by Jordan Deen
I waited, had she changed her mind; been pinched with guilt? But something told me she hadn’t. I concealed the kit into the waistband of my jeans and pulled my shirt completely over it. My feet felt like rocks, crumbling beneath me with every failing step to the truck. It didn’t take long before the figure in the trucks headlights came into focus… Liam. Oh no. I screamed in my head and willed my feet and legs harder across the pavement. Brea barely held him off; Bailey didn’t stand a chance.
The door hinges creaked and groaned as Bailey started to push the truck door open. Less than fifty feet and I’d be with her. I had no plan. Even if I transformed, I would be no match for him. The only hope I had would be to run from him, but that wouldn’t help Bailey.
“No,” I screamed, trying to still her from getting out of the truck. She didn’t know what a threat Liam was. Even as I continued to shout, she advanced from the truck and closed the door behind her. Just a few more feet, I screamed louder into the woods, listening for re-enforcements and hoping any of the Amanas heard my plea.
I shot scattered images of Bailey’s freak out and her driving away to Brandon along with the sight of Liam’s lean muscular figure dancing in the spotlight on the secluded road. I tried to find unusual trees and landmarks, anything to give him a clue of exactly where we were. The last image I sent him was me begging not only for him to be okay, but for me to be okay after this. My life was in danger with this decision, and I seriously hoped I wouldn’t regret trying to save Bailey.
“Bailey, stop!” I yelled at her once I got to the end of the truck. She easily strode forward to Liam’s outstretched hand. Without hesitation, and in my horror, she slid her suddenly confident fingers into his.
“My love,” Liam said and raised her hand to his lips. “I’ve been searching for you.”
“And I for you,” Bailey easily whispered in response and the world tilted. I stumbled on my shaky legs, and watched Liam pull Bailey into a tight embrace. I knew that embrace; the look of rapture on their faces. It was the look of Emile and Michael, Nicole and Dillon, Britney and Trevor, Catch and Brea… Liam and Bailey were mated.
“I’ve longed for you,” Liam murmured into Bailey’s perfectly tousled hair. “I doubted I would ever find you.”
Bailey cried as she said, “I thought I was cursed; never to transform and be like my family. I thought I’d be stuck as a werewolf groupie.” She continued her muffled confessions against his neck, concealed by her hair that fell around her shoulders.
I leaned against the truck, allowing them their privacy, while I gained my breath. They held each other and touched each other’s faces for the next several moments. My heart finally slowed and I took the opportunity to put the stray candles back into my kit. Long after my legs and arms stopped twitching, I finally stood, hesitant to what would happen next. Bailey hated me, but there’d be no way she’d turn on her entire pack… or would she? Could this new, albeit creepy alliance, end the war?
“Now,” Liam said when his eyes met mine, “we have some unfinished business, love.”
Bailey turned to look at me, her eyes sleepy with contentment. The euphoria of their own Haventon lingered in the fringes of her mind, waiting to suck her away from this unsettling reality at any moment. I would’ve given anything to be in Haventon. In fact, I would have given anything to have a vision from Brandon so I knew he was okay.
“What do you mean?” Bailey finally asked, unwilling to pull herself away from his side.
“We have to kill her.” Liam kissed the top of her head.
“What?” Bailey asked, but still didn’t move from him. This wouldn’t go my way. He already sucked her in, and like most mates, she would bend to his will.
“It’s the only way we can regain control. Witches like her are the enemy. She will end Half Moon and take all the werewolves down with her.” He pushed Bailey slightly away and stepped in front of her like I’d really do something to harm his new soul mate. “You are an abomination. A freak. Werewolves and Witches were never meant to be together. Alaina and Serena tampered with the natural order of things, and now, they will pay. They are going to lose what they worked so hard to create.”
Large black and gray werewolves floated from the wicked trees like ghosts haunting the darkness. Their steely eyes dared the moons icy rays to dance on their bloodied coats. Growls and snarls announced their arrival like trumpeters to a festival. But there would be no party, no celebration…at least not for me. My shaking hands muffled my screams when wolves surrounded me on each side; the front of the truck held me in place and stopped the wobbling that threatened to take me to the ground.
“You don’t have to do this.” My eyes fell directly to Bailey’s. “This isn’t right. You know I never wanted any of this.”
“Half Moon will not be controlled by a witch.” Another voice echoed from the woods. My eyes strained to make out the shadow of a brawny man crushing the world beneath his feet.
“Dad,” Liam hugged Bailey under his forearm, “you’ll never guess what happened.” Robert walked up the embankment and examined Bailey held tight against Liam’s chest.
“You’ve done well, son! You found your mate and the witch, all in one night!” The wolves surrounding us belted out a howl in harmonic agreement.
“I’m not a witch,” I said, but it wasn’t like it mattered. They’d already decided I was, and as such, I was their enemy. To them, I was everything against their heritage and beliefs. Serena was right, the Mares weren’t the only enemies waiting to harm me, and since they crowded the roadside to witness my death, the Amanas had already perished. That thought I tried to suppress to the furthest reaches of my mind, but it snuck back in like a bank robber ready to steal every hope I had of making it out of here alive.
“I don’t want to rule Half Moon. I never have.” My voice wavered, betraying the confidence I tried to exude. “I’m just as much werewolf as I am witch.”
“And we are sorry for that, but we cannot separate the witch from the wolf. One must atone for sins of the other.”
“How do you want to do this?” Liam asked Robert, and the wolves closed the distance between the woods and I. There would be no escape into the woods, not in human form at least. They wouldn’t allow it. Even in wolf form, I wasn’t entirely sure I could outrun them. I was still just a novice to the world of shifting, these men had years of experience on me.
“What if she bewitches us?” I heard a man mumble near the woods. Half the wolves had shifted to human form and stood in staggered formation near the tree line.
“Shhh,” the other man said in response, and it gave me an idea. I twisted around in a circle and started to hum to myself. Whilst I put on the most important performance of my life, I silently screamed again for Brandon to come to me. I showed him my captors, showed him the woods and the truck and asked him what I should do.
My plan had to work, at least to divert the attention from me momentarily, so Brandon would have time to show up or until a real idea could formulate... because I seriously doubted any of them would believe I could take over their bodies. But that was the affect I was going for.
“I call on thee, Goddess, bring me clarity of light and sounds. I command you to possess these adversaries and make them feel my fury. I call to thee…” I continued to chant the words as the grown men shifted on their feet and backed away from my swaying body. My hair fell around my shoulders in kinky tendrils that twisted and turned as I danced, and twirled my arms around my body. Possessed by the wind, my fingertips wiggled and bent in an evocative love affair with the moonlight, adding dramatic affect to my cryptic moves.
“Back up,” I heard one man say.
“She’s not really…,” another one said and their feet shuffled backwards on the leaves and fallen twigs.
“Everyone back away,” Robert commanded. I peeked just in time to see Liam thrust Bailey to the side of the road into the waiting arms of another man. I continued chanting and dancing, quiet foolishly, in a small circular
motion, contorting and bending my waist and hips, faster and faster like the ceremony was coming to a head. The men, all back into human form, stood in a full circle around me, but none were closer than a hundred yards. They gave me plenty of room and an advantage, since they were all humans. I called to Brandon one last time, and then, sprinted to the safety of the truck door. None of them saw that coming, I’m sure.
c h a p t e r
TWENTY-FOUR
Dozens of ferocious werewolves pounded on the locked doors, windows, and body of my soon-to-be coffin. I bested them and would pay. The truck rocked and swayed; the furred devils pushed it back and forth in a sickening game of ping-pong—my life being the ball.
The bile churned in my stomach, dangerously bubbling closer and closer to my lips. My skin twitched and ached. I considered transforming so I’d have a fighting chance to outrun them if I needed to, but how could I concentrate on becoming a powerful werewolf when I couldn’t suppress my fears.
Fear grew stronger and stronger until it blocked out the raging enemies smacking the windows. Wolves pounded on the windows and dug at the bed of the truck. Their growls and wild snaps at the air were unsettling as ideas rushed through my head of ways to get out of here.
Panic overtook my body. I knew I wasn’t thinking clearly when I started screaming Brandon’s name out loud. I shook between my shrieks; terror ripped through every one of my muscles. Brandon’s name repeated from my mouth—my pleas varied between begging and wailing. A decision had to be made. What would I do if he, or anyone else, didn’t show up to help me this time?
Wolves and men covered every inch of the windshield; their vile faces and ravaging eyes would haunt my nightmares… for the rest of my life. I had to get out of here. I started the truck, figuring it’d be better to take action than remain a sitting duck. The truck turned over on the first try, but the gear shifter was jammed and wouldn’t come out of park. I jiggled the handle, pressed on the brake, and revved the accelerator trying anything to get the stubborn shifter to budge. It wouldn’t give bend to my will. The rumbling of the truck only made my attackers urgency more apparent. Their clawing and hitting against the sides of the truck intensified. The signals from my brain to my hands were getting lost in translation; my fingers, rocked with fear, slid off the shifter again.
The bouncing from the monsters in the bed only added to the nauseated feeling that settled into my stomach. I was getting nowhere. I couldn’t shift now, even if I wanted. My body, rocked with fear, would not help me get to freedom. It angered me to have gotten into the safety of the truck—only to be paralyzed again. I yelled an incoherent, high-pitched sound and banged the steering wheel with the palms of my hands, and then, fists.
Tension filled my arms and back as I raged against the unsuspecting wheel. It wasn’t the wheels fault, but it didn’t really matter. My rage only hindered my chances of freedom.
With my eyes squeezed firmly shut, I concentrated on blocking out my frustration and thought of the connection I shared with Brandon. I tensed and tried to relax against the seat, taking in long cleansing breaths and clutched one hand into the other. My thumb rubbed soothing circles against the crescent moon on my palm. If this were the end for me, I’d go out thinking of Haventon and the love in Brandon’s eyes… a love that finally felt as pure as Haventon, itself.
I’m coming. Brandon’s voice entered the peacefully clear caverns of my mind. Images of his sleek body rushing through the dense pathway in the trees flowed through my mind. The moon’s haunting light reflected off the lustrous coats of the wolves pursuing him. Brandon ran, harder and faster than ever before, with Brea, Catch, Trevor, and Michael by his side. The sounds of dozens of wolves in pursuit echoed through the darkened woods. Howls and yelps vibrated through the valley, indicating he was not alone; they were bringing the war to Liam and Robert. I couldn’t help it—a smile crept onto my face as I opened my eyes to Liam and Robert’s shocked faces; they realized they wouldn’t get me that easily. They may have attacked and ran, but the Amanas wouldn’t go down without an all out war.
“You should run,” I said, smug and glared Liam down. I pulled out my kit to shift. If Brandon risked his life for me, then I needed to be prepared to fight alongside of him… because I wouldn’t go on without him.
The humans and werewolves started to quiet and anxiously watched as I placed each candle onto the dashboard. They wanted a witch; they were going to get one. I didn’t care that they saw what I did. Maybe it would give me an advantage.
I chipped away at the end of the broken orange candle until the very tip of the wick peeked through. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. I anointed each candle and burned the bottoms to secure to the dash. The eyes of the traitors grew as I leaned forward and lit the first candle. I repeated the essential words and continued the ritual, lighting each candle, one-by-one, until the white flame glowed brighter than the others—making the three candles become one. Visions of Brandon and my pack raced through my mind with my alter-ego running alongside of them were I belonged. The inside of my sanctuary filled with a mystifying light, temporarily obscuring the gawking on-lookers.
The group instantly withdrew a full stride back once they could see again. Instead of pursuing a simple human girl, now, they were faced with one of their own… even if they did see it as unnaturally so.
“Witch!” One of the men yelled and a few others joined in. The ones that yelled transformed and ran into the woods like the cowards they were. Liam and Robert looked after them, and momentarily, it appeared they would rush off, too. They didn’t know what I was capable of. They didn’t need to know that this was really the only trick I knew.
I arched my back and rolled my shoulder blades, feeling each one snap and pop, adapting to my new strength. Each time I embraced my animal persona, a higher sense of empowerment overtook me. It felt like I could conquer the world and all things were possible… even escaping more than a dozen wolves that were twice my size.
“Back up,” Liam said to Bailey; her mouth hung open at the sight of me.
Robert jumped onto his soapbox, trying to incite the mob into warring with the dangerous witch that invaded their territory by claiming their form. “She mocks us! This witch laughs at our traditions and abilities! She is evil—the devil incarnate. She must atone for her sins, and the indiscretions of her ancestors!”
His pep talked worked, and the biggest wolves of the group lunged forward to claw and mangle the trucks sides and windows again. Their sharp nails ripped and scrapped against the glass and metal, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand. The beast within me snarled and grumbled in petulant response. I wished I had studied Emma’s book closer to know the full extent of my power and what my limitations could be. If witches could really bewitch and cast spells on people, then that would have been handier than becoming a wolf right now. Any one of these men could overpower me, but if I could turn them into a kitten or a bunny… they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Get away from her!” Brandon screamed and sent images of more than two-dozen Amanas standing in the tree line at his side.
Michael, Emile, and Brandon were the only ones in human form, standing shoulder to shoulder against the opposition. The wolves attacking the truck stopped and joined Liam and Robert’s side; clearly, they drew the line in the sand and were ready for anyone to step out of line so they could attack.
“Robert,” Michael said to his one time friend and ally; and studied each of the wolves protecting their leader. “I would say it’s nice to see you again, but under the circumstances…”
“You still believe in the prophecy?” Robert asked as if he were begging him to change his mind after seeing the pain and battle that would come to each of their packs.
“She’s one of us.” Emile stepped forward. “With or without the prophecy.”
Robert’s voice overpowered Emile’s, “She’s a witch! An abomination.”
“How quickly you forget what those witches did for your son.
” Michael eyed Liam. “What those witches have done for the packs. You know Sophie still consorts with them.”
Robert snarled and snapped his jaw; the animal within the man showed just behind his ferocious eyes. “How dare you desecrate Sophie’s name by associating her with those heathens.”
“She is not a heathen!” Brandon screamed.
Robert completely ignored him. “If Brandon has fully bonded, then it is no longer necessary that she lives. He won’t die without her like my first son suffered. She is no longer a requirement for your son to live on.”
“I’m not leaving here without her.” Brandon stepped closer to the truck, Trevor to his right, and Dillon to his left.
“None of us could stop what happened to Timothy, Robert. It’s not Emma or Alaina’s fault that they couldn’t stop the sickness. None of us wanted to see a member of our pack die like he did.”
“Enough. This isn’t about my dead son. This is about her and the heretic that bore her blood line.” Robert hushed the low rumbling from the battle ready wolves surrounding him.
Liam smiled and grabbed Bailey’s hand to pull her next to him. “You can have her once we are done with her. She just won’t be breathing.”
“Bailey?” Emile said looking at the two of them curled into each other. Brea, Nicole, and Lucia all transformed and stepped forward with confusion in their eyes.
“You’ve bonded? With… him?” Nicole asked and looked at Michael for guidance.
“You can’t,” Lucia said.
“I knew she was evil,” Brea said and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. Leave it to Brea to bring a smart-ass comment to a tense situation. Catch walked to her side and rested his massive hand under her smooth palm, obviously he tried to mute her, but there would be no muting Brea. “I guess now I have a real reason to hate her.”