Chapter Thirteen
There was a howl in the distance. A call full of pain.
We looked at each other and started running towards the noise.
A second howl ripped through the air, only this time, it broke.
We sprinted, because the second howl sounded exhausted, and close to breaking.
“We need to make it there.” I shouted to my wolves.
“We will.” Nix’s breathing was quick gasps at this point. We have been pushing ourselves way too close to the edge. And if we pushed much more, we would be the ones breaking. But we couldn’t leave Rick or his wolf to die.
We broke through to a clearing and stumbled to a stop. “What the fuck?” Megan panted next to us, and she dropped to her side. I turned to her. “Are you okay?”
“Just tired.” She panted for a second before she rolled back to her belly. “What is he doing?”
We turned back to Rick’s wolf. He was running around the perimeter of the clearing, and he had obviously been running for some time. The ground had worn down into a dirt path. Gone was the green grass that the rest of the field was made out of.
We watched as he stumbled and rolled. I winced, because it was clearly painful, but he let out a new howl, popped back up and started running again.
I couldn’t see what was going on, but Megan and Nix both hissed at what they saw.
“What’s wrong?” I leaned forward, trying to see, but the brown wolf was on the other side of the clearing.
He stumbled again. This time something happened to his paw, but still he hopped up and hobbled on three legs. “Why doesn’t he stop?”
Nix started running towards him, and as we got closer, I heard a buzzing.
I whipped around, trying to find the source, but Nix just kept running towards the hurt wolf.
We drew up beside him, and I realized the male was being chased.
Giant bees the size of my thumb were chasing after him, and his poor body was covered in welts.
He glanced our way and I could see he was barely surviving. He sighed. “Is it time?” His voice was choppy, but resigned. He was ready to let go.
“Time for what?” I panted.
He looked at me. “You’re the goddess, aren’t you? Is it over?” He looked over his shoulder and stumbled over his foot again. This time, he went down hard. The yelp was painful, but when the bee struck, his howl was staggering this close. Every sting was torture. “Please let this be over.”
“Nix.” I slid off her back and she nodded.
She ran to his side, earning a sting for herself.
We both screamed. The pain was like being stabbed with a red hot poker.
The burning point where the stinger hit was instantly swollen.
But something weird happened. After the pain faded, the rush of power that followed was an amazing rush. “How is this possible?”
“The rune. The creatures are just a manifestation of the rune. The leech was just that, but this creature. It injects pure power into someone.” My grandmother’s voice surprised me.
“But if a wolf or person is not made to carry such power, it burns away at them until there is nothing. His wolf is at the brink.” Nix was at his side, and Megan was at their side.
I watched as another bee went to strike, but Megan took this sting.
I screamed again, but then my mind was a little clearer.
The leech needed to be over fed to clear it out of the three others, but that wouldn’t work with the bees.
Nix looked at me. “I need help.” I nodded as I ran over, earning a sting myself.
Both my wolves howled as I screamed, but they looked more awake.
“Help me get him on my back.” Nix nodded to the wolf below her.
I wrapped my arms around his middle and hefted him onto her back.
Once he was secure, she started to run the circuit with him on her back.
Megan ran behind them, taking any bee stings when she could.
“Nix!” She looked at me. “Find out where the bees are coming from.” I looked, and every time one bee struck, it dropped, but another replaced it. The ground was littered with their bodies.
“Somewhere in the woods.” She called back.
I turned to run the way we came, but Nix called back to me.
“To the north. They all come from the north.” I spun around to the opposite side of the clearing and ran.
Every few seconds I screamed, but I kept pushing.
The dark trees were hiding secrets I needed to unravel.
I threw up a ball of light, and I saw a bee zipping towards the clearing.
I ran the way it came until I stumbled upon a huge hive.
The hive stood as high as high as a telephone pole. There were thousands of bees. If not more. There was a searing pain as a bee decided I was a target, but the boost just gave me energy I was missing.
I looked around the clearing, trying to find something to help me, but there was nothing.
“Amy…this is stupid, even for you.” I mumbled as I walked over the ground searching for anything that I could use to kill the bees.
But I how the fuck are you supposed to fight an entire beehive?
I knew my wolves couldn’t run that stupid circle here indefinitely, and there was no other way around these fucking bees. They only died once they stung someone.
The hive was becoming more agitated and as I walked closer, I noticed that something was agitating the bees. They were starting to swarm around their hive. Three quick stings nearly drove me to my knees. But then I heard it.
“They are gone Verity.” Vince sounded panicked.
I looked around the clearing, but we were still in Rick’s mind.
Vince wasn’t anywhere near here. “I know they should have been here, but obviously someone got them out.” He screamed his frustration.
“Obviously.” I was missing half the conversation, but somehow I knew he was screaming about this right now.
I walked closer. Another three bee stings, but I was right next to the hive now.
I bit my cheek to keep from screaming out.
I needed to hear the rest of whatever was happening.
“What are you up to?” I whispered. I looked around the clearing, but there was nothing other than this hive.
I pulled some magic to me and created a raven.
“Search, see if there is another hive hidden in the forest.” It let out a deep croak and then took off.
I was able to turn back to the hive, and Vince.
“Verity, I’m serious. Rick, Shelly, their fucking dead kid.
All gone. They even took the fucking Omegas!
” Vince growled. “What’s the big issue?” He snarled.
“Yes, I know they are fucking useless, but I needed Rick.” He paused.
“What did you just say?” His voice dropped very low.
He was trying not to lose it. “Not you Verity, Brandon, what?” Vince let out a growl.
“The Omega was pregnant? How can you be so sure?” Brandon said something because Vince let out a dark laugh.
“When we find them, I am going to enjoy taking out the punishment on her. She was only this lucky because she found her mate before I could get my hands on her.” Verity had obviously said something because he snapped out.
“No! I can’t trace them. I fucking tried.
That’s why I called you!” I snickered. He was losing it.
Over a few people, he deemed useless. “The power was cut off. So no, I can’t just take everything from them.
Are you stupid? You said it yourself the kids weren’t fucking ready…
AGAIN.” Goddess, I wish I could hear the other side of the conversation.
“Yes, I am still connected to the rest of the pack. Those connections are still in place, thank the Goddess.” I growled that time, earning a new sting.
Vince giving thanks to the Goddess like this was in any way a part of her plan made me angry.
“The Rick one? What are you talking about?”
“Fuck.” The hive was becoming more agitated with me being so close to it. But Vince’s voice kept fading in and out, and I could barely hear him over the buzzing of the bees. I stepped closer, earning another angry welt. Nix and Megan’s howls hurt me, but this was the only way.
“I haven’t checked if Rick’s power rune was still active.
What would that do for us anyway, other than waste fucking power?
” There was a pause. “I haven’t even thought about him.
But we might as well. I don’t need him opening his fucking mouth.
If Gavin was still alive, I would be more worried, but what is he going to do?
” Vince’s laugh was cut off. “What do you mean the king is still keeping track of Amy? I thought you had him under your fucking control?” The whole hive started to vibrate.
“So if Rick somehow gets closer to the king because of that bitch, we are fucked?” Vince growled again, louder this time.
“Fine, kill him, but make it painful.” At his command the bees all started moving at once.
The hive started to shake. The entire colony was getting ready to swarm out and if I let that happen without somehow distracting them, then Wraith was going to die.
I searched the ground again and my foot kicked a thick branch under the hive.
I crouched and wrapped my fingers around the club.
The buzzing got louder as I stood back up.
I took a step back as the first bees flew out of the nest, and I swung.
The bees swarmed me. I was the new threat. They would kill me first and then move on to Rick. Or so they thought. I kept swinging. The hive was still paper thin, so each swing took out a section. But I was taking sting after sting.