Lost Ones (The Extinct Race Series Book 3) (3 page)

Chapter 3

Donny and Alex

After lunch Donny took Alex for a walk. Everything was happening so fast for them he wanted to slow things down and really fall in love with her. He wanted the time to be right.

“How do you feel?” Donny asked

“I feel like I need to harness my gift and learn how to make it work on others.” Alex responded

“Do you feel like everything is happening to fast?” Donny asked

“Actually I kind of like that they are going fast now. It means later we can take things slow and enjoy the small things. I think the faster we get the others and Aldrich is gone, then we can concentrate on taking things slow. Maybe then we can explore the world.” Alex explains

“You are pretty fabulous you know.” Donny laughs grabbing Alex into his arms.

“I might have thought that about myself a time or two.” She teased

“What would you like to do today? I don’t think there is going to be any training for a few days. Everyone needs time to grieve.” Donny mumbled

“That is ok it will give me more time to concentrate and practice my gift. I really do want to be able to hold a block on at least five people. More would be better, but five would work for now. I was thinking of Tia and John along with you. Then maybe, well I don’t know who else. I haven’t really gotten to know anyone. I was picking Tia and John strictly because that girl kicks ass and she is way faster than anyone in fighting.”

“Plus she is young and we would all be able to look like a group of teens traveling. So who else looks our age that could be a benefit?” Donny responds

“Maybe your mom and Brice, they both only look in their early twenties and your mom could pass as your sister and her boyfriend.”

“True, but I was thinking more along the lines of Vivi and Christian. If we got hurt they would be there to heal. Plus you know what he can do right? He would feel them before the pull, maybe.”

“You know I think that might work. They are really young looking too. Maybe we should ask their opinions before we just pick our own team.”

“I love the team idea. Maybe we should see if Kaiden likes the idea and maybe send some teams out. We could all like ride on the same jet and then cover each country in a couple days. They go one way we go the other.”

“I love that idea Donny! Let’s go find them and maybe run it by them and see if he will go for it. We could even wait until I got a good grasp on my ability and then go. I need to be able to hold it for at least 8 hours. I can hold mine all the time without dropping it, even in my sleep. Gah! Just think if I wasn’t being beat to death, you would have never found me.” Alex mused

“Yeah that would have been a nightmare. I would have thought you were dead. But seriously, I don’t ever want to think about the scene we walked in on that day. You know he was killing you right?”

“Yeah I know. I’m sorry, it’s just one of the things I think about when I get frustrated. I haven’t been able to cover anyone since that day I covered Zoe. Zach thought it was hilarious how Kaiden came running, but I guess it wasn’t too funny to him.”

“Have you practiced around Zach since that day? Maybe his hidden magic is your key.” Donny inquired

“No I haven’t. DUDE! Let’s go find him and see if I can do it around him before we do anything else.” The reality of it hit Alex. She ran wondering if in fact Zach was the key to it, or maybe it was Zoe.

They both ran back to the house trying to locate Zach. They found him still sitting on the couches talking to everyone.

“I think we might have figure out how my ability works better, but I would like to test it first.” Alex explained as she burst into the room interrupting the conversation.

“What do you need?” Zoe asked a little excitedly.

“I think, well let me explain first. You see Donny and I were talking. I told him how much I wanted to go out and search for the others, because I am the only one able to. I really just want to find the others and quick and get this all over with, you know. Anyway Donny was asking who I would want to take with me. I said Tia and John because they look our age and maybe we could just look like a bunch of traveling kids. Anyway, I told him I haven’t been able to block anyone else since the day I blocked Zoe. Well the only other person there was Zach. So we were thinking maybe Zach is the key to heighten my ability to block the pull.” Alex explained

“You can block the pull?” Leon gasped

“Yep, I have been trying to extend it and cover other people so we could get a team together and go out to search for any survivors and the missing couples.”

“That is a truly remarkable gift you have. I will tell you now though. We have been everywhere and haven’t felt any Pulls. I really am shocked that we and the other couples that are here survived.” Ada explains

“What do you mean by that?” Kaiden asks

“I mean that we traveled everywhere, all over the world. When Leon’s parents decided that they wanted to die they said their goodbye and left. We haven’t felt another Pull of a full-blood or half-blood for that matter in a decade. The website you created was an excellent idea, but I think you have all the survivors you are going to find. It may be too late for the lost ones, as you call them. Their parents would have had to put them somewhere that Aldrich would never think a Dragon would live.” Ada insists.

“Then we start in the remote places, but I will not accept that these are the very last of us until I know for sure. I will never stop looking for them even after Aldrich is stopped.” Vivi demanded. “Look I am not trying to come off bitchy to you, I am normally not like this, but I just lost some of the only blood I had that loved me. I just buried them yesterday. I need to know that others survived. I need to know that my blood didn’t kill them all. I know for a fact some of my brothers let people go and just scared them away. None of the ones here came across those ones, so I know there are others.”

“Alex what do you need?” Zoe demanded

“Zach, if he is willing to practice with me for a little bit.” Alex asked

“I would love to help in any way I can. Where would you like to practice?” Zach asked Alex.

“I think the best spot is the training area. I want to see if I can block more than one full-blood at a time.” Alex explains

“Alright let’s go.” Zach stands, Halina stands too and they both follow Alex and Donny out the door. Once they were at the bottom of the mountain Zach looks at Alex and says “Thanks Alex. I sort of wanted out of that room and well I need something to do too.”

“It was getting intense in there huh?” Halina asked

“Was it like that between Vivi and Ada the whole time?” Donny asks “I have never seen sweet Vivi so adamant.”

“Well try her side for a minute. You just witnessed more that fifteen or your brothers and sisters get blown up. Then magically, your long lost aunt, who is supposed to be dead shows up, and she is telling you all Aldrich is a good boy he is just lost. How would you react to hearing that?” Zach asks

“I would be more than pissed at her. She knew him what eighty years ago? Shit people change in one year. He is not the same boy she knows anymore. He is a man now, an evil one at that.” Alex explains. “Trust me I know. My step dad was great until he lost his job and the bottle became his best friend. That only took a year. Perfect man to monster in one year, and you all heard her. Her dad was the start of his hatred toward women. How did she think he was going to end up? She left when she was fifteen and she only looks nineteen now. Shit Vivi is older than her.” Alex boasts

“Hahaha I didn’t think of that.” Donny laughs

They were at the training area now and there were lots of people there training, but not as many as normal. Yesterday they lost fifteen kids and twenty adults who ran to get the kids as soon as they spotted the missile. Once all the numbers were provided they were left with thirty Dragons who had been turned. But these thirty were now more determined than ever to live in peace. Before yesterday they had only heard stories of what was going on, now it has hit home for them.

Alex walked right over to Tia and John who were sitting on a mat close together watching her dad, Sebastian, and Charles spar. Camilla and Gabe were also right behind them watching. Alex decided she was going to start with them.

“Excuse me for a moment?” Alex asked

Pop! “A minute, please?” Tia barked

Charles and Sebastian stopped and looked at Alex a little bit annoyed.

“Sorry, I just want to test something a minute. If it works I think I can convince Kaiden to let us go out and find the others. Maybe you guys can you know, do what you do if we run into some bad HB’s.” Alex said a little shyly

“HB’s?” Charles asked

“Half-bloods, It’s about time we turn the tables right?” Alex confesses

“Ohhhh! I like this one. She’s got some fire in her blood. Alright girly, what ya need?” Tia asks her smile lighting up the room

“I want to try and block the pull of you and John, your mother and father and see if Charles can sense them.” Alex explains

“Go for it and if you figure it out how long do we need to test it?” Charles spoke

“I would like to build up for at least eight hours, ten would be better. For right now though I just need to see if I can block four full-bloods. I might try to block Donny too, but we will see. Charles you will have to tell me who you don’t feel.”

“I can do that. Anytime you’re ready go ahead.” Charles

Halina and Zach both watched as Alex closed her eyes in concentration. Zach moved a little closer to Alex trying to lend her some more magic. After five minutes Tia and John were blocked. Zach decided to touch her arm, maybe skin to skin would help. As soon as contact from his skin was made, the pull from Camilla and Sebastian stopped and then Donny.

“Alright you blocked all you wanted too.” Charles said

“I know! As soon as he touched my arm I felt it, I can actually see the block now too. It’s a hazy orange color, like fire.” Alex said in amazement

“Zach, hold her hand, Halina if you would then hold his hand.” Donny asked. He was thinking that maybe she might amplify it a little more. Donny could still feel everyone outside of the block, but not inside. As soon as Halina made contact half of the room went cold. There was no Pull from any of them.

“Damn Babe, it is him!” Donny said excitedly

“I know I know! I am not even concentrating as hard as I was alone. It’s like it just happened as soon as he touched my skin. This is so freaking awesome!” Alex squealed

Zoe and Kaiden cam barreling in the training area to smiling faces and Alex’s squealing. As soon as they entered the room, the rest of the Dragons in the room were blocked.

“HOLY SHIT!” Alex screamed “I only need one of you, but damn, both of you is better, I could take a group of fifteen no problem!” Alex screamed out while she started jumping up and down. “Twenty of you over there please run about a mile out and see if it sticks.” Alex was beyond excited. Twenty of them ran out of the room.

They got about 500 feet when Kaiden said “I feel them again.”

“Zoe come here and hold my hand please?” Alex asked very sweetly

“Ok?” Zoe was confused, but she complied. As soon as their skin touched the other twenty people were blocked once more.

“This is incredible!” Kaiden whispered

“Kaiden run to them and tell them to go out to five miles. I want to test this.” Zoe said excitedly

“On it.” Kaiden ran out the door. Ten minutes later and five miles they were still within the block.

“Zoe will you talk him into this. With her and Zach, as long as they touch we can take at least ten men out.” Charles pleaded. Having his home attacked hit him more than most. Penny was very close to dying yesterday. She had been playing with the kids and had left just moments before. She wasn’t hurt, but she was blown about twenty feet into the side of the training room wall. His Dragon wanted to hurt someone for that.

“If Zach is a willing party I will.” Zoe explains

“More than you think sis.” Zach and Zoe both dropped Alex’s hands at the same time and hugged.

Chapter 4

Finley

Finley was raised in France with her adoptive parents. She knows who her real parents are and they visit frequently. They just live on some deserted island and don’t have the means to take care of her the way she needs to be taken care of. That is what she thinks anyway. She lives in a nice big fancy house on the coast and travels to Paris frequently with her friends. She has a floor in her house all to herself and her adoptive parents give her everything she wants. When her real parents come over to visit, her adoptive parents wait on them hand and foot, like they are royalty or something.

Finley is captain of the swim team. She has every designer purse ever made and the shoes to match. After all, she can never wear the same thing twice. Her real parents always call her spoiled, as if, Finley knows she is a princess, not some spoiled brat. She loves her real parents dearly, they have always shown her the love that she has needed, but she just has a life they can’t provide her. Her adoptive parents are pretty awesome too. Her dad is the doctor that helped bring her into this world. She was told there were complications and her real parents had to go. They left her with the doctor and his wife. She was adopted soon after by them. Her real parents always stayed close though. When her real parents found out she was sneaking on the trains to Paris they made her adoptive parents hire four body guards. Which just blew up Finley’s head even more, she knew she was really special then.

She always knows when her real parents are coming. There is a feeling of being pulled by a string right to them. They always told her it was a connection between them and not to fear it unless it came from someone else. They also told her that there was a boy that was made just for her. That in their culture there is always a soul mate and the male is always born first, so because she was a girl they knew he existed. She had a hard time believing this as no boy ever caught her eye. She really didn’t want anything to do with a boy. She had better things to do with her time.

Finley was seventeen and to her, her life was perfect. Her real parents always told her there was danger everywhere and she needed to be on alert at all times. They told her the Pull feeling would alert her to danger. A weak feeling Pull was bad guys, a strong Pull like theirs, was someone she could talk to or avoid and it was up to her, but if it was to a man with red in his eyes, to run as fast as she could away from him. But the biggest pull would be her soul mate. She only ever felt that Pull to her parents though.

It was in the middle of summer now and Finley was lying on the beach soaking in the sun. She was drawn to the water and the beach. She felt her absolute best when she was swimming. Her real parents were the same way. They lived out on a deserted island and always swan to the mainland whenever they came to see her. They didn’t have a car or anything, but they did own a small shack of a house near the beach and that is where they kept their spare clothing. Today they were coming for a visit and Finley planned on meeting them on the beach.

She loved her real parents more than anything and always got excited when she saw them, even though she tried to hide it. She thought they knew, they were always really good at reading her behind her mask. She started to feel them coming from the water. She stood to watch them appear. She had really good eyesight and her parents always told her that it was genetic, along with her hearing. She also inherited their speed which is how she won the vote for captain in her swim team. Her real parents always told her to swim her heart out, but to also hold back some and never use her true speed. She hated holding back and having to listen to them giving her rules, but she didn’t like the looks she got when she let loose.

At one of the swim meets when she first joined the team, she didn’t hold back. She had finished the race first and was ecstatic about it. However, when she got out of the pool everyone in the crowd was silent and the girls that were still in the water were just hovering there staring at her. That was the first time she ever felt like a freak and hated every minute of it. She ended up breaking all records that day and went home with the trophy, but she refused to let them record her time and save the record.

She shook her head to clear that memory away and looked back to the water. From where she stood she could see where they should be, but the outline in the water was much too big. It looked like huge whales were coming in. That has to be wrong. She shook her head again and then looked back. This time she saw her mother’s head pop up out of the water. She looked right at Finley and then ducked back under water. Her father’s head then popped up and he waved vigorously to her. She waved back and then turned to pick up her things. As soon as she had them all together which only took a minute, because she used her blanket as a sarong and everything else she threw in her bag, she turned. Her mother and father were standing right behind her.

“Hey, Mom and Dad, no holding back for you guys huh?” Finley stated. She always spoke English with both parents. She called her real parents Mom and Dad and her adoptive parents Maman and Papa, because they spoke French. Finley felt much more comfortable speaking English.

“Hey little fish, how have you been?” her dad asked.

“Been good had a meet the other day and took 2
nd
place.” She responded

“Oh little fish that is so good to hear, how are Maman and Papa?” her mother asked

“Maman and Papa are good. Papa is away right now at a medical conference in Paris. He will be back tonight though. Will you be staying until he gets home?” Finley asked hopeful. She loved when both sets of parents got together.

“We sure will, it’s been a while since we have had some real food.” Her father replied

“Good I heard the cook saying she was making your favorite tonight. I still think she has a crush on you, Dad.”

“She can look all she wants, but there is only one woman for me.” Her dad said as he pulled her mom in for a kiss.

“Gross get a room.” Finley teased. It didn’t really bother her that they were affectionate. She was really glad they were still in love with each other. Her parents were very attractive and she felt she got all their best features. Her real mom was named Emery. She had long blonde hair just like Finley. Her eyes were a deep blue that matched the ocean. She was also on the tall side and curvy in all the right spots. Her father’s name was Kendal. He was about six feet and very muscular, but not body builder big. He had good broad shoulders and a lean waist. He had brown hair that was curly. His eyes were a lighter shade of blue, almost teal like Finley. Finley had a mix of her parent’s body. She was five foot seven and had her mother’s curves but her father’s muscles.

“Ok we will stop, want to lead the way home little fish?” her mother asked

“How about we all walk together? Besides the guys are right there and as soon as they see me move two will lead and two will follow.” Finley pointed out the men to her parents. They both nodded and then each grabbed one of her hands, sandwiching her in between them. The beach was not far from her home and within ten minutes they arrived.

They walked through the front door and the men walked around each side of the house. Her adoptive parents had built two apartments on either side of the home for the bodyguards they hired. They were required to watch Finley at all times. The apartment was wired with computers to the cameras in the main parts of the home. There were also cameras outside the house at the back door and either side, as well as the front of the house. Finley was caught sneaking out quite a few times. She was only trying to lose her tail though. Finley realized very quickly these men were not ones to fool. They were the best in their field.

“MAMAN! Mom and Dad are here!” Finley shouted as they entered the foyer. Her adoptive mother, Julita walked down the curved stair. She was dressed in a silk skirt and blouse. She was quite older than her real mother and father. Julita was is her fifties and had some gray mixed in her dark brown hair.

“So lovely to see you two again, it has been far too long since you were last here. Our Finley has been quite the troublemaker.” Julita announced. All three of her parents look at her with a stern face.

“What? All I did was try and loose my tail. Those guys can be a menace to a teenage girl.” Finley admonished

“They are there for your protection Finley. Julita do you think it is time? You spend more time with little fish, will she believe?” Emery asked

“I am not sure. Reports have come in that they are back out in the world. They could find us anytime.” Julita responded

“Then it is time, she is of age now and I can feel a change.” Emery responded

“You must be sure Emery. This will change everything we set in place for her.” Kendal stated

“What are you all talking about? First what is going to change? I am so confused.” Finley rolled her eyes and walked into the sitting plopping down on the couch. All her parents followed her inside and sat around her.

“When is Dr. Durand arriving back from Paris?” Emery asked. She wanted all of Emery’s parents in the room when they told her the truth. Her adoptive parents know the truth. They were trusted the night Finley was born and have agreed since to watch over her. The Durand family came from old money and had a lot of connections. They have a single man that they sent to Alaska to keep tabs on the camp there. Emery and Kendal had found it before Finley was born. After their sect was destroyed they followed the strongest pull back there. They knew it was one of their own and his children that hunted them. They kept away from there and went as close as they could back to the land of their Sect. They had found their island not long after they returned and that is where they made their home.

“Papa told me he would be here around three this afternoon. Why does he need to be here?” Finley asked

“He is your father too and loves you very much. We respect his decision too.” Kendal admitted.

“Fine!” Finley balked

“You are staying for dinner then? I will make sure cook has prepared enough for you two.” Julita told them as she got up and walked to the kitchen.

“What would you like to do until your Papa gets home little fish?” Emery asked

“Maybe get you guys some clothing? I mean a bikini and board shorts are not appropriate dinner wear.” Finley snapped

“Ok little fish let’s go up to your room, you have plenty that you don’t wear anymore.” Emery teased

“Can I dress you?” Finley asked

“Of course you can. I love spending any and all time I can with you.” Emery explained