by L. A. A. Law
“No, right before it happened, Jeff ran to the door as if he sensed something, but Kayla bolted, knocking him down, breaking the door and then was out in a flash, everything happened so fast.” Andrew stops running, closes his eyes in concentration and then we are off, bolting through the forest. We catch sight of two wolves, but it is Jeff and Grant, they appear to be tracking the children.
Moving again, a breaking dawn begins to color the sky offering us hope that the children are slowing down in preparation for their conversion back.
“It sounds like they stopped.” Andrew whispers to me as I see Grant and Jeff slow down, slipping into a low crouch and slinking through the trees, probably to sneak up on the children. As we draw nearer, the sight before us freezes us in our tracks. The children are contracting on the ground, but the horror comes from what lies beside them. Lucas is on the ground writhing in pain, I see the tear at his neck.
Jeff and Grant immediately phase into their human form. From the look passing between them, I know Lucas is going to die. Rushing to Kayla and Nicholas, I fight against the tears. How could I have been so careless? I should have gotten them farther away. My mind is freefalling. If I had gotten them away, Lucas would not be dying.
Nicholas converts first. Grabbing at my arms, he screams. “Mom, it wasn’t us. I swear. We came across him like that.” Bolting out of my arms, he rushes towards Andrew who has his hands on Lucas’ wound. “Dad, please you have to save him!” He is crying uncontrollably as Kayla converts and becomes alert to her surroundings.
“What happened? Where are we?” Her eyes turn from mine and she looks to Nicholas and Andrew who are hovering over Lucas and I know she cannot see the wound. As her eyes scan our faces, she panics. “What’s going on? What happened?”
Before I can respond, Gabriel, Damian are there grabbing Lucas and Reginald joins us. “Andrew you have to go, we’ll make sure that they get back.” Andrew is off like a flash.
“Nicholas, what happened? Why is everyone so upset? Why are they carrying uncle Lucas?”
Nicholas’ jagged response rings dead through his tears. “Uncle Lucas was attacked and they think we did it.”
I force down my own anxiety in hopes of reassuring them so that we can travel back quickly. “No one is thinking anything. It will be alright.”
Nicholas’ words register with Kayla and she grips me tightly, she’s inconsolable, muttering to herself. “I knew I was going to hurt someone. What have I done?” She keeps repeating this, her voice getting lower and lower. I try to move quicker, fearing that she is slipping into shock.
Nicholas yells out, grabbing her hands as we travel. “You didn’t hurt anyone. Kayla, I remember everything.” His eyes widen and I know he sees his sister slipping away. His voice turns forceful, but he releases her hands so that we can continue on unhampered. “I remember running through the woods and by the time we got here, he was already on the ground. We didn’t do that and you have to believe that!”
Her eyes focus momentarily. Thank God. She shouts back. “You don’t remember everything, sometimes you said you get lost and maybe it wasn’t you, maybe I was the only one who did this. Maybe you found me after I killed him.”
“No one is dead.” I interrupt holding her tighter to me. I need to keep her talking.
“He will be and it is because of me.”
Despite my trying to keep her talking, with every step forward, she is slipping away, even Nicholas, seeing his sister’s pain and retreat can no longer fight the abyss which is this situation is hoisting them down. By the time we reach Sanctuary, the children are shut down. Their robotic auto-pilot movements have us traveling at a crawl. Reginald picks up Kayla and Jeff lifts Nicholas.
Rushing them into the terminal building, I begin checking them out. Despite their normal vital signs, each is engulfed in a comatose state, not seeing or hearing anything. Speaking to them, I try assuring them that we know that they did not do it, but other than the occasional flicker in Nicholas’ eyes, I am not getting through and Kayla’s eyes remain unfocused and her mind unreachable.
I want to check and see how Andrew is making out with Lucas, hoping that I could give the children some hope, but looking how Kayla just stares blankly and Nicholas’ eyes have closed slightly, forming unfocused slits, I’m afraid to leave them.
After what feels like an eternity, Damian enters. “Any news?”
Pulling me toward the corner of the room, his tone is almost inaudible. “It doesn’t look good. Andrew is trying, but he may have been too late. Nicole and Jacob are outside. Maybe they can help you in here.”
Turning to Nicholas and Kayla, tears are escaping the sides of their eyes and I know they heard Damian’s whisper. “Let them come in.”
As Nicole approaches Kayla, she hugs her and whispers. “I know you didn’t do it. You would never hurt anyone, especially uncle Lucas, please come back to us so that we can figure out who did attack him.”
Jacob is whispering something similar to Nicholas. They keep repeating these words, refusing to let go of their siblings. After a while, I see light returning to Kayla and Nicholas’ eyes. Although they still do not speak, I know they are listening. I whisper softly in each of their ears. “They are right. This is not your fault.” Despite my fear that one of them bit Lucas, I need to make them understand that this is not their fault. I should have gotten them further away and been better able to contain them. “We need you to come back to us and help to figure out what happened.”
Kayla remains comatose, but Nicholas stirs. After a moment, he opens his mouth and his voice cracks. “Mom, is uncle Lucas really going to die?”
“Your dad is doing all he can.” I wish I could reassure him, but know that lying to him will only make things worse. “We have to just wait and hope.” I gently stroke his cheek. “I need you to tell me everything you remember from last night.”
He closes his eyes, but I know it’s in concentration. “I remember you were with us when we were changing this time. I felt very tired, but it wasn’t as hard as the other night. I could feel you and even Kayla. I was able to talk to her and she was talking back to me. I could understand her. I was really afraid that being tired wouldn’t allow me to fight my desire to run, but it seemed to be going alright. Even Grant and Jeff didn’t seem as anxious, but then, I remember the hairs on the back of my neck raising and I could sense something was coming.” His features turn frustrated. “No, wait, it wasn’t that I sensed something coming, I sensed danger and I think Jeff did too because he got up and moved away from us. It was coming closer and then Kayla bolted. I knew I had to follow her. I could sense Reginald in the woods and knew he was trying to stop us, but it wasn’t like the last time, I knew he wasn’t the threat so I pushed passed him. Whatever he was trying to do felt uncomfortable but not crippling and I knew it wouldn’t stop me so I thrust myself forward. Everything in me could feel danger, but I tried to focus on Kayla. I didn’t want her out there alone. I knew she must have sensed it too but ...ugh!...why can’t I say it.”
Putting my hands on his shoulder in hopes of calming him, I keep my tone soft. “Nicholas, take it easy. The words will come. You are doing wonderfully. Relax and concentrate.”
His eyes shift to the back wall and narrow slightly as if he is trying to picture it all in his mind. “It was really strange. I didn’t just sense it. I smelled it, but then rustling seemed like it was coming from all sides and in my confusion to try and listen and hear which direction it originated from or was heading toward, my mind was getting lost and I had to keep fighting just to stay focused on Kayla. I lost her once, but then something strange happened and I envisioned where she was in my head and my body began moving toward her almost as if it were on automatic pilot leading me right to her. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes.”
I had to interrupt him. “When you lost her, was it near where we found you?”
“No.” He said confidently. “I lost her earlier when we were just outside of the cabin
. Afraid that I might lose her again if I concentrated on what was around me, I decided to just keep my focus on her. Mom, I know what you’re thinking, but I’m telling you, she didn’t do this and neither did I. My mind didn’t get lost anymore once all I did was concentrate on her. I swear to you and I was near her when we came across uncle Lucas, he had already been attacked.”
His tears slip quickly down his cheeks and I hug him fiercely. “It will be alright.” I hear the door open and it’s Andrew. From the look on his wearied face, I know it isn’t good news. “How is uncle Lucas?” Nicholas inquires before I can.
“We have to wait and see. We are doing all we can.” He hugs Nicholas, but I know from the way he glances at me that he was too late to help him. After Nicholas releases him, he goes over to Kayla and places his hands at her temple. Two minutes later a tear rolls down her cheek as she finally shuts her eyes. Jacob and Nicole are talking with Nicholas and Andrew gestures for me to follow him outside.
Moving down the hallway, he turns toward me. “It doesn’t look good, he probably won’t last through the night and Amelia is missing. No one has seen her since this happened. Grant and the others are searching for her now. Did Nicholas say any more about what he remembered?”
I reiterate everything Nicholas told me. “Mia, I’m sorry to leave you alone with the children, but I want to give Lucas and Catherine whatever time I can to say good-bye.”
“I understand.”
“Kayla should sleep for a while, but as soon as she wakes, see if you can get any information from her at all.” He kisses me and retreats to Lucas’ room.
When I return, Nicole and Jacob are gone and Kayla is still asleep. Sitting by Nicholas, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m worried. Mom, what if uncle Lucas dies? Aunt Catherine is going to think that we killed him and everyone is going to hate us, but mom I swear we didn’t attack him.” His tone is reaching a crescendo and his body stiffens. Knowing that Lucas is probably going to die, I don’t the children around when he does, we need to tell them somewhere they feel safe and loved, not a hospital room. “Did Jacob and Nicole go back to the suite?”
“Yes they went to get Kayla’s favorite music box.”
“Let’s call them and tell them to wait there for us. I’ll carry Kayla. I’m sure she’ll feel better in her own bed and you look like you could use some rest.”
Tucking Kayla in, Jacob opens her music box and Nicole crawls onto the bed, hugging her. Following Jacob into the boys’ room, I get Nicholas’ favorite story to read to him. Even though I catch him rolling his eyes because he thinks he’s too old for me to do things like this, I see a smile play on his lips and know he is grateful for the distraction. After an hour, he and Jacob fall asleep.
Calling over to check on Lucas, Jackson answers and lets me know there is no change and that Grant and Jeff are still looking for Amelia, so I’m surprised when I hear a knock and its Jeff.
“Francis told me that you came back here and I promised Charlie that I would check in with you before going back out to look for Amelia. How are they doing?”
“Come in.” I back away from the door. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, I promised Grant I would come right back after seeing Charlie.”
“Kayla hasn’t really responded and Nicholas just fell asleep. Jeff is it possible that he is right and they didn’t attack Lucas?”
His eyes shift to the floor revealing his answer. “If they didn’t attack him, who did? I know Nicholas says they found him like that, but it is probably because they don’t remember. It was animal instinct, something they couldn’t control. When you first turn, instincts are very hard to control and it is only natural that they would consider a vampire a threat. I just don’t understand why he was out by the cabin and why your friend didn’t stop him.”
Thinking about what he is saying, something doesn’t make sense. “Lucas wouldn’t have been out at the cabin, he knew that it was off limits.”
“Mia, there was definitely a vampire out by the cabin and it was not Reginald. His scent became very familiar over the last few evenings, even to the children in their wolf form. I detected the scent before your children and I sensed danger, probably because we have been raised to fear and distrust vampires. He had to have been out there and that had to be the scent that Kayla was following when she burst through the door. She was definitely following someone and when we do that, especially sensing danger, we don’t give up the hunt, we follow the trail.”
“She loves Lucas, she wouldn’t go after him. She wouldn’t see him as a threat.”
“Maybe not when she is human, but this conversion is new to them, maybe it is inbred in all werewolves that vampires are a threat. I’ve heard rumors that they sometimes work together and I have to say the friends you have working together and the ones I hear about do tend to cross the lines of understanding, but you have to consider that in her werewolf form, her instincts would be like the majority of us and we do go after and kill vampires.” He sighs and I can see concern in his features. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Charlie is very anxious for Kayla and Nicholas and I want to let him know that physically, at least, they will be alright. I just hope that you can make them understand that it was not their human fault. It wasn’t even their animal fault. They instinctively felt a threat approaching and they did what we do. You need to make them understand that. In fact, if Kayla hadn’t knocked me down, I’m telling you that with the sense I got, I could have very well bitten him before my ability to recognize him. I’ll check with you later.”
“Let me know when you find Amelia. I know that after her incident in England, Andrew was concerned about her well being. I just hope she didn’t wander off and get sick.”
“That’s what Grant is afraid of too. She has been keeping to herself too much since we got here. He’s afraid that her refusal to let them continue to treat her may have made her really sick and she wanted to get away from here, maybe even go home. Paul is trying to see if she boarded a plane.”
“Call me as soon as you know anything, will you?”
“No problem. If Kayla is feeling up to it, I know Charlie would love to come and see for himself that she is at least responsive and maybe he could even help her.”
“I’ll let you know when she’s awake. Jeff, is there anything that can be done for Lucas? Did you ever come across anything, even a rumor that might help him?”
“Mia, I’m very sorry, but I know that all of our stories were that if a vampire bit a werewolf it was fatal and if a werewolf bit a vampire, the same was true.” He turns to leave and then whips around. “I don’t know if this will help you at all, but it was rumored that David was bit ions ago before my pack settled on the surrounding land and survived, but no one could ever say that for sure and considering that he is dead now, he can’t confirm it either. I will talk to you soon.”
As I shut the door, my mind is reeling with all that occurred in such a short amount a time. So much of this does not make any sense. Why would Lucas be anywhere near the cabin? Everyone in the family knew how dangerous it would be to not only them, but to the children. Knowing that even Andrew was forbidden, Lucas would have never risked coming near there. It just doesn’t add up.
My nerves are getting the better of me. There is something that is nagging at me. I begin pacing trying to decipher the information that is churning in my mind and becoming too jumbled. Taking in a deep breath, I try to concentrate when two things hit me. Jeff confirmed that they recognized Reginald as being out there if he saw Lucas he would have made him leave and if he is right that David was bit and survived, maybe there was something in his blood that could give us the answer to this problem. I have to confirm that David was bitten. The only one who may be able to answer this for me is the one person I have been avoiding since returning to Sanctuary.
Calling Martina to sit with the children, Gabriel comes in with her. His response takes me aback and I realize my thoughts must have registered with him.
“He wouldn’t have gone into the woods, Mia, he was feeling guilty enough; he would have never risked them like that. Have you asked Reginald if he saw him?”
“I’ll catch up with him after I see Marlena.”
“Come on, we’ll go together I don’t want you seeing her alone. Did Jeff give you any indication as to whether they believed David got bit?”
“He said they hadn’t confirmed anything, but I’m hoping he did.”
“She refuses to speak to any of us. The only way we have gotten any information from her at all is my eavesdropping into her mind.”
“Well then you will just have to eavesdrop again. Although she can refuse to answer me, once I ask the question, she probably can’t force her mind not to think of the answer. Does she even know what you can do?”
“No, I don’t believe so. We have been very careful around her, none of us even speak within earshot.”
“Good, then she won’t even have a reason to block her thoughts.”
As we race toward the restricted building, Gabriel calls Reginald to have him meet us.
Before we even stop walking, Gabriel asks Reginald the question. “Did you see Lucas in the area before Kayla came bolting out?”
“No, I didn’t see anyone in the area, at least not in the front of the cabin where I was. I thought I heard some rustling in the woods behind, but I was concentrating so much on keeping the spells focused around the cabin and trying to hear what was going on inside, that I wasn’t really focusing on the outside. Despite that I would have smelled if Lucas or any of us were in the area, I have become very attune to everyone here, I could probably pick up your scents anywhere.”
Then he turns to me. “There must be something much more important than your asking me if Lucas was in the woods to get you away from the children considering what they are going through now, why are we outside of this building?”