BK 5 - Chapter 3 - On The Hunt
After going through the house, the only thing they found missing was Atzi's book. Was he looking for it, or did he find it and decide to take it? Lisa didn't believe in coincidences. The two officers that chased him ended up losing him. They were still searching, but Lisa and Alex secretly hoped they didn't catch him. They had his scent and wouldn't rest until they found the guy who terrorized Kiersten.
"If you find anything missing, call me." Officer Peterson handed Lisa her card before leaving. She slipped it into her pocket but didn't plan to use it.
"How are you holding up?" Lisa asked Kiersten, who was sitting on Alex's lap.
"I'm better now. I felt useless, not being able to see anything or find a way out." Lisa hugged her.
"You're not useless. You did the right thing, and he won't get away with this. You and the cubs are safe, and that's all that matters." Alex smiled up at Lisa. She could be the biggest pain in the neck, but she also had the biggest heart. He could tell Kiersten felt better after what Lisa said.
"Thank you. Do you think they'll find him?" She asked. Lisa, Alex, and Jayce glanced at each other. Sometimes, Kiersten still had human instincts.
"If they don't, we will," Alex replied, kissing her forehead. Jade, Carmen, and Breanne came into the house and looked around.
"What happened here?" Jade asked. She could tell whatever it was, it wasn't good.
"A man broke in while Kiersten was here alone and stole Atzi's book," Lisa answered. Breanne looked at Kiersten with concern.
"Did he hurt you?" She asked.
"No. The police came and scared him away before he found me. I'm sorry about the book. I hope we can get it back." Kiersten felt horrible that the ancient book was gone.
"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't be surprised if Atzi knew it was taken and had it back. She's scary sometimes, no matter how much she looks like a sweet little lady." Everyone laughed and agreed with her. Atzi had worked wonders on Breanne when she was almost killed.
They all started cleaning up, and Kiersten helped as much as she could. When Bill, Patrick, and Dustin came home, they were just as concerned as everyone else about what had happened. Without letting Kiersten know, they began working on a plan to make sure she was never home alone. They knew she would feel bad about making them change their schedules. No one wanted her to feel helpless.
That evening, they ordered takeout before going to bed. Kiersten was still on edge and had Alex double-check the windows and doors before she could fall asleep. Malia wanted to give her a hard time for worrying so much when she was a grizzly, but she understood how sensitive Kierstin was. She would never do anything to make her feel worse.
Jade and Bill had taken some of the things that had the man's scent on them. They leaped out of their second-story window and tried to pick up the scent without telling anyone. They didn't want to get the other's hopes up in case they weren't successful.
"If we can find this bastard, I hope Kiersten lets Malia out to teach him a lesson," Jade said as they ran. With the man leaving on foot and sweating from the chase, they could still smell him in the air. It was easier at night when fewer people were out mixing their scents with his. Bill was an excellent tracker, and Jade had confidence that they'd find the jackass.
"I hate that she was even in that position. I'm glad everyone decided to not leave her alone. So when do you think you're going to be ready for some baby vamps?" Bill asked, glancing at Jade. She laughed as they jumped over a fence and headed toward the ocean.
"Don't get any ideas. I'd like to have some time with just the two of us. My dad was a few centuries old when they had Saxon." Bill almost stopped when he heard that. No way was he planning on waiting centuries to have a little Jade.
"You don't want to wait that long, do you?" He questioned her as they started running on the beach.
"No, but I would like to get some of my schooling done. You'll have two little teddy bears to play with soon. Also, Lisa, Breanne, and Carmen should be going into heat soon. They've been marked for a couple months now, so before you know it, we'll have a house full of cubs." Bill smiled at that thought. He loved kids and couldn't wait until they had some of their own in addition to all their nieces and nephews.
They slowed down when they reached the docks. The scent they had been following seemed stronger there. The man could still be there. Jade and Bill walked at a human's pace as they approached. Quickly jumping the locked gate, they slowed down near each boat. They heard someone speaking when they reached a large one near the end.
"I had the book in my hands, and it disappeared. It was there one second and gone the next." A man said. Jade and Bill stayed in the shadows to listen.
"How does something just disappear? I've been trying to get my hands on that book for years from that old witch." A woman replied.
"I don't know. If it's a witch's book, what are shifters and vampires doing with it?" Jade and Bill looked at each other in surprise. The human knew about them.
"You fool. She gave it to them to help with the stupid laws they want for their protection. Did any of them see you?" The woman asked.
"There was no one home. However, a neighbor may have seen me because someone called the police, and they chased me for a while. What do you want to do now that the book is gone?" Jade and Bill were curious about that answer as well. What did she plan to do?
"There's nothing we can do for now. I want you to return to the house tomorrow and see what else you can find. There has to be something more they're hiding." The woman sounded convinced that the family had something. Jade was done listening.
"I don't know what she thinks we have. Let's take them both. You grab him, and I'll grab her." Jade whispered. Bill nodded. They moved from the shadows and saw a man and woman on the boat's deck. Jade and Bill acted fast, knocking them out before they knew the two vampires were there.
After finding rope on board to restrain them, Bill and Jade threw them over their shoulders and began running home. Now that they weren't trying to follow a scent, they were able to go at full speed, which was too fast for humans to see them. When they reached the house, they jumped through their bedroom window and ran downstairs.
"We have a present for you," Jade said loudly as they put the two people in chairs. Both were still unconscious. Everyone came running from their rooms to see what was going on.
"What did you do, Jade?" Lisa asked with a mix of fear and admiration.
"Bill and I followed the scent of the man that was here. We followed it to the docks and found him talking to this woman. Apparently, their goal was to get Atzi's book. They also know what we are." She replied. Alex smiled at her gratefully.
"Kiersten, why don't you let Malia out so they have a surprise waiting for them when they wake up. They want to terrorize us; let's pay them back." He said to her. Kiersten smiled as she felt her way into the bedroom. Yes, she needed a little revenge for the fear she felt earlier. After quickly shifting into her grizzly, she took a minute to let her eyes adjust. She was still getting used to being able to see through her bear's eyes. Kiersten then exited the bedroom. She looked at Alex first. He put his face near Malia's and smiled. Alex knew she wanted to see him before anything else when she shifted.
She then turned to the two people in the chairs and got into place just as they began waking up. As they opened their eyes, Malia let out a deafening roar. The man and woman tried to scream, but Lisa quickly gagged them.
"We have some questions for you. If you don't answer them to our satisfaction, you'll become bear food." Lisa looked at Malia, and she let out another roar.
