SWNOVELS Chapter 112: Fated
Luna, stand your ground, the guards are pulling in!
One voice comes at me through my sudden hazy fog of a mind, and I am pulled back to the present and snapped out of my stunned shock. Aware of my wall of warm fur moving around me and then accompanied by more as the Lunas guard seem to appear from nowhere. I guess their fight with Juan's minions has finally come to an end, and they are back to performing the duty assigned to them.
I turn my head and scan the faces of so many while I search out Radar and Sierra, barely able to catch a glimpse as the living wall of bodies collide around me in a massive circle like something out of a Hollywood battlefield. The only light comes forma full moon above and even with it's full illumination, the land around me is like a creepy moving forest of aggressive groaning.
Noise is deafening and it almost blocks out the speakers transmitting my message to Varro, to the point I inwardly panic that he may not hear it at all. I mentally cross my fingers and pray that carmen is getting somewhere with the frequency and that despite this mayhem, Varro will come.
"We can't just stand here like this! We need to do something!” I harshly push a gap between the wall before me of warm wolves and push myself between them, desperately looking for a higher vantage point in the hope I can see my mate or my brother. Maybe Varro is out there looking for me too, but with the darkness acting like a heavy cloak and the unrelenting fight closing in on us, I can't see a thing.
I turn just in time to catch a glimpse of a wolf hurtling my way at speed and realize it's flying through midair, it's back to us and it's on a collision course with my body. With its giant size and formidable weight, I am no match and brace myself to deflect it.
I cower instinctively, hands flying to my abdomen and screw my eyes tight, conjuring up my energy to create a forcefield around me as the wolf shield closes. My guards catch the torpedo like wolf and brush him aside with precise skill, so he skids across the ground in dramatic fashion with a grating swoosh. Rolling and bumping and scraping to a halt so his face comes at a point where I can open my eyes and see him through the legs of my cocoon. In my line of vision, his head turned to me and completely out cold.
I blink at the still figure for a moment, trying to recognize the face behind the mess, and realize it's Radar and that he doesn't look so good at all. His wolf form is filthy, disheveled, and matted, flattened in places and so dark from his own blood. I can tell his wound is still bleeding because Leyanne wasn't able to finish what she was doing, and I have no idea where she even is now. I haven't seen her since I left to look for Carmen and I haven't seen her down here at all. The witch is good at disappearing when I need her the most.
“Radar! Pull him in here!” I command to my guards and reach out for him in panic, but he’s tugged away by the legs so fast I fall forward and slap my palms on the ground in front of me where his hand was a moment ago. In the blink of an eye, he was taken right from my grasp and I clamber out of my curled-up position to look or him.
Crawling at speed underneath my nearest wolf to watch as Radar is dragged some mere feet from me, by Juan, backwards and into a clearing of space. I shove the legs of my Lycan aside in a bid to make them move and only just catch sight of Sierra taking a flying leap into Juan's back as she sinks her teeth into Juan's right shoulder, and he lets out an agonizing roar. The battle between the three is relentless and now he’s disabled Radar it looks like Sierra has gone full feral mode and now willing to back down.
Leave him alone! Sierra's link comes through loud and clear, that raging snarl, and she hauls Juan down to the ground with her by kicking at the back of his hind legs with her own clawed feet. Swiping him down so she gets the upper hand and clings to him like a leech. Why don't you just die! I'm so sick of you! What's left for you to fight for? You destroyed everything for your own greed and there's nothing left for you to do except die and leave my pack alone, you filthy bastard. Sierra's venom comes through in the pack link, so venomous I feel it, and Juan rolls to try and dislodge her. Oh sweetheart, my intention is to do just that and take you with me! It's all I have left. Taking my mate and leaving this world together so our souls are forever intwined in the next world. He cackles within the link, that once authoritative and deep tone sounding more like a mad man and higher than I ever recall.
Screw you. She stays with me and you will suffer in a cage until you die of old age, regretting everything you ever did to her and this pack!
Radar regains some equilibrium, coming back to his senses, pulling himself up to intervene between the feuding mates. He seems to use the last of his strength to deliver a brutal blow to Juan's face and neck, gouging at him with all the hatred he has. I can feel his energy waning, knowing the toxin in his blood is sapping all he has and the frequency is starting to affect everyone out here. I can sense my pack around me struggling hard to stay on top of the creatures they are fighting, to stay in lycanthrope form, and I frantically look around for a sign of Varro or Colton. Beginning to feel panic rising in my stomach as we race against the effects of this damn weapon.
My own guards meet a collision off feral beings as three of them rush at us and I am pulled away from the scenario between Radar, Juan, and Sierra and must help defend with my own powers. Throwing vampires back and sending them scattering while trying to be careful not to hit my own with my bursts of energy throws. I grasp handfuls of energy like pops of boulders, tossing them out through the wolves, hitting, pushing, driving back these ugly demons. It takes all my concentration and with every single throw, I lose a little of my energy as tiredness begins to drive in at me from all angles.
My full focus is drawn to helping, fighting my own fatigue that comes upon me faster than before and I know the sound is having an effect on me and my gifts. I struggle to hold on, but my eye is yanked back to Sierra as she appears in the left of my field of vision, this time free from Juan and instead she collides with a huge, winged hybrid as he takes her down mid run. I can't ignore it, as it's bigger than here even in wolf form and seems stronger than the things we intercepted at the forest battle.
“Sierra!” I cry out, turning my attention to her and muster up a ball of energy as big as a soccer ball and throw it right at the vampires head. Using my left hand to reach out and grasp with my telekinesis ability as the vampire is thrust sideways, I catch him, lift and hurl him away from my Rema with invisible touch. Palming my hands together in a slap, I yank them apart and split a pathway of bodies in front of me, sliding everything side, so I have a clear route to Sierra. My instinct taking over and boosting my power for me as I move without thought, my whole head on keeping her alive.
I take a run for her, so intent on being by her side and helping protect her, when Radar skids across my path in front of me, shifting back to human and I'm halted by the sight of him. His body drenched in blood, and sweat, and his wounds from claws are not healing as fast as they should. He's pale, almost lifeless as he slumps on the debris strewn ground, spent of life force, and I focus my gifts on him as a vampire takes a potluck shot at leaping towards him. I throw it back, throw my hands wide and scatter everyone closing in on Radar, tumbling them like dominoes with this new burst of intense power I seem to have found. Sierra is fast and, in a flash, she sprints to his side, pulling him into her as she too turns human and cradles him in her arms, shielding him protectively. “Leyanne, where the hell are you??” I scream out into the havoc around me, losing my cool, my voice hoarse and raw with the instant wash of intense emotion at seeing Radar this way and quickly have to go back to scattering any who make a move on him. Juan appears to my left, running fast and takes a leap right at my human pair. Putting his all into a flying assault as he thrusts his claws forward with deadly intent. I lift my arms, muster all I have left to form a body sized orb and thrust it towards the man with vengeance, over the top of the two people I must protect against all costs. Juan is hit face on, startled to a midair stop and then momentum hurtles him backwards like he was just smashed with a freight train. He is blown tens of feet backwards into the heaving crowd of battling enemies and disappears into the chaos. Like being swallowed into a sea of moving darkness.
"Stay with me. Hold on I can heal you a little.” Sierra's weeping voice comes through at me, despite everything assaulting my senses, it's clear as a bell. I run quickly to slide down beside them, crunching to a halt on the gravel of the dirt track, stones biting into my knees and shins. My guards following to create an ever-present barrier and they flank around us in a circle to stop the ever- attacking creatures on all sides.
“Let me see. How bad is it?" I push Sierra back a little to find her cradling Radar like a child in her arms, huddling him against her body as her tears drip down her face and land on his naked torso. Creating small rivulets of exposed clean flesh through the bloodied mask that covers his entire skin and it almost kills me. He's a mess. Covered in slashes, and bites, and his exposed skin has that awful blue tinge of slow silver poisoning as it continues to spread. I know it's a combination of the wolfsbane and the frequency and he’s dying in front of me a slow and painful death.
“Tell me what to do.... How to help.” I beg Sierra but she seems lost in her own head while staring at him, like she’s about to breakdown and lose all control. Her panic and pain ebbing my way. I am on the verge of all out hyperventilating, terrified of losing radar this way.
“Ummm... Heal...I. I... don't know if I can heal this. It's bad, real bad. We need Leyanne.” She sobs a little, stuttering her words, shaking as she grips him, yet pulls her hand from his and ignites her blue glow slowly and surely within her palm. Despite not thinking she can do this; I know she won't give up on Radar and will try with all her might.
Her light is duller than normal, and it takes time for it to extend to the full hand and then up her arm before she places it over his chest where her fingers cover his heart. Splaying them out and pushing what she can through to him in the hopes it's enough to undo the poison. I stare, suddenly still as a statue and hold my breath.
“Radar... Open your eyes. Look at me.” Sierra begs him, pleads with a raspy and broken tone, her tears falling freely and yet he seems lifeless. I grip his other hand in mine, pulling myself to the opposite side to Sierra, and we both lean over him to shield him from what's going on around us. Creating a protective barrier of calm so she can do something to help him recover even a little. I curse under my breath and pray that the damn witch comes to us.
My wolves are giving their all, fighting on, some to the death, and yet here we are in an almost quiet space. Trapped in our own little place as if this is the only important thing in the world right now, and somehow padded against the atrocity happening around us. The three of us, in the eye of the storm.
"You can't leave us.” I whisper to Radar softly, leaning to his ear, holding his hand in mind with a gentle looseness. His palm is clammy, yet his fingers are cold, and I have to bite back the tidal wave of emotions threatening to break from within me. I'm scared. I'm inadequate in this moment and I'm mentally screaming for my mate to come and be the leader he always is. He would know what to do.
“Sierra...” Radars voice jolts me out of my blank zoning out and I blink at his face as he tries to move his body a little. Coming to from what I assume was unconsciousness and flutters his lashes as his eyes begin to open. His face is a mess, covered in dirt, grime, and blood, but his scratches and cuts are slowly receding as her magic does its work. Even thinking she’s too weak to undertake something like this, Radar's skin is pinking up and his deepest wounds are starting to close albeit very slowly. I guess having the kind of love for him has an effect to how potent her skills can be. She is literally giving it her all to save him. I almost cry in joy as I watch a deep gash over his white eye close fully.
“I'm right here.” She whispers softly and tilts her head so she can look at his face, brushing his hair from his forehead as she lowers her chin and stares at him with unconcealed adoration. My heart jolts at the obvious love in her eyes and the gentle affection of her touch on him.
Radar sighs heavily, fully opens his eyes and looks directly at me before flickering his gaze to the one leaning over him. A moment of pause and hesitation as he realizes he is wrapped in her arms and his head is in her lap. He seems surprised for a moment, shifts his body to pull himself up and avoid her eye like he always does, but Sierra is too fast. She firmly catches his jaw in her free hand and yanks his face to her, before leaning down and shocking us both with a feather like peck of a kiss on his lips. It's so fast that neither of us saw it coming and Radar’s eyes snap open wide in utter shock and alarm as it registers what she just did to him.
I swallow hard and let out a half-choked cough and laugh at the sheer boldness of my mother-in- law. I shouldn't feel happiness at a moment like this, but I am both impressed and mentally air punching her a high five. It's about time she showed Radar that she has him in her heart.
Go girl.
I know she’s overcome with emotion and seeing him start to heal was obviously a catalyst for this sweet kiss. She doesn't let him loose, instead pulls his face towards her to keep him locked in position in her grasp so she can continue healing him.
That's when their eyes finally meet.
And then something I never expected could ever happen in this lifetime, especially with a marked wolf. It hits in the whirlwind of this battlefield as both jolt in shock and fall apart with the sudden blow and I witness something for the second time in my life. Something you can’t misunderstand when you witness it as I do.
Radar and Sierra imprint right before my very eyes.000