Unfortunate Souls (Book 1): Unfortunate Souls Series (The Unfortunate Souls Series)

by Jade M. Phillips

  I let a low growl escape my lips, realizing he had a point. Ruby was in my care and I was the one who had made the decision to take her in the first place. After a long stare-off with Wilson, I dropped my shoulders, defeated. Damn it. Why were old people always right?

  “You’re right,” I breathed, combing my fingers through my hair in resignation. “I should’ve been more careful. It’s just… I thought by now…”

  What did I think? Maybe I’d thought she was trustworthy, that she’d proven to be more than just some irrational bloodsucker. But facts were facts. She was a Newborn vampire and Newborns were always unpredictable, no matter how human they seemed.

  I sank into a rolling computer chair and leaned back against the headrest. Wilson sat down next to me and folded his fingers together on the desk, leaning his chin atop of them.

  “I’m sorry, as well. I should’ve sensed her. I should’ve known. I hardly sleep anymore and normally would’ve jumped at a butterfly’s wing but with the rigorous training we’ve been undertaking and in my old age… I…”

  Our eyes met, and it was strange. In that moment it was like we understood each other for the first time, like an unspoken truce, an agreement. We’d never been friends before, just two people with a common problem that had brought us together in the most unlikely of circumstances— solely business. But now we had a common goal, to get Ruby back. And we both knew it.

  “You go and search for her and I’ll stay in case she comes back.” Wilson suggested.

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  I moved to stand, but Wilson lifted a hand, stopping me. “If by some miracle you find her out there, don’t come back. Take her straight to Tombstone.”

  I nodded in agreement. And without another word, Wilson stood and made himself busy, flipping open laptops and clicking through keyboards. I ran to the guest room, gathering my pack of supplies. I laced up my combat boots and strapped my gun to my hip. I threw my bag over my shoulder and headed back through the house, passing the red door where Wilson was checking on surveillance footage. I couldn’t help but be highly aware that this could possibly be the last time I would ever see Wilson. I stopped and peered through the door.

  “Wilson.” I steeled myself for my next words, and forced them out in a quiet voice. “In case I never said so before… thank you. For everything.”

  Wilson paused and looked over his shoulder. He smiled, but said nothing in reply. We didn’t have to say what would happen after this, it was common sense. We would take our separate paths and never look back, trying to forget about our time together. Wilson turned back to his work and I bolted toward the front door, praying I could once again find Ruby. I needed to get her home.

  THIRTY-FOUR: RUBY

  My pulse raced, my face draining of color. I found myself staring up into the yellow, glowing eyes of the werewolf who’d been chasing me through town ever since I’d left Wilson’s house. He hadn’t fully transformed yet, still having the form of a half-man half-wolf. But he was terrifying nonetheless.

  I found myself wishing I’d done things differently, wishing I’d made better choices. But then again, what good was another chance at life if I couldn’t enjoy the pleasures the world had to offer? I wondered if this would be the status of my life from now on— fleeing, running, hiding, fighting to survive. But regardless of my inane thoughts on the future, that’s exactly what I must do now, fight for my life.

  The werewolf’s chest rose and fell quickly with huffing breaths, his legs crouched; a beast ready to strike. I knew he wouldn’t give up until I was dead or in custody, his ferocious stare offering nothing along the lines of forgiveness. It was obvious the wolf worked for FUSE, for the red Ankh glared out at me from a patch on his dark-hooded sweater.

  He saw me there, beneath the desk, peering out at him like a scared bunny. He could smell my fear; it coaxed him on like a rabid animal. He inched closer and closer, reveling in the fact that I was trapped. I pressed my hands into the wood above me and closed my eyes, thinking this was my last chance to prove, not only to myself, but to Wilson and Guy that I could control and conquer my abilities, despite the idiotic choices I’d made so far.

  The wolf growled as he surged in, the air of his movements rushing toward me, sweeping my face in a smell of wet dirt and dander. But I banished my fear—as well as the stench from the wolf— clearing my mind to focus on my strength. And as the werewolf dove in, I pushed hard against the heavy desk, causing it to fly forward. It crushed him against the wall, eliciting a canine yelp, and not a moment later, silence permeated the room. I knew then that I’d knocked him out.

  I climbed from the floor and stood over the unconscious wolf-man, my hands trembling violently. “Whoa.” Shock poured through me that I’d defeated the beast, and I struggled to take a breath. And then it occurred to me that he might wake up, and I sure as heck didn’t want to be standing there when he did. Anxiety coursed through me, but I willed my body to move and bounded out the back door and into the night.

  I found myself on the long stretch of highway toward Wilson’s house weaving in and out of darkness and desert. I lagged, my strength weakening and my breath growing heavy. My lungs burned and my muscles cramped. I didn’t know how much more I could take but, thankfully, I no longer sensed the presence of the black-cloaked werewolf, so when I saw the dirt drive leading to Wilson’s desolate property, I raced up it with haste.

  At the first sight of the old ranch house and its pink-painted door, I breathed a sigh of relief, my body turning to Jell-O. I burst through the door to find Guy racing toward me like Rambo, his pack on his back and weapons at his side. He was in shock at the sight of me and came to a skidding halt. I needed to explain, to say something, yet I could barely speak from the heavy pressure in my chest. I stopped in the front entry, the door lying opened behind me, and braced my hands on my knees. I panted and coughed, my body sagging forward.

  “Where the hell were you?” Guy growled in frustration, his grey eyes narrowing on me.

  I was spared the need to reply when Wilson flew into the room, his face twisting and turning with emotion before it landed on a scolding-father expression. He considered me, shaking his head. “Has nothing I’ve taught you about safety sunk into that pretty blonde head of yours? What were you thinking?”

  “I… I…” I couldn’t catch my breath. Even if I’d been able to, I wouldn’t have known where to start my explanation. A strong breeze followed me through the front door accompanied by a black blur.

  “Werewolf.” The word barely left Guy’s lips before I spun to meet my pursuer’s attack. Damn, I thought I’d knocked him out.

  We flew from the ground in a tangle of legs and arms and fangs and fur. His form had shifted from a man into a large-scale black wolf, his clothes ripping from his body as he expanded in midair. He grabbed me by the neck and we landed hard on the tile, crushing the floor to pieces. I gazed up at the terrifying beast looming atop me, struggling to free myself from his grasp, but I was pinned solid. His sharp teeth frothed with saliva, his jaw quivered, and his yellow irises glowed as if producing their own light source. I was hardly able to move, for his strength nearly matched my own.

  I growled and gave one last attempt to free myself, surprised when I was able to flip my attacker on his back. Before I could think what to do next, a piercing shot rang out, causing the wolf to go limp beneath me. I jumped away and turned to see Guy holding a gun pointed at the beast’s chest.

  “Oh, my God,” I breathed. Guy unloaded at least five more shots into the wolf, each one jerking the furry body on the ground, the concussion vibrating through my ears. The werewolf morphed, his fur receding into the skin of a man, his naked body lying bloodied on the floor.

  I released a sob and brought my hands to cover my mouth. My heart throbbed and my numb legs wobbled.

  “Did anyone else follow you?” Guy demanded of me, but I vaguely heard him beyond the confusion in my brain. My vision darkened, the room threatening to t
urn black. I leaned against the wall, bracing myself. “Did anyone else follow you?” Guy said louder this time, snapping me from my shocked haze.

  “I… I don’t think so.” My voice sounded distant and far away, as if in a dream as I stood enveloped in my own stupefaction.

  “Good.” But the relief in Guy’s voice was hollow as he slid his weapon back into his belt and gave the man’s lifeless body a hard kick.

  “What have I told you Ruby?” Wilson scolded, drawing my eyes up. He closed the front door and bolted it ten times with different sized and shaped locks. He rounded on me, his jaw clenched tight. “You know better than to go into the city. And by yourself, no less.” He huffed and steadied himself against the back of his recliner, as though he was about to have a heart attack. He let out an exasperated breath. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” My voice shook as I sat on the nearby sofa. “I wanted to do something nice for you. I wanted to get you both… a gift.” Saying it out loud sounded silly, ridiculous. I hung my head in shame.

  “A gift?” Guy released a scoff, making me feel worse than I already did. “A gift to us, would’ve been to stay put. To obey your orders and not go prancing into the city like some hormone-driven teenager.”

  My temper flared at Guy’s condescendence and I couldn’t help the fury that welled inside of me like a pool of molten lava. I stood abruptly and planted an angry foot on the ground.

  “You’re right, I am a teenager. A teenager who just realized her entire life has changed, for-ever. A teenager who’s lost everything.” I took a step forward, closing in on him. “And what are you?” I asked with malice, directing a cold gaze his way. “You’ve never even told me how old you are. What? Twenty? Twenty-one? Nothing more than a child yourself, an angry boy-soldier that has been given too much power for his own good.” He gazed at me with shock, but I didn’t care. He would never understand how I felt, how it felt to be immortal.

  “Enough!” Wilson’s voice boomed through me, louder than I’d ever heard it, and Guy and I stood frozen as the vampire’s eyes flicked between us. “Save the lover’s quarrel for another time.” He crossed the room, and pulled me to sit with him on the sofa, laying a gentle hand on my leg, calming my nerves. His voice softened. “I have no need for material things, Ruby. Only peace of mind that you’re safe is enough for me. Now please, tell me what happened.”

  I met Guy’s eyes, guilt flooding through me for the way I spoke to him. Regret filled his face as well, but he said nothing and dropped his gaze to the werewolf man on the floor. He sank down to the pile of torn clothes and rifled through his jeans pockets. I looked away, trying to clear my thoughts.

  “FUSE.” The word came out of my mouth as a whisper.

  Guy stood up with the man-wolf’s wallet in his hand and looked at me in fear. “You ran into FUSE soldiers?”

  I nodded, biting my bottom lip. “They were patrolling Fourth Avenue. They followed me, along with… with that thing.” I gestured to the dead werewolf, but kept my eyes averted away from the bloody mess. Guy and Wilson exchanged worried glances.

  “But it’s okay,” I breathed. “I lost them. He was the only one that followed me.”

  “You said he was with FUSE soldiers?” Wilson shot to his feet.

  “Yes. Why?” I asked, feeling like there was much more trouble to this situation I wasn’t yet privy too.

  “Oh, this is not good.” Wilson paced, his brows furrowed. “Not good at all. I need to check surveillance.” He darted off to the back hallway and closed himself behind the red door.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked Guy, worry flooding through my body. “What does he mean?”

  “Yep.” Withdrawing his hand from the wallet, Guy shook his head. “Found it.” He held a small silver rectangle the size of a peanut in the palm of his hand.

  “What? What is it?”

  Guy’s expression turned dark, and I knew I’d really messed up. He threw the little piece of metal to the ground and crushed it beneath his combat boot. He looked at me, clenched his jaw, and then sighed.

  “In rare instances FUSE will create a plea bargain with an Unfortunate Soul. They agree to work for FUSE and FUSE spares their life.” I frowned, still not fully understanding what was going on.

  “That was a tracking device.” Guy pointed beneath his boot. “And this werewolf was their tracker.”

  “Oh no.” The severity of the situation finally sunk in. If that was a tracking device, then FUSE knew where I’d escaped to. Here, at Wilson’s house.

  “Oh no, is right.” Guy paced, rubbing his scruffy chin in his hands. His storm cloud eyes took me in. “You’d better hope they didn’t get an accurate read or…”

  “They’ve found us!” Wilson yelled, bolting through the red door and into the living room. “FUSE is here!”

  I opened my mouth, but nothing came out except a soft cry. Panic washed over me.

  Guy pulled his gun from his belt and quickly reloaded it. Wilson flashed from room to room, closing windows and shades and bolting doors. A loud bang resonated at the front door. Someone was trying to break it down.

  “Time to go.” Guy yanked my arm, dragging me across the room toward the back door.

  I glanced back to see Wilson sinking into his leather recliner and taking a deep breath, like one would after a long day at work. I furrowed my brows but my confusion was interrupted by a loud slam at the front door, sounding like the force of at least four men put together on the other side.

  “Ruby. Now.” Guy tugged at me, but I halted, my eyes lingering on my teacher, wondering why he was sitting so calmly when we were about to be raided.

  “Wilson!” I cried out, an ugly sound. “Come with us!”

  Wilson looked at me, not with anger but with sadness. His dark eyes glistened with the flames of the fire. “It’s too late.”

  “No!” My heart pounded loud in my ears. “Come with us. We can get away!”

  Wilson shook his head and another loud bang erupted from the soldiers trying to get in. “If I go with you, they’ll track us down, just like they did you. If I stay, I can stall them enough for you two to get away.”

  I desperately looked to Guy to see what he thought about Wilson’s preposterous notion, but he just nodded in agreement.

  Another bang sounded out, this time half the bolts on the door bursting off, leaving only a few hanging on. My mouth opened as if to argue, but I realized it would be in vain. Wilson was, if anything, stubborn as an ox. I shook my head in disbelief as Guy leaned over and shook Wilson’s hand. The two men smiled at each other. It was a sad, knowing smile.

  “But Wilson…” Unshed tears marred my vision, making it hard to see. My hands shook. “Please…”

  Wilson stood and squared my shoulders to him. “It’s okay, Ruby. I’m two hundred years old and stronger than I look. I can hold my own. I’ll be fine.”

  “B…but…” I stuttered. No. No. No. This was all my fault. I couldn’t stand by and let Wilson take the heat for the problem I had created. It wasn’t fair.

  Wilson jerked my body with his strong hands, his brown eyes boring into mine. “Stand up straight, girl.” I obeyed, pulling up my shoulders, trying to hold back my tears. He considered me for one long moment and his stern facade softened when he spoke, words I feared would be the last I’d ever hear from him.

  “Go now, Ruby Carter. Just remember what I said before. Don’t dwell on the past, only look to the future. You will be the greatest vampire the world has ever seen. There’s no mistaking it.”

  Another loud bang nearly ripped the door from its hinges, but Guy had me out the back door before the soldiers could burst through. Without another thought and, as if by instinct, I grabbed Guy and whisked us both out into the darkness of night. In a flash, we came to the chain link fence at the end of the property. I stopped dead.

  “My picture.” I gasped, remembering I’d left it in the room underneath my pillow.

  “Your what?” B
ut before the words fully left Guy’s mouth, I raced back to the house and rounded the back to our bedroom window. Probably another idiotic move on my part, but I didn’t care. That picture was the one thing, the only thing I had from my past.

  Luckily, that side of the structure was clear. I broke through the window of our room and darted inside, swiping the picture from beneath the pillow. But when I turned to leave, I was startled by the presence of a soldier. I gasped in spite of myself as his hefty form filled the entirety of the windowpane, blocking me in. I recognized him from the incident downtown. He was the FUSE soldier with the werewolf.

  He smiled as he held a gun to my head, no doubt loaded with silver bullets. “Where do you think you’re going, little vamp? Don’t you want to stay and play?”

  I blinked, feeling the cold steel pressing into my skull. But as I looked up at the man, his smile changed, turning into a wide open ‘O’. Slowly as if underwater, his body shook and jolted in reaction to the gunshots. He slid to the floor.

  Gasping for air, I turned to see Wilson standing behind me hefting a large piece of artillery in his arms. The old vampire gave me a reprimanding look, but his line of sight traveled down to the picture in my hands. He said nothing but nodded toward the window, insinuating my escape. I slid Wilson one last glance before scaling the soldier’s slumped form beneath the window. I blew through the opening, glass shards shattering with me as I went.

  Yet again, I wanted to urge Wilson to come with us. I wanted to help save him from the attack, but I knew he wouldn’t come. This time, I didn’t stop. I raced back to the end of the property where I’d left Guy standing, dumbfounded and angry that he had lost me again.

  “Damn it, Faith.”

  Without warning, the house behind us erupted with a loud boom, the concussion of the explosion knocking us both to the ground. I peered through the trees to see a monstrous ball of fire escaping into the sky. A cloud of smoke mushroomed from the remains of what used to be Wilson’s home. Horror filled my heart, constricting my chest.