Unraveling Soren by Marisa Maichel (books under 200 pages txt) 📕

“Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

“Not at all, but leave my son alone.”

She followed Kate into a separate room.

“What a bitch,” I hissed.

Ethan chuckled. “It’s her job to ask hard questions, Reese. She needs to make the story interesting.”

I could go home after another hour. Father was waiting on the porch, chain-smoking cigarettes.

“Ethan called and told me everything,” he said. “You should have just bitten the reporter, son.”

“In front of a bunch of people?”

“You could have led her away,” he argued, stubbing out the cigarette. “It’s what I would have done.”

“You’re more experienced than I am. I don’t know diddly squat, at least, according to Uncle Soren.”

“Your uncle’s a fat pervert,” he said, kicking the dirt.

“Why do you insult him?”

“Because that’s what he is. But anyway, at least you survived. Ethan told me that your hands were injured?”

I held them up for the twelfth time that day. “They left perfect imprints in the dirty metal.”

“That’s my boy. Come inside, it’s cold.”

Around five o’clock, I turned on the news channel, North Hampton Local News

Kate Un was speaking. “Today could have been a tragic day for three students at North Hampton High School. But luckily, no one is dead, either to sheer dumb luck or the actions of one brave student. Ariella Spears, a popular senior, lost control of her white Toyota Corolla and almost crushed her friend Sarah Cresley, another popular student, to death. But thanks to the actions of Sarah’s boyfriend and Ariella’s friend, Reese Emerson, both girls are alive. Here is the spectacular footage, taken by a student who was already at the school’s front doors.”

It showed Ari losing control of her car, and me rushing over with my hands outstretched. You could hear the crunch as my hands hit the side of the car.

“How did he do that?” asked a girl. I recognized the voice as Mia Rayport.

Kate Un continued. “This morning, while at Mercy Hospital, I had the opportunity to speak to the brave student in question.”

Then they showed my interview, then Sarah’s.

“Could it be dumb luck, or is there something more going on? Reese Emerson, who is a straight A student and apparently hangs with the goth clique, could be a vampire. Do we have vampires among us? Is that how he did it? More information at ten.”

“I’m going to kill her,” Father said. Then he purred as I leaned against him and yawned. He pulled me onto his lap.

“Sorry, Father.”

“For what? You did what you had to do to save your mate. There’s nothing to be sorry for. But now I am going to get e-mails and phone calls from anxious parents and religious fanatics, wanting to know if you are a vampire and if I knew. It’s not like I haven’t gotten those before, though.”

“What?”

“Your kindergarten teacher found out that you’re a vampire and I got numerous calls and e-mails from her, wanting to know what I feed you.”

“Damn.”

“Yes. But it’s okay.”

He purred and nuzzled my head.

I was asleep when I got the wake-up call.

“Wakey wakey, sleeping prince,” cooed Louis. I reached up and tried to smack him, but he dodged out of the way. “I have some news, dear cousin. Sarah is missing.”

That woke me up.

“She’s what?”

“Missing, silly boy. This morning. Marina went in to check on her, and she was gone. She tried calling her cell phone about ten times, and texted her thirty-three times at last count. Her phone is off.”

I shot up, and Louis laughed. “Nice hairdo, Reese.”

“What about Sarah?” I asked.

“She’s gone, doofus. Missing.”

“How? Why?”

“That’s the mystery, isn’t it? She’s got Chris, and Zie, and Marina, and Alexander, and Selena watching over her.”

“What am I going to do? She’s my love, my soulmate.”

I jumped out of bed and threw my clothes on, then called her phone. No answer. I texted her. No response.

My thoughts were frantic. Where was she? Was she safe? How the hell did my loved ones keep disappearing with a trace?

I didn’t bother brushing my teeth or hair, I just grabbed my keys and my phone.

“Whoa, there, Garfunkel!” Louis grabbed me around the waist just as I reached the front door. “We have the guards on the case.”

“Don’t tell him what they found,” Uncle Soren growled.

“What did they find already?” I asked, desperately. “Tell me!” I grabbed Louis’ shirt.

“A pair of bloody panties,” he replied, sounding almost gleeful.

I moaned and put my face in my hands.

“Chillax, Garcon. They don’t know for sure that they’re hers. There’s also several human girls missing right now around this area.”

I wrenched back my fist as far as it could go. Before I could pound him, however, Uncle Soren grabbed my fist. I bared my teeth at him and hissed. He grabbed me, pinning my arms to my side.

“Reese, calm down. You know he’s only acting like this because its his way of dealing with worry,” Uncle Soren reminded me.

“So I can’t pound him?”

“I wholeheartedly approve of you pounding him, but at least wait until we’ve found her,” he said. “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s a survivor. She has courage. And she’s smart. She will survive.”

Toby came in the front door just then.

“What news?” Uncle Soren asked.

“I caught her scent near the Fae territory,” Toby said. “Chris is trying to find her as we speak.”

I reached back and flipped Uncle Soren, then ran out the door, accidentally stepping on his privates. He cursed me as I ran out.

I ran on all fours until I reached the highway, then I put my nose to the ground. Her scent was faint. I ran forward another two miles, then sniffed the air. Her scent was stronger. I thought about the babies we were going to have. I thought about Jojo, my future son. He was going to look like me, but he’d be shorter. As short as her, at least.

I made my way to the Fae territory, then sniffed around. Her scent was everywhere. I started digging under the ground. I felt a sharp pain in my back, and then I was sent tumbling down.

I turned and pulled the arrow out of my back. I sat up, only to get another arrow in my belly. I pulled that out, too, and growled loudly.

A red-haired Elf was in front of me, pointing another arrow at me. He looked familiar.

“Marcus!” I growled.

“Vampire,” he greeted me dryly.

“Where is she?!”

“Oh, she’s safe,” he muttered. “I would never hurt her.”

“Son of a bitch! She’s mine!”

He grimaced. “On the contrary, she’s mine now. I finally have her, after all these months of planning and waiting.”

He let out a gasp as I saw a glint of metal coming through his chest. Then he smiled and chuckled.

“Did you really hope to kill me, she-tick?”

My sister dodged him as he tried to tear her head off. She threw the knife at him again, this time plunging it into his belly. She twisted it. He grabbed her around the neck and squeezed, gasping again when a knife hit him in the back.

Mother had thrown that one. She grabbed his head.

“I’ll tear your head off,” she threatened. He let go of Selena’s head.

“Take us to her,” Selena said, rubbing her throat.

“Fine. I will take you to her.”

A door appeared in a tree, and he opened it and stepped through. I followed him, then Mother, then Selena. The inside of the tree was hollow, except for a small platform on which we were standing. The platform started descending.

We were descending under the earth, where the Fae ruled. My aching gut twisted nervously as we went down. I was claustrophobic.

Finally, we reached a…civilization, for lack of a better word.

People with different anomalies moved about. I saw people with hooves, people with horns, cat ears, and even a dog person, who cheerfully waved at us. I saw trolls, some huge and hulking, others small and skinny, with bent knees and webbed feet.

Marcus expertly wove in and out of the throng, many of whom stared at us, the vampires.

The dog person started following me, until an Elf called to her and she went back to him.

“New friends!” she whined, as she was forced to leave us.

“You’d like my cat,” I told her, and she wagged her fluffy tail.

“Did you forget our mission, Reese?” Selena hissed.

Marcus continued to lead us on.

He led us through a cavern, where I saw large bats hanging upside down.

“You’d better not trick us,” I growled. He smirked.

I followed him until we reached an underground palace. He led us to the front doors, which were guarded by orcs. One of them, an extremely ugly one with yellow fangs, growled at us, but Marcus held up his hand, said “They are with me” and continued through the doors.

I went through the doors behind him. He went to the throne room, where Fowley was seated. And next to him was…

“Sarah!”

“Reese!” She jumped off her seat and ran to me. She was wearing a white flowing dress made of some kind of material I didn’t recognize. She stood up and kissed me. Then she was promptly smothered in hugs and kisses from the female vampires.

“Where were you, young lady? And why are you wearing this dress?” Mother demanded.

“They made me change into this,” she said, her eyes shining. “They burned my clothes and said that since I’m a fairy, I belong here.”

“Which she does,” Fowley said, standing up from his throne. “Shame, I was looking forward to watching my men take you. Azur in particular was looking forward to having you.”

Sarah looked nervously at a lizard-like man in the corner. He grinned toothily, revealing venom-coated fangs. Sarah gulped. I wrapped my arm around her, ignoring a hiss from Selena.

“You must stay,” Fowley said. “You belong with us.”

“I belong with them,” Sarah said firmly, planting herself next to me. “I don’t need you. Or Marcus. Or Azur.”

Fowley growled, then smiled disturbingly. “Girl, you belong with us.” He stepped forward and grabbed her nose. He tweaked it hard. Blood started pouring out.

I was prepared to spring at him, but before I did, Mother attacked him first. She jumped on him, grabbed him around the neck and started choking him. Azur ran forward and grabbed Mother around the waist.

I jumped on his back and positioned my arms as if to twist his neck. He slowly let go of Mother, who was kicked hard by Fowley in the stomach. She flew back, and then something happened.

Seeing my mother hurt did something to me. I felt searing heat. It began in my chest, then went into my stomach, then into my legs. I felt fur grow. My canines became elongated and sharp. My ears grew large and pointed. My nose turned into a snout. Bones cracked as I grew taller, bigger.

My chest expanded, my stomach tightened. I was turning into a werewolf.

I saw fear in all their faces. Even Fowley, and Azur, who was backing away. My clothes ripped as I grew a tail and my legs became thick, bent trunks. My feet turned into paws, my hands became sharp and furry.

I whined as the transformation completed, and I turned away from Sarah, ashamed.

“Reese?”

I could hear her voice behind me.

“A hybrid,” someone whispered.

“Reese?” she squeaked. I forced myself to relax and I started to deform.

Then Azur grabbed Sarah around the waist and held a knife against her throat.

“I’ll slit her throat!” he threatened in a nasally voice.

I roared, my howls carrying through the cavern. I heard an answering howl, probably from the dog person, but I ignored it. Mother bent down and her fingers reached toward her boot. I heard an arrow being pulled back.

“I’ll shoot him,” Marcus said. Mother froze.

I heard a crash, a resounding cry of “MORE FRIENDS!”

My guard was there, along with Chris, who swiftly broke Azur’s neck. He dropped to the ground like a statue, and I felt the arrow hit my ass. Toby kicked Marcus in the crotch, and then Mother snatched Sarah up and ran like hell.

I followed, another arrow hitting me in the shoulder, then the