The Paranormal Side

Chapter 28

                                                           **(Brian's POV)**

"K-Katie, please," I pleaded, stumbling back. Waves of heat radiated from the fire engulfing her. "This isn't you."

Jeremiah gave a low chuckle. "Oh, but yes, it is. Now, it is. She's mine, Brian. Under my control. Who knows? Maybe I won't even kill her. With this much power, she could easily do all our work for us."

My wolf bristled at him claiming her, but I viciously shoved it down. I couldn't change right now. She needs to see a familiar face, my face, and she'll come back.

She has to.

I kept my eyes on her through the flames, suppressing the shudder that threatened to shake my body at the sight of her black eyes. This was not my mate, yet it was. My wolf did not know how to handle a threat that it was supposed to protect with it's life.

"Look at me, Kat. You know me. You love me. Just focus on my voice, okay? Try to fight it, his-his control over you. You can beat this. You're stronger than-" but I didn't have time to finish my motivational speech, because a ball of fire was becoming larger and larger as it zoomed toward my head, and I barely had time to duck before it went whooshing past, singing the top of my hair.

It exploded into bits of flame against the magic wall behind me, and I stared with wide eyes between Katie and the wall.

Jeremiah laughed again, delighted. "Ah, yes! Perfect. This barrier will contain all magic. No wolves or witches will enter or exit until I decide I am done with you, dog. Which won't be until you are but a burnt crisp of a mutt."

I felt my hope crumble, and my wolf bow its head. I couldn't think of a way out of this. Would I really die here?

By the hands of my mate?

"Please, Katie," I begged again, starting to realize how useless it was. She remained impassive, sizing me up for her next line of attack.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Alara clap her hands together, seemingly coming in contact with an idea. She skipped forward towards Katie, and the flames immediately vanished. She leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

When she pulled back, Katie nodded once, her expression the same, and walked towards me slowly, predatorily. I backed up until my back hit the wall, clenching my jaw. "Please," I whispered.

When she was but inches away from me, she stopped, tilting her head. Slowly, and with a steady precision, she raised the fingers of her left hand up to my cheek, gently trailing them over the skin there. 

I leaned in to her touch even as my body chilled with disgust at the fact that this was not really her. It was an action I could not control, and I let my eyes slide shut, deciding that if this was how she was going to kill me, then I would take it.

"Brian," she whispered, speaking my name with so much emotion that I let out a gasp, my wolf rising again at the sound of my mate's voice. My eyes flew open, and I searched hers, desperate for a glimpse, a shrivel of the girl I knew was in there.

Her eyes remained dark.

"Katie...fight it. Please," I whispered, because I knew what this was, and it wasn't her breaking through the veil of control Jeremiah had put over her. It was just a sick little show for Alara, wanting to see just how much Katie could affect me.

Her pet wolf.

"I'm so sorry," I breathed, and then shut my mind down to just the precision of my actions, so no thought could be behind it. I grabbed the wrist of the hand on my face, lifted it up and over, and used my own momentum to throw it and the body attached to it away from me.