Ch. 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:

~Avery

This was all too much. My body count was out of control. Drake was out of control. I needed to let something out, anything, and preferably not another light show.

I marched outside and began to lift my shirt up as I moved toward the dock, when I felt dark auras around. How had I not noticed before? I’d been distracted! I was distracted and this is what happens when I’m distracted!

I turned to face where I sensed the closest ones. Four dark auras. Not much light in there. I was still buzzing from the darkness I’d taken from the werewolves earlier today.

“Drake…” I whispered ever so slightly, hoping he could hear me.

The wolves approached right as he burst through the door in his wolf form. He leapt quickly and stood between them and where I stood. Brave. Dumb. Both?

They growled lowly, an unsettling sound coming from wolves that weren’t Drake. He snarled back loudly. My heart thundered in my chest as I picked up more auras than before, and they were getting closer. Drake was right. This second attempt was bigger than the last.

We moved in the same moment. I commanded the wolves in front of us to freeze right as Drake leapt to attack the biggest one. They listened well, just like the ones from this morning. And I tried to not think about how all day I’ve known that other wolves follow my commands just like humans, while Drake resists them.

I shake my head and force myself to stay present as he goes for the last two. The closest three auras in the treeline are menacing. I need to move now. If this is like this morning, those ones have guns, and I’ll be damned if they hit Drake. Or me.

I move quickly around the cabin, creeping to the other side of the treeline. I walk in it towards the lone aura I feel there. My hair lifts, my magic still high in my throat, right on my lips. I can almost taste the darkness in this one. I get a little closer before I command, hoping I can use their wolf hearing against them. To give commands without getting too close.

‘Freeze,’ I say just above a whisper. ‘Lower the gun.’

I approach slowly, as quiet as I can be, and see the figure there with a lowered weapon. He doesn’t turn to face me, frozen. Good.

‘How many shooters are out here? Don’t lie,’ I’ve never done this type of command but it seems like a good idea to know.

“T- ten,” he stutters out.

‘Come with me. Don’t link anyone. You’re on my side now. Shoot anyone in your team the moment you see them - wound only. Protect me. - Protect my werewolf,’ I command.

It’s a struggle to not just kill him and soak in his darkness, but I need him to better survive this. I need to be smart. I can soak in his darkness later.

We move rather quickly, my confidence boosted knowing that he has to protect me. And with his stronger senses, he should be able to move faster than me.

I hear a struggle somewhere lower on the hillside but the forest is too dense to make anything out.

Take me to one of your team members,’ I command the one under my control.

We continue on and then he freezes. I read his body language quickly and the moment I step down, snapping a twig, he shoots far off into the distance.

I hear someone curse and I run towards them, the zombie wolf guard hot on my tail.

I get close enough to reach him and he’s so distracted by the shot to his arm that he doesn’t notice my approach until it’s too late.

‘Freeze,’ I commanded him.

He freezes immediately.

In the next few seconds I have him hold the gun up to himself and pull the trigger. His body slumps to the floor, blood sprayed around and leaking slowly from the gaping wound. I watch, mesmerized as his darkness rises. I put a hand out slowly, coaxing it, and it comes to me willingly.

I absorb it. My senses are lighting up like the greatest high. The glee on my face can’t be hidden or downplayed. My god! It just feels so dan good! Little chills run up and back down my spine as I let out a small whimper as the feeling fades. I feel stronger, but the euphoric ecstasy is fading. I want more.

The need snaps into place and there’s no rational thinking anymore. Screw it. I don’t need this guy.

‘End your life,’ I whip around and order him.

He watches me with a pathetic whimper on his lips when he lines the gun up. Tears mist in his eyes and he pulls the trigger. Silently begging me to stop. But I don’t.

His body falls and hits the ground, blood pools around my feet and I don’t care to move. I watch as it trickles downhill toward the noises I hear down there. The guy’s darkness rises and I suck it in quickly, feeling another amazing set of sensations. Is there anything better than this?

I start to climb down from this feeling but don’t want to. So I’m on to my next victim.

My power amplifies a bit and I can feel the next two auras well before I can normally feel them. I pinpoint the closer one and have him slit his throat with the knife I see in his boot, enjoying the pooling red blood as he pushes pressure down into his flesh. He topples forward from his knees and I quickly drink him in. I want more. I need more.

I take the knife with me and present it to the next one, stuck on one bended knee between two trees. When he takes his own life he falls onto the tree trunk and slides down leaving a big mess. I absorb his darkness and move further into the trees, only to be disappointed that the others aren’t up this high. They must be closer to the cabin. They must be - Drake.

The thought of him hits me like a train. They’re moving in! What is going on down there?!

I don’t think as I run straight downhill. I’ll kill them all for daring to touch him!

I think back quickly - six more snipers. And who knows how many others? Why hadn’t I asked the first one that too? What is wrong with me?

I feel two dark auras close together. Running at top speed, dodging tree trunks and bushes I stumble loudly through the forest.

They have their guns on me before I arrive.

I wasn’t thinking about stealth, and with their wolf hearing they heard me coming. I should have commanded them from further away, but I wasn’t thinking. Mistake after mistake!

“Don’t even think about it!” one of them says as I go to open my mouth.

“Come forward!” demands the other.

I take a few steps, slowly, carefully. My hands up in surrender.

“Drop to one knee,” orders one of them.

Yeah, sure. I’ll drop.

I fall to one knee, angling my face down, while I pull up enough magic to say, ‘Freeze.’

I’m grinning by the time I look up. They’re stuck, obviously surprised at what I’ve done to them. I wonder what they thought I was. But I don’t care enough to ask. I need to keep going, keep taking more down to get to Drake.

I barely stick around to absorb their darkness after telling them to end their lives. I’m off running again, feeling for anything I can.

I felt him then, clearly. Light and dark swirled into one. He’s almost half and half really. That’s always intrigued me about him. I have always assumed his darkness came from the things he sometimes needed to do as a werewolf - hunt and maybe attack another pack. But sometimes I feel like it’s something else. The darkness there, it’s different. It moves. I can’t explain it.

I’m on the next one then, four left. I easily take this one down and am on to another. My elated feelings almost make me stumble a few times but I am determined to stay focused. I push myself further. My muscles scream at me as loudly as my lungs do - this is not like being in the water. I’m tired and sore, but I need to keep pushing.

Another one. She’s down quickly too and I move on, constantly checking for Drake’s fluid aura. He moves some but generally stays in the same area by the cabin. I wonder how many other werewolves are still left. I wonder if they are getting more over here. I wonder if Drake is putting up a good enough fight. I hope that he is.

Two more. They are near each other. And as I approach them I feel over confident. My high is as elevated as a mountain in the Himalayas.

‘FREEZE. Kill yourselves!’ I yell loudly.

Two bodies litter the earth by the time I get there. Their darkness ripe for picking. I’d never commanded so much from so far away before. But it worked. It worked!

That should be all the snipers.

Their darkness seeps into me and I shiver from the pleasure. Will this ever get old? Will I ever be satiated?

A loud crash further down the way brings me back to attention. Drake.

I take off in the direction of the crash, feeling four other dark auras around him. That’s it! They are DONE!

I reached the cabin a few minutes later, my breath labored and likely way too loud. But I’d given up on stealth. I’m pure fiery rage now. How dare these bastards come here and try to take what’s mine?!

I round the corner to see three werewolves trying to corner Drake. They’re failing. I quickly note the dozen bodies on the ground near them. God. Did he really take all of them down?

A wolf lunges at him as I step into the clearing.