Waving his apology away, my mom smiled as she rolled her eyes. “I know, you heard about Elle,” she winked, as she hugged me and then got up to go make coffee and start breakfast.
Falling into the chair beside me, Maddox grunted. His chest was rising and falling at a rapid speed as he struggled to calm down. “I just got the text,” he said breathlessly.
“I’m fine,” I lied, realizing I was now the one calming him down when moments ago I was the one freaking out.
“A Witch attacked you while you were sleeping. That does not sound fine to me,” Maddox practically shouted, as his hands flew up in the air.
I opened my mouth to say something, but I was distracted by the front door opening and my dad quickly walking away from us. I could hear the muffled voices of the pack and Asher’s parents as everyone ventured into our home.
Maddox stood, and I could tell he was about to head to the living room, but he looked down and I watched his eyes widen in horror as his eyes traveled down to my neck. Lifting me up, Maddox removed me from my seat and stood me in front of him.
“Are these fingerprints?” he questioned, as he took his index finger and began to trace the outlines on my neck. “Elle,” he breathed, “this is not ok. We have to fix this.”
Nodding, I held his hand that was still laying on my neck. “Maddox, I know,” I said, making eye contact with him. We stood there for a few minutes, staring at one another in silence. There were no words that needed to be spoken between us. I could feel his pain and he could feel my daunting fear. We just needed one another.
“Elle. Maddox. We need you in here right now,” my dad’s voice bellowed into the kitchen.
Maddox and I took one last look at one another and then made our way into the other room. Everyone was standing around waiting for orders. Asher stood near the front door, a knowing look on his face, as he smiled at me. I traveled into the room and went to stand next to him.
“Now that we have everyone here, we need to discuss what happened last night to Elle,” my dad began. “Elle, I know it is difficult to relive that moment, but I need for you to share as much detail as you can. We need as much information as we can get to decipher our next move,” he said.
I cringed as I watched everyone turn to stare at me. I hated the attention but knew I needed to just get over it. I felt Asher slip his fingers through mine and I smiled to myself. I know it may not sound like the most romantic, fairy tale gesture, but it was a way for Asher to prove his love and support for me. With just a simple touch, I could feel him transferring positive and encouraging energy to me when I needed it the most.
Taking in a deep breath, I found my courage and began telling every painful, excruciating, and intimidating detail of my nightmare.
When I was finished the room fell deathly quiet. The only sounds heard were the harsh sounds of my own heart beating inside my chest. I watched as my dad ran a hand down his face and another through his thick, salt and pepper hair.
“From what Elle has told us, it is clear we are dealing with a far greater enemy than we once thought.”
Everyone in the room listened intently and hung on his every word.
Continuing, he looked directly at me as he spoke. “It is time that we seek out the Witches. We can use the information Maddox gained from his friends to identify a location and sniff them out that way. We need to find them, watch them, and then attack and kill them,” dad said, with vengeance pouring from his voice.
The room began to erupt in loud cheers and grunts of approval. I could tell the pack was just as tired as I was of waiting on the Witches. They were going to be difficult to handle, but we needed to act now.
“How are we going to do this?” Maddox asked. “Will we go as one pack or in teams?” he proposed. I could tell Maddox was antsy to get his hands on the Witches who had been taunting and hurting me in my dreams.
“Yes, I think maybe you should send the Vampires in first,” Asher added, as he squeezed my hand.
“Yes, I think we should go in teams as Maddox said. Maybe send Asher and Maddox in the first round,” dad added.
“What about me?” I asked, fearing they would tell me as always, to stay behind and be patient.
Smiling, my dad shook his head with a slight laugh escaping from his lips. “Elle, I think we all know that regardless if we tell you to stand down and let us handle this situation, you will ignore our requests. You are strong-willed, stubborn, and determined. I will add you to one of the groups I create to go on the missions to spy and track down the Witches,” he stated.
I almost had to ask him to repeat himself. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were actually including me in the missions and plans. I wouldn’t have to sneak around or fear getting caught. I was going to be involved. This was outstanding news.
“Thank you so much,” I squealed, dropping my hand from Asher’s and rushing to my dad for a big hug.
As he hugged me, he leaned in and whispered low into my ear, “I will let you in on the mission, but you will be protected and watched at all times,” he said, in a voice so quiet, only I could hear him.
Smiling, I didn’t expect anything less.
***
The next day, the first round of the pack and Vampires were to meet at my house for the details of our mission. My dad had been very clear that we would not all go at once. It was just too dangerous and would call too much attention to ourselves.
Waking up early, I dressed in black leggings, a long, black tee, and pulled my hair back in a tight ponytail. I ate a quick breakfast and then met everyone in the backyard.
Maddox and Asher were already waiting on me, both dressed in dark jeans and tee shirts. Asher wore a charcoal gray shirt while Maddox had a dark as night, black shirt on.
My dad was talking with Jim and Asher’s dad, Elliott along with two other members of the pack. When they all saw me approaching, my dad waved me over.
“Elle, I have the plans ready. We need to discuss the tactics and then proceed,” he began in an ultra-serious tone.
I wasn’t used to being part of the plans, so hearing my dad sound so serious and in charge was cool and unexpected.
“Ok, I’m ready,” I said, as I smiled at everyone.
And so, my dad began going over the details of our mission. First, we would shift into our animal forms and then head to the location Maddox had obtained. Next, we would search the area for their scent to use to track them to where they were hiding out. The pack had agreed not to mention any of this to the other Witches just yet. We needed to find out what was going on first, and then reveal our information. I agreed with the plan and shifted with the others. Asher and his dad stood back and watched.
When it was time to leave, the Shifters began racing as we all followed Maddox into the woods. Asher and his dad ran at speeds so fast, they were only a blur to our eyes. I loved running as a wolf, there was something so freeing and magical about it that I almost craved the emotions it stirred inside of me.
I noticed the clouds above us in the morning sky were growing dark and ominous looking. I tried to block the daunting feeling of an impending storm out of my mind. I was running as a wolf, nothing could ruin this moment for me. After a few more minutes of running, Maddox began to slow his pace and I noticed the Vampires did too. Finally stopping, Maddox held up one paw and sniffed the air around him. We all stopped too, watching his movements carefully.
“This is where Kash and John saw them,” Maddox stated, as he pointed to an area by a small pond.
“Ok, we all have our orders. Let’s begin scanning the area in pairs. Maddox and Elle, you two search over in the wooded area just beyond the pond, the Vampires will come with me as we search around the pond, and Jim will lead the others into the open field,” my dad stated.
I noticed Asher giving me a sorrowful glance as he walked toward my dad. I knew he would have rather gone with me, but if my dad needed the Vampires there was no use in arguing. Maddox motioned for me to follow him, and I had
to roll my eyes at the smug look on his face.
“We meet back here in one hour,” my dad added, as we all started to move.
I looked up at the sky once more and noticed the wind had picked up, too. “It looks like it might rain,” I noted, as I walked along with Maddox.
“Yes, well it is spring in Kentucky. You know we always get storms,” Maddox said, brushing my words off.
“Yeah, you are right,” I agreed following him.
We began walking through a small wooded area outside of the main forest and just behind the pond. It wasn’t an area I was too familiar with because it had access to the main roads. We liked to remain hidden in the main forest as it was secluded from the rest of the town. As we began heading into the dense and darkened area, a foreboding feeling of dread began to creep through me, chilling me straight to the bone. Shivering, I shook my head.
“What’s wrong?” Maddox asked, noticing my frightened shaking.
“I’m not sure, but something about this area is giving me the creeps,” I said.
“Maybe the Witches are near,” he said.
“Maybe,” I muttered.
Just as the words had escaped my lips, a raging wind unleashed broken twigs and debris into the air as a roar of thunder raced across the sky. A few drops of rain began to fall from the sky as I looked at Maddox who was just as perplexed as I was. Only moments ago, the sky had been a perfect shade of baby blue with white, cotton ball-like clouds drifting across like boats in a calm river. Now, the sky was angry and revengeful, and it all just happened without warning.
“Looks like a storm is coming. We need to move fast,” Maddox said.
Shaking my head, I tried to get rid of the growing sense of dread that was lurking its way through my mind. I needed to focus on my mission. My dad and the pack had given me the respect of coming along on this mission, I had to prove to both myself and them that I was more than capable of handling this.
“Ok, let’s hurry,” I stated, my words coming out ragged as my nerves got the best of me.
Swiftly turning his head, Maddox glanced at me. “Are you sure you are ok? If you want, we can go back,” he said.
The thought of coming face-to-face with the Witches who had been tormenting me in my dreams, had been my main mission until now. The idea of seeing them in physical form, in person, was now petrifying me. And, with the unexpected storm arriving, it was all just too intense, but I had to persevere.
“No, I’m fine. Let’s just keep moving,” I stated firmly.
We continued walking, listening for any sounds that may alert us. All I heard was the sound of leaves waving in the wind and small animals racing through the underbrush. Thunder boomed again off in the distance and I jumped, startled by the sudden sound. A bright white streak of lightning struck just feet away from where Maddox and I were walking. Jumping, we both gasped and grabbed onto one another.
Laughing, Maddox rolled his eyes at me. “Maybe we should have left you home after all. If a little thunder and lightning is scaring you, I’d hate to see what you do when we finally find the Witches,” Maddox laughed.
I lunged at him, jumping on his back and tackling him to the ground. “Take it back,” I growled as I loomed over his face with my fangs out and shining in his face. “You were scared too.”
Holding him down, Maddox couldn’t stop laughing. I was about to swat him with my paw when we heard a branch crack nearby. Startled, we both stopped moving and froze in place. I slowly slid off of Maddox, and we quietly got into our defensive stance. Glancing around the area, we scanned for any indication that an animal could have caused the noise.
Snap.
Another branch broke to our left. Without warning. Maddox began to run in the direction of the sound. As I turned to follow, a flash of brown hair waved in the wind.
“Maddox, it’s a woman,” I called, as I caught up to him. “This all feels like some bad omen. The storm. The strange feeling. It all seems to be linked,” I added with a shudder.
Sniffing the air as he ran, Maddox nodded. “Yes, I smell the scent we captured by the pond. It must be one of the Witches,” he agreed.
The snapping sound continued as we raced after the noise. The woman was running and at incredible speeds for a human. I had to remind myself that this wasn’t just a woman. This was a powerful Witch who could probably create a spell to help her run at lightning speeds.
Finally, we began to catch up to the brown blur when Maddox halted mid-stride.
“What are you doing?” I questioned, panting as I struggled to catch my breath.
“It’s not a human,” Maddox said.
“What do you mean?” I almost yelled. Was this some monster? Big Foot? Great, that’s all I needed right now.
“No, it’s an actual wolf,” he said, pointing as a brown wolf leaped onto a large boulder.
Staring at the figure, my heart sank. I had been so eager to catch the Witch, I allowed my eyes to play tricks on me again.
Thunder rolled in the sky again and this time I didn’t’ bother to jump or look up. It was almost like the sky was playing the theme of my life right now.
“I’m sorry, I thought it was the Witch,” I said, feeling defeated.
“It’s ok,” Maddox soothed. “Elle, you’ve been through a lot. Let’s just keep looking and then head back to meet everyone else,” Maddox finished.
Nodding, I just hung my head as Maddox began to lead us to the right. We walked slowly, keeping our eyes open for anything else. Neither of us spoke, as the air was full of sadness.
After ten more minutes, I was about to ask if we could just head back to meet everyone else when I spotted a house a few feet away.
“Maddox,” I began, pointing at the house. “Do you see that?” I asked.
“Yes, I didn’t know anyone lived out here,” he said, alarm ringing in his voice.
We began to tread lightly as we stalked toward the house. It was an older home, built sometime during the late 1800’s. The exterior was red brick covered in vines that crawled up the length of the house to the roof. Black shutters framed the windows and a large covered porch welcomed visitors to the front door. I could see smoke coming out of a tall fireplace and there were candles in the windows, providing rooms with light.
“I don’t think I know of anyone who has lived here,” I said, pointing to a window where the candlelight was casting a glow on an interior wall.
We crept up to the window and peered in as we crouched underneath it. The room was empty, and it was clear it was a kitchen. White cabinets lined the light blue walls of the room. A stainless-steel refrigerator and stove were stationed on the far wall near a doorway. A small table with two chairs was nestled in the center of the room.
“This room is empty,” I noted.
“Let’s check the other window,” Maddox whispered as he pointed to the next window to our left.
We remained crouched down as we walked to the next window. Slowly, we stood allowing our eyes to glance into the room. Just as I spotted a living room with two brown couches and a stone fireplace, an old woman walked into the room. I fell down to the ground, my heart leaping into my throat.
“I see an old woman,” I hissed at Maddox.
Slightly standing, Maddox glanced into the room. He nodded at me to confirm he also saw her. I regained my composure and peeked into the room again. The old woman had silver hair cut short above her ears. She was wearing white dress pants and a gold shirt. She looked more like a Golden Girl than a Witch, but hey, Who was I to judge? I’m sure people didn’t look at me and think, ‘hey, she wouldn’t make a good wolf.’
The woman began to speak and then another woman walked into the room. This time, my breath faltered, and I gasped. This woman was slightly shorter and had long, wavy brown hair. She wore jeans and a flannel shirt. I knew she was the one from my dreams. There was something disturbing and menacing about her presence. It sent chills down my spine just to look at her. The evilness that radiated off both of them cou
ld petrify even the bravest of souls.
As I watched the women, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was clear they were in an argument.
“We need to hear what they are saying?” I added.
Maddox, who had better hearing than I did as a wolf, leaned his ear up against the window. I watched him with eager anticipation. Not able to take it any longer, I tugged on his shirt.
“Tell me what is going on?” I demanded.
“They are arguing about money. The younger Witch took some and hasn’t paid the grandmother back. Apparently, they tricked an old man who owned this house to give it to them and his bank account information. But, they have gone through it all. The grandmother wants the girl to pay her back and…”
Maddox trailed off and I saw his face grow worried as he stopped talking and listened again. I watched as his eyes rose, and his mouth fell open. I didn’t like how he was looking at me.
“They are talking about how to kill you in your dream. They are working on a spell. Once they kill you, they will capture your body and eject your powers from you and they will gain it all. They will use their powers to rob the whole town of Shady Oaks and control the packs and Vampires. Elle, these Witches want world domination. They want to control everything,” Maddox stated, his voice shaking with worry.
“What do we do?” I asked, tears starting to form in my eyes.
“We need to go back and tell your dad,” he said.
We raced back to the pond where we found my dad and everyone else waiting for us. Before I could even open my mouth to speak, Maddox was spilling our news. Asher raced to my side as Maddox offered the details and location of the Witches. I allowed Asher to wrap his arms around me and offer me a comfort I so desperately needed.
“Ok, we head back to the house and call the rest of the packs together. I will also notify the Vampires Council and the Witches. We need everyone alert and vigilant. If the Witches are preparing to attack Elle again, we don’t have any time to waste. Are you sure they said they were still trying to perfect their spell?” my dad questioned Maddox.
Evernight Page 10
