9. Elowen
Elowen
T he day of the ritual dawned with unnatural stillness. No wind stirred the trees outside my apartment window, no birds called from the forest edge. Even the air felt thick, as if the boundary between realities was already thinning in anticipation of tonight's ceremony.
I spent the morning reviewing Rose's research on blood magic countermeasures and practicing the breaking spells I'd need to free her and the other captive witches. My magic responded with newfound precision, the mate bond continuing to stabilize what had once been erratic power.
"The northern perimeter is the weakest point," Rudy said, returning from the kitchen with coffee. He'd spread maps of the quarry across my living room floor, marking guard positions based on our observations and Lola's intelligence. "Fewer enforcers, more natural cover. If we approach from here—" he traced a path with his finger, "—we can position Lola's wolves to create a diversion while we extract the witches."
I nodded, sensing his tactical mind working through contingencies. Through our bond, I felt his blend of confidence in the plan and concern for what might go wrong. The latter was focused primarily on me, though he was trying to keep that worry contained.
"I can handle myself," I reminded him gently, touching his arm. "Especially now that my magic isn't fighting me anymore."
His expression softened. "I know you can. Doesn't stop the wolf in me from wanting to keep you safe."
"Just as long as keeping me safe doesn't mean keeping me sidelined." I raised an eyebrow, challenging but not confrontational.
"Partners," he affirmed, the word carrying weight beyond its syllables. "In this and everything else."
The mate bond hummed with sincerity. Whatever instinctive protectiveness his wolf nature triggered, Rudy was making a conscious choice to respect my capabilities. It made the bond between us feel chosen rather than imposed, despite its unexpected formation.
A knock at the door interrupted the moment. Lola stood outside, accompanied by three other wolves. Rudy had explained to me that they were all former lone wolves who had resisted the alpha's corruption and now looked to Lola for leadership.
"The others are watching the quarry," Lola explained as they entered. "Two more pack members approached me last night. They've noticed the alpha's... changes. They're questioning the blood magic."
"Can they be trusted?" Rudy asked, his tone neutral but his emotions cautious through our bond.
"As much as anyone these days." Lola shrugged. "They haven't been exposed to the strongest corruption yet. They've been kept on perimeter duty, away from the ritual preparations."
"We could use more eyes on the approaches," I acknowledged, marking additional positions on the map. "But they stay on the outer perimeter. No direct involvement in the extraction."
Lola nodded, seeming to approve of my caution. It struck me how quickly everything had changed—a week ago, I'd been a college student returning to find my aunt missing. Now I was planning a rescue operation with a pack of rebel wolves, linked permanently to a man I'd known for days, and facing entities from beyond our reality.
"Oscar's inside position is our greatest advantage," I explained, outlining what we'd learned from yesterday's meeting. "He'll sabotage the ritual crystals from within while creating a distraction for us to extract the witches."
"Can he be trusted?" Maya asked, the question directed at Rudy rather than me.
"His opposition to the blood magic seems genuine," Rudy answered carefully. "But we're not relying entirely on his actions. We proceed as if we're on our own, and any help he provides is bonus, not foundation."
The wolves seemed satisfied with this approach, and we spent the next hour reviewing the plan in detail. Lola's tactical experience complemented Rudy's, while I provided magical expertise on breaking the containment spells that would hold Rose and the others.
As the wolves prepared to leave, Lola held back, catching my eye. "A moment?"
I nodded, curious. Rudy sensed my apprehension and moved to give us space while remaining within sight—a compromise between trust and protective instinct that showed how quickly he was adapting to our partnership.
"The mate bond suits you both," Lola said without preamble once the others had stepped outside. "Even if its timing was... convenient for certain parties."
"You think we were manipulated into it?" The possibility had been nagging at me since our encounter with Mr. Cash.
"I think forces are moving that want both of you compromised or controlled." Lola's directness was refreshing after days of cryptic half-truths. "But I also think they miscalculated. It's become your greatest asset. Your magic is steadier. Rudy's instincts are sharper."
The observation aligned with my own assessment, but hearing it from someone who knew Rudy before me—who understood wolf dynamics better than I could—carried weight.
"Why tell me this?" I asked.
Lola's smile held surprising warmth. "Because tonight will test that balance. When you face the alpha, when you see what the blood magic has made him, maintaining your connection—your choice to be partners rather than protector and protected—will matter more than any spell or strategy."
She left me with that enigmatic warning, rejoining the others outside. When I returned to the maps, Rudy didn't press for details about our conversation, respecting my space to process.
The day passed in careful preparation. I packed a bag with magical supplies—breaking charms, protection amulets, the restorative potion Oscar had provided for the captive witches. Every item selected with Rose in mind, my determination to free her growing stronger with each passing minute.
As sunset approached, Daisy appeared in my living room without warning, her form more solid than usual.
"The fate threads tighten," she announced, her opal eyes swirling with colors I'd never seen before. "The romance novels wish you to know they're quite invested in your safe return. As am I."
The statement, delivered in her typically whimsical manner, carried unexpected emotional weight. "We'll be back, Daisy," I promised. "With Rose."
"Of course you will." She smiled serenely. "The mystery section has already reshelved itself to make room for her return. But the threads show multiple paths forward from tonight. Some brighter than others."
"Any advice on how to ensure we take the brighter path?" Rudy asked, his tone revealing more acceptance of Daisy's strangeness than I'd expected.
"Remember that corruption feeds on fear and isolation." Daisy's form flickered slightly.
With that cryptic statement, she vanished as suddenly as she'd appeared, leaving behind only a faint scent of starlight and old books.
"Well, that was helpful in the usual unhelpful Daisy way," I muttered.
Rudy moved behind me, his arms encircling my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder. "She's not wrong. Whatever they intended with Cash's interference, the mate bond has made us stronger together."
I leaned back against him, drawing comfort from his solid presence. "Partners," I repeated our earlier affirmation.
"Partners," he agreed, moving her shirt to press a kiss to my mate mark that sent warmth spiraling through our bond.
The moment of connection steadied something inside me. Whatever corrupted entities waited beyond reality's boundaries, whatever the alpha had become under their influence, we would meet it together—not as protector and protected, but as equals with complementary strengths.
As we prepared to leave, I paused at Rose's desk, running my fingers over her research notes one last time. The aunt who had never given up on me even when I'd pushed her away—I would bring her home tonight. Whatever it took.
"She'd be proud of you," Rudy said quietly, reading my emotions through our bond. "How you've handled everything."
The simple observation nearly broke my composure. I blinked back tears, nodding without trusting myself to speak.
We drove toward the meeting point in silence, each lost in preparation for what lay ahead. The forests surrounding Midnight Creek grew darker as we moved away from town, the perpetual twilight of Shadow Valley's influence touching even here, miles from its borders.
Lola and her wolves waited at the forest's edge, their forms half-hidden among the trees. To my surprise, Charlotte stood with them, a bag of magical supplies slung over her shoulder.
"Before you object," she said as we approached, raising a hand to forestall my protest, "I'm not going into the quarry. I'll stay at the backup position, maintaining the protection circle while you do the extraction. But if anything goes wrong—if any of the witches need immediate magical stabilization—I've prepared everything necessary."
I wanted to argue, to insist she return to the safety of campus, but the determination in her eyes stopped me. Charlotte had been studying magic despite her human limitations, working with Oscar on protective countermeasures. She had earned her place in this operation, even if only at its edges.
"The backup position only," I agreed reluctantly. "At the first sign of trouble, you retreat without waiting for us."
She nodded, relief evident in her expression. "Of course. I'm not stupid, just stubborn."
"Like someone else I know," Rudy murmured through our bond, his amusement warming me despite the tension of the moment.
We reviewed the plan one final time as darkness deepened around us. Lola's wolves would create a diversion at the northern perimeter. While the enforcers were distracted, Rudy and I would approach from the east, using the cover of boulders and abandoned mining equipment to reach the outbuilding where the witches were held.
Oscar, already inside as part of the ritual preparations, would sabotage the channeling crystals and create additional confusion at the critical moment. If all went according to plan, we would extract Rose and the others before the ritual reached its culmination, slipping away while the alpha and his supporters dealt with the failing ceremony.
"Remember," Lola cautioned as we prepared to move out, "the alpha isn't himself anymore. Whatever the blood magic has done, whatever entity is working through him—don't expect rationality or mercy."
"We won't engage unless absolutely necessary," Rudy assured her. "This is extraction, not confrontation."
But we all knew that plans rarely survived first contact with reality. Particularly when that reality involved corrupted pack bonds, captive witches, and entities from beyond our world seeking entry through blood magic.
As we moved through the darkened forest toward the quarry, I felt my magic responding to the growing tension, power gathering beneath my skin like an approaching storm. Unlike before the mate bond, this energy flowed in controlled currents, responsive to my will rather than fighting it.
Beside me, Rudy moved with predatory grace, his senses extended to track any approach. Through our bond, I felt his wolf side close to the surface, alert and ready but not frantic or aggressive. Like my magic, his wolf nature seemed more balanced since our bonding, the partnership between man and beast more harmonious.
The southern quarry came into view, its white stone walls ghostly in the darkness. Magical lights glowed at various points around the perimeter, marking guard positions and ritual preparations. In the center of the quarry floor, the seven crystal pillars now pulsed with eerie light, forming a circle around a central dais where a hooded figure stood motionless.
"The alpha," Rudy breathed, his enhanced vision identifying what I could only sense magically—corrupted power radiating from the figure in waves that distorted the air around him.
From our hidden position, we could see other preparations underway. The nine steel cages had been arranged in a precise pattern around the crystal circle, each large enough to hold a shifted wolf. Pack members moved between stations, some setting up magical barriers, others preparing ritual components under the direction of Oscar Katz.
Even at this distance, I could see the careful precision in Oscar's movements, the way he adjusted components in ways that would appear correct to observers, but would subtly undermine the ritual's effectiveness. His infiltration appeared genuine, his sabotage already underway.
"There," Rudy pointed toward the outbuilding we'd identified earlier. Two guards stood outside, their posture alert, but not alarmed. Through a small window, I caught glimpses of movement inside—captives, including Rose.
My heart leapt into my throat. Rose was right there. So close I could almost call to her. I forced myself to stay focused, to stick to the plan despite the desperate urge to rush in immediately.
"Lola's diversion should start any minute," I whispered, checking the time. "Then we move."
As if on cue, howls erupted from the northern edge of the quarry, followed by the distinctive sound of wards being breached. Pack enforcers rushed toward the disturbance, shouting alerts. The ritual preparations paused, attention diverted to the unexpected threat.
"Now," Rudy said. We moved as one, sliding from cover to cover with seeming practiced coordination.
We reached the outbuilding's eastern wall without detection, pressing ourselves against the rough stone as voices argued inside. One of the guards departed, leaving only a single enforcer outside the door.
Rudy caught my eye, a silent question passing through our bond. I nodded, gathering magic for a quick incapacitation spell. As he created a distraction with a thrown stone, I released the spell, watching with satisfaction as the guard slumped silently to the ground.
Inside, we found what we'd feared—seven witches, including Rose, bound to stone chairs with spelled silver chains. Their magic had been partially drained, feeding the crystals in the ritual circle, but they remained conscious, their expressions showing defiance despite their captivity.
Rose's eyes widened when she saw us, recognition followed immediately by concern. "Elowen? What are you—" Her gaze shifted to Rudy. Understanding dawned in her expression. "Of course. The threads Daisy mentioned."
Relief and determination surged through me at the sound of her voice. Despite her weakened state, she was still my Rose—sharp-minded, observant, already connecting pieces of a puzzle I didn't fully understand.
"Explanations later," I murmured, already working to break the containment spell on her chains. "We're getting you all out."
The spell yielded to my magic more easily than expected. As Rose was freed, she immediately moved to help with the others, her own magic weaker than normal, but still effective.
"Oscar?" she asked quietly as we worked.
"In position," Rudy confirmed, keeping watch at the door. "Sabotaging the crystals."
Rose nodded, unsurprised by the information. "Be careful with him. He's more than he appears."
Before I could ask what she meant, shouts from outside indicated our presence had been detected. The diversion had worked longer than expected, but our time was running out.
"We need to move," Rudy urged as the last witch was freed. "Lola's wolves can only hold their attention for so long."
I distributed the restorative potion Oscar had provided, watching as color returned to the witches' faces and their magical auras strengthened. Not to full capacity, but enough to defend themselves if necessary.
"The western exit," Rose directed, moving with surprising strength for someone who had been captive. "There's less ritual activity that way. The pack focused their preparations on the eastern approach."
We moved quickly through the outbuilding, Rose leading the way with the confidence of someone who had studied her prison carefully. The other witches followed, their movements growing steadier as the restorative took effect.
Outside, chaos had erupted across the quarry. Lola's wolves had penetrated deeper than planned, engaging directly with pack enforcers in a series of running battles. Near the ritual circle, Oscar appeared to be arguing with the alpha, gesturing emphatically at the crystals, which now pulsed with unstable energy.
"Something's wrong," Rose murmured, pausing to study the scene. "The ritual—it's accelerating despite the sabotage."
As if confirming her words, the air around the ritual circle began to distort, reality itself seeming to bend and warp. The alpha raised his arms, his hood falling back to reveal a face no longer fully human—features elongated and shifted, eyes glowing with sickly red light that had nothing to do with normal wolf characteristics.
"It's coming through," Rose whispered, horror in her voice. "The entity—it's using him as a conduit even without the full ritual. We need to disrupt the circle completely."
I felt the truth of her assessment through my magical senses. Whatever lay beyond our reality was pushing through the weakened boundary, using the alpha's corrupted form as an anchor point.
"The extraction—" Rudy began, his protective instincts flaring through our bond.
"Will fail if that thing fully manifests," Rose cut him off. "Get the others out. Elowen and I will disrupt the circle."
Though everything in him rebelled against the idea of leaving me, Rudy recognized the necessity. Through our bond, I felt his struggle and his ultimate decision to trust my strength and Rose's experience.
"I'll create a distraction to cover you," he said, already shifting his approach. "Get to the circle, break it, then retreat immediately to the western exit. I'll meet you there."
The plan adjusted on the fly, we separated—Rudy leading the other witches toward safety while Rose and I moved toward the increasingly unstable ritual circle. Through our bond, I maintained awareness of Rudy's position and status, the connection providing reassurance even at a distance.
"The crystals are the key," Rose explained as we darted from cover to cover. "They're channeling the entity's essence. Break the pattern, and the connection destabilizes."
"Oscar was supposed to be sabotaging them," I said, watching as the professor continued his apparent argument with the transformed alpha.
"And he has been," Rose confirmed. "But something's accelerated the process. The entity must be stronger than we anticipated."
We reached the edge of the ritual area, hiding behind abandoned mining equipment as corrupted pack members gathered around the circle. The nine cages stood empty—whatever role the wolves were meant to play in the ceremony had either been abandoned or changed in response to the accelerated timeline.
Oscar finally backed away from the alpha, his expression revealing genuine concern beneath the academic facade. For a brief moment, his gaze found ours, recognition flashing across his features before he deliberately looked away, refusing to betray our position.
"We need to break the crystal directly across from us," Rose whispered, pointing to the furthest pillar. "It's the anchoring point. Disrupt it, and the others will destabilize."
"How do we get there?" The space between us and the target crystal was exposed, crawling with corrupted pack members and increasingly distorted by whatever was attempting to manifest.
Rose smiled grimly. "Directly. With everything we have." She took my hand, her familiar magic connecting with mine. "Let me guide your power. Together, we can channel enough force to break the crystal from here."
I understood immediately.
We joined hands, Rose's familiar magical signature merging with mine as we had practiced countless times in training. But this time, instead of the usual resistance and unpredictability, my magic flowed smoothly, responding to her direction with perfect harmony.
Together, we gathered power, drawing from the ley lines that ran beneath the quarry, channeling energy through our combined witchcraft. The spell built between us, focused and controlled, aimed directly at the anchoring crystal across the circle.
Just as we prepared to release the gathered magic, a howl of rage split the air. The alpha had sensed our presence, his distorted face turning toward our position with supernatural awareness. Through whatever connection he shared with the entity attempting to manifest, he had detected our magical gathering.
"Now!" Rose commanded, and we released the spell together.
Power erupted from our joined hands, a concentrated beam of witch-magic that streaked across the ritual circle and struck the anchoring crystal with pinpoint accuracy. For a heartbeat, nothing happened—then the crystal fractured, spiderweb cracks racing across its surface before it shattered completely.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic. The remaining crystals pulsed erratically, their carefully calibrated energies thrown into chaos. The air around the ritual circle warped violently, reality itself seeming to tear and mend in rapid succession.
The alpha screamed—not a human or wolf sound, but something otherworldly and terrible. His body contorted as whatever had been using him as a conduit fought to maintain its tenuous connection to our world.
"Time to go," Rose urged, pulling me away from the rapidly deteriorating ritual site. "That won't hold it for long."
We raced toward the western exit, pack members too distracted by the collapsing ritual to pursue effectively. Through our bond, I felt Rudy's relief at our success and his anxiety for our safety, his position ahead of us with the other rescued witches.
Behind us, a final, reality-bending explosion erupted from the ritual circle as we reached the edge of the quarry. The shockwave threw us forward, magical energy washing over us in a tide of corrupted power before dissipating into the night.
When I looked back, the ritual circle lay in ruins, the crystals shattered, the elaborate magical constructs collapsed. The alpha was nowhere to be seen, though several pack members lay unconscious around the periphery.
Oscar stood amidst the destruction, his carefully maintained academic demeanor finally showing cracks. For just a moment, something else showed through—something ancient and powerful that had nothing to do with his human disguise. Then it was gone, the facade restored as he methodically began checking the fallen pack members.
"Come on," Rose tugged my arm, drawing my attention away from the enigmatic professor. "Questions later. Safety first."
We reached the western exit where Rudy waited with the other witches and several of Lola's wolves. The relief that flooded through our bond when he saw us approach was overwhelming — his joy and pride at our success washing away the lingering effects of the corrupted energy.
As we retreated into the forest, leaving the quarry and its ruined ritual behind, I felt something shift in the fabric of reality around us. Whatever had been trying to break through had been thwarted—for now at least. The boundary between worlds had been maintained, though not without cost.
Rose walked beside me, leaning slightly on my arm as the adrenaline of escape gave way to exhaustion. But her eyes were clear and alert, her mind already processing what had happened and what it meant.
"You have quite a story to tell me," she said quietly, glancing meaningfully at Rudy who walked ahead of us, constantly scanning for threats.
"Several stories," I agreed, feeling the weight of everything that had happened since her disappearance. "But they can wait until you're safe."
She smiled, squeezing my arm gently. "I'm already safe. Thanks to you and your unexpected wolf."
The simple acknowledgment meant more than I could express. Rose had been my anchor since my parents' death, my teacher despite my magical inconsistencies, my family when I had no one else. Having her back, knowing she approved of the unexpected turn my life had taken—it settled something deep inside me that I hadn't realized was still unsettled.
Through the bond, I felt Rudy's response to my emotional shift, his warmth and support flowing back through our connection. Partners in this as in all things.
Whatever challenges waited ahead—the pack's recovery from corruption, Shadow Valley's ongoing struggles, the mysterious entities that had nearly broken through, Oscar Katz's true nature—we would face them together. As a family, chosen and forged through crisis but continuing by deliberate choice.
That, I was beginning to understand, was the strongest magic of all.