Unnaturals (37 page)

`Shit a brick. It stopped the slug!' Ricco yelled, holding up the slug that had flattened against his chest.

`Everyone okay?'

Max winced at their shouting. Obviously, their hearing had been affected. Note that.

`All clear!' They responded at last, refocusing. Anger had blended into excitement.

`Change,' Max said, shifting balance to a two-handed ready stance. `The first one to knock me on my arse wins a Scooby snack.'

`No,' Ralph snarled, Wolf rippling under his skin. `First blood.'

`Done.' He dropped the pistol as they began to morph. Instead he activated slide mechanisms under his sleeves and pistols filled each hand. `But I'm going for head shots.'

Wolf filled his vision.

`Bring it on.'

 

Wilson sat in the front seat while Renee drove. He glanced up at the rear-view mirror at Lilly and Sally in the back seat.

`You look a bit better now,' Sally said to Lilly, digging through the new clothes.

`Thanks. I feel a bit better.' Lilly smiled, but he knew it was for him. She did look better. The clothes helped and colour had begun to fill her face.

`I can't find those bikinis. Are they in your bag?'

Lilly dug through the bag she had on her lap. She glanced at Sally and the touch of colour in her cheeks was real `Yes, but I'm not sure that a bikini will suit me that much.'

`Rubbish,' Sally said, taking the bag. `You've got a great body.' She held up a light blue bikini. `This will suit you perfectly.'

Lilly's face was a mix of emotions Wilson couldn't read.

`Look, if you're worried about your scars, don't be.' Sally's voice had softened. `I really don't know you, or completely buy the story Ruth told me.' She glanced at him and Wilson's inner calm shivered. `But I trust her. The fact
he's
like a cat on a hot tin roof around you proves there's more going on.'

`Sally—'

She stopped him with a hand sign. `No! Wilson, I know there's a lot you don't talk about, some I'm sure I don't want to ever hear, but I want Lilly to tell me truthfully. Are you sleeping with him, as his girlfriend?'

`No,' Lilly said without hesitating, without looking away. Wilson's gut churned. `His heart belongs to you, Sally. We're close, but not like that.'

`I see how you look at him.'

Wilson sweated. The SUV cabin had become very hot.

`I won't lie,' Lilly almost whispered. `I have feelings for him and being around him makes me feel safe. We spent the night together. Ruth told you the truth. But there was no sex, or even a kiss.'

Lilly put a hand over her heart, touching the scars. `His enemy is mine. They tried to take me but I survived. I fought back.'

`Enemy?' Sally looked at him. He had never spoken much about them much. Just that they were terrorists.

`A very dangerous group of people,' Renee said, her voice firm. `Cruel, violent and with no regard for life.'

`Jesus, Renee,' he muttered. The conversation was heading into dangerous ground.

`It's okay, Wil.' Sally leant forward until she could touch his arm. `Ruth warned me a long time ago that there could still be a threat. I'm not that naive. What happened to your family was terrifying and I accept that being with you has always been a risk.'

`So you understand, then, that the danger is very real.' Lilly sounded surprised.

`Of course,' Sally said, sitting back looking between him and Lilly. `I've seen the knives Wil tries to keep hidden from me and the gun Ruth keeps in her handbag. Even at the house I see things, the security system and cupboards with steel doors with locks. They're for guns, aren't they?'

`Yeah.'

`Told you she would see through everything,' Renee said, focused on the road. `He's been so worried about you freaking out about everything.'

`Thanks for that,' he muttered.

`He does that — worry too much.' Sally smiled at him. `But I was more freaked out when I saw you, Renee. I thought he had found someone else in Sydney. Glad I was wrong.'

`You're safe. He's not my type.'

He caught her quick glance at him. No sign of a smile.

`Anything else you want to know?' Lilly asked.

`Um no, not yet.' she said coyly. `I kind of feel a bit awkward now. I didn't expect everyone to be so open about this.'

He smiled, that's my Sally. `You're telling me,' he huffed, still trying to settle the ripple of nerves in his gut. `So this means you're okay now, with us?'

`Down!' Renee shoved his head down and he heard the unmistakeable pok pok pok of bullets smacking into the windscreen.

Sally's muffled scream made him buck against Renee's grip. `It's bullet-proof!' he yelled, pinned under her hand.

`Shit! Get up, then!' Renee cursed as the SUV shuddered, losing traction.

Wilson twisted in his seat, seeking out Sally.

`She's fine, Wil,' Lilly said, arm around Sally's shoulders.

`They're right behind us,' Renee growled, driving her foot flat, getting the SUV back onto the bitumen.

`Sal?' He reached over touching her leg. She was so white.

`I'm fine! Just get us out of here, Renee.'

`Working on that.' Renee swerved side to side. Wilson tried to see the car behind them. In was another SUV. Green. Veering from side to side with them. Why hadn't he sensed Bloodells?

`They're not,' Renee said, hands white on the steering wheel. `Hired guns, nothing more.'

`Just the one SUV?' He punched the glove box button, ignoring that Renee seemed to know what he had been thinking.

`So far,' she said, glancing in the side mirror. `Could be scouts. I only saw two in the SUV and they're using small calibre firearms. I'd guess they didn't expect to see us out and about.'

Wilson knew what she was trying to not say. Things could have been a lot worse if it'd been a prepared ambush. `Slow down.'

`What?'

`Slow down and keep it straight.' He flicked open a concealed console in the glove box. `Max always builds nice surprises into our cars.'

`They're right on us.' More bullets smacked into the back of the SUV. `Do it now.'

He pressed the red button, well aware of what it would do. `Put your foot down.'

Their SUV surged forward. A dull noise shook them.

`Oh my god,' Sally muttered, looking out of the back window. `We did that?'

`Yep,' Wilson said with satisfaction as he watched the green SUV cartwheel behind them engulfed in flames. Max's grenades had been very effective.

`Chances are they alerted the people who hired them,' Renee said. `We have to work on that.'

`Let's hope Dad is awake.' Wilson hoped Sally didn't hear the worry in his voice. `We're gunna need him.'

`True,' Renee said, checking her mirrors again, sounding calm. `But he is still asleep.'

He nodded, catching her look. She couldn't hear Mason. If Renee couldn't hear him then Dad was still lying on the bed, unaware.

`You can let my hand go now, Sally.'

Wilson turned. His senses were all alive. He could just about taste Sally's fear and excitement. Her heart pounded loudly. Lilly's heartbeat was much calmer but her excitement also filled the air. Everything felt sharper.

`Thanks,' Sally let Lilly go. `Dear god, Wil.' She wiped sweat off her brow. `That was surreal. Like we're in the movies. They wanted us dead?'

`Yep.' He didn't say any more. More would be bad.

`Is it happening again, Wil? Like last year?'

`No,' Renee said, her voice deeper. `This time it will end.'

Her eyes had blackened and Wilson found he no longer cared that she could become Huntress in a second.

Sally sat quietly. He tried not to look, not trusting his own body, not wanting to know what Sally thought about what Renee had said. He was hot, itchy and agreed with Renee.

What was more, they didn't have a lot of time. Bloodells would come and they would have to fight. But they had come to his town and soon they would come to his home. He had avoided conflict for so long, but now it had come to him.

Anger stirred where once he'd felt only fear.

The Bloodells would pay.

 

Scarla staggered and fell to the forest floor. The teleport had been hasty, uncontrolled.

`SEEK, FIND AND REPORT,'
boomed into her mind, the thick collar that was the link biting into her neck.

`I need to feed, Mistress, please,' she whimpered, lying on the dry leaves. `Eat first then seek.'

`NO.'

Scarla wailed as the collar tightened, digging its claws into her already torn flesh. Her scales offered no protection against this. The collar began to crush her neck.

`SEEK.'

`Yes,' she gasped when the collar relaxed enough for her to breathe. `I find, and then I eat. Seek I shall,' she muttered, getting to her feet. She called her gift forward, covering her scales. She became part of the forest. `But is He I shall find, you bitch.' She spat blood, getting her bearings from the sun.

Something familiar touched her. Mason. To the north. She smiled, letting her long tongue run over her sharp teeth. `And if I live. I will ask him to tear this foul thing from my neck.'

She took in the minute particles of Mason's unique scent. `Then, Mistress, you will taste the anger of a True Unnatural.' She snorted and moved off towards the north, feeling invigorated. She had to find the strength to keep going and to survive the day.

Ruth lay on her bed, Mason cold beside her. Nikki studied herself in the wardrobe mirror.

`It's growing fast.' She stroked her swelling abdomen.

`We have to tell them tonight, Nikki.' Ruth stretched as Nikki pulled her blouse off.

`Maybe.' She grinned and fell onto Ruth, hands seeking out her sex. `But first I want you again.'

Ruth didn't resist, moving her legs so Nikki could pull her panties off. `You're a bad girl, a very bad girl,' she muttered as Nikki's fingers found her sweet spot.

`Yes I am, Mrs Douglas.' Nikki kissed her neck. Ruth closed her eyes, relishing the pleasure of Nikki's fingers and the warmth of her skin. `It's because I love you,' she whispered, biting Ruth's neck.

Ruth smiled, wrapping her legs across Nikki's back. `You say that easily.' Pleasure built in her as Nikki moved her fingers and bit her again.

`It's the truth.' Nikki nibbled her ear. Ruth held on tightly, tears threatening to build.

`Kiss me.' She craved to taste her again. Spice and ice filled her mouth as lips pressed against hers. She spasmed, waves of pleasure hitting her as Nikki bit her lip.

`I want to be with you, love you and have our baby,' Nikki whispered, kissing her on the cheek. `You're addictive.'

`Hmm,' Ruth hummed, basking in Nikki's warmth. She wanted her, more than any other woman.

Nikki slipped a hand under her top, teasing her nipple. Pain flashed across it. `Careful,' she muttered. Another small wave of pleasure washed through her and the heat from her nipple faded.

`Ruth.' Nikki's fingers slowed in her. `Ruth, you're lactating.'

`Can't be,' she said. But, even as she spoke, Ruth knew Nikki had spoken the truth.

Nikki rolled away and she pulled off her top, touching her breasts carefully. Beads of moisture seeped out as she massaged them.

`You are lactating. And they're sore.'

`Can't be,' Ruth whispered again. `Maybe it's because you're pregnant? Or a hormonal imbalance from all the stress. I've never had it before.'

`You've never been through what's happened in the last few days either.' Nikki touched a nipple, making Ruth wince. She laid her hand flat on Ruth's breast. `Can you sense a child within?'

`What?' Ruth touched her stomach without thinking. Could she be? No. `I can feel nothing. Can't be. We weren't even meant to have Wil.'

`The human part of you was,' Nikki said. `But you're not human anymore. You're so much more. You're Gaia's oracle. You wield her power and part of her is in you.' Nikki sat up with an odd half-smile on her face that made Ruth hold her breath. `She is the goddess of fertility, Ruth.'

`We haven't had sex since the island.' She glanced at Mason beside them. `It's just been you.' No. It's not possible.

`We were both lost in each other that night at the lake house,' Nikki whispered as Ruth rubbed her stomach. `Love, sex and passion covered us for hours. Even after what we took from Mason, we made love again.'

Oh god, Ruth thought. The night had been intense. She'd loved Nikki long into the night. `We did.' Her words came out as a hoarse whisper as she fought the urge to believe what she was hoping.

`Ruth.' Nikki kissed her hand. `We made love and created our children that night. Our family.'

Ruth lay back. `When you say
our children
that includes Mason as well? You understand that, don't you?'

`I guess so.' Nikki looked at her with wet eyes and Ruth wanted to kiss her, but she had to be clear.

`You have to accept him as the father.' She pulled Nikki up to her face. `Whatever happened to you in the past stays in the past. Mason is the father. We made the decision, without him, to try it. Now it has worked, we think. Mason is my husband and father to our children. Even though he didn't have sex to create the child, believe me, he will see it as his own. This I know, Nikki. Say you understand this. Please understand.'

`I feel it in you. The words carry the truth.' Nikki caressed Ruth's stomach. `But to me, it was our love that brought the children to life. It's not Mason that I love or wish to share my life with. It is you. I will not let him control our lives or our children.'

Ruth sighed, touching Nikki's face. `You have no idea who he really is yet. The day he held Wilson for the first time, I saw right into his soul. Mason would love and protect Wilson, even give his own life. Then that day when I thought I had lost Wilson at the funeral…'

She swallowed, trying to keep the tears at bay; the memory was so vivid. `When Mason rolled him over covered in blood, it was then I knew Mason would die that day if Wil had gone as well. The connection he has with Wil — he is part of his soul, his blood. That day Mason did what was needed to protect his child.'

`He became Butcher,' Nikki whispered, wiping the tears off Ruth's face.