Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 109

Natalia bolted upright.

‘What?’ Uri said.

‘Bad dream,’ she said in a hollow voice.

She panted, almost feeling as if she was still living it. Hell was back to being Hell with Lisa in the middle screaming. A group of Viperians with fangs bared were running after her. There was blood everywhere she looked. It was especially thick around three Viperian women who were casually chatting while consuming a goat. Anpu was running his hands over her and unfastening her clothing. Uri stood there glaring at her. Mirren, Sophie, and every other person she knew well and dear were yelling at her for showing them up by getting all of her properties rented.

‘You’re just worried about the shop,’ he said, pulling her down and snuggling against her.

‘Overwhelmed with all that is happening.’

‘It will all work out.’

‘With a rogue board member’s wife?’

‘We’re working on some things.’

‘Now, I’m really worried.’

She sat back up.

‘What are you working on?’ she said with concern.

‘Mommy?’

‘You woke someone up,’ he said.

‘Yes, Victoria?’

‘Wake time?’

‘No. Go back to bed.’

It was still dark. She turned to look at the clock. It was four am.

‘How can she be awake? She had no naps yesterday.’

‘Yeah, but she crashed right after dinner,’ he said.

Natalia now felt wide awake.

‘I’m not getting back to sleep,’ she said.

Uri ran a hand along her back.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ she said. ‘What are you and Moralis up to? You know you can’t jeopardize your position at the bank.’

‘We’re not doing anything illegal.’

‘By whose rules?’

He chuckled.

‘I’m not getting any sleep, either. And I’m not going to win this argument.’

He rose and went into the bathroom.

‘This isn’t an argument,’ she said.

She slid out of bed and dressed. Victoria watched her from the doorway.

‘Are those sensors even working? I think not. Someone is out of her room, and we didn’t hear a thing.’

‘Maybe they woke you,’ he said, coming out of the bathroom to dress.

Natalia went into the bathroom, followed by Victoria.

‘It’s still dark out,’ Victoria said.

‘We’re up early. Did you wake us?’

Victoria shook her head.

‘Do you need to go potty?’

Victoria nodded.

‘I’ll start some tea,’ Uri said, leaving the bedroom.

Natalia finished with Victoria. She was going to pick her up, but she ran off.

‘Downstairs my independent girl,’ she said to her, but Victoria was already going down.

Tail was ahead of them with her tail held high like a flag they were supposed to follow.

Uri had set out mugs on the dining room table.

‘Up.’

Natalia laughed at her daughter’s command and lifted her up into her seat. A few minutes later, Uri brought out a teapot and a glass of milk.

‘Do you want hot tea in your milk?’ he said to Victoria.

She nodded.

He added milk to both of their mugs, then filled the half empty glass with hot tea.

‘Is that too hot for her?’ Natalia said.

‘No, the milk cooled it down.’

He touched the glass to show her, then set it in front of Victoria.

‘Sugar?’

Victoria nodded and he added a spoonful of sugar from the sugar bowl that was already on the table. Then he poured their tea and added sugar.

‘It’s not often we’re awake before Mag,’ she said.

Uri nodded.

‘This will be a surprise to find us peacefully drinking tea.’

Victoria giggled.

Natalia sighed. It was peaceful with them sitting there, sipping their tea.

Grrrrr.

Tail skidded up onto the table. All her fur was bristled up and she was staring in the direction of the patio door. She growled again.

‘I heard something,’ Uri said, half turned toward the door.

‘Yeah, so did I. It’s not Mag. Tail wouldn’t growl at Mag.’

Natalia swore she heard the word intruder within the kitten’s growl.

Uri rose.

Since their vision allowed them to see in the dark, they rarely ever turned on lights. Natalia knew that to an Undent the house was dark.

‘Did the glass get replaced on the patio door?’ she said.

‘On order. It’s a custom sized door.’

‘Someone heard an alarm. Someone is coming through the basement.’

There were steps up the basement stairs. The door opened.

‘We’re in the dining room, Mag,’ Uri said.

‘Alarm went off,’ Mag said from the door. ‘Someone is in the backyard.’

Natalia watched Victoria. Her eyes were tracking around the room as if she was seeing something.

‘They’re moving to the side yard,’ Natalia said.

‘Bonnie and Zena are coming around the front,’ Mag said.

‘You stay put,’ Uri said.

He left to join Mag in the kitchen. She heard the patio door.

‘How many?’ she said to Victoria.

Victoria shrugged.

‘More than one?’

Victoria nodded.

Tail huffed.

‘Tail says three… or more.’

Natalia could see the seriousness on her face. It had been a long time since Victoria had exhibited some of her ultrasensitive senses. The last time she had helped with intruders around the house was when she was an infant. And while few believed her abilities, Natalia never doubted them.

Tail’s eyes were now toward the garage.

A bang followed immediately by glass shattering caused Natalia to duck under the table and crawl to Victoria’s chair. She moved it out just enough, so she could help Victoria slide beneath the table.

More glass exploded. Natalia knew the front windows were being shot out.

Guns.

That worried her. She felt as if the entire front of the house was being riddled with bullets.

Victoria huddled against her, holding Tail.

All the shooting ceased. There was just the tinkling of glass.

‘Out,’ Victoria said, pushing away from her.

Natalia followed her at a fast crawl toward the kitchen. Just as they reached it, there was an explosion. The kitchen door which had been propped open, slammed into her. It took her breath away.

‘Mommy.’

Natalia managed to crawl to her and take her in her arms. Then gunfire took out what remained of the patio doors. Glass shards skidded across the floor. She knew they would be okay if that was all they did. Cabinets protected them.

The gunfire stopped. It was an almost nerve wracking silence. Then there was more gunfire upfront.

Victoria stiffened.

‘Daddy.’

Something passed through the backyard. Glass crunched underfoot when someone stepped into the kitchen. The person was holding a rifle.

Natalia held her breath. She didn’t have a single knife on her.

‘Are you okay?’ Anpu said.

‘Scare,’ she said with a big sigh of relief.

She picked up Victoria when she rose. Victoria offered none of her usual resistance.

‘Let’s go,’ he said, waving her on with his hand.

He led the way. Midway around the house, he aimed and fired. The bang from a gun that near caused her to jump. Tail hissed and arched her back. Then, Natalia heard the sound of the body falling to the ground. She realized someone had been up on neighbor’s roof across the street. This told her that burglary wasn’t the goal of this endeavor. That scared her even more.

Anpu took off at a run. Natalia followed as best she could to the front of the house. Bonnie and Zena were stooped over a body.

Natalia almost fainted. There was blood everywhere. The body wasn’t breathing.

‘Daddy.’

Kate pulled up onto the lawn in a car. Bonnie and Zena carried Uri to the back seat. Bonnie got in with him. The car took off with a peal of tires.

Natalia stared after the car, feeling light headed. She didn’t know whether to run after the car or find a car to follow. Breathing was hard, and she found she couldn’t talk.

‘I think the last one was the one on the roof,’ Anpu said.

He and Zena did a slow spin.

‘We probably better put the fire out before it spreads,’ Zena said, taking off toward the house at a sprint.

Natalia turned to see something burning in the house.

‘Where’s Mag?’ she said in a whisper, feeling terrified that she didn’t see her.

Tail ran over to some bushes. Anpu continued to watch around them. Natalia headed toward the bushes, dreading what she would find.

‘Mag?’

‘I’m… I’m okay.’

She was on the ground.

Natalia didn’t think she was okay. She gave her a hand to help her up.

‘You’ve been hit.’