“Make another move, and you’ll lose your eyes,mutt!” the alpha threatens, and through the pain and my blurring vision, I look up to find Yvonne staring at me with fear-stricken eyes.
Her frightened expression spurs me into action as I push through the paralyzing pain and invoke my inner wolf. Provoked by the situation we’re faced with, it spreads out bold, golden fur all across my forearms, my bones cracking as they grow larger and powerful, a howl rumbling from deep within and roaring through the muzzle of my wolf.
We’re too far from Snehvolk territory to call out for help, and because I’ve been electrocuted, I can’t seem to find the connection to the mind link I need to call out to our pack. Once I’m in wolf form, Yvonne shifts into her agile wolf, too, but itdoesn’t take long before the Moonshine Pack shapeshifts into their beasts, too.
Standing back-to-back with Yvonne, I know we’re outnumbered, but there’s a determination between the two of us to fight off these wolves, even if there are at least eight out of the ten who’ve shifted into wolf form.
I growl threateningly as I snap my teeth at the alpha’s chestnut brown wolf, but he doesn’t back down. That’s when I lunge for him, sharp claws distended to wreak havoc on the leading member of the enemy pack.
My claws are ablaze with fury as I slash them through the air, Yvonne following my lead with her tiny wolf as she growls and hisses at the group surrounding us. The torrent of my active claws finally serves a blow to the Moonshine Alpha that knocks him off his paws.
His tainted lips peel back to growl at me as he scampers upright again, and I fight through the remaining werewolves to emerge out of the chaos and prowl toward him. Just as I’m about to leap forward, my hind legs ready to kick me off the ground and spear me toward the enemy, I hear a child’s cry for help.
“Daddy! Help me!”
I snap my furry head in the direction of Gio as he’s dragged out of his hiding place behind the bush by the werewolf still in human form. Panic pounds in my chest, my first instinct to save my son falling short when I’m crippled by an electric current in my neck that has me shifting involuntarily into human form to face the pain.
“Gio!” I call out, reaching for him despite the distance between us, just as I’m pounded by fists and kicked in the ribs by the werewolves now in their human forms to fight me. Hands grab me to hold me down, blocking my view of my son until Ifeel a surge of energy coursing through my veins. Through the blows, I frown when I feel the strange power that fills my being, opening my eyes to witness something extraordinary through the small gap between the two men beating me up.
Yvonne towers over them where they’re crouched to pelt me with their fists, her silver eyes turning bright and luminescent as she sticks out her palms at them. Charged bolts of silver flow from her hands and come slicing through the air to electrocute the men who have me down. One by one, they’re shot by Yvonne’s magic powers, writhing in pain on the floor.
I watch as Yvonne’s magnificent powers flow out of her like I’ve never seen before, and she appears like a goddess surrounded by a silver aura, her power no match for the men who try charging at her.
Wow…
I’m floored by her strength, witnessing her wield her gifts for the first time, her powers unearthed because of her desperation at seeing her child being abducted. Her strength lies in her emotions. I understand it now, but it’s still mesmerizing to watch as she turns and shocks the man who’d grabbed Gio.
Yvonne doesn’t stop until they’re all down, her silver eyes flickering with electric bolts reminiscent of the ones she wields in her palms. She’s a powerhouse of mysticism, and seeing her child in danger has activated a witch who was previously unaware of how much power she had.
It’s liberating to watch her in her element, seeing that she doesn’t need the shape or size of her wolf form to immobilize our attackers until they’re all crawling for their lives, regrouping on the snow with fearful whimpers and squeals. They’re afraid of the witch, petrified that with just a flick of her wrist, she can knock them off their feet.
The alpha is the first to scramble away, shifting once again into wolf form and whimpering as he disappears into the thick of the forest. Before long, his entourage of low-lives follows him with trembling paws, scattering through the forest until they disappear.
I breathe a sigh of relief as I turn my head to Yvonne, who seems to be climbing down from the high of wielding her powers, her arms becoming limp as they fall to her sides just as Gio runs toward her.
“Mama!” he yelps as he watches Yvonne collapse with horror-stricken eyes.
“Gio!” I call out as I finally muster up the strength to rush toward her, catching her in my arms before she crumbles to the ground.
Chapter 21 - Yvonne
“Gio…” I whisper as I feel my body caving under the weight of the sudden burst of magic I just wielded. My brain becomes foggy, but it’s my innate being that just wants to ensure that my son is safe after what I did to protect him.
Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of exhaustion, my eyes roll to the back of my head, and all I can hear are the sounds of stamping feet in the snow as they rush toward me. A pair of strong arms captures my limp frame, and my airways become arrested by the scent of sandalwood mixed with the metallic smell of freshly drawn blood.
My eyelids flutter weakly as Dawson’s face appears in front of me, unclear from the haze of my blurred vision, but still distinct enough to bring me comfort. Red streaks of blood are smeared across his face, but he still manages to appear like a divine being here to save me.
“Mama!” Tiny arms wrap around my neck as Gio sobs against my chest. I lift a trembling hand to his head just as Dawson takes the other. When our palms connect, there’s a gentle simmer of energy that stirs to give me enough strength to speak, albeit meekly.
“W-we’re safe now.” My lips lift in a feeble smile.
Dawson nods, his eyes full of emotion now that I can see him clearly when my vision begins to clear. The unspoken magnitude of what just happened lies in the way we stare at each other for a few moments, my heart swelling with a kind of wholeness I’ve never felt before.
“We have to get to pack territory,” Dawson says when Gio pulls away. He gathers me into his arms, using every ounce of strength he can muster to lift me to my feet. He steadies me withan arm slung across my shoulders, and Gio grabs my hand and holds it tightly.
The three of us journey back to Girdwood in silence, but there doesn’t need to be an exchange for us to know that we’ve never been more united than we are now. I feel liberated in using my powers, but I need to take care of the exhaustion I’m feeling in the aftermath.
Dawson needs to heal the injuries he suffered today, while Gio just needs some time to overcome what he went through and witnessed. I can only imagine how traumatized he is, and I’m glad when Dawson leads us directly to his house instead of the main village.
