Found (The Last Watcher Series) Book One

by Yana Guleva

  “I.. Argem Pence.. take you.. to be my wedded wife..” I heard him say and suddenly felt frozen. Pence? He was Kierce’s brother? This was even more wrong. That’s it. That was the last straw. I couldn’t marry him, I just couldn’t. I’ll take death instead of getting into this. Kierce would completely fall apart. His own brother marrying his one and only love. Before I could reject this and stop this nonsense, there was banging just outside the room. The guards ran in and my heart stopped. I felt like I would lose conscious now, before I even knew what was truly happening.

  “Attack! We’re being attacked!” The guard kept screaming.

  “Take the girl away! Now!” Samuele yelled in the group of seats.

  “This is nonsense, complete nonsense!” Argem now started saying. “Take her away already!” He added. He seemed furious, but still curious on who was attacking us. A guard ran up to me and grabbed my arm. I hesitated to move, maybe the attack was for me. No, I didn’t want to think that. I couldn’t bear to know that Tae and Kierce would be in danger again. I started to follow the guard. He pulled me through the main entrance of the mansion, since it was the only way out of the current room. As we walked by the main doors, they flew open.

  “It can’t be.” I said as my mouth dropped. “Tae! Kierce!” I screamed, but the guard did not hesitate. He kept pulling me towards the exit in the back.

  “Amabel! Amabel stop!” Tae screamed at me and at that moment, everything felt better. I missed his familiar voice. I missed his tan body and his beautiful eyes. Most of all, I missed the love I felt from him. “Amabel we’re here! Everything will be okay!” He screamed to me. Whose we though? Surely him and Kierce couldn’t take on the whole mansion of hunters. Especially because of the wedding, there were more than the usual amount.

  The guard kept trying to pull me further and further away from Tae.

  “I.. can’t.. take this anymore!” I was now letting out everything that has been bottled up. “You will not take me away from here! I will not allow it!”

  “Shut your mouth you filthy watcher.” The guard talked back. Filthy watcher? I stopped suddenly and broke out of his grip.

  “Do you not know who I am or what I can do? Are you this stupid to talk to me that way? You must know I am not choosing to be married for my own likeness.” I now got closer to his face and stared his down. “I will destroy you.” I said with determination. With that, the guard did not try to get a hold of me anymore. He just stood there silent, without any movement. I took advantage of it, and turned back towards Tae. As I came back to the entrance of the mansion, I saw something that was no expected. Chaos.

  “Amabel stay back!” Someone screamed. This wasn’t Tae, or Kierce. It was a complete stranger that now turned into a lycan. Someone I have never met before. There wasn’t just one though, but dozens of them. All different color and size.

  “Who are you?” I said back confusion. It wasn’t the time for a conversation though, or to get any answers. This mansion was a battle scene. Every lycan was fighting. Each and every one of them were attacking the hunters who were there. With every second, I saw more blood. The white floors and walls were splattered in red. The white curtains were now filthy. Filthy with the hunters’ blood. These lycans were strong and good at what they were doing. They knew exactly how to attack.

  I tried looking around for Tae again, but with as many lycans as there were in this mansion, I couldn’t. Everything around me was shattering. I just stood there, in the middle of it all. As a hunter tried to get too close to me, a lycan would take him out. I circled the room in one spot, noticing everything in more detail now. It was as if the time has slowed. The statues that were in the corners of the entrance room were flying, shattering on the floor. The painting on the wall were torn off and used in defense against the lycans, but it was no use. They were too strong, too smart. As I continued to circle around myself, I noticed more. I saw Argem and Samuele standing up on the balcony, watching down. I caught Argem’s eye, and all I got was a head shake as he walked away. I looked over next to him, and Samuele has left as well. Along the other side of the balcony was Luthius. His face was filled with fear as he saw his kind get torn apart. I wonder if he noticed Kierce in here as well. Thinking about it, I turned back to look for him, or even Tae again. I saw no one though, just the lycans winning a horrid fight.

  I circled around one more time, to try to catch sight of Kierce or Tae, but did not succeed. Instead, I saw something worse. One hunter took control and defeated a lycan. I could hear him howling in pain, and the rest of the lycans suddenly all paid attention to him. With that, they too started being defeated. The fight was now turning from a win to a loss. Where was Tae and Kierce? Where they buried underneath all the hunters that were either dead or hurt? I couldn’t possibly imagine that, but if that was the case, and it was now in my mind. Why haven’t the watcher within in step in? My mind started to wonder as I tried to use my abilities. Any of my abilities. Nothing happened though. I was too focused on trying to find Tae and Kierce. I didn’t want to have the thoughts in my mind that they may be dead. None of this made sense to me though. How did they find me and who are these lycans? Were they the ones who have been watching over me? I remembered what my father has said to me in my dreams before. He has told me there were others.

  I took another look at the hunters fighting for my freedom and that very moment, I knew. They were my protectors. The ones who would show up at the worst situation. Of course there couldn’t be anything worse than what was occurring before they attacked. I was going to commit to a hunter who was not my true love. Soon after, I would have become one of them. I understood everything now. They were here to protect me, to rescue me from my stupid decision that I was about to make. The step of me losing my abilities. It could not happen, and especially not on their watch. I heard another howl which stopped any thoughts that were running through my mind. This was no howl from pain though, it was something else.

  “Amabel! It’s time to go!” Tae screamed. Oh how I was happy to see him alive, and fully stable. He didn’t have a single scratch on him. “Go out back, I’ll meet you there!” He told me. There was no way he was going to have me go through the frightening battle. I quickly smiled at him, and turned towards the back door. He’s probably walking around from the front to avoid any hunter in the mansion.

  I ran to the back door and stepped outside. Tae was already here, as a lycan. I smiled at him once more, as he turned back.

  “I missed you.” He whispered.

  “I’m sorry.” I whispered back and ran into his open arms. I held on to him, unwilling to let go.

  “We have to go Amabel.”

  “Okay.”

  “But were going to have a talk.” He looked at me with such disappointment in his eyes. I wasn’t ready for what was coming, even though the worse is probably over with. To me, nothing was worse than seeing him upset. Nothing could compare to it.

  We walked around the house and headed towards a car that was facing its way out of this mess. We ran to the can and quickly got in. The car took off and we were on our way out of this mess. I looked back one last time to look at the mansion. It looked so peaceful on the outside, yet I knew that wasn’t the case on the inside.

  “So, you think you’re a daredevil now? Risking everything to gain nothing?” It was Kierce. I turned around from the back view to look at who was driving and it was him.

  “Oh Kierce!” I screamed in excitement as I reached and wrapped my arms around him from the back seat.

  “Hey, hey. I’m driving here.” Kierce said laughing. At least I knew one person who wasn’t completely pissed at me.

  “Sorry. Gosh I’ve missed you too. I missed both of you guys.” I said looking back at Tae. He didn’t look pleased though.

  “The guys should be leaving that place now. I told them I had Amabel when I was last changed. They said they’d wait a few minutes and leave.” Tae stated.

  “How did you talk to them while you were changed? W
eren’t you outside going around to meet me?” I asked.

  “I can understand their howls, as well as they can understand mine. It just works better as we’re changed instead of human form.”

  “So, who are they anyways?”

  “They’re your protectors.” I was right.

  “How did they find me though? I left without even letting you guys know.” I shouldn’t have said the last part. Tae looked up at me with even more disappointment in his eyes.

  “You turned your connection on between you and I, therefore I knew where you were. At that moment, I changed to run and save you from what you were about to do. I heard you thinking about the setting, and I didn’t need to know anymore. As I was running to you, I probably said every curse in my mind, but the others knew this was it. They watched over you through me and they heard me thinking about you.. marrying the hunter. With that, it was their signal to take action and finally step in. Before I even knew it, I had dozens of lycans running with me. I asked them who they were and they answered. I knew they were telling the truth because they were as furious as I was at the decision you were making. They explained to me that they could only come out and protect you at the worse situation. Now, they will be here by you though everything. They are the protectors that have been waiting to come out of their hole.” As Tae told me all of this, I was kind of relieved to finally know who these protectors were. I have been always curious on who else could possibly be watching me. Now it made sense. It was finally all clear.

  “So.. why are they my protectors though?”

  “I don’t know yet. They were getting to it but we arrived at that.. mansion.” It sounded like Tae was still holding something back, but I think I knew what. He wanted to scream and yell at me. He wanted to let out his anger as what I almost did. I hated this. He must know I did it for him and Kierce not for my own good. He must know that.

  We were now pulling up to the familiar lake. Today it wasn’t as beautiful as the others. There was no sun out, and it was a cold spring day. The darkness was soon coming and I just wanted to get into the safe and familiar wooden house. We got out of the car and started walking through the woods. Kierce looked at me and smiled. He must be the only one whose at least happy to see me. Tae suddenly stopped.

  “You think I’m not happy to see you Amabel? You think I’m not happy you’re safe and finally under my watch? Do you really think that?” Tae asked me furiously.

  “You read my mind? I asked you before not to do that! I’m not in danger so there’s no reason for you to!”

  “Hey! Don’t turn this on me! You risked everything today! You would be one of those blood suckers with no fucking heart or soul. You would be empty with nothing to look forward to! You think you’d be like Kierce? No! He was born that way and he has a choice on who he loves and who he doesn’t. He has a choice on many things! You.. you were going to have none of that. Not a single thing. And even better.. you wouldn’t be a watcher anymore.” I felt the tears rise in my eyes. I felt the pain from Tae’s discipline rise up in me as well.

  “You read my mind.. yea. But you missed one thing. I did this for you.” I stated, and ran towards the house. As I ran inside, I went straight to the bedroom and collapsed. My crying was now unpredictable. I sobbed until I couldn’t breathe and let it all out. The unease I felt as I was surrounded by hunters. The anxiety I had when I knew the mansion was attacked. The concern I had within me thinking Tae or Kierce are once hurt because of me. The agony I just went through that came from the one person I loved most.

  It has been a few hours since I’ve sat in the corner of Tae’s room. I made sure to turn off any connection I had between Tae. I didn’t want to have the temptation of hearing what he was thinking. There was a loud bang, and a group of voices. My protectors have arrived. They were laughing about the fight.

  “..dude did you see that hunter’s face?... I was like bam and he was down!..” I heard one of the voices say. They were all talking to each other and laughing about what just happened.

  “.. oh dude.. you call that hurt?.. look at this..” Now they were comparing battle scars? Were they nuts? How could someone be laughing about this?

  “Hey Amabel. Get out here, we need to finally meet the famous watcher.” Another voice said with joy. I would think they’d be more upset than happy right now.

  “No one famous here.” I said in return.

  “Eekk, you don’t sound in a good mood. Come out here, it’s safe I promise.” The voice told me with a friendly giggle after.

  “I never said it wasn’t safe.” I spoke as I slowly got up. I came up to the door handle and took in one last breath hoping Tae wasn’t as upset as before. I opened the door to only twelve lycans. All human as Tae and tan. I wonder where the rest of them went. All eyes now turned to me and the room fell with silence.

  “You’re prettier than we imagined.” One of them said, and another laughed punching him in the arm lightly. I noticed Tae sitting at the dining table staring at the floor. He wasn’t over it yet. Each and every one of them were handsome. All had dark hair, but not one had the same haircut. Some were shorter while others long. If I knew any better, they were all brothers.

  “Don’t mind that twerp. He’s the youngest and hasn’t seen any females since his mother.” The young man said laughing. “I’m Len. The twerp is Awan and this one right here..” As he looked at another handsome man. “..this is Dakota. He’s been waiting to meet you the longest. Me and him were the first two to be your protectors.” Len said. The others started talking again. I guess I’ll fully meet everyone some other time. “Well, and that’s the rest. Although, the other half of us went a different way. They won’t be joining us today. The next time you’ll see them is when you’re in some deep shit again.” Len said laughing.

  “Ha ha. Very funny.” I told him back, with a small smile on my face. I now knew who would be making me laugh all the time. “I have a question. A few questions actually.”

  “Go ahead. Ask away.”

  “Well.. for one, why didn’t you guys come when the staggers came? Isn’t that dangerous enough? My… brother died.”

  “Yes, I know. We’re very sorry for that but we couldn’t really control us watching you all the time. You see. We watched you through Tae, since he knew you and we didn’t. Now we can watch you for good but not before. We couldn’t visualize you and there was nothing to go off of. But anyways. That day, we couldn’t get the connection through Tae. I’m not sure if you turned it off with him or what.. but it was like you guys didn’t exist in our minds. It could very well be the staggers that were capable of doing it. It doesn’t matter now though. We’re here now, and always will be. The rest of us will join when needed but they have their own home to go to and their own lives.”

  “Why are they on their own? They can stay here just like you guys.”

  “Well.. they’re all bonded to someone. Their little hearts are forever taken.” Len told me with a little sarcasm. I guess they found it funny because they haven’t bonded yet. It was good for me though. It meant I’ll always have them watching over me and stop me from any stupid decisions I could make again.

  “Oh well. Okay. Another question.. How are you guys.. my protectors?”

  “Well that’s kind of a hard one. We don’t know. I concluded before that it might have been the work of your father but I can’t be sure. All I know is that when all the watchers were gone, and you were the only one left, all my worries were turned to you. I then found others like me, and we just all combined. It was nice to have met these guys. It still is!” Len said laughing and bear hugging Awan, who was then joined by Dakota. They truly did look like brothers, never mind act like it too.

  “Thanks.” I told them with a faint smile and my eyes drifted to Tae. Len and Dakota noticed.

  “No problem.. and go. He’s been waiting for you to come out.” Len said. Without hesitation, I walked over to him.

  “Hey Tae.”

  “Hey..” He answered. I wel
comed his voice.

  “Can we talk?”

  “Sure.”

  “Are you still angry with me?”

  “No.”

  “You seem like it.”

  “I’m not.” He told me, but his face said otherwise.

  “Why are you lying to me?” I caught his attention. He looked up straight into my eyes.

  “I would never lie to you Amabel. I would never do such a thing.”

  “Then why can’t you just be okay with this now. Everything is okay.”

  “Everything is okay now but what if it wasn’t. What if we were too late or you never opened your connection with me. And even if you did, what if the guys wouldn’t have made it. Think about it, me against the hundreds of hunters? I would have been dead and then no one there to protect you. It’s just..”

  “Stop. Stop with the what if bullshit. There is none of that because it didn’t happen Tae. I did all this for you and Kierce. I did it so I wouldn’t have to lose you guys either. It was enough that I lost my own brother without even.. getting to know him.” My defense turned into nothing now and Tae noticed.

  “I know Amabel. I know.” He said to me as he leaned to hold me. He meant it. “Everything will be okay. I understand why you did it. Everything will be okay now.”

  “I hope so.” I told him with my last tear finally escaping my eyes.

  The small house was now filled with more noise. I looked over to see what the commotion was about and noticed Kierce. He must be so upset deep down about the people he knew. I was really hoping it was no one he cared about, but I wasn’t about to open the connection and find out. I enjoyed being free of others’ emotions.