Payment To the Alpha
Chapter 52

Avery's POV

"NO!" I screamed as I ran up to James. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he tried his best to shake his head. But with even the slightest of movement, the thorns pushed deeper into his skin. Crow turned around, and a smile grew on his face. A smile that could make the bravest shake with fear.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" He asked as he scanned me from top to bottom.

Making me shiver in disgust.

"Let go of him!" I yelled, walking closer to the man I was here to kill.

"By all means," He said and released his control of the vines. I looked over to Natasha floating in the air, and immediately the memories of her mother came flashing in my mind.

"Her too," I said sternly.

Crow laughed and closed up his open palm, leaving Natasha to fall to the ground.

I ran up to James and got down on my knees. Wrapping my arms around his, helping him back up on his feet.

"What is your plan?" James asked me. Worry and anger the most evident emotions showing in his eyes. I take it, Natasha has told him.

I gave him a lopsided smile and let go of his arm, stepping up to Crow.

Crow raised his hand, and as if someone pressed a mute button, everybody on his side stopped what they were doing. They all backed up, leaving our warriors and myself equally confused.

I watched as Natasha got back on her feet. Worry was swimming in the pool of her eyes as she looked at me. All warriors were gathering behind me, keeping their eyes locked on Crow.

James took a few steps forward. His hands balled up into fists. But as he was about to reach me, crow flicked his hand, and James flew back. He was caught by Alex, whose eyes were black. He was covered in blood and had bite marks up and down his arms.

"This is between you and me," Crow said as he looked at me.

I nodded my head before turning to James. His eyes were glowing, and his canines were showing.

"It's okay," I said with a smile.

I could feel their energies around me. Everybody was tense, waiting to attack once more.

I turned my gaze back to Crow. Trying to keep my face as void of emotions as possible.

"Speak," I said. Shocked by the authority in my voice. As was he, but only for a second before he covered it up with a sickening smile.

Crow raised his hand and gestured for someone to come forward. From behind him, many familiar faces were shown. I gasped in shock as I watched my old family step forward, all of them looking disgustingly proud, except for Isabel, who didn't know what was happening. She waved her small hand at me when she saw me, and my eyes lit up when I saw her toothy smile.

Another girl was walking beside her. She was younger, and she wasn't happy. She was looking down on the ground, sucking on her thumb. I didn't recognize her.

"Melody!" I heard someone yell. I looked to my side and saw Sebastian running towards the little girl.

Her face lit up, and tears escaped her eyes when she saw him.

"Daddy!" She screeched and ran towards him.

Crow held his hand up, and Melody froze, mid-track, one foot of the ground.

"ENOUGH! If you want anything from me, you will let her go. Children are not to be harmed. I am here now, and as you said, this is between you and me." I shouted and stared at Crow, befuddled at how he could be so heartless. Crow scanned my face, and he must have seen that I was serious because he let her go.

Melody ran into the arms of her father, and he lifted her. He turned to me and mouthed 'Thank you,' before walking away.

I gave my baby sister a weak wave, hoping she wouldn't be caught in the middle of something. Perhaps she already was. I continued watching the crowd of people stepping forward. I knew many of them.

But then my eyes landed on a face I thought I would never see again, Liam. The guy I thought was the love of my life. The guy that cheated on me and broke my heart.

I saw Crow studying my face as I watched everyone come and stand beside him. I couldn't hide my shock. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't mask it as the others can.

Liam, however, didn't look happy. He looked miserable, as if he was in pain.

His eyes were pleading, and I could tell that he wanted to say something. But before he could, my mouth opened, once again without me giving the clear.

"You're a werewolf?!" I blurted out.

Liam gave me a weak smile and nodded his head. But he didn't speak. He opened his mouth to say something, but one look from my father had him close it again.

Crow stepped aside, leaving my old family in front of me. He flicked his hand, and my father fell to his knees, screaming in agony. My mother and Isabel looked at him in shock.

"What are you doing?!" My mother asked Crow as she ran to my fathers' side. Isabel is only a child. She shouldn't have to see this.

Next, Crow flicked his hand again, and my mother fell beside her husband.

Isabel was fighting to keep back the tears. She was shaking in fear.

"Please stop! What is happening?" She yelled in a high-pitched voice. Her tears streaming down her face, and she didn't know what to do.

I saw Crow giving me a look and then looking at my sister. I shook my head violently. He wouldn't...

"No," I said in a gasp.

"You know what you need to do," He said.

My parents were screaming on the ground, and I couldn't care less about them. But they were good to her. They were good to Isabel. She didn't deserve to lose her parents.

He was about to flick his hand.

"NO! I'll Do It!" I screamed. My eyes were on my little sister.

When she saw me, she ran up to me. Her white hair was in a low ponytail, and she swung around as she ran.

"Not yet, sweetheart," Crow said and snapped his fingers. Isabel fell to the ground.

"NO!!" I yelled as I ran up to her. Her small body laying on the ground. I put my hand on her neck, hoping to feel a pulse. My hand was shaking as it touched her warm skin.

I sighed in relief when I felt it. She was breathing.

I looked at Crow with such hatred and stood back up on my feet.

"She's just a child!" I screamed.

"So was Natasha. Children are stronger than you think," He said, and I looked back. I saw Natasha staring daggers at Crow.

"They are still children." I said.

"Let them go!" I pointed to my parents, who were now lying down and spasming in pain.

He raised his hand, but what he did only inflicted more pain as they became quiet. Their mouths and eyes were wide open.

"They're dying, Avery. What's your plan?" He asked me.

It was too late to think of another way. I was reaching for the syringe in my back pocket. But before I could grab it, Crow let Isabel's parents go. Saying my parents sounded so false because they weren't.

I let my hand fall back down and watch as they gasped for air on the ground.

"Let's leave, shall we?" He said and extended his hand.

"NO!" I heard James roar from behind me. I looked back and saw him shifting into Blade.

He ran towards us. Flashes of my nightmares came playing on repeat in my mind.

This was exactly how it happened. At that moment, right there and then. Everything moved in slow motion. I looked back at Crow, who raised his hand, a smile on his face. The same smile he had in the room the night he killed Natasha's mom.

Blade was sprinting, ready to attack Crow.

I'm sorry, James. But you can't die.

I turned around and saw Blade lunging himself from the ground. When he was about to jump over me, I raised my hand. I don't know how I did it, but I moved my hand, and Blade flew several meters away. Landing on the ground.

Everybody looked at me in shock, and as if someone pushed play, everything moved faster than ever. Crow waved his hands around, creating flames. They swirled around him, looking like waves on the water, but instead of harmless water, it was a deadly fire.

Crow pushes forward his hands, sending the tree high flames towards the...packhouse.

Oh no.

I gasped and looked in shock as the flames moved faster than I could run. I saw them reach the house, but they were stopped, unable to get through. Natasha had put up a barrier.

The fire laid itself like a blanket across the force field, pushing it in. A smile grew on my face when I realized that they weren't going to burn down the house.

But just then, as it seems to happen a lot, my smile dropped. I saw the fire igniting the grass from underneath the shield. It was making its way in from underneath.

I looked around, trying to replace Natasha, and when my eyes locked with hers, I saw that I wasn't the only one replaceing this odd. She shook her head, and her eyes were wide in disbelief.

Crow was focused on the fire. I had to do something.

'Are you ready?'

Ready for what? Who is this?'

'Are you ready to show them who you truly are?'

Xena?

'Yes,'

I'm ready.

It felt as though my body was on fire from the inside. Every bone in my body breaking and dislocated. The screams coming out sounded nothing like my own.

This was unlike any pain I had ever felt before. I felt myself grow. I felt my bones extending and my head shifting.

I heard that this process could take a long time, but as if Xena sensed the hurry, I had shifted.

I looked down at my paws and saw that they weren't white. They were silver. The sun shining on them made them glisten.

I looked around, and everybody was staring in shock.

They look so small,

'They aren't. I'm just huge.'

Let's go.

Xena took off and ran towards the packhouse. She was moving so quickly and graciously, and I couldn't believe what was happening.

Xena, the barrier!

'I think it's time you learn who you are too. Once we're through, it's up to you.'

She said and jumped off the ground and right into the barrier. I was prepared to be hit by a wall, but Xena flew through the barrier, shattering it into pieces as I did in my dream.

The barrier being shattered, however, didn't only mean that we got through. It meant that the fire did too.

I shifted back as soon as Xena's paws landed on the ground. I looked up and saw the fire circling the house, clinging to the walls.

Rage and fear for the people inside the house washed over me, and I reached down to take the syringe. Only to realize that I was naked. I didn't have it.

'Out with your arms, Avery. Embrace your powers.'

I stretched out my arms and relaxed as much I could. I felt a surge of power radiate from inside, bubbling up like a volcano ready to erupt. A light started to surround me, and my hair was blowing across my face.

I looked at Crow. His eyes were, for the first time, wide. He was shocked, and he couldn't mask it.

I used my hands and called for the fire. I called for the flames to obey me. I circled my hands, collecting the flames in a tornado. I searched the masses looking for him, for James. I saw Blade's eyes looking at me.

"Bring me my pants. There is a syringe in it. I need it." I said quietly. Blade ran towards my clothes and picked them up with his teeth, making his way to me as fast as possible.

Crow was busy trying to take control of the fire, and he was almost succeeding. I clenched my jaw, feeling drained already, and tried to stay focused.

Blade came up In front of me and shifted. James took out the syringe and held it up.

"Avery, what is your plan!?" he growled.

"Do you trust me?" I asked him. His eyes searched mine for a second before he nodded his head.

"Then I need you to put the syringe down and move away." I said In a whisper. I didn't have much energy left. And James must have noticed. He placed the syringe down and moved to the side.

I made eye contact with Crow, knowing that I will only have seconds before the house was submerged in flames after I let go.

I gathered the last of my energy and rippled the tornado before releasing my hands and bending down to take the syringe. Crow regained power over the fire, and it started surrounding the house.

I took the syringe and removed the cap, looking at James one last time. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was starting to know what I was doing.

"I love you," I whispered to James and then plunged the needle into my neck. Pressing out all of the liquid and letting it enter my veins and my blood system. The syringe contained Lobelia extract.

It makes you lose focus for a moment, and losing focus when you're a witch, could be your doom. Natasha had told me about it some time ago, and I remembered it. It was perfect for my last resort plan.

I took out a knife from my sweater and placed it on the ground. I watched as the flames died down because Crow couldn't concentrate. I shifted back into Xena, and she picked up the knife and ran up to Crow.

Once there, I shifted back and picked up the knife. I held it by my side.

"What have you done?!" Crow shouted.

I stared at him, waiting for him to realize it on his own. And when he did, his eyes flew to mine, and he raises his hands. But the lobelia made it hard for him to concentrate, meaning he couldn't perform even the simplest of magic. One thing I

didn't consider in my plan, however, was the other wolves. As I raised my hand and planned to plunge the knife into him, a wolf started running towards me. Blade thankfully tackled him, and another fight broke out. The war wasn't over, and because of the Lobelia, I couldn't use my magic either.

Crow stepped back and let his followers do his bidding.

I gave Xena control, and we join the war.

I saw Chase running towards me as I was fighting another wolf, and he jumped, shifting midway.

I smiled on the inside when I saw him again. He has been such a good friend to me this entire time.

He bit down on a wolf that jumped at him and flung him away. He was about to come to me when I saw Liam running towards him, shifting into his wolf and tackling him to the ground.

He stood above Chase and bared his teeth, biting down on his neck.

Xena bit down on the wolf's snout, making it whimper and back away. She proceeded to lunge at him and bit down on his throat until he stopped breathing.

The entire scene still too gruesome for me to cope with.

Two others came running towards us, but our warriors were faster. They got in front of me and fought the two wolves.

To my relief, Chase got back up, and Liam's wolf whimpered as blood spilled out of him. He tried getting back on his feet but was too weak.

Liam came towards me as another wolf lunged at us. Xena dodged his attack and walked up to Chase. Then again, another wolf, a smaller brown one, tackled Chase again. The wolf looked at me while she had Chase pinned to the ground.

The warriors were surrounding me, helping to fight those attacking.

I saw in the cracks between the wolves that Chase and the other wolf fought gruesomely.

Once again, the she-wolf was the one who whimpered and stayed down, and Chase jumped from the ground and into the circle.

But unlike what I thought this reunion would be like, Xena started growling at him.

Stop it. He's our friend!

'No. He's not.'

The warriors fought around us, and I felt a stinging pain coming from behind. Xena looked back, and I saw how a wolf had his teeth dug into her back. Chase's wolf looked Xena in the eyes. She was wounded. But instead of helping, chase only stood there. He stared at us, his chest heaved out, and then he looked up and released a loud howl.

Everybody stopped what they were doing. Chase looked back at me, and the warriors turned around. Xena growled again and turned her head, biting at the wolf whose teeth were still digging deeper. As Xena tried reaching the wolf and kicking her hind legs, even worse pain came from her neck. She looked back at Chase, and he had his teeth in her neck, forcing her down.

Chase, what the hell...

'Told you, Avery. He's not a friend.'

Xena whimpered as she was pushed down to the ground by Chase's wolf.

Growls and howling were heard from all around as our own were walking closer to us. But when Chase dug his canines deeper into our skin, they all stopped.

Why are they stopping?

'Because, if he puts more pressure, we'll die.'

Xena said. Her voice strained. I felt my head getting groggy, and like a slap to the face, I could feel Xena's pain. All of it at once, from one second to the other.

Oh no...

I gasped.

Chase removed his teeth, and I shifted back to my human form. Lying on the ground. Bloody and bruised. I couldn't move.

I watched as Crow moved up to me, his feet moving slowly. I looked around and saw the pain in everyone's eyes. They all know. They know that I have to be the one to kill him.

That only I can do it. Leaving them with no control of the outcome.

I looked around more until my eyes landed on a shiny object only a few inches away. It was the knife. I looked at Crow, who was standing by my body.

"THE WAR HAS ENDED!" He said aloud. People clapped their hands and cheered, Crow laughed, and my pack looked like they were tortured. Which, in a sense, they were.

I saw Crow looking at all the people joyously laughing and 'whooing' and took the chance to reach for the knife.

I extended my hand, but another few inches away from the knife, I saw a body laying, barely breathing, blood spilling down. It was Sofia. She was the wolf that tackled Chase.

She tried to save me.

We made eye contact, and she saw what I was reaching for. She pushed her foot out, touching the handle of the knife. Her face scrunched in pain as she pushed me the knife with the last of her powers. I grabbed it and held it tightly.

It's too late to use the knife on Crow. I'm too weak. He would win in an instant.

'You share the same lifeline,' I remembered the words Natasha's mother had spoken to me.

I used the last of my energy, calling for every single drop of it, and got up on my feet.

I could barely stand, barely hold up my own weight. But I needed to.

Crow turned to me, and his eyes fell to the knife. He started laughing and shaking his head.

I reached out and held the knife, with the blade pointed inwards, towards me.

He raised an eyebrow and took a step towards me.

"You'll die, you stupid girl."

Everybody stared at the knife that was about to kill the Wizard. I looked Crow in the eyes, and I was glad to see fear swimming around in them. The silence was eerie, and I heard gasps and screams from all around.

"Maybe, but at least we'll be rid of you." I said. And then I plunged the knife into my stomach.

"NO!" I heard at least five people scream. But I wasn't in the right state to look for whom the voices came from.

I saw how Crow doubled over, clutching his stomach with his hands. His hands were red with the blood that is spilling out.

We share the same lifeline. Except for one big difference,

"What have you done?! You killed yourself!" He said as he fell to the ground.

"Except for one thing," I said. Slurring with my words.

"I'm a half werewolf, you dick," I said before I felt myself fall completely.

I looked over and saw the life slowly leaving Crow's eyes, but before it did, he spoke his last words to Natasha, who was standing by my feet.

"Does she know?" He asked. A smile tugging at his lips, a weak one.

"Does she know you made the soul contract?" With those words said, his eyes rolled back, and he stopped breathing.

I looked at Natasha. Her emotions are no longer masked. She was Terrified.