Author's Note – IMPORTANT INFO!!! (But before we get to that, tell me… how much do you love me for turning this chapter out so early?! LOL)
I would like to proudly announce that this series will have a new home with the Phoenix Virtual Television, www.pvtonline.com Come January (depending on when this series gets finished.)
The runner of the site contacted me a couple of weeks ago, informing me that he would like to re-air the "episodes" on a weekly basis, starting with chapter one (or ep. 10) and releasing the following chapters each Tuesday night. It will be paired with the "Dark Angel Virtual Series" (VS 3 has almost been finished, and I'm sure it will follow with a VS 4) of which I've been informed is their most popular series (which basically means I'm getting the best slot of the week! *squealing and jumping up and down*) It's already been mentioned in the Upload/Update section, so you can monitor the progress towards getting it set up there.
I'm very happy about this opportunity for my series, and even though it will still be available here at ff.net, I'm hoping you guys will check in on it at this site. A page will be
Constructed for it and everything, and I'm just tickled pink to have had this series selected. (Yet another squeal)
Don't forget to check out this site, it has a fairly large collection of virtual series, both based on actual tv series that have been cancelled, and original ideas. Most of which I think are really good.
Anyway, I guess I wasn't anybody's favorite person with the ending of that last chapter, huh? Well then… hopefully this one will redeem myself. (wink)
***
Summery – As Luke's life hangs in the balance, Sophia struggles against her fear that she might lose him. Even after all they've been through, all they've shared, their connection just might yet be severed by forces neither one of them can fight. As Sophia fights to remain strong in the face of her enemies, Ruby's hidden ability as a white wolf will finally awaken…
~~~
In the age of the Blood Moon, when its light will glow red from the spilled blood of the Ancestors, and the crimson of their Descendants will flow to stain the forest floor… the form of the white wolf will appear once again… But to battle the oncoming Darkness, its soul will reside… not in the shell of One… but in that of Two…
~~~
Sophia couldn't fight, couldn't speak. Could barely walk as Tyler came forward, grasped her tightly by the arm, and escorted out of the false security of the mansion, into the freezing, moist darkness of the soulless night. The cold rain soaking through her clothes and plastering them to her body. What had once been a place of beauty and magic, was as black and forbidding as the feeling of fear stealing across her heart. She felt the bits of shattered glass cutting into the soles of her bare feet, but strangely, she didn't feel the pain.
She didn't turn to look behind her. Didn't turn to look at the crumpled, unconscious body of Luke, lying in that mixture of rainwater and blood. Knowing that if she did, she's break down into a screaming, wailing mess on the floor. She couldn't do that, not with Tyler gripping her arm so hard that she feared he'd snap the bone.
No, if she was going to help Luke, she had to keep it together. Send out a mental call for help. Maybe a Skinwalker in the area would be close by and could–
Tyler's hand twisted harshly upon her skin, causing Sophia to light out a small cry. If she had been a human, he would have succeeded in shattering the bone. As it was, he was crushing it with his inhuman strength. She could hear the tendons grinding from the pressure, as agony went shooting up her arm. It accomplished what Tyler had wanted though. It had made her forget momentarily the call she needed to send out.
"I wouldn't try to call anyone for help, Sophia." He pointed out cheerfully, smiling down at her. Uncaring at the tears of hatred glistening in her lashes. "I would know the second you did, and I'd sure as hell hate to send one of the boys back in there to put a bullet in your lover's brain, just to finish the job."
Sophia's eyes narrowed as she realized that he wasn't bluffing. Luke's death would have already been assured, if it weren't for Tyler wanting to keep her submissive and under control. He had planned this well.
"You must be so proud." she gritted out between her teeth, as they started to walk deeper into the woods, rain still steadily coming down. Leaving behind the familiarity of the mansion. She tried her best to suppress her trembling as the cold rain began to steal away her body heat. Not even bothering to try and regulate her body temperature like all Skinwalkers could do. Right now, that would take more concentration than she was willing to give.
Tyler looked over at her, almost as if they were discussing the currently hostile weather. His cool gaze wandering over the front of her shirt where the rain had made the fabric transparent and was revealing her young form. "Hmm? Of what?"
Sophia looked up to glare coldly at him. "You've hit an all new record of the worst slime to ever exist in the Pack."
Tyler chuckled as his grip tightened in reprimand on her arm. His grip cutting off the circulation. Causing her entire limb to go numb.
His dry chuckle sent a chill down her spine. "I doubt that, but I'll take that as a compliment, my dear."
Never had Sophia wanted to kill someone as badly as she wanted to in that moment. But she knew that, despite her abilities of a white wolf, there was no way she could take Tyler down. He was nothing if he wasn't a full-blooded male Skinwalker, and a female, regardless of color, couldn't hope to overtake a male if he was expecting it. Even her ancestor, Rianna, the last white wolf in their history, had been guarded by her mate in order to continue as the Alpha of the Pack, as was her destiny at that time. Even she had had to rely on male muscle to keep her safe from those that would overthrow her.
If Ruby, who was older and definitely stronger, hadn't been able to take Tyler down, then what chance did she have against him? And then there were the six human but heavily armed Hunters also tagging along. All with their weapons aimed casually at her. Watching her every move.
She felt like screaming out in denial of this turn of events. It didn't sit well with her that she was so damn powerless at the moment. She might as well be the half-breed the town had her named for, seeing as how, in one terrifying moment, she had lost to this back stabbing traitor. Her abilities as a Skinwalker and white female might just have well been stripped away from her, for all the good they served her in this moment.
Instead, Sophia directed her hatred towards thinking her way through this situation. Obviously this hit had been meant for her, and only her, as they hadn't even bothered to give Luke a second thought as he lay bleeding on the hard-wood floor. Possibly dying.
This was a scary but successful amount of determination focused on her.
And she could only come to the conclusion that the only reason the Hunters were interested in a small teenage girl, was because they knew of her significance to the Pack.
And if they knew that, then they knew about her part in her people's prophecy… and her specified destiny as being one of their guardians, protectors… savior.
Obviously, they wouldn't want her to act on that destiny.
"So, is this what it has come to, Tyler?" Sophia spat out, catching herself when she stumbled on an exposed root. Not letting herself fall, simply because she knew if she did, he would gain too much enjoyment out of dragging her through the mud. "Betraying your own?"
Tyler shrugged. "What can I say? This whole town's perspective on the way things need to be done has grated on my nerves for some time. I do not think I owe them any loyalty – or you, for that matter – simply because we came from the same gene pool."
Sophia's gaze shot daggers at his obvious lack of guilt for betraying his Pack. "And what about Ruby, hmm? Are you going to turn your back on her too?"
Tyler's casual façade slipped for a moment, and Sophia caught a glimpse of the dangerous, cold-blooded wolf within, and it made her all too aware of her dangerous predicament. If he would have Luke shot, see the entire Pack destroyed, then he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. Here and now, in these woods… if so provoked.
Having caught the sudden scent of her fear, Tyler smiled cruelly, turning her body towards him, staring down at her coldly. Changing tactics. They had come upon a black van parked discreetly at the edge of the woods, as Tyler pulled her to a stop.
"Oh, don't worry. I have orders to bring you in, all in one piece. There are some people that are looking forward to making your acquaintance." He casually reached up to push a lock of hair away from Sophia's cheek. Causing her to shudder in disgust from the hideous contact. Tyler dropped his hand from her face. Taking the opportunity to brush his knuckles down the exposed skin of her throat… and further down the exposed valley between her breasts. Causing Sophia to feel sick to her stomach. She hadn't put a bra on after her and Luke had…
Again, she clenched her fist. Burying nails into the already torn flesh.
" 'Course," he contemplated softly, his gaze wandering down over her tensely held body. "Anything can happen in these woods." Sophia heard the van's door slide open, but she didn't dare to turn away from Tyler. Her eyes grew cold, even though inside she was screaming out in denial as Tyler's hand trailed to the side to cup her bare breast through the thin wet material of her shirt. His gaze calculating as he observed the hatred blazing from her gaze. Reminding him of another…
"Take your hand off me." Sophia spat out quietly. The growl in her throat rumbling through her words. Every bit the white female that she was. She stood her ground, not moving. But not submitting. The harsh lines of her stance stating her defiance. Her eyes demanding respect. She would not give in to his determination to see her cower in front of him. She might not have been so successful if it hadn't been for the fact that her senses discerned the truth. Despite his attempts to break her, there was no desire in his body for her. Despite what he was insinuating to her.
No, domination and humiliating her was all this was about. It was an opportunity that he couldn't pass up, and showed just how callous he could be. He was mocking not only the Pack, but also her position and value within it. Giving her no more respect than he would yet another piece of tail.
Sophia tilted her chin up as Tyler leaned in closer. His hand tightening painfully on her unprotected flesh. The rain began to slow, then stop. But it still didn't do anything for her, as her clothes were already dripping and hung heavy on her body. Her dark hair hanging down in soaked locks, some plastered around her face. She knew he could see as well as feel the lines of her body – nipples taut and dark against her pale skin from the cold – through her now-sheer clothing, and she couldn't recall a time where she felt more unclean. But she'd be damned before she'd let him see any more fear in her eyes.
"And why should I?" He taunted her. "I doubt that pup has performed well for you. Maybe I would be better suited to – "
"No." Sophia's calmly spoken word of authority gave Tyler pause. He raised his eyebrow at the authority in her voice.
"Excuse me?" He asked, amusement flickering across his eyes. Yes, she was very much like Ruby. It could have been her that stared out at him with those glittering eyes.
"You heard me." Her gaze never wavered.
Tyler cocked his head to the side as he studied her. "Hmm. Yes, I suppose you're entitled to your own opinion. But at the same time, you don't strike me as the kind to break under pressure. It might just be very interesting to see just how defiant you'd be with a real wolf between your thighs."
With those words, he firmly pinched her nipple between thumb and forefinger… and was rewarded with the slash of her claws across his cheek. The force of her hatred knocking his head to the side.
Tyler slowly turned back towards Sophia. His eyes flickering for a moment dangerously. Four furrows were cut deeply across his right cheek, but he seemed unaware of the blood trickling down his face. His hand was still wrapped around her breast in restraint as he leaned closer. A snarl of intimidation twisting his lips.
"Unless you want me to finish this…" With sudden force, he released the tender flesh, picked her up, and slammed her unceremoniously into the van. Her back smacking hard on the interior wall as she slide to the floorboards. A dent left from the impact above her. She crouched on all fours, careful to keep pressure off her bruised upper arm. Glaring at Tyler through the fall of her hair, eyes glowing venomously.
"You will do well to keep your comments to yourself." Tyler chuckled as he rubbed the back of his hand gingerly across his cheek. "Let's see if that inner fire of yours survives whatever the Hunters have planned for you." He beckoned at four of the men to climb in with her.
"Don't take your eyes off her." he cautioned, watching them climb in. He smirked at Sophia, as he shot another warning to the men, "But keep your hands off," He looked down at the back of his hand stained in his own blood. "She's rabid."
Sophia tossed her head up regally. Eyes frosted as she bared her teeth at him.
Tyler laughed at her expression, and started to say something else, when they were both hit with a hard mental call from both Vivian and Matt. Sophia's eyes widened as she realized that it was a warning to her and Luke. A warning that had come too late.
It was also a call for any Skinwalkers in the vicinity of the Mansion to head there immediately to lend protection towards their Alpha's son, and one of the white females of their species.
Tyler gaze shot to Sophia's sharply. He held up a hand, extending a finger, and shook it cautiously at her. His jaw tightening.
"Not one word, do you understand? Or Luke will be dead long before any of them will be able to help him."
With those words, he slid the door of the van closed. Sealing out the night. Sophia had the sudden hope that he wouldn't be going with her, but even that small chance of victory was denied to her when saw him climb into the front passenger seat. No doubt going along to keep her in line… and make sure she didn't call out for help.
Sophia tried to keep herself from panicking as she tried to think her way through this. Keeping her eyes away from the group of formidable Hunters with their weapons pointed at her. She could sense their eyes traveling over her body hungrily, and sensed their arousal. But even knowing they wouldn't touch her, she couldn't help the shudder that went through her.
She couldn't send a call on the public mental line of her people, because then Tyler would hear, and she wasn't going to risk him going back to kill Luke. Even if he was most assuredly dying now. Maybe already dead.
No! A scream echoed in her head. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't. She'd know if he was. That was just her weakness talking. Their connection was still strong, even though she couldn't reach him on their private mental link. He'd hit his head hard on the corner of the fireplace… that had to be the reason why he was unconscious. Why he couldn't answer her calls.
No, she couldn't give in to doubt right now. She had to believe that he would live. She had to do anything she could to save him.
Suddenly, it clicked with her. Tyler didn't know about the private mental link she had formed with Ruby. She herself hadn't known about it till yesterday. It wasn't something he would expect. He knew that private links could be created between mates, which is probably the main reason why he had had Luke shot. But he never would have guessed that one had been formed between her and Ruby.
And with that in mind, she closed her eyes and concentrated at grasping upon that thin silver filament that connected one white female to the other…
******
Ruby stretched sinuously underneath the warm down comfort. Curving her body into John's sleeping one. Even in his rest, his arm came around her waist and pulled her closer. His lips curving slightly as she snuggled in closer. Letting out a contented sigh against the warmth of his neck.
They had spent the whole day at Sherman's, recuperating. And although they hadn't liked being cooped up while everyone else had spent the day trying to figure out the plans of the Hunters, they knew that they hadn't had a choice in the matter. The quicker their wounds healed, the faster they'd be able to help. They wouldn't be any good in another attack if they were still messed up from the last one.
So they had stayed put. Helping when they could with going over some of Sherman's documents, but mostly trying to make as much use of the rest that they had.
It had been one hell of a week.
Ruby closed her eyes as she listened to the patter of the rain on the roof as it started to slow, and then ended. She heard the front door open, and jerked her head up, alert, listening cautiously. Wolven hearing seeking out the source of the sound. She relaxed when she heard that it was Sherman's pacing that went outside. Not that of an intruder coming in.
She shook her head wryly and let it sink back into the down pillow. Body fully relaxing as she fell asleep, her limbs entwined with those of her mate's. Listening to the sound of the grandfather clock ticking gently in the hallway.
Quiet descended over the house. The sudden silence of the rain disconcerting after having its downpour for the last 24 hours.
Suddenly, Ruby shot up straight in bed. The last traces of sleep fleeing as her eyes became alert and glowing. Her sudden movement and gasp immediately awakening John.
Quickly sitting up, his hands came to rest on Ruby's shoulders. His concern visible.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
Ruby braced herself up on the mattress, the glow of her eyes intensifying as she looked over at John. The sight of her inhumanely beautiful in the darkness of the room.
John sensed her body already preparing to Change, and his concern grew. Something was very, very wrong.
"Sophia and Luke are in trouble."
******
By the time that Vivian and Matt arrived at the mansion, they knew they had been too late.
The front of the house almost looked like it had been blown in. The front door was wrecked. Hanging haphazardly by the bottom hinge. The frame laying in pieces. The windows had been shattered. Letting wind and the rain from the storm intrude within.
As they ran up the front steps, both of them shed their wolven pelts simultaneously, leaping over the thousands of pieces of glass that littered the entryway.
Matt senses immediately discerned that Sophia was no longer anywhere in the house. A cry of denial rose in his throat, but he stifled it, as he recognized instantaneously the heavy scent of blood wafting to them from the living room.
Turning towards the entrance to the living room, he was confronted with the sight of Luke sprawled out on his back in front of the fireplace. Unconscious, with blood and water surrounding him in a large puddle. Shawn, having heard the mental cry they had sent out just moments before, had come as quickly as he could. He looked up at Vivian and Matt, and the relief in his worried eyes was visible. His palm was pressed tightly over the wound. Trying to staunch the blood flow. He looked down at Luke's chest, and then back to the two. His eyes distraught. Frosted hair hanging down over his forehead.
"The bleeding won't quit. I can't stop it."
Vivian was there before Matt had even crossed the threshold. And almost knocked Shawn out of the way in her haste to get to Luke's side. Shawn but as much distance between him and his Alpha, while still keeping his palm locked over the opening in Luke's chest.
"Luke?" Vivian questioned frantically as she tilted his head towards her. Begging for some response. She saw the matt of blood coating the side of his head, and realized that he had been knocked unconscious. "Oh god, please…" Vivian prayed breathlessly, as she tried to reach out to Luke, both through mental pathway, as well as vocally.
"Luke! Come on, baby. You need to open your eyes." Vivian looked around her frantically, and then took over for the younger boy as she ordered him to go find some towels and bring them here.
Shawn gave up his grip on the wound as Vivian pressed her palm over it. The gush of blood coating her trembling fingers before she could press down hard enough to slow it down.
Matt grabbed the towels from Shawn as the boy came back into the room. Making it to Vivian's side, he forcibly pulled Vivian away and took over. His strength pressing in hard over the gunshot. He didn't like how pale Luke was.
"Shawn, did you see anything?" he asked harshly, looking over at Luke's friend.
He shook his head quickly. "No, I was out running when I heard your warning, and I made it over here as quickly as possible. When I got here, I found Luke like this," he beckoned towards the unconscious form.
"Damn it!" Matt hissed, looking up at Vivian. "We should have seen this coming!" Matt's eyes were just as tormented as Vivian's. The fear in the back of his mind wouldn't go away, and the questions that were running through his mind were not that of wondering who or why had Sophia had been taken, but where she was. That and his desperate need to find her.
Shawn ran a bloody hand through his hair; oblivious to the crimson streaks he had just placed in it. "When I arrived, Sophia wasn't here. Do you think they have her?"
Vivian met the tortured look in Matt's eyes with one of her own. She would have liked to tell him that everything was going to be alright, but right now, her duty as an Alpha to reassure other members of her Pack had flown out the window when she had seen her son lying here. At this moment, her and Matt were no different than any other parent would be with the knowledge that their children had been marked for death.
She looked away and sent an order to Shawn. "You need to go in the hallway and call Sherman. Tell him what's happened and tell he needs to come ri–"
"Don't bother." A voice spoke up from the hallway as Ruby and John ran into the living room. Both naked from the Change back into human form. The still healing wounds visible in her thigh and his shoulder. "Sherman is already on his way."
Ruby quickly strode over to Luke's side and dropped down, studying her half-brother's pale countenance. Her lips pressed hard together as she looked down at the wound. It had missed his heart, but he would bleed to death if they didn't do something soon.
Vivian looked down at the soaked towel in Matt's hand and started to shake. "Why isn't the bleeding stopping?"
Matt shook his head slowly. Sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "I don't know."
"Silver." Ruby whispered slowly. Instinctively sensing what the bullet had been made of.
"That's just a myth!" Vivian looked at Ruby in reprimand. "Silver doesn't have an affect on our people! Not like this!"
Ruby's jaw tightened in frustration. "Apparently whatever form of silver they're using does." She didn't know how she knew this, heaven knew she had never studied silver, but she knew it was true. Whatever type the Hunters had used on her brother, was causing a poison to spread through the entry wound. Making him unable to heal in the way of their kind.
"Ruby, do you know if So–"
Ruby cut Matt off, knowing what he was trying to ask. "She's alive, Matt. She contacted me on our mental path and told me what happened. It was the Hunters." She looked up to meet Matt's stressed expression. "Tyler," her voice hissed over the mention of his name, "was apparently in charge of the hit."
Matt and Vivian both stilled for a spilt second as they allowed this new knowledge to sink in. Matt's gaze became murderous. Eyes flickering bright yellow as his entire body tensed over that of his daughter's mate. Even Ruby leaned back a little when she sensed the utter black rage emitting from this man that she, in some ways, viewed as a father. She knew then and there, that somewhere, sometime… Tyler was going to die. No matter what happened to the Pack between now and then.
Vivian let out a hiss as she looked down at her son. She clenched her hands at her sides, literally trembling with the hatred for the man that had once been her lover, and Ruby reevaluated her premonition.
Correction. Tyler wasn't going to live through the next 48 hours.
******
(Soundtrack Suggestion – "1,000 Oceans" by "Tori Amos" on the album To Venus And Back I think this is probably one of the best songs that Tori sings, and is a guaranteed tear jerker. I love this song, and I think it fits with what Sophia is feeling at the moment. This won't really be a song fic, but I will insert four separate lines from the chorus verse, which grasp the overall meaning of the piece…)
/These tears I've cried… I've cried, a thousand oceans…/'How is he?' Sophia asked Ruby across their mind-link. Trying to keep from panicking. She curled up in the corner of the van, as far away from the two men as she could. She kept her face down and averted, so they wouldn't suspect anything.
Ruby's reply came immediately. Her words frank. Knowing that if the situation were reversed, she'd want Sophia to be honest.
'It's bad, Sophia. He's still unconscious from where he hit his head. The bullet missed his heart, but… it's made out of some type of silver. Apparently a form of the mineral that is dangerous to our kind. Sherman's coming to help… but I just don't know. I just don't know…'
Sophia's face tightened as she tried to keep the tears back. Choking on the cry of pain trying to force its way out of her throat. She clenched her eyes tightly shut. They burned with her emotion. If Luke's body couldn't heal because of what the bullet was made out of, then the bleeding wasn't going to stop. And it wasn't like he was human, as to where they could take him to a hospital. Sherman was the only one that might be able to do something, but if he didn't get there soon…
On the outside, no one would have been able to tell anything by the emotionless shell Sophia had become.
On the inside, she was screaming.
/…And if it seems I'm floating in the darkness…well… I can't believe I would keep you from flying…/
'Sophia, don't! You have to be strong! Do you know where you are?' Ruby had been flooded with the overflow of Sophia's emotions, and she needed the younger girl to get her emotions under control, for the both of them.
Sophia struggled to get herself back together. Quickly brushing off a wayward tear that had tracked its way down her cheek before her captors could see it. Her small body trembled slightly, but not from the cold.
'No. Currently we're in route to wherever it is they're taking me. Tyler said something about some people that wanted to meet me.' Sophia finished that last part dryly. The knowledge of what was awaiting her wasn't going to be pleasant sitting heavily in her stomach.
It didn't take Ruby long to come to this conclusion either. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.
Sophia suddenly jerked upright warily as the van slowed down and turned onto a gravel road. Knowing that they were close to wherever it was that she was being taken.
Having locked so tightly onto the private mental link that they shared, Ruby took that knowledge from Sophia's mind, along with the sense of rising panic in her brother's mate, and she was determined to find out anything she could about where Sophia had been taken.
'Do you recognize where you are? What road you're on?'
'There aren't any windows in the van.'
'Then don't use your sight. Use your hearing.'
Sophia closed her eyes obediently and cranked the internal volume of her wolven hearing to full strength. The sound of the vehicle she was riding in causing her head to throb. But she was able to, despite the sound overload, to recognize the sound of water sloshing and slapping gently, rhythmically against the shore.
'I'm close to the lake. Very close. I can hear it nearby.'
'Anything else?'
Sophia squeezed her eye shut tighter, and had to catch herself before physically shaking her head no.
'Okay then. Keep this mind-link open the whole time so I can monitor your surroundings once you're out of the van, and we'll be on our way as soon as possible.'
This time, Sophia did shake her head minutely. 'Not until Luke is out of danger.'
'Sophia…'
'I'm not going to argue with you, Ruby. Take care of him!'
'Don't worry. We're doing everything we can.'
Sophia caught her breath as the black van made another turn into what was probably a driveway, and slide to a silent stop. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, as a knot formed in her throat. She heard Tyler get out of the front, and come around to the side. His pace unhurried, leisurely, as if he was just on a typical outing. Of course, for him, kidnapping girls probably was a typical evening.
As he slid open the door of the van, Sophia sent one last thought to Ruby.
'Don't let anything happen to him, Ruby.' her tone was pleading, even through their mind-link. The sound causing Ruby to blink her eyes rapidly against the pain in the younger girl's voice. 'Please save him. I can endure anything they throw at me. So long as I know he's okay…'
/I'm aware of what the rules are… but you know that I will follow you, over silbury hill, and through the solar field… You know that I will follow you…/
'You're not alone, Sophia. I'll be there with you every step of the way. And we will get you out of there.'
Sophia took a deep steadying breath before calmly facing Tyler as he beckoned her out of the van. Strangely quiet.
"I still don't understand, Tyler." Sophia commented as she stepped down. Tyler again grasping her arm. She flinched slightly at the contact of his fingers around her bruised flesh, but this time, he was careful not to apply any pressure. So long as she kept up with him. Her bare feet stumbled slightly as the gravel cut into the already slashed soles. They were walking to a strange building that she didn't recall having seen before. Ruby had sunk back into a corner of her mind, but her presence was still a soothing balm on Sophia's fraying nerves as she kept pace with her abductor and traitor.
"What's in this for you? How are you going to benefit from all this?"
Tyler scowled at her. "I benefit by not having to put up anymore with Vivian, or Sherman, or all the rest of you that have chosen to ignore our species calling. Instead, I will finally be rid of this place, and the Hunters will turn a blind eye to my leaving."
Sophia scoffed. "And you honestly believe them?" she asked disbelievingly.
Tyler's grip tightened slightly. Causing her to wince again. "I'll be gone long before they could even try to change their minds."
"Then why didn't you leave a long time ago?" Sophia asked. Making use of his momentary distraction to survey her surroundings. She had grown up in this town, had thought she'd been over every inch of it at least a dozen times. But this was one place that she couldn't remember having ever seen before. She just hoped that Ruby was getting all of this, in the hopes that she'd have a better recollection of the location.
Tyler chuckled. "And miss the opportunity to see all of you who stood in my way destroyed? Never. I'm not one to pass up such a good show. Especially in these parts."
They came to a door in the side of the building, and Tyler knocked on it, waiting for someone on the other side to open. The more Sophia looked at the building, the more it resembled an old, but small version of a warehouse, yet still in very good condition. As if it was still in use. It didn't make any sense. She knew she was still in Wolf Lake, because the actual Lake was less then two hundred yards away. This building overlooked it from where it was nestled in the tree line. And the lake reflected the image of–
Sophia did a double take of the reflection. Unable to believe her eyes. This time, she didn't even bother suppressing the cry of shock that raised to her lips. If Tyler hadn't been holding her so securely, she knew she that her legs would have given out from underneath her at the sight.
The lake was reflecting a full, but bloody crimson colored moon hanging from the inky blackness of the night sky, after being revealed by the parting storm clouds.
Not even the stars were able to create their normally magical presence with the foreboding aura of the demon-like orb cast not only over Wolf Lake, but that of the very heavens. The first verse of the prophecy had been revealed.
In the age of the Blood Moon, when its light will glow red from the spilled blood of the Ancestors…
Tyler followed her line of sight, and let out a low whistle. He too, was taken aback a bit by the sight. He looked over at the expression of Sophia's face as she stared at the proof of the prophecy. Beside them the door was opened. Revealing another two darkly clothed, and almost faceless Hunters standing there. Ready to take their captive into custody.
"So," he started snidely. His tone grating like nails on glass, causing Sophia to start, pulling her gaze away from the horror of the night. "Looks like at least one part of your prophecy is true. Pity you won't live to see the rest of it come about."
Sophia looked at him calmly. Eyes unafraid. "You don't know that."
"No?" Tyler replied. Arching his brow at her. "The whole purpose of this, sweetheart, is to break you away from Ruby, so there is no chance of you two ganging up together to see that prophecy through. I don't think the Hunters are going to let you live long enough to really concern your head with ideas of running away from them to do just that."
With those words, he pushed her towards the two Hunters. The hands closing like vises around Sophia's shoulders, even as the impact from her stumble landed her hard against the chest of one. She looked up into his face, he looked to be in his middle twenties, but could have been much older than that, as his eyes… she'd never seen eyes that old before. He looked down at her unflinchingly with dark eyes, devoid of all emotion. His black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, revealing the sharp angles and valleys of his face, which looked like it had been chiseled from ice. She shuddered against his grip. Fear once again rearing its ugly head as the door swung closed. Cutting off the outside as the men began to escort her away. At once Ruby was there, flooding her mind with warmth and comfort. Reminding her that even in this place, this uncertain… hell, she wasn't alone.
It was that, and only that, that allowed Sophia to walk on her own to whatever it was that awaited her at the end of this dark hallway, instead of having to be carried. She thought back on Rianna, her ancestor, and it helped to lend her strength. That, as well as the feel of the woman's pendant brushing against her skin under the still very damp blouse that she had already pulled away self-consciously from her body, and buttoned it up to her chin. Her bare feet stinging slightly with each step after having superficially cut them on the shattered bits of glass back at the Mansion.
She took comfort in knowing that Ruby was sharing her mind, trying to find a way to help her. She took comfort in the knowledge of what Rianna must have faced during her time in the Darkness that their people had faced so long ago. Even worse then what she was facing now. She had the sudden knowledge that, if she believed in ghosts, if she believed in the spirits of others hanging around on Earth instead of going on to their eternal Home, then she believed that Rianna would have been walking right alongside her. Proud of her great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter's courage. Courage that didn't come from her being the white wolf or future mate to the Alpha... But from being Sophia Donner, the town's half-human 17-year-old teenager.
And more than worthy of her lineage.
And as Sophia continued to walk down that hallway, coming upon yet another door, she knew that despite what happened in there once she arrived… Despite what happened to Luke back at the Mansion as he fought to keep his life from slipping beyond his grasp, they were still together. Even at this time and place, he was still with her. Sophia's mind flashed back to various moments in time. Luke guarding over her in wolf form when she had run into John Kanin for the first time, so many nights ago... Luke's yellow eyes watching her in the rear-view mirror of his car… Laughing with her in his car before pushing the speed up and beyond the limit in an attempt to share with her what it felt like to Flip… him standing in front of her at one of the Raves, shirt flapping open in the breeze as he had tried to tempt her past what she was willing to give… Even to when he had pissed her off, and she'd tossed him into his car, cratering the windshield. His stunned but slightly pleased expression at the sudden show of the wolf within her.
He had protected her, infuriated her, tempted her, and yes… had even broken her heart.
And then there were the moments that had come after. Luke coming to her when she'd been caught in her Flip. Merging his mind with her to show her that it was okay to let go. Images of his body pressed against her bare back protectively in that dream-like moment were still as vivid to her, as when they had made love for the first time. The memory of his body moving deeply within hers as the meteors in the sky lit it up in a dazzling, shooting display.
Sophia closed her eyes as the images shifted to them running under the stars in wolf form, fur brushing up against one another intimately. Of him teasing her, taunting her playfully. And back again to them joined together. Except this time, the images of this afternoon danced in her head. The way his hands had touched her as if she was made of the most precious silk. The passion in his eyes, and the ecstasy in his expression as he received pleasure from her body.
/I'm aware of what the rules are… but you know that I will follow you, over silbury hill, and through the solar field… You know that I will follow you…/
Their souls were tied irrevocably to one another, and Sophia took strength in that realization, that belief. Knowing that, no matter what happened, whether one or both of them lived or died, she would see him soon. In this realm… or the next.
They would be together again.
These tears I've cried… I've cried a thousand oceans. And if it seems, I'm floating in the darkness. Well, I can't believe I would keep… keep you from flying… So I would cry, a thousand more… if that's what it takes… to sail you home… Sail you home… Sail… Sail you home…
******
"How bad is it?" Matt asked Sherman quietly. A knot forming in his stomach as he observed the grimness of the older man's expression. Sherman looked back at him. The open starkness to his eyes momentarily startling Matt.
"The bullet is lodged close to the main arteries leading from his heart. If I pull it out, they could rupture and he would most certainly die. But if I don't, his body won't be able to heal itself, and he'll bleed out completely."
"Oh, god." Matt heard Vivian moan, but he didn't spare her a glance. Instead, his voice rose an octave as he locked onto the eyes of their Keeper.
"Sherman, you have to make a decision here. If he's going to die anyway, then you have to at least try."
For the first time in Matt's life, he was confronted with something he had thought he would never see in Sherman Blackstone's expression. Fear. Fear and uncertainty. The other man didn't know what to do.
Matt looked down at Luke in desperation. Seeing how pale the countenance of the young pup was. He could hear Luke's heartbeat slowing down far beyond what was capable of supporting him for long. Luke was dying. His daughter's mate was dying, and there was nothing that Matt could do.
He had never hidden his displeasure of the boy. Never hidden the fact that he didn't trust him, or believe that he was even remotely worthy of Sophia. He had known his daughter was attracted to Luke, and he had fought to keep them apart. Telling Sophia over and over again how dangerous Lucas Cates was. He should know, as, once upon a time… he had been Luke. He had told her how Luke wasn't reliable. How he would never care for anyone but himself. How he would only want one thing from Sophia, and once he had it, he would turn his back on her. Leaving her to the cruel existence she would face as a Skinwalker forever trapped in Wolf Lake. Alone and forgotten. Forever bound to this world, this life. That Luke would take Sophia's future, rip it to shreds, and never think twice about it. He had told her this over and over again; that she wouldn't find what she was looking for in Wolf Lake's bad boy.
But he had been wrong.
He hadn't realized just how much he had been, till he saw the look in Luke's eyes when he braved facing him down the night of Sophia's Flip. Not many would have done that. In fact, Matt didn't think anyone would have done that. It was well reputed in the Pack how deeply Matt felt for his daughter, and how the mere threat to her existence would just as easily drive him to strike out at anyone that would come near her, then to allow them to help. And it was true; that night had been the closest he had ever come to going completely out of control.
But Luke hadn't backed down. He had known that Sophia had been in trouble, and that he had the power to save her. Matt had known it as well. And even though it had pissed him off so thoroughly to know that his daughter was going to life bond with the one that he had tried his hardest to keep her away from… for Sophia's life, he would have done anything, and allowed anyone go to her.
Maybe he had always known, that Sophia and Luke were supposed to be together. Maybe that was why he had fought to keep them apart. Destiny couldn't be harnessed, couldn't be controlled… but it hadn't stopped him from trying. Hadn't stopped him from hoping. He had wanted something better for Sophia than Wolf Lake. Anything besides this town. But he didn't think that that was what Sophia had wanted. Not for a long time. Instead, she had chosen this life, with all its consequences. And had chosen the boy that Matt had original believed would have destroyed her, as surely as Tyler had tried to do to Ruby.
But the one thing that had earned Luke a small bit of Matthew's respect, was the expression in the younger man's eyes when he had stood up to him. The one that had stated quite clearly to Matthew that he didn't care what he thought, what he said, or what he allowed… he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't leaving. He had stood up to Matt, and if he had had to, he would have gone through him to get to Sophia.
And that was when Matt had given in against trying to fight Destiny. And considering how Luke had stood by Sophia's side through the last week. Actions spoke a hell of a lot louder than words, as to how much the kid had changed.
That and the bleeding, broken body of that other pup that had threatened to take Sophia away from Luke.
Matt smiled painfully. Yeah, the kid had earned his respect. In fact, he saw a hell of a lot of himself in him. The way he had been – Pack bad boy and party animal – before a certain gentle but strong willed mortal human woman had walked into his life, and stolen his wolven heart away.
But now Luke was dying, and there wasn't anything Matt could do to save him. And the only thing that he could think of, was that Sophia was going to go through the same damn thing her father had when Marie had died. Her soul literally ripped away from their bond.
A tear trickled down Matt's cheek unchecked. It would destroy her.
While Matt was lost in his reverie, Ruby was somewhere else. She heard Sherman saying there wasn't anything he could do. She heard Matt's sudden silence as he withdrew into himself, and she heard Sherman telling Vivian how sorry he was. How he stood up, clothes rustling, to comfort and control their Alpha, as a part of her went mad. Screaming out in denial and crying into Sherman's shoulder. Her fists beating on his chest.
She heard all of it, but it was like she wasn't even in her body anymore. Like it was all coming from so far away. All she could focus one was the sound to the steady, rhythmic pulse of her heart, pounding loudly in her chest. Eventually drowning out all the noises around her. She listened to her heart… echoing that of the sluggish pace her brother's dying heart was setting, Knowing it wouldn't be long before that heartbeat was silent.
John was watching Ruby carefully, seeing how pale she had become. He swallowed painfully, feeling the torment of the room like a knife. He glanced over to where Shawn was trying to help Sherman control Vivian… Matt still pressing the bloody towel against the entry wound, hoping against hope that it would suddenly clot and heal. Yet knowing in his heart that it wouldn't… and then he looked back to Ruby, who, by all outward appearances, wasn't even attached to her body anymore.
"Ruby?" He whispered gently as he knelt down beside her, where she sat next to her brother. Her bare legs and naked torso covered in his blood. Her dark hair hung down around her downcast face, shielding her from view. The thick locks falling over her naked chest. John felt a sudden panic when he couldn't sense her through their mind link. It was like she had shut down… or… had shut him out.
Reaching out to her, he jumped at the sudden sound of her mental voice across their intimate link. Ringing with authority.
'Don't! Don't touch me.'
'Ruby…'
'I mean it, John.'
'What's wrong, Ruby? What's happening?'
It was a long time before Ruby answered. She couldn't explain it. It was like a part of her was waking up. One that she hadn't been aware of before this moment. Or… maybe she had. Maybe she had always known it was there, but like a barely remembered dream, it had disappeared from her at the dawn's early light. Shying away from revealing itself too early. A part of her heritage, her destiny… A part of her legacy as a white wolf.
But now… Now it was stepping out from the darkness of her sup-conscious, and into the light of a new dawn. One that was going to bring about a lot of change to Ruby's life. And hopefully, to those around her as well.
She was so quiet there for a moment, that when her voice finally did come, he wasn't sure if it was through mind link or through vocal. It was the lack of response of those around him that answered that question.
'I can save him, John. I can heal Luke.'
******
Sophia was led into a darkened room, where she was greeted by a fairly large, dark skinned man. His black eyes washed over her coldly, and Sophia had trouble suppressing her shudder. Death was in those eyes.
He beckoned her captors to bring her over to the far wall, where what appeared to be old-fashioned manacles hung down, A foreshadowing of what was to come.
She didn't fight them as they led her over. Didn't fight them as she saw that those manacles weren't as old as she originally thought. They were fairly new, and were bolted heavily to the concrete wall. She swallowed as she saw the splatters of blood coating that wall and those manacles, and knew that they belonged to a Skinwalker. Some of it was old and brown, while the rest of it looked fresh and still wet.
…and the crimson of their Descendants will flow to stain the forest floor…
She didn't fight them as they turned her around, raised her arms above her head, and fastened the cuffs to her wrists. Tightening them down till she could feel the edges cutting into her flesh. They weren't taking any chances, she noted wryly. She noticed with a sudden jolt of fear, that she couldn't feel Ruby anymore. The older girl had disappeared from her mind. Giving no reason to have done so. Sophia closed her eyes against her tears, as she tried to reach Ruby through their connection. But the connection had been blocked as surely as it would if someone had slammed a door in her face. The only reason why she could think that Ruby would have done that, was because there was something going on, something involving Luke, that she didn't want her to know about.
She was on her own.
Sophia opened her eyes again, and provided no resistance against her bonds. She didn't fight them, because she knew she didn't have a chance of winning. Better to wait for an opportunity to present itself, and maybe, just maybe have a chance of getting out of here in one piece, than to risk it now, and ultimately face a most assured death.
She watched calmly as the others left the room. None of them saying a single word. A dark-skinned man had stayed behind though, and Sophia had the sudden feeling that this was the last Hunter alive that she wanted to be left alone with. The way his eyes looked at her… it was like she was staring into a thousand unmentionable horrors that her people had been faced with, and their screams of agony still echoed in those depths.
What was more, was that she saw he enjoyed inflicting pain in all its forms, and he wasn't going to stop with them, or even with her. This man would continue to hunt any of those that caught his twisted fancy. And he would hunt them purely for the love of the kill. The taste of the blood. The thrill.
And they had the nerve to call her species unholy.
She tilted her chin up high, and met his gaze calmly, coolly. Whatever happened, she would never, never show this monster fear.
He studied her for a moment, like one might study an interesting sculpture. His gaze cool and unflinching as they probed into the depths of hers. Amused at her lack of fear and complete acceptance over her predicament, the way she held herself perfectly still, like she was that said sculpture. Not blinking. Barely breathing… and he looked forward to when he would smash this statue to pieces.
Without a single word, he turned around and left her there, by herself in the near darkness. The door shutting behind him, lock sliding into place.
Sophia sagged against her bonds, closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. Trying to gain control over the debilitating fear clawing its way to the surface. She knew she couldn't give in to it, or she would surely be lost.
It was then that she realized she wasn't as alone as she had originally thought. Hearing a barely audible moan coming from the shadowed corner of the room, she peered into it. Making out a huddled broken form, lying crumpled there in a bloody torn heap.
A cry of denial rose in Sophia's throat as her instincts confirmed who it was, long before it weakly turned towards her. A once darkly seductive face now bruised and torn beyond belief. Framed by a familiar wealth of blond curls.
Sophia closed her eyes against the sight. Nodding slowly in affirmation when Presley's hoarse, whispered question reached her.
"S-Sophia?"
******
Ruby didn't waste anytime. She knew that with every minute that passed, Luke was closer to dying. She could already feel him slipping away.
Reaching forward, she pushed Matt's hand away from Luke's bloody chest. Grabbing his wrist in a vise-like clamp when he tried to replace it. Determined silver eyes stared into his for a moment as she shook her head, and resolutely pushed his hand away yet again. This time, Matt leaned back on his haunches, watching her warily.
Ruby leaned over Luke's body, her hand coming up to press into the still bleeding wound. The life-giving fluid seeping around her fingers and making her grip slippery. Her other hand came to rest for support on his abdomen, as she closed her eyes.
In that moment, the wild, unpredictable, and passionate Ruby Cates – daughter of the deceased Alpha and a schizophrenic, ex-mate to the traitor and murderer Tyler Creed, and soul mate to the human-recently-turned-Skinwalker Seattle PD John Kanin, who the whole town had fought to keep her away from – ceased to exist. Simply because Ruby didn't know how to do what needed to be done. Didn't know how she was going to save her brother. Doubted that it could even be done, and that right there would have sealed Luke's fate.
Instead, the white wolf from within, as old as the time when the first of their species had walked the earth, and as timeless as eternity, took control. Knowing exactly what needed to be done.
The sight of Ruby's sudden movements towards Luke caught the attention of Sherman, still holding Vivian's shaking body close to him, and he saw that sudden glow to her eyes. Saw it, and recognized it for what it was. He became very still and tense as he waited. Praying that he was about to see a miracle. The miracle of a gift that she might have been given due to her heritage.
Vivian's grief-stricken eyes followed the path of Sherman's, and she tried to understand what he was seeing that she wasn't.
"What is she–?"
Sherman cut her off suddenly. His grip on her bare arm tightening as she tried to go to the fallen body of her son.
"Do not!" Sherman hissed at her. He yanked her back around to face him. His dark eyes glittering with emotion as he demanded her attention. "If you value your son's life, then do nothing. Say nothing."
Vivian swallowed at the hard tones of his harshly spoken words – he had never talked to her like that – and turned back around. Watching Ruby and Luke closely, but not interfering. Confusion and pain danced in her eyes. Matt slowly stood up and walked over to her, taking her from Sherman had wrapping his arms around her tightly in comfort. Vivian pressed her face into the hollow of his throat and breathed deeply. Trying to fight back the sobs in her throat. She was almost afraid to believe that there was hope that Luke could make it. That Ruby would pull out some miracle from her white wolf abilities. But her son was not dead yet, and she grasped a hold of that hope with both hands and clutched it to her bleeding heart. Hoping against hope that Ruby could do it. That she could save her son.
As Ruby closed her eyes, no hesitation on her part was present. Knowing instinctively what to do, she locked onto her brother's waning life force, and set to work. Her mind reaching out, connecting with his, and her 'spirit' cascading down into his body.
She could feel herself racing along inside his veins, intent on her goal. Not pausing for anything. Felt herself come upon the bullet. Saw the damage it had inflicted… tearing through muscle and bone. Shattering the structure so close to his struggling heart beat. So close that the slightest movement of the bullet could very well end his life. But nevertheless, she knew how to handle this. She knew what needed to be done.
Shielding the workings of his heart, and wrapping herself around the bullet, she focused… and slowly started to 'push' the bullet up. Not stopping as it slowly inched its way towards the entry wound. Careful not to tear into any more blood vessels on the way up.
Knowing when it finally exited Luke's body, Ruby back-tracked. Going back down into the slender tunnel tearing it's way through his body. She could already see that, in part, she had been right. The bullet had been made of silver. But this silver was no different than any other kind. And as their history had proven time and time again against the silly superstitions of humans, silver had no affect on their kind.
But the poison that the bullet had been coated in, was a different story all together.
It had left its traces throughout the entryway. Filtering into what was left of Luke's blood flowing through his veins. She could see its tiny blackish green particles at work. Keeping Luke's boy from healing itself. Whatever this was, it wasn't something that their species could afford dealing with right now. And the threat it posed was too much to think about
Setting aside her fears of the unknown drug, she attacked it with a vigor. Imagining herself burning through every last bit of it. Sending it away, harmless now, on the sluggish current of Luke's life force. Unable to do any more damage.
After that, she went back to the entry wound, and helped urge Luke's slow to respond healing properties into overdrive. Healing the wound from the inside out. Not ignoring a single piece of bone, muscle, blood vessel, or tendon. No matter how minute. She slowly backed herself out of the slender tunnel. Healing as she went. Sealing the wound from the inside out.
When she finally pulled out, it was to overwhelming weakness and disorienting dizziness.
She could barely stay upright, as she felt the blood rush from her suddenly drawn face. A minute, an hour, or a day could have passed since she had entered Luke's body. And at the moment, she had no idea which. The only thing she was aware of was the sudden vertigo of falling backwards, strong familiar arms catching her protectively before her body could hit the floor, and the black whirlpool starting to descend over her consciousness.
"Blood," she murmured before that black current carried her away. "He needs a transfusion… quickly…" With those words, she let out a sigh as the soothing darkness gathered her into its embrace, and carried her off into sweet oblivion. John still holding her passed-out form tightly in his embrace. Her head cradled against his chest comfortingly.
John looked up in stunned surprise at the others in the room. Everyone stood there in complete shock. Hardly believing what they had just seen. In the span of about 15 minutes, Ruby had just written history as she did the impossible. Saving her brother from the clutches of Death.
The sight of her leaning over Luke; a bluish white light admitting from her hands, and glowing from within Luke's shattered chest as it healed his wound – was a sight none of them would forget anytime soon.
Sherman was the first one to recover. Leaning down, he inspected Luke's now healed, but still very bloody chest with an expression that was as close to stunned disbelief as John had ever seen.
Vivian pulled away from Matt to drop to her knees beside Luke. Trying to keep it together herself.
"I don't believe it. He's going to be okay." She whispered softly, Her hand reaching up to brush a lock of hair off of his forehead.
Sherman's expression suddenly turned grim. "He's not quite out of the woods yet. Ruby's right, he needs a transfusion immediately."
"I'll give it to him." Matt spoke up. Stepping forward. He was slightly taken aback when Shawn suddenly came forward and grasped his arm in disagreement.
"No. The Pack, and your daughter need you at full strength." Shawn stubbornly pointed out. Suddenly more mature than his party-image would admit. He pushed back the streak of blond hair that fell into his face. "Luke is like a brother to me… I'll do it."
Matt nodded slowly in agreement and stepped back. Letting the younger boy go forward in his place.
Sherman beckoned him to sit down, as he took transfusion needles and a tube out of his medical case. Slipping one into the vein on Sean's outstretched arm, and the other into Luke's. Waiting tensely as the dark blood from Shawn slithered quickly down the slender clear tube, and crawled into Luke's depleted flow.
Sherman looked at his watch and began to time it. Not a word was spoken, as everyone watched and waited. Ruby still unconscious in her mate's watchful embrace.
**************************************
TBC Soon in Chapter 12, Ep. 19 – "The Prophecy : Part Two"
You guys are going to hate me for telling you this, but I already have Part Two written and ready to post. You see, my original plan for this two-part ep. was changed on me by my muse. I was originally going to make the two-part ep. the finale of this series, followed by a calmer, shorter epilogue chapter. In fact I've had that planned for some time now, like all of you already know.
When I started writing this chapter, I noticed fairly quickly that it was getting longer and longer as I went deeper into the chapter. Which didn't really concern me at first, till I finally reached the end, and realized that it was more than twice the size of my normal chapters. Over 20,000 words. Too long, for just one ep.
So after some intense arguing with my Muse over him deceiving me, I came to the conclusion to break up what would have been just Part One, into both Part One and Part Two. Thus the reason why Part Two has already been written.
I still can't believe I managed to write more than 20,000 words in half the time it takes me to do just 10,000
You see what a slave driver my Muse can be??? I was up till 1:30 in the morning last night, finishing Part Two!
Anyway, please don't forget to review this chapter, considering all the torturous hours I spent on bringing it to you a week before its originally planned due date. Keep in mind, the more reviews I get, the quicker I'll get to posting Part Two (hey, I'm not above black-mail. It can be a wonderful thing if you're the person wielding it! LOL)
I hope everyone has a safe holiday week!
(Sapphira)
