanted to fall past my lips, but I sucked them back. The handcuffs could already tell me that it wasn’t going to be an ideal situation, so why ask pointless questions?
Once I put my feet on the ground, he grabbed my arm and tugged me toward a modern-looking building. It was mostly glass with concrete walls. It reminded me of the University I went to until my eyes landed on a large steel fence. At the top were four sets of circular wire with thick jagged razors sticking out of it. Two were laid horizontal to the top of the gate, one on each side, and two other sets were situated half way between the horizontal and top.
What kind of hell was this? It appeared to be some cross between a prison and school.
He tugged me toward a set of doors at the end of the building. I probably should’ve been fighting to get away, but the way things looked, I wouldn’t get far. Paying attention was probably the best decision. I’d hopefully need to remember the layout in order to escape when a guard wasn’t standing right beside me.
“You’re quiet.” Aaron’s eyes landed on my face. “Normally, you guys are so talkative.”
“When your life takes a sharp turn, it doesn’t usually make a person chatty. Hell, in the last twenty-four hours, I’ve found ou
t I’m some kind of supernatural. People broke into my house to kidnap me and take me to some reformatory or prison school.” When I said it out loud, it sounded crazier.
“Right, you had no clue.” He rolled his eyes and tugged me harder to the doors. “Let’s get you inside so you can get settled.”
Yeah, this was going well. Not bothering to waste any more energy with him, I focused on the door right in front of me.
As soon as we reached it, Aaron pulled out a badge and scanned it. The door clicked as it unlocked, and he opened it, dragging me through.
Inside was an open hallway with a glass wall on the right side. Mac was standing in front of an open door on the right. “Yeah, she is now.”
Just as I stepped into the building, the darkness inside of me vanished. “What the hell?”
“Yeah, your power doesn’t work here.” Mac grinned like a cat that had caught the canary. “Get used to it.”
Apparently, he thought that was a bad thing, but for once, I felt a little relieved. The darkness had been causing me to feel out of sorts, and now it wasn’t a problem at all.
“This is your first stop.” Aaron pushed me hard into Mac’s body.
“Now, don’t think about hitting on me.” He flipped his hair and grinned. “I only date my kind.”
“I’m so relieved.” The words were out before I could stop them.
“What did you say?” Mac grabbed my arm, squeezing too tight.
I refused to respond to him. He could manhandle me anyway he wanted, but I’d be damned if I listened to him.
“This one has some spunk.” Mirth danced in his already dead eyes. He threw me into the room.
The lady behind the desk wrinkled her nose in disgust. Her light green eyes scanned me up and down. Her red lips, which somehow matched her hair, spread into an evil smirk. “This one is something alright.”
She pointed a finger to a round dot on the floor a few feet away from her. “Hurry up. I need your picture for our records.”
Great, they were taking my picture. Fun times all around. Even though I wasn’t thrilled with obeying, I needed to pee badly. So, at this point, I’d have been willing to do just about anything to get to the bathroom sooner.