Yay! Blake is still alive and the evil witches do not have her to use against Drew!
[Ashlynd]The grand warlock is a tall man. I cannot see his face as it is shrouded in darkness to protect his identity, but I can tell that he is older, perhaps old enough to be my father. Looking across the room, I can see that Slate is safely tucked away, playing his part as instructed. To anyone who doesn't know better, he looks like all the other alphas in the room, mingling with one another, smiling and dancing. I don't have time for dancing tonight or pretending to be one of the wolves. Tonight, on the night before my wedding, I've been called to duty. "Grand Warlock," my mother holds up the edges of her skirt and curtsies. "This is my daughter, Ashlynd."The tight black dress I was instructed to wear does not allow for the same freedom of movement, so my curtsy is less graceful. I feel stiff and squeezed tight as a sausage in this revealing garment, every nook and cranny of my body on full display. My mother takes a step back, presenting me to him as little more than a gif
[Slate]For a few, shining moments I was free of the spell that Ashlynd forced upon me, keeping me from my mate. And for a brief moment, between taking one breath and the next, as the spell was pulled out of my veins I could feel her again. I could feel all of them.My pack.My son.My mate.And the very small speck of life that will grow into my daughter, Goddess willing.If I can feel them, all of them, that means my ties to them are not broken, or at least not completely, including my bond to my mate. As weak and tattered as it is, so frail and fragile only a spiderweb's thickness remains. A bond, no matter how weak, can be mended. With that small thread left to tether it, we just need time and love to heal and be connected as we were before. I want to tell her this, to let her know what I feel, but as I struggle to speak, the curse falls into me, digging its claws even deeper. "We're out of time," Sage grunts as he tries to keep my mind clear. "We need to go! Now!""RUN!" I gro
[Slate]I woke up two hours later, surrounded by trees and the smell of freshly spilled blood. Lying at my feet is the head of a deer. It was ripped off, torn from the body of the large stag that was lying only a few feet away.Dragging my body forward along a path, naked and covered in gore, I feel the call to return. Shifting easily, I run to my mistress, who looks impatient as she stands at the entrance to the Monrovia estate. "Where have you been, Slate?" She demands, her voice as hard and cold as the ice-blue dress that drapes from her shoulders. There is something different about her, something new. And then I realize what it is. She doesn't smell like a wolf anymore. Instead, the thin, acidic scent of witch burns my nostrils. She comes forward. Placing a finger on my chest she draws a line. Bringing her blood-covered finger to her lips she closes her eyes, concentrating. "Deer," she concludes, looking disappointed and disgusted. "You left the ball to find a snack? All you w
[Hyacinth] Blake looks tired. Not the tired of needing a bit more sleep or just waking up, but the bone tired of several nights without true rest mixed with heartache. "Cindy," she smiles as she recognizes me, her whole face brightening with relief, "Oh thank the goddess you are here!" And then she starts to cry. Rushing forward, I pull her into my arms. She holds me back, squeezing. I fight not to start crying myself, but fail as a tear rolls down my cheek. I am so happy to see her safe but upset seeing her so weak. Her pregnancy was already taxing her body, and now with whatever happened to her while I was gone, she is stuck in this bed for the remainder of it. I know it wasn't my fault that I was forced to leave, but it doesn't keep me from feeling like a terrible doctor and an even worse friend. Her husband should have been fleeing with her and their pup, not coming back to save me and mine. And yet she doesn't show the smallest sign of anger or jealousy. The only emotions
[Hyacinth]Adjusting the shotgun on her back, Lisa tells me to stay there while she checks on the door.Considering she feels a need to go to the door with a shotgun makes me want to come with her, but then I remember I am in no condition to fight anyone. My ability to heal and harm is practically useless now with my baby's life in the balance. I need rest. I need to heal. If I'm going to free Slate before he's stuck to my evil witch of a sister, chained to her with marriage and goddess knows what else, I need to listen to those around me who care enough to tell me the truth. I need to rest. As much as I hate to do so. It is in my nature as a mother, and now a Luna, to want to take care of those who are mine--and now the whole pack is mine. Thankfully, Lisa doesn't keep me waiting long. A few moments later she comes rushing in., her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Luna, come quick, you need to see this!"Carefully moving off of the hospital bed, I walk out into the lobby. Standing
[Hyacinth]"First we need to get Drew," Mariana speaks up. "Not just because he's my brother, but because he's one of the fastest Gibbons Wolves I have ever fought against and the only one who has ever kicked my ass," she smiles, proud of her brother."I've seen him in action," Beta Reed confirms, "And he's an Alpha. We need all the powerful wolves we can get on our side. Who knows how this will play out.""Agreed," Jeffrey also pipes in. "I trained that boy, his sister too," he gives Mariana an affectionate smile. "And I know what the Michaels kids can do, especially when you have them both together. "Silvers," Mariana reminds him, squeezing her wife's hand. "I'm a happily married wolf now. And we aren't kids, we are full-grown wolves, gramps." "Gramps?" I didn't notice the family resemblance until those words left her mouth. Seeing my confusion, he explains that since strong Moon Wolf powers pass down from generation to generation, and that our powers have been sought out by witc
[Hyacinth]The entrance to the tunnels was located behind a large community plaque in the basement that listed the names of all the donors who helped the hospital over the years with generous donations. The most recent name in bronze is "Alpha Slate Danvers" for his "continued contributions to the health of his pack" with the year right below. The name above his on the plaque is my grandfather, Aster Monrovia. I place my hand on the plaque, touching each name and silently thanking them both."Before today, this tunnel has been a secret passed down from Beta to Beta since the original was dug. Only a few Alphas or Lunas ever learned of this secret. What I'm about to show you, I need you all to swear to keep secret," Her gaze is intense as she makes eye contact with each of us. "It is vitally important that this stays within our pack, and that it isn't told to anyone who might use this knowledge for our harm."We all nod in agreement. Nobody wants to see our pack harmed more than it al
[Hyacinth] The light on the other side of the tunnel is not particularly bright, but it is such a stark contrast to the flashlight-illuminated dimness of the tunnels that our eyes need a moment to adjust. Our noses, however, do not. The scent of sweat, urine, blood, and death overwhelms us as we enter the jailhouse. It is evident from the smell alone that nobody has checked on these prisoners in quite some time. This means nobody will likely miss them either. If we are quick and careful, we may even succeed at breaking him out without anyone being the wiser. "It seems strange that they left Drew so unguarded," I muse. "You'd think they would keep a better eye on such a strong alpha." The packhouse jail is small, consisting of two simple hallways with 4 cells each. In the first hallway, the smell becomes obvious. I shield Bash's eyes so he doesn't see what is left of the humans turned into wolves for the sake of the witches' plans. Those same poor men who were sent to kill me
[Hyacinth]What happens next still feels like an impossible nightmare. It was such a blur that it almost didn't feel real. Slate and I freed our senior pack members and they in turn freed the others. The remaining witches were gathered and imprisoned in the very cages they had created for the wolves who were now free. Silver doesn't have the same effect on them so the shackles and cages do not burn them, so in a way, we are treating them with more humanity than they ever showed us. The pack leaders who had attended the summit and our pack have allied. We call our new coalition The Protection and Preservation Coalition and as part of this coalition, each member pack has agreed to share resources and skills to build a standing army of trained soldiers with Alpha Silvers in charge of their training, making the Blue Moon Pack the premier location for training the best soldiers..We made the mistake before of believing the witches are long gone. Now that we know that we were tragically
[Hyacinth]The room is filled with the sound of chanting. Nobody has noticed Slate and me yet, which is good. We don't want them to see us. We need to save our people. If we are lucky, we can make quick work of this and save our pack.And our son, who is at the center of it all. He is the source of their spell. I can see the energy being drawn from him like the witches are drinking his soul. Slate squeezes my hand and through our link shows me an image of what we must do. The me from before all of this would have hesitated, but now I know that hesitation will just lead to more heartbreak and pain for everyone. "We can't let any of them escape," he is full of so much vengeance that I am a bit frightened of and for my mate. This time apart, and the pain he has received from the witch's hands, has changed my gentle Alpha into someone harder.Will he ever be free of this pain he now holds inside--someday perhaps but not today. Today he will have his revenge. And so will I. Slowly, I
[Sebastian]I know the bad man in the cloak. I remember him when I met him before. I should have whammied him before he could hurt us. The other kids can see the truth too. His illusions do not work on us. Maybe it is because they are a part of my pack now. I claim all of them. I am their alpha. The mean witches chained us all together. The chains end in a necklace and two bracelets that burn where they touch our skin. Some of us have blisters from where they rest, There is no way to move our hands or legs without much pain.None of us have gotten food or water, and the little ones are so scared.I am scared too, but I don't want my pack to know. I need to be like my papa. Strong and silent, ready to defend them. The grown-ups came to rescue us, and we were so excited to see them. First, it was the Gamma and Drew, but then I saw they were not themselves. They were put in one of the awful silver cages.A kind old lady and a bunch of wolves came in a few minutes later. But like the ot
[Hyacinth] Once the stars cleared from my eyes and my lungs remembered how to breathe, I looked up at my handsome mate lying above me, his body resting on his forearms, still glowing from the power of our union. My legs are wrapped around his waist as my body seeks to capture every last ounce of his love. Panting, and covered in sweat, our bodies rock softly as we settle back to earth. My legs slowly relax. We just made love in the forest after playing tag as wolves. For so long I never thought I'd have this, that I'd have a mate. But now that our souls are joined, I know that he isn't just my mate--he is my other half. "Hyacinth," Slate speaks into my head, his words as clear and sharp as if he had opened his mouth and said the words aloud. As he gently pulls out of my core to lie down next to me, I shiver at the feeling. It feels so much more intimate now--I not only feel what I am feeling, but I can feel what he is feeling too, as if I am both of us at the same time. Lying
[Thirty minutes earlier][Roderick]I should have never come here. I should have stayed in my swamp. Wolves and witches are dying all around me, terrified as they watch my illusion unfold around them. This is why others cannot use my power. This is why we stay far, far away from all of this. When a wolf like me interferes, when we join the fight, it often causes more harm than help. We intended to scare the witches, but a spell like this does not discriminate. Everyone in the area is affected, including the wolves who are little more than prisoners. Rushing from their seats, they may run towards the shelter of the auditorium. Those who were sitting closer to the front almost trample the ones towards the back as they make a mad dash to escape. The Beta and her team move forward, eliminating as many witches as they can. Unfortunately, the wolves in the audience are not in control of their bodies, the spell holding them captive is. And right now the remaining witches are terrified
[Ashlynd]I am dying. I know I am dying because I can feel the life draining from my body as the blood flows from my wounds, wounds that were inflicted by the love of my life and my darling sister, his mate.Seeing them run after one another, initiating their mating ritual, covered in my blood is not how I expected my wedding day to end.If only I hadn't been born a witch. Today would have been magical when Slate and I finally found one another, joining as man and wife. It would have been the beginning of a beautiful life together. But instead, my sister and the rest of the rebellious pack attacked and took everything important away from me in one deft move. When she bit the rings from my hand, I could no longer feel his heart, how in those moments as the spell started to take hold, he both pitied and hated me. The spell to make him my familiar, my witch's pet. would have forced him to be loyal and faithful and do what I wanted without complaint.It would have been as if I were the
"Mark me?" I whimper as I retake my bipedal form, returning to a body with only two legs instead of four. "You are my Luna," he growls as his form shifts above me. It has been so long since I've had him this close to me, naked and vulnerable, wanting to touch me, that I start to cry as I reach up to touch his chest. "Are you sure that is what you want," I want him, now more than ever, but I don't want him to feel like he is making a mistake. His expression softens as he bends his elbows, lowering himself to me so that he can press his lips to mine gently. "It's all I've wanted for a very long time, Hyacinth. I want you to be my Luna, my wife, and the mother of my pups.""About that, I reach up and touch his face," that night, before you asked Ash to be your mate.His face darkens. "I don't want to talk about that right now," he insists as he kisses me again, this time with more need. "I want you, I want my mate. And I need you to be mine, now. Not just because I want you, but becaus
[Hyacinth]Slate gives me a small head start. Bounding ahead, my heart pounding, I run on my new wolf legs, sprinting through the trees, weaving around them like the breeze itself, touching the branches and the bark with my fur as I brush past them yet easily missing any logs, rocks, or pitfalls in my path. I am graceful and strong in my wolf form, and my legs are long and powerful. Even though Halcyon is the one in charge, I can still feel everything--the cool wetness of the soil beneath the pads of my feet, the smell of fresh rain in the branches of the tall pine trees. And the scent of my mate not far behind me. He smells so good, so mouthwateringly delicious. Like the sweetest candy.Now I finally understand the gravity of what had been taken from me when my mother chose to seal off my wolf. She took away a whole world of sensations. I played in these trees as a little girl and ran through them gleefully as I played with the other pups. I had no idea what I was missing without
[Hyacinth]By the time I make it to the top of the aisle, Ashlynd is already holding Slate's hand as a preacher speaks over the two of them. Next to her are two of her new witch sisters. Next to Slate is nobody. I have already missed the part where they ask those in attendance if they have any objections to this union. Knowing Ashlynd, she probably didn't even include that part. She isn't the type to welcome opposing opinions. Everyone is focused on the scene in front of them. In the audience is my father and his wife, my evil witch step-mother. Also included are all the alphas and their senior cabinet members who came to the summit and Alpha Beta Ball. Every important wolf on the West Coast, as well as a few from the East Coast and one as far away as France. I'd be impressed if I wasn't terrified. All of these wolves are under her compulsion, controlled by the spell worn around Ashlynd's neck. I stand there, unnoticed and numb, unable to move as I listen to his promise to love an