Sam, Lex, Remi

An enormous wolf tore through my mother’s neck as my uncle lay bleeding on the grass near the motor home. I heard a voice screaming but I couldn’t tell if it was my voice or Lexi’s. I felt my legs moving I felt my hands grabbing fur and pulling. Then the wolf turned on us biting at my arm and then releasing me abruptly as it lunged at Lexi, trapping her and biting her shoulder. And then I felt something pinching my arm painfully, but it was a familiar discomfort.

Jolting awake, I looked around to find myself sitting, chained to a chair with a needle jabbed into my arm as my blood dripped into a clear bag. I struggled to move but my legs were bound and the movement made me feel lightheaded.

Lexi sat unconscious in a chair across from me bound and having her blood drawn as well. I was able to turn my head a little to see where we were. Some kind of cage or prison cell, with bars on all sides. “Lexi?” I called out trying to wake her. She rustled a little, “Lex?” I called out a little louder, wary of alerting our kidnappers we were awake.

Lex’s long brown hair flopped in her eyes as she shook her head. “Star?”

“I’m here.” I reassured her as she opened her eyes and tried to shake her hair out of her face.

“Where? I had this awful…You’re mom, and my…dad.”

I sighed, my memories were coming back and I was pretty sure it wasn’t a dream. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

She looked at me blankly for a minute before tears welled in her eyes, “Dad? Aunt Tess?”

I shook my head no; refusing to feel anything that would make this any harder on my best friend, cousin, and for all practical purposes, my sister. She’s an empath and feels intensely the emotions of others, especially me because we’re related and so close emotionally. But over the years I’ve been able to teach myself how to put my feelings on lockdown until I can be alone so that she doesn’t have to be burdened with mine like she has to be by everyone else’s.

“No!” She sobbed, pulling on her restraints which had to hurt because mine felt like they were burning into my skin.

I let her cry and tried to focus on where the hell we were. We’d been kidnapped I was sure of that, but I wanted to know how long they’d been holding us. I strained my head to check on the bicep which I remembered the wolf tearing apart. My shirt was ripped and there was dried blood, but I didn’t see a cut. It was completely healed, not even a scab, or scar. That was impossible…unless. “Lexi, where did the wolf bite you?”

“What?” she sobbed.

“Where did it bite you,” I repeated, slower this time.

“Um,” she sniffed and turned her neck so she could see her shoulder, “right here…but…it’s gone.”

Just like mine, her shirt was torn and bloody, but the skin was unmarred. “The wolf, did he look bigger than a normal wolf to you?”

“How should I know?” Lexi sounded irritated.

“Just think back.” I pleaded.

“I don’t want to remember Starrla.” She responded forcefully.

I sighed, frustrated until I realized how much harder their deaths had been for her. She would have had to feel them die. “Sorry.” I said sincerely. “I think that the wolf might have been a werewolf.”

“What? You mean like the people Grandpa Tempest takes care of?”

Our unofficial Grandpa, Tempest Old Cougar is a shapeshifter who owns a great deal of property in the Skokomish Valley area of Shelton Washington. We grew up right down the street from him and he used to let us ride his horses. We moved when I was seven and Lex was six, but I still remembered seeing the large wolves roaming around his property, especially on the full moon.

“I think so. It looked bigger, and think about it, we’ve been camping at Sun Lakes since we were kids and we’ve never heard about any wolf attacks.”

“Why? Why would a werewolf attack us?”

“Why would someone want our blood?” I responded purposefully hinting at an old warning our real Grandma had given us.

“Vampires,” she whispered, horrified.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” a loud masculine rang out, and we both jerked our heads toward it.

I sucked in a breath as I recognized the tall man with the dark brown hair who stood outside our prison cell smiling as if he was proud of his accomplishment. I tried not to let the hurt seep out of the barrier I’d created to lock my emotions behind, but a quick glance at Lexi confirmed my fears that she had noticed the betrayal I was feeling.

“And I thought Nephi’s were a dying race, but I’ve been graced with the good luck to have two,” he held up his fingers to emphasize his point. “Nephi’s to just fall into my lap.”

I seriously doubted that. They’d probably been tracking us.

“Who are you?” Lexi sneered. She still had wet tears on her cheeks but she sounded powerful, as if nothing could hold her back from ripping off the chains and lunging at the man. She must have channeling Remi’s strength.

“Me?” he smiled as if he wasn’t expecting that question, but I knew that Lex wanted to know why this man made me feel betrayed. “ I am Rennick.” The man answered, giving a name I’d never heard. I’d only known him as Remi, so naturally, I’d assumed that was his real name. But like everything else it must have been a lie. “And you are Alexandria Hard, and this must be Starrla Russell,” he said as he nodded in my direction.

I felt my chest constrict as his dark eyes made contact with mine. Could this really be the same man I’ve been dreaming about since I turned sixteen? In all my dreams we’d been happily married. Maybe he had a twin, but I highly doubted it. He looked too much like my Remi to be anything but the real deal. But what is he doing working with vampires?

“So you’re stealing our blood so you can use our abilities?” Lexi clarified.

Remi, or Rennick as he claimed, unlocked the door to our cell and walked in. “Something like that,” he answered as he bent down to check the bags which were now full of blood and removed Lexi’s needle. She didn’t flinch at all which should have been surprising, since she hates needles, and has actually fainted rather than get her blood drawn. But she was channeling mister big shot, and I doubted he had a fear of needles.

He lifted up the bag of Lexi’s blood to his nose and inhaled. I couldn’t help but make a grossed out face. What is he doing?

“I can’t wait to test this,” he said with a smile that revealed two fangs poking out from his mouth. What the hell is going on? I didn’t understand. The Remi I saw in my dreams wasn’t a vampire, at least, not that I saw. He moved over to my side and took out my needle. “That should be enough for now.”

“How much have you taken?” Lexi’s question had him turning his head away from me which I was relieved about.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Werewolves have a knack for healing quickly, even from blood loss.”

“You sent the wolf to kill our parents and turn us?” She phrased it as a question but we both knew the answer.

“I think you mean compelled, but yes I did send him to turn you. Your parents, well that particular wolf has developed a taste for blood and since he could hurt you two anymore than was necessary for the change, he –”

“Used our parents for chew toys.” Lexi finished, vehemently.

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. “It was unfortunate, and I do apologize.”

It was my turn to be outraged, “You apologize,” I spit out. “You apologize? This wasn’t a fender bender, you don’t get to just apologize and move on.” I struggled against the chains but they just dug in deeper. I wanted to slap that smug look off his face. “You killed our parents. We had to watch them die. Lexi had to feel that animal of yours rip off their necks.” I caught my breath, “But oh, you’re sorry, so we should just forgive you right? You fucking bastard. If I you ever unchain I will show you what it’s like to really be sorry.”

“As I said it was an unfortunate incident.” And with that he turned and walked out.

“What was that about?” Lexi asked after he’d shut the door. Obviously forgetting that vampires have super hearing.

“What?” I unsuccessfully feigned ignorance.

“C’mon, you know I felt that.” Lexi responded, with a concerned look. I took a deep breath and I tried to shove all my feeling back behind the wall. “Don’t shut me out.”

I shook my head and decided to settle for a compromise. I couldn’t risk that vampire hearing the truth that I’d been dreaming about him for almost ten years. “It was nothing, he just looked a lot like that guy I had dreams about.” I used my eyes to tell her not to ask me to elaborate.

“Remi?” She asked ignoring my eye-talk. I glared but didn’t answer. “Looked a lot like? Or looked like?” She questioned.

“Hey Lex? Did you know that vampires can hear really well, even through walls. I mean I bet that if a vampire were on the top of the space needle he could still hear what I said, even if I whispered, down at the bottom. What do you think?”

Finally realization dawned in her eyes. “Oh…yeah.”

I gave her a look that said duh.

“So that must have been weird. Seeing his look alike at a time like this.” Lexi commented.

“Yup.” I answered nonchalantly. “But on to other things. They’re stealing our blood which means that they’ll be able to use our abilities.”

“And they turned us into werewolves so we wouldn’t run out of blood. How screwed up is that?”

I shook my head in disgust. “Sounds like everything Grandma warned us about, but what do we do.”

“I have an idea.”

I raised my eyebrows, curious. “Don’t tell me, they might hear it. I’ll just have to trust you.”

Lexi smiled, “I really hope they put that werewolf in here with us, because I’d love to spend some quality time with him.”

“Or her.” I reminded her.

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t deserve to live.”

“Lex, you heard that vampire, he compelled the werewolf.”

“Not to kill our parents he didn’t, just to turn us.” Lexi clarified angrily.

“Don’t you get it? They’ve probably been using that wolf for all sorts of things, unimaginable things. It’s just like a dog who people use in dog fights, after a while most dogs turn mean. It’s a survival technique.”

“Are you saying it didn’t have a choice?” Lexi asked, turning her anger on me.

“No,” I sighed “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that I think more of the blame lays on the vampire than on his puppet.”

Lexi chewed on her lip as she considered what I said and then nodded. “Fine. I can deal with that, but I still think that werewolf needs to be put to sleep.”

“Agreed.”

“So what do we do now?” Lexi asked.

“We wait and hope they give us an opportunity.”

“Sounds boring.”

Since I was sure neither of us wanted to talk about anything that had happened in the last 24 hours, or any memories that would cause us to break down, I thought up something else to keep us busy. “Brad Pitt or Ian Somerholder?”

“Ian.” She answered without skipping a beat. We used to play this game on long road trips when our parents were listening to boring talk radio.

“Eminem or 50 cent?”

She smiles, “Eminem.”

I pause for a moment to think of another, “Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake?”

“Justin.”

“California or Florida?”

“Florida.”

“Pecs or abs?”

“Isn’t it a package deal?” She complained and I responded by glaring to remind her that she has to pick one, “Fine,” she whined, “pecs.”

“Blue eyes or brown?”

“Blue.”

“Wet or dry?”

“Wet.”

“Ocean or pool?”

“Pool.”

We went on like that for an hour or so; taking turns until we ran out of questions and sat in silence.





Chapter Two:

The door to the room we were in opened and we both turned our heads as Remi, I mean Rennick walked in looking agitated. I couldn’t help but feel pleased at whatever had pissed him off. The gate to our cell clanged as he unlocked it and walked in and proceeded to stare me down.

“He’s confused.” Lexi explained causing Rennick to whip around and face her, looking thoroughly pissed off.

“Have at it,” Lexi goaded him. “Just take these chains off so it could be a fair fight.”

That was a death wish if I ever heard one. Grandpa Tempest told us a story about two of his wolves who got in a fight with a vampire and it took him three months to find all their pieces.

“No, Lexi leave him alone. You’re not that strong. Who knows how much blood he took.”

“You should listen to your friend.” Rennick said to Lexi.

“Cousin,” Lexi corrected. “And don’t you worry about me I can take care of myself just fine.”

I saw him shake his head at Lexi and then he turned back to me. “Would you like to explain why I just had a very disconcerting dream about you.”

“Me?” I’d put my emotions on lockdown mode since the second he walked in and he wasn’t getting past my defenses. “Well let’s see I’m not a dream therapist, but if you want I can take a guess. Maybe you grew a conscience and were feeling guilty.”

He clenched his teeth and looked frustrated, “It wasn’t that kind of dream.”

I shrugged, “Well then call your psychiatrist. How the hell should I know why you had a dream about a person who’s life you just ruined. But I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t have anymore because it’s definitely creepy.”

“I can tell you why you had the dream about her.” Lexi spoke up and I choked on my own saliva. What the hell is she doing? “I just need you to give me your hand.” What kind of game was she playing?

He turned away from me to face her. “And what will me giving you my hand do exactly?”

“I need skin to skin contact for my ability to work. I can see into the past, even your dream, and then I’ll be able to tell you if it meant something.” Lexi sounded very sure of herself but I couldn’t see how feeling his emotions could help us.

“And why should I trust you?” He demanded.

“Simple,” I heard the smile in her voice. “You shouldn’t, but if your want my help that’s just the way my ability works. Your choice.”

I say his hand run through his hair and then heard him let out an exasperated breath. I tried not to think what he could have dreamt about me that would have him so flustered. “I’m not removing the chains.”

“That’s fine with me,” Lexi responded. He knelt down behind her chair and I felt my heart speed up in anticipation and curiosity. “Just grab my hand.” Lexi directed him.

And then it began. I watched in shock as his skin was torn from his flesh. Deep bite and scratch marks appeared all over his chest but his neck was bleeding the most as if something invisible was trying to tear it off. I could see the pain written all over his face but he didn’t scream or pull away, maybe he couldn’t.

I wasn’t sure how she was doing what she was doing but I was sure she was killing him. A small part of me felt pity for the man I dreamed about, but the rest of me wanted to watch him suffer like I’d had to watch my mother and uncle die.

His neck was barely hanging on by a thread and I could see his body trying, but failing to heal from all the attacks she was somehow channeling into him. It was the exact same way our parents had died, their throats ripped out.

Before whatever it was that was gnawing on him could finish the deed, a group of people burst into the room, opened the gate, and dragged Rennick’s body out of our cell. I caught a few fearful glances but most of them had their fangs out and looked ready for a fight, even if they didn’t know what they were fighting.

Lexi sagged against her chair. “Lex? Lexi? Stay with me. I don’t know what the hell you just did but you really kicked his ass.” She managed to smile a little. “My mom and your dad would be proud of you standing up to him like that. He’ll definitely think twice before he comes in here again. What did you do?”

“I…” she was out of breath. “I made him feel everything we felt and everything they felt when that wolf,” she took a shaky breath and I could tell she was trying not to cry, “when he killed them.”

“It was amazing. I never knew you could do that. How did you…how did you know you could do that?” I asked, still shocked

She laughed a little, “Sex.”

“What?” I asked confused at how sex taught her how to do whatever it was she did to Rennick.

She laughed again, “I, um, I sometimes try and show my boyfriends how a girl orgasm feels.”

“You can do that?” I gaped. “No wonder you’ve had so many boyfriends, they probably all tell their friends that sex with you is like the most amazing sex in the world.”

She kept laughing, “Yeah, probably. But at least now I could finally use my powers for good instead of evil.”

“You definitely did. And we learned that there’s a hell of a lot more vamps here then just one vampire and a werewolf.”

“Yeah I kinda wish I didn’t know that.” Lexi said, straightening in the chair.

“Feel better?”

“Actually, yeah I do, which is weird, because something like that should have knocked me out.”

“Maybe you’re finally experiencing a perk of being a being a werewolf.”

“Speaking of, can we shift?”

I shrugged, “No clue, but even if we could, would we even know how?”

“Yeah,” Lexi sighed, “You’re rig –”

Before she could finish the group of vampires stormed back into the room, unlocked the gate, and had me unchained me in less than five seconds flat. I was still trying to figure out what had happened as they dragged me from the room. “Lexi?” I called out.

“Star, I think they are follow –” I couldn’t hear the rest of what she said because I was already being dragged into an elevator.

I glanced around and the group that had taken me. The two holding my arms, were wearing gloves and long sleeves, probably since Lexi’s ability had needed skin to skin contact. All but one was male. The female vamp had orange hair and didn’t look much older than me, but, of course, since vamps don’t age that could make her anywhere for actually twenty-five or 2000 years old. I decided to keep my mouth shut for the time being, since none of them looked particularly friendly or talkative.

The elevator came to a stop at floor number eleven and I was led to a door. The female vamp knocked and then stepped back into the group. When the door opened I was face to face with Rennick The Terrible.

“Leave her.” He commanded and the two who were holding my arms let go and joined the rest of the group in the elevator which promptly closed.

I raised my eyebrows, “So you have minions?”

He didn’t answer, just did his creepy stare down thing again before stepping aside and gesturing with his hand for me to come in. I didn’t move. The last thing I wanted was to be in a room with him. It was just too weird.

He must have sensed that I didn’t want to walk in, because he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me forcefully inside. “Aren’t you just a gentlemen.” I commented dryly as I surveyed the room. To my left there looked like a kitchen area with counters and a large bay window that looked out on what looked like the ocean. To my right was a door that was closed and in front of me was a sitting area complete with a mantle and a fireplace. “Cozy.” I murmured under my breath.

“It can be.” He responded as if I had spoken it in normal tones.

“So cut to the chase, why did you bring me up here? Hope I can be your dream therapist again?” I goaded him.

“Actually,” he led me towards one of the couched and pushed me down onto very soft black sofa while he sat in a recliner across from me. “That’s exactly what I was hoping, except for this time I want a little more truth and a lot less agonizing death.” He intertwined his fingers and managed to look completely relaxed making me wish for once in my life I had Lexi’s gift of feeling people’s emotions.

“I’m not sure why you care about a dream, everybody dreams.” I reminded him.

“Humor me.” He responded.

“Well,” I sighed, not in the mood to hear about his stupid dream, “I’d have to know a little more about this dream of your to even begin to guess why you had it or what it was about.”

“You were in it.” He explained.

“Yeah you mentioned that. Dare I ask what I was doing, or was it some sick fantasy of yours.” I said putting a bite in my words.

“Depends on your idea of a sick fantasy. We were in bed,” My chest tightened. “together,” he emphasized and my palms began to sweat “and we were happy. Actually I think I made a joke and you laughed. And I noticed a ring on your finger.

“Stop you’re going to make me vomit.” I was feeling nauseous. “So you’re delusional. What’s that got to do with me.”

His eyes narrowed and I felt him studying me. “I’m not sure yet.”

I rolled by eyes. I was so sick of the mind games, being held prisoner, and this guy. He was supposed to be the guy I end up with. I barely dated in high school or college because of those dreams, and even when I did date it was pretty tame. Come to find out that he’s a murderous blood sucking asshole. “Well if you ask me your dream was just a bunch of BS. Maybe you’re one of those broody vampires who wishes he was nice and could settle down someday so you had a dream about some prisoner of yours and then you woke up hoping I have Stockholm Syndrome.”

“Really?”

“Yes really.” I shot back in a mocking tone.

“Well then does it strike you as strange that I would have a dream when vampires in fact do not dream and I have not had a dream since I was turned into a vampire?”

Well that certainly caught me off guard, “You don’t…”

“Never,” He answered my half finished question. I chewed on my cheek, unsure of what to do now. “So now I have to ask you, what is your ability?”

“My…ability?” I definitely didn’t want to answer that.

“Yes, what is it?” He asked again, sounding more impatient.

“It’s personal.” I answered.

He smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant one, it was the kind of smile that tells you he’s done bad stuff when not taken seriously. I shivered a little bit. “I can compel you to answer me, would that be easier, but I don’t see why you can’t tell me yourself unless you’re trying to hide something.”

Well that was the last thing I needed, him thinking I was hiding something, then he’d never let it go. “Fine I’m a precog.”

“You have visions or dreams of the future?” He asked.

I nodded, “But most of the time I just have regular dreams. That’s the thing it’s hard to tell a regular dream from a precog dream unless you’ve had them for a while.”

“Considering the fact that I haven’t had a dream in 900 years I’m going to take a stab in the dark and assume the only dreams I’ll have when I drink your blood are precognizant ones.”

“Are you seriously coming on to me after you’ve killed my mom and uncle, kidnapped me and my cousin, and stolen my blood?” I raised my eyebrows. “Because that is just all kind of messed up.”

“I am not coming on to you I am merely trying to make sense of a strange dream.”

“Well here’s another nifty tidbit about my dreams, you can change them,” actually it was more like I can change a few, very inconsequential dreams. Such as being late for my psychology midterm in college or my personal favorite Danny Barnes breaking up with me the night before Valentine’s Day and leaving me stranded in downtown Seattle with no car and no change for the bus. “So, is that it, because I don’t think either of us should worry about you and I ending up together. It’s a non issue.”

“Are you worried?” He asked leaning in closer to me and causing me to mold myself to the back of the couch to get away from him.

“Why would I be worried?” I countered.

“Oh I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Maybe because you’re being held hostage by a evil vampire who’s having dreaming about you and who plans to hand you off to his sire who will use you and your cousin as her own personal blood bank for as long as she lives.”

My stomach turned, but I refused to let him see me falter, “Well I can always hope some kindly vampire takes pity on me and puts me out of my misery before then. Maybe even you, I mean it is the kind thing to do right? Mercy killing and all.”

He tilted his head, “So you want to die?”

“Well if my option is live as a blood bag for the rest of my life or death I pick deat,’ I explained.

“What about your cousin?”

“She’d definitely pick death.” I spoke with sincerity. “But enough of all this bull shit.” I sighed. “You’re not going to kill me because you’re an obedient evil vampire and you wouldn’t want to upset your maker.”

“You know what,” he smiled again, making me nervous because he was still way to close for comfort. “I’m curious about what you dream about.”

“Horses, flying, oh and now thanks to you my mom and uncle dying right before my eyes, but that falls into the nightmare category, right?”

For a second I almost though I saw a flash of remorse in his dark brown eyes but then he blinked and it was gone. “You’re good.”

“Thanks,” I plastered on a fake smile, “at what?”

“At choosing your words carefully and keeping your real thoughts buried. You’re very good. You’d make an excellent vampire, except that you’re a little whiney.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer, I slapped him right across the face, which, now being a werewolf, was considerably harder than usual. His cheek went red from the slap, but he didn’t budge.

He stared straight into my eyes and his dark brown eyes lit up making them look more like honey and less like coal, I couldn’t look away, “Have you had any dream about me Starrla Russell?” he asked.

“Yes.” I heard myself answer without restraint.

“What do you dream about me?”

His eyes were so bright and warm, I just wanted to tell him all my secrets and do anything he said. “Sometimes we’re walking and you’re holding my hand, and then you kiss it, right on my ring. I like that one,” I smiled. “Other dreams we’re in bed and you’re shirt is off. You’re very tan and you have big muscles.” I reached out to touch his chest, but he grabbed my hand.

“Any other dreams?”

“Lots. I’ve been dreaming about you since I was sixteen.” I answered.

“And in them are we always happy and married?” he asked and I nodded but then remembered that there was one that I wasn’t exactly happy the whole time and then shook my head. “We’re not always happy? He asked.

“In one I’m screaming at you and I call you names like a stupid fucking bastard.”

“Really, why?”

“Yes, it’s because I’m in labor and it’s very painful and you’re yelling that I should have had an epidural and I’m yelling that I can take it. But in the end we’re both happy again.”

“Thank you Starrla.” His eyes lost their warmth and he looked a little worried.

Realizing what I’d just told him and what he must have done to make me tell him I started punching his chest. “Who the hell do you think you are using your mind control hypnosis crap on me?”

“Is that supposed to hurt?”

I ignored him and just punched harder, ignoring the pain in my fists as the bones broke and tried to mend as I kept on punching.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he said in a surprising compassionate voice as he covered my fists with his large hands and held them away from his chest. I couldn’t move them no matter how hard I struggled.

“What now you’re going to try and play the nice guy routine? Sorry, too little too late. I’m not buying it. Just because you compelled me into telling you some dreams I had about you –”

“According to you,” he interrupted, “you’ve had quite a few dreams about me.”

“Do you honestly think those dreams mean anything now?” I stared at him incredulously, “I couldn’t even like you if I wanted to. You’re a monster. An awful murdering monster and I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on the planet. Hell I’d rather spend my whole life alone than even be with you. So trust me when I saw that those dreams of mine and that dream you had, aren’t coming true.”