by Gower, Hazel
“You’re right, Dad. I think we might have to ask for help. We’re just not a big enough pack to deal with this.”
* * * *
As they pulled into the shopping center car park Faith turned to Grace and Sophie.
“Now you girls know the rules, right? No running off. No talking to strangers. Do not leave our sights. Got it? If you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask, especially if you need to go to the toilet. Lastly, how old are you?”
Grace frowned. “Seven, but I’ll be eight in twelve days.”
Faith winced. Poor thing. To go through everything she had and have only her sister left… Thank God they had found them.
Sophie smiled, adding, “I’m five, just turned five, I had a cake and everything.”
Faith looked at the girls with tenderness. “That’s great. Do you think you can remember the rules?”
The girls nodded. As they were getting out of the car Grace asked, “Can we go to the bag shop first where the big, red boy-man is waiting for us?”
All the wolves froze as Faith turned to Grace. “Do you know what the man wants to talk about, or how he knows we’re here?”
Grace beamed up at Faith. “Yes, he knows what you are. He wants to help. The monsters call him half-breed. His mum told him to come here today.” She seemed to come out of a trance. “How funny is that!”
Della nodded to Jamie and walked away, talking on the phone. Jamie smiled down at the girls. “Well, thank you, Grace, but I’m dying for some toys, so do you two want to go to the big toy store first?”
Both girls nodded, jumping up and down. “Toys, toys.”
Faith grabbed the girls’ hands. “Okay let’s go. Which aisle should we take Jamie down first? Dolls, Barbie, costumes, teddy bears, or books?”
Jamie groaned. “I was thinking video games.”
Both girls said, “No, Barbie dolls.”
Faith laughed as they headed into the toy store. One hour later after the girls had filled a trolley each and were now in Jamie’s favorite place, video games, Faith felt arms come around her waist. Turning her around, Kane kissed her neck, moving up to her cheek, and then he picked her up and their lips met.
She sighed into his mouth. Their kiss was cut off again by giggling and a “yuck” from Jamie followed by more giggling.
Kane leaned his forehead against hers. “I missed you.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “You have done just fine without me for several years, I don’t think two hours should worry you.” She frowned. “So how many did you bring for this one guy who’s supposed to want to help?”
“Grace said half-breed, so all we know is that this creature is red and big, I don’t even want to think of what it could be. I do not like the feeling I’m getting, but I can’t even fathom that those monsters could somehow breed with humans.” Kane shook his head like he was trying to get rid of rotten thoughts. “To be safe, I brought four, then there’s Jamie, Ava, Eve, Mum, and I.”
At his overreaction, she moaned. “It’s just one man. Plus, I don’t have a bad feeling, and I haven’t had any visions.”
He kissed her again. “Better safe than sorry. Okay then, let’s get this show on the road. Everyone’s in position, don’t acknowledge them, we’re hoping this half-breed’s sense of smell isn’t as good as ours. I have Blake and Tray only two stores down. I’m going to stay with you. Jamie’s going to be at our backs.”
Faith nodded as they headed out of the toy store. Rane grabbed the trolley and put everything into his car. “Did you buy the whole toy shop?”
“No, silly, but we got lots more toys now than like ever,” Sophie said.
They walked into the shopping center.
Chapter 6
Faith turned to the girls. “We’re going to go talk to that man now so I need you girls to listen.”
They both nodded. Ava and Eve asked if they would like piggyback rides, which they enthusiastically accepted. Eight stores in was the bag store, and standing in front of it was a really tall man with dark skin. His clothes were baggy, and he had a hat on his head, hiding his features. He looked up and straight into Faith’s eyes, and she gasped when she saw that his eyes were black with a red tinge around the edge. As she got closer she could tell his skin also had a red tinge.
Kane swore. Faith couldn’t take her eyes off the stranger, there was something familiar about him.
“I don’t feel any danger, Kane. I actually get really positive vibes.”
The half-breed’s eyes never left Faith, and the odd thing was that they looked on her with love. When she was only a shop away, he smiled, revealing long, sharp teeth. Kane snarled, and the man stopped smiling, covering his teeth. Faith could feel the menace, anger, and curiosity coming off the werewolves as they reached the bag store. Kane stood in front of her.
“You don’t look at her. If you have something to say, say it to me.” Kane growled, flashing his sharp, lengthened teeth.
Faith knew Kane was being overprotective because they weren’t sure what this half-breed demon could do. Demons had the ability to control you as long as you kept your gaze on them and didn’t get distracted, and once they got their teeth into you and drained you of your blood, you became their zombie to command.
Faith carefully peered around Kane and noticed that the man looked a lot younger than she had originally thought. She didn’t even think he was a man, more like a young teenager.
“She said you would be beautiful, and it would shine from the inside out. You look exactly like her,” the half-breed said. He sounded like a teenager whose voice was just about to break.
A red tear fell from his eyes. He reached out to touch her, but quick as lightning, Kane grabbed his hand. “You don’t ever touch her. Don’t even look at her!”
The boy winced. “I would never hurt her, I love her. My mum said you werewolves would look after her.”
Faith looked around. She had been so involved in everything going on that she hadn’t realized they had been walking to the exit, surrounded by the werewolves.
The half-breed continued, “She said her princess would always be protected. She knew they were coming for her, they wanted you. Mum said it was fate helping that that woman had a stillborn child.” He looked at Faith and whispered, “They never knew. Mum bespelled you.”
Kane growled and moved in front of Faith again. “Half-breed, I won’t tell you again, don’t look at her.”
Faith frowned. “What are you talking about?”
She glanced around to see they were in the far end of the car park where there were only one or two cars.
“I’m half-breed to everyone, but Mum called me Ben, her big Bengie. Mum tried to come with me, but they killed her. She died so I could get here on time. Mum said to tell you she loved you with all her heart. She said when you touch me you would know all she said and you would love me just like she did.” Red tears were rolling from his eyes. “I like the daylight, as you can see. I’m different from the demons. I ran here to you in the sun. I even like water. Mum said she couldn’t see what would happen, but she knew I needed to be here and you would be here with your wolves, but the visions didn’t show her how many there would be. She said it would be hard, but once you touched me you would know I’m your brother. My mum was your mum.”
Rane and Blake grabbed Ben and started pulling him to a van.
“Please, just touch me and you’ll know.”
Faith knew she shouldn’t do it, but she was the only paranormal psychic in her family, and she had always felt like the odd duck. She didn’t look like either of her parents or their family, and she couldn’t shake the feeling he was telling her the truth. Without thinking, she ran around Kane and touched Ben’s hand. She heard Kane’s roar of “noooo” as he grabbed her around the waist as the vision started.
A very pregnant woman who looked exactly like Faith waddled into the hospital. As she entered she yelled, “Please, my baby’s coming. Please hurry, we don’t have much time.”
> Nurses ran to the woman, grabbing her just before she fell to the floor. They rushed her up in the elevator then along a corridor and into a room. The woman yelled, chanting some words that Faith didn’t know. She screamed, moaned, and a baby girl came out squealing.
The woman panted her thanks, kissing the baby and murmuring love words. Then she gave the baby to one of the nurses, grabbing her hand and saying, “I know what you are. You have to help me. They’re coming for me and my baby. She’s special. Please, there’s a couple two rooms down, she’s about to give birth to a stillborn baby girl. Switch them. I have bespelled her, they will think she’s their child. In five or so years they will live near wolves but won’t know it. The wolves will love my child and keep her safe. She will be important to all supernatural creatures if she lets herself be.” The woman smiled. “She will even be mate to one. Please. Bring me the stillborn. I’ll say she’s mine. Quick, do it and get out of here before they get you too.”
The nurse nodded and rushed away with the baby. The woman broke down, crying as she chanted. Five minutes later the nurse returned with the stillborn, and the woman shooed the nurse away.
“Run, go somewhere cold with lots of snow or live near water. You must listen to me.” The woman kissed the stillborn’s head. “I’m so sorry.”
A few minutes later four zombies arrived and took the woman away. They locked her in some kind of cell with no windows. Tears rolled down the woman’s face as her torture began. Small demons came to her cell and forced themselves on her. She fought every time, never giving up, but it did no good. Over the years she fell pregnant many times but miscarried them all. They left her alone for a while and this time when a small demon came she didn’t miscarry, she stayed pregnant.
By this time the woman was white and sickly looking. She screamed in agony as she gave birth. The baby was big, and she was in tremendous pain. She gave birth alone to a massive baby boy, at least a twelve pounder, with dark skin with a red tinge, a full mouth with sharp teeth, and black eyes with a red tinge.
The woman cleaned herself up and then sung to the baby, saying, “You are my Ben, my Bengie boy. I love you. Always remember that you’re special, just like your sister. You will be a good boy, don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise.” She sang this and told the baby about all the good things in the world, then a demon came in and took the baby. She fought but was no match for him.
Then Faith saw the little boy sneaking into her room, looking no more than two, bringing food and water. The woman hugged and kissed him, telling him stories of wonderful things she had seen. Then he hugged her and snuck back out.
Faith saw several of these incidents until finally Ben looked to be about the age he was now. The woman looked frail and lifeless.
Ben picked her up. “I did what you told me. They should all be passed out if they ate the food. I love you, Mum. We’re getting out of here, and I’ll get you to my sister.”
The woman smiled. “I love you too, my special boy. Remember my instructions on where to go, and if anything happens to me, promise me you will keep going. Remember, find your sister, help protect her. Live life, have fun.”
Ben shook his head. “No, Mum, I can’t leave you.”
“You must remember they need to get a werewolf army down here to save people. This place is only one of thousands. The wolves have to annihilate it and any others after saving the people. Promise me,” his mum said.
Faith could see they were in some tunnels, heading up.
The woman moaned. “I love you.” She jumped down just as they reached a door, opened it, and attacked the demon, yelling at Ben, “Run! Run for me.” With the last of her breath she said, “I break thy power and give it to my children.”
The last thing Faith saw before she came out of the vision was Ben bursting out of a door into the daylight.
Faith knew from the bottom of her heart that what she saw was true, she even felt it was the truth. Her whole life up until now had been a lie. She didn’t know what to do. Should she feel grateful, pissed, loved, safe, special, or relieved? She now knew she had a brother, a half-brother but a brother, and her biological mother had died. She knew from the vision that her biological mother wanted her to look after, teach, and love Bengie. Faith started to silently sob, tears rolling down her cheeks, selfish tears for everything she had lost, but mostly because Ben got to know their mother.
Faith snuggled into Kane. His arms tightened around her as he whispered things to her, like he loved her and he didn’t want to live without her, how sorry he was for the years they’d missed, and other silly nonsense about her childhood. She needed him right now. She was so scared, and she needed to know she was loved. She wanted to be reminded of who loved her and why.
“Wake up, princess. I love you. Please don’t do this. Wake up. I promise I will give you anything you want, I’ll even buy you that puppy you wanted. Remember that? We could never understand why you wanted one when you had all of us.” He gave a harsh laugh. “I’ll buy you two if you wake up now. Or how about I build you that princess chair and the castle that had to be bigger than everyone else’s? We’ll even make Jamie be the dragon again. I secretly think he liked that, probably has a costume in the closet already. Devlin won’t complain when I, the prince, save him from the dragon. Do you know I never played games with any of the other children, not even my sisters or brothers? I always felt and said I was too old, but you would look at me with those warm, brown eyes, bottom lip quivering, and I would cave and do anything you said. God, I love you so much. Open your eyes, honey. I can’t go back to my bleak existence of the last four years. I’ll do anything.”
Faith couldn’t listen to any more, she opened her eyes and leaned up and kissed him. “I love you too. You always did like saving me from the dragon considering I had to trick you every time to play, and I want two chocolate Labradors.”
Kane laughed and kissed her long and hard. “Don’t ever do anything so stupid again, Faith. What the hell were you thinking? He’s a fucking half-breed demon, the only one we know of. For Christ’s sake, we didn’t know it was possible they could breed with…argh, fuck, I don’t even want to fathom it. If werewolves could have heart attacks you have almost given me two in less than forty-eight hours.”
Then she broke down, crying. “What they did to my mother…oh God, Kane. Bengie’s special, there are not many like him because they usually miscarry. My mum wants me to look after Bengie, teach him, love him. I think he’s even younger than we think.” She stopped and looked around their room for him. “Where is he?”
Faith glanced around the room again. Jamie was asleep in a chair, just coming awake now. Griffen was leaning against the wall, looking white as a ghost.
“Griffen, what’s wrong?”
She tried to get up, to go to him, but arms tightened around her waist.
Griffen gave a forced smile as he said, “That vision of yours was pretty intense. I was stupid enough to touch you, and let’s just say you shared, which should be impossible because werewolves are immune to magic other than their own. Wow, Faith, wow.”
Faith’s eyes widened. She had never shared a vision before.
Griffen nodded at her. “I know, but when you touched the half-breed you got your mother’s transferred power. I’m so sorry. We should have stopped him from being anywhere near you.”
Faith shook her head, still feeling numb from all she had seen. “Where’s Bengie? I need to see him.”
All three werewolves cleared their throats. “Well.”
Kane spoke up. “We didn’t know for sure what he had done to you, and Griffen wasn’t stupid enough to touch you until a couple of hours ago.”
“So?”
Kane mumbled, “We put him in the water manhole, and he’s being guarded.”
Faith screeched, “You what! How long have I been out? How long has he been down there?”
Kane sighed. “For the rest of the day yesterday and all night. It’s now mid-morning.”
> Faith punched Kane. “You left my baby brother down there.” She punched him again. “You let me go, Kane, or you will learn what the word pain means. I can’t believe you.”
“Now, princess, just think about—”
Faith kneed him in the balls and punched him again. Jumping off the bed and running for the door, she yelled, “I’m really pissed with you all. If any of you tries to stop me or even moves a step closer, you will be so sorry.”
She bumped into Jack as she ran out of the room. His arms started to come around her and without even thinking she repeated her actions, doing the same to him as she had done to Kane.
As she ran for the back door, she yelled, “None of you Wolfens better stop me or come near me ’til I get my brother, or so help me God, you will not like the outcome.”
She ran on bare feet down the rocky path to the cliffs until her feet were so badly cut and bleeding it started to get slippery, and then she finally saw two guards.
One broke away and casually walked toward her. “Faith, what are you doing here? It’s not—”
Knowing it was all about the surprise, she ran up to him, kicked his balls, and punched his stomach. “Sorry, Blake, but stay the fuck away from me and my brother.” She picked up one of his small blades.
As she got closer the other werewolf went into fighting mode. He was new, she didn’t know him. He must have arrived while she was away. She swore as he sniffed the air. Faith curled her lips up at the side and knew she had a feral smile. She had to use more dirty tactics, as she wasn’t sure how long her warning would hold off Blake and she was out of practice.