She had two offers and had yet to decide who to accept; Jason Montgomery or Danny Carter. They were both decent guys, Danny was the team captain and Quarterback of the football team and Jason was the class president and captain of the chess team. As the head cheerleader, it should be an easy decision, but that changed when Rebecca told her the only reason Danny asked was because it was expected. He was cute, but according to Hunter, he was a total jerk. Jason, on the other hand, was intelligent and a great friend. Danny assured the crown and Jason assured a good time. If this was not senior year she was sure her decision would have been Jason, but because this was the last chance she had to be homecoming queen the decision was far more difficult. She knew if she chose Danny the crown was guaranteed, but she would be letting down both Rebecca and Hunter.
“I am leaning towards Danny.” She teased Hunter; she really hadn’t decided either way.
Hunter stopped on the stairs and looked at her with a very serious expression. “It’s your choice, sis, but just know he is a total douche bag when you’re not around. My vote, if it counts, is for Jason.”
“Your vote always counts, little brother." She ruffled his golden hair with her fingers. “But there are more things at stake than simply having a good time.”
“I understand, but…” He started his argument, but she interrupted him.
"Come on, let’s go.” She raced him down the stairs and to the car, winning only because she got the head start. They had come a long way since their parents’ deaths. For years, they were grief-stricken and laughter was not even a word in their vocabulary, let alone something they did. But now, ten years later, they were actually a functioning family with good and bad days. She still cried once in a while, and she knew Hunter still had nightmares, but they were rare. The good far outweighed the bad. They managed to fight their way out of depression and found a way to enjoy their high school experience; found a way to be normal teenagers. The carjackers may have stolen their parents but Savvy made sure they didn’t take away their childhood.
The pain never really went away, it simply dulled over time. The wounds still existed, but a scab grew over it and eventually left a slight scar on their souls. She knew they held onto their loss, but with every day it got better; just a little bit. That’s why Rebecca’s last words to her were so disturbing. Why was she investigating their deaths? Digging into the tragedy was only going to reopen wounds that were better left closed.
Chapter Four
“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.”
~George Sand
Rebecca
After Rebecca showered, she decided she it was time to find Dianna and make sure she wasn’t missing anything. Last night was strange and she wasn’t able to explain it away as another test. The wolves gave her so many tests, horrible tests. Tests that even now made her shiver with dread and brought back vivid memories of deadly snake beds, nights alone in the woods with no shelter or water, sweat lodges, and blood rituals. It was like they wanted to make sure she was brave enough to become one of them. She knew from those tests she needed to be strong to survive in their world. The difference was last night she became one of them so the testing period was over.
Even if last night was a test, it was over. Today, the lack of contact was becoming a mystery and she was beginning to get worried. She had no idea why she hadn't seen or heard from her sponsor or any other wolf on the street since the full moon. The worry was beginning to turn into anger and she was starting to feel abandoned. After a fourth call she decided it was time she went to find Dianna herself. Wolves are pack animals by instinct. The fact that she felt left out in the cold with no one only made her anxious as a spark of fear started to ignite from the center of her soul.
Finding Dianna was a harder task than she realized. She started her search at the soup kitchen that Dianna worked at, the place they got to know each other. No one had seen her for days which was completely out of character. Dianna loved her work at the shelter. There was little that would keep her from helping the less fortunate.
Then she decided to check out the Underground. It was a well-known werewolf hangout. One half of the establishment was a restaurant and the other half contained a fighting ring. Both sides of the place were practically empty. It was like she walked into a ghost town and even the ghosts decided not to show up for the day. Needless to say, it was a new level of weird.
When she tried to ask if anyone had seen Dianna, or any other member of the pack for that matter, people simply shrugged and walked off. It was like no one wanted to get involved. She imagined this was what a cop felt like when they walked into an establishment that was not too friendly towards the law. But she was not a cop; she was a member of the pack, a pack that appeared to disappear into thin air.
While the majority of the pack members, including Dianna, lived in the Phoenix area the main pack compound was located on top of Mount Lemmon in Tucson. She had convinced herself Dianna and the rest of the pack decided to run through that mountain instead of the Superstitions. She tried to calm her nerves by telling herself that it was a simple misunderstanding, but the nagging feeling in the back of her mind did little to quell the anxiety her wolf was creating inside.
'Are you ready to let me help you yet?'
'No!' Rebecca answered with unease. This was all new to her but she was sure that once she found the pack they would help her understand what was going on.
'That's what I'm trying to tell...'
Rebecca started shaking her head and humming an irritating tune that she made up to cover the words coming from inside her head. She was not ready to deal with this. 'I swear if you don't leave me alone I will find a way to shut you up.' Rebecca snapped. Even as she said the words she knew it was impossible. If she hurt the wolf in her mind she would be hurting herself. She was not a masochist. Regardless, the wolf receded. She felt her go into a corner of her mind where the wolf was making a nest. She could feel the wolf's displeasure and irritation but didn't care.
Visiting the compound was like killing two birds with one stone; she’d get a little exercise and would at least see one other werewolf if not Dianna. Access to the compound was complicated. She had to park her car at one of the camp sites and hike in to the actual location. The excess energy that was building up inside her helped her decide to run at least part of the hike uphill. Running was her favorite exercise. It was the only exercise she really got. She wasn’t sure why, but she figured she loved running because of the freedom it gave her. But after all the running she got last night, she would have assumed she would be tired and uninterested in running today.
There was never a more freeing feeling than the sound of nature crunching beneath her tennis shoes and the fresh air offering a gentle breeze to keep her skin cool. She could feel and taste the moisture on the air, something she got very little of in Phoenix.
The weather on Tucson Mountain was much more humid compared to the dry air in Phoenix. The mountain actually had green trees and foliage. The wildlife was active and started to become a distraction for her overactive senses. Dianna taught her that wild animals react with curiosity and fear towards werewolves, especially while they were in human form. ‘We confuse their senses; they have no idea why the scent of a wolf would be in human packaging’. When Dianna told Rebecca about that reaction she was reminded of that old story about 'wolves in sheep’s clothing'. She always believed that myths had at least a kernel of truth. Now that she was a werewolf she realized there was a lot to that theory.
In the distance, the scent of a predator caught her attention; its mistake was tracking her upwind. She stopped running and took cover, watching the horizon for any sign of the elusive predator. There was no movement. No sign that someone was lurking in the woods, following her. After a few minutes of surveying the horizon she realized the scent’s original location did not change so Rebecca decided to go find it. As she got closer she realized it was a vampire. The scent of a vampire was ingrained in her DNA. The half rotting flesh assaulted her nose and the coppery scent of blood gave her pause. The scents on the wind made it clear it was an injured vampire.
'What would a vampire be doing so close to the wolf compound?' She asked her wolf telepathically.
The wolf snarled coldly. ‘Let’s see how you do in this situation without my help.' The wolf snapped in her mind. "It seems to me someone backed into a corner would take help when offered.'
'Maybe I'll consider that when I feel like I am backed in a corner!' Rebecca snapped again, irritated the wolf goaded her into talking to her.
"Like your condescending attitude helps. I wouldn't ask you for help if I was desperate!" She muttered quietly, sarcastically, as she continued her forward trek to the compound ducking for cover as best she could whenever the scent of the vampire came upon the wind. The key was remaining downwind so she did not alert the vampire to her presence. The entire situation was surreal; surely the vampire knew it was in wolf territory. Surely the vampire knew it was in danger.
Vampires and werewolves were always at war. Some ancient history that dated back to the beginning of both races was the cause. From what she gathered, the vampires had enslaved the first werewolves and were brutally abusive. Self preservation became ingrained in the wolf DNA which transferred to the human host.
Dianna said that once she was a wolf she would be a target to vampires and she would grow to hate them as well as their ancestors. Rebecca supposed it was a natural defense mechanism, this hatred, warning the wolf of danger, and set up to remind that a werewolf’s most dangerous enemy was, and would always be, the vampire. The war that was brewing on the streets of Arizona showed evidence of how precarious the situation was becoming. It was normal news to hear of murders on both sides of the battle weekly. Unfortunately, that very war was the reason why she was able to convince the wolves to let her become one of them.
As she neared the vampire she finally understood the unnatural, instinctual hatred toward the creature. It boiled in her veins. The very idea of being close to one made her skin crawl with thousands of tiny, biting bugs.
Her senses were on high alert with every rustle of leaves from the wind, chirp from a bird, and scurry from a wild animal. She was ready to pounce. Logically she knew that seeking out the injured vampire was a fairly stupid plan since werewolves are no match for vampires in human form. The best she could hope for was to injure it further so that she could carry the creature to the compound. It wasn’t like the vampire would go with her willingly. From what she understood, vampires felt the same way about wolves.
If she was a remotely smart wolf she would run in the opposite direction; heed the instinct that was screaming in her head to leave. But for one fault; she was loyal. If a vampire was on the wolf compound, even an injured vampire, it meant trouble for her pack. The pack was now her extended family. She had no choice but to press forward and pray she made the right decision.
As she crested the top of the hill she heard the vampire moan in agony. It was a slight sound but her ears picked it up instantly. She spun around, ready to fight. What she saw was unexpected. A young, female vampire was crouched under a bush only a few feet away from her. The coppery scent of blood was sickly and sulfuric. The close proximity sent her fight or flight response into overdrive.
Humans think vampires are unable to be out in direct sunlight which is actually a misconception; another scary myth that developed from a kernel of truth. They will not burn under the sun, but they do look different in the daylight. Their skin is pale, which makeup can help conceal and sunscreen can help protect from the sun’s rays. Their eyes are brighter, almost iridescent compared to a human’s, but with modern technology that can be fixed with contact lenses. According to Dianna they also have sharp, elongated incisors; only these can be retracted when not in use. Technically, a vampire, when it wants to remain hidden among the human population, has very little trouble doing so; unless they are injured like this one. Even without her superhuman senses she would have recognized the girl as a vampire.
The vampire’s gut was slashed open, but she was attempting to heal. Cuts covered her milky white skin from head to toe. The progressive healing ability was something they possessed, just as wolves. It was uncommon to see one injured to the point that it was having difficulty healing.
The closer Rebecca got to the vampire the more danger she was in. The vampire hissed violently at her, a warning to stay away. Her behavior was that of a wounded animal, the self defense instinct was in overload. When Rebecca was able to work past her fear and actually focus on the girl she realized she was just that, a young girl. She couldn't have been more than twelve years old when she was turned. It seemed barbaric that she was changed when she was so young. To live eternally as a child, never having the ability to grow up, to have children; it was inhuman. But then they were, at their very core, inhuman.
Rebecca’s desire to hurt the childlike creature was overcome with her human compassion. She realized she suddenly had an urge to help her. "It's okay. Let me help you." She told the hissing child. Apparently the instinctive reaction was not strong enough to overcome the vampire’s morality. Regardless of the creature’s reaction, in Rebecca’s eyes she was a child in need of help.
"I do not wish to be helped by the likes of you, little wolf." She snarled, then cried out in pain. "Don't you know we are supposed to be enemies?"
"I guess we’re supposed to be enemies. But any warrior I know isn’t willing to take advantage of a weakened foe. Besides, I don't see anyone else around to help you so I guess you’ll have to deal with me." Rebecca came a step closer, now only a foot or two from touching the vampire’s skin. "Before I help you up, need I remind you that my blood is poison to you?" It was the only real defense wolves had against vampires while in human form and Rebecca was suddenly thankful she had that defensive ability.