Chapter 182: Pursuing The Pursuers
Sleep was a problem. If my life continued the way it was going, I'd end up with some kind of weird night disorder scientists would want to study. I tossed and turned, mind bouncing from Quaid to Ameline to wondering if he'd kissed her and if he liked it. He better not like it. Better not.
Sassafras sighed next to me for the millionth time, his way of letting me know I was disturbing him. Yeah, suck it up, fuzzball. My love life just fell apart around me and he was worried about his beauty rest.
I jerked upright suddenly, head cocked toward the window. Something howled in the distance. What was that? Galleytrot was on his hind legs, front paws on the sill, looking out over the yard. His eyes glowed red, a deep and menacing growl rumbling just loud enough for me to hear.
"Galleytrot." I knelt on my bed, looking outside, listening as Sassafras joined us, flat nose pressed to the glass. "What was it?"
He didn't say anything, ears perked, tail still, entire body tense. I'd never felt him so eager for a fight.
There it was again. That howl. Then another. Galleytrot chuffed, his breath steaming the pane, tongue flicking out to catch the drool collecting at his muzzle.
"The intruders," he said. Gone was the lovely wild sound of his voice reminding me of nature and summer and all things organic. Hate threaded through his tone, vibrating like an earthquake.
"The same ones from last night." I absently stroked Sassy's fur as he quivered under my hand.
"Yes," Galleytrot said.
No way was I sitting this out. I'd had enough of the Quaid/Ameline mental drama. Time to do something requiring action instead.
I thudded down the staircase with my two furry friends trailing behind me.
"This is a terrible idea," Sassafras argued as he hurried toward the back door. "Terrible."
"Agreed," Galleytrot rumbled. Neither of them tried to stop me.
When we reached the threshold, we realized we weren't the only ones who noticed the sound. Mom stood in the yard, her favorite shawl wrapped around her. I let the door creak closed behind me, Sass and Galleytrot at my heels as I approached her. She turned and gestured for me, pulling me into her arms with her wrap around us both.
"What are we hearing?" I shuddered as the howling seemed to grow closer before cutting off abruptly.
Before Mom could answer, something shuddered in the darkness. Galleytrot snarled and surged forward only to fall back, head down, as Sunny flickered into being before us. But this wasn't my Sunny, the sweet faced, kind and openhearted vampire I knew and loved. This Sunny was vicious, her beautiful face twisted in hatred, body vibrating with the need to hurt someone.
Hopefully it wasn't us.
"Werewolves," she spit, her eyes lighting with the white magic of the undead. "In Wilding Springs!" She hissed, showing fang and considerably more, face morphing slightly as she let out some of the power living inside her.
Werewolves. Suddenly the watchers in the woods made sense, the canine feel. And so, in that moment between understanding, did another mystery. The bodyguards, the ones who protected the Dumonts. No wonder they felt weird.
They were the weres.
"I thought they were illegal in North America." The law had been passed generations ago, I remembered that much. No making new werewolves which meant the old ones had died out long ago. From what I knew of my history, there hadn't been any weres here for over two hundred years.
"Not just here," Sunny snapped. "Most of the world is free of their taint."
Mom nodded slowly, gently, staying calm as if expecting this reaction from the blonde vampire leader. "Everywhere," she said, "but parts of Europe."
Ah. The Russian accent. It spoke volumes to me now.
"And they're not illegal," Mom said. "They are allowed to be here. They just aren't permitted to reproduce."
Sunny's power rippled outward before retreating to her again. "I don't care if they have permission from the Pope," she said, "I want them gone."
Mom filled her in quickly on the day's events. "They won't be here long," she told Sunny. "If I have my say, they'll be leaving tomorrow night."
Sunny shuddered in anger, but she seemed more in control. "Sebastian wouldn't tolerate a pack in his territory," she said of her missing clan leader, "and neither will I."
"I'm just asking for a little patience," Mom said. I'd never heard her plead before. This was the closest she'd come to it.
Sunny didn't soften. "I caught them hunting."
Mom flinched. "Humans?"
Sunny shook her head, looked away. "No, they aren't that stupid." Her power flickered and faded as she calmed. "Just local deer. But they didn't hunt in mortal form, Miriam. They were in full change." Sunny's eyes glittered with brittle fury. "They didn't back down when I challenged them. I had to run them off finally and kill the poor creature they tortured." She looked down at her hands and for the first time I noticed they were covered in blood. "The poor creature."
Mom sighed softly and nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "Please, do your best to be civil. They will try to instigate fights if they can. It's their mandate, no doubt, fed by Odette's plan."
"Which is?" Mom glanced down at Sassafras. Amber fire shone in his eyes, his own outrage as powerful as Sunny's. "What is she up to, Miriam?"
"I think that's obvious," Mom said with total calm. "She wants revenge on us for the loss of her sister. And she'll do anything she can to get it."
Sassafras growled softly, but nodded.
"I'm not making any promises." Sunny straightened, anger diminished but intensity remaining. "If they try anything, I'm destroying the entire pack."
Mom didn't argue, I could feel it in her, the need to support Sunny. "Yes," she said. "I know. And you're within your rights to do so."
Sunny seemed to relax then. "I'll keep an eye on them," she said. "And I'll be in touch." Her eyes met mine, a sadness reaching through her anger. "I'm sorry," she said, "it appears I was right."
With that, she flickered into shadow and vanished. Mom hugged me harder, not asking what Sunny meant which made me wonder if she knew about the vampire's precog abilities already. She rested her cheek against my hair, her love wrapping around me as much as her arms.
"Mom," I said, "what's with Sunny?"
"An old hatred," she said. "Vampires see werewolves and other shape shifters as evil. Abominations. And werewolves see vampires as the same." Mom sighed. "It's as if the hate was bred into them from the moment they were created. But it's more powerful than any compulsion I've ever felt and there's nothing we can do to change it."
"And Odette?" I pulled away from my mother, meeting her eyes, realizing only then we were the same height. I'd grown up in more ways than one. "What are we going to do about her?"
Mom's smile was nasty and full of as much viciousness as Sunny's rage. "I'm going to kill that bitch," she said, "for what she did to my mother."
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