by Tamar Sloan
With a sudden shower of sparks, the camera that was filming this all pops and flares. The guy standing beside it yanks off his headphones, jumping back.
Some of the humans have already reached the conclusion that this is no longer a safe place to be. They run to their cars, reversing erratically in their rush to get out of here. Others are frozen, fear rooting them to the very soil moving beneath us.
I run to Orin, who has the Elders crowded around him. “Get them out of here!” I point to the people who are so flooded with panic that they’re no longer moving. “They need to get out of here.”
Orin and the others nod. They spread out, collecting the frightened bodies as they go. The humans recognize the calm faces that fill their vision as the lifeline they are. With soothing voices, the Fae take them to their cars.
I turn away, knowing that there are more intense emotions that I have to deal with.
Alexis and James stand by the podium, clinging to each other. In their disorientation and fear, they don’t notice the bodies starting to move toward them. The sting of metal hits my nostrils and I know the Weres are about to shift. When they should be running for their lives, the Weres are closing in on the two humans who just destroyed their belief in a shared future.
One by one, they shift, until a mob of angry wolves are between me and those they blame for this.
Alexis screams and James pulls her to him. They look in horror at the mass of gigantic wolves who now line up before them.
I watch as Seth streaks from the left, shifting into his mountain of brown in the process. He runs into the space between Alexis and the Weres, claws gouging into the soil as he slides to a halt. He levels his gaze at his kin, head dropping, eyes warning them he’ll protect these humans with his life.
The war that Kurt wanted is about to begin.
Weres against Weres.
Emily runs in, coming to stand beside Seth. She stands tall and trembling, one hand resting on his wolf shoulders as she shows them the unified defense they represent.
Weres against humans.
My heart feels like it’s about to shatter just like the Precept Rock. I can feel Noah, sensing that he’s not far away. But he won’t be here in time. Not knowing what I’m doing, but knowing I have to try, I raise my arms and focus on their massive bodies.
Stop.
I feel their surprise, see one or two turn to look at me. Most are shocked and angered.
This isn’t right. Weres don’t hurt humans.
My mind floods with their cries of outrage.
They destroyed the Precept Rock.
Humans have showed us what they do with their power.
Now we’ll show them what we do with ours.
I drop my arms, looking at these majestic beasts and knowing they’re hurting. Please stop.
Several pause, looking between me and their target. Alexis looks like pure fear whilst James holds her tightly in his arms. He would know that they will offer no protection if these gargantuan wolves decide to attack.
Seth and Emily seem to contract tighter, and I can feel Seth’s heart thundering. He’s hoping that the small barrier he represents is enough for the others to stop and think. There’s no way he can protect Emily and the two frightened humans behind him too.
As the earth continues to rumble beneath us, Alexis crumples in James’ arms. “Leave us alone!”
She wants us to move. Be careful what you wish for…
Does she even realize that she’s caused this?
Stupid, clueless humans. They don’t deserve to live.
Seth has lost his head, aligning himself with them. If he dies too, so be it.
No, no, no. I look up at Kurt. His mind is saying one thing. Yes, yes, yes.
“Get away from us!” my mother screams.
I raise my arms higher. You will not attack them.
They don’t even bother to turn. The rolling of the ground seems to swell their anger. Alexis’ absence of remorse only inflames their desire for vengeance. They have decided to destroy her in return for destroying the Precept Rock.
This is only the beginning.
I ignore Kurt, not even bothering to look his way. There’s something he hasn’t factored in.
Before I speak again, I move further to the center of the Glade. I hold my arms straight, palms out. Despite the shifting soil beneath my feet, over the top of the growling and my mother’s shouts, the melody rises through me. I feed it, let it gain strength, I feel it connect with the pain beneath me, but also the potential around me.
“As the Queen of the Fae and your Alpha’s mate, I order you to stop.”
Every Were freezes, muscles locked in their threatening stance. The one at the head, the one who was the angriest, tries to step forward.
Only to find he can’t.
He strains against the invisible bonds that hold him, but I don’t let go. All they have to do is wait for the emotion to abate and they will see that there is more here than two humans who don’t realize what they’ve started.
They’ll learn that they’ve been manipulated, that someone was seeking to use their strength.
One or two try to turn, and I let them. They look at me, unsure of what this means, and I send them the energy of the melody. Maria is the first to take a step back, maybe realizing how close to being like Daniel she just became.
But several cling to the anger. They try to twist out of whatever is holding them. They want payment for their pain. I don’t blame them. They have lost something that cannot be measured.
I stay there, the melody staying strong, knowing I can wait them out.
Without looking at Kurt I send him a message.
You have no idea what you’ve started.
Part X
Noah
Chapter Thirty-One
It’s only a matter of time before the landslide begins. I can hear the rocks rattle and shift, feel them shear away from the rock face behind me. Dust fills the air, the smaller rocks reaching us first. The shaking and rumbling now comes from beneath me and behind me. I glance back to see Dad and Mitch not far behind, and the wall of powdered earth rising above behind them.
Panicked, I run faster. Most of the rocks will be stopped by the trees. But if there are any large pieces that gain momentum, then the Glade will be their final resting point.
As I reach the clearing, there’s only one person I’m looking for.
I find Eden, standing almost in the center of the Glade, tall and unafraid. Alexis and James stand beside a pile of rubble, and my heart jerks painfully; that’s all that is left of the Precept Rock. Between them are Seth and Emily, and the packs who came here to witness this.
I hear the first rock rumbling down the cliff face, looking over my shoulder to see it crashing through the trees and bowling them over like pins. There’s nothing that can stop its trajectory. My mind does the math, acknowledging that Eden isn’t in its path.
The roar that powers through the Glade isn’t mine. Mitch speeds past me and I see what has his eyes wide with fear.
Tara, hand on her unborn child, is running. The boulder is powering through the Glade, and she’s in its way. There’s no way she’ll outrun the rock that was thrown from the cliff.
Because Tara’s pregnant and can’t shift.
Go left! I want to scream, but my wolf throat has nothing but its own cry of denial. Turn left, Tara.
Realizing that its speed is greater than hers, Tara throws herself to the side. Her foot slips in the green grass and she stumbles. Hands reaching out even though there’s nothing to grasp, she twists at the last minute, protecting her baby.
As she crashes to the ground, the rock rolls over her leg, coming to a standstill. The groan of pain is soft and low, but it reaches us all. Tara’s eyes squeeze tightly shut, her back arched. One leg slips out, but the other has disappeared beneath the mass of granite which has come to rest on it.
Mitch reaches her a moment later, and then we’re all there. Tara looks up at u
s, eyes pleading.
“We’ll get it off, Tara.” Mitch’s voice is strained. “Before you can say fracking fish sticks.”
I take in the mass of weight that we’re going to have to move. It’s going to be heavy, but we don’t have a choice.
We all line up against the rock, shoulders hard up against it. Four Weres—my white, Mitch’s midnight, Mom and Dad’s shades of grey—take a position.
I’m not even surprised when Orin kneels beside her. He pushes back her hair. “We’re here, Tara. We’ll have this thing off in a moment.”
Tara’s eyes flutter open, looking up at us. “Jellybean?”
Orin smooths Tara’s hair again. “You’re going to be running after him in no time.”
In unison we push. The granite digs into my shoulder and I welcome the pressure. We need to move this mountain of stone and we need to move it now. The boulder lifts a little and we all push harder. Tara groans as the pressure on her leg shifts, and I realize we need to keep up this momentum. If we don’t succeed, this weight is going to crush her leg all over again.
Muscles trembling with strain, I shove harder. Mitch groans beside me and I know he’s pushing with all his heart and soul. But the boulder sits on its fulcrum, taunting us.
I feel something nudge beside me and open my eyes to find John, a dark brown wolf, ramming himself against the rock. There’s another as more Weres find somewhere to squeeze in. Even the Fae Elders push their hands through, wanting to add what little strength they have. We push again, and I feel it the rock lift another inch.
Almost there!
Until the next flood of earth tremors pulses beneath us. Like a wave, it pushes the boulder back at us, and we all contract, the weight pushing us down. My muscles strain like everyone else’s would as we stop the boulder from crushing Tara further. As the ground settles, we push it back to its fragile pivot. Before we can push again, another crest hits us, and we take the weight. We don’t have enough strength to overcome the surges and swells.
I look at Mitch, whose face is squeezed with effort. I don’t know that we’re going to be able to do this.
“Eden!”
I look up, and Eden’s face matches the confusion that we both register. Although it’s her name, it’s not a voice we’ve ever heard use it.
Alexis is running toward her, one arm flailing as if Eden is standing on a road and a train is coming at her. “Move, Eden.”
I look up and see what has Alexis finally using Eden’s name. Kurt is no longer a wolf. It’s man who stands on the ledge, a man holding a rifle.
Alexis grabs Eden by the shoulders and pulls her along. They both stumble as a bullet slices into the soil where she was just standing.
Orin’s face is wild with fear as he pushes me. “Go to her!”
I step away and the boulder holds itself on the shoulders of the wolves who are now holding it. They contract as another wave pushes down. Even the addition of the strength of the Prime Alpha isn’t enough to move the mountain of granite.
Torn, I start running to my mate.
“No!” James is racing to join them when he jerks back as if he’s been yanked by a rope. He drops to the ground, one hand holding the bullet wound he just sustained to his shoulder.
Eden is righting herself, looking at James, then looking to me. Her green eyes are wide with fright, her face pale with foreboding. Everywhere everything is shaking.
I’m running toward her, desperation the drive that powers every step as I shout in my mind. Head for cover!
Eden grabs her mother’s hand, looking around the clearing that was never designed to need somewhere to hide. Seeing the only place they can use, she runs toward the rubble of the Precept Rock, dragging Alexis with her.
They cower and I make a beeline for them. There’s no way that pile, probably waist high on a human, will be big enough to protect a Were body, but I’m there in a second anyway. Being with my mate is all that matters right now.
Alexis screams for James, who rolls over on the grass. His hand holding his bloody shoulder, he looks at her. His voice is laced with pain but shouted nonetheless. “Stay where you are.”
The gang of Weres that had accumulated seem to unfreeze, like puppets whose strings have been cut. A few step back, smart enough to start looking scared. Several set their furious gazes on James as he lies in the grass, injured.
Another wave of anger ripples through the ground. As I reach Eden and her mother, I look up, wondering if this is going to be the end. I’m the only target Kurt has left.
Kurt is standing at the edge of the ledge, rifle raised, taking aim. I stand proud and tall, knowing we failed, but unable to regret the love that I discovered. Maybe Eden and the baby will survive this nightmare.
Maybe that’s what the Prophecy had been all along.
I look down, wanting Eden to be the last thing I see, but Kurt seems to stagger, the rifle tip wavering. As one more surge powers through the ground, the ledge shears away.
I watch in shock as the shelf of rock slides down, at first with a short jerk, and then with a mighty yank of gravity.
I wonder if it’s the knowledge that because of him Tara is trapped or that he’s caused his own ending that flashes across his face as his body drops.
Nothing but a rumble of thunder heralds Kurt’s fall to death.
Part XI
Eden
Chapter Thirty-Two
Just like Daniel’s, I feel Kurt’s death.
It’s like a severing of a painful, tortured thread. There’s relief, but also regret.
But this is far from over.
As the earth feels like it’s tearing apart, I realize Kurt is gone, his death brought on by his own greed, but he’s left a legacy. Weres and humans have never been more divided. The bloodshed that has been avoided is still a very real possibility. If we get out of this alive, Weres will hate humans in a way they never have before. There’s no way we can stop them now.
We’ve failed the Prophecy.
I curl one hand around a shard of rock, hating the metaphor that I’m holding. Crushed dreams, broken promises. Our future nothing but a pile of rubble.
I look out, Tara is now unconscious, her leg still trapped beneath a boulder. Mitch, Adam, Beth, and the others are still trying to move it, but the strain is starting to show. The weight crushing Tara’s leg hasn’t moved.
The Weres that I’m no longer controlling are looking like they’re deciding what to do next. One or two step away, realizing they need to get to safety. A few are already focused on Alexis again. I’d say the rest will follow one of the two options. But even if one decides to attack, Noah will protect her, and the division will be complete.
James is looking at us across the distance. His face is dusty, his shoulder bloody. No, he’s looking at Alexis. They’re probably trying to understand what the hell is happening. And realizing they’re unlikely to survive it.
I look up at Noah, hating the tear that has escaped down my cheek, but not bothering to wipe it away. He steps forward, his broad head coming down. Gently, reverently, he rests his forehead on mine. We tried.
I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting more saltwater between us. We really did.
There was something we must’ve missed.
I curl my free hand into his thick, white fur. I’m sorry.
Noah’s summer sky eyes shut for a brief moment. No, I’m sorry.
“I’m so sorry.” We pull apart to find Alexis looking at us both, her own tears glittering down her cheeks. “I’m so, so sorry.”
My mother’s hand cautiously reaches out to me. My throat tightens painfully as her fingers brush my face and her palm cups my cheek. “Eden.”
She turns to the massive white wolf beside me, her other hand reaching out. She pauses, the very air now a thunder around us, fingers trembling.
Noah holds still, gaze unwavering, as Alexis makes her decision.
“Noah,” she breathes. Her arm extends, slowly but sure, until her fingers brush
his fur. Just like she had with me, her palm cups his cheek.
“I wanted…” She looks back to me. “I wanted to love you.” She shakes her head. “To show you that I love you. I’m sorry.”
My tears are a waterfall now, not sure what I’m supposed to do with this olive branch as the world is crumbling around us. I open my mouth, knowing it’s not words lodged in my throat. It’s the grief that we’ll never know what this could have meant. I close it again, just looking at her.
We stay there in our circle, my hand on Noah, my mother touching us both when I feel the shard of rock vibrate in my hand. At first I ignore it, everything around us is shaking, the piece of granite in my hand is just an extension of that.
But then it warms, the vibration becoming a shudder. I pull back, holding it out. “Noah.”
We all look down at the rock resting in my palm. It sits there for a moment before shivering again. The glow, to start with, is subtle, but it quickly gains strength. Within seconds it’s a blossoming flower of light.
Noah and I look at each other, astonished. What is going on?
When the pile of rubble beside me begins to move, then glow too, I scramble back, taking my mother with me. Noah is a steely tower of protectiveness against my back.
The earth stops quaking. The silence afterwards feels absolute. There’s no breeze rustling trees, no birds calling out in alarm, no voices shouting for revenge or for this all to end or wishing for forgiveness.
There’s just the sound of rock shifting on rock as the radiance intensifies. I know everyone is watching, because there is no way you could miss the miracle that’s happening before us. Brick by misshapen brick, the Precept Rock realigns and rebuilds.
Like a slow-motion reverse, the pieces stack up on each other, from the base up. The Precept grows, its fractures glowing then the dissipating as they seal. In the space of a few disbelieving breaths, it’s whole again.