Chapter 1
I can’t get to sleep. I roll over and adjust my purple blanket. I stifle a yawn, and glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand. 2:00 AM. Tonight is my last night in this house. In my room. Tomorrow I start a new life.
Mom thinks this move will be good for us. It might be for her, but not for me. The last thing I want to do is start all over somewhere else. I’ve lived in the same house, on the same street, in the same town, since I was born. I’ve had the same best friend since 3rd grade. I know my mom has been through a really tough time these last few months. When my dad died last winter in a horrific car crash, our life completely fell apart. So I’ve been through some hard stuff. I’m used to drastic change. But not this. I don’t want to be torn away from the one thing left in my life that makes sense. My dad built this house. Our house. I don’t want to leave it behind. It’s almost like having a piece of my dad, and I don’t know what I’ll do without it. It’s the exact opposite for Mom. Living here just brings back memories of Dad, and while it helps me cope, I know it’s like ripping open a wound over and over for her.
I know I’m 16, and should be strong enough not to cry. But as I look at the cardboard boxes piled haphazardly next to my door, the tears slowly slide down my face, and drip onto my pillow. I look around at the walls, stripped of all my posters and pictures, the empty corner where my desk usually sits, and my closet, empty and almost scary looking without my clothes tossed all over the place. I bury my face in my pillow, pull the blanket up around my shoulders, and then I slowly cry myself to sleep.
***
I wake up to the sound of something being drug across my floor. I open my eyes, and slowly sit up. I push back my hair, and rub my eyes. My mom, dressed in plain jeans and a t-shirt, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, is trying to lug a few of my boxes out the door and downstairs.
“What are you doing?” I ask, throwing back the blankets and swinging my legs over the side of my bed.
“Jaylin, are you kidding me?! You should have had this stuff downstairs last night. The moving truck will be here any minute, we don’t have time for this,” Mom snaps, pushing a few loose strands of hair behind her ears and leaning down to pick up a box.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it’d be this big a deal,” I reply, but Mom’s already on her way out, ignoring me as usual.
I sigh, and reach down to pull a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt out of my duffle bag. I get dressed, grab my brush, and head to the bathroom to fix my hair.
I close the door behind me, and take in my reflection in the mirror that hangs above the sink. My dark blonde hair is tangled, and my blue eyes look sad and empty. I have an oval shaped face, with a nose that’s a little too big and a full mouth. I’m average height, and skinny. I could probably pass for a 12 year old even though I’m 16. I know I look young for my age. I pull my hair up into a messy bun, and brush my teeth. I zip up my sweatshirt, and head back to my room to start bringing down boxes. The house already seems lonely, and we haven’t even left yet.
By the time I get everything downstairs, the moving trucks already arrived and the driver is helping my mom load everything into the back. I notice Mom’s leaving behind Dad’s favorite leather arm chair. It’s dark brown leather is worn, and it still faintly smells like him. I sit down, and wrap my arms around myself. I bury my face in the leather. I miss him so badly it feels like a giant hole has been punched through my chest.
I hear Mom coming up the porch steps, and quickly stand up. “Kaitlyn’s here to see you,” she says, opening the door.
Kaitlyn. My all-time best friend. The one who’s never left my side. She’s always been there for me. When Dad died, she came over every day for a month just to make sure I was ok. We did everything together. I would miss her so much.
I bolt outside, and down the porch steps. Kaitlyn’s leaning against her car, a little white Nissan that looks like it’s been through hell and back, with a sad expression on her face.
“Hey! What are you doing here?” I ask, running up to her.
“I came to say one last good bye,” she answers, hugging me. Her bouncy red curls brush my shoulders as she pulls away. “I’m going to miss you so much,” she says, her green eyes shining with tears.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “There’s always phones. And facebook, it’s not like this is good bye forever,” I reply, trying for a light tone.
Kaitlyn nods. “Right, besides how far away is Bridgeport, Washington from here anyway?” she asks.
“Seven hours and 31 minutes,” I say.
“Wow, how do you even know that?” she asks, half laughing.
“This magical thing called the internet,” I tease.
She smiles. “That’s not THAT far, besides it’s June 2, summer just started! The first chance I get I’m going to come up and see you!” she exclaims.
I nod. “That’ll be awesome! I can’t believe we aren’t going to be juniors together though,” I say.
“I know! It’ll be so weird when school starts up,” she agrees.
“Jaylin!! I need your help loading this stuff!” Mom calls.
I glance back towards the house. “I better go, we have a lot to get done before we can leave,” I say.
“Ok, want some help?” Kaitlyn asks.
“No, we’re good, thanks anyway though,” I reply, giving her one last hug.
“Ok, well call me the second you get there! I want to hear all about the house you’re renting! You’re neighbors, everything!” Kaitlyn exclaims.
I laugh. “We probably won’t have any neighbors; we’re renting a house like 10 miles out of town remember? My mom got a sudden urge to live in the country,” I say.
Kaitlyn makes a face. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that! But call me anyway, I don’t care how late it is, I want to hear everything!” she says, opening her car door.
“Ok, I will! Bye!” I say, then I stand in the driveway and wave until her car disappears around the corner.
***
It takes about two hours for us to get everything loaded, and we don’t arrive in Bridgeport, Washington until 4:00 in the afternoon. Bridgeport’s a tiny little town with two grocery stores a few restaurants and not much else.
We drive past the elementary school, and Mom points it out to me. “That’s where I’ll start work in September,” she says as we pass by. I remember how thrilled Mom had been when she’d gotten the job as a 4th grade teacher at Bridgeport Elementary. I honestly don’t understand what’s so great about being surrounded by little kids all day; I’m an only child and have never really babysat, so I really don’t know much about little kids. But Mom seems genuinely happy about her new job, so I try to be supportive. “I’m sure the kids will love you Mom. I mean, Mrs. Summers,” I tease, smiling.
We drive a few more miles, and soon there are fewer houses, and more trees, cows, and mountains. It looks the same as the country does in Oregon, which is where we moved from, but I’m just not used to living in it.
Mom pulls a piece of paper out of the cup holder, and hands it to me. “What’s the mailbox number?” she asks.
I unfold the piece of paper, and read the number off. “3476,” I say setting the paper back down.
Mom starts scanning the sides of the road, looking for the house. I thought it was stupid that we hadn’t gone and looked at the house and property before we packed everything up and left behind our former lives. But Mom had talked to the landlord and seen countless pictures. She was thoroughly convinced everything would be fine. I wasn’t as sure.
Finally Mom flips on the blinker, and starts slowing down. “This is it,” she says, starting up the long driveway.
Our car bounces up the gravel road, and I unbuckle my seatbelt, reaching over to roll my window down, it’s a sunny day and a soft breeze blows through the trees on either side of the road. I have to admit it’s truly beautiful here. The air smells so fresh, and the sun casts its light through the tree branches creating intricate shadows. We round a corner in the driveway, and I see the house. It’s an old farm house that someone fixed up. It has blue siding, and white trim. The front porch seems to be sagging a little, but the yard’s been mown and you can tell that someone recently put in new windows. There’s a huge two story barn off to the left on the edge of a meadow covered in violet flowers.
Then I notice the man sitting on the front porch wearing a baseball hat, surrounded by five or six teenage guys. I’m instantly self-conscious of the fact that my hairs a mess, I have absolutely no make-up on, and I’m wearing torn jeans and a baggy t-shirt.
“Who are they?” I ask Mom as she pulls the car to a stop.
“The landlord and I don’t know who all those kids are,” she starts to open her car door, but pauses. She gives me a sideways glance, and raises her eyebrows. “Don’t even think about it,” she says.
I roll my eyes, and get out of the car.
Mom walks over to where the man is sitting on the front steps. “Hi, you must be Mr. Davidson, I’m Mariah Summers and this is my daughter Jaylin,” she says, shaking the man’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, you can call me Ben,” the man says, adjusting his baseball hat.
“This is my son Kyler, and his friends, Daniel, Ryan, Jacob, and Matthew,” he gestures to each of the boys in turn, and I can’t help but notice that a few of them are pretty cute.
Mom smiles. “Nice to meet all of you,” she says.
I stay silent, staring at my feet. I hate moments like these when my shy side tends to come out.
“Let me give you a tour of the property,” Ben says, leading the way off the porch and around the back of the house.
Mom and I follow, and Ben leads us down to the old barn I noticed on the edge of the meadow. “Wow, it’s really pretty down here,” Mom says, looking around the meadow filled with flowers that wave in the breeze.
Ben smiles, “It’s pretty nice. Now, this barn is open to your use, you can store whatever you want in here, I just thought you might like to see it,” he says, opening the doors to the barn, we step inside and he flips on a light.
“It has electricity?” Mom asks with surprise, looking around.
The barn is big, and open. There’s hay scattered on the floor, and built in feeders on both sides. There are stalls on one end, and a giant loft above us. The loft is filled with old boxes and other discarded items. There’s a ladder leading up to it on one side.
“Yes it does. It comes in handy,” Ben says.
Mom glances around the large space. “It’s in good condition, but I don’t think we’ll be using it,” she says, turning around to leave.
Ben follows her out back into the meadow. “There’s one other thing,” he begins. “There’s a racing track I built up above the house through those trees, my son and his friends use it for their dirt bikes and 4-wheelers. I hope you don’t mind if they continue that, it’s normally only on weekends and sometimes in the afternoons, and I’ll be sure they don’t bother you in any way,” Ben reassures my mom.
Mom looks slightly panicked for a minute, but in an instant her expression is replaced with a smile. “That’s fine, after all it is your property,” she says. But I can tell she’s slightly irritated.
I hide a smile. I won’t mind seeing more of Kyler and his buddies.
We head back up to the house, and Ben has Kyler and his friends help us unload the moving truck.
I’m struggling with a large cardboard box, when Kyler comes up and grabs the other end. “Here let me help you,” he says.
“Thanks,” I say, trying not to trip as he starts walking up the steps.
“So it’s Jaylin right?” he asks opening the door with one hand and backing inside.
“Um, yeah. You’re Kyler?” I ask, as if I can’t remember.
He smiles. “Yeah, so you guys came from Oregon?” he asks.
“Yeah, we did,” I answer setting down the box in the living room, and glancing around. The living room’s big; and the walls are painted a creamy tan color with wood floors. “Wow, this is nice,” I say.
“You want to see the rest of the rest of the house?” Kyler asks.
I nod, “Sure!” I say, hoping I don’t sound over eager.
“Ok, come on, I’ll show you around,” he gestures for me to follow him, and he leads me through a large dining area, into a spacy kitchen, with white walls, and grey counters. There’s a fridge, an oven, and even a dishwasher. I’m happy to see the appliances since we left all of ours behind. Except our washer and dryer.
“Wow, this is nice too, everything looks brand new,” I say running my hand over the counters.
Kyler smiles, “It is. Well the appliances anyway,” he says, then he leads me into the master bedroom. The walls are painted lavender, there’s tons of closet space, and there’s a bathroom connected to it.
“My mom is going to love this,” I say.
“Come on, I’ll show you the upstairs,” he says.
I follow him upstairs into an open area; there are two doors against the back wall. “The bathroom, and a bedroom,” he says, opening the bedroom door.
I walk inside, and immediately notice the balcony. “No way!” I exclaim, opening the sliding door and stepping out. “This is awesome!” I add turning to look at Kyler.
He shrugs his shoulders “It’s cool I guess,” he says leaning against the railing.
“I can see everything from up here,” I say, looking out at the mountains and the river that runs between them.
“It feels that way,” Kyler agrees.
We stand there for a little while, just looking out at the view. “I better go down and help my mom unpack everything,” I say, breaking the silence.
“Ok, let’s go,” he heads back down the stairs and I follow him.
When we reach the bottom, his friends are waiting for him, with Ben and my mom. “Kyler, let’s go, the trucks unloaded,” Ben says.
“Ok, I’ll see you later Jaylin,” he says, waving as he follows his friends outside.
“Yeah, thanks for the tour,” I call after him, as the door swings shut.
“They seem nice,” Mom says, as she starts unpacking the nearest box.
I watch as they drive away. “Yeah, they do.”
***
Mom and I unpack things until 9:00 that night. Mom hangs all of her pictures on the walls, and puts away all the dishes. I lug all my furniture upstairs and unpack all of my clothes. I’m completely exhausted by the time we decide to go to bed, but I remember I need to call Kaitlyn and let her know we made it safely.
I pick up my cell phone, and dial her number. She answers on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, we’re here,” I say.
“How was your trip?” she asks.
“Long. Boring. But I met a couple cute guys today,” I say, laying down on my bed and kicking of my shoes.
“Ooo. Tell me more,” she says.
“Well I met the landlord’s son and his friends,” I explain. “They seem pretty nice. I guess they come over here a lot to ride dirt bikes and stuff.”
“You’re lucky! I’m still stuck with all the guys around here, and we all know how they are,” she says.
I laugh. “Yeah…but at least you know them. I have to somehow make friends with these guys. I’m so used to just having friends, I’ve never really had to get to know someone,” I say, running my fingers through my hair.
“They’ll love you. I wouldn’t worry too much, how hard can making friends be?” she asks.
“I don’t know. But I’m about to find out,” I answer.
“Don’t worry about it. But look, I’ve got to go, call me tomorrow ok?” she says.
“Ok, bye.”
“Bye.” There’s a click and she’s gone.
I get up, and plug my phone into its charger. I’m about to change into my pajamas, when I see a flash of gray bolt across the yard. I slowly make my way to the window my heart pounding. I push open the window, and lean on the sill. I can hear howling in the distance. I’m about to shut the window, when I notice the large grey wolf sitting at the edge of the trees watching me. I run out to my balcony to see if I can get a better look, but by the time I get there, the wolf is gone. The howling has stopped, and the only sound is the wind gently blowing through the trees.
Chapter 2
The next morning I wake up at 8:00, and immediately head downstairs, Mom’s already up, but she’s still in her pajamas and is busy making breakfast at the stove.
“Sleep well?” she asks.
I nod. “Well enough for being in a new house,” I say, finding a seat at the table.
“Are we going to finish unpacking everything today?” I ask, digging into the scrambled eggs Mom sets on a plate in front of me.
“Actually Ben called and invited us to a barbecue at his place. You feel up to it?” Mom asks.
“Yeah, sounds like fun,” I say. “Hey Mom, are then any wolves around here?” I ask.
Mom narrows her eyebrows. “I really don’t think so. Why?”
“Well I thought I saw one last night, in the trees,” I explain.
Mom laughs. “I’m sure it was just your imagination,” she assures me, wiping down the counters and heading towards her room to get dressed.
I frown. I know what I saw, but if Mom’s right, then what was a wolf doing outside our house?
***
Later that afternoon, Mom and I head over to Ben’s house for the barbecue. We pull up in front of his house, and I step out of the car. The house is big. It’s two stories tall, with a wraparound deck.
I follow Mom up the steps, and we find everyone out on the deck, frying hamburgers and playing card games. There are at least 30 people here, and everyone’s talking and laughing. Ben greets us, and sends me over to where Kyler is with a group of his friends. I slowly walk towards them, and Kyler stands up to greet me. “Hey! You guys made it,” he says.
“Yeah, we did,” I say sitting down next to him on the deck.
“Well this is Leah and Jenna,” he says, gesturing to the two girls sitting across from us. “And you already met Daniel, Jacob, Ryan, and Matthew,” he adds.
I smile, and give a half wave. “Hey.”
All the guys seem nice and welcoming, but the girls aren’t very friendly. Maybe it’s because I’m another girl and I’m imposing on their territory or something. But either way, they don’t talk much, and I find myself mainly talking to the guys. They have lots of questions for me, and they’re easy to talk to.
We all get up to get hamburgers and Kyler takes all of us inside so we can watch a movie while we eat.
Before I know it, Mom comes in to tell me we’re leaving. I get up to go and wave goodbye to everyone. Kyler walks us out, but before I leave, I decide to ask him about the wolves. “Hey Kyler, are there any wolves around here?” I ask.
Kyler’s expression suddenly darkens. “No. Why?” he crosses his arms over his chest, and glares at me.
“Um…I just thought I saw one last night out my window,” I explain.
“I doubt it. But don’t mention this to anyone else alright?” he says, his grey eyes suddenly serious.
“Ok…I won’t,” I say, and turn to get in the car.
I buckle my seatbelt, and look up to wave goodbye to Kyler, but he’s already gone.
“How was everyone?” Mom asks as we drive the few miles home.
I shrug. “Everyone was nice. I had fun,” I reply.
“Good, so you think you’ll fit in here?” she asks.
“I’ll be fine Mom,” I say.
She sighs. “I hated to drag you away from all your friends. From everything you knew. You know that right? It was selfish of me to make this decision about moving without you, but I just needed to get away. It already feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I just…I just needed a change,” Mom says as she pulls into our driveway.
“I know Mom. It’ll be ok. Everything’s going to be great here,” I reassure her. But I can’t stop thinking about Kyler’s weird reaction when I told him about the wolf.
***
The next day, I help Mom unpack, and then decide to explore the woods next to our house. I walk down through the trees, trying to avoid slipping on the moss. I step over fallen branches, and eventually find myself at the bottom of the hill. There’s a small creek at the bottom, and I follow it. It winds through the trees, eventually leading me into an open field. It’s pretty down here, with the sun shining off the water, and the tall fir trees encircling it. I keep walking, keeping to the edge of the creek so I’ll be able to find my way back. I’ve been walking for about an hour, when suddenly a flash of something darts by me. It moves so fast it’s hard for me to see what it is.
I stop walking, and scan the trees, watching for any sign of movement. But there’s nothing. The woods seem eerily quiet. I get the overwhelming feeling that something’s watching me.
I take a deep breath, and push the thought out of my mind. I’m just about to start walking again, when I spot her. The girl standing on the edge of the trees. She looks about 14 or 15, and her long dark hair is braided down her back. She’s watching me.
I take a deep breath, and start to say something, but suddenly she’s gone. There’s no movement. She’s just gone. Then I spot her again. Closer this time. Sitting with her back against a rock next to the creek.
My heart starts to race. There’s something clearly not right about this girl. I turn around to walk away. But she’s in front of me. Leaning against a tree with a half-smile on her face.
“Don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you,” she says, walking towards me with catlike grace.
I take a step back. “Who are you?”
She raises her eyebrows. “I’m Raya,” she says.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“Only a small thing,” she replies, moving a step closer.
My heart is really racing by now. There’s something about this girl that screams deadly. She has no weapon, but my hands are shaking. I can sense something’s not right.
“There’s no point in running,” she continues, playing with the end of her braid. “Not only do I possess an incredible sense of speed and agility, but I can teleport, so there’s no escape for you.” She smiles wickedly.
Impossible, I think. Teleportation’s not possible. This girl is insane. I have to get out here. I take off running as fast as I can. I hear laughter behind me, and then she’s in front of me again, blocking my way of escape.
She puts her hands on her hips. “I wasn’t kidding you know. You shouldn’t be afraid. As I said before, I only want one small thing. And that’s to change you.”
“What do you mean change me?” I ask, trying to sound defiant, but my knees are shaking so badly I expect them to buckle under my weight at any second.
“It only hurts a little. I promise,” she says, and I watch in horror as her teeth sharpen to needlelike points. She lunges towards me, and I fling myself to the side. She pushes me to the ground in one swift movement, and stands above me with her foot on my right hand, pinning me helplessly to the ground. “Come on now, The Underworld needs you, my master needs you.”
I have no idea what she’s talking about, but I don’t wait to find out. I use my free hand to dig into the ground, and fling a handful of dirt in her face, she momentarily stumbles backwards and I leap to my feet and take off running. But she’s in front of me again. This time, she grabs me by the throat and slams me against a tree.
“Enough of your games,” she snarls, her grip tightening.
I helplessly claw at her hand desperately trying to breathe. “What are you?” I manage to gasp out.
“You honestly haven’t figured it out by now?” she laughs harshly. “I’m a vampire. And soon you will be too,” she leans towards my throat and I know what’s coming. I close my eyes and wait for her bite.
But she stops. Her mouth inches from my throat. Her head snaps up. And her eyes turn dark with fury. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she snaps. She tosses me to the ground, and in an instant she’s teleported away.
I lay limp on the ground, wondering what on earth could have possibly scared her away. I fight for breath, and my visions blurry. I struggle to sit up, when I realize someone’s sitting beside me. At first I think Raya’s come back, and I panic pushing to my feet preparing to run.
But it’s not Raya. It’s Kyler. What on earth is the landlord’s son doing out here? “Jaylin. Calm down. Everything’s okay,” he says, grabbing my arm, stopping me from running.
I jerk my arm out of his grasp, and try not to collapse to the ground. “Everything is not okay!!” I scream at him. “That girl is a vampire! She was going to turn me into one of them! How is that okay?!”
Kyler takes a deep breath. “Ok, so it’s not great. But she didn’t turn you. She left,” he says.
“Why would she leave like that?! Why wouldn’t she just turn us both? I don’t see how you could have scared her off!” I snap.
He closes his eyes, his dark hair falling into his face. “She can’t turn me. It’s impossible. I scared her off because…because I am her worst enemy. I could kill her. Easily. She knows that,” he says.
My mind is spinning. My knees buckle, and I collapse to the ground. I try to process what’s happening. But I can’t. None of this should be real. Or possible. I feel like my entire world has just crashed down around me.
Kyler sits down next to me. “Look, I know it’s a lot to take in. But just try to understand,” he says.
“Understand what? “ I ask. “That everything I’ve ever believed is a lie, that vampires are very real, and that you’re somehow their enemy? Because from what I know about it a vampire’s worst enemy is a- ” I stop. It can’t be true. I scramble away from Kyler.
He gets up and steps towards me. “Jaylin, it’s not what you think,” he says.
“So you’re not a werewolf?” I ask, keeping my distance.
“No…I am. But it’s so much different than you think. We’re Protectors. We don’t hurt people,” he explains.
I back away from him. “You’re a monster too,” I whisper.
“No, it’s not like that. We protect this world from vampires. We try to make sure that people don’t get turned, or…killed,” he says.
I try to understand what I’m hearing. “So you’re like the good guys?” I ask, my heart rate is slowly returning to normal, and I try to think rationally. But I’m on the verge of a panic attack.
“Yes. Vampires come from The Underworld. They aren’t supposed to be here, but the wards that protect this world from them, are slowly weakening, and more and more are spilling through the gaps. It’s the werewolves job to keep them from hurting anyone,” he explains.
“Why do they want to come here so badly?” I ask.
“The Underworld is filled with dark creatures. Most of them keep to themselves, but the vampires have a lust for power. Their new leader, Dravien, is the darkest of all. He wants to come to this world, and take it over. But he can’t get through the wards. He has too much power. Only the lesser vampires with lesser powers can come through,” Kyler explains.
“Powers? What kind of powers?” I ask, starting to walk back along the creek. I know I need to get home, Mom will be wondering where I am, and the woods don’t seem as beautiful anymore.
“They can be anything really. Mind reading, seeing the future, teleporting-” he begins, following me as I walk.
“Raya. She could teleport,” I interrupt.
“Raya? That was her name?” he asks.
“Yeah. Do you think she went back? To…The Underworld?” I say, it feels weird saying it.
“No. Most likely she was sent here by Dravien to turn as many people as she can. The rumor is Dravien’s creating an army,” Kyler says. I can tell by his expression the thought truly terrifies him. It terrifies me too.
“That must have been what she meant when she said The Underworld needs me. That her master needs me. She must have been planning on using me for their army,” I say in complete shock.
Kyler nods. “I’m sure that’s exactly what she meant.”
The rest of the walk back is in silence. I know Kyler’s letting me collect my thoughts, and I appreciate it.
When we reach my house, he turns to face me. “Don’t tell anyone about this. No human is supposed to know any of it. I’ve told you to much already.” He turns to walk away.
“Wait. That night….the night I saw the wolf. It was…it was one of you wasn’t it?” I ask, my hands tremble at my sides.
He stops. His back to me. “Yes. I’m sure it was one of our pack. Don’t worry about it,” he says.
“Kyler, she’s not going to come back for me is she?” I ask.
He turns back around to face me. “We’ll be watching. We won’t let her hurt you,” he reassures me, and then he turns, and runs back into the woods.
Chapter 3
That night, I can’t sleep at all. I have too many questions, and no answers. I plan on going over to Kyler’s house first thing in the morning. I toss and turn all night, the image of Raya’s teeth sharpening into points, as she prepared to turn me, won’t leave my mind. And the fear that she’s going to come back to finish what she started haunts me until the sun finally comes up and daylight pours through my window.
***
Mom agrees to let me take the car over to Kyler’s after a long and slightly heated discussion on my driving abilities. I just got my drivers license a few months ago, and Mom’s still leery about letting me drive by myself.
But she finally consents when I point out the fact that’s it only a few miles away.
When I pull up in front of Kyler’s house, Ben’s standing on the front porch and he doesn’t look surprised to see me. He has his arms crossed over his chest, and a slightly frustrated expression on his face.
I turn off the car, and slowly open the door. “I thought you’d be coming here sooner or later. Kyler never should have told you,” Ben says.
“A vampire tried to turn me. He wanted to help me understand. But I have so many questions-” I begin.
“You’re human. It’s not for you to know. You were not born a werewolf. You have no business knowing our secrets,” he snaps.
I cross my arms over my chest. “I have a right to know. A vampire tried to turn me. I know about Dravien, and the army he wants to create. If he succeeds, it’ll affect humans. That includes me,” I say defiantly. Before, I never would have had the guts to stand up to someone as intimidating as Ben, but after yesterday, this feels like nothing.
Ben sighs. “Come inside, we’ll tell you what we can.”
***
Ben takes me into the house, and I’m surprised to see Kyler, Jenna, Ryan, Daniel, Matthew, Leah, and Jacob sitting at the kitchen table.
“You guys are all werewolves aren’t you?” I ask.
Daniel laughs. “Yep. And proud of it,” he says, leaning back in his chair.
Kyler looks questioningly at me. “What are you doing here?”
“I have questions. I came here for answers,” I reply.
Kyler glances at Ben. Ben nods at him, and then turns to face me. “There’s a lot to be told. And none of this is a game,” Ben says, his face serious.
I nod. “I know. I almost became a vampire yesterday. I know this isn’t a game,” I assure him.
“Wait. Ben, we just met this girl. She JUST moved here. We don’t even know her! And we’re just going to tell her everything?” Leah interrupts her eyes flashing with anger.
“We have no choice. She knows too much already, it’s better that we explain. She needs to know the full story,” Ben says.
Kyler nods. “I trust her. She’s stronger then she looks,” he says.
I smile at him. “Thanks,” I say, and then I turn back to Ben. “I’m ready.”
“This isn’t a bedtime story. There aren’t many happy endings,” he says to me.
“I can handle it,” I don’t look away from his piercing stare, but instead stare right back.
After a few minutes of silence, he speaks. “I’ll start at the beginning. Werewolves and vampires have always existed. They’ve always been enemies. Werewolves were put here to protect humans from the creatures in The Underworld. Most of the creatures, accepted the fact that they weren’t meant to come to this world. But the vampires were jealous. They lusted after the power that came with ruling this world. For thousands of years they have been working on getting the wards down that keep them out. They have had little success. But they have found that the lesser vampires that don’t have strong powers are able to come through and turn humans into vampires, and bring them back to The Underworld where they are trained under Dravien.
‘Unfortunately, they have managed to turn hundreds of people, and bring them to The Underworld. If the wards are to come down now, we’d be horribly outnumbered,” Ben begins.
“Well, can you turn people into werewolves? It seems like you need an army yourselves,” I say.
“Unlike vampires, werewolves are born, not bitten. Werewolves are forbidden from marrying humans. We must keep our bloodlines pure,” Ben explains.
I make a face. “So, if a werewolf was to have a child with a human, would it be a werewolf or a human?” I ask.
“No one knows. It’s never been done. As I said, it’s completely forbidden” Ben answers.
“How many werewolf packs are there?” I ask.
“Thousands. They’re scattered all over the world. Each one consists of about 30 wolves, and each one has a separate leader,” Jacob says.
“Who’s your pack leader?” I ask.
“I am,” Ben replies. There’s no pride in his voice, it’s just like he’s stating a simple fact.
“The leadership is handed down from generation to generation, the Davidson family has led the Washington pack for hundreds of years,” Matthew joins in.
“Wait, what age does a werewolf kid actually…become a werewolf?” I ask.
“Sixteen. That’s when the first change takes place,” Kyler says.
“So how old are all of you? And after the first change can you control it? Can you turn into wolves whenever you want?” I ask.
“We’re all 17, except Leah, she’s 18. And it takes a few months to control your changes, but once you get the hang of it yes,” Jenna says.
I sit back in my chair. “There’s so much to take in,” I say, playing with a strand of my hair.
Ben puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’re taking all of this surprisingly well,” he says.
I give a small smile. “I’m trying. But I have a few more questions. How powerful is Dravien exactly, and how does he plan on getting the wards down?” I ask.
“Dravien can control the mind. That’s why all his vampires so willingly do his bidding. He has complete control over them. That’s his power, and it’s a very dangerous one,” Ben explains.
“He can possess humans too, the only thing he can’t get to, is werewolves, and he hates that fact,” Daniel adds.
“And to answer your other question, there’s a prophecy about how Dravien can get the wards to come down,” Ben continues.
“What does it say?” I ask.
“No one knows. No one’s ever seen it. No one can really be sure that it even exists. But that’s another reason Dravien sends so many vampires into this world. Not only to create more for his army, but to look for the prophecy. To find whatever information they can about it,” Ben finishes.
Everyone’s silent for a few minutes. “Do you believe the prophecy exists?” I ask.
Ben considers my question for a few seconds. “I do. There’s no solid proof, but I believe that it’s out there somewhere. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds it. We can only hope it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
I slowly stand up, and walk to the window. “We need to find it. If Dravien gets to it first, and brings his army here, everyone will be either killed or turned. We have to find the prophecy,” I say, turning back to face them.
Kyler shakes his head. “We don’t even know where to start looking. Werewolves all over the world have been searching for hundreds of years. No one’s ever even found so much as a clue as to where it could be,” he says.
“That’s not entirely true. The leader of all werewolves has an archive. A place where all werewolf history has been recorded. If there was any record of anyone ever coming across the lost prophecy, it’d be there,” Ben says, leaning forward.
Leah frowns. “I thought our high leader was pretty touchy and doesn’t like to be bothered, he just kind of makes sure all the laws are being followed and records things. I don’t think we’d have access to that kind of information,” she says.
“There’s only one way to find out,” I begin. “We have to go to your leader, and ask for his help,” I say.
“You do not simply expect the high leader to just give you whatever information you want, if he doesn’t see it as a help to the werewolves, he will not offer his help, and punishment may be inflicted for wasting his time. Besides, this is not your fight Jaylin. It’s not your place to get involved,” Ben insists, narrowing his eyebrows.
I raise my chin defiantly. “I’m as much a part of this as you. I have the right to help as much as I can,” I argue.
Jacob raises his eyebrows at me. “I don’t know. I don’t think you fully understand what you’re getting yourself into,” he says.
I sigh. “We have to do something. The prospect of this world getting completely taken over by vampires isn’t very appealing,” I say softly.
Everyone’s silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts. “I should go,” I finally say, standing up.
Kyler walks me to the door. “You’re the first human to know we exist. To know any of this,” he says opening the door for me.
I look up at his grey eyes. “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel very privileged,” I say.
He laughs. “Yeah, I can understand that,” he says.
“But I’m not going to sit by and do nothing. I’m going to help you find that prophecy. Come over tomorrow, we need to start planning,” I tell him.
Kyler raises his eyebrows and shoves his hands in his pockets. “My dad’s not going to be very happy about this. I don’t think he’s going to let us look for the prophecy. It’s a waste of time,” he says.
“Well what else are we supposed to do? We have to start somewhere!” I argue, by this time we’re standing by my car.
Kyler leans against the door, and gives me a serious look. “We? You’re a human. You have no idea how any of this works. I have to respect our leader’s decisions. My dad is our leader, I have no choice but to do what he says. Breaking his rules would be in direct conflict with our laws. I’d be kicked out of our pack. Shunned by my family and friends. If it comes down to it, I’m not going to defy our law,” he says.
“You’d rather let vampires take over the world?” I ask.
“You forget, Dravien doesn’t know where the prophecy is either,” he retorts.
“But I doubt he’s sitting around doing nothing! He’s doing everything in his power to find it!” I argue. “That’s what we should be doing!”
“One day in our world, and you’re a whole new person,” Kyler teases, smiling at me.
I glare at him. “Forget it. If you want to find the prophecy, I’m willing to help. Come over tomorrow, early. As early as you can and we’ll talk. Meet me in the barn below the house. Bring all the werewolves from your pack that are willing to help us,” I say opening my car door.
“If my dad doesn’t agree to it, I doubt any of them will defy him,” he says.
“We’ll see.” I slam the door, and start the car. I back out of the driveway and start heading home. My cell phone rings. I reach over and grab it out of the passenger seat, glancing at the number on the screen. Kaitlyn.
I take a deep breath and answer the phone. “Hey.”
“Hey! How’s it going?”
“Um…it’s good. Everything’s good,” I lie.
“Are you sure? You sound kind of funny.” I can hear the concern in her voice.
“Yeah everything’s fine. I’ve just been really busy unpacking everything.”
“Ok, so have you seen any more of your landlord’s son? That guy you were telling me about?”
“Yeah, but look, Kaitlyn, I have to go. Mom needs my help with something.” I quickly hang up the phone and toss it back in the passenger seat. The tears pool up in my eyes, as I turn into our driveway. Never have I ever kept anything from Kaitlyn. She knows me better than anyone. I never thought there’d be a day when I couldn’t tell her something.
I pull up in front of our house and rest my head on the steering wheel. My head is pounding and my hands are shaking, everything I’ve been told today is finally catching up with me. I have to get the werewolves to help me find that prophecy. Because I won’t stop until I make sure my world is safe from Dravien and his army.
Chapter 4
The next morning I wake up at 7:00, get dressed, and carefully open my bedroom door. The last thing I want is my mom to wake up and start interrogating me. I carefully creep down the stairs, inwardly wincing every time one of them creaks.
I finally reach the first floor, and carefully pull open our front door. It groans and creaks, and I open it barely wide enough for me to squeeze through before shutting it again. I breathe a sigh of relief, and jog down the path to the barn.
I slide open the door, and dart inside. I’m surprised to see that Kyler’s already there, and disappointed to see he’s the only one. “No one else wants to help?” I ask.
Kyler shakes his head. “We had a meeting last night. All the werewolves in our pack were there. They agreed that searching for the prophecy isn’t a priority. We need to concentrate on killing the vampires that are leaking through the wards before they can turn anyone or get to the prophecy themselves,” Kyler tells me, I watch his face, but it holds no expression.
“I know that’s important, but I still think someone should be searching for the prophecy,” I say.
Kyler surprises me. “I do too,” he says softly.
I search his eyes, wondering if he truly means it. “So what are we going to do?” I ask.
Kyler takes a deep breath. “I’m going to ask Jacob and Leah to help us search for it. They’re one of the few who think it’s imperative that we find it,” he says.
“Good! We’ll need their help. I think the first thing we should do is go to your high leader. We need to search the archives for anything relating to the prophecy,” I say, leaning against the barn wall.
Kyler makes a face. “I agree with you, but going to the high leader isn’t as simple as it sounds. There’s a very good chance he could refuse to help us. Or see us as a threat to the werewolves true mission,” he says.
“Which is?” I ask, confused.
“Protecting this world from vampires, if he and his council think we’re of no use to our pack, or defiant in anyway, he can send us into exile. We’ll be forced to live apart from our kind. Forever shunned,” Kyler explains.
I frown. “What will they do when they find out you’ve told a human all of this?” I ask.
Kyler scuffs his feet against the floor, and shoves his hands in his pockets. “I don’t think it’s ever happened before.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That doesn’t answer my question, what do you think they’ll do?”
Kyler raises his head to meet my stare. “They could exile us. And kill you,” he says.
I suck in a sharp breath, and I feel the blood rush out of my face. “I thought werewolves didn’t hurt people,” I whisper.
“The high leader can do whatever he pleases. His council will follow his lead. This is why everyone was so against going to them for help,” Kyler explains.
I close my eyes, and squeeze my hands into fists. “There’s no going back now. We need to leave as soon as possible,” I say.
“Well we’re in luck. Our high leader happens to be in California. That’s the closest he’s been in months,” Kyler says.
I look at him in confusion. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“He travels around the world. Visiting different packs and making sure everything’s in order,” Kyler explains.
“Ok, how long will he be there?” I ask.
Kyler shrugs. “There’s no way to know for sure. I’d guess we have about a week,” he says.
“Will we drive?” I ask.
Kyler nods. “That’ll be the simplest,” he says.
I take a deep breath. “Great. Now I just need to figure out how I’m going to explain all this to my mom.”
***
A few minutes later, Kyler leaves, and I head back up to the house, trying to figure out how I’m going to explain leaving to my mom. I know there will be no easy way to do this. I can’t tell her about the werewolves and the vampires. But I can’t just disappear without telling her something.
I reach the front door, and slowly pull it open. I slip inside and let it gently fall shut behind me. I take a deep breath thinking I’m safe, but then I hear the footsteps.
I turn around, and Mom’s standing at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed over her chest and an angry expression on her face. “Where have you been?” she snaps.
“I…I was just down in the barn,” I stammer, looking down at my muddy tennis shoes.
“What on earth where you doing down there?” she asks.
I bite my bottom lip, and look up to meet her gaze. “Nothing, I just couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk,” I say, it sounds pathetic even to my own ears.
Mom raises her eyebrows, and shakes her head. “Jaylin, come on. You don’t honestly expect me to believe that do you?” she says, incredulous.
“Mom, look, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing,” I reassure her, taking a step forward.
“You’ve been acting weird these past couple of days. Is something wrong?” she asks, I can see the worry in her eyes.
I shake my head. “Nothing’s wrong Mom. I’m just trying to get used to everything around here,” I say. I’m one of the worst liars alive, and I’m sure Mom can see right through me.
“Are you sure that’s all?” Mom asks, raising her eyebrows.
“Yes Mom! Jeez can’t you just listen to me for once! I’m fine!” My eyes threaten to spill over with tears, and I struggle not to show it. “I just…I just miss Kaitlyn. I want to go stay with her for a week or something,” I say in a desperate attempt to cover up what’s really going on.