Ryleigh's Trials & Tribulations (The Warrior Heart Series Book 2) Page 2
“Yes, there is. Ladies, do you have this?” I asked Ceara and Shira in turn.
“Yes sir,” they said in unison.
“Great, follow me Ryleigh. Behave yourself, Mother!” I shot her a meaningful glance before leading Ryleigh out of the house.
“Okay, what was that all about?” Ryleigh spoke with a chuckle.
“She blames you for my father being killed,” I answered softly.
“Oh, Tristan I am so sorry. I didn’t realize you were still having blowback from that. Is that why you asked Roman and Lincoln to patrol the woods west of Mist Hallow?” I asked him.
“How did you…..?” he started to say but stopped because he knew better than to finish that question.
“Yes, Roman came to Hunter and me and told us. He wanted us to be aware of them since we are his Alphas. Don’t be mad at him. He did what he was supposed to do,” I assured Tristan.
“I know that, but I wanted to take care of this on my own,” Tristan sighed.
“Tristan, this is what the Treaty was signed for, so that neither side had to handle things like this on their own anymore,” I spoke gently. “What I don’t understand is why couldn’t you come to me about it?”
“I didn’t want to worry you, especially when you were so wrapped up in your wedding plans,” was his answer.
“You are still my best friend, and you still matter no matter what!” I said with a punch to his arm. Which he feigned as if it hurt him, causing me to laugh.
Chapter Six
Hunter
When Roman and Lincoln came back without Ryleigh I was more than a bit irate. I had told Roman that I wanted the two of them to go with her, to protect her.
“Roman, what the fuck, man? Where is Ryleigh?” I demanded to know.
“Hunter, she gave us the slip. What did you want us to do?” he responded
“What do you mean she gave you the slip?” I once again demanded. How could one female give two trained trackers the slip? I had to know this.
“Hunter, I have told you before how fast she is in wolf form. Besides, you have first-hand knowledge of this after you saw her transform the first time,” came Lincoln’s response.
I had to shake my head at that one because he was speaking the truth. Ryleigh was a fast one in her wolf form. “So you mean to tell me she outsmarted the two of you,” I said with a huge chuckle.
“No need to rub it in,” Roman said with a growl. He certainly didn’t like being surpassed in anything, especially by a girl.
I couldn’t help but laugh even harder. “I’m not sorry Roman. It’s just so hilarious,” I really couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Hunter I swear I don’t care if you are our Alpha I will not hesitate to hit you if you don’t stop laughing,” came Roman’s curt reply.
His reaction just made me double over laughing even harder. Lincoln was doing his best to hide his laughter behind his hand, but even he was having a hard time choking it back.
This fucking pissed Roman off even more, and he stomped off with a growl under this breath, saying something along the lines, “I will get them, mark my words.”
This made Lincoln and I roar with even more laughter, though Lincoln came to his senses first. “Hunter, we really shouldn’t have made fun of Roman. You did give us an order and Ryleigh did leave both of us in the dust,” he acknowledged.
I quickly became somber, realizing my mistake. “Yes, I know but it was so easy to mess with Roman,” I answered back.
“He takes his responsibility to heart, and he feels like he let you down,” Lincoln replied.
I felt bad now and knew that I could not go through with the punishment that I had threatened them both with, at least not with Roman. “Lincoln, you will have the three weeks of Teen Training, but will you please go and tell Roman to come and see me,” I answered back.
“Yes sir,” Lincoln answered and left to go do as I had asked him to do.
I started walking towards the waterfall, I needed to think of what I was going to say to Roman, one to apologize and two to let him know that he did nothing wrong, that Ryleigh was in the wrong for leaving him behind.
Chapter Seven
Ryleigh
The talk with Tristan went better than I thought it would. I felt bad that he was getting so much backlash from killing his father after he tried to kill me at the battle and then banishing so many others. I was having so much fun spending time with Tristan but knew that I needed to leave and go and spend some time with Violetta as I had promised.
As I made my way through the town that I had once called home, the memories that I had locked away tightly came flooding back. The bakery where Tristan and I would spend countless hours eating sugary sweets as we studied over History or English homework. I found the trail that I would run every morning and sometimes at night when my dad was too drunk to deal with. The fire station where the fire engines came from that fateful night my entire life began to change.
“Ryleigh, you came,” came the shrill voice of Violetta. I had no idea how long I had been standing in front of her house because I was lost in the world of long ago forgotten memories.
I quickly put a smile on my face hoping she wouldn’t see the sadness behind it, “I told your mother I would come if I had time before I had to head back,” I told her.
This seemed to please Violetta and she ran to throw her arms around my waist. I couldn’t disappoint her yet again. The sound of her voice on the phone the last time almost sent me into tears and had me wanting to leave the Pack meeting that I had to run with Hunter, but duty won out.
“Where is everyone?” I asked as I looked around, noticing for the first time how quiet her house and the neighborhood was.
This seemed to sadden her again, as she looked down towards the ground and didn’t answer, so I knelt down and brought her face up so she was looking me in the eyes. “Violetta, you know you can tell me anything, and what you tell me stays between the two of us, right?” I asked her.
Violetta remained silent, the only sound being the whooshing of the wind through the tree branches and the chirps of the few birds left in the area. If I had the time to think about it, I might think it was a bit Twilight Zone-ish or something from Alfred Hitchcock’s book “Birds,” but I didn’t have time to think, only time to react, “Violetta get into the house quickly,” I yelled at her right before I transformed into a wolf, and then calling out for my pack.
Chapter Eight
Moira
I had been at my post for close to twenty-four hours now and was relieved when Davorin came to take my place. I told him who I had let through and that Ryleigh was expected to come by my house before heading back to Silver Lake. When I had finished my paperwork, I told him to have a good shift and set out towards home. It was a quiet night until I got closer to home.
At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at, but then when I saw the flash of silver under the streetlamp and then the growl, I knew a wolf was fighting something and that wolf was Ryleigh. Using my vamp speed, I ran to the house and hit the signal that Tristan had given to use if there was ever any trouble.
The signal was made specifically, so only our Coven of vampires could hear it. I immediately had to cover my ears as an ear-piercing, wailing sound entered my head and wouldn’t stop bringing me to my knees. I felt my daughter’s arms wrap around me in comfort, and her soft voice telling me that everything would be okay.
I couldn’t explain it, but somehow, Violetta was not affected by the signal. The fighting continued in front of me, and all I could do was hope that help would come quickly.
*****
Tristan
I had just reached my Chalet when the emergency signal was set off that I had given to Moira to use as a prototype. Inside I was a proud papa since I had created the system, and all I wanted to do was celebrate, but I knew that something was terribly wrong if she was using it, so I would have to party later.
I took off running at vamp speed in the direction of Moira’s house, knocking on doors and getting help along the way. By the time I reached her street, I had every vampire in our Coven who could fight for us behind me.
“Moira, what’s wrong?” I asked as I reached her side.
“Sir, it’s Ryleigh, she’s fighting someone or something, I don’t know. They were already in battle when I came home,” she responded before she passed out. I wasn’t sure if it was from injury or what.
“Jocasta, please help Moira. Darian, please keep Violetta safe. The rest of you--we have to help Ryleigh. That is our number one priority. The intruder must be captured so we can question him or her. Understood?”
“YES SIR!” came the replies in unison. Everyone ran after me and the battle ensued.
Chapter Nine
Lincoln
I was in wolf form training the teens when I heard Ryleigh’s terrifying call. Ending class quickly, I took off running towards where Hunter and Roman were as fast as I could. Thank the Ancient Ones that they were still in conversation when I skidded to a stop in front of them.
“Lincoln, what is it?” Hunter demanded of me.
*” Ryleigh has called for help. A vampire she does not recognize came into Mist Hallow and attacked her. She is requesting our help immediately, sir,”* I responded to him through wolf communication.
Hunter was now on high alert. “Thank you, Lincoln, Gather all the wolves that you can. We leave at once,” he responded.
I just nodded my head in response and took off running to do his bidding.
*****
Hunter
“I knew she shouldn’t have gone off on her own!” I spoke in exasperation, before taking off running and transforming in the process. Roman followed and did the same.
*” There is no reason to be mad at her now, you can yell at her when this is all over,”* Roman retorted satisfactorily
*” Roman, just because I am mad at her, doesn’t mean you get out of your punishment for losing track of her,”* I came back with my response, looking back at him as we were running towards Mist Hallow. I could have sworn I heard Roman growl at my comment, but he didn’t say another word.
*” Fellas, you can discuss how big your dicks are later, right now we need to get my daughter back safe and sound,”* Sloane broke in and scolded us all.
*****
We reached Mist Hallow all in wolf form and that stupid dick manning the gate was refusing to let us through. I finally transformed back into my human form and explained to him who I was and what we were all here for, and we still weren’t allowed in. “He would have to talk with Tristan before we would be granted access into town, and right now Tristan was busy!” was all we were being told.
“Well no, shit Sherlock, that was why we wanted into town in the first fucking place!” was my response.
“My name is not Sherlock, it’s Davorin, and you still can’t enter Mist Hallow without Tristan’s permission,” came the fucker’s response.
I am seething with anger by now. No one can get ahold of Tristan, because I am sure that Tristan is in the thick of battle by now and this stupid shit has worms for brains, doesn’t know that I am the Co-Alpha who also signed the damn Treaty as well, which gives me the right to come and go as I please!
*” What’s taking so long Hunter? Ryleigh keeps asking where we are?”* came Lincoln’s question in my head.
*” Tell her we are being held up by a numb skull at the town limits and can she get Tristan to give us access?”*” I responded.
*” Right away sir!”* came Lincoln’s reply.
We didn’t have to wait long before the stupid shit came to us with “I’m so sorry sir, you and your party may enter, and please forgive me for keeping you so long,” hell he even bowed to us. I quickly transformed back into my wolf form and off we were running to find Ryleigh and make whoever had attacked her pay for making the biggest mistake of the century.
*****
Ryleigh
When I saw Hunter and the other wolves from my Pack rounding the corner and jumping into the fray, I knew that the battle that had started out as me and the vampire that had come out of nowhere would soon be over. Yes, having Tristan and his vampires there did help, but I was a wolf, and I would always need and want to count on them to help me out.
*” Baby, are you okay?”* Hunter’s soothing voice came into my head asked.
*” Yes, dear, I’m fine. Please focus on the fight at hand,” I told him.
*” Yes, Hunter, focus before you get your head cut off,” came the other wolves in unison.
I had to chuckle, as did he. We both went back to what we were doing. Biting at arms, and heads. Ripping others apart. Working together to make sure we lived and the lonely vampire did not. I was surprised at how strong she was. Wherever she went there were bodies flying, screams, and screeches from the vampires from Tristan’s Coven. Our pack wasn’t much different. She would get her strong arms around a wolf and squeeze, sending howls into the air as she broke the bones in the wolf she was currently trying to kill. Where our eyes met, I could see nothing in them. Yes, they were red, but they were soulless. I kinda felt sad for her because who would want to live with sad, soulless eyes. Hunter and I reached her at the same time and attacked, but once again we were no match for her. She grabbed Hunter by the throat and started squeezing when I went to attack her, she managed to grab me by the throat as well. I could feel my lungs burning as she crushed my throat. When all of a sudden she was hit from behind and she started staggering, but she was still on her feet. Another hit from behind, had her falling to her knees and releasing her grasp on Hunter and me. We both reached for our throats, gasping for air, and then for each other. The third hit had her on the ground incapacitated and able to be tied up for capture.
When Tristan ended the battle, the vampire who attacked me was captured, she was bruised, bloodied, and definitely not talking, but was still alive.
Hunter and I had transformed back into our human form, standing next to him. “Tristan, when do you think we will know why she came into town and attacked Ryleigh in the first place?” Hunter asked him.
“I’m not sure Hunter, but right now I need to make sure she stays alive long enough to tell us anything,” he replied before adding, “Are you alright Ryleigh?”
“Yes, Tristan I am. Ego may be a bit bruised that I couldn’t handle her on my own, but I am fine,” I responded.
“I can shed light on that for you,” he answered.
“She is a new vampire. Her strength is like one hundred times the strength of an older vampire,” he went on to explain.
“Oh,” was all I could say.
“So someone out there is making new vampires?” Hunter asked.
“Either that or someone had a young child come of age,” Tristan explained.
“We better get home and let everyone heal and rest up, the wedding is in a week and we need everyone to help with that,” I suggested trying to change the subject. I was starting to get worried that whoever was out there was going to ruin my wedding.
“Yes of course baby, we should go home. Thanks for your help Tristan in keeping my girl safe!” Hunter replied, shaking Tristan’s hand.
“Anytime Hunter, thanks for keeping my best friend happy,” he replied, in turn, shaking Hunter’s hand back.
“Of course, she is the light of my life, and the reason my world turns!” Hunter said, looking down at me, making me turn and look at our Pack.
“Let’s go home everyone,” I spoke out loud.
“Finally,” someone said from somewhere in the back with a few others chuckling.
Chapter Ten
Blayze
Damn, Tristan and those wolves! They will not win in the end. My army will win and Ryleigh and her pack will no longer exist, and Tristan will be the one paying the price for it all.
“Sir, the female you have sent out has been captured by Tristan and is now
his captive,” Vincent spoke with a bow.
“NO...NO NO NO NO NO NO NO,” I screamed out loud to no one in particular.
“What should we do Sir?” Vincent questioned me, taking a step back at the anger he heard in my voice.
“Who do we have that we can send in to rescue her?” I asked, looking straight at him.
“We have Tao and Booker,” he suggested.
“I am not going to send in two of my best fighters, try again.”
“Then we have Lily and Maryl,” he suggested again.
“Good, send them. Dismissed,” I said and turned my back on him as he scurried away from me to send out my orders.
*****
Hunter
Ryleigh lay sleeping peacefully, and I couldn’t help but watch her. I almost lost her last night and that thought scared me to death. She had become so much a part of my life since she moved in as a foster child of Pam and Roger, and now since I had asked her to marry me. The thought of having to live my life without her in it was unbearable.
“Do you like what you see?” came Ryleigh’s question, pulling me from my musings.
“Yes, I do my love. How did you sleep?” I responded, before giving her a gentle kiss on her luscious lips.
“I slept fine, I guess. I did have a few nightmares, but nothing that a good run in the woods to chase them away wouldn’t cure. Are you up for it?” she responded.
“Sure, but first. What possessed you to lose Roman and Lincoln, and go to Mist Hallow and Tristan by yourself yesterday, especially after knowing I had asked you to take them with you?” I asked her.
She sighed, then turned away from me. “I didn’t want babysitters, Hunter. I am fully capable of taking care of myself. Besides Tristan, would not hurt me, nor allow any of his vampires to hurt me,” she responded.
“Turn over and talk to me. I”m not worried about Tristan or any of his Coven members. The ones I am worried about are the ones out there that we don’t know about. Like what happened last night. I could have lost you last night if you didn’t have time to call out,” I answered back, my terror clear in my voice.