Chapter Forty-Eight
My words hung in the air, and then Sequan staggered. “Silas.” He groaned and nearly dropped to the ground. “Something is wrong with Silas.” He looked at me.
“Fuck.” I spun and started running.
Rowan and Sequan caught up with me as I headed straight towards the fighting. “Why fuck?” Sequan panted next to us.
Rowan looked over at the guard. “Because Silas is a three hundred-year-old Alpha that spent most of that being the man that trained the entire Royal Guard. He should be one of the last of us to be hurt in any attack, mainly because he is just that good. Out of everyone here, he has survived wars, attacks, and single-handedly trained Lycans to battle.”
Sequan nodded. “Yeah…I know all of that.”
“Then why did Rowan and Silas get hurt?” I panted as I ran. “Out of everyone here. All the strongest men are getting hurt.”
Sequan nodded. “It makes sense because they had the most attacking them.”
“I was poisoned.” Rowan pointed out the obvious.
Sequan stumbled. “So you are saying that someone targeted you and Silas, and they poisoned you both?”
I looked at him, and I felt my stomach clench. “Not just them.”
Rowan nodded. “Anyone strong enough to be a threat. The only one who was able to get away was Amy.”
Sequan looked at me, the question in his eyes, and I puffed out my cheeks. “I was with the goddesses, and then they dropped me on the far side of the clearing in the trees.” I focused back on the fight. “Probably so that I wouldn’t get poisoned like the others.”
We reached the back before anything else could be said, and I felt the ripple as I passed through a spell. All three of us tumbled head over tail when the mind-link flared to life again.
Where is Amy? Wendy screamed down the mind-link, and my stomach clenched. She sounded so panicked.
Toya called back an answer. She said she was heading this way. She must have gotten sidetracked. She’s coming.
Ladybug, are you okay? Uncle Ronnie called out, and I heard something in his voice that confirmed my worst fears.
“They are all poisoned.” I looked at the two men at my side.
“You can’t know that for sure.” Sequan shook his head, hope in his voice.
“She heard it in Beta Ronnie’s voice. There was a slight slur that isn’t normally there.” Rowan looked at me, and I nodded.
“Let’s go.” Sequan took a step but Rowan’s voice rang out.
“Wait.” Rowan searched the fighting wolves in front of us. “There are less moons in this cluster.” His voice was worried. “We need a plan.”
She’s not hurt, is she? Tina’s voice wobbled.
No. My mothers voice was certain. I would know if she was hurt or worse.
Help me! Someone screamed, someone I didn’t know, but she sounded terrified.
“We can’t stand here anymore. We have to go in.” I shook myself and forced my claws out.
Oh, Goddess, are we going to die? It was Abby’s tiny voice that had me moving. I couldn’t wait anymore, not to plan or worry. I just had to make it to the pups I had claimed. My pup was with Abby, and all the others, inside the safe room in the pack house.
“I’m not waiting. I’m sorry, but I won’t let them get to my pup.
” I dove for the first wolf, and I ripped it apart.
The worry of Carly in the pack house, waiting for yet another attack, while watching the people she had come to love fighting for their lives.
The parallels to Carl’s death made me want to vomit.
I knew I had to focus on the fight, but I needed to do one thing first. Carly, baby?
I shouted down the mind-link, and for a moment it quieted down.
Momma Amy? Her voice was thick with tears, but I heard the hope.
Baby girl, are you okay? Rowan’s voice called after mine. I think he realized my train of thought when I called to her. He was there that night and could see what it did to her.
Daddy Ro. Her voice hitched. You are both okay?
Of course, baby. I sent small pulses of calming aura to her.
We wouldn’t leave you. I have to finish this out here, but I wanted to check in because I haven’t been able to hear anyone.
I hoped everyone listening would understand what I was saying.
Stay safe, and when we are done here, Daddy Ro and I will come and get you, okay?
Okay. She sniffled, and I felt her withdraw.
Amy, baby. Are you okay? My moms tired and slurred voice was the first one to reach me.
Yeah mom. I’m okay. We are coming. I shut off my mind-link and called for Megan. It took a minute for her to run back from Rowan.
Yeah? She panted as she came next to the barrier.
I need you to go to the clearing. When I cast this next spell, I need your full focus on it.
What? Why? She ran straight to the clearing and wrapped her body around the potted plant that was my power.
Because what I am going to do is stupid, reckless and if we don’t monitor it precisely, it can kill us.
Nix and Megan both tensed. Nix pulled away enough to stare at me. What are you going to do?
We are going to be fighting. Megan is going to monitor our power drain.
Power drain for what, Amy? Nix growled in my face.
Trust me? I looked between my wolves. They nodded, and that was the only okay I needed. The spell had never existed before, but I had felt them, and the intention behind it bubble from my power. And I knew once I cast this spell, it could make or break this fight. “Ich bri pack lik ni shor kun di.”
I felt the spell ripple out, and one by one every wolf that held a moon on its head lit up in my mind. Megan trembled as one after another connected to the spell. What is this, Amy?
The only way I could think of to help everyone survive. I whispered back to them in my mind. I felt the power drain kick in, and I stumbled a step. A wolf took that as a cue to attack, but Rowan was there to intercept. He turned to me once the wolf was dead. “Are you okay?”
I nodded as the spell settled. “Yeah.” I sounded breathless. “Just need a minute to adjust.”
What the fuck is that? Someone I couldn’t pinpoint screamed.
Silvermoon, focus on the attack. We can debrief after. My father’s words cut in. He figured I was doing a spell and needed it to stay quiet.
I waited for my body to get used to the drain. Nix. I need you to go to my father.
Amy, I don’t want to leave you. She pulled back, already knowing how I would answer.
Be quick then. I need you to explain to my father, and just make sure everyone is okay. I will focus on the fighting. Megan will keep the spell steady. If there is any issue, we will cut off the power transfer.
Nix stared at me for another second before she turned and ran straight through the barrier and into the woods. Stay safe. She called back before she faded out of my mind.
I checked with Megan, and then I refocused on the fight.
Rowan and Sequan were tearing into wolf after wolf, and finally I joined them.
I saw a wolf creeping in from the side, trying to catch Rowan unaware, and I dove for him.
I slid under him, aiming for his leg, but his high-pitched squeal let me know I missed the mark as my teeth closed around something much softer than his leg.
Wolves turned as I jumped back to my feet. Sequan grimaced as he watched me stand up. “Did you bite off what I think you bit off?”
I gagged as the chunk of flesh hit the ground. “We aren’t going to talk about this ever again.” I screamed as I dove for the wolf’s neck. No man should ever have to live after that.
Rowan managed to make Erubus’s face look pale. I nearly snorted as he looked down at the piece lying on the ground. “Remind me never to hurt you.”
I snorted as I turned to find another wolf to attack. “I think this will be warning enough…don’t you think?” No male wolf wanted to approach. But the she-wolves didn’t have the same hesitation. I had three of them charge at the same time.
One went for my legs, one for my middle, and the bravest of the trio dove for my throat.
The three seemed to have learned from their male counterparts because they coordinated their attacks.
Every time I had fought one off, the other two would attack.
This went on for a while and I was starting to worry about Rowan, but I was barely keeping myself alive.
Nix ran back into the clearing, and I released a breath.
They are all okay, tired, but the power transfer is helping.
Nix charged through the barrier and slid next to me.
Your dad already suspected someone was using magic, and listening in to the pack-link that’s why he told us to focus on the fighting.
“Good.” I growled out. One of the she-wolves got a hold of my leg, and I felt the snap. I yelped; I couldn’t help it, but I rounded on her and my claws ripped her throat out before she could think to unlatch from me. Nix’s vicious growl had the other two cowering before they rallied.
Why didn’t you use your magic? Nix’s voice was dark as she put weight on the broken leg.
Because all of our power is currently being used up by the pack. Megan called back. If she casts another spell…the spell would rip us apart.
I snapped my teeth on the shoulder of a wolf diving at me. They got their teeth into me, and I only had time to get my teeth into their shoulder to stop them from catching my throat. I grunted in pain. The familiar burn caught me off guard.
Some of these wolves have wolfsbane and silver on their teeth. I called out down the pack-link.
How is that even possible? An elder’s voice called from the pack house.
My father’s pained voice answered. A few wolves were wearing collars, like a fucking human’s pet. They had vials attached to them. We were able to catch a few intact. How did you know Aim?
Because I got a fun little burning sensation, and it’s not from sex. I choked out, earning a chuckle from a few others in the pack.
I wanted to say something else, but the wolf attached to me started to shake.
At first I thought it was trying to tear out my throat, but I realized its jaws had released and it was still shaking.
I opened my jaws and jerked back, but the wolf just fell to the ground.
The shaking grew in intensity, and then it started to foam at the mouth.
It reminded me of a dog with rabies, but we couldn’t catch rabies.
“It’s the wolfsbane and silver.” Rowan’s voice caught me off guard, and I spun.
He was standing behind me, watching the wolf.
“I think the vials were to coat the teeth, as another weapon, but if they aren’t careful enough, and swallow some of the contents.
This is what will happen. They boil themselves from the inside. ”
I grimaced as I turned back. “It looks painful.”
“It is.” He nodded.
I saw Sequan take a hit, and go down. I sprinted over, tackling the wolf on top of him.
Before I even had a thought, Nix had ripped out the wolf's throat, and we were moving on.
Wolf after wolf we fought. I lost count after forty, and that was before we even reached the circle.
I was growing tired, exhausted really, but I heard a sound that turned my blood cold.
Somewhere over to my right, in front of the pack house, I heard my mother scream. Not howl, not yelp, but scream. The exhaustion I was feeling vanished, and I took off. I heard Sequan and Rowan both screaming after me, but I wasn’t going to wait for them.
Stupid?
Why yes, yes it was.
I didn’t care, though. I moved faster than I ever had before.
A wolf turned and saw me coming and decided it was smart to try to attack, but I didn’t have time for him.
He dove for me, and I launched myself into the air.
My front paw landed on his face and I pushed off of him, slamming him into the dirt and using his body as a springboard to get over the fighting wolves.
“AMY!” Rowan screamed. But I was already running on the backs of fighting wolves.
Nix, I called to my wolf.
I got you. Nix forced herself to sound confident, and I appreciated it.
She took over, handling all the fancy footwork it took to run along the backs of the crowd.
She did her best to land on enemies and then slammed them down to the ground as she launched herself forward.
If she landed on the back of someone with a moon, she was as gentle as she could be.
Some saw us coming, bracing themselves for our impact, while others were clueless.
I made it to the center in record time, landing next to my father, standing above my mother’s human body. Blood was pouring out of her hand, and from somewhere else. I barely had time to register. She’d lost two fingers before another wolf attacked.
“Why don’t you guys just fucking die!” It screamed as it launched itself at my face. I was pissed, my mother was under me, and I wasn’t dealing with this bullshit anymore.
I broke the wolf's neck before it even had a chance to get close. I forced a shift, and pushed off my four paws onto two. There was a collective gasp as my Lycan wolfman form was seen for the first time by many, but I was done fighting fair.
“What the fuck is that?” Someone screamed.
I didn’t hesitate. I charged. My two legs were faster than my four, and I used my arms to swat wolf after wolf. I heard a roar from in front of me and realized that Rowan had shifted to his wolfman form too.
“There are two of them?” A scream came from my left, and I turned. I bellowed out my anger.
“There’s a second living Lycan?” Another wolf cried out.
“You came to my pack, my lands, and you killed my people without knowing the fucking truth?” My voice was dark and vicious. I felt my anger solidify into this burning beacon inside of me.
The winds picked up, trees swayed faster, and clouds flew in from nowhere. Slowly, the bright blue sky darkened above the pack house. The clouds turned from white to dark grey-green. The wind started whipping in a circle.
My dad screamed, a pained grunt that had me spinning, and my vision turning red. He was huddled over my mother, his bare skin seeping blood. A wolf charging in for the kill. I screamed, the ground shaking from my anger and fear, and I charged.
But the wolf was faster, it was closer. It was lunging for my father’s very human and unprotected throat. I pulled everything I could to myself — all my pain, my anger, my love — and I knew it wasn’t going to make a difference. I was too far. He was very vulnerable.
I unleashed everything I had pent up without a last heaven-defying scream, and the world went white.