Unnaturals (56 page)

`Sorry to interrupt.' Ralph spoke through clenched teeth. `I'm sure the world would love to see you both hump like horny dogs on the beach.' He waited, covered in gore. `But it's still a shit fight out here. Most of Bemeon's army is dead or fled but now we have another problem.'

Mason set Renee down, controlling the driving instincts still strong from Hunter's influence. Eleanor was holding her goddess as colour began to flush her fine scales. He looked up at the seawall. Wilson was up there. And angry. Mason glanced at Ralph. `What's happened?'

`Nothing good. Come,' Ralph said, tense as he moved off.

Mason matched Ralph's stride through the carnage. `Bemeon's gone. How are we doing?' He didn't look at the dead around him, his eyes on the seawall.

`Better than expected.' Ralph stopped and checked a teenage boy, badly ripped around the torso. `The young suffered the most. They think they're invincible, and most have never fought before.' He looked right at Mason. `The packs gave their young willingly. Losing wasn't an option, and they followed me to their deaths.'

Mason felt Ralph's pain. He touched the Wolf with the back of his hand. `Their sacrifice was necessary. The pain of their loss will always be with us, but to have failed…' He let Ralph glimpse the horror of what Bemeon would have dealt out.

The Wolf recoiled. `The memory of their sacrifice will not fade.' He said, looking away and wiping his mouth. `We have to move. There is a great fear among us. We're revealed to the human race. Many believe this will be the beginning of the end of us living in freedom.'

Mason cracked a knuckle, moving on with Ralph. `Is Max dealing with the…' He paused, feeling the changes in how he now saw humankind. They were a threat. `Is Max dealing with the human reaction?'

`Kind of.' Ralph stopped at the seawall steps, taking of Mason's arm. `If the tide turns against us, we cannot harm humans. That is a fight we cannot win. The packs will flee if we that happens.'

`Ralph.' He placed hands on the Wolf's shoulders. `When I take anyone into my family it is not a false oath. It is the way of the Douglas to protect all who are kin. You Wolves are kin now.'

`It is a big oath to swear,' Ralph said, worry creasing his face. Sirens sounded. `Best you lose the Hunter shape before presenting yourself to the world.'

`Ah, Wolfling.' Mason pushed aside the moment of uncertainty and grinned at Ralph. `Let them see what we are. No more smoke and mirrors.'

Ralph grinned back, letting his body reshape to his alpha Wolf.

`Good. The humans should be fearful. Let's make sure they know why.'

Two gunships tore overhead, floodlights streaking over the beach behind them, revealing the carnage in its full glory. Ralph nodded and Mason flexed his wings. Max was barking orders.

Huntress appeared beside him, her hand seeking his. `Nikki and Ruth wait for us. Wilson needs us. Much has happened.' She called her mane into place. `I am not afraid.'

`Nor should we be.' Mason slipped his arm around her and thrust skywards. Ralph followed, bounding over the seawall below. From his vantage point Mason could see Nikki and Ruth standing with Wilson and Sally. Scarla's kin huddled behind them as Max faced off against a growing mass of police and news crews. Fund soldiers spread out, weapons drawn against the crowd.

He dropped, wings folded in, as Huntress howled their arrival. Making no attempt to soften his landing, his feet crunched into the concrete of the footpath as Renee broke away to Nikki.

`Mason.' Ruth was on him, hugging him tight.

Her physical contact pulled him back further to himself. He felt less alien as he looked for Wilson.

`Lilly's gone,' Ruth said, burying her face in his chest. Renee made a low noise as she joined them with Nikki. `And then we saw you fall into the portal.' Her fingers dug into his scales. `I, we didn't know if you'd come back from there. And Wil — he's changed. They killed Lilly.' She looked up at him. `Tell me you're still Mason, please.'

He ran a hand through her hair, hypersensitive to the emotions streaming around him. He could feel all of them, his children, his family reaching out for him.

`It's me,' he said kissing Ruth quickly. `Where's Lilly?'

`Here.' Wilson squatted beside the ATV, his anger clear in every movement. A shock of blonde hair stood out on the bloody asphalt. Lilly.

`Stay the fuck back!' Max's voice broke over them. He moved the Fund soldiers forward, herding the crowd. `I don't give a shit who you are. Stay back!'

Mason knelt beside Lilly. Sally put an arm around Wilson but he didn't seem to notice her. His son was in pain. Mason knew how much pain could change a person.

`I tried.' Wilson held up blood-stained hands. `I couldn't heal her, Dad.' His voice wavered but his fire burnt bright.

Mason touched Lilly.

Deep emotional pain burned in Wilson's eyes. `Her heart. The bullet tore it apart. She didn't stand a chance. Shot in the back.' His anger grew louder as he glared at the crowd watching them through the cordon of Fund Soldiers.

Lilly was still warm. Her skin still held the aroma of life, but her chest had been torn open. Mason thought of shielding his son from the onlookers but left his wings hidden. The people had to see the pain to understand his family were people. `Ignore them,' he said, seeing Sally's face creased in the same anger and grief. Ralph's words slammed into his mind again — the young had suffered the most. War spared no one.

`We were fighting for them,' Sally said in a hoarse whisper. She still held Lilly's hand. She began to cry. Wilson stiffened.

Voices called out from the crowd but Mason shut them out. He had never had to deal with an angry and confused public like this. His tolerance wearing thin, he touched Wilson's arm.

`Son, I can't bring her back. You know that. Her wounds were made by human weapons.'

`I know,' Wilson said, clenching his fists. `But I cannot let this go. They killed her, Dad.' He leaned forward, voice tight with an anger Mason understood intimately. `They have to pay for this. It's murder, Dad.'

`Wilson, no,' Sally whispered between tears. `Lilly didn't want you to do that. Her last words, Wil. We don't even know who did it.'

`I don't care!' Wilson pulled away as he stood. Mason grabbed him, not sure if he could stop his son or if he wanted to. An uneasy murmuring had settled over the crowd as Mason held Wilson, fire raging.

Words struggled to come, words that would comfort and bring reason to his son. A sound he knew well made him look to Max. Firing mechanisms had scraped. Heartbeats quickened. Adrenalin filled the air. Max, radiating anger, was ready to fire.

Another war stood milliseconds away and confusion clouded his mind. Had Bemeon been right?

`Heal her, Hunter.'

People in the crowd sucked in air. Darla appeared, luminous green and blue, scales shimmering. `Show them what you are, Hunter,' she said, projecting her voice over the crowd, and beyond, for all Mason knew.

`She is of your family. You can bring a child of the Darkells back, because she is one of yours. Only the love of all of her family can heal her.'

Mason didn't doubt for a second. He pulled Wilson down with him `All hands here,' he called, placing his hands over her shattered heart. Wilson's joined his. Energy poured from him, blending with Mason's. He would need so much. Scarla and Nikki had been different.

`Can I?' Sally knelt beside Wilson, hand hovering over his. `I want to but—'

`Hold mine,' Wilson said nodding, tears on his face. `She will feel you calling.'

`It won't be easy,' Mason muttered, feeling for Lilly as he had with Scarla. Cold greeted him. `I don't know how to—'

His eyes shot open as energy coursed through him. Many hands joined their energy to his.

`We're here,' Renee said, as Ruth and Nikki knelt beside him. `Everyone will give to bring her back.'

`We can help,' Scarla said, joining them with her mother. `All our kin can help, see.'

He glanced past Scarla. Many hands reached out, touching her.

Ralph's feet moved into sight. `Not sure if it will help, but here.' Ralph's hand covered Renee's. `Ricco, Jon and Justin are connecting all the other wolves to me. What do we do?'

`Focus on her, let your heart give what you have. I will find her.' Mason leant over, lips close to Lilly's ear. `We're here, Lilly. Look for us.'

With that thought he opened his mind and heart, surging unafraid, once more, into the darkness that was death.

Searching for Lilly, one of his own.

The reporter stood transfixed, all around her silent.

`What are they doing?' her cameraman whispered, nudging closer, camera humming, capturing what she hoped would be their career-changing story.

`Not sure,' she whispered back as the strangest group of people she had ever seen knelt and stood around the dead girl on the ground. `I'm just glad they're not focused on us. That kid looked like he almost lost it before.'

`Thought we were toast,' he muttered, tracking a big, bald man pacing past them.

She blinked. `Pete?'

The guy paused and scowled in her direction. The armed men with him were tense. Hell, she was well past tense. Excitement had overridden fear. Recognition flared on his face and he strode over.

`Sound on,' she said quickly. The cameraman grunted.

`Shit, Vanessa. Get the hell out of here,' Pete growled, looking nothing like the good-natured cop she'd shared a few coffees with. But then, no one here looked normal.

`No.' She almost squeaked when he grabbed her arm, squeezing painfully.

`Listen, you go now and—' He stopped and looked at the camera.

She knew all hope of a scoop was gone. Pete was a smart cop.

`Camera off, Frank.' Reaching over her, he put his hand across the lens. `Not here.'

`Shit, Pete, what the hell is going on? This is like a scene out of
Thriller
, except weirder.'

The earth shook and she had to grab hold of him. A sound grew and Pete let her go to spin around, giving her a clear view of bright energy flashing over the huddled group.

`What are they doing?'

`Healing,' Pete whispered back.

The big winged creature cried out and Pete took hold of her again. The ground moved underfoot and her excitement surged. `Who are they, or what?'

`Shut up.'

Streaks of white light poured out of the big winged creature.

`You know them?'

`I said, shut it,' he hissed, not letting her go.

Vanessa bit her lip, aware that while Pete was punishing her arm, he had given her a clear view.

The dead body spasmed and Vanessa gasped. Healing? `Holy shit, she moved.'

Pete seemed to relax. The girl moved more naturally and the group began to stand up. `He did it. Mason did it. He brought Lilly back.'

`So you do know them?' Vanessa felt her throat tighten as Pete turned on her. `Oh god. Mason D—' Her words were cut off as his hand clamped down over mouth.

She heard Frank move behind her but Pete's arm shot past her face, followed by the sound of Frank wheezing. Pete lifted her clear of the ground, slinging her over his shoulder. Frank staggered along behind them, hauled by Pete's fist in his shirt.

`Damn it, Vanessa. You always were too curious.' He moved fast and the soldiers parted and let him through.

As Frank was shoved against the military-type truck near the winged creature, Vanessa had to admit she was probably closer than she'd wanted to be. Mason Douglas was a name that had been burning hot across the media all day.

`Don't move,' Pete growled at Frank, `and if you even touch that camera I will break your arm off, understand?'

Frank nodded, half-stunned as he leant against the truck.

Her feet touched ground and Pete's face filled her vision. `Don't move or talk. Can you manage that?'

She wanted to argue but a slim girl covered in dark scales appeared beside her, taking her breath away. The girl smiled and Vanessa shivered at the many rows of razor sharp teeth revealed. Vanessa nodded back.

`Good,' Pete glanced at the scaled girl. `Scarla here will make sure you don't move.'

`Is she your mate?' The girl's voice sounded sweet, nothing like Vanessa had expected.

`Not likely.' Pete shook his head. `But I do know her. Watch until I get back. Make sure she doesn't get hurt.'

`Okay.' She smiled again, reaching out to Vanessa. `Can I hold your hand? My Ralph is busy with Hunter and I like the feel of holding hands. It's nice.'

Vanessa stared at the girl's fine hand and looked back to Pete. He was gone, standing with the winged creature as the blonde girl they'd `healed' managed to stand.

`I don't bite,' Scarla whispered, `Except when asked. Hold hands?'

Vanessa looked at her, an idea forming. `If I hold your hand, will you tell me what's going on?'

`Okay.' Scarla smiled as Vanessa took her hand, surprised at how soft the scales were. `What do you want to know?'

`Everything.'

 

Mason stood back as Wilson hugged Lilly.

`That was awesome,' Ralph said. `I saw and felt everything you did, pushing through the darkness to find he.'

`I didn't think we could find her.' Mason flexed his shoulders. His body ached. Finding Lilly had taxed him heavily. He couldn't have done it by himself.

`But you did, Dad,' Wilson whispered, holding Lilly tight.

`Wil,' Lilly gasped as she pushed him away. `I'm still sore.' She winced as Sally embraced her. Mason nodded to his son, watching them, grinning.

`Mason,' Pete said, joining them. `I've made a mistake. I said your name and a reporter heard it.' His face creased. `I know her and let it slip.'

`Bring her here.' Mason clicked his neck, pulling wings into their hidden position.

`What?' Renee and Nikki said in unison as Ruth took his hand.

`You're going to do it?'

`We have to control this. Saying nothing will only mean conjecture and falsehoods being reported as fact.'

`Are you insane?' Nikki broke away from Renee to stand in front of him. `We can use our gift to fade this from their minds.'

`No.' Mason shook his head. This was the day he had thought about, though he hadn't thought about having to involve the Darkells. `It's far too late. The news is out there now so we have to control the information, make it clear what happened and what we are.'