Chapter 89
Try as Tmight, I was unable to reachi Dorothy through our mind link. Hud no way of knowing if she was safe or not.
We were close to the battle by then. Will had the van streeching to a halt on the Southern border, just outside of the forest where the haule raged beyond. Lused the Alpha mind-link to reach out for Angie instead, hoping that she would be able to tell me exactly where Dorothy was and if she was alright.
If the fighting was going down to the South of our territory, it cally made sense that her and the other members who could not fight would be somewhere to the North of the war. Why then, could I not hear her?
“Angie”
Least my mind out and was able to hear the tumultuous thoughts of my pack as they fought against the Tally soldiers. Things dain’t seem to be going very well. They needed laackup immediately. Things it seemed, had not gone according to plan
“Angie” I tried again, more desperate this time as we climbed out of the back of the stinking van. “Can you hear me?”
Plato and the others had all healed well enough to light again. My wounds were still aching slightly but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep me from joining the light. No injury would keep me away from protecting my people. I had been gone too long already. They needed me.
Imally, I got response from Angie who sounded frantic and confused. She had never felt me in her mind before. It was something I was able to do as an Alpha but chose not on. Delving into someone’s mind is a very pe rvonal affair that | reserved for only my mate
But the situation was dire and I needed to know what was going on. Angie spoke through her mind and I felt her fear from afür. “Ignatius? Ignatius, where are you? We need backup. They ambushed us, we can’t hold out much longer. Gideon.”
“Slow down,” I tried to keep my toe calm, to not reveal to her the fear and panic that I felt in my own chest. “Where exactly are you? What’s going on over there?
“We had a plan” her thoughts and words tumbled over one another as she spoke to me. I realized she was fighting as we spoke, somewhere out there in the trees she was wrestling with Tally shifter.
They took down one of our teams and now they’re coming for us. The rest of the pack is out on the open field fighting them head-on. But we don’t have the numbers. Without the element of surprise we’re done for
“I’m on my way. I swallowed hard “Where’s Durothy? Is she sale?”
“Safe?!” Angie’s voice betrayed her guilt. “No, she’s not f ucking safe. Im so sorry Ignatius. She insisted, I couldn’t exactly make her stay behind.”
“What are you saying?” My fingers shook as I ran a hand through my hair. “Angie, where is Dorothy!”
“She’s in the middle of it. She led the army down into battle herself, I haven’t been able to replace her since.
I was already shifting as I answered her. Tor burst out of me with a vehement howl. Now everyone would know that the Alpha was back. Dorothy needed to know that I was back, that she was going to be okay. Wherever she was
“I’m on my way, Angie, Just hold on, okay? We have a plan.” I dared towards the trees and Plato, along with my new friends followed suit. “This isn’t over yet.”
-Dorothy-
The deeper 1 tread into the forest the quieter it became. Even the shimmering beams of the moonlight above my head wasn’t able to pierce through the darkness of the forest. The trees clustered overhear and sealed off the sound of the raging
Chapter 89
Not a single breath of wind blew through the woods. The air was still and muggy, uncomfortably hot even in the depths of winter. I could hear my own padding footsteps, the crunch of dead leaves underfoot, and nothing else.
No creature stirred in the shadows, it was as if they had all caught wind of the battle and chose to get as far away from the cursed area as possible. My natural instincts were telling me to do the same But still, I pressed on through the dark.. following the faint scent of Johan’s deceased flesh. No hint of that ci nnamon and treebark of his old fragrance remained.
The man I stalked was a stranger to me, something so unfamiliar in everything but name. I stepped cautiously, straining to see in the inky blackness. It was as if some giant creature lurked in the forest and enveloped the trees in its dark folds.
1 became aware of the odd sensation of deja vu. I had been here before, I had visited this dark hellhole countless times over in my dreams. I had been stalked through the woods by a creature I couldn’t name, I remembered the gaping jaws, the needle-sharp teeth that awoke me from my nightmares over and over aggrin.
Only this time, I wasn’t dreaming. And the only thing awaiting me after those jaws supped shut was a painful death. I was on high alert, stepping slowly and carefully as I went along. All the while I was aware of Jolan, somewhere beyond my line of vision, waiting for his moment to strike.
We could sense cach other, more so than just with scent alone. It was like we were inside each others heads. I could feel him probing into my mind, feeding off of the stricken fear he found here.
I in turn could feel his own evil thoughts. I glimpsed into the dark wold that was Johan’s mind and it proved darker than the woods that I crept through. It was an infectious darkness, a numb, cold empty space.
It seeped into my bones and made me falter in my step. I was afraid. I feared for my own life and that of my children. I was afraid for my pack and for my friends who were out there somewhere in the silent woods. I feared for my mate who would pot survive another brutal loss.
Beneath that fear though, was a herce determination. An unshakable will to live. I recalled every traumatic memory and let it drive me onwards. I thought of my parents, of my mother whose face was still blurred in my memories.
I remembered their sacrifice and Rita’s attempts to protect me. I would not let any of those acts of kindness have been in vain. I owed it to all of them to see this through. To survive.
I paused as I reached a small clearing Small beams of moonlight shone down on me and illuminated the area. It was a tiny piece of heaven in the darkest of places. I felt safe there, bathed in that silver glow. I looked up at the clear night’s sky and felt at peace
But something was stirring in the woods ahead of me. Something large and heavy, a creature straight out of my nightmares I could hear his heavy footsteps like his paws sunk into the ground as he approached. I could hear his labored breathing, a grating wheeze as he sniffed at my scent. His hacking cough, his rumbling growl like the sound of distant thunder.
A storm was approaching me in the form of a monstrous man. A wolf who had abandoned the laws of nature. I could see his glowing eyes watching me from the shadows. They floated like two flickering candle flames beyond the dark shadows that draped the trees in an inky veil.
Those two floating orbs grew larger as he stalked me. I was exposed in that small shimmering clearing. But I would not move. I had been here many times before, and this time, I would not turn away.
I drew my power from the light of the moon itself, praying to whatever g od was up there to grant me the strength to do what needed to be done. I felt the silver light dancing over my skin the same way I had seen my own glowing energy radiate from the palm of my hands.
I wondered how I hadn’t realized it sooner. This ability was said to have been a gift from the moon goddess. Both a blessing and a curse to the people who were able to wield it Cur powers came from the moon itself.
I could feel it pric kling along my skin as my b*dy grew stronger, as I welcomed it in. I felt my wounds beginning to heal. skin knitting back together under bloodied fur. I was safest there in that small clearing. I was strongest bathed in the light of the full moon.
fed my heavy head that gradually grew lighter as my strength was restored. I felt my children twist in my belly, kicking and twitching as if they too sensed the creature that stalked us in the dark.
Chapter 89
Traised my eyes in face those two glowing orbs and stood my ground as Johan stepped into the light.
If you replace any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report