“No.” It came out as a soft whisper. “No!” I shouted.
My need to get back up to the fifth floor and save my pack from Claude drove me to rise to my feet. It gave me the strength to take a step. Pain blinded me as the wound in my side throbbed. It was worse than when I was first shot. It hurt so much I wanted to lay down and quiet. My knees started to give and I slowly sank down.
“No!” I shouted.
“I rose back up and took another step. The pain caused me to sway and almost fall. Tears blurred my vision, but I took another step. There was a shit tone of stairs and several feet to get to the building. It was a lot of stepping, but I was going to do it one at a time.
A strong arm wrapped around my waist. I looked to my left and saw Cassandra standing there looking like Cassie with a few scales coming up her neck to her cheek. For the first time, she looked like all my other Tua did.
“I help.” Cassandra said.
“We haven’t gotten anything workled out yet,” Cassie’s softer voice said. “But we agreed that we needed to help save the wolves.”
“We help,” Cassandra said.
They beat their powerful wings lifting us off the ground. We fly up to the broken window and landed inside the building on the fifth floor. Cassandra let me go and I stumbled forward. She caught me and steadied me.
Looking around I saw that every wolf was enbgaged int eh battle for their lives. Hybrid Lycans fought my wolves ganging up on them with numbers so great they had to take turns attacking from all sides. A scream came from my right and I saw Catarina being lifted by her neck in Claude’s claws. I took a step and stumbled again.
“Cassandra, help them, please.”
“I help you.”
“No,” I snapped. “Save them. I don’t need help, they do. Save them.”
Cassandra gave me a hard look before nodding. “Cassie tell me help them too.”
Cassandra stepped away from me. She let out a narrow gout of flame lighting up two Lycans. As they fell away screaming and beating at the flames Cassandra jumped into the fight.
My attention went back to Catarina. Catya jumped on Claude as I watched and scratched at his eyes. He roared and dropped Catarina. He reached back and grabbed Catya digging his claws into her back. She screamed and let go. Claude threw her into Catarina knocking them both down.
I roared and ran at him. Each step was a stab of pain almost enough to cripple me. I grabbed Claude’s arm but lacked strength to do anything other than hold on. He stopped walking and looked down at me.
“So you made it back up, huh? It looks like you aren’t worth a shit right now though. Too bad I’m not allowed to kill you.” He flung his arm out sending me to the ground.
I clutched at my middle and screamed. The pain was too intense to do anything else. Darkness ate at the edges of my tear-blurred vision. I rolled onto my stomach and pulled my legs under me while keeping my forehead on the ground. Taking a couple deep breathes turned out to be a bad idea. The pressure from my lungs expanding hurt. I took a shallow breath then lifted my torso using one arm for help. Managing to get to my knees was a struggle, but I did. A Lycan marched by on its way to attack someone. I grabbed its leg and yanked pulling it off balance. Then I let go and swung my fist out connecting with its head. The Lycan slumped to the floor.
I was hurt, but I could still do something.
A different Lycan grabbed me from behind and hoisted me into the air. It slammed me down just as one of its hybrid Lycan buddied was passing. I slammed into the passerby riding it to the ground. The one that threw me stomped down with its foot. I rolled and its foot landed on the Lycan that was under me. One of my wolves tackled the Lycan before it could continue its attack on me.
The poison was winning and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Forty percent from my pack was barely keeping me alive. Pulling more would do it, but I couldn’t. I had to find another way. I had too.
Chapter 35
Andrea fell in front of me. Claude placed his foot on her back holding her down.
“This is one of your bitches, isn’t she? The reason this tiny pack of wolves is here fighting for you I bet. I almost want to kill her and see if the rest remain loyal to you. But I made you a promise that I would fuck all of your bitches. So I will keep her alive and let you watch.”
He pushed down hard squishing her then let up. Claude kicked Andrea in the ribs sending her sliding into me. I put my arm around her and pulled her tight to my side. She was breathing but unresponsive.
I had to do something but I had no idea what I could do. I looked up to see how my pack was doing. Not much had changed. Every one of my wolves fought five or more hybrid lycans trying hard not to die, but gaining no headway. It didn’t take a tactical genius to see how this would go.
A scream came from my right and I looked over. Catarina stood over Catya fighting like a demon on steroids. It wasn’t enough. The group of hybrids she fought off kept getting a little closer with every second. She screamed again as one of them got a wipe in with its claws tearing open the flesh along her left upper arm. Then another got a hit on her back and one tore open her left thigh.
“I have to go, Andrea. Hang tight, I’ll be back.”
I stood, which was a chore of its own, then started limping in the direction of the twins. I'd decided when I saw Catarina being cut up so I pulled. I went up to sixty percent.
Power flowed through me, but it didn’t feel like it had last time I was this high. The poison was too strong so I pulled more, going up to eighty percent. That got the notice of my wolves. Every one of them in my line of sight turned their heads in my direction briefly. More than one paid for the distraction by losing ground in their fights. I would make it up to them.
I picked up the pace going from a limping shamble to a slight limp while sprinting. My shoulder connected with the Lycan directly behind Catarina knocking away and into another. The 8mpact sent a twinge of pain through my guts. Ignoring it, I spun and clocked another Lycan in its bear snout. It howled and fell back.
Catarina dropped to the floor next to her sister and I stepped over them. A well placed Buddhist Palm and a few punches had the area around the twins cleared.
The rest of the pack was still in trouble, so my work was just beginning. I jumped onto the back of a large Hairless Lycan that looked like it had a lot of Elephant in its DNA cocktail. Wrapping my arms around its neck I squeezed until it passed out. Then I moved farther in the mix.
The lycans were so plentiful that I could barely move without hitting one, so I made each move count. Each step was a kick and every swing of my arms was a punch that connected with devastating results. Before long I was in the middle of the room and directly in front of Claude.
“So the whelp gains his second wind huh?” He batted away a hybrid that came too close. “Then let's dance and teach you a lesson once and for all. You will learn your place, boy.”
I dashed forward hitting him in the gut with both fists. Claude doubled over and I spun kicking him in the head. As he fell back I rushed him and hit him in the face with a flurry of punches. The large beast fell to his knees.
“No, I can’t lose now, and I’m not ready,” Claude shouted. “I need more time to charge.”
“What?” I said confused by his words.
Taking advantage of my pause Claude shoved me. He jumped up and his wings beat once. There wasn’t enough room for him to fly, but the motion carried him away from me quickly and the wind pushed those in his way clear. The opening closed behind him blocking my chase.
I turned to the task of knocking heads to clear a path. With the power from my pack, it didn’t take long to reach the broken window and see Claude flying away. He would be dealt with soon enough, for now, I had to fight here.
I took a step in but was stopped by a roar and flames hitting the ceiling. Dragon, or Cassandra, rushed forward slashing with her claws. She moved so fast she looked like a video game warrior performing a super dash and claws swipe att
ack. Her arms didn’t seem to move, but there was a blur of motion in front of her as she moved. Something was wrong with her as she didn’t seem to be holding back against friends/ Wolves and hybrid Lycans fell to her attack. Roo even took a hit and was knocked across the room to smash against the wall.
I shot forward getting in Cassandra’s way. She continued and I was hit. Just like Roo, I was flung against the wall. The impact hurt and broke something in me. Blood and air shot from my mouth. The wound in my side burned with a renewed devotion to torture.
I dropped into the darkness calling Cassandra to join me. The dragon looked a lot less my Tua now and more like the raging Dragon from before. She rushed at me claws first and as she moved, her head elongated taking on the serpentine shape of the dragon.
I grabbed her wrists and planted my feet. We moved a few feet before my stance gave me enough leverage to stop us. Cassandra pushed forward and down with her claws trying to get them into me. Veins bulged in her arms as she pushed and it was enough to drive me to my knees.
“Cassandra, stop,” I said through clenched teeth.
Cassandra roared her response and pushed harder. I was driven down farther and I felt something in my arm start to bend in a way it was never meant to.
“Stop!” Cassie shouted. The blond woman jumped on Dragon’s back and began hitting her in the back of the head. As Dragon turned I saw the reason for her sudden devolution to rage beast. A large gash had been torn into her side and even here in the mind space, it bled profusely.
Dragon spun in a circle trying to get to Cassie, but she wasn’t able to reach back fart enough. Cassie was the key to putting this to an end. I needed her to find the strength to take charge.
“Cassie, you have to take control from her,” I thought to my pretty little blond dragon shifter. “Only then will this stop happening. Cassandra is too unstable to be in control. Take charge and lead her.”
“I can’t. She is too strong.”
“She is not. Her strength is your strength. Her power is your power.” As I thought the words I saw a line connecting the two. It was blue but the color and brightness varied. It was brighter and glowed more vibrant where it connected to Dragon. Cassie’s end was a dull sky blue that barely shone.
“Cassie, listen to me. If there is anything I have learned from all this is that the power of the beast comes from within. Look at Claude. He has this weird mode thing that makes him way stronger than a normal wolf, yet he hasn’t beaten me. You know why?”
“Because we are never alone?” Cassie thought back to me as she held tight to Dragon.
“Yes! But more than that, it’s because I don’t just rely on the power to win. It helps, but it’s because I have something to fight for. I do this to be a better Tuatha and Alpha. I do this for you, and Miranda, and Tabitha. I do this for all of us. And now I am asking you to reach out beyond yourself and find the strength to fight for all of us. We need you Cassie.”
I watched as Cassie and Dragon continued to spin in circles. Cassie’s face showed the fear and anger she felt. Dragon managed to get a hand on her and tore Cassie away.
“We need you, Cassie,” I sent as she flew through the air.
The fear vanished from my Dragon shifter replaced by determination and rage. She stopped in mid-air as large wings burst from her back. She beat her powerful wings once flying toward Dragon who no longer had wings.
“Do it!” I shouted.
Cassie grabbed Dragon by the throat and lifted her up. Dragon fought back beating against Cassie’s arms with her fists. The claws were gone now as they were on Cassie’s fingers. The blond woman dug her claws into Dragon’s flesh. Where they pierced scales light shone. She dug her fingers in deep and Dragon Screamed.
Cassie’s arms began to glow from the brilliance leaving Dragon. Scales spread on Cassie’s arms moving up to her torso. The color changing scales continued to grow as Dragon’s head shrunk back down to a human shape. Soon, both women were identical, with scales covering them from toe to neck and some reaching up onto their cheeks. Cassie still sported wings and claws while Dragon had no wongs and she had soft pink fingers instead of claws.
Both women began to glow bright and scream. The light became so intense I had to cover my face with my arm. An explosion of light and color washed over me leaving me feeling warm and clean. I lowered my arm and saw just one woman standing there breathing heavy. She turned to face me and spread her wings wide. Cassie threw her head back and let loose a sapphire colored flame.
My dragon, Cassie, lowered her head after the fire died down. She smiled at me and nodded. Then she was gone.
A fire burned on my chest causing me to fall to my knees. I grabbed at the spot and my hands were blown back by an eruption of sapphire flames. I fell back as the fire continued to shoot up from me and into the air. The fire burned so hotly the pain overshadowed any and every pain I felt previously.
The flame burned down and sputtered through a few sapphire sparks before dying. The heat dwindled to a warmth that persisted. I felt the spot and found the raised circle of a new mark. Looking down I saw the stylized dragon head in profile sitting next to the other circles from my previous Tua. A window from the bracelets popped up in front of me.
Congratulations!
You have tamed a one of a kind Tua.
That window disappeared soon after reading it followed by another. This time I had the option to assign ability points to myself in the Dragon sphere and assign my Dragon Tua skills. It was tempting, but at that moment my pack of wolves was in a fight for their lives. I left the mind space feeling good about what happened with Cassie.
Chaos greeted me as I returned. Hybrid Lycans and werewolves alike lay on the ground in the wake of Dragon’s mad dash. Now, the wolves standing continued to fight. Cassie, in her Weredragon Tua form, fought side by side with Dris. Elation filled me as I spotted Andrea on her feet and fighting. She stood with one leg between the twins keeping her attackers away from them. That was where I would jump in.
The two of us made short work of the hybrids by the twins. We separated and continued to knock down enemies while helping the wolves. Not long after Andrea and I seperated the fighting was over.
Chapter 36
I dropped to my knees as pain ripped through my guts. The wound and poison were doing a number on me.
“Terry!” Andrea shouted as she ran to me. My werewolf Alpha dropped to her knees and cradled my head in her lap. “What’s wrong?”
“The poison. It hurts.:
“Terry,” Cassie said as she sat down on the opposite side from me as Andrea. Take my power and get better.”
“No,” I said. “I can’t. I’ll hurt you like I did the others.
“No you won’t,” Andrea added. “You learned from your mistake and you won’t do it again. Take from me too.”
“That’s what this is, right?” Dris asked as he walked up holding Catya in his arms. “That weird feeling is him borrowing power from us?”
“Yes,” Andrea said. “It’s part of what makes him special.”
“Then you should take from me too,” Dris said.
“Take my power as well, Alpha of Alphas,” Juan Carlo Said as he walked up with his arm around Catarina helping her walk.
“Mine as well,” Catarina said.
“Take mine,” A man I had yet to meet added as she stepped up.
Then the entire pack was around me and anyone that was conscious asked me to take from them.
“I can’t,” i said.
The world went dak and Cassie stood before me in her transformed state. Andrea stood next to her and on the far side stood Dris.
“What the shit is this?” Dris asked. “And where the hell are my pants?”
“This is Terry’s mind,” Andrea said. “This is a sacred place where we pledge our loyalty to him. And this is where we will talk sense into him.”
“This is not up for discussion,” Cassie said. “You have said over and over that we are never alone. And
you are right. Together we have survived and together we will thrive.”
“When you make a decision like this though,” Andrea chimed in. “You are being selfish and not doing what is best for the pack. We need a leader that will make the hard decisions even if it means one of us ends up dead. As long as you do your hardest to keep us alive and help us thrive, we will follow you.”
“Because I was able to see beyond myself and accept being a part of something, I am whole. Your deccission to not take what you need to be strong for us has fractured us just as much as your mistake did.” Cassie stepped close and reached out taking my hand in her warm fingers. “Take from us and let us help you, Terry. You are the only one who can make our family whole. You havge to fix yourself first.”
“Look, man, this shit is crazy,” Dris said. “But you have two beautiful women asking you to do what you need to in order to get better. The sane thing to do here is listening to them. It’s obvious how much they acre about you. And the pack has grown in ways I never thought possible. We can be the strongest pack ever, if you stop being stuborn and do what we need you to do.”
“Do it for all of us, please?” Cassie pleaded.
Andrea stepped forward and took my free hand. “We need you, Terry. You bring more to us than just strength and a smaller clothing bill. We love you, and we need you in our lives. Don’t you see that? If you don’t fix this that damn poison is going to kill you.”
My head drooped. They were right, all of them. I looked back up and met each of their gazes as I spoke. “You are all right. I can’t preach about us never being alone than not do everything in my power to keep all of us safe, me included. Let’s go back and have everyone brace themselves.”
While I had not been the one to initiate the mind space conference I ended it. The first thing I saw was Dris looking around then checking to see if he was wearing pants. Juan Carlos looked from Dris to me and back like he suspected something had happened.
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