Chapter 224

Almara’s Pov

We’re halfway back to the outskirts of the vampire territory and we’ve seldom said a word to one another. There isn’t much to be said. My entire thoughts consist of Grace and of my mother and I’ve already exhausted expressing my worries.

There isn’t anything new or left to be said about it, and the more I try to put them out of my mind to focus on the nearing mission, the more I find myself struggling to stay focused at all.

With still no response from my mother, I’m beginning to think that she’s probably trapped by the vampires and it’s likely I’m heading towards her anyway. Maybe she’s with Grace.

The land stretched before us is a grassy hill, trees are being scarce as we near the boundaries of the lifeless land. With less trees also means less opportunity to hunt. We have some snacks left that we took from the motel this morning, but I want to save those for when we’re a bit nearer.

“We’re going to put an end to all of this,” Arthur tells me reassuringly. I numbly nod. There’s no possibility of an ending where Arthur and I are not reunited with Grace and safe back in our house, I’m just dwindling in energy.

I’d never tell him, but Arthur seems tired too. A deep kind of tiredness that penetrates to the bones. Only Zack seems more alert than either of us, keeping his head high and his back straight.

Arthur laces his fingers through mine and gives me a slight jerk in the arm telling me to turn my gaze towards him. His eyes bore into mine and it’s like I’m meeting him for the first time all over again. Butterflies tickle my stomach and heat rises to my face.

I simultaneously want to look away and keep searching the depths of his soul through his eyes forever. Sometimes I remember how lucky I am that he’s mine, all mine.

Usually, Arthur seizes the opportunity to call my blush and do something that makes me turn ten times redder but not this time. His expression is unwavering and I can feel the weight of his seriousness on my heart, it’s making my breath fall short.

We hold onto this intensity for probably only a moment longer, but it feels like time itself has stopped. The only way I know that it’s continuing forward is that Zack keeps walking on. Maybe time has stopped just for us.

“We don’t die.” Arthur says. I keep staring into his eyes, so I don’t see his lips move and his voice is so low and deep that if not for us being so close, I don’t think I would’ve heard him at all.

I’m filled with the desire to press my lips against his and melt into him. His eyes flutter down to my lips as though reading my thoughts and I’m about to do it when Zack calls out.

“What is that?” Zack asks, his ears perking up.

Arthur and I break away from one another and wait to hear the sound, then it comes again and I suck in a gasp.

“It’s my mother!” I say. Arthur and I look at one another and he smiles as if to tell me I told you so. I smile back at him, loving the fact that he is right about pretty much everything.

We pick up our pace, our paws hitting the earth with harmonious thuds as we veer off the normal path and to where my mother is waiting instead. One problem solved.

Maybe she has my father too, maybe that’s why she’s calling us from close to the vampire outskirts. She could’ve rescued him. My heart is about to burst with joy when I think that maybe, just maybe, she has Grace too. But, I can’t let myself get carried away. Not until I see it.

Soon enough we come to a stop that has got to be the area where my mom called. We’re back towards some woods and not too far off from a highway, I can hear the swooshing of cars speeding off in the distance. Why would my mom be here?

It’s not necessarily closer or further away from the vampire territory, just to the side of where we were. Has she been this close to us the whole time and didn’t pick up on the calls? Something doesn’t feel right.

I look at Zack and Arthur who are sensing the same thing that I am. This is a set up. But, it’s can’t be. I heard my mom. I know my moms voice.

I sense a heavy shadow lurking behind me. The atmosphere turns cold, like any life in the air is being sucked into a black hole.

“Thanks for coming so quickly,” An unfamiliar voice croaks. The three of us turn around and assume a fighting stance, though it quickly becomes apparent that no matter the fight we give, we’re screwed.

What stands before us is not my mother. It’s a familiar that has the form also of a werewolf, but mixed with a jaguar. It would be insulting if it weren’t so intimidating.

Clearly this familiar knows that a fight would prove to be pointless, for u sat least, and it doesn’t seem the least bit concerned that we may go in for a surprise tack by the way it lurks back and forth, prowling the overgrown grass and eyeing us like we’re a snack with sickly yellow eyes.

This beast is twice Athur’s size, one hit with its paw and sharp claws would be at least a couple of broken ribs. Not to mention if we tried to strike back, the agility of a cat would be something to learn.

“What do you want?” Arthur says getting to the point. The beast licks it’s lips, revealing sharpened fangs as it does so. It’s sleek black tail whips back and forth like it’s just caught eyes of its prey.

“Not so fast, why don’t we all get acquainted,” The beast says in a sing-song kind of way, but its voice is grave and coarse. Zack growls and this makes the monster smile. Chills go down my back. “Where are you heading,”

“Looking for my mother,” I say without thinking. “But you already knew that,” The beast snaps its head in my direction and I can sense Arthur stiffening.

“Yes, I heard your calls and my heart simply broke,” the beast says feigning sadness in its eyes. “I just had to use my special abilities and help.”

“Special abilities?” Zack asks, trying to hold back a laugh. The car narrows his eyes at Zack and my blood runs cold. Please don’t let a fight break out. The baby in my stomach gives a flip.

“Yes,” the familiar practically hisses. “Of course this wouldn’t be known to your weak mammals. Us familiars all possess some type of special power. Mine happens to be mimicking.”

“What kind of power is that?” Zack questions. The familiar creeps closer, and if Zack is at all afraid, he doesn’t show it.

“Well it brought you here, didn’t it?” The familiar says, eyeing Zack up and down. It looks like it might pounce. I quickly interject.

“Why did you mimic my mother’s call?”

Thankfully, the familiar turns back towards me. “I can show you where your mother is,” the beast looks at each of us and then back at me “Both your parents actually,”

I dare risk looking away to see what Arthur is thinking. His expression remains unchanged. He isn’t buying into what this enemy is selling. “No thanks,” he says and jerks his head towards Zack to tell him that we’re leaving.

The familiar laughs and its as though death is crawling out of its throat. “You either come with me, or we fight to the death. It’s your choice,” This makes Arthur stop and go pale. I know that if I were not here, he might have taken this familiar on but knowing that I would have to fight too, he won’t risk that.

We exchange a look and I give a nod. We were heading to their territory anyway. Might as well come in making an entrance, I telepathically tell Arthur and he sighs. We both know this isn’t according to our plan, but then again the plan fell apart the second we made it.