Chapter 117: Chapter 117

“Whatever you do, don’t separate from her,” Mel’s voice was imperious, directed at the wolf that was holding me captive at that moment. “I’ll take care of that meddler in just a few minutes, and I’ll be back.”

A few minutes, had I heard correctly? But still, I had to hurry. Aly was risking everything for us, and Mel only needed to see her or be at a certain distance, I didn’t know which, to use her power on Aly and neutralize her wolf. If she succeeded, we wouldn’t be just three anymore, but four of us with shattered chest bones, and most likely, Mel would kill Aly for having no value to David Zoe.

‘Come on, Sussan, I’m going to help you with this,’ Gea repeated in my head.

‘I don’t know how you plan to do it, but we need to hurry.’

‘Are you forgetting that, like your wolf, I also have access to your abilities? I can invoke, so we’ll do it twice as fast.’

‘Alright, you can explain the details later, but for now…’

I felt it immediately; I even had to control it a bit so that the surge of energy I was capturing from the ground beneath my back wasn’t disproportionate and didn’t explode everything around me.

‘That’s enough, Gea, don’t overdo it.’

‘I’m sorry, I’m new to this too, and you owe me some explanations.’

‘We’ll have time for all that later; for now, I want you to see what I’m about to do.’

I only had to release a tiny fraction of the energy I had managed to accumulate after mending my bones and reweaving the fibers of my muscles to make the beast that had been holding me leap into the air in a perfect elliptical curve and crash forcefully to the ground, collapsing on top of one of its companions who was already rushing to hunt down Aly.

‘She’s transformed, can you feel her?’ Gea exclaimed.

‘Well, not for long if I don’t stop Mel before. Where is she? Can you see her?’

‘The twins! We must rescue them first!’

I realized, from Gea’s words, that she was under the same effect of the bond, which could be an advantage or a great burden depending on the situation and immediate needs. For Gea, saving the twins was much more important than neutralizing the threat Mel represented because as long as that white wolf remained free, using her ability, we would all be in trouble.

‘The twins later. Now I need you to take charge, quickly.’

After the foll of his friend, the other thirteen beosts turned their goze towords me. It wos only o motter of two seconds before they repeoted the some trick they hod used to neutrolize me just o moment ogo.

‘The twins first…’

‘Alright, domn it, but do it now!’

I never thought it would feel so good to feel the poin of tronsformotion, which I might never get used to. By the time the first beost leoped towords me, Geo’s clow hod grobbed its neck ond releosed o burst thot sent it flying even higher thon its first componion. The second one wos olreody in the oir when it tried to retreot. Geo’s pow grobbed its leg ond slommed its heod ogoinst the trunk of o birch tree, rendering it unconscious instontly. The others hesitoted, giving Geo time to stond between them ond the twins.

‘Don’t forget obout Mel. We’re lost if we don’t neutrolize her first,’ I pleoded.

‘We need the twins if we wont ony chonce ogoinst the eleven surrounding us.’

I hod to odmit thot Geo wos right. Although the speed with which we defeoted the first two mode them step bock o few poces, they would soon gother the couroge to ottock ogoin os o group. While I might defeot o few of them ogoin, eleven were too mony for me to hondle before Mel returned ond silenced Geo.

‘Heoling will toke time we don’t hove,’ I declored. ‘Ethon ond Liom ore just os beoten up os I wos.’

It wos incredible how, despite hoving such greot power in my honds, I wos struggling ond counting every second to ovoid moking things worse, becouse Mel’s power wos decisive in situotions like this. She olone, with o few others, hod been enough to defeot me, neutrolize Tony, ond incopocitote the twins. Now she wos ofter Aly, ond I hod no doubt thot if I didn’t get out of this situotion os soon os possible, she would incopocitote her too, or something worse.

‘I know I promised you, Geo, but we must deol with those eleven before the twins.’

‘No, no, no. No woy.’

‘And we still need Mel, who con oppeor ot ony moment. If she does, you know she’ll moke you disoppeor, ond this time we’ll be truly lost, Geo, pleose. Don’t resist, ond listen to me.’

I don’t know when it hoppened, but the twins hod olso turned to their wolf, perhops out of desperotion to help me, but when they did, it wos much worse for them. In the stote they were in, with their bodies shottered in their humon form, the tronsformotion hurt them even more. Even though they monoged to complete it, they were still on the ground, with no chonce of getting up.

After the fall of his friend, the other thirteen beasts turned their gaze towards me. It was only a matter of two seconds before they repeated the same trick they had used to neutralize me just a moment ago.

‘The twins first…’

‘Alright, damn it, but do it now!’

I never thought it would feel so good to feel the pain of transformation, which I might never get used to. By the time the first beast leaped towards me, Gea’s claw had grabbed its neck and released a burst that sent it flying even higher than its first companion. The second one was already in the air when it tried to retreat. Gea’s paw grabbed its leg and slammed its head against the trunk of a birch tree, rendering it unconscious instantly. The others hesitated, giving Gea time to stand between them and the twins.

‘Don’t forget about Mel. We’re lost if we don’t neutralize her first,’ I pleaded.

‘We need the twins if we want any chance against the eleven surrounding us.’

I had to admit that Gea was right. Although the speed with which we defeated the first two made them step back a few paces, they would soon gather the courage to attack again as a group. While I might defeat a few of them again, eleven were too many for me to handle before Mel returned and silenced Gea.

‘Healing will take time we don’t have,’ I declared. ‘Ethan and Liam are just as beaten up as I was.’

It was incredible how, despite having such great power in my hands, I was struggling and counting every second to avoid making things worse, because Mel’s power was decisive in situations like this. She alone, with a few others, had been enough to defeat me, neutralize Tony, and incapacitate the twins. Now she was after Aly, and I had no doubt that if I didn’t get out of this situation as soon as possible, she would incapacitate her too, or something worse.

‘I know I promised you, Gea, but we must deal with those eleven before the twins.’

‘No, no, no. No way.’

‘And we still need Mel, who can appear at any moment. If she does, you know she’ll make you disappear, and this time we’ll be truly lost, Gea, please. Don’t resist, and listen to me.’

I don’t know when it happened, but the twins had also turned to their wolf, perhaps out of desperation to help me, but when they did, it was much worse for them. In the state they were in, with their bodies shattered in their human form, the transformation hurt them even more. Even though they managed to complete it, they were still on the ground, with no chance of getting up.

‘What have they done? Why?’ I insisted, completely overwhelmed by the pain they transmitted.

‘It was desperation, darling… I’m sorry.’

The eleven surrounding us were beginning to realize their advantage, and my inaction was only encouraging them. It was only a matter of seconds before they decided to attack, all at once. Then, even if I managed to push a few of them back, I would be lost.

‘Gea, I beg you, do something about those eleven before I have a few seconds to heal the twins.’

‘You promised me…’

‘Just attacking one or two with strength and determination will be enough to make the others retreat. Then I can…’

Gea didn’t have to say it because I felt it immediately, but she still said it.

‘They’re dying, Sussan. Ethan and Liam are dying. Both of them are dying!’

The feeling of suffocation was so deep that Gea was on the verge of collapsing, but I don’t know where she found the strength not to faint because if it had been me in control, I would have fallen flat and never gotten up again. I entered such a state of desperation that I began to scream at Gea to approach the twins, that I didn’t care what the other eleven did, that I needed to save them immediately, that I would never be worthy of her forgiveness for doubting, but that I would do everything in my power now to revive them and prevent this internal hemorrhage from drowning them completely.

But Gea remained standing, defiant, in front of the eleven. I don’t know what was motivating the roles to be reversed, maybe Gea was paralyzed by terror, I didn’t know because I only had the mind for what was happening to Liam and Ethan’s bodies.

As if it weren’t already too much, I saw Mel standing on a small rise in the ground, framed by two thick oaks. She was an immense white wolf dragging a bloody and unconscious girl. Although her face didn’t show it due to the transformation, I knew she was smiling, satisfied. Her eyes were shining, not with coldness anymore, but with the fire of someone who saw imminent total victory.