Chapter Ten

Natalie's eyes filled with fear and horror as she gasped and tried to pull his hands off of her neck and then the darkness in his eyes seemed to leave just as quick and his grasp on her neck was gone as she coughed and held her own neck..

"shit, are you ok?" he began to say with fear in his own eyes as he looked at her as she gasped for air..She attempted to sit up as she looked at him and he knelt down to her.."I didnt mean" he said with a freaked out expression in his eyes.."i uh...I um" he said as he looked at her..

"im ok" she finally managed to get out with a few ragged breaths..

"Your far from fine.. I almost...i just" he said as he looked at her, she didnt know if she was more freaked out by almost being strangled to death or the fact that he looked horrified..

"im ok, I am" she said as she began to scramble to her feet and he grabbed her arm, helping her up..

"Let me see" he said as he moved her hand from her throat and his hand print was still there, raised and red..He backed up some as if her skin was made of fire..He ran his hand through his hair as he looked at her.."im gonna get you a drink" he said as he quickly left the room and she touched her neck once more..Holy shit what had happened, why the hell had he reacted like that and what the hell was he dreaming about to make him go so crazy..He was back in the room in a sec, a glass in his hand.."here drink this" he sounded panicked as she took the glass from him, she took a big swig and nearly spit it out as it burned going down, it had to be whiskey..

"thats horrible" she said quickly as she shivered from the alcohol.."what..what happened back there" she finally forced the words out and that same panicked look filled his eyes..

"I dont know" he lied as he looked away, images of caitlyn swimming in his head.."I must have been dreaming or something" he said as he walked across the room..

"more like a nightmare, you were writhing and...and I um..." she said with a shake of her head, he wasnt telling her everything, she knew this..

"i drank too much last night" he said as an explanation..He refused to face her..

"so you dont remember anything at all" she couldnt help herself, something just wasnt right here..

"I...I...just dont" his voice trailed.."let me get you something else to drink" he attempted to leave the room..

"wait.." she called out and he stopped but he didnt look at her.."Im alright... are you alright" she asked with concern..

"i shouldnt of brought you here" he said quickly..

"you keep on saying that but I agreed to this" she said as she began to walk over to him..

"You agreed to me strangling you" he said with an icy tone as he turned and faced her..

"You know what I mean" she stepped closer to him..

His eyes darted to her neck, his hand print was still there.."just stop ok" he put his hand up and she stopped moving towards him.."please just dont" he said seriously as Isabella came into the room with a concerned look on her face..

"signore, is everything ok" she asked as she looked between them..

"can you run a bath for Natalie" he said quickly..

"John I dont want a bath" natalie said with annoyance, she wanted to know what the hell was going on..

"dont do this Natalie" he said seriously as he then looked at Isabella.."do as I say" he said a bit coldly to her and she promply spun around and headed back down the hall..

"I said I didnt want a god damn bath" Natalie snapped angrily now as he looked at her..

"we have a long flight ahead of us, I'll make sure your stuff is packed" he said as he spun from her and began to head down the hall..

"hey... I deserve an answer" she snapped as she ran after him and he stopped and spun around, making her damn near bump into him..

"we are leaving here in an hour" he said sternly..

"but were not even done here" she said in shock as she looked at him, he had to look away cause he couldnt look at her neck anymore, what had he done?

"You dont have a say in this, were heading back in an hour" he spun from her again..

"Like hell we are, I didnt even get to the book" she snapped as she ran up to him and grabbed his arm..He spun around now, he looked absolutely pissed and she couldnt help but let go of his arm.

"You dont get it Natalie, this entire trip was a bust, we should of never came here and were leaving in an hour, end of story" he said angrily...

"i told you I was fine ok, so you had a nightmare" she began..

"i said thats enough!" he yelled now as she blinked in shock.."one hour, be ready" he spun from her again as she stood there completely baffled and then she heard the slamming of a door as she shook her head, maybe she was in over her head..

The flight home was beyond uncomfortable, John had closed himself off in his bedroom on the plane and she was stuck out on the couch, he wouldnt even talk to her. She was upset and angry. Part of her was screaming that he was just a fucked up mess and that she should be glad she was heading back to the states but another part was wanting answers and it would seem as though she wouldnt get them..

She had even gone as far as to knock on his door but he refused to answer..

John was beside himself with guilt and grief, for starters he was back to dreaming of that fateful night and secondly he had lashed out and nearly killed natalie.. He couldnt face her, hell he could barely face himself, all he wanted to do was get her away from him but everytime he closed his eyes he saw her petrified eyes, they mimicked Caitlyns..

He sat on the edge of the bed, ignorning her knocks, what the hell was happening to him?

"John...john please" Caitlyn pleaded with him as the demon held onto her..

He put his hands on his head.."stop,..just stop" he said more to himself as the memories began to flood his mind..

He could see the demon jumping into Caitlyn, taking her over as she fell to the ground..

He groaned with pain as he rocked himself on the bed.."please stop" he pleaded with himself, he couldnt take much more..

"John just please open the door" Natalie called from outside the room..

"John, john please" Caitlyn pleaded with him..

His stomach twisted in knots as he sat there and she just wouldnt stop knocking and calling out to him..

He held Caitlyn in his arms as he rocked her lifeless body, within seconds his livingroom was filled with his brothers, his angel brothers who looked on in horror..

"Jonathan what did you do" his brother Michael said with shock in his eyes..

"i ...i couldnt" John could barely get the words out as he looked at his brothers.."she's...she's dead" he choked out.."I..I killed her"

John promply got up and ran to the bathroom, losing the contents of his stomach..

Natalie paced that room for hours and hours, she couldnt even get herself to sit down. Why wouldnt he just talk to her?

The following day...

Natalie paced her bedroom, she had been home one day and to say it was hell would be an understatement. For starters when they finally arrived back in pennsylvania, John had a car waiting for her, he refused to even say anything to her, not even a goodbye. Then once home not only did her friends have questions about what took place, well she also had one hell of a bruise on her neck and Bo wasnt taking that lightly, neither was her brother and friends.. She had lied to them, its not like she could tell them what took place, they would go absolutely crazy and she was sure they would of immediately went after John..

"how do you fall and bruise your neck" Rex snapped at her.."if he did something to you"

"I told you he didnt, if anything he saved me from that sick freak" she said quickly.."and not to mention that Victor is alive and well" she used that as a distraction and it worked..

The subject changed drastically as everyone listened to her. They were just as shocked and pissed as she was that Victor was really alive.. It was just the diversion she needed..

"its already begun then" Bo said cryptically..

Natalie made her way over to her balcony as she stepped out and looked at the sun setting in the sky. For the first time in forever she actually wanted to cry and she honestly didnt know what she wanted to cry about and then her mind went to him, to John.. My god was she developing feelings for him? The thought freaked her out more than anything..

"hey" Gigi said quietly and cautiously as she stepped onto the balcony.."You ok?"

"i was this close to getting that book" Natalie said quickly, she wasnt about to tell Gigi or anyone how she really felt about everything that was going on..

"No one blames you, you know that right" she said softly..

"i had a chance and I blew it" Natalie said as he kept on looking out into the sunset.."I should of just" she said as her voice faded off..

"You could have been hurt or worse, I hate to say it but im glad that John took you out of there" Gigi said honestly.." confused but glad, kind of strange you know that someone like him would actually step up like that" she continued but Natalie didnt say anything.."maybe there is some good left in him"

Natalie tossed and turned that night, she could barely sleep without dreaming of what had happened but in her dreams the outcome was worse, he had been a monster and she had been fighting for her life. Then there was Victor and Mitch, in her dreams they were both after her, chasing her and she just couldnt get far enough away..

She awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding as she sat up, trying to calm herself..

John sat in his study, a drink in his hand. He was fixed staring at a piece of the wall, his mind elsewhere..

"sir, dinner will be served soon" he was snapped out of his thoughts by his butler as he looked up.."Sir?"

"im not hungry, you can put it away" John said as he sipped his drink and his butler nodded his head as he left the room..He stared at the glass of scotch in his hand and then he just as quickly threw it, making it shatter into a million pieces against the wall..

By the next morning natalie felt more anger than anything else. How could she allow herself to feel anything for John at all, he was the damn enemy here, well atleast one of them. She grabbed her knife and dagger from the weapons room, she needed to kill something, she needed some sort of relief..

"planning on going somewhere?" Rex said as he came into the room, she looked at him for a second as she strategically placed her weapons..

"Im heading over to Lantano Lake" she said quickly..

"i already told you that their gone, not even a trace" Rex began..

"they hide rex, thats what they do, we just need to find their den" she began as he looked at her wide eyed..

"you think your just going to stumble across it" he said sarcastically..

"yeah well it beats sitting around here when those bastards are out there" she said angrily..

"Nat whats going on, for real" rex said with concern..

"there is an entire wolf pact out there, im doing my job" she said sarcastically to him..

"Listen I know your upset about Victor and Mitch" he began..

"that son of a bitch shouldnt even be alive Rex" she snapped at him.."if I was back in Milan right now im gut the fucker"

"yeah well your not and im not letting you go out there alone" he said protectively..

"fine, suit yourself but im going" she said as she went to leave the room..

"damn it Nat we need to talk about this" Rex said as he walked over to her..

"talk about what? Huh? That monster is alive, Mitch has that fucking book and if we dont stop any of this then we wont even have a place to call home!" she snapped at him..

"whats going on?" cris said with concern as he came by the doorway.."are you going out?" he said with wide eyes to natalie..

"Im leaving in five so whoever wants to come better hurry the hell up or im leaving your ass here" she snapped and then she was storming out..

"she is out of control, you know that right" Cris said with worry.."something happened to her in Milan, I know it"

"yeah well im not about to sit around and watch her get killed" Rex snapped angrily as he grabbed a few guns and headed out, Cris sighed heavily and then he too grabbed a few guns..

Two Hours Later..

"im telling you nat they arent here, we searched the entire woods" Brody said as they stood surrounded by trees..

"yeah well you didnt search good enough" she said as she knelt down and touched something on the ground.."you see this" she said as she held up a chunk of silver fur.."they are here" she said as she stood there..

The woods around Lantano Lake were dense and heavily wooded. One could easily fall and break a leg if they werent careful enough. Natalie looked for every detail on the ground, stopping at a large tree.."hey guys" she said as she pulled another piece of fur off the tree.."were close" she finished as she continued walking..

John made his way into the darken room, he marched right over to the painters easel and he tore off the cloth, underneath it was a portrait of Caitlyn, it was over a hundred years old and he ran his hand over it. He hadnt allowed himself to go in that room in so long. He felt sick as he looked at her picture..

"You killed a mortal" Michael said in shock..

John couldnt even speak as he sat there on the floor covered in caitlyns blood.."you were sworn to protect her, do you know how angry father will be with you" Michael said with concern in his voice..

"do you think he cares, do you!" John laughed bitterly..."he allowed this to happen, he doesnt care about anyone but himself!"

"dont say that John" Michael began..

"You know what, why dont you go to hell and while your at it bring your father" John said angrily..

"thats enough John!" Michael yelled at him and John began to get up as he laid Caitlyns body on the ground..

"You are a fool Michael, he doesnt care about us, he doesnt care about anything!" John yelled as he stepped to his brother..

"what has happened to you brother, why have you chosen to behave in such a way" Michael said with a shake of his head..

"Oh you were always so eager to please him even when he allows evil to run the world" John seethed..

"you will have to answer for what you have done" Michael said seriously..

"what I have done?" John yelled.."what about him, what about everything he has done, does he not have to answer for his crimes"

"you should of never left the brotherhood, its poisoned you" Michael said as he looked his brother In the eye...

"leave...now!" John yelled at him as he looked at Michael and his other brothers..

"Im sorry but im not going without you, you have done the unthinkable" Michael said with sorrow in his voice..

"and so it would seem that way but I tell you this, you will have to kill me if you think I am going near him ever again" John challenged him..

"dont make me do this John" Michael looked at his brother..

"go ahead, give it your best shot" John said through gritted teeth as michael looked at him and then at the brothers standing around them.."go ahead, all of you, I dare you!" he yelled angrily and within seconds Michael had him pinned against the wall as the other brother held Johns arms back.." is that all you got, huh!" he yelled..

"you wont be able to hurt anyone, not ever again" Michael said as he grabbed Johns hand and yanked the ring off his finger as john tried to fight him but it was fruitless and the second that ring came off his finger he felt his power begin to drain.. Without that ring he was powerless over them, over anyone..He could still manage some tricks but they were childs play compared to the power he had with the ring..He yelled at them as they held him down.."You will come with us" Michael continued in a serious tone..

"I will die first!" John yelled as he found the strength to push his brothers off of him but before anyone could react a huge blinding white light filled the room, so much so that they all had to shun their eyes and by the time John opened his, he was alone once more and not just that her body was gone as he yelled out..

His brothers had gotten the ring from him and he had been shunned from up above, not that he cared anymore. His faith was lost, if his father could allow such a horrible act to occur then he wanted nothing to do with him, nothing to do with any of them..But that ring, his ring, he wanted it, needed it. For years he searched but without the ring he was nearly powerless..It was only a few years ago that he heard that the ring in question had gone missing during a battle his brother had had. The ring had incredible power but only to him, to anyone else it was just a useless artifact..He began dealing with demons, searching for that damned ring and nothing, well until recently. He had heard from a reliable source that Mitch had somehow ended up with it and he honestly didnt believe it, well until last night, mitch did have the ring and he was still planning on getting it, one way or another..

John snatched his hand from the painting as he backed up..He had killed her, after everything he had been through he had killed Caitlyn and last tonight he almost killed Natalie.

Natalie clutched her knife as they came up to what looked like a cave, it was pitch black inside..

"I have a bad feeling about this" Cris said with concern..

"well maybe you should of kept your ass at home" natalie snapped.."were gonna end this tonight, once and for all" she said as he neared the cave with her comrades beside her..

John tried to lay in his bed, he was uncomfortable, fidgety as he stared at the ceiling..This was all too much, all of it.. He tried to clear his thoughts of her but to no avail and then he saw her, natalie..

He again tried to shake the memories from his head but this felt different, real almost. He could see her, she was hurt and covered in blood. Then he heard the growling as he sat up, looking around the room as if he was crazy. She was there again, panting as she ran, her arm badly cut..He could see glowing eyes, the growling filled his head as he got to his feet now, was he sensing her? But how? Was she really in danger or was he just crazy.. Then he heard her scream and he couldnt stand by anymore, he ran to his door and then jetted down the hallway..

Natalie grabbed her arm as she ran, the blood was pouring down her arm and she was completely alone. The wolves had set up a trap, they had been waiting for them and in the chaosis of it all they became separated and currently a wolf was chasing her through the woods as she panted and ran as fast as she could..

The wolf was so close she could feel its hot breath on her neck and then the unthinkable happened, It pounced on her, sending her slamming hard into the ground as he hovered over her, foaming from the mouth. Big jaws opened wide and for a second it almost seemed like the wolf smiled. She was going to die, she stared the creature in the eye, refusing to look away, if this thing was going to take her out then she was gonna go out with dignity..

"go ahead you son of a bitch, do it!" she yelled as she braced herself for the fate that was surely awaiting her..The sound of a loud crack in the distance made her eyes go wide and then within seconds the wolf was on her, and it was dead, a bullet to the head. When she looked up he was standing there,gun in hand, it was John, he had come and once again he had saved her..