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Chapter 116: No-show
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The True Nature Series Chapter 117: Maverick
DAD WAITED IN THE car outside the entrance to the rec center while I dashed inside. Kids streamed into the building, goggles and swim caps in hand, their mothers toting large bags. The automatic doors slid open and the smell of chlorine washed over me like a friendly hello. I smiled in relief to see the very person I was looking for behind the front desk and called out a greeting. He looked up from the computer. "Well, if it isn't Tru Parker," he smiled as I walked up to the counter. "How's school?" Maverick was a cute mix of Irish and Filipino, with brown hair and gray eyes. A smattering of freckles dusted his cheeks and his eyes tilted just enough to make him look like he was smiling even when he wasn't. He was a little taller than me with wide, muscled shoulders."Homework sucks." He laughed, a quiet throaty chuckle that showed off his even white teeth. I leaned an elbow onto the counter. "I thought it would be quieter around here once school started." Over the summer, the plac
The True Nature Series Chapter 118: Knox
KNOX WAS INSIDE HIS crate in the spare bedroom when we got home. Dad told me to stay in the living room until he brought him down. He said it could take a month to get Knox to bond with us, and we couldn't leave him out of his crate while we were away from the house until then. That surprised me. It was going to be a while before he was a full-fledged guard dog for us.I heard a bark, the foreign sound echoing in our house. I wasn't sure if it was a happy bark. Dad had said that everything had gone well between him and Knox today. His friend, Mike, had let Knox stay rather than try to integrate him into our home over several days. It proved what an exceptional dog he was. Dad boasted about how surprised Mike had been when Knox quickly accepted his commands. I had to admit I was impressed with Dad's dog know-how. He'd never told me before today that he'd had dogs growing up. Probably because Mom hadn't wanted to get a dog.I heard the clipping of dog paws against the wood. Excitement
The True Nature Series Chapter 119: Rules, Shmules
ALTHOUGH I STILL HADN'T heard from Zander, I knew he'd been in my room sometime today because his bag and laptop were gone. I'd left my window unlocked, hoping he'd come get his stuff after school. I didn't think he'd miss school. But the fact that he had snuck in to get his stuff made me believe that he was okay. I'd worried that he'd gone off half-cocked and done something stupid, like accuse Peter or his father of all the awful things we'd figured out about them.But my anxiety level rose again when he continued to ignore my text messages. Had I blown it by not telling Zander about his father earlier? Was he somewhere hurt, needing help? At some point, I realized it was the aramusatu doing its thing with me. He had to be feeling it, too. So what would keep him away? I decided to give him another day before tracking him down.I knew one thing that would cheer me up. I hadn't told Ruthie about Maverick yet. As expected, she was thrilled. Ruthie and I spent at least an hour fantasizi
The True Nature Series Chapter 120: Bear Hunting
ZANDER AND PETER YELLED at each other in front of a small kitchenette. One bar stool lay knocked over on the floor."You lied to me!" bellowed Zander."Would you stop already?" Peter hollered back. His eyes were white with surprise. "Nobody lied to you.""You said you didn't know anything about Dante or this Collector!""I don't," Peter said."You knew Dante worked for Father!""I didn't know, until I did a little research on the kid." He had the decency to look a little sheepish.Zander swung at him. Peter ducked just in time and grabbed Zander's arm, twisting it and pinning him against a wall. Zander barked out a dark laugh and pulled away from his brother's stronghold, knocking him to the ground."What the hell, Zander?!" Peter leaped up, looking at him in amazement. "Did you receive the Blessing?" Peter asked in surprise. "Why didn't Father tell me?"Zander ignored him, his face thunderous. "You should have told me about Father," he said. He took a step toward Peter, who b
The True Nature Series Chapter 121: Rocker Chick
WHEN KNOX AND I returned from our run, the wonderful smell of waffles hit us as we opened the front door. Knox's feet made clipping noises as he hunted down Dad. I hung up the leash and stretched before following him into the kitchen."Hey!" I said, catching Dad pinching off the corner of a waffle for Knox. "I thought we had to feed him dog food."Dad popped the waffle piece into his mouth like that was his plan all along. "That's right," he said. "Sorry, buddy," he told Knox who huffed at his heel. "I've got yours right here." He pulled out a bag and poured the dried dog food into the bowl on the floor. Knox hesitated before padding over to eat his breakfast. "That's a good boy," said Dad.I snatched up a fresh waffle and smothered it in butter and syrup. Dad grabbed a whip cream can out of the fridge and waved it in my direction. I took it gleefully and sprayed an artistic pile of white fluff on top of my not so healthy breakfast. "So how was the run?" asked Dad."Fun," I said
The True Nature Series Chapter 122: You-know-what
FOR THE REST OF THE morning, I constantly checked in with Ruthie. I wasn't going to risk Peter hurting her again. I even arranged to cross paths with her between classes. I had to run to make it to mine in time, but it was worth it to know she was okay. When I rushed into Physics, I was glad to see I'd arrived before the new kids. I slid into my normal seat just as they walked through the classroom door. Their eyes zoomed in on me darkly. As they trudged to the last row, their heavy gaze made me feel like I'd done something wrong. What did I ever do to them? All throughout class I felt their eyes burning a hole into my back. I didn't understand their interest in me. When Physics ended, I hurried out, relieved to get away. Shrina greeted me at my locker before lunch. "Hey Tru.""Oh. Hi Shrina. Any news about Bobby?" My stomach twisted."Nope." She pulled on her bag nervously."What's wrong?" I asked.She seemed to be wrestling with something. "Were you and Bobby ..." She hesitat
The True Nature Series Chapter 123: Aramu-sick
FRIDAY FINALLY ARRIVED, AND our plans weren't going as expected. Ruthie's parents were going to Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco, keeping them out late. We planned to sneak out after her brothers went to bed and corner Zander at the party. We'd still have plenty of time to get back before her parents. Anyway, that was the plan until Dad said I couldn't sleep over. I pouted, I whined, I pleaded. And I didn't care that I was being a snot this time. But nothing worked. He took one look at the circles under my eyes and my pale skin and said I needed more rest. It was true that I looked like crap. I even felt achy. But I wasn't sick in the conventional way. I was Zander-deprived. As ridiculous as it sounded, I needed him like I needed air to breathe. It was the aramusatu, aka aramu-sick. But Dad had no idea about that and eventually lost his patience with me. He yelled that the discussion was over, scaring me because it was so out of character for him. At that point I knew all was lo
The True Nature Series Chapter 124: Trap
WHEN WE PULLED ONTO Zena's street, cars lined both sides and we could hear the music blaring. There were only a few houses, which meant it was less likely that neighbors would complain. Plus, I wouldn't have been surprised if the neighbors were as afraid of Mrs. Taylor as everyone else. The huge houses sat on equally large lot sizes. Several kids lounged around the sculpted front lawn, drinking out of plastic cups and laughing. The fact that I didn't see Zander's truck worried me. "Stop scowling, girl," said Ruthie as she touched up my makeup. I tried to smooth out my features, but it was hard when my insides felt like a swarm of bees. When she was done, I heaved one final nervous sigh and stepped out of the car. Ruthie pulled me along with her, practically bouncing with anticipation. She seemed ready to take on a pack of wolves, which was what facing Zena's groupies felt like.The front door of the mansion stood open, allowing the music to flow outside and giving us a preview of
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The True Nature Series Chapter 230: The Promise
ZANDER WAS STILL GROGGY, and I helped him lean up against the railing of the general store. I wanted to stay with him, but another problem had cropped up. Polaris was trying to move Dad, and Knox wouldn't let them. No one wanted to risk getting close to his teeth and I feared they might try to drug him or something worse. I sighed and pushed myself up."I'll be right back," I told Zander.I headed across the road and carefully approached the growling Knox. "Hey there, buddy," I said in a soothing voice. "You still have me, remember?" I reached out my hand, letting it hang in the air like Dad had taught me the first time Knox and I had met. Knox's ears flattened, and he whined as he pressed his nose into my fingers. If dogs cried, I'd say Knox was crying now. His eyes looked sticky wet. I ran a hand down his neck, coaxing him off Dad's body and toward me. With a hand on his collar, I eased the two of us several feet away, allowing the others to move Dad. When his limp head dropped t
The True Nature Series Chapter 229: Picking Up the Pieces
BOTH POLARIS AND THE Efotis arrived within minutes of each other. The folks from Polaris had found several locals disabled or dead outside the park, as well as two empty police cars. Someone must have called the authorities about the gunshots or the helicopters. Others had probably been curious enough to investigate the noise themselves. The Nasaru had silenced them before they could see anything. With heavy faces, Polaris began searching the perimeter for more victims and loading up bodies on stretchers to take them away. When the Efotis arrived, Caroline rushed up to me, her eyes wide and desperate. She grabbed me and hugged me like she was never letting go. Despite my reluctance to admit she was my mother, I found her arms comforting. It just felt right. Thaddeus stood as still and straight as a fencepost watching us with soft but wary eyes. I completely understood. My reintroduction to Caroline had been rocky. In fact, it had been like meeting her for the first time, because I'
The True Nature Series Chapter 228: Of One Mind
THADDIE AND I JUMPED away from each other, our eyes wide as saucers. "Shanna!" I breathed out in surprise. But her voice had faded away. "What the heck?" Once again, I'd lost my connection to her."Your eyes turned blue," said Thaddeus with surprise. "Does that happen often? Was that our sister?"I pressed my lips together, frustrated that we'd been so close to talking to her. "Yes, it was Shanna. But she's gone now. Dang it." He opened his mouth to say something else, but I beat him to it. "Wait. Did you just say my eyes turned blue?" "Yes," he answered, looking at me strangely.I thought my eyes had done that before, too, when I'd heard a strange voice. But at the time, I'd convinced myself that it was my imagination. Did this happen every time she talked to me? I held out my hands to Thaddeus, hoping that together we could bring her back. He looked at my outstretched arms with confusion."Just testing a theory," I said. "Take my hands. Maybe we need to be in physical conta
The True Nature Series Chapter 227: Retreat
"THADDIE!" I choked out."You know him?" asked Maverick in surprise.I huffed out a deep breath as we heaved another dead body off his wing."Yes," I said, giving him a watery smile. "He's my brother."Maverick stared at me slack-jawed. After tonight I didn't think anything could surprise him. "You're kidding," he muttered."Yeah, I was going to tell you about him. Turns out, the other sharum guy was my biological father. Is," I corrected, reminding myself that if they took him, he must still be alive."The other guy with Dr. Frankler?""Yeah, I know," I nodded. "Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder."Maverick grunted an agreement.I examined Thaddie, who still struggled with consciousness. "Let's carry him to a brighter area. It will be easier to help him there."Together, we maneuvered him onto Maverick's back. Amid grunts and gasps, he carried Thaddie to the center of the main street and set him down near Zander, who was still unconscious and oblivious to the
The True Nature Series Chapter 226: The Aftermath
I GAVE MAVERICK A wan smile. "There're gone," I sighed, standing up to move wearily to the next body. Kneeling by the woman from Polaris, I gently closed her eyes. There was no fixing her. The other Polaris soldiers were no better. The rest were Gerard's men. My heart pounded, knowing I'd have to face my dad's body now. I dragged myself to my feet and looked toward Dad. A furry head rested on top of his chest. I ran over to them, wondering how Knox could still be alive, not to mention how he had moved. As I dropped next to them, Knox whined softly. I bent over to press my head against his. "Oh, Knox. You're okay," I wept, running my hands along his fur. Blood matted in several spots, but I couldn't find any injuries. Shaking my head at the miracle, I hugged him. "I know, boy," I crooned. "Dad isn't ... he's not waking up. But you still have me." Knox's tail pounded on the dirt, but he remained pressed against Dad.I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Maverick. "I'm
The True Nature Series Chapter 225: Just Like Dante
THE CIRCLE OF SOLDIERS tightened around us, drawing my attention away from my disappearing friends. Zander pulled me to his back, spinning us around as we faced their weapons. It quickly became clear that even with our abilities, we wouldn't be able to overpower them. "Tru," Zander said, mind-speaking. "This is going to hurt, but you can heal yourself. Protect your head." "What?" I barely had a chance to gasp before he grabbed me, lifted me up in the air, and threw me over the heads of the soldiers. I cleared them by at least five meters and landed in a dense thicket near the line of trees. Branches jabbed me, cutting my skin and shredding my already ruined dress.I groaned. What the heck did Zander think he was doing? I started to crawl out of the bushes and yelped when I felt a sharp pain in one hand. It felt wrong, like broken wrong. Looking up, I saw a few of the soldiers peel away from the circle around Zander and head toward me. "Run!" Zander yelled in my mind.The path
The True Nature Series Chapter 224: From the Frying Pan ...
I GASPED, RECOGNIZING Gerard's creepy grin. "No! It can't be!"He laughed, throwing back his head and clasping his hands together. "You've done me a favor, my dear. I may have lost my mate." A fleeting look of sorrow crossed his face. "Trust me, you'll pay for that. But now I have an even more powerful aramusatu, one that will link you and me together forever." He laughed again, and then held out his hand. "Join me, Tru. You belong with your family."I gagged and stepped away. Had I only made things worse by killing Gerard? "No!" I yelled. I felt the world caving in as Wynona's words flitted through my mind. She's a soul jumper. At that time, she'd meant Ruthie. But apparently, she wasn't the only one. Somehow, Gerard Hughes's spirit had taken over Peter's body. I had a feeling that I'd just leaped from the frying pan into the fire."What happened to Peter?" Gerard's eyes swirled, shifting to yellow slits. He squeezed them shut and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, they w
The True Nature Series Chapter 223: Backfire
OBVIOUSLY, I WAS A healer. But I was definitely no savior. But what about destroyer?The thought of that destiny had filled me with dread before, but now I wanted it so badly that everything but my enemy faded away. I wished I could channel my healing ability into a weapon. Then it struck me. If I could heal wounds why couldn't I un-heal them? I stared at my hands, wondering if it was possible. A dark feeling swirled inside me, like attempting such a thing was straight up wrong, but as Gerard stepped closer to Ruthie, and as Zander continued to bleed out, I knew I had to do something. With shaking hands, I laid Dad's head on the ground. It was too late for him but I might be able to help the others. A fiery rage whipped up inside of me and my eyes locked onto Gerard. He wore a demented look of his own as he considered the chaos around us. I took off toward him. When I was almost upon him, he saw me and pulled out his gun. I plowed forward anyway and tackled him, sending the weapon f
The True Nature Series Chapter 222: Inconceivable Choice
I YANKED AWAY FROM the guard holding me and ran back to Zander, who gasped, "I'll be fine, Tru. Go to him." I knew he meant my dad and that he'd realized the same thing I had. Ignoring the guns pointed at me, I rushed toward Dad and Knox. Donavitch was grinning at me, clearly enjoying my terror, and Knox was barking out a warning to Mrs. Taylor as she pointed her gun at Dad. "Look out, Dad!" He looked from me to Mrs. Taylor and flinched when he saw the gun pointing at him. "No, Eleria!" yelled Mr. Taylor.Crack!In the blink of an eye, two bodies fell to the ground. At the last second, Mr. Taylor had raced after his wife and thrown his body in front of my dad. They both went down. I fell to the ground next to Dad, frantically searching for his wound. A bright red stain in the center of his blue flannel shirt expanded to the size of my hand within seconds. Had the bullet gone through Mr. Taylor and Dad? Of course! The gun had been loaded with cutters, the Nasaru's usemi-killin
