Shifters Rule (Rule Series) (29 page)

Was the light there for him?

Part of him hoped so.
 
Nothing had felt this incredible, not even Silver’s touch.
 
If it was preparing to take him, he was ready to go, willing in every way.

One last hard jerk and
Jersey
’s soul came out clean.
 
It was over.
 
Jersey
’s soul flew backwards, sucked in by the light.
 
Jersey
’s body crumpled.
 
He hit the ground with a heavy thump.
 
It was finally over.

They’d won.
 
Although earlier in the day he’d thought this moment would come with great jubilation, he didn’t feel like celebrating.
 
He had been forced to kill someone he had liked, someone he had pitied, someone (his brother) he had loved at one time.
 
Now what?
 
Should he jump for joy?
 
He turned to look at Silver.

She leaped into his arms.
 
They hugged each other with a fierce possessiveness and desperation sprung from the knowledge they’d almost lost each other.
 
He kissed the side of her head.
 
His fingers tightened on her back.
 
Ecstasy sang in his veins.
 
It was over, and they’d actually won.

Sharp pain pierced Jack through the chest.
 
Silver screamed again and again.
 
He glanced down, saw the tip of the sword jutting from a tear in his shirt.
 
It vanished as Billy removed it.
 
Blood gushed from the open wound.
 
He tried to turn, tried to look at Billy as he fell.

Billy wore a triumphant grin, but his joy only for a second.
 
Because
Jersey
was dead, the great release took place and werewolves everywhere returned to their normal, human state, everyone including Billy.
 
The power of the werewolf left Billy’s body like a dark cloud.
 
His eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell.

The Creed brothers hit the grass at the same time, lying side by side as they had so many times as children.
 
A million memories zipped through Jack’s mind.
 
Some happy and some sad.
 
He relived them in a flash.
 
It left him feeling worn out, yet oddly comforted.

Billy rolled over and came up on his knees almost instantly.
 
He hovered over Jack.
 
Tears trailed down Billy’s cheeks.
 
“I am sorry.
 
I am so sorry.
 
I didn’t mean to do it.
 
It happened so fast.
 
Just hold on.
 
Okay?
 
I’m going to take care of you.
 
You’re going to be all right.”

Jack mumbled, “No worries.”

The pain was already gone, replaced by a sweet feeling of euphoria.
 
He was dying.
 
This time he would find peace.
 
Although he would miss Silver and his brother, he was glad it was finally over.
 
No more fighting.
 
No more talk of destiny.
 
He was going to live in the golden light, free from self-doubt and pain.
 
Maybe his parents would be waiting for him on the other side.
 
Even though he hadn’t married Silver after killing
Jersey
, he felt the curse was over.

Maybe the dream wedding counted despite Lovely’s warnings.

Billy removed his own shirt, wadded it up, and pressed it against Jack’s flowing wound.

Silver crawled over to them.
 
Tears fell from her eyes and landed on Jack’s face.
 
She shouted, “Give me a knife!
 
I’ll cut myself, spill some... of my blood on Jack’s wound, and he’ll... be okay.”

Billy handed her a knife, his fingers shaking.

She cut herself and bled on the wound.
 
Jack knew it wasn’t going to work.
 
There wasn’t a surge of power, nothing.
 
The sword had gone through his heart.
 
A normal mortal would have been dead already.
 
He was dying slower, probably because of residual healing powers.
 
Not even he could heal from this.
 
All of his dreams burned to ashes.
 
With his last minute or two—whatever time he had left—he was going to make things right for Silver and Billy.
 
Somehow he had to help them accept his death.

“I’ve been living on borrowed time since the werewolf attack last year.
 
It’s okay.
 
It doesn’t hurt.
 
I’m ready for this.”
 
He frowned and turned his head to look at the place
Jersey
had been moments ago.
 
“Did you see the light?”

She returned his frown.
 
“What light?”

Maybe he’d seen it because he was about to die.
 

Jack heard a strange noise and realized Billy was sobbing in the background.
 
Jack tried to turn his head far enough to see his brother.
 
His peripheral vision only caught a trace of Billy’s shirt and arms.
 
“It’s okay, man.
 
It wasn’t your fault.
 
Take care of Silver.
 
Just do that for me.
 
Take care of her.”

“No!” she shouted.
 
Her hands wrapped in his shirt as if she could physically hold him to this earth.
 
“You are not going to die.
 
I won’t let you.”

“It’s too late for you to stop it.”
 
What could he say to make them understand?
 
His lips went numb, making it harder to speak.
 
“I should have died last year, but I didn’t.
 
I got a second chance to live my life.
 
I got to spend time with my brother, and I got to fall in love with an incredible girl.
 
Now I know I don’t have to worry about you, either of you.
 
You’ll do fine without me.”

Jack surrendered himself to the darkness, knowing he would wake up in that beautiful light.
 
At last—something to look forward to.

.

*****

Chapter Twenty-Five:

VAMPIRES RULE

.

.

Pain
!
 
Jack’s mouth opened wide, and he tried to suck air into his burning lungs with a harsh dragging gasp.
 
Something was horribly wrong.
 
He shouldn’t be in agony, not ever again.
 
He was supposed to be at peace.

Was he in hell?

Jack opened his eyes and froze.
 
It was dark.
 
Where was the light?
 
It took him a moment to realize he was back at home in his bedroom.
 
The windows were covered with foil.
 
He struggled into a sitting position.
 
Breathing became easier.
 
Pain slowly faded until it was completely gone.
 
He heard Billy pacing in the living room with rough, uneven strides.
 
His brother was obviously upset about something, but he no longer smelled like a werewolf.

 
The plan had worked—sort of.
 
Jersey
was dead, and Billy was himself again.
 
Something had gone horribly wrong.
 
Jack should have been in the light.
 
Confused, he concentrated on the sounds in the house.

Silver was walking up the stairs, hesitant steps.
 
She was worried, like Billy.
 
Was it because of him?
 
Were they upset over him still being alive?

He turned to look at the door as she opened it.

She stayed in the doorway, reluctant to enter.
 
Her soft voice reached out to him, begging for understanding.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I had to.”

Had to what?

Truth hit him like a speeding truck.
 
His body didn’t hurt anymore.
 
In fact, he couldn’t remember feeling this good in almost a year.
 
His eyes drifted closed again and he inhaled deeply.
 
Body straight, chest out, he sucked in the air.
 
Silver’s scent filled his nostrils.
 
He pushed his fingers beneath his upper lip and felt the swollen pockets in his gums.
 
Fangs.

“What did you do to me?”

“I’m sorry.
 
I couldn’t let you die.”

“So you made me into a monster?”
 
With his full vampire-speed back, he moved from his place on the bed to her side in a millionth of a second.
 
She gasped, but he didn’t care if she was afraid.
 
He wanted her to be afraid.
 
Part of him wanted to bite her, sample her sweet blood.
 
It would serve her right if he did.

In tears, she walked around the room while talking rapidly.
 
“You told me being a vampire wasn’t that bad.
 
It happened so fast.
 
Billy stabbed you and you died.
 
I had to do something.
 
Cowboy was there so I asked him to save you again.
 
And he did.”

The sound of an imaginary ocean filled his ears for a moment, blocking out her voice as he traveled back in time.
 
A few thousand years ago Lovely made the same bad decision.
 
Rather than lose him (and
Jersey
) she’d cursed him.
 
He should have told Silver the truth, how she was Lovely reincarnated.
 
He should have told her what she’d done, how she’d started this whole mess.
 
It was true, what they said.
 
People who didn’t learn from their mistakes were doomed to repeat them.

It was too late to say anything now.

She was better off not knowing.

“When I asked him to turn you, I was thinking we could be together,” Silver said.
 
“I was willing to become a vampire, too, anything as long as we could be together.
 
It happened so fast I wasn’t thinking clearly.
 
After it was done I realized it wasn’t possible.
 
Because of my stupid blood I can’t be changed.
 
I can’t live as a vampire with you.”

“And I can’t stay here.”

“I know.”
 
The dam holding her emotions in check broke wide open.
 
She crossed the room in a sobbing rush and melted into his arms.
 
She held onto him as if she’d never let go.
 
Her fingers grasped at him, clothing and flesh.
 
She buried her face against his chest, crying harder by the second.
 
“I l-love you.”
 
The words were muffled against his shirt.

He could smell her blood.
 
He pressed parted lips against her throat.
 
His teeth raked her skin, sending a shiver through her.
 
She couldn’t be turned into a vampire, but she could be killed.
 

Silver trusted him way too much.

No!
 
Jack shoved her away.
 
She tripped over her own feet and almost fell.
 
He stopped himself from reaching out to save her.
 
He couldn’t risk touching her again.
 
If he did, he would take her blood without a second thought, drain her dry.
 
She would die in his arms, and then she would know she’d made him into a monster.

Billy stepped inside.
 
Hands shoved deep into his pockets and a sheepish look on his face, he didn’t seem capable of making eye contact.
 
Deep breath.
 
Without saying a word Billy walked over and embraced Jack.
 
At least Billy was back to his old self.
 
Jack pushed Billy back so he could look into his brother’s eyes.
 
Before Billy spoke Jack knew he had his brother back, at least on a temporary basis.

“I let her do it,’ Billy said in a quivering voice.
 
“It was probably the wrong thing to do, I know, but you told me being a vampire was good at times.
 
We couldn’t ask for your permission because you were unconscious, and you were dying.
 
There wasn’t time to think.
 
I couldn’t let you die because of me, because of what I did.
 
It’s selfish, I know, but I couldn’t live with your blood on my hands.”

“You weren’t supposed to be at the battle.
 
How did you get out of the bedroom?
 
Who let you out?”

“Someone from my pack, sent by
Jersey
.
 
He didn’t want me to miss the fight.”
 
Billy shook his head and laughed, a humorless bark.
 
“Man, this is so weird.
 
I can’t believe this is my life.
 
I’m talking to my brother, a vampire, about me being a werewolf.”

Jack’s decade as a vampire, the good times and bad, raced through his mind.
 
He’d experienced things most people didn’t dare dream of.
 
Being a vampire wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
 
It was tolerable.
 
The worst part was losing Silver.
 

Billy added, “I remember all the things I said to you when I was... I didn’t mean any of them.”

“It’s okay.”
 
Jack clapped him on the back once, a show of forgiveness.
 
“I know.”

“When I was saying those mean and nasty things, part of my mind was trying to shut my mouth.
 
It was like I was being torn in two.”

Jack nodded in understanding.
 
“People don’t change when they become vampires, but they lose part of themselves when they become werewolves.
 
I think it might be part of the curse.
 
The werewolf thing taps into your dark side.
 
Jersey
went insane.”

“Wow.”
 
Billy looked taken aback.
 
“I must have one mile wide dark streak.”

“You and me both.”

Billy’s voice broke.
 
He looked away, but not before Jack saw the tears.
 
Billy went to a corner and worked on pulling himself together.
 
He rubbed the back of his neck, shifted from foot to foot.
 

Jack waited patiently.
 

In a few minutes Billy returned to Jack’s side and said, “I give you my word I won’t come after you with a stake or anything.
 
If you visit me next year, I won’t try to kill you.
 
I swear.”

“Ian will though,” Silver said.
 
“You have to go.
 
I want you to stay so badly, but you have to leave before Ian gets home.
 
Mom is keeping him busy.
 
He doesn’t know what we did yet.
 
Mom was furious, but he’ll be homicidal.”

Ian would hunt him relentlessly.
 
His father wouldn’t rest until Jack was six feet under, which didn’t bother Jack too much.
 
He was looking forward to death now after seeing the light.
 
He was just afraid he might lose control and kill Ian instead.
 

Cowboy stuck his head in, joining the party.
 
“We need to go before the sun comes up, buddy.”

Jack glared at him.

Cowboy tried to suppress the huge, triumphant grin, but he failed miserably.
 
He was ecstatic at getting his old hunting buddy back.
 

There was nothing left to say.
 
Jack left his bedroom.
 
Silver followed.
 
He could smell her.
 
Her scent accompanied him down the stairs and out the front door.
 
The urge to take a last walk through the house almost stopped him cold.
 
Regardless of Billy’s invitation, he knew he couldn’t return.
 
The days of visiting his old home were long gone.
 
No more anniversaries.

 
He didn’t hesitate on the porch, but continued on with Cowboy at his side.
 
They began to walk across the yard between house and corral fence.
 
Emotion clogged his throat.
 
He would probably never see Silver again.
 
The mere thought brought him to the brink of death.
 
From this point on he would be surviving, not living.
 

“Wait!” Silver yelled.

He turned in time to catch her flying body.
 
Pulling her close, he tried to memorize the feeling. Unaffected by the smell of her blood this time because his nose was clogged with snot, he sobbed and spoke whispered words against her throat.
 
“If you ever need me, call to me with your mind.
 
I’ll hear you, and I’ll be back in a flash.
 
You can count on it.”

“Okay.”
 
Her small voice trembled.

“Join me in the woods every night.
 
Promise me you will.
 
No matter what happens, you have to visit me there every single night without fail.
 
If you don’t show up, I’ll worry something bad has happened to you.”

“I promise.”
 
She sniffled and tried to talk past the flowing tears.
 
“Somehow I am going to find a way to restore your mortality.
 
Somehow I
will
find a way.
 
There has to be something we can do.
 
Billy and I already talked about it while we were waiting for you to wake up.
 
We’re going to find a way.
 
We’re going to find a way to get you out of this mess we put you in.”

“Don’t worry.
 
We’ll be together someday.
 
If not in this life… then in the next.”

Lovely’s curse was still in play.
 
They hadn’t followed her instructions.
 
He could marry her before leaving town.
 
Then it would truly be over, no more reincarnation.
 
Jack opened his mouth to tell her what they needed to do, but he couldn’t do it.
 
Even though he told himself he didn’t want to be reincarnated again, he couldn’t perform the necessary ritual to put an end to it.

She squeezed him tighter.
 
“I am your wife no matter what happens.”

He blinked at her a few times, stunned.
 
For a moment he thought she’d read his mind.
 
Then he realized this was a part of her saying goodbye.
 
He felt like he was dying inside.
 
Only it wasn’t the good type of death.
 
There would be no peace for him, no beautiful light.
 
“If it doesn’t work out for us, I don’t want you to feel like you’re trapped.”

“I don’t.”
 
She wiped her wet eyes against his shirt.
 
“I can’t love anyone else.
 
Don’t ask me to.
 
Not now.
 
Not ever.
 
So don’t start that crap with me.
 
Seriously.”

“You feel that way now, but…”

“No!
 
I am yours forever.
 
For…ever.”
 

 
“You need to leave,” Billy said.
 
“Hurry, before Ian comes.”

Jack nodded, mouth tight.
 

Billy grabbed her around the waist and gently pried her loose.
 
Their hands stayed locked for several minutes, neither willing to let go.
 
Cowboy pulled on Jack.
 
Working together, Billy and Cowboy managed to separate the two young lovers at last.
 
Her hands opened and closed, grasping air.
 
Her tears fell faster, harder.
 
It would be the last shared touch for a long time.