Chapter Twenty
Tragedy Under the Sun
L
uca woke as the sun began to rise over the upturned Jeep. Though his injuries had begun healing themselves, there was blood all over his surroundings. One of his shoulders had probably been dislocated but it had slipped back into place as his muscles began righting themselves. He reached for the seatbelt, which was still holding him upside-down. With a great yank, he freed himself. He fell onto the grass and glass beneath him. His hands and arms were inflicted with fresh cuts as he shifted to kick what was left of the driver door clean off. He crawled out, still clutching his abdomen. Carson obviously knew about Luca’s attachment to Jules. What am I supposed to do now?
Jules was in Fort Miles and, for the first time, he was grateful that Gabriel’s dilemma had taken her far from here. However, there were others who might now be in peril. If Carson had somehow learned that Kyle and Hayley consorted with Jules as well, they could be next. He had to warn them.
With a yell of pain and a flash of light, he went from man to wolf. His paws carried him more swiftly than his feet would have, and his blood covered cloths disappeared under his fur. He climbed up the steep incline and across the road, heading straight through the heart of town.
RICKY
Ricky practically jumped off the bed when he was awakened by a loud pounding on Luca’s bedroom door. He’d walked up the stairs late last night to wait on him to return and had fallen asleep across the end of Luca’s bed.
Ricky didn’t respond to the knock, choosing instead to lay back down and yawn. Whoever it was was most likely looking for Luca anyway.
Just as Ricky started to drift back to sleep, Carson burst through the door, eyes blazing. He froze in the doorway for a fraction of a second and then came at the still half-asleep Ricky, grabbing his shirt and lifting him off the bed. Ricky wanted to scream for his mother but kept his mouth shut.
“What the…” Ricky grabbed at Carson’s fist. “Let go.”
“Traitors don’t speak in my presence,” Carson snarled.
Ricky didn’t know why he was a traitor but decided that he’d keep his mouth shut for the sake of his own preservation. Especially since the veins in Carson’s neck looked as if they might explode at any moment. Ricky jerked his head toward the door when he heard his mother calling Carson’s name.
“We will finish this later!” Carson said through gritted teeth just as Demetria reached the bedroom door.
“Carson!” she shrieked, running toward them.
Carson shoved Ricky back onto the bed. He bounced upon landing. Demetria ran to him, her hands hovering over her son helplessly.
He sat up, shaking himself. She hugged him around the neck, kissed his hair, and then placed herself between her lover and her child.
“In the future, Carson,” Demetria’s voice rose, “You will keep your hands off my child.” For the first time since his father’s death Ricky felt like he had his mother back.
Carson closed the space between them and struck Demetria across the face with the back of his hand. “You will never speak to me like that again!”
Demetria’s hand covered her reddened cheek, but she did not move or shrink away.
Ricky stood to defend his mom, but she grabbed him by the wrist, holding him back.
“Your son is a traitor to this pack,” Carson shouted, pacing menacingly in front of them but did not move toward them again.
“You are our Alpha.” Demetria bowed to Carson. “But he is my son, please allow me to handle this,” she begged, her head bowed submissively.
Carson glared at her and then at Ricky and back at her. Instead of responding, Carson growled and exited the room.
Ricky stepped away from his mother, dropped onto the bed and rested his elbows on his knees.
“Ricky, honey, what was Carson talking about?” Demetria asked, turning to face to him.
“I don’t know,” Ricky said honestly. It’s not like Carson had been transparent with the details of his supposed betrayal.
“What did you do?” she said, grabbing him by the arm and shaking him.
“I don’t know!” he shouted yanking his arm away. Other than not censoring his actions and making friends with Luca and Jules, he really wasn’t sure what he’d done.
“We have a good thing here, Son. Why are you intent on screwing it up?” she spat accusatorily.
“A good thing!” Ricky snapped, astonished. “He just hit you Mom! Dad would never have treated us like that and you know it!”
“Not another word about your father, do you hear me?” She pointed her finger at him angrily. “Your father is dead, and he is never coming back. It’s time you accepted that.”
Her words stung. They hadn’t even spoken about his father since arriving here. She really was content to sweep Micha Harrison under the rug and never think of him again.
Leaving his mother’s cold words behind, Ricky ran out of the room, down the stairs, and as far from the Den as fast as his feet would carry him.
LUCA
As Luca approached Kyle’s apartment, he shifted back into a man once again, bloody clothes and all.
He stopped when he heard raised voices coming from inside. Kyle was protesting someone’s actions and they weren’t Hayley’s.
“If we find out something else!” a voice was shouting.
Luca walked to the open doorway and peered inside. Adam and Kyle were having a standoff while Hayley’s father stood nearby, his shoulders slumped under some unseen emotional weight.
“You’ll what?” Kyle spoke sharply, his hands clenched. In all the time he had known him, Luca had never seen Kyle this angry.
Hayley stepped between her husband and Adam, pushing each of them back forcefully.
“Hayley, come.” Her father closed the distance between them and grabbed her by the arm. “This marriage is over. I’m taking you to Carson now!”
Luca stood his ground, although he wanted to step forward and punch Hayley’s father for treating his friends this way.
She yanked her arm away as Kyle stepped up behind her. “You’re not serious?” Kyle growled.
“You can’t mean that,” Hayley added, her voice trembling.
Her father’s tone softened a little. “We must. Your Alpha still desires your hand in marriage. We must assure him of our family’s loyalty.”
“He’ll accept no other form of proof,” Adam said. “Carson wants your marriage annulled. He called this morning demanding it.” Adam’s tone didn’t sound as impassioned as his father’s, just resolute.
“I won’t do it.” Hayley glanced up at Kyle who slipped his arm protectively around her waist. “It’s too late.”
“You will do as I tell you, for once in your life!” her father yelled.
“I can’t! I love Kyle. My loyalty is to him, before you, before the Alpha, before anyone.”
“Your loyalty is to your Alpha first,” her father said angrily. “Always.”
“My Alpha is wrong,” Hayley shouted back.
“That is treason!”
“Then I accept the consequences for my treachery.” Hayley squared her shoulder’s determinately. “I am an adult Father; my choices are my own.”
Adam looked from his father to Hayley, to Kyle and back to his father. “Father let’s go.” He stepped between his father and Hayley. He glanced over his shoulder at his younger sister. “She’s right. We can’t make her do this.”
“Carson said…”
Adam put his hand on his father’s shoulder, cutting him off. “I know what Carson said and we’ll do what we must, but not this.”
Hayley’s father looked back at his daughter and her husband. He sighed and nodded. Both men turned toward the door and Luca bolted, tucking himself into a darkened corner as they exited the apartment.
Once they were out of sight, he crept through Kyle’s door, shutting it behind him. “Holy hell!” Luca said.
Both of them jumped a little and looked toward Luca. Kyle had both arms wrapped around Hayley, who was crying softly.
“How much did you hear?” Hayley asked.
“Enough,” Luca said.
“The pack is all riled up,” Kyle said. “There is a lot of talk about a betrayal.” Kyle looked as though he was winding up for a joke. “But, of course, everyone in this room already knows who the traitorous creature is. Don’t we?”
Luca rolled his eyes, but he’d made Hayley smile. Kyle wiped a couple of tears from her face.
“So,” he said, holding Hayley close again. “Why do we have the pleasure of your company, my traitorous Canadian friend… in my living room… unannounced… looking rather rough?”
Luca dropped onto the couch. He had momentarily forgotten about his bloody state. “I’m in trouble.”
“Um... dude. I think we already know that. You’re in love with a dead person.”
“Very funny.”
“Thank you.”
“I mean that I was run off the road last night. I think Carson sent Kip to kill me.” Luca’s voice had become serious.
“Oh, that kind of trouble,” Kyle said raising his eyebrows.
A phone beeped. Luca had the reaction to check his own even though he knew it was back at the wreck in teeny-tiny, unsalvageable pieces.
“Okay, so problem one hundred and two just text me,” Kyle said, looking down at his phone.
Luca did not respond but smiled at his friend’s sense of humor and waited for him to continue.
“Ricky says that he couldn’t get ahold of you, we all know why, so I was next on his ‘help me’ list. Carson accused him of treason this morning.”
“Considering the execution attempt I just survived, I’d say the kid is in danger for sure. Carson’s lost his mind,” Luca said.
“Where is he? Is he safe?” Hayley asked.
“Hold on,” Kyle said and typed out the question.
After a few tense seconds, the response beeped in his hand.
“Yeah, he’s okay. He’s at his girlfriend’s house.”
“Hand me your phone,” Luca said, and Kyle did so. He pulled up the number and hit send.
RICKY
Ricky knew he had been very cryptic since he’d arrived at Tasha’s. Probably because he knew that he shouldn’t be here. What if he put her in danger? But in all honesty, he really hadn’t known where else to go. Just then, his phone rang. This startled Ricky. No one actually called anymore. He glanced down and saw that it was Kyle’s contact info staring back at him, so he answered.
“Ricky, are you alright?” It’s was Luca.
“Me. Yeah. Are you?”
“I’m fine.”
Relief flooded through Ricky. When Luca hadn’t come back to the Den like he’d said he was going to, Ricky had worried that Carson had done something to him.
“Does Carson know where you are?” Luca asked.
“Don’t think so,” Ricky responded with a shrug.
“Where does your girlfriend live?”
Ricky said nothing but handed the phone to Tasha so that she could relay the address. She did so and handed the phone back to him.
“Stay there. We will come to get you soon,” he heard Luca say from the other end of the line.
Ricky looked around the basement of Tasha’s family home and shrugged. “Mind if I hang here a while?” he asked Tasha, who was sitting on the couch beside him.
She nodded and flashed an adorable smile his way.
“I’m good, text when you get here,” he told Luca and ended the call.
“My family isn’t here so of course you can stay. But you should at least tell me why you’re hiding and who you’re hiding from. And who is coming to rescue you.” Her eyes were alight with curiosity.
“Why is complicated. Who is, my mom’s boyfriend, and who is Luca. You remember, you met him at the bonfire.” He explained the basics.
“I’m good with complicated. What happened?” Tasha said. “You know you can trust me, right?”
“I know I can… It’s just…” Ricky didn’t even know where to being to explain what was happening in his life at the moment.
“Oh come on Ricky, I want to help. And I promise that I won’t laugh or get scared or anything. Why are you hiding from your mom’s boyfriend? He didn’t hit you, did he?”
“Not exactly,” Ricky admitted.
Tasha waited silently for him to continue. Ricky interpreted the determined and honest look on her face which made her even more endearing. He felt comfortable with Tasha. I want to trust her with all of it, even the truth of what he was.
If she freaks, what happens then? he asked himself.
He was stuck between not wanting to involve her and wanting to get her out of the dark. Deciding, he stood and took a few steps away, standing in front of Tasha.
“I really hope you’re ready for this,” he said aloud, but more to himself than her.
“Ready for what?” she asked, looking confused.
Ricky took a deep breath and then in a flash of bright light, released the black-haired, yellow-eyed, four-pawed beast within him.
Tasha shrieked but it was momentary. She looked surprised, not scared. She studied him closely, deliberating. After a few seconds, her mouth spread into an intrigued smile. She hesitated only a second more before she climbed off the couch and knelt down to look into his eyes. She reached out and touched his face, her finger caressing his fur gently.
Ricky stood very still, afraid that he would still frighten her. He may have hoped for this reaction but never, in his wildest dreams, would he have believed he would get it.
Relieved, he took a few steps back and in another flash of light, from which Tasha shielded her eyes, he turned back into his human form.
“Wow!” Tasha exclaimed. “You’re a werewolf! Or a lu-garu or lycan… I want to know everything!” Her eyes were wild with excitement.
“Okay,” Ricky said, as they settled back onto the couch. Ricky began with his father’s murder and continued until he’d told her everything: about this pack, about Jules, about the feud between vampires and werewolves, and about that fact that Carson seemed to think he betrayed him somehow.
CARSON
Carson had gathered those close to him. Kip had assured him that Luca had been dealt with. Pictures of his Jeep upside down in a ditch confirmed it. And thus, to the majority of the pack. All Carson had to do now was wait for the body to be discovered, and it was over. There were only two more wolves on the list that stood between him and restoring peace to his life, and safety to his subjects.
He’d sent Kip out to locate the Coopers and Max and Jed to find the boy. Neither had reported back yet.
“Are you sure he’s dead?” Ben asked, the shock of Luca Cain’s untimely demise still having an effect on him. Carson waited patiently for it to sink in.
“I’m afraid so,” Carson nodded sadly, his mind on the tasks to come. Joe Reynolds had not assured him his daughter’s marriage would be annulled yet, as Carson had demanded. If Carson had to widow the girl to claim her, then it’s what he would do. He’d grown tired of Demetria’s sadness. Besides, a traitor’s mother was no choice for a queen. It was an ugly business, making the tough calls. But he was the Alpha, it was his call to make.
RICKY
“You know, I’m not entirely surprised,” Tasha admitted sheepishly from under Ricky’s arm.
“You’re not?” Ricky asked. They were sitting on the couch together, enjoying each other’s closeness.
“Not really. I mean, I never would have voiced my observations. I never would have hoped it could be true.” She spoke with an excitement Ricky couldn’t understand.
“Hoped? You hoped I was a werewolf?”
“Well, yes, and do you know how exciting it is to be involved, even ever so slightly, in a forbidden romance between a werewolf and a vampire? It’s a nerdy girl’s ultimate fantasy!” Tasha gushed. “Of course, I always wanted to be the vampire in that scenario but getting to be a girl who has made-out with a werewolf is pretty cool, too.”
Ricky started to laugh.
“What’s so funny? How many girls get to make-out with a werewolf?”
“More than you think…”
“Yes, but how many know that they have?”
“Less.”
“Right, and on top of that,” she said, stopping to bat her eyelashes, “how many can say they got to make out with you?”
“One.” He leaned in to kiss her.
She giggled and ran her hands through his hair.
Ricky almost jumped out of his skin when the unmistakable cry of a wolf shattered the safety of his hideout.
“What was that?” Tasha asked. He released her. The howl had come from right outside the house. Ricky wasn’t sure who it was. Hard to tell. A second howl was followed by the scraping sound of claws on glass.
“Who is that?” Tasha shouted, pointing.
Ricky followed her indication to the basement window. Through its muddy glass, he spied a standard gray wolf.
“Is it Luca?” Tasha asked.
“No,” he whispered in Tasha’s ear. He looked into her eyes a moment more and then, without warning, he grabbed her arm and flung her into the small basement bathroom. “Call Kyle,” he said, shoving his phone in her hand.
“Ricky. Don’t!” she screamed as he slammed the door shut. Ignoring her banging fists, he shoved the couch against the door so she couldn’t follow him.
Glass shattered and Ricky bolted for the stairs. He could hear Tasha screaming in the bathroom but didn’t turn back. The wolf who had just come through the window turned into his human self. It was Jed. He grabbed Ricky and shoved him up against the cinderblock wall before he had a chance to escape. Ricky cried out and felt it crack under his weight.
Tasha screamed again. Ricky growled and planted his elbow into Jed’s side. He felt the man shudder with pain and watched as he stepped back, clutching his ribcage. Ricky bolted up the stairs. He dodged through the open door and found himself face to face with the human form of Max.
He swore just before he was hit over the head from behind and everything went dark.
LUCA
Luca, Kyle, and Hayley had left the apartment almost immediately after Luca’s conversation with Ricky. Hayley, being the safest of all considering Carson’s obsession with her, had gone to see if she could get any information out of Adam.
They were being hunted, they knew that. What they did now had to be strategic. They didn’t want to go down for kidnapping Ricky, but they also couldn’t leave him in Aboit by himself if they decided to run. Which was looking like the best option right now.
“Pull in here,” Luca said referencing the public beach. “We’ll dump the car and then cross the beach to Jules’s place.” For the time being, Jules’s empty house seemed like a fine place to lay low.
As they got out of the car and headed to the public access point of the beach Kyle’s phone began to ring.
“Ricky what’s up?” he said, answering the call.
“It’s Tasha,” said a panicked voice. “They took him. They just came, and they took him!”
“Who took who? Tasha, calm down,” Kyle ordered as they started in the direction of Jules’s house.
“Wolves,” Tasha said after a long breath. “Wolves took Ricky.”
“Where are you?” Kyle asked, immediately stopping on the sand.
“Trapped in the basement at my house.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No, but Ricky…”
“Can you hear them or are they gone?”
Silence ensued while Tasha listened. “I can’t hear anything. I think they’re gone,” she finally said.
“Have her call Monica. If the wolves are gone she can take the girl home for safe keeping. It’s unlikely that the pack would attack two human girls.”
Kyle nodded and relayed the important parts of the message.
“Ricky…” Luca heard Tasha say.
“We’ll find Ricky. You just get yourself out of there. And keep your head down. Understand?”
“Yes,” Tasha said after a short pause.
“Good girl.” Kyle hung up the phone and then turned to Luca. After only a second, the two men bolted back to the car and took off toward the place where Ricky was last seen. If they could pick up his scent they could track him easily enough.
RICKY
When Ricky woke, he was lying face down in the mud. He wanted to spit out a clump he could feel in his mouth but resisted. He lay there, playing dead, listening to what the pack members around him were arguing about.
“Carson, what’s the plan?” asked a voice Ricky couldn’t place.
“Should I send you away, Ben? Have your loyalties shifted as well? Should I count you among the traitors?” Carson asked. A wild, accusatory tone in his voice.
“No, no, I’m not.” Ben paused, but then continued, “I only meant that even though he is a traitor, he’s just a boy.” Ben’s voice sounded shaken.
Ricky’s heart started to pound. He wouldn’t put murder past Carson, but he didn’t think he would do it in cold blood. No. First Carson would make him grovel for his life and confess. Well, I won’t do either. I’ll die first.
“I will do what I feel is necessary to protect my pack. It’s my responsibility!”
Like I care, stupid tyrant can…Whoa!
Ricky was lifted off the ground with excessive force. His eyes shot open and his nose was now inches from Carson’s furious face.
“So little one, finally come to, have you?” Carson sneered.
Ricky spat and mud splattered across the sneer in front of him. Carson’s fist connected with Ricky’s mouth. He felt his t-shirt rip and his lip split. He hit the ground and licked the blood and mud off the wound.
CARSON
Carson stopped to listen and sniff. Humans. Humans were headed their way through the woods. Not only had this band of anarchists consorted with a vampire but they must have also revealed themselves to humans. Jed had confirmed that the human girl that had been with Ricky was frightened but not surprised. Humans could kill and destroy his charges if they had a hankering to. Ricky had endangered the pack twice now. The treachery could not stand.
“Carson wait. Don’t!” Ben bolted toward him just as Carson brought the knife across the boy’s abdomen.
Ricky cried out and clutched the cut. Carson let the boy’s t-shirt go and he hit the ground with a thud. He then turned and punched Ben square in the jaw.
He stumbled backward, a look of shock on his face.
“It is done,” Carson said with a tone of finality, as he placed the silver knife back in its sheath. “Bring him,” he ordered Max and Jed, gesturing toward the man he had just punched. They grabbed Ben by the arms and pulled him in the direction of the previously abandoned vehicles.
Cason didn’t look back as they left the boy gushing blood into the mud beneath him.