by Willow Cross
His voice softened. “I’m sorry. But it’s true, we don’t know anything.”
Ashley leaned forward to touch his face. “Do you believe she loves you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Then what is the problem? This hunting gig wasn’t going to last forever. We might as well quit now.”
“Grandfather will not let them go.” Shad’s eyes dropped to the floor.
“Who’s the best tracker in the tribe, Shad?”
“Me.”
“Who’s the best hunter?”
“You.” Shad raised his gaze to her face.
“So if the best tracker and the best hunter are with them…”
Shad’s face exploded into a wide grin as he leapt from the floor. “I’m going to shower. Be ready when I’m done.”
Ashley returned his smile with sparkling eyes. “I’ll go pack…a lunch.”
***
Jason woke to the incessant ringing of a phone. Immediately, he sat up in his chair. Sarah slept soundly, but was still covered in sweat. He rose and stumbled out the door. He wasn’t feeling good either. When he returned to human form, the bullet that had lodged just under the skin, popped out, leaving the wound to heal almost immediately. His now scarred shoulder burned. Craning his neck to get a look at it, he saw it was red and swollen. Small blue lines starting in the center of the red scar, pulsated in finger-like trails down his arm and across his chest. I wish that phone would stop ringing.
Placing his hand on the wall, he continued forward. His vision blurred. For a moment, he lost his balance and leaned against the wall. In the living room, Pete was sound asleep on the couch. Jason made it past him to the kitchen. With one hand on the wall to steady himself, he picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Jason?”
“Yes?”
“It’s Ashley, don’t hang up!”
“What do you want?” Jason’s legs began to buckle underneath him. Turning his back against the wall, he slid to the floor.
“Listen, Shad and I had nothing to do with last night. We didn’t even know it was going to happen. We want to help you. Jason? Are you there?”
Jason’s breathing became labored. He took slow deep breaths trying to keep from passing out.
“Jason!” Ashley yelled into the phone.
“Sick. Can’t talk. Something wrong.” He managed to whisper.
“Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right over.”
Jason wanted to tell her not to come. He wanted to tell her it would be too dangerous. Try as he might, his mouth would not open and the words would not come. “D-Danger,” was all that managed to escape his lips before his eyes closed and the room went dark.
Chapter Twenty
Shad returned to the truck just as Ashley flipped her phone shut. She looked worried.
“Well? Did they answer?”
“Yes, but something’s wrong. He could barely talk. His words were kind of slurred, and I think he might have passed out.”
“What did he say?”
“Danger. He said he’s sick, and danger, then nothing. I kept yelling his name but he never answered.”
Shad pulled in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know. We have to go over there.”
He reached out and patted her leg. “We’re going, but we’re going to have to be careful. If their family is anything like ours, there will be tons of people around. Maybe that’s what he meant. Where was Sarah?”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask.” Ashley answered looking at her feet.
“Okay, before we get out there, we need some other things. We need to find that herb shop.”
Ashley turned in her seat, leaned over it and picked up the small yellow phone book sitting on the back seat. “What’s it called?” She asked thumbing through the pages.
“I don’t know. Gramps said it was in a house. Just look under herbs in the yellow pages.” Shad watched as she thumbed to the H section.
“It’s not here. What else?” Ashley’s strained voice gave away her calm pretense.
“Let’s go to the gas station. I’ll just ask someone.”
They drove four blocks to the only station in town. The kid working behind the counter had no idea where the herb shop was located. After stopping at a fruit stand, the farmers market, and returning to Mom and Pops Grocery, they finally got directions. It was way up in the hills. “A good hour’s drive,” the elderly woman behind the cash register had told them.
Back in the truck, eyes bright with unshed tears, Ashley looked at Shad. “That’s too long. I don’t know if he has an hour.”
“We don’t have a choice. There‘s only one way to fix what‘s wrong with him.”
“We don’t even know what’s wrong with him!”
Shad leveled his eyes at his sister. “You know what’s wrong. It’s the silver.”
Ashley looked down as the tears she tried so hard to control, spilled down her face. Her voice was rugged as she spoke. “Drive.”
“I’m going as fast as I can on these roads.”
“They shot him, Shad. They freakin shot him.”
***
When they arrived at the dilapidated old house, a closed sign hung in the window. Shad beat on the door, but no one would answer. “What now?” she asked.
“It’s a no brainer. We’ve got to have it.”
“Window or door?”
“Step back.”
Ashley moved away from the door as his foot met the center with a loud thud. The door flew back with a bang. “Come on,” he said and hurried in.
What should have been a small living room, had metal shelving lining the walls. Each shelf was covered in apothecary bottles with tiny handwritten labels pasted to them. They found what they needed, shoved it into a bag, and left money on top of the cash register. “You sure you got everything?” he asked.
“Yep, it’s all here. Strange they’d have dried nettle. Most haven’t heard of it. I wonder what they use it for?”
“Well, I’m glad it was here. Without that, there’d be no hope.”
***
From the trees, a naked, hunchbacked old woman watched as they headed down the drive. She stomped her foot. “White Horns.” Taking one last look around, the woman seemed to melt, shifting and changing into a small mangy grey wolf. As soon as all four paws hit the ground, the wolf sped off, following close behind.
***
The mid-afternoon sun beat through Sarah’s window heating up the already warm room. Sarah shifted under the covers letting out a small groan. Her body felt like it was on fire. Everything hurt. Eyelids fluttered briefly attempting to open, but her body would not comply with her will. “Jason?” Sarah croaked before losing consciousness again.
***
Pete sat up. Ears twitching, he listened for the sound that woke him. Quiet permeated the house. Stretching as he rose, he noticed Jason’s work boot lying at an odd angle just inside the entryway to the kitchen. One step forward, showed the boot attached to a leg. What the hell?
“Jase, Wake up. That’s a heck of a place to nap.”
Jason’s pale face was covered in beads of sweat. Pete reached out and pushed his shoulder. “Hey. Jason, you okay?”
After a few minutes hard labor, Pete managed to pull Jason to the couch. It took a few more minutes to get his massive body on it. Pete ran to Sarah’s room to check on her. She was still unconscious. Her chest moved up and down ever so slightly but there was nothing rhythmic about the way it moved. Each breath seemed forced and ragged. Oh God, no. I’m losing her. She’ll be gone before nightfall if this keeps up. A sob caught in Pete’s throat as he ran out the door in search of help.
Outside, no one was visible. Pete shouted as loud as he could, but no one answered. When it became apparent he was alone with the two injured alpha’s, Pete jumped in his car and headed down the drive. Dawn and Dave lived on the next farm over
, maybe someone there could help them. All the way there, for the first time ever, Pete prayed.
***
At 4 pm on the dot, Shad pulled into the driveway. The only car out front belonged to Jason and Sarah. Ashley was out of the truck and running before he could slam it into park. She made it to the door and was through before he could warn her to be careful. Ashley looked up as Shad entered. “He’s in bad shape. Go find Sarah. Why would they leave them here all alone?”
Shad made it down the hallway to her room in seconds. Sarah, still unconscious and soaked in sweat, lay unmoving in her bed. “Sarah? Can you hear me, Sarah?” Shad watched her face as he spoke. Not one eyelid fluttered. Gently, he slid his arms under her lifeless body and lifted, cradling her to him. Moving down the hallway with Sarah in his arms, he could already hear bottles clanking and the grinding sound from the mortar and pestle.
Ashley looked up as he entered the room. “Lay her down on the loveseat and get me some water.”
Shad hesitated.
“Now. We don’t have much time.”
He moved faster then, laying Sarah down and running to the kitchen. “How much do you need?”
“Not much. One glass will do for now.”
When he returned with the water, Ashley handed him the mortar. “Here you do this. It has to be ground to a fine powder to work quickly. I don’t have the strength to make it small enough.”
Shad took the bowl and immediately set to work. Labored breathing and scraping noises were all that could be heard throughout the house.
“Hurry, Shad.”
“I’m doing it as fast as I can. How’s this?” He handed her the bowl.
Ashley shook her head and pushed it back to him. “No. Fine powder. Can’t have those little flakes.”
“Shit.” Shad pushed on the pestle with all his might. The grinding sound of stone against stone became louder.
“Uhgg.” Jason stirred in his sleep as the groan escaped his lips.
Ashley turned to him. “It’s okay hun, I’m here. We’re going to make you better.”
Jason’s eyelids snapped open for a moment. A look of fear covered his face. “No. Must go. D-dangerous.” He whispered.
Ashley wiped the sweat from his brow. “No one is here. Go back to sleep. You’ll feel better in a bit.”
“How’s this?” Shad shoved the bowl in front of her.
“Perfect. Now let me think…for a 240 pound man I’ll need at least three tablespoons. Okay that’s it. And for Sarah…how much does she weigh do you know?”
“Not much.”
“Well she’s about my size, but shorter…let's say 110?”
“Maybe.”
Ashley added the remaining contents from the bowl to another apothecary bottle, corked it, and handed it to him. “Shake this hard. Everything has to be dissolved. Then make sure she drinks every last drop.” Turning back to Jason, she slid her arm under his head, lifting it. “Drink this, hun. Come on, open your eyes. That’s it. Just a small sip.”
The front door slammed against the wall. Both Ashley and Shad’s head turned at once. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” Pete yelled.
“We’re helping.” Shad answered as he stood to face this new opponent. He glanced at his sister. “Finish with him and take care of Sarah.”
“On it.” Ashley answered.
“Don’t you touch a hair on her head! What is that crap, poison?” Pete moved into the room, slowly making his way toward the loveseat.
Shad reached behind him, pulling his gun from his waistband. “I don’t want to hurt you man, but you aren’t giving me much choice here.”
Pete snarled. “I won’t let you kill her.”
Gun still pointed at Pete’s head, Shad raised his free hand in front of him. “Look, I’m trying to help her. I want to save her. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t all want you dead.”
“That’s right.” Ashley chimed in as she began giving Sarah sips of the herbal concoction.
Pete threw his shoulders back, bringing himself to his full height. A victorious smile worked its way across his lips just as a loud click came from the kitchen entryway. “I wouldn’t move a muscle if I were you.”
Shad’s head jerked to the side. A hunchbacked old woman stood in the doorway holding a shotgun. An evil toothless grin on her face. “You go ahead and put that gun down, sonny. This here don’t have no silver bullets in it, but I reckon a 12 gauge shell will do just fine for the likes of you.”
Pete took two steps towards Shad.
“Don’t you move.” Shad said pointing the gun at Pete’s head.
“Are ya deef or just daft? I said put the gun down.”
Shad glanced at Ashley. She had half the contents of the bottle in Sarah but it was slow moving. Shad’s eyes darted between Pete and the new comer. “We are just trying to help them. They have silver pois--”
“I know what they have. Was your kind that gave it to ‘em.”
“Hey! You stop giving her that shit right now.” Pete yelled pointing his finger at Ashley.
Phaedra smiled a wicked smile as she glanced in the girl’s direction, but kept the gun aimed at Shad.
Pete looked at Phaedra in desperation. “Please. Make her stop. They are probably killing them!”
The woman’s beady eyes focused on Pete for an instant before returning to Shad. “What if they are? They should have been put down at birth. Anyone with half a brain would know a female alpha was an abomination. Goes against the laws of nature it does.”
Pete’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Thomas won’t agree to this. You know he’s in charge with Jason out of commission.”
Phaedra spat on the floor. “Thomas is a panty waste. The only reason I left him alone was because of Shana. Now, well now things are different.”
“You.” Pete said finger pointing at her. “You are the reason no one is here. You left them here to die. How many others have you killed today?”
A chuckle escaped her. “No one’s died that weren’t dead when they arrived. And no one will die that ain't supposed too. Now you shut your mouth youngin’ and let us grownups talk.”
Jason stirred on the couch. His color was returning to normal and the beads of perspiration had dissipated.
Bottle emptied of its contents, Ashley slowly turned her back to Sarah and rose from the floor. She didn’t have a gun, but she didn’t need one either. Three feet away, hanging above the mantle was a long silver sword. If she could just get to it…
“Don’t move, girl. Both of you sit.” Phaedra emphasized her words with movement from her firearm. “No not there, you move over to the fireplace.” She told Shad. “That’s right. Now, Pete, why don’t you go over there and join them?”
“What? Why?”
“Because we’re all going to sit here nice and quiet like until the breathing stops.” She smiled as she backed against the dining room table. Reaching behind her, she pulled out one of the chairs and sat.
She has no idea this isn’t poison. The thought that we would actually help, totally escapes her! Ashley tried to control her facial expressions. As long as the old woman thought they were killing Jason and Sarah, they might be safe. She slid her hand across the floor to her brother’s leg, pinching it. “How long you going to keep us here? It could take a while to start affecting them.”
Shad flinched at her words but didn’t move.
Pete, halfway to them, launched himself with a snarl. As he made contact with Shad’s body, they rolled backward into Ashley. She scrambled to her feet, moving away from the two rolling on the floor. Soft thuds and loud grunts broke through the silence as fists flew. The small space in front of the fireplace couldn’t contain the battling men. Legs and arms shot out knocking over end tables and plants.
The sound of a gunshot reverberated through the house. Both men stopped fighting and stared at the old woman standing over them. Shad’s gun now lay under the square coffee table in the middle of the room. “Don’t move. Either of you.
”
“You only have one shot left. You going to get us both with one shot?” Shad sarcastically replied.
“I don’t need but one shot, boy.” Phaedra answered, motioning with the gun for the two men to separate.
Shad leaned forward glaring at her. “Shoot then, hag. You better make sure you kill me.”
The old woman cackled. Raising the rifle to her shoulder, she aimed at his head. Another shot boomed in the quiet house. As they watched, a faint look of surprise settled on her face. A dark red stain appeared on her chest just over her heart, before she crumpled to the floor.
“Jason.” Ashley whispered as she rushed to his side.
Propped on one elbow, Jason’s hand shook as the weight of the 44 mag became too much for him. Ashley eased him back down to the couch. “It’ll pass. The weakness will pass just as soon as you’ve rested some more.”
“Feel sick.”
Ashley nodded as she brushed his hair back from his face. “I know. It’s the silver. The medicine is eating it out of your system. In an hour or so you’ll feel much better.”
“Sarah?” he croaked.
“Sarah’s going to be fine. She’s in worse shape than you so it’ll take longer.” Pete’s eyes darted between Jason and the old woman. He was having trouble taking in what had just happened. “You-you--”
“He did what he had to do. Now get up and help me with Sarah. That old hag was going to kill them both. Don’t you get that?” Shad said as he offered to pull Pete from the floor.
Speechless, Pete stared at the offered hand. He looked over at Sarah, still pale and drawn, then reached out and allowed Shad to pull him up. As he stood, his eyes sought Jason’s. “I had no choice.” He replied to Pete’s questioning look.
Pete shook his head as if trying to clear his addled brain. A hand on his shoulder caused him to jump. “I need some clean towels, please.” Ashley’s soft voice seemed to lift the haze from his mind.
“In the bathroom. I’ll get them.”
“Thanks. I need to soak the wounds.”
Pete nodded and headed down the hall.