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Chapter 136: Rabbit Hole
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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
The True Nature Series Chapter 142: Sacrifice (Volume 3: Secrets of the Prophecy)
Gerard Hughes - 18 years agoGERARD STUDIED THE SLEEPING female. She was quite lovely, despite her advanced pregnancy, and his body stirred with desire, something he hadn't felt in a long time. His current wife had long since made him feel that way and he rarely spent time with her anymore unless it was to discuss their toddler son, Peter. The thought of him made Gerard purse his lips in annoyance. He had little patience for children, although he knew he'd have to become more involved soon if he wanted to have any lasting influence on the boy. For all the apathy he felt toward his wife, he cared for his son in his own way. Out of all his children, Peter had the most potential to develop a natural aramusatu. At least he had all the right markers. Only time would tell. His mouth twisted with regret. Patricia should have been his true mate, the one who would help him achieve ultimate power. Through his children and their offspring, it would have grown exponentially as they met thei
The True Nature Series Chapter 143: Biologically
Tru Parker - TodayREDWOOD TREES BLURRED, BECOMING a long streak of auburn brown as the winding road took us out of the forest, away from the twins' house and from everything I didn't want to think about or admit. Unfortunately, the distance didn't seem to ease the familiar pressure building in my chest. An image of my mom suddenly came to mind. She was bent over some paperwork in the living room wearing her disappointed face. Or had it been sad? With my new perspective, I challenged the memory and thought that maybe I'd been wrong. It had been a few weeks before her death and I'd assumed that she'd been grading papers, which often made her irritated. I'd avoided her that night. Had she been writing a letter to Caroline? Or to me? I'd never know now. Recently, I'd discovered my mom's hiding place where she'd stored secret letters to her sister and pictures of them. It was an old pottery jar with carvings on it; images of a wolf, a dragon, and a bird. Today, Caroline told me that
The True Nature Series Chapter 144: Pseudo Life
A TAPPING SOUND INVADED my depressing thoughts and I looked toward it. Ruthie clicked her long nails on the steering wheel with extra fervor, scowling. Obviously, she was upset, and who wouldn't be after what we'd been through? I opened my mouth to ask how she was doing, but she beat me to it."Oh my gosh! Finally," she said. "I've been trying to get your attention for miles!" "Sorry. I was just thinking.""Well, obviously. And I don't blame you for zoning. But I'm dying to ask what's going on in your head. That was very intense stuff back there. Did you really mean what you said to Caroline? That she wasn't your family?"I closed my eyes. "I don't know. I know it sounded cold. But she's not my family. Not like Mom and Dad are." "I get it. That was a lot to absorb. Plus, I have to say she was super scary when her husband came after you. And then Isaac attacked him. I thought she was going to kill someone ..." She shook her head and sighed. "Most of all, I feel sorry for her. She
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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
