Malevolence - Legacy Series Book Two (The Legacy Series) (12 page)

           
“He hasn’t slept since we
Skyped
with you the other night.
 
He waited up for Chrissy and they drove to town to eat breakfast at Waffle Shack, and he wouldn’t sleep on the plane.
 
He’s never flown before and let’s just say, he gets a little antsy.”
 
Oakley said as he stroked my hair.
 
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you Pru.
 
You don’t look like you’ve run in a while, we’ll take a car and drive outside of the city and run.
 
Gus looks like he needs a run too.
 
Have any of you gone on a run since you’ve been here?”
 
Oakley thought to me.

           
“I know my mom hasn’t; she’s been too busy with her chef and this vampire business.”
 
I sighed heavily,
“I think it would be good for all of us to run together, we need some wolf time.
 
I’ve missed you too.”
 
I lifted my mouth to his.

           
His mouth met mine halfway, I tasted the peppermint gum on his lips and tongue.
“We’ll run first; it isn’t healthy for you to go this long P.”
 
His armed pulled me in closer, scrunching me in half.
 
“
I need you in top shape.”
 
He patted me and grinned.

           
“
For vampires or for sexy time?”
 
I teased, snuggling as close to him as possible.

           
“Both.”
 

           
My insides tingled all over.
 
There was Gus, staring out of the window and I felt a little pang of guilt.
 
I didn’t know why I was feeling guilty; it wasn’t like I liked him or anything.
 
I realized in that moment that the three most important men in my life were sitting in the car with me.
 
Gus’ and my friendship hadn’t been for very long, but I felt a connection with him.
 
That was what made a good bodyguard, when you work well together.

           
“Gus and I will fill you guys in once you’ve both have rested,” I said.
 
We spent the rest of the car ride in silence. Abel drooled.

Chapter 15.
 
Run

“Then her golden hair shone forth, and she stood there in full splendor, and could no longer hide herself.”
Allerleirauh
~ Grimm’s Household Tales

           
“You don’t think it’s a bit risky to run in the Fontainebleau forest?”
 
I asked as we pulled up to the tourist office.

           
“We’ll be fine.” Abel said as he put his travel pouch around his neck.
 
“I want everyone to stay as close together as we can. We’ll run in two groups and only split if needed.” He nodded towards Gus, “Gus I want you to stay with Dolly, Oakley and I will be with Pru.
 
If we have to split up we’ll meet back here in two hours.”
 
Time is an odd thing for a wolf, obviously we can’t wear a watch, but we can figure out the time.
 
The General explained that our wolf side was in touch with our inner beast. The beast could tell where we are and what time it is just by the position of the sun, or moon.
 
He tossed his clothes into the trunk of the car along with everyone else’s.

           
I knew Abel was still self conscience about giving us orders and about being naked in front of us.
 
Mom had been encouraging him to run the pack runs before she left for Paris.
 
He was comfortable with coordinates and a natural at avoiding humans.
 
We’d ventured out to Turner Falls Oklahoma a few times to learn about tourists.
 
It was a very touristy camp grounds and served as a swimming sensation with its natural waterfalls and wicked ledges to dive from.
 
Abel could smell a human like no other wolf I’d met.
 
He was lightening fast and inhumanly strong.
 
It was only a matter of time for him to realize that he was no longer the student and was slowly becoming the teacher.
 
He was all business when needed, yet he still held onto the loveable characteristics of the kid I’d been mentoring for over a year.
  

           
I turned around in time to see Oakley pull his sweater over his head.
 
I could see the top of his boxers as his jeans slouched on his hips.
 
He balanced perfectly as he pulled the boots I bought him for Christmas off and gently laid them on their side.
 
He did a college boy try at folding his clothes before he placed them on top of his boots in the trunk of the car. I watched Oakley walk ahead of me, it was obvious that his workouts had sculpted his backside into a piece of art and he was proud to strut it for everyone to see.
 
He turned his head toward me as if he knew I was enjoying the view and gave me a quick wink before leaning forward and shifting to a beautiful wolf.
 
I smiled and looked around to see if anyone noticed me gawking at him before I shifted too.

           
It was getting late; we had maybe an hour of sunlight left.
 
The temperature was falling below freezing but cold weather only fueled a were.
 
We waited until it was dark to explore the boulders and all of their glory.
 
I hadn’t felt so alive since arriving in France.
 
We couldn’t hear or smell any humans since we ran through the forest.
 
We all ate before we came since we weren’t familiar with what game was available to hunt.
 
Mom ran like the wind in and out of the trees. She was at least fifty feet ahead of Gus when a woman in a green dress dropped from the trees.
 
Gus skidded to a halt, his teeth bared and hackles up, we could see the scene unfold through Gus’s eyes.
 
I ran to close the gap and skidded up behind him with Oakley on my heels.
 
We tried to shield Abel from the altercation but he eased his way between us, head up, ears perked and growling the loudest.

           
She couldn’t have been more than fifteen but flashes of hatred were in her eyes.
 
They were so dark that her pupils blended with the coal black.
 
Her raven colored hair hung straight down to emphasize her breasts that were bound and lifted in the green corseted dress she wore.
 
Her peasant sleeves hung dramatically as she raised her arms above her head.
 
She threw her head back and screamed before busting out in laughter.

           
“Of course they would send me to tend to the werewolves.
 
Not just any werewolf either,” she said as she clasped her hands together in front of her.
 
“Well, well, five little wolves running through my forest, one got killed and soon there were four.”
 
She said in a sing song way with her Irish accent.

           
“
Mom, can you knock her forward and Oakley and I will kill her?”
 
I thought to my mom.

           
“
She’s a vampire, not an ordinary one either.
 
I’m pretty sure she is a
baobhan
sith
, very similar to a banshee.
 
She’s known as a seductress and instead of fangs; she gets blood with her long pointed fingernails.
 
Getting her down and keeping her hands from coming in contact will be hard in wolf form.”
 
Mom thought to me.

           
“So what; are you wanting us to let her kill you?
 
Not going to happen,”
Abel said, and before we could talk him out of it, he shifted.
 
All six feet of him stood naked in front of a deranged lunatic.

           
“Oh, aren’t you the brave little wolf?
 
I bet you drive the girls crazy with those curls; your muscular body is what dreams are made of.
 
I will sleep well tonight, and you’ll be in my dreams.
 
Mmmm
ummm
, damn
wolfy
, you make a girl all flustered.
 
Are you going to save your friends?
 
I’m so excited; I haven’t had wolf blood in some time.
 
I don’t usually bite, but you look scrumptious.”
 
She said as she turned sideways to get a better look at my mom.

           
“Are you
freakin
’ nuts Abe?
 
If you make it out alive, I’m going to kill you for endangering yourself!”
 
I yelled.

           
“A
baobhan
sith
, how interesting.
 
I thought all of them died off two centuries ago,” Abel said.
 
“I’m pretty good at lore, so tell me, is it true?
 
Are your feet hooves and you’re just hiding them under your green dress?”
 
Abel asked in his smartass tone.

           
She turned her hate filled eyes to Abel, “my name is
Gunna
, and I’m going to have a little fun with you before I kill you.”
 
Her voice was venomous.

           
“
Abel, back off….let her focus on Dolly, it will make it four to one.”
 
Oakley thought.

           
“
I’m not letting her kill Dolly.”
 
Abel said as he stood as still as possible in the below freezing temperatures, naked and surrounded by his brethren.

           
In the distance I heard a branch break but no foot steps to back it up.
 
Just what we need, humans to walk up on us.
 
Gus’ ear twitched, obviously hearing the same thing.
 
Oakley was completely focused on Abel and Dolly.
 
Gus took a small step back so he could take a whiff of the air.
 
My heart was racing as I tried to find a way out of this situation.
 
Could I really let her kill my mother instead of Abel?
 
I wasn’t sure, but I was sure I didn’t want to find out.
 
A branch broke in the tree above us right before another vampire jumped from the tree knocking
Gunna
over and to the ground.
 
I saw his hand clasping onto a broken branch. He brought it down with such force it embedded into the ground.
 
She screamed a loud pitched screech and went up in flames; ashes piled to the ground. We watched him rise in one stealth motion standing to face my mom.
 
I could see his dark hair as it brushed the top of his collar, he turned to face us and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
 
Arien.

           
“Love, we have to stop meeting like this,” Arien said to me.
 
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding on
Gunna’s
part; she was always such a bitch.
 
I’ve wanted to stake her for a while now, but I didn’t have any justification.”
 
He buttoned his black trench coat and pulled the belt tighter around his waist.
 
“I know you are all naked so I won’t make you shift to talk to me, well everyone is still in their fur coat except for the King of wolves… a little crass if you ask me but you didn’t. Apparently shifting back to human so I can see that perfect body of yours Pru, is it out of the question right?
 
Be a sport, bring a vampire’s fantasy alive.
 
I’ve fantasized about more times than I’d like to admit, is out of the question, huh love?
 
Abel, look at you,” he said as he pointed at Abel “you’ve grown up I see.”
 
Oakley hunkered down, his growl was low and intense, his warning before he started to tear Arien limb from limb.

           
Abel turned every shade of red I’ve ever seen. Within a breath he was up on Arien with his hands around his throat.
 
“I could kill you in an instant vampire,” he said through gritted teeth.
 
We all got in the hunkered down stance.
 
Mom and Gus inched closer to him from behind as Oakley and I braced ourselves to pounce.
 
“You live because you staked that…that
thing
, but don’t get the idea we’re your friends.”
 
His clasp on
Arien’s
throat tightened, “I’m not playing games with you Arien, remember that.”
 
Abel said as he turned around and shifted the quickest I’ve ever seen him do.
 
He ran over to my mom, nudging her briefly before he ran off into the woods.
 
Gus and Dolly followed him as Oakley and I were left with Arien.