Chapter 5

VALERIA Mate? So many emotions are battling the confusion in my head, but I just shake the man off me, knowing that danger is all around us. Sure enough, as soon as I jump to my feet, Jeremy’s mom fires another shot, this time aimed at the man. For some reason, the bullet just bounces off of him. The sheriff whistles for his deputies, and I use the opportunity to rush toward Mom. The man yanks me back and leads me away from the chaos. “I can’t leave her!” I yell, tears streaming down my face. I try to struggle against his grip on my arm but I’m still bound by handcuffs. “Please, let’s save her….” The man only answers when we’re already out of the house. “She knows who I am. She knows that I will be taking you to a safe place, a place that she knows well. Just trust me for now and let me fulfill my people’s promise to her. I had no idea you’re her daughter.” That statement gives way to a million more questions in my head, but I just follow him as the start to pull level with us. Seeing this, the man scoops me up in his arms and carries me effortlessly. More gunshots fill the air, all aimed at us. I expect us to go down, but the bullets just ricochet, some hitting the pursuing deputies instead. “Get ready,” the man warns me, and with that, he leaps high and jumps over the fence that separates our yard from the woods. We both land safely. The sheriff and his men are still following us, but the man just raises his hand, and strong energy covers the entirety of the fence. None of the bullets pass through, even though they’re shooting wildly at us. He sets me down, wiping sweat off his brow. Breathing steadily, he turns me around and breaks my handcuffs as though it was made of clay “Follow me,” he commands, pointing at a stone path in the forest that I have never seen before. I don’t move. I just look at him. “Not until you tell me who you are and what's going on? Why are the police trying to kill me?” By the way he winces, I can tell that he doesn’t want to tell me. But as I stand my ground and refuse to follow him, he sighs in defeat. “I’m Stefano Thayer, and I’m from a long line of Mages that worked with the Silver Arrows Pack. Your mother used to be their Luna, but their group is gone now.” “Luna?” “Yes, that means she was their queen.” I look back at the house. “Is there really no way we can save her?” Stefano avoids this. “Let’s just go before we get caught. The force field I put on the fence might not hold up for much longer.” With that, he heads down the path and I have no choice but to follow him, even though every step breaks my heart. Tears continue to fall down my cheeks as we walk. I can’t believe I left my mother like that. I can’t believe that I never knew about her world, that she never bothered to tell me about it, and yet there’s a random boy who knows everything. I feel betrayed and scared, but at the same time guilty for everything. He must have felt this, because suddenly he says, “Before your mother stepped down from her throne, she made the Mages promise to protect her and her family. That’s what I’m here to uphold.” I look up at him. “Is that the reason why you followed me into the woods? And why did you call me your mate?” “No to the first question,” he says after a beat. “I was there guarding the border of the castle. Your scent was strong and I had to see you. When I felt that you’re a supernatural like me, I tried to get you into the sanctuary. Also, as for the second question, you will find out later.” I want to insist, but I don’t have it in me. “What’s the sanctuary?” “The Scarlet Moon Society.” He glances back at me. “That’s the castle you saw. It’s a school for kids like us, protected by the elders.” “You mean there are more people like us?” “A lot, yes.” He seems amused by my question. “I did have to wonder why you weren’t taken there as a child, especially since your mother was one of their top students and proudest achievements. But I assure you, it’s never too late to join.” Once again, pain stabs my heart. How come everyone knows about her and I don’t? How come I’m only finding this out now that she’s in danger? I stay silent, swallowing back my tears and telling myself that maybe I can come back for her. Deeper and deeper into the woods we go. After a while, the familiar silhouette of the castle perched on the hill starts to loom over us. My pulse skips as we get closer, and suddenly there’s that charged sensation in the air again, as though lightning could strike at any moment. I’m about to ask what that is when Stefano suddenly stops in his tracks and holds out his arm to stop me from making another step. At first, I’m puzzled, but then I hear a strange scratching sound that seems like it came from an extra sharp claw grinding against wood. I scoot closer to him. “What’s that?” He doesn’t answer. Suddenly, the sound gets louder, but not because of proximity. The scratching becomes more off-beat, more frantic, as though many more are now doing it. To top it off, I can hear big wings flapping. The ground starts to hum. Tension hangs in the air like poison. I stare at Stefano, waiting for him to speak, but to my horror, his face is also pale with fear. “When I tell you to run for the gate, do it,” he tells me in a barely audible whisper. “Are we clear?” “What?” I splutter. “I already left my mother. I can’t leave you too. Maybe we can fight off those creatures, whatever they are—” “Just tell me you’ll do it.” Stefano’s jaw tightens. “They’re Rogue Vampires, Valeria. They’re going to kill us.” Just as I’m about to argue, the forest comes alive. Dozens of big black creatures with leathery wings soar into the air from the thick trees, swirling into a dark mass in the night before diving towards us, their talons outstretched and ready to draw blood.