Balance

by Leia Stone

  I sighed and threw the car in reverse. “Fine come with me. She needs her night clothes and things.”

  I pulled out of the driveway. I needed to come up with a plan. Either I go to my mom’s, get Max inside the house and try to ditch him or… I looked into the rearview mirror and met his eyes. He knew something was up. Frick. I pulled over, put the car in park and turned around to face him.

  “Do you love Tara?” I asked him seriously, giving him the stare down.

  He looked caught off-guard and chewed his lip nervously. “Yes, but I never got to tell her.”

  I nodded. “What if I could give you the chance?”

  “Aurora, what are you saying?”

  I put my hands out. “Don’t tell Kai. Just hear me out.”

  Max could send Kai a mental message and have the whole pack on my ass in minutes.

  He nodded.

  “Okay, Kai called from Arizona. Layla isn’t there and she isn’t going to show. She isn’t stupid. She wants me. Brett contacted me and they’re hurting Sadie.”

  Fear flashed across Max’s face. “Did he say anything about Tara?”

  I shook my head. “No, but Brett is a good tracker. He wants me to meet him right now. We can lure Layla out and she will take me. You guys follow and when you get the location, you call for backup.”

  I could see him considering it.

  “Kai’s my best friend,” he declared.

  I nodded. “And he’s the love of my life but if we do it his way, then Tara and all of the females will be implanted with vampire spawn and I will be safe and cozy on my mountain. I need to end this. I’m the only one who can.”

  Max met my eyes and was silent for a long time. Finally he exhaled deeply. “Okay, God help me when Kai finds out, but okay.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. Holy shit, this was happening.

  Alone

  Putting the car into drive, I went to meet Brett. It was either the smartest or stupidest decision of my life. But it was better this way. Without Kai, I could focus on my life’s purpose, bring balance to the supernatural species and try not to die in the process. I could make a better world for Avery and this baby inside my belly to live in.

  It was a silent drive downtown, both Max and I were lost in our thoughts. I pulled my car up to a meter in front of the coffee shop that I had been to dozens of times while studying for exams in college. Downtown was pretty dead; it was a weeknight. A few bars had their lights on but otherwise we were alone. Brett stepped out of the shadows of the coffee shop’s side building. When he saw Max, he recoiled.

  “It’s okay, he’s in on the plan,” I told him quickly, trying to whisper. I wasn’t sure if we were being tracked by vampires or what.

  Brett nodded. “Let’s split up. She will have had her trackers smell you by now. We shouldn’t be seen together. I won’t let you out of my sight. I promise,” he said.

  Max nodded to him. “If Kai finds out we helped, you and I are dead men.”

  Brett shrugged. “Better than our women being dead.”

  Ouch. The man had a point. Brett walked fully out of the shadows and right past me as if he didn’t know me.

  Looking up at the surrounding high tower buildings, I sighed. Okay. Here we go.

  Max caught my arm. “I care about Tara and I want her back but I care about you, too. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  I smiled. “Who me?” I said innocently and he grinned.

  “I got your back,” he told me. I nodded and walked off, heading down towards the Willamette River. Downtown Portland kissed the Willamette, on the other side was Northeast Portland and the Columbia River, so close to Washington State you could cross a bridge and be there in five minutes. It was a beautiful city. I inhaled. The warm summer air was my favorite part of this time of year. I passed a few hippies playing hacky sack in the park and blasting reggae music. They threw me a peace sign when I met their gaze and went back to what they were doing. I had lost sight of Brett, but I assumed he could see me, so I took a left and walked up to Water Front Park trail, right on the river. Suddenly, I had the feeling I was being watched, and not by Brett or Max. It’s that icky feeling women get. We just know. Movement at my back caused me to turn quickly, just in time to see a vampire approach me lightning fast.

  He was tall and lanky with a sinister look and dark ringed eyes.

  “You can’t be this stupid,” he hissed. I gripped the stake in my purse.

  “Where’s Layla?” I ignored his jive and wasted no time getting to the point.

  He smiled. “The queen isn’t close, but has requested your presence. Come with me.” He reached out and gripped my underarm.

  “I want to make sure the female wolves are alive or I’m not going anywhere.” I stood firm.

  He glared at me and pulled out a cell phone. After tapping it a few times, he then turned it to me, showing me a video. Tara was in some type of cage, lying on the ground. There were silver needle spikes one inch away from her skin. Anger flared inside of me. Tara was weeping.

  The video then panned to a large room with the rest of the girls. A scientist was pinning down Sadie. Every time Sadie resisted, the needles poked Tara. They were using Tara as a pincushion to keep the girls from fighting back. Rage flooded my system and I pulled out the stake and rammed it into the chest of the vampire quicker than I had ever been.

  He poofed to ash as the phone fell to the ground. “You bastards!” I screamed and kicked the cell phone out of the way as three vampires came out of a boat on the dock.

  They zoomed into my vision, incredibly fast. “That was stupid,” one of them told me as they came up behind me and took both of my arms.

  “Take me to my friends.” Oh, yes. I would go willingly and kill every bloodsucker involved in hurting Tara and the rest of them.

  He slipped a black pillow case over my head. “Happily.”

  Then I was being pushed super-fast onto the dock. My body was lifted up into a boat and I felt it sway. I had to flex my leg muscles to stay upright.

  Shit. Brett and Max couldn’t follow a speed boat and I couldn’t see. As the boat took off, I was jerked back into my seat. I had to be taken though, the image of Tara screaming was burned into my head. I had to do something even if it meant no one was following to save me.

  ‘Kai, I’m sorry. I had to,’ I told him hoping he would forgive me.

  I felt his energy wash over me. ‘What? Where are you?’

  ‘Downtown Portland. I think I’m heading east on the Willamette. The vampires have me. I went willingly. I’m going to end this.’

  I had never felt so much rage from Kai in my entire life. ‘God dammit, Aurora! You will be the death of me. Keep talking to me. Who else is with you? I’m coming.’

  He was hours away, there was nothing he could do. ‘Call Max. I need to pay attention. I still have Sylvia’s necklace on.’

  The vampires ripped my purse away from me and I heard a splash as they tossed it into the river. They didn’t bother tying me up so I assumed they knew I wanted to be taken, that I would help my friends.

  I reminded myself that I wasn’t alone, the Devi was inside of me. We would end this together, I was strong enough.

  ‘Max is in a kayak. He has you in his line of sight. Jump out of the boat and swim to him,’ Kai told me frantically.

  I swallowed hard. ‘No. This is my chance and I’m taking it.’

  ‘Aurora, you jump out of that boat right now!’ His scream inside my head made me flinch.

  ‘No, Kai! Then what? We continue to wait around and hope Layla will show up?’

  Kai was numb, his energy frantic. He couldn’t believe this was happening. ‘Sometimes I wish I never met you.’

  The declaration put a sob in my throat.

  ‘I’ve never loved anything more than I love you. I need you but you don’t need me,’ Kai said in a deadpan voice. Oh my God. No!

  ‘That’s not true, I need you. But I can’t be free of this until my purpose is done. I wish you woul
d understand and support me. I have another freaking soul occupying my body! A vampire queen making babies with my blood and shooting human teens with heroin. I have to do something!’ I told him.

  The boat was slowing.

  ‘You think I give a shit about your purpose if it takes you from me? No! I won’t support that. Please, Aurora, jump out of the boat.’ He was blinded by love, could I blame him? I was doing this for us, so we could get past this and be together, raise a family.

  I sighed. No one really understood what it was like to live your life except you. ‘You made Devon a promise. That Avery would grow up in a better world. I’m giving him that promise. I love you, I do need you, and I’m sorry.’

  I went into my mind’s eye and buried our mate bond. I felt him try to saturate my body with Alpha power but I was ready. I pushed it off as mist leaked from my skin. I could feel him trying to control me like he did in the car on the way to my mother’s. God damn he was powerful, but with the mate bond buried and me ready, he didn’t stand a chance.

  The boat lurched as it was docked and I heard the whirl of helicopter blades in the distance. This was it, no going back from this decision. The vampires lifted me up by the arm pits and walked me closer to the helicopter sound. If they put me in that helicopter, Kai might never find me. Pushing down my nerves, I let them drag me. The vision of Tara screaming, hundreds of silver needles sticking into her skin, urged me to go with them.

  I still had the protective necklace, so Sylvia would be able to find me. If I ran now and jumped in the river, I could swim to Max; my hands weren’t tied. If I went with the vampires, I risked myself but I could save ten female werewolves, kill Layla and get Prudence. I quickly weighed the options and made up my mind. I didn’t resist as the vampires hauled me up into the helicopter.

  As the helicopter took off, I could feel Kai raging through the mate bond. All of a sudden, the mate bond was unearthed inside of me; I felt it pulse and go strong.

  ‘Don’t EVER do that again,’ Kai roared. How the hell did he do that? Maybe Alphas were more powerful than I had originally thought. My small time as an Alpha had seemed more of a burden but now I saw that I may not have given it a fair chance.

  “Hello, dear,” Prudence screamed over the whirling blades.

  ‘I need to concentrate. I’m in a helicopter with Prudence. Don’t talk to me. I have to focus,’ I told him.

  ‘Fine, but when I get you back get home, I’m locking you in the basement forever,’ Kai declared.

  I wanted to say ‘If I get home, this will all be over.’

  “Hello, Prudence,” I said sweetly. I didn’t want to play my final hand just yet. I had her full name; she was as good as dead. I needed to allow them to take me to the girls, to Layla. Someone zip-tied my hands together behind my back.

  We flew in silence for about twenty-five minutes and then Prudence leaned close to me. My head was still covered but I sensed her. She inhaled deeply, then all of a sudden, she reached into my shirt and ripped off my protective necklace.

  “No!” I screamed, thrashing.

  “Stop!” she shouted, pinning me down. The door opened and I could feel the cold air hit my face. I could only guess she threw my necklace out the window. Shit. Game over. I was on my own.

  ‘Kai, we’ve been flying twenty-five minutes and Prudence found my shaman pouch and tossed it out. Have Sylvia find it.’

  ‘I’m going crazy right now, Aurora! How could you do this to me?’ he said in agony.

  That’s when it hit me. Maybe I was the one being selfish. I didn’t think of how Kai would feel. How much was the Devi controlling me?

  ‘I’m sorry,’ was all I could say.

  ‘I’m going to find you. I told you we would end this together and I meant it. Together,’ he reminded me.

  “You’re not talking to your mate, are you?” Prudence asked and all of a sudden a sharp object cracked the back of my skull and everything went black.

  Water

  I woke up to a dull, throbbing pain that pulsed behind my eyes. A groan escaped me as I was being hauled up to a standing position. From the quiet sound, I assumed the helicopter had landed as there were no more whirling of blades. I was exhausted; it was the dead of night and my hands were still tied behind my back, making my shoulders hurt. My wrists burned but a sharp scent pricked my nose. I inhaled.

  ‘She knocked me out. We have landed and I smell water. Not salty, maybe a lake. I don’t hear running water, so not a river.’

  ‘Jesus Christ, Aurora. You had me scared. Sylvia thinks the pouch is in Bend, Oregon. I will look up lakes. Your flying time was about fifty minutes.’

  We both knew it was a long shot. Oregon, Washington, and California were full of lakes. I could be anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.

  We were walking inside, if I could just get this hood off, I might be able to see some marker of where I was. I did a quick jump up and threw my weight forward tossing the hood off and forcing the vampires to let go of me.

  Prudence quickly zoomed into my vision and saturated me with black magic, taking my sight. I stumbled in the complete darkness. I was blind! My eyes squinted, open and shut, in pure panic. They were burning.

  “Don’t mess with me, child!” Prudence roared. I heard a loud metal scraping sound, like a door and then I was being hauled inside somewhere. It was now or never. I had to take Prudence out. I was assuming I had been led to the location of where Layla and the girls were and I couldn’t let Prudence live one second longer. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself for what was to come.

  “Prudence Heather Sorensen!” I roared her full name and let the Devi fully come to the surface. It was like letting my wolf out. With one quick motion, I snapped the zip-tie holding my arms. I was strong; stronger than I should be.

  I heard her gasp.

  “You have no power over me!” I declared calling up my inner magic and immediately regaining my sight as her spell broke. Mist poured in thick clouds from me and surrounded Prudence. I was in a cement hallway in an underground structure somewhere. Prudence stood there frozen, her scraggly hair lifting on its ends. Raising my hands high over my head, I threw them forward, slamming Prudence against the wall with magical force.

  The vampire who had walked me inside grabbed my arm but I pivoted quickly, bringing an elbow down hard on the back of his neck and he crumpled to the ground. I slowly stalked towards Prudence, she was pinned against the wall in a cocoon of white magical mist.

  Standing before her, I saw her true self. Her magic had been stripped and she was an ugly shell of a human. A dark entity that had no place in this world.

  “Darkness is the absence of light, so I shine my light on you until you disappear,” I whispered in her ear as she continued to stare at me in shock. Reaching up, I placed two hands on each side of her head.

  “Balance,” the Devi whispered through my lips and quickly snapped her neck as she fell to the ground with a thud. Staring down at her, I gasped as her face shrank until she looked 100 years old. The world was better off without her in it. She looked like a frail old human now.

  Footsteps caught my attention and I turned to see Layla coming down the hall with four other vampires. Inhaling, I grinned. I could smell them now. With Prudence dead, her magic no longer worked. Time to kill Layla and be done with this! The Devi inside of me itched with anticipation.

  “You’ll regret that!” Layla roared and held up a small LCD screen. It looked like a baby monitor.

  The sound of Tara’s wail gave me goose bumps and stopped me dead in my tracks. I pushed the Devi down and thought of Max. That was his mate, my pack member, my friend. The mist I had conjured shrank away as I withdrew my magic.

  “Should I kill her or just torture her? It’s up to you.” Layla held the screen up.

  “Stop, please stop!” I begged.

  But Tara wailed on. I threw my arms up to blast Layla with magic but Layla held a button on the monitor. “Kill her,” Layla said.

  “No! I�
��m sorry.” I put my hands down and fell to my knees, head bowed. Oh God. What do I do? With the Devi, I was powerful enough to take out Layla, I could see that now. But I would not sacrifice one of my friends to do it.

  “Stop,” Layla said into the monitor.

  Two vampires came up behind me, surrounding me with their presence.

  “Play nice and your friends live.” Layla narrowed her gaze at me.

  I stood and glared at her as the vampires each firmly took hold of my arm.

  “I don’t see why we can’t have a mutual arrangement. You play nice and supply me blood and female wolves. In turn, I will give you money beyond your wildest dreams.” Layla’s voice was musical, her eyes purple. She was trying to use compulsion on me. It didn’t work. White mist wrapped protectively around me.

  I needed to be smart about this. She had Tara in some kind of torture room. I shouldn’t piss her off. I needed to learn the lay of the land and plan my attack and escape smartly. “I will think about it,” I told her.

  Her lips curled into a fake smile. “Well, until then I’m going to have to lock you up with the other dogs. I can’t risk you getting away again.” She winked. I suppressed a growl at her use of the term dogs. She gestured to Prudence. “It’s a shame. She was very good.”

  Then Layla turned to one of the other vampires. “Find me another witch.”

  Her strawberry-blonde hair was curled, she had on layers and layers of make-up, and her clothes were fancy. “Going somewhere?” I asked casually as they walked me down a hall. I was scanning door numbers, signs, anything. We were in some kind of underground bunker. Would make sunlight a non-issue and no one would hear screams.

  Layla laughed. “I have my first couple coming to do a surrogate transplant.” She rubbed her hands together in glee as my heart hammered in my chest. So then maybe that meant none of the girls were pregnant yet but they would be soon if I didn’t stop this.

  We reached a door. “Sorry about taking out your heroin supply,” I spat at her. Screw playing nice, this bitch was evil. The big steel door opened.