Awakened at Last

Chapter 1

I crouched down, leaning against a tree, finding it hard to control my panting. I inhaled deeply and exhaled as quietly as I could, willing my lungs to make due with the amount of air I was capable of giving right now. My muscles screamed in agony as I shifted my weight to my left side, a sharp pain in the rib reminded me that it may be broken. I quickly sent my healing magic to temporarily ease the pain.

 I didn't have time to fully heal it or even the concentration, exhaustion weighed heavily on my mind and body.  I needed a moment to rest, catch my breath, think of a plan, just as Valerie, my mate's greatest warrior, drilled into my head three times a week. Strategize Scarlett, be more than pretty, try being smart too. Valerie could be a real bitch most days, but she wasn't wrong and she knew how to fight her way out of anything. 

A twig snapped somewhere to my right. Shit, so much for a reprieve. I reached for my magic just as Bryson had directed me to and let it sizzle on my fingertips. Ready to fight back with everything I had. 

I calmed my breathing, cleared my mind and let my new fae hearing take over, the only fae sense that seemed to all of a sudden make an appearance.

 Four hearts beating fast, wild and erratic, four werewolves. I spent weeks training with Greyson, learning how to listen not just hear, to different heartbeats. Learning how to tell each species from another, with just a pulsing heart. "The heart says more than any of the senses. Senses can lie, they can deceive, but the heart can not. Listen first" he had instructed more than once.

The wolves heartbeats were getting louder, they were getting closer. I pushed myself slightly away from the tree. I moved further into the bush closest to me, hoping to remain hidden for a bit longer. Long enough to come up with a plan at least.

There. One of the heartbeats pounded faster, harder than the others. It's heart was giving away precious secrets, secrets I learned how to pick apart and read. It knew where I was, closing in on its prey. Maybe it didn't know, I too knew where it was. 

I struck out with my power, just as the wolf pounced for me, blasting it to the right. The wolf quickly recovered and lunged at me again. I dove out the way, rolling into a flip just as the second wolf attacked. My shield stood like a fortress surrounding me, causing the wolf to bounce off of it, howling in pain. A new trick Bryson had taught me, electricity covered my shield, shocking those who came into contact with it. Two downfalls were, one I hadn't mastered keeping the shield up when engaging in a hand to hand combat and often lost control of it and two I couldn't hold the shield up against multiple attackers yet, not without draining my power quickly. 

The first and second wolf circled around me. They were biding their time, waiting for the others. 

The last two wolves appeared out of nowhere, now growling at my back. I smiled at the wolves, matching their wolfish grins. They think they have me cornered. They haven't figured out yet, that I am the real wolf, hidden in sheep's skin. 

I dropped my shield just as two wolves made a lunge for me, I jumped into the air eluding their attack. I drew my magic back, like cocking a loaded gun, and released it. The moment my boots hit the ground, the earth beneath us rocked at the power I unleashed, knocking the wolves off of their feet. The forest shuddered under the impact, but the trees I have grown to love, held tight, staking their claim to these lands.

The first wolf to recover lept at me, jaws wide and ready to sink its teeth into its prey. I put up a shield as I rushed the wolf, shoving it into the nearest tree. The wolf cried out in pain as I wrapped my magic around it, rendering it unconscious.

A second wolf aimed to pounce on my back, my senses warning me to pay attention. I turned not a second too late and delivered a deadly blow with my fist, causing the wolf to fall back to the dirt.