by Davis, SJ
I owe him at least some thought on this. I don’t know if I can do it, but if I can, for anyone it is Marcus. The next full moon is only seven days away.
“I’ll get the car to take you home. Your clothes are in the bathroom if you would like to clean up before you leave.” He makes to stand from the bed. I stay him with a hand on his arm.
“Marcus?” I lean over and brush my lips across his in a whisper of a kiss. “I’ll see you soon.” I get up and head to the bathroom leaving him sitting on the bed.
Chapter 19
I’m home now and more than slightly confused it is about three in the morning. I’m sure sleep is not on the agenda tonight. So setting up the Internet, I go about finding anything I can, related to vampires or soul mates. There is a plethora of information out there most of it sounds crazy and I’m positive none of it’s actual first hand knowledge.
There is one site telling me how dangerous and bloodthirsty a vampire is. There’s a contact number that is local to the area. They seem to have the most accurate information on abilities and weaknesses. I’ll have to ask Marcus if he has an affinity to silver. It seems these people on this site think so. I’m assuming these are the type of people that are the reason behind the mind altering should I choose not to turn. I wonder how much more these people know than me.
The sun is rising as I walk onto the balcony of my room to watch. The way the sky turns from inky blue to pink, then the shimmering blue of the summer sky. I’ve always loved the feel of the sun on my skin, the way it manages to relax and warm my soul. I still don’t know what to do. I love Marcus, he makes me feel special, loved. I’m not sure I’m ready to give up my mortal life. I love my little shop and making my poultices and creams, my little garden where I grow all my own herbs and flowers. Sure I could still run an Internet business, but would really like to be able to continue having my own store. I guess this is the kind of things I need to talk to him about. I don’t know if I can drink blood, the thought of the metallic tang of iron and copper coating my throat is enough to gag me.
Finally at nine in the morning exhaustion over takes me, I slide stiffly into the sheets of my bed. Sleep is quick to take me under and I dream:
It’s the cool of night and the moon is high in the sky. The trees are inky blobs against the night sky; the clearing is lit up by the full moon. It is just Marcus standing out there I see him all alone in the center. He appears to be praying to some God. I inch out of the clearing towards him. He turns to me eyes blazing like the fires of hell, his fangs flashing white in the darkness. He is naked from the waist up his chest is glistening in the moonlight. I watch as a woman who looks like me approaches him no words are said. As she sits next to him in the rock circle and lays her head on his shoulder. He welcomes her into his arms and holds her tight. I feel his love for her. I watch, as she shakes her head no. She has decided. She will not be with him not as a vampire. I feel the sadness of his soul wash over me, the pain nearly crushing my heart. The scene changes, I see Marcus again; he is holding a dying woman’s had as she lay in her bed. Her breathing is faint, her lungs rattle with every inhalation. She coughs and sputters. The woman opens her eyes and I see myself in her. She draws his hand to her lips and kisses it. She takes her last breath. The scream that he makes will rival the wail of a banshee. The pain of her loss, the pain he feels, breaks my heart. How many times has he found me and I denied him? How much torture can one soul bare? I couldn’t go on without him, yet I’ve made him continue on without me for over a hundred years. I’ve tortured his soul and lived my lives allowing him to find me and love me only to deny his gift and leave him again. He is like coming home, warm, safe, and comforting. I need to be held by him in his solid embrace for all eternity.
I awake with a start, completely aware of my dream. Tears streaming down my face, the ache in my chest and deeper in my soul crushing the life from me. I need him. I cannot fathom living without knowing him or not being with him. I look at the alarm clock on the stand. It’s four in the afternoon. I jump out of bed and shower quickly. I dress in black skinny jeans and a red spaghetti strap tank top, leaving my hair down. I grab my stilettos and run to the phone. I call the number for the driver. He can be here to get me in fifteen minutes. The sun hasn’t set yet, but it is getting low in the sky.
The limo pulls up out front, I sprint down my steps and slide into the back seat before the drive even has a chance to get out. Lost in my own thoughts. I don’t realize how long we’ve been in the car until the door opens. I step out of the vehicles, face to face with a strange driver and in the middle of nowhere. Panic sets in, I punch at him, kicking him in the shins. He backhands me and the world goes black.
Muffled voices, drag me out of my unconscious state. I refuse to open my eyes, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Oh my God, is the serial killer or the stalker that’s been after me. Shit. I try to focus on the voices; I can’t make out any words. Thump, thump, thump. Hard boot steps echo towards me. The smell of mud and blood swirl through the air. A hand brushes the hair from my face. I try not to cringe, feigning sleep instead. I figure the longer I’m out the less than can hurt me right?
“What the hell did you hit her for?”
That voice sounds oddly familiar. I keep my eyes shut, hoping they will give away some detail to where we are.
“Damn it James, you didn’t tell me the bitch was crazy.”
James, that son of a bitch, he’s behind this? No longer scared, I open my eyes, taking a swing at James sitting on the edge of the couch with me.
“You bastard, you kidnapped me?”
“Calm down Jas, it’s not what you think.” He grabs my arms pinning them to my sides, crushing my body against his, as he stands.
“Put me the fuck down asshole.” I kick my feet, landing my heels into his shins.
“I’ll put you down, when you calm down and listen to me.” He squeezes me tighter, forcing the air from my lungs.
“Fine, talk.”
James lets go of me and I plop down on the couch. He turns to look at me, giving me his fake charming smile. I want to gag, his dirty blonde hair, slicked back like some fifties punk. His watered down blue eyes, pale in comparison to anything I’ve seen lately.
“I’m just trying to help you, Jas.” He reaches for my leg.
“I scoot out of reach, rubbing the sore spot on my cheek. “Yeah that’s why your buddy here slugged me.”
James face flames red with anger, he’s so easy to bait. His buddy has the nerve to look embarrassed.
“Ron wasn’t supposed to hurt you Jas, I just want to help you.” He scoots closer on the couch, pinning me to the armrest.
His vile breath washes over me, coursing a shiver of disgust through my body. James apparently takes it as a good sign and curls his arm over my shoulder.
“What gives you the impression I need help?” I put my hand on his chest pushing him away from me.
“Jasmine, do you know what kind of things frequent that club you been going to?”
I decide playing dumb is safest at this point until I figure out exactly what he is talking about. How could lazy ass James, know anything about that club.
“I know what they do in the club, I have no idea what kind of things you are talking about.”
“I know your going to think I’m crazy, but those things there aren’t human. They are vampires and shifters?” He puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me against his chest.
“James you are crazy, vampires and shifters? Seriously, are you watching to many horror movies?”
“Let’s get you something to eat and cleaned up, then we can talk about it more.” He stands up, pulling me up with him and twining our fingers together.
I resist the urge to jerk my hand from his, deciding it’s best to play along until I figure out where they hell we are and just how many people are here. He leads me out of the living room into a large country kitchen. The appliances are old, and yellowing from age. The water faucet runs a di
rty brown before clearing, as he turns the sink on. He fills a glass with water and hands it to me. I drink it, so I don’t have to talk to him any more. I look out the window over the sink there are trees as far as I can see. We are apparently in the middle of the woods somewhere.
The stomping of boots draws my attention to the back door. Three more men walk in. I swear I just got swallowed by some cheap B movie. Flannel shirts, muddy jeans, and facial hair. Good God.
“This is Larry.” James points to mister red beard.
“Joe.” James motions to the scrawny guy in the middle. “And this here is Martin.”
They all nod and continue to trek stink and mud through the kitchen, leaving grubby fingerprints on everything they touch.
“James, you kidnap me, then tell me tales of non human creature, and now you want me to have dinner with all your goonies?” I stalk towards the back door. “You are crazy.”
James grabs me from behind, pulling me away from the door. “Where do you think your going? It’s dark and none of us are driving you to town. You don’t even know where you are.”
“What the hell do you want?” I wiggle out of his grip, turning to glare at him.
“You are going to eat and then I’ll show you just what I’m talking about.” He leads me to the kitchen table, forcing me to sit in the chair.
Dinner consists of canned soup and cold sandwiches, in the company of redneck central. The slobs slop more food on the table and the front of their shirts than they eat. I swirl the murky soup around in the bowl, not really hungry. I just want to get this night over with. I don’t know what James is so sure he knows, but I can’t imagine this gang is all that organized.
After the sun goes down Larry, Joe, Martin and Ron leave us alone. James clears the table and through the bowls in the sink. He turns towards me, leveling his gaze on me.
“Are you ready to see, what you are hanging out with?”
“James enough with the dramatics already. I want to see what you think I need to and go home.” I stand and head to the back door, turning to wait for him to show me what he knows.
“All right, but stay back and don’t get to close.” He takes my hand and leads me out the back door to a run down barn.
Chapter 20
“Marcus, Jasmine isn’t at her house.” Sam’s voice rouses me out of my sulking.
“What do you mean she isn’t at her house?”
“Well I went over to check on her and I can’t get any answer at her door. There isn’t any trace of a heartbeat in there either.”
“Shit, Sam. Do you think she ran?” I stare out the window into the starless night. Jasmine wouldn’t take off like that, or would she?
The elevator door dings open and Jake steps into the room. I turn to him, rage pouring off his body in waves.
“Jake what is it?”
“Marcus, we have a problem. The limo driver was found out in the alley unconscious tonight. The limo is still missing. It was the driver who was supposed to take Jasmine home.”
Fear and rage vie for dominance in my soul. The suite takes on a red haze, as anger wins the battle. The sound in heightens as my beast takes full reign of my system.
I turn to Sam. Her eyes glow red with her own rage.
“Gather the others, we are going hunting for my bride.” The sound of my voice echo’s unnaturally as the beast speaks.
“Jake, gather the pack. Call Anthony, everyone is going on this hunt,” Sam growls.
Jake exits the room, to gather the shifters. Sam heads down to gather the remaining vampires in the club. Tonight we hunt for blood and love.
We look like an army heading to war. I guess we are, in a way. Thomas is here, if we find Mia. He is going to try to save her. I’m going to rip my way through bodies, not stopping until I find my love. I’ve waited to long for her to slip away now, by the hands of a hunter. Allya has come, to help. She has grown found of Jasmine in the short time she has been here. The pack is ready we are starting the search at Jasmine’s house.
I smell the lingering scent of a man outside her windows. Someone has been here watching her.
“Sam, someone has been in the bushes. I am going around back. Get the shifters over here to see if they can single out a fresh trail.” Not waiting to see if Sam does what I ask, I head to the back. The flowers out here have been trampled down too. Someone has been here frequently.
“Marcus!” Sam yells around the house.
I swoop to her side. “What is it Sam?”
“There’s a male scent mixed with Jasmine’s down by the rode and fresh tracks from a car heading out of town. We aren’t sure we can track the car once the scent mixes with the others on the road.”
“Damn it Sam! We have to find her.”
“If the same people that took her have Mia, we need to go back to the dock and see if we can pick up that trail.”
That’s what I love about Sam. Even in the middle of a crisis her mind functions like a master hunter.
“Gather everyone up then, let’s head to the docks.”
Thomas picks up Mia’s scent as soon as we get to the shore. “She was taken from here. The scent of her blood still stains the grounds.” The pain of loss etched clearly in his eyes.
“Can you follow it?”
“I can Marcus, hopefully we are not too late.” Thomas shifts into his wolf and sprints off into the direction of the woods.
The rest of us follow him quickly through the streets of town, nothing more than blurs to the humans mingling on the streets.
Thomas tracks as far as the edge of the woods near the back edge of the wolf retreat. A shiver races up my spine, this close to our haven. Anthony’s eyes bore in to me, his anger palpable in the night air. This is his home, his land, and it has been infiltrated.
“I can’t believe they have been under my fucking nose so long.” Anthony stalks along the edge scenting the air.
“Anthony, I live on this land too and yet I had no idea either.” I walk into the edge of the tree line, straining to hear any sounds not of the night. I don’t understand how Mia’s scent could just leave off at the edge of the woods. There isn’t a road here that any of us know of.
“Thomas, are you sure you can’t scent anything further?” The air around him cracks and pops. The human Thomas stands before me.
“It’s strange she just disappears right here. Not even a trace left.”
“Can you smell any humans or anything out of the ordinary?” I scent the air and smell the faintest trace of diesel fuel.
“I smell fuel and oil.” His eyes glint and he shifts to wolf, taking off into the woods.
“Anthony, it’s time for the hunt.” I take to the air sensing Sam beside me. The other vamps fall in line behind us.
On the ground below the shifters take to the woods. The call of their animals ringing throughout the silent night. The cool night air whispers in my ears, songs of lost souls. The hunt tonight, important to our entire community. Not only for the return of my love, but in the hopes that Mia can be saved or find peace. The scent of Jasmine rakes across my senses. My body tumbles out of the night sky.
“Marcus, what they hell?” Sam lands beside me, pulling me to my feet.
“Do you smell that? Jasmine is around here.”
“I smell her, Marcus stay here wait for the shifters. We need a plan.” Sam yanked my arm stopping me from heading in the direction of the scent.
“Damn it Sam.”
“Damn it nothing. Marcus you will do this right. I know you love her, but no sense in getting us all killed.”
Thomas breaks into the clearing first. His hackles raised, lips curled back in a snarl. The air sizzles, he walks over to me human once again.
“We need a plan?”
“So Sam tells me.”
Anthony leads the rest of the shifters into the clearing. The crack and pop of the air, sounds like a firing squad, as everyone shifts back to human. We huddle around an area assigning signals and forest area to cover n
ow that we have a fresh scent to follow. Anthony, Sam, Thomas and I team up to head to the West side. Michael, Allya, and Jake head for the North end. Jenny, a female wolf shifter, takes a group of shifters and young vamps back towards the South, to check for Mia’s scent. Micah, the young vamp Sam had taken on in the club, take Steve and his friends to the Eastern quarter. With or without the girls we all agree to meet back at my house an hour before sunrise.
“Let’s go people. I’m tired of waiting. I need to find her.” I stalk off into the woods, Sam and Thomas right behind me.
The scent of stale blood and death assault my senses as we head deeper into the woods. The moon hides behind the clouds, afraid to look upon the death that will come tonight. The nocturnal animals have taken to hiding. The hunt is on, even the predators of nature hide in the wake of the supernatural beings.
The screams of torture rake across my skin, sending shivers in their wake. The wails of agony echo through the night, bouncing off the trees and reverberating into my soul. We stalk the edge of the clearing, spying the run down shack. The screams are coming from the barn out back. There are two distinct sounds of terror coming from the barn.
Jake and his group slip in behind us. “ We will circle around the back. I will signal you when we are in position.”
“We will wait for you, signal the others, I want no hunter left alive.” I turn my back on him, concentrating on the piercing cries from the barn.
Chapter 21
The cloying scent of decay and stale blood wafts through the dusky dank air. James leads me into the barn, slivers of moonlight wink through the slatted roof. The rotted wood creaks and groans. The banshee wails and agonizing screams, slithers along my spine. My legs frozen in terror, shuffling along as James drags me in to see.
“Look at the monsters you hang around with at that club.” James jerks my face to stare into the corner of the barn.