Now I stood as a shell of a person who once was, but might never be again. The choices I made tonight could unmake me forever.
Behind my eyes, I saw as Blake saw, running with increased speed and strength toward the garden he'd seen before.
It was a private garden, locked within old stone walls. He slowed his pace and looked around for others.
Bushes rustled to his left, and when he turned, a black-as-night wolf, larger than the one I'd destroyed, jumped out at him and tackled him the ground.
The coven sent him more power as he fought the wolf, evading tooth and claw, seeking an opening with his knife. The beast lunged forward and tore into Blake's leg, and I felt the pain as my own. Gritting my teeth, I channeled, and our power wove through Blake's muscle, mending it, weaving it back together. The wolf leapt back and growled. Super human strength pitted against a beast filled with magic. The fight could favor either of them, so I pushed more into Blake to give him an edge.
As he and the wolf came face to face, I could see into the wolf's eyes and my heart raced. The eyes, so familiar, like I'd looked into them before.
Flashes of the other wolf played through my memories. His eyes as a wolf and his eyes as a boy as he turned into the human shell that collapsed on the kennel floor.
My body shook from the inside out, and my power slipped away from me, dissipating into the night.
TWENTY SIX
He Jests at Scars
DEREK
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
THE NIGHT AIR filled with smells and tastes in my wolf form. A hunger to hunt, to kill, to punish, filled me. My father knew the choice I had made, and he let me make it while the others stayed to guard the roses and my brother.
The scent that stood out the most had been this man. His scent had been on Dean when we found him dumped in the cold on our property, like trash.
His scent had also been at the cabin after the fire.
This man had hurt my family for the last time.
I jumped him in the shadows, expecting some level of power from him, but not expecting such strength and speed. Certainly not expecting him to heal as fast as I could injure him.
He carried only the one knife, but he used his body as an even deadlier weapon, blocking me and throwing me against the trees. Even in wolf form, I couldn't heal as fast as him.
He taunted me with his abilities, which made me think they weren't his naturally.
"You can't win, wolf. I'm not alone."
He confirmed what I suspected, and I dodged him and dove to the side, leaving him to his own mission as I found those responsible for this attack.
He was a pawn in their game.
I wanted the queen.
TWENTY SEVEN
Known Too Late
ROSE
too early seen unknown...and known too late
— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
THE BLACK WOLF approached us with a violent howl. Our circle scattered as he charged in, snapping at coven members with his razor-sharp teeth.
When he saw Mother, he dove for her, pinning her between a tree and a boulder. We had so much power flowing into Blake that most of the witches had almost nothing left. They backed away, unable to do anything to fight against a large, magical wolf-Druid.
I wished I'd confronted Mother about her relationship with David O'Conner, at least then we might have known more about their powers and limitations. Instead, we knew precious little.
Mother fought the wolf with what little power she had left, calling forth the earth to push against Derek, but the attack only stung him, and he moved in for the kill.
I stood behind him, facing Mother, my palms sweaty with fear and dread.
Mother called for me, and the last wolf attack continued to play in my mind, as if on a loop. Mother calling, begging me to help.
"You must use your powers. You have to stop him."
But that wasn't a memory. Mother once again wanted me to kill. To destroy life, even though it went against all the values of what being a witch meant. She reached into my mind and spoke to me, prodding me into doing her will.
I hesitated, and the wolf lunged, biting into her leg. Blood seeped from fresh bite marks.
Mother screamed in pain and begged me to help her.
The wolf snapped at anyone who tried to approach her, but I was behind him. I knew I could touch him and end this.
And end him.
Magic swelled in me, that darkness that always fought to be free finally found its way out.
My hands lit up with heat, the energy of fire to burn and destroy.
The same energy that had killed Sandy and destroyed Derek's cabin.
I took a step.
Then another.
The power needed a way out. I could no longer contain it.
I touched the wolf, ready to unleash the darkness, ready to take a life.
It's time I took control, I'd told Ocean, and this was me, taking control, ending this feud.