Unmasked | Book 1 in "Dark Descendants" (Editing)

Chapter 36

Matt stopped running. His brother's scent was hard to track as it was mixed with another one; his sister. He didn't know what he could conclude from that, so he continued on the track in a less conspicuous form. That of a big dog, sniffing the ground. Only the red eyes gave him away.

Suddenly he was met with a third scent, accompanied with angry growls. He raised his head from the ground, eyes perked in the direction of the sounds. Curiosity and the possibility of it being linked with finding brother drove him closer, stealthily creeping towards it in the manner of an experienced predator who has many times caught its prey.

The growls grew louder, the hissing more vicious. Suddenly there was the sound of a fight going on before somebody appeared in front of him, having fled from the battle. What seemed like a photocopy of the man who had allowed him to start his search for his brother stared straight at him.

Matt's head tilted to the side questioningly and he inhaled Stoyan's scent. No doubt the third one, he thought.

"Matt?" Stoyan narrowed his eyes at him as if scrutinizing him to clarify his doubts. He didn't have much time, his pursuer had caught up with him and he now seized Stoyan's neck from behind him with both hands. Stoyan cried out in surprised pain, then grunted as he was slowly forced to the ground. His eyes stared into Matt's, conveying with his thoughts a message before the man behind him abruptly snapped his neck like a twig.

Run, now!

Matt turned the opposite way and obeyed, his paws barely touching the ground as he swiftly covered the distance. But Stoyan's captor didn't seem too eager to pursue him, as he heard the footsteps halt.

He ran another minute before stopping as well, his head turned to look back. He hadn't detected a scent from the man and immediately classified him under Adrianna's ownership.

But why was she after Stoyan? Did that mean she tried to go after Nate? Or Callie?

These disturbing thoughts caused him to involuntarily growl, eyes blazing with malice before he doubled his efforts in finding them.

~Rose

Abby walked in when the screams stopped to be met with a horrific scene in front of her. I was bruised and battered up, but not nearly as much as the two siblings lying on the ground before me, too weak to get up. All they could do was lay there, breathing hard. The girl groaned in pain as she tried to turn to lie flat on her back. Her brother laid his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture.

Abby turned to gape at me. "Rose...What the hell?!"

"Oh, stop it..." I hesitated, thinking over the situation. These people were in the house, working for Adrianna. Meaning, they knew me. None of her minions would dare disobey her, so she must have sent them here.

...But why?

I narrowed my eyes in an accusatory gesture before walking towards them. I placed my foot on the center of the boy's chest in case he was thinking of trying anything. "What's your name?" I asked.

His brow creased, evidently surprised at the how just a moment ago, I was kicking his butt like someone kind of gangster and now I was displaying an almost friendly personality as I asked for his name.

The girl cried out next to him, "Please, don't kill us—"

"Shut up!" I snapped. She was irritating and filled my mind with dread in almost every way possible. "Did I ask you?"

"Rose," Abby called sharply. "Stop it, they're only kids."

"Well, if you put it that way, we are too."