by Kenya Wright
I guided Imani behind me. “What do you want?”
They peered at Imani.
The one with warts spoke, “I see you’re having a quick snack.”
I growled. “This is none of your business.”
She smiled, and the warts separated on her cheeks. My stomach protested in disgust.
The warted witch hissed, “No little wolfie, killing fatals is our business.”
“I’m not killing anyone.”
The warted witch winked at Imani. “Is he telling the truth, child?”
I had to give it to Imani. Even faced with something as crazy as these witches, she replied with courage, “He’s not hurting me, so you can go now.”
The three witches cackled.
Imani’s fear slipped along my skin. It was crazy how I could sense her emotions so easily. I never had this experience before, not even with my packmates.
“Protect.”
I will.
Granted, I had no idea what I would do. There was no way I could battle these witches in fatal form.
I glared at the witch with warts. “How about I let my friend go, and then we can have a conversation about last night.”
The witch quirked her eyes. “I knew that was your scent that I’d tracked. You must have our precious Raven. We’ve been so worried for her. Would you mind handing her over to us? If you do, then this matter would be forgotten.”
My voice went deadly. “We can talk about that after my friend leaves.”
The warted witch blurred to my side. “I like her where she’s at. It looks like she’s your weakest link, Alpha. You are the leader, right? There’s too much power rolling off you to be anything else.”
I roared back at her, “Back away!”
Birds left the trees and flew off into the sky. Fear radiated off Imani, but she remained behind me.
The witches cackled.
“My friend leaves, and then we talk.” My fangs pushed through my gums and revealed their sharp edges. “And if you think I have a weak link, then you haven’t been paying attention. I thought you witches stalk your enemies before you appear in front of them.”
“We’ve seen enough.” And then the witches exchanged glances, raised their hands in the air, and mumbled a chant, “Rise high to the sky. Let the blue air tell you why.”
Their red eyes transformed to a glowing moon-white. Black smoke rose around their feet. Their hair lifted and rode the breeze that begun spinning around them.
“Rise high to the sky! Let the blue air tell you why!”
Shit.
Imani shrieked, “What are they doing?”
“Run back to your house. Fast and tell Zerab where I am.” Adrenaline rolled over me. Then, the magic vibrated in my bones, triggering the shift. I backed away and pushed the beast out of me, shifting fast, although each second seemed like an eternity. My jaw broke apart. A huge nuzzle emerged.
Imani screamed. She hadn’t run away.
My muscles stretched and contracted. My bones snapped and cracked. The skeleton reshaped and configurated into a massive creature.
“No beast can stop what cannot drop!” The witches’ voice rose. “No beast can begin where there is no end!”
Grunting, I pushed through the pain and dropped to the ground. Heat blazed across my body. My clothes ripped away. My bones pushed my flesh up, cracked under the skin, and then reformed. There was no moon magic to make it go faster. I hoped I had enough time.
The wind around the witches picked up.
Imani was still near—frozen in fear. She reeked of terror. And my heart broke, knowing that she would never come near me again.
Focus.
The witch with warts twisted her hand over and over in front of her. A dot of red light appeared. Then it rolled over and over in the air, forming into a bigger glowing ball of red light.
Hurry!
She slung it at me.
I flipped back. In the air, my bones broke, reshaped, and stretched my skin. I landed on the ground on all fours. Silver hair sprouted, spread into a thick mane, and coated my muscled frame.
Let’s go, you evil bitches.
No fools, they disappeared. My gold eyes peered out from my large skull. I dug my long claws into the ground.
“Still here.”
Yes, Conri. They are. Let’s tear them apart.
“Eat.”
Maybe.
I scanned the space. In fatal form, I couldn’t see through their magic. In wolf form, that was a different story.
Black smoke rose to my right.
There. They are hiding behind that smoke.
I spotted Imani near it. She was staring at me with her mouth open. Tears fell from her eyes. She had been frozen in fear, unable to move. So shocked that she was petrified.
The witch’s smoke crept her way and then grabbed Imani’s legs.
I charged for it, but I was too slow. The smoke had a hold on her feet.
No!
“Die!”
She won’t die. We’ll stop them.
One of the witches appeared on my right. She raised her hands to say a chant. I blurred to her, jumped in the air, and snatched her fucking head off that evil body.
When I landed on the ground, I spit the head out. It rolled over the ground. Those white eyes were now blank and vacant. Her mouth had been open. Black blood spilled out from those wretched lips.
I turned to the other side. The body crashed to the ground.
But that wouldn’t be enough. If the head and body were left too long on the ground by themselves, they would eventually draw closer and reform. I had to destroy the heart.
Fast, I blurred to the witch’s other half, dug my claws into the chest, and wrenched out the heart. It beat in my paws. Blood dripped down and stuck in my hair.
I squeezed the organ until it was nothing but a thick, sludgy jam.
One of the witches cried with grief.
A violent roar raged out of me as I raced toward the sound.
Come on!
The witch appeared and put her hands out to stop me. “Don’t you want to save her?!”
I paused in my tracks. Steam left my nostrils.
The witch pointed to the tree next to her.
While I tore off the other one’s head, the other witches had wrapped Imani into a cocoon of black mist. There, she hung, suspended in the air. She screamed and battled to get out of the smoke, but nothing would help.
The warted witch materialized next to the other and smiled at me.
I snarled and snapped my jaw.
She wagged her finger. “Oh behave, wolfie. We simply want Raven back.”
Growling, I crouched, readying myself to lunge at them. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. The best way to get rid of a witch’s spell was to kill the witch who cast it. I’d dealt with enough of these witches during the Wars and never found one to honor a deal. If I rushed off to get Raven, they would simply kill Imani and follow me. Even if they remained in the woods until I brought Raven back, they would battle me, grab Raven, and kill Imani.
Either way, there would be no bargaining with them.
“Go get Raven.” The warted witch pointed behind me. “We’ll keep this one safe until your return.”
“Lies.”
Exactly.
I growled and inched closer.
The other witch sucked her teeth. “Calm down. You don’t want us to kill your snack before you eat her, right?”
I attacked, smashing into the warted witch with an incredible force. So fast, she didn’t realize I was coming. The impact was so hard her ribs cracked under my paws. I snapped at her but didn’t get her neck like I’d hoped.
Screaming, she rose in the air, chanting, “Fire burns. Fire rises. Fire burns. Fire rises.”
But before she could rise any higher or finish casting the spell, I jumped at her feet, caught one of them, and yanked her down to the ground like a doll.
The other witch chanted something, but I couldn’t focus
on what. It was clear from the very beginning that the warted witch was their leader. If I could kill her, doubt would hit the other one. She might run away. If not, then I would kill her.
The warted witch and I rolled around the ground.
She tried to chant, but I kept her too busy.
The other witch chanted some more, triggering dirt and rocks to slam into me. My blood bubbled under my fur, telling me she was messing with my body and doing some magic to bother my beast.
Growling, I caught the warted witch and dug my claws into her sides.
“Fire bur—” She yelled in pain, twisting and kicking me. Giving her no break, I yanked my claws back and dove them into her chest. If I couldn’t snap off her head, then I would take out her heart.
“No. Stop or I’ll kill your snack!” the other witch yelled, but it was too late.
I ripped the warted witch’s chest open and tore her rib cage apart with my claws.
“Kill.”
Yes.
I dove my head down and chomped at the beating organ like a newly grilled steak.
How dare they try to threaten me with Imani? Now neither of them will see tomorrow.
I swallowed some of the heart and spat out the other half. The chewed-on organ fell to the ground right in front of the other witch’s feet. Blood dripped from my muzzle.
What now, you evil bitch?
I roared at her.
Edging back, the witch shook in fear.
I snapped my attention to Imani. She still hovered over us in that smoky black cocoon. Every few seconds, she kicked and pushed at the smoke. Some would clear away. Then the next second, black smoke wrapped back around her. It was always swirling around her body.
I thought the warted witch had cast it. I was wrong.
I turned my attention to the last witch.
“I. . .I can get her out of that.” She raised her shaking hands in the air. “J-just. . .back up. . .and. . .I will do it. . .”
I growled.
Her voice was a high shriek. “J-just give me some time.”
“Lies.”
I didn’t trust her. Perhaps she was right. Maybe she was so scared she would oblige and then run off. Either way, I didn’t know much about witchcraft. But there was one rule I understood the best when dealing with their kind. Kill the witch and end the spell. If I wanted to save Imani, I would have to destroy the other witch too.
Only the Moon Goddess knew if the witch would let Imani go or not.
Roaring, I charged for the witch.
She screamed and shuffled backward. “Rise. Earth, rise. Show them the surprise!”
A tree rose from the ground. Dirt fell from its roots. It came toward me and slammed into my side. I went spinning into the air. Pain exploded in my core. My ribs shattered. I fell to the ground and drank in the pain.
Hurry up and heal. Hurry!
Seconds later, the bones reshaped, and I leaped back into the air, charging for her. I wasn’t as fast as before, but I could still get her.
I sensed Imani’s fear coming from above. Even with the smoke around her, she had to have been watching us fight, scared for her life.
Don’t worry. I told you I would keep you safe.
The witch chanted, “R-rise d-darkness rise! R-rise darkness rise!”
Black smoke rose from the ground.
I leaped over it, springing upwards. Each second felt like a minute. It all happened in slow motion. My fur bristled. Fury stung in my veins. My claws prepared to bite into flesh. And the closer I got to the witch, I opened my jaw.
“No!” she screamed.
I tore into her throat, separating her head from her body.
“Heart!”
I know, Conri.
I flipped back in the air, roaring with each movement. In seconds, I landed on the witch’s body, dug my claws into her chest, bit through her ribcage, and crunched on the bone.
I continued to bite my way into the witch’s chest. Blood filled my mouth. I found the heart and devoured it, not wanting any chance of the witch to regenerate.
When it was all done, I looked up.
Imani fell to the ground, screaming.
“Safe.”
I shook the blood and gunk off my furry jaw.
Tears spilled down Imani’s cheeks. She didn’t make any noise as she slowly rose from the ground. Terror waved from her. She looked at the dead witches’ bodies and then me. Her pretty sundress had been ripped at the bottom. Dirt smudged her leg and arm. She held herself and shivered, looking like she was trying to catch her breath.
Does she think I’m going to hurt her? I have to shift back.
This morning, I had barely gotten any rest before coming over to check on her. I shifted a lot yesterday. Today, I shifted and killed three witches. As soon as my head hit my pillow tonight, I would probably sleep for all of the next day. And this was not a time to take a long rest.
A dizzying haze fell over me, but I shook it away and shifted back to human form. It took minutes longer to return to my human form than normal. Once I transformed back, I fell to the ground and breathed in and out, calming myself. Exhaustion drowned every cell. I was naked and covered in blood. My ripped clothes were scattered all over the ground. I had no idea how I would explain this to Imani’s sister when we returned to her house.
And then I sniffed the air.
“No.” I slowly rose from the ground. “Damn it.”
“W-what?”
“More.”
Chapter 9
Aiden
Two more witches appeared in front of us. One had the same red eyes and white hair. The other had red eyes, but dark hair. She grinned. “You didn’t think it would be that easy? Did you, Alpha?”
A roar behind them disturbed the air.
Sighing, I recognized that roar.
Damian. Thank God, brother.
The red wolf came out of nowhere, blurred to the evil hags, and chomped one witch. And in a flash, bit through the other.
Surprise and opportunity. They’d been standing so close, and he’d crept up to them with ease.
While I could’ve handled the two extra witches, it would’ve taken the last bit of energy out of me. I needed time to regroup and rest before the real battle would come.
This won’t be over. There’s a coven in this town.
Now that Damian and I had just killed dark coven witches, there was no doubt these were a part of a larger group. Apparently, my pack having Raven didn’t make them happy. They would be coming for us, and then it would be a battle to the death.
Why do they want Raven and what does that have to do with her knowing about Imani?
Last night rushed back to my head.
“. . .You can't help me.” Raven trembled against me. “And you won’t be able to save your pack or that waitress of yours either.”
Speaking of my waitress, I turned to her. Imani had risen from the ground, but her attention was now on Damian as he shifted back into human form.
She wiped the old tears away and inched back. Her fingers shook with each step.
“Witches,” she whispered.
“Yes, Imani.” I cracked my neck and walked toward her.
She held her hand out in front of her as if to tell me to stop. “Thank you for saving me. . .just. . .give me one minute.”
I nodded.
Her bottom lip quivered. “Werewolves.”
“Yes,” I replied, although she wasn’t asking a question at all, just trying to wrap her head around this new reality.
“Okay.” She bobbed her head and backed up some more. “Witches and werewolves. I’ve got it.”
Damian got to my side. “And vampires—”
“Vampires?” She shrieked.
“Give her time, Damian. I didn’t get to that yet.”
“Sorry.” Damian turned to me. “We should take her back to the cabins. She’s in shock and shouldn’t go back home.”
I continued to study Imani.
She watched
us both as we stood naked in front of her—all covered in blood.
Damian spoke, “Alpha?”
“We have to clean up before we go back to the house. Zerab has to get extra clothes. We can’t ride the bikes like this, and we damn sure can’t go back to her house like this either.” I looked at my Delta. “What made you come out here anyway?”
Damian appeared uneasy. “I didn’t like what the witch said. That whole warning about your waitress, so I came out to make sure you both were alright.”
“I’m glad you came.”
Damian gazed at a terrified Imani. “Maybe we should take her straight to my place, instead of letting her pack.”
Imani backed away. “I-I’m not going anywhere, with anyone.”
We watched her in silence.
She held her hands out at her sides. “I-I won’t tell anyone. I won’t say anything. No one would believe me anyway.”
We said nothing.
She widened her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere with you two. Okay?”
Damian spoke, “That’s not an option, sweetheart. You have to—”
“I’ll handle this.” I shook my head, signaling for Damian to end his statement. “Where are your clothes?”
“When I smelled the witches,” Damian gestured behind him, “I took them off further back in the woods. I have some extra jogging pants in the bag on my bike.”
“Good. My leather jacket is on my bike. That will do for me.” I nodded. “Get dressed. Go to Imani’s house. Get Zerab to grab some extra clothes for her. We’ll be right here.”
“How would Zerab get her clothes?”
“Figure it out.”
“And will she come back with us or not?” Damian asked.
“Go.” I walked toward Imani but kept my distance. I was naked and stained in blood. This was not the way I imagined her seeing me without clothes on.
Damian ran off.
“I’m not going with you,” Imani whispered.
“If you don’t go with me, then the witches will track you to your house.”
She frowned.
“And then, your sister will be involved. For now, I believe they only know about you.”
She rubbed her face with both hands and let out an exasperated breath. “Why would they want to bother with me?”
