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Chapter 31: Frenemy
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The True Nature Series Chapter 32: Feminine Wiles
AFTER I CALMED RUTHIE down, I explained that although I didn't trust Zander, he was the best shot I had at finding out what really happened to my mom. That meant I had to keep hanging out with him. I just needed to come up with a plan to trick him into divulging all of his secrets. She didn't like it, but since she didn't have a better idea, she shrugged and we finally headed over to my house."I know we were all about getting you a guy this year, Tru, and I know Zander is way good-looking, but maybe you should focus on one guy at a time, someone normal, someone who isn't lying to you and pretending to be your friend." She tapped her long fingernails against the steering wheel with false patience before gesturing madly into the air. "Oh yeah, like your Homecoming date!" She oozed disappointment as she sunk down into her seat. Well, crap, I thought. Now I felt guilty. She'd been trying to help me so much this year and she'd been so excited about Isaac asking me to Homecoming. Here I
The True Nature Series Chapter 33: Bite Me
I WAS PACING A hole in our carpet by the time Zander arrived. I had worked up to a whole new level of nervousness as I went over all the reasons why I should not be having this study "date," much less talking to Zander. But it really came down to one thing. I needed to know what he knew about my mother.Her death was senseless, and I had trouble remembering the night of the accident clearly. My subconscious had blocked out a lot of it. Probably a survival tactic. It was too awful to remember. No one should have to watch a parent die.So, my need to "know" was becoming an obsession, spurring me to go way beyond my comfort level. How was I going to pretend I didn't remember and still ask questions? Should I tell him I remembered? Would he confide in me? Who was he really? And werewolves? What the heck? When the doorbell rang, I made one last look in the entry hall mirror. My hair hung in its normal waves down to my waist. Nothing fancy, but I would do. How does one dress for this sit
The True Nature Series Chapter 34: Jealous
I DON'T KNOW HOW long Zander had been gone before I heard the doorbell. I was just wandering around the kitchen, speculating about what he could have been talking about, and I was angry, really angry. Oh no, I thought. Ruthie probably drove over because I didn't text her. I had turned my cell phone to vibrate until I changed the ringtone. I rushed to the door as the bell pealed again. But the person standing on my doorstep was not my best friend. Instead, it was a fuming Isaac Efoti. His face was purple, shoulders curved up, fists on his hips, and thunder on his face. I backed up."Uh. Hi, Isaac. What's up?" I said, pulling the door closed a little.I could have sworn I heard a low growl come from his mouth. Really? There had been way too much growling around this house lately, I thought. "What was he doing here?" Isaac snarled."Whoa, there! What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" It occurred to me that I knew next to nothing about him, mostly what Ruthie had told me since scho
The True Nature Series Chapter 35: Too Close for Comfort
"WAIT! NOT SO FAST, mister." I pushed Isaac back. He looked wretchedly hopeful and what I wanted to say felt mean. He stared down at me with just the right amount of insecurity in his eyes to make me forget what I was going to say. I certainly didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to make him mad, either, because that had gone over so well already. Instead, I took the coward's path and I tried to distract him. "Why did you guys miss school today, anyway?" He leaned back against the counter again, folding his arms. His face closed in. I got the feeling he didn't want to talk about it."Family thing. My uncle is visiting." "Nice. Wish I got to skip school for something like that," I said, trying to lighten things up. I didn't think my dad would ever let me skip school to visit with Uncle Ira."Actually, Phoebe and I didn't want to miss school. But, well, our folks are real sticklers about family duty." He made it sound like a chore, which, now that I thought about it, was true f
The True Nature Series Chapter 36: Fake Fuzzies
AS SOON AS THE front door slammed, Ruthie whirled around on me. "Man! I thought they'd never leave!""Yeah, they were weirder than normal."Ruthie shrugged. "They've always been that way. So, now you can finally tell me what really happened. And I know something happened. My scoop antenna is going crazy!" She rubbed her hands together gleefully.I shoved away from the table, not in the mood to divulge anything. And I was still kind of frustrated with her immature attitude toward my situation. "You really need to work on your improv. I mean really! You came over for math help, without your math book?" I grabbed another soda out of the fridge. "And then there was that stupid ringtone! Seriously, that was totally awkward for me!"I stared out the kitchen window. A chair scraped across the floor and a moment later Ruthie's arm curved around my shoulders. Strawberry-scented hair tickled my neck as she brought her other arm around me for a side-hug."Hey, girl, I guess I flunk at
The True Nature Series Chapter 37: Shadows
I EXPECTED ZANDER TO at least put up a fight, something. "Okay," he said, staring at the ground for a moment before smiling complacently at me. "I didn't mean to make you think there was more going on. I mean, I just want to get a good grade on the report and everyone said you were the smartest in the class."I frowned, not appreciating the way he was spinning this. I wasn't stupid. He had been flirting. Whether it reflected his real feelings or not was a different matter. "Fine," I said, a little curtly. I tried to tone down my irritation, reminding myself that I was on a mission to discover what he knew about Mom. "Let's meet in the library to work on it next time."He studied me for a long moment, and I thought I saw a flash of pain, but it could have been a reflection of the sun. "Okay," he agreed with a nod.My heart started shredding as I watched him walk away. I had agonized for hours wondering how to confront him about it. I mean, how do you say "let's just be friends" t
The True Nature Series Chapter 38: The Real Zander
RUTHIE LOOKED EXTRA FINE this morning when she picked me up. Her energy seemed to reach and attach itself to me, giving me a much-needed buzz. I smiled at her as she cheerfully explained her plan to nudge Val into inviting her to Homecoming."Did you ask your dad to pick you up from school today?" She asked. "Because I don't want to leave you stranded.""Oh, yeah, he's picking me up." I laughed. "I wouldn't dare mess with Operation Homecoming!" She giggled at the name I had given her scheme.After everyone had left the night before, Ruthie called me to discuss how she would manipulate things the next day with Val, starting with looking as hot as possible. She was going to pull him aside for a private lunch, which would just happen to be under a homecoming sign, which would make it simple to bring up the topic of who was going with whom, which would inevitably cause her to speculate on who she might go with, dropping a few names and batting her long black eyelashes. If he didn't ask
The True Nature Series Chapter 39: Game Changer
"NOW?" I YELPED. "ARE you crazy? We are going to get caught!" I'd never skipped school before, much to Ruthie's chagrin. She would have loved a partner in crime.Zander just clenched his jaw and propelled us both down the sidewalk behind the school."This is important," he said, looking around a corner before pulling me across the gap between buildings. We were still a good distance from the parking lot, where he seemed to be dragging me. Just then, a door opened behind us, and a voice bellowed, "Hey!" It was Mr. Dean, the football coach and biology teacher. His voice was loud and booming. "What do you two think you are doing?" Zander stopped with a large sigh and a muttered "Great!" He turned toward me and our eyes connected. Suddenly, his went wide, as if he'd just had an idea to get us out of trouble. I hoped it was a good one. He leaned in and whispered, "Do you think you can convince him to forget about us?" His eyebrows lifted when he said "convince.""What?" I whispered
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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
