How nice that would be. In our own bubble. Away from everything. From fate, from bonds, from the torrent of guilt and anxiety that I know is waiting for me. I wish I could stay here. Life would be so much simpler. Fate has other plans and the world continues to turn.
We enjoy a lazy morning with one last dip in the springs with a couple of mimosas. We're basically on holiday so what's a tipple of alcohol first thing in the morning?
After a while we dress and pack up. The travel is easy now from when I cleared the road yesterday. I make sure to touch the minds of nearby animals to steer them away from the moving jeep.
We're halfway home when I feel a ripple of alert go through the forest. Flowing through the trees. Like the forest is signalling an intruder. I stand up. Squeezing my head and shoulders through the sunroof.
“What is it?” Lukas asks scanning the trees.
“Something is out there.”
“How far?”
“A couple miles. It's moving away from us. North.”
We start to drive down a steep decline and I use the opportunity to have the trees bend to the side. Opening up a clear view of the forest. I see the ranch five miles away and to the right of that moving at speed is... something. I focus on pinpointing it desperate to see what it is. To touch it's mind to find out what could give off that vibe but it's like trying to catch smoke. I grind my teeth in frustration.
“What the hell are you?!”
It's getting farther away, along with my chances to understand this intruder. The alert pulsing through the forest tells me it isn't natural. It shouldn't be here and I won't allow it to roam my forest unchecked.
I funnel my anger and determination into a ball and force it into the ground meters from the signal. When it reaches it I let it go and the earth explodes outward sending a shock wave through the trees.
I catch a glimpse of bright red and a shape of a person before whatever it is disappears out of my reach.
“It's gone! It ran too far and too fast.” I grumble as I slouch back down in my seat.
“Did you try and blow it up?” Lukas asks with a raised brow.
“Only so I could see what it was. There was a flash of red. It looked like a person but no way was it human. It was too far away for me to see it clearly. I should have felt their energy, but I felt nothing.”
“There's only two things that I know off that are alive but yet aren't.” His jaw tenses and his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Vampires and Skinwalkers.”
That heknowsoff. We're going to find out Zombies are real at this rate.
“Maybe.” I mutter. “But I couldn’tfeeldeath. Like I do with Alistair.”
“Alistair isn't a Vampire. Him and Hades created vampires. To werewolves they smell different so it stands to reason they wouldfeeldifferent.”
“Yeah that makes sense.” I sigh. “Honestly I'm kinda hoping it is a vampire because the idea of a Skinwalker really freaks me out.”
We get back in no time and the ranch is exactly how we left it. Everyone is waiting for us at the front of the house. My Mum rushes over as soon as I get out of the car.
“Honey what is it? Did you cause that explosion?” Her voice is worried.
“I did. There was someone out there. I couldn't feel their energy to know who or what they were.”
She spins to look at my Dad with wide eyes.
He squares his shoulders, his eyes narrowing.
“How close was it?”
“About three miles from here heading North.”
“Caleb's cameras should have alerted us if it was that close.”
I look around and that's when I realise he's not here. Penny is stood with Jason her head tucked under his chin looking worried. Izzy is just next to them scanning the trees around us as if whatever it was will jump out at any second. Lukas is stood next to me the back of his hand brushing against my own.
