CHAPTER XXXVII

Cassandra feels pain around her body as she regains consciousness.

She tries to move her hands but they are tied behind her back.

She cannot see because of the black bag over her head.

She tries to remain calm as her ears and nose assess her dark surroundings giving her an image of the situation.

She drags her butt against the grass.

She knows she isn't far from where she intends to be.

She perceives two strange scents close to her, these scents are familiar to the werewolf, "Vampires," she mutters.

"Werewolf," Bryan says, "You are awake," she says, "Shut up," a voice says as a combat boot goes crashing into Cassandra's side.

"Shut up freaks," a guard says as he points his gun at them.

Marcus, Kate and Lucas go outside to have a private conversation while Elena sits with Rachael at the table.

"I heard your mom was a badass," Elena says with a cheerful smile which makes Rachael feel uneasy.

"Don't worry, the worst that can happen is for them to kill your friends but they won't hurt you," Elena says.

"That's not funny," Rachael says with broad shoulders and Elena's face glows up with excitement as she admires her cousin's confidence.

"I am not telling a joke though," Elena says as she rests her elbows on the table.

"I want to know more about you, cousin.

The rest of the family is a bore but you look like you are different," she says as her eyes lose their brighter colors under the first light of day.

"I have more cousins?" Rachael's interest spikes up like a good investment.

"Yes, but the herd is mainly made up of jackasses.

Are you a jackass, Rachael?" she taunts Rachael.

Rachael grits her teeth as the thought of strangling the girl before her remains just that, a thought.

She hopes that the twins will arrive before things go beyond her expectations.

What are her expectations?

She feels somewhat lucky that things arrived at this point; maybe she can use the fact that they are family to make them free the group.

In truth, that is not likely to happen.

She runs her hand through her black hair, thinking to herself and praying for an escape.

She closes her eyes for a brief moment and inhales deeply.

She draws in the scent of perfumed wood and drowns the voice of the woman sitting before her.

She feels the warm presence of her father and the powerful spirit of her mother.

And she remembers her savior's voice;

You will be alright.

Gabriel tightens his grip on the steering wheel as he arrives at Rocky Mountain Cabins.

It's been twenty minutes since the strange mortal called and threatened to kill John.

Gabriel and Marcel went back to the club to get a car and Gabriel noticed that neither Bryan nor Rachael were in the club.

He couldn't stay back to search but trust that Bryan protects Rachael.

Now he sits in the Toyota RAV4, staring through the windshield and observing the tall trees.

"Let's walk from here," he says as he kills the engine of the car.

"I presume you have his scent," Marcel says.

"I do", Gabriel comes out of the car and shuts the door.

Marcel comes out and joins his new comrade on foot and they begin to walk.

Marcel admires the beauty of the place but Gabriel does not share this feeling.

Marcus Tremblay and his siblings are discussing what to do with their hostages when a call enters his cell.

He picks and he likes what he hears.

"Luke get the men ready. They are coming" Marcus says.

"They are making this too easy," Lucas says before he leaves his siblings.

Meanwhile; Marcel tries to match Gabriel's hasty steps through the landscape.

"We are being monitored," Gabriel says.

"I know. Is that why we are walking like this?", the old vampire asks.

"I'm about to move. Try to keep up," the sphinx says.

Gabriel starts dashing through the forest like a leopard on steroids.

He moves as fast as the wind, moving through the forest and rocks like a comb through hair.

Moving from left to right and back.

Marcel is always a few meters away as he struggles to match the sphinx's speed.

Gabriel suddenly stops and waits for two minutes before Marcel arrives.

"You are pretty fast," Marcel says.

"Look," Gabriel points to the bushes and Marcel looks, squinting his eyes as he tries to see what Gabriel sees.

About 40feet away from them, Gabriel sees a man covered in combative apparatus.

He bends down behind some bushes.

"We are close," "Zut, your eyesight is as good as your father's", Marcel commends.

The immortals dash through the forest and disarm any armed guard they see.

Gabriel intends to sneak into the place but this plan will fail.

Marcel begins to cough profusely and guards quickly surround them.

And Gabriel watches an idea crash before it even becomes a reality.

Marcel keeps coughing and he falls to his knees.

He spits out blood from his mouth.

"Holy ash and silver were mixed into the air in preparation for your arrival," Kate says as she walks from behind the guards.

Gabriel snaps Marcel's neck and he falls like a log.

"Why aren't you affected?" Kate asks as she raises a riffle.

"You are not the voice that called. Where is your boss?

I don't have time to talk to pawns," Gabriel's word struck Kate like a whip.

She shoots him twice in the chest but the immortal doesn't fall instead this act infuriates him.

He roars deeply and they feel it.

The guards, the grass, the wind and Kate Martin-Tremblay.

She shivers as she tastes fear.

Marcus comes out from behind, "You must be the big dog," Marcus says.

"Give me John and we will be on our way," Gabriel says.

"You killed my sister and you think you can make demands," Marcus says with anger.

Gabriel growls, "And who might that be?".

"Of course, she is just another dead body on the pile you have to your name".

Marcus clenches a fist as his anger grows.

"You killed Mary McQueen.

Bet you didn't think her family will come for you".

Gabriel's heart sinks as he hears this old man's words.

Mary McQueen, Rachael's mother, went to Count Dracula's compound to save them and her death crushed his heart.

"I am going to avenge Mary and Frank but I will need my man,".

"Avenge? This abomination dare says he will avenge Mary,".

In his rage, Marcus pulls out a gun and begins shooting Gabriel until the gun is empty.

The immortal falls to the ground.

"Let's burn his body," Kate says, "I will have to be dead before you do that," Gabriel says as he rises.

"What is this? Why are you still alive?", Marcus is dumbfounded.

He used silver bullets so he knows that it should have killed him but the vampire is still alive and standing.

"I would have killed you but Mary was kind of a friend.

I owe her.

It's in respect of her that I haven't torn out your throat," Gabriel says.

"Now, where is John?"

"Find him yourself," Marcus signals his men and they disperse.

Moving with haste as Marcus walks away from the immortals.

Gabriel sniffs into the hair and John's scent is strong.

He looks at Marcel who is unconscious on the floor.

Gabriel shoots out a claw and gives himself a cut on his wrist.

He pours some of his blood into Marcel's mouth and bends towards his ear.

"Go back and get Samuel," he whispers to the unconscious vampire.

Gabriel begins to walk towards John's scent.

He sees a cabin ahead and the guards moving about like they are preparing for an attack.

He keeps walking towards the cabin and then he suddenly stops.

He sniffs into the air and picks up on another familiar scent.

Rachael's scent.