“I only see Claude and his band of merry men,” Cassie said.
“Good,” I replied.
A minute later the group of enemy combatants came into view. Claude's voice could be heard shouting something, but he was too far away to make it out. It must have been a rallying cry because all of his men and women roared and shifted, then picked up their pace.
“For victory and for Terry!” Andrea shouted. The rest of the pack echoed her words while I gave her a surprised look. She smiled at me then picked up the pace.
Only a minute passed before our forces collided. Sounds of bodies slapping together filled the air. It was followed by the grunts, moans, and screams of war.
I ran shoulder first through the middle of it making a beeline for Claude. A couple of werewolves tried engaging me but I just slammed my shoulder into them and continued as they fell back. Claude saw me coming and he grinned.
The large winged wolf threw a punch and I met his knuckles with my own. Many bones in my hand shattered and I was pushed back so I pulled. Another ten percent from the wolves along with ten percent from Cassie, Roo, and Riley. While my hand did the rapid heal I popped the Shell skill and went back at it.
Claude racked his claws down my chest but the turtle armor coving me kept me from being split open. I slammed my arm down on his then gave him the Buddhist Palm in the chest.
Claude fell back and I jumped forward hitting him in the snout. We traded blows moving back and forth in a dance of brutal strength. In his second form and me partially charged we were evenly matched. It was time to change that.
I pulled another ten percent from the pack and my other Tua. My next blow landed on the side of Claude's head rocking it sideways. He staggered and I hit him again on the other side making him fall to the ground. The split skin on my knuckles healed and the bones knit back together. Claude chuckled as he sat back on his forearms.
“That was good. I wonder how much more you can dish out? Me? I have a lot more.”
He rose to his feet while laughing. “Mode 3 activate,” he said in a low tone.
Claude grew four feet taller and put on a couple of hundred pounds of muscle. His claws and teeth elongated and were more like daggers then the weapons nature gave him. His wings became a lot larger and the horns on his head curled up like a ran and grew a lot thicker. It was a neat trick.
Claude smashed down with his massive fist. I crossed my arms above my head to block. The blow was so powerful I was forced to my knees and the ground erupted beneath me creating a crater. His next hit came before my arms fully healed breaking them worse and smashing through my defenses smashing me down into the crater.
I upped my pull to fifty percent from all of my active Tua and the pack. My arms snapped back to their normal shape as Claude grabbed my left ankle and hauled me up from the hole. He held me high enough so my upside down face was even with his.
“Maybe now you see how futile all of this is? I tell you what, have your bitch and her puppies stand down. Then I will let them walk and you remain. What do you say? Save all your friends and live on in a comfortable lab or all of you die?”
I swung my free leg down connecting with the side of his head. Claude didn't budge while the bones in my foot shattered. A scream burst from my mouth.
“Last chance. Take the deal, or your bitches pay for your hubris.”
I looked back to see how the pack was doing. All of my wolves were on their feet watching and standing over their beaten foes. There was nothing holding me back now. To bring that home, Andrea met my gaze and nodded once.
I pulled upping the draw to eighty percent. The Shell ability had worn off and I still couldn't use it, but I had my ace.
“You can stand down now and leave,” I said. “Or I can beat you like your my red headed step kid and I just found you eating my favorite cookies. Your choice.”
Claude laughed ad slapped his knee.
“Dragonshift!” I shouted while mentally activating the ability.
Wing shot out from my back while claws extended from my hand and toes. Fire blasted into Claude's face and I kicked off of him tearing i to his chest with my toes. Flipping back I landed on the other side of the small crater.
Power vibrated my bones and filled me up to bursting. Warmth sat in the center of my chest ready to be called upon. It was game time.
“What the hell are you?” Claude spat as smoke rose from his chared face.
“I am the Tuatha and I am never alone.”
Behind me I heard the roar and fire of Cassie driving my point home. I shot forward like a bullet crossing the crater and meeting Claude in battle once more.
I performed the multiple slash attack Dragon did when she lost it back on the fifth floor. As awesome as it was to move so fast I couldn't track my movements, Claude blocked it. He lashed out with his claws then jumped. His massive wings beat sending a torrent of wind down on me. I leapt and used my wings to push through. As I did, I felt Cassie in my mind sending me the cliff notes on how to fly.
With the aid of my Dragon I quickly caught up and continued my assault. I clamped onto his legs digging my claws into him and drawing blood. With a beat of my wings and the use of my claws I scampered up his body.
Claude grabbed my collar bone digging his dagger like into my flesh. He kept his claws there preventing my regeneration. I slashed with my right as the left arm refused to move with his claws in the left side of my chest.
The large beast roared in my face covering me with spittle. I head butt his snout then roared covering him in flame.
Claude screamed as I pumped all the fire I had onto him. His wings caught fire and his gripped tightened when he could no longer push himself to higher altitudes.
My gire died out as I used up all of the fuel I contained. Half of Claude's face was a melted mess. His one good eye looked at me with all the hatred he could muster. I smashed my claws into his face going for his eye. Claude blocked ad best he could, but I think the flames had weakened him because I easily slapped his defenses away. He moved his head and my claws punched into his jaw. As I pulled my hand back he snapped his mouth shut over my hand trapping it. Pulling didn't get my hand free. A headbutt only managed to shove his mouth closed harder on my arm and I cried out.
The tattered remains of his wings flapped uselessly in the wind making sharp cracks as the air beat against them. I knew then how to end it.
I grabbed onto Claude's collar bone digging my claws in as deep as they would go. My wing pumped pushing us up. In a few seconds we reached the ceiling of the immense caverns. Using my enhanced strength I flipped us and kicked hard against the ceiling at the same time as I beat my wings.
The two of us shit downward so fast there came a sonic boom and a ring of white was left in our wake. Getting down took far less time than up. I pulled Claude up, or down depending on your perspective and he slammed into the ground a second before I did.
Chapter 39
I woke up in a bed bandaged from head to toe. My eyes opened, but only the left one seemed to work. Looking around I found the twins were laying on my right.
Cassie sat in a chair to my right with her head down and a line of drool falling from her lip. She jerked and looked around then her eyes fell on me and she sat up.
“Terry!”
“Did we win?” My voice came out as a dry rasp.
“Oh yeah. And I have some water here for you,” Cassie replied while wiping the drool from her chin with the back of her hand.
My dragon helped me sit up as my body felt like I had just finished lifting all the weight in every CrossFit gym at the same time. She held a bottle to my lips and I took a couple of sips.
“What's going on and how long have I been out?” I asked.
“You were down for almost two days,” Cassie said.
“And my wolves are exploring this place and gathering all the kids up,” Andrea said as she walked in the room. “That thing you did with the falling and making a huge crater in the stone floor. Don
't do that again, okay?”
“I won't make any promises, but I'll try.”
“Where did you learn to fight?” Andrea asked.
“Um…” I looked away as I answered. “Old Kung Fu movies mostly. My Buddhist Palm is the shit.”
“I was afraid you were going too say something like that. We need to get you trained up.”
“I have a trainer, but I haven't had time to learn anything.”
“We will get you time then. How are you feeling?” Andrea asked.
“I feel worn down and sore.”
“I think you should do the super healing thing and we can eat then figure out our next steps.”
I didn't ask or worry that I was going to hurt them. My understanding of the limits of pulling energy was much better now. I pulled going as high as fifty percent.
My aches subsided immediately. I felt a few bones and joints pop back into place then mend. In a few minutes, I was good as new, so I let go of the power I borrowed.
Andrea and Cassie helped me remove the bandages and I was treated to a set of new scars. The healing was amazing, but there were always scars.
“There is a shower in there,” Andrea pointed to a door on the opposite side of the bed from where Cassie was sitting. “Get cleaned up and meet me downstairs in the command center.”
Cassie helped me bathe and we took a few minutes to find comfort in each other's arms while we showered. After we toweled each other off and dressed. My dragon stayed by my side as we went down one flight to the third floor and found Andrea in the command center.
“So we have all of the kids unbound and set up in those housing units on the other side of the cavern. As long as we don’t send an auditory signal from here, they stay human. Same goes for them attacking or doing anything. Claude and his people had the kids well trained when they were in Lycan form. Unfortunately, some of those kids are in bad shape. They do what they are told, but don’t respond at all or communicate. We need to get them professional help,” Andrea informed me.
“Then we get them help. As far as I am concerned, this is our place now. We can keep them here and give them safety until they are ready to decide what they want to do. Or they can stay indefinitely.” I rubbed at the bridge of my nose as I realized the logistics behind what I was saying. “This is a lot to ask, isn’t it?”
“It is, but it is the right thing to do. My wolves will manage this place and help these kids,” Andrea said. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. “It is my Alpha’s wish, so it is my mission. It’s a good mission and I look forward to helping these kids.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Oh yes, you do. You’re a good man, Terry. You deserve me and all of your Tua. Don’t forget that.”
“Ok. I won’t. I have to get back to the compound and take care of my other Tua.” I know you do. I have a car ready for you and the girls going with. This place came with some sweet perks, including more than a few vehicles we can use.” She gave me a long deep kiss before letting me go. “Take care of yourself and your Tua, Terry. Come back to us soon.”
“I will, Andrea.”An hour later Roo sat in the passenger seat of a black civilian model Hummer with Riley in the passenger seat. Cassie and I sat in the back. We waited as the elevator at the center of the cavern came to a stop before driving off.
“Is this a good time to talk?” Roo asked while she pulled the truck onto the highway.
“I think so, what’s on your mind?” I asked.,
“Your father, out former Tuatha.”
“Oh, okay. I’m all ears,” I replied.
“He isn’t like you.”
“I know, you told me that before. He’s mean and all that.”
“Not what Roo means,” Riley cut in. “Just listen, this is important.”
“He is different in the sense that he isn’t a Tuatha.” Roo held up her hand stopping me from commenting. “I’ll explain. Acashia is a Tuatha, and she learned of your lineage and approached him, looking for another like her. After testing and failures, it turned out he was nothing like the two of you. For all intents and purposes, he was human. But, he is smart, and with Acashia’s resources, he managed to learn how to decipher some tablets Acashia had.”
“That is how he learned to do what he did,” Riley said.
“Well, almost,” Roo corrected.
“What did he do?” Cassie asked.
“He found a ritual that allowed him to bleed off some of the Tuatha power and make himself one. He isn’t as powerful as a natural Tuatha and never will be unless he gets more power.”
“He drained power from Acashia?” I asked.
“Yes, but there is a limit to how much can be taken from any one person. As of now, Acashia is diminished, but she has a large stable of Tua. She doesn’t have to fight at all,” Roo said.
“Her Tua can fight for her. So what is my father planning to do next?” I thought I knew the answer before asking the question, but I had to be sure.
“Your father is planning to do that same to you. He was so happy to learn that it didn’t skip you like it did him. He is planning to drain you, then move on looking for more Tuatha.”
“How can he find more?” I asked. “It’s not like we have more family to pull from.”
“No, but he has something else. The owner of that website, The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far, is one of your father’s Tua.”
“You mean the site where people trace back their family tree?” Cassie asked. She looked as confused as I felt.
“That’s the one. They do something else as well, something far more important,” Roo said.
“People send their DNA in to be tested to see where they come from,” Riley said. “And your father gets to see the results. In fact, he has the people working they’re looking for specific markers.”
“And when they find them, he will have another Tuatha to drain,” I said.
“Exactly,” Roo replied.
“I can deal with this, I think,” I said. “He isn’t as powerful, and I bet he doesn’t have a dragon.”
“No one has a dragon, silly,” Riley said. “They don’t exist, except for Cassie.”
“Right,” Roo said. “But that isn’t the only problem you have.”
“What else is there?” I asked.
“The reason we were sent to guard you, Acashia. She wants revenge and she wants it on the whole family, not just your dad. She wants to wipe out your entire bloodline. She sees your blood as tainted Tuatha blood and thinks it must be eradicated. She is coming for you, sooner or later.”
“How much of a threat is she?” I asked.
“She is old and has a lot fo Tua as well as resources. Acashia is the commanding element for a lot of governments around the world. Your father really fucked up when he made her an enemy.”
No one spoke as those last words sunk in. Not only was I dealing with a big werewolf that wanted to kill me and was probably engineer to be a tougher bastard than Claude, but now my father, and Acashia. To top it off, Acashia was a world superpower in her own right.
“Maybe Acashia can be reasoned with,” I said.
“Nah,” Riley said. “She wants your family dead and buried. There is no reasoning with her. Once you and your dad and any other relatives are dead, she will be happy to negotiate.”
“That won’t do me much good,” I said.
“Or us,” Cassie added.
“One problem at a time. First, we get my Tua back on their feet, then we deal with the threats to our safety as they come. In the meantime, we will just have to prepare for them.”
“We might not have a lot of time, Terry,” Roo said.
“I’m sure we don’t. But like I said. One thing at a time.”
After taking turns driving and a few stops for gas and bathroom breaks we reached home. I drove parking in the grarage of the first house Tabitha showed me where she had a car stashed. We took the path back to my Tua and I ignored the feeling of darkness comi
ng from the corridor where we put the ring back.
I walked into the bedroom where Miranda was and found Doctor Nguyen there with her back to me.
“Hey Doc,” I said.
She screamed and spun around. Once she saw it was me she relaxed an placed her hand on her chest. “If you keep that up, I’m going to put a bell on you. You’ve been gone for a while.” Her eyes went wide when Cassie walked in. “And you found her!” She pushed me out of the way as she ran to Cassie and embraced her. “Are you alright dear?”
I Ignored them while Cassie and Nguyen talked. Well, I did catch enough to hear that Cassie was being civil with the doctor who genuinely seemed to care for her. Then I turned to the business at hand.
Miranda looked peaceful laying on the bed. I wondered if she felt as at peace as she looked. It didn’t matter though. It was time to wake up. I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. A big part of me feared that when they woke up they wouldn’t want anything to do with me. Either way, it had to be done, so I pulled.
I took fifty percent from all of my Tua that were conscious and the pack, Then I redirected it to Tabitha. I meant to do Miranda first, but that was going to be tricky because she shared a mark with Andrea. I felt my snake come back so I closed her gate. I did the same for Izzy, and then Nick. Once they were back I returned to Miranda.
Feeling along the wolf lines I separated the connection between me and Andrea and me and Miranda. Then I channeled the power filling me into that connection. I felt my wolf returned so I closed all the gates and stopped borrowing. My wolf began to stir.
I sat on the bed next to M
I laughed and went to kiss my wolf on the lips. She turned her head and I landed a kiss on her cheek. “Sorry, love, but I need to brush my fangs first.”
“Terry!” Tabitha screamed as she ran into the room. My serpent wrapped me up in a tight hug and I held on to her.
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