~BOOK 5/PART TWO~ Paranormal: Too Close To Home (Multi-Bandom FanFic)

The woman's facial expression evolved into something nasty. There was a sweet side to her, but there was also an evil rage burning inside of her that just revealed itself.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her.

"It's time for my daughter to come home. She wasn't meant to be here, with these people. This miserable hell hole isn't meant for people like us." She sounded worse than Kenya's father, but just as delusional. "I tried to play nice, I tried to be understanding, and I even tried to help her end things here in New Orleans, but she's stubborn."

"It's Kenya, what'd you expect?" I replied with a sad chuckle, "But it'll be a cold day in Hell before Kenya leaves this town for good."

Kenya's mother scoffed. "She will once you're gone, and once that witch kills everyone."

"What do you mean?" I questioned as I turned around, praying that there was someone to jump out and save me. But who would save me after all I'd done? I'd hurt so many people. Brendon was right - I deserved to die. But the people of this pack didn't. I finally began to see things in a new light, I was able to think of the men and women in this pack that would be in danger because of Rachael. It was an awful way to die from the stories I'd heard. "What are you planning?"

"Kenya won't leave until there is no one left for her to save," She mused at her thoughts while shoving me backwards, "If that witch kills everyone, she'll hate her for what she did, and my daughter will have no other option than to agree to go with me because she'll have no one left to love in this god awful place. Now keep walking."

I searched the night breeze for answers as I stayed silent for a while and just trudged forward, the gun still pointed at me. Maybe I could take the gun away, but she was Kenya's mom, a hellhound, Cerberus to be exact. 

I'd heard rumors that Kenya and Jack were her children, but I didn't want to believe it. Now she was here and she was going to kill me and the rest of my pack. I was no longer concerned with selfish matters. My main goal now was to avoid total deviation on the bayou.

"You're going to kill innocent people," I muttered, "Kenya will know you had something to do with this. She'll never go anywhere if I'm dead, or if Rachael hurts this pack. She's dedicated to this town."

"Hon, don't you see?" A smirk appeared on her face, keeping the gun aimed at me. "The deed's already been done. Your pack will be gone, Kenya will be mine, and you're going to die alone."

"You're psychotic! No wonder why Kenya never talked about you!" I exclaimed while looking around hoping that someone would hear us or see us.

"Well, I'd rather be psychotic than dead," She replied with a feigned grin before pulling the trigger, the bullet that flew out of the barrel ripping through my side and causing immediate pain and blood loss. I staggered away from the woman, holding my bleeding side.

I looked back at her painfully. "You kill me, Kenya will have to accept the alpha position. She'll save our pack from you, and then she'll have to stay to lead the pack." 

"No, she won't have a choice," The woman argued before cocking the gun again and shooting me a second time, this bullet hitting right underneath my heart. I left out a yelp before falling to my knees, my hands helplessly pressed over the two wounds. "Besides, your pack's all gone. I have that little witch to thank for that. Did you know she possesses dark magic? She could wipe out the entire city, or state for that matter."

The woman went and aimed the gun a third time, this time right in the center of my forehead. "WAIT!" I screamed as this woman was about to pull her finger back. I swallowed a large lump in the back of my throat. "You're Cerberus, aren't you?"

I had to buy myself as much time as possible and because of the blood loss, my time on earth was fading fast. That's when it clicked - my instinct to protect this pack, these people, my mate. I knew how Anthony felt as he defended our pack many times, and maybe how he felt as he faced death. Everything he did was for the good of the pack, even if it cost him his life.

"Wow, good for you," She teased, "You figured out what everyone else already knows." 

I had to think of a way to pursue this woman to not wipe out the entire wolf and paranormal community. "No, I heard you made a deal with Kenya, a deal to save this town." Everything I heard were rumors, but it had to be true. There was no way we should have defeated Natalie, Rachael should've been dead, and we should be dead as well. But here we all were, still alive - except for Natalie, so the rumors had to be truth. "But I want you to make a deal with me, right now."

"I don't make deals with idiots like you," The woman sneered, pushing the gun further into my head, "And besides, whatever your deal is isn't enough for me. I want you dead, and when I want something, I go after it."

"Look, I know you're going to kill me, but if you kill me like this and go through with this plan, then Kenya will never go with you." 

"I already told you, sweetheart, she doesn't have a choice. She's going with me no matter what. I'm just trying to make her departure a little easier, tying loose ends to tie up for her."

All I could think about was my pack and all the other innocent lives that would be lost if I didn't do this, if I didn't try to save them. "You think she'll go, but she'll just resist you."

"You talk too much," She noted, her finger pulling the trigger back once again, however not far enough to actually shoot, "And you know what happens to people who talk too much? They get shot."

"At least make it look like a suicide," I begged.

I knew this was wrong, but I wanted to prove my strength. I had to be strong for more than my pride. I had to be strong for my pack. They were everything to me; Kenya would even put them before herself. Plus, if I could get this woman to go through with her plan with my vision, Kenya would eventually figure that her mother did this. 

"If you make it like a suicide, then she'll go willingly," I tried to sell my pitch, "The pain of my death will be too much for her to handle. She won't want to stay here."

"I'm guessing that you want me to do something for you too before you die." This woman removed her gun and paced around me.

I nodded. "Just don't kill the pack, that's all I ask." 

"What makes you think I care about this pack? I couldn't care less." She shook her head. "I know Kenya will be resistant at first, but she'll get over it."

"You think you know her, but you don't. You destroy this place, she'll hate you forever; she'll keep fighting against you. She'll do everything in her power to come back and undo the tragedy she caused here," I disagreed, "You keep this place alive and make my death a suicide, she'll go peacefully. It'll be less of a mess for you and you get what you want." 

The queen on the hell hounds pondered on my proposal, but she knew I was right. 

As she was frozen in thought, I began to come to grips with my oncoming death. I believed Brendon's words but I didn't expect them to come true. 

"Promise me you'll only kill me, and spare the pack," I murmured.

The woman paused for just a moment, staring at me. She reminded me so much of Kenya. She had the same coffee brown eyes, and her demeanor spoke for her.There was a fury in her, but there was also a sentimental portion that she tried to hide. It was like they were almost the same person. Hell, they even both hated me.

"You know, I thought you were useless before this. But your death will make my daughter stronger." 

That's all I wanted to be - Kenya's strength, and now I was. I just wish I could have done more. 

I closed my eyes and laid down on the ground, looking up at the sky. Cerberus knelt down beside me and I took in a deep breath. I focused on a memory of Kenya when we were in college and cruising down the highway. I remembered the way her smile made my heart jump, the way the wind blew through her hair, and the music that rang in our ears. The sunlight was sublime as I felt the gun being pushed down on my chest, right over my heart.

I love you, Kenya, were my last thoughts as I heard the trigger click and a bang, making the world I once knew disappear.