Painting a bloody portrait
~
Accalia
~

Tala was the first person Accalia saw when pulling into the driveway. And the second, draped in black and with shameless red eyes, was Alexene.

Accalia's frustration boiled into anger and before Lycus could park the car, she hopped out and slammed the door in a shattering echo.

"Where would he be?" Accalia demanded, stalking up to Alexene and shoving aside the arm Tala tried to put up to keep her at arm's length.

Alexene peered up at her, that innocence on her face failing to work on Accalia. She saw through that child-like face and feigned innocence. Those bloody eyes ran a little too red and she saw her for what she truly was. A demonic bloodsucker.

"I do not know."

Accalia narrowed her eyes at her, searching for the truth and if she was telling it. But Alexene was stone-cold, passive and unemotional.

All Accalia could see was marble, pallid skin and ruddy eyes that swam bloodily. "If Rexton hurts her—"

"He won't," Alexene assured her and Accalia flung her arms in the air, running her hands through her knotted locks with an exasperated sigh.

"Why should I possibly believe you? You made an enemy out of Cadence for what you did, why shouldn't I see the same for Rexton?"

And to think, Accalia's heart bled for him. Ached for the lost and bloodstained boy who only wanted to find his brothers. Despite what he did, hurting her cousin, Accalia thought she could see more than the hybrid that was locked away. See him as a person who felt remorse for his actions. He said it himself, he was sorry for what he did to Cadence and for all Accalia knew, he could be feeding on her all over again. This time, who would be there to stop him?

"Tried telling the vampire to piss off Alpha, but she's persistent." Tala babbled to Lycus who came right to Accalia's trembling side.

Accalia felt Lycus clutch her wrist, attempting to pull her back and she shoved him away, his touch not enough to settle the anger. "Don't, Lycus. Yet again, Cadence is hurt by someone in your life. If he does something to her, it won't just be me you have to answer to."

Accalia meant that wholeheartedly, no threat insight — that would be left to the hunters that stood behind Cadence and her family's legacy. If anything happened to Cadence, she would have an army of hunters behind her back and it would go beyond the Larren family.

"We'll find her, Accalia. We will." Lycus grumbled and pulled her away from Alexene and into Tala.

Tala avidly swiped her arm across Accalia's shoulders and kept her from moving away. "Sorry, Accalia," Tala whispered into her ear.

Lycus stepped up to Alexene and sneered, "Did you have anything to do with this?"

After Accalia received the call from Erisa, she ordered her and Frankie to stay where they were and scout their area of land to see if they could find anything. They came up empty-handed and that was when Gabriel called Lycus, regretfully informing them of misplacing their little brother.

After Calla ensured they could leave and their treaty was still in place, Accalia and Lycus drove back to the Fenris pack.

When told what Rexton did, Gabriel left the pack to Tala and scoured the woods, tracing every footstep and scent in search of the two of them. 

Accalia debated whether to let Tristan know or not. His wrath could make matters worse and she didn't know if they needed that ammunition right now.

"I meant what I said: My deal with Cadence Larren is done. I got Rexton and that's all I wanted. I came by to see him."

Lycus spun around and faced Accalia, levelling her with a grave look. "Alexene is telling the truth. She just wanted to free Rexton and whatever he did with Cadence, it would've been his own doing."

Accalia fell into Tala with a defeated huff, glad the Beta was holding her up because she felt like falling to the ground.

"Why? Why would he do this?" Accalia croaked out.

"Guilt." Everyone rounded on Alexene and she pointed at Lycus with a face of certainty. "You know I'm right, Lycus. Rexton never fed on humans, he despised the act, he even tried making me feed on rabbits back then. He would feel remorseful about what he did."

"Then why take her? If none of you guys realised, Cadence has it out for him. This is another thing that will make her want to kill him. Rexton has just made matters worse." Accalia said thickly.

Cadence must feel so threatened right now, being in the clutches of a person she wanted to kill. This would tip her over the edge, Accalia knew that much and she didn't know if she would be able to make it in time to stop it. Cadence would take this as an advantage, even if she got hurt. She would do whatever damage she could.

Accalia thought the bridge was made, between Rexton and Cadence — neither would cross over it unless they were in each other's line of vision. Cadence, despite her rage and revenge, had left with Erisa. But the hybrid crossed over it, sought her out and added more fuel to the fire.

A gush of wind swept through the area and everyone turned to see Gabriel throwing a dark hoodie over him. He looked rugged, similar to Lycus, messy-haired and wild-eyed with every detail on his face on edge. He had been in his lycan form.

Coming up to his brother, Gabriel reported, "They're not in the Fenris lands. I checked where Franklin and Erisa Jaeger live, no scent of them. Whatever Rexton is doing, we have to find him fast. He can't be out of sight for too long."

Lycus clenched his jaw and nodded at his brother, a message crossing between them.

"Tala watch over the pack, make sure wolves are watching the outskirts for Canus pack members and if they see Rexton, do not approach him. Contact me." Lycus commanded.

Tala gave a curt nod and firmly squeezed Accalia's arms, her lips shifting in a tight smile. "We'll catch up after, Luna."

Accalia returned the smile forcefully and watched as Tala crept away, her barks of orders emitting through the woods.

"Gabriel, travel to neighbouring towns and forests. Remember when he was little he liked hanging around caves." Lycus ordered.

Gabriel dashed back off into the darkness, his bones cracking and skin ripping all over again.

"And you?" Lycus sneered at Alexene. "Fuck off."

"Now, Lycus, let's not forget the main rule of being a vampire: once you have a taste of that one person, you might go back to them."

Accalia wanted to lunge at her, but her pitter-pattering heart stopped her. "You mean because Rexton has already fed from Cadence, he could do it again?"

It sounded like a drug, needing another hit after another and never being satisfied until you had it.

Alexene casted Accalia a demeaning glower, one that spoke of mischief and deceit. "The Rexton before the coffin? He would never dare himself. The one being locked up for over one hundred years? Well ..."

Accalia's teeth dug into her tongue, wondering if asking this would be a wise choice, but when it came to her cousin, could anything be derived from wisdom? "Do you know where Rexton could go? Seeing as you know him so well."

"Rexton is rather emotional, Accalia Larren. His strength comes from his emotions and what he would feel the most is remorse. When he bit Cadence, where did the guilt start from?"

Accalia closed her eyes. "Kara forest."

Lycus got his keys from his pocket and dangled them in the air. "We'll start there while Gabriel searches elsewhere. Want to come for a road trip, Alexene? I don't want you getting to my brother before I do."

"I thought you would never ask, Lycus Fenris." Alexene beamed.

~

Cadence
~

Cadence felt her body move before her thoughts did. The body was quick to fight and the thoughts slow to react. Slowly, she came out of the darkness someone had put her in and it was like fighting through a fog, not knowing what awaited her.

She heard movement wallowing around, but it could have been the nightly, cool wind that toyed around her.

She swallowed, fighting the searing burn writhing through her throat and she had the sudden, overwhelming urge to scream. A hand secured across her mouth and her eyes snapped open, a spike of fear stabbed inside her heart.

"Don't be frightened," He cooed and crouched down to his knees, looming above her.

Fear diminished as quickly as it came and an overpowering fit of anger seethed inside her.

With all the strength she had, Cadence tore his hand away from her mouth. "Don't be frightened. You have some nerve!"

Finding herself not bound by rope or binds, Cadence slapped her hip, searching for silver.

"You needn't bother," the hybrid softly murmured. "I removed all your weapons."

Cadence dipped her hand into her boot, grunting in frustration and smashed her shoe into the earth.

"Even the one in your boot."

Cadence scanned her surroundings, her body lay across sticks and twigs, dirt staining her jeans but that was the least of her worries. A huge striped sweater pooled over her as if it was used as a blanket and she clutched the fabric tightly in her fingers, a rumble of disgust roaring in her stomach.

Cadence flung the sweater at his face and snarled, "How damn sweet of you — shove your stupid sweater up your ass."

The sweater fell from his face and Cadence watched as the hybrid's face scrunched up, a free flow of emotions toying with his features.

"You're quite vulgar." The hybrid pouted, bending to his knees and pulling the sweater into his chest.

"You kidnapped me! You know people go to prison for this?" Cadence shouted, her voice reaching a point of uncontrollable wailing. She wanted to scream in his face.

His eyes widened and he held the sweater tighter, pulling it over his shoulders and arms. "In my time — in my pack, things were very different, but everything has changed. It hurts my head."

His whiny voice made Cadence's heart trip with disdain. Made her want to tear a knife across his throat to shut him up. He was so corrupted with emotions, that it made her queasy. What was he? An abomination? Or an isolated little boy who ate cereal while watching television?

A snatcher could be called into question, as well.

Cadence knew she was in for it when a pair of hands wrapped around her shoulders and sealed her mouth closed.

She passed out as soon as he took off running, making her head spin in every direction until all she saw was black.

After Tristan dropped them off on his way home, Cadence asked Frankie to inspect the bite mark and he reassured her it was on the path to healing. The punctures no longer needed a patch over it, but Cadence insisted. It had been aching nonstop, easing into a dull twinge.

Frankie advised her to keep it out in the open, but Cadence wouldn't allow the first thing she saw when looking at her reflection was two holes in the side of her neck.

The last thing Cadence remembered seeing was Erisa's face, stained with shock with smudged eyeliner. Before she could shoot an arrow, the hybrid was gone between the trees and the pace he was going at, faster than Alexene had ever gone, Cadence felt herself go limp.

Cadence's shoulders shook at the faint memory and she forcibly gave her attention to the hybrid. "Why. Did. You. Take. Me?"

Word for word, the threat licking each letter, he paid solid attention to her.

"I—I would like to ... apologise." He watched her neck, the patch over it and immediately dropped his gaze from her.

Cadence laid back against the uncomfortable ground and laughed loudly, her belly warming at the nonsense tumbling out of this creature's mouth. "Shove that up your ass too."

He huffed and from her peripheral, defeat covered him in toiling waves and even if it wasn't coming from those eyes, Cadence could still see through his lies.

For that was all he was made of, lies and deceit. Alexene was a prime example, her child-like innocence and youth were plain lies to lure someone in. To trick and taunt and then feed.

Cadence didn't fall for Alexene's mask and she wouldn't do the same with this monster. He would be the worst of the worst. He carried two bloodlines that deserved to weep and perish. The hybrid was an abomination.

And the more she stared at him, seeing through the boyish charm he carried, the handsomeness paining him, she could see what loomed within. The desiccating, skeletal, dead man that wanted to drain her dry.

The hybrid looked down for a moment, a split second and Cadence lunged. 

She toppled on top of him, trapping him beneath her and her fists managed to jab into his skin. Through the quakes of pain, Cadence punched him in his throat and knocked the air of out him. It was reassuring he had the cycle to breathe, which meant he could be hurt more.

Through the malevolent rage, Cadence saw a rock by his head and reached for it. She knew what needed to be done and readied to smash it into his head. She doubted it would kill him, but he could be knocked out, and it would buy her some time.

Her back was pinned to the floor so fast and her wrists were locked down by his hands, bound to the earth.

"That is enough!" He roared in her face and those hybrid eyes took over.

"Innocent boy act gone now, huh? About time!" Cadence spat and when those amber eyes dared to return, the humanity of him coming back, she smashed her forehead into his, wanting to throw him off.

Only it was regret that forged through Cadence's entire skull and she cried out, head falling back into the ground with an inexcusable ache.

She couldn't describe the regret toppling over her at that moment, a bright moment in the stupidest of situations that she shouldn't have done that.

"Are you alri—" his words withered and his expression became dead and cold. Those eyes came back as did the many fangs and canines.

Something wet and thick trickled down Cadence's forehead and she froze, mouth drying like the desert from the blood welcoming the hybrid's senses.

Rexton came close, his nose brushing against hers and that was enough to throw Cadence into deep waters. Deeper and darker depths that made her want to plead and beg to not drown.

"Don't." Cadence breathed out. She didn't want to see the dead man returning and marking her grave in this very forest, her body to be drained of every drop of blood.

Rexton pulled back, leaning on his forearms above her and clapped his eyes on her neck that had a patch over it, covering up his actions and sins.

He threw himself off and landed gracefully on his feet.

Cadence shot to her feet. Before she could run, give in to the instinct that wanted to take flight, she caught sight of that huge rock.

So swiftly, Cadence lodged the rock right at the hybrid and it landed in the corner of his forehead. She called it payback.

With the distance between them, Cadence disappeared into the depths of the woods, knowing the chase with a lycan or vampire was a game no human should play. She had to take her chances. She had to get as far as she could from him.

Cadence didn't have time to hide her tracks as cool air swept past her, pulling her scent in every direction the hybrid could trace her. Her feet stamped into the soil and she bounded over logs and rocks, dodging tree after tree as fog clouded around her.

A streetlight could be seen ahead and Cadence didn't look back, ignoring the eyes of her stalker following behind her. She must be near a small town, or better yet, a large place where she could lose the hybrid.

"Cadence!"

It wasn't Rexton, it wasn't the ghost dwelling in the woodland, but Gabriel — his tone anxious with concern and kind enough to make Cadence skid to a stop.

What if he came as a recruit for Rexton? Wanting to play in his brother's sick game?

But Cadence had come to know Gabriel well enough.

He had come to stop Rexton.

"GABRIEL—" Cadence's yell fell into a muffled shriek as a hand covered her mouth and Rexton's chin rested on top of her head.

"I can't let you go yet," Rexton huffed out, his arm snaking around her and his voice wobbled into her ear, "I am so sorry."