Awaken

Chapter 15

  " Dia, Dia can you hear me " Nova could hear herself pleading with her wolf.

 " I am here, my girl, it just hurts so much. "

  Dia's voice was distant, almost an echo and Nova could feel her wolf slipping away.

  " Don't leave me Dia, please I need you. I can't move, I don't know what's happening!" she sobbed.

  There was no reply from her wolf and she struggled to force her eyes open. She was conscious, but unable to command her body and with Dia injured, she wasn't healing like normal. It had to be wolfsbane, the poison to their kind. 

  She took a deep breath in, smelling the scent of blood and death all around, her heart racing with fear. Alaric! Was she so numb she couldn't even feel him beneath her? Her mouth tried to force itself open to call for the boy but no sound came out.

  Finally, her eyes snapped open and Nova was able to look around the cave. Her eyes adjusted to the sudden outside darkness, and she could make out the image of fallen bodies all around her. One in particular caught her attention and her eyes welled up with tears.

   Little Draven stood over his Father's body, and she could hear soft whimpers from the boy, begging his Dad to wake up. The sudden feeling of small hands on her shoulders, shaking her brought both relief and heartache. 

  Alaric's small face came into her view, and she could see his eyes, neon, glowing green much like the flash of light that had occurred moments before the earth gave in.

  Unable to speak or move, she blinked her eyes, and her son wasted no time wrapping his chubby arms around her.

  " Mama, the bad lady, she's gone now, get up" he cried to her.

  The tears dripped down her face as she lay unable to speak to her son. 

 The sound of shuffling came from behind them and Nova saw her sister standing, her head in her hands. Thank Goddess she was okay.

  Cora rushed to where she lay, her blue eyes pooling with rage as she put a hand gingerly on Nova's face.

  " Can you hear me, Nova " her sister whispered to her, urgency and fear in her voice.

  Nova blinked and she heard Cora sigh with relief.

  " We will get out of here little sister, please hold on as long as you can" Cora told her.

  Nova watched as her twin lifted her hands to the sky, singing in the ancient words of the merpeople. Before long a large bubble appeared, shielding her inside of it as a source of protection. 

  Her eyelids drooped as she felt herself fading again, the last vision she had that of her sister picking up Alaric into her arms and walking to where Draven sat besides Mikael's body. Her heart ached at the sound of her sister trying to the comfort the boy.

  Unable to keep her consciousness much longer she tried again to connect with Dia. When her wolf didn't respond, Nova herself gave way to the darkness, Cora's bubble of protection rippling overhead.

  Sometime later, her eyes fluttered open, the feeling of being lifted jostling her awake. She looked up, straight into the eyes of her mate, the worry, anger and fear apparent as Maverick's frowning face looked back at her. Already being near him she felt just a slight bit stronger and she tried again to speak.

  " Mav" is all she managed and she knew she was crying again.

 " It's okay Nova, I have you, we are here now, rest my love, you need to rest " he said softly to her, his lips kissing her forehead.

  " I will wake you when we are home, you've been poisoned, there's no more that you can do. Alaric is safe and so is Draven. We need to get you and the others home" he whispered gently.  

She felt so helpless, so hopeless, laying in his arms as he carried her. Desperation consumed her as the thoughts ran through her mind. Where was Rosalie? The sun shone bright overhead, what about the handful of vampires that had come to support her on this mission? The memory of Dianna's painful death came rushing at her and her body let loose something resembling a sob, causing Maverick to look down at her sharply.

" Nova, this isn't your fault, you are not to blame. Please, love, close your eyes, I promise I am going to do everything in my power to wash the poison from your body. Rest, Novalynn."

His finger touched her cheek and she knew he was wiping away her tears. She tried desperately to reach Dia again and was met with no reply, but at least the wolf's presence was still felt. They hadn't lost one another. Her eyes darted around, and she could see one of the other wolves who had been a part of her small group walking in stride next to Maverick and herself, what looked to be a sleeping Draven in his arms. Her sister's voice came from somewhere behind them, and the grip fear had on her lessened a little. Cora was at least unharmed, as well as both children. She prayed out to the Goddess for Rosalie, hoping she hadn't lost another friend, a sister.

Whoever was responsible for this would pay, whether it be Jagson or otherwise. An attack like this one was a move toward war and Nova made her mind up that it would be war indeed. Not only had the lives of her son and family members been taken, but she had no idea if the ritual itself even worked. The shadows had been cast from Alaric's mind but the attack happened as Rosalie was setting fire to them. And what of that burst of green that opened the ground? Where had that come from. She knew it wasn't anything Dia and herself had done. She felt her strength begin to wan again and fought hard not to let the sleep take over, but the poison coursed through her body like a river of flames and her muscles began to spasm.

Maverick felt the moment his mate succumbed again to sleep. Her body went lax in his arms and adjusted his arms tighter on her sleeping form. He took a glance behind him, checking on his son who was carried being carried his Aunt Cora.

" How are the two of you doing Cora? Has he calmed down some?" he asked.

Cora gave him a small nod of her head. " Yes, he seems a bit more settled now, asking for Draven more than anything. Isn't that right bub?" Cora said to Alaric.

Alaric looked at his Father, his green eyes big and sad. Maverick felt a small tug at his heart, when they had finally found Nova and the rest, Alaric's eyes were still glowing bright green, like a freshly cut lime made of shimmering glass.

" Don't worry buddy, Draven is okay, he's up here next to me with Joe" he assured, referencing the wolf walking next to him.

Right on cue , Joe turned his head back and gave a small wave with his free hand, shifting slightly so Alaric could see Draven safe and sound.

Alaric gave him a small smile and Maverick sighed in relief. " I love you son, we will be home soon" he told the boy.

Next to Cora was a bear shifter, Maverick couldn't remember the name of the man, but he had a hold on a sleeping Rosalie. It seemed she had also been poisoned by the wolfsbane. He shuddered, remembering the way Felix had reacted when Sonya, one of the vampires who had gone with the group shimmered into the inn turned packhouse.

The woman was clearly injured, a piece of wood stuck out just above her killing spot as she breathlessly explained what had happened. Surprisingly, Felix had been the one to lose it, giving Maverick no time to go into a rage. He had to act in rank, no matter how much the idea of his son and mate being injured, or possibly worse gnawed at him like a ravenous beast.

He had made Felix stay behind with his children, knowing that if Rosalie survived and found out Felix had left their children she would be furious, with both Mate and Beta. When Sonya told them that both Dianna and Mikael had been killed, the howls, roars and grunts that came from within the pack were loud enough to wake anyone in a ten mile radius. It didn't take long for Maverick to round up a rescue party.

They had decided to walk back to the pack, not wanting to risk jarring the injured too much by wolf speed. Daylight had come, so shimmering back was out of the question as well. Maverick stopped, taking a brief moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and let everyone take a sip of water. He sat down, Nova curled up in his lap, sleeping soundly and also restlessly, and he sighed, feeling the fever swell through her skin.

" We can't sit here long everyone. The sooner we get both Nova and Rosalie back home the better chance we have at expelling the wolfsbane" he instructed the small group with him.

Cora and Alaric sat down next to him and he lifted his arm to his son. Alaric wasted no time curling up next to his Mother's legs.

" What happened, Cora? What did you see?"

Cora let out a sigh, her face sorrowful. " I don't know exactly what happened, just that it did. Nova did her head thingy she does and everything was going as planned. It only took a small bit of time , and the shadows came screaming out of Alaric's body. He was asleep through all of this. Joan and Rosalie were doing what Joan and Rosalie do, a beam of fire at the mass of darkness that Nova tossed from the child. The next thing I remember is feeling a sharp pain, someone hitting me over the head and falling, hard on to the ground. I managed to only catch a glance at the melee. I watched them kill Diana" her voice lowered with her last words.

" It was the flash of green light that woke me again, and it seemed to come from where I saw Nova laying, shielding Alaric. But the light, I just remember it coming from under her, almost like it was Alaric and not Nova who opened the ground" she turned to look at him, her eyes wide.

" Goddess, Mav, I think it was Alaric. He caused the earth to crack open, he was trying to save his Mama and family" Cora exclaimed.

" Alaric? But he is only a pup, there's no way he could tap into such power without his wolf being present. What about Draven? How on earth did he even get to you guys?" Maverick stated.

Cora shook her head. " I know it seems unrealistic Maverick, but I am telling you it was Alaric who opened the ground. Think about it, think about how is eyes were glowing , even still, by the time you arrived. As for Draven, I have no idea how he got here. He wasn't there when I passed out, and when I woke, I found him sitting next to Mikael. The poor little guy" she murmured, taking a look in Draven's direction.

Maverick sighed, gently nudging Alaric who was nearly asleep. " Come now, we need to get these two back home. Cora, you need to rest, I will have someone shift and carry you and Alaric the rest of the way."

Cora nodded at him, too exhausted to argue and grateful for the offer. " Thank you Maverick. Through all the pain of what's happened, I can still sense my own little one, he or she is still growing strongly inside. But, my body is telling me to be still. I am more than happy to keep watch on this little Alpha though" she said smiling, holding a hand out to Alaric.

Maverick offered her a smile in return, telling one of his men to shift for the woman and child. He watched as they climbed onto the back of one of the younger warriors before sneaking a glance at Nova.

Her color was pale, except for her cheeks, which were red from the fever. He could feel her body shiver, small spasms coming every so often as the wolfsbane made it's way through her blood.

He lifted her gently, bending his head to her ear. " Just hold on my love, we are almost home. Don't leave me. I need you, we all do. Remember who you are Novalynn. Mate, Mother, and true Alpha Queen of the Wolves" he whispered lovingly.

Checking to make sure they were all ready to go, he gave a nod of his head. They would be home by sun down.