Fierce Awakenings

by Kristy Centeno

  She had drifted off eventually, but it had taken a lot of effort. Upon awaking, the notion of what she was about to do hit her once again and she was filled with a strange mixture of excitement and fear.

  This certainly hadn’t been the first time she’d tried to escape. Unfortunately every single time she’d tried before she had come back, broken and humiliated. This time she hoped things would turn out differently. Not only was she worried about how things would turn out, but she was also plagued by the vivid dream she’d had during the short two and a half hours she’d slept before Danero stopped by.

  She vividly recalled having heard Tristan’s voice beckoning her to come find him, and every single time she brought that to mind her body broke out in goose bumps. The dream had been so real she could have sworn he was not only talking to her but touching her as well. The man had even dared to invade her dreams, and the worst part was that she couldn’t decide whether to be angry or glad.

  As the hours ticked by, her priority was for the hunt to begin so she could escape once and for all.

  When five a.m. finally rolled by, and the howls and growls of the pack echoed throughout the woods, she was relieved to know the time had finally arrived. Within moments, the pack members, all shifting as they started for the woodlands surrounding the mansion, ran into the forest. Amongst the werewolves were her father, Tyrone, and Danero. She could make out their loud growls as they took off running. Reciting a silent prayer of thanks, she donned a pair of jeans, a simple cotton tee, a pair of low heeled boots, and quickly styled her long hair into a ponytail.

  After waiting patiently for about thirty minutes to make sure the pack wouldn’t return to the mansion for any reason, she hurried out of her bedroom, down the staircase, through the first floor, and then outside, where she slipped into her car, which had been left conveniently parked in the driveway. Once she found the keys under the seat, she turned the ignition and sped out as fast as she could without arousing suspicion.

  She had no idea where she was headed, but as long as she was far from the mansion she didn’t care. Anything was better than remaining beside a strict father and a no-nonsense mother. Besides, she didn’t think she would be missed except by Danero, Tyrone, and Sasha. As she peeled around another curb, she regretted not having said goodbye to her adoptive parents, but Victoria knew Tyrone well enough to know he would have tried to stop her this time. Although he cared for her deeply, and often took the brunt for her bad decision making, if she had gone to them, Tyrone would have known she had no intention of coming back this time.

  Danero, on the other hand, was a different story.

  Victoria glanced back through the rearview mirror on several occasions to make sure no one had followed her. After a few minutes, she was assured she was on her own. A sense of relief washed through her and her confidence began to grow. All she had to do now was find a place to call home temporarily while she figured out what part of the world she planned to live in. There were so many places she ached to see and explore.

  While it was true she had not taken the time to think things through, Victoria was determined to make the best of what she had chosen to do. But in order to make a better life somewhere else she had to come up with a better plan.

  Now that she was out of the house however, she realized the hardest part was trying to figure out where to go from there.

  “I am nothing if not resourceful.” Victoria chewed on her lower lip as she focused her gaze on the road ahead. She figured millions of people across the world survived outside of their lairs each and every day, so why couldn’t she? She had several advantages over others. Then again, most people didn’t have to worry about turning into a fur covered beast unexpectedly.

  Sighing, Victoria wrinkled her nose and decided not overwhelm herself with the unknown. The outside world scared her, but what awaited her in two weeks frightened her even more.

  Thirty minutes later, Victoria stopped her car at the side of the road. Coming up with a destination was proving to be harder than she imagined. She knew very little of the human world outside the walls of her Lycan sanctuary and because of this she had no idea where she could even begin to hide out. When considering the fact that she was a werewolf who more often than not needed to change forms so that neither side would drive her mad, she wasn’t sure whether or not living amongst humans was a bright idea.

  If it came down to having to live amongst the human population, she could learn their ways if she had to. They weren’t that different from her, anyway—at least she didn’t think so. Technically, she did appear human most of the time. How hard would it be to contain the beast while in their presence? Hopefully, not as hard as she thought it might be. But to be honest, she didn’t want to stay amongst humans, either. It was too risky, in a moment of anger she could snap and the beast could come barging out—that wouldn’t be a very pleasant sight.

  For starters she needed a remote place where she could be alone, a place that would be far from constant human traffic, a place where she could be herself and not have to hide. After debating on how exactly she would find such a place, Victoria recalled a location she discovered while on a hunt a little over a year ago. It was secluded, lonely, uninhabited, and it was surrounded by nothing but the vast forest. It would serve well, if it was still vacant.

  When Victoria stumbled upon the lonely cabin right in the middle of the woods, she was surprised to see such a humble looking house in such a desolate place. Upon closer inspection, she discovered the cabin to be abandoned. And by the looks of things, it had been abandoned for quite some time. The former inhabitants had been humans, she had picked up on their scent splattered all over the place, but for some reason, they had picked up one day and left, leaving the well-constructed cabin alone.

  Hopefully, they were still gone and the cabin was still empty.

  Making up her mind, Victoria immediately set out to find the abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods. It was about an hour long drive but she didn’t mind. It was as good of a location as any. She only hoped she didn’t waste valuable time by driving there only to find it currently occupied. Unfortunately, she would have to wait to find out for sure.

  The only thing that truly concerned her about the long drive was the possibility of running into a pack member who could spoil her plans. As long as she remained on the road the chance of stumbling upon a beta, tracker, or guard grew considerably. However, as long she kept out of sight she should be okay. No one knew what direction she was heading, so even if they set out to look for her she wasn’t going to stay long enough for them to find her anyway.

  She continued to drive until she saw an entrance to the left of the main road. Within moments, she pulled onto that particular stretch of road, and drove forward for about a mile. Her reward materialized up ahead about a minute later. It still appeared to be abandoned, but she couldn’t be a hundred percent certain unless she listened for any noises, heartbeats, or breathing that would indicate the presence of any human as well as nonhuman beings that may be lurking nearby. It took her but a few seconds to determine the cabin, as well as the surrounding area, lacked any other presence aside from hers.

  Happy to know the drive hadn’t been a total waste, she stepped out of the car and strolled over to the front porch. She peered inside through a window and found, much to her surprise, that nothing had been disturbed since she was last there. The humans had not come back and no werewolves had passed through there, either. Confident now, she tried the door but found it locked. It mattered not; with one simple push she had the door wide open. As she stepped inside, she noticed how tiny the place actually was. It was a one bedroom, fully furnished cabin. Whoever had lived there had left in a hurry, taking none of their belongings along with them.

  The small living room was adorned with a couch, loveseat, end tables, coffee table, and a large Victorian carpet. There was no television set, which led her to believe they never had one. The walls of the living room were bare of any paintings or family
pictures. However, most of the furniture was covered with a thick layer of dust.

  The kitchen was fully stocked with appliances and eating utensils but was completely bare of any food, which thankfully she did not need. When she grew hungry she could always go out for a hunt. Besides, with the amount of time she planned to stay in the cabin she doubted she would even use any of the items in the house with the exception of a bed—if there was one.

  With that thought in mind she stalked off in the direction of the bedroom. Accommodations weren’t that great there either, but considering her stay wouldn’t cost her a nickel, she felt as if complaining about her shelter was rather childish. The queen sized bed appeared comfortable enough though, which pleased her. There was one chest and two nightstands. There were no sheets on the bed, so that meant she would have to go to the nearest town and buy some. If there was one thing Victoria hated, it was sleeping on a bed with no sheets. As she opened all the drawers of the chest and nightstands, she noted they were empty. So was the closet in the far side of the bedroom.

  Last but not least, Victoria inspected the small bathroom. In spite of the obvious time it had remained unused, it was in good condition. Both the shower and sink worked, and the toilet still flushed. The house was in dire need of cleansing though, which would probably make her stay a lot more comfortable. However, she did debate on whether or not she should even clean the damn thing. This wasn’t her home and she would only be staying for a day or two at the most. But like most women, she just hated a dirty house.

  With her mind made up, she marched out the door and hopped into her car. An hour later, Victoria arrived back at the cabin with bags full of the little supplies she would need for the task ahead. Going into the nearest town and interacting with humans had been quite an experience. She found it hard to believe that most of them lived unaware of the existence of werewolves, but alas, she hadn’t stayed long enough to form a definitive opinion of them. She spent an hour and a half cleaning the entire house, washing everything from the floors to the ceilings, before covering the mattress with a brand new set of sheets she’d purchased.

  Satisfied that every single inch of the house and furniture had been thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned to the point where its shine could be seen a mile away, Victoria showered and laid on the bed to contemplate her day so far. The only downside about her newfound home was the lack of electricity and warm water, but these things could not be helped. As soon as she figured out what her next stop was, she would take off. The lonely cabin in the woods was just a pit stop as far as she was concerned.

  In order to figure out where to go next she had purchased a few maps and even an atlas, which she had spent the better part of the last two hours studying, to help guide her way. Even though she hadn’t decided what her next destination would be, she realized her true guide was her instincts. Werewolves preferred to live in more isolated places, so if she chose to make her home in a city, the odds of finding another like her were slim. Chances could always stack against her and she might inevitably bump into someone who knew her father. As far as she knew Victor did have contacts with other packs outside the Bonvalet territory. However, Victor also had many enemies amongst the werewolf community.

  Victoria weighed her options. The more she thought about it the more she realized that in spite of the risks, which could turn out to be few, heading for a big city was probably her best option. Being that werewolves naturally tended to avoid as much contact with humans as possible, she thought it best to take all the major highways to get where she intended to go.

  If only she knew exactly where she wanted to be. She had heard New York was a beautiful and buzzing city. On the other hand, Las Vegas sounded even more interesting, and it was surrounded by desert. If she ever had the urge to change she knew exactly where to take care of that little problem.

  Unable to make a decision, Victoria folded the maps she had been browsing through, and walked over to the bed where she made herself comfortable on.

  Even with all the heavy activities she had performed during the past two hours she wasn’t the least bit tired. And as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, she couldn’t help but bring Tristan’s gorgeous face to mind.

  That intriguing blood sucker had played havoc on her emotions all day and that only after a brief but very exciting encounter in the woods. He was unlike any man…creature she had ever met. Something about his dark aura and quiet demeanor called to her in ways no one else ever had. All these thoughts and feelings were beginning to both bother and preoccupy her. She couldn’t allow herself to grow infatuated with a being that represented years of bitter war between two of the most powerful species of the supernatural world.

  What was it about him that fascinated her? The fact that he was a vampire? The fact that his features were so striking they appeared almost unreal? Certainly all of those factors contributed, but that wasn’t all. It was almost as if something hidden inside of him called to her. And his eyes, there was something about those alluring orbs of his that captivated her. She hadn’t missed the way his eyes had saddened at the mention of the word home. Something told her that Tristan was a man that no longer knew the meaning of that word. He was probably a loner, a being that had no more purpose in life.

  If that was the case she couldn’t blame him. It happened to many immortals. After living for so long the meaning of the word life was lost on those tired of living. A long and arduous existence could harden even the softest of immortals. Some thrived in a long and varied lifestyle but others grew bored, restless, tired of going on, especially if they were alone. Victoria was only twenty, but she couldn’t help but wonder how she would feel if she lived to be four hundred years old like her father. Would she become listless and bored, or would she feel much like she did now? Her father certainly appeared to be enjoying his life. Perhaps she would as well.

  And with those thoughts came another. How long had Tristan existed? He seemed old, and by old she meant ancient. But he certainly didn’t appear to be any older than twenty-three. His eyes, if not his physical appearance, spoke of a man that had lived for a long time and who had seen all there was to see. They mirrored exhaustion, indifference, and desolation. Just thinking about those magnificent eyes made the desire to see him grow even more.

  Frustrated, she scampered to her feet and started to pace the bedroom. There was only one thing that would take her mind off him and that was to change forms and run wild. Anything was better than torturing herself with images of the breathing statue by the name of Tristan Garland. Hoping to escape her growing desires for a vampire, Victoria stepped outside, changed forms, and began running freely through the forest. That little bit of freedom was all she needed to free her mind of unwanted thoughts.

  As she ran, Victoria could feel the chilly night air on her fur. It felt wonderful to let loose and forget, if only for a short while, the set of events that brought her to be in the middle of the forest, running wild. She grew slightly annoyed as she recalled the conversation with her father not too long ago. Being mated was the last thing she wanted, but she had no voice in the matter. But that was no more. She no longer belonged to a family or pack. She had declared herself a lone wolf and from now on she would live as such. If she happened to encounter a pack of maneaters along the way, then she would just have to deal with it when the time came.

  Stressing over matters that she’d rather forget was not worth losing her mind over. The sole purpose of this mini adventure was to forget everything but herself. What was the point of leaving her home behind if she couldn’t leave her thoughts behind also? The forest was the only companion she needed anyway, and the sound of the nocturnal animals was the only incentive that kept propelling her forward. Victoria considered herself a creature of the night. Night and darkness appealed to her. As she ran forward, plowing through the woods like a bulldozer, she felt more at home there than she did at the mansion.

  Despite her massive size, she hardly made a sound. Her anatomy was designed for r
unning, fierce fighting, hunting, and stealthy stalking. She could do that well, better than most betas. With her many natural born abilities came a powerful sense of smell, one that alerted her to a specific scent that until recently, was completely foreign to her.

  Victoria stopped her massive body abruptly as the specific aroma, carried by the soft breeze of the chilly night air, drifted up her nostrils. There was no mistaking that powerful scent. He was nearby, so close that his scent was spread out all over the trees and bushes surrounding her. Attracted by the familiar scent, Victoria started forward. She continued to follow an invisible path left by his unique scent. She had no idea where it was leading her but she didn’t care. There was a very real possibility that at the end of that path she would find Tristan.

  From time to time, Victoria would sniff the ground to make sure she wasn’t losing his scent, which was surprisingly new, indicating he had passed through there no more than ten hours prior to her being in the area. His powerful scent clung to the ground, as if he had taken his time walking over the area so he would leave his territory marked to warn intruders. That possibility unnerved her a little, did he know she was in the area? Was he trying to warn her to stay away? Or was he marking his territory in case any other predators might roam the area? Was he even around?

  Perhaps trying to locate the mysterious leach wasn’t such a good idea after all. The first time they’d met she was Victoria the girl, not Victoria the wolf-girl. Maybe he wouldn’t tolerate her presence in this form. She knew he lived in the woods but she didn’t know how far he considered his territory to go. So what if he saw her like this and beat her into submission before asking questions? Would he even recognize her like this? Or would he just automatically see her as a trespasser in his territory? He had made it quite clear that he didn’t like others invading what he considered to be his space.

  Despite all those worrisome thoughts, Victoria knew she had little to fear. She was a powerful and fully capable werewolf who could defend herself if the need arose. And if the vampire lord decided he wasn’t going to tolerate her presence any longer then she would be ready. The true problem lay in what would happen in a confrontation between them. If she was going to be honest—and since she was talking to herself she might as well be truthful—she didn’t want a nasty confrontation with Tristan. No, that was far from what she wanted.