by Ava Mason
The wolf growled, then launched itself at me. My own wolf roared, baring her teeth. The shift rippled over me but something caught my eye. I froze half wolf, half human, staring at the ground about five feet from me.
A pink leather bracelet was lying there. Exactly like the one Blaze wore.
“Carrie, what the hell are you doing?” Tallon stepped in front of me, blocking it from my sight, a gun in his hand. He took several shots at the wolf, eyes blazing. The wolves were huge and it took several shots to take it down. It yelp mid-halt as it fell to the ground, dead.
I looked up at Tallon - he’d saved me.
I didn’t have time to thank him, another wolf was headed straight towards me. I finished shifting quickly, ripping my clothes to shreds. I launched myself at the new wolf. We clashed with a terrible clap of shifter magic that sounded almost like thunder. My lips were curled up, teeth bared as we tangled - a flash of fur and teeth. Landing swiftly, I went for his legs. If I could get to this wolf on his back, I could get the upper hand.
The guys were fighting around me. Shots rang out, and flashes of orange and red dragon sped through the air. Denver had opted for his dragon form. Tallon and Blaze fought with their weapons, each flanking me as they fought. I flipped the wolf onto his back and immediately went for the throat. It tore easily with my sharp teeth. I spit out the remnants of his throat, hearing air whistle as he tried to suck in a breath through his flapping skin.
I moved on, knowing he wasn’t a threat to me. My human was only on the fringe of consciousness, my wolf taking over to attack my next victim. I took on two smaller wolves, using tactics Shayne, an old beta in our pack, had taught me. I used their own momentum against them. I managed to slam one on the ground while the other flew over me, missing his mark. I almost felt bad for the wolves.
Even though they were large, they weren’t muscular. Their small statures were no match for my well-fed one. I took several of them down easily. My guys grunted with triumph often. We were gaining ground against them, even though we were severely outnumbered.
The next wolf that attacked me was smarter than the last several. She dropped her chest low to the ground so I couldn’t aim for her feet. Instead she rolled over, then aimed for my soft underside. Surprised at the move, I didn’t have time to react and her claws dug into my stomach. I yelped and rolled away, trying to escape. She jumped up, chasing after me, but I rushed to my feet and attacked. My teeth dug into her hide, ripping through her fur before she could get a hold on me. I threw her to the ground, stepping on her shoulder. Then I yanked back and bones popped as I broke her neck. I dropped her, taking a second to breathe in deeply. Then I turned around, looking for my next attacker. There were still several wolves, but we were definitely winning.
Suddenly, magic was thick in the air. It pushed down my throat and I couldn’t breathe. A mumbling, blathering sound caught my attention. I snapped my head to the side to find a woman walking toward us; the dark witch.
She had tan skin like mine and brown, frizzy hair that floated around her head. It looked ridiculous, like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. She wore a frumpy brown robe, embroidered with tribal marks. Her nails were long and curling over her fingers.
Ugh, why did she have to be such a stereotype? She was totally making us witches look bad. Why couldn’t she be some cool bad witch, with a black flowing leather outfit and long black horns like Maleficent? And what was the deal with her teeth? They were brown and rotting. Hadn’t she ever heard of a toothbrush?
Guess they didn’t have any out here in the mountains.
Frumpy bad witch aside, she was still kicking our asses, casting a green magic spell over all of us and freezing us like mummies.
She lifted her hands higher, and I could feel the magic swell within us. I fell to the ground, limp, unable to move. Blaze and Tallon fell next to me, both struggling. Neon green magic swirled around them - Blaze was clutching his head while Tallon was on his knees, grunting as he clawed at his temples. What was she doing to them?
Suddenly they screamed out, their anguished cries washing over me, making my skin go as cold as ice. Orange magic swirled in the air, rippling through my ears in an echoing boom across the forest. Their dragons ripped from their bodies, shredding skin and clothing. Guns and knives dropped to the ground, useless. Their scales made popping noises as they appeared along their arms and legs, blood running down their bodies, the change was so quick.
Then the witch turned her attention to me, and dark green magic swirled around me, switching my wolf off. I sprouted legs and hands and my tail disappeared so fast, my ass burned. It was like the last time my mom made her chili and accidentally doubled the habanero peppers. In no time, I was curled up on the ground, naked and vulnerable.
As if she had sped time back up, everyone was now released and the wolves attacked us relentlessly. Several jumped onto the dragons, and I finally saw Denver. He’d fallen onto his back and a large brown wolf was on his neck, trying to bite into it. I rolled onto my feet, determined to help them but suddenly a wolf jumped at me. I kicked at him, aiming for his head. I missed, swinging my leg into his torso instead.
I was never very good at kick boxing.
He yelped as he flew to the ground, skidding. When he got up, he shook his head, then lowered it and growled. Oh shit. I was in deep trouble now. I wasn’t generally a lucky person - I doubted I’d get in two hits in succession. So I turned and ran. I didn’t make it far before the wolf attacked, and I fell to the ground. His teeth sunk into my back and pain shot up into my neck and face. I rolled over, flipping him off me, but he came at me again. Just in time, I shot my arm out, and he bit it instead of latching on to my throat.
Pain shot through me as he wrenched my arm back and forth, cracking my forearm and tearing my muscle from my bone. Silver glinted right by my eye and I realized I’d fallen next to one of the guy’s knives. Kicking at him with my feet, I reached out with my other arm, feeling the ground until I grabbed hold of the handle.
When he attacked me again, I wrapped my feet around his torso. Then I rolled over, dragging him under me and stabbed him right in the neck. Blood spurted into my face and oozed through his fur and into the ground. I choked on the metallic taste and the smell filled my nose. I looked over to see that the witch had taken the guys’ power away from them, and though they were still fighting, they were struggling. Several wolves had taken them on at once, and the guys were beginning to falter under the constant torrent of attack.
Another growl sounded beside me, and it was joined by several others. Looking up, I realized that while I was watching the guys, several wolves had approached me like I was their next meal. And judging by the way they were skin and bones, they were in need of a big snack.
I was surrounded on all sides.
I searched the ground, looking for a gun but the nearest one was too far away. I would waste precious moments; going for it would give the wolves enough time to attack me at once.
My arm throbbed and I gripped it to me as the wolves began to close in. My magical ring was covered in blood. I shot up off my feet, finally remembering that I had other advantages besides just being a shifter. I rarely used my other powers but now was the time to finally take advantage of what my mother had given me to fight with.
If I couldn’t be a wolf, maybe I could be the baddest witch this side of the western world.
23
Denver
We were plowing through the wolves like a scythe in a wheat field, but there were too many of them. I’d thought that the four of us would cut them down quickly and easily but now, I wasn’t so certain.
We were just humans now. And these weren’t merely wolves, but shifters with magic of their own. Not to mention the cranky bitch who stood in the middle of them, pointing fingers as if she was commanding them.
They attacked us viciously, relentlessly. My arms were tired and my legs were swollen with blood and fatigue. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand. My min
d was a tangled and twisted mess, rage having overtaken all emotion. I slashed and kicked, punched and pushed. My hands were bloody and my face was smeared with the red war paint that comes with death. My eyes were hardened and sharp, looking for any advantage. Since I couldn’t shift, I used every other skill I had at my disposal.
Not only to ensure my own survival, but the survival of my mate and my brothers. And even though I was almost certain this was the end, I would do anything to make sure they lived. I attacked any wolves headed in Carrie’s direction, until I was surrounded myself.
Next, to me, Blaze and Tallon fought just as wildly. Blaze pinned a wolf down and slugged it in the face. Tallon was on my other side, slashing out with a knife he had found. He tackled the wolf to the ground and slit upwards. Its guts spilled outwards and onto the ground.
At the sight of the determination and courage on Tallon’s face, I started to regret that we were arguing. For a moment, I wished that this was like our other fights - a one off and then it was over. But deep in my chest, I knew that it wouldn’t end if we got through this.
We would fight over our wolf because for once, I didn’t feel like sharing her.
And I would win, because I always won.
In the meantime, we battled the wolves together like brothers, defending our small but devoted clan.
Grabbing the wolf that launched at me, I twisted, snapping its neck in my hands. I dropped it, just as another one came at me. Desperation washed over me as I swung him around. There were too many fucking wolves. Wrapping my elbow around his scrawny neck, I choked him. It bucked and scratched with its paws while I heaved large breaths. A wolf attacked my legs, while another aimed for my chest. I fell to the ground, overwhelmed.
And I let go. Let go of my bottled up rage and fought back in a frenzy, kicking and snapping and punching. Giving it everything I had. I wasn’t going to go down in a fucking pile of wolves. I was a fucking dragon and even though I couldn’t shift, I would command them with my power. Pain surged through my body but I fought against it until I came out top. All the wolves around me were dead.
Suddenly, I felt another source of magic. It came from a different direction than the bitchy witch. It was strong, so strong that it tugged at my core, pulling me away from the wolves. It called to every part of me; I could smell it, taste it, feel it, in every single part of my body.
I swiveled around, turning towards the source to see Carrie, shinning like a motherfucking blazing Angel of Vengeance in the middle of the battle. She stood tall, hair flowing behind her, eyes blazing as if she was done with this shit.
She held her hand out, her slender fingers waving, a silver ring lit up like a flame. Orange and blue flames danced around her and I watched her, fucking turned on by her power. I wanted to claim her, right here, right now. She was fucking mine, even if she didn’t know it yet.
The magic she emitted wasn’t shifter magic. It was power and might, and tasted like silk on my tongue.
Her magic was directed at the dark witch, who started to back away from her. The black witch’s face was riddled with terror, her hands held up in front of her. Her own magic shot out from her hands, trying to stop Carrie’s magic from touching her.
But Carrie’s magic was too powerful. It easily overrode the dark witches’ power, who fell to her knees, crying out in anguish. Pressing her hand to her chest, the dark witch curled into a ball, crouching lower and lower until she withered on the forest floor.
The moment she was quiet, my magic came whooshing back into me. I cried out, my voice a mixture between a human cry and the dragon’s growl. I shifted immediately, with Blaze and Tallon beside me.
I flew protectively around Carrie to make sure none of the wolves tried to take her out. But her magic surrounded her, creating a barrier of solid magic to guard her.
Satisfied that she was safe, I let out a bellow, warning any wolves in the way that I was coming, and that mercy was for the weak.
Some wolves were already running for the woods - Blaze and Tallon had already gotten started, slashing and ripping them to shreds, lighting them up when they could. I joined in, tearing the wolves to pieces.
There were only about twenty of them left now, but they were the wiser ones, who fought as an intelligent pack. They surrounded us in waves, weaving in to attack us as one, then bowing out when they got tired. The trees were not our friends, offering shelter to the wolves where we couldn’t follow. But still, we managed to pick them down until only the strongest and smartest were left.
“Guys!” Carrie’s voice screamed out. ““I can’t hold her down much longer.”
I shifted my focus to see that the dark witch was fighting back. She was still struggling under Carrie’s hold. She’d gotten back on her knees and was shooting flames of green at Carrie’s magical barrier. Sweat poured down Carrie’s face and side. I could taste the scent of her determination as Carrie fought to hold down the dark witch. But the dark witch, stronger and more experienced, was slowly coming out from under Carrie’s spell.
I could feel it wearing on my dragon, threatening to pull me under again. I attacked the remaining wolves, feeling sluggish and shaky. Suddenly, Carrie’s magical barrier fell and she cried out as a blast of magic hit her. She fell to the ground, her body immobile. I screamed out, dropping the wolf in my claws to go to Carrie. Fear gripped me. Is she dead?
The dark witch jumped to her feet in triumph and my dragon ripped from my body, leaving me human again. I fell through the air, arms flailing uselessly as the ground came up towards me too fast.
24
Tallon
My life flashed before my eyes and I suddenly realized how useless it had all been. I’d gotten so caught up in the glittery riches and empty promises of the rich. Their fake bodies and pretend pearly smiles. The way they waved their money in your face, only to snatch it back at the last moment. They ignored any promises given as soon as they got what they wanted. Then they rubbed it in your face, their power, their control. And I’d hated them for it.
And now, here I was, realizing that I’d gotten so wrapped up in my hatred, that I wasn’t any better than any of them.
In fact, I was worse. Because I was shallow and green with envy. And I’d wanted everything that Denver had so much, that I’d never questioned the things he did. Or grew out of his shadow.
Until now. Until I’d found something better. Carrie.
She’d held up a mirror - showing me my own sins. And I hated what I saw reflecting back at me. I was petty and unloveable, unworthy of a woman as caring and captivating as she was. When she didn’t call or text me back, I should’ve shown up at the guesthouse and shown her the kind of man I could be. The kind of person I’d long ago forgotten, but knew that I still had the capacity to be.
And so I determined to be something better. Even if it was only for a moment before I died, to help the woman that had shown me a better world.
I wasn’t very high up in the air when we lost our shifter power. As soon as I landed, I raced across the field, darting around the dead wolf bodies to save her. The witch followed me with her shifty, hardened eyes, laughter spilling out of her lips as soon as she saw my intention. I doubted she would let me reach Carrie. She would probably let me see a sliver of Carrie before she cut me down, but I had to try.
It would be my last sacrifice - no longer beholden to the promise of riches, but to the woman who now owned my heart.
I saw a flash of Carrie’s dark hair, splayed out across the ground. Her chest moved in ragged breaths and relief flowed over me – the knowledge that she was still alive, that it wasn’t too late. And then a spark of electricity hit me like a bolt of lightning and I screamed as my insides began to cook.
I fell to the ground in agony as my body burned, writhing on the ground. The cackling witch loomed over me, her lips splayed upwards in glee as her magic cut through me. Pain ripped through my whole body but I inched my hand towards Carrie. She wasn’t that far away. If only I could touch her - I coul
d save her, I just knew it.
The witch drew closer, her long, frizzy hair spilling over her face, as she leaned over me. Green magic blazed from her hands, infiltrating my body in long jagged sparks. Her eyes lit up in excitement as she tortured me, giving me her full attention.
And because of that, she didn’t see the large body that fell towards her, smashing her into the ground as Denver crashed to the earth.
As soon as the witch’s hold over me was broken, I pulled myself forward to reach Carrie. Her eyes were sunken in her skull, her cheeks hollow and her skin was pale. She looked like she had starved to death for months. The rest of her body was just as frail, her perfect, curvy frame now fragile - her ribs poking through her skin and her knees bony and square. Grief tore through me, but she was still breathing, just barely, and I knew I had a chance.
Even though I was weak and could barely move, I tugged Carrie’s frail body into my lap. She didn’t even stir, just hung limply as if it required too much effort to exist.
Then I pressed my lips to hers.
Of course, I bloody knew that I could do this another way, but this way was the best way to transfer my life force to another person. And in my last minutes on this earth, I wanted to die with my lips on hers, tasting her.
The transfer was blazing hot, searing our lips together and she weakly jerked back. But I clasped her tight to me, forcing her to take the pain in order to save her life. I felt it fill her. Her weak heart pounded against my chest and her hands clasped me to her.
White light surrounded us, swirling and twisting, and I grew weaker. But I didn’t stop; I was determined to make sure that she would live past this day. So I Ieaned against her, holding her tight to me, my lips still pressed to hers, until my heart slowed to a faint whisper and my world went black.
