Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Ninety Five

     Everyone looked at him. Baker suddenly moved from his spot to start releasing the straps around his ankles and wrists. Rhett dove for the straps around his middle, and once he loosened them up, Link sat up and gingerly rubbed his wrists. Rhett wrapped his arms around Link and pulled him in for a tight hug, and Link was grinning.

     Rhett pulled away to look Link in the eyes. "I'm not sure what you are, but you have no idea how happy I am that you are alive and okay." Rhett's eyes watered again, but this time they were happy tears. Christy hugged Link next, and then pulled him away to give him a kiss. Rhett's phone started ringing and he dove in his pocket for it, seeing that it was Jessie.

     "Hey," he said. He put it on speakerphone so everyone could hear.

     "Oh my God babe, I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say. Where are you guys? How are you doing?"

     Rhett's eyebrows shot up his forehead and he held the phone away from his face. Link's eyes widened when he realized that word got out that he had died. He hoped that Jessie hadn't told the kids that he died.

     "Jessie, I have to tell you something. Are the kids in the room with you?"

     Jessie completely missed what he had said. "Most of the crew is here, Rhett. They heard about what happened through the text message and they went to Link's house. They saw all of it, all of the damage that was done by the werewolf," Jessie was hyperventilating as she spoke. "And they rushed here. Where are you guys?"

     "Hold up for a sec babe and let me explain. First of all, the crew already knows about the werewolves, alright? You don't have to worry about that. Second, Link came back to life somehow."

     "What?!" Her voice was so shrill that Link winced. "Is this some kind of joke? This better not be a joke Rhett, because I swear to god I will,-"

     "Jessie! This is not a joke! We had him hooked up to this machine that shot 4 amps of electricity into his body, and it killed him. Somehow he came back to life and we don't know how. Baker says there's something about him that's not human," he trailed off, praying that the kids weren't in the room when he said that. He heard voices in the background and he recognized them as Chase and Stevie.

     "Is he a werewolf now?" Jessie almost sounded disgusted and Rhett shook his head, as if she could see him through the phone.

     "No. We did another test on him. We gave him a form of Nightshade that's toxic to werewolves and he didn't react at all. We have no idea what he could be that isn't human, and I'm just startled that there's more than werewolves and humans out there. He's alive though... that's all I care about."

     There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. "Thank the stars he's alive. Is he dangerous, Rhett? Is he going to hurt anyone?"

     Rhett licked his lips and then drew them together in a tight line, looking Link in the eyes. He found himself shaking his head. "I don't think so. Whatever he is, he's not dangerous. In fact... I think he can sense danger itself." Silence befell everyone once again, and Baker had a look of curiosity on his face.

     Link gazed down at the makeshift tourniquet on his arm, sighing deeply. He was a walking mystery, and they've suspected that since day one.

     "Can you guys just come home now, please?" She begged, and Rhett sighed.

     "We'll be on our way," he said.

     "Okay. I love you."

     "I love you too," he said as he hung up, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He felt something strange there that kept the phone from resting in his pocket completely and he pulled it out, his eyes widening.

     The pin he had found at Allison's house. He met Link's eyes and he hurriedly sat on the bed next to him with it cupped in his hands.

     "Open your hands," he told Link, and Link gave him an odd look before hesitantly doing as he was asked. Rhett dropped the pin into Link's hand and Link gazed at it.

     He recognized the crest, the saying, and the last name. His eyes widened and he gasped. "Mercedes!"

     Christy raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, her voice strained.

     "Terra's aunt's last name is O'Neill. Rhett, where did you find this?" Link asked as he looked at Rhett, and

Rhett glanced at Baker.

     "We found it at an abandoned house on the outskirts of town," he answered, and watched as Link looked down at it in wonder.

     "She can help me find out what I am," he said, turning the pin in his fingers.

     Rhett tightened his jaw. "We should get going back to the house, then. We have a lot to talk about."

     Just then, Baker's phone rang and he answered it.

     "Sheriff Baker," he answered, and he listened for several seconds. Everyone watched his face as it grew a concerned expression. "People are getting sick? Define getting sick?" He started pacing back and forth with his head lowered, his free hand up to his jaw. "Wonderful," he said through his teeth, closing his eyes. "I have an errand that I need to run and then I'll be right there, alright?" He hung the phone up and looked at Rhett and Link with a grave expression.

     "It's not looking good, boys. Looks like your friend Ponytail is back at it again."

     Link's eyes widened and Rhett shuddered.

     "What's that supposed to mean?" Rhett demanded, his eyebrows coming together.

     "The ER has a high influx of patients rolling in as we speak, with symptoms similar to what Link had. My deputy thinks it's a poisoning of some sort," he said with a sigh, making it obvious that he was the only one out of the precinct that knew the truth.

     Link's face fell, and he lowered his eyes.

     "Link," Baker said, and Link raised his head to look into Baker's blue eyes. "When you said you knew how the Alpha was becoming stronger... what exactly did you mean by that?"

     Rhett suddenly realized where Baker was going with this, which meant Link had another premonition when he was dead.

     How was any of this even possible?

     Link took a deep breath, his eyes focused on nothing in particular. "He didn't have a second head in his transformation until after Tessa was dead," he started, then locked eyes with Rhett. "He needs Terra for the third."

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