Rejected Mate and Following Fate - Awakening Book -
Chapter 84: Follow Them
“Maybe we can speed between goal posts?” I point out, meaning from perch to perch where the
crows are, we could hyper speed then wait on them to move, and go again. Which is exactly what
we do the second we see them land further on and move to go. Racing to the next set of trees in
the blink of an eye and the birds move again, in a game of follow me.
“I hope to god this is not some crazy idea and we're not just following some random flock of ravens
who are just trying to get away. I mean we're kinda just assuming.” Meadow quips in and I giggle
out of pure nervousness and frustration and also doubt. Maybe she's right and were insanely
following birds that have nothing to do with this. We just assumed, given Sierra’s text and then their
freakish behavior that we should, and who knows, maybe their curiosity has them come to us, but
mistrust pushes them to move further away when we get too close.
We hyper speed to the next set of trees that are further into overgrown landscape, light failing us, as
they land on and do this four more times, covering a fair bit of distance in the shortest time. They
maybe can't speed like we can, but by air they can cover further ground than a normal human can
walk, in a third of the time. So were making progress and we seem to be heading into denser wood
and more of a forestry sort of weird space that's neither green and luscious or sandy and rocky, but
somewhere in between. It's like a drying up, almost dead wood but dense enough to seem like it's
not. Eerie, something haunting about it as shadow’s lengthen across the ground and noises of night
creatures start to come out subtly around us. We move fast, ignore the building anxiety that soon it
will be pitch black and hope we are heading somewhere less rural, that maybe there's a house at the
end of this trail.
“This place is weird” I point out when we stop again and wait for the birds to move, kicking away
dead tumbleweed that's grazing my ankle and taking note of the terrain that's way too abundant in
plants for the desert like soil beneath us. It's almost mystical in itself that something seeming so dry
and arid can have so much vegetation.
“I get creepy vibes too.” Carmen admits in a low voice, seemingly aware that we're not alone out
here in the wilderness as multiple eyes start to shine from distant brush. Large and small animals
taking note of our alien presence and peeking because they can obviously tell we're not just
wandering human. Animals tend to avoid the scent of wolves at a very large distance in this outer
world.
We move again as soon as the birds settle once more, this stop and start game that's becoming
tiring the farther we plod on. We have come off the path a few trees back and now seem to be
wading through wasteland of some sort with no sign of houses, manmade light, or roads in the
front where we're heading. Just dead trees blocking our view and lots of rocks for as far as the eye
can see.
“I've got no signal on the cell either.” Carmen sighs, aggravated, and hands Meadow back her cell
she had brought from the truck. “So, we can't even check with Sierra if we're heading the right way.”
She adds with a furrowed brow and a stern expression making my last traces of hope fizzle out, like
being drained of the last ounces of energy.
"God dammit” Meadows chirps in and slides it into her pocket after checking for herself. Muttering
under her breath about cursed witches and damned nightfall, which only serves to make my hackles
rise and my skin goosebump all over as the sun edge further down towards the horizon and the air
turns cooler for lack of it.
I look up at the sky at the last dregs of fading light and back at the birds and really start to wonder
at the likelihood of vampires being out here in this nothing space by chance if darkness comes fully
before we get anywhere. It's looking likely and even though we have nocturnal vision, I would rather
have found a safe haven before they can come lurking out from their holes and crevices to walk the
world. I know with my gifts it's harder for vampires to really take us down and I know Meadow can
hold her own, possibly Carmen too, although I haven't witnessed it yet, I would rather not have to
fight and battle for survival if we don't have to.
Three more tree stops, and we can't see the truck behind us anymore at all as its so far away and
obscured by the trees and rocks we have passed. This seems to be taking us much further than any
location Sierra sent and I'm starting to wonder if this is even right. My gut telling me that we
shouldn't be so trusting, and maybe we shouldn't keep trying to push forward without an end in
sight.
“We should turn back. I don't like this, and I don't see an end to where we're going.” It's Meadow,
verbalizing my exact thoughts, sounding pensive, looking overly alert, and I guess she too is feeling
it. Picking up on the empty air, the cold aura of this place, and the suspicion of foreign eyes
watching us from all angles. It's hard to defend when out in the open like this and we have no
tactical advantage, especially with only three of us. I turn to her with a stiff expression, my stomach
sinking at the thought of coming this far only to now give in. I know it's what I wanted, what my
instincts are screaming at me, but my heart is telling me it’s not the right thing to do. I want Colton
home, sooner, not later, and waiting another night seems like an endless eternity. I open my mouth
to try and talk this out and am rendered mute as a stranger's husky brogue echoes around us
clearly.
"Well, that would be a shame, seeing as you only just got here.” A female voice startles us from
somewhere to the left, sounding almost smug, definitely confident, and so clear and loud it rings
through as if spoken right at our ears. We can't see anyone at all, and we all turn instinctually, claws
ripping out and teeth baring as we crowd together back-to-back to make one fierce bubble of wolf
aggression. Leaning down, poised and ready to turn as eyes glow with intention and every red alert
signal explodes inside my body.
"Who are you? Who said that?” I call out harshly, my voice laced with a growl as my heart hammers
through my chest like a ward rum and a rustle of some nearby bushes alerts us to a dark figure
slowly walking into the clearing. We three seem to shift into an almost crawl pose, so ready to fight
and take down our intruder, hackles rising, blood pumping and unified in both awareness, alert
aggression, and yet heavy wariness.
She steps into view, although shrouded in shadow but I can still make out that she’s wearing a long
black cloak, hood up which is oversized and seems to frame her head in a sinister way. Her entire
face and body is concealed in both fabric and shadow and she stops just within vision to look at us
from her bold position, no hint of fear at all. The largest of the ravens flies over and lands on her
outstretched hand which appears when it gets close, showing a smooth almost youthful skin as it
appears from under dark cloth and a slender wrist adorned with bangles and vintage jewelry. In the
darkness her skin is so pale it almost glows like a beacon and we gawp at her in both apprehension
and surprise. I figure we all had ideas on what a three-thousand-year-old witch would look like and
so far this isn't it.
"Why, aren't the lass you've been looking for? So why are you planning on toddling away?” her
accent is thick, sing songy, and foreign. I guess Scottish, if that's where Sierra said she was from. It
sounds a little rustic, yet warm and she has a pleasing voice to listen to that pulls you in and
intrigues. No hint of any kind of American twang at all and yet she peaks clearly in an almost
teasing and clear way.
"Are you Leyanne Cruden?” Meadow queries, even though we both know this can't be anyone else.
Lurking out here with these birds, wearing a stereotypical witch's cloak and showing face as the
moon hits its highest point. She's definitely spooky and my nerves twang so tight I reckon it won't
take much to snap them fully.
“Depends who's asking? Depends on what they want?” she laughs, a low almost husky and
seductive sound, like rolling waves, that echoes around us eerily and the hint of bold confidence
and lack of fear completely unnerves me. She doesn’t seem to care that three highly aggressive
wolves are homed in defense and she is the target.
“I'm Alora Santo, Sierra Santo sent us to find you because we need your help.” I relax my stance and
turn my claws and teeth away, nudging Meadow and Carmen to do the same in a show that we're
not here to harm her. Only Carmen obeys with a sigh and straightens up beside me, while Meds
stays in protector mode, sticking to me like glue. I can feel the vibrations from her as she growls
under her breath and refuses to relent.
“I know...... there's not much that goes on around here that I don't know about. My birds have very
good ears. So, welcome, Miss Alora Santo.” She smiles, showing whitest teeth in the hints of her
pale face, just barely visible from the shade of her hood and yet it still makes my unsure of her.
Every cell in my body is in alert still, stiff and bristled all over because something in me doesn't want
to trust this stranger yet.
I squint at the crows and recall her words, casting a glance at Meadow, not entirely sure what she
means about birds and ears and certain we never once mentioned her around these damned birds. I
think she’s maybe a little bit insane, or else she’s making she knows more than she does.
"So, if you know why we're here, then I guess we shouldn't beat around the bush and ask if you will
help.” It feels kind of rude to just invade her territory and blurt it out, but it's put me completely off
kilter having her seem to know who we are and so smug about it. She's not exactly welcoming and
so far, she seems to like indirect answers and word play. It doesn't really signal a friendly soul.
“It's getting late.” She points out, ignoring my question completely, in fact acting like I haven't
spoken, and instead looks to the sky with a sigh. I still can't make out anything about her features
other than she seems to have a youthfulness to her. It's hard to put a finger on it, more than seeing
her hand, but I get the vibes she is not that much older than Sierra physically. Mid-thirties at most.
I've heard all about witches using anti-aging seduction, masking appearances to lure, and means to
pull in innocents to trust them...or was that sirens? I forget. The books down under the house have
so many supernatural species and I don't recall which sometimes, or what ones we should never be
drawn in by. Either way, her presence is giving me the heeby jeebies.
“Not to be rude but, we are aware, and we don't like being out after dark, so if you could, you know,
get to the point. You know who we are, what we want and hence.... we really need an answer.”
Carmen comes right out with it in that haughty bitchy tone of hers, no warmth, only dry boredom
and superiority, and for once it doesn’t annoy me. I mean its rude as hell, and I admire her total lack
of fear around this witch, but she does have a point. I don't want to be standing out here like this
for the rest of the night. This witch has no concept of how dangerous it could be for us, or the fact,
we do still need sleep and food before dawn.
“The jilted lover.... So full of anger and attitude. It's like you're a very full sponge, who has sooked up
all the toxins in the world. A little squeeze and it all comes squirting out in the most unattractive
way.” She chuckles, that same girly, yet not young, sound that washes over us and the crow seems
to cackle in response along with her. An evil vibrating noise that grates on my nerves. I swear it
laughs at us. It's that same little window tapping asshole from earlier and I mentally add her devious
mini sidekick to my kill list should this turn bloody.
Carmen on the other hand falls silent and glares at her with a great level of mistrust, eyes gleaming
orange in the dark, full on hostility leaching out from every pore, given she does seem to know a
hell of a lot. I'm certain we never said anything of the sort near her birds at all about carmen being
Colton’s ex or my being the reason he left her.
"How do you know so much about us, and don't say your birds hears us. Because that's bullshit as
we haven't said a thing about her love life since we got here!” Meadow is the one with the hostile
tone now, biting in, full on mama bear mode initiated as she steps in front of me and seems to grow
taller. I can feel her unease and suspicion all around me, tainting the air and feeding my worry. She
doesn't like this witch and she certainly doesn't think we're safe with her.
"Did I say it was these specific birds? You've come far my wee pets; you look like you need
somewhere to sit and maybe a hot drink to calm that unwise rise of attitude. Know who you're
talking to and learn when to be silent!” The tone loses that almost friendly air and that superior
edge and biting tone change the atmosphere completely. It's an icy statement that makes Carmen
sound like an amateur in terms of scolding and there's a hint of power and superiority that can only
come from someone knowing their skillset trumps yours. She slides back her hood as she steps fully
out from her space, releasing her raven to fly back to his perch, the rising moon glowing somehow
brighter at her command and we're faced with a woman who looks no older than her late twenties
at most.
She's pretty in a wholesome sort of a way visually, yet shrouded in maturity, underlying darkness,
and wisdom, that gives her an older presence. Not outstanding, unearthly, stunning beauty, but she
has definite attractiveness and a natural unmade up face with zero lines or wrinkles. She's seductive,
yet somehow looks pure, untainted by the world and has a fire in her eyes that suggests she’s a
warrior at heart. She has a likeability, a sense of calm and control that makes you feel like you need
this woman to tell you what to do next. A born queen, under her dark robes and almost Celtic style,
flowing layers of longs skirts, boho attire, which has a mix of era's in one outfit. She looks exactly
how I thought a witch should look, if she was eternally young and beautiful.
Not bad at all for a three-thousand-year-old who has probably seen and interacted in more wars
than we can imagine. It's not her looks that pull you completely in though, it's her aura. There's an
atmosphere around her, of great power, crackling energy, pure clear oxygen fizzing up the tempo,
and the steady unruffled gaze as she locks eyes on me completely throw me off. Dark, almond
shaped almost catlike eyes that have a hint of exotic beauty about them. Deep and endless and way
darker than Colton’s brown eyes. She's terrifying. Like the kind of woman who would kiss you on the
lips before driving a steak right through your heart and smiling sweetly as she did so. She's utterly
intimidating.
“Look, we're sorry. It's been a long journey and a lot of stress. We don't mean to be rude; we just
weren't sure if we could trust you. Or if you are her...Leyanne Cruden! You still haven't confirmed!” I
try for the smoothing over and calming things approach, my mediation skills as Luna, but she
throws her head back and laughs heartily. Like she just heard the funniest joke of the year and isn't
shy about expressing her amusement.
“You come looking for me and yet I'm the one that's not to be trusted, oh pet.... You really are a bit
backwards. Who else would I be?” It's a chuckle, as she regains composure, wipes a tear form the
corner of her eye and shakes her robes around her to rearrange them back to neatness. I'm starting
to think this one is a bit insane.
“Truth be told, you can't trust me... you can't really trust anyone. Everyone has a line that they'll
cross for the right persuasions, even my kind. No one is every truly trustworthy, even your sisters
here.” She smirks, rolling her r's in her sing song accent, hearty scots, and walks a step forward to
close the gap between us and it takes all my will power not to step away. She's suffocating with just
a foot forward, that energy eating me alive and I realize it's my ability to feel others that's causing it.
I can sense, taste, feel, her brimming power and incomparable amounts of magic within her
possession. Like she carries a constant death fence of electricity around her at all times. It makes
Sierra seem human in comparison.
I want to venomously defend my Meadow and maybe even Carmen too, but sense tells me to be
quiet and ignore her insults concerning my being able to trust my pack sisters. This witch seems to
like word play, and maybe mind games, and I definitely do not trust her. I have never met anyone
like her before.
“I would die for her. So you can eat that and choke on it, Chica.” Meadow loses her cool, spitting
venom, obviously offended enough to not stay quiet as her pride is bruised and I grasp her hand to
quiet her, and groan at her words. Flinching inwardly that this witch just told us to heed her and
here Meds is, poking the bear.
“Want to prove it? I mean, I'm willing, and we do have a nice quiet night for it.” Leyanne chuckles
again, that hearty, brash, mocking laugh, throwing back her cloak over her shoulders to reveal a
sculpted upper bodice of her dress, sort of romantic and flouncy around the neckline, with jewelry
that give her a completely earth momma vibe that's not entirely weird. I kind of dig it but it's
definitely something that would stand out in the human world, unless sit was some sort of cottage
gore convention. Even without the huge black cloak with an extra pointed long tail on her hood. The
girl likes to look the part of what she is, I guess.
"Are we wasting our time? Should we just leave?” I blurt out in frustration at how this is going and
step in front of Meadow again, reinforcing my position as leader, hoping to god we can just turn
and go and find another way if this isn't it. My mate is back there, he needs me to figure this out,
and I don't want to waste hours of my life on someone pointless who just wants to spur my girls
into fighting.
"So quick to give in, wee one. Not much Luna quality in that. Do I scare you? Are you intimidated?”
She whispers it in a mock tone, smug and winking as a smile haunts her full lips. No sense of her
being rattled by us at all and I wonder just how powerful she is to stand up to three glaring femmes
and not give an actual crap about consequences. She turns her back on us, throwing us a gleeful
look over her shoulder and gestures with a tilt of her head. “Follow me, if you're brave enough, and I
guess you'll see if I was worth the journey. Don't dawdle.... it's dark, you know?” She sniggers with
her last sarcastic words, and seems to sway off with a steady walk, looking like she owns this land
and is walking a red carpet, rather than a dirty sandy scrub with nothing around.
She doesn’t wait on any kind of response at all, so sure of herself and our need of her, and walks off
into the darkening wood to seemingly disappear. We hesitate, all three standing firm and throwing
glances to one another, expressions ashen, faces pale, before Meadow shoves me forward to follow.
ooo
Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report