by Leia Stone
I zipped forward, stake in hand, and readied myself to come down on her chest with the tip, when I saw a tree move.
“Sawyer look ou—” The words were barely out of my mouth when the tree pounded Sawyer on the back like a nail being driven into wood. One second he was upright, strangling the queen, and the next he was keeled forward over her, knocked out cold.
The trauma of seeing him lifeless made everything feel like it was moving in slow motion. It was so similar to what had happened with Sage, I faltered, nearly tripping over my own feet. After getting my bearings, I rushed forward, just as the queen slipped out from under him and backed away. I let her go, focusing all my attention on my mate.
I could move small things with my mind. I mean, I’d done it with the stake and the queen before, and I needed to get that tree off Sawyer. Reaching out with my power, I wrapped it around the trunk, nearly crying in relief as it lifted, hovering a few inches off of his body. It was wild seeing something suspended in mid-air, and being able to feel yourself doing it.
“Get her!” the queen hissed.
My attention was divided as two of the vampires came for me, one from each side. My gaze flicked around the forest to take in the scene. Luka was fighting two others, and one was dead.
These were not good odds. I needed to focus and use all of my strengths. Now was the time to be a badass and really concentrate on everything that made me special.
Taking a deep breath, I fully yanked the tree off of Sawyer, and then hurled it at the two advancing vampires. It slammed into them as they neared me, knocking them over like bowling pins. Sawyer was still unconscious on the ground, but I couldn’t worry about that right now. The queen had a psychotic look in her eye, and I didn’t know why until it was too late. When Sawyer had fallen, his metal stake had rolled out of his belt strap. The queen had used her newfound power to pick it up with her mind and launch it across the clearing, and I only realized when it lodged in my upper thigh.
A bloodcurdling scream ripped from my throat as the searing pain sliced into the meat of my leg and radiated up into my pelvis. The fucking thing was jammed into my thigh at least three inches, and felt like the only thing that had stopped it was my femur bone. Dizziness washed over me at the sight of it and I swayed.
“I’m going to pass out,” I mumbled to myself, and then the queen was a blur as she darted for me. One second I was swaying between two trees, and the next I was in Luka’s arms as he ran through the forest, his hands under my knees and behind my back to cradle me to his chest.
“Pass out later, darling. Right now, you need to kill Psycho Auntie while I help Sawyer.” He looked down at me and his nostrils flared as the scent of my blood hit his nose.
He was right. I needed to push through the pain, because he wasn’t allowed to kill her or assist in her killing. Clearly, he could still help me, which was good, because I think he’d just saved my life.
He pulled to a stop and I pushed his arm away, forcing myself to stand.
“I got this,” I said, deciding to leave the stake in my thigh and not pull it out in case it was plugging a major artery.
“Good luck.” He bowed, and then he raced back to where I could see Sawyer still lying motionless on the ground. The one vampire that was still alive was gunning for my man.
Where in the hell was the qu—?
A tree rustled to my right and I spun, ready for her. She tried to reach out and grab me, but I caught her arm and snapped it backward with lethal force.
Her inhuman cry brought me great pleasure as her arm went limp inside of its socket.
“You bitch!” she shrieked, grabbing at her dangling arm.
I hissed like a psychotic cat, right in her face. “I’ll tear you limb from limb if I have to.”
She reached behind her back with her good arm and pulled something out. The glint of metal caught my eye. I thought it was another stake until I saw that it was two half circles, connected on one side.
It was a fucking collar. Electric no doubt.
Oh hell no.
I felt my power rise up inside of me, like a live wire just under my skin, and I latched on to it in that moment, wrapping it around myself, and then around the queen. It was hard to explain, but I felt these invisible threads reach out and clasp on to her like glue. Her eyes went wide, so I knew she felt it too. An invisible burst of energy blasted from her as she tried to protect herself. It slammed into me, but I held on to her with my magic threads. The wind knocked from my chest, leaving me gasping, but I stayed standing, pulling her slowly toward me.
She flailed, a genuine look of panic on her face as her toes scraped across the dirt, dragging bits of leaves and moss with her as I lured her into my web like a spider. Holding one of the stakes Sage had given me, I raised it, grinning as she was brought to me.
“No!” she shouted, pushing another shockwave of energy into me. It slammed into my solar plexus and I could no longer stay upright. I tumbled backward, my sticky energy web of power bringing her down with me. We landed awkwardly, with her falling onto the lower half of my good leg as we tumbled, grappling with each other.
I grabbed anything I could, a fistful of hair and her left ear, yanking her face toward me so that she didn’t slither away. She opened her mouth, hissing, and then jerked out of my grasp, sinking her teeth into the meat of my uninjured thigh.
A chunk of her hair was left in my hand and I recoiled at the pleasureful sensation of her bite.
Bitch was refueling.
Nope. Not today.
Reaching out, I punched her in the side of the head, dislodging her teeth from my skin before she could drink from me. She rolled to the side and then scrambled onto her knees, trying to get on top of me. I tried to right myself, but my injured thigh and the pain it was causing me was slowing me down. Before I knew it, she knocked me back down and hovered over me with a feral, bloody grin. “My lead scientist thinks that if I just drain you fully, your powers will transfer to me permanently. I say we try that now. I’m not sure you’re worth the trouble of keeping alive.”
I planted my booted foot right on her chest. “I say we don’t!” With as much strength I could muster, I kicked, chucking her off of me, and she went flying. Her scream of frustration cut deep into the woods as she landed with a loud thud in the trees.
I stood shakily, readying myself for her to come at me again. This was harder than I thought, but I was determined to end this now and not retreat, nor let her withdraw.
I pressed on, limping forward, stalking through the trees. Trying to inject some vampire speed into my run, I leapt over a fallen log, wincing when the pain shot up my leg and I had to slow down.
Where was she?
I didn’t kick her this far. Did she leave? Was she going to come back with an army? I trusted Sage and Walsh to protect Creek, but something told me she was still here, watching me and waiting.
“Come on, you coward!” I screamed, feeling the full-blown rage of every pain she’d cause me come to the surface.
A tree rustled and I spun, eyeing the queen, who stood just behind a tree in an effort to camouflage herself. But I also saw something else, something she didn’t see. The giant bear that had been such a pain in my ass stood just behind her, sniffing the air.
She must have smelled him, or felt him, because she turned, her eyes widening just as he opened his mouth, showcasing his massive teeth and let loose a terrifying roar. The queen charged forward, toward me and away from the bear, but I wasn’t going to let her get away. With what little strength I had left, I burst forward, ignoring the pain in my thigh, and grasped her shoulders. Kicking off the ground, I pushed her backward into the bear.
This fall wouldn’t hurt me, this bear wouldn’t hurt me—we were one, family, on the same side. I knew this. The bear reared up on his hindlegs, making himself terrifyingly tall, and the queen slammed right into his chest.
“Attack!” I threw compulsion into my command.
Without even a second’s de
lay, he reached for her with his paws and trapped her against his chest, tearing into her abdomen like it was Play-Doh. Her wails of agony ripped from her throat and I backed up, wincing at the gore before me. Throwing her to the ground, he pounced on her chest, and the sound of cracking bones filled the forest.
Oh God.
When he bit into her shoulder, I pulled the stake from behind my back. Dragging my bum leg across the forest floor, I bent down before her, the bear keeping her pinned to the spot as she grabbed at him weakly, trying to throw him off. He must weigh over a thousand pounds and she was too injured to fight him. This was the end for her.
“This is for everyone you tortured in your pursuit of power. Say hi to Vicon in hell for me.” Then I slammed the tip of the stake right into her heart.
A final gurgled scream left her throat and then cut off mid yell. Black veins crawled up her neck as her body decomposed into ash, first turning into a crusted shell of skin and then becoming powder.
The bear backed up, looked at me and then took off. Either he was freaked out by her decomposing or he figured his work here was done. He’d rid the sacred forest of her threat.
I stared at the pile of ashes, numb to the realization that I’d actually done it.
I killed her. It’s over.
Reaching out, I brushed my fingers against the black ash, rubbing some between my fingers as if I couldn’t believe this was real.
The queen of the vampires, the mother of my rapist, the woman who tortured Seam’s daughter, stole my wolf, tried to kill my husband, and brought war to our people … was dead.
My throat constricted with emotion as the tightness in my chest finally released and I felt like I could breathe for the first time in so, so, long.
“I’m here!” Sawyer called out, and I spun to see him holding two stakes, one in each fist, blood and bruises covering his shoulders and the side of his neck.
I shook my head, indicating the pile of ashes on the ground as the tears spilled over and I quickly wiped them away with the back of my hand.
“I took care of it,” I told him, my voice vacant. I still felt empty, unfinished, and I didn’t realize why until I remembered that I didn’t have my wolf. This wasn’t over until I got my wolf back. Where the hell was she?
“While you were napping, your girl killed the most powerful queen the vampires have ever seen.” Luka strolled up and patted Sawyer on the back. “How does that feel?”
Sawyer flipped him off and I shook my head at Luka before looking down at my thigh and wincing at the horrible sight.
“They hurt, huh?” Luka stared at the stake protruding out of my thigh. Then he lifted his shirt to showcase over fifty puckered scars all around his chest and abdomen. I hadn’t noticed them before…
My mouth dropped open. “You’ve been staked that many times?”
He grinned, and holy hell he was super good-looking. If Sage and Walsh didn’t figure their shit out, I might just be okay with her hooking up with a vamp. Or I’d have to set up Raven with him.
He nodded. “It will leave a scar, but you’ll heal.”
Sawyer dropped his stakes to the ground and pushed forward, yanking me into his arms. He tucked me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me, and I took in a deep breath. “Let’s get you back to medical. Dr. Pearson can work on this,” Sawyer mumbled against the top of my head as he held me.
I nodded, reaching up to stroke his beard as I pulled back from him a little so that I could look him in the eyes. “Sawyer … my wolf. I can’t feel her. I … need her back.”
He frowned, nodding. “I’ll figure it out.”
With that, we headed back to the cabin, where I found Creek safe with his auntie, and hopefully uncle by the way Walsh was looking at Sage. Luka had to dodge a few falling trees, but we all made it out, the trail still leading us to the Paladin lands, just as it had when I’d opened the cave and proved myself. Sawyer insisted on carrying me, and I looked over his shoulder the entire way, watching the cabin get smaller and eventually fade into the distance.
I would miss this place. As fucked up as that sounded, it was true.
Once back in Paladin Village, Luka said goodbye and left for Spokane to hide out as the month of mourning for the queen would begin. Because the queen had been the one to lead the war against the wolves and essentially forced the other races into it, now that she was dead, none of them had come forward to continue the war. We’d won.
Sawyer left me with Dr. Pearson and then went to publicly declare the war was over and officially take our land back. The trolls’ magic had worked beautifully, and we’d pushed their forces all the way back to the eastern wall. Luka said the vampires would feel their queen die and he was right. Once they did, their army had surrendered and went into mourning, back in their city.
Dr. Pearson gave me some really good drugs. I was in and out as the one-inch hole in my leg healed with a little help from skin glue and stitches. Astra was asleep in the bed next to me.
Sawyer stopped by when I was lucid and told me that our people came up out of the bunker and now the planning would begin. We’d have defector trolls, witches, and two types of wolves living in Wolf City, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. This was how it should have always been.
I felt the heaviness of sleep pull on me just as Sawyer was telling me about his plan to repair and rebuild Wolf City. Right before I closed my eyes, I felt her. My wolf. She was alive, injured but okay, and someone had just removed a magical collar from her.
‘Where are you!?’ I screamed, trying to jump to her sight so that I could see where she was, but the drugs were too heavy.
‘With the Magical Creature Council. They’re coming, and they want both you and Sawyer in prison. You need to run.’
Oh shit. It was the last thought I had before I slipped into a drugged oblivion.
I awoke with the early morning light, the grogginess of the medicine receding as I opened my eyes. Sawyer’s blue gaze was the first thing mine landed on.
“Hello, my love.” He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the edge of my bed and stroking my hair.
“Creek?” I asked, my eyes adjusting to the light.
“He’s fine. With your mom and my mom getting grandma time.” His voice was rough like he’d just awoken as well.
I looked to the left and saw the bed empty.
“Astra!” I sat upright so fast I almost cracked into Sawyer’s nose, the pain in my thigh throbbing with the sudden motion.
Sawyer held out his hands. “Whoa, whoa. She’s okay. She’s on a light walk with Willow to regain her strength.”
I relaxed a little, wondering why I was so jumpy. The queen was dead, we’d gotten our land back, everything was fi—
‘Run!’ My wolf’s voice burst through the final remnants of my hazy mind and the memory of what she’d said last night came back to me.
“Sawyer! We need to run, the Magical Creature Council has my wolf. They want us in prison and they’re coming.”
Sawyer’s eyes widened into saucers. “What?”
I jumped up from the bed, swaying, just as I heard the commotion outside. Murmurs, yelling, and a familiar howl.
My wolf.
It was too late.
Sawyer and I scrambled outside to see what all the commotion was about, and I froze when I saw my wolf, tethered with a collar and leash like a fucking dog. My gaze ran along the chain to look into the eyes of a tall, lithe dark fey. He wore a long, black fitted trench coat that skimmed the ground, and he stood next to five other people. One from each race.
The Magical Creature Council.
My gaze darted to each person. Troll woman, light fey male, witch female wearing a black crushed velvet cape, a dark fey male, a stout male werewolf I didn’t recognize, and a towering male vampire.
They were an ominous sight, all of the races walking together like this, knowing that half hated the other. The Paladins and Ithaki had no representation, which I wasn’t surprised by.
&
nbsp; “Let. Her. Go.” My voice could have cut glass. I would kill every single one of them for chaining her like that.
The witch woman raised her hand and then snapped. A silver collar flew out of nowhere then, latching around my neck and closing with a click.
What the…!
She did the same to Sawyer beside me, and then we were both brought to our knees against our will.
Who was this woman? She looked barely twenty-five, with dark black hair and cherry red lips, but her power … it was unheard of.
The witch held up her hand, as if controlling us like puppets.
I reached up to yank off the collar and got the shock of my life. The sharp sting zapped into my neck, causing me to cry out.
Our pack went wild then. Paladin and city wolf pressed forward. The sound of bones cracking signaled their shifting. Screams of anger were hurled at the council as they threw themselves forward. But when they got too close, a bubble-like shield erected from the witch woman, covering us, my wolf, and the council, and no one else. It was instantaneous, thick like glass, and I felt myself marveling at this council woman’s incredible power. When the pack slammed against the shield, they too were zapped with electricity.
“Stop!” I cried to our people, not wanting anyone to get hurt on my account. Then I looked to the witch. Only a high priestess would have this kind of power, and Raven had told me that you didn’t make high priestess at that age unless you were a magical prodigy.
“Sawyer Hudson and Demi Calloway-Hudson, you are hereby under arrest for the recent jailbreak from Magic City Prison and your role in the crime. You have the right to an attorney and trial hearing. You may opt to forgo lengthy legal proceedings and enter into a quick and instant trial right here and now.”
I frowned, looking at Sawyer. Her power … her human lie detector power that Star had told me about, this is what she was referencing.
‘She’ll see everything, and she’ll show everyone here, like a movie playing out from your memory,’ Sawyer warned.
I nodded. “I will consent to an instant trial right now about the jailbreak, but only if you promise to reopen Sawyer’s murder case, take my testimony, and look at everything.”