by LC Taylor
I didn’t close my eyes this time. I visualized the water around me, pulling it into a blue orb, I tossed it towards the tree. To my surprise, it enveloped the flames, putting them out. “Roxy, I did it!” I jumped, grabbing her into a hug, “Oh, sorry.” I stepped back from her giggling.
“I see she is coming into her magic just fine.” Haven smiled. “Yes... She has powerful elemental magic; I believe she’ll be able to call to all the elements with ease.”
“Huh? The elements??” I glanced to Haven for an answer. “Elemental magic means you can control fire, air, water, and earth; you create magic using the elements around you. You can conjure anything just by thinking about it now that your magic’s not blocked,” Haven explained.
“Ok. But I still don’t understand how that makes me different. Can’t you two control elements?” I eyeballed them with speculation. “Well… yes, we can control elements,” Roxy moved closer, “but you can shift into a wolf AND control the elements. And that makes you a hybrid. A powerful hybrid. Your offspring will be the most powerful ever to exist.”
“Well, that explains why someone wants to kidnap me. Ok, how do we get Jensen back?” I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. “First things first, shift and connect with his wolf. See if he is still in the same location or if he’s been moved,” Haven told me.
Kai and Tessa came outside and stood next to Haven. Haven stood straight and tensed up from her proximity. His body language indicated he was nervous with Tessa standing so close. Tessa glanced at him and back to me, shrugging her shoulders as she moved away.
“All right,” I got everyone’s attention, “Didn’t you say I could control the elements as my wolf?”
“Whoa, wait for a second Dylan. I said that…. but you shouldn’t try until you’ve fully mastered the elements and are comfortable controlling them in this form. Then you can try doing it as a wolf…. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself,” he glanced towards Tessa, “or anyone else for that matter.” Tessa blushed and turned towards me.
I stepped away from Haven to give myself room for the shift as I called out to my wolf. The shift was instant and didn’t feel uncomfortable like I’d experienced with my previous ones - my new magic must be the reason for the abrupt change, I wasn’t complaining. I glanced around and recognized the others had shifted. Kai’s black wolf stood next to a somewhat larger wolf, tan in color, who I assumed was her mother. A golden wolf stood off to the left of Cassandra, and the hazel eyes gave away that it was Tessa.
Can you hear me?
I can hear you Dylan
Me too
Yep, Biaatch! Loud and clear
I was awestruck that I could communicate with them like this – mesmerized with their wolf’s, they were all beautiful.
Dylan, try and call out to Jensen.
I whipped my head around to see Haven smiling at me. Roxy had a grin plastered on her face and was chuckling.
Haven, how can I hear you in my head, you’re not a wolf?
That would be the magic we share as a family. Much like your wolves, we can communicate this way. In fact, because of your connection to the other wolves, we can talk to everyone.
Ummm…ok. Can everyone hear Haven?
Yep, I can hear him.
Ditto
Damn, this is weird.
KAI. Your mouth, please!
Even as a wolf, Cassandra was still being a mom. It made me smile briefly before calling out to Jensen’s wolf. Focusing, I called out to his wolf – hoping that the link would reach him.
Chapter 28
Jensen’s fear overwhelmed my wolf, causing her to whimper in my mind. I forced her forward, afraid that I would lose the connection out of fear if I didn’t. I could sense his heartbeat, his breathing seemed to be normal, but I still sensed blood. I willed him to open his eyes, but he was unconscious. I tried reaching out to him, prodding him to wake up, but he was too out of it to hear my wolf. I took in the smells around him, but all I got was blood, metal, and dirt.
He’s still unconscious He hasn’t been moved though. I feel like he’s still chained to the metal spigot – his surroundings smell the same.
Ok then, let’s shift back and decide how to get him back.
“Ok, we should go in two groups. One group will go in their wolf form. And the other group will go as themselves. We believe that they think you haven’t learned to shift Dylan, or yet learned about your witch heritage. We can use this to our benefit, and you should stay in human form.” Roxy explained.
“Fine, I won’t shift and go with you and Haven. Kai, Cassandra and Tessa, you guys shift. There is a path that leads from the rear of the house to the barn at the park. You take that and enter from the backside. We’ll enter the trail from the front and act as though we want to negotiate. But if they become hostile or try hurting him, do what you must. I want Jensen back, no matter what.” I barked orders out to everyone. “All right then, you heard her. Let’s go,” Roxy clapped her hands.
“Tessa, may I speak with you a moment?” Haven called to her. “Um sure,” Tessa glanced at everyone and walked towards Haven, “we can talk inside for a minute.” Once they got inside Kai turned with a look of confusion, “What’s that all about?”
“I don’t know,” shrugging shoulders in response. A moment later Tessa stormed out the door, taking her wolf form without a word to anyone. She stood at the edge of the trail waiting for Kai and Cassandra to join her, never indicating what happened. “Umm…everything ok?”
Haven walked out with his hands in his pockets looking defeated, “Yeah, fine. Let’s go,” he snapped as he walked towards his car and got in. Kai smiled and shrugged. I gave her and Cassandra a hug before walking to the car.
“Ok. Be careful. Jensen would be furious if something happened to either of you,” I called out to Kai, “Tessa you too. You’re too important to me.” She nodded her head and disappeared into the trees. Kai and Cassandra shifted, taking off after Tessa down the trail. “Ok, Haven what should I know? What did you say to Tessa that got her so pissed off?” I glared at him.
“Dylan, sometimes shifters settle for someone they love, even if it is not their destined mate. And when they find their destined mate…well, it can be a shock,” Roxy explained. “Ok…But I don’t see what that has to with Tessa,” I looked at Haven in the driver’s seat, and he shrugged. “Oh Dylan, you have so much to learn. Let’s get this show on the road. We have a mate to save,” Roxy squeezed Haven on the shoulder.
“Wait are you saying that Tessa and Rob weren’t destined, as mates. That their marriage or mating wasn’t bonded? Can that happen with Jensen and me?” I turned wide-eyed, looking at Roxy who was sitting behind Haven.
“No darling, that is not what I am saying. I bet that Tessa and Rob knew the truth; it doesn’t change the love they shared. But not being destined mates prevented them from having offspring – only true mates can have children,” she said.
“They had to know they weren’t right mates – that’s not something you can confuse.” Roxy gave a half-hearted smile.
“How would you know Haven? Is it part of your gift or something?” I asked him. “No,” he said never looking at me. “No? That’s it. No explanation? Christ Haven, you tell Tessa she wasn’t married to her right mate, and all you can tell me is 'No.' Then how would you know?” I demanded an answer.
“It doesn’t matter how I know. She didn’t believe me. So just leave it alone ok?” He huffed, his gaze never breaking from the driveway. Haven pulled out in silence and made a left towards the park.
The drive wasn’t a long one, but it felt like an eternity. In nine days, I had buried my parents, learned I was a shifter, a witch, and found the love of my life. It was up to me; I would save him from the monsters that wanted me for power – well, they were about to learn how powerful I was.
We turned into the entrance leading to the back trail with the barn. In my heart, I knew I would sacrifice my life for those I loved. I looked at Roxy and then at Ha
ven, they were the family I didn’t know existed until today. I was grateful to Cassandra for finding them.
Now, together, we would save my mate, Jensen. I couldn’t live without him. I wouldn’t now I had found him.
Chapter 29
We parked at the beginning of the trail and got out. “Dylan, you have to go in slowly. They set this trap to take you, remember that,” Roxy warned me.
“Yeah, I remember. Let’s go, if Jensen’s still here, he’ll be up by the barn. I can smell the others… at least I think it’s them. I know I scent Kai, Cassandra, and Tessa…. Of course, so can they,” I sped up moving down the trail quickly, “come on you two, let’s retrieve my mate and end this.”
The walk wasn’t a long one, as the barn was about a half a mile up from where we’d parked. As we came around the bend, I saw Jensen slumped over, still chained to the spigot.
“JENSEN,” I screamed running to him, “baby I’m here… Please, Jensen, open your eyes and look at me.” I dropped to my knees next to him, brushing the dirt from his cheek. He had a gash on the rear of his head and several cuts on his face. His breathing was labored, and he wasn’t responding.
“Well if it isn’t the Alpha’s mate.” I looked up, to find a guy inspecting me like I was a prize. He was tall like Jensen but had deep auburn hair and deep brown eyes that almost looked black. He was totally rocking the biker look – the pissed off and angry psycho version.
“Who are you and what the fuck have you done to him? Take the chains off now!!” I balled my fists as I stood. “Aww…… look boys, she’s angry,” he said turning towards two men I hadn’t noticed standing behind him, “too bad we’re not scared of you. And I’m afraid letting him go just isn’t in the plans. In fact, I plan to kill him while you watch…. and take you for myself.”
“You. Are. Insane. I’ll never be yours!! You’re stupider than you look if you think I’ll willingly let you put a hand on my mate or me,” my power was coursing through my veins, calling like a slow hum blowing in the wind.
“It’s best you unchain him,” Haven spoke walking up behind me, “we’d like to do this without casualties.”
“Casualties? Huh, that’s funny. Perhaps you don’t know who I am. THE only person who will get hurt is you and that trash I have chained up,” he waved Joe and Mike closer, “I’m Dante. And You. Will. Be. Mine,” pointing at me as he turned away from Haven.
“Oh, we know who you are Dante,” Roxy strolled up behind his two cronies, “and you two losers as well.” She pointed to his two enforcers as she got closer. “But my question is, do you know who we are?”
“It doesn’t matter who you are, you won’t be alive long enough for me to care,” Mike and Joe shifted to their wolves as Dante spoke, pouncing towards Roxy. Mike was large with dirty brown fur and Joe was smaller, his fur was a dark gray color. As they leaped into the air, Haven raised his hand, and with the flick of his wrist, tossed them aside as if they weighed next to nothing.
Dante spun to grab me, pulling me against his chest. He held me in a choke hold, jamming a knife into my side. The cold metal pricking my skin through my shirt, the point pierced my flesh, causing me to wince under his grasp.
“What the fuck! Stop!” Dante began backing away, “No more magic or I will shove this into her. There isn’t any amount of magic that can bring her back!!” Haven put his hand down, and Roxy froze in her spot. The growling resounded behind us, and I knew it was Kai and the others. “I’m serious. Call your mutts off right now!” Dante stepped back, dragging me with him, as he placed us behind Jensen so he could see everyone.
“Dante, you don’t have to do this. Please…. we can live peacefully with each other. Let Jensen and Dylan go,” Roxy begged, fighting to contain her magic. “NO. You people destroyed my family. You MUST pay. Dylan is mine. She will help me build an invincible pack,” Dante sneered, he was practically foaming at the mouth. Nearly choking from his unbelievably tight hold around my neck, I struggled to keep from shifting. My wolf wanted out, she wanted blood and was clawing at my skin for release.
“Dante! What’s going on?” a blonde guy storming from the wood line hollered. “I told you, Carter. These people must pay!” Dante was on the verge of snapping; he clearly wasn’t in control of his mind anymore. “Dante your mom didn’t want this. We talked about it, and you promised us you were done with this madness,” Carter looked broken as he stared at his alpha.
“I’m sorry. He blocked my link; I didn’t know he was doing this; I would’ve stopped him if I did. We thought he had put this behind him, right before his mom died she tried to talk sense into him. He promised her he was done with seeking revenge. When she died, we feared his anger would return. I see it did and I’m too late to stop him from doing something stupid,” he sighed, “I’m Carter, his Beta. Look, we don’t all share these beliefs in Flint River.” He turned to look at Dante, silently pleading with his eyes for him to stop this madness. “Please Dante, let her go. You can still make this right.”
“NO!” Dante screamed as my wolf ripped through my body. I couldn’t control her anymore. The force of her ripping out of me caused Dante to lose his hold. As he fell to the ground, he shifted to his massive auburn wolf.
I will kill you
Dante, we don’t have to do this. PLEASE, Jensen needs my help. He’s dying.
Pleading with him was pointless; he was too lost in his madness to hear me. A growl erupted as he came at me, sheer hatred filled the air as he made his move. I didn’t think, I jumped, meeting him head to head in the middle. He struck me, throwing me to the ground. Fighting broke out amongst the others; they were trying to protect Jensen from Joe and Mike.
Chapter 30
Rolling over in time to see Dante, I moved left barely avoiding his jaws from snapping down on my head. Haven was running towards a wolf laying on their side next to the barn, and I prayed they weren’t dead. Roxy was busy trying to free Jensen, while Cassandra and Kai were fighting off Paul and Mike.
A sickening crunch sounded as Dante’s powerful jaws closed in around my foot. I howled out in pain attempting to shake him off. The scent of my blood was everywhere. The metallic odor was strong, and I was beginning to get woozy as I fought to free myself from his grip. Dante’s grip loosened when a large blonde wolf tackled him to the ground.
Carter. He’d shifted to stop his Alpha from killing me. As Dante realized what Carter was doing, he forced him into submission with his Alpha link. Carter went to his belly on the ground whimpering in pain. Dante was so blinded by rage; he was hurting one of his own. Cassandra and Kai had injured Joe and Mike, forcing them to shift to their human forms. Cassandra was still in her wolf, standing guard. Kai had shifted and was running towards Haven, who was kneeling next to the golden wolf unmoving – I realized it was Tessa.
“Dante, no – don’t do it! That’s Carter….” Mike yelled, and I spun in time to see Dante moving towards him, ready to snap his neck with his powerful Jaws. Carter was still prone in the submission pose unable to move, making it easy for Dante to kill him. Staring at Carter I kept thinking I needed to help him, and I envisioned a shield wrapping around him. The air shimmered as Carter’s wolf glowed. Dante closed his mouth around Carter's neck unaware of the magic surrounding his wolf. He let out a painful howl and jumped back. Dante turned towards me with a vengeance in his eyes.
YOU…You did this. I will kill you. His rage was pouring off him as he stalked towards me.
What are you talking about Dante?
YOU used your magic to stop me from killing him, well now you will die! He ran towards me with blood thirst in his eyes.
Dante STOP!
He fell to the ground whimpering. I looked around confused; trying to see what stopped him. I thought Haven or Roxy had used magic on him, but Haven was still with Tessa and Roxy was staring at me in a trance.
Dylan, you forced him to submit….
What?? How’s that even possible Roxy?
It’s your power; you’re an A
lpha Dylan.
I’m not an alpha, that’s not possible!
It’s your magic. You’re more powerful than you know. Order him to shift out of his wolf form.
I looked at Dante’s wolf, Dante, Shift Now!
As I gave the command, Dante changed from his wolf and stood. I shifted back and ran to check on Carter who was still lying on his side. “Carter!” I kneeled beside him, “Are you ok?” He shifted, “Yeah, Dylan you saved my life,” he sat up, “Thank you. I will be in your debt always.”
“Thank you, Carter, but what do we do with him,” pointing to Dante who was still staring at the ground unmoving from his spot. “What in God’s name is wrong with him?” Carter looked at him and then back at me.
“She forced him into submission, he can’t disobey it until she releases him,” Roxy explained. “Alpha command?” Carter stood scratching his head looking at me. I shrugged my shoulders as I went to Jensen. Roxy had freed him from the chains, but he was laying limp on the ground. “Jensen,” I rubbed his cheek, “Jensen, please open your eyes.” He wasn’t responsive to my touch. “Roxy, why isn’t he waking up?”
“He suffered a nasty blow to the head. I think he needs time to heal, but I won’t know until we get him home so that I can check him out better.” Roxy turned stalking towards Haven.
“Dylan, I can help get him home. We’ll chain Dante until we figure out what to do. I should contact the other pack members and have them meet us at your house,” Carter smiled, “is that ok?”
“I…. I guess so, what about those two?” pointing to Mike and Joe who stood watching us. “We can take them too; I’ll chain them up with him. Command them not to shift, that way they won’t be able to take their wolf form. They can’t go against an alpha command….,” Carter moved to Dante and secured him with the chain he had used on Jensen.