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Chapter 57: Betrayal
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The True Nature Series Chapter 58: Moxie is Foxy
RUTHIE TURNED AWAY FROM Val. "Tru!" She clapped her hands together before hugging me. Three hugs in less than thirty minutes. Ruthie would say it was a sign, that three was a magical number, that there was a message in it for me, like the world was sending me love, blah, blah, blah. Instead, I felt like someone had stuck an ice pick through my back."How are you feeling?" she said sarcastically. I grimaced. Yep. She hadn't believed my sick lie.But on closer inspection, she changed her mind. "Wow," she gasped. "You really are pale!" With a look of chagrin, she made "tsk tsk" sounds as she buzzed around me with fresh concern. "I'm fine," I whined, brushing her hands away. "Just one of those overnight bugs, I guess." The lie sent an arrow through my chest, but when it seemed to appease her, I eased out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding."I was worried about you," she added, settling down with a hurtful frown. "Were you avoiding me in Algebra class? Because I saved a s
The True Nature Series Chapter 59: Rockstar
ISAAC APPEARED IMMUNE TO Phoebe's fiery scowl as he settled down on the retaining wall across from our table, giving us the best seat to the show. The rest of the band kids took up spots around him. They plucked a few chords and then Isaac led out with the intro, his deep voice sending a tingle up my spine and his words going down like warm chocolate. Ruthie giggled next to me.The familiar music seemed to dance in the air, and although I knew the song, it felt completely different when Isaac sang it. A boy and a girl. Forbidden romance. Nothing that original, but it mesmerized me. Isaac's voice started out rich and velvety, then changed, becoming gravelly like a rock star, which elicited several squeals and sighs around us. He lingered over words like "love" and "heart," layering them with his own brand of charm as he stared at me. "They said we weren't supposed to love each otherThat you and I were like oil and waterBut if that's the case, why can't I eraseYou from my mind,
The True Nature Series Chapter 60: Ex-boyfriend
"UH, I DON'T KNOW," I said, raising my hands to balance myself. Seconds later the topsy-turvy feeling was completely gone. "I mean ... nothing," I clarified. "Nothing is going on between Isaac and me." Zander scowled with disbelief.I thought through my reaction to Isaac. It had not been real, but it had felt powerful. Something was not normal about Isaac. Suspicion began to worm its way into my mind. Could a guy be a siren? Impossible. I almost laughed out loud. Sirens were gorgeous and dangerous women of the sea, luring sailors to their death with their beautiful voices. Isaac was a hot Tongan with a temper, but dangerous? Murderous? I shook my head. I was starting to suspect everyone around me. What were the odds that there was another non-human long-term resident here in Scotts Valley? No, he was just being ... Isaac. He even drove his twin sister nuts. Plus, if he didn't realize I'd broken up with him, then he was too stupid to be a siren. "I think maybe he didn't understan
The True Nature Series Chapter 61: Dangerous Disclosures
RUTHIE DROVE ME HOME in silence. It was her way of acknowledging that I was miserable and needed space. After the epic argument at lunch, she had to know my mood had something to do with Zander. But it was also everything I couldn't tell her. She didn't know what Dante had done to Zander and me, or how close the experience had made us. At least, I thought we'd been close. I choked down a sob. Only Zander understood what I'd been through that night, the confusion I struggled with, the danger I was still in. And right now, he hated me. He thought I was some kind of tramp or something. He'd practically said it today. That hurt. It brought back the feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness that I'd felt after Mom's accident.I wanted to tell Ruthie what happened, the whole Dante nightmare. I wanted to tell her about Zander, how he'd rescued me, everything he'd admitted to me, and that we'd shared the most perfect kiss ever. And then how he'd shattered everything by flirting with Zena an
The True Nature Series Chapter 62: Hey, Hey, We're Here to Stay
IT TOOK FOREVER TO rehash everything with Ruthie, especially since she rarely let me finish a thought without interrupting. I tried to gloss over the supernatural creatures, but Ruthie peppered me with questions. She wouldn't let me skimp on any details. I told her how Dante could put you to sleep with a touch. How he could see colors in peoples' auras, and how my aura was more colorful than any Dante had ever seen before, and that Zander's aura was similar to mine, too. I told her how Dante pushed me into the cellar, how messed up in the head he had been. And I explained my strange vision of Zander trying to find me. Ruthie sidetracked me for a while, making me describe exactly how I saw her with Phoebe after school when she was looking for me, as if I had to prove that I saw her. Surprisingly, that seemed to interest her the most - the idea that a dream had revealed what she'd been doing. I had to provide evidence by telling her bits of her conversation with Phoebe. Once I did that
The True Nature Series Chapter 63: Wedding Announcement
RUTHIE THREW HERSELF ACROSS my bed as I grabbed a photo album and wiped off the dust that blanketed the tops of the pages. "I know it's in here somewhere," I said, sinking down next to her and turning the pages. "I used to look through this album all the time as a kid. Oh, here it is." I pointed to a group of people. A bright blue banner stretched across a backyard patio, indicating that it was Dad's thirtieth birthday party. While I didn't recognize the place, I did recognize the people. And one person in particular grabbed my interest and confirmed my suspicions. Dang it. Sometimes it sucked to be right. I sighed. Time to introduce Ruthie to the whole family, I thought. But I'll leave that woman for last."This is Mom." I pointed to the people as I said their names. "And Dad." They looked so different, younger and happier. And they had better hair back then, which was something Ruthie couldn't resist pointing out. "Wow," she gushed. "Hair really does change their look." Mom'
The True Nature Series Chapter 64: Aunt Caroline
SHE SET ASIDE THE announcement and photo album and perched herself on the edge of the bed. "So, you think that the wolf you saw in your backyard was, in fact, your Aunt Caroline?" "Yeah. It makes crazy sense." Another thought popped into my head. "Oh, and I almost forgot. Dante said 'the fixer' was different, that she was usemi, you know, a wolf shape-shifter. But she used to be idimmu. Idimmu are hybrids - a mix of human and something else." I air quoted "something else." "And that makes her way more unusual than just being usemi." If my aunt was Dante's "fixer" then I had as much reason to pity her as I had to hate her."No way! Your aunt is a werewolf?" Even Ruthie's extensive limits of believability were being stretched thin, but her voice said she had already accepted it. "Your dream about the fight between the wolf and vampire, where the girl was bitten by the wolf. You think it's her, don't you?" she said. I shrugged. "What about the vampire guy?" Ruthie asked. "Do you
The True Nature Series Chapter 65: Bobby's Warning
I PLOPPED DOWN ON my bed, letting its softness comfort me. It was my safe place and the site of many conversations with Ruthie. We told each other everything here. And now we could add supernatural secrets to the list. Rubbing a hand along the yarn tied into the quilt, I thought of my mother making it. I realized she was wrapped up in the sense of security I felt here, making my bed like sacred ground to me. And as our lives had taken such an ominous turn, I drew strength from both the blanket and my best friend. We batted around the implications of this mysterious cousin and where he or she could be. Perhaps the child had been adopted. Maybe the kid was dead. I hoped not. The upside was that I might not be the last hope for my family's gene pool. Maybe it wasn't all up to me.Ruthie's phone cackled suddenly, startling both of us. It was the laugh of the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz. I smiled and shook my head at Ruthie. Her mom was a lot cooler than she gave her credit for.
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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
