Feral Bonds

Chapter 61

Natania glanced at the destruction around her. He was right, they were losing. While the clearing was riddled mostly with the corpses of wolves and vampires, there seemed to be no end to the reinforcements the purebloods had brought.

Natania curled her claws into the ground. How much longer was she willing to let this go on? How much longer before more members of her pack fell? Rolf was already dead, and the bond told her there were two others, though the chaos of everyone's emotions prevented her from telling who exactly.

She could save the rest of them, but it would cost her everything. Natania hesitated for only a moment, then took a deep breath and howled for everyone to retreat. "Protect Gretchen!" She shot the command to her wolves as wolves, cats, vampires and everyone else started to back away immediately at her order.

The remaining purebloods stalked forward as Natania stood alone and faced them.

"Finally come to your senses?" Reagan growled.

Natania curled her lip into a cruel smile. "No," she said. "Now I'm going to kill you all."

Do your thing, she thought to her beast, releasing the hold she had on him and letting him free. Natania groaned in agony as he roared in her mind.

"Stop her!" someone shouted, but it was too late. Shadows poured out of Natania like a bursting dam, swallowing her being and lashing out at any who approached.

Natania felt like she was floating, drifting into oblivion, her mind being wrapped in the softest touch of peace as she floated higher and higher.

This isn't so bad, she thought, as she drifted further and further away from the pain, from the fear, from the anger. It's peaceful. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so at peace. She curled into herself and closed her eyes.

〰

"No!" Gretchen screamed as she saw the darkness surge out of Natania. A wolf bumped into her leg, trying to push her backwards. "Get out of my way," she spat at the wolf, then another hand caught her arm.

"No," Vincent said, still holding onto her. "You have to survive, or they're all dead." The vampire scooped her up and deposited her on the opposite side of the field from Natania.

"I have to stop her," Gretchen gasped. "She won't survive this again."

"She will," Vincent said, but there was doubt in his voice. "But not if you're dead. Not if she kills you."

The demon wolf was making quick work of their enemies while they talked. Agonized screams pierced the air as inky black tentacles shot out of Natania, impaling the wolves that encircled her. They were still fighting, still convinced they could take her down, even as they fell by the dozens. Gretchen couldn't help but admire their determination, even if she baulked at their stupidity.

"Three minutes," a voice gasped beside her and Gretchen turned to see Lily. The vampire had her hand wrapped around a bleeding wound on her arm, but even as she watched, it started to heal.

"Until what?" Gretchen snapped.

"We die," Lily said, with absolute certainty.

"We won't die," Vincent growled.

"This is her worst possible future," Lily said, though she was eerily calm considering how much she cared about Natania. "The witch isn't strong enough to stop her, especially with her beastie feeding on all those wolves."

As she spoke the rest of Natania's pack suddenly collapsed, screaming with agony. Lily gave them half a glance. "She'll take them all with her."

Gretchen stared in horror as the darkness started leaking out of them, albeit, at a much slower rate than Natania. The wolves contorted in agony as they fought against their own demons. "I have to pull her back," Gretchen growled. "Now."