Blood Lust

Tracker

Atlas woke up, sweat dripping down his forehead. The boy was breathing heavily and held a tight grip on his bed sheets.

"Hey. You okay?"

Atlas turned his head to see his mother standing in his doorway. "Yeah. Bad dream." The boy said, his voice hoarse and low.

"Hm. That's what I guessed. You were screaming in your sleep."

"I was?"

"Yep. Wanna tell me about it?"

"Uh. Maybe not now Mom."

"Okay, that's fine. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, go back to sleep."

"Okay."

Atlas's mother closed the door and walked back to her room. Atlas sighed, flopping back onto his bed.

"Ugh. What does it mean?"

====

"I just feel like maybe you need a change of style." Akira stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"What are you talking about Akira? My fashion sense is amazing." Sam replied, rolling his eyes.

"You call winter plaid sweaters and high top Converse style?"

"You call scarfs and heeled shoes style?"

"I actually have style, unlike you."

"Okay, okay. Let's come to an agreement. You both have amazing fashion sense that is expressed in your own ways." Amena chimed in. "Yes?"

"Fine." Sam grumbled.

"You have no style." Akira whispered to Sam.

"Will you two stop arguing and come help the rest of us?" Rudy chimed in.

"Yeah, we'll be right out." Sam flashed a wide smile.

A knock rang out making Rudy and Jett perk up. They smirked at each other and ran toward the front door, knocking over Amena's valuable items in the process.

"Boys! Calm down will you? There's enough energy from that poor boy to go around."

"Okay mom!" Jett screamed, coming to a halt at the front door.

"ATLAS!" The two boys screamed in unison.

To their surprise, it wasn't Atlas.

"Hello boys." Jake said, grinning.

"Oh." Rudy said. "It's just Jake."

"Wow, that's hurtful Rudy. Just because I'm not your boyfriend doesn't mean that you shouldn't be excited whenever I come here."

"Jake shut up." Carter said, smacking her brother on the back of his head.

"Come on in you two. We have her on the back deck."

"Thank you Amena." Carter said, dragging her brother to the back of the house.

"Why are you babysitting me?"

"Because maybe like this you'll actually listen."

Carter walked onto the back deck, observing what was going on.

Sam, Darcy, and Akira were turned, Madison sat on a lounge chair, and Jane was looking at something in a vile.

"Wow. So she gets the luxury to just sit around?"

"No Carter. She's not just sitting around, we're using Jane to try to track the others."

"Jane can track?"

"Yep. That's her specialty."

"So what's that vile in her hand?"

"It's filled with spit and blood."

"You can't track vamps that way."

"You can if they happen to leave a bit of their own DNA in your system."

"How did someone leave their blood and saliva in Madison?"

"No one left blood in her system, that's just for extra sent pick up. It's the saliva we want."

"Okay, so saliva, but how?"

"Let's just say that Madison may or may not have found love, or slight love, in another in Devin's coven."

"Oh wow. Maybe she isn't so heartless."

"It was to go after Atlas or death. She chose the first option to try and find a way out. This is her way out."

"I have a scent! I picked up a scent!" Jane shouted, her eyes shut tight.

"Good Jane. Now stay calm or you'll lose it. Now what do you see?"

"Um, it's hard to tell. It's blurry."

"Okay, focus."

"I see. Atlas?"

"Okay? Go further than Atlas."

"I can't. It's strong. It's like it's right behind him." Jane's breath hitched in her throat.

"What do you mean it's right behind him?" Madison chimed in.

"He's behind him. The whole coven is behind him." Jane spoke softly, a tear slid down her cheek.

"Open your eyes Jane."

"Wait, not yet. I need to see what's going on."

"Jane. Open your eyes." Amena commanded.

"No. He's being attacked. It looks like they're clawing him. He's screaming. He's in pain. A lot of pain."

"Can you tell what he's screaming?"

"He's screaming for help. He needs help."

"All of you stay here." Amena shouted.

Everyone was surrounding Jane, trying to get her to open her eyes but she wouldn't.

"Jane." Madison said. "We're getting help. Open your eyes."

"Why are you trying to help her?" Carter snapped.

"I know what happens when a tracker tries to track for far more than they're capable of. The coven had a tracker and Devin forced him to try and track Atlas for weeks at a time. Now he's in a ward."

Carter's eyes widened. "Jane, open your eyes."

Jane's eyes shot open, they were glossy and glowing a bright red. Her whole body shook and she started to cry. Jett hugged the girl, attempting to calm her down.

"What's gonna happen to him?"

====

"Atlas!" Amena shouted, trying to find the hurt boy.

"Atlas!"

"Help me!" A disembodied voice shouted.

Amena stalked toward the noise, finding Atlas on the floor, covered in his own blood.

"Amena." Atlas choked out, coughing on his own blood.

"I already know what happened. Right now, we need to get you back to my house. Are you up for that?"

"Yeah... Anywhere but the hospital."

"Okay." Amena said. She howled and within seconds, a wolf appeared beside her. "Hello Damien. I need you to get Rose and take Atlas back to my house."

Damien bowed slightly, allowing Amena to hoist Atlas onto Damien. Damien howled slightly, and headed towards the Wolfe household.