by M H Soars
“Red, please help me.” He lifts one arm in a supplicant manner.
Dropping to my knees as well, I catch Peter in my arms. “How did you get here? Who did this to you?”
Voices call out my name in the distance. Dante, Sam, and Tristan are coming for me, but it’s Grandma who finds me first.
“Red, step away from Peter,” she commands.
“What?”
Peter clutches me tighter, his expression morphed into one of regret. “I’m sorry, Red. He made me do it. I’m so, so sorry.”
His words don’t make any sense until a strong gush of wind envelops us, and I feel the tendrils of a powerful spell at work.
“Pete, what have you done?” My words are swallowed by the wind tunnel that has formed behind me.
With nothing to hold on to, I’m sucked right into it. The last thing I see is my mates running for me. Only, they’re too late.
Tristan
“No!” I scream as I watch the love of my life disappear inside a dark wind tunnel.
The portal begins to close, and we’re too far from it to make it before it vanishes. Red’s grandmother reaches it first, sticking her hand inside the dark void. Somehow, she manages to not get sucked in while also keeping the passage open.
“Hurry. I don’t how much longer I can hold on.”
Dante, being the fastest, reaches the portal first, jumping right into the tunnel, followed by Sam and me. The moment I pass through, the opening begins to shut, but before it closes completely, I catch a glimpse of Mrs. Redford’s face, drained, as if holding the portal open for us cost her a great deal of magic. She vanishes from my sight, and my body is sucked back while pressure squeezes me from all angles. Grinding my teeth, I flay my arms around, trying to find something to hold on to. There’s nothing around me but air. The trip doesn’t last long, maybe a few seconds, before I’m thrown out. I land with a loud thud on the rough ground, rolling a couple of times before I manage to stop the motion.
Bracing my hand on the ground, I raise my head and search my surroundings. There’s a loud buzz in my ears, and I feel dizzy as fuck. A grunt nearby catches my attention. Turning toward the noise, I find Sam not too far from me, slowly getting to his feet.
“Jesus fucking Christ, what the hell was that trip?”
I sit up, the dizziness slowly receding, then I search for Red and Dante, finding no sign of either.
“Where are they?” I ask, making sure to keep my voice low.
Sam pivots on his spot, searching, before turning to me. “I don’t know about Dante, but Red is not far. I can feel the bond’s tug. Can’t you?”
I search for the link that binds me to Red, but I sense nothing. “No. Maybe the trip through the portal messed me up.”
Deep down, I know that isn’t the case. I get to my feet, trying to ignore the real reason why I can’t sense Red. Pain flares up in my temple, so sharp it makes me dizzy again. Sam holds my arm, keeping me steady.
“Whoa. Are you okay, bro?”
“I’m fine.” I step away from his support.
Howling out in the distance, followed by a great sense of wrongness, makes my entire body tense. Sam and I lock gazes for a split second before we sprint toward the noise, shifting as we run. We should be more careful as the portal brought us to Shadow Creek, but the sense of urgency is overriding caution. We’re spotted as soon as we break out of the tree line, heading straight into the square at the center of Valerius’s territory.
Snarls are aimed our way coming from several wolves. It will only take a few seconds until they descend on us. But my sight is glued to the front of the burned-down gazebo ahead, where Red is on the ground, her body covering a white wolf. Dante.
Chapter 47
Red
One moment I’m holding my former coworker Peter in my arms. The next, he vanishes and I’m sucked into a dark vortex. A few seconds later, the world becomes bright again, and then I land on the ground hard, banging my head in the process. The impact makes me confused for one moment, until I feel his malign presence nearby.
“Welcome back, sweet Amelia,” Valerius says, his voice dripping with venom.
I roll over to get to my feet, but there’s a loud growl behind me, then a white blur collides with Valerius, sending him careening to the ground.
Dante somehow managed to follow me through the portal, and he has Valerius by his throat now. A loud gunshot sounds, and Dante falls off Valerius with a whine.
“Dante!” I jump to my feet, throwing my body over his prone form to protect him from getting shot again.
I don’t know where the bullet hit him, but his warm blood pours freely from the wound, seeping through my clothes. I can’t see shit through the tears clouding my vision.
“Dante, talk to me,” I send the thought out.
“I’m okay, Red.”
I sense Sam and Tristan approach, but it’s the furious snarl behind me that has me looking over my shoulder. Valerius has risen back to his feet, and he’s now clutching his bloodied neck. His irises are completely red while he stares at us with murder in his gaze.
“You’re both dead,” he spits.
My nails become sharp talons as my newfound powers mingle with the wolf. Standing on shaking legs, not due to fear but rage, I say, “No. You are.”
Valerius’s wolves become aware of my mates’ presences, some breaking away from the circle to meet them at the fringe of the forest. I don’t dare take my eyes off Valerius. This is my chance to end this monster.
Tendrils of power surge from my finger, licking my skin as they run up my arms. Valerius’s eyes drop to my now-glowing hands, rounding in surprise.
“So that’s why he wanted you.”
I don’t need to ask to know Valerius is referring to the archdemon, who’s presence I have not picked up yet.
My hands become warmer as a sphere of energy begins to form between them. I don’t know how I’m doing this. I just awakened my witch powers, so it’s possible I retained old memories from Natalia, my former self. I’m ready to strike Valerius when he begins to laugh like a maniac.
“What’s so funny?” I snarl.
“Go ahead. Smite me with your power, and your best friend dies.”
He steps to the side, revealing behind him Kenya. She’s bound and gagged on her knees while Seth holds a gun against her temple. That motherfucker. Fury makes my power crackle as I become torn between ending Valerius or Seth. I don’t think I can hit both at the same time before Seth pulls the trigger.
“Not so tough now, are you?”
I sense a familiar pair of eyes watching me, then I recognize Rochelle’s wolf just a little behind Seth. My heart sinks to see her among Valerius’s army, until I feel a brush against my conscience.
Opening up my channel, I ask, “Rochelle?”
“I don’t have much time.”
“You can fight the chip’s compulsion.”
“Not for much longer. Please, remember your promise.”
I lose the connection, but watching her body language, I know exactly what she’s planning to do. Everything happens in a blur. Breaking into a run, she leaps on Seth, biting the arm with the gun. Kenya falls to the side, getting out of shooting range. The gun fires at the same time I instinctually draw on my newly acquired witch powers and launch an energy missile in Valerius’s direction. He leaps out of the way, and the strike aimed at him knocks out some of his wolves.
Sensing movement behind me, I turn to find Dante getting onto his paws, blood covering his pelt.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m okay, Red. The bullet only grazed my shoulder.”
I don’t have time to argue with him as Valerius gives the order to attack. Dante leaps onto the first wolf bound our way, and I search for their alpha, spotting him heading in the opposite direction of the fight. I can’t go after him when my mates need me. We’re sorely outnumbered.
I make a beeline to Kenya instead, who is slowly crawling away from Seth. The ba
ckstabber is still busy trying to break free from Rochelle. How long until her chip takes over again? I feel the power surge once more as my fingers tingle. It’s not as strong as the first time, but it should be enough to deal with Seth. Only, I don’t have the chance to throw anything at him before a wolf leaps on me, biting my arm and bringing me down in the process. Motherfucker. It’s Lyria. I bring up my free hand, shoving against her muzzle, but she won’t budge.
I need to shift.
Kenya appears above us, blocking the sun. With her hands still bound in front of her, she lifts her arms, bringing them down hard on top of Lyria’s head. The bitch lets go of my forearm finally, rolling off me and away from my friend’s range. I see the rock Kenya is holding then.
The blow wasn’t enough to deter that traitor, though. I won’t be able to shift in time to defend myself, so I do the first thing I can think of. I grab the rock from Kenya’s hands, waiting for Lyria to make her move. With lips peeled back, she comes at me again, hatred shining in her eyes. I don’t move until the last second. Using the little bit of magic I have left in me, I swing my arm, hitting Lyria on the side of her head with a blow so powerful it cracks her skull open. No way in hell would I have been able to hit her that hard without my new witch gifts.
“Is she dead?” Kenya asks next to me, free of the silver tape that was covering her mouth before.
“I sure hope so. Are you okay?”
“Fuck no. Are you?” She drops her gaze to my bloody forearm.
“I’ll heal.” Springing to my feet, I pull her up with me. “Let’s get you to safety.”
I search the perimeter, realizing that, mercifully, only a handful of wolves have gone after my mates. The rest are standing still either in their wolf or human forms. Maybe we’ve overestimated the size of Valerius’s army. But then, I hear shouts in the distance followed by several wolves howling. I can’t be certain, but it sounds like hundreds of wolves answered the call for battle. They’re coming from the direction of where the lab is. I should have known Martin would make an appearance. We have no chance.
Then, out of nowhere, I sense a change in the air, then a powerful gale rushes through the square. A dark blemish appears in the blue sky, becoming larger and larger until I recognize it for what it is—another portal. Fuck me. What’s coming for us now?
I brace for the worst, maybe it’s Harkon, the archdemon, making his grand entrance. Nothing could have prepared me for the person who actually leaps out of the portal, landing on the ground with soft feet and the grace of a cat.
My ex Alex.
Chapter 48
Red
The imp Zeke Rogers jumps from the portal after Alex, landing next to him with less grace. Then two more dark-clad people follow suit, a young woman with jet-black hair, and another familiar face, Alex’s best friend in high school, Maximus Kane. Alex, Maximus, and the woman all carry in their hands a black dagger with strange designs on the blade which glows a faint blue light.
My breathing catches as Alex and I lock gazes. He still has the same dark hair, looking like it needs a cut, and the same intense dark stare. The similarities to the guy I used to date end there. There’s a scar now on his right cheek, and he’s also gained a few pounds in muscles. He breaks our staring contest first, turning his attention to the enemy who is approaching.
I was so ensnared by this impromptu reunion that I missed the arrival of more allies. The portal has vanished, but Billy, Xander, Brian, plus other supernaturals I haven’t met yet, have come through to assist. No sign of my grandmother or Nadine. I hope both of them are far away from here.
Using my claws, I cut through the tape binding Kenya’s wrists. “Run, get out of here.”
“No. I can help.”
“Kenya, I love you, but you’re not a fighter. You don’t even know how to use a gun.”
Zeke runs to us. “I’ll take her out of here.”
I’m glad he volunteered, but I can’t let him leave before he answers one burning question of mine. “What’s Alex doing here?”
The imp stares at me as if my question surprises him. “You dated the guy for years, and you don’t know?”
I bristle at once, but my time for questions is up. The bond is calling me to my mates’ side. I don’t know what that means, but I must go to them at once. I spare one final glance at my best friend, then stare hard into Zeke’s eyes.
“Take care of her.”
Before he can reply, I break into a run, pulling one of Sam’s favorite stunts and shifting midair.
When I land on my four paws, the link between Sam and Dante becomes stronger, but I can barely feel Tristan’s. Knowing that it doesn’t bode well, I sprint in his direction while shouting his name telepathically. He doesn’t answer.
Damn it, Tristan. You can’t leave me now.
Enemies get in my way, humans and wolves alike. I dodge bullets and sharp teeth, unwilling to slow down to deal with any of them. I finally catch sight of Tristan’s white form ahead, closer to the edge of the forest. He’s facing three wolves at the same time, and he’s losing. I jump on the back of the wolf closest to me, sinking my teeth so deep into his flesh that I find bone. The wolf lets out a yelp, but it won’t stop fighting me. Despite my knowledge these wolves have no free will, my need to save Tristan trumps my conscience. I bite the wolf again, finding a major artery this time. Dropping him to the ground to bleed to death, I turn to the other two wolves attacking Tristan. There will be a time for remorse, but it’s not now.
Tristan’s white coat is covered in blood already, and seeing his injuries make my ire double. I deal with the second wolf as fast as I can, but not fast enough to prevent Tristan from receiving a clawed blow to his jaw from his opponent. His legs fold under him, and he stops moving.
“Tristan!”
Cold tendrils of air sneak up behind me, curling around the base of my spine and raising the hairs on my back. My heart stops beating for a second, before it lurches in my chest savagely. The archdemon is here. Damn it. I bet Valerius left the battlefield to summon the beast. I should have killed him when I had the chance.
“Red, you can’t stay here. You don’t have the stones,” Dante says in my head.
Ignoring his words, I run to Tristan. His paw is covering his nose, but when I approach, I see that his eyes are wide open.
“Tristan, talk to me.”
“Red… I… oh my God. The pain.”
“What’s wrong? Please tell me.”
“I… you need to run…I can’t.” His ember eyes change then, losing their warmth. With a sinking feeling, I know what happened.
“No. You can fight it. Don’t let it control you.”
“What happened?” Sam asks, stopping next to me.
A savage snarls comes from Tristan as he gets back on his paws. His eyes are soulless, just like Rochelle’s when she succumbed to the chip’s control.
Before I can stop him, Tristan launches himself at Sam, catching his brother by surprise. Sam falls with Tristan on top. He would have been killed if Dante didn’t hammer into Tristan, pushing him off Sam. This is the worst case of déjà vu. Once again, I must witness my mates fight against their own blood. I have to put a stop to it before one of them gets seriously injured or killed. Maybe if I shift back, I can hit Tristan with a spell.
The archdemon’s presence is becoming stronger, but I can’t flee. Making the decision, I begin to reverse the shift. I’m barely back into my two-legged version when I feel the cold touch of a gun barrel at the back of my head.
“Don’t make any sudden movements or you’re done,” Seth sneers from behind me.
“I’ve always known you had no honor, but for a wolf to fight with weapons is beyond despicable.”
He grabs my arm, shifting his nails into talons to dig into my skin. “You know nothing about the ways of wolves, bitch. Don’t presume for a second—”
“Leave her alone, Seth.” I recognize Billy’s voice, and I don’t know if I should rejoice and curse.
“Red has nothing to do with your grievances. Let her go.” Billy’s tone is harsh, his posture rigid and ready for a fight.
Taking advantage that Seth is distracted, I focus on my new powers. But either I’ve used all my juices or the first time I conjured a power ball was a fluke, for nothing happens now. I guess I’ll have to do things the old-fashioned way. Bringing forth my memories of the nineties’ classic movie Speed, starring Keanu Reeves, where he shoots his partner in the leg to save the guy from a hostage situation, I become boneless, as if I were passing out. It’s not the same thing as being shot in the leg, but it does the trick. Not expecting the sudden shift, Seth loses his hold on me, but he still has his gun, so I grab him by his waistband as I fall, making him lose his balance. I didn’t calculate him landing on top of me, though.
A black leather boot comes out of nowhere, colliding with Seth’s jaw. His head whips back as blood splashes from his mouth. But it’s not Billy I find staring down on me, but the odious Martin. Out of the fire into the frying pan. Son of a bitch. I change my attention from his face, looking between his legs in Billy’s direction, but he’s busy now fighting another wolf.
“Come quickly, we don’t have much time.” Martin offers me his hand.
What?
When I don’t move right away, Martin lifts me from the ground, holding my arms a little too tight. With a jerky movement, I free myself from his hold.
“Don’t touch me.”
A wolf whine catches my attention, followed by a sharp pain in my chest. With my heart stuck in my throat, I turn around. Valerius is back, holding Dante by his neck. Dark veins mark the alpha’s face and arms, whereas his irises are glowing red. Dante is unmoving. Behind him, I see the great shape of something dark and vile. It stands over eight feet tall easily, but it doesn’t have a clear form. It doesn’t matter. I know it’s the archdemon from my vision. Harkon.
