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WE DESPERATELY NEEDED to leave, but I had no idea how to stop the man outside who was casting some voodoo spell on us. Besides, the werewolves guarded him fiercely. Grant insisted that it was time to go, and if he was willing to fight all those canine killers to get out, I knew there had to be something horribly wrong.
Gripping Julie’s hand tightly and dragging her along, Grant screamed for the rest of us to follow. “C’mon! There’s still a chance to escape if we leave this very second.”
“Baby, how do you intend to get past that huge pack?” Julie asked. “You know if we step outside, they’ll tear us to shreds.”
“No, they won’t.”
I wasn’t too sure about that.
“Taylor and I aren’t setting foot out there,” Jesse said. “For all we know, you’re leading us straight into their arms.”
Julie stopped in her tracks and pulled Grant’s arm. “Why would you want to go out there and face all of them? I think we’re better off with some kind of distraction or something.”
His gaze narrowed. “Because there’s only one werewolf out there, and he obviously has a witch with him. There aren’t hordes of them like you think. They’re just trying to scare us into staying cooped up in here till their real backup arrives.”
“It’s fake?” she asked.
He nodded.
“What? It’s all a trick?” I questioned, trying to contemplate it myself. “Smoke and mirrors? Some kind of David Blaine illusion?”
“Exactly...but we need to leave before the real menaces arrive.”
Jesse looked at him skeptically for only a moment, then quickly grabbed my hand. “Let’s go,” he said, racing down the stairs and giving Grant the benefit of the doubt.
I was scared to death to open that door. If Grant was wrong or lying, we would all be dead. On the other hand, I was sure he was being honest; if the wolves were real, they would’ve already stormed the place to get to us. There was no way they would have just sat there waiting, as if they’d been to some kind of obedience school for mangy mutts.
“The blood supply,” Fred suddenly blurted. “We gotta have it.”
When Jesse headed toward the kitchen, Grant did a double-take. “Leave it! We’ve gotta go...now!”
Jesse came out with a handful of IV bags, full of blood.
“Snacks? Seriously?” Grant asked. “What are you, a preschooler or something?”
“You know Fred and I can’t go long without a fresh supply of blood!” Jesse said.
“Right,” I said. “We can’t have them painting the town red.” Not to mention my own safety. I quickly handed Jesse a black bag from the closet.
“If we even live that long,” Fred said. “If we open that door and Grant’s wrong...”
Jesse stuffed the blood bags into the bag I gave him, then unlocked the door and slowly opened it. In a flash, werewolves leapt in.
Instinctively, I gasped and jumped back, gazing out at the horrific scene before me. “Grant! You lied!” I screamed.
“I didn’t. They’re not real!” Grant swore. To prove his point, he rammed his arm right into a werewolf’s mouth.
The beast hungrily clamped down on Grant’s forearm, but there was no bone-crunching, no gushing of blood.
I just stood there, with my mouth agape. “But they look so...real.”
“Looks can be deceiving. Now c’mon!” Grant said.
I took a deep breath and stepped out, telling myself over and over again that my eyes were lying to me, that the mangy fur and gnashing teeth were just an illusion. As I made my way through the doorway, dozens of the snarling things rushed inside. They growled and snapped at me, but I kept going.
In a running sprint, Grant attacked a man in jeans and a blue shirt. He threw him against a tree so hard that leaves fell like rain and bark splintered. The man closed his eyes, knocked out from the impact.
“He’s the only one, the werewolf I smelled,” Grant said, pointing at the man who was lying in a heap on the dirt. “I don’t smell any others.”
“We’d better get the warlock before he rides off on his broomstick,” Julie said.
“Who cares if he does?” I said. “Let’s just go.”
Jesse whipped out his keys and we hurried to the garage.
“It’s a no go,” Fred said.
“What?”
“They slashed our tires!” Fred said.
I ran over and sure enough, the tires were flat as a pancake. A chill shot up my spine. I knew others were on their way and we needed to get out of there fast before they reached us.
Julie’s eyes widened. “We’ll never get out of here on foot before they catch us.”
“What now?” Fred asked.
“The werewolf and the witch had to get here somehow,” Jesse reasoned.
He was right. The witch was probably still back in the woods doing his magic, not knowing we caught on yet. Biting my lip, I glanced around the property and saw plan B immediately. Way off to the left was a maroon car I hadn’t seen before. I pointed. “There!”
Julie traced over to the vehicle. “It’s locked. But I can bust the window. Can somebody hotwire this thing?”
“I’m not much for committing grand theft auto,” Fred said as he patted down the werewolf and reached for the keys in his pocket. “But it’s either do or die.”
Suddenly, a cold barrel was against my head. My stomach clenched. Because I instantly knew who was behind me. It was the only remaining person, the witch who performed the spell to make us see holograms.
“Warlocks should never be underestimated,” a man said. “I was gone for a spell but I’m back.”
The witch must’ve heard us and came over to investigate.
“Son-of-a...witch,” I mumbled.
“You’re funny, Taylor. But that doesn’t mean I won’t shoot you.”
My knees wobbled.
“Let her go,” Jesse demanded.
“I don’t think you’re in any position to give orders,” the warlock said. “Lie down on the ground, vampire. And the rest of you too. Do it, or she’s dead!”
I was so tired of people telling me when I was going to die; I was determined that when I took my last breath, it would be on my terms, and no one was ever going to dictate my mortality. And besides that, I disliked witches. After what they’d put me through, I had no love for them or my heritage. With a hard thrust, I elbowed the guy.
Then, in a blur, Jesse traced over and knocked him out cold. A human was no match against Jesse’s extraordinary powers.
“We make a pretty good team, huh?” I said.
“In every way,” Jesse said with a wink.
We ran to the car and hopped in, me in the passenger seat and the others in the back. Jesse started the engine, and as we sped away, my heart was racing. Only seconds ago, our situation had seemed so dire, so dismal, but now we were free.
“You guys did good,” I said.
Jesse reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze, but he kept his eyes focused on the road, knowing that anything could come at us at any minute.
“We need to find a hiding place, somewhere we can regroup and come up with a plan,” Julie observed.
“That’s what I’m looking for,” Jesse said, darting his eyes back and forth. When his cell phone dinged, he handed it to me. “Take this. I gotta keep my eyes on the road.”
“Who is it?” I asked, looking down at the phone. “I mean...can’t they track this phone?”
“No,” Jesse assured me. “It’s from a trusted friend, someone they have no connection to. What’s the text say?”
I glanced down and read, “All the petals are alive. Fred was fooled. It was a ploy, to lure Taylor and Julie out.”
“I can’t believe I fell for that,” Fred breathed out.
Julie burst out in a loud sob, followed by me. It was truly fantastic news. Right when I found out the news, the white buck had come, and the hordes of werewolves—or at least what we thought were werewolves and not just holograms—had attacked. Now, we knew the awesome truth: None of the petals had been killed.
“This is the best news ever,” I said.
Jesse squeezed my hand. “They’ll stop at nothing to trick you.”
“Yep, they’ll do anything to lure us home.”
We talked about it for a few minutes but Fred got awfully quiet.
“Is everything okay?” Julie softly asked him.
“I just... I thought we were goners,” he said. “I thought I could contribute to this group, that I could protect you, especially since I’m immortal. But the simple truth is, I can’t protect you or Taylor like I should be able to.”
“For all you knew, there was an army out there. No one could have taken on so many, immortal or not,” Julie reassured him.
“I still feel like I failed you.”
“You didn’t,” she said. “And you were the one to find the car keys so we could get out of there.”
She gently patted his hand and he smiled a little.
“I can’t believe they found us,” Fred said.
“We’ll find a better place to hide,” Jesse replied, “a place where a magical buck will never find us.”
Julie cocked a brow. “Do you know such a place?”
“My dad’s,” he said. “It’s the perfect spot.”
Jesse had mentioned hiding out at his father’s, but none of us knew anything about him, and Jesse hadn’t even seen him since he was a boy. So much was happening around us, but I was sure it was important to Jesse to find out more about his heritage, his origins. We all felt quite the same, uneasy about our past and our future, except for Grant. Most of the time, he seemed completely at peace and secure with who he was and where he was going—sometimes unnervingly so.
Years earlier, Jesse’s mother had suddenly uprooted him and his siblings for no apparent reason, and Jesse still had no idea why. He had missed having his father in his life, and he had asked his mother several times about what had transpired, but she refused to open up to him about it. As time passed, she only seemed to become more secretive and elusive about the subject. All he knew was that she changed their identities and hid them at Big Bear Lake. Now, in addition to needing a safe place to hide, he wanted to find out more about the man his mother had worked so hard to hide from.
“Where does your dad live?” Julie asked.
“In the French Alps. It’s in a secret place few humans have ever heard of. It’s a place called Northwood Fortress.”
“So we’re thinking about going to France?” Grant asked.
“Yes, if we all agree.”
“Are we hiking up mountains or what?”
“Northwood Fortress is a castle that sits on top of a gorgeous mountain.” He smiled and squeezed my hand. “You’re going to love the view.”
“Sounds like something out of some fairytale,” Julie said.
I grinned. “Well, you know I speak some French. Not as good as Jesse, but decent. I’ve been taking it for three years now in school.”
“I speak some too,” Grant said. “But I’m really rusty.”
Julie sighed. “It’s better than nothing. I took Spanish.”
“So did I,” Fred said.
“And the white buck can’t find us there?” I asked.
“No magical creatures, vampires, werewolves, or witches will find us. In fact, nobody will. There’s an ancient protection spell that’s protected the castle for centuries.”
I let out a long breath. “I’m liking the sound of that.”
“Me too,” Julie said.
I knew we needed a safe place to hide. Because no matter where we went, we’d be tracked. And if this place could keep the white buck from finding us, then I was all for it. Because I had no other ideas how to hide from a magical being that hunted us day and night.
“Will we meet other Leyna, like you?” Fred asked.
“Just my father.”
“So your dad doesn’t live with his own kind?”
“No.”
“How come?” Julie asked.
“It’s a long story.”
“We got nothing but time,” she said.
He smiled. “Well, I guess I’ll start back hundreds of years ago. My mother was married to a tyrant, a king. Things did not go well between them, and she was offered as a sacrifice. Before they could follow through, she was saved by people known as The Lost Race. They became her dear friends and whisked her away to Northwood Fortress. She met my father there, and they fell in love. He was a general and led a huge army.”
“Hmm. An army, huh? Maybe dear old Dad can help us after all,” Julie said. “But what’s The Lost Race?”
“Immortals, just another group.”
I swallowed past the knot in my throat, second-guessing Jesse’s decision to go there. “Do you think it’s really a good idea to go there, Jesse?” I asked. “I mean, your mother must have had a good reason for leaving them behind. People usually don’t run off like that unless they’ve got good reason to hide.”
His face grew solemn. “My mom ran off because my father left her for another woman and she wanted payback. But it wasn’t fair for her to keep me from my own father for revenge.”
“You’re right,” I said, smiling at him. “I can understand the pain and heartache she was feeling but still, it was kind of petty and childish. She should have at least explained herself.”
“I think it’d be cool for you to reunite with your dad,” Fred said.
“I think it’s a great idea too,” Julie said. “As long as we’re safe.”
“I know we’ll all be safe there.”
“I’d love to hear more about your dad,” I said.
A boyish grin curled up the corners of his mouth as a fond childhood memory played in his head. “He taught me how to fish. Sam used to scream when he saw the worms, and Kierra and I loved to tease him, chasing him around and dangling the fat, juicy ones at him. Dad would just laugh and laugh. I’ve never forgotten his big smile or that deep chuckle of his.”
“Aw. That’s a great memory, baby,” I said.
“It is, and that’s one thing my mother wasn’t able to take away from me. She made me miss out on making more memories with him, though, and that wasn’t fair.”
“Do you think he’ll help us?” Fred asked.
“I know lots of time has passed, but my father loves me. He will fight for me and my friends.”
“Well, that’s all fine and good, if we get there in one piece. A trip to France isn’t gonna be easy,” Grant said, “and I don’t have a fake passport like you guys do.”
Julie touched his arm. “We have an extra, the one for Violet’s niece. She was supposed to come with us, but that didn’t work out. I’m sure we can doctor it up a little...and a little compelling won’t hurt either.”
Jesse nodded. “Getting to France is our only hope at this point. It’s the key to survival. The Lost Race is protected by an ancient spell, and the witches’ tracking spells won’t work.”
“It sounds like our best option,” Julie said. “They aren’t going to give up hunting us, and I don’t want to live my life on the run. Besides, it’s not like we’re used to this kind of thing. For the most part, we were all leading fairly human lives before, until this year.” She turned toward Grant. “I mean, I know you’ve been raised as a werewolf since birth, but even you don’t know all the secrets. You’re only seventeen.”
“We could contact Tabby for help,” I suggested.
Jesse’s lips pressed into grim lines. “Since we destroyed the witches’ magic, we can’t trust anybody from our past at this point. We need to do this alone, and we can’t tell a soul what we’re up to. No one can know where we’re going.”
“But I thought you trusted Tabby?”
“It will put her life in danger,” Grant said. “If they catch her, they will torture her into talking.”
“We can’t risk anyone’s life like that,” Fred breathed out. “Talking to anybody we love and know is not an option. It wouldn’t be fair to them.”
“If we can’t trust anybody,” Julie said. “Then how can we trust Jesse’s father? Especially when he hasn’t seen him in years. If he rats us out, then we’re screwed.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Jesse insisted.
Julie pondered. “What if the immortals figure out that’s where you’d go for help?”
“They’re under the impression I don’t know who my father is. Heck, I didn’t even know who he was or where he lived until very recently when I started digging for info. It’s the last place they’ll ever expect us to go. Also, my dad will never side with any witch, werewolf, or vampire. He’s neutral, and I know he won’t turn down his son, his own flesh and blood.”
“Besides, we can use some help from this Lost Race,” Grant said. “If they’re under a protection spell, they can help us disappear off the grid. That’s the kind of help we desperately need when our lives are on the line.”
Julie nodded. “All right. Well, France it is.”
“For some of us,” Jesse said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Julie asked, confusion flooding her voice.
“It’s just hard for me to trust Grant,” Jesse coldly admitted. “We’d be better off leaving him here.”
“Jesse!” Julie said. “Please don’t separate us!”
“Would it be better for everyone or just for you?” Grant said, glaring at Jesse over the seat.
“It’s pretty risky to travel with someone who can’t be trusted.”
“How can you say I don’t deserve your trust? I helped you get Halo’s Diamond, and I got you out of that mess back there. I wasn’t lying about the werewolves being an illusion.”
Jesse gripped the steering wheel tightly. “We broke the diamond before you had the chance to run off with it, so it’s highly likely that you’re only sticking with us now to gather more intel.”
“I’m here because I care about Taylor and because I love Julie.”
“Love? You’ll only break her heart,” Jesse said.
“Stop it, Jesse!” Julie cried. “Grant’s not a spy, and you can’t handle a newbie werewolf on your own. I need his help to get me through all of this.” She sighed deeply. “To tell you the truth, I feel a little safer when he’s around, at least until you can control your attacks.”
“I think I have been handling myself quite well,” Jesse retorted.
“Yeah, it’s some great improvement to try to kill Taylor only once a week instead of once a day!” Grant said.
I shot Grant a look. “Look, you guys have to stop this. We’re all on pins and needles, and all of our lives are in danger. We can’t afford all this fighting. For now, we’re on the same team, okay?”
The stubborn wolf said nothing and just rubbed his beard. With all the problems we faced, he had let his appearance go. Obviously, Grant was just as stressed as we were, and it was all taking a toll on him. He’d given up everything for Julie, and he could never go back to his clan. He’d broken their sacred trust, and they would never forgive him.
Fred was wearing a pissed-off expression of his own, and he jumped to my boyfriend’s defense. “Jesse only wants to do what’s right for the group,” he said. “Grant keeps talking about how bad Jesse is, but I’ve seen werewolves kill people. I was on the run for a few days, hanging with a pretty bad crowd, and I can tell you that the wolves can be just as evil as the bloodsuckers.”
“Is that your subtle way of telling me to stay away from Grant?” Julie asked.
“It’s better to have a broken heart than to have your heart ripped out,” Jesse said grimly over the seat.
“Like you have room to talk,” Julie said. “I saw you rip out the hearts of those werewolves like they were nothing.”
“Julie!” I said. “Please.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I’m just a nervous wreck. I’m still shaking. I didn’t mean it, Jesse.”
“It’s fine,” he replied flatly.
“I’m capable of the same thing,” Grant confessed. “If an enemy comes at me, I might very well do the same thing. I’m loyal and fierce, and I will stop at nothing to protect the ones I love.”
“Then we all have something in common,” I said.
“I agree,” Julie said.
“When we’re forced up against a wall, we’ll do anything to survive,” I chimed in. “I learned that back at Big Bear Lake when I defied everyone and fought back, and that isn’t really like me at all.”
Julie raised her hand. “Um, then I’m guilty too. You didn’t piss off those witches by yourself.”
“We have to have one another’s backs,” Fred said.
“He’s right,” Jesse said. “Grant, I apologize. You’re making the most of the wretched curse that has befallen you.”
“It’s not a curse. It’s how I was born, who I am. I’m a happy, confident lycanthrope. I’m proud to be a werewolf. My heritage wasn’t kept from me as yours was kept from you. Your mother just threw the burden on you when she had no choice but to tell you. I’ve heard your loathing, self-pitying stories. You hate the beast within, but I openly embrace mine. In fact, I consider it an honor and a privilege to be a supernatural creature who will live for centuries. I couldn’t ask for a better fate.”
Jesse shook his head vehemently. “It’s not an honor and a privilege to drink blood, to attack my girlfriend, to want to drain her of every drop from her. As it’s been pointed out, I’ve even ripped the hearts out of my enemies. There is nothing glorious about my heritage. For me, it’s a curse.”
“Wow. Aren’t you just the brooding vampire? You’re in the dark brotherhood, Jesse, whether you want to be or not. We were born this way, supernatural, and our only choice is to accept it.”
“I know I can’t change it, but I won’t blindly think of it as a gift when it’s not.”
“Fred was thrown into this thing quite abruptly, and he has done a better job of accepting his fate. He doesn’t even have his family to help him through it like you do. Not to mention, he can’t eat food or go out in sunlight without a magical ring.” He let out a breath, then continued. “Julie’s even handling it better than you are. She accepts it because she knows she can’t live without the gift. Now she can hear someone sneaking up on her, ready to rip out her heart.”
Julie pushed a stray strand of hair from her face. “I have to have my gifts to stay alive, because if I was just a mortal, they’d kill me in a blink of an eye. But that still doesn’t mean I’m lovin’ it.” She looked at me seriously for a moment. “Speaking of that, Taylor, you really should consider letting Fred or Grant bite you.”
I looked at her. “Are you crazy?”
“We’re being hunted down by countless werewolves, witches, and vampires. It might be your only chance.”
Fred sighed, slipping again into his emo self-loathing. “The vampires wouldn’t be chasing us if it wasn’t for me.”
“Fred, you would never last long out there by yourself,” I told him. “We won’t leave you to die. Besides, as I said before, what’s one more enemy?”
“It could be the difference between life and death,” Grant said. “Taylor, Julie is right. You will never survive as a human. Even Jesse knows that.”
“It’s not so bad being immortal,” Julie said. “It’s not an affliction. You’ll have amazing abilities and powers. If you can get a handle on them, you’ll be more powerful than you’ve ever imagined, and you’ll be better equipped to stay alive. Really, your only choice is to decide if you want to be a vampire or a werewolf. They both have their pros and cons. If you go with the werewolf, you’ll need a lot more Nair,” she said, trying to make light of the situation.
“That’s a very big decision for me and I can’t take it lightly. But if we make it to France, we’ll have help and protection from powerful immortals. They can help us disappear for a long time, and there’s no need for me to—”
“We can’t rely on anyone like that,” she said. “The only people we can rely on is ourselves. I don’t want to see my best friend get killed, and they can hurt you so easily. What would we have done back there if those werewolves would have been real? You would have been no match against them, dead in five minutes.”
I squeezed Jesse’s hand. “Is she right? Am I better off being an immortal?”
Keeping his eyes focused on the road, he answered, “I can protect you, Taylor.”
“You can’t always protect her, and you know it,” Grant spat.
Jesse shot him a cold stare. “I was protecting her just fine before you ever came along.”
“You were? How, by trying to eat her at the beach back in Salem? Those girls were scared to death. They begged me to come along to protect them from you. I should just bite Taylor and get this over with. If I do, at least she’ll be safe from you.”
“You won’t touch her!” Jesse screamed. He slammed his foot on the brake, stopping the car with such a jolt that we all jerked forward in our seats.
Julie gave Grant a hard shove, silently ordering him to apologize.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Grant said, clearing his throat. “I never should have said anything so disrespectful. I’m sorry, Taylor, Jesse. I just run my mouth sometimes.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I know you didn’t mean it.”
“Turning Taylor against her will would be selfish,” Fred said. “Truthfully, she’s probably better off without any of us, but we all love her too much to let her go. Maybe it’s her destiny to keep us sane, to love us, to be the most loyal friend we’ve ever had.”
“I know I’m just human,” I said, “but I’ll carry my weight. I won’t be the damsel in distress. I refuse to be the weakest link.”
“Never,” Fred said. “You were meant for something great. I’ve known that since the first day I met you.”
I smiled at him. “Thanks, Fred, but I’m not even sure of my purpose in this world. Was I born to stop all this mayhem, or is there an even greater purpose for my life?”
“There’s so much more meaning to life when you are aware of why you’re here,” Julie said.
Grant looked at me. “I think you know where your destiny lies. You just have to obey it.”
“I’ve never been very good at being told what to do.” I winked. “Just ask the witches.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen that firsthand, but I also know you will do what you have to so you can stay alive and be with the one you love.”
I couldn’t help but sense the urgency in his voice. If I didn’t give in and let them make me immortal, I wouldn’t have a chance. I loved Jesse deeply, but I wasn’t ready to sacrifice my humanity, even for him. I only hoped the immortals in France could help us, because I didn’t want to become a supernatural being in haste. If The Lost Race could give us sanctuary, there would be no need for me to make such a drastic, eternal change.
Julie kissed Grant’s lips softly. “Well, to each her own, but I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. In some crazy way, my life is unfolding just as fate envisioned it would.”
“You know who you are and where you’re going. You understand the fight to stay alive, and being immortal will give us the edge to stay one step ahead of our enemies,” Grant said, kissing her on the forehead. “I’m proud of you.”
“We have to make our own future,” I said, nodding. “We have to fight for what we want, for what we know is right, and we can never give up.”
“Do you ever wonder, though, if your life counts for anything?” Fred suddenly chimed in, still at a loss in regard to his immortality and trying to learn to accept it. For Fred, it was a struggle to find himself in his new skin.
“Life is about choices,” I said. “Mine reflect who I am deep inside. My choices come from my beliefs, my values, my integrity, and, above all, my passion to live and breathe another day. I believe all our lives count for something, so I live my life with that in mind. I believe I have a higher purpose, one that goes above and beyond myself.”
Jesse shot me a side glance. “There’s nothing more beautiful than a woman filled with passion.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Jesse.”
“You’re my inspiration.”
“And you’re mine.”
“I’m hoping Taylor will come over to our side,” Julie cut in softly. “Because I fear for her safety.”
“I can protect her for now,” Jesse said. “Because this isn’t a decision to take lightly.”
It was a huge decision and I needed a lot of time to think about it. But it was really something I didn’t want to do. “I’m know I’m not ready for that kind of life.”
“Then live life as you so dream,” Jesse said. “Whatever you choose, we’ll make it work.”
Fred sighed heavily and looked out the window. “I’ve become what I despise most,” he said sadly. “To make matters worse, there are enemies after me, far worse than anything I’ve ever imagined. I know I can’t let fear win though. We have to stick together, and like Jesse said, we’ll somehow make it work.”
I smiled, hoping that was possible.