Dirty Blood (16 page)

I spent the rest of the day dodging George and
enjoying the fifteen minutes of fame that came with telling Cindy
off. Everywhere I went kids kept stopping me to ask me about it.
Mostly, though, I was enjoying this new sense of power and
confidence. I felt like I could take on anybody or anything and it
felt good.

By last period, though, I was itching for the bell.
Wes would be waiting when I got home and somewhere during my
‘conquer the world’ day, I’d decided it was time to do something
about him – and whatever it was that he wasn’t telling me. Which, I
was sure, was plenty.

So, when the final bell sounded, I skipped my locker,
this time avoiding more than just George, and sprinted for my car.
Just as I’d hoped, I was one of the first ones to the lot. I threw
my bag over the seat and hopped in, going as fast as I dared
through the ‘school zone’ flashing lights and then hitting the gas
for home. Just like this morning, I took the back roads. They were
actually faster than Route 1 for me because I’d learned the curves
so well by now that I barely had to break around them as my tires
hugged the corners. I cranked the volume on the stereo and sang at
the top of my lungs to an old Brittany Spears song that, hopefully,
no one actually knew I listened to.

When I was about halfway home, I rounded a sharp
curve on Ramoth Church Road, and gasped. Standing directly in the
middle of my lane was a Werewolf. I slammed on the brakes and
resisted my body’s reflex to swerve. That’s what sent people on a
one way trip over the guardrail. I pressed down as hard as I could
on the brakes, hoping it would be enough and that they wouldn’t
lock up on me. The brakes screeched and screamed as the car slid
closer and closer to the wolf. I was close enough to see, not only
the color of its fur, which was storm cloud gray, but its eyes as
well; they were an eerie, glowing yellow and as big as golf balls.
As the car slid towards it, the wolf didn’t even flinch. He stood
his ground and bared pointy teeth in an obviously open display of
malice. I barely noticed the tingling on my skin through the panic.
I wasn’t going to stop in time.

The crash was more of a giant, echoing thud, as my
bumper made contact with the wolf’s flesh. The impact was enough to
finally halt my wheels, and my car jerked to a stop, shooting me
forward before my seatbelt caught me and hurled me back again. My
head hit the headrest with a muted thump. Outside, the wolf bounced
off the bumper and slid up onto the hood, before slumping back off
again. Everything went silent and sort of froze for a minute. I
stared out the windshield - which was somehow still in one piece -
at the pile of gray fur on the road in front of me. It didn’t
move.

My skin still tingled, so I knew it wasn’t dead, but
it didn’t seem to be in a position to do any damage. I clicked the
seatbelt’s release and climbed out, still eyeing the pile of fur.
Blood matted the fur in a couple places, and still it didn’t move.
I was just about to step forward, see if it was conscious, when its
head lifted and two yellow eyes focused on me. Before I could
react, it was up, standing firmly on all fours, a low growl
emanating from deep within its throat.

I made a lunge for my open car door, but it was
quicker and already anticipating that move. It shot forward, and
hurled itself at the door, slamming it shut with the force of its
shoulder. Now, nothing but open space separated us. It growled
again and stepped forward. Reflexively I stepped back.

“Isn’t this a treat? I hadn’t expected you to come
along this road, or to find me so soon,” he said, in a silky smooth
voice. It sounded almost funny coming from his weathered wolf form.
Almost. Because, hidden in the words was definitely a threat.

“Who are you?” I asked, though I had a feeling I
already knew. This was him, the one leaving me bloody messages.

“That’s right. I know you, but you don’t know me.
Well, not personally, anyway. My name is Leonardo De’Luca. You can
call me Leo. Liliana did.”

I clenched my jaw, more angry than afraid, at his
egotistical attitude. A part of me knew I should be running or
calling for help, but the new me, the one who’d told Cindy off,
insisted I could handle this. Then again, it would help if my
plunger handles weren’t in my backpack, which was in the car. “And
I’m Tara, but you can call me ‘the girl who knocked you out with
her car’,” I said, with way more confidence than I felt.

You know how in books or movies, the killer always
leaves himself open for that extra few seconds, giving the heroine
time to counter? Well, this wasn’t like that at all. Without
warning, Leo sprang at me, and I threw my hands up, going on
instinct, like I had with Liliana. I managed to block him and throw
him to the side at the last second, but not before I felt his nails
rake my arms. I ignored the burning it caused and stepped out of
reach, lowering into a crouch.

Leo came at me again, this time grabbing my sleeve
with his teeth, and ripping. I heard fabric tear and rammed my fist
into the side of his head. The blow drove him back, and he released
his hold. His teeth snapped forward again, and caught on my skin,
tearing a gash into my arm where the nails had already drawn a thin
line of blood. Without meaning to, I screamed at the burning it
left behind.

My body seemed to go on autopilot after that, maybe
from the pain. No longer did I have to tell my brain what to do
with my limbs, or any other part of my body. It just sort of knew.
We circled each other for awhile after that and I could feel myself
tiring out. My hair had come loose from the bun I’d made in Spanish
by winding it around an extra pencil. The pencil! I reached up and
pulled it loose, taking a few strands of hair with it in my haste.
I gripped the pencil, pointy side up, and fell back into a
crouch.

This time, Leo came at me in a leap, his paws and
teeth arcing down from above. At the last second, I twisted my
shoulders and angled my body away from the impact and awkwardly
shoved the pencil into his left shoulder. I felt it give against
flesh and muscle, and shoved harder, one more time, before jumping
clear. I dropped and rolled to the side, rising quickly and
struggling to stay alert against the searing pain where Leo had
bitten me.

Leo was advancing on me again, a little slower this
time. I could see the pencil protruding from underneath his fur,
and the look in his eyes every time he stepped on his front paw
said it wasn’t a comfortable feeling. A small stain of red was just
beginning to show around the edge of the Number Two. Leo ignored it
and lunged at me, but it was sloppy and I managed to dodge him easy
enough by stepping back. When he turned, I saw that his front paw
was held slightly off the ground, and he leaned a little to the
right, shifting his weight. I must’ve hit a muscle or something,
but despite the damage I’d caused him, there was no sign of giving
up.

I tensed, ready for another attack, knowing I was
moving slower each time. I was still doing my best to ignore the
burning in my arm, though the fire had already intensified by
several degrees; it was getting harder and harder to block out.
Knowing I didn’t have much time, I lunged, feinting to the left and
then going right. Leo blocked me and we went back to circling each
other.

“You’re the one I keep feeling nearby,” I said,
through labored breaths.

“Just testing your reflexes. Your instincts aren’t
bad, for someone so new at this.”

“Why? I never did anything to you. I don’t even know
you.”

“Therein lays the tragedy. You should’ve known me,
though I guess it’s not your fault that you don’t. Nonetheless, I
cannot allow you to become a Hunter.”

Maybe it was from the adrenaline finally beginning to
cool in my system, but suddenly the wound left by Leo’s teeth
reared up and screamed in my head. Black dots danced around the
edges of my vision, and I swayed slightly. Leo’s keen senses
noticed my falter, and his eyes sharpened.

“So, the poison affects you after all,” Leo said.
Then he growled, low and deep, and crouched, ready to spring.

I stood there, having no idea of the meaning behind
his words but really too exhausted and hurting to care. I knew Leo
was about to charge, and I also knew I probably didn’t have it in
me to stop him.

A howl broke the silence. It came from the woods
behind us but it was close. Neither of us looked towards the sound,
both unwilling to let our guards down. I tensed, ready for Leo’s
spring, even accepting it. A part of me welcomed it if it would
stop the flames licking underneath my skin.

The howl came again, and I knew the other wolf was
almost on us. I almost groaned. Seriously? I couldn’t handle
another one right now. No way I’d be able to take on two at once;
not with my arm burning like the fires of hell. I backed up and
re-angled my body, so I could keep my eyes on Leo, but not leave my
back exposed to the new wolf.

Dead branches and leaves crunched lightly, signaling
the newcomer’s approach. It was almost to the road. Finally, unable
to help himself, Leo’s eyes cut towards the newcomer. I allowed a
split second of the same, and saw a wolf, bigger than Leo, with
reddish-brown fur, hurtling towards us. I cut my eyes back to Leo,
but he continued to watch the new wolf, instead of me. They didn’t
look happy to see each other.

I watched in confusion as Leo tensed. His yellow eyes
cut back and forth between the new wolf and me, before settling
back on the wolf again. His lips were pulled back over his teeth,
in a silent snarl, and I knew then, that this new wolf was not a
friend of his. The red wolf howled again, the wail morphing into a
growl as he took the final leap and surprised me by landing
directly in between Leo and me - eyes on Leo.

“You’re not needed here Dirty Blood,” growled
Leo.

“You’ve got it backwards. You’re the one not needed,”
growled the red wolf.

I recognized him as soon as he spoke. Wes.

As if I’d called his name out loud, he turned. Two
seconds. That was it, but it was enough for me to fully see him, in
his changed form. And he was magnificent. His fur was a zillion
different shades of brown and red, all mixed together, and it
glinted in the sunlight, shiny and sleek. Even the course hairs
that ran down his back looked softer and more beautiful, next to
Leo’s rangy coat. And his eyes. They were the same tawny brown they
always were. When they flashed to me, the sharpness in them dulled
to gentle as he regarded me, and then steel and power flashed
through them again, as he turned back to Leo. Even in his wolf
form, his moods were infinite and ever-changing.

“She brought it on herself,” Leo hissed. “When she
decided to step back into our world.”

“Forget her. It’s me and you.” Wes leaned toward Leo,
baring his teeth in a guttural snarl.

“You’re a traitor, a disgrace to your kind. Stay out
of this, or there’ll be consequences. I’ll do more than just take
her life. I think I’ve already made that clear.” Despite the
threat, Leo backed up a step. Blood seeped from his shoulder,
leaving a dotted trail on the pavement.

Wes didn’t answer. Instead, he rushed at Leo,
launching himself into the air, and taking Leo to the ground in a
blur of fur and fangs. I stood there, a little dazed by the speed
with which Wes had moved. I’d never seen anything like it. Liliana
hadn’t moved like that; neither had Leo, for that matter.

Grunts and snarls sounded, but I couldn’t tell which
of them it came from. Then, Wes reared his head back, pulling away
from where the two were still tangled together on the ground, and
sunk his teeth into Leo’s shoulder, just below where the pencil
still protruded. Leo let out a howl and managed to break free but
he hadn’t gone more than two steps before Wes was on him, using his
teeth to grab Leo’s ankle and pull him back.

I stood there, paralyzed despite the pain, as I
watched them rip at each other. Every nerve ending itched to jump
in, to help Wes. He was fast, but Leo was agile and experienced,
and what if something happened? I wanted to do something, anything,
to end it. But I couldn’t think much past the burn in my arm, now.
It was getting unbearable, and I had to bite back a groan. If I’d
been able to make my mind and body work right, I’d have rushed Leo
by now, or better yet, ran for my car. As it was, I was having a
hard time staying on my feet, without swaying.

The burn had travelled up my arm, into my shoulder. I
couldn’t feel my fingers in my left hand anymore. I grit my teeth
against the pain but some sound escaped my lips. It reminded me of
a wolf’s snarl.

Both wolves glanced in my direction, and Wes seemed
to realize for the first time that I wasn’t at the top of my game.
Leo huffed out a breath, sounding satisfied.

“She’s hurt,” I heard him say.

Wes just glared down at Leo, who he had pinned
against the asphalt.

“She needs you. I guess I’ll have to take a rain
check,” Leo said.

Reluctantly, Wes removed his paws from Leo’s chest,
and stepped back. “This isn’t over.”

Leo stared intently at me before backing away. “If
she insists on living in our world, I have no choice but to deal
with her. With both of you.”

“The campers were your work, then.”

“Yes. And Liliana was hers.”

“You should consider it even.”

“For this round, I do. But not for what she’ll be if
she continues. Or what you already are. I can’t let that
happen.”

“Is that what this is about? What I am?” Wes
demanded.

“What you are is lazy, and unfocused. Content to
settle. Neither of you deserve the power in your blood.”

“What do you mean in
our
blood?”

Leo didn’t answer. He cast a final, longing look at
me and then turned and bolted into the trees.

Wes watched him go until he’d disappeared and then
padded over to me. I had backed up and was leaning on my car now,
in an effort to stay on my feet.