The Shifter // Colby Brock

~ Part 45 ~

I returned to normal, placing the knife in the waistband of my jeans as a sign to Edward. Rachel was silently crying behind me but I couldn't turn to help her. "Get out of this house before we kill you." I threatened him though he wasn't fazed and I really didn't like that.

"No. I have something I want to test out and you just so happen to be my subject." He smiled but his face quickly changed as his eyes locked on Rachel behind me. I went to turn but saw the stake connected to the hand with a fucking HUNTER TATTOO flying past my head. It almost got to Edward but he reacted, ripping the stake from her hand and going to stab her instead. I couldn't let Rachel get harmed. I stepped in the way, the feeling of wood in my chest making me roar out in pain.

"VANESSA!" Rachel screamed. I felt Colby's arms catch me. For some reason, I wasn't dust. In fact, I felt just like normal. I just couldn't move.

"Ness..." Colby whispered just next to my ear. I wanted to tell him I was alive but I couldn't. I just couldn't.

"Colby, she hasn't turned to ash." Sam's voice was full of confusion and I could sense that it was a mutual feeling in the room. I shot up with a start, gasping for air that my vampire body didn't need. It set something off, something that felt more powerful than anything I'd ever encountered in my entire life. I let out a roar as I leaped up, quick as a flash, and pulled the stake out. I stared at it in my hand.

"Wait, what?" Kevin sounded like Sam had before. I flicked my eyes to him only to look at Edward. He was staring at me with awe in his eyes as he stepped backward.

"You dare to step into my house and threaten my friend THEN to try to expose me." I growled out. "You deserve to die." My hands plunged the stake into his stomach before anyone could do anything. "But I'm not that type of person." I watched him fall to the ground in pain, curling into a ball. I looked over to Colby for help, which he delivered when I started falling again. This time, I had barely any energy left in me.

I woke up in a bed, though I wasn't sure who's or where. My vampire senses took a few seconds to come to me, what sounded like thousands of voices filling my ears from downstairs. I opened my eyes to see I was in Rachel's room but she was no where to be seen. I growled as I leaped up from the bed. Within a second, Colby was beside me.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." He said quickly as he extended his arms. I stepped right into them and wrapped my arms around him while he did the same.

"Where's Rachel? Edward? Everyone else?" I questioned frantically as my mind started to work again. He nodded to the door and began walking towards it. I followed him without any hesitation down to the garage. Rachel was laid on the couch with her eyes shut while Edward was tied up against the far wall.

"How you doing, Ness?" Sam asked quietly, watching me stand in the doorway.

"I'm okay." I whispered, going to Rachel's side. She was fast asleep but just wasn't peaceful at all. She was having nightmares. "What happened?"

"Um, after you passed out, Rachel did the exact same. Jake made sure to catch her, of course." Elton explained. I gave Jake a quick appreciative look. "Colby took you upstairs while we tied Edward up. You grazed his heart when you staked him earlier."

"He deserved it." I growled angrily. My fingers naturally traced over the tattoo on Rachel's wrist that hadn't been there before.

"What should we do with her now?" Aaron asked.

"What we've been doing." Colby replied. "Take care of her."