Life and death

“Ives?!” Ryan, Clare and Fay ran towards both Ives who had fallen to the ground as Hazel stood over him, with a bloodied silver knife.

“What have you done Hazel?!” Clare growled at her.

“Awwwn, isn’t this pretty to watch. To think you were once in love with her.” Hazel chuckled and shook her head at Clare.

“Who are you and what have you done with Hazel?” Ryan growled beside Clare, while Fay tried what she could to salvage Ives wound, as she placed her head to his chest to hear his faint heart beat.

“He’s still alive!” Fay announced, as she kept applying pressure to the wound to stop the injury.

As she knew silver created wounds were the most the difficult to heal if the wolf survives it.

“We need to take him to a healer now.” Fay exclaimed.

“Who are you?” Ryan repeated, snarling at Hazel.

“My name is Esmeralda, sounds familiar?” She drew a lazy smile, as she watched realization dawn on his face.

“What do you want with her?” Ryan asked.

“I just need to open the fortress. That’s all and don’t think of stopping me.” She turned back to the fortress, as she finally got to pull it from its root again, causing the whole grounds to shake, while the fortress was being pulled up.

“You’re making the worst mistake ever Esmeralda.” Ryan warned, staring daggers at her.

“There’s nothing you can— Ouch!” She screamed out, as she was suddenly pushed off balance to the ground by a rogue wolf from the opposite direction.

“Get off me!” She screamed, flinging the wolf which latched on her to the other side, while other rogue wolves came on her.

“Where did you all come from!” She screamed out in frustration, as she fought them off herself, slashing and killing most of them as they came on her, till more jumped on her, covering her completely, causing her to drop back the fortress with so much force that it ended up causing cracks on various parts of the fortress as it landed back on the ground with a loud thud.

Ives stirred on the ground, as Fay watched in surprise the wound on his chest, suddenly came together, healing with so much vigor that made him squirm in so much pain, with his eyes still shut.

Ives and Hazel screamed out simultaneously. Ives eyes flew open, revealing a totally burning red orb, making Fay move back in fear, at the intensity at which it stared back at her.

He got to his feet slowly, as Fay moved back slowly, calling to Clare.

Hazel stared at the now dead wolves which fell all around her. Suddenly another pack of wolves ran in through the fortress, passing by her and ran towards the direction of the pack’s house.

She turned and snarled at Ryan who gave her a knowing look before running after the rogue wolves which headed to the pack’s house, with Clare following closely behind.

Ives stood to his feet, fully healed, with not even a scar on his body, as horns slowly came forth from his head, while he stared with fully intensity at Hazel.

“How’s that even possible.” Hazel’s eyes widen in shock, as she saw Ives transform into a half demon.

“The same way the body you’re occupying is a hybrid, Esmeralda.” Ives made his way towards her, with slow, precise steps.

“Don’t come any closer!” She warned, pulling out a streak from the fortress and pointed the sharp edge at Ives.

“Go away from me!” She screamed, flinging the streak at him, which he easily dodged, but it got to hit Fay who screamed out in pain.

“I’ll destroy her body if you come any closer.” She pointed the silver blade towards Hazel’s chest.

“The pack is under attack!” Clare’s voice came through the mind link that had been created by three of them.

The mind link which had been helping them escape a lot and rescue each other from danger right from when they were little.

The same mind link he had used to inform his brothers that he had found Hazel when he did.

“I’ll deal with you later.” He said, and took to his heels, running towards the pack house.

***

“Mother?” Hazel ran towards her mother who stood at the other end of the meadow.

“Hazel.” She smiled at her approaching daughter.

“I’ve missed you so much mother.” She sobbed into her mother’s shoulder as she engulfed her in a hug.

“Why did you leave us? Dad hasn’t been the same since you left.” She kept crying, as her mother stroked her hair.

“I’m so tired mother.” Hazel pulled back and looked at her mother’s beautiful face.

“I want to be with you. Nothing seems right back there.”

“My darling.” Her mother wiped her cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ear, still smiling.

“There’s someone you need to meet.” Her mother disentangled herself from her embrace and turned to her back.

“Who’s that?” Hazel asked.

“Your great grand mother.” Hazel’s mother moved to the side, revealing an extemely young woman who looked ethereal.

“My great grand mother?” Hazel stared in confusion from her mother to the woman who she said was her great grand mother and back to her mother.

“I don’t understand, why’s she this young?”

“I don’t age my darling.” Hazel’s grand mother smiled, taking slow strides to her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain it all to you child.” She smiled, as she got to her.

“Okay?” Hazel tilted her head to the side.

“Where are my manners. I should introduce myself.” Hazel’s great grand mother said.

“My name is Priscilla, the queen, or should I say the former queen of the witches.” She took a slight bow to Hazel, who admired her beauty and noted that she actually did look like a queen.

“I’m your great grand mother, as your mother has introduced already.” She nodded at her grand daughter.

“How are you so young?” Hazel asked in awe.

“Cause witches don’t age?” Priscilla shrugged.

“And mum?” Hazel quirked a brow.

“She isn’t a witch. But you are.”

“Me?” Hazel asked in shock. “How’s that even possible, I mean mum is human and my father a werewolf, which made me a half bred wolf.” Hazel stated.

“Well, although your mother wasn’t a witch, she was a carrier, which she passed it over to you. Making you half a witch and half a wolf.” Priscilla explained.

“I’m still very lost here.” Hazel shook her head.

“What Priscilla is trying to say is, she was the queen of witches when she was still on earth but before she passed on, my birth mother had died at childbirth, bringing me forth. My birth mother was supposed to take over her but since she had gone before she could manifest her powers, it was assumed that the powers would automatically be passed on to me, as I was hidden by the other witches from Priscilla’s arch enemy, Esmeralda, who took over your body, as they had assumed I’ll take over from her.

They dropped me off at the doorstep of a poor, middle aged couple who were childless. They took care of me till I found my mate, your father. Fortunately the powers passed on to you, making you the queen.” Her mother who had been quiet for a while, explained.

“Ohh. Hold on. Did you say something about my body being possessed by Esmeralda? So where am I right now?” Hazel took a good look around for the first time.

“You’re in your mind Hazel. We were only able to get in here cause you let us.” Her mother explained.

“You need to go back and stop Esmeralda.” Priscilla said.

“How am I suppose to go about it, I don’t seem to have control over my body right now.” Hazel shook her head.

“It’s in you Hazel. You have the powers. All you have to do is connect your mind and self to be one with your powers, then you’ll be able to overcome Esmeralda. You have to go fast, she’s about lifting up the fortress.” Priscilla said

“How about my wolf?” Hazel asked, turning back to them, as she had started making her way back.

“Your wolf will find you.” Her mother replied.

“What do you mean mother?” Hazel called at both her and Priscilla’s vanishing image.

“Mother?!” She tan bacj to where they stood to grab them, but she only held on empty air.

“Fuck.” Hazel needed answers but she was getting none.

She shut her eyes tightly, and spread both arms and tried to get connect back to herself.

Hazel’s eyes came back to it’s color, as she turned to look around her.

“Oh my god. What have I done?” She stared at the dead wolves around her.

“Fay!” She walked towards the terribly injured Fay who had tears stream down her eyes. “What happened?”

“Get away from me.” Fay dragged back away from Hazel. “I don’t know who you are and what you’ve done to Hazel. I’ll kill you if you come any closer.” She warned.

“Fay, it’s me Hazel.” Hazel pleaded in shock, looking around her once more, seeing the now breached fortress. “I did this?” She wondered in shock, seeing the chaos Esmeralda has cause around her.

She felt Esmeralda struggling to switch back as she tried with all she could to push her back.

She looked around for familiar faces, but saw none asides that of Fay who was injured and in the midst of other dead wolves.

“You let the rogues come in through the fortress! Only to kill most of them by yourself!” Fay accused.

“I did what?” Hazel felt herself pulled back, as Esmeralda took over.

“You bitch!” She snarled at Fay, as she walked towards her.

“Fuck!” She screamed out, as both she and Hazel fought for dominance over Hazel’s body.

Fay watched in horror how Hazel lifted the knife to her chest, struggling with herself, pulling the knife to herself and back, like two people struggling.

“Hazel?” Fay got to her feet slowly, as she noticed the switch of her iris from Hazel to totally blank and back.

She moved closer when Hazel’s hands pulled up the dagger, and with much struggle, finally plunged the dagger into her chest.

“Hazel!” Fay ran to her side, and caught her before she landed on the ground.

“I defeated her.” Hazel smiled, pulling out blood from her mouth.

“What are you talking about?!” Fay cried out. “Please don’t leave me Hazel.” She said, noticing Hazel slowly loosing consciousness.

“My.. wolf.” Hazel suddenly coughed out blood, still smiling.

“Hazel!” Ives ran towards where Fay was crouched down with Hazel in her hands in his demon form.

“Hazel.” He called, picking her from Fay’s hand into his arms as he stood up, running with her, to take her to where she would be healed, not pulling out the knife, cause he knew she’d die once he does that.

“Ives.” Hazel’s eyes slowly flew open, as she weakly reached her hand to his face smiling.

“Stay with me Hazel.” He said, as he kept running. The pack’s house was under attack, so he couldn’t take her there. He had to run towards another alternative.

“We’d have made beautiful pups.” Hazel smiled, as he kept running, dripping his sweat down in her.

“Shhh. I’ll get help soon.” He said to her, as he kept running.

“I love you Ives.” She went limp, dropping her hand off his face.

“Hazel.” Ives called out still running but got no response. “Hazel!” He called out louder, but still no response.

“Hazel!” He screamed out, coming to a complete halt as he got no response from her.

He placed his ear close to her chest, near the blade, not minding the fact his ear sizzled as it got close to the silver blade.

“Hazel!” He screamed, causing the whole woods to shake and the birds of trees fly off, as his dark wings flared out from his back, flapping aggressively as he fell down on the ground.