Chapter 18 - Body
The battle cry shakes me right through to my bones, and the hairs all over my body stand on end as my wolf raises its hackles. I’m barely out of the lounger before I shift and race towards the sound, with Amanda close beside me.
War-like howls and barks echo from the front of the house, and I can hear other wolves approaching from every direction.
It sounds like we’re surrounded. This is bad!
Then Bae’s howl cuts through the sound, directing the Silver Meadows pack towards him. Jack bays from the other end of the house while Peter and Rider bark orders from the middle sections of the cabin.
Bae and Jack are on attack and defense at the two side entrances, and Rider and Peter are guarding the main doors and gathering anyone who can’t fight in the center of the cabin.
I rush towards the far end towards Bae. The big, grassy area is where Jenks had the speakers set up, and there were a lot of people down this way dancing or stretched out on the lawn, enjoying the atmosphere.
When I crest the hill at the edge of the house, I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Wolves are flowing out of the trees in a great wave, setting upon everything in their path. Even though I only pause for a millisecond, it feels like an eternity as my heart stops in my chest and my blood runs cold.
At the very edge of the trees, a massive white wolf throws back its head and howls, a sound of triumph and joy.
Kelta.
She calls to the wolves still coming down the mountain and others attacking at the opposite side of the cabin so they can coordinate their attack.
She’s telling them the area is secured.
Over my dead body, bitch!
I pray that my last line isn’t literal as I charge down towards the fight. Some witches and wolves are retreating towards the cabin. Others are fighting the wild wolves, forming a defensive line and trying to stop them from pushing towards the house.
Right in the center, I see Bae twisting, snapping, ripping, and rending with every single turn.
He’s not alpha for nothing. Look at him deal death to them!
As I get closer, I see Gina right beside him, fighting with just as much ferocity as her mate. I don’t have a chance to record any more details as I hit the line of attacking wolves and hurl myself into the fray.
For the first few seconds, it’s like being thrown into a stormy sea. There’s no sense of direction. I roll and tumble, tearing flesh and shattering bones with my powerful jaws as I’m hurled through the fray.
No matter how many times I get thrown down, I leap back up and attack. I know I’m getting hurt, but my adrenaline is too high and I can’t feel a thing.
It doesn’t matter. Kill them! Kill them all!
From far away, I hear a long, plaintive howl. I don’t have time to listen to it, but I know it’s an enemy wolf, and it sounds like the attack has paused on the other side of the cabin.
Not important. The only thing that’s important is protecting my mate and my pack.
I have no doubt that Decker and the wild wolves have come for the witches. By making them part of our pack, we excluded the others. I hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but it looks like the choice has been made.
For better or worse.
Suddenly, a wolf comes right at my face. I flip and dodge, getting knocked to the ground by another. I feel sharp teeth close around my foreleg, and I know before the snap comes, it’s all over.
The other wolf crushes my foreleg with one powerful clash of its jaws. I stagger back, howling in pain. Bae’s line is solid, and all I have to do is move back to it and give myself time to heal.
Immediately, three wolves turn on me, their eyes shining as they prepare to pounce.
They know who I am, and they won’t allow me to get to safety!
I struggle backwards, dragging my injured leg. I’m panting, beyond hope, when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
What?
So dazed that I feel like I might be dreaming, I look up. When I see who it is, I’m absolutely sure this can’t be real.
Amanda?
She’s standing over me like an avenging angel, her hair flickering around her like a cloak billowing in the wind of a fierce storm. Her blue eyes burn like icy comets, and her skin glows as if lit from within by the eternal flame of a deathless star.
With quick movements of her hands, she uses her powers to hurl the wolves away from me. As others close in, she steps forward and seems to gather herself before extending her hands and clapping, letting out a short scream of effort.
As her hands come together, a massive surge of energy flows out from her. To me, and the others around me, it just feels like a tingling wave, but the attacking wolves are blown off their feet back into the trees.
The sound of swift paws breaks through the howling of injured wolves, far too close. When I see a small, nimble wolf leap towards Amanda, I try to shout a warning, but I know I’m too late.
I’m about to see the love of my life torn to shreds, and I can’t stop it!
Amanda turns and raises her hand. Time seems to slow down, and the wolf freezes in the air. I feel another pulse of energy, and the wolf disintegrates into dust that drifts away on the light breeze.
My paw is healing, but slowly. The bones have knitted back together, but the wound is still deep. I crawl backwards, limping, until I get to Bae’s line. He shifts immediately.
“Body!” he yells. “You’re injured. Gina, do we have anyone on medic duty yet?”
“On it now!” Gina yells, turning to run for the house.
I whimper softly, not daring to shift back until my leg is healed. Catastrophic injuries are tricky for werewolves. Sometimes shifting can make it easier to heal or even fix an injury, but other times it can make things worse.
“No need,” Amanda says, joining us. She kneels down beside me and extends her hands over my leg, whispering softly. A warm glow spreads across the wound, a soft wave of tingles that feel almost pleasurable.
When she sits back, my leg is completely healed. As soon as it does, I shift back so I can reach out and stroke her cheek with my fingers.
You’re amazing.
“That was amazing,” Bae says to Amanda, echoing my thoughts. “I’m glad to have you on my side.”
She smiles and nods, but before we can say another word, a cascade of howls sounds from the forest below.
“They’re regrouping!” Bae yells. “Coming in for another attack. Amanda, can you heal anyone else?”
“I’m afraid not,” she says. “I can’t pull off any more big shock waves, either. I need a minute to rest, and maybe something sugary to drink.”
“Retreat, then!” Bae commands. “Anyone who’s able, get on this line now!”
People stagger towards Bae, some of them shifting to wolf form, others grabbing weapons.
It’s a very bad sign if some are so injured or tired, they can’t shift at will. Decker, combined with the wild wolves, is a deadly enough combination, but they hit us when we were unprepared.
As we pull back towards the cabin, I hear Bae rallying the others. There are still confusing howls and barks coming from the other end of the cabin. As Gina returns to the fray, she pauses and grabs my arm.
“Get over there, if you can. I can hear Jack baying and Rider yelling, but I can’t hear much fighting. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Okay,” I reply. “You’re joining the fray again?”
“Yes. Going to the front line with Bae.”
I want to say something, but her crystal-blue eyes soften a little, and she shakes her head. In a battle like this, there’s nothing to be said.
I watch her run down the hill, and the line of wolves approaching from the trees looks solid and steady. Kelta is rallying them, urging them forward with promises of Bae falling under their attack soon because Silver Meadows is weak and practically defeated.
She’s not wrong.
“Come on,” Amanda prods, dragging me back towards the house. “If I sit down for a minute and have something to eat or drink, I can fight again.”
“Did it hurt you to use your powers like that?” I ask.
“A little. If I deplete myself too much, I could really injure myself.”
“Then don’t!”
She turns and looks into my eyes. I can see the turmoil there, as well as deep determination.
She’s thinking of going back to the fight!
“Don’t you dare—” I begin.
“I have to.”
Just as she turns to go, three of her witches run past us. I can’t tell who any of them are, but all of them are glowing with magic, an incandescent light that shimmers across their skin in flickers of green, purple, and blue.
They spread out across Bae’s line and start to defend. Mostly, they use telekinesis like Amanda did, but they also call upon the earth and the elements to attack our foes.
“Come on,” Amanda urges. “Let’s check on the other end of the house, like Bae said.”
“You should sit down and rest,” I counter.
“Not going to happen, so forget about it.”
We run along the front deck, heading for the opposite end of the cabin. As we bolt past the main double doors, I almost plow straight into my mother.
“What the hell are you doing?” I yell. Father appears on her other side, his face tight with utter terror.
“I’m getting the fuck out of here!” mother screams. “This is insane!”
“You should be fighting!” I yell at them. “Every able bodied wolf is out there on the line, defending the pack—you should be too!”
“Not going to happen,” father gasps, choking on his own fear. “We’re going to lay low until this is over, then beat it out of here.”
“You wanted elevated status in the pack,” I growl. “This is it. This is how you get it. By standing up and fighting for us. If you run now, then expect to be banished, or worse.”
“I don’t care!” mother screams, completely losing her decorum. “I have to get out of here!”
I don’t blame her for being scared, but I’m also shocked to see her so unhinged.
Even if fear is understandable, cowardice is unforgiveable.
“The line is being held at both ends,” I say. “If you want to run, then do it now, and don’t come back.”
Mother looks over at Amanda, her face twisting in disgust. I watch her inner struggle, and I have absolutely no sympathy for her pain.
“Fine!” she yells. “I disowned you the day you married that witch, anyway. Consider yourself cut off from the family forever!”
“Not a problem,” I answer, staring her down.
Father grabs her hand, and they run towards the street. I have no idea if they’ll make it out alive or not, and I don’t really care.
They’re gone. I’m free!
“That was hectic,” Amanda mutters.
“It was overdue,” I say, firmly. “Let’s go.”
As we run towards the other end of the house, I can’t hear any fighting. When I get there, I’m shocked to see Jack and Rider standing on the edge of the field, talking with Decker, who is just ahead of the tree line.
I can smell and sense his wolves scattered through the forest, ready to attack. The air is thick with suspense, the moment like an arrow held in a drawn bow, ready to fly at the slightest twitch.
“You don’t want this,” Rider begs Decker. “Please. I’ve lived in war. I’ve known it my whole life. We have peace here. Let’s preserve it at all costs.”
“The only cost will be to you!” Decker shouts. “Can’t you hear what’s going on at the other end of the house? The wild wolves are crunching Bae into pieces, and you’re next.”
“I’m trying to give you a chance,” Rider says. “I’m trying to give all of us a chance, please . You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“You did it!” Decker yells. “You invited the witches in, married them, and made them part of the pack. You chose this, not us!”
Decker whistles, a sharp, high sound, and raises his fist. I see hundreds of wolves gather at the edge of the forest, ready to attack.
All of us hurry to the edge of the wooden deck, ready to meet Decker’s charge. Rider’s face is a mixture of determination and regret.
At least he tried.
Decker shifts and howls in a great battle cry. The wolves advance.
Then, witches come running through our ranks. Before anyone can move, they rush ahead of us, fanning out in a long line in front of the oncoming hoard. Just like they did on the other side of the cabin, they use their powers to block the wolves or throw them back towards the forest.
The enemy wolves keep pushing, and the witches’ powers soon turn deadly. As bolts of energy are thrown into the approaching line, wolves are frozen into ice sculptures, smothered by the earth, or ignited into burning torches that reduce them to ash in a matter of seconds.
Even though I’m pleased we’re winning, I know this truly is the end. They came here because they believed the witches were dangerous—and we’ve just proven that to be true.
Some of the witches begin to falter, but they don’t stop their slow charge. The girls keep walking forward, hurling magic in front of them until I hear Decker calling for retreat.
On the other side of the house, I hear Kelta return the call.
They lost…
I can’t believe it—we beat them!
As the pack retreats, relief floods through me, so powerful that I can’t hold myself up. Amanda hooks an arm around me, then stumbles under my weight.
“Well, we’re a pair, aren’t we?” she asks with a grin.
“We sure are,” I smile back.
“You lost a lot of blood. We need to get you inside.”
“You’re not doing so great, either.”
“I’m aware.”
“Well, since we can’t carry each other, how about we gracelessly drag ourselves towards the nearest lounge and collapse?”
“I think it’s the best suggestion you’ve ever made.”
Even in the face of the violence we just suffered, both of us smile in that moment.
This is the promise of our shared bond. The knowledge that whatever the future brings, we will face it together.