Crimson Sunrise

by J. A. Saare

  Caleb.

  The sky reminded me of Caleb’s eyes when he was calm and happy, the most precious and rare shade of the color spectrum.

  My thoughts turned to the man holding me in his arms, knowing now was the only time I could reciprocate his love without fear of hurting him or the other person I adored. Decimus had been wrong. There was one true gift I could bestow and it didn’t involve selling my soul.

  My mind was slipping, memories becoming hard to latch on to, but I remembered the night he left, recalling the words he picked so easily from my mind. He knew I yearned for him, he knew I needed him, and he knew that if it wasn’t for Caleb I would have come to him. But the most important words he glimpsed were ones that people always want to hear whispered into their ears or spoken at random, to remind them of just how cherished they are.

  “I love you,” I mumbled weakly, watching as my breath turned to a white icy frost in the air.

  Everything became weightless, the pain disappeared, and I was floating, held aloft from the misery. I could see everything but I couldn’t feel it. I was witnessing my death as if I were an observer instead of a participant.

  A deep growl rent the air and Trent’s weight vanished as his teeth tore free of my throat. I wanted to turn to the sounds of fighting, but it was impossible to move. I was too weak. It felt as if my muscles had become weighted down.

  “Fuck!” Sarah's scream startled me, and I tried to focus on her face. Her hands felt like warm rays of the sun against my cheeks.

  “Derek, we have to take her to the hospital. She’s gray. Oh God, her skin is gray, Derek! I’m taking her to the car. If you’re not finished with him by then, I’m leaving!”

  Strong arms lifted me, but I didn’t feel them. I only knew I was being moved from the shifting of the stars that danced in the sky. They swayed with Sarah’s steps, becoming close then far, bright and then dim.

  “Don’t you come any closer,” Sarah snarled, the corresponding growl from her chest vibrating against me as she came to a stop.

  My father’s angry voice was accompanied by my mother’s heartbroken wails. “Hand me my daughter.”

  “Get the fuck back!”

  “She is dying. Give her to me before it’s too late.”

  “We are taking her to the hospital.” Sarah drew in a deep breath and thundered, “Derek!”

  “A hospital can’t help her. It is too late for that. Give her to me now, or she will die before you reach the city.”

  “Please,” Mom pleaded, sniffing as she continued crying. “We tried to fight it. You have to believe us—”

  An enraged roar cut through the softness of her voice, and I closed my eyes. I had heard the same cry after Parker attacked me inside my grandmother’s house. Caleb had come. He had made it back to me.

  “Give her to me now before she dies!” Dad sounded frantic. “She is slipping away. You can smell death as we can. You know I’m telling you the truth!”

  “Caleb?” Sarah whispered, turning around, and kneeled.

  Soft fur brushed against my face, and a low whine followed. I lifted my lids, forcing the heavy veil of skin away so I could see him. Caleb’s intelligent blue eyes stared back at me. Forcing my hand from my chest, I reached out for him. My fingers made it halfway across the distance before my arm fell limply to my side, and I closed my eyes.

  I was too tired, too sleepy.

  “I can change her. There is still time. Give me my daughter.”

  Caleb’s warm muzzle pressed against me again, caressing my face, before it was suddenly gone. I felt Sarah lifting me and turning around, maneuvering my body out of her arms and into someone else’s. My father’s arms shifted as he took me, lowering us to the ground. “Emmaline, you must listen to me. Drink. Come on now.”

  Cool wetness spread against my mouth, rubbed back and forth across my lips, and forced them apart. The sweet liquid poured down my throat, and I gagged. I tried to twist my head away, keeping my lips together.

  “No, you must take it, lass.”

  I continued fighting him, whipping my head weakly from side to side, exhausting the few reserves I had left.

  “Give her to me. Let me hold her.”

  I was shifted again, placed into arms that emitted heat and warmth. The sticky-sweet liquid pressed against my mouth once more, and I tried to turn away.

  “Please, Emma,” Caleb whispered hoarsely. “Do this for me.”

  I stopped fighting at his request, drinking the liquid that was as thick as syrup and almost as sweet. It choked me as it flowed into my mouth, clinging in the back of my throat.

  “When will she change?” Caleb asked, devastation apparent in his voice.

  “The change only takes minutes. By the time she has finished at my wrist, it should be complete.”

  I continued drinking, unaware of the time that passed, forcing myself to swallow even as my stomach protested and demanded I stop. Caleb stroked the top of my head, whispering to me, cradling me against him.

  Abruptly, the blood I’d consumed rushed back up. The spasm in my abdomen forced the liquid free, making it impossible to hold back, and I jerked away from Caleb’s chest. I opened my eyes and watched a thick red mass of liquid erupt from my mouth and spread onto the ground. I couldn’t stop heaving, over and over again, despite my inability to do little more than turn and lift my head.

  “Is that normal?” Caleb sounded horrified.

  “No, it’s not.” Dad sounded as shocked as Caleb. “She should be changing. It’s not working. Something isn’t right.”

  “What do you mean it isn’t working?” Caleb snarled.

  “She’s not changing! Her body isn’t accepting the change.”

  “Is it her free will?” Caleb asked, holding me closer to his chest. “Emma, don’t fight this. Accept it. Please, don’t leave me.”

  “Her Fae will latch onto any form of life offered at the point of death, free will or no. It seeks to live, at any cost.”

  Sarah gasped and whispered, “What did you say?”

  “It will latch onto—”

  “Caleb.” Sarah’s voice became louder as she moved closer. “When I pulled her from the lake, I didn’t shift back. She was gone, completely gone.”

  “And?” Caleb snapped.

  “I bit her.”

  My chest was thrust upward and Caleb's warm chin nudged my own aside. The stubble on his face brushed across my skin, starting at my jaw and moving lower, until he stopped at my nape. He inhaled deeply, breathing in for several seconds.

  “I knew something was different, but the change in scent was so faint.” He sounded completely elated when he said, “The wolf is there, I smell her.”

  “What does that mean?” Dad asked as his voice hitched in alarm.

  “It means she is pack,” Caleb answered. “Our power is now hers.”

  The wind seemed to shift, the cold becoming warm. The smell of nature and forest engulfed my nose—the combined scents of dirt, leaves, grass, pine, and wood absorbing into my skin.

  The strength of Caleb’s wolf slipped from his body and into mine, in a way that was foreign and nothing like the previous exchanges, burning a path inside my skin. It flowed through my weak body and became something else, something strong and vibrant. The power carried through my body, giving new life to my weak limbs, leaving fortitude in its wake.

  He lowered his head, his fingers twining in the hair at my nape, and brought my face to his. He nestled his mouth into the crook of my neck, bracing me against his chest as his scent blanketed me.

  “Come to me,” Caleb commanded in my ear.

  Then I felt her, another part of me that came happily to the surface, anxious to heed her mate’s call. The feral entity overcame my hesitation, forcing past my defenses, and broke free. She stopped at the barrier of my skin, remaining quietly within, just under the surface.

  I drew a deep breath and gasped.

  My vision changed; a shutter bursting free of the window. The night became day,
the dark became light. I could see everything—from Caleb’s elated expression to my father’s worried face. Everything was so clear, colors equally as vivid as they were during the day.

  The scents of the earth faded even as my vision remained unflawed, and I became aware of more than the newfound part of myself. I gazed into Caleb’s face. His lips curved ever so slightly, and his irises were the comforting shade of indigo I adored.

  “Caleb?”

  He responded by lowering his head and kissing me. Nothing mattered when our lips met. He smelled and tasted all new. I’d only glimpsed how addictive he could be. Like this, I’d never be able to get enough of him.

  “I love you,” he whispered fiercely as he lifted his head, adding, “And you are never leaving my sight again.”

  “I love you too,” I murmured and shifted in his arms.

  A moment of clarity caused my cheeks to burn. I could feel his body against mine, every perfect inch pressed firmly against me, without any barrier except my clothing.

  I turned my face into his chest, hoping no one would overhear, and whispered in embarrassment, “Did you know that you’re naked?”

  Chapter 22—Humility

  Trent.

  The instant his name came to mind, I forgot about clothing and struggled in Caleb’s arms. I quickly realized I was not fully healed or strong. My body felt uncoordinated, as if I’d developed new muscles that protested their existence. Each shrug and thrash was uncomfortable and strange.

  “What’s wrong?” Caleb asked, ignoring my futile attempts to wiggle loose, keeping me close to his chest.

  “Trent,” I gasped, laboring for breath, remembering the terrible sounds of snarls and fighting. The panic I was experiencing was overwhelming. “It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t want to do it. Where is he?”

  Sarah and my father looked at each other, eyes growing wide in alarm. They rushed away from the tiny circle formed around me, hauling ass for the trees with my mother trailing close behind.

  “Please, Caleb,” I implored, pressing my cheek against his chest, taking an exhausted breath. The sleepiness returned with a wave of fatigue so strong I had to shake my head to stay focused.

  He lifted me, obviously uncaring about his state of undress, and hurried to the expanse of trees. My hearing was sharper, strong enough for me to pick up the growls coming from the woods, and I was surprisingly warm, the winter air nowhere near as noticeable as before. But I couldn’t enjoy the newfound sense of sight, heat, or hearing. My mind was fixated on one thing, one person, and he was still too far away.

  “Hurry,” I insisted as time seemed to drag. Each movement forward seemed to take too long, the seconds ticking by too fast while we moved so slowly.

  Caleb increased his pace, jogging easily with me in his arms, bringing us closer to the voices and the snarling.

  “Let him go, Derek,” Sarah said firmly in the distance. “He’s not fighting back.”

  I saw everything as we came through the large expanse of trees—the brown trunks were spaced out randomly, and branches that were twined together hovered overhead. There was nothing but dirt in the large circle that surrounded the stone fire pit.

  Sarah and my parents were standing at a safe distance, with Sarah moving closer as she told Derek to let go and back off. Her inky hair was unkempt around her face, and her white sweater was stained with blood—my blood.

  Derek was still on four legs, the blond hair along his snout smeared with red. His massive jaws were clamped around Trent’s throat, pinning him against a tree. His enormous body covered Trent’s torso, almost obscuring him from view. He continued growling deep in his belly, moving his head by infinitesimal degrees. If he bit down, he would sever Trent’s neck in two.

  Trent’s black shirt was torn, ripped apart by what I assumed were claws and teeth. Blood oozed from his arms and chest, covering his fair skin in stark crimson circles. Red stains were scattered across his face and hands in thick uneven streaks. He didn’t attempt to move or to fight, submissive and silent, appearing bereft and lost. His hands were palm up on the dirt, arms limp and harmless.

  He had been hurt in a way that delved much deeper than mere physical wounds. His free will had been stolen, removed without his consent. And he had been forced to do something unimaginable, something he would never have consented to if given the choice. My heart ached to see him in this way.

  “Put me down,” I mumbled and tried to lower my feet.

  “You’re not fully healed, Emma. You need to sleep.” Caleb trapped me against his chest in an effort to nullify my struggles.

  “Let me down, Caleb!” I snapped, shoving harder. The red haze returned, only now it changed my vision, covering everything in an odd shade of red. My body started to hum as a newfound strength came to the surface, giving me the precious energy I needed to break free.

  Caleb sighed into my hair. “Your stubbornness just got an ally.”

  My legs were wobbly as he helped me stand. I adjusted to the new feelings in my body, as well as the awkward tingling in my limbs as the blood coursed through the muscles. I regained my balance and I hurried over, stumbling, and went to my knees as I crawled the rest of the way.

  “Let him go right now, Derek,” I barked, running my fingers across Trent’s blood streaked face, smoothing blond hair from his forehead.

  Derek stayed put, refusing to relinquish his advantage.

  “You heard her,” Caleb said, the order undeniable. “Let him go.”

  Derek snarled but opened his jaws and stepped away, revealing huge gashes deep inside Trent's throat. Most of them were bleeding and raw, marring his perfect skin. I touched them carefully, angry and saddened.

  “Trent? Look at me,” I said, hearing my voice catch as I fought back tears.

  Trent’s head rotated, his eyes turning to my face. He stared at me emptily before his eyes widened and he blinked in recognition.

  “Emma?” he said in disbelief, staring at me as if I might disappear at any moment. He lunged away from the tree, grasping my forearms in his hands, our faces now only inches apart.

  “It’s me.”

  “How?” he choked the word out brokenly, his aqua eyes brimming with pink tears.

  I answered by showing him, moving close and lowering my head to his, thinking over the last few minutes and everything that had transpired. His face smoothed before a pained expression crossed his features.

  “I thought I killed you,” he whispered. He brought his hand up to touch my throat, probing the wounds that had sealed but were not healed.

  I shook my head wistfully. “I’m alive and kicking right here.”

  “I can’t stay.” Trent met my gaze. “Neither can Lily or Luca. I saw inside the prince’s mind when he intercepted me at the airport. When he finds out you’re alive, he’ll come back again, and next time, he’ll bring an army. He’s been planning this for weeks, testing weapons on loup-garou he captured and tortured to uncover their weaknesses. He wanted you dead. Then he planned to come for Caleb. He wants this badly enough to take on anything that crosses his path, including the enforcer.”

  “Why?” The word came out as deflated as I felt. Why would anyone take on a path of suffering and devastation?

  “Pride,” Trent said in disgust. “In all his centuries of living, he has never been introduced to humility.”

  Humility. A human emotion. Of course he wouldn’t want to be considered anything less than royalty, a supreme power that was held above all others. He didn’t want to be a prince of his people. He wanted to be a god. A deity.

  “Are you all right?” I pushed aside thoughts of Decimus and focused on Trent instead. He had endured so much in the last week, and he deserved so much more.

  I was to blame for all of his suffering.

  “After what I did to you, how can you ask that of me?” he asked miserably, staring at the ground.

  I narrowed my eyes, cupping his chin in my hands, and forced him to look at me. My anger returned as I remember
ed his face hovering above mine in a snarl of rage, forced to attack someone close to him against his will. It enraged me, stoking my fury and bitterness.

  “You didn’t do anything to me.”

  “Your eyes.” Trent frowned, his bright blue irises growing smaller as his pupils dilated in awe.

  “What about them?” I asked self-consciously and lifted my hand to my face, comprehension coming on hard and fast. Emotion always seemed to trigger the vivid color change in Caleb’s irises. It was only natural I would experience the same thing.

  My heart lodged in my throat as the magnitude of what transpired came rushing into me. There was no more decision making or talking it through, no going back or asking for more time. This was it. I wasn’t human anymore. I had been changed, and I was like Caleb now. I fought a surge of momentary panic, reminding myself that this is what I wanted on our trip to Colorado. This is what we had always built up to.

  “They are still beautiful, Emma.” He moved his hand from my neck, brushing his thumb along my jaw.

  “I’m afraid.” The thought came before I could stop it, and I looked into his face. The panic returned and I tried to swallow it down. My emotions were harder to control, more intense and formidable.

  “You stood against the most powerful of us without conceding. You should fear nothing.”

  The sound of an approaching vehicle got my attention. I lifted my head, looking into the distance. It sounded so loud, so clarified—from the gravel slinging under the tires to the hum of the motor underneath the hood. Somehow, I knew it was just passing the gate in the center of the field, approaching fast.

  “We need to get her inside.” Caleb’s deep voice was tender, without any trace of resentment. His arms wrapped around my legs and back as he brought me toward the shelter his chest.

  Trent rose to his feet, looking away, keeping his eyes carefully averted.

  “I don’t blame you.” I thought, remembering my admission to him as I was dying, knowing Trent was aware I meant that as well. “You know that.”

  “I know.”

  We walked back to the house and I gazed around in wonder. I could see everything vividly. Including things so far away it shouldn’t have been possible. Even the stars seemed to shine brighter, no longer restrained by a dark sky, framed in a light blue that somehow managed to compliment them.