Fortunately, Michael had his grandparents’ number memorized, and called the front desk to have the number patched through. Thankfully the phone in the hotel room was a newer version with a speaker phone that he turned on so we could all hear the conversation.
“I was waiting for you to call,” Everett Buchanan’s voice boomed clearly over the speaker after the call connected.
“How did you know it was me?” Michael asked in surprise.
“I know everything. Besides, who else would call me from out of state? So I take it you have read the book by now and that’s why you’re calling me,” he continued before Michael had a chance to answer him.
“Yes. Why didn’t you just tell me about all of this instead of giving me that book to read?”
“You wouldn’t have believed me or taken this seriously. You had to read it for yourself to understand the impact this will have on all of your lives. And that this isn’t some laughing matter.”
“How come Nick and I are the only ones who can read it? Kimberly and Courtney say it’s written in a different language.”
Michael’s grandfather laughed on the other end of the phone. “That’s because it is. No one has been able to decipher which specific language it is she used. There are theories that it is a language created for shifters exclusively. Only those with the bloodline can read it.”
“Then why caution us to be careful with who gets their hands on the book?” Michael asked his grandfather.
“We just can’t be too careful with these things. Not with our family at risk, and the fate of the world at large. Even if other entities can’t read the book, it still needs to be protected, don’t you think? There is power in knowledge.”
“Maybe so, but I wish you would have told me, regardless. But that’s not the only reason we are calling; Court had another vision and we don’t know where to go from here.”
“What happened in this vision?” His grandfather’s voice echoed sharply around the room.
“Um, she was in some mountains and there were a lot of trees, and she said she went to a cave...” Mike began to summarize my vision to him.
“Was there a lake in the mountains?” he asked, and I gasped in shock that he knew about the lake. “I take that as a yes.” Mr. Buchanan chuckled after he heard my startled response.
“Yes, there was a lake,” I confirmed.
“Was there anything significant in this cave she saw?”
“A dozen or so other people being held captive,” Mike answered thickly.
“That explains it, then,” his grandfather mumbled to himself, clearly forgetting momentarily that he was on the phone with us.
“Explains what?”
“I can’t tell you. I’ve said way too much already. The mountains you are seeking are located in the Berkshires. Head that way and Courtney will tell you where you need to go. Tell her to trust her instincts. And make sure you find your guides. They will help you along the way.”
“You haven’t said anything! How are we supposed to find two random people? We need help here, Grandpa,” Mike practically shouted into the phone.
“I can’t help you any more than I already have. Stick together as a group, and please, remember that vampires aren’t the only thing you’ll be up against,” Mr. Buchanan told us vaguely.
“What does that even mean?”
I looked over to Kimberly and Nick and saw that they were staring at the phone, confusion etched into their faces. This entire conversation was completely bizarre, and I felt as if his grandfather was talking to us in circles.
“Michael, if vampires are out there, then obviously other beings exist as well. The vampires haven’t survived on this earth for as long as they have without some help. The closer you get to your destination, the more obstacles you will face. Rely on your wolf. Listen to your alpha. Follow your seer’s instincts. And utilize your healer when the time comes. You were born to do this. Remember, it’s your destiny.”
“Why does this feel like you’re telling me goodbye?” Michael cried.
I noticed his eyes were glassy with tears and I felt my own throat starting to constrict. One quick look at Nick and Kimberly showed me that they were getting emotional, too.
“I love you, Michael. And I am very proud that you are my grandson,” Mr. Buchanan said before he hung up the phone.
No one spoke as the loud beeping sound played over the speaker to alert us that the call had ended. I did the only thing I could do in that moment; I pulled Michael into my arms and held him as he cried on my shoulder.
Chapter 16
“Are you okay?” Nick glanced in the rearview mirror and looked at Michael, who was staring out the back passenger window.
After Mike had cried for a few minutes, he’d wordlessly pulled back and gone to the bathroom. It was evident that he’d been in desperate need of some time to himself, and we’d all respected that. The rest of us had spent the time cleaning up what little mess we’d made in the room and packing our meager belongings. Nick had carried the bags out to my car, and once Michael had emerged from the bathroom, we’d checked out and left without a word spoken between us.
“So how long until we reach the Berkshires?” Kimberly asked, trying to steer the attention off Michael.
“I’m not too sure. The lady at the front desk said it’s almost four hours from where we are. But you know how I drive,” Nick responded with a cocky grin.
“Where exactly are we?” I asked.
“Portland, Maine. But the problem is that the Berkshires span three counties. Two are in Massachusetts and one is in Connecticut. So the question is—which county do we go to?”
“Out of all places we have to go to, it’s a fucking mountain range. This is going to be like finding a needle in a damn haystack,” I sighed and watched the cars on the I-95 freeway as we passed them.
“Maybe when we get closer to where we need to be, you’ll have another vision telling us where to go,” Kimberly—ever the optimist—offered.
“Or maybe you’ll just have an instinct on which way to go,” Nick suggested with a small shrug.
“Maybe I can just call up my grandpa and ask him. He’s been such a big help so far,” Michael snapped sarcastically, continuing to stare out the window.
No one commented at Michael’s snarky comment and the next hour passed in complete silence. To say that it was a comfortable silence would be a massive lie. No, the emotions circulating within the small vehicle were wrought with an anger that radiated off Michael and the collective concern for him from everyone else. I knew we all desperately wanted to help him somehow, but he’d erected a figurative titanium-plated wall.His body language told us to leave him the hell alone.
While Nick concentrated on driving down I-95, Kimberly kept busy by reading one of the books that I’d brought along. I needed to do something, anything. Since talking to Michael was out of the question, and Nick and Kimberly were busy, I tried to think of something to do other than staring out the window, not taking anything in.
I was in the front seat again, so I finally took a deep breath and twisted around to look at Michael. “Hey, can I look at that journal of your grandmother's, please?”
“Why do you want it?” Michael asked me without even sparing a glance in my direction.
I shrugged, even though I knew he wouldn’t catch the gesture. “I just want to look at it for myself. I love old books,” I offered byway of explanation.
Michael let out a gusty exhale and extended his arm to hand me the old, weathered journal. “Be careful with it. Some of the pages are brittle.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m aware. I promise I’ll be careful.”
Michael didn’t say another word and I sat back in my seat. I ran my fingertips lightly over the old book in awe and closed my eyes as the feelings of pain and fear charged through my body.
“Court? Are you okay?” Kimberly asked from behind me, the concern evident in her voice. “You’re shaking.”
I opened my ey
es and offered her a shaky smile. “Yeah. Just emotional, I guess.”
Kimberly looked at me as if she wanted to say something, but I turned my attention back to the book in my hands. I slowly opened it to the first page and let my eyes roam over the letters that were scratched into the worn pages. Yes, the handwriting on the pages was absolutely beautiful, even if I didn’t understand a bit of it. Hell, it was a calligrapher’s wet dream, but I caught a different emotion that was practically shouting off the script. I felt desperation.
Tears welled in my eyes as I thumbed slowly through the pages. With each turn of the page a different image flashed in my mind. Almost like each page came with a screenshot only meant for me to see. I could see everything. The beautiful wolf, the tyrannical king, the bloodthirsty vampires, the terrified villagers, and the desperate strength of Michael’s ancestor as she fled with her children. Every single word that flooded those pages flashed before my eyes like my own private movie. It was heartbreaking to witness.
I quickly wiped my eyes as I turned to the last page. I let my fingers, once again, ghost over the worn paper as I took a deep breath to try and gather my emotions. I slowly exhaled as I started to close the book, but stopped when something caught my eye.
With the exception of the symbol carved into the cover of the book, the rest of it was blank. Only the effects of age marred the once-pristine leather. That was, until you got to the last page. Inside the cover was a thin piece of paper that was somehow glued to it, except for one corner that was pulled back from the edge. I would have easily ignored it, the same way Nick had, but I noticed some writing.
My breath caught in my throat as I slowly pulled the paper back, careful not to rip it, and I gasped. On the other side of the paper were only four words. I couldn’t read it, but I knew those four little words would give me the direction I needed.
“Michael, what does this say?” I breathlessly asked him and thrust the book in his face.
“Evelyn Buchanan. Sansfield, Massachusetts,” he read aloud, and I snatched the book away before he could say anything else.
I smoothed back over the page and closed the journal, gripping it like a vise in my hand.
“We need to go to Sansfield, Massachusetts,” I announced to Nick after I was able to catch my breath again.
“Okay.” Nick glanced over to me and saw the book in my hand. He nodded and returned his attention to the road that was disappearing with each spin of the tires.
Kimberly and Michael kept quiet during Nick’s and my short conversation, and I turned in my seat to return the journal back to Michael.
“Here,” I said to him, and he reached out to grab it.
Michael took the book and locked his eyes on mine. The sadness overpowered the sparkle that usually danced on his stunning blue irises and I felt my own well with tears again.
“Please don’t cry. I’ll be fine. I just need some time to process everything, okay?” Michael assured me with a sad smile.
I nodded and squeezed his hand to let him know, without words, that I was there for him when he was ready to talk, then I settled back into my seat again.
“Hey guys, I think we need to pull over in New Hampshire for the night,” Nick suggested from the driver’s seat.
“Why? We only have a few hundred miles to Massachusetts,” Kimberly pointed out.
“While that is a valid point, we need to make a game plan. Yes, we have a more definitive idea of where we need to go, but think about it. We can’t just go storm a mountain range and hope we find a cave that miraculously has a few dozen human juice boxes in there. No, what we need to do is find an internet café and search the area. Maybe some pictures will help jog Court’s memory of what she saw and she can pinpoint where we need to go.”
“And what happens when we find the cave?” Michael finally spoke up after we let Nick’s suggestion sink in.
Nick sighed and ran a hand down his face in what appeared to be exhaustion. “That’s a discussion for a later time. Right now, we need to figure out where the cave is. And to be honest, I’m starving, my ass hurts from sitting, and I really need to pee.”
After mulling it over, we gave Alpha our acquiescence and he merged on to the Blue Star Turnpike that led us straight to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He followed the road signs that directed us to a large hotel from a reputable chain that had a nice steak house directly across the street.
We wasted no time getting checked into a room and took turns to shower and stretch out our tired bodies on the comfortable beds. After everyone had freshened up, we got back into the car and drove across the street to the restaurant. Luckily, it was still early enough that we didn’t have a long wait and were seated at a table in no time.
“Good evening, my name is Joshua and I will be your server this evening. May I start you all out with an appetizer and something to drink?” a friendly voice said after we looked over our menus for a few minutes.
We all looked up at our server, and everyone froze. My eyes landed on the most beautiful man I had ever seen. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of green framed with long, thick lashes. His brown hair was cropped closely to his head, with just a little bit left longer on top to swoop to the side. His cheekbones and jaw were sharp enough to cut glass, and when he smiled? I couldn’t stop myself from shifting in arousal. Since when was a dusting of facial hair so sexy?
I heard Nick’s sharp intake of air and felt Michael’s body tense up beside me. From my peripheral vision I saw Kimberly’s jaw nearly unhinged, almost lying on the table. What in the actual fuck was this guy doing waiting tables? He needed to be gracing the nation with his beautiful face on magazine covers instead.
I was able to recover first and ordered myself a drink, and thankfully, my friends followed suit. After Joshua left us with yet another panty-wetting smile, we turned our attention back to each other.
“I think I need to move to New Hampshire,” Michael joked, and we all let out a loud laugh. Mine was more to do with relief that my friend was back and not as sad anymore.
Dinner was a blast. We laughed and joked in ways that we hadn’t since that night at my house when our worlds changed. I noticed that throughout the evening whenever Joshua checked on our table, he couldn’t take his eyes off of Nick. Toward the end of the meal I noticed him slip a piece of paper to Nick, and I silently cheered on my friend for getting that beautiful man’s phone number.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” Nick announced after Joshua left with some cash and our bill.
Without another word he stood up and walked toward the back of the restaurant. I felt a sense of déjà vu from the last time we were out and one of us went to the bathroom. I just hoped this time ended on a happier note.
“Check it out,” Michael laughed and nudged my shoulder.
We all craned our necks and watched as Nick walked into the bathroom with Joshua following directly behind him.
“Good, maybe now he’ll chill out a bit,” Kimberly laughed as she finished off her drink.
“Let’s just hope that what Joshua is sucking in there isn’t blood,” I quipped with a chuckle.
Kimberly and Michael laughed at my comment and I smiled so big my cheeks hurt. It was easy for a moment to forget what dangers were lying in wait for us. To pretend for just a few hours that our lives were normal again. That we weren’t laden down with the heavy burden of saving pretty much all of humanity from paranormal beings. We could pretend that we were just like everyone else in that restaurant, completely oblivious to what was out there.
Little did we know what we were about to face.
Chapter 17
“Well, well, well. It’s about time you joined us again,” Kimberly teased Nick as he walked back to our table.
“Shut up,” Nick growled, even though a tell-tale blush spread over his cheeks. “There was an issue with the bathroom.”
“An issue, huh? Is that why your hair looks like someone has been pulling it?” I laughed and pointed to his messed-up locks.
“And are my eyes deceiving me, or is your shirt on inside out?” Kimberly reached out and tugged on the exposed tag of Nick’s shirt.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who likes to think with my ass,” Michael pointed out and wiggled his eyebrows.
Nick blushed even more, the red tinge spreading down his neck. “It wasn’t my ass that was doing the thinking,” he said swiftly and cleared his throat. “We should be heading back to the hotel.”
“No freaking way!” Michael protested. “We just waited out here for you for almost an hour so you could get blown, booty juked, or both. We are not leaving until we get the details. Especially since it was with that disgustingly hot waiter.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “That is not all we did, but now is not the time to discuss it. Joshua warned me that we need to get back as soon as possible. So we really need to go,” he practically insisted.
“It’s so unfair. The guy I met turns out to be a bloodsucking vampire that tries to kill me, and Nick meets a freaking model and gets to bump uglies in the bathroom,” Michael grumbled as we made our way out of the restaurant.
I let out a chuckle and wrapped my arm around Michael’s waist. “You’re just lucky, I guess.”
“Fuck, Lady Luck,” Michael glowered. “I want my own bathroom fun.”
I turned my head to respond to Michael and ran into someone’s back. “What are you—?”
“Shh! Get down,” Nick commanded with a hiss, cutting off my question.
“What’s going on?” Kimberly asked with a tremble in her voice.
We all crouched down behind a car and turned our gazes to Nick. “There are some things circling our vehicle.”
“What kind of things?” Michael asked. I felt his body tense up beside me, almost as if he was preparing his body to shift.
“I’m not entirely sure. We need to get back inside and find Joshua,” Nick replied with his gaze trained on the beings that surrounded our car. I got a look at the things Nick was talking about, and I wrinkled my nose. They were walking around our car, almost shuffling their feet, and their shoulders were hunched over. Their movements were stiff and creepy. Whatever they were, they weren’t human.
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