jumped over and the three knelt to drink water out of the creek.
Across the creek, Mo came to a stop, panting. “There you are. I wondered how far you guys would run before taking a break.”
“Barrier!” Chelle screamed.
I put a barrier up around Sean, Arnold, Taylor, Chelle, and I as she ordered.
It was just in time, as Mo drew and fired a gun right at Chelle.
“He’s working with the vampires,” Chelle said and snapped her jaws and growled.
“All you had to do was pick me and then let me deliver you to the vampires. It was going to be easy, but no, you had to stay with your little harem and only venture out with others I could have wooed you and convinced you to pick just me. I don’t know why you’re so focused on the guys you came here with, but they’re not a good fit for you, even if I weren’t here to steal you away,” Mo said and continued to aim the gun at Chelle. “As soon as I kill your familiar, you’ll be weakened and I can take you in.”
“The only one dying here is you,” I whispered.
He scoffed. “You can’t even control your—”
Before he could finish his sentence, I created a spear of fire that went right through his chest, killing him instantly.
“When did you learn to do that?” Chelle gaped.
“A few days ago, while you were napping,” I teased, turning my head away so I didn’t have to look at his body.
“Let’s go,” Sean said and picked me up again. “If he could catch up, the others might be able to as well.”
After nodding my agreement, he started running again.
Would we ever be able to stop running? Would anywhere be safe?
There had to be a way to end this that didn’t involve me becoming a broodmare or blood bag.
What though? What could I do?
“We’ll think of something,” Chelle assured me.
“Are they—”
“They’re fine,” she said.
We ran for hours and then made camp in a small clearing.
Sean hunted down some rabbits while Arnold and Taylor gathered wood and herbs, made a fire, and prepared everything to cook them.
We ate in silence, and even though I wanted to say something, there wasn’t anything I could think to say.
The others must have felt the same because we all just focused on eating and then staring into the fire.
“We’ll sleep here tonight,” Sean said.
I nodded and lay on the ground, spooning my body around Chelle.
No matter what happened, I would protect her.
Two more days, we continued our path, and then my cell phone rang.
“Hello?” I answered, terrified, and excited at the same time to see Nick’s name on the caller ID.
“We’re coming,” he whispered. “We are taking a roundabout way, but we are coming. Are you hurt?”
“I’m safe,” I answered as tears welled in my eyes. “Are you all?”
“All four of us. Are you with Guardians?”
“Yes.”
“Let me talk to them,” he requested.
I handed the phone to Sean.
“Yeah?” He listened silently, nodded occasionally, and then hung up and handed me the phone. “We’ve got our destination. Let’s go.”
“Did he say anything else?” I asked as I packed my things up.
“Aside from threatening to tear my arms off if I didn’t protect you, or if I hurt you, no,” he said with a wide smile. “I like him. He seems nice.”
Chelle laughed.
I sighed. “Sorry. He has always been protective.”
“He’s the one who went through the change recently, right?” Taylor asked.
I nodded.
“And you’ve known two of the others most of your life, too, right?” Arnold asked.
I nodded again.
“But the fourth is new?” Sean asked.
“If you’re talking about Caleb, yeah. I met him at the Academy,” I answered.
“So, you’re set on your Guardians already?” Taylor asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Honestly, I’d prefer not to have to choose anything. I just want to go home, back to my human school, do some cheerleading, and relax with my werewolf pack.”
“You live with a werewolf pack?” Taylor asked.
“Yeah, the werewolf trainer? He’s my dad; well, stepdad. Apparently, he was my parents’ Guardian and when they were killed, he took me in and raised me as his own. A lot of the pack are orphans. Nick, Gary, and I grew up together in the pack. Nick has been my best friend since I was three. Tom, I met in junior high, but didn’t know he was my Guardian until we got here.” I laughed. “It feels like it’s been years, but it’s only been…” I counted. “A month and a half?”
“Time has gone by rather