Awaken

Chapter 14

    She cradled her sleeping son in her arms, waiting for the rest of her group to put their clothes on before entering the cave. A slight breeze cooled the air and she shivered, not sure if the bumps that rose on her arms were from nerves or the sudden change in temperature.

Dia had sensed something off about the area, a distant scent in the air, but when they scanned the mouth of the cave, neither she nor her wolf had spotted anything concerning. She waited as Mikael and Dianna approached her.

" I think it's wise if we post two at the outside of the cave, Dia picked up on an odd smell but we can't pin point where it's coming from" Nova informed her friends.

Mikael nodded. " Dianna and I will personally watch the front entrance. You two " he said, pointing at a man and a woman Nova recognized to be vampires, " climb up in those trees, keep a higher view out for any sign of trouble."

Nova watched as the two gave short nods of their head, doing as instructed and leaping high into the surrounding trees. She heard her breath release, not realizing she had been holding it.

" The rest of you, span out, take cover in some of this high grass, and a few go into the cave with Rosalie, Cora and Nova" Mikael instructed.

She smiled at him, grateful he had come with them on this venture. Dianna gave her a small hug.

" No matter what, Nova, you are doing the right thing. We will protect you, all of you" she promised.

Nova snuck a glance at Alaric. He was sleeping soundly, the poppy tea performing it's duty as hoped. His breath came in small wisps of air, peaceful, and she placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

" Cora, Rosalie, let's go" she said confidently, eager to get the ritual over with.

The three of them walked into the cave a few of the remaining wolves following behind them. Rosalie had brought a torch with her and with a small wave of her hand she lit it, illuminating the inside of the cave.

" Okay , Dia, now what do I do with our son" Nova asked her wolf.

" Place him before you on the ground. Each of you three form a triangle of sorts around him, hands together, fully connected" Dia said to her.

Nova gave a short nod of her head, repeating Dia's words to her sister and friend. Gently, she placed Alaric at her feet, watching as Cora and Rosalie stepped toward them. She reached her hands out on either side of her.

" Now , you must give me the front, sweet girl. But before you get anxious about it, I need you to try and project yourself into Alaric's mind like you have the last two times. Don't' break the connection we have with Cora and Rosalie, just focus, focus where you are and when I sense you are gone, I will come forward" Dia told her.

Nova looked at her sister, her eyes wide with fear.

" What is it Nova? What did Dia say?" Cora asked.

Nova repeated her wolf's instructions, Rosalie and Cora staring at her.

" You must trust your wolf , Nova. If it means anything to you, Joan is in full agreement with what Dia has said. Come now, we are with you" Rosalie reassured her.

She nodded her head, closing her eyes, feeling her loved ones squeeze her hands. Picturing Alaric sleeping below her, she felt her power course through her veins. She channeled toward her opal, urging it to light the way into her son's mind and the swarm that resided within it.

Images of Alaric, crying before her passed behind her closed eyes and she grabbed onto them, imagining them as a wound that needed healing. Her method worked, and when her eyes opened, she found herself inside his sacred space, his own giant wolf waiting for her there.

This time, the beast greeted her, nudging her hand in recognition, lowering himself for her to climb on. Nova obliged, swinging one leg across the massive back , a fistful of fur in hands.

As though he knew exactly why she was there, the wolf began to speed across Alaric's mind, the now too familiar wall of shadows grabbing at her as they flew by. Nova winced, hearing at the horrendous sounds, shrieking and screaming at her , one tendril trying to grasp at her leg as Alaric's wolf leaped past it.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do, but as soon as they came to the mind cords, her maternal urges took over. Just like before she could see them swinging to and fro , bouncing up and down in a manic , chaotic state.

Casting a glance at the future King, Nova offered him her hand once more. " Here we go, Goddess I hope this works" she whispered.

She closed her eyes again, the distant sound of her sister and Rosalie reaching her ears as she held her hands against the mass of string before her, her opal beginning to thrum against her chest.

The voices of the other women grew louder, a chant that she didn't recognize and Nova knew it was the ancient language Joan and Dia had spoken of. Unable to make out the words she began to hum it in tune with them, the pulse at her breastplate becoming stronger.

Suddenly, a white light shot through her, and she could feel her power throwing itself from her hands in the direction of the most vital part of her son's mind. The great beast behind her began to howl.

Nova opened her eyes, the blaring light briefly blinding her. Blinking, she turned her head, just in time to see the shadow coming for her.

She didn't hesitate, lifting one hand in it's direction, humming louder as the foreboding energy edged nearer. A gasp left her mouth as her light touched it, sending it spiraling into the void behind them.

More and more shadows came, and she repeated the same action, one hand on the mind cords, sending her light through their twisted mass, the other sending back the shadows.

And then suddenly, there was silence. The screeching stopped and the light dimmed, a faint glow of the opal was all that was left.

She let loose the breath she had been holding, looking at the sight before her. Alaric's mind strings were still, no more up and down, and she could feel the warmth of his wolf behind her..

Taking a glance behind her, the space was free of any shadows and Nova smiled. They had done it, they had chased away the evil that threatened her son.

Nova turned to the black wolf, bowing to him in respect. " My time is done here, thank you for trusting me" she murmured to him.

The wolf responded by lowering his back to her once more, and Nova obliged, eager to get back to her family.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to break the projection and return back to her own mind space. It worked, and Nova smiled to herself, proud to have gained better control of this particular power.

The sight before her was intense, especially through Dia's vision. She could see Alaric still lying before her, still somehow sleeping , yet somehow more peaceful looking than he had been.

Cora stood, her hands in the air controlling a dark mass and Nova could only assume it was the shadows she had chased from Alaric's mind. Rosalie was to the other side, setting fire to the energy as Cora held it for her, all three women still locked in the sacred chant.

She heard the arrow before she felt it. Dia whipped them around her arms still outstretched in the ritual. The tip of the weapon broke through her skin and the poison was instant, coursing through her veins like ice.

Dia collapsed, holding just enough strength to give Nova back control just as their body hit the cold dirt of the cave. All around her was the sound of snarls and screaming. Mustering up all that she had left, Nova crawled to her sleeping son on the ground.

She lifted herself up covering his body with hers, protecting him from whatever or whoever attacked them. Her eyes darted around wildly, watching her small group of companions fall, one after the other.

Terror shot through her body and she tried lifting her head but couldn't. The fire Rosalie had started from the torch flickered in and out and Nova could make out Cora's image across from her. A small pool of blood built behind her sister's skull. She opened her mouth to speak but was unable to call out to her twin.

The sound of bones breaking caught her attention and she shifted her gaze to wear Rosalie had stood, seeing the other woman breaking the neck of some creature that leaped toward her and Nova felt a small rush of hope at the sight, just before she watched Rosalie fall in agony.

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she tried desperately to get up but her body was against her and she could not move, whatever poison the arrow contained had paralyzed her.

She could see Mikael and Dianna fighting two creatures, Nova was certain they were vampires. Her heart caught in her throat as she watched Dianna fall, her opponent leaning over her. Mikael shifted into his bear, lunging toward the vampire, trying to pull it off his mate.

In the moment before her death, Dianna found Nova's gaze and held it, an understanding passing between the two women. Nova felt her heart shatter into pieces as she watched one of her best friends turn to ash, her head torn from her shoulders by the crazed assailant standing over her.

The guttural sound of Mikael breaking pierced the air, and the giant bear fell to his knees. He transformed from bear to man, weeping over his lost lover.

The tears fell from her face as she watched the scene unfold. She tried to close her arms around Alaric and cursed the fact that she couldn't move. She tried reaching out to Dia but her wolf seemed far away, distant and Nova could feel the fear coursing through her body.

The silhouette of a woman appeared out of thin air behind a still sobbing Mikael and Nova tried to force her mouth open in warning. She watched in horror as the woman pulled him up by his head.

Mikael tried to fight and Nova could see the vampire creature raise her clawed hand to his back, piercing through him as she spun around. Red eyes like two rubies set aflame gazed at her as the vampire sunk its claws further into Mikael.

The torch flickered and Nova was finally able to make out the face of the one behind all of this pain. Shock and confusion rushed through her body as she saw the all too familiar sneer of Kya. Rage filled her body as Kya tossed Mikael's lifeless body to the side, discarding him as though he were trash in the bucket.

Kya stepped toward her, grinning , baring her fangs. Nova could see them stained with the blood of her fallen pack members and she wanted nothing more than to rip the other woman's face off.

Kya leaned in close to her, sniffing the air before setting back on her haunches. " Hi there little b***h girl, bet you didn't expect we would meet again did you?" she jeered.

To Nova's despise, Kya lifted her hand, brushing Nova's hair off her face. " Ahhh there you are, I wanted to make sure you could see me as I finished ruining your life as you have mine. I see your sister over there, the would be Luna. She doesn't looks so great and powerful from where I am sitting." Kya mused.

" Oh and the little Omega turned fire starter. Man I bet she tastes divine, but Jagson would stake me himself if I had but even one drop of her blood. Obsessed he is. With both of them really. I think he intends to make them his personal little play things, or something along those lines " Kya continued.

" Tsk. Tsk. Focus on me little she-wolf. You killed my mate, you THOUGHT , you killed me, and you've never been more wrong in your life" she crowed.

She tried again to will her body awake, frustration building in her with every word Kya spoke, but she couldn't. As Kya's hand crept towards Alaric's foot Nova felt a piece of her soul shatter. Her son was going to suffer because she was too weak to save him.

" My, my, what a tasty little treat you have there Nova. How happy it will make me to feast not only on you, but your spawn. I think you can watch" Kya crowed at her.

Nova watched as she shifted, from vampire into wolf. The monster before her exactly that, a monster, a creature straight from the depths of hell. Kya's wolf was like a demon, it's canines hanging over it's muzzle, saliva dripping as it snarled in her direction.

The wolf crouched low, it's snout to the ground, breathing in the scent of the woman and child that lay there. It's jaws snapped open and shut taunting her as it slithered closer and closer to them.

Suddenly between them, the air began to shimmer and Nova was dumbfounded when a sobbing Draven appeared before her eyes.

But there was no time for her to register his sudden arrival as she felt the small body beneath her began to quake. No, not Alaric, it was the ground. The ground was shaking and all around them the walls of the cave began to rumble and creak as though the earth was splitting apart.

She closed her eyes just as a bright green light burst from beneath where she and Alaric lay, watching as the dirt gave way, taking the creature that was Kya along with it.