by Ava Hardy
The car started to slow down and I glanced up to see what was going on. Chris pulled over to the side of the road and into a little pull off that was cut back into the woods. No cars had passed us for at least forty minutes so privacy was definitely not a concern as we headed east. Breaking down out here though? Oh yeah. Let’s hope we had cell service.
Without a word, Chris put the car in park and undid his seat belt before getting out. Blake did the same. Confusion swept over me. I swear, these two were going to drive me crazy. I undid my seat belt and slid from the middle of the seat to climb out the back passenger seat. Crossing my arms once again, I watched as Chris walked around to come join where Blake and I stood.
“What the hell is going on?” I blurted out in frustration. It was becoming more and more clear that my fuse was short-lived and I could feel it getting closer to the point where’d I tell them to take me home.
“You want to know...” Chris started to say and I snapped.
“Yes, I do!”
Blake winced as my words sliced at Chris and, for a second, I felt bad, but enough was enough.
“Canada has a large population of hunters. Many of them are the new generation so they don’t know all the tricks of the trade yet. However, they’ve grown up in this life so they are more resourceful than their superiors. They tend to travel on the major highways in order to get to places quicker. Very few travel the backroads. It’s not 100% effective but we can’t risk getting caught up with one when we’re searching for the element...”
“How do you even know where this element is?” I didn’t bother to comment on the whole hunters thing. At this point, I didn’t even know if it was true. I had yet to see evidence of a hunter or a supernatural being. Well, unless you counted the Elder. I swear he was like Yoda’s long-lost cousin.
“Let him finish,” Blake cut in. He was trying to be gentle about it but I felt like he was getting a little tired of me. I glared at him for a moment before looking back at Chris.
“Nobody knows where it is. If we did, we would already be there,” Chris explained, shoving his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans. “We have to use the help of Elders and other packs. Everyone has a vested interest in you getting the elements. Nobody wants to see the world destroyed. Well, almost nobody; there are some that would like to see this “rock burn”.” He used his fingers to make air quotes as he spoke.
When he did that, I couldn’t help but smile. That man; as dry and mysterious as he was, he was still pretty damn adorable.
“There are other packs of shifters that have been searching out where the element is. We get information from them, and if it seems promising, we’ll head in that direction. Blake and I have spent most of our adulthood searching for you. Not specifically you but the one that will be our collector. It wasn’t easy, trust me. We both started on our own path after Gaia showed us the light. I know that sounds a little like an after-death experience and in a way, it is. It’s this ritual that packs do when a pup turns eighteen. If Gaia has chosen you, she sends a sign and the pack knows that you’re one of the Gifted. Gifted means that you were born to protect the elements and the collectors. It also comes with more responsibilities and strengths that the rest of the pack doesn’t have. The problem was that nobody knows how to find a collector or what makes a collector your collector. It’s just something you feel.”
“I’m the collector...” I said softly, watching Chris closely. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as I became a sponge and soaked up all the information that he was giving me.
He nodded his head, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Blake doing the same. My heart thundered in my chest and I wanted to ask more questions but my tongue felt tied in that moment, my mind swirling with so many thoughts.
“We crossed paths a little over a year ago and discovered that we had both been searching for our collector. The more we compared notes, the more we realized that we might have the same one. Collectors typically have anywhere from four to six Gifted to help her...”
I had to cut Chris off again and ask if there were more. He nodded his head, leaning back on his heels a little.
“We have no idea who the others are but are confident that they will show up when they need to. ’Til then, the three of us have to work together to complete our tasks. This is the first time in about a hundred years that a collector actually has to find, and...well...collect the elements. Things have been going pretty smooth but the tides have shifted and earth isn’t safe any longer.” Chris pressed his lips together for a moment as he watched me. I could tell that he was giving me a moment to soak up the new information.
“What did collectors do for the last hundred years?” If they weren’t collecting, what were they doing? The world didn’t need saving. I suddenly pictured the sunny beach, hot cabana boys with the faces of Blake and Chris, and an empty glass that needed a refill.
“You really want to know?” Blake asked with a smirk. I turned to look at him and became curious with the look on his face. I glanced back at Chris, waiting for him to answer.
“They...” It looked like Chris was blushing a little. Was he really bashful? My heart was fluttered a little as I smiled at him. “They spent time with their Gifted and usually ended up producing...”
Blake cut through the tension that was building with a laugh. “Seriously? You sound like you are reading a textbook. Kie, most of them live together like their own little pack and fuck. Sometimes they have offspring, sometimes they don’t. It’s always encouraged, since collectors and Gifted usually produce more Gifted but it’s always up to those involved.”
My jaw dropped a little. Now I understood why Chris was acting like he was. Did these two expect that from me? Not that I wouldn’t sleep with them because they were extremely attractive; definitely my type. They had no idea that I had never been intimate with anyone before. Suddenly self-conscious, I looked away from them. It felt like I should be wearing a shirt that said “nearly thirty-year-old virgin” across the front.
“You don’t have to be so crude about it,” Chris retorted. There was a small smile on his face before he looked to me. It seemed like he was about to say something and yet he hesitated. With Chris, you could almost see the gears turning as he thought about things.
“Do you want to see me?” Chris asked curiously. Blake looked at him with a bit of a wide-eyed expression and then realized where he was going. “In my other form, I mean.”
Holding my breath, I stepped back and felt my back hit the side of the SUV. He wanted to prove that everything he was saying was true and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it. My heart was thundering in my chest again and I nodded my head a little.
Chris stepped back and tilted his head to listen for oncoming cars. When he felt it was safe enough, he turned his back to me and removed his shirt. I watched in amazement as his body started to twist and turn as he began to shift. The Velcro on his pants pulled apart and fell away. How did I not notice that they were pull away? Before I could process exactly what I had seen, there was a light-colored wolf staring back at me with Chris’s eyes. The dark coloring that trailed down his back was the same color as the man’s hair and his beard. Suddenly, I felt my knees go weak and Blake was quick to catch me before I fell.
“That’s....is that really...holy crap,” I stuttered, leaning into Blake with my eyes glued to the wolf.
Blake was a bit amused by my reaction, his faint chuckle clear as day. The animal was beautiful, sitting there on his haunches like it was a normal thing.
“Can I...” I started to ask once I regained my composure and control of my legs. I felt Blake’s hand push me gently towards Chris and that gave me all the answer that I needed.
I took a hesitant step towards Chris, my hand slightly outstretched. Our eyes stayed locked on one another and I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me. The fear I felt was drawn from the overall idea that wolves were dangerous. Here I was, walking up to one, but not just any wolf. This was Chris. The handsome man that was driving
us around to try and save the planet. His words were all rushing back to me and ringing true in my ears. The responsibilities that came with what they said I was, it was unmeasurable. I didn’t even know if I could do it. It made me question my whole reasoning for coming on this trip. Confusion once again swirled around within me as I took another step towards him.
I was reaching my hand out with Chris’s eyes on me. I was only a few inches away from touching his fur. Holding my breath, I told myself to calm down. Everything was going to be alright. Just as I closed the distance between the two of us, I was hit in the side by something hard. The force sent me flying away from Chris and I landed on my stomach several feet in front of the SUV. Pushing myself up onto my hands and knees, I heard Blake cussing and Chris responding with a howl. Pain was shooting up and down my arms but I knew I needed to get up on my feet. Fast.
It didn’t take me more than a few seconds to get on my feet but what I saw had me frozen in place. There were black shadowy creatures jumping on Chris’s back. They looked like humans but their details were missing. It was like someone’s shadow. I jumped when I saw one open its mouth. Row after row of sharp razor-like teeth appeared and moved to bite down on Blake’s arm. Chris had two on him, biting and ripping out patches of fur.
Fueled by adrenaline and a strong desire to protect them, I ran towards them. Two more of the creatures ran out of the woods and intercepted me as I got closer to where Chris was. They jumped on me and I turned so they would land on my back. Their weight wasn’t like a normal person’s weight and how your legs would buckle under too much weight. This was a heavy pressure and it was pushing me towards the ground. Digging my heels into the ground, I fought back and refused to let them get me on the ground again.
Fear was starting to kick in. I had no idea what these things were. I didn’t know what they wanted or what they would do. They were going to kill Chris and all I wanted to do was help. I had to make them stop. I had to do something. My heartbeat pounded in my chest. Each passing minute meant one less minute for Chris and possibly Blake. I suddenly couldn’t take it anymore.
“STOP!!” I commanded at the top of my lungs. As I spoke, my body filled with a white-hot energy that I had only felt once before. My foot stomped down on the ground and a white circle lit up around me. Within seconds, the light pushed outward and started to consume the shadows in its wake. Even as they disappeared, the light continued on in a circle, with me at the center. The whole area where we were lit up with a bright light and then, in another second, it was gone. I felt extremely weak and fell to my knees.
For a moment, I felt like I might pass out. The ground was coming closer but then I was lifted into the air. Blake’s familiar scent hit my senses as Chris’s voice ordered that Blake put me in the back. My eyelids felt extremely heavy. Images flashed in my mind. Chris getting his shirt on. Blood on Blake’s cheek. Then darkness.
Chapter 9
Blinking my eyes slowly, I started to focus on the colors that were right in front of my face. For a moment, I had no idea where I was but could tell I was moving. Then it hit me. Blake’s cologne. I pulled my head back a little and realized I was staring at his stomach. The hazy colors from before were from his shirt.
Looking up, I met his gaze as he looked down at me with a smile. His fingers were in my hair, brushing my brown locks back. It was extremely comforting, and for a second, I thought about going back to sleep. Instead, I rolled onto my back and left my head in Blake’s lap so he could keep playing with my hair.
“Is she awake?” Chris asked from the front, his head turning to quickly glance back at us.
“Yeah,” Blake answered softly, his fingers didn’t stop.
“What the hell happened?” I finally asked, feeling extremely groggy. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that we had just finished partying all night and I had one too many vodka martinis.
“We were attacked by Defenders,” Blake answered somewhat softly. He was trying to break the news to me gently but it didn’t work. I started to ask what in the hell Defenders were but Blake started to explain. “They protect the element. Anything or anyone that tries to get too close, they attack. The ones that we dealt with were lower in ranking and span out, usually several miles away from the element and attack anyone they think might be a threat. They are skilled but don’t always kill. Their teeth aren’t long enough to penetrate most shifters and it ends up looking worse than it was. Chris was fine. He healed instantly. They got a few bites on me but I shifted and was fine within seconds.”
I stared up at him with wide eyes, my brain processing everything that he just said. I knew this planet was a scary place, and yet, after meeting these two, it got worse.
“It means that we’re in the right area,” Chris said, a bit hopeful. “The closer we get to the element, the worse the Defenders will be. Some will be invisible to us and it’ll be a challenge to keep you safe. When we ask you to do something, we’re going to need you to listen, okay?”
I nodded my head, still in Blake’s lap. Swallowing hard, I searched for my voice. “Deal.”
“There is one Defender that is always with the element. The Dark Defender. He’ll be one scary SOB. Many have lost their lives going against him but...” Blake paused as he noticed my expression, my fear clearly visible.
“We’ll work together and get the element,” Chris finished. He hit the blinker and turned down a dirt road. I didn’t even bother to ask where we were going or how long I was out. I could see the sun had shifted in the sky. It had to have been at least a few hours. Was I resting in Blake’s lap the whole time? Smiling to myself, I looked back up at his face.
“Once you have the element, the Defenders won’t hurt you anymore. They just don’t realize that you’re a collector right now. Because they aren’t really human, they are...” Blake paused as he tried to decide how to explain. “They’re like a demon, in a way. They don’t think. They just react. Their only job is to protect the element and it doesn’t matter the cost. The Dark Defenders have been morphing over the years. Because collectors haven’t had to search out the elements, they’ve grown in power and it’s become destructive. They need to be destroyed and reassigned to newly appointed Defenders that will honor the code.”
“A Defender only goes dark after so many years without a change. It’s like when someone is locked up in a box and their mind drives them mad. It’s the same. They’ve been defending the element night and day for at least a century. Once they go dark, it’s irreversible. Nobody knows exactly how long it takes or how the new one is chosen. It’s like when a shifter becomes Gifted. It’s up to the Gods and Gaia mostly,” Chris explained, a smile slowly spreading across his face at the mention of Gaia.
I noticed that Blake was smiling as well. They had done that before when we were at the Elder’s house. I had no idea who she was but she certainly had an effect on men. As I studied Blake’s face, I started to realize that I was feeling a bit jealous of all this attention that she got.
“What you did...have you ever done that before?” Blake asked cautiously, a warm smile on his face.
“Not like that, no. When I was little, I got really mad and I had light come out of my fingers. But that...I thought that they were going to kill you both and something came over me. It was like energy. I can’t really explain it,” I told them truthfully. Seeing them being attacked in my head brought back all sorts of emotions and I could tell that my heart was starting to race. Blake’s fingers ran through my hair again, telling me that everything was going to be alright.
“We’re going to find out what exactly you are,” Chris explained as he turned us down another road. It was another dirt road, lined with trees. I could see them outside the window as the branches scraped along the vehicle. I winced a little, hoping that his new car didn’t end up with a ton of scratches.
“How?”
My question hung in the air. Neither of them seemed to want to answer and I didn’t know why.
“We�
��re going to see Gaia.” I looked up at Blake as he spoke. That familiar smile spread across his face and I frowned.
“I don’t know who this Gaia is, but if it’s your girlfriend, I’m not interested.” I moved to sit up and Blake’s hands pushed me back down. Both he and Chris were laughing at what I said. Glaring at Blake, I tried to sit up again. “I’m serious. You guys hear the name Gaia and you both smile like lovesick puppies. Look! You’re doing it right now.”
“Just wait ’til you see her and you’ll understand.” Chris was trying to be encouraging and yet I wasn’t convinced.
“And just for the record,” Blake chuckled. “She isn’t our girlfriend.”
His hold on me loosened and I moved to sit up. Sliding to the other side of the backseat, I glared at him again. My eyes eventually shifted to look out the window and all I could see was the narrow path that was the road. Large trees were caving in on both sides of us. It was obvious that where we were going wasn’t a place that was meant to be found by just anyone.
“You guys seem to want to make her your girlfriend,” I huffed several minutes too late as I glanced out the window. Luckily, I didn’t notice that both men were struggling not to laugh.