Ryker played by Samuel L. Jackson
Chris played by Henry Simmons
Sapphire played by Cara Delvinge
Sasha played by Dove Cameron
Lance played by Dylan O'Brien
West played by Cameron Boyce
Jake played by Booboo Stewart
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"So, you and Evan marked each other?"
Summer stuck her face between the two front seats, her eyes wide, tone mischievious.
Isabella rolled her eyes from the driver's seat, turning on the blinker and turning down the street.
"Yeah, he did. What about it?" I asked her, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh, nothing." Summer shrugged. "Just that you've been ignoring his calls for the past two hours."
My phone began ringing again and I groaned, answering it.
"What?" I asked tiredly.
"Are you insane?!" Evan roared down the phone. "You can't ignore my calls, you're Luna!"
"I'm not Luna yet," I pointed out.
"Ooh, not smart," Isabella shook her head.
"If that's what's keeping you from being more responsible and communicative, we can fix that when I get back." Evan snapped.
"Evan!"
"Don't 'Evan' me! I thought something happened to you." Evan growled out. He sounded pissed.
"Well, not for long, since you're stalking me with the other Alphas," I shot back.
"I am not stalking you! I'm checking up on you!" He disagreed. "And I wouldn't have to if you answered my calls!"
"You have a direct line into my brain, why don't you try that?" I asked sarcastically.
"If I had, would you have let me in?" He challenged. "Or would you have blocked me out so you didn't have to tell me about what you're doing?"
"This is exactly why I didn't tell you! I survived torture, Evan, I can survive a mission without you there to make sure I don't get hurt." I said, hanging up and tossing my phone behind me, it landing in the backseat by Summer.
"Alphas," I said with exasperation.
"You're grumpy today," Isabella noted.
I sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. I don't like it when he's controlling."
"He's just worried." Summer defended Evan, believing in the romance of it.
"No, he's just possessive," Isabella and I chorused.
"I mean, he is worried," Isabella added. "But he's an Alpha. It's in his nature. But it doesn't excuse him. It's a Luna's job to put him in his place."
"Amen to that," I said with a giggle.
Isabella pulled the car to a stop and turned it off, looking back between Summer and I.
"You ready to do this?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Yeah."
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"Tell me again what we're supposed to be doing?" Isabella asked over the comm unit,taking a sip of her coffee across the table from me.
We sat in the van until Ariel gave us the go ahead, Summer hiding under a baseball cap so she wouldn't be recognized.
"Summer will get you in, talk to them and explain who you are, who I am, and what's happening. We'll be here in case anything goes wrong." Ariel replied, and I glanced at Summer to make sure she was okay.
Her face was placid, her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop.
"And I'm here too," Sarah piped up. She was back at Haven quarterbacking the mission.
Tristan, Jess, and Ariel were holed up in a motel room across the street from the warehouse we assumed the Ghosts were holed up in.
Isabella, Summer and I were waiting in the van, searching for either Ryker or Chris, the two faces Summer had photos of.
Ivy was sitting on a bench on the street posing as a homeless person, and Sarah had a camera watching over her at all times.
Apparently they were normal wolves who were backing the Gifted like Sarge did for Ivy, Sarah, Isabella and Ariel.
"Look." I said,my attention caught by a vaguely familiar man cross the street at the red light.. "Isn't that one of them?"
Summer moved so she could see better and nodded.
"That's Chris." She confirmed.
"Where?" Jess asked, peeking out the window.
"Your three o'clock, heading down the street. Green jacket, tall, bald, African American." Isabella reported, following him with her gaze discreetly,face tilted downwards.
He had his hands in his pockets and was walking down the street slowly, probably to avoid suspicion.
He was tall, about six foot two, and bald with black scruff on his face.
"What do we do now?" Summer asked.
"Wait until he gets inside. Then go in. And be careful," Ariel added.
"Sarah, what are you seeing on the thermal?" Ariel asked after moment.
"There's a fire lit in one of the cans, it's screwing with the camera a bit." Sarah told her. "But I count at least six people in there, maybe seven."
"Let's hope these guys are friendly." Jess remarked dryly.
We were in downtown Chicago, after Isabella got a hit of Ryker's face in the background of an ATM camera shot.
"We're going in," I announced, just a few moments after Chris entered thewarehouse.
We got out of the van and walked slowly after him.
"Copy that. Watch your six." Ivy said.
"Really Ivy?" Sarah asked, sounding amused.
"I always wanted to say that. Sarge got to say it all the time!" Ivy sounded defensive.
We snuck through a gaping hole in the chain link fence and entered through a side door, finding ourselves in a huge warehouse filled with boxes of some sort of euipement.
We heard voices and frozw.
"We're in." I said under my breath.
Isabella reached behind her, her hand quietly and slowly coming in contact with the wall.
"Sarah, can you get a read on the bug?" Ariel asked.
"It's coming in now," Sarah replied. "Can everyone hear it? Ivy, can you hear your comms?"
"Who's there?" A voice demanded, and Summer nodded to us. She was up.
She stepped out into the large open space, and Isabella and I followed her.
"Summer?" An olive skinned young man with long black hair looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Who are they?" The man we knew as Ryker demanded, gesturing to Isabella and I.
We stood behind Summer, looking around us warily, prepared for a fight.
"They're two more Gifted," Summer replied calmly, speaking slowly.
"We can hear it," Jess said over comms.
"All good here." Ivy added.
"How'd you find us?" Chris asked suspiciously.
"She had help," Isabella said, shrugging and smirking proudly.
"Your help?" The shorter blonde asked, bright blue eyes narrowed with distrust.
"Technically, yes." I replied.
"Technically?" A tall, skinny young man with dark hair and light brown eyes arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Aye, Jesus." Jess muttered under her breath.
"There are others. More like us." Isabella said.
"Who are you?" The taller, dirty blonde demanded.
"My name's Isabella, this is Taylor. We're Gifted like you guys." Isabella gestured to us, then to them.
"Gifted?" A freckled young man with curly black hair tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"That's what we're called. We're refugees of the packs, we-"
"How do we know you're really Gifted, like us?" The second dark haired boy asked.
"Fine. We'll show you then." I said, raising my hands and letting out a surge, blowing back the rude boy a bit.
They tensed, but a wave from Ryker had them reluctantly relax.
Isabella pulled a baretta out of her short hair and threw it up into the air, making it configure into a giraffe figurine, then transforming it back before it hit her palm.
"How do we know you aren't turned?" The first male asked.
"Turned?" I tipped my head to the side questioningly.
"You're not the first strangers we've come across. Some of them were working for the Good Doctor. Before Dante killed them too." The first girl said.
I winced, feeling sick.
"We work for the Queen." Isabella said.
"Of?" The rude boy asked.
"Of us, idiot." She snapped back with attitude, and he glared at her.
"Isabella, play it cool," Ariel said quickly.
"Isa," Summer hissed.
"She's mated to King Tristan. The packs are on our side. We even have a safe place to stay." I explained, shrugging.
My jacket lifted, revealing the gun tucked in my waistband.
Crap.
"They're armed!" The second girl shouted, and they pulled out their guns, and we did too.
"Summer what did you do?" Chris demanded.
"Just let me explain, guys!" Summer cried. "Lance, don't!" She said to the rude boy, who started forward. "They're the good guys, I promise!"
"You promise?! You neglected to mention they were on comms the whole time!" The first blonde said.
"Sasha-"
"We have to kill them before the kill us!" The freckled boy said.
"West, do not fire!" Ryker said firmly.
"Put down your weapons!" Isabella yelled.
"You first!" Lance yelled back.
"Guys stop it, We're all on the same side!" Summer cried.
"Go, go, go, move in now." Ariel said.
"Hudson's got some of S.I.D on the way, hunters are coming." Sarah warned us.
"Guys," I said slowly, my gun pointed at Lance.
"I know." Isabella replied.
The door burst open and Ariel entered the room, her gun raised, a shield in front of her.
We all turned, but no one fired, and she lowered her shield.
She was glowing, the air around her swirling with gold, her eyes bright gold.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted, her commanding aura seeping into the room. "Lower your weapons, all of you!"
My wolf compelled me to kneel, my eyes lowered to the ground, fist over my heart.
"On your feet." She said, and we stood, the three of us looking at each other, stunned.
"My name is Ariel. I am the Queen of the Gifted, and the soon-to-be Queen of the American Wolves. This is Alpha King Tristan, Ivy, and Luna Jess of the Crescent Pack. Hunters are coming, we have to leave." Ariel said, looking at the seven new faces in front of her.
"I apologize, my King."Ryker wolf said, and both he and Chris bowed to Tristan.
"Formalities later, we need to go-"
The sounds of doors bursting open interrupted Tristan, and Ariel immediately raised her shield to cover us as hunters, rogue wolves, and a couple vampires stormed the warehouse.
"Fire!" Ryker yelled, and we all raised our weapons.
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Summer came back to back with me, spinning around Ariel, a second gun in her hand.
She fired and I ducked, the bullet whizzing over my head and colliding with a hunter.
I turned and surged, sending a wolf back, crashing into the wall.
"Behind you!"
I turned in time thanks to Lance's warning, raising my hand and surging.
The rogue fell right into Lance's grasp and Lance shot him twice in the back.
I saw Sasha and the tall boy up against the shifted wolf and ran over, shooting my away through the crowd.
I pulled out my knife and ran, hitting the floor and sliding on my knees underneath the raging wolf, surging the knife to fly up into the wolf's underbelly, striking it's heart.
"Thanks!" Sasha called. "Jake!" The tall boy whirled around and rose a shield, a bullet bouncing off of it and clattering to the floor.
"Duck!" I heard someone call, and I hit the floor.
I felt cold air above me and looked up to see a vampire fall to the floor, encased in ice. West chopped its head off.
"I'm West!" He called to Ariel, who was staring at him with an incredulous expression.
"Jake!" I called, spotting a rogue roearing up on West. He turned to me and followed my point, throwing a shield.
"West, on your left!"
It cut into a rogue. His shield was weaponized.
"Thanks Jake!" West called.
I went toe-to-toe with another rogue, before grabbing him by the arm and throwing him over my back, placing my boot against his neck and twisting his arm, using my free hand to put a bullet in his brain.
He fell limp and I dropped him. I heard a crumbling sound and turned.
A vampire jumped up onto the beams across the ceiling and pushed it loose. It came crashing down.
"Look out!" I heard Isabella yell. Ryker was right in it's path, still fighting a wolf.
Ariel ran at him and shot the rogue, pushing our ally out of the way. She put her hands up to brace herself.
"ARIEL NO!" I heard Tristan scream. He ripped the heart out of a vampire and started through the crowd towards our Queen.
She can't do it.
"Ryker!" I heard someone yell.
The beam slowed to a shaky stop, and blood was pouring out of Ariel's nose, her eyes blinking.
Jess suddenly appeared, raising her hands. Red wisps of energy flew from her hands to the beam, helping Ariel keep it up.
"Watch out!" Ryker jumped to his feet and raised his gun, firing it three times.
Three hunters behind Jess fell to the ground.
"Isa help!!" Ariel yelled, pushing harder, letting out a yell as the beam began to fall.
Isabella ran towards them and I ran behind her, tackling vampire trying to get at her exposed back.
We fell to the ground in a wrestle for dominance, and I got my hand on his chest, but he pushed it away.
Lance appeared with West's axe and swung, taking the vampire's head clean off.
Blood spattered onto my face and I blinked, stunned.
Lance grabbed my arm and helped me to me feet, pushing me backwards.
Chris caught me in his arms and swung me around, placing himself between me and an oncoming rogue, which he emptied his mag into.
Isabella changed the beam into a metal pole, and used it to impale a rogue. The pole shifted back into the beam, the end crushing two more hunters.
Isabella was knocked away by a vampire and Ariel could barely lift her head to help her, collapsed on the ground and moaning in pain.
The vampire stood over her, a malicious glint in his black eyes.
"The precious savior," he sneered. "Weak at my feet. How are you going to save the world, if you can't even save yourself?"
"Just. Like. This." Ariel breathed out, raising my hands and blowing him back with the pure power she never tapped into.
"TAKE COVER!!" Isabella, Ivy, Jess and I screamed in unison.
I surged, blowing the two girls and Chris back behind a storage container, out of sight.
I ran at Jake and Lance, tackling them to the floor and shoving their heads into the ground so their eyes wouldn't see, squeezing my eyes shut and burying my head in Jake's back.
I heard the vampire go through the warehouse wall, tearing it open like a straw in a lid opening.
She was breathing raggedly, and coughed up blood, rolling over onto my side.
"Ariel!" Tristan rushed over to me and scooped me up in his arms. "I've got you, luv. I'm here, I'm here."
Ariel went limp, unconcious, and everyone one the ground began to rise, looking around in confusion.
"Can you get off?" Lance asked.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry." I got off of the two boys and offered them my hands, pulling them to their feet.
"What the hell was that?" Chris asked, he and the two girls coming out.
"That was our Queen in action." Ivy said proudly.
"Is she dead?" The other blonde stared at Ariel.
"No, she's not!" Tristan said harshly, cradling our Queen in his arms. He turned and stared down at her face, brushing away her hair.
"She'll be fine after a few days of rest." Isabella said, to the crowd and to Tristan.
"Come on. We should go." Jess said.
Watching Tristan hold Ariel made my heart hurt.
I missed the way Thomas used to hold me like that.
At the same time, I missed Evan. It had been too long since I'd been in his arms, and who knew how much longer it would take.
My phone rang, and I looked down at it. Speak of the devil.
"Hi," I said softly.
"Taylor, are you alright? Do I need to come home? Are you crazy, I-"
"I miss you." I said softly, walking away from the others as S.I.D flooded the scene, taking down any remaining enemies.
Evan was silent for a minute, but I could hear his breathing change.
"I miss you too."
"When are you coming home?" I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling a sense of longing and sadness, overwhelmed by missing humans grief for my brother.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly, sounding concerned.
"I just miss my brother. He holds her the way Thomas used to hold me." I said quietly.
"We're going dark for a little bit, and then I'll be able to call again. By then I should be on my way back to you."
"Okay." I whispered.
"Okay?"
"Yeah."