“Behold, good witches in the Vale of Glendora, what happens to those who disobey the laws of the coven!” the elder exclaimed as she accepted the burning touch with her withered hand. She turned briefly to look at Allegra with hatred burning brightly in her eyes.
“Do you have any final words, traitor, before you leave this earth?” the elder asked wickedly.
Allegra opened her mouth to speak as a sound on the wind traveled and caught her ear which made a smile pull upon her ruby lips.
“Look out,” she advised the elder who looked bemused at her choice of words.
***
Iris kept running. Her heart hammered madly in her chest and her breathing became labored but she didn’t stop, couldn’t stop. She had to save Allegra.
The air around her smelt of damp earth and moss but beneath that she was certain she could detect another odor, something almost canine. She kept running.
Twice she lost her footing and came crashing down to the ground, her fingers digging in to the soft damp earth. Hurriedly she scrambled back to her feet, not bothering to dust down her now soiled dress. With each second she spent running, she feared that she was a second too late. She kept anticipating the smell of smoke to suddenly float by on the breeze but luckily the air remained only damp, she still had time.
Then she spotted him. He was leaning against a tree, his head bowed. Even from a distance, Iris could see how devastatingly handsome he was with dark, mysterious features and long, untamed dark hair fell about his shoulders. He was the complete antithesis of the warlocks within the coven, and it was easy to see how Allegra had fallen for him.
Iris quickened her pace to reach him, aware that she didn’t have a second to lose.
***
Caspian was casually leaning by a tree when he heard the fast approaching footsteps. He turned and smiled, expecting Allegra to suddenly come bounding toward him. His smile faltered when he noticed that the approaching witch was not his beloved. This witch was pale with white blonde hair and a dress covered in soil and leaves. She was panting heavily and ceased running when she saw him.
Panic made Caspian tense and straighten. The stranger doubled over for a moment, catching her breath before looking at him, her eyes wide with fear.
“Are you…are you Caspian?” she asked breathlessly.
“Yes.” Caspian took a step toward her. Where was Allegra? What was going on?
“It’s Allegra,” the witch explained. “She’s in danger.”
Hearing those words stirred the wolf who resided within Caspian. He bunched his hands into fists as he tried to contain it.
“She told the elders about her decision to be…with you.” The messenger was still panting from her sprint to find him.
“Who are you?” Caspian asked with an air of distrust. He suddenly wondered if this was all just a ruse to send him on his way and keep him and Allegra apart.
“I’m Iris. Allegra is my best friend.”
Caspian relaxed slightly at this, certain he could trust this witch. He subtly inhaled the air around her, and she smelt distinctly of fear. Whatever she told him, he was certain it would be the truth.
“But there’s no time,” Iris declared, looking back the way she had just come.
“What did they do when she told them?” Caspian demanded, fearing the worst.
“They were furious!” Iris explained. “They plan to burn her!”
“Burn her?” Caspian’s eyes changed in a flash from dark and brooding to bright yellow.
“Yes,” Iris confirmed sorrowfully. “At the stake! We have to do something! We have to save her!”
***
“Look out?” the elder repeated mockingly. “Those are your parting words?”
“No.” Allegra shook her head as she stared the elder directly in the eye. “Those are your parting words.”
Screams broke out from the back of the crowd. High-pitched screams filled with terror. The screams were accompanied by a blood-curdling sound. The sound of a feral roar as an animal broke into the coven.
In their haste to initiate first the choosing ceremony and then the sacrifice of Allegra, the elders had forgotten to fortify their beloved village with a protection spell, instead channeling their magic into darker intent.
Witches and warlocks tried to flee from the town square as a huge hulking, snarling beast pounced from behind them, sending them scattering like pigeons. Those who weren’t quick enough to run fell to the beast’s sharp teeth.
More pointed than any blade Allegra had ever seen, the beast’s teeth tore through nearby onlookers as though they were made of paper. Their blood splattered across the ground and people tried to run like a macabre piece of modern art.
Instantly the air smelt acrid and of copper. Death was in the air.
The beast killed any and all who stood in its way. Terrified, many witches tried to run to their homes but the beast was snapping at their heels. With one swift movement, it bit in to them and literally tore them in half, their legs dropping to the ground whilst their upper torso landed a few feet away. It was utter carnage.
The elder who had been addressing the crowd watched the scene unfold with horror. The other elders were already retreating into the main hall, hurriedly casting whatever spells they could to protect themselves from this monstrous intruder.
“You bought the beast here,” the elder whispered scornfully to Allegra.
Allegra spat contemptuously into the old woman’s face. Her phlegm landed upon her hollowed cheek but the elder appeared unconcerned.
“You’ll burn for that,” the old woman hissed and dropped the torch she was holding onto the pile of wood Allegra stood upon. Quickly the flame caught and began to tear through the wood.
The heat was unbearable. Soon flames were licking at Allegra’s bare legs, burning her feet.
Allegra began to scream as the elder slipped away from the stage and into the main building as the beast continued to maim and kill any witch it could get access to.
Closing her eyes, Allegra tried not to focus on the pain searing through her body. She was already sweating profusely from the growing fire. It would not be long before it engulfed her completely and turned her to nothing more than ash.
She could hear the beast growling and snarling as it continued to kill. She needed to get its attention.
“Caspian!” she shrieked over the crackling of the fire beneath her. “Caspian!” She prayed that he would hear her over the screams and the madness echoing around the coven. She began coughing, no longer able to shout out as smoke filled her lungs.
Seconds later, she was ripped from the wooden pile, the stake at her back snapped in half but she was too weak to register it. Her eyes hung heavy and closed, weeping against the smoke.
The beast that had attacked the coven with such aggression was now up on the stage. It used its great teeth to break Allegra free and then tossed her onto its back.
It was huge in size, larger than any usual wolf with jet black fur and pure white teeth. Allegra flopped lifelessly over it as it prepared to leave the coven. Some witches who were still standing cautiously backed away from it, no longer the target of its anger since it had claimed what it had come for.
***
When Iris staggered back to the village, exhausted, Allegra was already gone. The sight that greeted her was the remnants of a one-sided battle.
Witches had returned to the main square to mourn the fallen, of which there were many. The ground had turned crimson from the bloodshed. Iris carefully walked in, suppressing the need to vomit when she registered the square.
Severed heads rolled around like balls. Intestines hung around the stage like ribbon. It was utterly gruesome and unlike anything Iris had seen before. She managed to tear her eyes away from the devastation and look at the stage that was thankfully empty. A fire still burnt upon it but there was no stake, no Allegra being consumed by the flames. She’d gotten away.
“Oh God,” witches nearby wept as they locate
d what they could of their kin.
“How could this have happened?” another lamented.
Iris looked around helplessly. When Caspian had vowed to save Allegra, this was not the reaction she had anticipated.
In the forest, she’d seen him become consumed by his rage. He had turned right before her eyes. He fell down to all fours, calling out in agony as every bone in his body broke and re-set itself so that he had a canine skeleton. Then his fingers extended into claws and thick coarse fur broke out where his skin had once been as his clothes became shredded by his growing size and dropped to the forest floor.
When the transformation was complete, Iris stood before him, trembling. She’d never seen a werewolf before, and she was terrified. His black wolf eyes looked at her and he grunted, his breath misting before him in the cool evening air.
“Caspian?” Iris uttered nervously, unsure if in his wolf form he could still recognize her. But then the wolf turned and began to sprint with impressive speed toward the coven. Iris tried to follow but was no match for his wolf speed. When she arrived, the damage had already been done.
Iris was wandering through the carnage in the town square as though in a dream, struggling to take it all in when a hand grabbed at her leg. Looking down, she saw with horror her mother upon the ground, struggling to breathe.
Dropping to her knees, Iris glanced across her mother’s body and felt her heart sink. Her torso had been crudely ripped open, and her exposed organs now pulsated sluggishly in the evening air. Her mother was moments away from death.
“Mother!” Iris began to weep. This wasn’t what she wanted. She’d wanted to save Allegra but not have her mother die to achieve it.
“Iris,” her mother coughed, blood spluttering out of her mouth.
“Mother, what do I do? What spell do I cast?” Iris asked, trembled as she lifted her mother so that her head was resting in her lap.
“Too… late for… magic,” her mother managed to respond.
“Just hang on, there must be something the elders can do.” Iris gazed down desperately at her mother.
“The wolf!” her mother coughed. “Did you lead him…here?”
Iris glanced down guiltily. She’d led him to the coven but she never dreamed he’d slaughter so many witches. She thought he’d merely scare them into releasing Allegra. No one needed to die that night.
“Then…you must…run.”
“Mother?” Iris was crying so heavily that she could barely see through her tears.
“The elders will want…revenge…they will kill you…for this.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Iris said sternly.
“Run!” her mother repeated before she started to choke on her own blood.
“Mother!” Iris held her mother tightly as the light left her eyes. Weeping, she rocked her back and forth, wishing she could have done something, anything to save her.
After several minutes holding her mother, Iris saw the doors to the town hall gently part open and the shadow of an elder flicker from inside. Was her mother right? Would they be looking to blame someone for tonight’s events? In saving Allegra from the stake, had she taken her place there?
Iris wiped her eyes and looked around. Other witches and warlocks were still consumed with attending to the dead and dying. If she slipped away now, no one would notice. She’d never used a locator spell before but she was certain she could attempt one to help her find Allegra and Caspian. They’d keep her safe from the vengeance of the coven. And with her mother gone, there was nothing tying her to the village anymore.
Carefully, Iris got to her feet. Her dress was now stained not only with dirt but also her mother’s blood. She wished she had time to change but she did not. The door to the town hall was opening wider, soon the elders would come out and address the coven.
Iris fled in to the night, leaving the coven behind her. She didn’t glance back, not even once.
***
Slowly Allegra opened her eyes. She could feel heat close by. Groggily, she looked around and saw that she was lying in front of a fire in a small home that was not familiar. Suddenly anxious, she sat up and glanced around.
Sitting up caused her chest to tighten, and she began coughing violently. The smoke she had previously inhaled still aggravated her breathing.
“Hey, you need to take it easy,” Caspian stated softly as he entered the room and came and sat down beside her, wrapping a comforting arm around her.
“What happened?” Allegra asked, her voice hoarse. “Where am I?”
“You’re in my village,” Caspian explained, stroking back a strand of her fire red hair. “You’re in my home.”
Allegra leaned against his strong chest and tried to remember what had happened. Fragments of the night before filtered back to her. She remembered meeting with the elders, how horrified they had been about her union with a wolf. And then…
Tears started flowing down Allegra’s cheeks. Her own mother had betrayed her. Her own mother had stood by and let her burn.
“I know,” Caspian said soothingly, stroking her back. “But you’re safe now. I’ll never let them hurt you again.”
“How did you get me out?” Allegra asked, wiping away some of her tears. The coven was usually fiercely shielded from outside intruders through protection spells.
“I turned and I just…got in. To be honest, I don’t remember much myself. When I woke up, we had both ended up back here.”
“How did you know that you were right?” Allegra sniffed. “How did you know that they were going to kill me?”
“Because I told him,” a familiar voice announced. Allegra turned and saw Iris standing in the doorway. Her long blonde hair hung freely down her back, and she was wearing a linen dress that wasn’t the customary style of witches. She looked effortlessly beautiful.
“You did?”
“They were going to burn you.” Iris came and joined the couple by the fire. “I couldn’t stand by and let them kill you.”
“Thank you.” Allegra reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand tightly.
“Anytime.” Iris smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Allegra frowned with concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked, sensing something was troubling her best friend.
“Nothing.” Iris shook her head. “It’s just been a long night. I’m still exhausted.”
“Some of my pack found her wandering in the woods looking for us,” Caspian explained.
Iris gazed absently at the flickering flames in the hearth. She was grateful to have found Allegra but not Caspian. Caspian had killed her mother, and she knew in her heart that one day she’d make him pay for what he’d done. But now wasn’t the time to act. As a witch, she was still weak. She had so much to learn, so many spells to discover.
“Can you return to the coven?” Allegra asked quietly. Iris had always been so committed to the coven. She’d been excited for the choosing ceremony. Allegra didn’t want her friend to have severed all connections with the community because of her.
Iris shook her head. “No, but I wouldn’t want to,” she said softly. “What they did to you…it was so wrong. I never knew they were like that. They should have just set you free but instead…” She drifted off, not wanting to revisit the images that would forever haunt her of the carnage that had occurred in the town square.
“Was it difficult to get me out?” Allegra turned to Caspian, who was also looking distant. Regret was weighing heavily on him as he wondered just how far he’d gone in his wolf form in order to save her. He knew that he loved her so deeply that he wouldn’t have let anything or anyone stand in his way of setting her free.
“No,” he told her. “I got in, grabbed you, got out. I had the element of surprise.”
“That’s good then.” Allegra nuzzled up against him, the warmth of the fire making her drowsy. “I’m just glad that we are together,” she announced dreamily as her eyes started to slide shut.
“Me, too,” Caspian and Iris both resp
onded in unison.
Iris glanced heatedly at him over Allegra’s sleeping body but he looked away, not meeting her gaze. She wondered if he even knew that he’d killed her mother?
***
Agatha was the most senior of the elders of the coven. As the dull light of dawn began to chase away the shadows of the night, she resumed her position on the stage, which was now covered in blood and ashes from the previous evening’s events.
Before her, the witches who had survived collected together, exhausted and still reeling from the violence inflicted upon them. The fallen had been stored away in the town hall, ready for sacrificial burials later that day. But the burials would wait. Agatha had more pressing matters to address.
“My loyal witches and warlocks,” she announced, still tasting copper in the air. She tried not to recoil from the sensation. Her long gray plait was coiled around the base of her long black dress like a serpent. Her flint sharp eyes darted over the crowd, assessing how many of the coven remained. Their numbers had easily been halved. They had suffered a devastating blow.
“Last night, we suffered an incomprehensible loss,” she stated as some witches began to weep, their shoulders shaking.
“We will never forget those who have fallen. Their powers will transfer to the earth and become a part of us, a part of our coven. But we will not stand idly by and accept this act of brutality!”
The rise in pitch in her voice caused some congregated members of the coven to step out of their sadness and become angered by what had happened. They approached the stage, their eyes glistening with dark intent.
“We witches of the Vale of Glendora will not let the werewolves go unpunished!”
People cried out in agreement.
“Today, we turn our back on peaceful times. Today, we seek vengeance for our fallen! Today, we go to war with the wolves!”
Wolf Tainted Union: The Complete Collection - 6-Book Bundle (Books 1-6) - A Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Page 7
