Chapter 19 - Bad news

“They want Mena.” Venda explained. “ What?!?” Moon shadow shrieked. “ I don’t know why, but they think she can do something special.” There was a short pause. The stone, round, table was completely full.
As soon as Venda had gotten back she had call a meeting with the Rose seven. “ Are you absolutely sure that you don’t have any uncommon abilities?” Venda asked Mena. “Yes.” Mena replied. “ I’ve been tested for everything, if there was something “special” about me it would have shown by now.” “Either way for now we need to be careful. For now don’t leave the compound. And Moon shadow? Don’t let her out of your sight.” Venda ordered.

* * *
James woke up to Steven shaking his shoulder. The two had settled in upstairs to watch a horror movie but they had fallen asleep. “ James are you alright?” Steven asked. “Wha…?” James sleepily rubbed his eyes. “ You were whimpering.” James froze as where he was sunk in.
And what he had been dreaming about. He was just glad that it hadn’t lasted long enough to cause a long lasting reaction. “Uh…” “ Oh!” Steven realized when he saw his friends’ expression. Both boys were redder then tomatoes.
Steven let out a nervous laugh. He had no idea how to handle an awkward situation like this. “Uh, I”- “Don’t apologize.” Steven interrupted. “ Heh?”
“ It’s not your fault.” He said giving him an awkward smile. He pulled James closer. “… I dream about you.” James admitted. “It’s okay…I dream the same.” The two stared into each other’s eyes. “ …Do you always make noise?” Steven didn’t want to ask but the question was gnawing at him.
James hid his face in his chest. There was no way he could lie to him. “ …Kind a’” He mumbled. Steven couldn’t suppress the giggle, James was being way to cute. “ How much noise?” He teased.
“ …Allot.” Steven waited for him to elaborate. “ I-I woke my sister up once.” Steven burst out laughing. “ S-shut up!” “ So I guess that’s what the duck tape was for?” James glared at him.
Steven kissed and nuzzled James. “ What time is it?” James asked. “Five thirty. I guess the movie was kind of long.” Steven replied. James’s phone wrung. He read the text message.
“ Crap, July’s upset. I have to go home.” “ Okay.” Steven nodded in understanding. He watched as James left and listened to his footsteps as he closed the front door down stairs. Steven sighed. Just then his father poked his head into the room.
“ I hope you know what you’re doing.” He said. “ I’m sixteen dad. I know the danger.” Steven replied. “ Good. And Steve? I’m glad you’re choosing your friend despite everyone’s advice.” With that his father headed down stairs.


* * *
“ Venda.” Jackobo said approaching. “Our reconnaissance spotted a group of werewolves approaching. Their formation suggests that there getting ready to strike.”
“How many?” She asked. “ Ten. Not nearly enough to get into the compound by force alone. They may have an insider.” “ Any suspects?” “ None yet.” Jackobo replied. Venda growled in frustration.
This wasn’t going to be easy. “ Inform the leader and get a defense force ready, and Jackobo?” “ Yes?” “ Hide Mena.” Jackobo nodded in agreement and left the large meeting hall.
Venda glared at the stone table. If they thought that they were going to get Mena they were dead wrong.

* * *
James was outside with Rose watching July line up snowballs. “ Don’t worry. Rent will get over it.” She said. Although they both knew he would still hold a grudge. Rose had stopped in because she couldn’t stand her brothers growls and swearing. He had been stomping around the house in an angry mood for a while now.
“ I just can’t believe you broke his nose. By the time we got to tell dad, most of it had already healed wrong and he had to re-break it and stick a cast to my brothers’ face.” She almost laughed. James didn’t smile.
“ Don’t feel guilty, he was going to get some sense knocked into his sometime.” The two paused and went back to watching July. It was hard not to though. Rent was just trying to protect his family from falling to the same fate as his mother. And James, well James had broken his nose for it.
He felt horrible. Violence was never an answer. The three headed inside as the wind started to pick up again. A storm was coming. They could feel it. Rose had always loved and feared storms.
She could feel all of the raw power the earth had and it was exciting. The two teenagers watched T.V. while they waited for Steven to show up. They were going to exchange cloths sense James had forgotten to bring his home. It was going to be lunchtime in a few hours and he still hadn’t shown up yet. After only one soap opera it was starting to worry James.
July could easily see this and immediately started asking for attention. July wasn’t social given her autism but she didn’t like others to be upset. She often cried when someone was. To her everyone was supposed to be content or something really was wrong. But despite her attempt James’s worry grew as the hours passed.
“ We should go find him,” James said after he finally had enough. July yelped as he got up and clung to his arm with a put. “ I’ll go.” Rose said getting up. “ Good by” She phrased as she left the house. “ Good by” July repeated. James sighed. It was going to be awhile.

* * *

Rent stomped down to James’s house. His nose had healed and he was so mad that he wanted to explode. First Steven turned his back on the pack for James, and then he defended the rotten little mosquito, and now after Rent had been attacked by James Steven had gone missing. It was already starting to get dark and Steven didn’t stay out that late without at least calling first. It was all a little too suspicious for his liking.
Rent was going to find out what happened. One way or another. The next thing he knew he was kicking the front door open. James turned in surprise as Rent stomped up to him. “ “Where’s Steven.” He said in his darkest tone.
“ What- I know you have him!” Rent yelled. “ What’s going on?” Jane said appearing from the kitchen. “Is something wrong?” She asked. Rent glanced at her and went back to giving James a death glare. “Well?” He asked.
“ I don’t know I’ve been hear all day.” Rent growled. “I’m serious! I haven’t seen him all day.” “ That bull shoot!” “ Hey!” Daren said emerging from the dining room. “ I don’t know who you think you are but you can’t just barge into my house and disrespect my family.” Daren crossed his arms.
James knew that look. It was his “ knock it off or I’ll call the police” look he always gave the neighbors when they were way too loud. “Get out.” Rent left the house, slamming the door. “ Rent has a bad temper,” James explained.
That night no one could find Steven and the police were contacted. James could not sleep at all; he just tossed and turned. Were could Steven had gone? Was he all right? It was baffling. There had been no singe of a struggle at his house or on the rout to James’s. There wasn’t even a footprint. This night’s storm had erased all evidence. James’s family was questioned, just as rocks and Tyler’s was. They had found nothing. Three days in James told Melexa Steven was missing.
Melexa was to busy protecting Mena to offer any real help. As the end of that long week grew near James withdrew, the pain was starting to eat at him. “ I’m glad that douche is gone, he was a pain in the @$$.” Tyler had said at lunch one day. Before Suzan had even gotten the chance to yell at him James had already tacked him and tried to strangle him. “James!” Rose yelled.
She and Rent pulled him off of Tyler kicking and screaming. They dragged him out into the hallway before letting him go. “ James I know you’re upset but you can’t take it out on Tyler. You could kill him.” She Said. “I don’t know what else to do.” James said trying not to break down. “ I checked out every place I could think of but there’s no singe of him at all. I even asked the thorn for help but they can’t do anything.”
Rents eyes widened. James was shaking. One look at his face and Rent could tell that this wasn’t an act. He felt lower then hell. Rent gripped his shaky shoulder hard.
“ We’ll find him. I promise.” And James knew, Rent was dead serious.

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