HEAT AND RUT. (Alpha Lycan And His Omega Tiger)

BATTLING THE WITCH.

Chapter: 44
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Rafa and Leon arrived at the valley of shadows just as dawn was breaking over it. The ground was soft, covered in a thin layer of snow. They hadn't been there for long before the first rays of sunlight lit up the dark horizon, bathing their path in bright light. They climbed the first hill to survey the situation before they continued with their search. It wasn't hard to spot the little cabin, perched high on the mountain. Their target. The cabin had clearly seen better days, as the structure was leaning badly to one side. Its front left wall hung open to the sky. The door was hanging by only one hinge. No window. It seemed like it had either been abandoned or blown out during a tornado. Even in the low light, the walls were blackened from fire damage.

A thick layer of frost clung to the outside of the walls, leaving them almost translucent to the touch. It didn't look like anyone else had lived there in some time, but the cabin itself stood on its own like an old man on his porch. A cold breeze blew gently through the trees surrounding the tiny clearing, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere that made it all the more appealing. It could be beautiful here though if they weren't there for a fight that could result in both their deaths. Both Lion and Lycan proceeded to enter the empty cabin, scanning for potential threats. Not even shadows or movement inside the cabin. Just a few scattered books and papers littered across the floor. Nothing else of interest. The two turned to leave. "Looks clear," Rafa said in a deep voice. He spoke so quietly, he barely heard himself.

Leon scanned the room one more time before stepping out onto the deck. There was a single chair positioned in front of the door. One leg was missing. "You think maybe they got the wrong place?" He asked, picking up the chair and tossing it halfway across the yard and out into the woods. A quick motion, like a child throwing a tantrum. "You think they got a step ahead of us? You know, got us fooled into believing it's where they lived?" He asked, again meeting Rafa's flaming red eyes.

Rafa shook his head in disagreement. "No, my Betas were discreet, if they said it's here then it's here... Anya is the best Were-tracker there is and she doesn't miss." Rafa stepped forward and looked at the cabin once more. If he didn't have so much faith in his Betas, he would have doubted anyone lived in that cabin too. But, he knew Mariana and her son had at least been in there, he could smell the Tiger in the room or maybe it was his mind overreacting yet again. Still, something felt off about the whole area. Something just didn't feel right. And the cabin gave him a bad feeling too. "Keep your eyes and ears sharp, Leon, take your disguise once you hear something," Rafa said, turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" Leon asked, following but stopped when Rafa waved a hand for him to stay still.

"I feel something, at the back," Rafa said in a whisper. "Stay here," He ordered and walked away.

At the back of the cabin, Rafa gasped when he saw Mariana standing in a shield, watching him with a menacing smile on her twisted face. Her body glowed a faint blue in the fading sunlight while the glow emanating from her arms made her appear as a ghostly creature, her hands glowing with the same eerie light. "Hello, Rafa... I thought you'd never come," she greeted him with a cruel laugh.

Rafa turned around sharply looking for any sign of the Tiger, but couldn't find him. He began to wonder if he had been wrong about the Tiger being an accomplice. Oh, how badly he wished for it to be so. Turning his gaze back to Mariana, he could feel his anger raging like wildfire in his chest. His heart beat quickly against his ribs and the hair rose on the back of his neck, sending chills down his spine.

["Control, Brother,"] Conri reminded him, ["You need a clear head to face her, don't get carried away by emotions,"]

"At first I doubted you would come walking right into my trap but once again you have proved me wrong, Lycan." Mariana taunted him, her voice echoing throughout the small clearing, seeming to reverberate around the forested area. She moved her hands ever so slightly and a beam of blue light shot from her fingertips toward Rafa. It landed just a foot in front of his boots with a loud thunk. "And just like a fool, you came anyway." Her words were laced with sarcasm. "I've waited years to finally put a monster like you to rest." Her voice dropped into a threatening tone. "And I will enjoy every last moment of it." She raised her arms again, preparing to launch another attack on Rafa, the energy beam intensified, becoming more intense with each word. "Until your miserable life ends. Yours and every last Werewolf on the planet!" She let the sentence hang for a moment and then let loose a burst of power, blasting it directly toward Rafa. The laser beam struck the ground where he stood mere seconds after she had finished speaking.