Chapter Thirty-Five

Laura focused on the shifters in front of hers.

She’d already weighed the odds…

And they weren’t good.

She was a head taller in height, but size didn’t make up for their numbers.

She’d have a better chance with tossing the queen on her back and making a run for it.

Her gaze bounced between them as they remained still, teeth bared, either waiting for an order or for her to make the first move.

She stood taut at her full wolf height, readying herself to twist, grab the queen and run, when the first rogue fell.

There was no grand reaction, or reason, as he toppled over to the side, laying still. Everyone, including Laura, looked at him in momentary confusion.

Then the second one fell.

Looks of confusion quickly shifted to hostility, which gave way to ensuing chaos as they whipped around for the invisible threat.

Laura, still just as confused, backed up until her hind leg connected with the queen.

A low mist swirled around the legs of the rogues, growing to cover the tiny clearing.

Two more rogues went down, though these two went yelping and whimpering as they were dragged down hard into the mist, like something straight out of a horror movie.

She smelled it then, the scent carried by the mist.

*Peppermint.*

Not a second later did she catch sight of a young hag, carelessly moving through the mist, almost phasing in and out of existence as she felled the shifters one by one–with a smile on her face.

Laura was so happy, she didn’t even mind the maniacal humming the woman was doing, she would’ve wagged her tail along if her body didn’t sag with relief instead. The extent of her injuries slowly made themselves known as the adrenaline she’d accumulated dissipated.

The rogues didn’t stand a chance as Cecil came to a stop after the last one fell. She turned to Laura, her customary giddy smile in place.

“I hummed them a lullaby.” She jigged by herself as she cackled.

Laura didn’t bother asking questions when the mist dispersed and not a body was in sight–save for the rogue that had been downed when Laura had made first contact.

Cecil skipped over to Laura, peeking around her large wolf’s frame.

“Oo, she looks bad.”

“Can you help her?” Laura barely recognized even the panting voice that came from half-shifting back to her human form.

“Let’s see.” Cecil’s peppermint scent flushed the air as she sat cross-legged in front of the queen.

Laura remained in wolf form, sitting on her haunches to take weight off of her abused parts.

Cecil sat with her eyes closed, one finger pushed aggressively against the queen’s forehead.

Laura’s eyes widened as even she felt the power from where she sat, as Cecil worked to actively heal Queen Lana.

Four distinct howls sounded.

This time very close.

“You have to go.” Panic rose, giving Laura a new jolt of adrenaline. It wouldn’t be a good thing for Cecil to be seen right now–in this situation.

“Shh. Just a minute–brain bleed.” They didn’t have a minute, but Laura couldn’t do anything about it if it meant the alternative was Queen Lana dying from a head injury.

The queen stirred, opening her eyes.

*“Wha?”*

The queen’s eyes were glassy with confusion–even more so when she took in Laura’s purple wolf.

Laura shifted then.

“It’s alright. Help is on its way.” She steadied Queen Lana against the tree as she gained clarity.

Recognition lit her gaze.

“You..”

“Yes.. I-I can explain later. Right now it’s important if you don’t move too much.”

Laura was one to talk with her own injuries. She could taste blood with every breath.

“Don’t worry, she’s here to help,” Laura assured her as she eye’d Cecil up and down.

She could hear the padding of shifters as they sprinted the clearing between the grass and the treeline. It wouldn’t be long.

“Cecil..”

“Yes, yes.. I’ll just have to put her in a coma for now, this isn’t something light–though you should be able to finish healing it with your power–” Cecil looked Laura over, “*well*, after you’ve healed first that it.”

A heavy snarl sounded through the woods.

“Alrighty Madam, I’m going to have to put you out." Cecil placed her hand square on Queen Lana’s chest. "*Annnd* you’ve got about a minute before you're out cold.” Cecil cackled to herself before literally vanishing in front of them.

Queen Lana didn’t even hide her bewilderment.

“Sorry, Queen Lana. You’ll be safe–”

“Yes, thank you so much for saving me. And I’m sure you have your reasons.” Queen Lana could obviously sense the discomfort Laura displayed as the sounds of cavalry drew closer.

“Go. I’ll find you when I wake.”

Laura nodded, catching her before she pitched forward, and settled her comfortably against the tree again.

Satisfied, Laura shifted and began half-limping, half-running, deeper into the forest.

***

*It’s taking too long*.

The dense forest stared at her.

The only movement, the rustling of leaves and branches in the wind.

Morgan waited in the running car on the main road that led to the castle. It was supposed to be simple: she created a reason for Lana to urgently leave, with little time to plan, and the *rogues* would take care to bring her to wherever their deplorable owner was and handle their business, while she played collateral victim.

But too much time had passed.

As it stood, the whole scene she sat in was a waiting game of whoever came across her first, and she hadn’t received the signal that the rogues had been successful in subduing the queen, having had to chase her into the adjacent forest. Just the act of feigning surprise was draining enough.

She clutched the burner phone in one hand, while biting her nails down to the skin with the other.

The cellphone rang.

A displeased voice spoke over the other line.

“N-no, there’s been no signal…I’m not sure–yes..yes, I understand.”

A click sounded, followed by silence.

Then that silence was punctuated by the howl of a shifter she knew well: Prince Rowan.

*Fucking hell*.

Any other time, and the sound of his wolf would stir her in a good way. But now, especially after his blunt rejection of her in his office the last time they’d run into each other, the sound brought a wave of anger.

This was his fault. She wouldn’t have had to go this far if he’d just done as he should’ve.

She ground her teeth, biting off another nail. A small snarl escaped her throat as she smashed the black piece against the dashboard before quickly stashing it in the glove compartment and getting out of the car.

The bodies of two of the queen’s guards lay still on the pavement–one felled by a gash to the neck, the other a slash to the gut. Both lay in large pools of their own blood.

She turned to the car door she’d left open, and then swiftly and violently brought her head down to connect with the door sill. Pain blinded her for a moment, but she ignored it as she punched the glass, ripping her skin as it shattered, embedding tiny pieces in her arm.

She examined herself in the side mirror.

*Hm. Not enough*.

She took her unbruised arm and laid it across the now broken car window, then without hesitation, brought her other arm down on the other side, a stomach-turning crunch resulting as she came away with a limp appendage–effectively breaking her forearm. She suppressed her ability to heal.

Pleased, she lay down close enough to one of the guards to cover her clothes and exposed skin in blood, before laying still with her eyes closed.