Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Ninety Seven

     Everyone nodded their heads, Eddie looking incredulous.

     "Yeah, well we're well past that now," Eddie murmured with an ounce of sarcasm in his tone as he leaned back in his seat with his arms folded over his chest.

     Rhett nodded his head as Eddie had a point, and he licked his lips before continuing. "There's a good reason for that, Eddie. Whatever's going on seems to be centered around Link, so wherever Link goes, it's going to follow."

     Everyone's gazes fell on Link and he lowered his eyes, feeling his ears burn up. He wished Rhett hadn't made him the star of the conversation, since he seemed to be the star of everything else that's been going on.

     "Mike, Alex," Rhett had the boys' attention. "Remember that guy we saw at the convention?"

     "The one that turned into the two headed werewolf," Mike said, nodding his head. Alex said nothing, taking a deep breath. This raised a look of alarm between Christy and Jessie.

     "We've already figured out that he must be the Alpha. He was the one that turned Terra into a werewolf in the parking lot last Thursday."

     "Wait. What?" Alex sat forward in his seat, his eyebrows shooting skyward. Mike's mouth fell open.

     "Terra turned into a werewolf?" Chase asked incredulously.

     Rhett nodded his head. "The bite on her side healed instantly, and the night of the full moon when the Alpha attacked us at Link's, she showed up. We thought she was helping us," he trailed off, lowering his eyes. He waited a few seconds before raising them again, a dangerous glint undertaking his normally luminescent glow. "But she almost killed Link. She nearly suffocated him to death, and somehow when he screamed, he forced her out of her shift. Much like he did when we went to her house to tell her that her sister was dead." He paused, silence befalling him once again. His heart began racing in his chest as he recalled what happened vividly in his mind's eye.

     "She shifted on us again, and this time she successfully hurt Link. I learned from the sheriff today that not only the bite can turn you, but a scratch also, if the claws go deep enough. She really dug them into his thigh, and naturally he didn't heal from it. Instead of the werewolf toxin changing him, it made him very sick, and it was killing him. We did lose him tonight," he said with a strain in his voice. "But somehow he came back. We discovered he wasn't a werewolf by giving him Nightshade, which is highly toxic to werewolves."

     "And he didn't react to it, right?" Eddie concluded, to which Rhett nodded his head.

"No reaction whatsoever. It was like consuming an everyday tomato, and we know Link hates tomatoes."

     Link raised his head to look at Rhett, still feeling the burning sensation in his ears.

     "Why would Terra try to kill Link twice?" Chase asked, his tone deflated. He really liked her when he first met her. She seemed like a sweet, cool girl.

     Rhett pressed his lips firmly together, bringing his hands up to his face cupped together. He slowly lowered them. "Do you really want to know what I think?" He said, and Link narrowed his eyes. He was definitely curious of what Rhett thought. Chase nodded his head while everyone waited patiently for him to continue. "I think she's helping the Alpha somehow."

     Link straightened up in his seat, holding his hand up. "Hold on," he said, his voice scratchy. He coughed to clear his throat. "I respect what you think wholeheartedly man, but I know that she wasn't doing it within her control."

     "Okay, but why was it that both times she had shifted she was talking about her Alpha? Why did she tell you that she sensed something dark in your eyes? Why aren't you questioning these things, and defending her actions?"

     Stevie's eyes widened and she swallowed, bringing a hand up to her mouth. She realized that a possible argument was about to ensue.

     "I'm not defending her actions! I'm just saying that she had absolutely no control both times! The first time was because of the full moon. I know you've watched enough movies and read enough books to know that werewolves don't typically have any control on the night of the full moon. Their blood lust is at its peak and they want to kill anything with a beating heart. I may not be human," he lowered his eyes as he said that, feeling totally strange hearing the words come out of his own mouth. "But I still have a beating heart in my chest." He pointed to his chest, firmly locking eyes with Rhett. "The second time was because she was grieving for her dead twin sister. She lost control, therefore it wasn't entirely her fault. I see no malicious intent behind her 'actions.'"

     Rhett narrowed his eyes, remembering what Baker had said back at Paul's. That not all of them were dangerous. That most of them still held on to their human side because they weren't given a choice, and if they wanted any semblance of a normal life, they had to learn control to blend in. If Terra really wanted to be in their good graces, why wouldn't she be making an attempt to blend in? To hold on to that human side?

     "Something is not right about this, Link. We don't know Terra that well, and you barely remember her from your childhood. Don't you think that the Alpha that wants you dead would go through any lengths to kill you? Including turning somebody that you knew in your childhood? What if he's offering her something to do all of this?" Rhett's mind was obviously racing as the verbal vomit tumbled out of his mouth, and Jessie placed a reassuring hand on his back.

     "Rhett, I've never seen the freaking guy before in my life. What makes you think he knows that I know this girl from my childhood? Do you know how far fetched that sounds?"

     Rhett's eyebrows shot up his forehead and he leaned over the table. "Do you know how farfetched it sounds that you aren't even human? Stop and think for a moment, man. This is the reason why all of this is happening!"

     Mike and Alex looked between Rhett and Link with their eyes widened. This wasn't their first rodeo with the two of them arguing, and normally they came to an agreement at the end so they weren't too horrified. It was always amusing to watch, though.

     "Of course it is," Link muttered, lowering his eyes.

     Rhett's shoulders slumped as he noted the defeat in Link's facial features. "Link."

     "It's all my fault. I'm the monster here. None of this would be happening if I didn't exist."

     Rhett shot up from his seat, causing Link to flinch back a little. "Don't say that! You're not the monster here. Terra is." Link's mouth fell open. "She almost killed my best friend twice, and I don't care how much you argue with me otherwise. For all I care, we can let the Alpha have her."

     It was Link's turn to fly up to his feet. "You can't be serious! You want to hand Terra off to the Alpha so he can become even more powerful, and succeed in capturing and killing me? Or making me his pet or whatever he wants to do with me?" Rhett's lips clamped shut and Link was nodding his head, pressing his palms against the table. "That's right, you didn't think about that did you?"

     Rhett huffed. "What makes you so sure that him killing Terra would make him stronger?"

     Link had a look on his face as if he'd been slapped by Rhett. Rhett might as well have slapped him, and he turned to start walking out of the kitchen.

     He turned his head to look over his shoulder. "You want to believe me any other time I have a premonition except now. I might as well just hand myself to the Alpha and end the whole thing." He began walking out and Rhett moved, causing his chair to fall backward and clatter to the floor. Everyone watched with worry etched on their faces as Rhett sprinted to catch up.

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