by Chelle
“Anthony, I live on this land too and yet I had no idea either.” I walk into the edge of the tree line, straining to hear any sounds not of the night. I don’t understand how Mia’s scent could just leave off at the edge of the woods. There isn’t a road here that any of us know of.
“Thomas, are you sure you can’t scent anything further?” The air around him cracks and pops. The human Thomas stands before me.
“It’s strange she just disappears right here. Not even a trace left.”
“Can you smell any humans or anything out of the ordinary?” I scent the air and smell the faintest trace of diesel fuel.
“I smell fuel and oil.” His eyes glint and he shifts to wolf, taking off into the woods.
“Anthony, it’s time for the hunt.” I take to the air sensing Sam beside me. The other vamps fall in line behind us.
On the ground below the shifters take to the woods. The call of their animals ringing throughout the silent night. The cool night air whispers in my ears, songs of lost souls. The hunt tonight, important to our entire community. Not only for the return of my love, but in the hopes that Mia can be saved or find peace. The scent of Jasmine rakes across my senses. My body tumbles out of the night sky.
“Marcus, what they hell?” Sam lands beside me, pulling me to my feet.
“Do you smell that? Jasmine is around here.”
“I smell her, Marcus stay here wait for the shifters. We need a plan.” Sam yanked my arm stopping me from heading in the direction of the scent.
“Damn it Sam.”
“Damn it nothing. Marcus you will do this right. I know you love her, but no sense in getting us all killed.”
Thomas breaks into the clearing first. His hackles raised, lips curled back in a snarl. The air sizzles, he walks over to me human once again.
“We need a plan?”
“So Sam tells me.”
Anthony leads the rest of the shifters into the clearing. The crack and pop of the air, sounds like a firing squad, as everyone shifts back to human. We huddle around an area assigning signals and forest area to cover now that we have a fresh scent to follow. Anthony, Sam, Thomas and I team up to head to the West side. Michael, Allya, and Jake head for the North end. Jenny, a female wolf shifter, takes a group of shifters and young vamps back towards the South, to check for Mia’s scent. Micah, the young vamp Sam had taken on in the club, take Steve and his friends to the Eastern quarter. With or without the girls we all agree to meet back at my house an hour before sunrise.
“Let’s go people. I’m tired of waiting. I need to find her.” I stalk off into the woods, Sam and Thomas right behind me.
The scent of stale blood and death assault my senses as we head deeper into the woods. The moon hides behind the clouds, afraid to look upon the death that will come tonight. The nocturnal animals have taken to hiding. The hunt is on, even the predators of nature hide in the wake of the supernatural beings.
The screams of torture rake across my skin, sending shivers in their wake. The wails of agony echo through the night, bouncing off the trees and reverberating into my soul. We stalk the edge of the clearing, spying the run down shack. The screams are coming from the barn out back. There are two distinct sounds of terror coming from the barn.
Jake and his group slip in behind us. “ We will circle around the back. I will signal you when we are in position.”
“We will wait for you, signal the others, I want no hunter left alive.” I turn my back on him, concentrating on the piercing cries from the barn.
Chapter 21
The cloying scent of decay and stale blood wafts through the dusky dank air. James leads me into the barn, slivers of moonlight wink through the slatted roof. The rotted wood creaks and groans. The banshee wails and agonizing screams, slithers along my spine. My legs frozen in terror, shuffling along as James drags me in to see.
“Look at the monsters you hang around with at that club.” James jerks my face to stare into the corner of the barn.
Chained to the wall, a petite form cowers in the corner. Her dress, filthy and ragged. The once white material now streaked with grime, her hair matted in tangles.
“James what they hell, you are torturing women in here?” I jerk from him, trying to get the women in the corner.
She levels glowing eyes on me, lit with the fires of hell. She snarls, revealing yellowed fangs, dripping with saliva. Her ashen skin peeling from her face, congealed blood dripping from her chin. The woman lunges at me, faster than I can register with my eyes. I fall banging my head into the hard floor of the barn. The stars swim in my vision. The sounds of hissing and screeching ringing in my ears. I shuffle backwards on my ass, towards the doorway. The petite frame in the corner, yanking against a silver collar around her neck. The smell of burning flesh bombards my senses, turning I heave, spewing forth the soup from dinner. My body wracked with tremors, the violent shudders seize my soul as the vile stench surrounds me.
“James what did you do?” I crawl towards he door.
“I didn’t do this.” He waves a hand at the creature in the corner. “It is a monster, I am only showing you what they hide from you.”
He picks up a dead rat, flinging it at the woman in the corner. She snatches it out of the air, ripping chunks of flesh and hair out of it, sinking fangs into it consuming the dead flesh. Her growls of rage, elicit shivers in my bones. Her eyes bore into me, licking her lips. She sways back and forth, a mesmerizing cadence.
“Come here my little one.” Her tongue darts out catching the dribble of old blood running across her lips. “You smell so sweet, your fear a tantalizing bouquet.” Her voice a sweet melody, draws me towards her.
“Jasmine, what they hell.” James jerks me back against him.
“What?” I turn to him.
“Why would you walk over there like that?”
“I wasn’t, what are you talking about?”
“You were just staring at her, then you were walking towards her. Hell I yelled at you three times, but you wouldn’t answer.”
“She was talking to me, didn’t you hear her?”
“She has never talked Jasmine. She is a monster. Watch.” James walks towards the stall on the right. He returns with a handful of items I can’t discern.
The hiss and growl from the woman in the corner draw my attention to her. No longer worrying about what James is doing, I study her. Her once long dark hair matted to her head, the scalp showing in places where it has been ripped out. Her body covered in open seeping sores. Her nails long and sharp like claws of a bear. She stares at James, pacing back and forth on the end of the chain.
James flicks his wrist, something glints in the peeking moonlight. The woman recoils, screeching and holding her shoulder. Blood oozes across the tainted shift, her eyes blaze red. The wail of despair breaks from her lips, raising the hairs on my neck.
“James stop! You’re hurting her.” I jerk the remaining sliver spikes from his hands.
“What is wrong with you? It is a fucking monster, it will devour you while you sleep. Yet you want to protect it.” He strides towards me, pushing me into the wall. James grabs my arms, pinning me to the worn wood. “ These are not humans. They have no feelings. These creatures are killing machines, we need to know their weaknesses.”
“I still think it’s cruel. You are torturing her.” I jerk from his grasp, heading back to the edge of the chain length.
I kneel down, out of reach of the woman in the chains. She peers at me, her head turning from side to side in confusion.
“Do you have a name?”
She claws at the skin on her arms, leaving rakes of bloody welts. She yanks at her hair, pulling clumps of it from the roots. Her voice, shrill as she screams in frustration. She rakes her nails along her face, peeling the ashen skin away in slivers. I reach for her hand to stop her. She grabs me and pulls me into the circle. Her arms encircle my throat as my feet kick uselessly on the floor. She pulls me into the corner, her vile breath bathing across
my cheek. The sticky drool of her saliva rolling down my neck and into my shirt. She licks at my neck, my pulse hammering in my head. My life flashes before my eyes, as stinging fangs plunge into my neck. The first pull of her mouth burns fire through my veins, my only thought, is death.
For a moment the screams that envelope my ears, I believe belong to me. My body is ripped from the grips of the woman and strong, warm arms surround me. My body relaxes into the safe feeling poured into it, a warm tongue trails over the burning pain in my neck. My eyes flutter open to stare into the whiskey glowing gaze of Marcus.
“Jasmine, are you okay?” He strokes a hand through my hair.
“I’m fine.” I struggle from his grasp, backing into the corner away from him and the monster on the chain.
My eyes flit around the barn seeking a way out. A growl of rage bubbles out of Marcus’s mouth as James throws a silver spike into his shoulder. I cower back, watching the ensuing battle unfold. Sam is dangling Larry by the neck, blood pouring from where his arm should have been. His eyes glazed over with shock, she sinks her fangs into his neck, as a scream gurgles from his throat. A wolf burst into the barn, running to the woman in the corner. It pulls her chains loose and drags her out of the barn. Marcus has James by the throat, the empty look in his eyes, stokes a shiver of fear up my spine. I turn and run out of the barn, leaving the monsters and the hunters behind. The echoing screams chase, me into he night. I run. The forest swallows me, refusing me safe passage. The branches reach for me tearing at my skin, raising welts of blood. The branches behind me snap and crack. Someone is coming, they aren’t going to let me go. I’ve seen too much. Arms wrap around my waist, halting my escape. Screaming, I kick and jerk, trying to free my body.
“Jasmine.” The arms around me loosen and Sam turns me to face her.
“S...Sam?” I back away from her. She looks just like the same I knew. No glowing eyes, no long sharp fangs, but I’m so confused.
I drop to my knees, sinking into the muddy dank ground. The tears pour freely from my eyes. The sobs wrack shudders in my body. My stomach turns as the vile memories of death and blood, swamp my senses. The visions invade my mind, and I lose my grip on reality. Screaming and sobbing, I pound my fists in the ground.
“I just want to go home.” I look up at Sam, her own eyes glisten with tears. She nods her head and picks me up. The last thing I see are the tops of the trees as we head over them, then my mind gives out and the world goes black.
Chapter 22
I wake up alone in my room. The sunlight filtering though the windows. The smell of rotten blood still clinging to my clothes.
“It wasn’t a nightmare. Shit.” I get out of bed and head to the shower.
The rust colored water swirls into the drain, washing away the scent of death. The dismay racking my heart isn’t washed away as easily. I lean my forehead against the wall of the shower, letting the hot water stream over my body. My mind wanders though the jumble of memories from last night.
James is dead, I know with certainty. The vacant look in his eyes as I ran from the barn forever burned into my brain. My body shivers with thoughts of Marcus’s fangs sunk deep into his neck, the gurgling sounds of James’s life fading away.
My heart constricts with pain and loss. Not for James, but Marcus. The demanding lover, the patient teacher, the one my soul longs for. I can’t fathom being without him and my chest aches with emptiness. Hot tears burn my face mixing with the steam from the shower. A sob breaks from my lips, at thoughts of life without Marcus. Can I trust him though? I don’t know, my heart breaks for him, but my mind fears the monster within.
I step out of the shower, my limbs feeling as heavy as my heart. I shuffle downstairs, dragging my weary soul into the kitchen. This is what despair feels like. Death to the hope and love in the world.
“Fuck, I need to make a decision.” I start the coffee maker and boot up the computer. It’s going to be a long day.
I search vampire myths and lore, looking for anything that tells me they aren’t monsters. I find the romanticized versions strewn all around. The only site taking about blood lust are hunter sites. This isn’t helping. My heart still aches; a soul deep yearning to run to Marcus, but my mind revolts the idea of being dinner.
The memory of that woman sinking her fangs deep into my neck and pulling the life from me still burns deep. My hand goes to my neck seeking the wounds from the attack. I feel the smooth unmarred skin under my fingers.
“Marcus.” Hot tears blur my vision of the screen.
He saved me, healed me, and I ran from him. My human brain, unable to understand my heart’s call.
I slam my hands against the keyboard, spilling coffee all over the desk. “Damn it!”
I’m still afraid, still confused and this isn’t helping. I’ve no one to talk to. What am I going to do? Can’t very well call anyone to ask for help sorting through this.
My heart still races at the memories of the glowing eyes, tracking my movements in the barn. The yellowed saliva dripping fangs sends shivers up my spine. ”Shit. I need to do something.”
I head back into the kitchen taking the dried herbs down from the cupboard. The mundane task of mixing lotions and poultices eases my mind. The aroma of the herbs soothes my soul. I breathe the calming scents of lavender and chamomile as I stir the herbs into the creamy lotion base.
The sun is setting low in the sky when I emerge from my meditative mixing. The sky streaked in pinks and purples. I head into the living room, opting for a cup of hot tea, instead of coffee. I haven’t made any decisions yet, but at least I am not in a panicked state of mind now.
I sink into the couch, letting the smooth velvet fabric wrap around my body. It’s a comforting embrace, a normalcy I’ve missed today.
The soft wrap of knuckles on my front door causes me to spill the hot tea down the front of my robe.
“Damn it.” I get up, checking the peephole on the door.
It’s Sam and Allya. I don’t know if I can deal with this tonight.
“What do you guys want?”
“Jas, we just want to talk.” Sam peers through the peephole back at me.
I open the door and wave them in. “ I don’t know what you think you can tell me, but come on in.”
I sit on the chair opposite the couch, making Allya and Sam sit together away from me. My skin breaks out in a clammy sweat and my heart races. Fear racks my system as flashes of Sam’s glowing eyes and fangs invade my mind.
“So what do you want to talk about?” I wipe my sweaty palms on my robe; I didn’t even bother getting dressed today.
“Jasmine, we aren’t going to hurt you. We are still your friends.” Sam leans forward resting her elbows on her knees.
“Well, then why are you here? I mean do you have anything to add to the horror I witnessed last night. Fuck, Sam your eyes were glowing and you killed a man. Allya, is there something you need to tell me about you?” I jump out of the chair pacing around the room. My arms are waving as anger floods my system.
These people, or whatever they are lied to me. They used me. They played with my heart and made me a fool.
“Jas, calm down.” Allya stands up heading towards me.
“Oh no, you don’t.” I hold my hands up, warding off her approach. “Talk, but stay on the couch or get out.”
“Fine. I’m a shifter.” She plops heavily on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. “You happy now.”
The look of hurt on her face, almost undoes me, but not quite. I’m the only human in the room and they knew it.
“So nice of you to tell me now.” I sit in the chair, rubbing my burning eyes.
“Jasmine, will you let me give our side of the story? At least give me that, I’ve never hurt you.” Sam levels her gaze on me; the pain etched on her beautiful face breaks my resolve.
“Fine, I will listen, but I’m not making any promises about coming back to that club or anything right now.”
“That’s fair enough
.” Sam brushes her pale locks from her face, staring at the wall. “Let me start by telling you that, the woman that was in there was named Mia. She was taken from the docks two weeks ago.”
“James had her for two weeks?”
“Yes, she was held captive there, Thomas and Marcus were unable to track her, until you went missing. Thomas was able to track her to the woods. That is where Marcus picked up your trail.” The tears spill from Sam’s eyes as she talks about Mia. “She was no longer in her right mind when we got her out of their last night. Thomas had to put her out of her misery last night. No traces of her humanity were left. They had starved her and tortured her until she lost every sense, but survival. Mia didn’t even recognize Thomas when he took her home.” Sam sniffs and wipes the tears from her face. “We all aren’t like that, Jas. We maintain our humanity. We know love and hurt, but what they did to her drove her crazy.”
“Sam, I’m sorry about Mia.” The tears rimming my eyes spill down my cheeks. This woman is my friend, regardless of what she is.
“It doesn’t matter now.” Sam shrugs her shoulders. “She is in a better place, anyway, I wanted you to know, she wouldn’t have done that two weeks ago. Mia was a kind soul and she loved life. Jas, Allya and I we care about you. We would never hurt you, but you still have a choice. Marcus loves you. You can still chose to join us or go on with your life now. No one will hurt you, regardless of your choice.”
“Sam, I don’t know what to do. I’m still confused and scared. You guys killed those men last night.” I curl my knees to my chest, rocking in my chair. My heart hurts, for my love, my friends, but fear rules my mind.
“I understand, but know that those men hunt us. They search us out, and kill any of us they come across. They tortured Mia for two weeks, to find new weaknesses in our species. They will kill the shifter children. They do not care who we are, the hunter groups kill all supernatural beings.” Sam gets up, pulling Allya up beside her.
