Fate Stained - Part Two
Chapter 18 - Battle Of The Beast

Something wasn’t right. I released Jayce’s hand and sat up suddenly, earning a concerned look from him.

“What is it?”

“I— I don’t know. I can feel—”

I concentrated on the sensation vibrating through one of my bonds. I thought for a minute that it might have been my father.

Dad. You ok?

Yes, I’m fine…but I felt it too…

“Quinn, what is it? Is it— Kyanite?” Jayce asked, his face screwing up as if Kyan’s name left a sour taste in his mouth.

“No. Something is wrong though, I think it’s Flynn”

I tried feeling for my brother’s bond but something seemed to be blocking it.

Flynn. Are you ok? Answer me please.

Nothing.

“He isn’t answering my link” I muttered.

Jayce shrugged his shoulders.

“He was going back to Moira’s clinic to work on the connection with his animal, maybe they made a breakthrough and that’s just what you’re feeling”

“Perhaps…”

Jayce’s deep, dark eyes stared back into mine and his features softened slightly. It appeared Flynn wasn’t the only one making a breakthrough. Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak, a pained cry tore through my link, the sound so deafening I grabbed my head in agony.

QUINN! I CAN’T— I CAN’T FIGHT HIM—

I screamed as the words smothered my senses before my bond with Flynn was cut again. What the hell was going on? Flynn’s voice was wild, almost taking on the savage edge that it had back in Hell.

I was on my feet in a heartbeat and Jayce followed suit, his concerned face urging me to tell him what was wrong. I didn’t have time to explain, my body shifting into my wolf instantly. With a nod of his head in silent understanding, Jayce did the same, his body breaking and contorting, his fierce black beast springing to life in front of me. But I didn’t have time to bask or marvel in the Alpha’s glory, my brother needed me.

In a flash of silver and black, Jayce and I tore through the compound, earning gasps and shocked stares from pack members. We passed Cameron and without a second glance he also shifted into his wolf and followed close behind - if we were running into battle, then so was our Beta.

What is it? - His voice broke through my link.

Flynn.

There were no more follow up questions, that was enough for Cameron. If my brother was in trouble then nothing was off limits.

Dominic’s cabin quickly came into sight and Flynn’s scent strengthened, taking on a different edge. Jayce and Cameron sensed it too and with a quick nod at each other, the Alpha and Beta peeled off to take opposite sides of the building.

I slowed down slightly and honed my senses. Anger, rage, frustration, arousal…and fear. The smells overwhelmed me, most of them coming from Flynn; but the fear - that came from someone else.

Fern! Jayce, Cam…It’s Fern.

Got it.

The sound of screaming and glass smashing made my ears prick up and I closed the distance between myself and the cabin within a second.

I’ve got her. East side.

I turned to the East of the cabin and breathed a sigh of relief as Cameron trotted over to me, a terrified but seemingly unharmed Fern, clinging to his side. She was dressed in nothing but a white nightdress that I recognised as one of my own. What the fuck was she doing here dressed like that? Was she fucking stupid? Did she have a death wish?

Fern’s eyes widened as she saw me walking over to her. She stared at my wolf in disbelief, taking in my size, ghostly silver coat and ice blue eyes.

“Quinn. I— I’m sorry. I thought— I just thought if I was mated then my father wouldn’t— Oh Goddess! I really screwed up”

A low growl tore from my chest as I snarled at the tear stained redhead, my lips peeling back over my gums showing off my razor sharp teeth. She’d come here to seduce my brother, even after our talk last night. How fucking dare she? After everything I’d told her, all the help and support I’d promised her.

I stalked closer to Fern and snarled again. She flinched, cowering into Cameron’s side.

“Quinn. Relax, I’ve got her. You go replace Flynn”

The sound of Onyx’s voice momentarily drew me from my focus on Fern and I turned my head slightly to see the Panther Queen approaching with Kyanite by her side. Another brief wave of anger brewed within me but I realised this was aimed at Kyan. Rogue, being mainly controlled by my wolf right now, growled again and the hurt in Kyanite’s eyes was obvious.

Down girl, I soothed, he is here to help.

The brief silence was cut short when an almighty roar filled the compound. My head shot up and Cam, Kyan and myself looked towards the cabin. The sound hadn’t been Jayce, that meant it had to have been Flynn. The roar came again, the ground beneath us vibrating from the force behind it.

“What the fuck was that?” Kyan asked in almost a whisper.

Without giving myself a second to consider the options, I barrelled towards the cabin - Cameron’s wolf and now Kyanite’s panther, hot on my heels. The front door didn’t stand a chance. Splinters and chunks of wood flew everywhere as the three of us burst into the cabin, but the sight that greeted us was one that not even I could have comprehended.

There was a beast, a monstrous shifter that stood before us. If it wasn’t for the ceiling in Dominic’s cabin then the creature would have stood at least twelve feet tall, but as it was, it had to bow it’s head slightly to be able to fit inside. My eyes took in the golden beast - the body of a bear, the head of a wolf, the claws and fangs of a panther.

Flynn was a Tribrid.

It took me a second, after the initial shock partly wore off, to realise that Flynn’s beast wasn’t looking at us. I followed his line of sight and if my heart hadn’t stopped in my chest before, then it certainly did now.

Jayce was in the small living room of the cabin. He was no longer in his wolf form and was elevated a couple of feet in the air. His arms were outstretched at his sides and his eyes staring straight ahead at Flynn.

Jayce! Goddess, are you ok?!

Don’t fucking come any closer, Jayce linked me immediately, I was trying to get through to him but his animal subconscious has almost all but taken over. Quinn, He is going feral.

Is that your brother doing that? We need to do something…

No! - I replied to Cameron’s pack link - Jayce said not to move, he is trying to get through to him.

My wolf huffed as she struggled to watch her mate fight against Flynn’s power. His fists were balled at his sides and a large vein pulsated in his forehead.

“Flynn. I know it’s hard to fight against, but you must never let the animal fully take hold. You’ve got this, reign it in”

The beast snarled and Jayce’s body tensed, his muscles spasming slightly as if an electric current passed through them.

Quinn—

No! Just wait.

Cameron’s wolf snorted impatiently, shifting his weight from side to side. I knew he wanted to help his Alpha but I also knew he couldn’t betray my order to not intervene.

Flynn growled and shook his head violently. I knew he was fighting his animals and from experience, I knew that fighting three animals was harder than fighting just one. I knew Jayce was trying his hardest to help my brother and to get through to him but in reality, it would make more sense if it was me that tried to break through.

Flynn couldn’t mind link Jayce, they weren’t of the same pack and shared no kind of bond. The fact that Jayce and Fern were still alive proved that Flynn still had a level of control on his animal, if he had gone feral then we wouldn’t be standing here like the stunned mullets we were now.

But, if I did try to communicate with Flynn and alert him of my presence, then would that potentially put Jayce’s life in danger? I had no idea what kind of power he had as a Warlock, no one did.

Quinn. If you don’t do something fast— you may have another mate but this pack doesn’t have another Alpha!

Cameron’s mind link cut deep. My wolf winced. Did he really think I would ever jeopardise Jayce’s life? Two mates or not, I would never do something like that. Ever.

“Flynn. You are strong, you’ve fought for your life for the last seventeen years, don’t let the inner beast be the thing that destroys your humanity. You’re better than that!” Jayce growled through clenched teeth.

His body spasmed again and my wolf whined. I stared at my brother and even though the sight before me was terrifying, it was also breathtakingly beautiful. Magnificent gold fur covered the towering creature’s body, his ice blue eyes glowing with a luminosity that that reflected the magical energy that flowed within him.

But I knew in that moment that Jayce had it all wrong. He was appealing to Flynn’s human, urging him to fight the animal that thrived inside. Normally this type of thing would work but nothing about Flynn’s situation was normal. His human and his animals weren’t bonded, they weren’t connected. The only thing they shared at this point in time was their body and their mate and right now the body was that of his animals with no sign of a human in sight. Jayce telling Flynn to reign in his animal was only going to piss his animal off more - instead, he needed to appeal to the beast - to Pieter.

Taking in a deep breath I reached out to Rogue, and I knew instantly when I felt her whine back, that she was on board with my plan. Unlike Flynn, my animals and I were one; we were in sync and a united force. If anyone was going to be able to get through to Flynn, then it was me…but not in my current form.

Jayce. I’m sorry but I have to do something, trust me. Cameron, shift back to your human and tell Kyan to as well, I need you both out of here and protecting Fern if this doesn’t work.

I didn’t give a chance for either Alpha or Beta to argue, blocking their replies to my link. Closing my eyes, I reached into my subconscious and welcomed my panther and bear to join my wolf. There was no resistance, all three animals moulding into one as my body cracked and contorted, my bones snapping and realigning until Flynn wasn’t the only monstrous beast that stood within Dominic’s cabin.

Without a second’s hesitation I lunged forward, the sudden movement drawing Flynn's attention away from Jayce and towards me. There was a half second where the golden tribrid’s eyes widened. I could see the moment that my brother recognised me, he knew exactly who I was and however fleeting, the glimmer of relief behind those crackling blue irises didn’t go unnoticed.

But I still tore towards him, not giving the beast a chance to harm Jayce. Flynn had a choice, either kill the Alpha and risk me tearing him to shreds, or release him and take on the only thing in this compound that was even close to being a threat.

When Jayce’s body fell to the ground I knew Flynn had made his choice. The towering creature turned towards me and his jaws opened, a blood curdling growl filling the cabin as his blue eyes narrowed and locked with mine.

Fucking game on.