2 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 2

by L. M Hatchell

  No more running.

  It didn’t take long for the arrangements to be made, and within half an hour, the entire pack was gathered outside the house. He stood before them, at his father’s side for the first time since he’d left – for the first time since Sean’s death – and he felt the weight of every eye on him.

  From the moment he was born, he’d been taught the responsibility of an Alpha, but only now did he truly understand it. Only now did he acknowledge the fear that responsibility brought, and the real reason he’d run away. He could feel the nervous energy thrumming from Phoenix as she stood behind him with Nate and Abi, and it was that alone that gave him the strength to stand tall and step forward.

  “I’ve missed you all.” He looked at the faces that had surrounded him since childhood, and his wolf sighed contently as the pack’s energy wrapped itself around and through him. “My wolf has yearned to run with you again, but I denied it out of fear. I failed this pack by running away, and I failed Sean, our Omega, when he tried to help me. The thought of failing more of you terrifies me.”

  He let the admission hang in the air, waiting for them to turn from him or look away in disgust. They didn’t.

  “I’ve come to ask something very dangerous of you, and I know I don’t deserve to. But there’s something coming that’s bigger than all of us, and if we don’t find a way to face our fears now, many people will suffer. The Council is coming for this woman” – he pointed to Phoenix – “because of a prophecy she has no part in. One she’s actively trying to stop. They want to keep this secret from the Lore and they’re sending the Mists.

  “It’s likely they will kill anyone that tries to protect her, Supe or human alike. They’ve already tried, and failed, three times. I intend to see to it that they fail for a final time. And I’m asking you to stand with me. My family has pledged their protection, and you are free to make your own choice. But our strength comes from the pack. So I’m asking you, will you lend us your strength now?”

  A heavy silence hung in the air and Ethan held completely still, his breath frozen in his chest.

  “The Alpha said you killed the vamp that murdered Sean. Is that true?” A woman stepped forward through a break in the crowd and he immediately recognised the gentle features of Sean’s mother.

  He inclined his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it for you sooner, Sarah.”

  She nodded her acknowledgement and squared her shoulders, standing tall and sure of herself. “I will stand with you against the Council and in all future battles to come.”

  Low murmurs filled the crowd, and her words were echoed by male and female voices alike. One by one, the wolves of the Donegal pack bent to one knee around him, offering their pledge.

  Phoenix bit her lip as she stared at the map that was rolled out over the marble kitchen table. The pack lands were substantial, with many of the wolves residing within the dotted boundary Cormac had marked. A large community building sat at the centre surrounded by woodlands, and they’d all agreed this was the best place to make their stand.

  “And you’re sure the Mists can’t just appear wherever they like?” she asked, her stomach twisting into an uncomfortable knot.

  Cormac gave her a grim smile. “As sure as I can be, lass. The entire boundary was warded by the local coven to prevent access to anyone we don’t want in. But once they break the ward – and they will – there won’t be any restriction on their magic.”

  Her palms turned sweaty, and she glanced at Ethan before letting her gaze rest on Abi, who stood against the wall listening intently to their every word.

  “How do we keep everyone safe?”

  “By doing the best we can.” Fia gave her a compassionate smile from the far side of the table, but her eyes were hard, determined. “There are wolves monitoring the perimeter, and the rest of us will meet at the community centre to prepare. But first, I think there’s something we need to do?”

  Phoenix looked towards Nate. He’d been unusually quiet throughout the discussion and though he appeared to be listening, his lack of contribution worried her. He was the strategy guy; he should be in his element now, but he just seemed pensive and distant. Maybe once they conducted the Ritual, it would help him focus. They could all fall apart later – if they survived.

  She nodded in response to Fia’s question. “Do you have what we need?”

  Ethan held up a small box wrapped with white rope. “Everything’s set up and ready to go. I didn’t know how much time we’d have and I wanted to make sure …”

  She reached out and squeezed his hand, swallowing past the lump in her throat as she prepared herself for yet another goodbye.

  One by one, they filed out of the house and headed for the woods. Only Nate remained behind. They didn’t have to walk far before they came to a small clearing illuminated by the sliver of moon that hung low in the sky. Lush grass dotted with beautiful white flowers covered the area. Energy filled the space, not quite as strong as the Cathedral, but similar.

  “The clearing is blessed so that we can help pack members pass,” Ethan said quietly, his shoulder brushing against hers as he came to a stop by her side.

  Before she could answer, a rustle drew her attention back to the trees and Nate stepped into view with Lily cradled in his arms. He kept his head bowed, his messy hair obscuring his eyes as he moved to the centre and laid her down.

  In her hands, he placed a faded photograph Phoenix had never seen before. Two smiling girls stared up at her from the picture, so full of life and potential that would never be realised. She balled her own hands into fists and focused on the sting of her nails digging into her palms.

  Silently, Nate prepared the herbs, shaking his head when Ethan moved to help him. When he was done, he closed his eyes for a moment, then stepped back to join the rest of them in forming a circle around Lily. Wolves of all colours and sizes appeared in the shadows of the trees, and even without a connection to the pack, Phoenix could feel their offer of strength as they stood together in solidarity.

  The air grew heavy as Nate spoke the words that were now all too familiar to her. A soft lament, different than the keening she’d heard at the castle, or at any of the other Rituals, floated on the wind. The sound was gentle and filled with sorrow, but also hope. Warmth flooded her chest and energy danced over her skin like static electricity.

  The words grew in power and the wind picked up in force, whipping her hair across her face. As Lily’s body turned to dust on the wind, the wolves raised their heads to the sky and howled. Their song mingled with the lament only she could hear.

  It was then that the large black wolf caught her eye. Its strange red eyes stared knowingly at her from across the clearing. There was something so familiar about those eyes, but the knowledge floated just out of her mind’s reach.

  She blinked, only to find a pale woman with long black hair and an unreadable expression where the wolf had been. They stared at each for what seemed like an eternity before the woman nodded and disappeared, replaced by a large black crow with those same familiar red eyes.

  The lament ended and the wind calmed. The centre of the clearing was now empty of everything except the photograph. Phoenix stared at it in confusion, then looked back towards the crow, but that, too, was gone. A sense of calm settled over her, and somehow she knew that Lily was finally at peace.

  “You okay?” Ethan asked quietly.

  She sighed, her eyes doing one final sweep of their surroundings for any sign of the crow. “We’ve had to do far too many of these Rituals.”

  He smiled sadly. “Let’s hope it’s the last. Guess we should start getting everyone –”

  All around her, the wolves froze.

  She looked at Ethan and her breath caught. Even before Cormac said the words, she knew.

  “They’re here.”

  Ethan stared at Phoenix, memorising every line on her face. Her panicked eyes met his and he swore to himself then and there that she’d survive this, even if it meant g
iving his own life. With effort, he tore his gaze away and turned to his father.

  “We need to get everyone to the community centre before they break the wards.”

  Cormac gave a short nod and set about issuing orders for the wolves to prepare. The telepathic link he held to the pack allowed him to give the rest of the wolves fair warning of what was to come.

  Phoenix grabbed him by the arm. “Where’s Nate? He’s meant to protect Abi?”

  Sure enough, when Ethan looked around, there was no sign of the shifter. The photograph that Nate had placed with Lily’s body had also disappeared. He cursed under his breath.

  “I can fight.” Abi stood tall behind Phoenix, her head held high even as her voice trembled slightly. “Nate has been teaching me, and I have some protection charms Lily made me before …”

  He gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed Phoenix’s shoulder. “I don’t doubt that you’d give half the people here a run for their money, but let’s get you back to the community centre first.”

  As if reading his mind, Sasha appeared at his side. “I can go with Abi. She can keep me safe.”

  She winked at the other girl and he laughed, grateful to his sister for helping to ease the tension. In the back of his mind he could hear the buzz from the pack, and it was only with effort that he managed to block it out enough to focus. He could tell from the tightness in his father’s posture that they didn’t have much time left.

  There were no explosions or flashes of light as the Mists worked against the wards. In fact, the night was eerily silent. But when Cormac went deathly still, he knew.

  Moments later, a howl filled the night, only to be abruptly cut off.

  “They’re through,” Fia whispered.

  “Go!” Ethan ordered, shoving Sasha and Abi towards the trees.

  All around him, wolves leapt into action, turning the clearing into a chaos of activity as everyone hurried to safety. Within seconds, only Cormac, Fia, and Phoenix remained with him.

  “We need to buy them time.” He looked at Phoenix and bit his tongue to hold back the order for her to leave; it was obvious from the stubborn set of her shoulders that she was staying whether he liked it or not.

  “If we spread out along the perimeter, we can hold them off in the woods,” Cormac said, his gaze distant as he mentally monitored the movements of the pack.

  “Okay, dad and I will take the eastern side. You and Phoenix take the western side.” He directed his instruction to Fia, allowing the plea to show in his eyes: keep her safe for me.

  His mother grabbed him in a fierce hug, then pulled Phoenix into the trees with her, not giving him a chance to say anything further. A steely-eyed nod from his dad was the only acknowledgement before he, too, disappeared into the darkness.

  Ethan stood alone in the clearing. He allowed himself only a second to focus his mind, then he was off, running through the woods to face death head on.

  The screeches started moments later, shocking him to a halt. Birds, humans, animals, their cries echoed and faded like ghosts on the wind. The utter terror caused his every nerve ending to thrum.

  They need help.

  He swivelled his head, frantically trying to pinpoint the direction, but their pain and torment was everywhere.

  Then his name, a cry for help. His own terror mirrored that of the screaming voices.

  Phoenix.

  He set off at a run again, crashing through the trees in a blind panic. But it didn’t matter which way he turned; her calls always came from behind him, always out of reach.

  Flashes of lightning hit the four corners of the compass and filled his vision with blotches of white light. He stumbled on blindly, his hands clawing at branches as they tangled around him

  Ethan!

  Cormac’s voice broke through the fog in his mind, and instantly his wolf calmed. He slid to a stop with his hand on a large oak tree and forced his breathing to slow. He closed his eyes and let his wolf’s instincts take over.

  The cries for help stopped and the night fell silent except for the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. The illusion faded away, and he felt the tug in the centre of his chest as the pack link pulled him back to reality and grounded him.

  “Impressive.” Shayan’s familiar voice drifted on the wind.

  The hairs on the back of Ethan’s neck stood to attention and a throbbing pain filled his chest. He turned in a slow circle, extending his claws as he did. He was going to make this hurt.

  Shadows wove between the trees, teasing their way towards him only to retreat again. He stayed completely still and waited.

  “I thought you’d be dead by now,” the disembodied voice mused.

  Memories bombarded Ethan: a fist plunging into his chest. Excruciating pain. Never-ending darkness. “I thought the Council would have killed you for your failure,” he ground out.

  A burst of lightning struck the tree next to him and he grinned. Guess that hit a nerve.

  “We won’t fail this time.”

  With that, the screeching came again, even louder than before. Ethan fell to his knees, hands over his ears as the piercing noise battered his ear drums. It was no use; the sound infiltrated his mind, growing so loud he was sure his head would explode.

  He grabbed for the place deep in the core of his being that tethered him to the pack and bared his teeth. But it was the image of Phoenix that forced him back to his feet, one painstaking step at a time.

  The shadows coalesced, swirling together to take the form of a man. Shayan stood before him, tanned skin now marred with healing burn patches. His golden eyes were expressionless despite the cocky smile on his face. He held his palms open and began to speak softly, the energy building around him.

  Suddenly, he stopped. His head tilted as if listening to something in the distance.

  Ethan’s instincts roared to life and he fought to hear past the shrieking that filled his head. When Shayan turned a satisfied smile in his direction, he knew: Phoenix was near.

  With a wink, the Mist disappeared and heavy fog descended over the forest.

  ***

  He ran. The only clear thought in his mind to save her.

  The fog was so thick he could barely see two feet in front of his face. With it came an unnatural silence that was almost louder than the previous screeching. He let his wolf guide him through the trees, trusting the instincts of the beast more than those of the man.

  He tried desperately to reach his mother through the pack link, to warn her Shayan was coming, but it was as if the fog had coated him in a blanket and blocked him off from the outside world.

  After what seemed like an eternity, he broke the treeline, only to find himself back in the clearing where they’d started. Shayan stood in the centre with Fia snarling at him on one side and Phoenix looking equally as feral on the other. Both were poised to attack, but the Mist appeared unconcerned.

  Not breaking his stride, Ethan barrelled into Shayan from behind. The Mist stumbled but quickly regained his footing. With a single word, Ethan was flung sideways against a tree.

  Fia and Phoenix took that moment to attack, their movements lethal and beautiful to behold.

  It gave him the split second he needed to climb to his feet, but before he could do anything to help, spidery tendrils of shadow slipped from the trees and combined to form a woman.

  She wore similar robes to Shayan and her tanned skin was also mapped with raw, red burn marks, hers significantly fresher. Her golden eyes assessed him with cold calculation before she once more disappeared.

  The first slash of the dagger came from his left, the gleaming blade aimed for his throat. He stumbled away and sliced upward with his claws, only to meet air.

  Her next attack was lower and from the right, intent on gutting him. His quick side-step limited the damage to a superficial slice, but again she disappeared before he could retaliate. He growled in frustration.

  Luck and instinct afforded him a minor win when she rematerialized in front of him
just in time to meet the slash of his claws.

  It didn’t stop the dagger in her hand from plunging into his side, however. Or the solid roundhouse she sent to his knee, causing his leg to buckle with a sickening crunch.

  Maj stood over him, seemingly oblivious to the blood soaking her chest, and raised her hands to the sky. Lightning brightened the night and coalesced into a ball of blue light surrounding her hands. She looked back at him, her golden eyes glowing, and he knew he was well and truly fucked.

  The air crackled with building power and somewhere in the distance, he could hear Phoenix scream his name. He braced himself.

  A loud growl came from the forest and before Maj could focus her energy, a huge white wolf rammed into her side. Teeth and claws attacked her unrelentingly, driving her back.

  She flung the blue ball of light at the wolf, scorching its side and filling the air with the smell of burnt flesh. The wolf simply bared its teeth and leapt for her, its powerful jaws locking around her forearm in a vice grip.

  Pain tightened Maj’s features, but she didn’t cry out. With what seemed like effort, she faded to shadow and dispersed on the heavy fog.

  The wolf stood panting for a moment, then turned to look at him, blue eyes filled with an intelligence and familiarity that stopped his heart.

  He’d only ever known one wolf to look like the one before him. That wolf was dead.

  Ethan gritted his teeth and pushed up to standing, all of his weight on the right leg. Tentatively, he stretched out a hand, convinced what he was seeing had to be an illusion. But before he could reach the snow-white fur, the wolf turned and bolted into the forest.

  The sounds of fighting filled his ears and everything pulled back into sharp focus. He turned back towards his mother and Phoenix just in time to see Cormac break through the trees on the far side of the clearing.

  Shayan evaded a strike from Fia and pivoted to take in the scene. Three wolves and one pissed off hybrid stood before him. Obviously not favouring the odds, he disappeared in a blink, leaving them all staring at each other warily.