The Skinwalker Hunter

Chapter 9 - Mia

"Mia, sweetie," grandma calls out from down the hall. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen, " I reply, shoving as many snack-sized chip packets into my backpack that I could find. We were leaving the only home I could remember to go, God knows where. I was not leaving without sufficient car snacks. Who knew how long Evan intended to trap me in the backseat of my car. Rummaging around the back of the cupboard for whatever else I could find for my backseat picnic, I glanced up as grandma came to a stop next to me.

"What on Earth are you doing down there?" With one raised eyebrow and her head to the side, grandmas faded violet eyes met my deep purple ones.

"Snacks," I answered simply, shoving a solitary cheese dip and crackers pack in my bag and zipping it shut. The plump black bag was threatening to burst at the seams if I tried adding anything else. I sighed, knowing that I couldn't postpone leaving my childhood home with any more frivolous excuses or the dire importance of not forgetting to pack mundane things I couldn't possibly live without.

"You have enough there to feed a small army," she chuckled, reaching down to grab my hand and haul me off the floor. "How far do you think we're going?"

"I wouldn't know, no one tells me anything. Fort Knox of secrets Mia's not allowed to know." I thought, not daring or rude enough to say out loud in front of my grandmother. I opted for shrugging my shoulders. It seemed the safest option considering the whirlpool of emotions inside of me right now. Angry Mia could throw a few choice words around if I didn't keep her in tow. Best not to say much.

"Evan's Aunt has arrived, we'll be leaving soon," she said, rubbing her hand on my back in soothing circular motions. "I would like you to come outside and meet her."

"What, she's too good to come inside?"  Who's there cowgirl, these emotions were getting out of control. Mean Mia was on the warpath. I smiled, kissed her on the cheek and followed her outside. We needed to get this show on the road and fast. I was dropping my marbles and on my way to crazy town. I needed some action or snacks and car ride sleep. Anything! This waiting around was making everything worse. Evan was standing on the front lawn talking to someone I could not see. Damn his broad shoulders and impressive physique. Grandma led me to Evans side and standing a few feet in front of him was a woman. Well, not just a woman. She more resembled the stuff boys fantasies were made up of as if she slid right off the page of a magazine. Her skin was a smooth cream I'd never seen on any normal person. If there was nothing to gain from this whole moving thing, I was determined to find out her skin care regiment.

She looked over to me hovering behind Grandma and beamed a dentist commercial-worthy smile at me. All I could manage was to raise the corners of my mouth slightly. Wow, she was intimidatingly gorgeous.

"Mia," Evan's sultry voice purred. "I'd like to introduce you to my Aunt Rosa. Rosa, this is Mia."

He emphasised his last three words like meeting me explained everything. Good or bad. "Nice to meet you," I squeaked raising my hand to shake hers.

"The pleasure is all mine," she replied, leaving her arms firmly by her side. I dropped my hand, feeling the warmth of colour touch my cheeks.

"The pleasure wasn't all hers." I thought, clenching my teeth to hold the words in. I stood there in the middle of my yard feeling like an i***t. She was here as a favour to Evan, that didn't mean she wanted to get her hands dirty from touching some whining, troublesome teenager. My chin sunk against my chest as I stared at the white pebbles that made up the front footpath. The dark veins within the marble created shadows and patterns. I picked out different images I could see in the patterns. A cats face, a paw print, a gnome's hat, there were so many images to find, I forgot why I was out here or what was to come. Finding pictures in the world around me was something I use to do with my mother. We would lay on the grass looking up at the clouds, pointing out rabbits or unicorns. On the days of no clouds, mum would point out the people's faces she could see in the stained concrete or dirt smudges on shopping centre walls. It was our thing.

I followed the images with my gaze until my eyes fell on Rosa's shoes. Perfectly sculptured three-inch red heels cradled her feet. A moan of appreciation escaped my throat.

"Do you like them?" A musical voice drifted through the air and I looked up at Rosa's face. She gestured at her shoes before meeting my dumbfounded glare with the inky blackness of her eyes. I nodded stupidly and she smiled. "You can have them if you like? You look about the same size."

My jaw fell open. I didn't know how to take this woman. She refused to shake my hand but was willing to offer me the shoes off her feet that looked like they cost more than I could earn in a month. "Thank you." 

She beamed back at me, pleased with my answer. "You look about my size in everything. When we get there, you can help yourself with any of the clothes that you might like. I have more than I need."

"That's very nice of you to offer," I sighed knowing that I couldn't accept it. I only just met the woman. "I have plenty of my own."

Rosa let out a small whine dropping her bottom lip into a pout and furrowing her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Why not, Mia? They are tasty looking clothes."

I wrinkled my own, not shaped at all eyebrows, curious as to how clothes could look tasty. "It wouldn't be right. We only just met."

"Please, Mia," she begged, reminding me of how my mum would beg me to wear pink frilly outfits she had bought me. "Please, please, please."

"Okay, " I said starting to feel my cheeks warm with embarrassment. "I'll have a look."

"Yay, " Rosa squealed widening the grin on her face.

A gasp escaped my mouth as Rosa's smile flashed the full glory of her beautiful teeth and her extended fangs. I stumbled backwards, shocked at the long sharp teeth that hadn't been there earlier. My heart began to race as I noted other oddities about Rosa. Her perfect skin, stunning beauty and musical voice. She was not a normal human. Maybe she wasn't even human. My imagination searched through every supernatural movie I'd ever seen and every book I'd ever read. Was she a vampire? She definitely fit the profile. 

"Vampires aren't real," I thought, shaking my head. "But I'm a skinwalker, they don't exist either."

I felt my legs go weak at the thought and reached for grandmas shoulder to hold me steady. She looked at me and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. I'd love to see the look on my face that got that reaction but my head was swimming. Spots of darkness started blocking my sight and my legs were now officially jelly. Way too fast to be humanly possible, Evan was by my side. His arms wrapped around my waist and the heat exuding from them made my stomach do flips. Lifting me, he held me to his chest but the hard muscles of his chest pushing against my side didn't help the lightheadedness I was feeling. Crazyness was seeping into my brain, I was sure of it.

I looked up at his chiselled features and stared into the deep purple of his eyes. Visions of amethyst gems and sunset hues fluttered across my mind as my lids fluttered closed. I sighed contentedly and leaned into him. My imagination was a puppet master and I was its puppet. How could I think that my grandma would ever invite vampires into our lives, let alone trust them with me.

I groan softly as motion sickness churned my stomach. Squeezing my eyelids tightly shut to ease nausea, it hits me.

Am I on a boat? Why was my body in motion?

My eyes sprung open and I twisted my head from side to side trying to get my bearings. I was laying across a familiar-looking leather seat but the perspective was unfamiliar. Sitting upright, the realisation of where I was struck me. I was in the back seat of Tilly. Evan was in my seat guiding my beloved Celica to our unknown destination. I made a mental note to apologise to Tilly for letting a stranger drive her.

"How do you feel, sweetie?" Grandma twisted in her seat to look at me, a look of concern still visible on her face. I nodded in response and squinted my eyes to see through the darkness at the countryside flashing past the windows. "Where are we?"

"In between towns at the moment," she replied, facing the front again.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. Fort Knox of secrets had come into play again and I still wasn't allowed to know where I was going.

"Am I allowed to know where I'll be living?" I hitched my breath, struggling to hide the childish whine in my voice.

"Dubbo, " Evan chuckled, keeping his eyes trained on the road. "They have a zoo there, I thought you might like to apply to work there."

My jaw fell open in a combination of shock and awe. This destroyer of lives and bearer of chaos had considered me and my interests in his plans. I clamped my mouth shut and smiled at the eyes watching me in the rearview mirror. He may be an Adonis with mesmerising deep purple eyes and be considerate of the needs and interests of others, but I still didn't like him. I leaned against the window and stared at the random houses and thick bushland blurring past us. My mind wandered to the wide-open spaces Western Plains Zoo, offered its animals and visitors.