Chapter 8:
Weirdly enough, I awoke before everyone else the next morning. I suppose it wasn't that weird, since I had passed out by eight o'clock. But still, I usually slept until almost noon.
I tiptoed throughout the house quietly, searching the downstairs as I went to confirm that everyone was sleeping. Once I was sure, I slid open the glass door to the back porch and slipped outside.
Fog had rolled in overnight and grey storm clouds darkened the sky. I shivered and pulled the cardigan that I slipped on before leaving my room tighter. My legs were bare and goosebumps spread across my skin. My teeth chattered slightly, but I soon got comfortable in the frosty morning air. It was a different climate than I was used to living in, but it strangely felt like I was used to it.
I slipped my phone out from the cardigan pocket, which I was happy to discover this morning had ten percent battery left, enough for a phone call. I swiped it open and scrolled through my short list of contacts until I landed on the one I wanted.
Ivaylo.
I wasn't sure what I would say to him, but I needed to clear the air and hear his side of things. I needed to hear if he thought I was crazy for trusting these people. I was scared to talk to him, but I was more scared not to.
I hesitantly clicked on his name and pressed the cold screen to my cheek. I bit my lip as I waited with baited breath for an answer, but I didn't have to wait long.
This number has been disconnected.
I pulled it away, staring at it with wide eyes as I pressed the red disconnect button. I swallowed harshly, thinking over what that meant for me.
I immediately wanted to jump to conclusions and blame him for taking me, if I was indeed Kendall Keating, which I wasn't convinced of. It did look suspicious after all. Who disconnected their phone after something like that? What was he hiding? And who was he?
I shook my head in denial, pushing those thoughts from my mind. This was my brother. He got me through the worst time in my life. He took me in when I was lost and confused, he helped me settle into a routine, he got me a job and a place to live. He always looked after me and made sure I was being safe, that I was okay. And here I was turning on him. What kind of sister was I? I needed all the facts before I made that kind of accusation. For all I knew, these people had taken him hostage too and were lying to me.
I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. I pushed my thoughts to the back burner for the time being and plopped down on the swing in the yard. My bare feet were soaked with the dewy condensation on the soft grass, making them feel cold and clean. I inhaled the fresh air deeply, loving the scent of the misty morning forest.
I gazed out at the woods. To most people, the forest may look creepy, but I always found myself drawn to it. I didn't exercise much, but I did love to take walks through the woods in the morning. There was a trail down the street from my apartment that I would take. I wanted to walk through these, but I thought better of it, considering there was no trail and I didn't know the area. I did enjoy the view though.
I stayed that way for a while, watching the trees sway gently with the breeze and breathing in the fresh air. It was peaceful, tranquil.
At least it was until Selena came barreling outside.
She had slept in the same room as I had the night before. She mentioned last night that we had shared the room for years, up until we moved to the castle with our respective boyfriends. She had been snoring loudly when I woke up.
"You can't just disappear like that!" She snapped after her eyes landed on my swinging form. "I thought something happened to you."
"Sorry." I apologized, actually feeling kind of bad at how panicked she looked. "I just needed some fresh air. Are there animals in these woods?"
She froze, her eyes widening slightly. She looked upwards, like she was thinking of what to say. "No." She finally answered.
I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion.
"Are you sure? I wanted to go for a walk?"
"No, I'm sure. Let's go for a walk." She smiled nervously at me.
I just ignored it and nodded. She grabbed a pair of flip flops off the back porch and threw them at me. I glared at her when one hit me in the face, since I wasn't expecting her to throw it. My scowl deepened, because she snickered in amusement, as I slipped them on.
She led the way, obviously knowing where she was going. I just followed in silence, dodging branches as I went.
"So, I have some news." She said after a few moments of silence.
"Okay..." I murmured.
"We're going back to the castle today."
"I just got here though." I argued tentatively. It just seemed like so much at once.
"I know, but you'll love the castle, I promise. It's your home. I mean, this is too, obviously. We grew up here. But it's not your primary home anymore. The castle is and that's the best place for you. Kat and I live there too, so you don't need to be scared. Plus, our brother Matt, your brother in law Tyler, and... Finnian too." She added the last name reluctantly.
"It's just a lot to take in. I'm not even used to being here yet. I guess I just miss my home." I said, referring to my apartment.
She reached out and squeezed my arm gently. "I know. But this was your home once and I know it can be again."
I nodded at her, not wanting to talk anymore. I think she could sense my need for a peaceful walk before more chaos erupted in my life, so she thankfully remained silent as we walked.
Their land was undeniably beautiful. About a mile into the woods, we came across a stream that emptied into a lake. The crystal clear water cascaded down moss covered rocks slowly, almost lazily. Ripples covered the surface and white bubbles foamed near the rocks and the banks. It was a small stream, only about three feet wide and less than two feet deep in the deepest spots, but it was gorgeous. Vibrant green grass surrounded the land on both sides and the leafless trees formed a canopy over the stream, allowing the hazy grey light to filter through and reflect off the water. If I looked closely, I could see tiny orange and grey fish flowing down into the lake.
I plopped down on a rock at the edge of the water, the coldness of it pressing against the back of my bare thighs. Selena sat right next to me, staring at the beauty of it all as well.
"This was always your favorite spot." She said after a few beats of silence. "Any time you were upset or just needed to get away, you'd come here. And that was a lot. There are four of us, you needed to get away frequently. Everyone knew not to disturb you down here. That if you were down here, you were at the end of your rope and needed to be left alone. We did have some good times in the lake though, you, me, Kat, and Dalton."
"Dalton?"
She smiled sadly at me. "He died last year. He was my best friend. You two bickered like crazy, but he really loved you. I know you loved him too, in a different way, but you still did. I really hope you can remember him one day. He's definitely worth remembering."
"I'm sorry you lost him. And I'm sorry I can't remember him."
"Don't apologize for that, Kendall. It's not your fault."
I just nodded at her, not bothering to correct her name for me. It didn't seem like the right moment.
I sighed and stood up, not ready to leave, but finally feeling able to face the day in front of me. Selena stood too and we walked back in silence, each wrapped up in our own thoughts. Once we made it back, everyone was awake.
Abby and Kat moved around the kitchen, cooking bacon and waffles. Lili and Brody grinned down at Kenny, playing with him on the floor. He smiled a gummy baby smile up at them, his blue green eyes twinkling. Jefferson sat at the bar, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
All eyes met mine as I walked in behind Selena.
"Are you hungry, baby girl?" Abby questioned after a few beats of awkward silence.
"I'm always hungry." I half joked.
"Sit, sit, we have plenty ready for you to eat." She patted the empty stool next to Jefferson.
"I can wait until everyone else can eat." I answered uncomfortably.
"Nonsense, they can wait. Sit."
She said it in a voice that left no room for arguments, so I walked over slowly, plopping down in the seat she pulled out for me. She walked away after I was sitting, fixed my food, and brought it back over a couple minutes later.
I looked at her in shock as I took in my plate.
"How did you know I like cream cheese and powdered sugar on my waffles?"
She grinned at me. "You've liked them like that since you were five years old, Kenny."
"Emilia." I corrected uneasily.
She tried to remain smiling, but I could see how tight and forced it had become. It made me feel guilty since she had been so nice since I met her.
"Of course. Old habits die hard, I suppose. Eat up, sweetheart." She patted my hand gently and turned away.
I grabbed my knife and fork and dug into my food. She was honestly the best cook I'd ever met.
After I finished eating, I went upstairs to get ready for the long day in front of me. I was torn between looking cute and looking comfortable. I decided on comfortable, since we would be driving and since I didn't know what possessed me to want to look cute for this Finnian guy.
In the end, I threw on a pair of torn boyfriend jeans, a maroon t-shirt that I knotted at the bottom, showing just a sliver of my abdomen, an oversized cozy black cardigan, and a pair of black converse. It was funny, because everything in the closet were things I would wear. Selena told me that they were all my clothes apparently.
After I secured my hair into a bun, I grabbed my phone, which was now dead, and walked back downstairs. Jefferson was sitting at the bar still, sipping leisurely on his coffee. Everyone else had gone to get ready. I didn't want to be rude, so I sat at the bar with him, a couple of seats down.
"Should I be scared about this?" I inquired nervously. For some reason, I trusted him more than anyone else so far. Which was weird, considering that he looked the most intimidating.
"No, you shouldn't. No one will ever let you get hurt again." He fervently promised.
"It's just hard. I feel like my life is spiraling out of control. This is how I felt for about the first month after I woke up in the hospital. I didn't think I'd ever feel this lost again and that scares me." I admitted.
"You know, growing up, you were always so fearless. You were never scared of anything; even as a little girl. You jumped into everything you did head first, no hesitation."
"Are you saying I should be fearless now? Because I don't know how to do that." I asked breathlessly, looking away from him and towards the ceiling, trying to keep tears from spilling over.
"No. I'm saying that it's okay to be scared. You were fearless for twenty-three years. You've earned the right to be a little afraid."
I gulped nervously as I met his gaze. "I don't like feeling this way. It just feels... I don't know. I feel like I should be braver."
"You're the bravest person I know. You're braver than anyone else would be in this situation. A lesser man or woman would have gone back to the life they felt comfortable with, but you've dove head first into this despite your fear. It may not mean much to you now, but I'm damn proud of you."
"Thank you, Jefferson. That does mean a lot to me." I smiled up at him and he leaned over and squeezed my arm lightly.
Before either of us could say anything else, Kat and Lili walked in through the garage door. I hadn't even realized they had gone outside.
"Hey, Ken-. Sorry, Emilia. Are you almost ready to head out? We got the car all ready." Kat asked me.
It was weird; she looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept for a couple days. She didn't look like that earlier. Lili looked the same. I furrowed my eyebrows as I glanced between them.
"Yeah, pretty much. I don't exactly have anything to pack." I answered, not mentioning their appearance.
"Don't worry about that; your clothes and everything are still where you left them."
I nodded just as Selena came down.
"The car's ready?" She asked weirdly, like there was some hidden meaning behind her words.
"Yep, we're good to go."
"Awesome." She shot them a thumbs up. "Kendall, Lili and Brody are going to come with us, just to make sure everything goes smoothly."
"It's Emilia and do you expect things not to go smoothly?"
"Nope, just a precaution. We like to be safe in this family." She smiled tightly at me.
"Okay then..."
"I can't believe you're leaving again so soon." Abby spoke from behind me, surprising me because I didn't even hear her come in the room. She had tears spilling down her cheeks, new ones filling her eyes every time they spilled over. It was sweet how quickly Jefferson stood and went to her, pulling her against him. "I just got you back."
"Um, I'll be sure to visit soon." I told her, feeling uncomfortable at her tears, but wanting to ease her pain at the same time.
I wasn't a mom, but I imagined that losing a child was the hardest thing anyone could ever go through. I felt bad for her.
"You promise?" She questioned desperately.
"I promise."
She nodded and pulled away from Jefferson, walking over to me and pulling me tight against her. I awkwardly returned the hug, eyes wide as she sobbed into my shoulder.
Finally, after a few minutes, Jefferson pulled her away and back to him, her tears transferring to his shoulder.
"We'll miss you, sweetheart." He pulled into his other arm, giving me a tight one armed hug.
After that, we made our way out to the big SUV. Brody and Lili were in the third row of seats, already cuddled together. Kat was in the middle row of seats, buckled in next to Kenny's car seat. She was dangling toy keys over his face as he giggled up at her.
"You can have shot gun." Selena told me.
I nodded and hopped in. We all said one last goodbye to Jefferson and a crying Abby, then we were on our way. I fiddled with the radio, trying to find a good song. After I found one, we rode mostly in silence.
Until about three hours into our five hour drive.
We had mostly avoided the highway, cutting through small towns instead. One of the towns we went through was mostly deserted. There were a few cars here and there, but on the outskirts of town, there wasn't a soul around.
Except for the truck that pulled in front of us, blocking the road. Selena cussed loudly, causing Kenny to start crying at the loud noise. She slammed down on her brakes before we could hit the car. We stopped inches from it. The seatbelt bit into my skin, putting a painful pressure against my collarbone. My head snapped back and rammed into the headrest once we were fully stopped.
Immediately, there was another car behind us, boxing us in. That's when I really started getting scared.
With the first car, I figured that it was either an unfortunate accident or a dumbass who didn't know how to drive. But this seemed planned, like they were trying to hurt us.
Noise erupted around me, adding to the chaos I was already feeling. My heart pounded in my ears and my pulse felt like it was stuck in my throat. I glanced around wildly, trying to figure out what we should do.
"How in the hell did they find us?" Selena asked, practically kicking her door open.
I didn't see her face, but I did see her hand. Her nails had turned into claws, which punctured the door handle slightly.
Before I could ponder it further, I felt a hand resting on my forehead and my consciousness was practically seeped from my body.
************************
"How in the hell did they find us?" Selena yelled, kicking her door open.
It was a dumb question to ask at that moment, but it was one that plagued everyone's thoughts. Kat and Lili had spelled their car to be invisible to other werewolves and witches; only humans had seen them.
The spell was still up, so how did they know where they were and when?
Selena gave Kat one last glance before exiting the vehicle, communicating with her that Kendall didn't need to see any of this.
Kat nodded and pressed her hand against Kendall's head and chanted until her eyes closed and her body slumped against the window.
Then, she exited to join the fray. Everyone did.
Selena and Brody both shifted and jumped on the people who filed out of both vehicles. They were outnumbered one to four, but they were both stronger. They ripped out throats of anyone who dared harm their loved ones.
Kat and Lili remained on either side of the car, keeping both Kendall and Kenny safe. They would chant together and weaken the wolves enough for Selena and Brody to give them a quick death.
Selena was taking on a particularly strong wolf. He was at least a Beta; a seasoned one at that. Kat was currently holding off a wolf in front of her, giving him all of her attention. Lili was helping her mate, trying to weaken three wolves at once, all three jumping Brody together.
Selena was on her own.
She snarled menacingly. She was beyond pissed and felt like a protective momma bear. Not just to Kenny, but Kendall as well. How dare these mutts try to hurt her son and sister? She was the Royal Beta Female and she would show this lowly Beta that he was taking on the wrong she-wolf.
Selena did everything Harrison taught her. She watched his movements closely, waiting for his body language to give away his intentions. He was good though and didn't let it show easily.
He faked a lunge upwards, to land on her back. She blocked that way, not seeing in time that he was really going for her underbelly.
He managed to claw her shoulder slightly before she had time to pull away.
As they engaged in a battle of wits, Brody finally took out the last of the three wolves attacking him.
That left five. Three near Kat and Lili, the Beta Selena was fighting, and the wolf hurtling towards him. There were also three more people in the cars that had yet to get out. He could hear their heartbeats, but he couldn't see them at all.
He turned his attention to the wolf in front of him, but was then distracted by his sister's yelp. The wolf in front of her had her front right leg in his mouth, biting into the bone until it snapped.
She snarled, but it quickly turned into a whimper. Brody's distraction had given the wolf in front of him just enough time to rake his claws down his face and neck.
Behind him, he heard his mate yelp. One of the three near the witches had slipped past the wall of magic, jumping up at Lili and knocking her to the ground. His instincts screamed at him to help her, but the wolf in front of him wasn't letting up.
He was hurt and distracted. They were all hurt and distracted. Lili was doing all she could to keep the wolf's teeth out of her neck and Kat was busy holding off the other two. Selena could barely hang in her fight with a shattered bone. She was bouncing around on three legs, just trying to dodge his attacks.
He needed a plan and fast.
He launched his shoulder into the wolf, knocking him off balance momentarily, the hit on his head disorientating him. He went to Selena, who was closest to him and did the same to the Beta in front of her.
'Get to the car.' He told her, blocking her as she moved as quickly as she could.
She shifted back, not even concerned about her nudity, and cranked the engine. Brody went to Lili and bit into the scruff of the wolf's neck, pulling him off and throwing him at least five feet. They scrambled into the car before any of the wolves could reach them, although they did ram against the side, creating a sizable dent.
"Buckle up." Selena murmured, throwing the car into drive.
She accelerated hard, the vehicle lurching forward. There wasn't enough room to make it past the car, since there was no shoulder and the trees were close to the road, so she rammed into the car blocking them in. The tires squealed as they slowly pushed it out of the way.
It took a minute, the wolves continuing to beat against the car, jumping at the windows, yet they refused to shift into their human forms, hiding their faces. The back window smashed just as they had enough room to fit through. Selena slammed her foot against the gas, not giving the wolf enough time to get inside.
They never saw the three people in the car. And something told them all that those people were important in what was happening.
"Call Tyler." Selena commanded, no one in particular, just someone.
The noise in the car was chaos. Baby Kenny was screaming and Selena wanted nothing more than to soothe him, but they had to get away.
Apparently, they left just before reinforcements arrived. Three more SUVs, not part of the original two, were now following behind them. Selena had to focus on driving with one arm. Her other was numb from her shattered radius bone, the pain disappearing completely.
"What's happening?" Tyler demanded when Brody dialed his number.
Tyler had been trying to mindlink Selena after he felt that she was in trouble, but she had blocked him out so that she could focus on fighting. He had been frantic with worry.
"We were ambushed. I don't know how they found us, but they did. We got away before their reinforcements arrived. They're following us now. We need backup."
"I'm sending a team now. I'm coming too. Where are you?"
"Highway 86. Just outside of Waterburrow. We're the only people on the road. You know how deserted it gets in the middle of a week day."
"Leave your mindlinks open. I'm on my way."
He hung up after that and the focus fully resumed on what was happening. Lili chanted, trying to create a spell to slow the cars behind them down, but it didn't work. Someone had already spelled them to go faster. They were also trying to slow their car down. Kat and Lili held hands, combining their magic together to keep the car going.
But it was draining them and fast. Whatever witch was working against them was powerful, more powerful than even Niki it seemed. Selena and Brody both needed healing, Selena more so, but they had to make sure they could actually get away. She would have to wait.
"Shit!" Selena screamed from the front, only Brody hearing her since the witches were so deep into their chanting.
"What?"
"The fucking gas light is on. I was going to stop at the next station to fill up, but they interrupted us, obviously."
"How long can you go once the light comes on?"
"I don't know, thirty to forty miles if we're lucky, which we don't seem to be today. But we're driving over a hundred, so maybe like fifteen minutes I guess? I don't know, Kendall and Matt are the math people in the family."
"Just get us as far as you can. Hopefully Tyler will be close by then."
Selena nodded and looked into her rear view mirror. They were still behind them, not any farther, but not any closer either. A fourth one had joined.
Selena found it weird that they hadn't seen anyone on the road yet. Sure, it was usually pretty empty, but there were always a few stragglers. Her guess was that the guy after them, probably Kendall's "brother", had something to do with the road being empty. It didn't bide well for them, considering werewolves couldn't expose themselves to humans. It made them more vulnerable.
Selena's eyes gazed back and forth between the road, the mirror, her baby in the back, who had finally stopped crying thanks to Brody, and Kendall's slumped over body next to her. She would probably be asleep for a couple more hours.
Once the twenty minute mark past, Selena started to get nervous. They would be out of gas soon. And even if they weren't Kat and Lili's powers were draining. Their chanting was becoming quieter and their grips on each other's hand were becoming slack. It wouldn't be long before they passed out, a witch's way to preserve their life force.
Just before the car started breaking down, the vehicles behind them slowed, then turned around. Selena couldn't believe their luck. She imagined that Tyler was close by.
Once they were out of sight, Selena slowed the car, which had barely been chugging along, and pulled onto the grass. She and Brody both got out, watching all directions to make sure no one snuck up on them.
After a few minutes, a convoy of black SUV's came barreling down the road, stopping just in front of them. The first car wasn't even fully stopped before Tyler threw it in park and jumped out, rushing over to his mate.
Selena met him halfway and collapsed against him, careful not to trap her hurt arm between their bodies. She couldn't hold in the tears of relief, a river of wetness streaming down her cheeks and onto his shirt. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear and rubbed her back up and down, occasionally peppering kisses on top of her head.
The guards filed out of the cars, a couple handing clothes over to Brody and Selena, and immediately searching the area, trying to find their attackers. Harrison went over to Brody, to get the story.
"We were ambushed. We barely made it out of there before more men showed up. The guy in charge never got out of the car. I have no idea who he is." Brody answered him.
He walked away, going to the back of the car to check on his mate. She had already passed out from exhaustion, a thin trail of blood flowing from her nose and ears. Brody wiped it away and took in the rest of her wounds. They were minor, only a few cuts and bruises. Although that was still more than he ever wanted to see wrong on her, he was still grateful it wasn't worse.
He glanced over at Kat to see that she was unconscious as well. He was happy about it; they both needed rest.
"Let's get you home. We'll leave some guys behind to search, although I'm sure they're long gone." Tyler suggested.
They agreed and they worked on transferring everyone over to another vehicle. Tyler grabbed Kat first, while Brody got Lili. They buckled them into the very back, Brody climbing back as well to hold Lili close to him.
Selena grabbed Kenny's car seat after inspecting him thoroughly. She realized that he wasn't hurt, he had just been startled by all the noise. After Tyler took the car seat from her and buckled it in, he followed her back to her ruined car. She opened the door and once he glanced inside, he gasped.
"I can't believe it's really her." He muttered in disbelief.
"She looks just the same, huh?"
"Yeah, she does. She smells human though."
"I know. Whatever they did to her, they took away her wolf. Kat and Lili are going to start looking for a cure when we get home."
His eyes softened as he looked back at her. "Home?"
"Yes, home. I was wrong. My childhood house isn't my home anymore. You and Kenny are."
He pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead. "You're my home too."
She smiled at him, then moved out of his way. He grabbed Kendall and walked over to the new car. He sat her in the back and buckled her in. Selena got back there with her, sitting between her and the car seat. She wrapped her arm around Kendall and pulled her over so that her head rested on her shoulder instead of slumping forward. Tyler drove while Harrison rode next to him.
Kendall stayed asleep the rest of the drive, only waking once they pulled through the last gate. She groaned as she lifted her head. She pressed her palm over her forehead, then dragged it down her face.
"What happened?" She mumbled
"Nothing. You fell asleep. We got into a little fender bender. Tyler came and got us. I didn't want to wake you up, so he moved you."
She made eye contact with the guy in the front. He looked at her hopefully, like he really wanted her to remember him.
She didn't.
"How did I not wake up? I'm a light sleeper."
"I don't know, maybe you were just tired." Selena suggested, trying to sound casual.
Kendall looked over at her with furrowed eyebrows. "I seem to only become unconscious randomly when I'm around you people." She paused and glanced down, looking at the arm Selena was cradling. "I saw your han-"
"We're here." Selena cut her off, trying to distract her from the fact that she saw her claws.
It seemed to work, because Kendall's eyes left Selena and moved to the castle. Her mouth dropped and her eyes widened in surprise. She swallowed harshly and stepped out of the car before it even fully stopped.
"Where are you going?" Selena asked, following her.
Kendall ignored her and continued walking. She walked around to the side and towards the back. Once they finally reached the back, she walked past the gardens and toward the tree line. Then, she stopped.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, then slowly turned to face the castle. Before Selena could question her again, she spoke.
"This is the castle from my dream." She murmured to herself.
It gave Selena hope. Because not only was she opening up about something, but she also remembered something. One memory could make the whole spell come spiraling undone.
They finally had something to work with.