Anna ran into the house to see Accalia in Cassie's arms. Rhys, Drew, and Calvin were talking to each other at the kitchen table. They all stopped talking when they heard Anna come in. Rhys stood and stared at her. Anna looked down at herself to see that none of the blood was visible. Her scarf hid her bloody lips and chin.
"Who was out there?" Rhys asked.
"It was a vampire hunter," Anna said.
"How would you know that?" Calvin asked.
"Who else would carry a crossbow on them and ask about vampires?" Anna asked.
Rhys ran his fingers through his hair. He snapped at Drew and Calvin, motioning them to stand. They followed Rhys's command. Anna licked her lips to taste the remains of Darren's sweet blood.
"We need to go," Rhys said. "Now."
"Let's go get our bags," Drew said.
The three of them ran up the stairs. Anna looked over her shoulder to see Accalia burying her face in Cassie's neck.
"I should go get Oz," Cassie said.
"I'm so sorry," Anna said.
"This isn't your fault," she said. "We should have known murdering most werewolf hunters would have some major consequences."
Cassie stepped toward the hallway, but she froze when she heard a knock at the door. Her eyes grew wide as she looked over at Anna. Cassie let out a shaky breath before setting Accalia down on her feet.
"Stay here," Cassie said. "I'll get that."
Cassie crossed her arms over her chest as she walked across the lodge and over to the front door. Accalia ran over to the bottom of the staircase. She got on her toes so that she could peek over the banister.
"How can I help you?" Anna heard Cassie say.
"We are not here to start any trouble," Jonathan said.
Anna's lips spread into a smile. She never thought that she was going to hear her brother's voice again. She hurried over to the staircase. She crouched down behind Accalia and looked through the wooden bars holding up the railing.
Jonathan had a thick winter jacket on. She knew that a collection of blades were strapped to his chest underneath that jacket. A pair of goggles were sitting on top of his blond hair. He had a crossbow on his back. Three men Anna recognized from training in P.E.I. were standing behind Jonathan. Anna was tempted to run toward him and throw her arms around his neck, but she knew she could not do that. He'd murder his own sister if he knew what she had become.
"We are just looking for the vampires in this house," Jonathan said. "You give them up and no one in your family will get hurt."
"I don't know what you are talking about," Cassie said. "Would you like me to get my husband?"
"Oz knows what he did," Jonathan said. "Maybe you should go get him."
"Oz!" Cassie yelled out.
The floorboards in the hallway creaked as Oz hurried down the hall. He rushed over to the door when he saw Jonathan.
"What's going on here, gentlemen?" Oz asked.
"We know that vampires are living in this house," Jonathan said. "Give them to us and we'll leave you alone."
"How would you know that?" Oz asked.
"We know wolves didn't murder that bar full of hunters," Jonathan said. "One of our hunters has also just been attacked. We tracked the footsteps back to this house."
Anna silently cursed herself out. She had learned how to track someone in the snow. She must have been panicking too much to think about her footprints.
The stairs creaked as Calvin stepped down the step with his bag over his shoulder. Anna put her finger up to her lips before pointing over at the front door. Calvin crouched down so that he could see the open door.
"There may be someone hiding out back," Oz said. "Let's go check, gentlemen."
"We've been tracking these vampires since British Columbia," Jonathan said. "I doubt you are oblivious to them."
"You really think I would allow a bloodsucker to be in this house?" Oz asked. "I have children here."
"Fine. Let's go take a look."
Jonathan cocked his head to the side and the hunters followed him as he stepped off the porch. Oz grabbed his jacket before going outside. Calvin stood up straighter.
"Rhys, let's go!" Calvin said. "We only have a minute."
Rhys and Drew rushed down the hallway. They each had a bag over their arm. Anna stood up from her crouched position.
"Where's Huxley?" Anna asked.
"Huxley!" Accalia screamed.
"I'm here! I'm here!" Huxley said as he hurried down the hall with his suitcase.
Accalia ran up to Huxley and wrapped her arms around his legs. Huxley kneeled down in front of her and gave her a hug.
"Come back soon," Accalia said.
"As quick as I can, kiddo," Huxley said.
Rhys grabbed the collar of Huxley's jacket and pulled him up onto his feet. Accalia's eyes watered as they watched them head toward the door. Rhys peeked through the glass to see that the coast was clear. He opened the door a sliver to pop his head outside. The hunters had gone around to the back. He waved his hand to motion for the rest to follow him.
They ran outside. Anna and Rhys went to the first car. Huxley, Calvin and Drew rushed to the car parked behind them. Anna spun around when she heard the sound of glass shatter. An arrow from a crossbow pierced the windshield of the car.
Jonathan was standing beside the house and the crossbow was in his hands. A hunter beside him held his hand out and Anna squinted to see a remote in his hand. He pressed his thumb against a button and there was a loud explosion. Anna could feel the searing heat against her skin as the bomb strapped under Drew's car blew up.
Anna gasped as she watched the men be knocked off of their feet. They were quick to get back up, and ran toward Rhys's car. Jonathan started running with the crossbow lined up to his eye.
"Get in the car!" Rhys shouted.
Anna slid into the car and slammed the door shut behind her. Rhys revved the engine as Calvin and Drew crammed themselves in the backseat with Huxley stuck in the middle. Rhys stepped on the pedal and threw his arm over Anna's seat as he looked out the back window. Huxley ducked his head to give Rhys a better view.
Jonathan shot out a few more crossbows, but they narrowly missed the car. The gravel rocks crunched under the tires as Rhys drove around the flaming car. Anna's teeth were biting down on her lip hard.
She watched as Jonathan and the other hunters jumped into their car. Rhys got to the end of the driveway and cranked the wheel to turn the car around. He rushed down the slick slippery roads. Anna's eyes were locked on the rearview mirror as she watched Jonathan chase them.
Her fingers curled around the handle of the car door. She thought about throwing herself out of the car. Jonathan would stop when he saw his baby sister, but she would probably dislocate a shoulder and Jonathan would stake her. She selfishly did not want to be murdered.
Rhys took a quick turn, and Anna fell into the door as the back tires slipped. Rhys was gripping the steering wheel hard and too busy looking in the mirror to notice Anna's movements.
"This fucker doesn't give up," Rhys said. "Nice to finally meet this asshole."
Anna thought back to being in her apartment with Rhys. He looked at the photos of Anna and Jonathan together. He did not recognize him then, and she hoped that Rhys would not recognize him now. She took a mental note to keep the photographs of Jonathan hidden.
Rhys took another sharp turn, and Jonathan was close behind. Jonathan's tires slipped, and the car spun out until it hit a tree. A stream of smoke was rising from the crumpled hood and into the air. Anna sighed in relief.
Jonathan got out of the car and shot a few arrows at Rhys's car, but missed. She turned to watch him throw down the crossbow into the snow as he screamed and swore. Anna turned back around in the seat and put her hand on her forehead.
They were all silent as Rhys continued to race down the streets. Anna closed her eyes and touched the scarf around her face. She was afraid to pull it down and expose her bloody face.
After an hour of silent driving, Huxley leaned forward between the two front seats.
"So where to now, boss?" he asked.