She paced around her room for hours. After taking the bath, and cleaning the filth of the attack off her, she was going to try to relax but failed at it. So instead, she just paced. It seems like too much was on her mind. She thought about the meeting with the Gorhans. She thought about the black wolf. She couldn’t help but think about what his return meant to everything else. Vampires had a deep religious side to them, and Sharlia was no different from the rest of them, but with her, it ran far deeper than most. She believed in the stars. She believed in destiny. She lived out her faith. She knew that the stars were moving. She knew that the times were changing. She could feel the pending doom of darkness as it moved. Knowing all of this, feeling it deep inside herself, she knew that his return signaled the coming of that doom. And now, she needed to sit.
She walked out from her bedchamber and moved out to the large sitting area of her rooms. She walked over to the large chair that was her favorite place to sit and think. She reached it when a subtle knock came from her right.
“Yes?” She sat down.
The tall thin man that greeted her when she came back, walked in through the door. He walked up to her chair and stopped right in front of her. His head hung low.
Seeing him like this, made her pause. It also made her worried. “What is it my child?”
“My lady, I have some horrible news.” He refused to raise his head.
She had to swallow some before she heard him. With everything going on like it was, she had to be prepared for anything. “Yes?” She felt like she was ready. Her faith told her that she was.
“Marcus and Olivia are dead. Your contact at the human police in the city just informed me of it.”
Hearing him, she sat forward. The chair was so large, that if she sat back to the back of the chair, she wouldn’t come close to touching the floor with her feet. In moving to the edge of the front of the chair, she could now do it. “What?” She might have to stand. She just might have to continue the pacing again.
“Their remains were discovered in a motel on the north end of town my lady. Their heads were removed.”
Now she did stand up.
Her doing so made him jump some, so he stood back a couple of steps when she did it. “I’m sorry my lady.” He did keep his head down still. Horrible new was never pleasant to give anyone, least of all the head of the family.
Sharlia was back to pacing again. “This has become too much.” She passed him to the center of the room. She walked over to a five-foot tall fireplace mantle that sat opposite the door to the room. It sat just to the left of the door to her bedchamber. She moved to the mantle and stopped, placing both hands on top of it with a subtle slap. Her mind heard nothing. Her body tensed up. She felt ready for the pain of all of the thinking she now had to do. She began such in earnest. “We’ve lost five people over the past three weeks. And then the attack last night. And then the black wolf’s return. What does this mean? What is this telling us?”
He turned to the sound of her voice. “What would you like of me, my lady?”
She bowed her head until her hair fell to the top of her hands. “We need assistance my dear boy. We need to call together the elders.”
He now lifted his head. He moved to where he was now standing behind her. “My lady, there’s more.”
She didn’t turn. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. “What is it?”
“The Wanderer Rochie has returned to the city.”
Hearing that, she lifted her head and did turn back towards him.
When she did, his head went back down.
“He’s here, in this city?”
He nodded ever so softly. “He is.”
With his head back down, she knew that he had more to say. “What else have you been told?” She reached in with her left hand and gently raised his eyes towards hers.
He blinked. He tried to look away from her, but couldn't do it. He would never fight her touching him, so he didn’t fight it. “Something else. Something that I don’t understand.” He now swallowed as well.
“Tell me child.”
“It was something that was painted on the wall near the bridge onto our territory. Wilhelm just found it.”
“Yes.”
“It said The Wanderer will awaken.”
She released his chin so fast that it surprised even him. She turned back to the mantle and stared down to the emptiness where a fire would burn, but wasn’t. Now she really had to think. Could it be that they have found him? Could it be he has come home? It all seemed more horrific than she could have even imagined it. So much so, she had to close her eyes to everything at once.
“My lady?” He wanted so much to help. He wanted so much to give her strength. Right now, and he’s never seen this before, he could feel that she needed it. She looked absolutely terrified beyond his own imagination.
“You may go, my child. I want you to gather the elders. Call them together as soon as possible.” She kept having the same thoughts rolling around inside her as she ordered him. They’ve found him. He’s come home.
“I will my lady, right now.” He bowed his head, turned and left her. He closed the door to her rooms ever so gently.
Alone again, she kept her head down low. She kept her thoughts blazing. She kept it turning back and forth from light to dark. She now knew what she had to do. She had to find the Wanderer. She had to stop the blackness from coming. She had to find the black wolf. She had to do it before it was too late.
13
Jimmy ran. He made it out of the city late in the morning. When he reached an area with trees and very few people, he figured that the time was now to stop and bring Kalima out. He did just that, and stopped and removed his clothes. He looked inside his mind, found him staring back at his, and called. Kalima? Come out Kalima. Help me help her!
The eyes moved. His body instantly burned. His bones cracked under the skin. His flesh bubbled and shook all around his frame. Hair flashed everywhere, and his skin turned to an ashen black. Claws fared out from his fingers and toes. His feet elongated out and pushed into large and massive paws. His chest heaved as it formed into an oval ribcage. His arms bulged into massive hulks. His ears pointed and rose out beyond the top of his head. His mouth protruded out and formed into a snout. It took only seconds for the black wolf to stand back up in the trees.
Finished, he fell to all fours and ran. He ran fast. He ran with a powerful stride. He pushed on, dodging the trees, dodging the air, and moved on to her. He could only hope that he wasn’t already too late.
14
The night came. The darkness waned. Rachel sat up. She looked at the clock. 9:20? She pulled her legs over to the floor and stood up. It’s time to do this. She still wasn’t all that sure how she was going to do it, but she could only hope that everything would work out in the end.
She didn’t pause as she grabbed her keys from the end table, next to the sofa, and headed to the front door. She headed straight to her car and climbed behind the wheel. She started the car and headed off. It took only a few minutes to get there.
Knight Labs, the former Ravenswood, welcomed her almost like a long lost friend. She’d spent many nights there, studying the cures that she hoped to find, but in the end, with everything that happened, didn’t. Now, it all felt like a mirage. She felt like she was in a haze. It made her feel rather empty. The times she spent there seemed wasted. All of it was for nothing. She accomplished nothing but pain. She did nothing that helped anyone.
Pulling into the parking lot, and turning off the engine, she sat there quietly. She stared straight ahead, but saw nothing, or no one else but him.
She could see him standing there by the door of her lab that first night they met. Every time she thought about that night it made her laugh, so it didn’t surprise her that she did just that again. He looked so different then, a little over weight, a little robust. He was shy, almost painfully to a fault. The way he spoke to her seemed almost quaint. She could see him standing there in the d
oorway to the closet as he scared her. She could still feel the pain she felt when they knocked heads when she bent down to pick up the slides that he made her drop. It felt just like it was yesterday. It didn’t seem that long ago at that.
Sitting there, living it again, she looked back to the front of the building and sighed long and deep. She missed him. She missed his touch. She missed the way he looked at her. She now thought back to that night behind the barn when they helped Sasha into the back seat of her car. His smell was so strong when he stood next to her. His lips felt stronger yet when they kissed that night for the first time. It felt beyond magical—it felt like the sun heating her face. It felt like the heat from a nice cup of tea as it warmed you up from within. She had trouble putting everything she felt into words that even she couldn’t understand them right. God Jimmy, I do miss you. She looked back to the steering wheel and felt tears forming in her eyes. I hope that I will see you again. I don’t know how to live without you.
She took a deep breath when she opened the door and stood outside in the cool nighttime air. A slight breeze caressed her cheek as she shut the door. She had to keep it together. She had to do this for him.
Just stay calm. You have to do this. You have to get rid of everything concerning that damn drug.
Slowly, she walked across the pavement of the parking lot. She reached the sidewalk with a slow and steady stride in her steps. There she stopped, and turned back to look at her car. She could see it sitting right in front of the two vans that were always there.
Again, she could see him walking her outside after she asked him for an escort from the building. She could see him walking her to her car. The way he acted as he moved. The way he looked so harmless—so damn beautiful as he did it. Seeing him, feeling him, she turned and looked back towards the front glass doors of the labs. She took another deep breath again before she moved.
She walked to the doors.
“Excuse me Miss?” A soft woman’s voice came out of nowhere, and it caused her to jump right out of her own skin. It also caused her to stop dead in her tracks. It caused her to turn around oh so slowly.
Standing on the sidewalk, just where it meets the pavement of the parking lot, three women were now standing there. They were each wearing what looked like black suits. Each of them looked pale—almost white. Seeing them, seeing the looks on their faces and the color of their skin, her heart stopped.
“Are you Rachel Garland?” The middle woman stepped up from the parking lot and joined her on the sidewalk.
Rachel nearly lost her breaths. She knew instantly who, or what they were. Without thinking, she turned fast. She turned towards the front doors, but all she took was one single step before she was forced to stop.
One of the three women was now standing between her and the doors. “We only would like to speak with you, Miss Garland. Do you have a minute?” The woman blocking her smiled.
Rachel stood so close to her that she could smell the decay on her breaths. “What do you want with me?” She asked, taking one-step back. Goddamn blood suckers. She felt like adding but didn’t. She turned and noticed that the other two were now standing directly behind her. Those standing there made her jump again. She never heard them move, but yet, seeing them there, it still didn’t surprise her. She knew how fast they were. She also knew that she was no match for them either.
“Don’t fear us Rachel. We will not harm you. We could never harm you ever.” The one standing alone put a cold—painfully cold—hand on her left shoulder and it caused a shiver to bellow through her with a shudder.
The touch made her back away. Before she knew it, she was now standing on the grass along the front of the building. She backpedaled, and moved without thinking. She just went on, moving, hoping to get away.
“Where are you going Rachel? There’s nowhere to run. There’s nowhere to hide.”
“What do you want with me? If you’re looking for Jimmy, he’s not here. He’s in New York.” Before she knew it, she came to the curb, nearly tripped over it, nearly falling but didn’t thankfully, and was now back on top of the parking lot. She still moved back. Thankfully, she was still moving.
“We know where he is, but we’re not interested in him. We came here to see you.”
Thankfully, she was now halfway between the three women, if she could even call them that, and her car. She could now see it out from the corner of her eyes. She looked back to the three of them and that’s when she noticed that only was still there. Oh shit! She needed to know where the others went, but soon the answer came to her without her even having to ask the question.
Suddenly, she stopped. She ran into them standing behind her. She smacked them hard. One of them must have taken her arms, being that she could no longer move them. “Let me go you bitches!” She screamed. The one in front of her moved so fast that all she saw was a blur and then her right in front of her face.
“You don’t need to fear us Rachel. We’re only here to bring you to him.” The one smiled, showing two large fangs protruding from her top teeth. Her eyes glistened with a bright red that sparkled like rubies.
They peered at her almost causing a burn to her face. “Who? Who are you bringing me to?” She winced. Her mind flew solidly blank. Her body shook, and then suddenly, quite unexpectedly, she flew forward some. A loud crash echoed behind her.
She suddenly realized that the one holding her from behind was now gone. She turned and looked back and noticed that one of those damn vans, the ones that always sat in the parking lot each every day, smacked hard into the two women that were holding her and was now pushing them across the parking lot. She could see the two women, creatures, pinned on the hood of the van as it moved towards her right.
What in the hell? She looked to her left, to the opposite direction of the sliding van and could barely make out someone standing there in the dark. She could see that the person had an outline of a man. She could see what looked like a bright blue shinning of his eyes. Seeing everything, she gasped, as a shrieking hissing sound came out from behind her.
She turned, and saw a flash. She saw the woman then leap on the man across the parking lot. She saw them both go down hard with the woman on his back.
“Jimmy?” She hoped that it was he. She hoped he was there.
She heard another crash to her left, turned and watched with a stunned sense of amazement, as the van that she thought was the same one that hit the women, now rolled back over towards her. It flipped several times before it came on its side. She felt the wind that it caused when it hit the ground with a crash. She heard the banging boom, and saw glass fly out from all around it as it continued sliding until his smacked into the second van parked about in the center of the lot. She couldn’t believe what she just watched, and being so, she turned back to the direction of the man.
He still had the woman on top of him. They looked to be struggling. They looked to be in mortal combat. As for her, she saw enough, and turned back to the direction of her car. She didn’t hesitate. She ran to it as fast as she could go.
She reached it, was about to open the driver’s door but suddenly, two long legs landed on top of the roof right near her face. She heard the thud and even noticed the roof collapse into the car from the impact. Seeing it, hearing it, stunned, she froze.
“You can’t run. You can’t hide.” The woman jumped down from her car. Her black hair flew in front of her face when she landed right in between her and her car. The woman grabbed her shoulders and held her to her face.
“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” Rachel blinked. She closed her eyes and waited for the death that she felt was coming.
“I told you. We are only here to bring you to him.” The woman’s breath hit her hard.
She opened her eyes. She could see the fangs. She could see the red sparkle inside a pale white face. The sounds of a deep roar echoed fast, and furious, and it boomed the nighttime air like a quake. Suddenly, and thankfully, she recognized the sound. “Jimmy?”
He came from behind the car. He jumped just behind the woman holding Rachel, lifted the car up with one solid left arm, and tossed it hood first.
With a stunned sense of amazement, she watched the car smash loudly to its roof nearly twelve feet from where it was. It even slid some towards the sidewalk. She tried to breathe, but couldn’t do it justice, so she gasped instead. She nearly forgot how to do it.
The woman holding her let go of her and turned.
Before she did, Rachel noticed the stunned look on her face. All she could think of was how she loved that look. It said fear. It showed with an absolute terror. After seeing it, she finally breathed.
The black wolf swung his left arm. His claws now fully extended, impacted the right side of the woman’s face.
Rachel noticed her blood spurt out to her left. She watched the woman fall to the same direction that her blood flew, and continued watching as she slid several feet along the pavement. Again, she held her breaths, as she looked back ahead of her.
She saw his black fur first. She watched his chest heave in and out towards her face. She followed it up to a spot just under his chin, and noticed the deep white hair sparkling around his snout. She looked into his eyes, and found their yellow eminence so recognizable. He looked beautiful. He looked powerful. He was back. Jimmy finally came to get her.
He whined. He moaned. He almost purred.
Again, Rachel took a deep breath, allowing her nose to be filled with the heavy scent of his must. Everything filled her senses. She practically took him in. “It’s about time you came to find me.” She smiled.
The other two vampires let out a hiss, seeing him there. They turned. They fled, leaving only a streaked blur behind them when they left.
The third woman stood up, blood dripping across her face. She too disappeared off across the parking in a blurred haze as she vanished.
The man across the parking lot stood up as well.
Rachel turned and watched him stand. He was now directly under one of the parking lot light poles, and it helped her to see his face. Seeing him, her heart melted instantly, and her mind flared cold. “Bobby?” She couldn’t believe it. She took a deep long breath, and before she knew it, her entire world turned blank.
A Werewolf's Saga Books 4, 5, & 6 (A Werewolf's Saga Boxed Sets Book 2) Page 7