Chapter 28 Eric #2
Cathy, Andrew, and I were in the lead following Cathy, who didn't hesitate for a second following the trail until we stopped in a clearing in the middle of the woods. "This is where the trail ends," she said and pointed to a circle of maple ash that blocked our senses. "Let's get out of..."
The leaves around us rustled, and from the treetops jumped several enemy warriors, and in front of us, from among the birches, emerged Lissandra, dressed in black with a silver dagger in her hands, and next to her appeared Aston and Linda wearing similar outfits.
They looked different, more mature, thinner, and with their eyes full of venom.
"What a predictable surprise," Lissandra said in a serene voice.
Cathy clenched her fists, and uncontrolled anger grew inside her.
"How did you know we were coming?" I asked, stepping in front of Cathy.
We were surrounded, and although there were about fifty of us, we were outnumbered by them.
"When the messengers didn't return, I knew they would have been questioned, and it was a matter of time before you showed up," she said. "I'm a wise woman, and as hard as it is for you to admit it, Cathy, I know you better than anyone on earth."
"Shut up," Cathy shouted back. "You don't know me,"
"Is that so?" she laughed a mocking laugh. "I bet you're here to avenge your friend. What was her name again?"
"Morgan," Linda added.
"Oh, yes. Morgan, I don't remember her name, but I do remember her screams asking me to end her life," she said. "She and I had a lot of fun in the dungeons."
Cathy took a step forward, but I held her back in time. "She's just baiting you," I said. "If we split up, we lose."
"So, you think you can win? Look around," Alston bellowed in a vile, gruff tone. "You're already dead."
Cathy was possessed by anger and vengeance, but in her eyes, I could see determination.
Tell everyone to hold their breath. Cathy said.
I gave the order. Cathy took a step forward, looking Lissandra straight in the eyes.
"Watch out!" yelled Linda, but it was too late because already Cathy had thrown the entire belt at their feet, and immediately the purple gas spread everywhere.
The gas made my skin itch, but it dispersed to our surroundings quickly.
All the nearby enemies that inhaled it in were on the ground writhing, and those that tried to shift were only deformed but returned to their human form. The aconite had gone through their lungs.
Alston and Linda reacted quickly by covering their faces with their hands.
"Get Lissandra out of here!" ordered Alston to Linda, who was barely catching her breath.
"I won't let you escape," Cathy screamed, shifting while she lunged in and pounced on her half-sister. Cathy's wolf was the most beautiful I had ever seen. Its fur was a brownish almost blonde color, it was large in size, and its paws were sharp.
Linda froze as she watched Cathy shift. My mate bit her sister on her shoulder, and Linda screamed in pain.
Attack! shouted Alston using his Alpha howl, causing the rest of his pack members to shift and rush at us.
Finish them off! I shouted and shifted lunging toward Alston.
Andrew and the rest of my men surrounded us, making an impenetrable barrier so Lissandra couldn't escape.
I'll kill you, Alston snarled, snapping back at me.
He was trying to get closer to Cathy, who, with her claws, was tearing Linda's flesh mercilessly, causing wounds and weakening her to prevent her from shifting.
Two wolves that managed to penetrate the circle attacked me from behind and knocked me to the ground, and they used their weight to keep me down.
Fight like a man! I growled at Alston, who was coming at me with his fangs ready to slit my throat.
The wolves were biting my back, sinking their fangs into my flesh, causing me crippling pain.
“In war, anything goes to win,” said Alston, a step away from me.
I was immobile, and no matter how hard I tried to free myself, the other wolves would not let me.
Andrew howled and, with his jaws, tore the throat of one of them, allowing me to get up and throw the other one out of the circle.
Alston tried to run away, but before he could break through the circle, I bit his hind leg and dragged him to the center.
I roared loudly, using my Alpha power, and by intimidating him, he was no longer a match for me and fell silent under my dominance, causing him to return to his human form.
"Please don't kill me," he pleaded. "None of this was my idea. Lissandra planned all of this."
"Coward!" cried Lissandra trying to get to her feet. "I should have picked someone else."
With a swipe, I bounced his head off the ground and knocked him unconscious.
My men had already overpowered the field, and only some of the Sith members were still fighting while the others fled at the sight of their defeated Alpha.
I turned to see Cathy, and she was still attacking Linda, who was already unconscious and covered in blood.
Cathy stop, now, I told her, but she ignored my words.
I used my growl to bring her back to her human form, and in her eyes, I could still see the beast that lived in her.
"I will make them pay for what they did," she screamed, beating Linda's chest with her bare fists.
Lissandra had managed to get to her feet and unsheathed her dagger.
My heart started to stop as I saw her heading towards Cathy, who was so focused she wouldn't see it coming, and I was too far away to get there in time.
Watch out, I warned her behind you.
Cathy's senses were more developed than I thought, and before Lissandra could get close enough, my mate rushed towards Lissandra, and, taking advantage of the fact that she was weak, snatched the silver blade from her and unsheathed it.
"You poisoned me with aconite, made my life miserable, and killed my best friend," Cathy said. "Someone like you doesn't deserve to live."
"Cathy, no!" I said, approaching her slowly. "You're not a murderer."
As the poison had spread to Lissandra's feet, she had inhaled most of it, irritating her throat and nose so much that blood began to come from them.
"Kill me," Lissandra difficulty said. "Kill me so you can be free because if you don't. I will haunt you to the end of my days and kill you in your sleep as I did to your filthy mother."
I felt something inside Cathy snap as she heard her words. She tightened her grip and slammed it into the ground next to Lissandra's head. "I'm not like you, and killing you would be distasteful to me," Cathy replied, turning her back and walking towards me.
"You did the right thing," I said, taking her in my arms
I don't know what you did, but the enemy is retreating, Sebastian communicated with me.
Don't let them escape, I commanded.
Sebastian and Andrew stayed with the rest of the men to apprehend those who had been poisoned by the aconite, including Lissandra, Linda, and Alston.
***
A week before the wedding, Cathy had finished her treatment, but some of the side effects still lingered. The doctor told us that this was normal and would soon pass.
Without warning, a member of the council arrived at the mansion, and my father let him in immediately.
This man was a very old shapeshifter. He may even have been the oldest of them all. He wore a black suit with a gold wolf's head ornament on his magenta tie. His eyes were blue, almost white, he was very wrinkled, his hair was gray, and he walked a little hunched over.
At the sight of him, Cathy stood up, ready to leave.
"Stay, Mrs. Sith. I need to talk to everyone, including you," he said in a raspy voice.
Cathy looked at me with wide eyes like saucers, and I shrugged my shoulders.
My mother stood next to my father, Sebastian, on his right side, and Cathy and I stood on the left side so that we were all facing the council representative.
"I came personally to bring you updates," the old man continued.
"The prisoners sent to us were interrogated, and we made investigations.
And they were found guilty of murdering Cathy's mother, Morgan, Nicholas Sith, and countless innocents.
Moreover, after a... rigorous interrogation, we found out that Linda Sith was not Nicholas' legitimate daughter.
It was all arranged by Lissandra to keep the power, so legally, Cathy Sith is the heir to the Night Pack. "
Cathy sat back in the chair, and her gaze was lost in nothingness. She was speechless, as were we all.
"That means..." I started to say.
"That upon marriage, you will unite the territories, and these will become part of the domains of the Night Pack," the council finished the phrase for me.