“You look exhausted,” Ben stated, sitting next to me at the dining table as I started eating my breakfast.
I was starving and my body sore from running all night and searching for something that might not want to be found.
“It was a rough night.”
“Rogues, I heard,” he nodded, grabbing a scoop of scrambled eggs and then several pieces of bacon.
“Yep. Rogues and Red, who doesn’t love that combination?” I muttered, noticing his smirk as I sighed softly.
“Okay, he wasn’t that bad. He seemed pretty chill actually. Whereas Mum freaked out when she realized I was there.”
“You lived,” he shrugged, stuffing his mouth again as Dad came to us from behind and kissed both our heads.
“Morning,” I smiled softly.
“Don’t smile at me. I know you never came home until four this morning. What were you doing out there?” he asked me quietly as my smile fell and I looked down at my food.
“Josephine, answer me immediately.”
“I was just…exploring,” I said slowly, sighing softly. “I wasn’t tired and so I was just out. I’m sorry but I was fine, I’m fine now too.”
“No, you’re exhausted. Last night was ridiculous, even for you,” he said, moving to sit down at the end of the table next to me.
“And it doesn’t happen anymore. Definitely not while you’re staying with the North Seas pack.”
“Dad—”
“We’re not arguing about this,” he snapped, giving me a hard look as I clenched my jaw.
“You leave after breakfast. Atticus and Melody welcome you with open arms,” he said as I felt the anger suddenly pulse through me.
I clenched my fists closed as I got up and walked away, hearing my chair smash down onto the ground after me.
“To your room if anywhere,” I heard him call out as I went to walk to the door.
I scowled and ignored him, started in a run through the doors and down the steps.
I made my way down the road, towards the village so he’d think I was going to see my friends if he was watching me and thinking to follow.
“Josie!” I heard, making me growl and stop as I turned to Ben. “Where are you going? You know we can’t be out this far—”
“Then go back,” I snapped, shoving his chest and then biting my tongue hard when he fell back and down to the ground.
He growled, looking up at me angrily before his expression fell and I frowned at him when he suddenly scrambled back.
“Vampire, Josie. Vampire!” He got to his feet and grabbed my hand hard just as I screamed out from the grip of another hand grabbing at my other arm.
“Ben!” I yelped when his grip left mine, and I heard him yelling out as he struggled before he growled out, phasing into his wolf to lose their grip.
I scowled at the arms tightening around me, five bodies passing in a blur as I felt other hands hold me tightly, keeping me steady as I struggled to get free.
“Ben,” I called, my eyes widening when I watched six vampires circle around him while he laid low, ready to pounce and attack.
I heard howls suddenly erupt from within the trees, paws pounding against the ground as I continued pulling and pushing against the vampires that held me.
They were silent. Deadly silent as if nothing bothered them. They seemed so calm yet so fragile, white skin and silver eyes, colorless, lifeless. They wore dark clothes, making their skin look even lighter.
I growled, finding my strength to pull an arm free.
It was enough to turn away from one of the vampires and use my free hand to twist the head of the other, the neck snapping cleanly before the body fell.
I jumped back and out of reach of the other as he tried grabbing me.
I only gasped when one came from behind, grabbing my arms to hold behind me before the other came in and picked up my legs. I yelped as I kicked and thrashed in their arms, turning my body to try to get away.
“Josie!” I yelled, growling out as my arms were captured before I yanked them back.
I ducked under threatening long yellow nails and dodged other hands, my eyes staying on the bastards who had her as she struggled. They held her up, by her arms and feet while she thrashed and turned.
“Stop fighting, Mutt,” one of them hissed as I blinked, trying to register what was happening again.
The world spun, the trees swaying in every direction as the ground turned upside down. My body was pulled along the ground, my legs held in the air by whoever was dragging me.
I swallowed hard, closing my eyes for a moment before I realized what was happening. They had me in their hold~. ~
I growled out as I kicked my feet. I felt them drop to the ground just as Dad and the other warriors surrounded and took down the vampires almost instantly.
I grunted and pushed myself up, finding balance on my two feet as I looked around eagerly for Josie, but I couldn’t see her anywhere.
“They have Josie!” I yelled, taking off as I heard him growl out, following me as vampires followed too.
I growled when hands seized my shirt, pulling me back hard. I hit the ground, groaning when the air was knocked out of my lungs.
I closed my eyes tight, turning face down and covering my head as Red attacked them, spilling blood and tearing limbs from their bodies.
Fire burst from within, capturing my soul like butterflies stuck in a net. Deadly butterflies. Butterflies ready to burn down the whole damn world.
“I don’t know!” I yelled back, getting to my feet as I looked at all the vampires, feeling my flames burn at my arms, not harmful, just enough to tell me I was alight.
Loaded and dangerous like a gun pointed at a guilty man for revenge. Blood thirsty, desperate to make him suffer.
I heard him scream out then, not so silent like they all were before. The vampires hissed, coming in together as the wolves circled out, keeping them in a group.
“Where have you taken her?!” I yelled, feeling the anger pile up as they remained quiet, glancing towards each other.
I growled when one ran for it but didn’t make it before he was overtaken by flames, but while he ran, the others took off the other way.
Some made it past the wolves but the others all died with their throats ripped out.
I stared out at where they disappeared, into the woods and far away now.
“She’s gone,” I whispered, looking down as the fire dancing over my hands and arms died down.
“Ben,” I heard Dad murmur, taking control again as I leaned forward to hug myself.
I balled up and cried, knowing it’d be impossible to track her while the vampires had no scent and they moved too fast for hers to be left anywhere for us to follow.
“Benjamin,” Dad growled a little, pulling me back up and hugging me into his chest. “Where’s Phinie? Where’s your sister?” he asked, his hand touching my cheek as he wiped back my tears with his thumbs.
“We got separated and they got her. Dad, they got her,” I sniffed and leaned into him again, feeling as he moved his hand to my head next.
I heard his heart thump harshly in his chest, his body heating up as the anger began to ride in his veins.
“She was here. Right here and she was fighting but then I got hit and she was gone,” I said quietly before I held myself up.
Dad got to his feet and stepped away a bit, looking out at the woods with his hand over his mouth, rubbing it before running along his jaw.
“Duncan,” he called.
I followed his gaze to where Duncan stood with the other guys, already working to burn the bodies.
“Get Melody here as soon as possible. Maybe she can track them,” he said, and Duncan nodded before he turned and took off back towards the packhouse.
“Benjamin, get inside before more arrive and you’re lost too. Whatever you do, don’t you dare say anything to your mother—”
“Dad, she’ll just read my mind,” I replied, getting to my feet as he pointed off.
“Inside. Now,” he ordered. I stared at him before I nodded respectfully and started in a run, one of the warriors coming with me for protection.
“Benji, baby, what’s going on?” Mum asked as soon as I walked through the door.
She touched my arms and then my face, took in my burnt clothes and the blood splattered over me.
I bit my tongue hard, staring at her as she searched my face, leaving this world to tap into my mind without permission and find an answer herself.
I watched her eyes fall first before her hands did. Then the rest of her expression before tears.
I moved in and caught her when her legs gave up, and she cried out, turning to hug me tightly as I pulled her to her feet again. I hugged her back, burying my face into her shoulder as she sobbed against me.
“No, no, no—”
“Mum,” I tried as she pulled away and stared at me. “I’m so sorry. I tried to get to her—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” she raised a hand, swallowing hard before she turned and slowly walked away, her hand covering her mouth before she broke down again.
I watched her sadly when Scarlet came out of one of the rooms and hugged her while I felt my tears drip from my eyes again.
“Ben,” I heard and looked back when Dad walked in, taking in the scene of Mum and Scarlet embracing before he came to me, touching my arm as I looked down sadly.
“I should have been better—”
“It’s not your fault,” he cut me off and lifted my chin. “Are you hurt? Were you bitten?”
“No,” I shook my head lightly and watched as he nodded before he hugged me into his chest. “We’ll look for her, right?”
“Until my dying breath,” he replied, rubbing my back soothingly before he sighed and let me go to walk to Mum, but it was clear she was angry at everyone at the moment, including him.
“Don’t you fucking touch me, Ryder. I told you not to tell her! I told you she’d run off again!”
“Come on,” he told her, moving his arm around her as she shoved him off until he picked her up and over his shoulder.
I watched him carry her up the stairs before I heard them arguing in their room, but then it quietened a lot when the door was closed.
“Josie’s strong,” Alana said, suddenly appearing next to me and making me look at her for a while, wondering where she’d come from. “She’ll be okay.”
“Maybe, but Mum won’t. Not until she’s back here and safe,” I replied, sighing softly as I moved my arms over my chest.
I glanced up when it became silent, and I figured Dad had managed to shut her up enough to tell her a plan he had already started to put into action.
