Chapter 109


    When all of my senses were blocked; it was the emotions I felt. They were at their rawest; churning


    seas of rage and disgust, boilingkes of hatred and desperation. Those festering, poisonous emotions


    bubbled beneath my skin, picking and scratching as they fought past my control.


    Floating in that darkness, with nothing but those carnal emotions guiding my thoughts; I couldn’t


    remember why I was holding them back in the first ce; why I shied away from what I could do.


    My powers weren’t beautiful or inspiring, they were blunt and vicious. Unashamed of the d***h and


    destruction they could cause. No matter how dark my abilities were, there was this voice in the back of


    my head that told me only brutality would win this war; only rage would end Marcus Novak’s life.


    As thosest shreds of fear and shame left my mind, I unleashed the hail storm of emotions on the


    guards that had invoked them. I wished more than anything I could give them the full scope of my


    anger, my desperation to help these wolves; but I could not. That kind of anger could split the world,


    could crack it wide open. That kind of anger was already reserved for someone special.


    I could see their faces in my mind, mixed in with those of Marcus’s men. The white wolves; the men,


    women, and children that were used for their power. Lives deemed less than and tossed aside in the


    pursuit for more power. They begged for help, for someone with enough power and control to rival


    Marcus; to care enough to force change.


    I wasn’t sure when I had begun feeding from the life forces of Marcus’s men, but their strength washed


    over me in waves of electrifying energy. They sharpened my vision until everything seemed almost too


    clear, too saturated.


    My vision came back in pieces, shes of images purely driven by this feral rage. It rippled over my


    skin, almost shimmering like heatwaves as I darted through the brush and trees, right into the center of


    the men’s camp.


    “Don’t touch her.” Alec’s snarl was a mere afterthought, background chatter as I flung myself at the


    men. “She has no control over what she’s doing right now. It’s better we stay out of her way and let her


    finish. We’ll step in if need be.” N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    “Something tells me it won’t be necessary.” Kade murmured, and if I had been paying attention, I would


    have heard the awe in his voice. “Feel how enraged she is? They won’t be able toy a finger on her.”


    There were six in total, four of which had been rolling around in agony the moment I sent those


    festering emotions loose. The two that had managed to remain on their feet, they were as rotten as


    Marcus was. Truly devoid of any humanity that might make them cower at the devastation wrought.


    I charged at the two first, noting how any surprise onlysted a fraction of a second as it crossed their


    faces. Only to be reced by cruel anticipation and excitement.


    The one on the left,nky with thick ribbons of muscle along his arms and shoulders, pulled a pistol


    from his waist band. I could hear the click and see the flicker of metal as the moonlight caught its


    surface.


    Not only could I see the confidence brimming in his eyes, I could feel it.


    He was expecting me to hesitate, to cower as he pointed a gun between my eyes. Trusting my instincts


    was something I had done countless times as a human. It was what kept me from being harassed by


    Frank or manipted by Melissa. Following it now was easier than ever.


    Even with the gun pointed at my head, I charged. I watched as the vein in his neck bulged, and his


    emotions shifted from confident to unsure. It was then that I ducked, just as an explosion of heat and


    gunpowder rang out. Despite it being so close to me, the sound had as much impact as an insufferable


    fly would.


    Before I could get my hands on the man that had nearly shot my head off, I felt the grimy touch of the


    second. His rough fingertips met the skin of my shoulder for mere seconds, and the revulsion that


    sted through me seemed to have more of an impact than I thought.


    For whatever reason, my arms flew out at my sides. An instinctual movement that felt righter than


    anything else. The warmth and unbridled energy I had been stealing from the men, it rushed through


    me. It crackled and snapped, like lightning beneath my skin.


    I knew in that moment; I had a choice. I could let the energy out, let it escape into the world under my


    command. Or, I could snuff it out. There was no hesitation on my end, the weakness burned away by


    the truth of what Marcus was doing.


    The two men who had managed to withstand the vile emotions I sent their way were sted back in


    opposite directions, swallowed by the darkness of the forest.


    I could hear branches snapping, somerger and louder than others as they both were shoved back


    through the forest. Only when they bothnded, and the sounds of insects and animals returned, did I


    blink and back away from the damage.


    I felt Alec behind me before I turned to meet his eyes. He didn’t bother pulling me into his arms,


    knowing that I currently felt like a d**n live wire. My skin was tingling, electrified by the energy I had


    consumed. I rubbed at my arms, trying to chase away the odd sensation.


    “Let me guess, you’re going to ask me what I was thinking running in there like that.” I mumbled, taking


    in the carnage that was their campsite.


    Beer cans littered the ground along with burnt chunks of wood. Embers still burned in various ces,


    scattered from the st that sent both men careening backwards. Backpacks with clothes and other


    various items were all over the ground, along with the unconscious bodies of Marcus’s men.


    “Actually, I was going to ask if you’re alright.” He smirked, and despite how shaken and amped up I felt,


    he managed to take some of the weight from my shoulders.


    Halfway through my feral take down of these men, I decided that I would no longer fear what I could do.


    I would use it responsibly and never to shove my power down the throats of others. Not only that, but I


    would no longer hesitate to use it if it meant freeing the white wolves and taking down Marcus.


    “Honestly, I feel incredible.” I admitted, letting out a whoosh of breath. It was horrible to admit


    considering I had almost k****d six men, but it was the truth. Their energy filled my cells with strength,


    pouring adrenaline and life into my veins. “I guess–I guess I just surprised myself.”


    I stumbled into Alec as Kade and Dex emerged from the forest, followed by Carson and Tori. Tori


    propped Carson against a tree and brushed herself off. Carson nced around at the damage, forced


    to sit on the side lines since she was still healing. I didn’t miss the look of respect in her eyes, nor what


    happened when Alec and I touched.


    The small gasp that left his lips, too quiet and insignificant for anyone other than myself to hear, was


    followed by the crackle of energy as it danced from my skin to his.


    “One of the men you sent flying into the forest is d**d, impaled on a broken tree limb.” Dex huffed, and I


    swore there was just a hint of smugness to his voice. I couldn’t me the emotion considering there


    were so many others who had lost much more to Marcus. “The rest are fucked up, but they’ll live.”


    “Didn’t pick up any other scents nearby. This must have been the first batch of men sent out. ” Kade


    said to the five of us. “Should be safe to head out now.”


    “You could have saved us a lot of time just doing that from the beginning, kid.” Dex shook his head, not


    at all angry with how things had turned out. He ran a hand over his head and nced around at the


    fallen men. When his eyes met mine, they weren’t wary or afraid, but hopeful. “There’s not an army that


    wouldn’t fall should you go up against them.”


    “Let’s hope I can manage it on arger scale.” I cleared my throat, shifting ufortably under the


    attention. “I didn’t exactly have control over myself just now.”


    “You just need to figure out how to trigger it–which it seems you just did.” Dex responded gruffly, “Now


    you gotta see how far you can extend it without hurting yourself. Something tells me with an ability like


    that, you wouldn’t want to over use it. Let’s get the h**l out of here, I have to work harder to cover our


    scents now that we’ve been here so long.”


    I trailed between the twin’s, beside Tori, who looked a bit worse for wear. Her clothes and hair were


    covered in dried mud, and I knew she’d need help brushing out those tangles. Even in the midst of my


    rage, I hadn’t forgotten what the men said about Zayne. I don’t think I’d ever forget a word they had


    said.


    “He finally decided to stand up to Marcus.”‘ I told Tori, keeping my voice low. The others could hear


    easily, but it at least gave us the illusion of privacy. “I’m guessing something you said finally worked its


    way through his thick skull.”


    “He finally listens to me, and takes it as the go ahead to run back to Marcus.” Tori snorted, my


    comment breaking up some of the tension in her emotions. “It’s not like it changes anything, anyway.


    Even if he manages to survive all of this, he’ll never ept me.”


    “I can’t understand why, though.” I sighed, unable to help myself as Tori’s emotions flitted over me one


    by one. It seemed taking the energy from so many people amplified my other abilities. I couldn’t ignore


    her emotions, or the toll they had on my own. I found myself frustrated for her, at my wits over a man


    who isn’t even my mate. “I’ve never been able to get a read on his emotions, or Marcus’s.”


    “Do you think it’s another white wolf blocking your powers?” She asked curiously, but it was something I


    had already thought of before.


    “I don’t think so.” I shook my head, “I think it’s because neither one actually feel much of anything. They


    have such a tight grip on their emotions, especially Marcus. Just recently, Zayne’s hold on his emotions


    cracked. You were the one who caused it, actually.”


    Tori hesitated, wide eyed as she stared ahead. I wondered if my gift truly gave me the upper hand, or if


    Tori truly was oblivious to how affected Zayne was by her.


    “It was me?” She scoffed, pressing her lips tightly together. She was silent for a few moments, but I


    could feel her curiosity building just beneath her surprise. “If I loosened his hold, does that mean you


    were able to get a read on him?”


    I lifted an eyebrow at her, grinning as her lips widened into a genuine smile. I hadn’t erased the worry


    or stress, but these moments of normalcy were all that kept us from losing ourselves to the violence


    and savagery of our world.


    “You clearly p**s him off more than anybody else. It doesn’t take magic to see that.” I chuckled, but


    continued. “I wasn’t able to get anything specific, but I can feel the bond between you two, and I know


    that it affects him. The more it pulls him towards you, the bigger the a*****e he is.”


    We walked unbothered for another three hours. On the second hour, buttery light began to pour


    through the trees. It brought warmth and the scent of sunlight and dew.


    At a seemingly random point in our hike, Dex stopped and lifted his nose to smell the air. The muscles


    on his chest contracted, and he nodded, satisfied with whatever he smelled.


    “This is where we leave you four.” He said with a firm nod, eyes strong and brighter than they had


    been.


    “Wait–what?” I stammered, “I thought you two were supposed to escort us to the drop off point.”


    “This is the drop off point, kid.” Dex chuckled, gesturing to the trees that surrounded us. “Where you’re


    going, you’ll find you got some enemies inmon. Security is tight there, so there’s some rules you


    got to follow before being let in.”


    “What do we have to do?” I asked, more than ready to press forwards. If I had to run headfirst into this


    to bring change, then so be it.


    “Keep heading this way another half mile. You’ll exit the forest onto a paved road. This is the important


    part. Get on the road and stay there, don’t move. Believe me, it won’t take them long toe collect


    you.” Dex nodded at the four of us, choosing to approach me. He held arge hand out, nearly three


    times the size of my own. I felt like a child gripping his hand, but did so anyway when he gave me a


    smile that held that flicker of hope. “You might have some mixed feelings about your abilities,


    considering you grew up a human and all, but there are thousands of us who have been waiting for


    you.”


    Dex shook the twin’s hands next, and even Tori’s. The most we managed from Carson was a sharp


    goodbye. She shed me the smallest of smiles before leaving, which was as odd as could be on a


    face as stern as hers. It made her look younger, less burdened by whatever she carried with her. As the


    two of them left, heading back the way we came to divert any oing trouble, I could feel her


    gratefulness in her emotions. It was a thank you in her own kind of way.


    We arrived at a slim paved road shortly after leaving Dex and Carson. Even the twin’s felt at odds with


    being so exposed, standing in the center of a deserted road. We listened with ears peeled for the


    sounds of carsing. What we hadn’t expected, were to hear dozens of tree’s shaking, their leaves


    rattling and branches groaning.


    One by one, men and women dropped from the tree tops. On all sides they continued to fall, until we


    were surrounded.


    “Wait–” I told the twin’s, just as I felt them ready to a****k. Dozens of emotions rushed through me,


    each one tethered to the werewolves that stood around us. They were peaceful, happy, hopeful even.


    There was nothing dark within their emotions, nothing that would lead me to believe they meant us


    harm. I looked at each one, reading the light in their eyes. “They won’t hurt us.”


    The crowd of werewolves parted to let a woman through, her skin a dark shade of ebony. Chocte


    braids hung down her back, the color matched the intensity in her eyes. I could feel the confidence


    radiating from her, and knew that this woman was a force to be reckoned with.


    “I am d to see you’ve all made it in one piece. That is a relief.” She greeted the four of us like long


    lost friends, her smile dazzling. “I trust that Dex and Carson made it as well?”


    “They did. They actually circled back around to divert anyone else that might’ve been following.” I


    assured her, “Not that we don’t appreciate refuge in your pack, but who are you?”


    “My name is Athena, and this is not my pack.” She smirked softly, turning back to look further down the


    road. In the distance, I could hear the hum of vehicles approaching. “Actually, that should be them now.


    They insisted on meeting you here themselves.”


    A single SUV approached, and pulled over on the small shoulder of the road. Some part of me had


    hoped to see Jaspar, or even his daughter. Any sign that their lives hadn’t been taken. Nheless, I


    was equally surprised to see the golden hair of Alpha Isaiah and Luna Mera as they stepped out from


    the vehicle.