Unnaturals (47 page)

`I'm sure.' He looked at Scarla, holding Ralph's hand and almost afraid to let go. She was dangerous but fragile in the same breath. `Sydney, it seems, is where they're going to stage their event tonight.'

`The Bloodells want to strike at us first,' Eleanor said, moving away from Nikki. `They know we are the Family who can best stop this happening. The other clans are smaller and scattered across the country. The Bloodells will be expecting us to come tonight.' She glanced at Lilly. `And bring Lilly with us. Ruth is leverage—'

`No.' Mason paced, with his mind clear. `There is no bargaining with them, you know it. They will kill Ruth once they have Lilly.'

`They know of you as well,' Eleanor said, moving between him and Lilly. `They know you as a Hunter they have feared, yet with Bemeon coming they must believe they will succeed. If they have already begun to open the portal, they cannot stop. That, perhaps, is to our advantage.'

`How bad is this going to be?' Wilson asked, frowning. `I mean, how many of them are there?'

`Many,' Eleanor said, not taking her eyes off Mason. `And once the portal opens all the Twisted, the makings of Bemeon, will come through.'

`Not all of us beyond the portal are like that,' Scarla muttered, straightening.

Mason felt something touch his mind. Ruth? No. It was cold, powerful and close.

`You're from his world?' Renee moved past him, letting him try to focus on the presence.

`Yes, and many of us true bloods do not want Father's vision to come true.'

Her tone snapped Mason back to the present. `Father?' He moved a fraction. Scarla had scaled armour not unlike his own. It raised the question of how much like the monster god he was.

`I am his daughter. He placed me in this world to do his children's bidding. That bitch had a collar otherwise I would have come to you sooner.'

Mason shivered. Cold brushed him again. Powerful. Urgent. Trying to get his attention.

`Pete is here.' Renee seemed hesitant to move away from Scarla, but Mason let it go. Outside, quiet had fallen and the sense of immense power hovered over them all.

`Pete?' He headed for the door, Renee close behind. Could she feel it as well?

`What's wrong?' she asked, taking his arm.

`You can't feel that?' Mason's desire to run became stronger as he reached the warehouse door.

`No, I feel nothing.' Her grip vicelike, Huntress formed beside him.

Pete stood waiting outside with Justin. The air was thick with the scent of Wolf as the packs stood silent. Watching.

Fear. He could smell Pete's fear. White-faced, he back-pedalled. Mason saw it and smiled a Hunter's smile. Pete had something. Something that called to Hunter. Something that wanted him.

Hunter came, unbidden. Mason let control slip away.

He would take it from Pete. It would be his.

 

Pete froze when he saw Mason. Humanity had vanished and cold, hard, alien eyes stared back at him. Had it been a mistake to bring it here? Was this the darkness Justin had spoken of?

He glanced around, looking for escape. Mason came for him, less of the man and more of a scaled monster with each step.

Red flashed and the girl appeared between them.

`Stop!'

What the hell had he got himself into? Even Renee had changed. Her skin was white marble, while her hair made a mane down her back. Long, black claws extended from her fingers and toes.

`Mine,' Mason rumbled, scales jet black, eyes boring into Pete.

`What is wrong with you?' Renee moved closer to Mason, and Pete managed to breathe.

`He can feel it calling to him.' The newcomer was small, scaled, almost naked and everything about her screamed at him to run. He hadn't seen her come, but she stood beside Renee, unafraid.

Pete blinked.

`Explain yourself, fast, Scarla!' Renee snarled, and Pete could feel the tension around him thicken like soup.

`It seems this human has found something.'

Scarla walked to him. Fear and desire made sweat run down his back. He couldn't look away from her.

`Oh, relax,' she said, and his body responded immediately. `The fact he is human yet can hold it is very odd, though.'

`Scarla!' Renee snapped. Mason pushed her aside and Pete went cold.

`Stop!' Scarla touched Mason on the arm and Renee grabbed him again.

Pete tapped the leather sheath on his arm. `What
is
this thing?'

`Show Mason, but do not let any other touch it.' Scarla's smile showed too many teeth for his liking.

Pete flicked the sheath open and the bone handle came perfectly to his hand. Cold. `I was given this today. After what happened at the beach.' Pete held the dagger up. Yellow, thin but razor sharp. Mason growled and Pete glanced nervously at Scarla.

`You can feel it calling you, Mason. It does that. Fickle thing. It seeks out the strongest, those with the most dark energy. No human should be able to hold it like that.' Scarla moved closer to Pete. A dark sweet scent called to him.

`But I am human.'

`Are you? Tell me, what has happened to this so-human man recently?' Scarla drew blood with her nails, tasting him. He shook at the sight of his blood on her tongue.

`Mason healed him,' Renee snapped, distrust in her eyes.

`So that's it. You've been touched by Mason's gift. The dagger recognised it, knowing you would carry it to the source.'

`Enough!' Renee pushed Mason back and grabbed Scarla. `What is it?'

Pete glanced at Mason, his face creased in a frown. Much of the hardness had gone, leaving the man showing under the scaled armour. He caught the flash of movement. Ralph appeared behind Mason, more Wolf than man.

Pete's gut churned. Scarla shook Renee off and raised Pete's hand overhead. `This is my father's lower rib.' She flicked a toothy grin at him then looked at Renee. `The human holds Bemeon's own bone dagger, gifted to Agnes.'

`And this is a good thing?' Pete blurted. Renee bristled at Scarla.

`Yes.' Scarla let him go and reached for Ralph. `The dagger wields much power.'

`Except I cannot touch it,' Mason said, human again.

Pete let himself relax. With Mason back, the tension had reduced.

`It called to me, trying to make contact.'

`Yes,' Scarla whispered, eyes bright. `It would bond with you, letting its darkness meld with yours.'

`Infecting me,' Mason shook his head. `Damn thing nearly succeeded. Put it away, will you?'

Pete looked at the bone dagger in his hand. He was supposed to keep it? `I thought it was meant for you?'

`No, Pete.' Mason looked out towards the city. `I think that would be a mistake.'

`Well, what the hell am I going to do with the bloody thing, then?' He slipped it back into the leather sheath, uncomfortable he was still wearing such an Unnatural thing.

`Hang onto it, Pete,' Mason said, turning away. `The safest place for it tonight is with you.'

`Christ,' he muttered, starting to understand why his grandmother had been so cryptic when she'd given it to him. She hadn't needed to tell him it was Unnatural, and when she had said he would know what to do with it when the time came, he thought that had meant bringing it to Mason. Had she known the whole truth? `So. What am I supposed to do now?'

Renee grimaced. `Survive. You're part of this now.'

He didn't get a chance to speak again. The crowd around them closed in.

 

Ruth tried to scream in the darkness. Silence.

Her arms and legs felt lifeless. No sound or sensation came to her, yet she was awake. Blind. Trapped. Despair wailed in her. Would Mason find her again? Had she lost Nikki?

`He will find you.'

Ruth struggled to understand the faint voice in the spiralling darkness.

`Father will find us.'

She focused. Stability shimmered. Colours flared in the darkness. The voice came again.

`I am growing strong. Soon, I will call to him.'

A girl? Ruth reached out into the darkness. It was a girl?

`Yes, Mother. Please stop trying to reach me. You cannot. Rest instead. I must grow stronger. The darkness is coming.'

All colour faded and darkness came to her again. But where despair had stood there now was hope. Yes, she felt it. A daughter grew within her.

Ruth relaxed, letting the darkness settle on her like a thick cold blanket. She had to rest and be ready. To fight for her child.

 

Wilson stood at the warehouse doorway, watching his father.

`What's happening now?' Sally asked, taking his hand. He shifted, uncomfortable about her seeing so much and about the pistols she wore.

`The big, bald guy has a knife they were interested in.' He glanced around to see where Lilly was, but she was nowhere close. `Now it looks like the Wolves want to talk.'

`All these people are like Ralph?' Sally stepped closer, showing no fear.

He wanted to smile with her but couldn't help thinking that they, she, could die tonight.

Wilson pulled her against him. `Sally, I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't think I could handle seeing you hurt.'

`I'm not staying here while you go to fight, Wil.' She pushed him away with a look on her face he knew only too well.

`I know this is not like the movies. People will die tonight, Wil. There's a whole lot of bad coming our way. Things that want you dead. I saw them in the forest. They won't stop until they get what they want, so, me staying here isn't going to make a difference.'

She unclipped a pistol from its holster. `Tonight, I'm going to have to use this, either here or out there with you. And I want to be with you, Wil. No matter how scared I am.'

He sighed, Sally was right. The Bloodells would come for her no matter where she was.

`You're right.' He pushed her pistol back into the holster. `How good are you with these, anyway?'

`Better than Ruth,' she said with a scared smile. `She taught me to do head shots. I never asked why but I guess it means that's the best place to shoot a Bloodells.'

`Yeah, brain damage is hard to recover from.' Wilson rubbed his nose. He had to admit to being impressed. His mother was very good with a pistol. She hated them but that hadn't stopped her training with them.

`Okay,' Sally drawled, wetting her lips and breathing out hard. `Touch me with your fire again, to make sure it doesn't burn me.'

Wilson pulled back. Had his fire touched her back in the forest?

`It touched me Wil. It was hot but didn't burn. But,' she shrugged holding out her hand, `I don't want to get singed next time we kiss.'

Her smile was infectious. Was it his fear or nerves that made her smile feel so good? `Okay,' he said, letting the white fire cover his hand. `Try it.'

Sally reached for his hand and he smiled as the flame flickered, almost caressing her hand.

`That's really weird,' she said. `It touched me almost like it knew me.'

`Maybe it does.' He smiled more as the fire covered her hand. `Maybe the fire is part of me, and knows who you are. How does it feel?'

`Warm. Kind of soft now.' She rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand.

`Looks like there's going to be an argument out here.' Sally nodded towards his father and Ralph surrounded by people.

`Hope not,' he said. Sally leant against him, the fire creeping over them both. `I don't think Dad will cope well with that.'

`No.' Sally squeezed his hand. `Can you feel her, your sister?'

Wilson closed his eyes, searching for the familiar sensation he had with Nikki's child. `No, not yet. But we will find them soon. The Wolves will help us.'

`Okay,' she said, resting her head on his shoulder. `But until then can we just be together, just us?'

`Yes,' he whispered, letting his fire cover them both completely. `Just us,' he promised, aware that in the soft glow of their fire he had seen the glimmer of Lilly's eyes, watching them.

`You claim to be the Huntress.'

A small, wiry woman faced them, ignoring the pressing throng. She was old but not aged, her body strong, matching her tone. An Elder. The matriarch.

`Yesss,' Renee hissed back, letting a little Huntress leak out. Mason didn't speak. These were Ralph's kin. It wasn't his place to speak for Ralph, or for Huntress.

`Bloodells have spilt blood here in our land.' Half-wolf, Ralph stood tall over the crowd. `Their High Priestess has come in open defiance of the treaty, attacking boldly, in light of day, and with no regard to Darkells or human life!'

Murmurs rippled around them. Deep vibrations filled the air.

`You speak for the She claiming to be Huntress?' The old woman asked, unmoved by Ralph's words.

`I do.' Ralph seemed to grow taller as his pack joined him.

Mason didn't hide his grin when they let their Wolf free. `We speak for the Huntress, and her Hunter, as free Wolves.'
`Free Wolves?' the old woman asked and stepped closer, studying them.

`Aye, Mia,' Ralph slurred through Wolf teeth as he bent to look right into her eyes. `Our choice. We are not bonded nor compelled. We serve no one except by choice. That is our right, since the Elders cast us out as freaks.'

Quiet slapped at Mason. The complete silence in such a tight but full space seemed impossible. No one spoke or moved as Ralph faced the matriarch. Her hands clenched and unclenched, and Wolf moved under her skin.

`If they fight you must not interfere.'

He glanced at Renee, relaxed, calm, her eyes fixed on Ralph.
`He will win. She is no match.'

`You were never a freak,' Mia growled back as her Wolf grew. Thick red hair formed. Legs cracked. `Strong, fast, stubborn and cursed with a blind devotion to the Darkells girl. An alpha with a crush on one of the Unnaturals. Not a freak, but no use to us. Who would follow you?'

Vertebrae clicked. Long, black claws scraped the concrete. When she finished she stood tall, a great Wolf, but still smaller than Ralph. She sniffed the air, tasting him. `And yet, without us, you've grown. You have a pack, loyal and trained. They stand with her, against us all, without hesitation. And you dare call yourself a freak.'

The packs rumbled around them, bodies flexed as changes began. Yet no fight was coming. Mason could feel it. More, he could see it in Mia's eyes when she reached up to Ralph.