Midnight Revelations: The Watchers, Book 3

by D McEntire

  The sensation did not let up. With a heavy sigh, she pushed open the truck door and stepped out, grabbed her walking stick from the back seat, then closed the door. “This is really stupid, Dana,” she mumbled as she neared the spot where the woman had entered the woods.

  Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and the sense of evil returned. Someone was behind her.

  Dana turned around slowly to see two men standing in front of her truck, their menacing smiles setting off alarm bells in her head. Impulse or not, it was stupid of her to come out here by herself at night, and she was about to see just how stupid.

  Suma let the wolf guide her toward the smell of the river, keeping her senses alert. She wondered idly if the houseboat had already dropped off the group. She had planned to get to the river before the boat arrived.

  Walking among the trees and vegetation, the wolf wanted out. She could feel it struggle to rise, calling to run free through the woods on the hunt for wild game. “Have patience,” she whispered, trying to calm the furry beast that was more than a part of her. The wolf was her only companion. Her only friend.

  The wind shifted, and Suma caught a whiff of what she was looking for. The creatures were here, and they were close. She put her nose into the air, using the wolf’s senses, and frowned. They were in the parking lot. Had they beaten her to the park? She turned and headed back along the path she had made.

  As Suma neared the parking lot the scent became stronger, telling her more than one vampire lurked ahead.

  Stopping at the end of the woods, she crouched low. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw two vampires slowly approaching a woman. With each step they took, the woman stepped back, keeping distance between them. Unfortunately, the woman appeared unaware Suma’s truck was directly behind her. She would be trapped.

  Suma gritted her teeth in anger. She would not stand and watch the creatures tear this woman apart. Long ago she had vowed to kill as many of the monsters as she could, and as long as there was strength in her body, she would use it to eliminate them.

  Slipping deeper into the trees, she grasped the totem she wore around her neck, setting free the wolf so anxious to be released.

  Dana backed up slowly as the two men approached, immediately sensing they were not ordinary men looking for entertainment. Their eyes were feral, evil.

  When the men smiled at her as she retreated, she saw something she thought was only her imagination—fangs. Her mind urged her to run, but she knew she wasn’t a fast runner. They would catch her in a heartbeat. Turning her back on them wasn’t a good idea either, so she kept her gaze totally fixed on their movements and tried to maintain distance between them.

  If only I could make it to the truck, she thought, holding in a panicked scream. The truck would be her shield. She would jump inside, lock the doors and get the hell out of here.

  Dana came to an abrupt stop, feeling something hard hit her back. She dared a glance to the side and found she had backed into the front end of the woman’s truck. Having been focused entirely on the two men stalking her, she hadn’t realized anything was in her path of escape.

  Without warning, one of the men sprang forward, evidentially tired of waiting. As Dana lifted her walking stick in defense, a black wolf bounded out of the woods and plowed into him, knocking him sideways and sending him skidding across the asphalt.

  This time, Dana did scream, but it was cut short when the second man snarled, a guttural sound totally inhuman. He advanced on her. Steeling herself, she brought up her walking stick and sent it crashing along the side of his head. It made a loud crack as wood splintered, the impact breaking it in two.

  “What the hell are you?” she cried, the beat of her heart pounding in her ears.

  The man was only momentarily stunned. Dana had to hold on tight to the remaining piece of wood in her hands. She used it like a dagger, lunging at him when he came near, but the man continued to smile as if playing a game.

  Snarls, growls and the sounds of ripping fabric echoed throughout the parking lot as the wolf and the other man tore at each other on the ground. What was only minutes, but seemed like an eternity, passed before the battle between them grew silent, but Dana never took her gaze off the man in front of her.

  Suddenly, the black wolf sailed over her head, startling Dana as it leapt from the roof of the truck and barreled down on the man in front of her, grabbing him by the throat as it did so. Blood squirted in all directions as teeth sank deep. The wolf shook its head viciously, ripping out the man’s throat.

  Dana’s breath was coming fast, and she fought the wave of nausea from the sight of the blood. She tried to calm herself by breathing deeply, but gasped in alarm when the black wolf turned to face her. At that moment, she had no idea if she would be next.

  Staring into the wolf’s unusual green eyes her panic eased. As it stood unmoving, unblinking, regarding her, an idea suddenly popped into her head. One which had her mind telling her she needed to go straight home and lie down.

  The wolf’s eyes seemed identical to the woman from the coffee shop, the one she had seen walk into the woods. There was emotion in those eyes—concern and apprehension.

  Dana gave a tentative smile and spoke.

  “Thank you for saving my life. Are you hurt?”

  Its fur was covered with blood. Dana prayed the blood was from the men, or whatever they were, and not the wolf’s. Its eyes seemed to light as a person’s does when they smile. Dana watched it turn its head toward her truck, then looked back at her for a moment, before doing it again. It wants me to leave. When she nodded in understanding, only too happy to get out of the park after what had just happened, the wolf sprinted into the trees.

  Dana closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. When she opened them, she reluctantly looked over at where one of the men had lain. There was no body. Her chest squeezing in disbelief, she turned and looked where the other man had gone down. Nothing. There was no sign what she had witnessed had ever happened.

  “This isn’t real,” she whispered.

  Frantically, Dana turned in circles, searching for some sign to indicate she wasn’t going insane. A pile of ashes and broken pieces of her walking stick were the only indication she had not imagined the men or the wolf.

  A thought struck her, sending her stomach into knots and her mind into overdrive. Crazed eyes, fangs and scattered ashes—vampires.

  No, it couldn’t be. Could it?

  Okay. This was definitely not a story she was going to relay to her husband. First he would think her insane for mentioning vampires and stopping at a park in the dead of night, by herself. Then, he would be absolutely pissed she had stopped at the park in the dead of night, by herself.

  Climbing into her truck, glad to feel the safety of being behind a locked door, Dana took one last look at the woods and decided she would do her best to repay the wolf for saving her life. She would return to this part of the park as often as she could with fresh water and food, and hopefully, she would see the animal again.

  As she pulled out of the parking lot, Dana glanced at the truck and its camper, wondering where the woman had gone. She hoped the woman would not come across any men, or whatever they were, as she had done. Dana couldn’t do anything about the woman. Even if she alerted the park staff, they would not believe her. Whoever the woman was, she was on her own.

  Chapter Four

  Two vampires were on the move, and Suma was right behind them. She had waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to attack and followed far enough behind as they hiked a path along Fourteen Mile Creek. The path led to one of the campgrounds. She knew they were hunting, and so was she—hunting them.

  Suma, in her wolf form, sprang from the trees, pushing one of the creatures into the dirt. She sank her fangs into the shoulder and upper arm and fiercely shook her head, ripping out skin and muscle, and splintering bone.

  The creature hissed and cursed, its long claws seeking purchase into her fur. She backed off
quickly when her hold loosened, readying herself for another attack.

  The two vampires circled her. They snarled and showed their blood-stained teeth as they inched closer. One lunged forward, but she ducked and rolled sideways to avoid its grasp. The vampire landed hard on its stomach, which she quickly took advantage of by leaping on its back and tearing into the side of its face and neck.

  The wolf let out a yelp when a sharp pain hit her shoulder as vampire fangs sank deep into her flesh. She had been busy sending the one she attacked on his way to hell, and hadn’t noticed the other circle around and come behind her. A mistake that had cost her a painful injury.

  The wolf shook its head once to clear it and tamp down the pain so she could concentrate on ridding the earth of two more monsters. The vampire did not let up its grasp on her shoulder. With every movement she felt its teeth sink deeper. Suma lifted her head as far as she could and turned it sideways, close enough to grab hold of its ear and remove it with a hard yank.

  The vampire let loose of her immediately, howling in pain and grabbing the side of his head. Blood red eyes glared as he backed away.

  “You’re a dead dog!” he spat through gritted teeth.

  The wolf flashed its own teeth and growled as it took a few steps backward. The first vampire was dead, soaking in a pool of blood.

  Both Suma and the remaining vampire stared at each other for several moments, calculating their next moves. The vampire’s eyes glowed with a promise of vengeance. His anger was so fierce Suma knew he was on the verge of becoming careless with his rage. No sooner had she finished the thought, then the vampire raised his fists and let out a fierce growl. If he thinks that is supposed to scare me, he’s dumber than I thought.

  Suma crouched low when she saw his muscles tense a moment before he held his hands out to his sides, long claws pointed forward, and ran at her full force.

  She didn’t hesitate. When the creature was within reach, she sprang, grabbing one arm, locking it in a fierce grip with the wolf’s strong jaws, and ripped it free from his body as the momentum carried her forward.

  The vampire stumbled then fell to the ground emitting horrible sounds, which sent a chill down her spine. Suma was glad they were deep within the park and out of hearing of the campsites. Wasting no time, she ended the fight.

  The wolf sat several feet away, panting hard while she watched the body slowly turn into a pile of ash.

  Once again, her fur was covered in blood and the taste of the foul liquid coated her mouth and tongue. Suma groaned, knowing she would be sick, as usual, once she was back in her own form. The adrenaline of the fight was wearing off, making her more aware of her injuries. The vampire had given her a pretty good bite on her shoulder, and it hurt like hell.

  She had sought out and killed four of the creatures in one night. When will it end, Grandfather?

  Suma’s mind went to her people who were most likely setting up for the Pow-wow. She sorely wished she was there, caught up in the excitement as she helped prepare the tents, which would serve as their homes until the fireworks festival was over.

  A pang of longing pressed her chest, the pain of banishment still stinging after all these years. She knew there was nothing she could do to change their minds. Long ago she had accepted the fact that her life would always be like this. It would never be normal. There would never be a home, a husband or children. She had vowed to protect her people, which meant moving around as they did, ever watchful wherever their feet landed.

  Besides, what man would want a Skinwalker as his wife? Once again, her mind had posed the question she had asked herself time after time, and the answer was always the same. No man would want a wife who would live much longer than he, and still look young long after he had grown old and his body tired.

  Suma sighed, as much as a wolf could sigh, and lifted her head to the night sky. A million stars winked at her. Unable to hold back the sorrow, she closed her eyes and let the wolf sing out into the night wind, feeling so alone her heart ached.

  Rayne reached the Charlestown State Park entrance and pulled into a parking space outside the information center. He was having trouble ridding himself of thoughts of the woman from the coffee shop. Her image was embedded in his mind. Then the picture of the man flashed in his head, and he gritted his teeth. Whoever the asshole was, he was bad news.

  Walking through the door, Rayne noticed one of the DNR employees sitting behind a desk. “Hey, Charlie.”

  “Hey, Rayne. You out here to catch our wolf?”

  Rayne sighed and nodded. “Yep, that I am. Where’s the last place it was spotted?” He wasn’t too happy about the mission. He fervently hoped the animal had moved on. Just passing through the area.

  The man handed Rayne a map.

  “We’ve marked the location of the sighting. Good luck.”

  With a quick “thanks”, Rayne climbed into his Jeep and headed to the rear of the park. He turned the wheel sharply and left the paved road for a dirt one used by park employees to reach restricted areas.

  Stars blanketed the sky overhead and the moon lent a faint glow over the tops of the trees. Rayne stood on a cliff and breathed in the night air. He felt at home in a place such as this.

  Home.

  Was walking the streets of downtown Louisville on the hunt for Rogues and living in a converted old warehouse with three other Watchers home?

  The sound of a screech owl pierced the air as if in answer. No. Your home died over a hundred years ago with your people.

  After swallowing the last gulp of coffee, he crumpled the cup in his fist and shoved it into a plastic bag he kept for trash, then pushed it inside his pack. Hoisting the pack over his shoulder, he reached for his walking stick which lay at his feet.

  Rayne held the stick a few inches from the middle and pulled it apart to check the blades affixed to both ends. Studying the glint of metal, he smiled. This was his favorite weapon—a gift from his father. Feeling the weight in both hands, his heart swelled with pride. This one thing was a part of him, a part of his history and something he would treasure forever.

  Sliding both ends of the stick back in place, he turned and walked into the woods to attend to the first order of business—find shelter before dawn.

  A sound he had not heard since he was a child made him stop dead in his tracks. The distant howl of a wolf seeped into his veins, bringing memories of his people.

  Rayne tilted his head and listened intently to determine the direction of its location. He lifted his nose to the air, but could not catch its scent which confounded him. If the wolf was close enough for him to hear its cry, it should be close enough for him to catch its scent, he reasoned.

  Another howl sent a peculiar feeling through him—sadness. It was in the wolf’s night song, and it touched him deeply. The animal sounded so alone—the same emotion he was feeling at the moment thinking about his people and the fact they were long gone from this world.

  All but him. The pain of knowing he could have done something to prevent it ached deep in his soul.

  “We will meet soon, my friend,” he uttered softly.

  Suma awoke and groaned when she moved. Although her shoulder had mostly healed from the vampire’s bite, it was sore and bruised. She sat up slowly, then pulled back the curtain covering the small window of the camper.

  The sun was low in the sky. She figured the time to be somewhere in the late afternoon. With a sigh, she grabbed clean clothes, then grimaced. She had been here for several days and was beginning to smell ripe. Remembering the campsites in the park, she decided she would avail herself of the facilities and hoped no one would notice she wasn’t one of the campers.

  Suma opened the door of her camper and jumped to the pavement, stretching her aching muscles as she looked around. A glint of light from the sun reflected off a piece of metal, catching her gaze. Curious, she shut the door and headed for the source of the flickering light.

  An old, faded red truck was half hidden in the bushes at the far
end of the parking lot. Suma immediately recognized it from the coffee shop, the one that had almost hit her truck as she had attempted to leave the parking lot. The driver had glared at her as if daring her to react. She had gotten the feeling the man was the type of person who only looked out for himself and everyone else had better stay out of his way. She had seen as much on his face before he had sped away.

  The extent the man had gone to to make sure the vehicle was not spotted made her uneasy. She slid her hand across the hood. It was cold, telling her the vehicle had been parked there for a while.

  Suma called upon the wolf’s senses to help with her inspection, needing more than just her eyes. The wolf immediately stirred with excitement, catching the scents of local wildlife, bringing on the craving for the thrill of a hunt.

  Her totem spirit filtered and processed the scents, until a feeling of panic from the wolf had her eyes widening. “Who the hell is this guy?”

  The wolf suddenly pulled back, sensing danger, and a chill ran down her spine. Images of large cats and various animals she had never seen before swam in her head, compliments of the wolf.

  “I understand,” she said calmly, trying to soothe her companion. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to piece together the clues, she thought as she assessed the situation. The man certainly had an interest in animals, but his visit to the park was not for bird watching or a nature hike.

  Unease continued as she walked to her truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. Suma prayed she didn’t run into this person in the woods. Not in her human form, and definitely not while in the form of the wolf.

  The truck started with a cough and a stutter. “Come on, baby. Don’t fail me now.”

  The old truck’s lifespan was definitely limited, but she hoped it would hold together for a few more years. She could not afford to get another one. The money her grandfather had left would not last forever, and no matter how frugal she was her responsibilities were far from over. She needed the transportation to follow her people whenever they left the reservation.