16

ho was that?” asked Pax, thumbing through the papers. Sitting in Alex’s large office had recently become his only sanctuary to this place, even though the troublesome three were still in Alexandria.
Alex sat the phone on the base and replied, “Robert Stone.”
“Anything new?”
“Just a follow-up on a nest they cleared the other night.” Alex’s interest shifted to the folder on his desk as he began to look through it. “Everything went smoothly.”
“That’s good. Nice to know the system still works.” Reading over the pages in his hands, Pax added, “You going to call it an early night? I think the guys are planning to watch a movie: topped off with popcorn, nachos, and pizza. You’re welcome to join us. I think there’s a few topless scenes.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I think I’m going to skip it this time. I have some paperwork to look over.” He closed the folder and rubbed his eyes. “There’s a full moon coming up. I guess I can’t talk you into staying those nights.”
Pax tossed the papers on the desk, his eyes falling on Alex. “Like I said, I’ll be gone when they return.”
Alex took in a deep breath, exhaling as he spoke. “All right. As you wish. But please, keep in contact this time. I’ve lost too much too soon.”
Normal Pax-style would call for a response to the sappy line, but he belayed his tongue. He seemed to do that a lot these days. His fellow hunters also noticed the change. And without an explanation of his whereabouts for the past six months, the rumors were flying behind his back. Pax actually liked the thought of the secret attention. He even fueled some of the wild rumors by ordering his steaks rare, commenting on the first bite, “Oh God, this is so good!” followed by a few bouts of growling while he “slept.” He didn’t owe the hunters any real explanation. The only person who knew the truth sat across from him.
The radio on the desk squelched on. “This is Elliot at the gate. She’s here.”
With that quick statement, the relaxed setting in the office shattered. Alex’s eyes went from the radio to Pax. Those two words sounded foreign to them. He slowly reached for the radio. It took all his strength to press the talk button. A few seconds passed as he utter a simple sentence.
“I’ll be right there.”
Pax wasn’t sure how to respond, but one fact needed to be said. “She’s not alone.”
Standing from his desk, Alex answered as he crossed the room, “I don’t care.”

The long walk to the gate passed by in a blur. Pax stayed by his boss’ side, armed and ready for anything. The bright, florescent lights on top of the gate filled the scene with a cool blue glow. Alex’s legs grew numb as he saw the blonde haired girl standing alone on the other side. She looked just as she did the night she left. A dark grey car sat a few yards away, obliviously chosen for its speed if a quick getaway was needed.
The guards stood by the gate, rifles aiming at the vampire.
“Lower your weapons!” shouted Alex.
“But sir,” one of them argued, “she’s not alone.”
As a response to the guard’s warning, a second vampire stepped from the concealment of the wall. He made his way to Evonne’s side.
“I see you’re not taking any chances this time,” Gabriel remarked as he noticed the influx of guards. “But this time, you have nothing I want.”
Alex’s jaw tensed at his words. “I did come out here to speak with you.” He looked at his daughter. “Evonne, I want you to listen to me.”
“No. You will listen to me.” She tried to step closer but was stopped by Gabriel. She glance at him before continuing to speak. “I want you to stop looking for me. I’m not coming back here. This isn’t my home anymore.”
“You’re not thinking with a clear head,” Alex begged. “You belong here.”
Evonne looked back at Gabriel. “You’re right. He won’t listen to me.”
Alex snapped, his face flustering. “She doesn’t belong to you! You had no right to take her from me.”
“You’ve already told me this,” Gabriel reminded. “Saying it over and over will not change the fact that she chose to leave. She’s not a minor by modern standards. She is free to make her own decisions. I’m sorry you were hurt in the process. But you once said that nothing dead would find peace within these walls. You wouldn’t even grant me shelter for one day.”
“That was years ago,” defended Alex. “That was before I trusted you.” He shook his head, fighting back tears. “You broke your promise.”
The words caused Gabriel to grow quiet. “I’m sorry.”
“Please,” Evonne continued, her eyes fighting to stay on her father, “let me be. I know you want me back, and I can understand that. But I don’t belong here.”
“She’s right,” agreed Pax.
Alex looked at him, betrayed by the admission.
“She’s no longer human,” he went on to explain. “Nothing can change that fact. And there’s no place for vampires here. I’m on her side. Stop chasing her.” Pax slung the rifle over his shoulder, showing his unwillingness to fight. His eyes moved to Gabriel. “You better leave. I won’t stop him if he barks out any orders.”
“Quiet!” Alex shouted.
Evonne whispered to Gabriel, “I’m finished here.”
“Wait! Evonne, please. Don’t leave. Not yet.”
“She’s finished talking to you,” Gabriel said.
Alex shot him a dangerous look. “Why did you do this to me?”
“This wasn’t against you,” fumed Gabriel. “Your anger should be aimed at Saros. It was by her order that you lost your daughter.”
“You should’ve said no and returned her to me.”
Gabriel calmed himself as he spoke. “We’re finished here.” Grabbing Evonne’s hand, they headed for the car.
“Gabriel, wait! Gabriel! I’ve not finished talking!”
A guard called out, “Open the gate!”
“No!” Alex stopped him. “Let them go.”
Baffled, the guard questioned, “You’re not going after them?”
“I’m tired of chasing her,” he forced himself to admit. He watched them get into the car. “If this is what she wants, then I will honor her choice… as much as it pains me to do so.”

Evonne was happy to see the abandoned haven. It was one of the few times she was glad to be back in such a place. The relief she felt after facing her father was mixed with other emotions. Gluing them altogether was a flutter of sadness.
Upon entering the haven, Evonne picked up on the change in Gabriel. He went to the first floor and found the last two humans lying dead. The scent on the bite marks told him it was work of Emery and Micky. But as his mind searched for them, he found the place empty. Checking the humans once more, he figured they were killed after sunset, not long after he and Evonne left. But something wasn’t right. He told Emery to clean up after his own messes from now on. Gabriel then noticed the large amount of blood still left within the humans. They were interrupted as they fed.
Another scent settled in the air, this one faint but no less telling. Heading for the stairs, Gabriel hurried for their room.
“What’s going on?” Evonne asked.
“Something frighten them away,” he said, reaching the bottom of the stairs.
“Where would they go?”
“Someplace far away from here.”
As they entered their room, Gabriel removed the gun from his waist and sat it on the bed. He then grabbed the duffle bag and began to ready more guns.
“What if it’s SEVEN?” Evonne pointed out.
“They would still be here.”
She stood back and watched him. “What would scare Emery?”
Gabriel slid a magazine into a gun and paused. His senses picked up the telltale thunder of paws. “Werewolves,” he grumbled.
“Here? In a haven?” She stared at him, astonished.
“In an abandoned haven,” he reminded her. “Emery was using his head.” Fishing though the small arsenal, he handed her a gun.
Evonne took the weapon. “We’re fighting?”
Gabriel began to load up with magazines and filled guns. “I want to make sure this place is clean before we leave.”
Fear sent her to yell at him. “It’s not our problem!”
“Werewolves are forbidden to enter havens. Only when they are accompanied by a vampire are they allowed. Even then, they are always overseen by an elder.”
“We don’t need to do this,” she begged. “Let’s just go.”
Gabriel grabbed one more gun. “You forget who I am.”
“But don’t forget who I am. You remember how I faired against Adrian? And who knows how many werewolves are up there. I don’t have Demetrius helping me this time.”
He handed her a second gun. “Aim for the head.”
“I know how to kill a wolf,” Evonne replied, taking the gun he offered.
Gabriel headed to the door and sensed the wolves on the stairs. “Stay close,” he ordered. “If we get separated, head for the Jeep. Get as far away from this place as you can.”
Evonne heard the jingling of metal as he handed her the keys. “I’m not leaving you here,” she said, refusing to take them. “Besides, I haven’t driven a car in years.”
“You’ll be all right.” He shoved the keys in her pocket. “Calm down. You need a steady hand right now.” Gabriel pulled her close and kissed her. For that one moment, Evonne forgot about the wolves. “Stay focused,” he whispered.
She forced herself to nod.
From the staircase, the thundering sound paws preceded wolves. Evonne could sense their hot bodies, but she had no way to count them. She imagined a whole pack swarming in. She stopped breathing as she focused on the stairs. The thundering grew louder.
Leaping down the last flight, two beastly wolves came into view.
Gabriel fired, dropping one with a single shot. The other wolf growled and charged for the two vampires. Aiming quick, Gabriel fired two more shots. The beast crashed to the floor and slid several feet. More thundering came from the stairs as four wolves appeared. They closed in fast. Gunfire rang out; bullets pelted the wolves. One collapsed, killed instantly with one well-placed shot. The other three ignored their wounds as they descended on the vampires. Two went for Gabriel, while the third leapt over them to land on Evonne.
Evonne heard the sound of her collar bone break as the wolf’s powerful jaws clamped on. It began to drag her down the hall, away from the other vampire. Swinging the gun around, Evonne blindly fired three shots. The wolf stopped moving. Gathering her wits, she worked fast, prying the beast from her shoulder. But as she freed herself, another wolf was on her, its claws tearing at her stomach. Evonne felt no pain. She was too concerned with surviving. Repositioning the gun, she fired. The beast growled as it fought to behead her. Finally, the wolf’s body stopped moving. Evonne lay underneath, her body unable to move. The numbness lifted. Using all of her remaining strength, she rolled the massive beast to the side.
Her eyes searched for Gabriel and spotted the new wolves running toward them. She heard Gabriel’s voice calling out from somewhere in the hall.
“Run!”
Evonne scrambled to her feet and ran for the opposite end of the hall. She threw open the door to the stairwell and looked back as it closed. A wolf left the other group and bounded toward her. Forgetting the second gun she carried, Evonne bolted up the stairs and headed for the garage. She could hear the wolf still following.
I’ve taken a werewolf down with my bare hands before. I have the strength. I just need the confidence. She wanted to stop and fight, but the growling sound behind her kept her legs in motion.
Running into the garage, Evonne was struck from the side and thrown a few yards, her ribs cracking on impact. She fought to look up. Her mind froze at the sight. A werewolf approached, joined by the other that followed her upstairs.
“Where is she?” the larger wolf growled. He stood on his hind legs and towered over the vampire. The other wolf cowered underneath the stature of his pack mate, their ranks obvious in this small gesture.
“Wh-who?” Evonne stammered.
The beast dropped to all fours, his clawed hands to either side of the vampire’s head. “Lancaster’s bitch,” he sneered. “Her scent is all over this place. Where are you hiding her?”
Evonne dared to make eye contact with him. She wanted to look away.
“Where is she?” the wolf fumed.
From between their bodies, a series of bangs flooded the air. The wolf’s eyes widened. A rasping sound left him as blood began to leave his mouth. Struggling to remain standing, the wolf’s legs finally gave. He collapsed on top of the vampire.
Evonne remembered the other wolf and pushed the heavy beast to the side. She took aim. The wolf continued to cower as he began to back away. His eyes begged for mercy. Evonne’s finger eased on the trigger.
Gabriel wants this place clean.
Three gunshots echoed inside the garage. The second wolf lay dead where he once stood. Evonne lowered the gun. From inside the haven, the sounds of more fighting sent her to feet. She ran toward the Jeep and fumbled for the keys. Tossing the gun in the passenger seat, Evonne started the engine. She had seen Gabriel drive this thing plenty of times. All she had to do was recall his actions. But one thing made this task a lot more conceivable: Thank God it’s an automatic.
Evonne looked in the rearview mirror as she saw the haven disappear among the trees. How far was she supposed to drive? How would he know where to find her? Staring at the road, Evonne began to bang her bloodied hands on the steering wheel.
“Dammit, Gabriel! What am I supposed to do?”
Her eyes caught sight of herself in the rearview mirror. She turned her head to the side, judging the severity of her injuries. Her neck looked terrible. Large gashes went deeper than she first thought, and blood continued to escape. Looking down, she feared she would see her intestines hanging out, but thankfully the torn skin held strong.
She laughed through the pain. “Lost another shirt.”
The blood loss began to take its toll. Evonne’s vision blurred and her head began to grow weightless. She wanted to sleep. No! You can’t fall asleep now!
Her eyes darted around in an attempt to stay awake. They stopped on the mirror again. Evonne’s stomach knotted. The glass on the rear door had been shattered. She glanced at the gun in the passenger seat. Diving for it, Evonne found a clawed hand grabbing her neck and pinning her to the headrest. Another clawed hand took the gun and threw it somewhere in the back. Evonne heard it hit the rear door and land amongst the broken glass.
The werewolf growled into the vampire’s ear, “Keep driving.”
Evonne had no intentions of disobeying. The claws on her neck dug deeper into her wounds, reversing the healing that already begun. She felt her blood escaping faster. Her eyes fluttered and finally closed.
On the road, miles from the haven, the Jeep missed the upcoming curve and entered a field, its headlights bouncing over the hilly terrain. Gathering speed, the Jeep continued to move toward the edge of the woods. It stopped as it smashed into an old Maple tree.

Two hours after the Jeep made its fatal trip into the tree, a figure of a man approached, gun in hand and body covered in blood. He cautiously stepped to the driver’s side and opened the door. The engine was off and the keys left on the floorboard. Blood, coating the seat, shown the path as the driver was drug through the back and out the broken window.
Gabriel closed the door and followed the trail of blood into the woods.

The old barn came into view. The farm was small, with a house on the other side of the field and a large shed housing a tractor and other old farm equipment. The blood trail went toward the barn.
Feeling lightheaded, Gabriel fought to keep mind focused. He hadn’t been this weak in a long time. Numbness crept up from his feet and hands. It was the start of his body’s effort to shut down, to preserve his energy for healing. Cautiously, Gabriel entered the barn. The only animals inside were four horses, each locked within their stalls. In an empty stall he found Evonne lying unconscious. The dirt on her clothes told she had been drug here, not that the one responsible had no strength to carry her, but that she was used to bait the trail.
Something moved within the loft. Gabriel raised the gun, his hand fighting through the numbness. His skin seemed glued to the gun by the drying blood and felt like cement within his weakening strength. Eyes straining, he searched through the stacks of hay. The boards in the loft creaked again.
“I trust you killed the others?” a woman voice called out. “All twelve of them?”
Gabriel kept the gun pointed at the origin of the voice. He didn’t answer.
“Please,” she continued, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
From behind a stack of hay, a naked woman crawled to the edge of the loft to look down at the vampire.
“You did me a great favor tonight.” She lowered herself onto her elbows, her body casually laying on the loose hay. “There’s some livestock here and a human in the house, enough blood for you and your mate.”
Gabriel lowered the gun and returned to Evonne’s side. He began checking the extent of her injuries. “What’s your name?” he asked the wolf.
“Tamara, daughter of Jacob Lancaster.”
“Then you know who I am.”
She rested her head on her hand. “He’s spoken of you. Quite respectably, I might add.”
“Who did I kill for you?”
“Many of the unworthy,” she said coldly. “I was expecting to find the haven at least half full. Imagine my disappoint when the only two vampires fled upon my arrival.”
“Who did I kill?” he repeated.
“Juveniles. Nothing more. They’d been causing trouble and needed to dealt with.”
“Who happened to be all males.” Gabriel left Evonne’s side to stand below the loft.
She smirked. “Alpha’s orders.”
“You deliberately broke haven rules, and by crossing that line…” He aimed the gun at the werewolf. “You’re punishment will be the same.”
“I did no harm!” she tried to explain, cowering back to hide among the bales of hay. “The deed is finished.”
Gabriel continued to follow the sounds of her movements. He waited for a clear shot.
“I am uninjured,” she pointed out, “and you can barely stand. Not much of a match.”
“I only need one good shot,” he reminded her.
“You will alert the human.”
“Two birds…”
The wolf growled as a hay bail was flung into the air, falling towards Gabriel. Several more followed, each one an attempt to send him off balance. As Gabriel dodged the last onslaught, Tamara attacked, her body taking the form of a natural wolf. She leapt onto the vampire, her body slamming him to the ground. Moving fast she tore into his neck. Her plan was to remove his head. She had done this plenty of times with deer. A vampire would be no different.
Gabriel pressed the gun’s barrel to her temple and fired. The wolf’s jaws tightened around his neck. Her body tensed up, then slowly relaxed. He pushed her to the side.
The horses called out from their stalls. This, added with the gunshot, woke the human within the house. Gabriel moved into the shadows and waited.

A man in his late sixties stepped from the house carrying a shotgun. In his other hand he held a flashlight. He thought he heard the loft collapse. It was a loud bang, and with the way his horses carried on, it seemed like his assumption may be right.
Rounding the corner, the man enter the barn. The flashlight’s beam landed on the body of a large animal. The man jumped back at the sight and raised the long barrel shotgun. He carefully approached and jabbed the barrel’s end into the animal’s thick fur. The animal didn’t move. As he noticed the smashed skull, he moved the flashlight to the horses.
“Did one of you do this?” he playfully asked.
The horses began neighing wildly and pawing at the ground. Sensing that something else may be in the barn, the man spun the flashlight around. A violent force grabbed onto him, the attack fierce enough to send the shotgun from his hand. He then felt the pressure of something tugging at his neck. His mind didn’t register the pain at first, but as his blood left his body, the pain made itself known. He had no time or strength to scream. The last thing he felt was his body falling to the ground.
Gabriel kept the man alive. He then left the barn and headed for the house. Dawn was in a few hours and he needed to think fast. Too many things worked against him. Not much time.

Evonne’s weakened senses found the human slowly breathing on the barn floor. The scent of his blood woke her further. She pulled herself onto her hands and knees and made her way to his side. She sniffed around his neck and found another scent mixed with the blood. Gabriel was here. He was alive. Swirling within this realization, she closed her mouth around the bite and began to drink. Everything was going to all right.
As the blood ceased from the human, Evonne caught another strong scent. It was the blood of a werewolf. Though she had no talent of picking a werewolf out in a crowd, it was the unique blood she could pinpoint. Leaving the human, she crawled over to the wolf’s side and felt through the thick fur around the neck, her hands working their way up to the soft underside of the jaw. She pushed the head back and bit into the underside where the head and neck met. The bite needed to be large enough to make up for the dead heart, and her body was too impatient to wait on a smaller bite. She began to drink, pulling out the blood with feverish gulps.
Gabriel returned to the barn and found what he hoped to see. Evonne had finished off the human and was on the wolf. This left him with the horses. Approaching the stalls, he picked out the horse on the end. He took the gelding by the halter, and with a knife in the other hand, sliced below the withers, using all of his strength to sever the spine. The horse let out a frantic sound as its legs gave out, collapsing to the ground. He pulled the horse onto its side. The animal tossed its head about as it wanted to stand. Gabriel kneeled behind the horse’s head and held it down. Normally he would let the animal live, but the situation called for its death. He needed all the blood he could get. The numbness in his body was becoming too difficult to ignore.
He ran his hand over the horse’s neck, searching for the right place. With the knife, Gabriel began to cut through the skin. A gush of blood poured from the deep wound. He then lowered himself to the animal and drank.
Noticing the commotion, Evonne looked to the stalls and found Gabriel. The scent of the horse’s blood pulled her away from the dried up wolf. The thumping heart of this large animal was like a drum to her ears. She crawled to the stall and sat on the opposite side of the horse. Gabriel raised up and delivered the knife into the neck once more, creating a place for Evonne. Taking no cue or asking for permission, she placed her mouth to the new wound. Gabriel returned to the horse and continued to drink.
The other horses sensed the gelding’s distress and paced within their stalls. It was the only sound keeping Evonne rooted in reality. Something tugged on her shoulder. She looked up to see Gabriel beside her, pulling her to stand. She freely left the dead horse and was helped outside and toward the farmhouse.
Gabriel led Evonne into the bathroom where he began to undress her. Through the dizziness of her mind, she tried to keep her eyes open. She saw the bathroom covered in a cheap wallpaper, a décor that told its age based on style alone.
The shower kicked into life. Gabriel guided her into the tub, then undressed himself before joining her.
The hot water felt wonderful against Evonne’s skin. It rolled over her, hitting the deep wounds to her stomach, neck, and shoulders. The water didn’t sting; instead, it eased the pain. Another sensation moved across her skin. As it neared her broken collar bone, she flinched and pushed against it. She found her hand meeting with Gabriel’s hand.
“Is it broken?” he asked.
She answered, her voice giving out. “I think so.”
His hand returned to her collar and felt around. “It’s not out of place. Anything else broken?”
“My ribs… I think.” She felt his hands move to her sides, checking her rib cage.
“There’s nothing I can do about that,” he said. “Open your eyes, Evonne. Look at me.”
Listlessly, she shook her head. “I just… I want to sleep… Can I please sleep?”
“You can sleep later.”
Evonne rolled her head away from him and leaned against the shower wall. Gabriel pulled her to face him and swung an open hand into her face, smacking her hard. Evonne’s eyes snapped open.
“We need to get cleaned up and out of here,” he said.
Though she heard his words, her interest centered around the damage dealt to his body. She could see the large slash marks on his chest and stomach, and more to his neck and shoulders. Deep wounds also went over his legs. The extent of his injuries were worse than her own.
Evonne stood in the back of the shower as he rinsed off the blood from his hair and body. More vicious slash marks covered his back. She stepped closer to him, inspecting the wounds as she ran her hands over his skin. The edges were already showing signs of healing. With his age they would be heal much faster than hers.
Gabriel finished rinsing off and left the shower to grab the towels. Evonne stepped into the shower’s stream as she gave herself one more rinse before turning off the water. As she exited the shower, Gabriel handed her a towel. The light colored towels slowly picked up shades of pink and red as they dried off. Gabriel then left the bathroom in search of the clothes he found on his first walkthrough of the house.
Evonne’s eyes caught sight of herself in the mirror. She looked at the mangled vampire staring back. She raised her hand and dared to touch the gapping marks on her neck. Upon contact, she found herself still bleeding. Evonne unwrapped the towel to view the rest of her body. She looked away, her legs growing weak at the sight.
The necklace! She looked in the mirror again and found the necklace missing. Mentally retracing her steps, she had no idea where it could be.
Gabriel returned to the bathroom and handed her some clothes.
“Can’t this wait,” she said. “I’m still losing blood.”
“We have to leave right now. Dawn is in two hours.” He began to dress.
“We can stay here.” The tiredness was quickly settling in her body once more.
“It’s too dangerous. We have to leave the Jeep.”
She held up the red flannel shirt, looking it over. “Why?”
“You crashed into a tree.”
Evonne dropped her arms, her eyes growing heavy once more. “Oh… I’m sorry. I don’t remember… I was driving?”
“It’s all right.”
Gabriel began to help Evonne get dressed.
She continued speaking, her words borderline loopy. “We can sleep in the ground. I’ve always wanted to try that. Make like a grub worm and just chill out till sunset.”
“They will be looking for disturbed earth,” he pointed out.
“They? SEVEN? Did you call them? They’re gonna have a mess to clean up. Did I kill a werewolf? I taste werewolf.” With her eyes closed, she licked her lips. “… and grass. Did I eat grass? What is the phone number for SEVEN? Is it… 7? Or 711. Seven Eleven. That’s a convenience store, right?”
Gabriel finished by sliding the boots on Evonne’s feet.
“My poor boots,” she continued. “I ordered them online after I got my motorcycle. They cost a lot.” Her eyes shot open. “My bike! I can’t believe I left it there.”
“It can stay there.” Gabriel took her hand and led her from the bathroom and out to the green truck.
“Where are we going?” Evonne asked as she pulled herself into the passenger seat.
Gabriel knew of one place nearly three hours away. It would be a race against the sun. But this place was a sanctuary greater than any haven. He had to take the chance.
“To a friend’s house,” he answered.