From somewhere in the recesses of her passion addled brain, Kat was suddenly aware of the sound of hoots and hollers coming from somewhere off in the distance - and she felt Luke stiffen. He broke away and glanced over to the group of teens standing by their car.
“That’s it, man! Nail her!” One of the boys yelled, laughing raucously as the others whistled and laughed, giving high fives and the thumbs up as they nudged and smacked each other.
Luke sighed, and leaned his forehead against hers, taking a deep ragged breath. Christ, he was about to take her right there against the car – and there was a part of him that wanted to go and beat the shit out of the teens for interrupting them.
Instead, he shot them a look that quieted them immediately and reached into his pocket - grabbing his keys and unlocking the doors. Taking a step back, he opened the door for Kat - trying desperately to get a grip on himself. His entire body was on fire, and it was entirely too hard to concentrate. He mentally shook himself and took another deep, ragged breath.
Kat slid into the seat without saying a word – although she highly doubted that she would be able to put two coherent thoughts together at the moment. Her heart had jumped to her throat the moment his lips had met hers, and her body was still trembling with a deep, gnawing need. Damn, she thought with a shudder, things were just getting worse and worse.
Chapter 3
Harper Bradford silently climbed the trellis to her bedroom window and quietly slipped inside - praying that her parents wouldn’t realize that she had snuck out.
When she came back home and saw all the lights on in the house, her heart had jumped to her throat – fearing that she had been found out once again- but the silence of the house as she crept inside gave her a strange, deep sense of foreboding. There was not a single noise to be heard – not even the sound of a television or her dad’s snoring - and a shiver ran up her spine. She quietly set her backpack down on the floor and listened for any signs that her parents were still up and waiting - but only an eerie stillness hung in the air and she shivered again. Something was definitely off.
She noticed an envelope with her name on it sitting on her desk and walked over to pick it up - recognizing her mother’s handwriting immediately. Her brows furrowed as she turned the sealed letter over in her hands, wondering just what in the hell it could be. She was about to rip it open when a strange noise caused her to jump.
Not liking the eerie feel to the house, she stuffed the letter into her backpack and crept over to her bedroom door slowly, opening it and peeking out into the hall. Again there was only an intense silence - so she made her way down the hall as quietly as she could and towards her parent’s room.
“Mom? Dad?” she whispered as she stood in front of their door – which was cracked open. She got a sudden whiff of a tinny, coppery smell, and she crinkled her nose in disgust. What the hell?
“Mom?” she called again, and was greeted by a strange gurgling sound. She gathered her courage and slowly pushed open her parent’s door. Her eyes widened in shock when she noticed the wet, red splashes on the walls and carpeting. Blood! “Da…dad?” Harper stammered, afraid to go in – yet more afraid not to.
She glanced around, and her eyes filled with tears when she caught sight of two sets of legs beside the bed, also covered with red splashes. Oh, God no! She silently cried as she made her way over – her entire body shaking with fear.
Her parents lay on the floor, their nightclothes covered in their blood and strange markings carved into their arms and chests. Her father’s hand moved slightly and she again heard that watery, gurgling sound, and realized with horror that it was coming from him. “Daddy?” she sobbed, dropping to her knees beside him. His eyes opened slightly as his lips tried to form words – but his throat had been cut, and Harper knew in an instant that he was drowning in his own blood. “Oh, Daddy,” she stammered; grabbing his hand in hers. “Hold…hold on. I’ll call 911.” The shaking of his head stopped her and he weakly tugged at her hand so that she would lean in closer. She watched as he struggled to make her understand what he was trying to say, and her eyes widened in complete terror a moment later when she realized that he was mouthing the word Run.
As Luke turned into the winding driveway of the Bradford’s home, he suddenly stiffened - his eyes narrowing in concentration as he seemed to search for something. Kat glanced over at him, wondering what had made him suddenly so tense.
“Luke?” she whispered, her own body tightening at his reaction. He remained silent as he pulled up in front of the large house and shut off the engine.
He turned to Kat, his expression somber. “I want you to stay in the car,” he said, his gaze locking with hers - and his expression grim.
“No way,” she protested immediately, her eyes growing wide. “I need to go with you. I…I have to explain to them…”
“Katrina,” Luke replied, his tone low, and deadly serious. “That was not a request. I am telling you to stay in the car.”
“You listen to me, you arrogant…” she snapped, but Luke’s hands on her shoulders stopped her cold as his fingers gripped her tightly.
“Damn it, Katrina!” He barked, his eyes blazing now. “Something is very wrong here. I want you to stay in this damn car until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand me?”
After a long moment; she nodded, her lips trembling as fear began to grip her. If Luke sensed something was off, she was sure as hell certain that there was something indeed wrong. Very wrong. Her biggest problem at the moment was the fact that she didn’t want him to go in alone. She would not be able to handle it if something happened to him. It would be all her fault.
“Luke,” she whispered, wanting so much to beg him not to go, but he just shook his head and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips - and it ripped her heart to shreds.
“Stay.” He said against her mouth, and Kat fought back the tears that were threatening to flow. God, she thought with a shudder; just when in the Hell had she become such an emotional wreck? All this tearing up was definitely not like her.
“Be careful.” She stammered - her eyes imploring him as her lips began to tremble.
Luke kissed her gently again, and gave her a grin. “Aren’t I always?” He got out of the car and cautiously walked toward the front door, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure that she was doing as she was told.
As Luke entered the house, he was instantly hit with the overwhelming scent of blood, and his body immediately went on full alert – his eyes scanning the entryway and adjoining rooms quickly, yet thoroughly – searching for any sign of danger.
He made his way to the stairs and started up – listening for any sound within the silent house. He caught the scent of witch as he climbed the stairs and his anger bubbled up inside him – having the sinking feeling that he was too late.
Kat watched nervously as Luke entered the house, her mouth set in the tight line of fear and grim determination. She waited only a few minutes before quietly opening the door and sliding out – following him.
When she walked through the door, she searched the area – looking for the headstrong Were - but he was nowhere to be found.
She walked into the sitting room, glancing around at the various pictures and knickknacks that filled the space - mapping out the Bradford’s happy life - when her eyes fell upon a picture of what had to be of Harper and her parents. Kat gently lifted the frame and studied the photo of the smiling family in fascination.
Harper was not at all what Kat would have thought. Her waist length hair was dyed as black as Luke’s, and her eyes were outlined with dark liner. Her lips were painted blood-red in typical Goth fashion – yet she smiled happily in the picture, and Kat realized with a start that her eyes were exactly like hers. They were the same large, hazel eyes that Kat had. She felt a tug at her heart when she noticed the similarity. This was her sister, and the resemblance between the two of them was startling.
Kat’s head snapped up and she glanced at the cei
ling when she heard movement, and realized that Luke must have gone upstairs.
For some unknown reason – maybe it was the need to have something of her sister; Kat turned the frame over and quickly opened up the back - pulling the photo from it and jamming it into the back pocket of her jeans. She turned to head upstairs when an envelope sitting on a coffee table caught her eye. It had her name written on the front in a smooth, feminine handwriting, and Kat slowly walked over and picked it up – noticing that her hand shook.
As soon as Luke stepped in front of the Bradford’s bedroom door, he was assaulted with the overwhelming scent of death. He stepped through the doorway and took in the blood-splattered walls.
“Holy Christ,” he growled as he walked over to the two bodies lying on the floor. He leaned down to check for any signs of life, and felt his gut wrench when he found that there was none. Shit! He silently seethed – realizing that these assholes were definitely playing for keeps. He studied the strange markings on the couple’s bodies a moment before straightening up, grabbing the comforter off of the bed and covering them.
He turned and left the room, needing desperately to find Harper’s bedroom and see if she had befallen the same fate. And the thought that she had tugged at something deep inside him at the pain he knew it would cause Kat.
It didn’t take him long to find her empty room, and he felt a slight rush of relief when he saw her open window. Praying that she had gotten out, he grabbed a discarded t-shirt from the floor and headed back downstairs.
Kat was just about to rip open the letter, when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She gasped as she shoved the envelope into the pocket with the picture, and walked slowly to the entranceway. Her heart beating in her chest so hard she feared it would explode.
Luke was halfway down the stairs when he first smelled, then saw Kat standing there – watching him with wide and frightened eyes.
“Damn it!” He growled, picking up his pace and storming over to her. Without saying another word, he swept her up in his arms and carried her out of the house and to the waiting car. He opened the door and dumped her onto the seat, tossing the t-shirt he had taken onto her lap. He dashed around the front of the SUV and hopped in – his face a mask of anger.
“Luke…” Kat whispered, so softly that she wasn’t even sure that he would hear her, and reached over to lay her hand on his arm. He flinched slightly from the contact and shot her a look that said he was not about to discuss anything with her at that particular moment in time, and started the car. He slammed it into drive and tore out of the driveway – spewing gravel in his wake.
After about ten minutes of gut-wrenching silence – Luke took a deep, calming breath and glanced at her. “Why do you insist on defying me every damn second of the day?” He asked, a muscle in his jaw twitching dangerously.
“I…I…” Kat stuttered, at a complete loss for words. How could she tell him that she was terrified of him being hurt – or worse yet, killed because of her? That the thought of losing him was like a knife to her soul? Instead, she clamped her mouth shut and stared down at her hands.
“They’re dead.” Luke said quietly after a long pause, and Kat’s head snapped up.
“Har…Harper?” Kat whispered in disbelief, as her heart clenched in fear.
“I don’t think so,” Luke answered, and reached over to grasp her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Her bedroom window was open,” he said softly. He brought the hand that he held to his lips and gently kissed her palm. “I believe that she got out, red.”
“What happened?” Kat asked, not sure that she even wanted to know. This all just brought the fact that these people were playing a permanent and serious game home - and she needed to get Luke out of the line of fire before it was too late.
“You don’t want to know. Just trust me when I say; it wasn’t pretty.”
“What do we do now?” she asked, then suddenly remembered the letter. She pulled her hand from his grasp and twisted in the seat, pulling the envelope from her pocket. She sat there quietly and stared at it – turning it over and over in her trembling hands.
“What is that?” Luke asked, glancing down in curiosity.
“It was sitting on a table,” she explained softly, part of her afraid of what it might hold. “It was addressed to me.”
“Go ahead and open it,” he urged, and Kat hit the overhead light and tore it open – her damn hands still shaking.
Katrina,
It seems so strange for me to be writing this letter after so many years, but I fear that Jack and I won’t be here when you come to pick up Harper. I am frightened of what will happen to her without your help. Please know that we loved your sister with all of our hearts and gave her the best life that we could. We met your mother so many years ago, and were more than happy to bring Harper into our family, but I must warn you. Things are not what they seem to be. Be careful, and please protect your sister. She is so very special and although she did not know that Jack and I were not her real parents, she does know what she is. I have tried very hard to teach her to use her powers for the light, but there are those that wish to urge her to a very dark and dangerous world, and she must be protected. You must both be protected. I have instructed Harper that if anything were to happen to us that she is to try and find your mother. Thomas Kern, who I believe you know, should be able to help you with this. I have not heard from him in almost a year, but if you go to the club Masquerade in town, the bartender there can help. I only urge you to be careful of what you tell these people. Katrina, I am not certain who can be trusted.
Thank you for protecting our baby, and I beg you to keep your heart pure and watch those around you. This is so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. I cannot implore you enough to keep yourself and your sister safe.
Bless you, Katrina
Constance
Kat folded the letter, and looked at Luke - her overwhelming sense of dread growing as she looked into his perfect amber eyes. This man was in serious danger because of her, and the guilt of that was eating away at her – making her feel sick.
“What now?” she asked, her voice a hoarse, shaky whisper.
“We go get your sister,” he replied, a small smile touching his lips. “Haven’t you been listening?”
Kat’s mouth turned down in a frown. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better, but the reality of it was that she needed to get away from him at the first possible opportunity – and that reality just sucked out loud.
Harper ran blindly through the woods – tripping every so often on a stray root, and cursing loudly. Her vision was blurred with her tears and she could feel the branches slapping at her face – but she didn’t care. In fact, she thought with a sob – she relished the pain. It masked the harsh stabbing hurt in her chest.
She skidded to a stop as the lights from the city broke through the darkness of the trees.
Harper slowly made her way to the all-night diner on the corner of Third and Maple – hesitating a moment outside of the door – wondering if she should go in. She glanced down at her watch and realized with a start that it was close to midnight. Deciding that she needed to gather her wits, she wiped her face with the backs of her hands and pulled open the door.
Luckily, the diner was near empty as Harper slowly made her way inside and slid into a back booth. The older waitress came over, eyeing her up and down a moment before setting a menu in front of her.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked, her mouth set in a tight line that Harper was quite use to because of her choice of dress. It didn’t matter that she was a good person – her choice of clothing always caused the stares and whispers.
“Coffee, please.” Harper croaked in reply, her lips trembling. No! She silently screamed, she couldn’t cry anymore! She had to be strong and try to figure this entire fiasco out.
The waitress nodded and turned away, only to return a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee. She set the mug down in
front of Harper and studied her a moment, finally giving her a small smile. “There you go, honey. Did you want to order something to eat?”
Harper’s eyes glistened slightly as she shook her head. “No, just the coffee thanks.”
The woman gave her a sympathetic look, and Harper realized that she probably thought she was a runaway, and her eyes welled with tears once again. No, she thought sadly. She wasn’t a runaway – she was an orphan.
She waited until the woman walked away, before turning and opening her backpack - taking the letter her mother had left her out and holding it in her trembling hands. She chewed at her bottom lip as she tried to garner the strength to open it. After several, long, agonizing moments – she took a deep, steadying breath and tore the envelope open.
Harper,
My darling, baby girl. First and foremost, I need you to know that your father and I love you with all of our hearts. You have been such a blessing to us, and this is the hardest letter that I have ever had to write. Honey, things are happening around us that will forever change our lives. This is so hard for me, but you need to know that we are not your biological parents. You were sent to us when you were just a baby and we love you as much as if you were born to us. Please know that. I fear that your father and I will not make it through this, so I need you to pay close attention to what I am about to tell you. You need to find Elaine Winslow. She is your biological mother, and will be able to give you the answers you need. I have not spoken to Elaine since the day she brought you to us, but I have tried to keep abreast of the happenings in the Coven. You need to find Thomas Kerns. He makes it a point of keeping up with the people you need to seek out. Go to Masquerade in town and speak to the bartender there. She will hopefully be able to help you. Please, my darling girl; be careful and stay as pure and loving as you are. Always remember that your father and I love you. We have always loved you. You are a beautiful and special girl that I know will stay true and faithful to what we have taught you. I have given you enough money to help you on your way. Be safe and please watch who you trust. We love you Harper, so very much, and will always be with you.