Chapter 21 - Rescue

Steven forced his arm to move even though it was sapping his energy and he was shaking with effort, or he would be if not for the exhaustion. His brain wanted him to sleep but he would not let them win. He would never let them have James. With a determination he hadn’t known he had he fought off the haze, grabbed the I.V., and ripped it out of his arm. He fought it but passed out having used all of his energy.


* * *

Rose and Mena were sitting on either side of the couch at the leaders cabin. Rose had been put in charge of watching the youngsters of the pack who were currently upstairs. The Rose seven and other members of Roses pack had decided to join forces to take down the mountain pack. They were a small pack so if the Rose seven could get to the boys in time then they could easily over power them. “ So…uh.” Mena wasn’t good at small talk.
“ …They’ll be fine.” Rose sighed. How did she know? Well she didn’t. But it was enough.
* * *

James walked into the front yard of the castle. It was currently crawling with werewolves. They were skinny and despite the cold snow they were all wearing rags that barely covered themselves; old cloths that had been patched and sewed. “ Well it’s about time.” Said one of them. James immediately recognized him.
He was the man who had been locked away and by the looks of it he was the current leader. His black hair had grown past his shoulders and there was stubble were a beard would grew in. “ Where is Steven?” James said in a cold tone. His fear still remained but was being suffocated by anger. “ Now no need to be upset. He’s still alive.”
“ I’m not handing my self over until you let him go!” James took a step back. “ Ha! Funny thing about that…” The man trailed off. He snapped his fingers and the two men on either side of him shifted forms. They were both gray, and huge.
“ You don’t have a choice.” The two wolves lunged at James and he ran. “ Don’t kill him boys we need him alive!” the leader shouted after them. None of the other wolves had given chase as he ran around the left side of the huge castle. The snow was deep there, which slowed them down but not for long.
The wolves were used to the climate and were gaining fast. James was already sprinting. But the snow was too thick. He knew that he would be captured. But just as he had tripped the wolves howled in pain.
“ You dolts! I said to lead him to me! Not to attack! You’re just as stupid as your leader, or was this David’s doing!?!” James looked up. Standing upside down from a ledge on the castle was a women, she had tan skin and brown wavy hair. The women blew the whistle she was holding. There was no sound but the wolves whined in pain and immediately turned around.
The women sighed and turned to James. “My baby…” She jumped and landed on her feet in front of him. “ You’re all grown up.” She cooed. She opened her arms.
James backed away. “ Of course, you were so small then …” James’s eyes widened. “That voice… I can almost… remember it?” He thought. He was pulled back into a memory.
A calm female voice was humming. He felt warm and safe, as if he was buried in something soft but he could still see light, it was moving as if he was being rocked. A warm scent surrounded him. James blinked; he didn’t know what to say he couldn’t even move. He had never wondered about it; never.
But now questions were exploding in his mind. The winds howled against the castle. “… M-mother?” He felt so torn and confused that he wanted to scream. Her face broke into a teary smile and she embraced him.
“ Yes, yes it’s me.” She almost sobbed. James was frozen in shock.

The women led her son into the castle with an arm around his shoulders. James didn’t know what to do. “ You sound so much like your father. He was always a shy person, stuttered when he was nervous, and had a very strong heart.” She said as they walked down a large corridor. “ He was a good man. We fell in love and six months after I went into heat (I can explain that to you later if you need me to) you were born.” She explained. “ You used to scream pretty loud, I’m sure you got that from him.”
“ Heh, it’s probably the other way around.” The pack leader had followed them. “Silence!” She hissed. She had snapped so fast that they both jumped. “ Yes Pandora.” The leader immediately turned around and walked away. She smirked.
“ When I demanded there help they were all frightened, one of them passed out.” She almost laughed. “ You planed this.” James stopped and pulled away. “ I couldn’t get to you. The thorn wouldn’t let me. “ You’re too unstable. You’’ put him in danger and the boys already been traumatized enough. Those were their exact words.”
James was shocked but they were right, he could hear it in her voice. Something wasn’t right with her. “ Listen. A war is coming. You will be put in danger, one way or another. Clans have already started to attack each other. I need you hear.” “ How can I believe you!?!” He shouted. “ Because that’s how your father, your real father, died. My coven was preparing for a war and killing halflings, they would only slow them down; they needed strong vampires. But I couldn’t let them take you so we ran!” She was almost sobbing.
“ A few week later they caught up to us, I tried to stop them but I was too slow at the time, they stabbed him to death. I managed to escape but I could never stay in one place. I eventually gave birth to you alone in an abandoned house. A few days later they found me and I led them away. When they had discovered I had already given birth to you they went back to search for you. I managed to get ahead of them but you were gone!” James was speechless. “We were preparing for a war James! I couldn’t look for you for almost four years! And when I finally found you I couldn’t get near you! Then you disappeared again! But you see I’m like a tracking device, when I couldn’t stand it anymore I decided to find you again.”
Fourteen years. It took her fourteen years to finally decide to try finding him again, and it was out of guilt. James didn’t know if he was shaking with rage or pain. Pandora had abandoned him of her own choosing. Suddenly it all clicked.
David, the man who had been locked away, had been trying to find him. The other wolf had been ordered to take him.
“ When I found you again you were even closer to the thorn then before. Until I could get you back again I watched you. David agreed to help me. You see when I was on my way to a hotel her tried to mug me, the hotel was on the outer edge of the city next to your town. He discovered that I was the missing vampire they had been warned about a few years back. I told him my story and he agreed to help me if I killed his leader. He wanted to be in charge.” She explained.
Maybe she was sane once but over the years she had been unsettled. “ Honey you have to understand; I would do anything for you. You’re all that I have.” James wanted to cry. Nothing would fix her. Even if he stayed with her for the rest of his life there was nothing he could do.
“ I understand.” James tried to smile. He was telling the truth; he did understand. The traumas she had been forced to endure had broken her. If he had lost Steven for good, the same might have happened to him if he were alone like Pandora. The two continued to walk down the hallway.
“ I’m glad you do. That family did a good job raising you.” She said. “ The problem is… Mt coven is still looking for us and they haven’t stopped killing halflings. Consorting with humans can bring treason, but you’re father is dead; we’re not consorting with them anymore. Theirs only one thing left to fix.” James’s eyes widened. He had to get Steven out of hear.
“ Humans are weak, in fact your father was one of the few who fought agents that weakness. He was always trying to be a better person; an exception. But the coven was too stubborn to see it; they could never see it. Which is why they’ll never see you until you’re one of us.” She stopped walking.
“ You’re illness will disappear too. I feel bad for Steven.” She put a hand to the side of his head. James swallowed. “ C-can I say goodbye? He was one of the few friends I had, things won’t be the same after this.” “ Of course. But he’s still in bad shape; break it easy to him. Letting go of a loved one is hurts.” Pandora said. James forced himself to nod. “He’s on the second floor, third door to your left. Oh, and you should take the I.V. out. It’s about time we let him go. I just hope he doesn’t come after us when this is over. I don’t want to kill him”
“ Got it.” He said. James turned around and walked down the hall. He had to tell himself over and over not to run. This was his only chance, but it was hell. “ Where are you going!?!” David shouted, grabbing him when he got to the entrance hall.
“ Put a scratch on me and I’ll scream bloody murder.” James threatened. He was almost devoid of emotion. David froze at the statement. He growled. “ If you try to escape I’ll rip your little sister to shreds” He hissed in his ears.
David shoved James to the stairs. “ Wow, I must have picked that up from Melexa.” He thought as he ran up the stairs. As he reached the second floor he could hear a continuous bang. Some one was banging on the third door to the left, from the inside. James sprinted over and practically ripped the steel door open.
Steven yelped and stumbled to the floor. His eyes were partially glazed over as he looked at James. “ James, you…idiot.” He said through the haze. However the relief in his words was obvious. James almost laughed at it as he pulled Steven up into an embrace.
“ You alright? You’re shakin.” He slurred. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” James said. “ How did you get out of the chains?” James said. He noticed the broken shackles hanging from his wrists. “ I ripped the…I.V thing out.” He said.
“ Is there another way out?” “ There’s a window.” “ Oh you won’t be going anywhere.” The boys turned. David was standing next to a gray wolf on the other side of the hall, and true enough there was a window behind him.
“ Do you really think I’m that stupid?” David said. “ Maybe.” Steven slurred. “ Ha! Well now that I’m in charge I have no use for Pandora. I can just kill her!” He echoed. “ Then why are you doing this !?!” James asked. “ I don’t have anything to offer!”
“ Your mentor killed my brother.” David said in monotone. The gray wolf growled. An image of Melexa splitting the black wolf apart flashed in James’s mind. “ Oh I think you have plenty to offer!” David snapped his fingers and the wolf attacked.
Steven shoved James out of its path and was tackled. The two wrestled, human form against wolf, as David transformed and lunged for James. James dodged each attack but David kept coming at him. Steven however was trying not to get torn apart. He was holding the others muzzle closed as the wolf thrashed and clawed his legs.
Steven was in too much of a haze to transform and he knew he couldn’t last long. That was when he heard it. There was a crunch and a blood-curdling scream. David had gotten to James arm at the shoulder. His eyes were wide in terror.
But something changed. His pupils had turned to slits and his eyes had changed color. He had claws and adrenalin was pumping though him. And then he screamed in rage, dug his claws into David’s back and hurled him into the window behind him. David let go of James as he crashed though the glass.
Both Steven and the gray wolf had frozen in awe. James’s fists were clenched. He turned. His expression radiated Rage and he attacked. Before Steven could even see it the wolves back had been scratched.
He was ripped out of Steven hands and thrown. With a Cry it slammed into the wall just above the broken window and landed top half hanging out. James shook with an intense rage and fear at the powered he never new he had. His fists were clenched so tight that his palms bled. Not that it mattered; his shouldered bled enough for two.
Sound of a battle could be heard downstairs. “ James…?” James couldn’t answer. He was trying not to scream. “ James?”
Still nothing. James could smell blood everywhere. “ James! Look at me!” Steven yelled. James turned. He looked terrified.
“ It’s okay. I’m right hear, you’ll be fine.” Steven wrapped his arms around him and without warning he sobbed. His tears mixed with the blood that splattered his face. He had almost lost it and was thanking god that he hadn’t snapped.

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