"Mom is a bit angered."
Heather looks at me, eyes wide.
"A little?"
"If it were a lot every supernatural in this town would already be decapitated."
Everyone knows mom is the mild-tempered one but, well, no one should ever mess with a mother. It brings out every dark thing they stuff deep inside to keep it from touching their children. Because they don’t let it out as much it builds up until it explodes when needed and everyone in the path is collateral damage. My mother told me that once when I was punished by someone other than her or father. It wasn’t pretty then and I know it won’t be now either.
"Are they telling her where Amber is?"
Another tree cracks but not enough to go down. Heather flinches and pulls out one of Amber's hair ties.
"I am going to assume no. I am doing a tracking spell so get Fiona back. It won't take long to kick in and we have to follow it quickly. It won't wait for us. But first I want to see if I can see through her eyes. It's harder, but if we can see where she is and we know it we won't have to follow a trail."
Dad goes to get mom and I watch as Heather grips the hair tie tight and mumbles some witchy words. She drops it and falls to the ground clutching her head. That is a terrible sign. When she looks up at me her eyes are cloudy, the whites look smeared in rather than a natural part of her eyes.
"She's unconscious. In a lot of pain. Her head…it has taken the brunt of the damage. She has a concussion. A bad one. We need to check for internal bleeding when we find her."
That almost breaks the hold I have on the part of me that wants to give in to my instincts and kill everyone between here and where she is being held. I can find her that way, but there will be a lot of casualties.
"Let me do the tracking spell."
She grabs the hairpiece again chanting. It shimmers and lights up like a firework then darts forward. Heather jumps back onto my back so she can focus on the spell. It will keep it at full strength and we can follow the path faster. Mom and dad follow, eyes red, teeth long, and claws showing. We are going to leave an impression in town.
"This is the third damn stop! How many places did they plan to visit with a human in the trunk?"
Heather is not the only one frustrated. They stopped to get gas and at two different restaurants. We have question people at every stop…well, Heather has. But we are no closer to finding Amber.
"Alastair give me Heather and do it."
My father looks at mom confused and I am not sure how to feel.
"If the council knows…"
"We will deal with them if we must. Heather is getting nothing but pain from Amber and who knows where the wolves will take her. Or how many stops they will make. This is the fastest way. She's human if she is bleeding internally and doesn’t get treated…"
Mom doesn’t have to finish that sentence.
"How can he find her faster than my spell?"
"Heather drop your spells. Fergus carry Heather. Ready all offensive spells. I will stay with Alastair to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone."
"Hurt anyone?"
Mom looks at Heather trying to avoid dad's gaze.
"Alastair and Amber are bonded. Last year there was a…incident and they ended up blood bonded. He can track her in full vampire mode."
"Why didn’t we start with that!?"
Heather doesn’t understand the vampire ways so she is rightfully angry. Not as furious as dad though and I am glad he is holding Heather. Smart move mom. She is biting her lip looking at me with pity. I finish for her.
"It is illegal without permission from your clan leader and the council as well as both parties. After your girl's trip, I lost what makes me…well me. I was running on instinct alone and I bit Amber. I almost killed her and when I woke, I healed the wound so she could replenish her blood without losing it continuously. It bonded us on accident. Usually, it happens only if planned, after approval that is. So, what I did was illegal. Amber found out not too long ago because I always show up when she is scared. The further away she is the more I have to act on instinct alone."
"So, it's dangerous for both of you."
I nod and Heather jumps off my dad's back and takes a knife slicing her hand, grabs my dad's, and does the same. She grabs my mom's and mine repeating her actions and chants. Our wounds heal, but a tiny star is left in place.
"None of us can speak of it to someone that doesn’t know without permission from the others. Everyone has to agree. So, if anyone finds out it will be from Amber because I am never giving my permission. Blood magic is the strongest bind there is so we are all mute unless we speak only amongst this group. Let's go, Al."
She climbs my dad's back not caring she is still bleeding. My mom rips a sleeve off her shirt and binds Heather's wound. I shoot the witch a thankful look and dig deep letting instinct take me over. The smell of blood distracts me for a second but then I smell Amber's blood in the distance and hone in following the sense of her scared and hurt. Hopefully, mom can stop me from killing them all.
Chapter 15
Amber
When I wake again it is dark and I still hurt, but squinting allows me to see trees and some bushes. I remember my lessons. My eyes are not at their best so I need to focus on my other senses right now. I close my eyes and count to ten letting my brain figure out it needs to use the other senses. I can feel the damp earth below…a river or pond. Either way a landmark I can use to help find my location.
It doesn’t smell like rain, something even humans can smell if they learn how to feel and smell the air pressure differences. So, my first assumption is right, I am near water.
I can’t hear any animals, no birds, no stray cats, nothing, which means predators are about. I have to be prepared. I heard they wanted to use me for a hunt. I need to find something that will work as a weapon since a cursory check has me realizing they have taken my weapons and shoes.
I often work in my cabin, walk the woods for ingredients, or train barefoot. I can survive that and the connection to the earth will help me stay on the path to the water. Sometimes it means simple hydration other times it means a chance to drown your enemies.
I have to applaud my ability to remain calm in dangerous situations. A few years ago, I would have died of a heart attack before the hunt began. Now I can contemplate survival. Vampires may be evil to the rest of the world, but mine have taught me how to survive. I will be using that now and they sure as hell better come for me as they promised.
I wander through the woods keeping to the wetter soil, one because they will slide in it even more than me, and two, it will lead to water which not everyone likes. I still look for a non-soggy branch I can swing like a club. It won’t be as good as a silver spike, nails, or my liquid version, but you work with what you have.
I do manage to find a branch to break off. I climb the tree and go to work breaking it off. I make a racket but that doesn’t matter. The wolves will sniff me out and it is better to have a weapon than hoping to make it to water without one. I sort of wish none of them could turn back to humans, but I know Adam and his father can. I don’t think the real alpha has anything to do with this, but just in case I don’t want to be caught in a tree with nowhere to run while two alphas come for me.
Once the branch goes down so do I. I have no way to sharpen it so it will work as a staff. I run towards the wetter ground. Soggy soil is not fun to move in and it slows me down significantly. When I can see water, I can hear the wolves coming so I am extra glad for the weapon. I stop after a glance at the body of water. I am nowhere near the town where I live. We are back in the human dimension, the town ours overlaps in the real world so no one can wander in accidentally. Part of the real world, but hidden. Here we are not hidden. Humans could come upon us.
"Are you insane Adam?! This is the human world; you will be hunted as rabid wolves!"
"A human should die in its world."
A human girl walks up with the wolves. Wow, they have a spokesperson. H
ow stupid.
"This isn't my world, but if you want to see how a human is in their territory let's go."
I spin the stick warming and loosening my muscles. Adam rears up into his battle form. Ahh shit. I have never fought that. None of the ones the alpha sent me to practice with could do that…. mostly only alphas, occasionally an extra-strong beta.
A howl from him and three of the wolves rush me. I am used to one on one and I am fighting with a concussion. Still, they are the weaker ones. I can tell because their size and speed are not even close to what someone higher up could do. It isn’t easy blocking their teeth and I slide back a bit.
I can tell more than one of the wolves doesn’t like the water so I make sure they are all grabbing onto the stick, or in one case my arm, and throw myself backward. We slide in the mud and they can’t dig into the earth. We splash in and I let myself sink. The thing about werewolves is they can swim…. until they go under. If a wave or something pushes them under then under, they aren’t able to get back up. Not without the help of someone in human form going to get them.
It is me or them and I am already bleeding. If I have to murder my way through to survive I will. I am not ashamed of it and while I will cry later for lives lost, I won’t let that hinder me now.
The wolves lose their holds on me trying to go up and panicking. No one has ever taught them to hold onto the food so when it swims to the surface it will bring you too. I am not about to fill them in. I break the surface keeping myself out of the way of them while gulping in the air like…well like I almost drowned.
The human jumps in at a nod from Adam. Two more turn human not caring about their lack of clothing and jump in. I swim out to the middle, the deepest part I can find really, and stay there floating. I am not making this easier. I know Adam can’t come in while in that form, the only saving grace of being soaked, unfortunately.
My stick is no longer a sufficient weapon so I go down to the bottom of the little riverbed and snap it over my knee. I let one small piece drop as I swim back up with two pieces. Mini clubs I can use to keep them off me.
Adam turns human and walks up to the bank smiling his viciously evil warlord smile. He seriously is just one superpower away from being a supervillain…wait no, he has that he is missing the genius part.
"You look so weak right now."
"So does your pack asshole."
I see the twitch in his face whether he wants me to or not. I can’t help but laugh.
"Adam I always tell you to use your brain not your rage. To look before you leap. You wanted to insult me by bringing me to the middle of nowhere and kill me and in doing so you gave me the greatest weapon against a werewolf. Water."
"That won't stop us once we are all human."
"No, but it will be harder to fight the vampires that come as you won't have your teeth and claws, which means no venom, which is your greatest defense against those coming for you for taking me. As I said, no brain is rattling around in that skull."
It is his turn to laugh. I know why. He doesn’t think anyone is coming for me. But I can feel Al. He is close and in full-on raged-out vampire mode. Which is another reason I am here. He will need his brain to swim; vampires in rage mode are not big fans of water either. With their long fangs, clawed hands, and beefed-up bodies swimming is just not easy. I just hope Adam stays on land until Al gets here.
"Amber, you think anyone is coming for you? No one knows where you are!"
We all hear cracking branches and I point smiling. Victory! The wolves are dragged out. I hope they live, but if they don’t, they shouldn’t have attacked me. Adam is a jerk, but they could have reported him to the real alpha, to his father, and had him put on lockdown and they wouldn’t have been involved in this shit. But no, they followed him like lost puppies.
Everyone takes wolf form and I am forgotten so I start to swim to shore as Al comes bursting out. His eyes are glowing red and his claws are gleaming in the moonlight. None of the wolves rush him, his presence is so strong none of them could if they wanted to and they don’t.
He goes right for Adam; vampires tend to take out the leader first and then pick off others as needed. Adam gets into his battle mode so they are about the same size. They go down moving too fast to keep track of. I swim faster as mom and dad with Heather on his back come bursting from the tree line.
Heather drops off as mom and dad rush the wolves that have no issue rushing them. It is a massive outnumbering, but each of them is worth a pack alone so I am not worried.
Heather comes over and helps me out of the water. I am limping a bit, a bit of blood from my bite is escaping me and I know I can’t let it. After the fight with Adam, I am fairly certain Al will need blood.
"Heal me fast."
"Let them handle it, Amber."
"Fast or not at all Heather."
She sighs but chants a spell over me. Heather is what they called a junk witch. She has no specialized power, but can-do spells of every branch, just never the strongest higher-level ones.
As soon as the pain lessens, I stand and she grabs me. "Amber I cannot heal your concussion. You need to…"
I run into the battle using my wet sticks as clubs.
"Damn it, Amber!"
"Don't use fire or Al will attack you too Heather!"
She nods and runs off to pick at wolves circling behind my parents. I stay near Al and Adam dancing out of the path of their two-man carnage while making sure no wolves get the urge to help and smacking them upside the head if they do. Once my branches break, I run over to where Al made his entrance. Lots of forcibly broken trees mean there are lots of spiked sticks.
I grab a bunch I can use as a throwing knife. Damn, I would kill for some silver. This will slow them down, but it won’t kill them.
I run back towards Al seeing two wolves trying to sneak up and help Adam. They are not that bright. Adam is rabid right now, basically drunk off moon power and sick in the mind, he has been for a while. If they interfere, he will attack them too. I aim and remember to exhale then throw. One is struck in the ribs and turns to me growling.
I see the spike glow then fracture as the spell causes it to burst. The werewolf goes down whining as Heather runs up to me.
"Are you crazy? Those little ass sticks will do nothing!"
"It keeps them away from Al and Adam so Al has only one to worry about."
She fumes.
"The two of you have lost my friend vote. Only lovers worry more about someone else rather than themselves."
I laugh shaking my head and I throw at the wolf rushing us and Heather makes it shatter again.
"Not true, you came for me!"
She grabs my elbow and stops me from getting closer to Al and Adam. If I have a chance Adam is getting a few in the back. Once Heather splinters them that will give Al an upper hand. Which is good because his left arm is angled funny. Of course, he is not alone. Adam's bottom jaw is about an inch to the left of where it should be. It looks like Al had almost ripped it off.
"I know about Al and the blood. Your father knows too. We took an oath, only you can tell anyone about it without the agreement of the four of us."
"Okay." I can’t think about that right now, but I am damned glad Heather is a think on her feet kind of person.
"What I am saying is are you sure this isn't because of the bite. Are you trying to save him because he wants it or…”?
I rip my arm from her hand and glare her down. "I would risk my life for any of you here for me now. For all my friends, all my family, and even people I don’t know. I won’t hurt anyone until they hurt me. I don't share blood with any of them."
I want to add a go to hell, but Heather is just being cautious as she always is. I love her but now is not the time. I get as close as I can and drop down behind Adam. Heather screams my name as I slam the four pointy sticks I have left in his back. He starts to roll over me.
"Heather now!"
She splinters them and I roll but not fast enough. My
arm gets trapped under Adam then suddenly a new howl enters the fray. The wolves all drop into submission and my parents come over dragging Al away from a still twisted Adam. Heather drags me before he can turn the snapping at Al into snacking on me.
"What. Is. Going. On. Here."
The slow deep growl has all the wolves on their back showing submission. The ones that can move that much anyway… only one or two in all honesty. The others are bleeding, broken in places, or still and silent.
I push up and go over to the alpha. He doesn’t look happy to see me.
"Your son brought me here to kill me. I demand retribution."
I know what I am asking and no one will be happy. Retribution means death for those involved. That means the three that kidnapped me, any that bit or scratched me, and the one in charge…Adam. The alpha's own son.
"You look no worse for wear."
Heather pushes in front of me poking him in the shoulder.
"I healed the outside, but inside she has a concussion, blood loss, and fractured bones! I could bring them back from broken to fractured, but I can't entirely heal them! She isn't at a hospital because she refused to let her family stay and fight alone while I took her to one! We had to rescue her and she stayed to make sure we didn’t suffer for it putting her in more danger! Keep control of your damn pack and this issue wouldn’t have come about!"
I want so badly to shout you go girl, but I am too worried he will eat her. She doesn’t seem put off. She looks ready to melt him. If that was her power this conversation won’t be happening because every wolf here would be puddles.
Adam is still rolling around growling and Al is still struggling to get to him. I can’t feed him until the wolves are gone.
"Take your wolves and leave. We will discuss this when these two calm down. But be prepared, I am going to be showing up with demands and one will be to see your son’s death."
I don’t want to have to be serious, but I am. Fiona and Fergus won't give me an option. They will make it an all-out war if I am not given assurances it won’t happen again and the only assurance you can give when dealing with a rabid wolf is death.
How to Survive Supernatural College (The Complications of Supernatural Adoption Book 2) Page 10