Ties to the Blood Moon 2nd Edition

by Robin P. Waldrop

  “You’re right, Aunt Bev. Zane is too strong for me to go alone.” I tossed my bag into the closet floor. For added measure I dropped my shoulders and sighed. “I need to work out a plan with Luna and the guys, but first I need to do some research, maybe even talk with the chief.”

  She watched me shut the closet doors, then followed me to my desk. After I sat down and turned on my laptop, I looked at her over my shoulder. “Do you know what a hybrid is?”

  Aunt Bev stepped around my chair and leaned back against the desk, crossing her feet at the ankles, and folding her arms across her chest. “Yes I do. They are the most powerful of all the werewolves and vampires,” she paused, then added, “The chief said that originally they were kept locked away by the Amalric. But as the years went by, some vampires and werewolves grew to be evil, and refused to obey the laws. The Amalric made a sort of deal with the hybrid. They were allowed to live their lives among others as long as when called, they would hunt down and destroy rogue vampires and werewolves.”

  “What about Zane? Isn’t he a hunter?” I asked earnestly.

  “He was actually the Amalric’s favorite, until greed took over and he wanted to rule. The Amalric learned of his plans to take over and sent other hunters to kill him, but he was much stronger and killed everyone the Amalric sent after him, except one … his brother. His brother couldn’t bring himself to kill Zane. Instead, he banished him from Europe.”

  “Who is his brother?”

  “I don’t know. Few people do, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that’s why you cannot go after him alone. He will destroy you, and then there will be nothing to keep him from taking the throne.” Aunt Bev grew quiet, and lowered her eyes.

  It was plain to see something was troubling her. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?” I stopped typing and turned toward her. Something wasn’t right. Aunt Bev seemed to know way too much, but how?

  She sighed heavily, and stared at me before she finally spoke, again. “Gen … you’re not just an Adlet princess. You were born to kill Zane.”

  Chapter 40

  My heartbeat hadn’t evened out since my conversation with Aunt Bev. It continued beating erratically inside my chest as I thought about what she had told me. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that my sole purpose in life was to hunt down a hybrid and kill him. I shuddered at the mere thought of it all.

  Aunt Bev was definitely not stupid. When I told her I was going to Luna’s to talk with Chief Okpik, she had insisted on driving me. Once we pulled out of the garage, I was perfectly okay with it, because the sun was bright and I tired quickly.

  “Gen.” I had fallen asleep on the way and woke up to Luna shouting my name.

  I cracked my eyes open, and peaked over the top of my sunglasses. The sun had already crested and was now on its downward descent. I waved my hand and smiled thinly, but let it fall away.

  “I’m going to see Mary. Just let me know when you’re ready to go,” Aunt Bev smiled, and patted my hand, before she climbed down from the driver’s seat of my Jeep.

  I raised my arms over my head and arched my back into a much needed stretch. Luna, being the impatient girl that she is, snatched open my door and pulled me out before I even finished stretching.

  “Dang, girly, you sure know how to ruin a good thing, don’t you?” I teased and she smiled brightly.

  Naturally, she looped her arm through mine, and we were headed up the steps when Joseph opened the door. I briefly hesitated, glancing up at him, but then quickly fell in step with Luna again, hoping he didn’t notice how just the sight of him affected me now. He pushed open the screen and held it while Luna and I stepped over the threshold, and even though I didn’t look directly at him, I kept taking sidelong glances as we passed.

  Luna dropped onto the couch, but I didn’t. “Aren’t you going to sit down?” She asked earnestly. Joseph had closed the door and sat down on the couch opposite Luna. I could feel his eyes on me, and a hot flush suddenly went over me.

  “Can we go to your room first?” I asked in a whisper while standing with my back to Joseph. I subtly nudged my head in the direction of her room.

  She looked confused at first, but after I repeated it a couple of times, she finally caught on and jumped up. “Come on, Gen, let’s go to my room,” she said a little too loud, which made it extremely obvious.

  To embarrass me even more, she grinned and winked at me right where he could see her. If I didn’t know better I’d swear Luna had been born a blonde. Right then, I wished I was invisible.

  When we got inside her room I closed the door before turning to face her. She must have seen the embarrassment on my face, because she asked me what was wrong. I placed my hands on her throat and pretended like I was choking her. “Could you have been more obvious, Luna?” I asked, and smiled a little.

  “What did I do?” she asked. When she failed to smile, I knew she hadn’t realized what she’d done.

  “Nothing. Never mind,” I sighed, and flopped down across her bed.

  I lay on my stomach with my chin on my hands, and Luna joined me, lying in the same position.

  “What’s on your mind, Gen?” she asked, looking at me.

  At first, I just shook my head, but the more I thought about it the more I knew I had to confide in someone. Luna had proved herself to be such a great friend, she even let me keep secrets when I needed to, never questioning my reasoning. “Did Joseph tell you what happened earlier?”

  She cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? When did you see Joseph?”

  “He came over earlier …and he told me all about William.” I tried to keep my tone light, but it was a struggle. We both sat upright, and by her expression, I felt sure even she could see my pain. “I … I almost killed Joseph.” My voice shook and I had to take a deep breath to keep from tearing up.

  Luna threw her hand over her mouth and gasped. “Oh my God, Gen. Why? Why would you do that?” she asked, shock in her eyes.

  “I don’t know. I swear I didn’t mean to. He was just saying all these hurtful things about William I didn’t want to hear, and I guess I just lost it. Thank God my aunt came home in time to stop me.”

  Luna did the opposite of what I expected. She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me, trying to comfort me instead of the other way around. She really was an amazing person, and I felt so lucky to have met her.

  I gently pulled back. “I haven’t told you the craziest part yet. Your brother wasn’t even mad afterward. He came up to my room and tried to comfort me.”

  She smiled through her tears. “Yeah, he is pretty amazing, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah, he is, but I was so embarrassed and ashamed, I made him leave.” I dropped my eyes toward the floor and fidgeted with my nails.

  “Did you come over here just to tell me that?” Luna walked to the window and opened the curtains. The sun’s rays hit me in the face, and I immediately shrank back.

  “Luna, please close the curtains. I can’t take the sunlight. I swear it instantly makes me grow tired now. Did it do the same to you guys when you first changed?” I lay back on the bed, unable to sit up any longer.

  She hurried and closed them. “No, Gen … it didn’t,” she uttered. “I’m not so sure this has anything to do with becoming an Adlet.” She paused for a minute, thinking. “Maybe you should talk to my grandfather.”

  “Maybe you’re right. Is he here?” I asked, already starting to feel better.

  After I felt my strength coming back, I sat up. It was strange how quickly the sun could drain my energy, but even more strange how incredibly fast I would get it back if I was able to avoid the sun for just a few minutes.

  “He’s somewhere on the reservation. Wait here, I’ll go ask my mom if she knows where he is.”

  After only a brief minute her door swung open. My back was facing the door. “That was quick. Did you find him?” I asked as I turned around and spotted Joseph. My heart immediately flu
ttered, and a nervous pit grew in my stomach.

  “I didn’t know I was lost,” he said smiling warmly at me.

  I lowered my eyes and smiled sheepishly. “Not you, silly. Your grandfather,” I said, feeling a bit too happy to see him. He had this way of making me smile even when I didn’t want to.

  “Oh? It must be serious if you’re thinking of involving my grandfather.” He tried to look all serious, but it quickly melted into a laugh.

  “Don’t say that. He really scares me.” My smiled started to fade, and I’m sure Joseph saw it when I raked my hair away from my face. I knew the answer to my next question the minute I asked Joseph. “Can you read my mind, too?” I asked sincerely.

  He thought about it for a while before answering. “I was wondering when you were going to ask me.” He tried to smile, but it fell away. “No … for some reason I can’t. I have met a few people in my life I couldn’t read, and you’re one of them.”

  “I believe you,” I said earnestly. For some reason I trusted Joseph, and when he said he couldn’t read my mind I believed him. Did that mean I was a good judge of character? No, it didn’t. After all, I had trusted William with my life and look where that got me. Just thinking about William saddened me. Even after what Joseph had told me, I still yearned for William, for his gentle touch, his soft kisses, and his sexy smile. But, that was a part of my life I might have to let go at some point … or would I never be able to.

  Chapter 41

  I shook violently while waiting to see Luna’s grandfather. He was on his way to the house, and Luna had taken me to his prayer room to wait. I was pleased to learn Joseph couldn’t read my mind. It would make it easier when I got ready to sneak away.

  The door opened and I held my breath. I was shaking so badly when Chief Okpik walked in, even my teeth chattered.

  He glared at me for a moment, crossed the room to his idol thingies, and lit what I thought might be incense. He chanted in hushed tones before taking his seat on the floor directly across from me.

  “Do you have the Crest?” he asked. His face showed no emotion, which freaked me out a little … okay, so it freaked me out a lot.

  I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Crest. After pulling it from the ice-covered tomb I noticed it had a unique filigree design the encased the deep red stone.

  He held out his hand and I gently placed it in his palm. He untied a pouch from his side and dumped out another piece of silver filigree. He said some sort of prayer while waving his hand over the different pieces.

  Afterward, he unsheathed his hunting knife, and I swallowed hard when I saw how big the blade was. I swallowed even harder when he motioned for my hand. My heart felt like any it would burst from my chest any second, but still I laid my hand in his palm.

  I almost passed out when he raised the knife over his head. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see what he was about to do to me, but I was pretty sure it had something to do with that knife and my blood. Feeling a prick a few seconds later, I reluctantly cracked opened my eyes.

  The chief had a sense of humor after all. He was only teasing when he’d raised the knife over his head, because when I looked there was just a small puddle of blood forming in the palm of my hand. He placed the Crest in my blood, then took it away and used his knife to maneuver the metal.

  He stood and crossed the room back to his prayer table, or whatever it was, and called to me. When I got to the table he placed the ring on my right hand. “The powers this ring possess will only work for you. It will make you even more powerful than you ever imagined, but, the man you seek is just as powerful. You will have to learn to outsmart him.” He turned like he was finished.

  I wasn’t about to let him leave until I had a chance to speak. “Chief Okpik, I think I know how to become more powerful than even him.”

  He stopped abruptly, but didn’t turn to face me. “I cannot ask such a sacrifice from you. No one can.” He knew, which meant he could read my mind.

  “You’re not asking me, neither is anyone else. I want to do this. I’m going to do this. All I want to know from you is if I do will it help me to defeat him?”

  “Yes, but even then, you must wait until the time is right. If you attempt to rush, you will lose and many will die.” He turned to face me, and stared for the longest time. “It will make you even more powerful than you think, but you must not tell a soul of your decision beforehand. Many will try to stop you, even if it means killing you. Your only hope is the element of surprise.”

  I had been so entranced by what the chief had said, I totally forgot to ask him about the sun’s effect on me. I just shrugged my shoulders and went to find Luna. I figured pretty soon it wouldn’t even matter anymore.

  Next on my list was trying to come up with a way to see William without Aunt Bev finding out. She might not have had any children of her own, but she wasn’t dumb either.

  I was sitting on the couch waiting on Aunt Bev when an idea came to me. I bolted from the couch to Luna’s room. I barely knocked before pushing through her door and found her wrapped in a towel.

  “Oops, sorry,” I laughed. “I forgot you said you were going to jump in the shower.”

  “It’s okay. I thought you’d be gone by now,” she added.

  I sat down on the side of Luna’s bed. “Nah … waiting on my aunt and your mom. They’re somewhere checking on a pregnant woman. Aunt Bev said she’s due any time.”

  “She is my grandfather’s mistress,” Luna said like she was embarrassed by it.

  “Really? Exactly how old is your grandfather?” I asked bemused.

  “He’s seventy-seven,” she said like it was obvious. “My mom says having a companion has helped keep him young.”

  “What? You’re kidding! I swear he doesn’t look that old.” He really didn’t look nearly that old. His face wasn’t even all wrinkled.

  “His mistress, Akani, is only twenty-two.” Luna looked at me all serious at first, and my jaw dropped, then we both busted out in laughter.

  After our laughter faded, I thought very carefully about what I was going to say. “Um … I need a tiny little favor.” I held my index finger and thumb close together.

  Luna instantly look worried. “What?” she asked with a long face.

  “I’m going to break up with William, but first I want to confront him.”

  “I’m stoked that you are dumping him, but what does it have to do with me?” she asked, sitting at her dressing table, brushing her hair, and looking at me through her mirror.

  “I’m getting to that part,” I uttered. “My aunt won’t let me see him, and I want to see the look on his face when I break up with him. So … do you think you could cover for me just this once? Please-please-please?” I begged.

  “I don’t know, Gen,” she said, shaking her head at the same time. “If you get caught, my mom and Bev will kick our butts, and you know it.” Luna stopped brushing her hair while really thinking about it.

  It was hard to keep the thought of breaking up with William in my head, but I had to just in case she caught a glimpse of the future. She did that sometimes, although thank God, she still hadn’t developed her power completely or I’d be busted for sure.

  She dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Oh … all right. Tell me where and when. But, I swear, Gen, if you get caught you’re on your own. I mean it.”

  Even though I was squealing on the inside, I didn’t dare show it. I lowered my eyes. “Thanks, Luna. You’re a great friend … really.” I crossed the room and gave her a quick one-armed hug. “I’ll text you after I figure out everything.”

  All I could think about on the ride back home was William. The kisses we’d shared on the plane coming home—our first kiss—was more than I even dreamed it could be. The feel of his soft lips against mine. The tenderness of his caresses, then the passion that followed.

  We had connected in a way that few people ever get to in life, but then I had found out the whole thing had been a big fat lie. A set up to
somehow lead me away from taking the throne. What hurt even more was the fact that I had given him my heart, and through his betrayal he had ripped it from my chest and broke it into a million pieces.

  I was glad the sun had set. Although it wasn’t dark, dark, it was twilight, which was the closest thing Haven got to darkness in the warmer months. The dim light would make it harder for Aunt Bev to see my tears.

  “Um … I meant to tell you, the chief said I need to train with Luna and the boys before we go after Zane. So Luna said they would pick me up tomorrow, and we’d go to their river camp for a couple of days. I hope that’s all right.” I held my breath, waiting for an answer.

  “All right. I guess it is for the best.” She gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and I saw her knuckles turn white. “Gen, are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  “What? Train? Uh, yeah,” I answered sort of sarcastically, but didn’t mean to.

  “No. I mean everything.” She seemed frightened by something, I got that. But what I didn’t get was the feeling it had anything to do with me.

  “It’s not a matter of what I want. This is my destiny. It’s why I was born,” I answered, repeating her words from earlier.

  She began to cry, so I scooted across my seat and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “I promise everything’s going to be fine. We’re going to find mom and bring her back.” I laid my head on her shoulder, and she leaned her head against mine. “I love you,” I whispered. It was the first time I had told her that since I was about nine.

  “Aw… I love you too, sweetheart,” she uttered.