CHAPTER 1
RIEKA’S POV (REE)
A whisper of my name floats through the forest trees on the wind. With my guard always up, my head and I fling around, hands up in protection in front of myself. My eyes searched through the trees but there was nothing there and the feeling of being watched, vanished. I scan my surroundings one more time before lowering my hands and I take a deep breath to calm myself. I’ve heard my name on a whisper before. A familiar dark voice, but I knew that he could not have followed me here. I dust the residue of my travel off my lady’s dark green cargo military pants and black sweatshirt and stomp off more residue from my pair of black combat boots. After patting down my long dark brown hair that fell around my shoulders and tuck the loose strands behind my ears, I close my dark blue eyes and strain my ears to listen. It’s so quiet, no running of little creatures or rustling of leaves. Other than the slight breeze, my ears do pick up something. Something in the distance from up ahead. ‘They are already here.’ I thought to myself as I adjusted my backpack on my back and move forward as silently as possible, but quickly through the trees towards it. Screaming and yelling became louder and then the voices. I sense magic in the air indicating the aftermath of clashing curses. The smell of it was like static electricity in the air.
There it is. The clearing. I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I wasn’t too far off course. I hunker down at the edge of the tree line by the clearing. Luckily there is a lot of overgrown vegetation to hide behind. Body shapes and movements fill the clearing. There are faces, familiar and unknown. I sense shock, fear, anger from them, including blood.
I cautiously look to the faces most visible from my line of sight. Shock, fear, disbelief and anger were written on the faces of the group of people who were tied up together in the center of the clearing. Several are on their knees, hands bound behind their backs where others sat on the forest floor with hands tied behind their backs as well. Enchanted rope I believe. Not so easy to get out of those. I count four dead bodies on the ground. Judging by their clothing and smell, they are not from our side. ‘Good.’ I thought to myself as I surveyed the rest of the group.
The captors were standing around them in the midst’s of tying the last of their catch who was putting up a fight. He was a big guy with light brown hair, and I knew he had brown eyes because I recognized who he was. The captor lashed out and punched him in the face, making the young boy next to him, who looked like an eight-year-old version of the man, cry out. “DAD!” Anger swells up in my chest. I duck my head down, clenching my fists to try and control my anger. ‘Stay calm Rieka! You have to stay calm otherwise the wolves in the clearing are going to sense you.’ I scold myself and take in a deep breath through my nose and exhale through my mouth. ‘Right. What am I dealing with?’ I ask myself and peek over the bush again. ‘Four Werewolves’ and five humans, humans were probably magical, but I wasn’t sure as I didn’t recognize them. Four dead. Nine live targets in total.’
I quickly scan the people that were captured. My future pack. Or at least I hoped so. Perhaps if I save them then that would at least count in my favor to get into their circle. I bite down on my teeth as I see how many there are of them. Eight. Not many but if I can help to save them then maybe, just maybe, we would have a chance at surviving what is to come. I recognize some faces from photos and descriptions. The first person I notice, and it isn’t really that hard to miss is Samantha Castle because of her long red hair. A magical or known to humans as a witch. She seems winded and dazed. Next to her was Jenny Dodge, I think. Another magical but from the picture I saw of her, she had long black hair whereas she currently had a short cut. She doesn’t look injured, but she does look pissed. A ghost of a smile pulled at the corner of my mouth at her feistiness. Next, was an elderly lady in about her fifties, Ava Jones. She wasn’t much of a fighter, but she was a strong magical. She had a few bruise marks and looked shaken up and that there were no visible injuries. The man next to her looked like a younger male version of Ava and I knew that that was her younger brother, Jack Jones. Also gifted in magic, but also a werewolf. Unlike me, he was bitten whereas I was born half werewolf and half magical.
He had a patch of blood on his right arm from a cut and has a pained expression on his face. Next was a tall bald dark middle-aged man with a strong hard face. I didn’t recognize him, but from the stories I guessed he was Stanley Castor. A vampire. He looked more furious than hurt. Next to him was a young woman of about nineteen with long blond hair. I also knew who she was. It was Amber Johnson. I’ve heard so much about her and my heart sped up as I finally got to see her for the first time. She has a small cut above her eye that was bleeding, but other than that she only looked winded and shaken. She was also a magical. I stare at her for a moment longer to take in her features. Petite frame but strong and athletic. ‘My dad always said that she was quite a force to be reckoned with.’ I thought as my mind briefly went to talks with my dad. I had to force my eyes away from Amber to move on to the last two of the group that were bound.
The man who was putting up a struggle before, along with his son, were the last in the line. A small jolt of shock runs through my chest when I realize that the man was staring right back at me. Jason Walker. A werewolf. He looks haggard and tired. Breathing hard and he has blood on his shirt that was caused by the dripping of blood from his freshly broken nose, but he could have a wound on his chest too by the amount of blood that was growing there. I give him the slightest nod and he looks at me with eyebrows drawn in confusion and then apprehension. A few seconds passed before he gave an almost unnoticeable nod before he turned towards his son. My eyes ran over the small form of Steven Walker. My heart squeezed painfully in my chest as I looked him over. At least he seemed completely unharmed, but he looked scared. Just like his dad, he was a werewolf.
The only one that was missing was Seth Hunter, A vampire, but I knew he was around here somewhere. He wouldn’t be far from the group. My intel said that he and the others would be meeting here, I guess someone else knew about it too.
“We’re ready Rawlson.” The voice of one of the men said, catching my attention. He was a short man with longish dirty blond hair and wide mouth with big eyes that makes you think of an overgrown toad. A man walks forward. Moldy uneven black hair with light brown eyes with a tinge of yellow. Crooked nose with thin lips and a couple of missing teeth. “Very good. We will be handsomely rewarded for this lot. Get ready to head out!” He barks at the toad.
‘s**t. I need to do something. I can’t let them be taken. Rustling of feet can be heard while they get ready to leave. I flexed my fingers and took a deep breath. I have to do something! I need to play for time until help arrives. Quietly taking off my backpack to leave it behind the bush, I take another breath before stepping out from behind my hiding spot.
“Oh… Thank goodness.” I say in a mock relieved voice looking at them all. “I‘ve been walking in circles for hours and almost gave up hope in finding my way out of here.” I say with a fake smile while looking at them all before putting a fake worried frown on my face next and I looked at Ava. “Grandmother, Are you alright?” I say and I purposefully look to the others who have shocked expressions on their faces including their captures. “Who are you girl?” The wolf named Rawlson growls and advances a few steps towards me, standing protectively in front of his catch.
“I-I’m...” I stutter on purpose to give them the impression of weakness. “I just came to visit my grandmother.” I say and look around at each of them in mock nervousness while shuffling my feet. “Your grandmother?” Rawlson barks out in disbelief and rounds on Ava to eye her suspiciously. “Anyone who knows this b***h, knows she doesn’t have family except for this sack of shit.” He growls out and walked over to Jack and kicked him in the gut. Jack grunted in pain as Ava screamed at him to stop but he merely smirked in satisfaction as his eyes went back to me. I suppress a shiver running down my spine in disgust as he greedily and openly looks me up and down with curiosity.
“W-well she does. I guess you don’t know her as well as you thought you did.” I spoke nervously and his eyes narrow on me, looking me up and down again before he burst out laughing. “You almost had me there girl, but I am pretty sure of what I know.” He spoke as he advanced a few more steps towards me. “Tell me, did that bloodsucker Seth Hunter put you up to this?” He said and I feigned innocence. “W-who?” I asked but his expression turned serious as he started eyeing the tree line as though expecting THE Seth Hunter to jump out at any moment.
“Look, I don’t know who or what you are talking about. I came to visit my grandmother and I got lost” I reply in feign nervousness, but he shook his head, not buying my story. “Are that so sweet cheeks? Well, I for one don’t believe you so I guess you’re just going to have to come up with something better than that.” He says in a growling voice making me bite my lip to stop myself from growling back. “Well, that is unfortunate… for him.” I thought as his friend’s snicker, but I pay them no attention because I came aware of another presence. ‘Just in time’ I think to myself.
“That won’t be necessary.” I snap back at him as I let all pretenses fall and rub my hands together on purpose, emitting sparks from my hands to draw their attention so that they hopefully won’t sense the shadow lurking in the trees behind me. “tut tut tut, don’t even think about it, my sweet cheeks.” Rawlson sneered as he extended claws from his fingers in warning.
