by C Zinnia
What are they saying? Mel wondered.
It felt like Mel was pulled from her body. She was suddenly outside of the main house with a group of werewolves. She stared at her hands, appalled to find she could see through them.
What is going on? Mel thought. How am I doing this?
The group’s conversation grabbed her attention.
“I heard she saw someone change,” a woman said.
“I heard she saw a hunter kill one of us,” another said.
“What if she helped cause the explosion?” someone asked.
“Don’t be stupid! She wouldn’t be alive if that was the case,” the woman said.
“I heard she’s Viola’s mate,” a man said to his mate.
“I wonder how Jesse is going to handle that,” his mate responded wryly.
“That should be interesting to see,” someone agreed.
Mel had enough of their gossip. She shook her head, trying to clear out their words. She just wanted to be back in Viola’s room where it was safe and drama-free.
Mel felt herself fall back into her body.
When Mel looked around, she was back in Viola’s room. Cold sweat covered her body. “I must have dozed off,” she said out loud. She immediately knew it was a lie. She jumped up and looked out the window. She was horrified to find the group of people standing outside where she had left them. “How is this possible?” Mel had never experienced anything like that before. Her gifts were changing and she couldn’t comprehend why.
Mel heard a knock on the door. She knew it was Dana. Mel opened the door to find no one there.
Mel was confused. She could have sworn-
Dana came down the hallway. “Oh! I was about to come get you,” she said to Mel.
Mel was worried. “Did you just knock on the door?” she asked.
Dana frowned. “No,” she said. “I just came out of my room. Why? Did someone knock on the door?” She came closer and sniffed around. “No one else has been in front of this door in over half an hour.”
Mel was too focused on her issue to find Dana sniffing around strange. “Are you sure?” she asked anxiously. She felt like she was losing her mind.
“Yes. Now, what is this about, Mel?” Dana asked.
“I’m not sure,” Mel said. “I think I need to get out of here for a while. I need to go for a walk and clear my head. I can’t handle being in this house anymore.”
Dana didn’t like the idea. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to be away from here,” she said. “Bill’s still out there.”
While Mel was afraid of Bill, she was more terrified of what was going on with her internally. “Dana, I have abilities and they have been morphing since I got here,” she said. “I can’t handle all of these werewolves around while I’m trying to figure out what’s happening to me. The werewolves are only increasing my anxiety and it’s making it impossible for me to get a sense of myself.”
Dana wasn’t surprised by Mel’s statement. “What kind of abilities?” she asked.
“At this point, I don’t even know,” Mel said. “It’s more than me just sensing energy and pushing thoughts. That’s all I know.”
Mel’s fear made Dana nervous. Dana heard stories through Eli about witches coming into power. She had always thought of them as just fables. Besides, Mel’s twenty-two. Shouldn’t she have already come into her power? she thought.
Mel had been forthcoming with the abilities she used on Daren. The fact that she was being cryptic now told Dana Mel was really uncomfortable with this new gift. If she isn’t comfortable with her power, how can she control it? Dana thought. She bit her lip. “Okay. We’ll ask Bruce. Do you want Viola to go with you?” she asked.
Mel blushed. “I- I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
Dana nodded. “We’ll see if we can get you out for a bit,” she said. “You can stay in the room if you want and I’ll go talk to Silvia and Bruce, okay?”
“Okay,” Mel said. “They’re in the kitchen with Viola.”
“How many people are in the kitchen?” Dana asked automatically.
“Six,” Mel answered. “Viola, Lee, Bruce, Silvia, Nana, and Papa are all in there. Daren was downstairs, but he left the house. He went to work.”
“Did he and Viola train today?” she asked.
“No,” Mel said.
Dana didn’t bother asking how Mel knew. Mel went back in the bedroom and closed the door. Dana waited a moment before walking down the hall to Daren’s room. He wasn’t there. She went to the kitchen.
Viola, Lee, Bruce, Silvia, Nana, and Papa were all in the kitchen. “Six,” Dana muttered. “Where’s Daren?”
“He went to the farm,” Silvia said. “He insisted on going to work. He said he needed to stay busy.”
Dana was stunned. Mel had been right on both counts
“Penny for your thoughts, love?” Lee asked. He handed Dana a cup of coffee.
“I’d have to charge more for all of the thoughts I have,” Dana said drolly.
Lee chuckled. “Where’s Mel?” he asked.
Viola’s head perked up when she heard Mel’s name.
“She’s still in Viola’s room,” Dana said. “I think we need to get Eli over here immediately. Mel is going to need his help.”
“Why? What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Viola asked, alarmed.
“I don’t know,” Dana replied. “I don’t know what she’s going through. Mel said her abilities have been changing since she got here. She knew all of you were down here and that Daren had left, so something is going on. Humans normally aren’t that aware. Mel didn’t tell me how they’re changing, only that she needed to get away from the house and werewolves for a while.”
“Well, we already knew she had abilities,” Silvia reminded Dana.
“What abilities? When did you find out? Why didn’t you tell me?” Bruce asked.
“Because we wanted Eli to assess Mel first before we tell anyone anything,” Silvia said.
“Will you tell us now?” Viola asked.
Silvia shook her head. “That’s for Mel to decide, not us,” she said.
Viola glowered. The thought of Mel having abilities bothered Viola. The fact that they wanted Eli to check on Mel made Viola more nervous. Of course, my mate would be a powerful witch, Viola thought bitterly. She didn’t like witches. Maybe she’s not that powerful. Or maybe she’ll figure out a way to turn it off.
“Mel wants to leave? Does she want me to go with her?” Viola said.
“She said she didn’t know,” Dana said.
Viola didn’t like the answer.
“She didn’t say no,” Papa reminded her.
“She didn’t say yes either,” Viola said sourly.
“She can’t leave the house,” Bruce said. “I don’t care what she’s going through. It’s not safe to be out there.”
Silvia touched his arm. “Bruce, maybe we could let her walk on one of our trails,” she said.
“Daren could go with her,” Viola said. “Mel knows him and Daren can keep her safe.”
“And where will you be?” Silvia asked Viola, already knowing the answer.
“Close by, but far enough to give her some space,” Viola said.
“I don’t like it,” Bruce said.
“What’s the worst that could happen? The hunter appears? Daren and Viola will be there to grab him. You could send a couple of extra werewolves in case they are needed,” Silvia said.
Bruce mulled over the idea. He agreed with his mate. “That is true,” Bruce said. He gave her a kiss. “You are as brilliant as you are beautiful.”
Silvia glowed. “Thank you,” she said. “Take that pregnancy brain!”
Bruce chuckled. He looked at his mate with pure love in his eyes. “You are adorable,” he said.
Silvia grinned. “I know,” she said.
“I’ll call and ask Daren if he would be willing to go on a walk with Mel. I’m sure he wants to be involved with the potential capture of the hunter. Samue
l will be with Viola within earshot if Daren calls for help,” Bruce said. “We’ll see if it draws the hunter out.”
Viola wasn’t happy with the idea, but she knew the quicker they got Bill, the better. It wasn’t safe with Bill wandering around. Bill had enough knowledge of explosives that he could possibly take out the entire village and Mel along with it.
I’ll be close by during her walk, Viola thought. If the hunter gets close to her, I’ll kill him.
~ * ~
Mel glanced up at the canopy of trees as she and Daren walked through the woods. Leaves scattered across the ground as they fell. Dried leaves and twigs crunched and snapped under her shoes as she walked. It was chilly today. Thank goodness I have on one of Viola’s coats, Mel thought as she pulled the coat closer around her. Mel breathed in Viola’s scent from the coat. Mel felt like she could never tire of the smell.
Daren had appeared at Viola’s bedroom door with a coat in hand. “Let’s get moving,” he said. He guided Mel out of the house so she didn’t have to see anyone else.
Once they had reached one of the trails, she had become aware of Viola and another person. She glanced up at Daren. “Who’s with Viola?” she asked him.
She felt Viola’s energy flare up at the mention of her name.
“Samuel,” Daren said. “They’re here to make sure you remain safe.”
Mel didn’t respond. She had wanted to be completely alone to clear her thoughts, but she didn’t bother trying to argue for it. Mel knew having Daren, Viola, and Samuel with her was the agreement for Mel to be able to get away from the village. Even though they were a few miles away from the village, Mel could still sense the werewolves, but it wasn’t as strong as before. It was easier for Mel to tune out Viola, Daren, and Samuel’s energies.
In some ways, she was grateful they were with her. The only reason she didn’t feel antsy being out in the woods was because they were with her. If she had been alone, she would have been paranoid about bears attacking her. And now Bill too, she thought.
Mel felt her energy blend with the energy from the ground, the trees, the air, and the sky. She felt like the earth gave her the energy she needed to regain balance and clarity. She envisioned all negativity being swept away from her and into the universe to be transformed and utilized into something positive. Mel had done this sort of exercise in the city while she was surrounded by buildings and people, but it was never as effortless as it was today in the country. She felt like the more time she spent in the country, the more she understood why so many people preached about the benefits of getting out into nature. She had never felt closer to God than the times when she’s out in nature.
Mel sighed in relief.
Daren smiled down at her. He had needed the walk just as much as Mel did. It was helping him clear his thoughts. Being out in nature took some of the heaviness out of Daren’s heart and some of the weight off of his shoulders.
“How are you doing, Mel?” Daren finally asked, breaking the silence.
Mel laughed reflexively. “Not as bad as you, I suppose,” she said. She patted his arm. “I’m sorry about your home.”
Daren shrugged his shoulders. “It’s all right,” he said. “Dad always says obstacles are only opportunities not yet fully recognized.”
“That’s a positive outlook to have,” Mel said.
“Yeah,” Daren agreed. “I didn’t like Bill much anyway, so when I see him again, I won’t have to worry about getting in trouble when I kill him.” The level of calmness Daren had while he made the comment unnerved Mel.
Mel couldn’t say she wouldn’t have felt the same way if Bill blew up her home. He is responsible for your totaled car, her brain said. And your destroyed music equipment. Mel agreed, but it only made her want to throttle Bill. Killing was a foreign concept to her. “I don’t know if I could ever kill someone,” she said.
“I never had and never thought I would, but people like Bill don’t need to exist,” Daren said. “The world would be a better place without people like him.”
Mel didn’t disagree with Daren. “What about the whole ‘take the high road?’” she asked, curious.
Daren smiled. “There’s a time and a place to take the high road. When dealing with people who murder and harm others intentionally, it isn’t the time. You got to get rid of those people because they’ll find another victim and another opportunity to harm. There’s a time and a place where capital punishment is the answer,” he said. “Honestly, the Bill thing was the best thing that could have happened to you.”
Mel didn’t expect that comment. “Why’s that?” she asked.
“Viola would have had a rough time dating you because she wouldn’t be able to divulge much about herself. For a human to learn about a werewolf, there’s a lot of red tape to go through and Bruce would have had to do a lot of investigating about you,” he said. He patted Mel’s left shoulder. “Trust me, this way is much quicker.”
“That’s true,” Mel said. “I just wish my guitar wasn’t destroyed. My grandma gave it to me when I was eleven. What am I going to tell her?” She was worried. “Am I ever going to get to talk to Grandma again? Will I ever see Grandma again?” She was frightened. It would be horrible if Mel could never contact her family or friends again.
“I’m sure Bruce will let you talk to them and visit them. You just can’t tell them what we are,” Daren said. “Tell your grandma the B&B caught fire. That’s what Dad told the papers. No need to talk about explosions. It’ll only be harder to explain.”
“The papers?” Mel asked. “It’s in the news?”
“Of course,” Daren said. “It’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in a while.”
Mel groaned. “I need to call Mom when I get back. She’s probably heard about the B&B fire by now,” she said. “She’s probably calling my phone and the B&B. My phone was destroyed. God, she’s going to be upset I didn’t contact her sooner.”
“Did you want to go back now to call her?” he asked.
“No, I need a couple more minutes,” she said.
Mel stopped moving. She wearily glanced around. In the woods, she felt an all-too-familiar presence moving towards them. She could feel Bill’s glee. He was convinced Mel and Daren were alone. He also thought he was going to take them by surprise.
Mel’s heart leapt into her throat. Her hands shook and palms began to sweat.
“Are you okay?” Daren said. He sniffed the air as he looked around, but he couldn’t sense anything that would cause her discomfort.
“I’m fine, just tired,” she lied. She dropped down to a whisper; “Daren, he’s about to show up.”
Viola’s energy flared up as she moved towards them. Samuel followed close by.
Daren was floored. Why can’t I smell him? he thought. “Where is he, Mel?” he whispered.
“Up ahead,” Mel answered.
“We keep walking,” Daren said. “Act normal.”
Mel complied. She tried to keep calm as they walked, but her legs shook as she put one foot in front of the other. She prayed she didn’t fall on her face from fear. She felt like a cow being led to slaughter.
Mel got a vivid image of Bill just around the tree, a machine gun type of weapon in hand. He had a manic grin and he patiently waited for them. He was going to decimate them.
Mel hissed; “Duck.”
Chapter 3
Mel grabbed Daren’s arm and dove to the ground, pulling Daren down with her. Her arm jammed back into her already injured right shoulder. Pain shot up her right shoulder. Crap, you’ve really done it this time, Mel, she thought.
Within seconds, she forgot about the pain.
Bullets erupted above Mel’s head from the woods. Daren shielded her body with his while Viola and Samuel moved closer to them.
“How many people, Mel?” Daren asked against her ear. She didn’t hear him because the gun was too loud. He turned her head towards him. He mouthed; “How many?”
“Just Bill,” Mel said, though she c
ouldn’t hear herself. She kept her hands pressed against her ears to block out some of the noise. She could sense Bill’s pleasure. Bill assumed he was massacring Mel and Daren.
“That’s a lot of firepower from one person,” Daren said.
“It helps when you have a machine gun thingy,” Mel said.
Daren was stunned. “How do you know any of this?” he asked.
The firing ceased. Bullets were everywhere. Branches fell off trees. A tree fell over just feet away from Mel and Daren.
The ringing in Mel’s ears was back full force and worse than before. I’m going to be deaf by the end of the week at this rate, she thought.
Mel felt a rush of anxiety from the village. They had heard the gunshots but knew they couldn’t risk rushing over until they had permission from their alphas.
Viola and Samuel moved to opposite sides, leaving Mel and Daren in the middle.
Bill stepped out. He was shocked to see Mel and Daren lying on the ground, visually unharmed. “Guess I missed,” Bill said as he pulled out his pistol. His pistol was pointed at Daren. He was smirking. “No matter, I won’t miss this time. That’s pretty dumb of you two to be alone in the woods like this. Then again, what more could I expect from a dumb dog?”
A wolf jumped out with neck-breaking speed.
Bill effortlessly pulled out another pistol that had been tucked in his pants and aimed it at the wolf. Bill shot the wolf.
The bullet hit the wolf’s left shoulder, blowing a hole in it. The wolf cried out and rolled across the ground. It was Samuel.
“Do you think I’m stupid? That I’d fall for your little trap?” Bill asked. He had one gun pointed at Samuel and one pointed at Daren. “Come out, you little bitch or else I’ll kill both of them now.”
Viola walked out from behind a tree in wolf form. Her fur was dark brown with red and blonde highlights. Viola’s ears were straight up and she was snarling at Bill. She wanted to rip out his throat. She forced herself not to glance at Mel. Viola didn’t want Bill to suspect anything.
“That’s it? Three wolves and their little wolf groupie? I’m insulted,” Bill said. “Now, who should I start with first?” He saw Mel glance at Viola. He grinned. “I think I know who.”