Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 49: Deaths & Reliefs

James' POV

My head feels like a truck hit it, before a shark ravaged the rest of my body. Blood falls from my temple into my eye as I try to stay standing, the adrenaline slowly draining away.

I watch as the rest of our Allies join us, dragging or herding the defeated Rouges into the clearing.

I see Charlotte counting, making sure that we have all of them and one didn't slip away. I feel insanely tired, but that doesn't stop me from rushing towards my sweet Cody who comes limping towards me.

I grab him in my arms, hugging him, letting go in horror when he cries out in pain. Remorse and then fury fill me, hating that this bitch and my own father dared raise a hand to someone to pure and innocent. I rub his cheek, giving him a soft kiss, one of relief and of more days to come.

I turn to go towards Alpha Lucas who's talking to Alex and Beta Cole by the river, when there's a scream and a warning that almost come a second too late.

"Wait. No! Alpha! Watch out!" I hear Charlotte yell, and I turn my head in time to see a large wolf going straight for Cody who's standing yards away from a bound Makayla. Without thinking, I launch into the air, shifting before my feet when hit the ground. With two large bounds I intercept the large devastatingly familiar wolf, biting into his side as I slam into him, sending us rolling.

The large wolf snaps at my neck, trying to use his weight to over power me, but I'm able to use it against him, tearing at his stark black eyes sending him howling. He steps back for a second, pausing before trying to lunge towards Makayla, Cody, realizing what's happening, refusing to back down from between them. In my heart I know I should be willing to sacrifice myself and my love for the safety of Kaulike, but Celeste dammit, I feel like I sacrificed it all. It's time for someone else to pay the price.

So when the possessed outcasted wolf tries to go for Cody's vital organ with a swipe, I use the opening to knock the wolf on his back and ripping a chunk of furry warm flesh from his neck.

There's a horrid moaning choking sound that comes from the wolf before blood starts soaking the ground, the entire clearing silent as I shift back into my human form, hysterically wiping the blood from my mouth. I watch in saddened horror as a liquid darkness drains from his wound, slithering away towards the Enchanted who I can't bare to face right now.

I fall back into the now bloodied grass as I was the wolf turn into a man, our therory about them not being able to turn not so accurate after all. Maybe that's only true if the shadow really needs to take control of the victim. What if the host doesn't need much convincing at all? Would those powers be available then?

I don't know if it's to distract myself, or if it helps, but I find myself asking these questions as my father's face appears before me, covered in blood, eyes finally his own.

He turns towards me, his face no screwed into that disgusted look of disappointment it usually is.

"Thank you, Alpha." His words are low and gurgled but the impact is felt, my breath gone as I watch the man that gave me life, and made me want to take it away die all alone in a field of strangers.

I don't know how long I sit there before Cody comes over, my baby looking as tired and wrecked as I feel. Makayla is finally quiet, the Enchanted fuming when we placed anti mana cuffs in her after spotting her trying to poison herself with a spell. She clearly had information on what the hell is going on, and if she's one of many recruiting people and wreaking chaos in Kaulike, then we need to get word out quickly and gather as many allies as we can.

I honestly wouldn't be able to place a bet if all the Nightlies fought against Divine Children, but the thought of so many of them being able to contour countless shadows is incredibly debilitating and overpowered.