Wolfsbane: The Wolf Within

by Bethany Shay Porteous

  When his hand cupped my cheek, it warmed, and I felt my lips part as I gasped a little at the sparks on my skin. The air was thick with tension, an unanswered question. Did he want me to say yes? Please don’t ask me, I pleaded mentally. Just kiss me.

  If he asked, I would overthink it and no doubt come to a crazy conclusion and back out.

  Just kiss me.

  I wasn’t sure if he could hear my thoughts, or maybe he knew I wouldn’t say anything. As if he was testing my reaction he slowly leaned in, his eyes darting from mine down to my lips and back up again. As he came closer I gained some courage and met him halfway and our lips came together like two pieces of a perfect puzzle.

  I was violently pulled from the safe and happy memory as Salem wrapped his icy cold fingers around my mind and hung on for dear life as my family tore at my body with their magic. Now that I was no longer distracted, the full force of pain hit me and an earth-shattering scream echoed so loudly through the dungeon, I almost didn’t realize it was coming from me.

  It felt as if layers upon layers of my skin were being torn off—as if someone were thrusting their hands into my body and probing, searching.

  If I must go through this, then so do you! Salem snarled.

  I grit my teeth and tried to go back into my happy place, where I couldn’t feel the pain. Memories of Aiden and I usually did the trick, especially the earlier ones. Where we had both been so awkward and tentative around each other. The date at the movies, our first kiss… our first time together… calmness came and went just as quickly as Salem roared loudly within my mind.

  “Her fingers twitched!” someone shouted and in the same instance something sharp stabbed my upper arm and I cursed violently within my mind as what felt like lava trickled into my veins. I could feel the sweat pooling—heck, I was soaked in it.

  “We’re going to need to take a break soon,” Stella panted. “I can’t keep this up much longer. We’ve been at it for hours.”

  “We’re getting closer though,” Sienna said excitedly. “You can feel that thing now. We couldn’t before, and you can tell he’s getting desperate.”

  “Evelyn is doing well,” my father said breathlessly. “She manages to avoid the pain with her mind. Even now she uses her magic—until that thing drags her back into it all.”

  “When I finally see what it is….” Hannah threatened. “Taking it a part will be the biggest honor of my life.”

  “We all need some rest and food,” Stella said. “Evelyn also needs to regain her strength for a while.”

  “I’ll stay here with her,” Aiden’s voice rasped.

  “We’ll bring you some food Aiden,” Sienna said softly.

  I could hear everyone’s steps filter from the room and I wished I could get up and look at Aiden, to hold him in my arms and kiss him. Whatever they had injected me with was quickly spreading through my body and any sort of feeling I had been having quickly disappeared.

  “Evelyn,” Aiden sighed. “I know you’ll be in a lot of pain right now… I wish I could make it go away for you.”

  I know, I thought.

  “It kills me to see you like this,” he said after a pause. “Every time they hurt you I want to rip them to shreds. I know this is for your own good—it’s the only thing that stops me.” He went quiet again and I yearned to reach my hand out and stroke his arm, to comfort him. I was doing the one thing I hadn’t wanted to do this whole time—I was putting Aiden under more stress because of my problems, as always.

  “I was thinking about the time we first met,” he said to me and if I could I would have smiled at the memory. “I’m sure you remember that.”

  As clear as day, I thought to myself.

  … “I can’t believe it’s you,” his voice was wondrous as he got off his position on the balcony and I watched as he seemed to get taller. Suddenly I felt awkward, coming up to his chin and having him still holding my hand.

  This was strange and frankly shouldn’t be happening.

  He was a wolf, I knew that. I could identify one quite easily—their teeth gave it away.

  “I’m not sure—You seem to think you know me, I’ve never actually been h-here before…” as I slid my hand out of his I crossed my arms behind me and took a couple of steps backward, so I could clear the cloud forming in my head.

  He frowned a little, looking surprised. “You don’t know what we are do you?” I cocked my head in slight confusion, not following. “I know you’re half-breed, I can smell it… I didn’t realize your wolf was so dormant.”

  I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and I looked away.

  “I’ll never forget how beautiful you looked in that red dress,” he murmured and tore me from the memory at the same time. “You took my breath away the moment I saw you out there, looking into nothing. I wanted to know what was going on inside that mind of yours—even now your eyes are a window into your soul and I still struggle to see everything.”

  You see everything Aiden, I thought tiredly. I just make you believe you don’t.

  “You’re so different from that girl on the balcony,” he murmured. “In a good way—you’ve only grown into who you are… and you still are growing. I know we need to give you more space to do that as well. We do smother you.”

  You do.

  “I just wish you could have told me—felt like you could have told me what was wrong without having to run away,” he said sadly. “Although, obviously seeing firsthand why you did that I can understand… but we still could have found a way through it Evelyn.”

  It was all well and good to say that now, hindsight is always a wonderful thing. They wouldn’t have been prepared though—Salem would have attacked in an instant and not had time to defend themselves.

  “Once this is all over… I hope that we can move on from all this Evelyn… and you realize that you don’t have to wear the weight of the world on your shoulders. You can come to me with anything—nothing from you is a burden Evelyn.” He went quiet a moment and I yearned to reach out and touch him, to comfort him. “I love you Evelyn,” he told me softly.

  “I brought you some food,” Sienna’s familiar voice echoed through the room softly. “You really need to eat Aiden.”

  “I know,” he mumbled. “It’s just unfair. I want to do more to help her….”

  “Just being here helps her Aiden,” Sienna said calmly. “Unfortunately, that’s all you can do right now. You’re going to be able to do more after, when she’s really going to need you there as well. This will have huge impact on her after—regardless of what she says, or if she says she’s fine.”

  “I’m worried she’s done serious damage to her wolf,” Aiden admitted. “Hannah’s mom was near certain she’s lost any ability to shift.”

  “I know,” Sienna murmured sadly. “Unfortunately, Evie didn’t realize that she was tearing at her wolf and not that thing inside her.”

  “It’s going to shatter her,” Aiden exhaled. “She wanted a wolf.”

  “She’ll find a way to get past it though,” Sienna said confidently. “Evelyn takes everything in her stride and just keeps moving forward, you know she does.”

  “How much should she have to take in her stride though?” Aiden snarled. “She’s already gone through so much and now this, of all things!”

  “Relax Aiden,” Sienna instructed. “She can’t have you being angry, she’ll no doubt experience that herself. You’re going to need to be the calm one for her.”

  “Calm,” Aiden reminded.

  “Exactly,” Sienna said. “Now they’re going to come back in within the hour and get started. Are you sure you’re still up to be here?”

  “I’m not leaving her,” he said firmly.

  “Good,” Sienna said.

  ∞

  “You can’t defeat me!” Salem crowed into my mind. “You’ll never win Evelyn! Never, you are weak and worthless! You have no power! Danyeela and Tatiana will destroy you and this pack!”

  GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I
cried in agony as my family ghosted their way through my body, chasing the shreds of Salem. I could tell they had to be getting close now, the pain was becoming extreme and all I wanted to do was grab my hair or hit something and I couldn’t. It was frustrating and agonizing.

  My father’s hands on my head seemed to increase in pressure and I swore my skull cracked a little. I was hearing an awful popping in my ears and I felt someone had carved my head in two. I was being held up by my family, all of them touching some exposed piece of me, cleansing my body.

  Hannah and her mother were reading from their Grimoire and with each word I felt a resounding tug inside of me, a painful one.

  I was regaining my vision now, the room was blurry, but I could make out shapes and I knew that Aiden was in front of me, just behind Hannah and her mother. I could feel the angry energy practically pulsating off him and I knew it was taking every bit of restraint he had not to tear every person in this room a part.

  “Evelyn is getting her sight back,” Aliyah panted.

  “We don’t have much time left,” my father grunted. “I’m grasping it, I just need to focus. Everyone follow my aura, focus on that heat and hold onto it. That’s it.”

  “Oh Morgana!” I screamed bloody murder.

  “Hurry up!” Stella hissed. “She has her speech back!”

  I could feel Salem rising within me once more and panic raced through me, he was going to try using me again now that I was regaining my skills.

  “Oh Morgana,” I cried painfully. “Hurry, hurry, he’s coming!”

  “Who?” Jasmine yelped.

  “Salem!” I roared.

  The way he rose through my body—it felt like I was being suffocated—but it was different to the times when he used to come forward. This time was more aggressive, and I’d never not been able to breathe before! I gripped the chains that wrapped themselves around my body and began to squeeze, trying to find a way to relieve the rising pain.

  “He’s coming!” Aliyah shouted.

  “Aiden get out!” Jasmine ordered. “Now!”

  As each link of Salem tore from my body I could feel myself growing lighter, the dark heaviness slowly making its way into nothing—like it had never existed. He was trying everything in his power to hang on, to cling to any part of my body but my family were too strong for him, it was too late for him now.

  He was finished.

  As I thought the words Salem was sucked out of me and I had my sight back, full use of limbs and I cried out as I saw Salem lash out instantly.

  Sienna went flying back into a wall, knocked unconscious.

  My father struck out straight away, shielding Salem’s next victim—Stella. My father’s power shot out a white light and Salem stumbled a moment before his black mist clashed with my father’s and the pair battled aggressively.

  When Phoenix and Gabriel jumped in, Salem used only one hand to shield his side and it was then I knew he was beyond powerful. He was battling three witches at once and hardly looked stressed about it.

  The sight of Sienna on the floor and Aliyah and Stella standing over her, ready to defend her had my blood boiling. It wouldn’t end like this, I was not going to lose myself again and I wasn’t going to lose any members of my family either. The chains still clung to me, but I could hardly feel the sick silver burns that had felt so heightened.

  Grabbing at the chains I tore them out of the wall, as effortlessly as ripping off a band aid. I had my magic and I knew what damage it could do. I had proved that last time and no one was going to stop me from using it. I would protect the people that I loved, the only way I possibly could.

  I wasn’t a wolf, I couldn’t shift.

  I was a witch, a powerful one and I needed to embrace what I was and not what I thought I was supposed to be.

  Stella and Aliyah watched with wide eyes as I rose up from the chair and I no doubt looked like something out a horror movie, given how filthy my feet looked I knew I couldn’t say much else for the rest of me.

  Salem was so intent on my father and my brother’s that the moment I whipped the chain up in the air and flung it at him he went down instantly, having no time to defend himself. The chains at my command, wrapped themselves wrought around his throat and hands and for the first time I could see his panic and his fear.

  He was no longer the one in charge.

  With each step I took toward the parasite, the chains tightened themselves and I had a moment of sick satisfaction as I watched him struggle. The shoe was now on the other foot and Morgana, did it feel good.

  As I bent down level to his face I examined the intense hate and fear in his eyes and I shook my head at him.

  “Say hello to Danyeela and Tatiana,” I said calmly. “They’ll be joining you soon.”

  Before he could hiss any of his vile at me, I closed my eyes and cringed as I heard the chains snap his neck, the wheezing and choking disappearing in an instant from the room. Slowly, I blinked my eyes open and looked down at the cause of my torment—and not just mine but many more before myself.

  I blinked up at my father and my brothers who stared at me blankly before I glanced over at my half-sister who lay on the floor, Stella fawning over her while Aliyah bit her lip.

  “I’m sorry,” I uttered out into the bleakness of the room.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “What were you thinking?” my father admonished. “Keeping something as dangerous as that a secret from your family? You could have been killed!”

  “Cornelius,” Stella said softly.

  “She thought she was doing the right thing!” Jasmine defended. “She was scared.”

  “Hindsight is always a good thing after the fact,” Gabriel interjected. “Let’s just be thankful it didn’t end worse!”

  I took the berating like I knew I should. I understood why he was so angry with me—heck, I was angry with myself. But I had been scared and under the influence of magic I didn’t understand or grasp at the time. Now having ended Salem, I knew what power I was capable of and I knew I could use it. I had to use it.

  Morgana told me I had a job and I needed to fulfill it—for everyone’s sake.

  “There is something else,” I murmured into the room and I felt Aiden tense beside me.

  “What?” Stella asked calmly.

  “When I was out of it… when Salem was in control, I met—this is going to sound insane,” I mumbled. “Morgana came to me.”

  The room was silent for a long of time and I could feel myself cringing at how I sounded as well.

  “Sorry Evelyn,” Stella soothed. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that when I wasn’t in my body… I met Morgana. The Moon Goddess,” I waved my arms. “Whatever you want to call her. I met her, and we talked—she has a job for me.”

  “A job?” my father asked.

  I looked around the room to see who thought I was off my head. My siblings hung off my every word, all looking just as intrigued. Sienna was nursing a few injuries but she too looked curious. Grace and Trey leaned up against the wall, both sharing skeptic looks. Hannah’s eyes were lit up and she grinned at me.

  The Luna and Alpha shared a glance with one another before that same glance was shared between my father and Stella.

  Aiden’s hand tightened on mine.

  “You’re saying you met Morgana… and she told you she had a job for you?” My father asked with a frown. “What kind of job?”

  I sucked in a deep breath and peeked at Aiden before exhaling. “She wants me to take out Danyeela and Tatiana.”

  “What?” Aiden growled beside me.

  “She says I’m part of a prophecy and I’m the only one who can do it. When they found out it was me… they kept Salem in my mind. It was all by accident—if I had never helped Charlotte I never would have been on their radar—at least not so early…” I looked around the room helplessly. “I have no choice in it. It’s destiny.”

  “Destiny to risk your life to kill her daughters?” my father demanded
. “Why doesn’t she get out here and smite them, if she’s the powerful one.”

  “Cornelius!” Stella hissed. “Don’t you dare mock Morgana!”

  “Dad,” I started softly. “I have accepted it and I only need to kill one of them anyway. The two are connected, if one dies so does the other. I need to connect with my wolf. Morgana says I won’t be ready to end them until I can shift.”

  “Have you heard from her yet?” Grace asked me. “Your wolf?”

  “Not yet,” I sighed.

  “She’s probably still coming down from everything,” Alpha James told me. “She’ll be back Evelyn.”

  “So, we need to train harder!” Trey clapped his hands together.

  “Evelyn,” Hannah squeaked. “You and I—we need to do more magic together.”

  I nodded at her, I had already planned on organizing that.

  “Wait,” Aiden cut in and stood up. “This isn’t right and I’m not happy with it. You’re not going to risk your life—”

  “Aiden, I don’t have a choice,” I sighed. “If I don’t kill them, they’ll only kill me anyway.”

  “I won’t let them near you!” he rasped.

  “Aiden,” Grace scoffed. “Be reasonable. They’re immortal witches who have been around for centuries. I’m sorry, but what can you possibly do to stop them from getting to Evelyn? It’s better that she be prepared and ready for what she’s about to take on. Don’t you agree?”

  “Grace is right,” Alpha James announced. “We can sit here and play on how wrong this is or we can be prepared and ready for it.”

  “It’s all easy for you,” Aiden snapped. “It isn’t your mate about to risk her life. I finally get her back and that thing out of her head and now I must make peace with the fact I could lose her again. Oh, but it’s okay because it isn’t the girl you love.”

  “Aiden,” I said softly as I stood up.

  “I’m going for a run,” he groaned as he ran his hand down his face. “Alone,” he clipped as Trey and Josh took a few steps.

  “Aiden,” I repeated, grabbing his arm.

  “I just need to think Evelyn,” he mumbled as he removed my hand from his.