Chapter 33
Jackson and Hakeem race outside, standing at the edge of the yard where Christopher had gathered with his children. Emerging from a vortex of shadow, Annabella and Joseph appear next to the boys.
“I will never get used to that”, says Joseph shaking his head to rid himself of a dizzy spell. He hurriedly fixes his disheveled clothes.
“You’re fine, Joey. Unfortunate as it may be that our alone time was interrupted, we should focus on the matter at hand.”
Jackson stomps up to his parents, Hakeem close behind, “Mother, what’s going on?”
Annabella glances at her son and his partner from the corner of her eye, expression cold and hard. “Well, it seems your Eddie is simply full of surprises. I’m here to assist Christopher if things go south.”
Jackson marches in front of his mother, face askew in anger. “No more ominous warnings, mother, what is happening?” He demands.
Annabella sighs and points past Christopher’s werewolf form, “Eddie has awakened. Shifting for the first time to a form so powerful will most likely cause him to rampage.” Jackson turns towards the direction his mother points to, eyes widening at the sight.
Hakeem rejoins him, hand clutching his wand tightly near his chest.
Christopher LaLune bares his fangs and readies his claws, staring down a large beast of snow white fur, midnight black claws and two soulless eyes of ocean blue.
“Eddie, can you hear me?” He asks the monstrous wolf before him.
All he gets in response is a dark growl and a snapping of rapid jaws.
The beast before him slowly rises to two powerful hind legs, stretching out to tower over even Christopher’s werewolf form.
A monstrous snarl emanates from the beast.
“Jackson,” Hakeem’s voice is meek, his free hand grabbing Jackson’s sleeve, “is that our Eddie?”
Jackson gulps and wraps an arm around his boyfriend, pulling him close, “I think so. I assumed something powerful was awakening in him, I never expected this.”
“Will he really lose control? Is there anything we can do?”
Jackson shakes his head, “We should leave this to my mother and his father. Eddie is still inexperienced, they can reign him in if he goes wild.” Although both men move back, neither move the other inside. They refuse to leave Eddie.
“Joseph, keep our children safe. Bella, with me.”
“I will assist as much as I can, Chris.” Annabella readies her magic by Christopher’s side, ruby red mana surging in her hands.
Joseph conjures winds to carry the fear stricken wolf shifters away from Eddie. The siblings change back, gasping for air. “All you inside now,” calls Joseph over his shoulder. The Seung-LaLune siblings nod their agreement and move. “Jackie, take Hakeem inside now!” Joseph commands his son.
Jackson doesn’t move nor does Hakeem attempt to move him.
Eddie’s monstrous form eyes his father and Annabella with a wild mana burning in his eyes.
He lunges forward, closing the distance in an instance, claws slashing the air in front of him.
Christopher side steps the attack, grabbing his son’s arm pulling him down harshly into a pointed knee.
Annabella blasts the wolf back with scarlet flames, ruby chains surging up from the ground from where he fell.
“I’m sorry to be rough, Eddie. I know you must be panicking and in pain, but you must let this pass. Annabella, keep him restrained for as long as you can.” Snarls Christopher. Annabella nods and heightens her focus on her chains, adding more to the bindings.
Christopher closes the distance between himself and his son’s beast, who struggles against bindings. If he can knock the beast out, Eddie could regain control when he awakens, and change back. The run would be put off but at least his son would have lived through the first shift.
Hakeem’s eyes spark with mana, his grip on Jackson tightening. “Hakeem? What’s wrong?”
Hakeem bites his lower lip, teeth threatening to break skin, his breathing rapid. “Jackson, it’s suffocating.”
“What is, hunny bun?”
Hakeem doesn’t look towards his concerned partner as he answers, his voice hardly a whisper, “Eddie’s mana. It’s ancient and powerful, on par with yours. They can’t win. Lady Nocturne, Mister LaLune, get back!” Hakeem forces his voice to carry across the field.
He finds his voice too late.
The beast releases a deafening howl, ocean blue mana surging through the air.
Christopher is blown back. Annabella clutches her head in pain, her focus on her spell shattering.
Joseph wants to run to his wife, his legs fail him.
Frozen in place by fear, he is helpless to watch as Christopher is forcibly changed back to his human form and his wife collapses on the ground, forced to yield by the unwieldy magic.
The beast rises onto his legs and pounces towards Annabella, a maw of razor sharp teeth bared. Joseph can only shout in panic as his body betrays him, “ANNIE!”
A wall of shadows intercepts the attack, forcing the beast to retreat several feet.
The earth seems to move beneath Joseph, Christopher and Annabella.
As they are returned closer to the manor the group inside hurries to pull them in, Christopher and Annabella still unconscious from the beast’s assault.
Jackson and Hakeem remain to face Eddie’s rampaging form, hands clasped together.
Moonlight silver and forest green mana swirl around them, their faces set with determination.
They won’t let the man they love hurt anyone. They refuse to let that guilt poison his heart. If they were the only ones who could stand against his rampage, then so be it.
“Hakeem, take from me what you can, as much as you can hold. I have more than enough for both of us.”
Hakeem holds on with a trembling hand laced through Jackson’s, his pulse quickening. “Let’s get our Eddie back.”
“Together.”
Eddie’s wolf snaps his jaws and snarls towards the duo, drool slipping down his clenched jaw. He growls as he circles the two men on all fours, his back hunched.
“We can keep everyone out of the way if we force him towards the woods,” Hakeem whispers into Jackson’s ear.
“Don’t werewolves have powerful druidic magic? The woods would be his domain,” replies Jackson, voice hushed.
“You should know as well as anyone, ya qalbi, power does not equal control. Whatever he has over everyone else isn’t affecting us. If we can’t over power we outmaneuver. We can use the lack of experience to our advantage.”
“Any idea what that magic is?”
“I have a theory.”
The corner of Jackson’s mouth quirks up, “Of course you do, our resident genius.”
Hakeem draws in as much mana as he can hold from Jackson, releasing their interlocked hands.
Jackson’s eyes flare to life as he imbues his mana into the shadows, forcing a concentrated blast into the beast. The beast’s claws dig into the earth, attempting to anchor him to his spot, before the shadows drown his white fur in darkness, forcing him back.
He hits the wall of trees and snaps back at the shadows.
He goes to charge back towards the manor when Jackson appears in his peripheral with vampiric speed, “Looking for someone?” Angered by his joking tone, the beast chases Jackson deeper into the woods around LaLune manor.
Hakeem goes to chase after them, mana surging around his body, his muscles aching from holding onto so much power. A hand grabs his arm, his body turned to face his uncle’s panicked expression. “No! Hakeem, I don’t know what’s happening, but you cannot chase after those two.”
Hakeem pulls his arm free of his uncle’s hold and turns fully to face him.
“Khalo Shadi, I won’t let Jackson face Eddie alone.
He’s lost control, we can’t risk him hurting anyone and have that guilt on his conscience.
He’s saved us before, now we have to help him.
If that means wearing his beast out till he changes back then so be it.
No one else can get close to him with his new powers. ”
Shadi grabs his nephew’s shoulders, barely resisting the urge to shake the crazy thought out of him.
“Why? Why does it always have to be my family?” Hakeem’s heart sinks at the tears forming in his uncle’s eyes; he can see the concerned look of the rest of his family back in the manor when he turns his head.
Bahera joins her husband’s side. “Habibi, we know you care for them, but you shouldn’t have to face….that. Please come inside where it’s safe. I’m sure if Jackson is immune to Eddie’s new magic then he’ll be fine.”
Hakeem exhales in defeat, “I know you two love me and want to keep me safe.” His aunt and uncle relax for a moment. “So I hope you can forgive me for this.”
“Sweetest dreams, a beautiful lie. Yanam”
Before they could question what Hakeem means, Bahera and Shadi are coated in a light silver glow as Hakeem speaks his spell. He catches them in his arms and huffs as he lowers them carefully to the ground, asleep.
He looks up to the crowd in the manor, “Take care of them for me.” Amelia nods as she conjures vines to carry the sleeping duo in.
Hakeem turns on his heel, wand gripped tight in his hand, and runs towards the forest line. His shoes pound at the dirt beneath his feet as his body sparks with the mana gifted by Jackson. He hardens his resolve, gritting his teeth as he slips between the trees.
* * *
Deep in the woods around LaLune manor, Jackson cloaks himself in a shroud of shadows.
He hides in the darkness from the stalking beast that holds his Eddie within.
Jackson needs to keep him away from the manor, away from those who can fall prey to his magic.
He and Hakeem seemed to be immune to the fear stricken paralysis that Eddie’s beast commands.
As proud as he is of his beloved’s power, now was not the time nor the place as the beast’s foot fall echoed through the trees.