by Petra Landon
Tasia, her attention on the conversation in the car, had nevertheless sensed the Vampire just moments before he flashed into view. The Undead’s dizzying speed as he flew through the air at them allowed them scant warning. The Alpha, busy relaying last-minute instructions into the car, sensed the Vampire only seconds later. But Tasia had already turned to confront the Vampire, driven by instinct to protect them all from the Blutsauger flying at them with fangs extended.
While the Alpha had turned to confront the leech in time, his weird sixth sense connection with Tasia also warned him of a more immediate danger. To Raoul, dealing with a few leeches was the easy part, while the witchling’s magic threatened to expose her, a dangerous connotation she seemed to momentarily have lost sight of.
“No” he shot at her, moving inhumanly fast to place himself between her and the leech.
His move to physically block her from the Vampire had been timely, but the split second he borrowed to warn her against deploying her magic cost him. Stopped in her tracks by his furious command, Tasia paused to clash with gold eyes spitting anger, just as the Vampire sank his talons into Raoul’s back to tear through his skin. He grunted softly, his eyes clouding over with pain. Tasia watched, her heart in her eyes as he straightened in place to shrug the Vampire off, whirling around in a flash to pluck the leech seemingly from the air and fling him away. The Vampire flew through the air with a pinging sound to hit the thick trunk of a tree at speed and slump onto the ground. The Alpha shot another furious gold-eyed glance at a stupefied Tasia, before stalking off towards the Vampire. Streaks of blood marred his neck and back, she noted dazedly.
Her eyes followed him to the Vampire. Merely stunned, the Blutsauger bounced up to confront the Shifter again. In the fading light, Tasia could see sticky fluid shining on the Vampire’s talons. The Alpha’s blood, she realized with regret. Her desire to confront had been impulsive, born of an instinctive desire to protect the distracted Alpha and her friends. The Vampire lifted his talons deliberately, his eyes on the Shifter stalking towards him. His tongue swiped deliberately at his talons, taunting the Alpha. A second later, the Vampire fell to his knees again, a cry of agony wrung from him. Tasia watched the Undead in horrified disbelief. She knew this particular keening cry, having heard it two times before. Both times, it had led to the deaths of the Blutsaugers it poured from. This time, though, the Vampire did not keel over and die. Instead, he seemed to convulse in agony on the ground for the few seconds it took the Alpha to reach him. The Shifter used his powerful fists to knock the Vampire out cold, without foreplay. For a moment, he stood over the Vampire’s body, his head cocked at the familiar angle that Tasia knew meant he was using his hyper senses.
Under her gaze, his right hand seemed to elongate in the fading light. Fur the color of his hair and sharp talons sprouted seamlessly from it, the sight stumping Tasia for the second time that night. Shifters were not known to possess the ability to shift an arm or a limb or any specific part of their body. They possessed two distinct forms — there was no such thing as a hybrid form. All Chosen knew that shifting between the two forms was agonizing for a Wyr, and that the transformation was not instantaneous. For a wild moment, Tasia wondered if the Shifters had encouraged a myth about their shifting, wanting to keep it a secret, like everything else they liked to control. She had only ever witnessed one Shifter changing forms. He too had been quick to transform from his wolf to his hawk. But Hawk was special. She’d recognized his uniqueness from his spilt blood at the warehouse. It had been one of the reasons that had compelled her to help him. Something in her had recognized a kindred spirit. The Alpha was a different kettle of fish altogether. While the whispers talked of power not seen in a Wyr since another Shifter born centuries ago, Tasia’s magic senses had not pegged him as special in any way.
Raoul stared down at the leech knocked out cold on the ground. This was not the first time a leech had reacted like this after tasting his blood. Franciszka had cried in agony after a taste of it, too. But Raoul had no time to ponder the mystery. He could smell the leech’s friends in the wind. Very faint in the air, but clearly getting closer. Soon, they’d be here, swarming around the witchling. Duncan was already in the forest, readying to lead the army headed to them a merry chase through the woods — to keep them busy, giving the others a shot at outrunning them. This mystery would have to wait. The witchling could not be discovered by a baying leech army. He had to get her into the relative safety of the woods, as quickly as he could.
“Look away” he growled, without taking his eyes off the prone leech.
Before he left, he intended to make sure the leech would not join his friends in the hunt tonight. Raoul reached down, the sharp talons reaching into the leech’s throat to shred the skin while he pressed down to shatter the bones.
Behind him, he heard a muted gasp. A stunned Tasia had not quite processed his command quickly enough. Now, she glanced away hastily, not ready to watch him rip the Vampire’s throat out, even though she knew why he did it. The Blutsauger would take a lot longer to regenerate from the injury.
Raoul retracted his talons to wipe his bloody hand carefully on the leech’s clothes. Fury coursed through him. Was she remembering the cage, he wondered savagely. Remembering how close to the skin his beotan had been?
He strode to Tasia, whose eyes were now scrupulously away from the bloodied Vampire lying a few feet away.
“Next time I tell you to do something, do it” he bit out, the gold eyes spitting fire.
Before the apology trembling on Tasia’s lips could leave her, he turned on his heel.
“Come.” He stalked towards the woods without another word, every line of his body rigid with anger.
Tasia grit her teeth to follow the Alpha.
Right. Me Tarzan, and you less than Jane. Just follow me blindly.
He strode across the clearing and into the woods, his long strides eating up the ground. Tasia hurried after him. She could sense no Blutsaugers yet, but knew they were on their way. At first, the fading light guided her fairly well as she followed him deeper into the woods. The forest had come alive with the birds sending out their last calls for the day before settling in for the night. While he set a punishing pace for her, he paused every now and then to cock his head, sniff the air, or bend down to scrutinize the low hanging branches and shrubs. Once, he hunkered down to scrape his thumb against the trunk of a tree. Tasia guessed that he was leading them on a trail Duncan had blazed. Despite his frequent stops to read the signs, she had to hurry to keep up with him. He led her unerringly away from the house and deeper into the woods, where the pine trees grew taller and the foliage thicker. Still, the trail was easy enough to tread for her.
Twenty minutes later, everything changed. First came the sudden downpour, with a burst of thunder and a gust of wind as was common in these parts. Within minutes, Tasia was drenched. Her shoes, sensible as they were, had not been meant to tramp through an uneven forest floor strewn with pebbles, and puddles of water which seemed to spring up with increasing frequency as moisture dripped steadily down through the tree cover. The steady rain blanketed everything, with the setting sun making it harder to see any trail. The forest, alive only minutes before, now seemed darker, sinister and silent.
Now, the Alpha was just a vague silhouette in the distance she followed blindly through the woods, trudging after him with grim determination. Tasia resisted the urge to call out and ask him where he led her, or to slow down. He was angry at her for her stumble with the Vampire. Then, without warning, the sun disappeared from the sky, the orange streaks replaced by an overarching darkness. Tasia was forced to slow to a crawl, her eyes carefully seeking secure ground to place each foot while one eye kept watch for the Alpha’s broad back through the darkness and the rain. Soaked through to her skin, occasional shivers now wracked her body as gusts of wind buffeted her through the trees.
She stumbled over a root and had to right herself, pausing under the trunk of a tree to catch her bre
ath. When she glanced up again, the Alpha was gone. The forest lay eerily silent around her, the steady drizzle and the patter of raindrops as they struck the leaves the only sounds. The birds had fallen silent for the night. There was no way to track him in the forest with the rain pelting down on her, so she did the next best thing. She took shelter under a tree with an awning branch that helped keep some of the rain off her below. The forest did not scare Tasia. Only Chosen she could kill with a drop of her blood did. Around her, old magic quivered in the air. Collectively, the bits added up to substantial power, but unlike Wizard headquarters, she felt no adverse reaction from her magic senses. Tasia puzzled about it as she attempted to stay warm.
Minutes later, the Alpha came looking for her, to find her shivering under the tree. He shook his head, the droplets arching off him. The gold eyes scanned her while he ran his fingers through his wet hair. Tasia said nothing, her teeth chattering in the cold.
“You could’ve called to me” he pointed out, his voice mild.
“You were stewing” she said through chattering teeth.
She sensed that she had disconcerted him with her blunt statement.
“What the hell, witchling!” His voice was even, no trace of anger anymore. “We had a deal. I watch over you, and you don’t use magic.”
Tasia sighed, swiping the water from her eyes. “It was pure instinct. You were preoccupied — your back was to the Blutsauger.”
He stared at her. “You were defending me?” There was a note in his voice that had Tasia straightening.
Not just you.
“In the car, those were my friends too” she reminded him.
He studied her in silence, while Tasia attempted to discern his expression.
“There might come a time to use your powers, but while I’m at your side, shall we agree to leave the ass-kicking to me?”
The wind whistled through the trees and Tasia shivered again. “I’ll work on my instincts” she promised, immensely relieved.
She had braced herself for a tongue-lashing, having expected more recriminations from him. He would have been justified.
“It’s a deal” he said easily. “Come, we need to keep moving.”
This time, with him by her side, trekking through the woods was easier, but still agonizingly slow as she placed one foot after another to faithfully follow his lead, her eyes peering at the ground. As they moved deeper into the forest, they encountered more patches of muddy ground. The muck sucked at her feet like quicksand and seemed to want to pull her into the earth. One particularly rough patch had her stumbling as the marshy mud pulled at her shoe. He steadied her, bending down to carefully pry her foot loose from the muck.
Wet, cold and miserable, Tasia sighed softly. It had him directing a frowning glance at her shivering body, before he led her under the shade of a large tree. The powerful arms gathered her carefully to clasp her to his warm body. Finding herself pressed to the muscled torso, a confused Tasia squirmed against him. One large palm pressed her head to his chest.
“Just trying to warm you” he said softly, tucking her into the curve of his body. “That’s all.”
Tasia stopped struggling, to let herself relax. She could hear his steady heartbeat under her ear. His shoulder had healed from the Blutsauger’s wound, with the rain washing away his blood. He smelt like earth and the forest, a fresh clean scent, his body radiating heat. It felt like heaven, with the howling wind and the pitter-patter of rain all around. Her arms, held rigidly to her sides, came up to close around him tentatively. His arms tightened imperceptively around her in response.
Warmth seeped into Tasia, despite her sodden clothes and damp hair.
“Almost there, witchling” he murmured against her hair. “Duncan has someplace warm for you to spend the night.”
Tasia sighed, this time with relief.
“I’m sorry” she mumbled into his tee. “About the Blutsauger.”
He seemed to understand. “I know.”
They stood clasped for a few more minutes, neither making a move to disengage.
“I’m sorry.” His voice floated down to her, his breath huffing her damp hair. “About leaving you behind.”
“I know” she said easily.
“For the record, I’d have slowed down, no matter how furious I was” he said.
Tasia smiled, warmth of a different kind flooding through her at his words.
He disentangled from her slowly.
“Ready?” he asked.
Tasia nodded mutely. In the darkness, she couldn’t discern his expression.
Duncan waited for them in a small clearing amidst the pines. He cast a sympathetic glance at a shivering Tasia to take in her drenched clothes and mud-caked shoes.
“You’ll be right as rain in here, Tasia.” He swept aside a thick screen of shrubs on what looked like a rocky outcrop.
Tasia caught a glimpse of an inky dark nook inside. Without a light, it was hard to tell how big it was but it would serve to keep them warm and away from the rain and wind.
“Thanks, Duncan.” The words were heart-felt.
She made her way to lean against the rock, shaded by thick overgrowth. Here, most of the rain was kept off her, the water coming through as a light drizzle. In the dim light, she searched for a sturdy twig she could use to scrape away some of the dirt caked into her shoes and the bottom of her jeans.
Raoul turned to Duncan. “How on earth did you find this?”
“I was looking for it” Duncan said simply. “Unlike us, she’s not in her element in the open, especially on a night like this.”
Raoul shot a glance at where she was diligently scraping the mud off herself, aided by a large leaf and a longish piece of bark.
“Watch over her tonight, Duncan. I’ll draw the leeches away.”
“No, my boy.” Duncan shook his head. “Stay with her. I’ll draw the leeches away.”
“My beast gets no respite in the city, Raoul” Duncan said persuasively, as the Alpha opened his mouth to protest. “Let me run free this night. It has been a while.”
Raoul gave in, unable to resist his friend’s plea. Duncan had followed him to San Francisco but the city did not allow many opportunities for Duncan’s beast to run free. Yet, Duncan never complained. His friend deserved free rein tonight.
Tasia chose that moment to search for the opening to the nook, and the two Shifters strode in after her. Inside, the space was oval-shaped with a wide opening, one end going deeper while the other lay strewn with rocky obstacles. The shrubbery guarding the entrance kept it dark, blocking out everything except a faint sheen of moonlight. It was dry but chilly, the rock walls cooling the space. Tasia waited at the entrance, to strip off her dripping sweater while the others investigated the nooks and crannies. She was glad to note that her sweater had taken the brunt of the rain; the tee she wore underneath was merely damp. She wrung out the sweater to peer into the dark nook. A fire would be nice, she mused in anticipation. It would provide warmth, as well as illumination.
The Alpha turned to her, a vague silhouette in the dark, almost as if he’d heard her thoughts.
“The leeches would see the smoke from any fire in here.” His voice was rife with regret.
Drat that man. Always reading my mind.
“What if I were to seal the cave?” she inquired, shivering in the thin damp tee.
“You can do that?” His eyes narrowed.
“I’d just need to seal the opening, right? The rocks will do the rest.”
“How would that work, Tasia?” It was Duncan this time.
“It would be similar to magic armor. Nothing will penetrate it.”
“No smoke, no sound?” Raoul verified again. The leeches were night time predators, with hunting skills to rival the Shifters.
“Nothing. No one would even be able to smell us in here” she assured him. “The magic would block everything.”
“Okay” the Alpha agreed without hesitation. “I’ll collect wood for a fire.”
Raoul didn’t need much persuasion to be swayed. The witchling would have a fire to warm her, and Duncan would not have to work as hard to create a false trail for the leeches that led away from the nook. Instead, his friend could enjoy the forest for one night without anything else on his mind.
“I’ll be back by first light” Duncan directed at the Alpha.
Tasia glanced at Duncan in surprise. She’d assumed that Duncan would share the nook with them.
Duncan turned to her. “Stay warm, Tasia” he said with a smile. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Take that patch.” Raoul pointed into the deepest part of the cave. “The ground’s smoother there. I’ll build the fire here.” He gestured to a section of the ground between the opening and the walls behind where he had asked her to make a place for herself.
Tasia inched her way to the corner he’d indicated, using the walls to guide her in the darkness. The Alpha strode out after a last glance at her. Duncan waited for him in the clearing. He handed Raoul a neat bundle of his wet clothes. He had not tarried to strip. The English Shifter glanced at the moon peeping through the trees, stretching his hands outward in supplication, before dropping on all fours to the ground. Skin and bones tore as the powerful frame shrank and stretched in a pattern as old as mankind itself. The Shifter’s eyes remained on the moon. Their ancestors had once drawn strength from the full moon, and though those days were long gone, their evolved descendants continued to follow the old traditions, always mindful to pay the moon its due. In minutes, a huge black bear stood in Duncan’s place. It reared up on two legs to roar once, the noise echoing in the woods.
Raoul stepped forward to clap the massive bear on its back. “Run free, my friend.”
The bear jerked its head towards the Alpha before springing down on all fours again, to disappear into the forest. Raoul glanced at it once, before turning away. When he strode into the nook with his arms full of damp wood and Duncan’s discarded clothes, he found Tasia using the light from her cell to get her bearings.
