“Yes, but it’s just going to take all his awesomeness to do it. Volcan has grown stronger. Having Jewel and Anna by his side with his blood intermingled with theirs is empowering him. With every witch made, he will only continue to gain morepower.”
The storm continued to rage around them as Thad worked. Everyone else was doing the same thing as Nick, standing and staring, no doubt wondering if their hopes had beeninvain.
Chapter12
“I love country music from the 1990’s. Yes, I realize it was before my time, but there was just some seriously awesome love songs made by country singers during that decade. The lyrics are simple, but their meaning is powerful. As I watch Gustavo slowly unravel because he can’t get to Anna, I realize just how much I want to be loved. I want to be loved like that, a man coming undone because he wants to take care of me, protect me, cherish me, and loveme.” ~Kara
“What’s he doing now?”Heatherwhispered.
“You know he can still hear you, right?” Crina asked with a smallsmile.
“That’s not the point. The point is I feel safer if I whisper,” Heather said, stillwhispering.
Kara stood behind Heather who was sitting next to Stella on the ground, leaning back against the large fallen tree trunk they’d been using as a bench. Crina stood behind Stella, her eyes narrowed. They’d been watching Gustavo for the past couple of days. He would go from anxious, when he wasn’t communicating with Anna through their bond, to near uncontrollable rage, when he was communicating with her. He wouldn’t tell them exactly what was going on with her, but Kara got the feeling Anna was experiencing excruciating pain because Gustavo would sometimes double over in pain himself. It was heart wrenching towatch.
Adam was on constant alert, and she didn’t know the last time he had slept. He was at least eating each time the pixies brought them food, so he was getting sustenance, ifnotrest.
“Are you concerned about Adam?” she askedCrina.
Crina looked at her mate, and Kara saw in the wolf’s eyes the love she felt for him. “He says he’s fine. I have to trust him for now. If at any point I get the feeling that he’s going to collapse, I’ll knock him out while you threedistracthim.”
“I heard that,” Adam called out, obviously not feeling the same need to whisper thatHeatherfelt.
“I wasn’t trying to keep it from you. Just remember that I will do it if I must,” Crinasaidback.
Gustavo suddenly roared, sounding more like a lion than a wolf. Heather stood up straighter and took a step back when the enraged wolf pulled a large tree from the ground and threw it into the forest. He was breathing hard, and his fingers protruded with claws. When he turned to face them, the look in his eyes was like looking into the face ofdeath.
Kara wouldn’t lie. She was terrified. Crina moved so fast she barely saw her until the she wolf was standing in a crouch in front of the three girls. She growled back at Gustavo in warning. Gustavo took a step toward her but froze when Adamspoke.
“That would be the wrong move to make, old man. Lay a claw on my mate and I will zapyourass.”
Kara looked over at Adam, and her eye’s widened. He had two large balls of light pulsing in his hands. He tossed one up and caught it as if he was simply tossing a baseball. His lips were set in a severe line, and his eyes were honed in on Gustavo like a heat-seeking missile. Kara could see in those eyes he wasn’t bluffing. He would throw whatever magic he was holding in hishands.
“If you need to take out some of that anger, then take it out on someone who is your equal,” the fae coaxed. “Taking it out on a female just proves you’re apansy.”
“Adam.” Crina growled. “Shutup.”
“Sorry, pussy cat, can’t do that,” Adam said in a teasing voice, though his face was still deadlyserious.
“Don’t call me pussy cat, you overgrown toddler,” shesnappedback.
“That’s not what you were calling me the last time we laid in our bed,” hetaunted.
“Do you really think now is the time to bejoking?”
He shrugged. “If I’m going to die, what better to occupy my thoughts than my feisty mate rolling around in the sheetswithme?”
Crina groaned and stood from her crouch. “You’re seriously messed up in the head, mycrazylove.”
Gustavo turned and fully faced Adam, taking a step toward the fae, and Kara felt her heartbeat speed up. Gustavo wasn’t going to back down this time. It was written all over his face and obvious in the way he was stalking Adam. He was going to attack. If he killed Adam, then that meant Crina would die, too. Kara’s hands began to shake, and she clasped them together to keep themstill.
“Are we going to do this, or are you going to stare at me all night?” Adamasked.
“You are either brave or stupid.” Gustavo grunted, his voice sounded animalistic. His eyes were glowing brighter than she’d ever seen them, and that was when she realized Gustavo’s wolf was in complete control. That couldn’t be good, not when he was in his current stateofmind.
“I’ve been called both,” Adam said as he began to move, circling with Gustavo like two fighters in a ring. “And both have applied to me at one time or another. Fighting you wouldn’t be one of the stupid times though, because when I stomp your ass, I’ll have major bragging rights against the wolves, no offense pussy cat.” Adam winked athismate.
The minute he looked away from the wolf, Gustavo lunged. Kara, along with the other girls, gasped. Adam was fast. He launched one of those balls of light, and it hit Gustavo square in the chest. The Alpha wolf flew back, smacking violently against a large tree trunk. But the wolf was on his feet in an instant. That blow should have broken something, several somethings, but Gustavo moved as if he’d been hit with a pillow. How was Adam going to be able to beat such a formidable opponent? What would happen to them ifhelost?
