Chapter 35: So I’m a Werewolf. Now what?

CLARA

My breathing came in ragged pants as the pain turned my vision white. I didn’t know if I dared stand, afraid I’d leave my stomach behind on the ground.

But my new werewolf body was incredibly resilient. I rolled to one side to dodge a swipe of Xavier’s paw and, thankfully, my insides fell back into place. Moments later, the skin began to knit together enough that I could stand.

“~Just stay down and die!~”

Xavier rose to his back legs and tried to knock me to the ground, but I stood and met him mid-air. Our jaws snapped as we bit at each other’s faces and necks without much gain.

I threw my weight to the left suddenly, knocking him off balance and bringing both of us back to the ground.

His head hit the earth with a resounding ~thud~ and for a moment, his muscles went limp. But I didn’t even have time to take a full breath before he recovered and rolled me onto my back, slamming my head into the dirt over and over again.

Try as I might, I just wasn’t strong enough to dislodge him. He stood with his back legs on either side of me and his front paws on my shoulders, driving me back into the ground every time I lifted my head.

I started to see stars. I looked over to Elias, who was still lying terrifyingly still in the grass.

Was this really the end? Dying at the hand of my own father, just one hour after marrying the man who shared my soul?

At least I’d found him.

At least I’d die strong and fighting back. The weak, trembling woman who had taken the fist of a man over and over without complaint was gone.

But just as I was about to give up, Elias finally rose from the ground and stood by my side, his wounds covered in soft pink flesh.

“~My luna is correct. We will defeat you, and we will unite our packs into one. And we can do it the easy way or the hard way.~”

Xavier let out a howl, and suddenly the clearing was swarming with black wolves.

I know I should have been terrified, but there wasn’t even time for fear.

Elias and I stood head-to-tail, defending each other against incoming attacks and lashing out when we could. Together we were stronger than most of the Graveridge wolves, and more than one was sent flying by our powerful jaws and legs.

Yet no matter how many wolves we defeated, they kept coming. They pressed in on us as tightly as they could, their ranks only opening to dodge the limp body of one of their comrades before taking his or her place.

We backed against a cliff at the back of the clearing, providing some protection on at least one side and allowing us to focus on attacking more.

And I started to lose hope again. How could the two of us defeat an entire pack?

I had made a vow to unite these people, but how was I going to do that when my death was nearly guaranteed?

Elias must have felt my hope beginning to wane, because he bumped me softly with his shoulder.

“~Don’t give up. Keep fighting! Have faith in the Seer.~”

I wanted to keep fighting, but I was getting so tired. We needed help, or there was no way we could win this.

“~If only you hadn’t told Northfang to hang back! We might have stood a chance.~”

“~You called?~” echoed a familiar voice, but it wasn’t Elias. “~Glad you at least bothered to tell us you moved the party. Sorry we’re a bit late.~”

“~Benson!~”

An army of silver poured into the meadow, and I felt the candle of hope flare back to life.

“~Damn straight it’s me! Elias, I’m going to kick your ass for making us hang back when this is all over. For now, let’s finish this.~”

Soon, the entire meadow was covered in skirmishes. Small groups of black and silver fought with frightening ferocity.

Elias and I remained side by side, repelling any Graveridge members who dared to attack us. But soon, they were all distracted by the Northfangs, leaving me and Elias against Xavier and Marius.

Marius attacked first while Xavier hung back, his back left leg limp from a broken bone that hadn’t reset yet.

Elias pretended to lunge but dropped to the ground at the last moment to trip Marius.

Marius fell face-first into the grass, and I wrapped my jaws around his throat.

“~This is your last chance, Marius. Renounce the war and join us, or I ~will ~rip out your throat.~”

The whites took over Marius’s eyes as they oscillated between me and Xavier. He let out a whimper and went limp.

“~Kill me if you must. I’m done with this fight.~”

I relaxed my jaw, and Marius retreated to the far side of the clearing, completely ignoring the orders from Xavier that he get back here and fight.

Now alone, Xavier backed against a tree as Elias and I flanked him on either side.

“~Why did you abandon me and my mother, Xavier? What did we ever do to you to deserve being kicked out of our family?~”

“~I was merely preparing for the prophecy. There was no room for a luna who would cheat on me like your mother when the real prize was due to arrive. Little did I know that it wasn’t true, or that I didn’t need a mate bond with you. You came from my own flesh and blood.~”

His voice was cold and filled me with red-hot fury.

“~And as my daughter, you have no choice but to obey me.~”

To my own surprise, I began to laugh. Fueled by my newfound power and love for Elias, I shook my head and took a step toward Xavier.

“~You have no claim over me, Xavier. The bond Elias and I have forged is stronger than any shared DNA. His blood runs through my veins now, and I reject any link to you. I am not bound by your vision of the prophecy. My choices are my own, and I choose Elias.~”

“~An alpha can’t be rejected!~” Xavier howled, launching himself at me.

Elias moved to protect me, and I turned my head to snarl at him to stay back.

This was ~my~ fight, and I was going to win it on my own.

Elias paced nervously as Xavier and I met with flailing claws and gnashing teeth, but he did as I demanded and stayed back.

Neither of us could get purchase on the other, and we fell back to all fours. Around and around we circled, searching for any signs of weakness to exploit.

~“I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn about this. You obviously inherited my strength.~

“~If you mated with Marius, your son would be the strongest wolf our pack has ever known. A fine next-generation alpha. And together we could easily defeat Northfang. We would fulfill the prophecy together and become the strongest pack on this side of the Mississippi.~”

“~You’re a foolish old man,~” I spat. ~“It’s because of you that this war has to end through bloodshed. You know the prophecy states that ~I~ will unite the packs, so why are you fighting so hard to be the opposition?~

“~Elias and I have broken the curse. Marius has already run away with his tail between his legs. When I defeat you, Graveridge becomes mine.~”

~“Graveridge will never be led by a luna!”~

I must have hit a nerve because Xavier stopped talking and began attacking. He went for my throat and then my belly, but I was too fast for him.

I fended off his attacks and managed to rake my claws over his body multiple times.

“~Xavier, please! Can’t you see the lives you’re wasting?~” I pleaded, choosing to continue defending rather than going on the offensive. ~“Just relinquish control and you can even leave in peace.”~

“~And become some pathetic rogue like you? Never!~”

“~Then you’ve chosen this for yourself.”~

With all the ferocity I had, I went on the offensive. I bit at Xavier’s neck, piercing the jugular and sending his blood spraying all over my face.

We seemed to be able to withstand plenty of life-threatening injuries, but maybe if I could entirely sever his windpipe or jugular vein, or remove his organs, he would die.

Enough blood got in my eyes and nose to momentarily blind me and block my airway. I had to let go to clear my nostrils, at least, and Xavier took that moment to attack.

His teeth missed my neck and sank deep into my chest muscles.

Fire rippled through my legs, and I kicked out, barely doing any damage. I managed to twist and dig my claws deep enough into his stomach that the pain loosened his jaw.

Free, we circled each other, searching for a weakness. Again and again we lashed out with test strikes, but I was getting so tired. Even the power of my wolf, strong as she was, couldn’t outlast the trained alpha.

He clawed my side and stomach; I kicked at his jaw, and he grabbed my tail with his teeth and slammed me into a tree.

He more than matched my energy, laying open my hip with his claws. He bowled me over, and for a few moments, we wrestled on the ground, snapping at whatever came in range of our teeth.

I sank my teeth into his thigh and tore his hamstring entirely in half. His left hind leg went limp, giving me an advantage.

I was past emotion at this point. My world was entirely the taste of blood, the pain of dozens of wounds, and the moonlight on Xavier’s black fur. I let intuition be my guide and instinct take over my body.

As my confidence grew, Xavier’s speed fell. His blows became softer, and his growls less deafening.

But I kept coming. Even when Xavier had his back pressed against a tree and his chest heaved, I still sought to pierce his stomach or latch my teeth around his jugular.

I could see the whites of his eyes as the beginnings of panic set in, but I closed off my heart and made one more lunge for his throat.

Yet he wasn’t finished. Xavier lunged at me again, and I felt his claws lay my flank open to the bone.

Blood splattered the grass, and I screamed in pain.

I heard his laughter echoing in my mind, and I blindly struck out, my massive paw barely grazing his cheek.

“~You’ll have to do better than that, little puppy. Come back to your rightful pack and I’ll train you to be the most powerful luna this land has ever seen.~”

“~I already am,~” I spat, jumping on Xavier’s back and sinking my teeth into the back of his skull.

He shook me off in seconds, my teeth sliding through his flesh like a hot knife through butter. Rivers of blood began running down both of his front legs, but he seemed unaffected.

His body slammed into mine, and I flew backward into the altar.

My spine struck first, and I felt the vertebrae crack.

I lost the feeling in my back legs and crumbled to the ground.

“~Did that hurt, pup? Are you ready to give up yet?~”

“~Never!~” I snarled and pawed at the ground, willing my still back half to obey me. But it remained unfeeling and unresponsive.

Xavier grabbed me by the throat and slammed me into the stone again and again.

My back legs flopped like a rag doll, and my vision began to grow dim.

I guess I should have added “break his spine and possibly sever his spinal cord” to the list of ways to defeat him.

I couldn’t do it.

I couldn’t save Elias.

I couldn’t save the pack.

I couldn’t even save myself.

Xavier was bigger, stronger, and more experienced than I.

My blood soaked into the grass in a ten-foot radius, and Elias began rushing toward me.