(Sur)real

I didn’t give a shit if the Others were upset. So was I. Olivia trembled in my arms. The idea of losing her tore at me.

Mom watched me with a critical eye.

“James Greyson Cole, I know that look. Every time I’ve seen it, something bad happens not long afterwards. What did you do?”

“I haven’t done a thing, Mom.” Just lost my heart to a girl meant to die.

Olivia sighed and lifted her head to look up at me. I brushed a loose piece of hair away from her face.

“Will you keep your promise?” she asked.

“I will.” I would help her die to save the world.

She turned her head to look at my mom.

“He hasn’t done anything. He now knows the price that needs to be paid to complete the Judgement.”

Mom’s eyes narrowed then widened with understanding.

“On the side of the road, when those things took your skin, you said you had the courage to be the sacrifice. Courage to do what you must to save not just one race, but all of them. We thought you were talking about what had just happened.”

Olivia shook her head slowly, and Mom’s gaze pinned me. Tears welled.

“No,” she breathed. Mom knew. She understood what losing Olivia would do to me. It would kill me.

With desperation in her eyes, Mom looked at Olivia.

“There has to be another way,” she said. “Why you?”

“Why not Blake?” Michelle asked.

“This is what I was born for. We all have roles to play in this. Paying the price to change the future of this world is mine,” Olivia said.

Mom opened her mouth to say more but was cut off by a chorus of distant howls.

“It begins,” Olivia said.

“Defensive circle,” Winifred called.

Mom grabbed Olivia’s hand.

“You’ll stick with me, Olivia.”

I gave her hand a squeeze and released her. Together, Mom and Olivia moved toward the center of our group. Dad moved to my side, and the rest spread out around Mom, Gabby, Michelle, and Olivia. Wolves I hadn’t seen in ages nodded to me and stepped around us, creating another barrier of protection. Henry stood in their midst. All were willing to give their lives to save our race.

I watched the various entrances to the canyon. Urbat, in their skin and in their fur, came pouring in. They greatly outnumbered us.

A hand touched my back.

“I need to be at the front, Jim, or too many will die.”

“He’ll try to take you.”

The howls and snarls grew in volume. The ground vibrated beneath my feet.

“Where?” Olivia said, “There’s nowhere to go. My sisters are here. He won’t do anything to me.”

I reached for her hand, and Dad grabbed my wrist.

“Is this a risk we can afford to take?” he asked.

“Endangering all these werewolves is a risk you cannot afford,” Olivia said. “Blake wants this. He wants to thin your numbers. We need to prevent that until Isabelle and Bethi get here.”

Dad released me, and I pulled Olivia forward.

Be careful. Winifred’s worry touched my mind along with her message.

Always.

“They’re coming from all directions,” I warned Olivia as we wove our way through the hundreds gathered to protect us.

“This is the direction Blake’s coming,” she said. “Keep going.”

The Urbat were less than one hundred feet away when we broke through the werewolves defending us.

Olivia immediately stepped in front of me. I set my hands on her shoulders, ready to toss her back to safety.

“Father!” she yelled. “Do you remember how it felt?”

All but one of the Urbat before us stopped abruptly.

From within the ranks, Blake continued to race forward, already in his fur. His enraged howl echoed through the canyon. The moment he cleared his men, Blake skidded to a halt while shifting to his skin. The sight of him made my hackles raise, and I knew he felt the same about me as he paced restlessly back and forth between us and his men. His gaze swept over Olivia before his eyes settled on my hands where I held her.

“Mutt. You’ll die for what you did,” he said, looking at me.

“Father, you’re focused on the wrong thing. Like always,” Olivia said. “I didn’t mean what you felt last night. I meant what you felt days ago when the Others wore you like a coat.”

He paled and stopped moving.

“What do you mean?” he half-growled.

“How do you think you ended up in Charlotte, North Carolina? You had no plans to go there. I needed you out of the way so I could accomplish what you never would have. The Judgements are finally all together. Well, almost. And, the time for the Judgement is near. Your attempt to manipulate the outcome has sealed the fate of it.”

“You will suffer,” he said softly.

A low growl escaped me.

“I will,” she agreed. “But not by your hands.”

“Then there’s nothing left to say,” he said.

Chaos erupted with his grin.

The Urbat behind him burst forward. Before the first of them placed more than a single step, I gripped Olivia’s waist and heaved her up and back over my shoulders.

“Dad!” I yelled, not looking away from Blake.

“You’re first,” he snarled, already partially shifted.

I burst into my fur at the same time, ready to meet Blake head on.

MICHELLE…

In the center of the silent sea of bodies, we stood on a slight rise. My left shoulder pressed against Charlene’s and my right against Gabby’s. Back to back, we watched the Urbat. My stomach twisted. Spotting familiar faces among their overwhelming numbers prodded the threatening nausea. All those dinners…

A wave of reassurance swept through my mind, and I glanced at Emmitt’s strong back. I sent my love and gratitude in return and focused on the sound of Olivia’s voice. Whether from anger, fear, or adrenaline, I shook at the first sound of Blake’s. The way Olivia spoke to him didn’t match the vision I’d seen or the way she’d acted since she’d found us. Something had given her courage to stand up for herself. Probably Jim. He was good at that.

The thought barely entered my mind when Jim yelled, and Olivia went sailing through the air at us.

After that, time seemed to slow.

Thomas jolted forward to catch Olivia. The surrounding Urbat lunged at the werewolves protectively encircling our defensive circle. Howls and snarls flooded the canyon, echoing and creating a frenzied din.

I tried not to let any of it distract me from my purpose.

“Urbat are climbing over the werewolves to the east,” I yelled to be heard.

Thomas set Olivia near us, and I reached out to hold her hand as I continued to watch north, west, and east.

“More coming from the east,” Gabby yelled. “Five minutes away. Heaviest concentration is to the north.”

“The south is struggling,” Charlene called.

“Sam, help the east,” Winifred said as she burst into her fur and leapt over us to help those defending us to the south.

“How far away are Isabelle and Bethi?” Olivia asked.

“Ten minutes. Urbat climbing over the werewolves to the south,” Gabby yelled.

One of the Urbat, jumping from head to head, caught my gaze and grinned. The grin disappeared when the owner of the current head on which he stood, gutted him from below. The Urbat fell into the mass of moving bodies.

My line of sight became clearer as more men shifted to their fur. Blood bathed both sides within minutes. The werewolves didn’t give an inch, working together to maul, maim, or kill any Urbat that tried to go over or through them.

Despite their steadfast determination, our numbers began to thin. The Elders fought fiercely. Sam moved from place to place, killing any in his way. Jim struggled against Blake. Both sporting various cuts and slashes from the other.

The Urbat grew smarter and started pulling the werewolves from their positions and throwing them to those further back, clearing paths toward the center. To us.

I glanced at Emmitt’s back again as he fought the first who’d already found their way close. We were losing.

GABBY…

Like locusts, the Urbat horde swarmed over the men attempting to protect us. The sight paralyzed me with fear and brought me back to that night in the field. The moonlight had hidden so much. Now, I saw everything. Blood everywhere.

One man turned, and I saw he had an empty eye socket and half of his face ripped off. I gagged and looked away, focusing on the sparks moving closer. Isabelle and Bethi were near. We needed them both desperately.

Clay backed toward me. His stitches had been removed last night. That didn’t help me feel any better. A wolf, only three men away now, went down under a sudden wave of Urbat. How long until they reached us? Something wet hit the side of my face. I reached up and wiped my cheek, sparing a brief glance at the bit of tissue on my palm. Beside me, Michelle threw up, likely hit by the same thing.

We were going to die. No. Not us.

I looked at Clay’s broad shoulders and fought not to cry.

I love you, I thought at him.

And I love you, he answered.

A sense of peace and warmth settled throughout my mind.

You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, I sent. I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner.

We’ll be fine. You’ll see.

A wolf leapt over the remaining men, aiming right for us.

“Wolf from the east,” I shouted.

Sam jumped up, colliding with the beast in the air. The wolf he’d been fighting, lunged for him. I gasped. Clay dove forward, swiping his claws across the wolf’s face. More gore. More blood. The air was thick with the smell of it.

“They’re almost here,” I shouted, still watching Isabelle and Bethi’s sparks.

A hand touched my shoulder, and I glanced at Olivia. Dots of red painted her hair and face at an angle.

She wasn’t looking at me, but at Jim who still fought Blake.

“They need to hurry.”

I barely heard her over all the snarls and barking.

Pain erupted across my thigh. I gasped. My hands groped for whatever had hurt me but encountered nothing but unmarred jeans.

With horror, I looked up at Clay. He faced two Urbat. Saliva dripped from the elongated muzzle of one partially shifted man. The same man whose claw-tipped fingers of one hand were wrapped around Clay’s throat. The claws of the other hand were buried deep in Clay’s leg. The second man held Clay’s straining arms.

“Sam!” I yelled.

Sam twisted and swung out, raking his own claws down the back of the one holding Clay. The distraction freed Clay but cost Sam.

I watched in disbelief as a hand suddenly emerged through Sam’s front. His shocked gaze shifted to me.

“No,” I breathed, heart pounding. This couldn’t be happening again.

The hand pulled free, and I watched the man who’d raised me tip forward. I rushed to catch him, his weight bringing us both to the ground.

“No, Sam,” I said, looking at the hole helplessly. I pressed my hand against it and started to cry as the blood continued to pool around my fingers.

His expression shifted to guilt as our gazes held.

“There were twelve just in your senior year,” he rasped, his breathing labored.

“Twelve what?”

“Men I killed. They hid in the shadows, waiting for you to leave work.”

Blood colored the corner of his mouth. I looked around, desperately seeking someone who could help me. Everyone fought, though.

Sam’s hand touched my cheek, drawing my attention back to him.

“I waited, too. Every night. Made sure you got into your car safely. Made sure they never came back.”

All those years…he’d protected me by doing more than just giving me a place to stay. Pain squeezed my insides, making it hard to breathe through my tears.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“I don’t want to die with you still doubting me. Seeing you Mated to one of ours was the best way to keep you safe. I never meant to hurt you, honey.”

Tears streamed unchecked down my cheeks.

“Don’t. I’m sorry. Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Please.” I begged, and I sobbed.

“I love you, Gabby. You’re the daughter I was lucky enough to find. Will you do something for me?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

“Comfort Winifred when I’m gone.”

How could I when we’d all be dead soon?

I brought his hand to my lips and nodded anyway.

ISABELLE…

Carlos slammed on the brakes, opened the door, and pulled me out and up into his arms. We were running before I drew a breath. I looked over his shoulder and saw Grey carrying Bethi and Luke running beside them. The three of them let us get a fair lead, but not enough though. Not enough for what was waiting ahead. I could hear the fight echoing off the towering rock walls.

“Close yourselves off,” I warned. “Bethi, we need you. Don’t let me take a thing, or I swear I’ll never let you get high again.”

“I’ll be tighter than a virgin on prom night. Promise,” she yelled back.

Despite the dire situation, I almost laughed.

“Keep your warped-self safe.”

We came up from behind. Those Urbat pushing forward, wanting a piece of the fight, fell to their knees with my first pull.

I pushed out right away, not letting the emotions sit inside me for more than a heartbeat. There were too many. I glanced back at Bethi, who gave me a cool thumbs-up.

“I’m good,” she yelled. “But our friends aren’t. Start kicking some ass.”

I looked at the fray and saw groups of werewolves dotted within the mass of Urbat. In the center of it all were Charlene, Olivia, and Michelle. Blood soaked their clothes. Michelle looked like she’d thrown up on herself. Around them, their Mates and the Elders fought frantically. Some of the outer mass of Urbat saw us and turned.

I patted Carlos’s shoulder, and he set me down. Grey set Bethi down a distance to my right. She had her knife out and in her hand a second later.

“Bitches give stitches. Who’s first?” Bethi yelled.

The Urbat snarled and charged toward us. I pulled and pushed, watching the Urbat fall like dominos. Those smart enough to block themselves off, Luke and Bethi finished. Carlos watched my left as we moved forward slowly. Grey protected us from any who attempted to go wide and circle around.

“Blake Torrin!” I yelled. “You took something from me. Now, I’m going to take everything from you.”

The fighting slowed, and the Urbat backed up. Two wolves fought in the center, not far from where the rest stood.

“Shields,” I yelled.

One of the wolves jumped away, shifting before he landed. The dark-haired man had cuts covering his bare body from head to toe. The other wolf shifted. Jim looked like shit. Pissed shit.

“Isabelle, so good to meet you at last,” Blake said smoothly. “There’s no need for you to use your powers, my dear. We both know what will happen. And despite what you think of me, I don’t want any of you damaged.”

“Then back off.”

“Certainly.”

He stepped away from Jim. The men around him took a few steps back, too.

I strode forward, pulling ever so slightly as I approached the group. I noticed Gabby sitting on the ground by Sam. Tears had washed clean paths down her cheeks. I couldn’t look too closely, though. I didn’t want to see why Sam’s chest was so bloody. I couldn’t afford to go back to that night.

Bethi and I joined the other Judgements. I could feel Carlos behind me. As I reached out with my right hand to take Bethi’s, Carlos put his hands on my shoulders, giving me whatever support he could.

Bethi held her hand out to Gabby while I reached for Michelle with my left hand.

Sam nodded slightly to Gabby, who wiped her eyes and stood. She clasped Bethi’s hand as Michelle clasped Olivia’s.

“Oh,” Blake said. “I forgot to mention, I invited a few more to our party. Wouldn’t want this Judgement ending on the wrong note.”