Authors: Renee Thacker
“Are you sure?”
“Are you scared of the water Les?”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“Why?” he wondered
“When I was little I had a twin sister.
She went to the beach and swam out pretty far.
Her hair was black which
really stood out between the
colors
of the water.
I remember making a castle on the sand.
When I looked out at her all I saw was a flash and she was yanked invisibly down under.
I’ve never been to a beach since.”
He pierced me with those green eyes and unique tattoo and said, “I will always keep you safe.
No matter what, even if it costs my life.
I promise love.” and he gave me one of those little kisses on my cheek.
I was scared, deathly scared of water.
Even if it was an indoor swimming pool.
That night I wandered along the shores edge at the beach in Alaska I was insane, still frightened.
It rocked and wasn’t smooth.
Sitting on Carsons lap was a little more comforting.
“Carson I hate myself.”
I told him.
“Why babe you’re perfect and beautiful.
And always will be right there in my eyes.”
His arms squeezed tighter around my stomach.
“You don’t know what I did, do you?
You know what?
I got Rosa killed!
Put the
Ric
c
olis
in life or death situations multiple times.
My parents are in grave danger.
President Alijondra is forcing me to be a spy for her.
Sondra had a knife to her throat and the last thing I heard was a scream.
There
are sooo many people I need to protect right now.
Yet I can’t.
And
they
still want to help
me.
You
still want to help me.
But
why?
I don’t understand.”
“Leslie.
Its
the saying ‘once together, always together’.
Family sticks together and no matter what they did to each other or the pain they went through for one another, in the end they are all bonded together.
And that’s what has happened to us.
Everyone you have met so far.
So what it’s not counted by the two and a half months we’ve been together.
It’s
how
much
we’ve been through.”
I stared at my feet cautiously.
“And Galen,
” I
whispered touching the leather bracelet on my wrist.
“What happens to him now?”
“I don’t know what
happens;” We
just need to get everyone else safe including a trip to Cali for your parents.”
“Yes, let’s take this one step at a time and we need to put our priorities in order.”
The ship was rocking very sickening.
Soon it reached the beach if
Alaska
where they were hauling, transporting,
a
busy industry are.
The stares we got from every single person.
Huge group of teenagers and adults with the same green eyes, tattoos, and colored skin would be mind blowing.
Fortunately this part of Alaska did not have camera crews walking around.
This was about thirty miles from Cordova where we were actually not heading back.
Straight to the airport.
Luckily they had called in to get cars for just the few of us going to save my parents and everyone else I put in immediate danger.
And there
it
was.
The familiar red convertible with the west
coast sign on it.
“Come on guys lets hurry!”
Ragen said.
Carson started walking forward, as with the others.
And arms wrapped around my neck.
I let out an ear splitting shriek.
“Leslie!”
The voices from the convertible yelled.
“Shhh,” the voice hushed me and the arms untightened.
“It’s me Galen.”
“Galen.”
I turned around and hugged him in relief.
“You’re alive.”
“
You’re alive,”
he said back to me.
“I just needed to see you one more time.
Follow me.”
He grabbed my hand trying to lead me away but I yanked it back.
“No I have to go.
Please just let me talk to you later.”
I could already feel Carsons ‘just for Galen’ stare bearing in behind us.
“Leslie this might be the last time I see you for a long time.” I hesitated,
and then
reluctantly followed him behind the rest house.
I thought he was going to give me one of those unexpected kisses where his blonde hair falls into my face.
All he said was, “Stay safe.
I need you.”
Then leaned back.
I didn’t even know what to say.
And then he led me back out into the open.
And brought me into one of those huge big brother hugs.
His knuckles ruffled my head.
“Ouch,
” I
said.
He just laughed and walked away.
I winked and smiled back hoping for the best of him to come.
He
was
like a big brother to me.
I loved him, with all my heart, in a different way
than
Carson Lund though.
Galen disappeared somewhere into the heavy fog in which eyes as powerful as mine could see.
It made me realize that we were the same species, Carson and I were not.
Everyone
still stood by me.
And everyone still filled my heart.
I turned around back to face my friends sitting in the car.
My body snuggled perfectly between Carson and Jeremy in the back seat.
The silence I knew was
affected
from the visit Galen had given me.
“What will they do to my parent?”
I asked.
“What creatures of this darkness do for revenge.
Kill them.”
Carson swung an arm around me and kissed the top of my head before whispering, “But don’t worry we’ll save them first.”
Of all the things that happened I really doubted it.
My parents were definitely an easy target.
Well
known
in the state, anyone would know who they were.
Biggest lawyer and doctor.
The house was simple to get in.
Obviously they were not expecting vampire, fairy, and the werewolf protectors to break in.
The doors were never locked, and there wasn’t a single weapon in the house besides the kitchen knives.
And right now I was really frightened.
My mother was the biggest supporter in my life.
Up until two months ago she spent every second she could with me.
Going to the beach, shopping, or since I was little.
Bringing me to dance lessons until we learned what a disaster that was.
Three threats were in the way.
Fairies were hunting my parents.
Vampires were keeping track of me.
The werewolf protectors were in for the kill.
Cool hair from the convertible waved through my extremely tangled hair.
I could barely recognize myself in the rear view mirror.
Before I came I had color in my cheeks, more gold in my hair, bright eyes.
Now my face was sunken, pale, dark hair, bite mark scars on my neck.
We stopped at
Starbucks
on the way.
Being a vampire it was still normal to drink coffee.
I sat down at a table set for only two with lattes.
“So.”
Carson said.
I put my lips to my straw and took a sip.
“So.”
I said.
Just because
it
was so tempting I reached my hand up and stroked his tattoo.
“Are you guys born with that?”
I asked.
“If you are a werewolf then it fades in, like a birthmark would fade out.
If you were born a werewolf it’s something you're born with.
If you were bitten then that’s when
It
fades in.
Turning into a creature is like a dog becoming a cat.
And it’s an unnatural time consuming process.”
“Huh,” I shrugged thinking.
“Do any of you guys have abnormal powers such as mind reading?”
“No,” he replied.
“Some of us have stronger sense than the others.
For example Jeremy, Regan, Loren, Dimitri, and I are the top five because we can sense things coming.
I can sense all living things behind
me;
it’s like an energy flow.
The way you were created by two bites and ending up as vampire made you the most powerful.
That is why President Alijondra wants revenge.
She’s
scared that you will take over.
There isn’t a vote for her position.
It’s all in the
power.”
“And she knows I’ll save my parents no matter what and is bringing me into that trap.”
“Exactly,
” Carson
told me.
“But we have it planned.
I can sense a good outcome.”
“What about the werewolf protectors?”
I wondered.
“They followed you to the tower but couldn’t get through.
We followed there trail and that’s how we knew they were in there.”
“Carson?”
I asked.
“Yes Leslie?”
“Will you believe me when I say I’ll never try anything
on my
own again?”
Carson looked down for a second.
Then looking back up he said, “Trust is not something you have to ask from someone.
It is something you have to
prove
to someone.”
“Okay,
” I
said pursing my lips.
He reached across the table and held both my hands.
We got the same reaction from the waiter as from anyone else.
Why all these teenagers looked the same with the green eyes, tattoos, tan skin, and then me.
Pale faced looking freak.
We all got up and left leaving our cups.
I again squished in between Carson and Regan. Jeremy drove at about a hundred some odd miles per hour.
Of course on these empty highways no one would be suspicious.
It felt good to have
windblown
at me without having to move my own legs.
Jeremy took his hands off the wheel, stood up and started whooping.
It scared me.
And then I realized.
The rest stood up too and did the same.
It was really odd to see a shiny red convertible filled with six teenagers on an empty road, with dark of the night slowly seeping in.
But these creatures of the dark could lighten it up.
“Come on Leslie!”
Loren shouted.
I stared blankly at Carson then stood up.
I almost lost my balance but Carson caught me.
And did one of those unexpected things again.
Jumped out of the car.
Holding me in almost a death grip.
And he flew down the highway.
His green eyes were like headlights.
His tan skin like a painted car.
And his tattoo like
a bumper sticker.
“In my eyes you couldn’t get any more perfect,” he kissed my neck, the little wetness of his lips drying in a second by the rush of the wind.
“Explain your love to me,” he said, flat out.
“You’re not my first love,
” I
told him.
“This isn’t about
having
a first
love; it’s
about having an only love.”
“I’ve loved many women in my time.
They have all come.
And all past.
But the