SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Twenty-one
Timothy’s Pov:
I couldn’t believe my ears; this was an enormous setback. I tried not to groan in frustration. Amethyst was going to explode. “You bastard,” she shrieked. “Why am I even here if they will not listen to what I say?” she hissed at me.
“Amethyst, you need to calm down,” I demanded. “No, Timothy, Amethyst is right. If my men are not willing to listen to her, what is the purpose of her being here? She can’t help those who are unwilling,” Jennings sighed, casting another glare his Gamma’s way.
“Perhaps it’s best if you all head to my home for a rest. We can regroup at dinner,” Jennings offered. “I’d rather get started right away,” Amethyst growled. “As I don’t want to lose any more time than we already have. We need to find the witches’ motive sooner rather than later,” she insisted.
Almost as if Sanders wanted to cause issues, the smug bastard rolled his eyes at her. “It is my opinion that rest is best for you, Amethyst, capable as you are; you would not be the first witch who overdid it,” I stated, sternly.
To my surprise, this time, she didn’t protest. “Lead the way,” she hissed at Sanders, pushing past me, with Madeline not far behind. From Madeline’s expression, she agreed with Amethyst.
“Surrounded by strong women I see, old friend,” Alpha Jennings laughed. “Have you forgotten who my mother is?” I laughed. Eclipse was one of the few packs who knew that we, the Elders, were the children of a Goddess.
“These witches, are you sure that they hold no ties to her coven in any way?” Jennings persisted. “I was there when the coven cast them out, before the destruction of the Amazons. The coven has lived with us ever since. Your witches denounced the Goddesses and took a new god. But who I am not sure,” I explained.
“I just want to be sure, as the last attacks mentioned, Amethyst. That’s why my men are leery of her,” he informed me.
“I assure you; Amethyst has not left our home; she’s devoted her life to training priestesses. Eventually, she will need to pass on her title. No witch can hold the power of the Goddesses forever,” I explained.
Suddenly, an eerie silence descended upon the land. The hairs on the back of my neck stood as the surrounding air cooled. “What did they say about Thyst?” I demanded. I could not control the panic which crept into my soul. Now I believed I should never have brought her here.
Howls rang out all around us.
Amethyst’s Pov:
“It is my opinion that rest is best for you, Amethyst, capable as you are; you would not be the first witch who overdid it,” Timothy scolded me.
My mind raced as I attempted to figure out an equally harsh reply. But unfortunately, something told me now was not the time. We would ‘chat’ more while we were resting.
“Lead the way,” I surrendered to Sanders. Timothy gave me the impression that he and Alpha Jennings had something to discuss in private. Angry, I pushed my way past Timothy to ensure, if he wasn’t aware already, that I was deeply upset with him.
To my surprise, Madeline followed my lead. “You don’t need to join me; I will be fine,” I linked Madeline. Utterly annoyed that she, too, felt the need to accompany me.
“Trust when I say I know in a battle I would never get near you. Of us all here, you are the most capable,” she linked. “I came because I wanted to tell you, he is acting like an arse because he cares deeply for you. We all see it,” she attempted to explain.
“He would be an excellent mate for you,” she continued. “Madeline, no one knows this better than I do. He almost marked me the day you became General, its why I wasn’t the one that sent the men off. I struggled with my choice. The Goddesses would never bless me with a child if I chose Timothy. They showed me my daughter. I broke both of our hearts…” I stopped. The hurt was flooding back to me. Out of nowhere, images of me walking with Madeline and Sanders crept into my mind.
I closed my eyes to search out who the images were coming from. “Are you ok witch?” Sanders asked. “Link your pack members; we are not alone. They are watching,” I whispered. The presence of fear in his eyes was unmistakable.
“Hurry,” I pleaded. I tried to keep my voice hushed. As I did not want to alert the witches to my knowledge. Moments later, howls rang out all around us. I tried not to let my relief show.
“There is a bitter smell of decay in the air,” Madeline spat. Her eyes scanned the shadows. “Something ungodly is near,” she linked. “Best if we carry on as if we didn’t sense them. It will give us the element of surprise,” she continued. “How much farther to the pack house?” I asked, as if everything was fine. Thankfully, Sanders clued into our plan. “This way, Ladies,” he snarled.
“Are you sure that we can trust this witch?” an unknown voice entered my mind. “I don’t know. That warrior they are with is sensing something, too. Best to be cautious. Alpha already has his back up because we didn’t follow her plans,” Sanders’s voice responded. Only then did I realize this was a conversation they did not mean for me to hear. There was something about it. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Well, if she is one of them, I am close enough to kill her. Just get here in time to take out the runt. I got a notion she is wiry,” Sanders continued. “Mad…” I tried to link Madeline as blood curling screams tore through the quiet of the day, followed by laughter. “I need to get closer,” I muttered to myself as I ran into the brush.
Tim’s Pov:
I glanced at Jennings as a wave of rotting flesh engulfed us. “Amethyst?” I tried to link her. Only I was greeted with nothing. ‘Remain calm, she is alright,’ I told myself, wishing I would have kept her closer. “Jennings, I need to know what they said,” I commanded.
I could not shake the sensation. These attacks could not be as random as the council first suspected. “I am not sure, only a few rantings from wolves who had been tortured by the witches. Something about needing Amethyst and a bond. We considered she might be a part of them…” he shrugged.
My heart leaped into my throat as I shifted into my wolf. I needed to find her now; I lured her into a trap. “Madeline, where are you and Thyst? She’s the reason for these attacks. The witches were trying to lure her here,” I explained, hoping I didn’t sound too panicked.
“We are southeast of the pack house, about 600 meters from it. Amethyst took off deeper. She seemed to be chasing something. I am sorry we could not keep up with her. And I’ve lost her sent,” she responded.
I raced as fast as I could to their approximate location, hoping I wasn’t too late picking up the weak sent that Amethyst gave off. Bone chilling laughter rose, taunting us as wails of pain echoed all around us.
“Amethyst, please be ok,” I tried again. Once more, I was greeted with nothing. The odor of burning flesh, along with screams of pain, dominated the silence.
Suddenly, a purplish hue illuminated the dense woods ahead of me as I forced my way into it. Relief swept through me as Amethyst was standing in front of me, with her back to me. The unseen witches taunted us.
Focusing on a single voice was impossible. “Amethyst!” I cried out as I reclaimed my human form. She turned to face me, her skin pale and covered in sweat. Her eyes held surprise as she met my gaze.
“Look out,” a wolf screamed, tackling Thyst to the ground. Suddenly, a ball of flame passed through where she stood only seconds before. With all my worries, I almost cost Amethyst her life. Cries of rage haunted the dark, dense brush. “What do you mean, yours?” Amethyst asked, her voice tight with surprise.