“They’re right, it’s best for you to stay.” Ani agreed.
It was three against one. I frowned with defeat and planted myself back on the sofa.
Ani blessed Ryan with a prayer for protection and gave her nephew a hug, “Be careful son,” she said. Ryan rushed to the door and swung it open.
We were all taken back with shock at what we saw. Tyler and Kevin pushed their bruised bodies up the stairs. They looked as if they fought against a freight train and lost. Adam hissed at the sight of their blood filled wounds.
Ryan shoved him against the wall, “Try to control yourself batty or get the hell out of here,” he threatened with his fist. I made my way between them and asked Adam softly, if he didn’t mind waiting outside. He retracted his expanded fangs and sprinted off the porch. Tyler and Kevin were beaten badly. Their clothes hung to their body in shreds. Ani and I carried Kevin inside while Ryan held on to Tyler.
“What happened?” Ryan asked.
Kevin coughed up bloody saliva and placed a knuckle to his nostril, to stop the bleeding. He plummeted into the couch and barely had the strength to move let alone speak. “After you called, John came out of the cabin and drove up to the Ulric’s ranch.” He flinched when Ani placed an ice pack on the huge knot on his forehead, “We followed him there. At first, everything was cool. He went to the cabin and loaded some boxes onto the back of his pickup truck. After awhile Emi and her Lobison brother appeared out of nowhere. She asked him for Lia, but John told her that he hasn’t seen her. The little witch didn’t believe him. She said she could smell Lia on him. He insisted he didn’t know where she was. The witch then shouted some weird words and the wolf leaped and tore his throat.”
I gasped. My heart raced as I fought to breathe. My vision had come true. I wanted to scream, hit something---I was furious. The beast inside me wanted to rip out and kill Emi and Lyle for what they had done.
“They got him man,” Tyler said. “I’m sorry cuz. We shifted and tried to save him, but the Lobison was too strong.”
Kevin rose to his feet. The knot on his head was gone, and the gash on his cheek sealed. Tyler cracked his knuckles and stood beside Kevin. His strength had returned as well. Aside from their torn clothes no sign of their struggle against Lyle remained.
“We need to go back and get John, before they kill him,” I cried. This time I wasn’t going to be talked out of it. I walked to the door when Ryan sprinted past me and blocked my exit.
“You’re not going.” Ryan annoyingly insisted.
My eyes burnt with anger, “Don’t you see that they’re using John as bait? It’s me who they really want.” I crossed my arms, “step aside, Ryan and let me through.”
“Ryan’s right. You should …” Tyler began to say.
“I’m going and that’s that,” I snapped. Ryan opened his mouth to protest my decision, than clamped it shut when he saw the fire in my eyes. My mind was made up and no one was going to stand in my way…no one.
“Fine,” he mumbled under his breath.
Emi was aware of my friendship with Ryan so Kevin and Tyler stayed behind in case they decide to show up at the Rez. Ryan, Adam and I headed for the ranch.
The air in the truck was thick as the silence stretched between us. Each of us lost in our thoughts. I looked out the window at the people as we drove through town. I wished I could be like them. This time last year life was simple. Although I always felt different, I was happy believing vampires and werewolves only existed in movies and fictional stories, and now not only was I werewolf, but one who’s in love with a vampire. So much has changed since Veena’s death. The people I believed were my friends are now my enemies. And the people I avoided during my years in high school were now my closest friends. It’s amazing how quickly your life can change.
We were getting closer to the ranch. Just a quarter mile away from the wooden gates and the ponderosa pines, that trailed inside. My heart raced faster with every aching moment. I looked over at Ryan. His eyes were focused on the dirt road ahead and Adam’s face was pinched with anger and the desire for sweet revenge. Suddenly the truck stopped and Ryan shut off the engine.
Outside everything was quiet. The silence was eerie, un-natural. There were no cries from the whippoorwills and no rustle from the leaves on the trees despite the gentle breeze. I looked over to the Ulric house. The lights were on and movement could be seen from behind the curtains of the living room window. We slowly and quietly stepped out of the truck.
“Adam, stay with Lia,” Ryan whispered. “I’ll go and try to get them out of the house.”
We stood behind a tree, watchful of every step Ryan took as he crept up the concrete stairs.
“Come out you cowards!” Ryan was wild. “I know you’re in there!”
The front door swung wide and slammed against the wall. Adam’s stare jerked over to the door as he shoved me behind him. His eyes shone like black spinal beads. He began to pant and curl his lip, revealing sharp white fangs.
Emi stepped out of the door. She looked older. Her hair cascaded past her knees and the white strand of hair that framed the left side of her head was wider than the last time I saw her. There no longer was a trace of the Emi I had once known. I didn’t recognize the girl whose eyes burned behind the jungle of thick brown eyelashes. “Can I help you?” she asked sarcastically.
“I’m here for John.”
Lyle pushed John out the door. From where I stood, I could smell John’s blood and by the way Adam trembled, I was sure he did too.
Emi held up a liquor bottle in her hand, “We’ll give you the pathetic drunk once you hand over Lia first.”
“Let him go!” Ryan demanded.
Something flickered in her eyes that caused them to turn from olive green to opal. She took in a deep breath, “she’s here isn’t she?” She stepped down the stairs and walked past Ryan. “And he’s here too. I can smell his decaying, sickening stench all around.” She pinched her nose and continued to circle Ryan.
He ignored her and warned Lyle, “Let him go, you coward.”
Lyle smiled. “Why don’t you come and get him?” he challenged. Ryan took a step forward with his eyes locked on Lyle.
“Settle down brother,” Emi said. “I’ll let you have your fun with him after we kill Lia and Adam first. Let’s see… maybe this will make her show her pretty little face.”
She raised her hand in the air and with a quick turn of her hand, John flew down the steps. She toyed with him a little more before sending him crashing to the muddy ground. I looked on in horror as Emi poured alcohol on John’s blood drenched body. The sounds of his cries tore right through me, while Emi’s whooping laughter made my blood boil. I couldn’t bear to see any more. Wild, bestial fire began to fill my veins. My only thoughts were of tearing Emi apart. Lyle’s eye quickly met mind.
I freed myself from Adam’s grip and ran. “John!”
I knelt by his side. He looked at me, but I couldn’t tell if he saw me. His gaze tugged up to me in agony. His once beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot red and he reeked of dirt, blood and alcohol. His mouth opened but I couldn’t make out what he was trying to say.
“Please don’t die,” I cried.
His breath seethed in and out. Poor John was beaten to a pulp. I wasn’t even sure if he was conscious. John was going to die and it was my fault! I held him in my arms, “I’m so sorry.” I said as tears streamed down my face.
I felt a cold tug on my arm. It was Adam and by the hungry look in his eyes, I knew that John wasn’t safe if he remained here a while longer. “We have to get him out of here,” I said as Ryan stood over me.
“Ok. I’ll take him to the Rez. Ani will know what to do. I will return as soon as I can,” Ryan said as he lifted John from the ground and dashed through the forest.
I felt Adam’s hand in mine, squeezing my fingers. But I didn’t look at him, my eyes raked over to Lyle.
‘How could you?’ I said to him.
But he didn’t reply.
“I
’m here. So what do you want?” I stared into Emi’s cold green eyes. I had to contain myself from tearing into her right there and then.
“You disgust me. My brother loves you, but you turned your back on him and for what? For a walking corpse who only loves you because you look like his precious Zaria?” She spat on the ground in disgust then wiped the end of mouth with the back of her hand.
“Tell me what it is that you want, before I rip your face off,” I snapped ignoring her opinion.
“Well it’s very simple, my dear. I want you both dead. And before we kill you, I want my brother to have what is rightfully his---the immortal gift from your blood.” She gibed with such certainty that they were going to accomplish what they wanted.
Adam panted beside me, his eyes flashed over to Lyle. His white and sharp fangs were completely out. I dropped on all fours and welcomed the wolf. This is what I was and tonight, I planned on using all my strengths to destroy them both.
“Get away Emi!” shouted Lyle vociferously.
I snarled and charged toward her, but my huge claws whipped through the air when she vanished before I could tear off her face. I growled at Lyle. He leaped into the air a man and landed a large black wolf with bloodthirsty eyes. He raced toward Adam first and slammed him against a tree. The tree shook from the force of the blow. I leaped on his back to try to keep him from tearing at him, but he flung me over his head and sent me crashing to the ground. I curled up and tried to breathe. I couldn’t move. For a long moment, Lobison and vampire faced each other, eyes locked and lips curled.
Adam’s eyes were black as night, his knuckles were at his side as Lyle stared back with glowing eyes. Thunder rumbled overhead, as the two began to pounce, roll and rush at each other with everything they had.
I laid there hopelessly watching as Lyle and Adam unleashed supernatural fiery on each other. Adam grabbed hold of Lyle’s side, picked him up and crashed him over and over, against the trunk of a tree. Lyle tried to free himself, but was unable to. Finally, he had a clear shot of Adams right wrist and jammed his jaw on it, till Adam let him go.
“Why don’t you give up?”Adam asked wiggling his fingers as the gash on his wrist closed, “Don’t you understand she chose to be with me and not you?”
Lyle gnarled his sharp teeth, before taking a dive back into action. He let out a loud howl before he grabbed Adam by the throat and lifted him into the air, piercing his neck with his claws.
“Stop it!” My voice sounded more like a yelp then a yell.
“Why should I” growled Lyle. I stared into his cold green eyes as the man I loved dangled hopelessly in the grip of bloodied claws. Adam’s legs kicked and twitched as he choked on his own blood.
“I’ll go with you.” I said, as I turned human. His eyes glistened as he looked at me from head to toe. He instantly dropped Adam to the ground and walked up to me a man. He pressed me against a tree.
“Why do you care for him so much?” He asked turning my face to meet his gaze. “I could’ve easily crushed your throat earlier when you tried to defend that cold and soulless fool, but I didn’t,” he said running his finger across my neck. I stared him right in the eye. I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I fought hard to keep my composure. He took my hand into his and rubbed the back of my hand with the side of his face, “I would rather die here tonight then to lose you. How can I forget your eyes, your scent and the taste of your lips that are forever imprinted in my heart?” He licked his lips and sprung forward against my body. I sprung back as a hand pulled me and locked my arms against my bare back.
“What the hell is going on?” Emi shoved a hand on her hip and glared at Lyle fiercely. She looked as if she were about to grow claws and rip out his skin. “Do you think she will ever stop loving that?” She said, pointing to Adam who was lying lifeless on the ground. “Don’t be stupid, brother. Kill her already!”
He turned to look me in the eye, “tell her, that your heart belongs to me. Tell her that you love me.”
I pressed my lips together and looked over at Adam. His skin was paler then before and his eyes were glassy. He was dead and there was no point in living, if he wasn’t going to be by my side. I wasn’t going to lie to Lyle in order to save myself.
“I can’t because I don’t love you. My heart belongs to Adam, and I would rather die here tonight at your hands, then to live a lifetime without him.
Lyle was furious. He curled his lip with anger as he circled around me with disbelief.
“Are you surprised?” Emi asked mockingly. “What else did you expect from her?”
“Get away from here before I hurt you. I don’t want to, but she’ll make me. Go! Get away!” Lyle bellowed still fighting to protect me from his sister. I looked him in the eye. There was that mesmerizing tone again…Lyle’s eyes narrowed. “Go!” he begged.
And in that moment, as I looked into his tortured gaze, I began to realize that he would put everything on the line, including being killed by his own sister, to save my life.
Emi quickly opened a sachet that hung on her side, removed some black powder and blew it into my face as she chanted a spell that paralyzed me. Slowly, painfully, I tried to move my legs, arms, head, anything, but I couldn’t. The spell was already working. My lungs felt as if they were being crushed. As if, I was breathing in fire. I tried to turn into a wolf and stop her, but I couldn’t change. Her power over me while in human form, was too strong.
“Kill her now or I will!” She yelled to Lyle, while closing her fist. With every squeeze of her fist, the pain in my chest increased. I closed my eyes in pain, as she toyed with me. Lyles breathing was heavy and deep, as he began to transform into a wolf. He paced circles around me. His fetid breath was hot, as he ran his nose along the side of my neck. He inhaled my scent, held it with eyes closed, and exhaled. I couldn’t do anything but stand there.
“You should’ve run when I told you to,” he said.
I looked into his blood red eyes. “Go ahead. Kill me.” I said.
“What are you waiting for? Kill her, or I’ll make you do it!” barked, Emi. His eyes turned from me and tore through Emi as he growled at her. “I swear by the moon, that if you don’t kill her now, I will make you do it and you now that I have the power to make it happen. Just like I made you rip apart her friend.” Emi dropped her arms at her side. The spell weakened.
I tried to control my breathing so they wouldn’t notice. I looked over to where Adam was lying on the ground. I wasn’t sure if my mind played a trick on me, but I could’ve sworn I saw his fingers move. Emi was busy shouting orders at Lyle that neither of them noticed that Adam wasn’t dead.
∞ Chapter 26 ∞
THE CHANGE TORE THROUGH ME quickly. I charged toward her. Knocking her to the ground. She struggled with me, but she no longer had power over me. I sunk my teeth in her neck and tore at it with ravenous hunger. The taste of sweet, coppery, warm blood exploded into my mouth. I couldn’t stop drinking. I closed my eyes and continued to feed as her struggle weakened.
‘We could never escape our destiny, especially if it’s in our blood,’ I heard Lyle’s voice whisper into my ear before he clamped his sharp teeth on my neck and pulled me off his sister.
Emi’s limp body crashed to the ground. I was dazed, weak and exhausted. I raised my arm, wrapped it around his neck and held on tight to his fur, until I no longer had the strength to fight him. I hung on and waited for death to come and get me, but he tossed me aside before I could perish. When I fell to the ground, I heard my upper arm crack and felt a wash of pain as I landed in human form. To my surprise, I was still alive.
Emi struggled to breathe. Her neck and face was covered in blood. Lyle, still a wolf, ran a long tongue over her neck and the wounds sealed.
“Kill the bitch!” I heard her say.
I crawled over to Adam. His breathing was fast, his pallid skin looked brittle and his lips were dry and flaky. “Wake up, Adam. Wake up!” I pleaded. I took a bite of my wrist and dropped some blood int
o his mouth. I could almost see the strength pour into him and he straightened, taking in more of my blood. The gash on his throat where Lyle had jammed his claws began to close. I fought to keep breathing, as he fed. I felt weak and drained. Adam looked at me and at realizing he was drinking my blood, he shifted away and was lost for a moment.
He looked at my neck. “Did I…?”
“No...” I struggled to speak as I fought for consciousness.
Adam sprinted over to Lyle, knocked him to the ground and picked him up by his neck, “Prepare to die, you son of a bitch!”
Lyle’s body twitched as Adam’s grip around his neck tightened, his long finger nails stabbed into his fur. Emi screamed and Adam tossed Lyle to the ground. He sprinted over to Emi but she disappeared before He could unleash his fiery on her too.
Lyle leaped and sunk his sharp teeth unto Adam’s shoulder. They rolled on the ground. I was unable to see who had the upper hand in the struggle, when suddenly Adam opened his mouth, stretched his fangs and buried his face into Lyle’s throat. He held him for a few minutes while Lyle fought to get him off. He was in between a wolf and man form as he struggled to stay alive. Finally, Adam reached out with both hands and snapped his neck. He fell to the ground, shook a bit, and then was still. Emi appeared beside her brother in a flash. She pulled him into her arms; his body lay lifeless and pale. She cried begging him to wake up, but he didn’t.
Adam started to make his way to me, but collapsed to the ground after taking two steps. He spat up blood and moaned in pain. I dragged by body along the ground when something black rushed past me in a blur of motion. The dark shape soared toward Emi and Lyle. She saw it approaching and vanished with Lyle in her arms before it could reach them.
“Adam? Where are you?” I desperately patted the ground, trying to find where he was, when I felt a cold hand grab mine.
“Lia,” he moaned as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I pulled my body up to his, when I felt his body shift away.
“Get the hell away from her!” Ryan tossed Adam’s frail body away from me. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted. You were supposed to protect her, not bite her!” He shouted as he vigorously continued to kick Adam on his side.
The Rising Moon Page 15