46 | DARKLIGHT

I forget the bond between me and Blue - though only partially completed - is still there. It’s become something engrained in me, a new piece of my soul and mind that simply exists…but right now it feels more like a noose around my heart. The further we get from Kiwina, the more the awful tugging gets. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch, trillions of paper cuts opening in the still-beating organ that is my heart - getting salt rubbed into each shallow wound, an added strain to my already antsy wolf. I roll my neck to try and relieve some of the tension slowly building with each mile we speed down the highway. It doesn’t help.

My hands start shaking in my lap when we pass through the next town, my heart constricting in my ribcage so tightly I nearly let out a whine. The wolf in me keeps her steady pacing within me, maintaining control, though all we want to do is return to our mate. I remind myself that this is a simple trip, to be completed in a day and a half at most - and we’ll be back in Kiwina before Monday… If anything, that only makes my resolve to get to Darklight begin to slowly crumble. But this can’t wait. Not if I want to keep up the precarious balence I’ve finally managed to achieve between school, stopping the Events, and living as a hybrid.

To keep myself occupied, I force myself to sip at one of the blood bags. The sustenance seems to fortify some of the more vampiric portions of me, not at all soothing my Wolven side, but helping me cope as a whole. It’s as if the blood becomes a chilling armor in me - not a balm to the pain that increases the farther we get from Blue - but a thin shield to smother some of it. My skin begins to prickle the closer we get to Colton, but Zoe keeps driving - barely stopping for red lights - until we clear the sleepy town. The pulsing of energy pushes against my bones when we pass a few miles from Court, but other than that our drive is uneventful.

There’s a long section of forest that stretches from the more rural parts of Colton into the community of Darklight. I glance at our surroundings, the sun dipping down into the tree line - reminding me it’s getting late and our journey is almost complete. Zoe slows only when we reach a ‘T’ in the road - the path stretching into the woods nearly hidden - but the pavement is darker than the cement of the normal road. I know we’re close when Zoe turns off into the woods, taking us through the thick forest on the small road. A shiver rolls through me suddenly and Zoe stiffens for a moment before relaxing.

Just as the sky begins to flush with the onset of night, the forest begins to thin. And suddenly we’re on the outskirts of a small town. I blink at the official-looking building around what I think is meant to be the center of Darklight. A Town Hall, Library, and a few other buildings make up the most crowded parts of the town. A few people milling around are walking, maybe three cars pass by us on their way in the opposite direction we’re heading in. Almost all are human.

But something’s pushing against my bones as we go deeper into Darklight. Zoe maneuvers the car down the main street to the very end, and down another, smaller road. The force on my bones grows as we go, and I find myself squirming in my seat as my Wolven side begins to become even antsier. Fear slowly begins to creep into my stomach, and even Zoe’s hands on the wheel slowly grip the circle tighter. I’m about to ask her if we’re almost there when the car rolls to a stop and I look back out the front windshield. Right there, on the corner of Oak drive and Third street is the restaurant.

A squat building with the words Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on the only sign outside to indicate what the place is. I blink at it, my nose twitching as the scents of cooking food slowly filter into the car. It’s only then I realize Zoe’s opened her door.

“-Scarlett.” She taps on the dashboard to get my attention. I blink and turn to look at her. Her lips are pressed tight despite her neutral expression and she’s watching me carefully. “We’re here.”

“Yeah…” I huff and shake my head to clear it. I unbuckle my seatbelt an force myself out of the car. “Let’s get this over with.” I breathe to myself, hoping the words will help dampen the mounting fear as the energy already nudging at my bones begins drilling against my skin. I’m fighting to control my breathing by the time we reach the front door, my heart pounding steadily in my chest, but harder - as if preparing me for a fight. I can’t help but wonder exactly how many L-Class supernaturals are waiting for us inside the restaurant. I can already smell more than cooking food when Zoe opens the door.

I cringe back as a wave of unnatural smells hit me. Rotting flesh, burning flesh, something like a damp and musty cave, fresh salty air, and a million other scents seem to short-circuit my nose and heightened shifter senses. For a second multicolored dots flash across my vision and temporarily blind me. Then I feel Zoe’s hand on my shoulder, her cool touch bringing me back to myself as I suck in breaths through my mouth.

“It’s fine.” I insist in a slightly weaker voice, and it is. Now that I’m not smelling the air, I find I’m not so afraid. My head clears and though I can still sense the insane power rolling off the twenty-something guests sitting at various circular tables inside.

A woman wearing a black tank top and frayed jean shorts comes over to us, a pad and paper in hand - like a waitress. She’s a few years older than me - maybe early twenties, curly hair cut short in a shocking red and black swirl of colors. Her skin’s a warm shade of tan, somewhere in between toasted almond and a reddish-golden hue.

The woman looks at me, her eyes a creepy shade of red that reminds me of dying embers - but unlike those Mikyle sometimes sports, hers make the chills dancing up my spine intensify. Despite myself, I feel my steps falter, the confidence shuddering and my Wolven side cowers in me. The vampire part of me hesitates at the sight of the woman and I immediately know there’s no way in hell I’d ever be able to take her in a fight - even if I had full control of my abilities and I were as experienced of a fighter as my cousins. The feral force of her energy leaves the faint impression of something I’ve seen in another before - in Cole.

My mouth dries as I realize this woman is the dragon shifter in the town. One of the most intimidating forces in the whole of the country.

“Good evening,” The woman greets me first, with a slight incline of her head. Her voice is all smoky and slightly raspy, but warm and inviting too. “Table for two?” She asks, still eyeing me. I glance at Zoe, at a complete loss for words as the surge of energy around the room goes from a frothing bubble to an almost gut-wrenching peak. My eyes flicker to the man who’s walking out of the back, holding a circular serving platter, and my already wide eyes nearly pop out of my head.

I’m not sure what I expected Dr. Chambers to look like, but the huge, blonde Scandinavian moving with predatory grace as he sets various platters of different foods on the tables around the room was no where near my wild imagination.

“We’re here to talk to Dr. Chambers. My name’s Scarlett Holland-” I choke out, and the second I utter my name, the whole room goes still. Every eye swivels to land on me, their appraising looks and curious stares making me flinch.

“I’ll be right with you, Ms. Holland.” The Scandinavian giant calls to me in a surprisingly chipper tone. I blink and find my eyes going back to the woman-*draki*- in front of us.

“*You*’re Hale’s kid?” She asks with a quirk of her eyebrows, a tiny smirk tugging at one corner of her mouth. “I can see that.” She holds out a hand to me, her quick movement making me flinch back before I relax. “I’m Akira Chambers.” She introduces herself to me.

“H-hi.” I manage to take her hand and give it a firm shake - the reassuring warmth of another shifter greeting my skin and settling some of my Wolven side’s nerves. Just a little.

“C’mon in, kid.” Akira nods towards an empty table near us, close enough to the doors we just walked in through for me to relax a little more. She seems to realize I’m terrified, directing me to the table with the easiest access to the exit. “You look like you could use a hot meal. Something bloody and carby?” She asks with the same half-smirk as before. I blush and nod once before Akira turns to Zoe. “We have some fresh blood we can warm for you if you’d like.” Zoe nods once to the woman before taking the seat beside mine.

“And some bread if you can spare some.” Another voice chimes in and a woman stroll over to the table. A human with warm, mocha skin and dark red eyes. I blink as Akira and Zoe glance at the newcomer calmly, giving me the impression this lady is in the know about supernaturals. “Heya, kid. Nice to finally meet you,” She nods to me then to Zoe. “Zoe, you here with your master?” She sets a bundle of papers down on the table. Maps.

“Hale is dealing with other business today, Shola.” Zoe tells the woman. “This is the co-founder of Darklight, Scarlett.” Zoe informs me and I stare between my vampire companion and the human with wide eyes.

“Shola, you want food?” Akira comes back with a steaming mug of blood and a basket of freshly baked breads.

“Yeah, whatever’s edible.” Shola chuckles and glances at me. In the flash of a second, the human seems a hell of a lot more dangerous than the *draki*. Not in power, but there’s something about her that makes the fear in me spike. “Well, little hybrid, want to tell me what brings you to Darklight?”