The Warrior (continuing from optimistic_dreamer)

Devil's helmet

Olivia hid her flushed face in my chest while I growled annoyed at Mason and Jake. Why were they always interrupting us?
Somewhere in my mind I was aware that I should be thankful, because there was no guaranty that I could keep my wolf in check.
I felt him becoming stronger each passing hour and soon he would take over and take what's ours, no matter the consequences.

I inhaled Olivia's scent and nuzzled her neck.

"Guys would you stop it! I'm already feeling sick!", Mason complained dramatically.

I shot him an angry look, but he just grinned at me.

Olivia stepped out of my embrace and tried to busy herself with making the potion. First she washed a few flowers and sliced them while other flowers were just used in parts, like their stems or buds.

There was still a faint blush present on her cheek, but you hardly noticed it. Mesmerized by how beautiful my mate was when she was working and concentrating and how graceful she moved everytime, I did not pay any attention to what Mason and Jake told me.

Shaking my head to focus on them rather than my lovely mate, I turned to face them and barely caught the last sentence of Jake.

"...and then the rabbit bit the wolves head off.", Jake grinned smugly at me.

"Haha.", I said dryly. However, once I heard the beautiful giggle of none other than Olivia I had a smile on my lips as well. Her laughter was just infectious.

"Well, you weren't listening so I thought I could catch your attention this way.", Jake explained.

"It worked.", I had to admit, "so what did you find?"

"When we left you two in the garden..", Jake started but was interrupted by Mason saying: "Hopefully gathering flowers and what not and not doing the ew stuff"

Olivia flushed again and shook her head innocently. I just growled at him and Mason winked at me grinningly.

"We immediately went into the kitchen only to find it empty. So Mason here sniffed at some food in the fridge and in the pantry and he said that a scent stuck out."

"It was just unfamiliar.", Mason told us.

Olivia, who was already filling the potion into a glas, focused on us again and asked: "In which food did you find the scent?"

Mason opened the fridge an took out the milk. Olivia placed the glas on the counter and made her way towards Mason.

Honestly, even this small action, our mate going to another male other than me, was something that angered me and I knew that it usually would not face me. However, with my wolf pushing more and more for control I barely refrained from growling at Mason.

"May I?" Olivia asked for the milk and Mason readily gave it to her.

My mate opened the milk, took a sniff and froze.

"Devil's helmet.", she muttered.

We all looked questiongly at her and she explained: "Or otherwhise known as wolfsbane."

"Even the name sounds deadly.", Jake remarked.

"Can you trace it Mase?", I wanted to know.

Mason nodded and said: "That was why we were ranning into the kitchen. I know where the smell is coming from."

Olivia took care of the mess she made, if you ask me there really was no mess, but she insisted on cleaning everything before we went to search for the wolfsbane.
She told us we could already start without her and she would catch up, but with all the happenings and me being overprotective I did not allow it. Mason and Jake did not want to leave her alone either, which on the one hand pleased me and on the other one made me furious. My wolf was making me go crazy...

After several minutes and us discussing why there even was wolfsbane on the council's territory, Olivia finished up and we followed Mason, who tracked the wolfsbane scent.

Usually if there was any wolfsbane on a pack's territory it was destroyed immediately as it was very dangerous to us wolves. Therefore wolfsbane was almost non existent. At least that was the information we believed in.

We followed Mason out of the council's castle into the nearby woods and I could not help but to step even closer to Olivia in case of an attack.

Her hand, which was entangled with my own, squeezed mine and I could feel more tingles spreading through my arm.

After several minutes Mason stopped close to a clearing and whispered: "The scent stopps here."

Although we could not sense any human or werewolf in this area we were better safe than sorry, therefore we still spoke quietly.

Olivia let go of me and wanted to step towards Mason when I pushed her back.

"There could be wolfsbane somewhere!", I warned her.

"I know, can't you smell it?", Olivia questioned confused.

"What do you mean? I can't smell anything?", Mason wondered.

"Me neither.", Jake said.

I took a sniff as well, but all I was able to smell was pine trees, mud, Mason, Jake and of course Olivia's vanilla-cinnamon scent.

"That's weird!", Olivia muttered.

"Where is the scent coming from?", I wanted to know.

Olivia pointed to the biggest tree surrounding the clearing and we carefully made our way towards it.

I deliberately kept Olivia behind me, which made my lovely mate huff a bit in annoyance.

"I just want you safe!", I told her gently.

Her eyes immediately softened and Olivia slowed her walk so that she was indeed walking behind me.

When we were a couple steps away from the tree Olivia suddenly froze and shouted: "STOP!"

We all listened to her immediately, but for Mason it was already too late.

It all happened so quickly that there was not even a chance to help him.

When Mason stopped right in his tracks his foot had apperently already stepped on some kind of imaginary boundary, because a dark purple wall surrounding the tree in a circle was suddenly visible. Mason's foot touched the wall and therefore he was thrown back several yards.

"MASON!", Jake yelled and ran towards him.

My wolf whimpered and I realized what just happened.

Olivia and I followed Jake instantly. Mason lay motionless on the ground his eyes closed. Olivia knelt down beside him and when she checked for his pulse her eyes darkened and she shook her head.

"NOOOOOO! How could this happen?", Jake screamed devastated.

My brain slowly started to overcome the initial shock and began to work normally. There was only one explanation for this. In my mind my wolf was already out for revenge. He wanted blood.

"Black Magic!", I whispered brokenly.