by KB Anne
Two werewolves launch themselves into the remains of our portal circle. Their teeth drip with saliva as loud growls fill the space. The smaller one is a cute-but-fearsome tan and white wolf. Lizzie. Her red eyes meet mine one second. The next, her muscles bunch and she launches herself at me. Her claws dig into my chest, sending me tumbling backward. Sharp canines snap at my exposed throat.
“No,” Alaric roars.
Seconds before her teeth graze my skin, he rips her off of me and throws her across the circle. She spins around and growls, crouching down to relaunch herself at me.
“I said, no,” Alaric’s baritone voice rumbles, vibrating through the circle.
She hesitates.
“You will bow to me,” he says. His tone leaves no room for argument. She crouches low as the alpha overpowers her.
Ferocious snarls tear my attention away from Lizzie. Granda’s wrestling a large gray wolf with sadly familiar yellow eyes. Ryan. His teeth snap at Granda’s chest. Scott raises his sword.
“No,” I scream.
He pauses.
“Scott, don’t kill him. It’s Ryan.”
Scott stumbles backward as if struck. “What?”
“It’s Ryan and Lizzie.” I point to Lizzie’s now-folded frame bowing in front of Alaric. Her eyes flash red as she tries to fight his alpha command. She may also be the daughter of Clayone, but she ranks lower than her brother.
Granda screams and our attention immediately shifts back to where Ryan has him pinned against the ground. Caer catapults herself on top of Ryan and tears him off Granda. Scott drops his sword in surprise, dumbfounded at both Caer’s raw power and the fact that the werewolf is his best friend who was supposed to be dead. Scott had pulled the trigger himself.
“Help her,” I yell at him.
He snaps out of his daze and rushes to her aid. The two wrestle Ryan to the ground with brute force. His teeth snap at them as his four clawed paws try to push them off. He’s a powerful werewolf, but they’re far more powerful—especially together. They soon subdue him.
Lizzie emits a low growl as she continues to fight Alaric’s dominance. Maddie stands beside her to ensure her obedience. He fingers the crystal around his neck, thankful that it keeps him from shifting into a wolf and turning on us. I’ve got a whole bowl of nightlock-imbued crystals inside. I’ll force them on Lizzie and Ryan.
“Someone help us,” Anna yells. She’s trying to staunch the blood flowing from a wound on Granda’s arm while Sam holds his blood-covered hands to Granda’s carotid artery. “We’re losing him!”
I can’t lose him too. I can’t. I head toward Granda’s collapsed frame. There must be something I can do.
The Chalice of Healing, Brigit reminds me.
I can save them all. I lunge toward the front door.
“Gigi, we need your help now,” Anna screams.
Her pleading freezes me in place. I war with myself. Take the time to get the chalice and the crystals, or try to heal him without it?
Alaric grunts as Lizzie launches herself at him, knocking him over. Her teeth snap at his chest. His crystal necklace—she’s trying to tear it off of him and cause him to turn. How does she know the crystal is preventing him from turning?
“The crystals,” Maddie yells, snapping me out of my daze. “Hurry.”
Anna releases a string of curses, thinking I’ve abandoned them. I run into the house and grab the Chalice of Healing along with the bowl of crystals and sprint back outside.
“Here.” I throw a crystal necklace at Maddie. He plucks it out of the air with his fast reflexes and prowls toward Lizzie, intent on circling it around her neck and turning her back into a girl.
“Scott, think fast,” I shout and launch another one at him.
He releases Ryan with one hand and catches it on his middle finger. “Hold him,” he yells to Caer—as if she needs a lesson on werewolf containment. From what I’ve seen, she’s mastered that job.
Since I’m not as fast as Oegden, I slide across the ground to Granda on my knees. I’ve seen it done in movies a dozen times, so I figured if a plain old human can do it, why can’t I? Granda’s eyes widen as he sees what I’m cradling in my hands.
No, he wails in my mind, unable to speak aloud.
“Yes, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” I snap at him, leaving no room for discussion in my voice as I slice my palm and start to chant.
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Oak Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book 5
