Our Story - Part Four - The Lost Ones

Chapter Thirty Four

/You won’t harm me?/ Kalena asked hesitantly.

/Of course not,/ the voice assured her.

/Or my friend?/
Amusement surrounded her. /Of course not, love./

She chose to ignore that endearment. /And the others. They’ll leave us alone too?/

/You appear to know a lot about dealing with the devil. I praise the way that you have covered all your bases. I swear it, little hunter, you have my protection./

“What do you think?” Kalena asked Lupe.

“He’s right. What choice do we have? I don’t see any other way out and they’ll just slaughter us in the morning.”

“I’ve lost my mind,” Kalena muttered going to the cell she knew belonged to the vampire who had spoken to her. With a shaking hand she unlocked it.

/Leave the keys and go to the front./

/How do I know-/

/I have no time to argue with you, little one, go. I only have so much control./

Kalena led Lupe away. /My name is Kalena. Use it./

/I make no guarantees./ Kalena sharpened two table legs with a pocket knives she had gotten off a guard. She handed one to Lupe and kept the other, twirling it in her hand nervously. Soon the vampires began joining them. One tall male with long black hair walked over to Lupe and took her hand, kissing it quickly.

“I’m terribly sorry about your loss, young wolf. Orion was a credit to his species.” It was the vampire who had offered to help them.

“You knew him?” Lupe asked.

“He stayed in my cell. They were hoping I’d snap. When I didn’t… I also knew his family, he didn’t even know he had one.”

“We can talk about all of this once we get to the mansion. You said you can get the door open?”

“No, I said that we could. Rafe.” The young man who must be Rafe stepped forward and grabbed the door and started pushing it. The black haired man rubbed his temple as though tired. “The knob, Rafe. Rip it out.”

Kalena didn’t know that a vampire could look sheepish. “Sorry,” Rafe said. He grabbed the knob and turned it harshly before yanking it out of the door. He then pushed it open.

“Very good,” the black haired vampire said. He turned to the girls. “My name, by the way, is Gavin. Does this mansion have room for all of us for the night?”

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Liam, it belongs to him.”

“He’ll take us in,” Gavin said. The other vampires spread out as they walked into the parking lot, going in four groups of four to the cars.

“What are you doing?” Lupe demanded as Gavin led the two of them to a nice Thunderbird and working on getting it open.

“Grand theft auto,” Gavin said. “Look away if you don’t want to be a witness.”

“But… why are you stealing it?”

“They aren’t going anywhere and I’m not going to walk,” Gavin said getting in and unlocking it before working on hotwiring it. He had it started in less than two minutes.

“I can top that,” Kalena commented getting in on the other side.

“I’m sure,” Gavin said dryly. He turned to Lupe. “You can either get in or you can walk, it’s completely up to you.” Lupe got in. “And to be honest, young wolf, this isn’t normal behavior. I’m a very influential vampire. I don’t normally go around jacking peoples cars.”

Kalena was savvy enough to catch the small insult towards her in that throw away comment. After ten minutes of silence they were there. Rowan and Garret were sitting on the porch when they pulled up. Lupe got out of the car as soon as it stopped. The expression of pure joy on Rowan’s face made Kalena smile. Lupe ran to her friend and the two girls hugged. It was as though a dam had burst, the moment Rowan wrapped her arms around Lupe the other girl started sobbing. Kalena could see the dawning horror in Rowan’s eyes as she tried to console her friend.

“Are you okay?” she asked Kalena.

“Yes, I could use a soft bed, though,” Kalena said.

“Let’s get inside,” Garret said addressing everyone. “Liam is on his way down.” Everyone followed him into the mansion. He paused in the foyer. “Rowan, why don’t you go get Lupe settled in the room next to ours? Kalena, can the soft bed wait a few minutes?”

“Garret,” there was a distinct warning in Rowan’s voice.

“I just have a few questions,” Garret said. “I’m sure Liam does as well. If you don’t want to stay Rowan can show you to a room as well.”

“I’m fine,” Kalena said. It was a blatant lie and Rowan paused at the stairs looking concerned. Kalena waved her off and Rowan led the distraught Lupe away. The vampires and lone hunter walked into the huge dining room. Kalena stuck close to Garret knowing that he’d fight by her side if anything went awry. Garret seemed to sense what she was doing and had her sit between him and Ayden. Angela came in and gave bags of blood to all of the guests.

“Liam, this isn’t very hospitable,” Gavin said. “We’ve been through a terrible ordeal. Don’t you have anything a little more…” his eyes slid to Kalena, “fresh?”

“Kalena is a guest here,” Liam said calmly. “I do not condone people eating my guests.”

“I should have expected no different from someone who harbors half breeds.”

Garret growled softly. “I suggest you watch yourself.”

“Garret,” Liam said a soft reprimand in his tone. “Gavin, you are a guest in my home but my hospitality only goes so far. Keep your fangs and your comments to yourself. We’re here to discuss what happened to you.”

After a brief silence one of the younger boys, Rafe, spoke up. “Our parents were killed in a raid on a safe house.” He indicated himself and a younger boy next to him. “We were there the longest.”

“If you could, please tell us what happened?” Liam said, his tone gentle. Rafe looked at his little brother who looked back at him, scared. “Angela, please show this boy upstairs and to a room. It’s getting late.” Angela came forward and led the little boy away.

“Every couple weeks they’d sedate us, take us out, and drain us close to the point of death. They’d only replenish a little of the blood.”

“Why?” Ayden asked. “Why not just kill you? I mean, no offense but it would just make more sense for the fanatical haters of our kind to kill vampires, not torture them.”

“Three reasons,” Gavin said. “One, Sonny is a sick fuck who enjoys torture. Two, they’re trying to see how long we can be kept a live after all of this. Three, they’re drinking the blood.”

“That’s disgusting,” Kalena gasped.

Gavin’s cool gray eyes slid to Kalena and his lips curled up. “Too noble for that, little hunter?” Ayden wanted to growl but settled for a harsh glare.

“No, but unlike other people in this room I am not a leech.”

“Watch it, bloodbag,” Rafe snarled.

“Kalena,” Liam said patiently. “Please refrain from insulting the vampires.”

“I’ll do my best,” Kalena agreed grudgingly, “but I make no promises.” She could have sworn that Liam was fighting a smile.

“Moving on,” Garret said. “What other type of experiments?”

A curly haired woman answered. “How long a truly mated pair could survive if one died. What a female vampire would go through to rescue her…” she broke off with tears in her eyes.

“Baby,” the man next to her said. “The babies were all taken away. We don’t know what happened to ours.”

“Angela,” Liam said as the younger woman came back. “Would you please help this lady to a room.” He turned to the man. “I’m terribly sorry about your loss. You can go with her if you’d like.”

“Thank you.” The man and woman followed Angela out of the room.

Kalena said reeling in shock from what she had been told. /Babies?/ They couldn’t have done that. Babies, even vampire babies, were innocent. The Predators were worse than the monsters they fought. She was ashamed that she had ever been one of them. She hid her horrified look quickly but Liam saw it.

“Moving on yet again,” Garret said looking disturbed.

“Why would a human want to drink our blood?” Rowan asked coming in and looking pale and drawn. Ayden stood and directed Rowan to his chair. She tried to protest but he waved her off.

“Strength and longevity,” Garret explained. “Is Lupe okay?”

“She cried herself asleep,” Rowan said. “As for being okay, I don’t know. Werewolves don’t survive the death of their mate. Lupe is lucky to even be alive… if you can call it luck.”

There was a brief silence then Liam stood. “Thank you for all of your help. Serene and I will show all of you to your rooms. Garret?”

“Sir?”

“Show Ms. Corvey to her room. I’ll meet you in an hour.” Garret waited until Liam had led the others away to stand.

“Kalena, I know how you feel about being protected but Gavin is over five hundred years old. I’m having you stay in the room between Isaac and I. Ayden is also across the hall.”

“You really think he’d come after me?”

“He’s unpredictable,” Garret said. “I have Angela on Lupe’s other side and Elise beside Ayden and across from us. Daniel and Ross are on beside her. I’m probably being over-protective-”

“You?” Ayden mock-gasped.

“Never!” Rowan joined in.

“But,” Garret continued, ignoring the outburst, “I’d rather be overly cautious than be sorry later.” Kalena didn’t respond for a few seconds. She was still reeling over the horrible things that the Predators had done. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm?” Kalena asked.

“You haven’t called me a name since you got back,” Garret said. “Did they brainwash you, give you a lobotomy, or something?”

Kalena rolled her eyes at him. “Though I’m sure your heart soars of the thought that I might now share your level of intelligence, no.”

“There you are,” he said as though relieved. They left the kitchen and ran into Micah

“Garret,” Micah said stiffly.

“Micah,” Garret returned.

“Hello, Rowan,” Micah said, his demeanor changed subtly as he turned to younger woman.

“Micah,” Rowan nodded.

“Kalena,” Ayden said somberly.

“Ayden,” she said in the same tone.

“I don’t believe that we’ve met,” Micah said turning to Kalena. He held out a hand. “I’m Micah, pleased to meet your acquaintance.” Ayden resisted the urge to either growl or pout. He knew Kalena would be even less interested in Micah than him but that didn’t really help. To his amusement Kalena stared at Micah’s hand as though he were offering her a dead fish. He withdrew his hand not seeming at all affected.

“Kalena,” the hunter introduced herself. “And I wish I could say the same.”

“Kalena,” Micah said in a slow drawl, smirking. “Kalena Corvey?”

“Yes,” she said immediately on guard.

“Interesting.”

“Do I know you?”

Micah’s smirk grew into an outright leer. “We’ve met. I’m going to grab something to eat. Good evening.” He brushed past them.

“That was strange,” Garret said.