by Renee Jordan
He turned onto the gravel road that led to the spring. I bounced and slid about on the back seat. There was no way I would give in to this man. I would rather die than to have an abusive asshole control me.
I would never let another Burt touch me.
The car slid to a halt before the gate. He climbed out, yanking open the back door and seizing my arm. I twisted my head and bit his wrist. Hard. I tasted blood.
“Bitch,” he screamed, smacking me in the face. My head snapped back, my brain rattling around inside my skull. I blinked. I had taken hits like that before. Burt wasn't shy about smacking me in the head.
I let his blow turn me over. I pulled in my legs, and then extended, kicking at his gut. He groaned as both my heels planted hard into his solar plexus. His breath came out in a wheeze. His handsome face twisted as he doubled over. But his hands reached out, seizing my ankles before I could pull them away.
“You had your chance to do this the easy way,” he coughed, his oily smile crossing his lips. “You only have yourself to blame for the pain that's coming.”
Burt used to say the same thing. “I don't want to hit you, babe. But you make me do it when you disobey me.”
“You're the only one responsible,” I hissed. “It's not my fault you're an asshole.”
I kicked my feet as he hauled me across the seat. He yanked me out of the car, my head smacking the metal frame as I fell to the gravel. Pain prickled my back, and the air whooshed out of my lungs. I coughed, shaking my head, trying to think through the fuzzy ache that spread across my brain.
Christian dragged me, the gravel scraping my bound hands and arms.
I should be fighting. I struggled to drive away the fuzzy pain choking my thoughts. I blinked away the stars dancing around my eyes. Above, the passion moon burned red through the trees and stars twinkled with a clear brilliance.
The mist from the spring curled around us. The energy hummed in the ground beneath me. It had a flavor, green and vital—Life. Two other conduits of power raced into the spring from other directions. I reached out, touching the power. One was dark, foul, my mind flinching away as eternity tried to swallow me.
Death.
The third set my soul on fire. My heart beat wildly. The passion mooned glowed vermilion over head, pulsing and singing in rhythm to this conduit.
Love.
Life, Death, and Love mixed in this pool.
“Can you feel the three ley lines?” Christian gasped, his voice moaning like he was gripped by an orgasm. An ecstatic shudder past through him. “Can you feel the power? Reach out, seize it, channel the power into me. Together, Kotie. Together, we can accomplish so much.”
“No,” I hissed, pulling back my senses from the pool.
The surface shimmered red, beckoning me. The moon was full. The pool wanted to be used, to disgorge the power it had collected over the eons. The ley lines were rivers feeding a reservoir. What could he do with this power?
The power of Death was in there.
I shuddered in fear. This man did not care about others. He proved that with the callous way he shot Veronica when he was through with her. There was no way I could let him have this power.
“Yes,” Christian purred, his voice drowning, almost hypnotic. “The power calls to you. Your magic is reacting. Reach out. Seize it. Be my conduit.”
“I won't do it, asshole!”
Christian loomed over me, a bestial hunger twisting his handsome gaze. “You will, bitch,” he snarled.
I faced the anger in his voice. I wish I had the courage to face Burt this way. I wasn't as weak as I always thought I was. I had strength. I stared at him, peering into his mad eyes. His hand shot down at my throat.
My back itched and prickled, the tattooed vines wrapped around the heart writhed, retracting back and freeing my power. It ballooned within me. I didn't think. I couldn't think. All I could do was act.
Gold shimmered around me, a dome of dazzling light. Christian's hand struck it, waves of energy rippling about my barrier. I pushed my magic out, protecting myself from his rage. His foot kicked, striking my dome.
“You cannot touch me!” I laughed in almost hysteric delight. I had magic. I could defend myself.
“You think I can't break through your feeble protection,” he snarled. Yellow light glowed through his shirt. He tore it away, revealing his muscular chest, a tattoo of a bear wrapped in sickly-yellow vines. The vines moved, writhing about the bear, freeing it to snarl. And then he changed. His body shimmered for a moment, yellow light dancing like an aurora about him.
And then he was a bear.
With a snarling roar, the bear loomed over me on two legs. I screamed in surprise, squirming on the ground beneath my golden shield. The change had happened in the blink of an eye, like Christian had merely been replaced by this monstrous bear instead of his body transforming into the beast.
With a furious roar, the Christian-bear slammed down at me with his front paws, claws pointing at my flesh. The great bulk slammed into my spell. I screamed, my tattoo burning on my back as my dome quavered and cracked.
“No!” Fear hammered my heart. I pushed out my will, trying to strengthen my shield. I would not let this brute hurt me. “I am stronger than you!”
The bear snarled in reply, defying my strength. His blood-red eyes burned with anger. Again the bear reared up and slammed down on my shield. Energy rippled along the shield. Again and again he rose and crashed down, cracking my defenses. The pain in my back swelled, throbbing with every titanic blow.
I couldn't hold onto the shield. The pain was too much.
The Christian-bear slammed down.
My shield shattered into a thousand shards of energy that rained like golden tears upon my face.
His hairy paws landed on other side of my waist. His snarling mouth roared in my face, showering me in slimy spittle while his hot, fetid breath washed over me. Fear squeezed at my heart. I squirmed, trying to crawl away on my back, my wrists straining against the cuffs.
“Please!” I gasped. “Forrest! Please!”
The yellow aurora danced around the bear and, in a blink of the eye, the beast became Christian. His hand snaked out, squeezing my throat, slamming me against the ground. He loomed over me, his muscular chest rippling as he pinned me. His hands squeezed, choking off my air.
“Seize the power,” he ordered. “Seize it and give it to me, or I will keep squeezing until your heart stops. I can find another bitch to use.”
My legs kicked at his body as my vision swam. Darkness crept along my vision. My lungs screamed and my heart hammered. I pulled at my handcuffs, my wrists agony as I tried to rip my hands free.
I would not die like this.
The burning in my lungs spread through my body. My kicking legs begged for oxygen. My struggle ceased. My mind grew sluggish. A great lethargy sank on me. I couldn't fight any longer. I would die.
The energy called to me.
I could live if I seized it.
My vision squeezed to a black pinprick. The sound faded from my ears.
I was about to die.
I didn't want to die.
I wanted to live.
I would live.
I my instincts seized the energy, pulling it into my body.
Christian's hand released my throat.
I coughed, my lungs sucking in as much air as they could hold. My heart pounded, spreading the wonderful oxygen through my body. My vision returned, my thoughts working again.
And the power of the pond trickled into my body, filling me up. I could hold only a fraction of the power. But I couldn't seem to use it. To channel it. Was Christian right? Could I only give it to him? I concentrated, struggling to tap into it.
“Give it to me, bitch,” he hissed, tightening his fingers on my throat again. “Do you want me to choke you again?”
I didn't want to die. All my talk about preferring death was a lie. Even subjugated, there was still hope of escape. I seized the energy flow and push
ed it out to Christian. His eyes widened as the power poured out of me into his hungry body.
His hand let go of my throat as his back arched. “Yes!” he screamed, shuddering in delight. “Oh, Kotie, yes!”
A snarling, hairy shape burst out of the darkness and slammed into Christian.
The bastard went tumbling, rolling across the edge of the spring.
A great, howling beast rose over me. Vaguely man-shaped, its body covered in coarse black fur with patches of gray around his feet and throat. Long arms ended at fearsome claws, and a wolf-like muzzle snarled, bearing sharp fangs. The beast looked down at me, its eyes glowing golden.
Like Forrest's sometimes did.
“You came,” I smiled, witnessing the beast that lurked inside my boyfriend's body. “I knew you'd come.”
Forrest howled as he stalked towards Christian.
Blood poured down Christian's forehead from three, raking wounds. “Spirits of control!” Christian shouted. The witch threw his arms forward, the yellow light flared from the sickly vines. The light attacked Forrest, seizing his hairy limbs and sinking into his body. “Bind this beast's flesh.”
Forrest snarled in pain, his body thrashing as he fought Christian's control. His back arched, his stunted tail twitching. Forrest howled at the passion moon, his arms reaching up, trying to seize the crimson orb.
“Make him move as I will. Attach my string and control his body!”
“No!” I pleaded, remembering the agony in Veronica's eyes. “You can't do this! You have to stop, Christian!”
“Spirit's of control!” the witch boomed, the light stabbing into Forrest's body. “Beat down his will! Overpower his spirit!”
Forrest was controlled by Christian, dominated the same way as Veronica. I sobbed in horror, screaming my defiance to the skies. Forrest's back arched, his limbs splayed wide, his clawed fingers spasming in pain. He howled his agony to the skies.
And then, with a titanic heave, Forrest lowered he snout and snarled at Christian. The witch smirked. “You are mine, beast,” he laughed. “I am going to make you suffer! But how? Should I make you claw out your own...”
Christian's voice trailed off as Forrest roared, forcing himself to take a step forward.
“What?” the witch gasped.
And then Forrest took another step towards Christian, his body moving in a jerky fashion. Hope leaped in my breast. He fought Christian's magic. The witch wasn't powerful enough to fully control Forrest's wild beast. The witch scrabbled back before Forrest snarling fury.
“How?” Christian demanded in shock. “What are you?”
“My mate!” I cried out, standing up, yanking back the energy I gave Christian.
Forrest's clawed hands swiped at Christian, the attack slow and clumsy.
Christian rolled out of the way and regained his feet. He wiped the blood from his eyes. And then he changed. He became the bear. The two beasts crashed together, snarling and roaring, claws flashing and raking.
“Forrest!” I shouted. “Tear him apart!”
Blood stained Forrest's fur as he thrashed with the bear. Forrest's claws raked down the bear's flank, leaving bloody streaks. Christian-bear wrapped his forepaws around Forrest thick torso. He picked up Forrest and slammed him to the ground.
Forrest howled. He struggled to rise, but Christian's magic, his flesh control, still warred to hold Forrest's body, slowing the wolf shifter's attacks. Forrest was handicapped, fighting the bear with weights dragging his limbs down.
The Christian-bear slammed his forepaws down at Forrest, landing right on his chest. Bones cracked.
“No!” I screamed.
I had to do something. I tried to gather my magic. Mine was defensive. I could help Forrest. I had to help him. But none came. I had poured all my power into that shield. Christian had broken my magic. I had no idea how long it would take to refill.
“Please!” I sobbed.
Christian-bear slammed down a second time.
I had to do something.
The pool sang to me. Christian had to be wrong. I had to be able to use one of the powers in the reservoir. I reached out, seizing Death. I gripped its foul, oily energy and threw it at Christian. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to save my mate.
But Death wasn't me. I wasn't a killer. I couldn't twist it or use it like Christian.
Forrest's howl cut off as the witch slammed down a final time.
So I seized Life.
Christian returned to his human form, blood running down his side. He gasped in pain, stumbling towards me. “Give me the power back,” he snarled. “I need it!”
Life wasn't the right choice. It didn't want to respond the way I wanted it. The Life energy was almost a match my power, but it was off by a few degrees. So I seized the final power—passion of love. I wanted to defend my mate. I wanted to protect him. To love him.
The pool blazed scarlet as the energy filled me. I threw it out at Forrest. My back burned. Golden light exploded from me, streaking through the night air and engulfing the battered form of my mate. I delved into his flesh.
His ribs were crushed, the bones piercing his lungs and bruising his heart. Scrapes covered his body, leaking blood. I poured the energy into the wounds, healing him. Christian loomed over me. I couldn't break my concentration. I would save Forrest.
“Bitch! Give it to me!” Christian screamed, his fist slamming into my face.
I stumbled back, falling on my handcuffed hands. I didn't stop healing Forrest. I repaired his ribs, pulling the bones out of his lungs. Forrest snarled, sucking in breath.
“You will fucking obey me!” Christian's foot slammed into my side. My stomach screamed in agony. My breath whooshed out of my lungs. I coughed, trying to suck in a breath. But I didn't relent. I kept pouring my magic into Forrest.
The worst of Forrest's wounds were healed, so I attacked the magic binding his limbs. I ripped the sickly, yellow vines out of his flesh, breaking Christian's control, freeing Forrest to move without hindrance. The wolf shifter rose with a snarl and lunged at Christian.
The witch turned. His eyes widened. He became the bear at the last second.
Forrest slammed into the Christian-bear, throwing the hulking beast onto its back. Christian rose, snarling as Forrest leaped in for the attack. But my mate was so much quicker, not constrained by the witch's foul magic, no longer handicapped.
The bear had to fight Forrest in a fair match, and he was outclassed by the wolf shifter in every way.
Forrest circled around, swiping and snapping. The bear roared in pain, turning, lashing out with clumsy attacks. Forrest had the swift reflexes of a wolf, nimbly dodging the attacks before his teeth snapped in, tearing hunks of black fur and flesh.
I stood up, watching with a smile. Christian deserved all this pain. My battered body rejoiced at every wound.
Christian swiped a paw at Forrest's face. The wolf shifter batted the swipe away, snarling and snapping, sharp teeth tearing at the bear's rear leg, ripping into the knee. Christian snarled in pain as his bulk collapsed. Forrest fell upon the witch.
Wolf teeth sank into the bear's throat. Flesh tore free.
The bear became Christian. He gurgled and coughed as the blood pumped out of his torn throat. I looked away, trying to close my ears to the man's death. I could heal him. I could save his life.
But what if he tried to hurt me again?
I let out a sob as he died.
“Kotie,” Forrest growled.
I glanced back, my mate's fur shrinking, his muscular skin appearing, gleaming beneath the passion moon. His muzzle shrank into a jaw, his strong features emerged from the hair. The beast vanished. Forrest wiped the blood from his lips.
The barbwire tattoos sprang into being about his body, restraining his fury. He stumbled to me, small cuts marring his flesh and hugged me. It was so wonderful to be in his strong arms. I was safe now.
“You came for me,” I sobbed, wishing my hands weren't cuffed.
“Alway
s,” Forrest whispered, scooping me up in his muscular arms.
My entire body ached, but I didn't care. I was safe again.
“I heard your call,” he growled. “Before Hank's warning ever even got out on the radio, I heard you.”
“Hank and Veronica!” I gasped. “Oh, Forrest, he hurt them bad. They...they...might be dead.”
Chapter Eleven: Answers
Red and blue lights flashed as I sat on the porch of Forrest's house—our house. A bright-yellow blanket was wrapped around my shoulders, a gift from one of the firefighters.
The ambulances had arrived. The driveway and the street were jammed with cop cars and firetrucks. Paramedics wheeled Veronica out of the house on a gurney, a breathing mask over her face, and loaded her into the back of one of the ambulances.
Hank had already departed for the hospital. Both of my protectors had been alive when Forrest and I arrived. Their wolfish natures gave Veronica and Hank the fortitude to hold on. But they still weren't out of the woods yet. They were being rushed on a two hour drive to the nearest trauma center.
“Let me take a look at you,” a young, serious-looking paramedic said, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. “You look pretty banged up.”
“I feel like I rolled down a rocky hill,” I smiled and then winced. My side ached from Christian's kick.
As the paramedic poked and prodded me, applying stinging ointments and bandages to my various scrapes, I watched Forrest speaking to his pack. All the deputies looked agitated, shifting and snarling. I noticed the little signs. Their wolf wanted to escape and run free, but Forrest was calming them down, channeling their energy into other avenues.
I couldn't blame them. Even I could smell the coppery scent of blood in the air.
My boyfriend was a werewolf. And even I wasn't normal. I was a witch. I had power. What would I do about that? And how could I even learn to control it? Before I had healed Forrest in the middle of the fight. But when I tried to heal Veronica when I arrived, I couldn't tap into my power.
I was scared for Veronica, but it wasn't that deep, terrifying panic that had consumed me at the during the fight. And when I fought off Christian the first time, I had lashed out instinctively against his power. As hard as I strained, I just couldn't tap into the emotions that let me access my magic those two times.