Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 43 – Missing

“The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kiya

When someone is on the brink of death, their life flashes before their eyes. They see their successes, mistakes, long–forgotten memories, treasured memories, and more. No matter how they live, they see everything they’ve done before leaving life forever.

Dying is a process I’ve familiarized myself with. I craved it whenever the pain became overwhelming. It was a path of escape. The sweet relief. What remains afterward is silent tranquility.

However, I’m not dead. I’m very much alive, as told by the pain running through my body.

Malodorous scents suffocated me as I slowly grabbed the reins of my consciousness. Diesel fuel was the strongest, but my werewolf senses detected more. It detected blood from multiple people integrating into what I believe Hell smells like. The ringing in my ears hammered against my skull, and my eyesight slowly cleared to reveal the horrific scene before me.

I remember everything now. My family and I were on our merry way back to California until something hit our van. Something hard, large, and powerful. Our world tumbled and spun like the inside of a dryer before coming to a chilling stop. Glass made their home in and on my flesh, preventing my rapid healing from working properly.

We’re in a car crash.

And the smell of blood is coming from my friends and family!

Oh my Goddess, Abigail!

A car crash won’t kill a werewolf, but it can kill a human. Groaning, I tried to move but was met with searing pain. The impact of whatever hit my side created a huge dent with the depth of a moon crater. The people who suffered more from it would be Mom, me, and those behind me. Abi is sitting on the other side of Jackie, shielded by her body. But, with the tumbling, there’s no telling how hurt she is.

This is going to be tough, but I must do it. Miraculously, the framed portrait Neron gifted me didn’t have a dent. It’s as perfect as when it was unwrapped.

Shuffling and ignoring the mind–numbing pain, I reached my arm over Jackie’s awakening form and grabbed hold of Abigail’s hand. I concentrated all my thoughts and emotions to heal her. Sure enough, the lunar power flowed from me into my human friend, mending and weaving through her arteries and veins to repair her injuries.

“Kiya, be careful,” Artemis warned. “Healing uses a lot of energy.”

“I know, but I need to be sure she’s okay!”

Abigail is not dying on my watch.

As I’m healing her, I grow weak. It feels like a weight is pressed against my back. My grip on Abi’s hand slipped, but I held on as tight as I could. When she started moving, I stopped, elated that she’s okay. A chorus

Chapter 41 – Masing

of groaning and cussing followed as everyone came to consciousness.

My family is okay.

“What the actual f*ck?” Darien grumbles behind me, irritated. “There’s no one for miles; how the hell did we get into a crash?”

“What matters is that everyone is alive,” Dad spoke strongly, working to push open the driver’s side. “Abigail? Are you alright?”

“I’m 6

Kiya

glass out of her hair. “You can

long story.” As Artemis warned, healing someone else sucks up a lot of my energy. I feel winded, like I ran a double marathon and I hate it. I hate feeling weak. It’s the major reason I don’t heal others unless it’s necessary. Since Abi can’t heal like the rest of us, I use it mostly

the sun. Mom had to crawl to the driver’s side because the impact totaled her side, which Dad helped her

confusion, frustration, and sadness surrounding us. This road is rarely occupied by many cars unless people are crossing state lines,

at the side? It’s a two–way road! There are no intersections around us. Whoever or whatever hit us had to come from the surrounding

I hugged the framed portrait to my chest like a teddy bear, looking for comfort in this insane predicament. Jackie comforted Abigail with hugs and sweet whispers, Isaiah made sure Sapphire didn’t have glass residue and vice versa, and Mikhail is talking to a shaken–up Galen. Mates are soothing one another, and

I turned to Darien, walking to me with a

fine. A little tired and spooked, though.” I shot him a reassuring smile to soothe his fears.

make out, but it raged like fire. Shutting his eyes and inhaling deeply, he gave me a

There’s more Darien wanted to say, but he held back. Instead, he simply walked away to lean against a tree.

was

out his phone. “Knowing him, he’d come down here himself,

mi amor.” Mom

dial Anthony’s number. A foul, decaying, but familiar stench assaulted our noses, causing us all to bristle in place. Apprehension roamed through the atmosphere as we prepared for The worst. Memories of the attacks succeeding the stench flooded my mind while growls

around us.

undead rogues are back!

portrait in a bush safely away from the impending calamity before joining my family. If there’s another thing I don’t want to get damaged in the fight, it’s that. Seconds later, undead

became three. Three became ten. Ten became

became an

obey; remaining true to their titles as disobedient and

they still are. My favorite people don’t f*ck

victorious, I know it!

after did they pounce on us, aiming for the kill. My parents attacked, and we followed suit. Abigail, like a true warrior, had her weapons ready on her person and

enemies. I’m not at optimal strength, but I fought my hardest. Punches to their snouts, kicks to their stomachs, and clawing at their backs; I became a savage beast.

family is a guaranteed death sentence.

is memorable. However, this time, there is a level of viciousness in his slaughter. Restless in

the rogues. And I have a

could continue to fight, something big and heavy wrapped around my head and effortlessly lifted me in the air. Suddenly, my body was violently thrown like a rag–doll away from the chaos. I landed on the forest floor on my arm, rolling in a cloud of dust until

loud unhesitant stomps coming toward me. Just by that singular sound, it floods my mind with the recollections of his

mention yanking me through a f*cking windshield on my

43 –

narrowly avoided the large fist hurtling towards me, rolling away. The tree bark groaned from impact, but the monster didn’t flinch. All this time, I

His black–cloaked form marched toward me, ready for another attack. This time, I caught his fist with both my hands, restraining against his indomitable might. I pushed, and he pushed, equalizing the

feet, forcing him back far enough to slip away. From the distance, I spotted my family fighting as

a repeat of what happened last time, especially now my parents are there. He’ll kill

through our mind–link. “Where

a sticky situation with a seven–foot–tall avatar hunter.”

are

explain right

that to

their roots. Once I’m far enough, I turn on my heels and growled at

just him