Katey wrapped her hands around Logan’s arm and clung to him as she saw Yaverik descending the grand staircase with angry red eyes, his army falling behind him on the steps with swords and daggers. The loups-garous present that could change, did so immediately and stood their ground.
Dustin and Ben poised themselves on all fours on each side of them. Erik and his father led many of the loups-garous, and Forrest was near the head of his beside his alpha. Erik and his father, Katey observed, had darker pelts than most, while the Devians were mostly blonde, brown, and reddish in color. Logan and Katey were the only ones that remained in their human forms because they had no other choice.
Katey saw Martel among their ranks and they locked eyes. There was no more warmth or affection in his gaze when he looked at her. Just the cold, calculating glare of a warrior ready to go to war with his kind. Katey no longer fit in his plan and it made her wonder if anything he ever said had been true.
Their army filled the stairs all the way to the bottom step with Yaverik in the lead, while the loups-garous covered the floor of the foyer.
Yaverik chuckled and clapped his hands in a slow, rhythmic fashion. “Well done, you beasts. Well done... I won’t bother asking how you all managed to escape. It doesn’t matter now,” Yaverik said as he slowly drew out a long blade from the scabbard on his belt and tapped its tip on the marble floor. “Because you’re not going anywhere.”
The rest of his troops drew their swords and stood at the ready for the battle that was sure to ensue. All eyes glowed red upon the loups-garous.
Before Katey knew it, both sides lunged at each other.
Silver blades clashed with tooth and fang. Flesh was ripped through and rivers of blood spilled over onto the cool tile. Logan pushed Katey behind him as Dustin and Ben slashed through any attackers that dared to come near her.
She winced at every whimper and blood-curdling scream that echoed through the halls. In front of her, she could see Logan’s back heaving, as he must have been willing himself to change so he could join the fight. Katey slipped around her defenders and grabbed a sword that had fallen from the hand of a dead vamp and returned to Logan’s side. The pommel of the handle was wrapped in leather, deeming it safe for him to handle despite the toxic nature of the blade itself.
“Take it!” she demanded. She reasoned that fighting with a sword would have been much better than trying to change and become uncontrollable; that was the last thing they needed. If he was going to fight at all, he would do so as a man and not a beast, even though Katey wanted to beg him not to go.
Logan took it, gave her a kiss on the lips for good luck, and rushed into the fray, using the weapon masterfully against the vamps.
Katey watched with wide eyes as loup-garou and vamp alike were tearing each other to shreds. She saw that the loups-garous had a serious advantage in the way of size and strength over the vamps that could only take the human form, but there were so many vamps in comparison to loups-garous that they seemed to match each other equally.
Katey felt silly just standing around doing nothing, so she grabbed another discarded sword from the corpse of a nearby vampire and stepped forward to partner with her loup-garou defenders.
But she found that she couldn’t use it. It wasn’t too heavy for her and she didn’t have the strength of will to wield it. The wolf inside her roared in fury at the sword and Katey dropped it in disgust, the blade clanging loudly against the marble.
The inexplicable sensation of scorn for violence consumed her and she found that she simply didn’t have the heart to inflict harm upon anyone, vampire or loup-garou. Katey couldn’t understand why. She wanted to stand beside her man, help defend their pack, but she simply couldn’t.
The two rougarous were ruthless in their fight against the vampires, relying on their brute force to inflict as much catastrophic damage as possible. The Devians whom Katey was told were more docile and peaceful in nature, could deal out a harsh attack anyway. It was difficult to see Forrest, whom she had known for so long as a pacifist, brutally mauling the vampires that attacked him from all sides. But, just like Logan had once told her, the loups-garous would defend their pack to the end. Their tenacity was something to be admired, but when would enough be enough?
Katey scanned the fight to see if Michael was anywhere, but she couldn’t find him. She hoped that Yaverik hadn’t done something to him. Glancing at the fearless vampire lord, she saw him hack through any loups-garous that dared to challenge him. She could see the bloodlust penetrating from his eyes like fireballs. This is what he wanted all along. A bloodbath.
Then Katey saw something that gave her greater cause for alarm. Martel and Logan were standing face to face. Martel hissed viciously and Logan roared in return. It was as if the two knew exactly who the other was. Not that they were different species, but that both were competing for Katey.
The battle was nearly drawing to a close, and Yaverik was wounded and no longer paying attention to keeping the front doors shut tight with his vampire telekinesis. Dustin and Ben took the chance and rammed their shoulders into the oak doors, opening them just enough to allow a ray of light in that fried a couple of vamps and just wide enough for some loups-garous to run out single file into the snow. The injured ones were ushered out first and then more followed. Katey did her best to help them out, unable to do much else. If they could just retreat into the sunlight, the vampires couldn’t follow.
She then turned and watched anxiously from the sidelines as Martel and Logan sparred against each other, coming nearly inches from dealing the deathblow to the other. She noticed Yaverik wounded on the steps; gripping his bleeding knee as other vamps either fled or surrendered to the loups-garous that remained in the fight.
Dustin and Ben tried to pull Katey out the doors, but she tore away from their grip. The former growled at her and though she couldn’t understand what he said, she could tell that he was urging her to follow them out. There were only a few loups-garous left still battling in the foyer, their fallen comrades bleeding out on the floor.
“I’m not going anywhere without Logan!” Katey screamed as she ran off toward the bottom of the stairs where Martel and Logan dueled. They fought passionately, each eager to see the other’s corpse rotting on the floor.
Dustin, Ben, Erik, Gregory, Forrest and a few others remained in the foyer, picking off the last of the vampires when Logan cut through Martel’s fighting hand, causing him to drop his sword.
Logan was about to pierce Martel through the heart when Katey realized none of it was right. She wasn’t sure if it was still the sway that Martel had over her, or her sudden compassion for peace, but she knew this victory was tainted.
Katey ran up and stood defiantly between the two, interrupting another of Logan’s matches. Logan’s sword was held high above her while Martel cowered on the floor, shielding his hands to the impending blow.
“No, Logan. Not like this,” Katey implored. She placed her hands upon his arms, willing them to lower in truce.
Logan snarled at her, but when she refused to stand down, he turned golden eyes to the disarmed Martel. The two warriors locked gazes and both of them seemed to reflect what Katey was feeling. With just a touch, Katey was able to calm Logan’s vengeful spirit and he lowered his sword. Martel sat still, unwilling to move, lest the beast change his mind.
In that moment, Katey heard hurried footsteps from the adjoining stairs. Michael was just now entering upon the battle scene. He looked at the carnage and shook his head ruefully. The vampires sensed his presence and the fighting paused as all eyes turned to the elderly lord.
“Michael, join the fight and help us!” Yaverik ordered, his command stuttering as he slowly healed from his wounds.
Michael didn’t move and glared at his former apprentice. The room seemed to stand still as loups-garous and the last of the vamps faced each other, ready to fight until their race was the last one standing. All they needed was the permission to resume, but Katey and Michael would hav
e none of it.
“No, Yaverik. I will not fight.” Michael said, and then turned to the vamp soldiers. “Let them go,” Michael ordered.
The vamps dropped their swords, slowly backing away from their opponents, though Katey could see that they sought vengeance for their fallen brethren.
The loups-garous slowly backed away toward the door, their fangs bared in warning to any of the vamps. If they pursued, they would not hesitate to continue the slaughter. Some loups-garous who had been injured were recovering and made their way out into the snow to escape.
“Logan, let’s go.” Katey pleaded, tugging on Logan’s arm. He dropped his sword and grudgingly obeyed. Martel didn’t budge and continued to hold his injured hand, waiting for it to heal.
“How dare you give orders! You are not in charge here!” Yaverik screamed, limping up toward Michael, who stood tall and defiant. For a moment, Katey could see the flash of boldness that he must have not shown since his youth before he fell from his prominent position as a high-ranking elder.
“A good leader has to know when he’s beaten... And we have been beaten, Yaverik. How many more lives do you intend to sacrifice for your selfish pride?”
The floor was slick with the black blood of the vampires. Dismembered corpses littered the floor, loups-garous and vampires alike.
Katey looked over her shoulder to the two vampires standing on the stairs. Yaverik seethed in his forced surrender. She was just about to look back when she caught a glimpse of something from the corner of her eye.
Yaverik pulled out a pistol from his jacket and pointed it straight at Logan’s back.
Katey didn’t have a moment to think.
So many things happened in an instant, so fast that Katey could hardly take it all in.
“Yaverik, no!” Michael yelled, lunging for the pistol.
The loups-garous all roared as Yaverik pulled the trigger.
Logan turned just in time to see Katey step behind him to catch the bullet.
Katey could have sworn she saw it speed through the air and lodge itself deep in her chest.
At first, all she could feel was the pressure of the impact. Then the breathlessness came, as if she had been knocked in the chest with a hammer. Then finally, the searing, burning pain shot through her entire body, setting her nerves on fire.
Logan’s hands gripped her shoulder as if to move her out of the way, but it was too late.
Katey blinked hard and tried to focus, but her mind went completely blank. Not a single thought was there, not about Logan, Martel, Yaverik, Michael, her pack or anyone else. The world just faded from her consciousness.
Her vision tunneled out and all she could see was the moon. The gorgeous, majestic moon consumed her mind’s eye, bathing her in a brilliant golden hue.
Katey waited for death, but it didn’t come. She thought she would feel cold, but instead she felt hot. Insanely hot. Her blood boiled beneath her skin. It grew hotter and hotter until that’s all she could feel and nothing else. Her heart pounded in her ears and from there, she remembered nearly nothing.
She no longer controlled her body, but the wolf inside her came forward to take the reins.
Her eyes popped open to reveal pure white. No pupil, no irises, just pure white like the snowy ground outside the castle.
All the loups-garous, vamps, Logan, and everyone was blown back to the walls of the foyer or up the stairs by an unseen force. Katey remained standing in the middle of the room, exactly as she was when Yaverik shot her. The force that pushed everyone back slammed the doors shut, blocking escape.
A brilliant light filled the room, releasing from Katey’s body. The others in the foyer shielded their eyes against the white, blinding light that pierced through every shadow and shattered the darkness around them, but did not disintegrate the vampires.
Slowly, the light retreated inwards back to Katey.
But, Katey was no longer standing there. In her place was a magnificent white loup-garou. She stood on her hind legs, towering above the others, white fur shimmering with an ethereal glow and a pair of emerald green eyes blazing out of her skull.
Logan struggled to prop himself up on his elbows. Michael pulled himself onto the stair banister to gaze at the loup-garou. Even Yaverik was dumbfounded by her pure form. The once warring loups-garous and vampires stared in wonder at the white wolf.
The white wolf stood for a moment in all her regal glory and then threw her head back into the most melodious howl that had ever graced their ears. Out of her mouth poured a billowy mist that spread and collected in a dense, murky cloud along the high ceiling, drawing everyone’s attention upwards.
A scene began to form in the mist, like a smoky vision in a crystal ball. The first image was of a vamp walking through the woods, wearing the garb of the ancient civilization where loups-garous and vampires coexisted in harmony. The vamp looked to be inspecting his surroundings, his concentration unwavering.
Then, a large black bear emerged from the bushes. The bear lunged at the unsuspecting vampire in a blind rage. There was no sound as the spectators in the foyer watched the vampire struggle with the bear in the cloud, entranced by this scene from centuries past.
He was scratched, bitten, and nearly torn to shreds by the beast, unable to heal fast enough as the lifeblood drained from his body into the earth.
Just when it looked like the vampire was about to break free from the mighty bear’s claws, he drew precariously close to a ledge that dropped down into a wide river below. He threw himself and the bear with him over the ledge and they both plunged into the rapids.
The scene faded into another that followed a dark brown loup-garou in his full form padding alongside the very same river, but farther downstream and on the other side from where the vampire had taken his fall.
The loup-garou was sniffing the air when he turned toward the river’s shore. There, floating face up was the vampire, alive but just barely.
The loup-garou hurried to investigate and seeing that it was a vampire, took what was left of his collar between his teeth and pulled him onto his side of the shore. The loup-garou took in the vampire’s scent and noticed that he was badly wounded.
He looked confused at first, then seeing the vamp’s eyes slowly open to show that he was holding onto the last bit of life in him, the loup-garou whimpered and whined, nuzzling the vampire’s cheek with compassion.
The vampire’s hand reached up and petted the loup-garou’s furry neck and gave a weak smile. Then, all at once his eyes drifted shut and his hand dropped to the grass next to him. The loup-garou knew that the vamp was gone and let out a mournful howl to the heavens.
Then, the clouds dissipated and the scene was erased.
“The feud is over,” said the white loup-garou watching the assembly with her glowing eyes, surveying each of the creatures that stared at her. Her voice, more mature and feminine than Katey’s, was perfectly clear and melodic, echoing through the foyer like a tumbling chime. “No boundaries were crossed in hostility and no blood was shed by either wolf or vampire. Put aside your petty differences and hatred. We were born from the same bloodline from the dawn of creation. We are brothers and sisters in this life, a family by origin, if not by blood. There will be no more fighting.”
“I refuse!” Yaverik shouted. His voice sounded so harsh and grating compared to the voice of the white wolf.
He aimed his pistol once more and fired his shot. But instead of hitting its target, the bullet stopped in midair, spinning wildly in place.
The white wolf didn’t even flinch. Yaverik’s countenance fell as the bullet dropped to the floor with a resounding ping.
The loup-garou then slowly raised her white paw, lifting Yaverik from the floor without touching him. He struggled against the unseen forces that moved him, shouting for help from his friends, but none dared to move against the white wolf. Her paw turned upwards to show the perfectly white pads underneath and her arm bent toward her as if she were summoning Yaverik forward.<
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Yaverik levitated toward the loup-garou, fear stricken by what she would do.
He stopped just inches from her muzzle, her piercing eyes burning a hole through his soul. “Your days of warmongering are over, Yaverik. Yes, I remember you and have seen your cruel deeds. There will be peace. You will accept that, as will everyone else from both races. If you cause any more unrest, justice will be dispensed upon you so fierce that you will wish for a slow and agonizing death instead of the punishment I would design for you. You have been granted a second chance. Do not waste it. Am I clear?”
Yaverik’s eyes widened with unparalleled terror and he nodded.
The loup-garou’s hand turned over once again with her palm facing down and she flicked her sharp nails toward the far wall. Yaverik went flying and landed heavily on the stairs with a grunt, falling unconscious.
The loup-garou’s paw slowly lowered and she looked to Michael who was still gripping the banister on the stairs, his knuckles white.
“A council of both vampires and loups-garous will be reformed with you as the head of the vampires. John Croxen will serve as head for the wolves, because I have seen his heart and know it is pure. Only have those who love peace and harmony in this council to decide upon territories for each race and settle disputes among them, just as it was in the ancient days.”
Michael smiled at the order and nodded proudly to accept his appointment.
The loup-garou then closed her eyes and the same blinding light radiated from her once more. When the light receded again, Katey had returned in her human form, fully clothed with the bullet still imbedded in her chest.
Katey could feel herself being pulled back to consciousness.
The scorching pain and all sensations, both good and bad, returned to her in a swift rush.
Her legs gave out from beneath her and Katey crumbled to the floor.
Everyone’s cries seemed far away to her ears, even Logan’s who had rushed to her side to catch her as she fell. Her eyes were still closed but she could feel him cradle her into his arms.
The excruciating pain rattled her body, so much that she couldn’t distinguish where exactly she hurt the most. Every muscle and nerve shrieked out in utter agony. The sound of her own heartbeat throbbed in her ears and pounded against her temples, telling her that despite everything, she was still alive.
Becoming the Enigma (The Loup-Garou Series Book 2) Page 44