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I raise the body in my arms over my head and throw it at Amber. The dead witch lands at her feet, just as I’d intended. Horror crosses her face for a moment before she masks her reaction. Just as I suspected; she didn’t know that I’d been turned.
Part of me feels guilty for killing a woman, but a much darker part enjoyed every second of it.
LUCA
I’m not sure which is more disturbing, watching James drain a witch as if he was dying of thirst, or Red’s reaction to it. I know she’s turned on, and he likes it.
I’ll worry about that later, since this bitch is still shooting arrows at me. I’ve managed to dodge most of them, but a couple have scraped along my arm and leg. Shoving Orym out of the way caused one of those injuries, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My wolf wants to break free and tear these witches apart. I know that we’re supposed to stay close to help boost Red’s power, but this is rough. I feel like I’m watching the fight instead of participating in it.
As if I willed it, the witches start closing in on us. If they get a little closer, I’ll be able to fight one with my fists, or my claws. Are we okay to shift, Red? Or do you need us in human form?
Do whatever you need to in order to survive. Just stay close to me. Her response makes my wolf happy. I wait until one of the witches is close enough to grab, then let the shift happen. My bones crack and reshape until I’m pouncing on the exact witch who’s been shooting at me. My teeth rip into her throat, and she’s dead faster than I’d hoped.
Am I a monster because I wanted to drag that out? I want Amber and her followers to suffer. I want them to know pain, the same way they’ve made us feel pain since all of this started.
Once that witch is dealt with, I look around to see that Orym and Ryland have shifted too. Each wolf is tearing into a witch. This is almost too easy. There has to be a catch. Something is coming.
A howl sounds in the distance, and we all turn toward it. “Oh, did you think I would only bring witches to this fight?” Amber’s laugh echoes, and she keeps talking. “Silly girl. I brought my new pets. Now, they aren’t very pretty, but they are very effective.”
A wolf standing upright on its hind legs steps into the clearing. Wait, that’s not a wolf. What the fuck is that?
A hybrid. It has to be. “Be careful. We don’t know what those things can do,” Ryland’s voice carries to me, and I realize that he’s shifted back. Orym and I are still in wolf form, and I’m glad. I feel like my animal gives me an advantage here.
The beast in front of me attacks, knocking me onto my back and trying to rip out my throat. Something throws it off me, and I manage to get out of the way. I see James dash off. Vampire speed comes in handy.
The beast zips back to me, moving as fast as James did. Now that I can see it clearly, I’m kind of disgusted. It’s deformed and looks miserable.
GARNET
When Amber sends in the hybrids, I worry that we’re not going to be able to handle this. There are only a dozen or so of them, but that’s still more than the five of us. It’s especially daunting with Amber and the witches still tossing magic attacks at us while the hybrids pounce. I know it’s all designed to distract us so my aunt can get in to position.
Before I realize what’s happening, we’re backed up against a copse of birch trees that are growing too close together for us to easily climb through. Fuck, how did I not see her maneuvering us into this trap?
With the trees at my back, I watch Ry and Orym take one hybrid down while Luca and James kill another. I zap a third one with lightning. I can’t believe Amber managed to trap us like this. I’m pissed at myself for falling for it. She had to have baited us into thinking we were winning so that she could push us this direction.
A yellow glow surrounds us as Amber’s witches surround us with a barrier. “Don’t touch it,” I warn, realizing that it’s meant to keep us in while Amber gets into place. Even knowing this is our final stand off doesn’t prepare me for this.
I know that she has to perform some ritual in order to kill me and steal my powers, but I never found out exactly what that would look like. I guess I’m about to find out.
“We can’t give up now,” Ry insists.
“I’m not giving up; I just don’t know what to do now. I have no idea how we can get out of this,” I admit. It does feel like defeat, but I can’t admit that.
“What’s wrong, niece? Nothing overly confident to say now? Hmm,” Amber taunts. I am shocked that I let this cocky bitch best me. There has to be something I can do to get out of this.
“I honestly have nothing to say to you,” I respond. I’d rather ignore her, but I’ve seen what she does when that happens. I can’t afford to risk one of my mates that way.
Amber laughs and walks closer. “That’s fine. I’ll talk. Then you’ll die, and I’ll have your powers.” She walks closer and my guys circle me protectively. I tighten the magic dome around us, trying to figure out a way to make it physical so that she can’t get inside.
She grabs Luca’s arm and holds up a syringe. “Now, unless you want to watch your mate turn into one of those,” she gestures toward the disfigured hybrids surrounding us, “you’ll cooperate and do as you’re told.”
I can’t risk Luca, and she knows it. “Put the syringe away, and I’ll come with you. They’ll stay here and won’t cause any trouble.” Don’t fight. This is the only way. Remember that I love you all.
“That’s just as I thought. You’re too soft, niece. That’s why you’ll never defeat me,” Amber chides as she puts the syringe back into her pocket and shoves Luca away from her.
I can tell that my mates are confused by what I’m doing. If there was any other way, I would try it. But there’s nothing else I can do. Amber can’t hurt my mates. Of course, once I’m dead, she’ll torture and murder them all. But what choice do I have? I can’t let her turn Luca or any of the others into one of those horrible monsters.
