Dark Moon

Chapter Five

Dune tilted his head, pieces of a puzzle were appearing before him, but he couldn't tell what they were making. He brushed his satin gold bed sheets off to the side, and stood to look out the window. The scent trail he had followed vanished after he hit the thicker undergrowth. Only the strongly blooded vampires could do things like that. He huffed, and quietly swore as he remembered it was a school day and he missed the set of morning classes. He grabbed his bag and ran out to his garage for his bike. He launched himself from the grey concrete garage and raced to school. The doors were, thankfully, unlocked. He yanked them open to discover it was lunch period, and he sped to his usual table. Cable, along with two others patted him on the back, welcoming him back to 'the land of the living'. How ironic, considering I'd only been attacked by something considered undead, he chuckled to himself. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. A green message icon flashed on the lock screen from an unknown number.

<<Hey Dune, its Caitlin. Got your number from Rex. Where were you?>>

He blinked. How would Caitlin know Rex? He narrowed his eyes and shook his head and replied.

<<Hey. I slept in by accident.>>

<<I see, lol. Meet me after school. I wanna talk to you.>>

He received a nudge on the shoulder from Cable, who had so happened to see the conversation. Dune smacked his friend across the shoulder, making Cable laugh harder.

"Looks like Dune found himself a girl." Dune growled dangerously at Cable, his face heating up with embarrasment.

"Its not like that between us."

"You wish it was, right?" Cable smirked.

"S-Shaddup!" He turned away from the group to reply to her.

<<Alright, where?>>

<<How about the pond area?>>

<<That's fine. See you then.>> he snapped his phone shut and glared at them. The classes after dragged on for what seemed like excessive hours. He hopped onto his bike, riding it carefully into the woods behind the pond. He turned it off and walked over to the pond, slipping off his shoes and helmet. He dipped his feet into the water, surprised by the depth. He glanced around, not seeing Caitlin anywhere. Startled, Dune was pulled into the pool, clothing and all. A mop of raven-black hair touched the surface, followed quickly by a forehead, then a pair of eyes.

"Avana, you scared me." She giggled, her head popping out of the water completely. He watched her for a moment and she slid closer to him.

"Sorry for posing as Caitlin. I needed to talk to you right away." He blinked tilting his head.

"About what?" She was still coming closer. His back hit the wall of the pool, and he noticed a predatory smile in her eyes. "A-Avana..." Her eyes dulled from a bright emerald green to a color resembling black. Her hair shimmered seemingly reflective. "Avana..." He frowned and the scent hit his nose. Definitely not human. She gripped his arm tightly.

"Let's play, Dune~. I just have~ to repay my hero." She said in a sing-song voice. She ducked underwater again, pulling him along. He drifted under, making him panic. He struggled towards the surface, and gaped for air. Bubbles escaped, but he couldn't reach. He began to sink steadily, practically chained to the never-ending bottom of the pool. He felt the last bits of air in his lungs float up, he wished silently that he could follow. His vision blurred with the pain in his chest expanding. The light above him began fading. Blackness settled in and he allowed it.

Wind rustled his hair as water swelled in his mouth. He coughed it up, turning onto his side and gagged, eyes blinking wildly. He shifted his blurry gaze upward. "Rex?" He asked. His brother's scent drifted to his nose as he was helped on to his feet.

"Who did this to you? What did she look like?" Dune gave his brother a confused look. "Your stomach is shredded. Not too deep luckily."

"Avana..." He growled, understanding. "What was she?"

"I believe she was a siren. They lure people to the water and kill them." Dune stared blankly at Rex until he continued. "Avana was a siren, and she attempted to kill you. It seems she didn't get her claws too deep in your skin, and only shredded your shirt." Rex unzipped a pocket on his backpack pulling out several gauze pads and layers of medical wrap. Giving them to Dune, he waited for the older boy to finish taping his wounds up before he yanked off his jacket, tossing it at him.

"That would definitely explain why her eyes looked strange." Rex's face became downcast, and Dune struggled to his feet. "What is it?" He narrowed his eyes at him.

"This is just fishy to me."

"What is?"

"The whole situation. First you get attacked by your psychotic father. Next you meet a girl who you cannot tell what her orgins were. Not long after you are bitten by a high-ranking vampire, and to put the cherry on top you were then attacked by a siren. Some one wants you dead."

"Or a lot of people."

"I don't think that it's a coincidence. You have gone years without attacks, and now you suddenly have the world after you? Someone wants you out of the way." Rex watched him as Dune pulled his helmet over his head.

"Okay. Say your theory is right. Who would come up on your mind to want me gone?" He growled. Casting his gaze downward, Rex shrugged.

"Just seems suspicious."

"Don't get me wrong, I agree. I just can't think of a who." Dune patted the beta on the back, and mounted the bike. He pushed the kick stand back and was about to turn on the bike when Rex grabbed his arm.

"Just be careful." He said, looking directly into Dune's eyes. Worry imprinted in the depths of his amber eyes.

"Got it." He nodded slowly. Rex let go, and Dune left in silence. The Pures send three of my own wolves to my front door to see if I'm still alive. One of them has to know. Dune spotted Caitlin seated on his front porch as he arrived home. "What're you doing here?" She scoffed.

"That's cold, Dune." She shook her head. "Did you decide to go for a swim?" Caitlin asked, indicating Dune's sopping wet jeans.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny."

"Where's Avana? She asked me for your number saying she was going to confess," she coughed, then slipped into a sarcastically english tone, "her profound, never ending love for you."

"By drowning me." He growled. "Did you know she was a siren?" He asked, a bit on edge. Caitlin being behind the attacks was possible, but he hoped was not true.

"A what? A siren? Are you being serious-she tried to drown you?" She asked, voice changing in pitch.

"Thankfully she failed. And my brother was there to save my sorry hide." Caitlin nodded, and relaxed. There was no way it was her. "Anyway. I gotta go. I have to talk to someone, and it really can't wait." He paused. "So how'd you- get my number?"

She blushed lightly. "F-from Rex. When you were at the Praetora's hospital wing." He nodded. She waved her hand dismissively, and cleared her throat. "Who're you going to go see?"

He frowned at the thought, and sighed with annoyance. "My mother."