Through the Woods

by Cassandra Johnson

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Sitting on the couch, Alex picked up a can of coke and brought it to his lips, when the face of his phone lit up he sighed figuring that it was probably just his mom again, not that he minded. It was just frustrating waiting for his friend Dexter to e-mail him. Alex jumped every time his phone chimed since he contacted Dexter. Placing the can down on the coffee table he picked up his phone and ran his thumb over the lock screen button, but instead of finding a new text, the chime had come from his inbox. The two tunes were the same, Alex really needed to change them. With shaking hands, he opened the app on his phone quickly waiting for the new message to finish loading on the screen while his leg nervously moved up and down. It was Dexter. He’d been able to make a few calls to friends, but he’d found pay dirt in some security camera footage as well as phone logs coming and going from William Levins private landline.

  “Marik! Marik, I got an e-mail!” Alex’s voice cracked as he clumsily climbed the stairs and almost fell all the way down them twice, but he saved himself by grabbing the hand railing. Gasping at the landing of the stairs, he was already out of breath as he opened the attachment and thumbed through some of the pictures. Most of them didn’t contain anything of interest to Alex, but one of the men looked familiar, there were video attachments and a PDF file of the call logs that Alex hadn’t gotten to yet.

  “You got something?” Marik was coming out of the bathroom, and Alex walked straight into his frame in his excitement. Alex remembered meeting a lot of the wolves and this one he recognized.

  “Marik, look at this and tell me if it means anything,” Alex said holding the phone out to him.

  Marik took the phone staring for a few seconds before he went through the PDF file, he knew some of the numbers from members of the pack, but there was one that didn’t make sense. It was the wrong area code, the same area code that Elle’s landline had.

  “Can you tell when this picture was taken?” Marik asked giving Alex his phone back as he took his own cell phone from the pocket of his jeans and began to thumb through his contacts quickly. Lucas had given him as well as Gaerik his cell phone number the night of the first pack meeting, and sure enough, as he scrolled down to Lucas Pritchette’s name, it was the very same phone number that contacted William Levins the day after they arrived and again the day before the wolves attacked.

  “Son of a bitch,” Marik growled.

  Fumbling Alex opened the image on his phone again, his dark brown eyes scanning the image.

  “I can’t find anything, but isn’t this one of Lucas’ guys?” Alex looked up at Marik suddenly hearing Marik curse. His stomach knotted into a tight bundle of nerves looking at the icy cold blue of Marik’s eyes, forcing a chill to run up and down the length of Alex’s spine.

  “Yeah, it is. And we haven’t seen Travis since the attack. I’ll bet my life his body is out in the woods,” Marik’s voice trailed off suddenly realization dawning on him that his brother was out there disposing of the bodies with Lucas right now.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  “What the fuck?!” Gaerik stumbled a few steps back as Lucas came at him again, swinging the chainsaw to get a broader range of motion with the machine and nearly buzzed through Gaerik’s jugular.

  “Didn’t it bother you just a little bit how the wolves knew exactly where to find you?” Lucas barked a deep laugh, throwing the chainsaw and Gaerik ducked, the machine cutting halfway through a tree trunk, the wood splintering and cracking as the large tree came crashing down between the two men. “Or how I knew where to find all of your little friends and bring them here? Everyone that might be loyal to the Chaliceman family. I was leading you to slaughter the entire time!”

  “You?” Gaerik’s features twisted as it all began to come together, the night they met for the first time in the clearing. Then just the other morning, why had the shooter run so far when he could have taken Marik in the yard and left the wolves to come after the rest of them? It was Lucas. Gaerik had sworn he heard someone running through the woods that morning, but the sound of the wolves had distracted him, and he’d run ahead to delay them from reaching the house.

  “Yes, me.” Lucas snarled. “As soon as I found out that Elle was back I reached out to the wolves that followed her there and got in contact with William Levins, he has a nice price tag on the Chaliceman’s heads. I made him a deal, if I got rid of all of you for him, then he would triple the price just to keep you from coming back to Connecticut.”

  “You did all this just for money?” Gaerik snarled moving around the fallen tree out into the open space.

  “Of course, money makes the world go around, right? You’ve grown up with it, I didn’t, and I want everything it can offer.” Lucas explained, moving closer.

  “Who else knew about your plan?” Gaerik asked, his eyes glowing with rage.

  “Travis and the other four wolves who came from Connecticut with your friends and the Wilson guy who came the day before. Unfortunately, your family and those damned witches messed it all up.” Lucas seethed before a ferocious roar erupted from his chest as he leaped forward, tackling Gaerik by the shoulders.

  Grabbing the cuff of Lucas’s shirt instead of trying to pry the wolf off of him, Gaerik pulled him in, his fangs elongating as dark hair shadowed the natural human features of his face and bit down into his shoulder hearing the other male howl in pain. Bending at the spine Gaerik hit the ground as Lucas released the hold that he had on Gaerik.

  Blood poured from Lucas’ neck as he moved on his hands and knees, climbing up, Gaerik was already back on his feet, circling Lucas’ form before his foot shot out and landed a hard kick to the blonde man’s soft belly.

  Groaning in pain, Lucas leaped to his feet, thick razor-like talons slashing at Gaerik’s chest and slicing through his shirt. The scent of fresh blood flooded Lucas’ nostrils, feeding his bloodlust as he then lunged forward, his canines ripping through the flesh at Gaerik’s neck. Growling Gaerik grabbed his head and slammed him back down into the dirt as he climbed up, kicking Lucas in the ribs again before grabbing Lucas by the hair of the head and throwing him into the trunk of a nearby tree.

  The pain that warped through his body shivered as his bones snapped, the muscles stretching with a searing heat that Gaerik had only felt once, the night they found Elle after Jamal had taken her. Gaerik never believed that he would be standing in these woods fighting for his life a second time.

  Gaerik now understood why Lucas wanted to cut the heads off the men before they started cutting their bodies up, he needed to make sure that Gaerik didn’t see their faces and realize that they were being double-crossed. There was no telling what William knew about their location, about who was with them. Lucas was feeding him information the whole time, and none of them had been even slightly suspicious, least of all Gaerik himself.

  “You’re a traitor.” Gaerik spat the words getting lost as his snout elongated, feeling his shirt rip and tear as his lungs filled with oxygen and his chest broadened.

  But Lucas was only briefly stunned and gaining his strength back once more as he ripped his shirt open, his muscles rippling beneath the flesh as thick blonde hair coated his arms and chest, working its way up to his neck as he used his legs to push off from the trees. Gaerik caught him by the throat as Lucas’ jaws snapped, jagged sharp teeth laced with saliva eagerly aching for a taste of his blood again tried to go for his jugular.

  What ensued was a desperate struggle for power between the two Alphas. The two creatures not a man, not a wolf either traded blows using their claws, teeth and whatever was close enough for them to use as a weapon, but Lucas was not above fighting dirty as Gaerik loomed over him. his teeth deeply buried in Lucas’ shoulder, ripping flesh until blood-soaked bone was visible. Weak, Lucas plunged his talons into Gaerik’s abdomen, ripping upward forcing the Chaliceman to release him and stumble backward, stunned as blood pooled down his torn stomach and his jeans, dotting the ground before an unexpected blow took him by surprise
. Lightening hot pain shot through his face as Lucas slashed at him, one of his talons going through his eye.

  Anguished howling escaped Gaerik as he stumbled back, grabbing the side of his face, where four clean claw prints had sliced through his flesh like a hot knife to butter. Panting, Gaerik couldn’t see from one eye as he lunched forward and missed, only able to catch the faintest glimpse of Lucas as he danced around him, toying with Gaerik before he made his next strike, a blow that Gaerik didn’t know if he would survive.

  Hitting the dirt, all the oxygen was pushing from his lungs, Gaerik’s muscles were paralyzed with the pain that radiated from his wounds. He wasn’t strong enough, Gaerik was losing blood, he couldn’t see, and the thoughts that raced through his mind were like dark shadows. Lucas would say that they were ambushed by another team of assassins, and they had tried to fight them together, but they killed Gaerik and Lucas only barely killed the last one before he too was another causality in this war. Then, somehow when he had everyone’s guards down Lucas would pick them all off one by one.

  Panting, Lucas moved over Gaerik, crouching on his belly, pushing his claws into his open wounds just to hear him howl in pain.

  He couldn’t give up, his father, his brother, Elle their faces spun inside his head as he felt himself rallying, the pain was becoming a profound numbness that burned deep into the marrow of his bones, he couldn’t let this bastard kill him and then take his family without fighting him with everything he had left.

  Summoning his strength, Gaerik inhaled, grabbing Lucas by the throat so that his claws stabbed deep into his jugular. Feeling the blood soaking through to his fingertips as his lungs opened up, the icy blue of his eyes glowing as not one, but two deep guttural roars filled the air, the call of the Alpha coming up from the very core of his being as a surge of gray-streaked above him, the warm spray of blood washing his face

  Gaerik heard the sound of something dropping to the ground as Lucas’ headless body was suspended in the air, the nerves in his fingers twitching as blood gushed from the open space of his neck where his head used to be.

  Panting Gaerik pushed the body off himself. Lucas’s head laying a few feet away in a permanent display of shock, then shadow of someone standing over him came into view, and he tried to use the eye that hadn’t been wounded to see as a clawed hand reached for him. Gripping the clawed hand, Gaerik slowly stood to find his twin, blood covering his snout as they stared at one another before their arms clamped around one another, swaying in the aftermath of the mayhem.

  “When I saw you on the ground I thought that you were already dead.” Marik rumbled holding onto his brother perhaps just to make sure that he really was there, alive.

  “I felt you,” Gaerik said. “I felt your strength I think that’s the only thing that was pushing me there towards the end.” He breathed pulling away after a moment. “I heard it, the call of the Alpha. We did it together.”

  “Twin Alpha’s.” Gaerik nodded looking down at Lucas’ body for a second before he bent down, grabbing his head by the hair and tossed it into the still roaring fire. “Help me grab his body.” Gaerik sniffed grabbing the headless body by the shoulders as Marik got the legs and they moved, tossing him to the flames.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  “Alex slow down,” Elle commanded. “What are you talking about, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

  Alex was standing in front of her struggling to breath, he was talking so fast that Elle couldn’t decipher a single thing he said. His was in shock, and his face was white as a sheet.

  “It was Lucas!” Alex finally shouted in exasperation that no one was listening to him.

  “Lucas what?” Elle asked, still lost in the fold of too much information being thrown at her all at once.

  By now, the entire house hold had assembled around him to figure out what Alex was trying to tell them like a black and white episode of Lassie.

  “It was him, he organized the attack. Lucas is working for Levins!” Alex exclaimed, waving his phone. “I got an e-mail. Lucas was in contact with Levins and then Marik ran out to find Gaerik because they were getting rid of the bodies from yesterday together.” Alex said struggling to catch his breath as the others all looked around at each other.

  “Alex are you sure about this? That is a very strong accusation.” Gallen provided, looking at the young man.

  “I have proof!” Alex told him, holding his phone out but Gallen wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be looking for as in his haste, Alex was just showing him the anime girl that was on his lock screen.

  “That sweet talking snake.” Harriet seethed having no problem believing Alex.

  “They are out there alone with him.” Alex gulped tightly falling into a chair as his legs finally gave out from exhaustion. “Someone needs to go help them.” He added.

  Gallen took one more look at the phone before his and Harriet’s eyes met, before they could reach the door, it opened and Marik appeared, helping Gaerik into the kitchen. Blood soaked both of their shirts, but the real shock was Gaerik, one whole side of his face was pouring blood, there were bite marks and slashes through his shirt where he’d been clawed by his opponent.

  “Oh my God!” Elle screamed seeing Gaerik. In her book’s werewolves were nearly impenetrable creatures who could only be killed or injured by silver –which Elle now knew was a real weapon that could be used against them, but in wolf on wolf combat, her legendary creatures healed almost immediately. Seeing Gaerik injured was a massive shock to her system, and while she couldn’t take her eyes off Gaerik, the witches flew into action.

  “Everyone give him some room,” Charlotte told them all, rolling the sleeves of her blouse up.

  “I’m okay,” Gaerik grumbled, though his voice was laced with pain, his whole eye searching the room and bouncing from one person’s face to another.

  Moonie sat down by Gaerik’s side, her hand carefully laid over his arm, the witches skin growing paler as dark veins pushed against her flesh causing Gaerik to sigh gently.

  “What are you doing to me?” Gaerik asked, everyone, looking on in awe.

  “I’m taking your pain, it will help you heal faster,” Moonie explained.

  “Well, it feels fantastic.” Gaerik literally purred with contentment as Charlotte filled a bowl with hot water and began to wash his face, the largest of his wounds taking priority.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Moonie nodded as her jaw slightly clinched, feeling his pain as she drew it in on herself.

  “What happened?” Elle asked finally finding the words to address the situation, moving closer and gently placing her hand on Gaerik’s shoulder for comfort.

  “Lucas and I were disposing of the bodies from yesterday, when we were finished, he started asking me these strange questions. At first, I didn’t know where he was going with it, then he tried attacking me with the chainsaw.” Gaerik told them. “Then, he came out with it, that he made a deal with Levins to get rid of all of us for him. Apparently, Lucas wanted money and Levins was willing to pay whatever it cost to keep us from coming back to Connecticut.”

  “Fat chance of that happening,” Harriet said with a huff earning a snort of a laugh out of Gaerik.

  “What happened to Lucas, son?” Gallen stood between Elle and Marik, watching his son.

  “He’s dead.” Gaerik winced somewhat as Charlotte wiped the blood away from his chest.

  “You killed him?” Gallen asked, thinking of Molly and Shaye.

  “No, Marik did.” He replied.

  “There was no other choice, when I got there, I thought I was too late, and I acted on instinct,” Marik said looking down at his feet for a moment. He didn’t regret it, if it meant saving his brother's life then Marik would do it all over again, but like Gallen’s, his thoughts went to Molly and Shaye and the grief they would feel when they found out.

  Suddenly Gaerik’s hands balled into fists as a deep growl ripped from his throat, one eye then the other turning crimson as his fl
esh knit itself back together.

  “Fuck that hurts!” Gaerik snapped at Moonie, but she’d already removed her hand from his arm, staring at his face.

  “I’m not doing that.” Moonie murmured, seeing the reflection of whatever the blonde witch was witnessing through her wide eyes.

  The four angry red lines that ran diagonally across his face, the claw marks that marred his features from brow to jaw were closing. Gaerik flinched in his seat, grabbing the sides of the table for support against the pain.

  “My eye!” Screaming, his fangs elongated, the deep baritone of Gaerik’s voice turning gravely as his grip bent the metal border that went around the frame of the old retro dining table.

  “Ghnn-ahh! My eye is on fire! Stop! Stop whatever you’re doing!”

  “I’m not doing it, I swear!” Moonie’s panic sparked a higher pitch in her voice as she stood up, backing away quickly fearing that she might be attacked.

  Roaring, Gaerik was sweating as his hands came up, shaking to cup his face, groaning as the pain began to slowly ebb away.

  “If –if that wasn’t you, who was it then?” Gaerik panted, sitting up in his seat, pulling his hands away from his face he could see them. Moonie, Charlotte, Jean Louise, even Harriet along with his brother and father seemed to be staring not at Gaerik himself, but at something behind him.

  “I think it was me,” Elle said through a shaky exhale as Gaerik turned in his seat to look at her, golden strands of electricity danced between her fingertips.

  Hello.