by S Cinders
I knew that Jonah was right, his words did bring comfort. But I was still afraid. I had an itchy feeling at the back of my throat telling me something just wasn’t right, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“I promise you, sunshine,” Silas said, and kissed the top of my head, “all will be well.”
I hoped and prayed that he was right.
Chapter Eleven
Jonah
The link between our wolves had been getting weaker. When Cal and Tobias first left, we knew that they were worried about our mate, but not in harm’s way. As the days passed into a week and then two and three, Silas and I couldn’t help but feel we needed to do something.
And then there was Trix. I found myself more and more drawn to her. Cal and I had spent many long nights holding and comforting her. But her concern was every bit as evident as ours was. The blackouts were worsening, happening almost once a day now. Sometimes Trix would have visions when she was out. Other times she had no memories of her blackouts, but the destruction regardless was insurmountable.
I glanced over at Silas who was holding Trix in his arms. “Any sign that she’s coming back?”
He shook his head. Her body looked so small against his larger frame. We were sitting a few yards from what was once the waterfalls. This morning’s blackout included the destruction of our home. It was only because of our superhuman speed that Silas and I were able to get her out before the rock and rubble would have crushed us all.
The falls were now a raging river, the jagged edges of earth looked out of place in such an idyllic place.
“We need to go for them.” Silas broke the silence. “We have waited too long.”
“We will travel to the badlands, but what about Trix? She is unmarked. Abaddon’s wolves could get to her.”
“We can’t mark her without Tobias and Cal,” Silas said more to himself than to me. “It’s a chance we have to take. She is too vulnerable to leave alone with her magic like this.”
“I can hardly feel them,” I voiced aloud. “What if we are too late?”
“You cannot think like that,” Trix said in a low voice.
“Trix, are you all right?” Silas helped her to sit up.
She clutched her head/ “What happened?”
But her question trailed off as she looked around her. The cliffs and falls were no longer in existence. The muddied waters barreling and fighting for purchase as a new river claimed the land and washed the remnants of our home away.
“Oh, my Goddess.”
Her mouth trembled and the shame and guilt that poured from her was so pungent I could smell it as well as taste it.
“It’s not your fault.” I reached out to calm her, but she pushed away.
“Not my fault,” she said, and sounded hysterical. “Tobias and Cal left to find someone to train me. Not you or Silas, but for me, and now they have no home to return to. My magic… it is evil. The problem is me.”
Silas clutched her arms to keep her from running away.
“Stop, sunshine, you aren’t thinking clearly.”
Her eyes blazed with fear and indignation. “I am not stupid, Silas. I wasn’t meant to be here. I have ruined your lives. I should never have come here.”
“No!” my voice was firm and deeper with my wolf at the surface. “You will not say that. Do you understand me? Our den was just a place to lay our heads. Pack—that is home. You are home. Silas, Cal and Tobias are home. We will go and find our pack brothers. We will find someone to teach you how to use your magic. You will listen to me and you will understand.”
Trix blinked in surprise never having heard me raise my voice. I wasn’t the largest member of our pack. And it was true that my gifts tended to be of a gentler nature than some of the others. But my wolf was just as fierce and honorable as anyone else’s. I would defend my mate even if it was from herself.
Trix choked on a sob and flew into my arms. This time Silas allowed her to go and her arms and legs wrapped around me. I felt the tears from her eyes on my neck where her face was buried. Sobs wracked her small frame and I felt like my heart was ripping into pieces.
“I am sorry, Jonah,” she murmured against my skin. “So very sorry.”
My hand was in her hair and the other clutched her tightly against me.
Silas stood and began to shift. He was right—we had a long journey to make and we needed to get going.
Pulling back, I took in her tear-stained face. “We will fix this, Trix. Don’t be sorry, my love.”
She saw Silas had shifted to his massive gray wolf. I helped her to climb onto his back and shifted into my white wolf.
We took off heading south, following the water. Eventually, we would need to go west when the land evened out. From there it would be tracking and hunting until we picked up their scent. My wolf was glad to be able to run, the pent-up worry about Trix and the others slowly beginning to ease into a more manageable state.
When darkness fell we made camp. That night, I had never been more tempted to claim Trix. Silas had to hold me back and when it was the morning I could hardly look at either of them. I felt her small hand on my shoulder and then she was climbing into my lap.
Taking my cheeks in her hands she kissed me. It was sweet and powerful as she molded her lips to mine. The taste of berries that we had found sweetened the kiss and I groaned leaning into her. I could smell her arousal and it was driving my wolf insane. Just when I had decided to remove her dress, I heard Silas cry out.
Breaking the kiss, I saw a host of wolves surrounding us. They didn’t have the soulless white eyes that Abaddon’s wolves did. But they were not friendly. A few had shifted into their human form. Their bodies looked like they hadn’t enough food to eat for quite some time.
Silas was still on the ground with a dart poking out of his neck. I moved to push Trixie behind me and they growled menacingly.
“Our priestess has set us free; you will not touch her.”
Trix drew in a breath and asked, “Are you talking about me?”
The bearded man nodded. “We were banished from Kencull hundreds of years ago. But promised that a priestess would come and break the banishment once and for all. You are blessed above all others.”
Blessed. Trix froze at the word. It was one that her mother had said to her—that she was blessed and would do incredible things.
But how was this possible? She was our mate. I growled low and deep.
The bearded man raised a brow. “We have dozens and you have two. You wish to fight us?”
“If you pose a threat to our mate, I will kill you all.” And I would.
“Mate?”
The man looked taken aback, but said, “Priestesses do not mate.”
Trix clutched my arm, her eyes flashing before turning. However, instead of mass destruction, this time she spoke to the other wolves.
“I am Beatrix, High Priestess of the Moon Goddess. These two wolves are my mates as well as two others that you will help us find and rescue.”
I heard some grumbling from the pack. Trix raised a hand and several wolves started whimpering.
“I have saved you. Do not make me regret it.”
Then she turned to Silas and pointed a finger. “Rise!” she commanded and he opened his eyes as if he had never been hit. I looked and the dart was now gone.
The bearded man’s eyes bugged out. “That is impossible. The poison on that dart is deadly. Even to the strongest of wolves, it should incapacitate them for days.”
Trix lifted her terrible gaze to him and demanded, “Do you agree to my terms?”
He gulped and said, “Yes, Priestess, we will serve you.”
It was as if all the magic that had rushed into her suddenly disappeared and I grabbed her before she hit the ground. Again she was out, and I knew we would have to wait a while before she returned to us.
I turned to the man. “My name is Jonah, and this is Silas. We are the Wolves of Kencull.”
His eyes widened again.
He exclaimed, “There are no wolves left of Kencull!”
Silas stretched. “It would seem we have much to talk about.”
Chapter Twelve
Trix
There was something different about the blackout this time. Instead of a vision or nothingness, it was as if I was floating above the group. I could see myself in Jonah’s arms and Silas close beside us. I could also see the dozens of wolves that surrounded us.
There were three men that radiated more power or life force. The one speaking to Silas just announced that there were no wolves left in Kencull. I wanted to listen further, but the scene below me began to blur. And then I heard a woman’s voice, the same one that often spoke to me during these times.
The scene below me changed. It was a beautiful land, rich and lush with every manner of creature. There were hundreds of wolves and men living in harmony. This went on for quite some time until wisps of red began to spread and fighting began to take seed.
With a swirl of colors the scene changed again and this time I was in a hut or cave. There were two men that were at each other's throats with two masters in front of them. One of the wolves struck a deal with the Moon Goddess, the other chose the evil spirit Abaddon.
The massive pack was split in half. Families were destroyed. It was brother against brother. The eyes of the wolves that went with Abaddon changed into the soulless evil monsters that I often dreamed of.
The wolf who had chosen the Moon Goddess was angry. He cursed her for the ones that were fallen. She warned him not to mess with the Gods. But he didn’t listen. There was a great earthquake, and mountains appeared where once it was flat. A massive waterfall formed during this time. The alpha was only able to save his infant son.
The rest of the wolves were pushed back by an invisible shield until they were simply gone. The man roamed far and wide raising his son, always looking for the rest of the pack and never finding them. As the wolf grew he met three other wolves in faraway lands. These wolves were just as lost and lonely, having no pack or family.
The four of them formed a pack of renegades. The wolves of Kencull were thought dead. All but Tobias, Cal, Silas, and Jonah. I saw them searching for me. Tobias’s father had told him he had to fulfill the deal he had made with the Moon Goddess.
Tobias never wanted me.
My heart felt like it was being wrenched from my chest as I felt the resentment and anger that Tobias had felt all of those years.
“Wait, child.” The woman’s voice was soothing. “There is more.”
The swirling colors came again and this time I saw the wolves that had been forced out. They were starving. The land they had been banished to was harsh and lacked the resources they needed. The first to pass were the children, and then the women.
They prayed and prayed for the Moon Goddess to save them, to take pity on them.
I saw her appear to them saying, “Your savior will come in the form of a priestess. She alone will break the banishment and your pack will once again be united. She will be young and untried, if you do not serve her, you will not survive. I will not give this pack another chance.”
The scene blurred and then I was back inside our home underneath the waterfall. It was right before I had that blackout that destroyed our home. But I wasn’t alone. The Moon Goddess was there with me.
“Trix, you know what you need to do.”
I nodded to her because at that moment I knew that the shield which had held the other wolves back needed to come down. A great burst of power shot through me and I felt the pain and pleasure of it just as if it were happening all over again.
I sucked in a deep breath as my eyes popped open. I had slipped back into my body once more.
“You are the Lost Ones.”
I turned to the large one with bright green eyes. “Your name is Ryker, you are their alpha.”
He bowed low. “Yes, Priestess, I am Ryker, these are my betas, Strike and Greggor.”
I nodded to the man with a large scar on his cheek, Strike. And then to the massive man with a long beard and a formidable glare, Greggor.
“The Moon Goddess has made known to me your plight.” I moved out of Jonah’s hands and immediately felt Silas and Jonah tense.
I sent them feelings of peace. They needed to trust me on this.
“I will help find your Luna, but we need your help first saving my mates.”
Greggor growled, “You know who our Luna is?”
I shook my head and replied, “No, only that you must find her soon or risk dying. You are a race that must have a mate to survive. At first, I thought you were dying from your circumstances, but that’s not it. You need to find your mates.”
Ryker motioned for Greggor and Strike to stop any further questions.
“We will do as you ask.”
I could see that Strike agreed with his alpha, but Greggor wasn’t at all happy about it. However, he did concede to Ryker’s wishes.
“We must hurry to the Badlands,” I warned. “There is great unrest there, I feel it in my heart.”
“May I ask you something?” Strike spoke to me for the first time.
I nodded. “Of course.”
“Why now? What happened that caused us to finally find you? We have been searching for what seems like forever.”
“Do any of you remember the shield that separated the pack?” I addressed the group at large figuring that there had to be at least thirty to forty wolves with the Lost Ones.
They shook their heads.
“There are stories,” Ryker answered, “but we were all born after we were banished. My father said that we were in our mothers’ wombs when it happened. I was almost grown when death came with a vengeance. We lost children, all the women, the elderly. My father, the alpha, said that you would not leave us behind, the Moon Goddess promised it, and then he too died. Only the strongest warriors survived and that is what you see here before you.”
I nodded, everything he said went along with what I had seen in my vision.
“The Moon Goddess came to me and together we destroyed the shield that separated you from the other Wolves of Kencull. Your pack has suffered greatly for doubting the gods. The Moon Goddess feels that you are now ready to become who you were always meant to be. I won’t lie to any of you. What we are embarking upon is dangerous. We have the Moon Goddess on our side, but she is up against the adversary, Abaddon. We will not all come back from this fight. Do you stand with me?”
When Jonah dropped to his knee and inclined his head, I hadn’t been anticipating it. A lump gathered in my throat at the faith and fierce pride I felt radiating from him. Silas was seconds behind him followed by Ryker, Strike, and Greggor. Wolves bent the knee and great howls rent the air.
In my heart, I heard the woman’s voice.
“These are my children, Trix, bless them.”
My mother telling me as a child that I would be a great blessing one day flashed into my mind and I felt my hands begin to tingle. The magic was welling up inside of me and I needed to release it. I raised my hands and saw that they were glowing with power.
With all of my might, I forced the power out of my hands and into the hearts of the men around me. I don’t know how long this went on, only that when I had nothing left to give, darkness enveloped me.
My mother cupped my face and kissed me tenderly on the cheeks and forehead. “My dearest girl, I never anticipated that you would give it all. I should have known. It is who you are.”
“Where are we?” I felt woozy and wondered why my mother was hugging me so tightly. Something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t understand what.
“You have to go back, my love. Your time isn’t here yet.”
“Go where?” I grumbled, “I am so tired, just let me rest.”
She kissed me one more time. “I am so proud of you.”
And then the darkness took me once again.
Chapter Thirteen
Silas
The amount of warmth and love that pour
ed out of Trix was staggering. But I knew that she was loosing too much power. Trix delighted in giving, she didn’t have an ounce of self-preservation in her body. My stomach clenched as I saw her fold in on herself. Jonah and I were barely able to grab Trix before she hit the ground.
There was a commotion with the other wolves, and for the first time, I sensed them through the link. Trix had somehow managed to solidify the group and open the mind links. I could feel their hunger and exhaustion. I sensed their need for mates. Trix was right, they were dying.
She had bought them some time with her power, but they were bought weeks, perhaps months of time, nothing more.
Trix was breathing, but it was shallow and her pallor was pale.
“Protect our mate,” I called out to Jonah. “I will see what danger is pressing upon us.”
I couldn’t see any danger, but I felt it from the new wolves.
Turning, I willed the wolf to come through and I began to run. The wolf could see much better than my human could. Once I had shifted, I could see hundreds of Abaddon wolves advancing on us.
Through the link, I called out, “Close ranks!”
The wolves responded. Flanking my sides we stood together—the Wolves of Kencull.
“Protect Trix,” I commanded through the link.
Many nodded, and I felt the reassurance that they were with me. But as the Wolves of Abaddon continued to advance I saw that they outnumbered us more than ten to one.
We bristled, our lips curling back to reveal sharp fangs, our eyes focused and sure.
The Wolves of Abaddon followed suit, their hollow eyes glowing with the evil spirit that was housed in their souls.
Snarling, they tried to circle us and then the first attacks were made. Teeth clashing and fangs present, the battle commenced. Howls of pain filled the air along with the sounds of bones crunching. Tufts of fur and spurting blood were commonplace and made it hard to see.
Wolves continued snapping out with their razor sharp teeth, claws dug into flesh, ripping it wide. We were losing many. I could feel it through the bond. And they just kept coming. Suddenly there was panic flooding through the link.