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Chapter 8
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2020-11-13 02:41:50Chapter 8
The vampire stares at Liam. Then his gaze shifts to me.
“Liam, who is he?” Then I notice Cynthia´s glassy eyes. “What´s wrong with Cynthia?” (Liam) “She´s enthralled. It´s a manner of hypnosis. Don´t worry, she´ll be unable to recall any of this once the effect has diminished.”
I turn to look at the intruder. “You´re a vampire.” The vampire claps his hands, smiling with derision. (Laurence) “I applaud your impressive grasp of the obvious. Such a clever girl.” Liam steps forward, protectively. “What are you doing here, Laurence?” “I could ask you the same thing, Liam. As far as I know you´re supposed to be in Midnight Harbor. But here you are in Wolf Springs running around with your old pack...” His eyes narrow on Liam, his gaze as sharp as his fangs. “...cavorting with witches.” He´s talking about my mother. What´s his problem with my mom? Liam remains silent. A menacing smile spreads over Laurence´s lips. “Oh, you didn´t think I would find out? I have eyes and ears all over this town, Liam. And I know for a fact that a certain witch is back.” “I don´t know what you're talking about.” “Don´t lie. I know you´re working with a witch named Claire.” Fear begins to grip me, but I try to conceal it. I can´t let anything tip him off that I have a connection to the witch he´s looking for. “I don't know who that is.” “Maybe this will change your mind.” Laurence bares his fangs and is about to bite Cynthia in the neck... “Stop!” I scream. But he doesn´t. He sinks his fangs into Cynthia´s flesh, but my roommate´s face remains expressionless. “NO!”
Liam tries to push Laurence off of Cynthia, but the vampire fends him off with ease. He´s too strong! I pull out my ornate dagger, switching the blades out. I am about to attack but Liam intervenes. “Laura, don´t. He´ll kill you. You can´t take him.” He turns to Laurence. “Laurence, please, stop this.” The vampire releases his grip on Cynthia. I hurriedly pull her to my side.
“These witches have hunted down vampires and werewolves not too long ago, Liam. It´s my turn to hunt them down. Stop protecting that witch. Now, given that it´s fruitless to locate a witch with the capacity to conceal herself from me via magic, you have twenty-four hours to present her to me. Otherwise, bodies will start dropping like flies.”
Laurence´s eyes turn all black and then he disappears in a blur. The vampire moves so fast that my eyes aren´t able to keep track of his movements.
“Liam, I think we need to return tonight. I can´t let him find my--” I suddenly become wary of the vampire´s warnings. What if he´s still around and he can still hear us? “We need to tell the others.” “You tell them, I´ll go after him.” “Are you out of your mind? You can´t take him by yourself.” “You don´t understand, Laura.” “What I don´t understand is how you´re involved with vampires?” “That´s the thing. I´m not just involved with vampires, Laura.” Liam grips both of my shoulders, as if bracing me for what he´s about to say. “I am... Laura, I am half-vampire.”
I am stunned silent by his revelation. He´s half-werewolf and half-vampire? How is that even possible?
Countless questions are swirling withing my mind. This new world contains so much that I am yet to understand. Even more so about these people in my life right now.
Once again, I feel like my world is spinning.
Just when I thought I´ve come to grips with this life, my reality shifts again. “Liam.” “I´m sorry, Laura. I have to go. Tell the others that Laurence is here.” Liam closes his eyes. When he opens them again, they´re all black. He opens his mouth and his canine teeth elongates into fangs. He lets out a hiss. Just like Laurence, he disappears in a blur.
>Brightmoon Lakehouse. Living room. Night.<
I had to break up the party that night.
Because of Lucas´s potion, the pack´s senses had been impaired so that they weren´t aware of Laurence´s presence. It takes them several moments to recover after Lucas administered the antidote.
Tank patches Cynthia up, applying a special ointment on her wound so that it heals quickly. She´s still disoriented but she remembers nothing about the encounter with Laurence.
I turn to Lucas. “Cynthia isn´t going to turn into a vampire, is she?” “No, there would have to be vampire blood in her system for her to turn.” Lucas shrugs in frustration. “Initially it was the black wolves; Now we must contend with a vampire over one hundred years old who desires revenge against your mother. Fantastic! Say good-bye to Wolf Springs. And welcome to Vampire Hills, 902-Type-O.” I put a hand on Lucas´ arm. “How long have you known that Liam is half-vampire?” Lucas gives me a long look before answering. “A few years ago. It´s one of the reasons our pack broke up and he went into exile. His girlfriend at that time felt betrayed after finding out that he´s half-vampire. She left him and he was simply broken. Liam left Wolf Springs and we lost our Alpha.” “That must have been devastating.” “It was all that bastard Laurence´s fault. Don´t worry, Laura. I´m not about to let that psycho hurt your mother. Ans I´m most certainly not going to let him brake up this pack once again.”
>Lucas´s house. War room. Night<
That night we picked up my mom at the hotel she´s been staying at. We filled her in on what happened at the lake house on our way back to Lucas´s house. It is a few hours before sunrise as we gather in the war room. Everyone is there except for Cynthia who is now sleeping in one of the guest rooms.
(Claire) “I apologize to each and every one of you. I´ve compromised your safety by staying here in Wolf Springs.” (Tank) “You don´t need to apologize. If it weren´t for you, we would have been massacred during the ritual.” “But I should have known that old enemies would eventually catch wind of my presence here if I stayed.” (Lucas) “I think it´s inevitable. Just like Seven forewarned, if dark magic is involved then it´s only a matter of time before creatures like Laurence show up on our doorstep.” “Which is exactly the reason why I can´t stay. I must remain hidden. For everyone´s sake. If my old enemies confirm my return, all hell will break loose.” “Don´t worry, Mom. We won´t let them find you.” I turn to everyone. “So, how do we kill a vampire? Wooden stake through the heart? Decapitation? Burning?” (Lucas) “I don´t think Liam would be so keen to kill Laurence.” “Why is that?” “Laurence is Liam´s uncle.” It takes a moment for this to sink in. “Then what´s his actual strategy? He´s seeking out his uncle in order to appeal to his sympathetic side, and plead to end his vendetta against my mother? I´m not about to gamble with my mom´s life, Luc.”
(Amelia) “I know Liam. Family comes first to him. Laurence is the only family that he has left.” (Patrick) “Liam is our Alpha. His loyalty should be to his pack, not to a vampire. Why are we even allowing a half-wolf to lead this pack in the first place?” (Lucas) “Liam is still a wolf. There´s no room for prejudice or racism in this pack. Know your place.” Patrick becomes silent.
(Laura) “This is not the time to discuss who should be the Alpha of this pack. What we need to focus on is how we can protect my mother. You heard her. Her old enemies cannot know of her whereabouts. The only way I see to put an end to all this is to fight Laurence and defeat him.” (Lucas) “If that´s your decision then I´ll be there to fight by your side.”
>Lucas´ house. Garden. Night.<
We decided to have someone watch over my mon at all times. Amelia fills in for the first watch. She stands guard inside my mom´s room as she sleeps. There´s a lot going on in my head that I can´t sleep.
I decided to go for a run.
I am walking toward the edge of the garden when Patrick calls me. “Laura.” I turn around to face him. “Where are you going?” “I need to clear my head. I´m going for a run.” “Let me come with you. It could be dangerous out there.” “I want to be alone, Patrick.” “You shouldn´t be alone at a time like this. Please, Laura. I won´t stop worrying if you go on alone. Better to be safe.” “I said I want to be alone, Patrick.”
Patrick concedes with a disappointed look on his face. Without another word, I break out into a run, leaving Patrick behind.
I run as fast as my legs would carry me. I marvel at how the light of the waning moon is enough for me to see clearly in the night. Being a werewolf may have come with a lot of problems, but it sure did gift me with a lot of abilities. At least, I can use them to protect my mom.
As I run, I feel that sense of being free. For a moment, all my problems fell away.
>Cliff. Night<
When I break past the tree line and onto the edge of the cliff, I suddenly stop in my tracks. Patrick, who is trailing behind me, wasn´t quick enough to put on the brakes and he bumps into me and we both stumble to the ground. With a shriek of surprise, we both roll on the ground and he ends up on top of me. We laugh at this little mishap.
“What the hell was that?” Patrick smiles, embarrassed. “I´m sorry, I wasn´t expecting you to stop so abruptly. It was a miscalculation.” I stop laughing as Patrick stares into my eyes. Suddenly, I feel self-conscious. I push him aside and climb to my feet. I have a question about Patrick which has gnawed at the back of my mind; I now have the opportunity to ask him. But I decide to say nothing and let my chance slip away. I´ve endured having these questions in my head, what´s a few questions more?
I just need to be in this moment and worry about nothing. I am thankful for Patrick´s presence. He was right to come. I shouldn´t be alone at a time like this. We watch as the first rays of sunlight touch the sky. We didn´t need words. We just need each other to be there.
>Lucas´ house. War room. Day.<
“Liam! I came as soon as I heard.” Liam had returned from tracking Laurence down, and it was explained to me that a clash had occurred between them. Lucas is treating his wounds. I wish I could be the one treating him, but his wounds are beyond my medical expertise. These wounds are supernatural. “Why are his wounds not healing?” (Lucas) “Laurence has been magically enhanced. I don´t know how. But he must be using some sort of talisman.” “I´m sorry, Laura.” “Don´t be. It´s not your fault.” “You mean, you´re not mad at me for not telling you about my heritage?” “Nothing´s changed. You´re still the Liam I know. Being half-vampire doesn´t define who you are.” I give Liam a quick hug, trying to reassure him that nothing has to change between us. “Thank you, Laura.” Liam tries to smile but he winces in pain because of his injuries. Lucas continues to apply healing herbs and salves on his wounds. “These wounds are worse than I thought. I´m going to need a much stronger healing potion. I´ll try to make some at the greenhouse. Laura, take care of him while I´m gone.” “Go. Don´t worry, I´ll look after him.” I nod and Lucas exists the war room. I take a closer look at Liams´ injuries. “Laurence has become extremely powerful. At first, I thought it was just because he´s one of the oldest vampires. But no. He´s different. It´s something else. I can´t fight him, Laura. Maybe none of us can. We´re not going to survive.”
An idea forms inside my mind. “Maybe not you guys. But maybe I can.” I hold up the black stone amulet that Seven had given me. “This was given to me by Seven. It´s supposed to protect me from dark magic. If dark magic is applied to Laurens to augment his powers, potentially it will still be ineffective against me while wearing this amulet.” “Supposed to. Maybe. Laura, you´re not even sure how that talisman works. Going up against Laurence will be suicide.” “I´m not backing down easily. It´s a shot. My mom is being pursued by Laurence, and he´s harmed you too. I won´t allow him to continue in this manner. She made it clear that she must remain hidden so we can avoid hell on earth if her old enemies find her.” “I won´t be able to forgive myself if something bad happens to you.” “Bad things are already happening around us, Liam. It´s only a matter of time before they happen directly to me. You of all people should know that we live in a dangerous world and you can´t protect me all the time. Laurence is after my mom, and he´s done that to you. I´m not going to let him get away with this.” “Laurence is my only family, Laura.” “I know. And I don´t intend to kill him.” “He may be misguided. His desire for vengeance against the witches is clouding his judgement. But I know there´s still good in him.” “I can´t promise you anything. No, I don´t intend to kill him. But a lot can happen in the heat of a battle.”
Liam becomes silent for a long time as if to consider what I told him. “All right, Laura. If you´re going to fight Laurence, then you need to be ready. You have less than twenty-four hours.” “What do you want me to do?” “You see, vampires, just like werewolves, possess some sort of psychic powers which they use to manipulate the mind of others.” “Just like what he did with Cynthia.” “Vampires who are as powerful as Laurence can do much worse than that. They can invade your mind and break it permanently. I need to teach you how to shield your mind from such attacks. As your Alpha, I can link our minds. But you can shut me out and it will be the same thing.” “Teach me.” “Close your eyes.” I close my eyes and calm my mind. “Can you hear me?” “Yes, Liam. I can hear you.” “Let me in.”
>Inside your mind<
When I open my eyes, I find myself in the garden with Liam standing before me. “This is not real.” “It´s not real. Its only exists inside you head. Just like when you almost died during the ritual. Now try to expel me from your mind.” I close my eyes again and try to will my mind to shut Liam out.
>The real world.<
Liam screams in pain and my eyes fly open. “What happened?” “You did it. That´s it. That´s how you expel someone from your mind. Now try to shield your mind from me. Look into my eyes.” We stare into each other´s eyes. I am able to sense him seeking to connect our minds, however, I focus on preventing his attempt. “That´s it, well done. Again.” Liam tries again to get inside my head, but he fails. “Laura, you´re a natural at this. Now can you let me in again? I want to show you something.”
>Inside your mind<
I allow Liam to enter my mind again, resulting in me being conveyed towards the cliff edge. A full moon shining in the horizon. Liam stands before me, shirtless. “Why would you bring me here?” “Because this is your save haven. And I want you to feel safe.” “I always feel safe whenever you´re by my side.” Liam smiles as he moves closer to me. Strangely enough, I can feel his warmth emanating from his body. I reach out a hand to touch his naked chest. It feels so real. His heart beats fast. He´s nervous. And at the same time, he´s happy. “How do I feel what you feel? And why does it feel so real?” “Because we both want to.” “Why are you showing me this?” “Laura, I´m revealing this to you because it´s how things would feel if we were mates with one another. Having marked one another, we´d gain the capacity to share and sense each other´s emotions. We will be connected, mind, body and soul. We will truly be one.” I begin the urge to kiss him. I reach out and run my fingers along his broad shoulders. I pull him closer to me and brush my lips against his. Lima cups my face in his hands, and my entire body responds to his touch. My body tingles and my senses jolt, like all my nerves have come alive. I get swept away as he kisses me back, deeper and more intimate. I can feel his soft lips touching mine as if I´m kissing him in the real world. I can taste him and I feel him tasting me as well. He´s been longing for this. He´s aching for me to kiss him. I can feel his hunger rising to the surface. I feel his emotions as if they were my own. “How are you doing this?” “Perks of being the Alpha.” Liam smiles and it´s contagious.
His hunger becomes my own and I kiss him with building intensity. He wants me. And I want him more. “I want you, Laura. I´ve wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you.” “Make love to me, Liam.” Liam rips my clothes off, stripping me naked. He kisses me again on the mouth, giving in to his hunger. “I can feel your hunger, Liam.” “And I can feel yours. I know how much you want me right now.” Liam begins to lick me down my neck. Then he turns me around, and I can feel his erection brushing against my ass. He kisses my nape, sending shivers all throughout my body. The head of his cock tries to push its way up my ass. “You want it there?” “You can take me any way you want.”
With a single thrust, his phallus slides inside my ass. I thought it was going to be painful, but there was nothing but pleasure. It´s a different kind of stimulation. Liam grabs one of my breasts and squeezes it. With his other hand, he stimulates my vagina using his fingers. “Oh, Liam!” I feel an eclipse of sensations from all parts of my body. I am overwhelmed with pleasure from all sides. When I let out a moan, it echoes all through this world. Liam licks my ear as he lets out a grunt. “Come with me.” Liam´s thrusts become harder as his fingers inside me strokes me faster. The pressure mounts and in a few moments, we reach the peak together. The pleasure shoots out all through our bodies. We are one.
>The real world.<
Liam abruptly breaks the connection and I open my eyes. The same pleasure inside my head wracks my whole body. And I let out a moan as the orgasm hits me. Liam presses his lips against mine. “Liam. That was out of this world. I´ve never felt anything like that.” “It´s just a glimpse of what we can do when we mark each other.” “Thank you.”
Suddenly, the door to the war room bursts open. Tank comes in with a worried look on his face. “Laura.” Somehow, I´m already aware of what he´s going to tell me, even before it escapes from his lips. “I can´t find your mother. She´s gone.”
