51 - The Way Out

51 - The Way Out
~Ellie’s Point of View~


The house was pitch black and I joked to myself it would be nice to have my Ipod for the lit screen. I had no clue what a portal looked like or if I’d even be able to tell what the hell it was. I was also still on high alert for Gunner or anyone else. 
I crept through the front door, which was actually left open and I checked again for any heartbeats. So far, so good. I quickly moved around every corner of the living room, and I didn’t notice anything weird or have any vibes. Next was the kitchen/dining room and the two bedrooms. 
This is ridiculous, I could be looking for nothing! I gave up after maybe an hour, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream. This was my only card to play, my only hope. 
I ran back outside to Grammy, and thanked the Goddess that she was right where I’d left her. 
“There’s nothing in there, I don’t think so anyhow but I don’t really know what I’m looking for either. It’s like there’s just no way out,” I whined.
“You would know, it would have a waft of magic coming off of it, but now that I think about it, portals can be portable too, like an item. So if Gunner left he likely had to take it with him,” she frowned. 
“I guess I’ll go back in to look for something to eat, I’m starving, but I’ll sleep out here tonight next to you, I won’t leave you,” I said. 
I awoke with a start, the sun was in my eyes. I had a pain in my neck because of how I’d been laying, even though I’d brought a pillow from the house.
I quickly jerked my head up and saw Grammy still in front of me, sleeping. I reached out to touch the wall, wishing I could feel her again.
To my shock, my fingers went right through it! I quickly got to my feet and kicked the air, unsure. I fell forward and landed on my butt right next to Grammy, waking her. I beamed and wrapped my arms around her, and she immediately returned the hug. 
“Does this mean Kai is dead,” I asked, hopeful. 
“I think it must, and Gunner isn’t here, maybe he’s on the run,” she said, trying to piece things together. 
We went into the house, got her some clothes and something to eat. I desperately wanted to shower but I wasn’t sure it was a priority. Grammy quickly went around the house and couldn’t find anything like a portal either. 
“Well I need a shower, I’m ripe,” Grammy said.
I was glad she said exactly what I was thinking. We took turns showering and in between tried to figure out if it was best to stay or go, now that the wall was gone.
“Well we have a couple days of food, if we ration it … but we really have no clue if we’re even in another world, dimension whatever. Or, heck we could be just a couple hours from home we would have no clue,” she said, getting frustrated.
“I say, maybe give it another night, if they’ve killed Kai, they must be getting … somewhere you know,” I said, hopeful.
“I thought about just lighting the house on fire too, creating a smoke signal, but I can’t in good conscience possibly burn the woods down,” she said.
I wrapped my arms around her and we held each other. I was just so grateful she was with me. 


~Godfrey’s Point of View~ 

I’d been honed in on Ellie for some time but it was not exact, even in death Kai was mocking me. He’d presented himself as the perfect mate to Katya, but he only drained her powers to harvest for himself, and was screwing her maid the entire time. Fucking fairies, I thought. Always horny and power hungry.
Gunner likely provided Katya his protection all those years ago, a safe haven … in exchange for helping to put spells on Ellie and the packs he took over. I just knew I had to find her, and I then ... would find him. I couldn’t rest until I had his head. If anyone else got it, I would lose my shit. He was MINE to kill.
I’d been to four different places where my blood bond indicated Ellie should be and she was nowhere to be found. How could this betray me? It was always spot on.
I’d been roaming some woods for a few hours and thankfully it was an overcast day, even though it was only a couple of hours until dark. I was just about to fly off to somewhere else when I came to a small house, and I detected two heartbeats inside. My, my … what do we have here? My blood bond called to me and I knew I’d finally found her.
I dashed to a window and listened in. Two females? One was certainly Ellie, and the other seemed someone familiar to her, someone she certainly didn’t fear. Interesting.
“Ellie child, it’s Godfrey,” I called through the front door.
This was technically a mortal’s home and I couldn’t enter without an invite, which always pissed me off. 
The door whipped open and there stood Ellie, gaping at me. I looked down to see I was covered in blood and guts ... well I didn’t think I’d currently win a beauty contest.
“Godfrey! I’ve never been so happy to see you, are you, are they… the guys,” she mumbled, blowing past me and looking around.
An equally small woman with bright white hair peered out from around the door, growling at me.
Ellie snapped back to her. “Grammy shh, it’s okay, he’s a friendly vampire.”
“There’s no such thing, don’t you dare invite him in,” she hissed.
“No need for invites, I’m here to take you back,” I said, stating the obvious.
I supposed however I had time to clean up. A shower actually sounded lovely.
“Is Gunner here,” I said, needing to move things along. I knew he wasn’t. I didn’t smell him but  I needed to see what they knew.
“No, I haven’t seen him in … two days I think, he said I’m going to be his Luna but I’m not even at the pack, what’s going on,” she demanded.
“Well if he’s not here I’d like to clean up, is there a shower,” I inquired. 
I felt pathetic having to stand here and ask a human for a favor, but I was rather a fright and it was now all I could think about.
“Yes, please come in,” Ellie said, stepping aside. 
The old woman glowered at me and I dashed past her and found the bathroom, shutting myself in and getting on with things. I had some time to spare since it was still daylight back at Blood Claw and I’d been gone so long I had no clue what the weather was like. I’d have needed to stop and sleep for a few hours if I’d not had all this human blood in the last few days. I hadn’t had human blood in so long, I felt like a new vampire. Having to go back to just animals only would be very hard and likely take some weaning. 
“I have some of Gunner’s clothes, they are freshly cleaned so they don’t smell too much like him if you want them,” I heard Ellie say and she dropped something at the door.
I grumbled at the thought, but I simply couldn’t put my old clothes back on. I dressed and met the she-wolves in the living room. 
“I’ve told Grammy everything, she won’t give you any trouble,” Ellie said.
“Grammy ... interesting, I believe they were looking for you too,” I said, looking at the woman. 
"Well go on, I need to know what's happening, Ellie said, dancing in front of me and waving her hands all over. She was positively annoying me.
“I have taken Kai’s head, but Gunner appears at large. We have taken over Blood Claw as well, I don’t know what the mutts are currently doing,” I said, plainly. 
“Oh thank the Goddess they are okay! How did you find us, is there a portal,” Ellie asked.
“No you’ve had my blood, I can find you anywhere,” I said, wanting to get a move on.
The woman growled at me and Ellie looked in shock. 
“What?! When? How? I didn’t consent--”
Oh we don’t have time for this nonsense. I waved her off. I’d just spent the last couple of days in battle, and now here I was helping a child with her homework.
“No time for story hour, let’s get a move on,” I said, walking toward the door.
“Woman, you get on my back, Ellie, I’ll hold you on the front,” I said, picking her up. 
In the blink of an eye I shot into the sky and back to Blood Claw.
There were many milling about but I didn’t sense River and I needed to know if there were updates on Gunner. It was a still a bit light outside so I turned away from the wolves to dash into a building. I could however, still hear and see them once I found cover in the shade.
“Jasmine! My sweet Jasmine,” the white haired woman yelled. 
She ran toward a woman that looked exactly like … Ellie. Hmm, yes well happy ending for you all but I still have a head to take off.
I dashed to Isaac and demanded an update. He had no idea what was going on, and he was supposed to be the leader of the mutts … worthless.
“Where is Angel,” I yelled, since I couldn’t mind-link.
All of my power and all of my knowledge, and here I was at the mercy of mortals. If I could spit, I would. It infuriated me but this was no time for a tantrum.
“Mr. Godfrey,” a voice said. 
I turned to see a young shifter, maybe … a panther? An animal is an animal.
“Speak freely,” I said.
“I’m one of Chance’s recruits. They followed a portal they found in Gunner’s basement,” he said.
“Who all went,” I inquired.
“The Black triplets, Chance, Katrina and Angel, that I know of,” he said, starting to lead the way.
“Where is Quinn,” I yelled. “Get me a damn competent creature.”
“He’s been helping properly burn the demons and two fairies that were lost, sir,” the recruit said.
He led me to the portal and I didn’t like the looks of it. I needed to get these people out of here, I had no clue if there might still be anyone helping Gunner and I didn’t trust that a throng of holy hell wouldn’t unleash from this portal. River had to still be alive, I hadn’t felt our bond sever.
I ran back outside and began barking orders at everyone around and arranging a rescue party to go after the Warriors.