The Bite [Luke Hemmings AU]

Chapter Twenty

After leaving Saunders's I drove to Cam's house. I parked my car in his driveway behind Tara's car.

I hesitantly walked through the door. After what I had just walked in on, I didn't want to see anything remotely close what I'd seen with Saunders and Lorelei.

"Cam? Tara?" I announced loudly.

"Claire?" I heard Tara yell from upstairs. I sighed in relief once I saw her and Cam, fully clothed, walk down the stairs.

I smiled at them.

"What are you doing here?" Cam asked.

"I need to talk to you guys," I said awkwardly.

"Zack? He's going to kill Zack?" Cam asked with anger laced in his voice.

I nodded. "We don't know when, but I'm going to see him tomorrow and I hope to find out when. We have some hunters on our side. I don't think we can save him, but Collin's going to pay for killing him. I swear he will."

I left Cam's about an hour after I had gotten there. We talked about Zack some more and I told them the plan. They just wanted to help Zack.

The next thing on my list was to talk to Cooper.

I pulled into his driveway and was very surprised when I didn't see his car.

I parked the car and called him.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Why aren't you home?" I asked bluntly.

He chuckled. "Why are you at my house?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Well, talk."

I groaned. "In person, you idiot."

"I'm a little busy," he laughed.

"Where are you?"

"With Ariel." I could practically hear his smile.

"You're such a girl," I laughed. "I'll be at home. Just stop by when you get done doing your deed," I laughed.

"Oh shut up, Clairese," he chuckled.

"Don't," I retorted and hung up the phone.

I rolled my eyes and went back to my house.

I parked my car, not really paying much attention to the smells I was picking up. I walked in the house. No one was home. I was a bit confused, but went on to the kitchen to have some food.

I opened the refrigerator. My eyes widened as I felt a gun pointed at the back of my head.

I had expected it to be my grandmother.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be," Jase said from behind me.

"Jase, what are you doing?" I asked as my hands went up.

"I have to do this, Claire," he said, unsure of himself. "It's who I am."

"No it's not," I said quietly as I turned around slowly.

He took a deep breath. "Claire, turn back around!" he yelled.

"No, if you're going to kill me, I want you to stare at me in the eyes and kill me. Go on. Do it," I said as I leaned into the barrel of the gun.

I listened to his heartbeat. It was beating so fast. He was scared. Someone was making him do this. Clara.

I remembered that I could read his mind. Maybe I could send a message into his brain. I took in deep breath as I looked him in the eyes.

I could hear his thoughts. All he was thinking about was how much he didn't want to do this.

I thought to myself and tried as hard as I possibly could to ask him where Clara was.

"Where is she, Jace? Where's Clara?" I asked in my mind.

His eyes went wide.

"How could she hear that?" he asked in his mind.

"I can hear your thoughts," I thought to him.

His facial expression changed.

"Upstairs," I heard him think.

I nodded. I put my hands on the barrel of the gun. I pushed it down.

My head hurt.

I put my hand on his shoulder and then walked passed him. I could him curse under his breath.

I looked back at him. I didn't say a word before he had shot the gun at a wall. I nodded as he walked up the stairs. I slowly walked to the kitchen counter and grabbed the gun and knives from the cabinet. I walked behind him careful not to make any creaks on the stairs.

We got to the top of the stairs. I stopped at the wall and waited for him to go ahead.

I could hear my mother crying. My dad was also crying. They thought I was dead.

I closed my eyes and sighed softly.

Jace went ahead of me and went into the room. My parents' room.

I took in a deep breath as I listened to the conversation.

"Nice job, Jace," Clara said.

My mother sobbed loudly.

"I'm sorry, I had to. She was a monster," Clara said.

"You're the monster," my mother said through sobs.

I took that as my cue to come in.

I took the gun in my hands and stuffed the knives in my belt.

I walked behind her and cocked the gun, pulling the bullets into the chamber.

Clara was also holding a gun, pointing it towards my parents.

My mom's face lit up when she saw me alive. I smiled at her and my dad.

"You can't kill me, Clara," I said as I pointed my gun at her.

She turned around with horror written on her face.

I growled at her as my eyes flashed the bright, glowing orange.

"I'm not a monster. I just look like one," I growled at her.

The next thing that came to mind was Zack. We needed as many people as we could to help.

"Put your gun down," I said as I motioned with my head to the ground. She put her gun down. I kicked it over to my mom.

"I'm not going to kill you," I said with a sigh. "But, only if you help me. I need all the help
I can get," I said quietly. "We have a common enemy," I added.

---

"Collin Churchill?" Clara asked.

I had gotten Clara alone. We were downstairs in the living room with the doors shut. No weapons or anything. My parents and Jace stood outside the doors.

"You know Collin?" I asked in disbelief.

"He's the oldest werewolf I know," she said with a shrug.

"Oldest?" I asked.

"He's an original. He's practically immortal. I've been hunting him since 1950," she said shaking her head. "His sister finally keeled over a few years ago," she said and sat back.

"Exactly how old is he?" I asked, interested.

"He could be around a hundred years old. His entire family along with one other family were the first genetic experiments. I don't know when they took place, but it was a very long time ago. Once they were injected, they didn't age," she said.

"Experiments?"

"A long time ago scientists were looking for a way to create stronger and better soldiers," she said. "That's all I really know about it."

I was baffled by the whole thing. I never wondered where or how werewolves came to be. Now I knew.

"Will you help us kill him?" I asked her.

"Yes."