It’s Funny How Love Starts (IFHLS Book 1)

Travis’ POV (before the explosion)

I saw them leave and stood up to make my exit. There was definitely a lot of work that needed to be done before I headed back to the estate.

“Hello Travis,” a voice called out. I stood still, frozen in fear. Why? Why now?! I slowly turned to the voice, gritting my teeth. I held myself together by grabbing the side of the table in anger which resulted in white knuckles that shook in anger.

“It’s a surprise to see you, Kent,” I said coolly, keeping my distance but he casually sat on one of the chairs as if he had every reason to be there.

“I can say the same for you, Travis. I wasn’t aware of your change of sides,” Kent narrowed his eyes but it turned into a smirk. “A traitor just like your father. Always helping the Maxilums. But father like son,” he shrugged. Kent yawned, looking at his watch for the time. “It’s a good thing we got rid of Tom,” Kent said annoyed. “Your dad slowed us down.”

Confusion was engulfed by the anger that overtook me quickly. “What?” I practically shouted. I know I wasn’t supposed to attract attention but that could wait later. “It was you!” It wasn’t Alexia’s dad at all. It had been Kent the entire time and he said it as if he didn’t care at all.

“Of course. Blaming the werewolves only helped recruiting you a lot easier and look how much you proved yourself to be!” Kent laughed harshly.

“You bastard. You tricked me,” I growled, grabbing him by the neck. “Why are you even here?”

“Just here to shake up the werewolf society,” Kent smiled, giving me a devilish look. I wanted to punch him there and then and maybe strike a few stabs for murdering my dad but I needed to know more.

“Like the explosion from the last party?” I spat. “They thought I set it up.”

“Oh, something very similar.” He gave me another one of his dangerous smile. “Do you know how World War I started?” Of course I did. I wasn’t an idiot.

“Yeah that Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, got shot and killed with his wife when they were visiting Bosnia, right?” I was a little rusty on my history but that much I knew.

“Yes, but it was a little more complicated. Austria-Hungary and Serbia didn’t really have the best relationship. Although it was the humans who started the war, it was by both hunter and werewolf influence that really started it,” Kent explained. My grip on him loosened and he took the time to jerk himself away and sat down in a chair. “If you want to hear more, all you have to do is sit.”

 Kent pointed to my chair and I sat down, trying to hold in my anger. I had to let go of my dad for now and focus on the present. “Talk,” I said, hiding my emotions. Kent looked pleased at my self-control.

“Well, the hunters tried to influence Serbia to assassinate the Archduke who was one of the Elders in the werewolf society. Of course, no human knew except the hunters and we were tired of them killing our people. They were vicious and full of evil and they needed to be gone,” Kent said bitterly. He seemed to be holding a personal grudge.

“They aren’t all evil,” I countered, needing to defend some of the werewolves I met.

“They will deceive you when the time comes,” Kent spat. “They’ll throw you out once they don’t need you.”

“I beg to differ.” Although we might’ve started on the wrong foot, I had actually grown close to Lucas and his pack. He came to me one night and apologized for everything he had done and had been completely fair as far as he could go.

“Your opinion is different and I’ll let it slide this time. Going back to the story, World War I gave a reason for werewolves and hunters to fight and it was a violent fight alright but now it’s a new age and we’ve developed stronger, more effective weapons. It’s time we advanced the attack but we’ll get them all one pack at a time,” Kent blabbered on. I was beginning to worry if he was going insane or not. It was all ridiculous.

“OK, well it was great talking with you,” I said standing up and left the table. I had to get back to the party.

“I’m afraid I have to kill you now, Travis,” Kent said looking at me with pity. “I can’t let you side with the werewolves. Guards!” Suddenly, a heavy pair of arms jerked me back and grabbed me. Even though I was way over six feet and had a pretty big build, it was still hard to take on the man grabbing onto me. “Hm, what to do with you,” Kent said thoughtfully.

I could see the dark, sinister plans forming in his mind and I was about to scream more profanity but I was cut off by an explosion. Alexia. Zane.

“What did you do?” I screamed, punching the guard which made his arms loosen around me and I took it to my advantage by punching and kicking him again unconscious. One thing they did teach me was self-defense and I was glad for it in a time like this.

“Travis!” Kent’s voice boomed behind me. Just then, I was reminded of Frankenstein. Created by Kent but now I was escaping for good. Away towards freedom which also meant siding with who I thought was my enemy most of my life.

I turned the corner until I saw the smoke itself and the door opened to hundreds of people screaming out. I pushed my way in until I saw a blur of humans and transformed werewolves fighting each other. I noticed some females who had the guts to transform and attack alongside their mates.

At the corner of my eye, I saw Alexia being well protected by Lucas, Zane, Amos, and the vampire dude but she was busy herself, healing fallen werewolves. She looked like she was about to faint and was struggling to keep her healing up.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hunter no one noticed realized what Alexia was doing and went in for a kill. This all took place in once second and by instinct, I launched myself at the hunter with my silver dagger poised. Even if it was specially made for werewolves, a dagger was still a dagger.

The hunter was better than I thought, dodging my offensive attack and putting me in a defensive mode.

We traded swaps until he made a mistake by giving me an opening for half a second but that was all I needed. I went in and stabbed him in the same way you would for a werewolf.

His body jerked from the force that it took to drive it through his heart. He gave me one look of betrayal before the life in his eyes faded. He was about my age, maybe younger and the way he looked at me sadly, it made a twinge in my heart. I gently put him down, wondering what I had gotten myself into. A big load of trouble for sure.

“Travis!” Alexia yelled my name to snap me back out of my thoughts. More and more hunters were still coming in, all ready to battle to their death as long as it was to help kill the werewolves. Crazy hunters. I was so blinded before but it was because Kent had lied about everything and he probably lied to many others.

Alexia was doing her work well but I could see the effect of the power on her. She looked like she was about to faint, swaying but pulling herself together. I couldn’t keep track of her afterwards because I got too occupied by the flooding amounts of hunters with their guns and stake but just as they had replacement to fill in, we had Alexia’s healing to keep our number going.

Finally, the hunters began to retreat, seeing how Alexia’s abilities were far too great from risking the war to go on much longer. I knew it was just the beginning but to know that we lasted the first surprise attack was good news itself.

I scanned the room to see if there were any more hunters until I spotted one. The werewolves finally changed into their forms with their appropriate clothing but we couldn’t relax until this one was finished.

I grabbed the hunter, catching her by surprise but she didn’t seem to put on a fight. She collapsed in my arm, crying and terrified but she still held onto me. I recognized her as Jessabelle, the quiet and shy girl who was recruited when her parents were killed by drunken werewolves messing around. She had no place to stay so the organization gladly took another recruit even if she was weak.

I was about to finish her off but the terrified look on her face made me hesitate. Was it worth killing her? She wasn’t even much of a threat.

“Please, if you’re going to kill me, just kill me fast and get it over with,” she stammered but she had the guts to say it. I still had her in my arms, deciding what I should do when Amos materialized next to me.

“Why aren’t you killing her?” he asked questioningly and suspiciously. He thought I was weak and I would betray them.

“She’s not a danger. I can’t kill her,” I sighed, finding it way too hard.

“I guess we’ll have to see what Lucas’ decision is,” Amos muttered disapprovingly but he knew his saying wouldn’t matter in this case. Even if he was an Elder, the responsibility of the pack laid on the Alpha’s shoulder.

“Just kill me. Kill me Travis,” she begged, whispering only my name. I shuddered. I knew I was well known back in the organization but when she uttered my name, it sent involuntary shivers up my body.

A sudden voice zapped me back and reminded me that I was still in a hotel full of werewolves.

“Alexia?!” Zane yelled. I turned towards the voice and was just in time to see Alexia drop to the ground.

Lucas’ POV

I saw Alexia fall before Zane yelled for her. I ran quickly but it felt like time slowed down. She couldn’t leave me. I cared for her too much and if she didn’t make it through this one then there would be an empty part of my soul forever.

“Alexia?” I kneeled down, picking her small frail body but she laid still, unmoving.

I felt a hand on my shoulder attempting to comfort me but nothing could stop me from the heartache it was causing me. Was this how it felt like to lose your mate?

“You didn’t lose her yet. Have faith, comrade,” Derek’s voice came in the mist of all the devastation. I turned to him, hope suddenly bursting inside of me. “She’s at least conscious. That I’m sure of. I can still read her mind but it’s a little harder than usual. She’s either having a nightmare or a vision.”

Everyone looked uneasy at his last word. A vision meant the darkness had somehow found its way inside of her again. I wasn’t really educated on the matter of this darkness but my dad had taught me it was something uncontrollable and undefeatable. No one survived the wrath of darkness and they were quickly consumed by it, resulting in the darkness getting only stronger and stronger.

I couldn’t let that happen to Alexia. I stood up with her body limp in my arms. At least she was still alive. I finally felt her breathing and her lips were slightly parted and I had to control myself not to kiss her right then and there.

“Lucas, you look like you want to eat her. Stop staring at her like that,” Damon smirked and patted my back. “I know she’s a cute girl and all but let’s get back to business here since she’s not dead. Your human boy seems to be having trouble over there.” Damon pointed to Travis who seemed to be fending off some of the other werewolves. I saw a small girl who looked around Alexia’s age, terrified written all over her face. What now? There was too much to deal with.

“Hey. Marcus. Thomas. Scat. He’s with me,” I ordered and the two werewolves instantly backed away. They were still cautious but they still followed my orders. I turned back to my main attention. Travis and that human girl. “What are you doing with the human girl? She’s a hunter,” I growled low which made the girl flinch.

“She’s not harmful at all. She was recruited by the organization because they adopted her when werewolves killed both of her parents,” Travis explained. Somehow he made it seem like taking her in would be the least thing I could do. I narrowed my eyes, giving him a ‘no’ but he didn’t seem to understand. “Please, I’ll be responsible for whatever she does. She doesn’t have a place to live since they beat hunters to death if they ditch the fight and get back to base.”

“Well then, I guess that’s her mistake.” I cocked my head to one side, observing her. She was pretty short with long curly brown hair that came to her waist. She reminded me of the Barbie dolls Lexi used to be obsessed over. She did look like the most innocent creature but it didn’t change the fact that she was a hunter. Looks were deceiving.

“No,” I answered shortly.

Travis was about to argue more when the small girl interrupted. “I see that your mate is having a vision. I might be able to dip into her vision.”

“You’re a human. You don’t have abilities,” I said, bluntly.

“I used to tell fortunes for fun. Some humans can dip into the spirit stuff,” the small girl quipped, “but I ask you not to kill me.”

“And let her stay at the estate,” Travis added. I looked at him suspiciously. I wasn’t going to open my house up as a hotel for humans. “She doesn’t have a place to stay,” he argued and I finally sighed. I didn’t have time for this and I guess if the girl was going to help Alexia, might as well agree to it.

“Fine, but we need to go back to the estate since the police and firefighters will be here in a few minutes.”

“And I advise now,” Amos called, looking out the window, “because the police are already here.”

“Everyone file out through the back door,” I ordered and to my surprise, even the Elders listened.

***************

Once we were all situated in my office back at the estate, I laid Alexia on the couches while the small girl, who went by Jessabelle, got ready to do her spirit stuff. Alexia looked sickly pale and her lips weren’t its usual soft vibrant pink.

“I’m ready,” Jessabelle said, nodding her heads to me, looking determined and focused. Her big green eyes showed nervousness but she held herself in a way that seemed confident.

I moved aside, standing up so Jessabelle could occupy the space to do her thing.

“You know the human might be lying,” Derek said lowly so no one could hear except us.

“But I saw you touch her and you didn’t say anything so I’m going to go with your instincts.” I considered Derek’s thoughts before and I trusted him if Amos did too.

“Glad you’re catching on,” Derek said, “but people can learn to shield their thoughts exactly for this purpose and since she’s a hunter, who knows how much she’s trained.” I never given that a thought. I just hoped Travis knew what he was doing by trusting her.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” I sighed.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the vampire king,” Grayson smirked, coming towards us. We all took different rides back to the estate so they hadn’t noticed Derek yet. “I hadn’t noticed you until now.” If it was an insult it didn’t seem to bother Derek. He looked at Grayson as if he was a little boy and he probably was compared to Derek who was immortal.

“Hello, Grayson,” Derek said, kind of in a way where a parent would chide a kid. “It’s certainly been a while.”

“It certainly has,” Grayson said slowly, trying to figure Derek out. “May I ask why you’re here?”

“That is something I’d like to discuss actually,” Derek smiled.

“Still trying to make everything flamboyant, Derek,” Logan said in annoyance. “For a vampire who was here since the beginning of time, you sure are immature.”

“Those are dangerous words you speak of,” Derek said appearing before Logan with his vampire speed. “I can easily kill you with just one bite so I would hold your tongue the next time you want to talk little boy.” His deadly threat made Logan shut up. Aiden held a secret smile at his friend who was getting bullied by a vampire. When Derek turned around, walking back to where he was next to me, Logan punched Aiden in anger and embarrassment. For being Elders they sure were immature. I knew Logan and Aiden were the youngest out of the Elders but they were still older than me.

“Now, as I was saying. I think it would be best if I’m here for Alexia and teach her how to control the vampire side of her,” he said, laying out his plans so open without giving proper introductions about it.

“You know that she’s a Bloodwolf,” Grayson said it more of a statement than a question.

“Yes, I do,” Derek answered anyways. “I also fed her blood,” he said matter-of-factly.

Grayson looked like he was going to explode in some kind of anger but instead a bright red flame engulfed my antique wooden table that was a little too close to Derek. “What?” he growled, barely able to keep himself situated. I flinched at the fragile antique as it was consumed by flames. It had been expensive and hard to get.

“I don’t think I need to repeat myself,” Derek said, looking at the fire with interest. He looked back at Grayson, his eyes playing a bored expression. “You might want to extinguish that or else we all would die,” Derek said calmly.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Grayson’s eyes were blazing with anger but he smothered the fire till it was all out. The once expensive wooden furniture was now charred to black ash. I groaned in my head. That was such a hard antique to obtain.

“Derek. You might want to explain everything,” Amos suggested to his friend.

“Well, for the sake of everyone getting on the same page, we met at a bakery. You know because Zane and Alexia were celebrating her birthday.” This was a surprise for me. I didn’t know it was her birthday and for that, I mentally punched myself. I was probably the worst mate in the world. “And I asked nicely for a chair. I shook their hands introducing myself and saw everything through their eyes so I decided to keep close tabs. When I saw her in the hallway of the bathroom, she was weak and thirsty without blood in her system. I think she would’ve died like a regular vampire if I didn’t give her my blood.”

“And that equally could’ve killed her. The original vampire king’s blood is fatal to any vampires,” Logan interrupted. “What would you have done then?” Derek looked at him blankly as if thinking why Logan was still talking. Logan was walking on dangerous waters but Derek didn’t take any action this time.

“She’s only a half vampire so I thought I could gamble,” Derek shrugged. “If it didn’t work then I would’ve sucked my blood out of her system.”

“But you still took the risk?” Aiden spoke up.

“Yes, I did but let’s look at the fact that I saved her,” Derek said, obviously annoyed at now the conversation seemed to have shifted to a different topic.

“Yes, we should.” Amos looked at every one of his fellow comrades.

“Such big decisions,” Wyatt mumbled, absentmindedly. “But why are you so interested in helping Alexia? Even if she is part vampire, she is still part werewolf.” Wyatt’s quick eyes never failed to catch every detail.

“Because I care for her,” Derek answered shortly.

“Do you know what you’re doing? She’ll always have the thirst for blood,” Wyatt said. Everyone by this point was shocked to see Wyatt talking this much. He barely utters a word unless someone asks him a question and even then it’s not often he answers.

“But she’ll be more civil about it. She can go hunt with me or I can easily just feed her blood bags from the local hospital. The possibilities are endless,” Derek explained. His proposition was pretty darn good but Grayson didn’t look fully convinced.

“Wyatt, what are your thoughts?” Grayson asked, looking at him with respect. Wyatt was neither older than Amos and Grayson nor younger Logan and Aiden. He was right smack in the middle. He also was one of those rare few who knew how to read people’s feelings and auras. He was also quiet and reserved, never really arguing so both Grayson and Amos took a liking to him. It was just those two who always fought but in the end, they were still best friends.

Wyatt looked at Derek intensely, his famous green cat-like eyes narrowing on him. “His intensions are true,” Wyatt answered, smirking for the first time. “You really care for Alexia.”

Derek simply blinked at him, but he covered it with an easy smile. “Yes, of course I care for her.”

“Fine, who agrees say ‘aye,'” Grayson asked his fellow Elders. Everyone said ‘aye’ although Logan wasn’t so sure about it but it was done. I guess I needed another guest room ready. My house was already beginning to get occupied by random people. First a hunter now a vampire. What would father say if he knew? Surely, he would give me lashes on my back like the old days. The scars proved how much it hurt.

“It’s settled,” Amos smiled. “Good job, my friend.”

“AH!” someone screamed. We all flinched and turned to the voice but it was only Jessabelle.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Travis but he looked just as confused.

“I don’t know. Jessabelle’s still in Alexia’s vision so we can’t do anything.” Travis looked distraught and for the first time, I felt bad for him. I could obviously tell that he liked this Jessabelle girl by the way he looked at her with longing and the fact that he couldn’t put himself to kill her.

Derek came forward and placed his hand on Alexia but he flinched as if he touched hot water. “The dream is clouded in darkness and it doesn’t want to be disturbed,” Derek hissed, rubbing his hand.

“Take Jessabelle away from Alexia. If it’s dangerous for Derek, it’s too dangerous for a human girl,” I ordered Travis, and without any complaint, he took Jessabelle and tried to rip her off of Alexia. Jessabelle didn’t seem to want to let go of Alexia because she kept hanging onto Alexia as if her life depended on it.

Derek helped Jessabelle off of Alexia who immediately snapped back into our world. Her face showed horror and fear.

“What happened?” It was Travis who spoke.

“The darkness,” she said, looking at him with wide eyes, shivering from what she had just witnessed. “It’s eating away her humanity.”