A branch snapped to the left of us jerking our attention towards the sound. At first I didn’t know what to think then I remembered the glowing eyes and sure as shit an animal walked out from the foliage. Saliva dripped from its muzzle and sharp teeth were visible because its lips were pulled back in a snarl. A low growl radiated from the wolf. It only took a moment to realize that the wolf’s eyes were set on me. A lump formed in my throat as I tried to swallow down the ball of nerves.
My hand slowly made its way to the dagger at my hip, the wolf noticed the movement and lunged at me. I quickly dived out of the way face planting the ground and getting a mouth full of dirt and moss, yummy. My dagger lay a few inches from my hand. The sounds of yelping hand me flipping onto my back and watch as Caden plunged his dagger deep into the wolfs under belly. It let out another wailing yelp that sounded like it was choking and fell to the ground not to move again. Caden rushed to my side and pulled me to my feet.
“You okay?”
“Just peachy…” Looking at the wolf. “Thanks for saving some for me.”
He chuckled. “We better burry it before anyone sees it.”
Looking around us. “How are we going to dig a hole…with our looks?”
“You stay here and keep a look out, I’ll be right back with a shovel.”
He raced off and left me standing with the now dead shifter. I’m sure it won’t take long for them to figure out that someone was missing and even better…dead. If it wasn’t safe beyond the doors and if it wasn’t safe inside the doors, was there a place that was even remotely safe? I’d have better luck on the outside, it was bigger and had a lot more places to hide if need be. In here everyone was together which made it easier for the assassins to pick us off. I think it was time for me to leave and time for Caden to find another guardian.
Chapter 16
A few minutes later Caden was back and started digging a hole and I decided not to tell him that I was leaving until the right time presented its self. I already knew that sneaking away wouldn’t work so I wasn’t even going to try. Caden finished burying the wolf in record time. With the shovel in one hand and his other arm around my shoulders we walked back to his house. I sank into the chair and curled up into a ball while my thoughts were running wild. I didn’t really want to leave Caden behind but I think it would be safer for him if I did.
I knew that there was something not quite right about me and I think I knew what that something was. But for now I’ll put it at the back of my brain and save it for a different day. My eyes started to drift shut and only partly opened when I was being picked up and carried. Caden’s whispering voice drifted through my ears. “Sh, sh, go back to sleep love.” The way he said love made my insides melt like butter. One thing that I knew for sure was that I’m falling in love with Caden (if I haven’t already) and it was going to break my heart when I left. It wasn’t the first time my heart has been broken and I know that it won’t be the last.
I woke up to the sound of water running and light filling the room from a window above the bed. I ran my hands down my face and groaned when my stomach let out a growl. Untangling myself from the blanket I swung my legs off the bed and stood while I stretched and let out a yawn. I headed to the bathroom to do my morning business when I stopped just inside the door. I had to blink a couple times to make sure that I was awake and not still sleeping.
Caden was standing in front of the sink with a white towel wrapped around his waist. He had a razor in one hand and was spreading shaving cream on his face with the other. My mouth hung open and I think I drooled a little bit (okay, so I drooled a lot a bit). He caught my gaze in the mirror and winked at me. I turned and high tailed it out of there and I could hear his throaty chuckle following me.
I was in the kitchen when he came out and I was glad to see he had pants on at least (okay so I was a little disappointed), I mean I wouldn’t mind if he walked around in his boxers or go commando, But one couldn’t get that lucky. I tipped my cup of coffee at him and took a healthy sip. Setting the empty cup on the counter I went over to my backpack that was in the corner and pulled out a set of clothes. I hope there was enough hot water left so that I could take a shower, although a cold shower would be my best bet. I smiled at him as I walked by and wondered how long I was staying here for, although it won’t matter in the long run.
I quickly took a shower and as soon as I finished tying my shoes the damn sirens went off. Well there goes being clean. I ran out of the bathroom and to my bag grabbing a dagger and a sword. I was out the door before you could saycatemando. Metal clashed with metal and I was a bit dumbfounded to see other shifters turning on their guardians. That wasn’t supposed to be happening, we guardians put our lives on the line for them and they repay us back by siding with Cole…fuck that. I ran to the center of the supposed safe haven when I saw Rex on the ground trying to fight off a lion. I did a drop kick and both of my feet slammed into the lion’s side making it fall to the side several feet away.
I landed on my back with an oomph but wasn’t down for long. Rex and I were back to back fighting off the assassins that came our way. It seemed like they were coming at us in waves. It only took me a minute to realize that they were gunning for my ass. I also noticed that there weren’t as many of them as there was the last time, maybe it was only supposed to be a snatch and grab.
When the feeling of Rex’s back disappeared from mine I spared a quick glance over my shoulder and I knew that was not good on my part. Rex was a few feet away from me helping a different guardian, he probably figured I could handle myself. I turned back around just in time to see a blade coming for my chest and I quickly brought mine up. The strength behind the assassin’s sword was un-nerving. I looked up into the cold hard stare of Max and my arms wavered a little bit. He was then able to bring his leg up and kick the sword out of my hands. With his other foot he swiped my feet out from under me and I landed on my back hard, my head smacked off the ground and a dazed look crossed my face. He brought the tip of his sword down and pointed it at my throat. I knew it was a long shot but I tried to get through to him.
“Max, it’s me, Cora.”
He laughed coldly at me. “I know who you are Cora…you should have known that this day would come.”
I couldn’t go out, not like this and not by the hands of someone that I thought I knew. The sound of my name being called echoed through the square and rang through my ears. A scream tore through the air as a streak of black knocked Max to the side. His screams echoed through me until the sounds of gurgling and bones snapping replaced it. I stayed on the ground unable to move because I was in shock. Cole must have been watching me through the eyes of Max. A mask fell into place on my face as I stood up and dusted the dirt off my clothes. I picked up my sword and dagger.
Heat radiated through my body until it coiled in my belly and snapped, spreading over my skin. The amber tint that I was used to filled my vision as I made my way through the square. I was pissed, not because my parents were dead, not because Carla was dead, not even the fact that the assassins breeched this place twice or even because shifters turned on their guardians. I was pissed because Cole orchestrated it all and I knew deep down in my bones that he was a traitor to his people.
My hands squeezed my weapons until my knuckles turned white. As I walked through the square looking for my target all fighting stopped and everyone moved out of my way. There were even a few gasps. I caught a glimpse of myself in a window on one of the units and I understood why they stopped and got out of my way. If I was me I’d get out of my way too. Fire surrounded my body making me look like a walking flame, my eyes were a bright Amethyst with dancing flames for the pupils. So, I guess I am a hybrid shifter after all, but a part of me already knew that and in all honesty…I didn’t really want to believe it. The realization should have scared me back to normal but at this point I was beyond caring. People had some explaining to do. Setting my jaw I continued my search for my buddy Cole.
From the corner of
my eye I saw him running towards the dining hall, a slow twisted smile spread across my lips as I jogged after him. I kicked the doors open and scanned the area, I found him cowering in a corner like a little sissy bitch and I knew that the cowering was just for show, there is no way that this douche canoe was scared of little ol’ me. I jumped from table to table until I landed in front of him grabbing him by the throat and picking him up off the floor slamming him into the wall. His hands came up and wrapped around my wrists as his eyes widened.
I didn’t recognize my own voice when I spoke and he must not have either for his eyes got wider. “Why betray your people?” I tightened my hand around his throat. “Why side with the enemy?” He wasn’t answering me so I slammed his head against the wall wrangling a painful moan from between his parted lips.
“Cora!” My name rang out through the building and I turned my head slightly to look over my shoulder at the source.
Chapter 17
Caden slowly made his way towards us with his hands up and palms out, what did he think I was going to do, blow a stream of fire up his ass? Cole wiggled under my hold and it made me grip his throat tighter. There was no way that I was going to let this asshole get away from me and I wasn’t going to let Caden try to get me to let him go. Cole had a lot of explaining to do. Caden stopped a few feet from me and sat on the edge of a nearby table and his eyes never once left mine, he never gave Cole a second glance. He crossed his arms over his chest and got comfy.
“Looks like you’re in a predicament.” I tipped my head to the side in confusion. “You can either crush his wind pipe or you can calm down and let him go so he can explain to us what’s going on.” He shrugged like it didn’t matter. “It’s your choice either way love.”
Did I want to kill him or did I want to let him go? Two very good questions. I struggled with my decision and in the long run decided to let go of him. Very slowly my fingers loosened from around his neck and the heat within and around me reseeded until it was back in its rightful place deep inside me. I didn’t back away from him because I didn’t want to give him the chance to run off. I glanced at Caden over my shoulder. He didn’t look at me like I was some kind of freak, he looked at me with a kind of longing. I turned my attention back to Cole.
“Start talking.”
He rubbed his throat. “You won’t like it.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Talk!” I spit out between clenched teeth.
“Very well…let me sit first.”
I kept my eyes on him as he crept around me to sit down on the bench closest to Caden, he ran his fingers through his hair and let out a loud sigh.
“I didn’t mean for it to get this way and before you ask…no I’m not secretly an assassin. Was I born among them? Yes I was, but my mother fled with me when I was a child. Too young to remember it. My mother told me all about the assassins, shifters and guardians. She told me what the assassins did so I spent most of my years protecting the shifters.” He looked at Caden. “My brother was the one who attacked your parents.”
I grabbed Caden’s arm to stop him from getting his hands on Cole, when he sat back down with his fists balled, Cole arched a brow at us and a thoughtful looked crossed his face before he continued.
“I didn’t know until after the fact, but Cora’s family was a different story.” He looked at me with an apologetic look. Caden’s hand clamped down on my leg to keep me from moving. I don’t think I could move even if I wanted to, I was frozen and so was the air in my lungs. Hell I couldn’t say anything, so I did the only thing I could do and that was concentrate on Caden’s hand and the warmth that it brung. I sat as still as I could while Cole went on.
“I’ve known your mother for a long time, she was one of the best guardians I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and I loved that about her.” He shook his head and ran his hands down his face. “I was there for her when she lost her first charge, we bonded over the deaths of our charges and we grew closer almost unseperatable…that was until he came.” He paused and stared off into the distance as a sour look crossed his face. “His name was Jack Jones, he was a shifter that was only supposed to be passing through. After he was here for a week he decided to stay and I knew it was mostly because of your mother.”
The sour look on his face intensified, ah now I get it, he became a traitor over jealousy, over something that happened over thirty years ago. How very stupid. I sneered at him and tried to keep the amusement out of my voice.
“All this over something that happened over thirty years ago.”
Cole looked back at me. “I’m not finished yet.”
Waving my hand out in front of me. “Then please go on…the floor is yours.” Caden chuckled next to me and Cole arched a brow at us again and that same thoughtful looked crossed his face. He shook himself out of it and spoke.
“Jack became your mothers charge and I knew that it was a bad idea, I even tried bringing it up to the original head honcho of this place, nothing I said sank into the old fools head not even a list of reasons why it was a bad idea, but the bastard wouldn’t hear any of it. Jacqueline and Jack gave each other googly eyes and it was quite sickening to say in the least. They managed to keep their relationship a secret for years but I already knew.” He paused again for a moment. “They left when I threatened to tell the others about them and the fact that she was pregnant with you. She just didn’t get the fact that I was trying to protect her from herself and Jack, that’s all I ever wanted to do was protect her.” His gaze dropped. “I found out where they were staying and I told my brother, he and a group of his people hunted them down.”
My stomach dropped to my toes and my pulse picked up its pace like I’ve just run a marathon, my breathing became difficult and I felt like I was going to pass out. I didn’t want to hear anymore but I knew that I had to. “Keep…keep going.” I whispered, I looked down when I felt Caden’s hand slide into mine.
Cole noticed the action and nodded reluctantly. “Your mother wasn’t there, too bad really, they could have gotten rid of all three of you at once. A few assassins stayed behind just in case she came back, but somehow…somehow she was able to give them the slip. She was always a smart one, too smart for her own good if you ask me. It still didn’t save her in the end though. She died a few minutes after giving birth to you and all I have to say to that is…” He looked me dead in the eye and smirked. “Good riddance and too bad you didn’t die along with her.”
I was across the table grabbing him by the throat and slamming him on the floor before Caden even had a chance to get a good hold on me. I had my dagger out in my other hand and pressed it under his chin. He had the audacity to smile up at me and that pissed me off more. I slammed his head against the floor.
“How could you do that to them!?”
He chuckled. “Don’t you get it Cora…you’re a hybrid shifter, something that’s not supposed to be. You are the first one in two hundred years, the last one couldn’t control its self and turned on guardians and shifters alike, he got put down like a dog and it was a good thing to. You’ll end up doing the same thing.” He chuckled more. “Look at you, you can hardly contain your anger as is, your eyes are glowing and I can see the fire dancing in them and around you. Everyone would be a lot safer if you didn’t exist and so would the world.” He leaned in closer and whispered. “History will repeat its self, like mother like daughter.” He looked past me at Caden. “You’re in love with your charge, I can see it in the way you look at him and vice versa…you’ll be the death of him Cora.”
He started laughing uncontrollably until I couldn’t take it anymore and I plunged the dagger deep into his chest. His eyes grew wide with shock and his laughter died off. I watched as his eyes dulled and only removed the dagger when he took his last breath. I stood up to face Caden as I whipped the blood from the dagger onto my pants. His mouth hung slightly open as he stared down at the lifeless shell of Cole. My name came out as a ragged whisper. “Cora?” I shook my head and didn’t say anything as
I walked past him, I was numb from the inside out.
Caden kept calling out my name but I just kept on walking, I couldn’t look at him because I didn’t want him to look at me any differently. All I wanted to do was be alone. I wasn’t sure what I would find when I walked out these doors. Walking out into the afternoon sun only to have silence greet me. Nobody was out and about and I wondered if I imagined the sirens and the fighting. It was all just so odd. I also wondered if I made a grave mistake when I shoved my dagger in Cole’s chest.
All things I would think about once I’m alone. Instead of heading over to Caden’s house I went to my own place and locked myself inside. I slid down the length of the door, rested my head on my bent knees and began to cry.
Chapter 18
I’m not sure how long I sat there crying for, I cried for the loss of my parents, for Carla and for the guardians and shifters that have lost their lives. It didn’t seem like anyone else would cry for them, so I did. My eyes were puffy, red and sore by the time I was done letting it all out. Even after the tears stopped running down my face I still sat on the floor by the door hugging my knees to my chest with my cheek resting on them. After a few more minutes of sitting on the cold hard floor, I stood up and looked around at my surroundings. It wasn’t much but it has been home for the last five or six days, hell might as well call it a week.
Once I leave here I won’t know where I’ll stay or what I’ll do. I still have that big ol’wad of cash stashed in the dresser, I could use that for a cheap place or rent a hotel room in a secluded area. Nodding my head to myself I walked over to the bed, bent down and pulled the duffel bags out from under the bed. I set them on the bed and began to fill them with the little things that I owned. I face palmed myself when I remembered that my backpack was still over at Caden’s.
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