(Thank you for the wonderful reviews! Read and continue to enjoy! Sorry for the updates being so sparse, i'm in teachers college, teaching kids most days, lesson plans and prep is pretty much my life. I'll update a lot more often once i'm finished :) thank you for the continued reviews and the patience :))
Chapter 2:
It was odd my first day with living breathing friends, if I could really call Nick and Reese that. They treated me like a princess which was something so alien to me I found myself often pinching my left arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Eve stuck close by that day, whispering words of encouragement to me and communicating through me to the wolves who were to take me to Jaime and their Alpha, whose name I learnt was Jeremy. My trust was slow to come, I had just met these men, and life and mom had taught me, men were NOT to be trusted unless they had proven themselves. Sadly,in my condition, saving my life wasn't proof enough to let my guard down.
"So the idea is to have you pose as a wealthy tourist, we'll be sure to keep well downwind of you, out of his scenting range and will follow you based on that. We will have a small radio for you to whisper into if you need us and to speak back to you. It should go off without a hitch, Holly we've done a lot of missions like this before." Nick said, trying to reassure me as they explained what part I would play in the luring out of the Mutt. They were still unsure of which Mutt is was, but Nick said he would be easy to spot.
"I'll be close by though, in the club where his victims seem to have been just before turning up dead. If I catch anything that doesn't look safe, I'll bail you out without a second thought, alright?" Reese added. Something about his eyes made him almost easy for me to trust, almost.
"Alright, and then when we're done, I can go meet Jaime?" another necromancer was something I'd only dreamed of. My Nana she'd been one but she'd been lost to something Mom had called, the Madness years before I'd been born. Mom didn't have the powers, but she'd known about them, helped me as best a mother could before she'd been killed.
"Of course, we gave you, and Eve our word." he'd smile looking over where he guessed Eve was, which made the witch giggle as she'd sit close to me.
"Boy thinks he's pretty smart, kinda dim if you ask me. You seem in good hands though, Holly." she'd smile soothingly to me before shifting to her feet once more. "I need to meet up with Jaime, inform her of what the plan is and then head back out, you know, Ghost duties."
"Be safe, Eve, and thank you" I said as she vanished from my sight. Reese and Nick just looked at me dumbfounded, making me smirk a bit, feeling slightly more at ease. "She had to go back to Jaime and relay what the plan is."
They just nodded and began to map out their paths. I wasn't really a part of that process, so I just sat back and ate some more of the chips Reese had gotten earlier that day, along with a few more props to make me look my part a bit better. A fancy new cell phone, a designer purse and shoes, things I'd only dreamt of having in my presence, let alone owning. It seemed too good to be true, which made Mom's words ring in my head, over and over. 'If it seems to good to be true, it usually is, trust no one but your momma.' She'd been my whole world, and without her, now, I felt so lost and vulnerable. My eyes shifted every so often back to the wolves, my head tilting this way and that. They looked as human as anyone else did, but I suppose I did as well. Strange to think that these men could, at a moments notice turn into man eating wolves. A grotesque vision of the werewolves I'd seen in bad b-horror movies flittered through my mind, making me choke on a chip with a giggle. The boys looked to me as a i choked it down, waving a small hand in passing as the chip finally sunk into my gullet.
Finally, once they had finished plotting and planning, Nick headed out to see if the Mutt's scent was anywhere near the club he had seemed to be stalking about at. Reese stayed with me, which wasn't all together unpleasant. He wasn't much older than I was, and despite his missing fingers, he was really pleasant to look at.
"You nervous, Holly?" he asked, his voice was soft, softer than I had heard it in the couple of days I'd been with the two. Maybe it was because Nick wasn't here, maybe he was worried I'd run off if he wasn't soft with me, whatever it was, I liked it. Softness suited him, and his accent was soothing when it wasn't a rough growl.
"No, I..." I paused a moment. Was I really going to go and tell him I felt he'd keep me safe? Had I so quickly forgotten Mom's rules, the rules which had kept me alive all this time, even after she'd been killed? I froze and just shrugged. "I'm cool" I finally finished. He frowned at my response, but nodded before getting up. I couldn't fight the feeling that I had disappointed him somehow, but it didn't weigh too heavily on me. I'd just met him anyway, and as soon as I was with Jaime, he'd be nothing more than that.
"Alright, Nick should be in position, let's head over, it's already dark." As he spoke, he removed a small item from his front pocket, handing it to me. I glanced at it a moment before removing it from his hand. As he left the room to head to the car, I peered at the item now within my hand, a small sheath, made of a sturdy leather, in which was encased a small hunting knife. I did smile than, he didn't want me at risk it seemed. I stuffed the knife into the top of my knee high boot, it wasn't comfortable, but it was hidden, and headed out to the car to meet him. It would be over soon, and then I could finally meet Jaime, meet another Necromancer.
Nick had found the Mutt, who he indicated was a young sex offender from Kentucky named Parker. He'd been on the run from both the pack and the American security for many years now. He had a reputation as a rapist, who tended to eat his victims post rape. It didn't comfort me when Nick promised he was more likely not to hurt me too much if anything went wrong, that Parker was notorious for playing with his food.
I treded carefully through the parking lot, whose lights were dim and orangey. The lot smelt of urine and old liquor, which made even my nose hurt, and made me wonder how Nick or Reese would be able to smell Parker when he got close. My hand rested on top of the designer purse I held, as if it would provide the support which I feared might have miscalculated this move. Everything seemed quirt, and dark, and my nerves were on high alert.
A low growl caught me off guard. My eyes shot to the darkest most corner of the clubs parking lot as clicking nails trapsed along the pavement at a leisurely pace. I quickened my own pace, fear slowly gripping me, which might be dangerous, I remembered that fear could make the wolf excited, that they might be able to smell it. My eyes widened as the deep chestnut dog...wolf came into view, its maw wide open, fangs dripping with dried blood and saliva. This was not Nick or Reese, it had to be Parker. I screamed, I couldn't help it. My hand darted to my boot, removing the knife from its sheath with a speed even I didn't know I possessed.
"Get back!" I screamed, knowing full well that not only Parker, but also Nick and Reese could hear me. There was no way I could lead Parker to the trap point, not if he was in wolf form.
My hand shook violently, the knife quavering about as I pointed it at the snarling beast. My eyes were glistening with tears of fear. This was what Mom had warned me about. Men meant trouble, men had killed Mom and now they would be the reason I died.
The wolf looked amused, its deep green eyes seemed to sparkle with glee, and it was then I saw her, just behind him, her neck ripped open. I screamed again, forgetting what I was, and what she must be. A ghost in her death form, trying to scare me, and succeeding. She cackled and fluttered through the snarling wolf, moving closer to me, the wolf, too moved closer.
"He's going to get you, and rape you, and maul you and rape you some more, just like he did to me, girly." she cackled again, her dead eyes glassy and staring. It made my gut wrench and those chips I'd eaten earlier churned in my stomach. But I'd learned to tune ghosts out. I had to focus on the wolf. Nick and Reese were likely still too far away to save me, I was very much, on my own.
"Don't come any closer, I'm a powerful witch, and if you do, I'll make a fireball and singe your entire body until you're nothing but a flaming carcass!" I screamed, my free hand raising in a motion i knew sorcerers used when they cast their firebolts, a motion I had memorized, you don't easily forget the motion which ended the life of someone you love. The wolf seemed to know it too, and he took a tentative step backwards, as if pondering the validity of my threat. My heart continued to pound, my fear still evident, which egged the wolf closer, his step back became two forwards, until he was in an all out run. I screamed and dropped my knife, running for my life once more.
"He's going to getttttt youuuuu!" The woman squealed as she followed behind the wolf. I hardly noticed or heard her, all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart. What was worse, running from the Edison group, who wanted my very much alive, or running from a man eating werewolf who wanted me for dinner? My eyes were closed, my lungs burning as I kept up my fast pace, running towards where I thought Reese was.
The terrain got rough as I left the lot and ran into the brush, mucky from the rain of the previous day, my boots sank into it, squelching as I tried to free myself from the boggy wetland. Tears stained my eyes as I screamed helplessly in the thicket, crying for someone to save me, like a pathetic thing. A rustling to my left made me silence my cries at once. Eyes slowly turning towards the sound, Reese's blue eyes looked back at me, but a furred muzzle followed them. My shock was blatant to see, he'd changed? I guess it was easier to take on a wolf as a wolf. I forced a weak, fearful smile and crawled towards him, hearing leaves and twigs rustle behind me.
The wolf Reese moved to lick my nose, i forced down a low giggle as it tickled. I gave a cursory brush of my fingers through his course fur and smiled, it was warm, and thick. He didn't seem to mind the touch, but turned a nudged me further behind him. I went quietly, and heard the rustling behind us getting louder, and a low primal growl erupting close by. I closed my eyes, breathing in slow deep breaths. A hand moved to my back making me jump in surprise as the rustling grew and I heard Reese jump into a fray with Parker. Nick was there, frowning deeply as he pulled me up and away from the snarling wolves.
"He must have caught my scent earlier, I'm sorry..." He trailed off as he lead me away. I stopped, looking back behind me. I felt, something, and it made me look back, which concerned me. Finally I turned my head from the beastial battle to look at Nick.
"He changed so you could save me, and distract Parker while you got me out." When he said nothing, I continued, cautiously. "He might get killed, cause of me." It was a statement, and before Nick could muster and excuse, I had nimbly removed those heeled boots and was running fast as I could back towards Reese. It never occurred to me I could be a hinderance, or that i could distract Reese, all I knew was it was now my fault he was in a life or death situation, and I had to help him, like he had me.
"Holly!" Nick called after me, doing his best to give me chase, but I was tiny compared to him, and the boggy soil was kinder to my bared feet and small bulk than his. Werewolf or not, size did matter in wet mud.
As I neared the fray, I stopped in a bush not far from the battling beasts. It was easy to tell which was which, their fur colouring was drastically different, and their eyes were human all around. I forced myself to concentrate, it was still cloudy, the rain had not yet finished, and I pushed the clouds with all of my Tempestra power, trying to force a bolt of lightning out. Mom had never even let me try, she said it could kill me if I tried too hard, like if a telekinetic type half demon tried to move too much weight. But I knew it was the only thing I could do to save Reese. I had to pay him back, for the other night, for now.
A pulsing migraine struck me, and grew more painful with each mental tug at the weather. My eyes closed with my concentration, and my nose felt sticky and warm. I kept up my concentration, ignoring Nick's calls and the animated wolf fight just before me, and even the warm stickiness coming from my eyes. I was close, I could feel the lightning's power, I could feel it slowly bending to my will. Lightning is stubborn, you see, and doesn't like to be told what to do, or at least that's my take on it.
Finally, I gave one last big mental push, a scream erupted, which later on I realized was my own, and a flash engulfed the field, striking its mark well, leaving both Parker and the ground around him singed, flaming and very much dead. I opened my eyes, which were oddly shadowed, smiling weakly, I'd done it! I'd summoned lightning! And it was then I noticed Reese in front of me, something which may have been concern in his icey orbs. His muzzle moved to nudge my head and came back with crimson blood upon it. I arched a brow, moving my hands to my face, blood flowed from my eyes and nose like torrents. Mom had been right, and saving Reese may have just cost me my life.
Nick was behind me then, screaming something to the wolf in front of me, who had taken to trying to lick the blood off of my face. The wolf ran off, and the world began whirling around me. If I lived, I vowed to never try to summon the weather again, somethings were best left to nature. My eeys closed and the darkness engulfed me, Nick's voice fading off into the abyss.
Beeps came and went like a steady heart beat. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. My eyes were sore, but i tried to open them anyway. My head felt like a rhino had used it as a welcome mat and trampled in. I gasped weakly as the light made the pain all the worse. A hand moved to my chest, and gently pushed me back downwards. A soft voice spoke to me with a light Aussie lilt.
"You nearly offed yourself saving me, don't go dieing from a brain anneurism from waking up, damn it Holly." Reese's voice. He was alright, I'd repaid my debt to him. My eye sight cleared and I kept my body and head where he had pushed them back. I didn't seem to be in a hospital, the bed was too big, the room nicely painted, and a picturesque window in front of me seemed un-hospital like.
"Where are we?" I was able to mumble out weakly. Reese smiled, moving in to pull my covers upwards, effectively wrapping me up like a mummy.
"Syracuse, you were in a hospital for blood loss, and as soon as they deemed you well enough to travel, we got you here as quickly as we could. Some impressive skill you had back there, saving my ass, but do me a favour next time." he said, and I looked at him with some confusion.
"Do what?" I murmured lightly. That made his smile grow all the wider, his three fingered hand lacing in my own.
"Don't be so wreckless with you own damned life." and with that, he leaned in to kiss my forehead and headed off. And i couldn't help it, but a small smile spread along my lips. He cared if I lived or died. I'd never had anyone but Mom who had worried about me like that. It was nice, and I hoped wholeheartedly I could keep it this time, and that no one would kill him too.