“Nope,” Ray answered. “The wolf boys ran down to the truck to get more supplies. They said the vampires would be here within a few minutes because the sun just set. Seems we might have to stay here for a bit, depending on what the bloodsuckers have to say.” He paused for a moment. “What exactly are you, Hannon?” His voice echoed a wary tone, but it’d been delivered in a resigned cadence I’d never heard before. “You’re not like them. If supernaturals, like the wolves and the vamps, are considered normal in your world, you don’t fit in. You’re not the same.”
I paced closer to him, crossing my arms in front of my body. “How can you possibly know something like that? You can’t even begin to imagine the scope of what’s out there, Ray. You’ve known about us for exactly three days. We should all look equally scary to you.” There was no way Ray knew anything about the Prophecy or what skill level any supe should or shouldn’t have.
His lips formed a thin line. “I know, because I have two eyes in my head and I still think like a cop. You screamed ‘different’ to me on the police force and it’s the same here,” he said in a smug tone. “You don’t fit in.”
“I’m a supernatural just like everyone else.”
“Bullshit.”
I arched an eyebrow at him.
“You cured the girl vampire, right? Then you changed something in the monster’s brain so it left us alone rather than crushing us to dust. You’re the only one who figured out why the varmints could cross over, except that ass**le vamp after he tried for an hour. Then you annihilated the bats from hell with your blood. According to what I see, you’re at the top of the food chain.”
“You know, he’s right,” Naomi said, coming silently through the trees in front of me. “Your blood is completely different from any I’ve ever sampled. And I’ve tasted a good many, both human and some very powerful supernaturals. But that doesn’t matter, because killing all the winged devils would have been impossible for any other supernatural. You have a gift that marks you different.”
“Well,” I said, clearing my throat. I couldn’t exactly argue, because all those things had happened. But going into the Prophecy with a human and a vamp wasn’t an option. “It seems I do have some power, but since I’ve been a supe for only a few weeks, I’m still figuring out… all the logistics. I don’t know what my special gift is yet, but there’s a good chance it has something to do with my blood.”
Before Naomi could from a rebuttal there was a loud buzz coming from the top of an old tree stump.
“That’s been going off on the hour, every hour, since you came across the boundary,” Ray said.
I knew why. I walked over and powered it on as I brought it to my ear. “I’m here,” I said.
“Jessica.” My father blew out a relieved breath. “Thank gods you’re finally awake. Tyler has been keeping me informed. Are you fully healed now?”
I brought my arm up and examined the back of my hand. “Yes. But things seem to be changing quickly. Did Tyler tell you everything?” My father obviously knew about the devils, but explaining to him that I’d fed a vamp and cured her wasn’t top on my list. If Tyler hadn’t shared, I was going to wait on that one.
“Tyler told me about the rock spirit and the Camazotz, which I have only vague knowledge of, but they shouldn’t be on this plane at all. As in, there isn’t anything powerful enough to get them here except a Demon Lord, which spells trouble for your journey on the highest possible level.”
I paused and held my breath. I knew that tone and I knew what was coming.
“Jessica, if Selene is wrapped up in the Underworld, this is too big for you to handle on your own. You need to leave there now. I will conclude my business here in a few days. We will leave the fracture group alone for now, and then I will amass wolves and we will meet you in Canada. In light of the Prophecy and the current events involving the Underworld, this is no longer a journey to obtain your mate. This is a war.”
I closed my eyes and brought my fingers up to pinch the bridge of my nose. “Dad, I can’t wait that long. I’m sorry.” I tensed, knowing that once again I was defying my father and my Pack Alpha. I hated every second of it, but I had no choice. “Please listen. I can’t wait because Rourke doesn’t have that kind of time. I’m a hundred percent certain Selene knows we’re here. We just battled two of her best defenses. She’s not going to wait much longer to play her games. She wants us now. If I leave and abandon the journey, Rourke dies. I can’t let that happen. There is no time left.”
He quieted. I could almost feel him processing. There was nothing ideal about this situation. Having Selene working with the Underworld was dire on every level; we both knew it. I had to keep explaining until he understood. “Dad, something happened inside me just before I set the rock monster free.” It was difficult to describe, because I barely understood it myself. “Something opened up inside me. My wolf showed it to me in a way I could finally grasp. I’m fairly certain it’s been there since my shift, but it seems I’m not as quick on the uptake as she is, which, from my viewpoint, is completely understandable. But whatever power I unlocked allowed me to break Selene’s hold over the monster, and when I came across the line with the devils on me… I seemed to have killed them with power from my blood alone.” I glanced at Ray and Naomi, who both watched me. I walked farther away. “If what we read on the computer is the truth, my powers are manifesting and they are… significant. It’s going to have to be enough to defeat Selene on my own. Whatever’s inside me has to be enough to save Rourke.”
“Jessica—”
I cut him off before he could forbid it, because if he did, I was out of Pack before I even had a chance to start. “Dad!” My voice held a plea. “There’s no other way. You have to understand. I have to go on. I can’t leave him. We’re connected on a level I can’t explain to you. There’s no way to sever that bond. If he dies… I don’t think I will be able to continue on.”
The line went quiet for a long minute.
“Okay.” His voice was resigned. “But you may continue under one condition. And one condition only.”
“Anything,” I said as relief flooded over me. “I will do anything you ask.”