Soul's Mark 02 - Hunted

by Ashley Stoyanoff

  His irritation at her snippy order was short lived, thankfully, and he nodded, giving a meaningful look to the others. Angelle’s smile was forced when she got up. Amelia hadn’t noticed but she had moved further and further away from Tyler and Megan, and had been sitting at the far end of the couch from them, pressed firmly against the arm. The tips of her fangs were grassing over her bottom lip.

  Mitchell, Luke, Lola, Eric, and Erin filed out of the room with a few apologetic glances, leaving Tyler, Megan, and Amelia behind.

  “I’m starving,” Megan said as a growl rumbled around in her belly, loud enough for Amelia to hear from across the room.

  “Me, too,” Tyler said, and then his eyes widened. “Holy crap! It’s morning? I was wondering why Angelle kept inching away. Damn, she must have been…”

  Amelia nodded. “I felt the burning in Mitch’s throat. I’ll make us something to eat in a few minutes after they…” she nodded her head towards the door, signaling that they should give the others some space and wait until after they eat.

  They sat silently for a few minutes, looking down the empty hallway, and Amelia made a note to herself to pay more attention. She also decided that she’d have a little chat with Mitchell about letting himself get that hungry.

  “Do you know where Cole’s hiding?” Tyler asked Megan, the lines around his eyes showed that he was thinking about having the same chat with Angelle.

  “No, but I bet they aren’t actually staying in Willowberg.”

  Amelia padded over to the couch and curled up against the arm, folding her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “We need to start searching the surrounding areas,” she said.

  “Yeah,” Tyler agreed. He stretched his legs out in front of him on the floor and dropped his head back, resting it on the cushion between Amelia and Megan. “They could have hurt or even killed a lot of innocent people last night. We need to find them before more people die.”

  “We aren’t going to do anything,” Mitchell said. Both Megan and Tyler jumped at his voice and his unexpected presence. “They’ll be expecting it if we retaliate now.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Amelia yanked another cupboard door open and frantically started to rip the pots and pans out, tossing them with a clatter to the floor. She searched the mess, tossing things aside, and she dug through the pots. Where was it? She gritted her teeth and fought back the urge to scream out in frustration, before moving on to the next cupboard.

  It had been a week since the fire. A full week of nothing. No word from the hunters. No new attacks. Nothing. Amelia was beginning to wonder if they had given up and maybe, just maybe, moved on. She knew it was just wishful thinking. The hunters probably were just waiting them out, but she honestly did not know how much more she could take of the lock down or the training.

  Over the last few days, she had spent every waking moment working with Mitchell, Eric, and Megan, trying to channel each other. For Amelia, it hadn’t been the first time, although in the past, it had never been a conscious effort to pull on Mitchell’s strengths; it had just sort of happened, usually in the heat of the moment. But of course, when she actually wanted to use his power, she had quickly realized that it was a lot harder to channel it and actually use it.

  But with determination and, in Amelia’s opinion, a lot of luck, the four of them figured it out. Not only had Mitchell and Eric learned how to use the girls’ magic, taking it and manipulating it, but the girls had also figured out how to use their senses. They practiced and trained every day, learning how to stretch their hearing, zoom in their sights, and even run at incredible speeds.

  “Love,” Mitchell murmured, gently pulling her from the floor and taking her away from her thoughts. He folded her into his arms, pressing her tightly against his lithe body. “What are you looking for?”

  “I can’t find your thermos,” she said, burying her face against his chest and breathing in his tangy scent.

  “I don’t need it, love,” Mitchell said softly, his breath ruffling her hair.

  “But what if you get hungry?” Amelia countered, and then she sighed when she heard how absurd it sounded. They would only be gone for a couple of hours, nowhere near long enough to need to pack a snack. She pushed back, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

  Grief.

  It filled his eyes, and the ache in his heart wormed its way into her, filling her with misery, and suddenly, the tear gates threatened to open. Her eyes began to burn; her throat closed up, and her gut twisted as the sobs of sorrow tried to push their way out. She blinked a few times, trying to will the tears away. She knew she needed to stay strong through this, and she was determined to do just that—for him.

  “Are you ready, love?” He stepped back and tucked a few stray and frizzy curls behind her ear.

  “Yes,” she said, but she shook her head from side to side. It seemed like a stupid question to her. Who could possibly be ready to bury six people? Six friends.

  Mitchell kissed her forehead at the hairline and then, letting his hand drop to the small of her back, he nudged her towards the hallway. “Then you better go and get dressed.”

  Amelia looked down at her teddy bear pajama shorts and tank top and sighed, a hushed and sad sound. The glint of his polished black shoes caught her eye, and she let her eyes trail upwards to his pressed dress pants, his coal black suit jacket, and charcoal gray tie. She flipped her head to the side, glanced at the clock, and cursed under her breath. A new wave of tears threatened to spill when she realized they needed to leave in fifteen minutes.

  Sucking back the tears, she pushed up on her toes to give him a quick kiss, and then she rushed off to get ready.

  Amelia noticed, with a glance at her bed, that Angelle had been in her room. She padded up the steps, and she ran her hand over the long, silky coal black dress that had been laid out for her. A pair of new black ballerina flats sat beside it. She stared at the items for a long and mindless moment before rushing into the bathroom and jumping in the shower.

  Amelia got ready in record time. As she headed through the house to the carport, she noticed the long line of cars parked in the driveway. After much consideration, Mitchell had decided that the entire street would be attending the service, figuring there was more strength in numbers and that the hunters would think twice before attacking with so many of them together. Amelia, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure.

  She found her family waiting outside, all dressed in black, with bleak expressions on their faces. She had expected to see Officer McLean waiting with them, but with another searching glance down the driveway, she noticed that there was not a single cruiser waiting in the lineup of cars.

  “Where’s Officer McLean?” Amelia asked as she descended the steps of the terrace. The sun was high in the sky, hitting the line of cars and casting blinding glares. She shielded her eyes against the winking brilliance. “I thought he was escorting us to the service.”

  “He’s waiting at the gates,” Luke said as he climbed into the Hummer after Lola.

  “Oh.” Amelia shifted back and forth, not really sure of what else to say, and in all honesty, she knew she was stalling. Mitchell noticed her hesitation and walked over to her. He draped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze before ushering her into the Hummer.

  Amelia sighed deeply as she got into the vehicle. She really hated the idea of a joint funeral. She had wanted to have separate services for each of them. It just seemed wrong to join them all together. Her biggest worry was that a group funeral wouldn’t allow them to fully celebrate each one of their friend’s lives. She was scared that one of the dead might not be recognized as completely as they would have been at their own individual service. But separate services just weren’t an option. At least not now.

  But Amelia soon realized that her concern had not been needed. Mitchell’s speech was beautiful. He shared stories, gave praise, and recognized each of the deceased separately and together for their long and full lives. As
Amelia looked out over the crowd of humans and vampires, she noticed how every single onlooker was entirely captivated, hanging onto his every word, and even nodding their agreements at times.

  When the service ended, Mitchell directed everyone over to the large chapel-style building which held a reception area. Amelia lined up with the rest of her family, shaking hands with the town’s people, and all the while hating the fake smile she was forced to keep on her face. She never really understood this part of funerals. The part where you had to smile and try to make everyone feel better. Why did everyone expect the grieving family to console them when it was the family who was actually suffered the loss?

  Through the entire procession, Amelia kept herself glued to Mitchell’s side, and she was thankful for the firm arm he kept around her waist. When Mitchell suddenly dropped his hand from the small of her back, Amelia snapped out of her bitter trance. A surge of wrath, mixed with staggering anxiety, coursed through her veins. Mitchell stiffened, and with a swift movement, he shoved Amelia behind him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric do the same to Megan.

  Amelia tried to inch back around him to see what had freaked him out so much, but Mitchell blocked her every attempt. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” he growled in such a low timbre that Amelia only felt the words rumble through her mind, and her body went numb.

  An arm went over Mitchell’s shoulder, and then Cole’s chubby face peeked over. His intense gaze fixed on Amelia as he whispered into Mitchell’s ear. “I want the girls. If you give them to me willingly, I’ll leave your town untouched. If you don’t, I’ll take them and kill everyone here.” He let his arm drop and patted Mitchell’s shoulder as if he was trying to comfort him. “It’s your call. You’ve got two days to decide.”

  It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they did, Amelia almost rushed forwards to go with him. If going with him would keep her family and Mitchell safe, she knew that was exactly what she would do. And she would have left at that very moment if it hadn’t been for the bone-chilling look that Mitchell shot her.

  Cole’s self-satisfied grin confirmed that he had noticed their exchange. He winked at her and said, “I’ll be seeing you soon, Amelia.” And then he turned his back to them, walking away with a maddening confidence. Without a doubt, he thought that no one would come after him with the whole town standing as witness, and she hoped he was right.

  Cole had only taken a few steps before he turned back. “You realize I had her first, right?” he said to Eric, although he glared a straight line to Megan. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open, making Cole chuckle before walking away.

  The crowd hushed, and Amelia noticed many of the vampires that stood amongst the townspeople tense. Most of them were watching Mitchell expectantly, waiting for his signal.

  At that exact moment, Amelia was certain that Mitchell and Eric would forget that the whole town was watching and they would attack. Mitchell’s jaw twitched; the muscles along his back rolled, and red flushed up the back of his neck. She grabbed onto his forearm and yanked, not that it would help if he was determined to go, but she couldn’t think of anything else to do.

  From beside her, Eric grunted, and with a quick look, she noticed that Luke and Lola each had a firm hand on his shoulders. So firm, in fact, that their knuckles went completely white and blue veins popped from the skin with the tension of the grip.

  Mitchell yanked his arm away from Amelia’s grip, and a slew of bloody images tore through her mind. Mitchell ripping off Cole’s head. Blood spraying over the townspeople. Panicked screams. It all happened so quickly that Amelia hadn’t had time to move before Mitchell shifted his weight, bending at the knees as if he was going to chase his prey.

  “Mr. Mitch,” a little girl called to him in a singsong voice. Amelia gaped as a tiny thing ran up the steps, oblivious to the danger. She grabbed onto his pant leg and tugged. “Mr. Mitch,” she said again, looking up at him with big brown eyes and an excited grin. The little dimples on her cheeks were absolutely adorable. Amelia was certain she couldn’t be more than four years old.

  But Mitchell didn’t seem to notice the little thing. Mitchell! Amelia screamed through the bond as he took a step forwards. He froze long enough for Amelia to rush in front of him, and she placed a firm hand on his chest. His eyes were beginning to change, and she could tell from the bulge of his lips that he was trying to conceal his fangs that had extended.

  Amelia was sure he was going to bat her out of the way from the glare he shot her. And he actually reached out to move Amelia aside, but the girl tugged again. “Mr. Mitch,” she whined, as she tried to get his attention.

  A young woman cried out from the crowd, shoving against the vampires who were blocking the path to Mitchell, and, Amelia assumed, her daughter.

  Then Mitchell glanced at the child. Recognition swept over him, and he closed his eyes. His chest rose as he inhaled a deep breath. An engine rumbled to life from somewhere off to the side of them, and tires squealed on the pavement. When Mitchell’s eyes opened, they were a breathtaking sea blue.

  “Hi, sweetie,” he said in a gentle, velvety voice. A warm smile curved his lips upwards. He lowered himself to the ground, resting on one knee before the child, so they could be at eye level.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, she climbed up onto his outstretched knee, flung her long pigtail braids over her shoulders, and then took his tie in her hands, playing with the end. She wiggled around on his lap, swinging her legs back and forth, and Mitchell put an arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

  “When’s Mabwel coming back?” she asked. “She promised to make me an andy apple at the fair.”

  A young woman, who Amelia vaguely recognized as a waitress at the local steak house, stepped forward, breaking through the crowd. A guarded and slightly paranoid expression marred her face as she climbed the steps and bent down in front of the girl. “Honey, we talked about this. Mabel won’t be coming back,” she said softly, and then she looked at Mitchell, her cheeks flushing a soft pink with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Mitchell,” she said softly as the soft pink brightened to a candy apple red. A small smile lit up her eyes. If Amelia had to guess, she would swear that the woman had a thing for Mitchell.

  “Don’t be,” Mitchell said. The little girl started to cry, and she threw her arms around Mitchell’s neck as large tears dripped from her chin. Mitchell hugged her, letting the girl cry, and he stroked her hair soothingly. “I’m going to miss her andy apples, too, sweetie,” he said, tipping her chin up. He brushed away some of the tears that had soaked her flushed cheeks. Amelia felt the last bit of anger he was still harboring sizzle away as he attempted to comfort the child.

  A tear slipped down Mitchell’s cheek, and the child’s brow furrowed as she watched it fall, and her tears began to dry up. Then she looked up at her mother and said, “Mommy, can we make andy apples for Mr. Mitch, so he won’t be sad anymore?” Her big brown eyes brightened at the idea.

  “Sure, honey,” she replied, her voice cracking on the words. She bent down and took her daughter’s hand. “Now come along. Mr. Mitch needs to talk to the other people.”

  Grasping onto her mother’s hand, the child wiggled on Mitchell’s knee, swinging her little legs back and forth, preparing to jump to the ground, but then she stopped, and to everyone’s surprise, she looked back up at Mitchell, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

  ****

  “I should have killed him,” Mitchell seethed. It had been the only thing he had really said since they had gotten home, and no matter what she tried, Amelia couldn’t get him to stop his pointless ranting.

  So instead, she tried to shut him out and focused on how the hell she’d be able to get away. Because she knew that leaving was the only way to make the mindless killing stop. Cole had made it clear. Her family would be safe if Megan and Amelia went with him.

  Amelia looked over at Megan, wishing she could see into her mind. She knew for a fact that Megan had
to come with her. Cole had made it clear that he wanted both of them, but Amelia wasn’t sure if she would be able to convince Megan that leaving was for the best.

  Right now, Megan was sitting on the terrace steps, her face in her hands. Eric hadn’t spoken to her, at least not out loud, since Cole had insinuated that he had been with Megan. And since then, Megan refused to speak to Amelia or anyone for that matter, at least not vocally or silently as far as she could tell.

  “Come on, Mitch. You expected him to show,” Luke said. “You planned for it and you handled it.”

  Luke was right, but then again, Luke was usually right. Always so calm and calculating, looking at every angle of the problem. The whole point of bringing the entire street of vampires was to prevent an attack. Security in numbers. And it had worked. Cole may have showed, but no one got hurt.

  “Handled it!” Mitchell jumped up and began his restless pacing again. “You call that handling it? I let him walk away.”

  With a loud and exaggerated sigh, Amelia got up and went to him. She tried to rub his back, hoping to soothe him, but when her hand touched him, he flinched away and growled, “Don’t!” And his furious glare chilled her to the bone.

  “They want Meg and Millie,” Eric said. All eyes focused on him, and Amelia couldn’t stop the shudder that rushed up her spine when she noticed the toothy grin that had spread across his face. “So why don’t we give them what they want?”

  CHAPTER 24

  Cole swung the front door open with a bit too much force. The doorknob cracked against the wood, leaving a large ragged hole in the log walls. What the hell is Megan doing? he asked himself again as he slammed the door shut behind him. He couldn’t contain his white-hot rage. Seeing her with that bloodsucking fanger, the way she held onto him…well, it was just wrong. Utterly wrong.