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Chapter 127: Bloodsucker
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The True Nature Series Chapter 128: Donavitch
ZANDER LET LOOSE A heavy sigh. "Maybe," he said, "but first she wants to hold her dog."Isaac frowned in disapproval, but he moved out of the way. Last week, I wouldn't heal Ruthie until Isaac left. Now I didn't have the same privacy. If Knox was going to make it, I had to risk Isaac finding out about me. Based on this morning's events, I didn't think he would freak out. Obviously, he was good with weird already.Zander settled me next to Knox's still form, placing my hand on his neck. His fur was wet and sticky with blood. More blood dripped from his ear. I realized that I wasn't numb everywhere. I could feel tears dripping from my eyes. If I could cry, then we might be able to save Knox. Zander kneeled over me, blocking Isaac's view. I think we both knew that we could share our abilities, especially when we were touching each other. This had to work. He laid one hand on my shoulder and one on Knox. "Okay, Tru," he whispered, so softly I almost didn't hear. I debated how to go a
The True Nature Series Chapter 129: Too Calm
AS ISAAC STEPPED TOWARD the front porch he asked, "Think you can stand?" "Yeah," I said, stretching my mouth from side to side. My whole body tingled, sensation returning like shifting sand. He carefully stood me up, bracing my shoulders in his large hands while I found my balance. I slowly straightened my spine, and he let go one finger at a time, his hands hovering as if he expected me to collapse. When I remained upright, he cocked an eyebrow and grumbled low in his throat, reminding me of the way Knox sounded when I played tag with him. Did Isaac find this funny? I shot a glare at him. With a resigned smile, he backed away. Knox moved with him, pressing his nose into his hand. I moved up the steps, toward the front door with little robotic jerks and unzipped my pocket to pull out the house key. Because I still lacked full sensation in my hands, I had to concentrate on holding the key. It felt like an extra thick layer of leather covered my skin, and without the sensation of dir
The True Nature Series Chapter 130: Newfound Treasure
I TRIED TO BLOCK out Isaac's face as I leaned against the smooth wood of the doorframe. How long could I stall his questions?"Drea."I shot up straight. What the heck? Someone was here with me!"Who said that?" I yelped."You can hear me," replied a faint and surprised voice, a feminine voice.I walked through the downstairs rooms, peering into each corner with Knox padding alongside me. But each room remained quiet and empty. "Who are you?" I asked, passing the mirror in the foyer. Shocked, I backtracked to it to see my face reflected there, but not my eyes. At least not the brown eyes I should have. They were blue! Happy laughter spilled through my mind. "I never thought I'd ..." The voice and the blue eyes faded away until all that remained were my own brown ones, and the silence of the house. For some reason, I felt unquestionably lonely."Hello?" I said, feeling foolish talking to my reflection."Is that you, Tru?" Dad hollered, causing me to almost jump out of my
The True Nature Series Chapter 131: Turned
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN that I wouldn't sleep like a normal person after the strange events of today. **The Efotis were seated around their kitchen table, eating dinner. Isaac's plate looked like a mountain. Unlike her brother, Phoebe approached her meal with little enthusiasm, trailing her fork through her food. A stranger sat with them, but he looked so much like Mr. Efoti that I assumed he was a relative.Mr. Efoti was talking. "Of course, you may stay longer, Iosefa, as long as you and your mate need." Mrs. Efoti pushed back her chair and stood, her small body stiff. "Toluta'a," she almost barked. Her small body strained with anger and her dark eyes darted between her husband and the man called Iosefa. Then she marched across the room and out of the kitchen door, which led to the back porch.Everyone at the table looked at Mr. Efoti, no one daring to breathe as they waited to see what he would do. Clearly, his wife wanted him to follow, but would he? After a moment, the large m
The True Nature Series Chapter 132: Kissing Cousins
BY THE TIME I was ready to leave Ruthie was beyond rattled by Knox's barking. As she started her car, she wailed, "He hates me!" over the sounds of an alternative band singing about a ghost. The haunting notes fit my mood with eerie accuracy.Although Dad had asked me to stay home and look after Knox, it had sounded more like a request than a command, so I didn't feel too bad for leaving. Besides, Dad's friends lived in Salinas, and whenever he visited them, he was gone all day. I'd probably get home before him. Going to see Dr. Frankler was important."You need to get ahold of yourself," I told Ruthie with a frown. "Because I have a lot of crap to tell you and it's not for the faint of heart." Ruthie made a pouty face by sticking out her bottom lip. "By the way," she said. "You've been holding out on me!" She drew something out of her side door panel. I recognized the letters that I'd tucked under my pillow. "What are these?" she said, one eyebrow raised.I grabbed them from her
The True Nature Series Chapter 133: Cabin in the Woods
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, WE were driving down a dark road into the forest of trees that were so tall, they blocked out most of the sun. The further we drove into the woods, the more I doubted our decision to track down the twins. "You realize this is exactly what the stupid kids in all the movies do right before they get killed, right?" I said, chewing on a fingernail. Ruthie hunched over the steering wheel, driving a little slower. "We need to know what's going on, right?" she said, her voice a little breathy. "Besides, Isaac and Phoebe wouldn't hurt us. And they won't let anyone else hurt us, either. Phoebe can't possibly be usemi. Can you imagine her turning all furry and toothy?" She shook her head and continued without waiting for a response. "Isaac is a different matter altogether. I mean, this might explain a lot about him."I debated texting my location to Dad so he would know where to look for our bodies when we didn't return. "What if they are running around in these very
The True Nature Series Chapter 134: Family Reunion
RUTHIE AND I SAT like conjoined twins, connected at the hip. I looked around the room. For some reason its well-kept state surprised me. Late afternoon sunlight shone through the windows and reflected off the white walls, brightening the room. More light filtered through the sun lights in the vaulted ceiling, casting a warm glow wherever it landed. The decor was rustic and worn with a mix of furniture styles with accents of denim blue and deep red. A black pot-bellied stove sat in the corner near a large fireplace. The home was cleaner than I'd imagined. The phrase "a den of wolves" had conjured up rough furniture and sloppiness. Usemi, I corrected myself. I absently rubbed a hand along the couch, its fabric worn down like my favorite jeans. In the corners, bright red pillows popped with color, as did the matching valances that trimmed the large windows overlooking the forest valley. From the driveway, I hadn't noticed that the landscape dropped off behind the house, so the beautiful
The True Nature Series Chapter 135: Vengeance
"CARO," SAID IOSEFA WITH concern. "Do you think now is the right time?""It's never going to be the right time." She stood and walked rigidly to a bookcase, sagging against it. Despite her distressed and somewhat worn-out appearance, I recalled my dream about the man and the woman in the forest, and the wolf that attacked them. Sympathy bubbled up inside of me, but I pushed it down as I tried to process what she had said and why Iosefa looked so worried.How could she be my mother's sister and not my aunt? It sounded like a stupid riddle.The two adults looked at each other, communicating in a way I didn't understand. I noticed again that she seemed a bit older than Iosefa, and it suddenly registered that she was a lot older. My mother had been in her sixties when she'd died, but Caroline seemed decades younger than her actual age. Perhaps it was the unusual white streaks in her hair that aged her. If I ignored the lines of strain on her face, she'd appear quite young. Zander said u
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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
