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Chapter 158

Chapter 0158
7 Years Ago
Over the last few years, Jude stayed true to his word. He sent us a burner phone after the first 6 months and kept us informed of what was happening in the pack, and the on–going hunt for us. Over time, the hunting efforts for us waned, but never completely ended.
We were careful, we kept a low profile, but we were happy. Mom continued my education at home, using the surrounding words as my classroom. Dad continued my training. Being a Guardian, I was getting stronger more quickly than others my age. At 16, I could defeat my father in training as often as he defeated me.
It was a beautiful spring afternoon when the call that changed my life came in. Mom and I were walking back from the forest, having collected some plants and bulbs that we would use to create salves and tonics my father thought bestforhelping Alessia grow and strengthen.
Dad came rushing out of the house, a bag slung over his shoulder. “They found us. We have to go, NOW!!
Mom and I dropped everything and shifted. Dad tossed the bag to me. I caught it in my mouth as he shifted and we took off running.
We have lived here long enough to have learned the lines of the pack lands in our surrounding area. My father leads the way as we skirt along those lines and head north, going deeper into the forest. We’ve been running for an hour or more when we hear the howl. They caught our trail.
We push harder, running through streams, swimming through lakes as we find them, or ducking under waterfalls. Anything to slow them down or get them off our trail. It’s well into the night when my mother begins to slow. My father finds a place for us to stop, tucking us into a cave to rest after checking to make sure itwasclear.
“Angel, stay here and guard your mother.” He mind links me. “I’m going to look around and make sure it’s safe.”
It isn’t long before I get a frantic mind link from my father. “Angel, get your mother and run. Run now. We’re in the middle of a nest of vampires! Go!”
I turn to look at my mother and see that my father had opened the mind link to both of us. She’s up and moving at the same time I am.
+15 BOHOS
Isniffthe air before leaving the cave, catching a whiff of something sickly sweet. I turn in the opposite direction and begin running, my mother on my heels. We haven’t run more than a mile when I catch the same sweet scent again, but much closer. I stop, trying to figure out what direction it’s coming from before turning and running off in a different direction.
We haven’t gone far when I smell it again, stronger. I hear my mother whimper behind me. She’s caught the scent now too. I turn around in a circle trying to find an area where the scent is weak. When I find it, I begin running,my mother trusting my enhanced Guardian senses.
stop once again when I realize we’re surrounded. I don’t know how many there are, but they are faster than we are and have us trapped.Istand in front of my mother as I see a vampire walk out from behind some trees.
“Well, well, well.” He says casually walking towards us. I give him a threatening growl,and he stops. “What do we have here? You must be related to the other mutt we found.”
I watch horrified as two other vampires drag my bloodied and beaten father into the clearing and toss him on the ground at their feet. He has shifted back to his human form. I can hear his heart rate, so I know he’s alive, but only barely. My mother makes a move to go to him, but I cut her off. “Mom, don’t move.” I mind link her.
The vampire looks at my mother then back at me. “So, one of you is the mutt’s mate, and the other is…” He drags out the words as if I am going to answer him. He looks over the body of my wolf. “Let’s assume pup.”
“It’s too bad we don’t like the filthy taste of your blood. I do so love them young.” The lead vampire says.
“Kill them.”
In a split second, my father’s head is ripped from his body. The moment of shock is all it takes for another to stand in front of my mother, his hands gripping her wolf’s head, ready to decapitate her as well. I turn, grabbing hold of his arm and ripping it from his body. I see the shock on his face an instant before I swipe my claws across his throat, slicing his head off.
+15 BONOS
Chapter 0159