DAYLILY: Awakening

by Lecia Bester

  Chapter 34 - Dancing with the devil

  EMILY

  After Connor's mother gushes over us as a couple, I make a quick escape with Jess to the bathroom. I need to take a breath, this whole evening is overwhelming and on top of that, I need to keep my stomach sucked in and balance on 4-inch heels.

  "Girl, you need to help me. Luke is looking ridiculously handsome and I feel my resolve disappearing by the minute. I might just kiss him tonight- which is not the plan by the way. I just wanted him to know what he's missing, but now I realize what I'm missing..." I hear Jess talking to me, but I'm too busy focusing on my breathing with both my hands gripping the sink to reply.

  "Are you okay? "I think so. I just need to take a few breaths and pull myself together." She places her hand on my shoulder and gives me a reassuring squeeze.

  "I know. I'm fine-really. I just need a minute.”

  "I get that. You look stunning, by the way. Connor probably had a heart attack when he saw you."

  "Luke definitely had one when he saw you, Jess." She grins at me.

  "That's exactly the look I was going for." Poor Luke doesn't stand a chance against Jess's charms.

  Making our way out, Jess walks over to Luke, and I spot Connor and my uncle-my real uncle standing next to the dance floor. Erin is speaking and Connor just gives a curt nod, his eyes not leaving me. Walking over, I try my best to remain vertical. My uncle steps forward and my eyes flicker from him back to Connor. His jaw is clenched and he's making a tight fist next to his side.

  "May I have this dance Emily?" Erin makes sure to accentuate my name and smiles at me. I take his hand reluctantly, and looking back, I see Connor is no longer standing next to the dance floor. Where'd he go?

  Erin spins me effortlessly over the dance floor before we start swaying back and forth to the music. "Emily, I can't tell you how unbelievable it is for me to see you. I understand you are new to this society?" The music isn't too loud and I pull slightly back to look up at him.

  "A few months ago, yes, my 18th birthday to be exact-but I understand why they kept it a secret from me." He nods.

  "Yes, of course. Your safety was important, and I'm very grateful that Stephan was able to ensure it. That day was a sad day for the entire pack. Your father and brother were misguided, Emily. You have to understand that the power messed with their minds. Your mother was trying to protect you, and she succeeded-luckily otherwise, I wouldn't be looking at you right now. I'm sorry you had to lose your entire family-twice but know, there are still people who love you." Wait for what? What was he saying?

  "I don't understand? My father and brother were misguided? What do you mean... They were murdered in the forest..." My uncle pulls back slightly, searching my face.

  "Oh, Emily. What had happened in the forest... it was murder, yes but not what you think. Your brother-" He stopped mid-sentence and jerked his head towards the entrance. Standing there in a dark blue tux was Tristan. His presence was overwhelming and everyone stared. He ignored it and walked in with confidence - authority surrounded him like an aura. Nobody looked at his face; most of them lowered their heads in respect. They didn't even know who he was but they felt his presence. I looked back at my uncle's face, I saw his brow furrow, and a low growl escaped him. My uncle looks at me.

  "Go find Connor." Then he makes his way over to Tristan.

  The music continues and everyone's still dancing, barely aware of what's happening behind the scenes. I feel Connor's hand on my lower back just as my uncle leaves. I turn to him.

  "Somethings wrong. My uncle-"

  "Is a master of manipulation. Don't worry. Everything will be fine after tonight." I turn my head looking for my uncle but he's gone, so is Connor's father. I don't know why but I have this pit in my stomach, and a feeling that this night is doomed. Tristan startles me from behind.

  "My dearest sister, you look breathtaking." He takes my hand and gives a slight bow before shaking Connor's hand.

  "Sis, might I have this dance?" What is up with everyone wanting to dance? My feet won't survive this night much longer. Taking my hand, he does the same effortless movement my uncle did and glides me over to the dance floor. I feel like a cloud, but then again, both of them are bigger and stronger than me.

  "I see you've met our dearest uncle." I just nod my head, that itch in the back of my mind becoming worse.

  "Don't be fooled by his charms; he's a snake." I gather up the courage to ask Tristan about that night in the forest, I trust him but my uncle seemed so sincere. It's all a mess in my mind.

  "Tristan, what happened that night again-the night our parents died?" He looks down, a crease forming between his brows. His grip on my hand is tightening slightly.

  "I told you what happened? Why do you ask?" I'm taking back a little by his tone of voice.

  "Just something our uncle said that doesn't make sense to me." He shakes his head and continues to sway us back and forth in a square.

  "Don't trust anything he told you. He's a manipulator. It should have been his gift. I was hoping to speak with you about possible coming home to the Royal Pack after all of this is sorted out. Just for a little while- get to know your people and where you are from." He's trying to sound friendly but something in his voice is cold.

  "Alas, it's time for business. I'll see you in a little bit Emily." With those last words, he spins me off the dance floor and disappears through the crowd. Something is wrong...

  Chapter 35 - Wolf in sheep-skin

  EMILY

  Something is happening but I'm not sure what. Jess was at my side the minute Tristan left.

  "Luke told me to come to get you. They want us to stay near the entrance for now." I look at Jess, and her face seems anxious.

  "We should be with them. Why don't they want us with them?" Tristan, Connor, Luke, Connor's father and my uncle have all disappeared down the hallway, including a few alphas from neighboring packs. I want to go with them. I want to tell Connor that something is wrong but Jess holds onto my arm.

  "They are big boys, let them handle it Emily. If we go, we will be a distraction and they don't need to worry about us right now." It makes sense but my wolf still wants to be part of whatever is happening. The party around us is oblivious and they continue dancing and drinking. I feel Jess shift on her feet. She's just as anxious and worried about them as I am. Cymera isn't letting up, trying to push her way to the surface and take me to them. I'm about to lose the battle when Royal Guards enter the ballroom. They position themselves at every entrance and window. These guards are much larger than the average wolf and they have emotionless faces. The party stops and everyone goes quiet.

  Something whizzes past me, too fast for me to realize what it was but then the guard right next to me drops to the floor. A small hole visible on his forehead - his eyes are lifeless. I hear Jess curse next to me and pull me down towards the floor.

  "We need to get out of here. This is an ambush." I let my wolf temporarily take control because we'd remain frozen in this exact spot if it were up to me. We try and weave through everyone, keeping our heads low. I hear multiple whizzing sounds on either side of me. The Royal Guards are dropping like flies around us. We are almost at the base of the staircase when Connor and Luke burst through the door.

  "We need to get Emily out of here right now." Behind them, I see Tristan's body slam the wall, our uncle following through with a punch into his ribs. He gets up and turns his focus to me. I see the golden shimmer in his eyes and within a second, he's shifted into his wolf form.

  Our uncle isn't far behind and the two wolves face each other, long canines dripping with saliva. They are about the same size in wolf form. Another large wolf flanks my uncle. Somehow I just know it's Connor's father. Jess drags me past the staircase into the clinic, shortly followed by Connor and Luke- hearing the word Rogues being called out, and I'm pulled out of my stupor.

  Another whiz passes me. When I turn around, I see Connor crouch down ready to jump one of the men or wolves
holding a gun. He swiftly removes the weapon, possibly dislocating a hand in the process and with one punch to the jaw, the wolf is on the ground. He rushes to the door and closes it behind him.

  "What's happening?" Jess sounds a little out of breath, probably from dragging me around. Connor rushes over to me, giving me a once-over to make sure I don't have any holes similar to the one I saw a few minutes ago on someone's forehead. I hear Luke speak to Jess in a hushed tone.

  "It's Emily's brother. He's been lying to us."

  "What do you mean he's been lying to us? What about Erin?" Connor is focusing on my face and I'm focusing on my breathing, barely hearing what Jess and Luke are saying. Connor holds my face between his hands.

  "Connor, what's going on?" I search his eyes for answers.

  "Tristan lied to us. He's been recruiting rogue wolves for the last few years and enhancing them with black magic. The wolves we encountered last week weren't Royal Guards. He's been spreading his own rumors amongst the packs. Erin knew about it and was trying to stop him." That doesn't make sense. Tristan was hiding from Erin. I don't get a chance to ask anything else because the clinic door gets thrown open, Tristan is standing in the doorway, his pants are ripped from the shift. His eyes are feral and focused on me. I'm so confused right now. Connor and Luke take a step forward and Tristan starts laughing. It's bone-chilling and borderline psychotic.

  "Why don't you guys just step aside before you get hurt. " Connor growls at the threat.

  "You aren't touching her."

  "It would be easier if Emily just came with me willingly." He peers at me around Connor. "Come on, darlin'. You don't want me to hurt your friends, do you?" Just the mention of hurting anyone in this room with me has Cymera surfacing past my control. Tristan side-steps just in time to miss a hit from Erin. He barrels into the doorframe but recovers quickly, coming to stand next to Connor and Luke. Connor's father follows along with three men wearing black and holding guns. I hear Connor's father call out.

  "The bullets are silver!" -before a fist connects with his face. Everything happens so fast. Multiple bullets are flying around us, Connor is holding someone by their neck and I hear a sickening crack before he throws a limp body into the corner. It's not long before another rogue is on him. Snap out of it Emily and start helping.

  I let my wolf surface a little bit more, and I've been training with Jess. I've been doing really well. Actually, that and the fact that I have alpha blood in my veins gives me a slight edge. Not to mention my super-fast healing ability. I see Jess struggle with a rogue that's pinning her down. Moving behind him I recall how easily Connor removed the threat a minute ago. I've never killed anyone in my life but right now it's Jess's life I'm worried about. I step behind him and as fast as possible - I grab ahold of his head and snap it to the side, his body falling next to Jess. Her eyes are wide but she recovers quickly.

  "Thanks, girl, knew the training would pay off." I give her a hand up and we join the fight. I'm not as well trained but I manage to dodge a few punches. I'm not too worried about getting shot - with my gift protecting me it doesn't matter. I hear a bullet pass my head and hitting the wall behind me. Connor is bleeding from his left shoulder, and Jess has a split lip. It's chaos and more people are pouring into the room by the minute. I stand still for just a moment too long and the next shot that goes off finds it landing in the side of my stomach. Fuck, that hurts.

  Conner's head snaps towards me and for a second, everyone seems to pause. Holding my hand to the wound, I feel the pain leave my body almost instantly but it's followed by another shot to my shoulder and one to my thigh. Tristan's voice explodes in the room.

  "Don't shoot Amelia, you idiots. We need her alive." I look up and see Connor's father and Erin jump Tristan. He throws both of them off with ease and makes his way towards me. Connor confronts him but he's weak from the silver bullet in his shoulder and Tristan easily throws him into the wall behind me.

  "Why are you doing this?" Tristan smiles at me.

  "Because it's what father would've wanted Amelia."

  Chapter 36 - Truth

  EMILY

  "What father would've wanted? What am I missing?" I'm backing up to the wall. Connor is on the floor gasping for air. Shit, how did everything go bum-face up so quickly?

  "Oh, my dear Amelia. Father was experimenting with black magic. My ability to absorb power was going to change everything. If I could absorb the energy of every wolf in the weaker packs and have you as my healer, I’d be unstoppable. Father wanted our pack to be the strongest. Mother dearest on the other hand, disagreed and tried to stop us in the forest. Murdering her own husband. She never could understand the bigger picture. Her morals got in the way, I guess." He's smiling at me again but it turns my blood ice-cold. He's not my brother. He's a monster.

  "Our uncle Erin was on your mother's side, pity, always thinking they know better. When I saw my mother was injured, I made a run for it. I thought I'd come back for you in a while but she managed to drop you off on the Jenner's porch. Since then, I've been waiting for the perfect time to come and get you. Sorry, I had to kill your foster family but it had to be done. I wanted to get to you before you waste your gift on your new mate's pack. Can't have you give these pathetic wolves a healing ability, now can I." When he mentions Connor, his face pulls into one of pure disgust and I want to punch him.

  I clench a fist, more than ready to remove this asshole's grin from his face but I'm pushed to the side. I see Connor lunge towards Tristan, shifting into his wolf form mid-air, taking hold of Tristan's shoulder in one swift movement and throwing him into a nearby table. Connor shifts back to human form, but a gunshot rings clear through the clinic.

  My head snaps to Connor. No, no, no. Connor's eyes lock with mine as he drops to his knees, blood staining his chest. I see the person responsible for the gunfire to my right. Out of pure rage, I jump on him and snap his head to the left. A victorious grin spreads across Tristan's face as he gets up and dusts himself off.

  "Sorry darlin', he was becoming a tad annoying." Knowing full well I don't really stand a chance against Tristan. I prepare myself to fight my own flesh and blood anyway. Suddenly Tristan halts, the tip of a shiny blade protruding out of his chest. He drops to his knees and starts coughing up blood. Behind him is Erin, holding onto the silver blade. He pushes it even further and my brother's pupils begin to dilate. He reaches a hand out towards me.

  "Help me, sister." I don't move. In fact, all I want to do is help Conner. When Tristan finally dips his chin and falls forward, I rush towards my mate.

  I hear a faint heartbeat. He's lost a lot of blood. The bullet must have been laced with silver. I need to heal him and fast. Shit, why didn't I bring the moonstone? Holding onto Connor's hand, I hear Jess mumbling incoherent words next to me. She's cradling Luke in her lap, and tears are streaming down her cheeks. Multiple bullet holes are visible in his chest. They aren't the only ones, and everywhere I look - wolves are injured. I need to help them but I have nothing to draw from. I can't just choose one. I need to save all of them.

  I hear Connor's heartbeat grow fainter. The bullet must have gone straight through his heart. I need to do this now and my own energy will have to be enough. I briefly remember Connor's mother telling me about the healer that didn't survive but that's the last of my worries right now. I close my eyes and focus—cymera surfaces to guide me.

  Focusing like before, I try and envision the entire pack holding hands as a link. I feel the energy building up inside me. Leaving me like a stream flowing into Connor and from there into Luke and continuing until it reaches every wolf in the Elemental Pack. Everyone's pain is becoming part of me. It feels like I'm being torn in different directions and just when the pain eases for a moment, someone else's pain rushes through me. Every cut, every broken bone, and the bullet wound manifesting on my own body. I feel Connor shift next to me and shake my hand, but I can't focus on him. I haven't healed everyone yet.

  Cymera gives a small whine and I
feel her slipping away from my mind. My name is being called but it sounds distant. Almost there. Stay focused Emily. I fall onto my hands, the pain in my side becoming unbearable. Connor is shaking me, pleading with me to stop. I brush away his hand.

  "I'm almost done." My words are strangled in my throat and taking in a breath feels impossible. My mouth is filling with a metallic taste. I stretch through the pack link trying to see if I missed anyone, Connor and I haven't mated, which makes this so much harder.

  I can't focus anymore, my throat feels like sandpaper and no matter how hard I try, I can't take a breath in. Something is crushing my chest. I feel my whole body start to shake but I'm done. I got to every wolf. Opening my eyes, I see it's Connor that was shaking me, yelling for me to stop.

  "I'm done Connor, and everyone is healed now." My eyes drift closed. I just need a little nap. Breathing is so hard I don't think I can take another one, and then finally, my mind drifts to the same place it goes when we dream.

  Chapter 37 - The Mark

  CONNOR

  "Emily, please wake up. Please, you have to wake up." I keep shaking her, but nothing, she's cold. Luke and Jess make their way over to us and I feel a hand touch my shoulder. I shake it off.

  "She's going to be fine. She has to be..." I can hear my father calling for Doc. Her heartbeat is faint and slow, and she's barely breathing. Her face is covered in wounds. Her lip has a deep cut, blood trickling out the side of her mouth. There's a bullet wound in her chest, exactly where mine was. She must've healed the entire pack. That's what happened and that's why she's not healing.

  Emily's uncle kneels next to me."Son, the only way we might be able to save her is if you mark her." I look at him. The man we thought was the enemy is trying to help me save Emily.