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Chapter 133: Cabin in the Woods
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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
The True Nature Series Chapter 136: Rabbit Hole
CAROLINE'S WORDS TRIGGERED A shift in me. I felt something changing and I feared it was me, or at least my life, as I knew it.Everyone moved in slow motion. Iosefa pulled away like I was burning him and Isaac moved toward me. I started falling ever so slowly toward a spinning void of darkness, like the space of time between wakefulness and sleep. And then with a sudden swoosh I plummeted like Alice down the rabbit hole, spinning and weightless, my chest seizing up with fear. **But after the longest time, my downward descent slowed. I opened my eyes to reassess my situation and gasped with astonishment. Different scenes floated around me, a different home with Caroline and another man, the Euro-looking man from one of my visions, happy, both of them holding blond-haired babies, teasing them while another baby crawled around on the floor. Swoosh. I accelerated downward again before slowing once more. Another scene displayed before me. Three small children, two girls and a boy pla
The True Nature Series Chapter 137: Greek Tragedy
I FOLLOWED CAROLINE THROUGH the door and onto a covered wooden deck. The backyard was basically a mountainside that provided a natural amphitheater-like setting to the tragedy playing out before us. Beyond Caroline's slumped form I could see the retreating fog unveiling miles and miles of pines and redwoods. She crossed the deck and climbed down the steep steps to a well-worn path that led to the side of the house. An outdoor seating area appeared with wooden lounge chairs surrounding a fire pit. She led me to the chairs, sinking down with a deep sigh.I nibbled my lip, trying to contain my internal tremors. My life just took another spin on the crazy ride and I was experiencing motion sickness. Would my life ever settle? Did my dad, the man who raised me, know who I really was? Did he know about this strange supernatural world? I mean, what the heck? I was adopted? It wasn't even that simple. I wasn't that simple. I was freakishly complicated, like the woman who gave birth to me. C
The True Nature Series Chapter 139: Don't Poke the Wolf
CAROLINE GASPED WITH HORROR, "No!""Dante may have kidnapped me, but I escaped. I'm not completely helpless," I quickly added, before realizing I was making it worse for her.Her face began to ripple as if the wolf wanted free. Sharp points pressed into my hands and I looked down to see that her fingers had become claws."Ow!" I jerked against her with renewed effort, afraid she would transform into the creature that killed my mother.Just as swiftly, her skin shifted back to her human self and she jumped up, moving away from me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She said quickly and then took a deep breath before letting it out. "Strong emotion makes me lose control." Her eyes drooped in regret. Note to self: Don't poke the wolf. I thought she could use a dose of "the fixer" herself. I stood, moving forward to lay my hand on her arm. "Could I heal you?""No!" She pulled away, speaking so harshly, it startled me. Then she drooped, sinking down into the nearest chair. "I'm sorry again. I d
The True Nature Series Chapter 139: Mine
CAROLINE SNIFFLED BEFORE HER voice floated over to me in a whisper. "I've had some time to think about it, of course, and I've come to the understanding that she was just trying to protect you.""From you?""Yes," she said a little louder. "I stupidly thought we could pick up where we left off, and, well ... it had been so long since I saw her last. You see, I lost touch with her when I started seeing Uriel, your father.""Why would that matter?" "It was just easier, I guess. When I chose him, I also chose his life of secrecy - at least from the human world. If we had remained involved in Lydia and James' lives, they would have begun to notice we were different. Human knowledge of supernaturals isn't allowed and it would have been unsafe for them to know of it.""You must have really loved him to do that." I couldn't imagine giving up my family for anyone. But then I thought of Zander and I wasn't so sure anymore."Oh, I tried to make it work for a little while. I wanted both li
The True Nature Series Chapter 140: Polaris
THE WOODEN STAIRCASE ABOVE us creaked as someone came down the deck. A moment later Isaac's dad walked toward us along the path. "We have company," he said in a deep voice that made him seem even larger than he already was.Caroline bristled with concern. "Who?""One of Ira's guys."My ears perked up. "Uncle Ira?" I asked.They ignored me. "What does he want?" asked Caroline."He wants to know if Tru is safe. He wants to see for himself."Caroline sighed and tucked away the letters. She ushered me into the house with a quick comment about continuing our talk later.When we passed through the kitchen, I was shocked to see Maverick standing by the front door talking to Ruthie. He looked relieved to see me and stepped my way. Isaac and Iosefa blocked his approach."Get out of my way," I said, pushing Isaac to the side."Tru, are you all right?" asked Maverick. He searched my face with concern. I knew I looked like hell warmed over, but it didn't have anything to do with the Efo
The True Nature Series Chapter 141: Worlds Colliding
IOSEFA PUT UP A hand, saying, "It's okay, brother." Mr. Efoti nodded and stepped back from Isaac. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done," Iosefa admitted. "When Caroline told me she was pregnant and that she wanted to raise her baby with its father, I had to honor her wish and hope that I could last until we could be together. I went home to Australia, trying to put as much distance between us as possible." Caroline pressed her face into his chest, as he continued. "For some reason our bond allowed it. It was very difficult, but bearable. I'd already hurt her and her family enough. Many years later I traveled to the States on business, and the closer I got the stronger I felt that something was wrong with my mate. I tracked her to the Nasaru but I couldn't find a way in. I became a madman trying to get to her. I turned to my family for help and my brother connected me with Ira. He wasn't easy to convince. He'd believed that Caroline perished with the rest of her family. But when
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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
