REYNA
My argument with Derek after school had made me late to my training session with Eve.
I jogged toward the pack house as fast as I could, but I was in no hurry to be bitched out by Eve for not being on time. Iâd already had enough shouting for the day.
As I walked through the main gate of the pack house, it occurred to me that Jed was here, being held in a cell.
And Raphael ~wasnât~ here because he was holding council with the rest of the Millennium Wolves somewhere secret.
Maybe I could sneak into the dungeons and speak with Jed? At least then I could get some answers.
I pushed through the heavy doors of the pack house and immediately noticed how dead it felt without the Millennium Wolves.
I mightâve been inheriting a fortune soon, but there was no way I was going to get a house this size. Iâd feel so lonely in a place this large. I didnât know how Eve managed it.
And speaking of Eve⦠Where the hell was she? She usually met me at the entrance.
I started making my way toward the gym, but I stopped when I saw something alarming on the ornate carpet.
Blood.
A trail of blood, actually.
As I cautiously moved down the hall and turned the corner, it looked like a tornado had ripped through the pack house.
There was wood and glass everywhere. ~What the hell had happened here?~
I started picking up my pace, hoping that whatever had caused this wasnât still around. The trail of blood began to grow thicker, and my heart started racing.
I heard a grunting noise around the corner and braced myself against the wall, preparing myself for an attack.
The grunting began to sound more like labored breathing, and I peered around the corner.
Eve was leaned up against the door to Raphaelâs office, sitting in a pool of blood.
âEve!â I shouted, running over to her. âWhat happened?â
Her wounds looked ~bad.~ Sheâd lost a lot of blood fighting whatever did this.
âItâ¦it has Snow,â she said in a raspy voice.
I tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it just gushed more blood. âFuck, Eve. Youâre in bad shape.â
âDonât worry about me! Iâll heal,â she wheezed. âYou have to help Snow before itâs too late!â
Eve pulled her ring from her finger and placed it in my palm.
âYou can do this, Reyna,â she said, her eyelids fluttering. âRememberâ¦what I taught youâ¦â
I knew I didnât have a moment to lose. I focused and materialized Eveâs scythe into my hands.
It was almost too heavy for me, but this monster was big. I needed something that would leave a mark.
âWhich way?â I asked Eve as her eyes drifted shut.
~ARRRR-ROOOO-OOOOO!~
Well, that answered my question.
âHelp her, Reyna. Help my baby,â Eve said, barely mustering enough strength to lift her chin.
âI will. I promise,â I said, dragging the scythe down the corridor. ~I wonât let you down.~
I followed the monsterâs scentâ¦or should I say ~stench.~ It led me to the grand ballroom.
The scythe clanged against each step as I dragged it down the staircase. âSnow! Where are you?â I shouted frantically.
A moment later, I got my answerâ¦
In the center of the ballroom was the most massive wolf Iâd ever laid eyes on. A veiny, hulking beast with razor-sharp fangs.
It had its oversized paw right on top of Snowâs chest. It was going to crush her.
âSTOP!â I screamed.
The monster whipped its head around and locked its gaze on me, and when it did, I saw recognition in its eyes.
~It knows me.~
My eyes started watering and my hands shook.
âJed? Is that you?â
JED
~THUD!~
I didnât know what was happening in the pack house upstairs, but it felt like the sky was falling. The ceiling of my cell shook as something stomped around above me. The most ferocious roar Iâd ever heard vibrated the whole room.
If the pack house was under attack, I needed to help, but I couldnât do anything because of these damn chains.
~THUD!~
A huge piece of debris fell from the ceiling and nearly hit me in the head.
This was insane. If I didnât get out of here, the pack house dungeon would become my early grave.
I managed to pick up a piece of the rubble in front of me, using it to slam into my shackles, but at best I was just loosening them.
I growled as loud as I could in frustration. This was fucking hopeless. I might as well justâ¦
My nose suddenly wrinkled when a scent wafted into my cell.
Iâd know that scent anywhereâ¦
It was the most glorious and satisfying scent Iâd ever come into contact with.
~Reyna.~
But if Reyna was hereâ¦that meant she was facing whatever was up there.
I had to get out of these chains. ~If anything happens to herâ¦~
I roared with all my might and shifted as much as my restraints would allow, pulling them from the wall.
Something surged through my bodyâmaybe it was from the Hazeâbut I felt more powerful than ever.
The chains were still attached to my wrists, but I ripped them from the wall and body-slammed the metal cell door, bending it and knocking it over.
I bounded up the stairs as fast as I could, hoping I wouldnât be too late. Reynaâs scent led me to the ballroom, whereâ¦
A massive, mangy wolf was stampeding toward an unconscious Snow like a charging bull. Reyna in turn was charging at the monster with a scythe.
âREEEEYNA!â I leaped forward and fully shifted in mid-air, colliding with the wolf before it hit her.
The force of the wolf hit me like a locomotive, and I careened into a display of Yule Ball dresses, shattering through the glass cases.
I felt a dozen glass shards jutting out of my fur and could barely move.
And the monster was right above me.
REYNA
I was so relieved that Jed wasnât the monster that had been going on a Haze-induced murdering spree, but I only had a split second to appreciate that fact because my best friend was about to be the next victim on that monsterâs list.
I clutched Eveâs scythe and started charging the monster, but half-way there I realized I wasnât going to make it in time.
The monsterâs unclenched jaws were about to clamp down on Jedâs wounded wolf, whenâ¦
The lights started flickering, and the air became humid. A scream like a bansheeâs rang out through the room as Snow sat up, clasping her head like she was having the worldâs worst migraine.
The monstrous wolf turned and narrowed its eyes at Snow. It suddenly remembered its real target.
Every single object in the room that wasnât bolted to the floor began floating. It was some sort of extreme telekinesis. The atmosphere became so thick that I felt like I was swimming.
The monster seemed to be moving in slow motion as it lunged toward Snow, who was still screaming.
Her powers were going completely haywire. She had no control whatsoever.
I ducked as a grand piano flew over my head.
I needed to get to Snow before that monster did, but she was making it so hard to even move.
I looked up and saw Eve dragging herself to the top of the stairs. She had a look of pure horror on her face as she saw her daughter suspended in the air, her powers spiraling out of control.
âEve! Snap out of it!â I shouted, standing at the bottom of the staircase. âI need a distraction!â
She tore her eyes away from Snow for just a moment to give me an understanding nod. She focused all her telekinetic energy on the monster and knocked it off balance just for a moment.
It gave me the opportunity to swipe the scythe across the monsterâs side, drawing a cascade of blood. The monster howled with rage and dove up the stairs.
Now was my chance.
I threw myself on my back and hoisted the scythe in the air, splitting the beastâs stomach open and sending a shower of blood all over my body.
It whimpered in agony as it collapsed and rolled down the staircase.
Snow collapsed nearly in unison, sensing the threat was gone, and the energy in the room returned to normal.
Eve rushed to her side, cradling Snow in her arms. âOh my God, whatâs happening to you?â
Her erratic display of power was definitely concerning, but right now I was most concerned about Jed.
âDonât move!â I shouted as his wolf stirred. âYou canât shift back until we pull the glass out. It could damage your human organs.â
As I turned around and looked at the fallen monster, I saw that I had slashed it right through the heart. There would be no coming back from that as wolf or human.
It struggled to breathe as the grotesque body began shifting.
âNoâ¦â I covered my mouth as the naked human body formed in front of me.
~Derek.~
He coughed up blood and strained his final words as he gazed into my eyes. âTheyâreâ¦theyâre dangerous. Iâ¦I only wanted to protect you, Reyna.â
His body went limp.
I couldnât stop the tears from falling.
I didnât know if theyâd ever stop.