Episode 35

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I will continue releasing episodes here regularly. Unfortunately, beginning 2025, I will no longer release episodes on this or other similarly designed websites.

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Episode 35

"C'mon, Ryn. Open up!" Lark's voice was soon followed by a series of pounding on the door. Slowly cracking open an eye, I groaned as I was immediately blinded by a ray of sun beaming in between the curtains. I allowed them some time to adjust before returning to opening them. Only the slightest bit of light had come peeking up, and that tiny bit had decided to assault my eyeballs.

What in the hell, Lark! Go away. There's barely any sun touching the sky!

The relentless knocking continued. Another groan escaped me as I pulled the covers up over my head to shield away the impending daylight.

Ugh, just a little more sleep, then I'll deal with your ass. Go back to bed, dude.

Ryn, get the fuck up and open the door already. I can't stand here all day. I can barely stand at all, bro.

My body shot upright, eyes darting straight to the door. Lark's voice had invaded my brain so loudly that it shook the sleep away. Fear gripped my stomach as scenarios displaying possible impending doom wandered through my mind. This could be a trick. A trap. Who knows who else was searching for Thea? If news got out that an Ancient had returned, we'd be completely screwed. This couldn't be Lark.

What do I do?

What could I do?

The pounding returned to the door, matching its previous extended enthusiasm and shaking me from my sudden stupor. I had nothing here to defend myself from whoever this was.

Whatever

this was. Would they be bold enough to attack in broad daylight?

If I could just buy enough time with a distraction to get us to Lark and Gran, we might just make it through this.

I pulled the covers to my nude body much closer, clutching them to my chest as I spoke aloud, "Lark?" I heard him very audibly sigh in response.

Who the fuck else would it be? A Skinwalker? Now open up! Special delivery.

Shit. A Skinwalker?

I hadn't even considered that possibility. Mainly, I thought maybe some pursuer was invading and messing with my head to get to Thea. Catch us off guard. I scanned the room around me. There was an upright lamp that could be pulled from the floor and used as a weapon if needed. It was then I noticed that Thea was missing.

Maybe it's Thea. Last night wasn't enough, and now she has to fuck with me some more.

What about last night?

It invaded my brain sharply, like someone had taken a pin and stuck it in my temple. The emotions that shot through were strong and hot. Stunned and completely speechless, I did as I was told. Surprisingly, for the lack of sleep, as I moved and woke up, I felt much more rested than I normally do. I stumbled around the room in search of my clothes and threw them on. The invasion had really felt like it was from Lark. Albeit, Lark displaying a different capacity of emotion that I was unaware he possessed, but Lark all the same.

"Come on, Raelynn! I'm not trying to wake up Gran." Mr. Impatience was wearing thin, but his use of my full first name in his voice put my mind at ease. Unluckily for all of us, it threw me into a grumpier mood. Opening the door, I found Lark cradling an unconscious Thea in his arms. Though she lay there completely comatose, I could hear her heart racing as it beat violently against her chest. Still, without words, I step aside out of his way. He came straight to her bed as if he knew it was the one she'd claimed solely on instinct and set her down gingerly. A twinge of jealousy hit me as I watched him brush a stray strand of her almost white hair from her face. It was weird. I'd never seen him be that soft with someone before. Every movement he made with her as he settled her in bed was elegantly meticulous. He was always chivalrous, yeah, but that was always the extent of it. It never expanded beyond the manners instilled in him during his upbringing. The sprinkle of jealousy fueled my annoyance with him. As soon as he was satisfied, he sat in the small dining chair. Or he made the chair look small anyway.

Sure, help yourself in and get comfortable! Don't mind if you do, asshole.

His sight rested on the table before him as he seemed to mull something over.

Screw rest. Who needs it?!

I sighed as I closed and locked the door, then plopped back down on the bed.

This had better be good.

His own on-brand sigh escaped him as if he were the one growing irritated.

Go out and party all night and then bring her back to my room? What does he think this is?

My heart nearly jumped out of my throat as Lark's fist slammed down hard on the table.

"What the fuck do

you

think this is? Seriously? Better yet, what the fuck kinda person do you think

I

am?" I began to speak, but again, no words came to mind. The cycle of questions began again, but there was no doubt that this person was, in fact, Lark. But Lark inside my head? It was impossible, but he heard what I thought. He couldn't have, though. No one gets telepathy. No one. That stopped presenting in lines centuries ago. Maybe more! No, this was just my face giving me away again. I was probably wearing my signature, 'What the hell, explain yourself' face from the moment he came in. He glared at me before groaning and running his fingers vigorously through his loose, sandy brown curls.

What the fuck, Ryn?

There was a slight tremor in his voice when he said my name, causing me to feel even more alert. Where there was anger, there was also generous curiosity, concern, and anxiety. It felt like it had been pushed into my head again. There was almost disappointment audible in his tone. Maybe just exhaustion. Looking at him now, I noticed how tired he was. The skin underneath his eyes had a faint purple hue, and his face looked pasty. I watched as his lazy gaze traveled to Thea and rested there.

"Lark, what are..." His eyes fell shut, and my voice trailed off.

Has he slept at all?

Consciousness seemed to threaten to leave him when he opened his eyes again. With every blink, the weight that his lids held on him was noticeable, and his head swayed in a way that made it look like one side was the tiniest bit heavier than the other.

"Oh my Gods. No, Mother Ryn, I haven't slept yet." He even sounded tired, if slightly annoyed.

Again, finding myself at a loss for words, I did the only thing that came to mind. The first few times could've been happenstance, but it was getting to the point of being downright freaky. That response could've been toward the culmination of clues and changes in his immediate environment that he pulled together. We're close, and we can both be somewhat parental to each other at times. Simple coincidence. Regardless of this, curiosity was getting the better of me so it was time to confirm or disprove the theory entirely.

Lark... can you hear what I'm thinking? Like in my head right now?

He laughed heartily as he threw back his head. Its booming echoed as I felt blood rush from my face and a fist started settling in my gut

.

Thea stirred slightly, and Lark quieted instantly. That deliberate consideration he had for her was pulling harder on that string of jealousy inside. He watched her intently for a while and waited for signs she'd resettled. "No, you idiot. This is all a wild fuckin fever dream!" He whispered indignantly.

My hand flew up to my mouth. It was increasingly difficult to form words, but finally, I managed one, "How?" It was the only thing I could think of saying, the only question on my mind, and the only thing that mattered at the time. This shouldn't be happening. Couldn't be.

"I... don't know." He said simply as he shrugged. "It's literally a statistical impossibility." I watched as he quietly drifted deep in thought and further within himself. Slowly, his eyes began to droop again, and with each blink, they threatened to remain shut. It seemed like actual labor for him to keep them open.

Meanwhile, my brain couldn't stop moving. It couldn't handle the information. Not enough to digest it fully, that is. A million and one questions flew through my head.

That would have to mean Lark's blood is purer, right? But he's a mutt like me. Most of us are! How is it possible?

The internal inquiries were relentless in their assault, and I couldn't really grasp one solidly. As soon as they entered, they ran away, and feelings of anxiousness crept in. Lark groaned and rested his head in his hands on the table in front of him.

He's crossbred, can perform witchcraft, and now has telepathy. This doesn't make any sense!!! Who are his parents? Their parents?! Silver moon pack, he'd said... Werewolves were only known to be able to communicate that way with their own pack members and bloodlines. No outsiders. So... What the hell?

Ryn, please, dude. Are you so damn loud all the time that even your thoughts are loud? I don't know what's going on, and I'm too fucking tired to think. I don't know what to tell you. I have no answers and just as many questions as you do.

There was a sharp pressure building between my eyes with each word he pushed into my head.

Ask your mom about my mom. I remember one time years ago when I asked about my parents, Granny had mentioned that they knew each other somehow. Old friends is what she made it sound like.

"Alright! Enough! Out of my head!" I had reached my breaking point. The pain had only grown, and I felt like I might puke. A single tear pushed through the blurriness of my vision, down my cheek. The dim lighting around us flickered briefly, seeming to react to my sudden outburst. He didn't seem to notice. It must've been my overactive imagination. "Lark? What's going on? Why are you here so early? And with Thea literally in your arms?"

"Early?" He paused for a moment to rub his eyes. "Oh, right. Shit." He gazed absently toward the window. The stream of sunlight heightened the green of his eyes as he began to retreat further and get lost within himself. "Thea went to the Fertility festival."

I blinked at him as I processed. This was not the time to be out here reckless all hours of the night. Lark is meticulous and not one to take unnecessary risks. Past all of that though, Lark with kids? Never. I couldn't even picture it. I don't think he could either. "You guys went to the Fertility festival? Why?" That twinge came back. The tiniest bit of jealousy. Or envy. Is there a difference?

"

Thea

went to the Fertility festival. I followed her." The words were short and clipped. His irritation was growing.

"So... you knew she left, how? We're in the same room, and

I

didn't even know she'd left." I feigned shock and gasped theatrically. "Were you watching us?!" I shouldn't be surprised, and I'm not. I don't think Lark knows how to function without placing himself on some type of watch duty.

"Oh my Gods, how old are you? I felt something was off, and Thea is..." He looked over to her again, continuing, "I didn't know if we could trust her, so I was keeping an eye, yeah." His tone was definitely sour, and the rebuttal sounded a bit defensive to me.

"Okay... I can feel that I'm annoying you, and I'm sorry, but I would stop asking so many damn questions if you would just spill information all at once! You're making me pry it out of you, man. What the hell?"

Impatient, green, and bloodshot eyes turned to look at me, "I couldn't sleep more than an hour. Something felt so off. I checked outside and walked the perimeter four times. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. On my way back, I saw Thea sneak off to the Jeep and right back to your room." He returned to fidgeting with this hair. "I stuck around outside our room down there to keep an eye out. Maybe twenty minutes pass, and she's right out the door again, hauling ass towards the inner city. I followed behind." A giant yawn that he had been trying to fight escaped him. "Fertility festival? Absolute fuck fest, just like the stories. So there Thea was sandwiched between I don't even know how many people... hands all over her body. All over each other. She just let em!" Frustration played on his face as he relived the event. "Anyway, I scan the crowd and see at least three homies watching her."

"Okay, and?" For someone so tired, he really wanted to use as many words as possible and take as long as he could to get the damn point across. It should be so simple. Beginning, middle, and an end. I'd wished he'd spit it out already.

His growing irritation started to invade his words when he spoke. "And so, I pulled her out, and we got outta there. I think we lost them, but we're going to have to leave soon. Staying put here is too much of a risk. I'm pissed at myself. All of us, really. She's not chipped, and I didn't think of making it look like she was. Never even crossed my mind for a second." With the last sentence, he pounded his fist on the table. He wasn't wrong about that. If anyone took too much notice of her here, it was time to move. I shook the thought away.

"It's an earlobe Lark. No one has ever seen her long enough or been in proximity to be paying that close enough attention anyway, right? Think about it, Lark." His gaze moved through me as he pondered this. Seriously. She's very white, yes, but who could've had the opportunity to notice an ear? Kyle from the restaurant was the only person I could think of, and I didn't think he was ever facing her left side. That wasn't what my mind was worried about, though. "And it's morning now. How many hours did it take you to grab someone and come back exactly?" This was stupid. The whole conversation was dumb, but my psyche was pushing the argument. He looked at me again; this time, his face was stale.

"You know you are sounding kind of jealous right now. It's not a good look for you, Ryn." Of course, leave it to Lark to pick up on everything I felt, even when I didn't quite understand the emotions myself just yet. He brushed his comment aside and continued on. "Like I told you, I felt something was off. She had people tailing her. Watching her every move! I wasn't trying to raise any suspicions."

"Okay, but have you seen her? It's hard not to look at her. You don't know if they were admiring a potentially good child bearer or not. Or fuck, maybe they were watching and dreaming it was them touching her? Because I would've. It's hard not to. Just

look

at her!" It slipped out before I even realized it. I gestured to the bed, only to find it empty. Lark's eyes now looked more alert as his blank face stared into me. I felt like I was being studied. "Where'd she go?"