Releasing Red

Chapter Twenty Four

"Can you let them go?"

I look at Miah blandly "No. I'm pissed."

"Okay, okay, fair. Can you let them expl-" She is cut off by Ace wrapping her in his arms "I don't know if I want to kiss you or lecture you." He rasps.

"I am sorry we didn't include you in the plan but it was more believable if everyone was in distress." Onyx says.

"Believable for what? To whom?" I ask.

"We had to make it look like we had really kidnapped Miah." Melinda answers.

"You did." Cammie says.

"Actually..." Miah starts "I went willingly."

Ace parts from her "What?"

"Explain to them what you explained to me."

"Okay, Okay," Melinda makes eye contact with me "You obviously remember what I told you in the bookstore, about us being raised here by our grandfather."

"He's more like a general than a grandfather to us." Onyx continues.

She glances at him " He always said he chose us, trained us to be weapons." She looked at me "But we knew the second we weren't worth the trouble we'd be simply mounted on the wall."

This peaks me interest "Hunter?"

She meekly nods.

I sigh and release the roots "So what led you to kidnap Miah? Pull me out into the middle of nowhere?"

"Try to get ahead of him." Onyx answers.

"He was always ranting about you, how you were always so close but never where he wanted you. Not too long ago he was gone for awhile, only to return pissed and kept mumbling about 'always having to do it himself' then looked at us and told us 'you ever want to take someone down, you go for those close to them." Melinda continues.

"After that he left and hasn't returned." Onyx finishes.

"How long has he been gone?" Luca asks.

"A year." He answers.

"We decided to try and get who he wanted before him, he left copies of his profile on you here, so we knew where we could find you and how to gain trust and access into the inner circle." Melinda explains.

"He taught us well..." Onyx says to himself.

"Okay.." I start to think "So obviously my grandfather is behind this, but what I can't figure out is how you two fit in. I don't have any other werewolf family members."

"He chose them." Miah pipes up.

I quickly look up to her, look towards the twins, and take a step back. I look towards Luca as he sends a curious and questioning look my why, wondering what was going on in my head. I continue to look between the twins and Luca for awhile before it finally settles in and I look at Miah with wide eyes, she returns the look.

"Holy shit."

We all sit in the living room, varying tensity amongst us. Luca sat next to me, almost glaring and skeptical. Grace sat almost too carefully away from Onyx and Melinda, or rather Oliver and Mary. Theodore paced the floor, rage radiating off his skin.

Grace reaches a hand out to stop him "Dear your scaring them." She says in a small voice.

He stops and glances at Oliver and Mary, them staring at the floor as they have been since we arrived.

I had brought them here, telling Grace to call Theodore there. When we arrived I didn't even have time to explain before Grace and Theodore saw them and she immediately broke into tears. However when she attempted to approach, they skittishly backed away. Luca had approached her and explained to her what they had explained to us, she's been sitting fairly away from them ever since.

"So..what now?" Mary speaks up.

"Now we try to work together to finally stop this nightmare." I speak up "My grandfather has been tormenting our kind, our family, for too long, its time the old man retires and we know there's only one way that's happening."

Luca wraps and arm around my shoulders "Alright, lets begin."

* * *

"What are you doing here vermin?"

I spin around to face my grandfather, squaring my shoulders "Vermin? What happened to granddaughter?"

He dryly scoffs "That facade ended when you let that mutt break your blessing."

I simply smile "Hmm. I came to make a deal...grandfather."

His lips lifts in a snarl before he gruffly puts his gear on the dining table that I had been sitting at for the better part of four hours. I guess when Oliver and Mary use his emergency contact it doesn't count as a true emergency.

He pulls a small hand gun out, toying with the barrel. "A deal? With an animal?" He turned to me. "You should know, a wolf would never make a deal with their prey."

I feel a pinch at my neck, then everything goes dark with a thought "They better pull through, 'cause this is gonna be one bitch of a headache."

* * *

"Is it done?" Luca calls out to Ace "I don't know how much time we have left."

Ace finishes a final sigil, double checking his work with the detailed plan Rae had drawn out for him "Yeah I'm done."

"And you followed it to a T right?" Miah asks "Exactly how Rae did it?"

He stands up "You doubting me babe?"

She sighs and smiles "I just don't wanna mess up, this is our only shot and if we mess up..." She trails off.

"We won't mess up." Luca reassures " It's not even an option."

"Okay, we have contacted everyone that Rae has been captured and is being brought here for the proper sacrifice, we've also alerted Grandfather that we set up the ritual space for him to activate, it looks similar enough that they won't know whats happening until it's over." Mary comes up to them.

"And you can get her out in time?" Luca asks.

"Assuredly." Oliver replies.

* * *

I wake up in a clearing, I bring my hand up to my pounding head "Yup, knew that was coming."

"Been waiting for this moment for awhile little Raelynn."

I get up and face my Aunt and Uncle and smile "So have I."

"Keep up the tough act, it won't keep your head off a wall." He says then walk away, towards the small surviving group of Hunters, lead by my grandfather.

I glance over to where Oliver is standing with Mary, carefully off to the side. She mouthed 'soon' and lowered her head.

Grandfather was never a man of words, so without a grand declaration of power, he began to start the ritual that would preserve my consciousness in my wolf head forever.

I flinch as I feel my muscles tense, beginning to transform, until two bodies slam into mine, exiting us from the circle.

"Really? That was your exit strategy? I know I said I would leave it up to you but really?" I said as I stand up.

Mary giggles and Oliver says "Speed is our only upperhand."

We turn to look at my infuriated Grandfather and Uncle.

"No!" my Uncle declares before rushing at me, only to stumble backwards as if hit by a dizzy spell. He shakes his head a looks up "No!... wait, whats happening?"

"What have you done vermin?" Grandfather asks.

"I made sure you and them could learn your lesson, by living your lives over and over, moment by moment, with the last one you'll ever make being me, walking away, alive and happier than ever, at home."

He snarls before stumbling back, dizzy, shaking his head, looking up at me, but not seeing me.

I turn, seeing my true family waiting for me at the start of a trail back home.

home.