Chapter 8 – My haunting past

14 YEARS LATER... LOS ANGELES

Paws padded on the soft muddy soil leaving imprints as it moved along. The night air was eerily still, the woods void of any creatures. It seemed almost dead. Eyes scanned the surroundings blanketed in darkness, her ears waiting alert for a small sound. Unsatisfied, she continued her search.

Sensing something in the clearing ahead, she pressed on. Her paws suddenly got sticky wer and she halted when the smell of blood overwhelmed her. It was only then she realized her white paws were stained.

Fear gripped her when she realized it was blood on her feet not water. Raising her eyes she realized that there were hundreds of wolves lying on the ground. The mark of death was thick in the air. Walking through the battlefield she tried to see if the object of her search was amongst the bloodied corpses, her heart praying a desperate prayer. She still hadn't found him when she reached the tip of the clearing, which tapered off into a cliff.

Her prayers were not to be. At the very end lay a lone gray Alpha male, its heartbeat so slow it was barely there. She broke into a run trying to reach the wolf before it breathed its last breath but she couldn't seem to. Something was holding her back...

---

The sound of water running full force from the silver tap seemed to calm her. She splashed the water on her face and stared straight ahead into the tiny mirror on the wall. Her hair was in a mess, her eyes had dark circles around them and her face was deathly pale. This was the third time this week she had that stupid dream.

Stopping the faucet, she grabbed the towel hanging from a rail and walked back into her bedroom. The digital clock on her dresser flashed its neon green digits from the darkness. Only 3 a.m.

As usual, she wasn't having much luck with sleep. Deciding that it was better to use the lateness for a run unseen, she changed into her tracksuit and tank top, gathering her hair into a scrunchy as she walked out of the room. To her surprise, the kitchen light was on and she changed course, heading towards it.

"Your up late. Everything okay, honey?

She asked the hunched over figure next to the counter, not expecting a reply. She rarely got a word out of her son in the past year. He was just going through the adolescent stage, said her friends. But she knew better. He was acting this way because of what had been going on.

Filling the pan with milk she put it on the stove and took a seat next to him.

"You know hon, if something is bugging you, you can tell me. Okay, I know right now I'm not exactly the coolest person in the world, but I'm still your mom."

"I'm fine, don't worry." Came the mumble from her son.

"Alright, I'm going for an early run. I'll be back in an hour. Keep some of that warm milk for me, okay. And try to get some sleep. You've got school tomorrow."

As she exited the kitchen, she could swear she had actually heard him mutter "Whatever."

The wind in her fur was exhilarating. The cool breeze blurring her eyes. These late night runs were the only time she could take the opportunity to let her wolven side reign free. She just wished she didn't have to wear that itchy dog collar. But she didn't want to alert anyone on the fact a wild wolf was running free through the streets and neighborhoods of LA.

The run managed to clear her head of all the problems plaguing her for the time being. Sophia Donner was no longer the same person who had left Wolf Lake. Living out in a big city like San Francisco and now LA, had changed her. 12 years of life's experiences and the need to protect her children had hardened her.

As she neared the alley where she had stored her clothes, slowed down into a jog. Her senses suddenly picked up something unusual. Someone was following her. Considering the breakneck speed she had been running at, that would have been almost impossible for a normal person. It definitely wasn't human. She quickly changed back into her person form.

Purposely slowing down into a walk, she used her ears to alert her of the other person's movement. That person was gaining up to her and she turned at the exact moment he placed a gripping hand on her shoulder, placing a punch directly into his solar plexus. The person didn't bend over gasping but only tightened his grip. The sudden gust of wind caught his scent, confirming her worst fears. This person was wolven.

So, Wolf Lake had finally caught up with her. Well, she wasn't prepared to go down. Lengthening her fingernails into claws, she clawed at his arms and shoulders until he released her. She swung a kick at his head making him fall over. Then with a sharp twist, she broke his arm.

Realizing that the skinwalkers could heal fast, she broke into a run as fast as she could, taking shortcuts and jumping over fences until she reached her apartment block. Jabbing the key into the lock, she quickly opened and shut the door before racing up the flight of stairs.

To her horror, the front door was wide open. Slowly stepping into the apartment, she scanned the area. It was a mess with things tossed about and the glass ornaments broken as if a struggle had taken place. Noticing three figures dressed in black hovering over the door of her bedroom, trying to pick the lock, she changed.

The men only seemed to realize her presence when she started to growl ferociously at them. In their surprise, they stumbled back, making her task all the more easier. These men however were human. She lunged at their necks and caught hold of one man's shoulder. The taste of blood filled her mouth as blood spurted out from the puncture wounds. She clawed at his face and body until he lay sprawled on the floor. But she was outnumbered and it didn't take long for the other man to plant a dagger in her shoulder. Yelping, she staggered back.

The door of the room opened and she wished she had a voice to shout out. To warn her children to run. But she was surprised when a smaller grayish black wolf hurtled out the door and clamped its jaw on the man's leg. He howled and tried to get to the gun in his pocket. With all the strength left in her, she took the opportunity and lunged for his neck in fury and ended his life.

Gasping, Sophia slowly changed back. She sat down on the floor and looked at the other wolf. Before her eyes, the wolf shifted into its human form. Into the form of her son, Adrian.

From the open door, her young daughter tiptoed out and rushed into her mother's arms. Sophia pulled both her children into her arms and wept. She looked at her son. His face and chest were starting to purple because of the bruises but they would heal by tomorrow. She noticed that the blood flowing from her shoulder was slowly stopping too. She winced as she settled down.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Ow mum, you're choking us. Let go already. We're fine."

"Adrian, when? How? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Last month. I figured you were going through enough without having me tell you. Besides you'd already explained everything."

"Ava, are you..?

"No mom. Afraid not. Guess I won't get those special healing powers yet?" She replied with a grin.

"Oh, Ava."

Sophia hugged her children closer. To think she had once thought her dad of being purposely blind to her going through the flip and she hadn't even seen it in her son.

"Adrian, was it hard? I'm so sorry I wasn't by your side. How could I have been so busy to not even notice it. This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault mom. It's in our genes. Stop fretting. It wasn't as tough as you made it sound."

"Wait a minute, you are not telling me that you are sexually active too are you?"

She noticed that her son suddenly wouldn't meet her eyes. Thankfully Ava interrupted before she could go on.

"Mom, who are those people? Did you kill them?"

Sophia had forgotten about the carnage which had taken place until her daughter mentioned it. She surveyed the room. The off-white walls were splashed with blood and the three men

were laying with horrible claw marks over their faces. Blood was gushing out of their necks where prominent teeth marks could be seen.

"Ohmigod. I hadn't realized..." Sophia faltered and look at both her children.

"What's going to happen now? I don't want you to go to jail." Ava whispered with tears running freely down her cheeks.

"I don't know Ava. I really don't know."

---

TWO DAYS LATER IN SAN FRANCISCO...

The coffee was piping hot but Sophia ignored the sting of it as she sipped the black liquid. Sitting in Edie's living room, she didn't look any better after events of the last two days.

After putting an emergency call to Xandere Mallax, lord of the vampyre clan, who immediately sent in a "cleaning" team to clean out the apartment and dispose the bodies, Sophia had packed up and dragged her kids down to San Francisco.

Sighing, she looked out of the window onto the patio where Ava was sitting and reading on the swing while Adrian was lounging on a chair keeping an eye as he tossed a baseball.

"Why Edie? After all this time, why would they be searching for us?"

Edie looked wearily at Edgar as he walked into the room. He had just returned from cleaning out Sophia's apartment.

"I gather it would have something to do with the new Alpha of Wolf Lake."

"When did they pick this new Alpha? Who is it? Dad didn't mention anything."

"I believe the selection was done sometime last year. However, I do not know who got picked either."

"But why? I mean I was nobody back then. Just the sheriff's half-breed. No one would have missed me."

"I do not know the answers to your questions but I believe it can be found in Wolf Lake."

"What are you saying I should do? Go back to Wolf Lake?"

"Well, honestly Sophia, even you know what path of action to take. It's either wait here for them to come or confront them yourself. And you do know that people will keep coming if there's a bounty out on you."

"Maybe we should just leave the country. I could accept that documentary assignment on the tigers in India. It would take us away for at least a year."

"You can't just keep on running Sophia. You got to face your past some time or other. Besides, how is Ava going to cope if you're forever moving around? And it would be perfect for the kids to get to know their grandfather, he isn't getting any younger you know."

Adrian looked up as his mother walked up to them. She had this determined look that he had only seen once before in his entire life and that was when she was trying to convince Ava to not give up. Once she had this look, there was no changing whatever idea that was in her head.

"Pack your bags kids. We're going on a little vacation."

"Mom, we've got school. We can't miss it."

"Oh, come on Ava. It will be fun. Besides all of us need some rest and this vacation is just what Aunt Edie has prescribed."

"Where are we going?"

"Glad you asked that Adrian. We, darlings, are going back to my ol' hometown, Wolf Lake."

"We're going to see gramps? Yippee!!" squealed Ava in excitement and she rushed into the manor to pack her things.

---

Darkness loomed by the time they managed to reach the famous "Welcome To Wolf Lake" sign. Sophia looked into the rear mirror and smiled as she saw Ava and Adrian curled up. Adrian protectively cradling his sister's head as it lay on his shoulder.

An image flashed through her mind and she was reminded of Luke doing the exact same thing one night as they sat near the clearing watching the stars while leaning against an ancient oak tree. And suddenly she was brought back to reality with a sharp realization.

"What am I going to do if I meet Luke? Ohmigod, I can't bear to think about or face Luke and Prestley and whatever amount of kids they have!"

A tiny voice in her mind whispered, "You can't bear to think about them because it's you and the twins who should be by Luke's side."

"No, I made my choices 12 years ago and I shall live by them. Besides, me and the kids have been happy all these years without Lucas Cates," she said aloud firmly.

"Did you say something mom?" Adrian stirred and looked around.

"Umm, yeah. Welcome to Wolf Lake kids."

The town was surprisingly quiet except for a few humans walking around as the black jeep drove in. Sophia couldn't sense any skinwalkers nearby.

"That's funny. I wonder where everyone has gone. Adrian, call up grandpa will you."

Adrian pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number.

"He's not picking up mom. Got his answering machine."

"Must be a pack meeting then. It is the full moon after all. Let's go by the church and check it out."

There was indeed a large crowd at the church. Larger than the usual amount which attended pack meetings. Sophia parked the jeep and got out of the car.

"Wait here kids. I'll go see if grandpa is there. No one leaves this jeep, got it?"

"Yaah mum." Both of them muttered in unison.

Sophia drew in a deep breath. Unzipping her red parka, she removed her black wool gloves and stuffed them in the pocket. So much for biding my time before I face the pack. Her boots crunched the gravel as she walked onto the church pathway.

As she neared, she realized that a wedding was going on. The priest was reciting the vows. The heavyset doors of the church were shut tight as Sophia tried to nudge it open. Using a bit more strength, she jumped back when the doors swung open to the gasps of the people inside just as the priest said

"If anyone objects to this heavenly union between Lucas Cates and Prestley Summers, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

Sophia looked in shock as the roomful of people silently stared back in equal shock. Her father had risen slightly from his seat. Somewhere in front, Sherman gave a chuckle before interrupting loudly.

"Why, I do believe she would have something to say."