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“The loss of a friend is like that of a limb; time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired.”
–Robert Southey–
Finn
By the time we park and run to where I sense the rest of my pack, it’s late afternoon again. I stop us under a rather large tree, and peek around it. Lucas is in the middle of a valley, Lucrezia by his side. They’ve got their fingers interlaced, and opposite them is Cade with his pack of Reapers.
“Shite.”
“What is it?” Elle asks.
“Cade brought everyone.” This’ll be a problem, given we’re still outnumbered.
Elle’s soft gasp tells me she also just noticed their numbers. “How are you going to fight against them all, Finn?”
“With a wee bit of help, hopefully.” I look up at the skies, but thick clouds cover them. Then I look closer – just earlier this morning it had been crazy sunny. And do I taste anger in the air?
Yeah, we’re definitely not alone.
The affirmation reassures my wolf, and I wrap my arm around Elle’s waist, pulling her closer to me. “I need you to be really careful,” I whisper, so the words don’t get carried by the wind. “Don’t forget the Reapers want you – need you, in order to raise Declan.”
“Maybe it should’ve been me down there as bait, then.”
My breath steals at the idea, as I picture her in so much danger. No wonder Dominic lost it.
“Absolutely not,” I say. “I’m going to be pulled away from you as soon as this starts, so I need your promise that you’ll get out of here, with Lucrezia, as soon as you can.”
Elle looks up at me then, and nods. “I swear it.” One hand lifts to cup my cheek, and she pushes up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against mine. “Come back safe to me, please.”
I bury my head in her neck one last time, inhaling her scent – something to keep me grounded. Then I release her, and crouch low. I look within for the wolf, allowing him passage through me. My body changes, hands morphing to paws, limbs to back legs, and before long I’m standing in wolf form next to my girl.
Elle’s soft hand pets my head, and I nibble at it with affection. I’m not a dog, love.
She chuckles softly, catching my meaning. “Sorry. Force of habit.”
Rolling my eyes, I focus back on the scene unfurling below. Cade splits from his pack with two men, and heads closer to Lucas. From our vantage point, we can hear – too well.
“Got yourself a human whore, Lucas?”
My alpha’s growl is loud. “Watch yourself.”
“What?” Cade’s eyes widen in fake innocence. “Wasn’t she with that blondie of yours? Or is it that you like to share?”
“Fuck you!” Luz spits, and I see Lucas trying to jerk her hand, to hold her back. But my redhead friend never did have a filter. And judging by Cade’s narrowing eyes, the distraction is working. I just don’t know what Lucas is waiting for.
We’ve got them here.... What the hell is he waiting for? I can sense Dominic, barely restrained, in the area, as are Tristan and Dani. What’s the holdup?
I get my answer soon enough, and wish I hadn’t. Lucas takes a step forward, one hand held up in a gesture of peace. “Can we quit the childish behavior, and talk like men?”
Cade shrugs, then crosses his arms over his bare chest. “I suppose I can afford to humor you.”
“You’ve always had your own agenda,” Lucas says. “And God knows I’ve tried to keep the peace between our packs. But it’s obviously not working, and given we live in the periphery of the same town, we need to compromise.”
I’m going to fucking kill him.
That threat comes from Dom, and I look around, half-afraid to see him pop out of the woodworks and tackle Lucas to the ground. Elle sees me scanning the area, and kneels next to me. “Go, if you have to. I’ll stay here until I see an opportunity to drag Luz away.”
I can’t leave you.
Elle seems to get my meaning, as she drops her forehead to my furry one. “I’ll be okay, I promise.”
Dom’s anger is getting way out of hand, permeating the air everywhere. It won’t be long before a Reaper catches his scent. At a loss, I look up to the skies, hoping Elle catches my drift.
She nods. “Tytus is up there, I got it. Now, go.”
I nuzzle her hand one more time, then take off. With each step further from her, I’m praying she’ll stay put, as she promised.
∞ ♦ ∞
It doesn’t take me long to find Dom. Dani and Tristan are fighting him off, trying to stop him from going after Lucas.
He wants a fucking truce!
Dom, quit it, Tristan says, butting him with his head. You’ll blow this whole thing.
That’s my mate down there!
I step in, trying to calm him down. And he’s our alpha. Give him a minute, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll step in.
Dominic bows his head, and I think he’s ready to listen. But the moment after, he shoves Tristan away, jumps over Dani, and he’s gone down the slope to Luz.
Well, bollocks. I look at Dani and Tristan. We might as well start the attack.
Elisandra
Sticking around would have been nice. That is, if she hadn’t taken over my body the minute Finn walked away. One moment I’m crouched behind the tree, the next I’m standing and moving forward. What the hell?
Move your ass, already! Her impatience makes me even more wary about what she’s got planned.
How many times do I have to tell you I’m not trying to hurt you?
No, you just want to take over my body. In an effort to push her back, I focus on the ground, refusing to move. It works. For a bit.
Now you’re just being stubborn.
Luckily I’m still hidden from view. I glance up at the sky, noticing the darkening clouds. As Finn pointed out, someone’s up there. Tytus! I open my mouth to scream, then realize I can’t – not unless I want the Reapers to catch me. Fudge fudge fudge!
Wow, you can’t even swear properly.
Shut up!
Then she’s moving us again. At least I’m even closer to Lucas and Lucrezia. Cade’s eyes are narrowed on them, and he’s got a palm held up.
I don’t realize why at first. In fact, I’m too damn slow on the uptake for my own good.
“Lucrezia, duck!” Lucas shouts and pushes her to the ground.
The two Reapers behind Cade attack in unison with runes. Jets of light hit Lucas, and he curls into himself, as if absorbing them. I’m afraid they’ve killed him when he freezes, going completely immobile.
Cade and his men share a look, and Lucrezia doesn’t move from her spot. She glances up though and sees me, her eyes widening. Luckily, she’s the only one.
Then Lucas straightens, and somehow seems even larger than before. He snarls, and some birds take flight at his rage. “You fucking coward!”
The next moment, he’s lunging in the air, morphing into a gorgeous russet wolf with grey, ashy and black stripes, and lands on Cade. Another zap of magic hits him, but Lucas seems immune. Lucrezia is staring, stunned, at the spectacle, then manages to get herself to her feet.
Stumbling, she heads in my direction. I look to the forest behind me, doing as Finn did – a low whistle, praying the púca will answer to me, as it did my boyfriend. Nothing happens, and I turn back to Lucrezia, motioning for her to hurry.
“We need to go!”
She looks behind, hesitating. Lucas is grappling with Cade, two more wolves jumping on his back. He throws his head back and howls, a rippling sound, and more wolves emerge from the woods – ours.
I recognize Finn’s ashy coat, and the others in black and dark charcoal I assume are Dom and Tristan. This really makes Lucrezia stop, especially when she notices her mate.
Grabbing her hand in mine, I tug at her. “There’s nothing we can do! Dani will help them.”
Luz turns to me then, and her eyes widen. “Watch out!”
Before she can drag me out of the way, a stabbing agony ripples through my arm. I stumble towards her, but the pain comes with. One look behind shows me a Reaper, in human form, stabbing my shoulder with some kind of elaborate knife. Behind him are three more wolves, having snuck up behind us while we’ve been busy arguing.
Darn, darn, dammit!
Luz moves to my side and side–kicks the Reaper with the knife, sending him stumbling backwards. The movement rips the knife out of my shoulder, drawing an agonized groan out of me.
The guy tackles Lucrezia, but she’s giving back as good as she’s getting. Meanwhile, one angry wolf lunges on me, sending me flying back.
Rolling over, I notice Luz has incapacitated the guy, and is trying to come to my aid. But another wolf steps in her way, separating her. Then the one who’d tackled me comes closer, forcing me to back away – right into the field of war.
I look at my bleeding hand – and the world around me narrows. The wolves’ snarls, yips, clashing of bodies on bodies, none of that exists anymore. My heartbeat is the only sound, growing louder and louder in my head. I’m vaguely aware of magic – and then more, and more aware. It’s permeating these wolves, but also in the forest.
Dani.
Her jabs of light keep the wolves safe, including my wolf. My Finn.
I inhale sharply, and the scent of burning fur and blood is strong in my nose. My neck cracks from side to side, as though weighed by an impossible barrier. Above us, the skies open, and down flies Tytus – drawing closer, and closer.
Fire. Blazes. Flames.
Burning hot, and hotter around me... The wolf threatening me crumbles to ashes. Flames erupt from the ground, but they don’t come near me, shying away instead of hurting me.
What the hell are you doing? Her voice, for once, is panicked.
And I think I know why. You don’t want me using magic.
That’s absurd, she says. You can’t use magic.
And maybe I can’t. But the feeling coursing in my veins, the rumble in the pit of my stomach... Everything slows. My bloody hand digs in the ground. I try to hold on –
More. More. More. Use the power, use it all...
The voice is male. Unknown. But I cannot deny him, the impulse stronger. Teeth gritted, I clench the earth, then throw my head back and look at the skies. Dark clouds gather round, right above my head, and then the rain starts.
Euphoria fills me, like I’ve never felt before.
Finn
It’s a bloody freaking mess.
The moment we emerge on the battlefield is the moment Lucas howls, calling us to his aid. Dominic shifts course, trying to get to Lucrezia – whose scent is on the borderline, now. But a group of Reapers blocks his way, enticing his growl.
Tristan, on my right, equally meets his match. The Reapers are soon burned down, courtesy of Dani watching over us in the woods.
Good thing for your mate, I tell him.
I know, but it looks like Cade’s been busy turning humans.
One glance around confirms he’s right, given the number of Reapers increased since last time. I take this moment to see where Elle is, and catch sight of her way too close to the battlefield for my comfort.
Lucas then jumps in front of us, startling me. Negotiations are over, he says. Kill everything that moves.
I share a look with Tristan, the same thing going through both our minds. About damn time!
We rip and claw our way through the throng of Reapers, trying to get to Cade – who’s conveniently always in the middle of a group of them. Lucas seems to be filled by an insane desire to rip everything apart, as he’s making more of a mess than all of us combined.
On my way to ripping a wolf’s throat out, I catch something in the air – fear. Then another – panic. I finish the wolf and pivot on my paws, trying to see where the danger is coming from.
Dom is close to the edge of the woods now – single–mindedly trying to get to Lucrezia. I don’t blame him, she should be out of here already, not facing Reapers. Where the hell is the púca?
I throw my head back and howl, demanding its presence, focusing all my thoughts on it. The shadows in the forest shift, and it’s finally here, its mystical scent easy to catch. Get the human out of here!
A wolf jumps on my back. I grow too distracted, and Dani can’t keep all of us safe. I roll on my back, tossing all my weight on him. When I get back up, I notice Lucas disposing of three more. Tristan has increased his bulk to three times its original size, and he’s stomping and exploding heads wherever he steps.
I turn my attention back to the púca. Elle. Where’s Elle? She’s no longer with Lucrezia, who’s now fighting a Reaper. I know my girl wouldn’t have left her alone, unless ––
Feckin’ hell, did her alter get to her?
Then the skies open above, and Tytus swoops down. I glare up at him. Why the hell did he wait this long?
The answer comes soon enough. A vibration in the earth, a crackling in the sky... Reapers move aside, also trying to see the reason for the change in the air. It’s Elle – on the battlefield now, bleeding from her shoulder.
I run towards her, killing Reapers on the way. Tytus throws fire to surround her, protecting her from anyone not looking to get themselves scorched. It’s definitely Elle, and not her alter. Even this far away. I can see her eyes are still hazel.
Then midway, Tytus changes his course – his head is pointing in the wrong direction, to the woods.
NO!
Tytus’ roar, Lucas’ shout, none are as loud as what I hear next. A howl that tears through the forest, and stops everything in its track.
Tytus swoops down, burning half the Reapers with one blow of smoke. Lucas is running across the field, desperately trying to get somewhere.
But it’s Dominic – Dominic’s pain, his agony, his desperation – that I taste closest. And it’s to him I turn – in vain.
He’s frozen, staring at the gory picture in front of him.
Elisandra
The buzz of everything fades away, replaced by the sounds of the fight again. Then, cutting over everything else, something that makes my breath catch in my throat.
I hear an impossible howl, and look behind me. Lucrezia's impaled by a Reaper’s claws, gasping for breath. It’s the same wolf she’d been fighting with, the same one she’d rendered unconscious. But he’s now standing facing her, one hand turned into a claw, the rest of him completely human.
Dominic, in the distance, snarls again, and slams into the Reaper trying to block his way. Then he tears two more, ripping their throats as he makes his way to Lucrezia. I stand immobile, protected by Tytus’ fire.
The Reapers takes a step back from burning fire, and I notice its source. Dani is behind Dominic, panting, tears streaming down her cheeks. She catches Lucrezia as she falls, and Dominic joins them, shifting to human form as he runs over.
With a cry of agony, he pulls Lucrezia into his arms, holding onto her, refusing Dani’s help. She crawls away from them, resting against a tree. Sobbing, she lifts her hand and draws a single rune, clothing Dominic with a pair of jeans.
I become aware of the scent of burning ground – Tytus has drawn a line of fire behind us, stopping any Reapers from breaching it. Lucas and Finn have crossed over, Tristan now by Dani’s side, whimpering. They’re still in wolf form, jaws bloody, heads bowed in grief.
Tears clog my throat with each step I take. Luz smiling, her help, she’d been a friend... I gasp at the sight of her wound, half her organs missing. Unable to stand, I drop to my knees, holding my bleeding shoulder.
“Iubirea mea, no...no, don't do this!” Dom's sobbing, rocking her body. “You cannot be taken from me.”
“Dom...” Luz’s eyes open, and she lifts her hand to his cheek. “I.... I’m sorry. I meant forever, please believe me. But I love you, always will. Remember that.”
When she closes her eyes, I feel my own heart bleeding. But Dom's roar... He looks up, blindly, and his eyes settle on me. I think he’s about to berate me for leaving her, for being the cause of her death, but all he says is, “Protect her with your life.”
I'm afraid to agree, afraid of what he'll do once I take her body off his hands... But I don't have it in me to stand in his way. So I move closer, putting my bleeding hands on her stomach, in a stupid effort to stop the blood flow.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dominic leap through the flames. It’s only then I realize Lucas was no longer with us, having gone back to the fight. I assume Dom goes to help him...
But when I look up, through the flames, it’s not what I see. Without thought for his life, Dom attacks his alpha from behind. Lucas throws his head back, shouting in pain as scratches show on his back. Then he turns to Dom, panting.
Dom jumps him again. Lucas tries to evade, but he has no choice but to protect himself. A gust of wind draws my attention away from them. Tytus crushes the forest behind us, landing over trees without a care in the world.
Then he’s human again, running towards us. His features are filled with pain, an anguish I’m not used to seeing on him. He drops to his knees beside me, and pulls me away from Lucrezia.
“No... Dom said to... protect her...” The sobs clogging my throat erupt, and I can’t stop it. Tytus draws me to his chest, and I swear I feel his tears on my bleeding shoulder.
I lose sight of the battle then, until Finn comes to me, pulling me from Tytus’ embrace and taking me away from the scent of loss and death.
Finn
“What happened to Lucas? To the fight?”
I glance at Elle, curled up in the passenger seat, tears streaking down her beautiful face. My own anguish is raw, my chest clenching. I feel everyone’s pain, unable to separate it from my own. So it’s with a thick voice I say, “Cade took off with the remaining Reapers he had. Presumably back to his witch, and intending to turn more humans. Me and Tristan managed to separate Dom and Lucas. Tristan went to take him home, and Dani was trying to heal Lucas, last I saw.”
She gulps, and her grief is also palpable. “Why did Dominic attack Lucas? Why not me? I was the one who left Lucrezia alone.”
“No, love.” I reach for her hand blindly, desperately needing to feel something. “Dominic saw everything – saw you being pushed away. From the moment we entered the battlefield, the Reapers didn’t matter to him. He was trying to get to Lucrezia.” I pause, clear my throat, “And Lucas, he blames him because he’s the one who brought Luz there in the first place.”
We arrive at my house, and I go to open her door. Her steps are tiny, her hand clenching mine as we head towards it.
I open the door and lead her inside. She's apprehensive, I can taste that much in the air. But when I touch her lower back, a zing of electricity goes through both of us. Elle stops moving, turning her head over her shoulder to me.
And that invitation, I can't resist. Not after this battle, not after being so close to losing her, too. Not anymore.
I drop my mouth to hers, and end up pushing her against the wall. She moans, arching her back, pressing into me. My breathing speeds up, and blood rushes to one part of my body. It presses into her, insistent.
My hand goes to hers, placing it on the wall beside her head. I glance at our interlaced fingers, panting, trying to find a semblance of peace of mind.
This isn’t right. Not now. Not when we’ve lost one of our own.
“Elle...”
“No talking,” she says, and turns in my arms. “Not tonight. Not after what I saw with Luz and Dom. I want to enjoy this – you – while I can. No more hesitations, not when life is this short.”
A rumble of laughter runs through me, so at odds considering what we both witnessed. I don't know what we'll face tomorrow, but I'll be damned if I let this slip through my hands.
So I dig my hands into her mane, releasing it from her ponytail. Then I angle her head up, and drop my mouth to hers. Elle surrenders, and I taste its sweet taste, fueling me on.
Picking her up in my arms, I walk us both to the living room. The couch is the nearest place, and I drop on it with her straddling me. Heaven is Elle in my arms, her mouth on mine, her body so close. Torture is the slips of clothing separating us, which I start taking off.
Elle helps me with her shirt, and mine, revealing her beautiful goddess body. My breath stutters when I lay eyes on her, for the first time wishing I was taking my time with this, with her.
“There’s time for slow later,” she whispers, as though reading my mind. Then her hands go into my hair, tugging on it. “Right now, it’s you I want, Finn.”
Her eyes are darkened by desire, but they’re still the sweet color I know. No grey in sight. No alter, no second thoughts, it’s just us. For this, I’m thankful as I take off the remnants of her clothing and push my jeans down my hips.
Elle then drops her mouth to mine again. It’s like we can’t get enough of the other, of feeling this connection, of breathing each other in. When I finally thrust into her, I stop, looking into her face, memorizing her features as she takes me deep.
She smiles, a flush staining her cheeks, and rocks against me. Pleasure shoots to my core, and I grit my teeth so this doesn’t end faster than it began. Then Elle drops her forehead to mine, her hair a curtain around us.
“I can’t live without you,” I whisper, and pull her mouth back to mine.
I'm drowning, drowning so bad...