by Laura Hysell
“She is yours?” Petrivian laughed, his eyes taking me in. I took another step backward and grasped my dagger, pulling it from the sheath. Naked though I was, the old vampire didn’t ogle me. Instead, he looked at me as though examining a new tool. “So, what is special about this one?”
“Nothing is special about her,” Henri said, and it was his turn to laugh. “You misunderstand, you old fool. She is mine to kill. I have big plans for her death.”
Petrivian clucked his tongue and looked back at Henri. I used the opportunity to put more distance between us. “You never were a very good liar, Henri.”
Wolves growled, closing in on the two vampires. Jed was at the front, leading the Pack forward slowly. The vampires surrounding Petrivian readied themselves. “Don’t!” Henri yelled. “You’ll be caught in his illusion.”
Petrivian chuckled, but there was a tightening around his eyes. I looked over at Declan and Ivan, who were still caught in the slowing spell. I had just escaped, and I still wasn’t sure how. The dagger pulsed suddenly, and I obeyed the warning without thought, dropping to the ground as a blast of magic pulsed outward. Several wolves howled in pain, and another wave of magic blasted outward again. The magic wasn’t coming from Petrivian, though. It was coming from Declan. The magician was moving his mouth, uttering incantations, while the rest of him still remained immobile.
Pain erupted across my chest, but it wasn’t my own. I rolled over, looking at the last place I had seen Mark. I found him immediately. He was lying on his back with blood covering his chest. “No!” I screamed as I struggled to my feet, my eyes on the still form of Mark. The dagger pulsed again, and I dropped just as a blast of fire scorched the air. I hadn’t been fast enough this time, and the fire burned across my back. The pain was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. I lifted my head, daring to take a look around. Blood was everywhere, coating the earth. Bodies of wolves and vampires alike were scorched and dying.
Henri crouched nearby, glaring at his sire. He sported a long gash in his arm, which seemed to be healing quickly. “Coward,” he muttered.
“Coward, am I?” Petrivian replied from somewhere further away. “You confuse intelligence with cowardice. I am simply using the gifts I possess to my advantage. Why dirty my own hands, when I can use others?”
“You can’t face me!” Henri yelled, standing.
“I told you long ago that together we could change the world. Out of all my children, you alone showed promise. You have gifts similar to my own. We could be great together. You see what I have already accomplished. Stop fighting and join me. This world will belong to vampires. The humans will be as they have always been meant to be: our slaves. They are little better than cattle. And the wolves… oh those wolves will be ours to control,” Petrivian said, his voice deep with passion.
“I’m afraid you’re a little confused,” Henri replied, walking calmly forward. “I have far surpassed you.”
The old vamp laughed, shaking his head. “I created you. I own you. Stop!” he commanded. Henri stopped moving, his eyes widening in surprise. “I let you do as you please. Everything you have done was because I wanted it so. You have little forethought, Henri. I, however, have been planning this for centuries.”
“You can’t control me,” Henri replied, but there was something in his voice. Fear, I thought.
“I have been controlling you for years,” Petrivian replied calmly.
There was a blur of movement behind Petrivian. He turned toward it, but Aidan had already slashed out. His first blade slashed across the vampire’s arm, but his second blade whizzed through empty air. Suddenly, everyone was moving. Wolves rushed forward, and vampires previously hidden behind Petrivian’s illusions now moved against the wolves. Petrivian turned, a look of fear in his beady little eyes. He raised his arm, but whatever he had been planning to do was stopped by Jed, who leapt onto his back, knocking the vampire to the ground.
I crawled to my feet, lost in the confusion. Declan and Ivan dropped to the ground, seemingly released from whatever spell had held them. I ran toward them, yelling and waving my arms. They got to their feet just as I reached them. “Get away from him!” I screamed, grabbing their arms and pulling them away from Petrivian. “Just get away!”
Ivan nodded and pulled Declan with him as they stumbled away. I waited until they had backed away several feet, before turning around. Petrivian was fighting off Jed and two other wolves. Henri stood rooted to the spot, staring at the ancient vampire with utter loathing. Chaos reigned. Vampires attacked vampires, and the number of wolves fighting had dwindled drastically. I rushed into the fray, shooting one last glance at Mark’s body still lying on the ground. A lump formed in my throat, but I pushed it down as I raised my blade, slashing into the nearest creature.
Aidan was suddenly beside me, his blades flashing with something akin to vampire speed. A wolf howled and was tossed away to land in a heap beneath a tree. I didn’t look to see who it was. Not now. I reached my blade forward, hoping to hit flesh. The knife burned in my hand as the blade hit something solid. Something knocked me backward, but I jumped back to my feet, lashing out again. Petrivian screamed and pushed another wolf off him, tossing the massive body into me and knocking me to the ground. The wolf groaned and rolled off me, shaking out his fur. I looked up, and Jed nodded his massive wolf head at me. I nodded in response and rolled back to my feet, ready to charge in again.
Hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me backward. I screamed in frustration, turning to see Henri holding me. “Henri, let me go!” I yelled.
“I can’t,” he replied through clenched teeth. “He ordered me.”
“Ordered you? Oh, no!” A scream left my lips as Henri threw me easily through the air. I tucked my body and tried to roll as I hit the ground, but something sharp pierced my side. Groaning, I rolled over and pulled the dagger out of my stomach. Blood poured from the wound, but I pushed through the pain and regained my footing. Petrivian was down on the ground, one arm blackened and turning to ash before my eyes, but still he fought. The vampires around him, including Henri, fought to protect the ancient vampire. Aidan darted forward again, taking out creatures in quick succession while Jed and the remaining wolves closed in from behind.
I ran forward, ignoring the warning look from Henri. Despite everything, he didn’t actually want to hurt me. The thought made me laugh. I ran toward Henri, ignoring the blood flowing down my side. Petrivian grasped the remains of his arm and pulled, dislodging it from his body. I stopped in my tracks, watching in shock as he tossed the dead remnants of his arm to the ground. He stood up, seemingly renewed, grabbing a wolf with one hand and breaking its neck. My blade pulsed in my hand, as though eager to finish the deed. I darted forward, jumping right, then left, bouncing between vampires and wolves.
I moved around behind Petrivian and felt an echo of magic. Aidan was on Petrivian’s other side, with only one knife still clutched in his hands. Now! I screamed at Aidan. He didn’t hesitate as he jumped toward the vampire, moving to plunge his knife straight into his heart. Petrivian backed out of the way, but I was behind him, ready. I pushed between two vamps, letting them sink their teeth into my skin. It didn’t matter though. I pushed my blade forward, thrusting until the dagger was buried to the hilt in flesh. The knife burned in my hand, pulsing with energy. I felt rather than saw Aidan move forward. The power of his dagger joined mine, searing the vampire’s skin.
The two on either side of me suddenly released their hold. I sagged under the sudden lifting of weight, but managed to stay upright. My hand clutched the dagger tightly, where it bit into Petrivian’s back. The skin around the dagger blacked and charred, slowly becoming ash. I looked over the vampire’s shoulder, where Aidan stood. He nodded at me and pulled his own dagger free of Petrivian’s chest, before plunging it back in dramatically. I mimicked his movement, stabbing him over and over until his body disintegrated before our eyes in a pile of ash.
As the remnants of Petrivian’s body floated
to the ground, I stepped back and looked around. All around, vampires were dying, their bodies turning to ash the same as their master. Others looked around in confusion before turning and running away. Some remained, along with the vamps who still glowed with the magic of the contract, setting them apart. The smell of blood and burnt flesh filled the air. Jed limped forward, rounding up the few wolves who were still standing. It was over, I realized as pain I had ignored washed over my body. I touched a hand to my heart, feeling the deepest wound there. Tears filled my eyes as I turned around, searching for the source of my pain. Searching for Mark.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I stumbled between the remaining wolves, dropping to the ground beside Mark’s still form. Fur still covered most of his body in the strange wolf-man form, but the area of visible skin across his face was pale. I reached out a shaking hand, touching his blood-drenched chest. Warm, thick liquid coated my hand, oozing from the deep wound on his body. I sheathed my knife and scooted closer, laying my body across Mark’s. Ignoring all sounds around me, I concentrated instead on the body beneath me. There, faintly, was his heartbeat. I bit back a sob of relief and reached out through our bond, pushing my strength and healing into Mark.
Nothing happened at first. There was no answering response from Mark and no sense that the healing I was sending was working. I concentrated harder, reaching through not just our bond, but also the Pack bond as well. The pain in my side increased, but I ignored it, even as tears leaked down my face. Mark, please. I pushed everything I had into Mark, feeling my energy drain quickly. Blood coated my side from the knife wound, and more flowed from my shoulders where the vampires had taken bites. Everything began to grow dark, and I knew I was getting dangerously close to losing consciousness.
A hand touched my shoulder gently and I heard Jed’s voice. “Isabella, you need to stop.”
I shook my head and kept pushing my healing energy into Mark, tears dripping slowly from my eyes. “No, not yet,” I rasped.
“You’ve done enough,” he replied, pulling me forcefully from Mark. Even without touching Mark, I still shared my healing with him. “You need to stop.”
“No,” I said, ignoring my Alpha even as my sight grew dark.
“Isabella, I order you to stop sharing your healing with Mark,” Jed commanded. I stopped immediately, angrily looking up at my Alpha. “Let me help.”
I suppressed a growl of frustration, but couldn’t do anything to disobey a direct order from Jed. He reached out, touching Mark. Jed’s eyes flashed green, seeming to glow, as he pushed Pack magic into him. Mark shifted, changing from his wolf-man form to his full wolf form. The change was quick, and soon Mark’s wolf was lying on the ground. I crawled forward, reaching out to touch his chest. My hands found the wound, still a large gash, but the blood seemed to have stopped flowing. As encouraging as that was, it still didn’t relieve the worry that filled me. He still wasn’t awake. I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was strong and steady.
“He’s healing now,” Jed said. I rolled over and looked at him. He pointed at the blood flowing freely and quickly down my body. “You need to shift too.”
I stood, clutching the wound on my side. “It’s just a little blood.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “To us it’s just a little blood. To the vampires, you’re like a walking, talking, buffet. Let’s not push our luck.”
I nodded and reached out to my wolf, but she didn’t come. I tried again, struggling to let the magic flow over me. I was drained past the point of exhaustion, so much so that I couldn’t even initiate the change. After a few minutes of trying, I shook my head and sat back down on the rough ground beside Mark. “I can’t,” I said slowly.
Jed nodded and touched my shoulder, letting some Pack magic flow into me. It wasn’t much, but whatever he did seemed to slow the flow of blood from my body. “That’ll have to do for now. You’re too exhausted to change on your own, and I need to conserve my strength. Just take it easy and get those wounds bandaged as soon as possible.” Jed turned and began to walk away but I called him back.
“What happened to Henri?” I asked. The last time I’d seen him was right before I stabbed Petrivian.
“As soon as Petrivian died, he took off,” Jed replied.
“We should have given chase,” Aidan said, coming up beside Jed. He had both his daggers once more, flipping them over in his hands as he spoke. “Take out the vamps while they’re on the run and confused.”
“In case you didn’t notice, we’re in no shape to do battle,” Jed replied, gesturing around at the injured wolves.
“We can help,” Declan said as he and Ivan walked closer.
“Oh, you’ve done quite enough,” Jed said shortly.
Declan’s forehead creased and he nodded his head. “I am afraid to admit that we were caught in the vampire’s illusion,” Declan replied, his head moving as he surveyed the injured. “We have healing magic as well, if you allow it.”
Jed was quiet for a minute before nodding his head once, curtly. Declan and Ivan said no more as they moved among the injured wolves, laying their hands on them. Soon, magic filled the air with it’s choking presence. I didn’t like it, and neither did Aidan, who glared at the two wizards as they worked. Injured though I still was, I wasn’t about to let them use any more magic on me.
We had traveled far from the cave chasing Petrivian, leaving a trail of injured and dead along the way. Aidan hoisted Mark’s large wolf form over his shoulder, carrying him with ease. Those who could walk on their own power helped carry the injured as we slowly made our way back toward the cave, while a few others hurried to retrieve our vehicles. Declan and Ivan moved along ahead of us, healing the gravest injuries while Jed used Pack magic to give energy and small bits of healing to those with more minor wounds. The wound on my side still bled, but had slowed while the two vampire bites steadily trickled a stream of blood down my neck, back, and arms. I was exhausted, but remained by Aidan’s side, determined not to leave Mark. It took over an hour to make our way back to the cave, then another ten minutes to find the humans and other injured.
The first person I saw upon entering the makeshift camp was my brother. He had spotted me first, running toward me with a worried frown on his face. I had put my dress back on, but didn’t bother with the armor. It would have only made the blood soak through the clothing faster. As it was, the fabric clung to the sticky blood, adhering it to my injuries. Justin’s eyes took in the large spots of dark blood on my clothes, then they drifted to the still form of Mark carried by Aidan.
“Izzy,” he breathed, pulling me into a quick but gentle hug. “You’re okay?”
“I will be,” I said. “Mark…”
Justin was already moving, though, pointing out a spot for Aidan to place Mark. He looked him over, pulling back his eyelids and examining him. He ran his hands through his fur, looking for an injury, the frown on his face deepening. “What happened?” he finally asked.
“He was injured by magic,” I said.
“Magic? How that’d happen?”
I shook my head. “Long story,” I replied wearily as I sat down on the ground beside Mark. “He had a pretty deep wound across his chest. I healed him the best I could, then Jed forced him into this wolf form. He hasn’t regained consciousness, but his heart beat sounds stronger.”
Justin examined Mark’s chest, pulling at the fur. “I feel something here, but it’s already healing. I’ve learned a fair bit about werewolf healing, and I think he just needs some rest. Give him time, Iz,” Justin said softly. “In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest so you can heal too. Maybe you should shift into wolf form too.”
“Can’t,” I said, laying my head wearily on Mark’s chest. “Too tired.”
Justin nodded and touched my head tenderly. “Let me look at your wounds, then you can rest too,” he said.
I sighed but relented, letting my brother tend to my wounds. As I sat there, I looked around at the rest
of the Pack. John loped around the camp still in wolf form, patrolling I presumed. Several tents had been erected, and those with the most serious wounds were inside. Jed made his way among the injured, speaking softly and still lending strength where he could. He looked exhausted, but I knew he wouldn’t rest until he had accounted for every member of his Pack. Aidan took a few men with him back into the caves where more of the Pack remained, trapped behind the rubble. I could feel them there, injured but alive, as Jed sent Pack strength to them that he probably couldn’t afford.
As soon as Justin had patched me up, I settled down beside Mark, laying my head across his soft fur. Never had I felt as exhausted as I did in that moment. I closed my eyes, letting the steady thump of Mark’s heart beat lull me to sleep. John loped by again, continuing his patrol, followed by another wolf, and another. It was night, and night was for the vampires. Despite the magical contract, despite the fact we had defeated Petrivian, there was still a niggle of worry in the back of my mind. I peeked my eyes open, watching one of the humans walk by, gun held ready. I wasn’t the only one still worried, I realized. Jed walked by again, and I felt the Pack magic emanating from him and into Mark and me. He shouldn’t, I thought drowsily, my eyes closing once more as exhaustion finally won out.
Someone was touching my hair, stroking it tenderly. I was tired, but sunlight was hitting my face, urging me to wake up. I reached my hands out, searching for fur and finding nothing but grass beneath my fingers. With a jerk, I sat up, looking around as my heart hammered in my chest. Mark, back in human form, sat behind me, his hand in mid-air and his eyes wide with surprise. A smile touched his lips, and he reached back out to touch my hair again.
“Mark,” I cried, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled me to him, his arms holding me as tightly as I held him. Tears poured unchecked down my cheeks as I clung to him. I finally pulled back to look at him, wiping my eyes unceremoniously and laughing hysterically.
