The Awakened

by Amanda Carol

  “Declan and I left Maryland the day we buried our parents. We swore to ourselves that we would try and save as many people as we could. So, we, or I should say Declan, researched places with key words, like animal attacks, or mysterious deaths. And we went to investigate. Once the vampire or vampires were killed, we would move on to the next town. The longest we’ve stayed in a town was two weeks,” I confess to him.

  I leave out the part about finding the vampire who killed our parents. It’s true that we wanted to save people, but I don’t want to tell him that what drove us was the hope that maybe one day we would run into him. Hunter just nods, letting me continue.

  “The first six months were the hardest. We had taken Jiu-jitsu, boxing, and Krav Maga classes to teach us how to fight, but most of it was learning on the hunts. Our mom left us a journal on how to kill vampires. Which was good, because when you google ‘how to kill a vampire,’ nothing really comes up.” I take in a deep breath.

  I haven’t really talked to anyone about this. Declan stopped trying to get me to open up a long time ago.

  “You’re one amazing woman. You know that right?” Hunter’s husky voice brings me out of my thoughts and my eyes lock onto his.

  Suddenly, we hear the sound of a tree branch cracking coming from the direction of the woods behind us.

  Hunter shifts as he gets to his feet and a low grumble forms in his chest. I quickly sit up on my knees, but the movement causes my head to start throbbing and my surroundings begin to spin. I grab my head and end up falling back on my butt. I feel a hand grab my wrist and pull it away from my head and when I open my eyes, I see Hunter’s concerned face. I close my eyes once more. After a few moments, the throbbing pain turns to a dull ache. When I reopen my eyes, I glance around and notice that the threat was only Kat, Declan and Bennett.

  “Is it your head still?” Hunter breathes, still holding onto my hand.

  “Yeah. That was weird. I think I may have overdone it today or something.” I murmur, blinking a few times.

  “Using magic can take its toll on your body if you’re not used to it,” Kat explains. “That typically goes away on its own once you get accustomed to using magic on a regular basis. If your headaches still haven’t gotten any better after a few days, then you should go and see Kora.”

  “I will. Grace gave me some tea that seemed to help earlier,” I mumble, then glance at my brother, who’s kneeling beside me. “Wait. I thought you were training with Ciera?”

  “I was. But Kora came to grab her because she needed help changing Sloane’s bandages. She felt bad about taking her away during training, so she called Kat to come take over.” Declan shrugs.

  Then I glance up at Bennett, who’s standing next to Kat.

  “I was patrolling the grounds when I saw them walking back from the woods. Since we were ordered to use the buddy system, I offered to walk Kat back to her cabin, like a true gentleman.” Bennett puts an arm around Kat, who rolls her eyes, throwing his arm off her.

  “I will stab you with a spoon,” Kat threatens.

  Bennett laughs, but stops abruptly when he notices the serious look on her face.

  “Right.” I nod and go to stand up.

  Hunter and Declan both help me to my feet, but everything starts spinning and I fall forward.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Hunter grabs my waist and pulls me to him.

  Declan still holds onto my arm as I rest my head on Hunter’s chest and close my eyes until the dizzy spell goes away.

  “We should get you back to the cabin,” Hunter whispers to me after a few moments. “You okay to walk?”

  “Yeah, I’m good,” I mumble again, slowly lifting my head. The dizziness is gone, and my head still hurts, but it’s more of a dull ache now.

  Kat reaches down and grabs the bags that Grace gave me, handing them to Declan.

  “Make sure she drinks that before bed. It’s all natural and should help.” Kat places a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Feel better, dude.”

  I give her a small smile. I like her. She’s so odd, but in the best possible way.

  Kat looks at Bennett. “Hey, do you mind walking me to take care of Sparkles? I haven’t seen him today, and he gets grumpy when he doesn’t get his daily apple and brush. You know, since you’re a true gentleman.”

  Bennett groans, tossing his head back. “That unicorn hates my guts, Kat.”

  “That’s because when you were a pup, you used to chase him around and nip at his legs.”

  Bennett furrows his brows and crosses his arms over his chest.

  “No, I didn’t,” he huffs.

  Kat lifts a brow.

  “Actually, Benny, you did.” Hunter lets out a small chuckle when Bennett narrows his eyes at him.

  “Thanks, man.” Bennett pauses suddenly, eyes wide, and looks directly at Hunter, who stiffens beside me.

  A sharp pain shoots through my head again and I gasp. My legs start to give out, but Hunter catches me before I collapse. And the pain goes away as quickly as it came. Alright, that was weird.

  “What is it? Everything okay?” Kat’s voice is filled with concern.

  “Yes and no. Axton and Blaine spotted a vampire in the Quarter, but they didn’t know anything about the attack on the Compound. So, while he’s dead, the one who attacked Sloane is still out there,” Hunter explains.

  “How do you know that?” Declan looks between the three of them.

  “The Alpha told us. The one that attacked Sloane is very old. Ax and Blaine killed a newbie.” Bennett answers him, then taps on his nose. “We’ve got a very keen sense of smell.”

  Declan nods his head and a look of curiosity crosses his features, but he doesn’t ask any more questions.

  I look up at Hunter and his expression is unreadable. He must feel my gaze on him, because he looks down at me and his face softens.

  “Are you alright?” he whispers.

  “I’m fine. I promise,” I whisper back, standing up on shaky legs.

  I look over at Declan and he’s looking at me like he doesn’t believe me. I just need to get back to the cabin, take some more meds, drink some tea, talk to Luna, and sleep.

  “Alright, we can make a stop to see Sparkles, but you have to make it quick. Later.” Bennett fist pumps Declan and then tweaks my nose.

  Kat throws the peace sign and turns on her heel after Bennett, which leaves the three of us.

  I wrap my arm around Hunter’s waist for support as we start walking back to the cabin. I’ve gotten headaches before, but none of them have ever affected me like this. I’m just hoping that Kat is right and it will stop after a few days. But being near Hunter seems to help. I mean, it doesn’t take away the pain or anything, but here in his arms, I feel safe. And I haven’t felt safe like this in a very long time.

  We finally reach the cabin and before Hunter can pass me off to my brother, I turn and throw my arms around his neck. Hunter sighs, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me off the ground.

  “Thank you,” I whisper into his neck, breathing in his familiar scent of cedarwood and ocean. “For making sure I was safe tonight.”

  I pull away slightly and he drops me to my feet. He does this little half-smile thing and the dimple in his left cheek deepens, and all I want to do is kiss it.

  “Anytime,” he whispers back. “Go inside and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He grabs my chin between two fingers, then leans down and kisses my cheek. He lingers for a moment then pulls away and rests his forehead against mine. When he pulls back, he places a kiss on my forehead then gently guides me over to my brother, who grabs me and pulls me to him. He shifts into his wolf and takes off running. It still amazes me how he doesn’t have to get naked to shift. Okay, and maybe it disappoints me a little too.

  Declan whistles. “That was the hottest kiss on the cheek I have ever witnessed.”

  I totally forgot he was even standing there. I playfully punch him, but he doesn’t even flinch.


  “Shut up,” I flush.

  “Have you even kissed yet?” Declan asks, and I shove him this time.

  “That’s none of your business.” I snap, starting to walk up the steps. My legs don’t feel as wobbly anymore, so I can walk up the damn steps myself.

  “That’s a no.” Declan laughs and takes the steps two at a time and reaches the top before I even get to the second step.

  “Show-off,” I mutter, slowly taking the steps one at a time like a normal human being. When I reach the top, Declan grabs my arm and turns me so I'm facing him.

  “Promise me that if these headaches continue, you’ll go see Kora?” Declan pleads. “I know you. You’ll lie and say that you’re fine when you’re not. You don’t even have to tell anyone. Just please let someone help.”

  “I promise,” I murmur.

  It’s only been one day. Who knows? I may not have one tomorrow. But if today was any indication of how bad it can get, no one will have to tell me twice. Declan stares at me for a moment and nods.

  “C’mon, let’s go inside. I’ll make you some tea.” He opens the front door and motions to let me walk in first.

  I head straight for the kitchen with Declan right behind me. I grab a glass from the cabinet and fill it up with water, draining the whole glass in one long gulp. The medicine Hunter gave me earlier is still sitting on the counter, so I grab two tablets and wash them down with some more water. Luna’s kitchen has an island with stools, so I sit there while Declan searches for a tea kettle. When he finds it, he fills it with water and places it on the stove.

  “How did training with Ciera go today?” I ask Declan, who is now leaning back against the counter by the stove.

  I feel like I haven’t spoken to my brother in months, but it’s only been a few hours.

  “It went as well as can be expected. She’s helping me locate the power inside me.”

  I give him a questioning look.

  “It’s sort of hard to explain. With the elemental magic, you feel the power within the elements. But with healing, the power comes from within me. Once I’m able to focus on it, I’ll be able to call forth the healing power more easily than…” He trails off; his gaze drops down to the floor and he hangs in head.

  “More easily than with Sloane,” I finish for him.

  His eyes slowly lift to meet mine and he nods. We don’t need to say anything more. I know he still feels guilty that he couldn’t completely heal Sloane like he did with Ciera, but he also knows that he still saved her life. Declan is a perfectionist in just about everything he does. Things seem to come naturally to him, but he always challenges himself to make himself better.

  When we were learning how to fight, he wasn’t happy with his kicks. Even though the instructor told him he was kicking fine, Declan wasn’t happy. So, he worked hard day in and day out to perfect them. He didn’t stop training until he was satisfied.

  So, to Declan, the fact that he knows he has the power to completely heal Sloane and he couldn’t do it? It really affects him, and he’s not going to stop until he knows something like that will never happen again.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Declan continues, turning and walking to the cabinet to pull out a mug.

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” I say sarcastically, which earns me a glare from my brother.

  “As I was saying, I think we should stay here for a while. I know we’ve been looking for the vampire that killed Mom and Dad, but it’s been three years and we haven’t had any luck. We just found out we’re demigods, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like my old self again.” Declan places a teabag into the mug before setting it down on the counter.

  The kettle starts to go off and he carefully pours the hot water into the mug and hands it to me. I mumble a thanks, blow on it, and take a sip. Just like before, I can immediately feel it starting to work.

  “So, what do you think?” he asks.

  I take a moment to think about it. I’m glad that Declan is starting to feel like his old self again. I can see a difference in him, and even I’m okay with staying here a little while longer. I’m starting to feel like things are going to be okay.

  “I think we should stay. We have a lot to learn, and it’s not like we can’t continue our hunt later.” I smile and take another sip of tea.

  I’m still not mentioning to him that I think I saw the vampire that killed our parents. I want to be one hundred percent sure before I tell him. I wasn’t close enough to tell, but it looked like the same vampire to me.

  “I’m glad you agree.” Declan sounds relieved. “Besides, I get to spend more time with Ciera, and you get to spend more time with your wolf.” He winks.

  “He’s not my wolf.” I roll my eyes.

  “Not yet.” Declan smirks, and I can’t help but smile. “Look at that blush!” He laughs. “He’s a good dude.”

  “Who’s a good dude?” Luna walks into kitchen wearing pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that says, “If it’s snowing, I’m not going.”

  “No one,” I say at the same time that Declan says, “Hunter.”

  Luna pauses and her eyes shift from me to Declan and a small smile forms on her lips.

  “I see. You know, Hunter is a good guy, and he’s got it bad for you, Aria,” she says as she opens the fridge and grabs a bottle of wine.

  Why does everyone keep saying that?

  “You can’t fool me either, young lady.” She points a finger at me as she walks to the counter and pulls a wine glass out of one of the cabinets. “Would you either of you like a glass?”

  “No, thanks. I’ve got some tea.” I lift my mug up then bring it to my lips for another sip.

  “I’ll take a beer if you have one?” Declan asks.

  “Yeah, bottom shelf on the door. Help yourself,” Luna replies as she uncorks the wine bottle. After she pours herself a glass, she turns and leans against the countertop. “So, you wanted to talk to me?”

  Her eyes are on me. Oh shit, I almost forgot.

  “Right, yeah, I did. I have a question about this whole demigod thing. When our parents died, Declan and I noticed that we became stronger, and faster. We also get this strange feeling, like we know when a vampire is near, although I seem to be able to track them a lot better than Declan can. Does that have anything to do with our demigod powers?” I ask her, and grimace when Declan shoots me a look.

  Sorry, bro. I guess there is one thing that I am naturally good at.

  “Most likely. The amulets only bound your magical abilities. You couldn’t use your powers that were within you, like the elemental magic or whatever power that you had gotten from Apollo or Artemis. When a demigod’s powers are activated, they are much stronger and faster than your average human. You won’t ever be as strong as Hercules though, because that was his power from Zeus. Given the history of Apollo, Artemis, and the vampires, I don’t think it’s a far stretch to believe that you’d be able to sense vampires.” She explains, and then takes a sip of wine. “It also makes sense why you can track them better, Aria. Artemis is the goddess of the hunt.”

  Declan has moved over and is sitting in the chair next to me at the island. I suck in my bottom lip, unsure if I should go on and explain to her what happened today.

  “What’s wrong, Aria?” Luna tilts her head, studying me.

  Of course, she would catch on. I take in a deep breath and tell them.

  “Well, today, I couldn’t sense the vampire that attacked Sloane. That feeling has never let me down before, not ever. If I hadn’t caught the movement, I wouldn’t have even known he was still there.” I lean back in my chair, and eye my brother’s beer.

  I’ve already finished my tea. He doesn’t even look at me as he slides the beer in my direction. I wrap my fingers around the bottle and bring it up to my lips, then slide it back to my brother.

  “That’s a bit concerning. Dark magic must have been used. It would also explain how he got past our wards undetected,” she muses.

  I give her a qu
estioning look.

  “We have magical protection around the Compound to keep us safe. It’s the least we could do to help. The wolves can rest without having to be on guard. They protect us and the city of New Orleans, and in return we protect them,” she explains, continuing to sip on her wine.

  “That would explain why there haven’t been any vampire attacks here in decades,” Declan comments, picking at the label on his beer.

  “That is correct. I’m going to talk to Alexander about this in the morning. He needs to be aware and warn the rest of the pack. Until we get this taken care of, please don’t wander off alone. I know you’ve been on your own for a while but humor me,” Luna pleads with us.

  “We will,” Declan replies for the both of us.

  She lets out a relieved sigh and finishes the rest of her wine, then puts the glass in the sink and walks over to us.

  “Goodnight, my darlings. Get some rest.” She hugs and kisses us both on the head before walking up to her room.

  I get up, throw my teabag in the trash, and put my mug in the sink next to Luna’s glass. Then I tell my brother goodnight and head up to Abby’s room.

  I can tell that she’s still awake because I see the light coming out from under her door. When I saunter into the room, I find her sitting on her bed, writing in her journal. Her hair is up in a messy bun and her glasses are falling down her nose.

  “Hey, Abs,” I say, walking over to my bag and grabbing my sleep shorts and a tank top.

  She lifts her head, acknowledging my presence, before returning to her journal.

  Abby and I have been friends for so long that we don’t have boundaries, so changing with her in the room is nothing. I fold my clothes and put them next to my bag. Declan would be so proud; this is the second time I’ve neatly folded my clothes.

  “Are you okay?” I ask when she doesn’t answer me. I sit down on her bed and she still doesn’t look up. “Abby Lynn Thibodaux. Talk to me, babe. What’s wrong?”

  She only writes when something is truly bothering her. I lay my hand on her journal, stopping her from writing. She lifts her head slowly, her eyes meeting mine. I notice that they’re swollen and red, as if she’s been crying.