Unraveling Selena by Marisa Maichel (black female authors TXT) 📕

said, shaking his head. "If I know your uncle, he's still moping about it."

"Why Damon Sage?" I asked. "Ariella chose a major jerk over Uncle Soren. Not that I approved of their relationship, anyway."

"Yes, Ariella chose her side. However, this is about more than a female. Soren insulted Damon's family line, and of course he feels slighted because we generally don't trust werewolves."

"I don't understand."

"Damon's part of the reason why Math..." He swallowed. "He's part of the reason why Mathias came here. He told him where we lived, which is how you were kidnapped."

"I still don't understand. How did they meet?"

"It's a long story, one that I'd rather not get into right now. Get your boots on, we're leaving pretty soon."

As we started the run to the pack territory, I turned to Uncle Soren.

"You realize he's my age and a lot smaller than you?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"Just checking." Unless Damon had some kind of superpower, my uncle was going to win this fight.

Minutes later, we came onto the pack territory. Faolan was standing there with Sadie, Damon, and Ariella.

"Reese," said my ex-best friend.

"Spears." Can you tell I was furious?

"Bloodsuckers," Damon Sage growled. Faolan nudged him.

"Be nice. This is about one thing, and one thing only. After this, no more grudges. Sadie, stay back."

Damon took his jacket off, and so did Uncle Soren.

"No crotch shots, hair pulling, or biting," Faolan said. "Agreed?" Grandfather looked at him and nodded once.

"Agreed. Do as he says, Soren."

"Here's my question," Louis said. "Why couldn't we do this at night, when both our species are at our strongest?"

"Daytime is when most humans are distracted," Father said.

Louis raised an eyebrow. "That's debatable. By the way, I think this is stupid. We all know Ariella is a whore, just like my mother."

I noticed Ariella's lip quiver.

"You're next, bloodsucker brat!" Damon snapped at Louis.

"Enough," Faolan growled. "Focus on Soren, Damon. He insulted your father, and you wanted to regain his honor. That's why we're here."

"I agree with Louis," I said, glaring at the wolves.

"Reese, hush," Father ordered.

"I'm not a fucking child!" I shouted. "I can take care of myself!"

"Obviously, you can't," Grandfather butted in. "And you will follow your father's orders or live by yourself."

Father and I both glared at him.

"Reese, let's talk," Ariella said.

"What's there to talk about? You chose your side! I have mine. My loyalty is to my family."

"Reese, we used to be good friends," she said. "I know you and Damon never really liked each other, but does it really have to be one way or the other?"

"This isn't a fairytale," I quipped. "In the original, the wolf eats the girl."

Almost all the wolves growled at this. Ariella was starting to tear up.

"Does it really have to be this way? I mean, Faolan and Mordecai...you and Sadie..."

"Sadie and I barely know each other," I replied.

"And my relationship with Faolan is long over," Father said.

"There was no relationship," Faolan glared.

"How can you say that?!" Father cried. "I loved you!"

"Years ago, and then you met that Greek woman. And then you only started liking me recently, and then you had the nerve to fall in love with two women. The Greek and the Jewish girl."

"Jewish girl? Sarah?" I said, looking at Father. I knew he found her attractive, but love?

Father looked embarrassed.

"Sarah?!" I roared. "My Sarah?!"

"Not even the fairy side of her repels me," he admitted.

"Fairy side?! What the fuck are you talking about?"

"She's part fairy, Reese," Louis said. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't know. The rest of us could sense and smell it in her blood. Not just a fairy, but a siren."

"A siren?! My Sarah?!"

"Although, she's no longer yours, is she?"

I swayed.

"He's not going to faint again, is he?"

"ENOUGH!" Uncle Soren roared. "Let's end this once and for all!"

He jumped, hitting Damon in midair. The collision was like two trees hitting each other. The ensuing blur made it impossible to see who was winning, but the fight slowly took shape. Damon was basically rabbit punching Uncle Soren, who was dodging. Have you ever seen two male rabbits go at it over females or territory? That's what Damon reminded me of.

Uncle Soren easily dodged each punch, managing to hit Damon in the jaw a couple times. Finally, he snuck in a punch so hard that Damon flew backwards and landed on another male wolf. He jumped up and growled, rushing toward Uncle Soren. The other male wolf hissed and jumped, landing on Louis. Another fight broke out between them, with more rabbit punches and lots of kicks.

"ENOUGH!" Faolan shouted. "Justin, that's enough!"

I was pushed off to the side as Grandfather and Faolan rushed into to break up the second fight. Instead, another fight broke out when another male wolf ran toward me and punched me in the nose. I cursed and spit poison as Father leapt on top of my assailant.

"Do not touch him!" he roared.

I turned back to the rest of the wolves. They outnumbered me thirty to one. Some of them started forward.

"STAY BACK!" Faolan growled. "If anyone attacks Reese, they can say goodbye to their place in the pack!"

All three fights continued, becoming blurs until I couldn't keep track anymore. I noticed Ariella frowning at me, her eyes shining with tears.

I glared at her, and she glared back.

"I thought I knew you," she said.

"Same here, human."

Within seconds, Damon was on top of me, pounding me to pieces. He punched me with both his fists, hitting me in the cheeks, nose, forehead, and throat. Father pulled him off of me, punching him repeatedly.

"ENOUGH! STOP THIS INSTANT!"

Faolan's voice was enough stop all the fights at once.

"This battle is over," Grandfather said.

"No, it isn't!" Damon roared, leaping onto me and digging his teeth into my neck. I cried out and kicked him off.

"Reese!" Father caught me before I fell. He whimpered, nuzzling my hair and licking the new wound. I hissed at him, and he hissed back.

"This is over!" Faolan cried. "No pack member is to speak to a vampire without another pac member present! Do not actively seek out vampires, especially this coven."

"Faolan," Grandfather said, "I know that you and my son have had your difficulties, but this is outrageous."

"Let's just kill them," said the wolf named Justin.

"Absolutely not," Faolan said. "This family is the ruling family. They are the king and princes of the vampire race. If we kill them, their kind's wrath will rain down on us."

"They kill humans!" Justin cried.

"Justin, that is enough. This discussion is over."

We left after that, bloodied and weakened. My wolf bite was stinging, and I kept my palm on it. Louis asked me if he could look at it, so I let him.

"We should test him for the virus," he said.

Father sniffed me all over. "My sweet baby is hurt," he said.

"I'm not a baby," I growled. He frowned at me.

"You're my baby," he said, kissing me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up the next morning, my head was pounding. I whined a bit, causing my father to rush into the room.

"Reese!" he said. He sat on my bed and felt my forehead. "You're...wow, you're burning up. You'll stay home today."

"Father, when is the next full moon?"

"It's tonight. That's why we had the fight last night, because wolves are always at their strongest right before the full moon. After the full moon is over, they're weak for a few days. I don't know if Faolan makes his pack drink the potion."

"You love him."

"I do, very much. It's my own fault that he hates me right now. But right now, you're more important. Crap, I haven't made the potion in years, so I don't know if I'll be able to do it. I need wolfsbane, which we are completely out of. I know you hate Mason, but I need to ask Krauvas if he has any." He whipped out his cell phone.

"Hello, Krauvas? Do you have any wolfsbane? Oh, I see. Well then, fuck you, too."

"Father!"

"Hey, he said it to me first. He apparently blames you for what's going on with Mason."

"It's not my fault! It's Mason's fault!"

"I know, but sometimes parents are blind to the mistakes of their children. Look at the Hart family. Simon and Gwen think the world of Scarlett."

"I hate Mason."

"You do now, but you used to be his friend."

"Before he messed everything up."

"Reese, you can't control how other people feel, especially if they love someone. Sarah happens to be very lovable, part fairy or not. She's very loving and kind, not to mention extremely beautiful. She has the kind of outer beauty that makes grown men weak, and the kind of inner beauty that says 'I'm a lover, not a fighter.'"

I sighed. "It's all my fault."

"What is?"

"I knew she didn't really cheat on me, yet I caused her to break up with me, anyway. I was so jealous and insecure, and now I've ruined things for good."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do-" I doubled up as another spike of pain went through me.

"Reese!"

"Father, I'm...I think I have the virus."

The tension was incredible. I felt excited, happy, strong, yet weak. I was anticipating the full moon. My muscles tensed, pressure building.

"Reese! Son!"

"Father, I need...something...I'm so hungry...I need meat."

He raced downstairs and came back with a piece of steak. I growled and snatched the package from him, ripping off the manmade materials and scarfing down the beef in seconds.

"So hungry..."

"He needs more than steak," Louis said, leaning against the door. "He needs bigger pieces, including wild game. Deer, or maybe a big cat."

I leaped off the bed and landed on my feet in front of him. "Out of my way!" Louis quickly moved, letting me through.

"Whoa, Reese!" Uncle Soren clutched my shoulders. "Where are you going?"

"I need meat!"

"He needs wild game, Dad. Deer or a big cat!"

Uncle Soren let me go, and I ran out the door, past Spencer and Toby, who were holding hands and talking. I didn't look back as I rushed into the forest, stomach growling loudly. I sniffed the forest floor, searching for meat.

Then I smelled it. Meat! I followed the scent to a couple of young bucks. I growled loudly, sending them scattering. I followed the first one to a small creek, where I caught him halfway across. I bit into his neck, and he died almost instantly. I started ripping apart his hide, focusing on his belly and eating his organs.

His heart, liver, stomach, intestines, everything was all mine. I ate until I felt like my stomach would burst, and then I headed back to the house.

The guards and my family were in the front yard, watching me fearfully.

"This is not Reese," Father said nervously. "This is not my Reese!"

"Call Ethan," Grandfather said.

"He's in Kansas City right now," Uncle Soren informed. "Attending some convention." He sighed, then let out a laugh, kicking the garage door. "This is all my fault."

"No," Grandfather said. "It's not your fault, Soren. These things happen."

"No, it's his fault," Father confirmed.

"Well, you're all wrong, because it's my fault," Louis argued. He looked at me. "How do you feel, Reese?"

"I feel...satisfied. But not quite. I have an urge to..." My eyes widened. I wanted to attack my family. I hated vampires with a passion, and wanted them dead.

I turned around and started to take off, then Father pounced on me and held me in place.

"Not again!" he cried. I struggled, fighting to get free. I turned and snapped my teeth at him.

"Mordecai, he just ate!"

"Shut up, Father! He's my son!"

My tongue lolled out, and I started panting like a dog. And then I violently threw up. All the deer guts and blood came rushing out of me, and my stomach felt empty.

"Reese!"

I lay still, and Father climbed off of me. Then I took off, but not for long. Father grabbed my legs within seconds. He climbed on top of me again, pinning me in place. A rock poked me in the stomach, which felt like a stretched plastic bag.

"Stay calm," Father whispered in my ear. "If I get up, will you stay