A BAD DETOUR

Harvey was quiet most of the trip back so I took the time to re-read the notes he had printed for me, just to get my mind back to pack mode.

Harvey took a side glance at the notes opened up in front of me, I had highlighted and written my own thoughts down in the train earlier today. I used a different color pen now to readjust my notes as I thought through them again. It turned out really hard to write in the car.

He held a wry smile but said nothing.

"What?" I asked, because he was definitely thinking something, even if he didn't say it.

"Nothing." Harvey lied.

"You're not allowed to lie to me, Beta." I said.

"It's not in my place to say." Harvey amended.

"Since when did that stop you?" I demanded.

Harvey simply shrugged.

"Fine, just say it now." What's that term for it? You may speak freely? "Just say whatever."

"I learned more about you and it surprised me." Harvey said.

"What? That's it? Yeah, so now you know I moonlight as a warlock princess at school." I growled.

Harvey laughed, "Yes, that was surprising too."

Harvey kept his eyes on the road, "I had never understood why your dad put you in a school so far away from our pack, but today, seeing you with your friends, I get it now."

Oh really? Please enlighten me because I still don't get it.

"Security wise, I realized I worried for nothing." Harvey continued.

Did he notice the size difference of our wolves too? Or how strong I was?

"You were always well protected." Harvey said, "Just as you do back at the pack, you surround yourself with strong wolves."

I do? No, actually, I'm a loner. I don't know why those guys hang out with me.

"And you can be different when you're in school." Harvey continued. I've been noticing that my beta was on the little long winded side.

Harvey paused as if searching for the words, "Back at the pack, you're always serious and I've only seen your strong front. Within the short time I've had working by your side, I've noticed that under that front..."

He nodded at the notes on my lap, "You always work hard, you're never late, never unprepared, you fulfill all your commitments, keep the guys in line, take care of the girls, fight rogues head on, and you never once let up. You attend training sessions even if you're injured. You stay alert throughout long meetings. I know the level of control you have over your wolf is only possible with daily training over many years."

Eh, he didn't think I was unstable and always messing around?

"So it was surprising to see my alpha just messing around in school." Harvey had a wry smile, "Cute, even."

Wait, what? At what point was I messing around just now? And why does Harvey sound like Henry... That's just creepy.

"I guess your dad was wise to give you that space away from the pack." Harvey said.

I'm quite sure Dad didn't send me to Winderhill to mess around though.

"You forgot to mention my delightful humor and charming wit." I told Harvey instead.

"Yup," Harvey sounded fully satisfied, "That's my alpha."

We both lapsed into a comfortable silence after that. Harvey concentrating on the frustratingly slow and erratic traffic, while I dealt with the notes, or at least I tried to, while trying to make sense of what Harvey said about me.

As far as I could tell, I was always the same Sam, whether in school or back home at the pack. I was soul searching when Harvey pulled his truck off road.

"Short cut." The beta said, "The advantages of driving a truck..."

We drove through the graveled lane in the woods, we were close to the green packlands. This should be alright, but my Wolfie was on the edge. Something was up ahead, something bad.

Before I said anything, Harvey muttered, "Not good."

"You feel it too?" I asked.

"No," Harvey admitted, "but your hair."

He shot me sidelong glance before focusing back on the wooded road. It was getting dark. Ah yes, my hair, it was quivering in anticipation.

{Approaching vampires}

{Approaching Deltas}

{Approaching Beta}

"Hey, Harvey, slow down." I said.

Harvey slowed.

"What do you know about fighting vampires?" I asked.

"Just in theory: Attack the head, neck, and heart. Severe off the head. Don't let them bite you or get in your head. I dread to ask, but why are you asking?"

I took mental note. Okay, the severing head part was tricky.

"Block out your mind. Including all mindlinks. If you feel something cold, make sure to shove it out and seal your mind tight." I told him.

{Approaching vampires}

{Approaching Deltas}

{Approaching Beta}

I opened a window to catch the passing air.

"Do we have weapons?" I asked.

"In the back, yes." Harvey said, "two guns, two short swords, daggers, an axe, and a spade."

"Stop here." I could sense them ahead. Harvey looked perplexed.

"We can turn back." I told Harvey.

"I will follow you." Harvey said.

I tried to mindlink him, nothing. Good beta. I sealed my mind carefully.

"Take your keys with you, we go on foot." I told Harvey. It was just a hunch, but my lucky sense of direction was rearing to go take a look.

"Beta, do you wanna wait here for me?" I asked him as he opened the boot.

He didn't hesitate, "I will follow you, Princess."

I nodded, "We're just going to investigate. No bloodshed unless necessary."

I didn't actually want to meet any vampires, much less severe any heads, but my Wolfie sensed Deltas and a Beta ahead, and she seemed distressed about it. I had a bad feeling down in my guts. I was remembering two specific people my Wolfie particularly liked to call Deltas.

"Just a quick look." I mumbled as I grabbed the short sword and a flip knife. I was kind of glad not to be wearing my school coat today. Instead I had a black snow jacket and the gym gear I was wearing for archery club. I carefully hid my hair within the hood and jacket, then I pulled my navy blue scarf over my face.

Harvey raised a brow at this, but followed suit without question. He took a rifle and a sword. He pulled out his hoodie from under his leather jacket, and zipped his jacket up high so it covered his face.

Let's not get recognized in case we were seen.

We tread through the snow quickly. No mindlinking so I just had to trust that Harvey was following me. But I didn't have trouble with that at all, even at the night of our first rogue fight in the pack house, I hadn't had mindlinked then, I had to trust wholly that he could keep up with me.

As we neared, I flanked off from the side.

{Vampire approaches}

S***.

We were found? That's bad. I climbed the nearest tree and signaled Harvey to walk a few trees down. The trees were quite close together, so I could scale across the thicker branches. The difficulty was the snow. It was slippery, and I feared giving myself away on bare branches. Careful not to kick down too much snow or let the wind catch my scent, I positioned myself hidden behind the thick of the tree just above Harvey. If it didn't look up, it wouldn't see me. Wind direction was to our advantage too.

I could sense the void presence speed towards us. It was fast, and strong, and silent. I didn't think Harvey could sense it though. He hadn't even cocked his gun until the vamp was visible. Eyes red and glowly.

"Out here all alone young one?" It asked.

It was speaking aloud so I knew he had failed to wrap himself on Harvey's mind. Good Beta.

The gun shot rang out. I hated that sound. I stiffened. About time I did something. But I needed to make sure the vampire was close enough. Suddenly I felt I could do with a bow and arrow after all.

The vampire was too fast to be shot from a distance.

I waited. I had to, until the vamp came close enough I had no choice.

The vamp approached Harvey, it's cold flame flickering the way Maria's did when she found something of interest.

Harvey paused. He must have realized that the vamp was fast enough to dodge his bullet.

{Vampire is near}

{Vampire approaches}

Oh man, its friend is coming.

I should have taken a gun. But I hated the sound of it.

Bang! Another gunshot from Harvey. This time the bullet hit the leg. I saw now that Harvey had decided to give up aiming at the head, and simply hit the vampire.

Third bullet shot out, it lodged in the shoulder. The vampire hissed and lounged forward. Harvey pulled out the sword.

Okay, for all the times I've trained Wolfie, I really need to go fast.

Vamp 2 was charging quickly over. I scaled over to the tree above where the vamp would run under. It did, it's cold void flame passing under me. I resisted the urge to shudder.

It charged at Harvey. Carelessly, as if Harvey was alone. Harvey had drawn his sword so he couldn't shoot. I dropped down from the tree, and shot out with the sword at full wolf power. The vampire turned just as the metal blade slice through its chest. The blood... So much blood. I though the first shift was bad, but this...

I pulled back the blade and turned it to stab it through the vamp's chest. Full wolf force since I didn't know how much force I'd need. It went all the way through the hilt.

I looked up. Harvey had Vamp 1 face down in a pool of blood.

He was covered in blood. He looked at me with something of a horrified expression. What? I stood on Vamp 2's body and pulled hard at the sword to release it, stumbling back when it finally came loose. Harvey caught me from behind and set me on my feet.

"Are you alright, Princess?"

But I needed to finish it. I couldn't have the vampire revive and hunt me and my beta down now, could I? I walked over to the vamp, and raised my sword. Harvey's hand stopped me, "I'll do it."

I looked at him, and shook my head, "Do your own kill."

And then I did it. More like my wolf did. My wolf had no qualms about it. I might have nightmares after tonight.

"Now what, princess?" Harvey asked.

I took a deep breath. My hood had slipped off and my hair had come loose. It was quivering in the cool air, but it was calming down.

No vampires. I sensed very carefully.

Then I started forwards where the vampires came from.

{Approaching Deltas}

{Approaching Beta}

As we drew nearer, I could smell blood, still fresh, not as much as what we left behind though, and vehicle exhaust.

There were two vehicles on the road. This would be the road we would pass if we had continued to drive.

The first was a blue refrigerator truck, except now, I knew it was for transporting Lycan fight dogs.

The second was one of ours. I knew this car. A familiar slate grey Chevy, the same one Flynn drove whenever he carpooled us teens out to Gate City for a movie or ice cream.

Flynn's car.