Taming The Wild Ones

Chapter Twenty-Six: Damned To Begin With

Chapter Twenty- Six: Damned To Begin With

It was like someone threw me in the Arctic sea and expected me to stay down. I wanted to scream. For once in my life I wanted to prove judgemental adults right. That I really was crazy. Imprudent. Antagonizing. Because there was no way in hell that Archer could succeed. There was no way he change what our species entire history was made of. But the scream barely makes its way to my throat, as the ice freezes above me and leaves me unable to escape. Because it was possible. So much so. History can be changed. I came back from the dead twice, revive two ancient bloodlines and was about to rewrite the entire war my parents died in. Because it no longer mattered what happened in the past, that couldn't help us. We were dealing with things that never happened, that could have never been predicted. A Lycan made werewolf. A vampire and werewolf hybrid. A Luna with four Protectors. A younger brother overrules the older. I wasn't the only changing. The whole world was. And as if by magic, and only by magic, I had to be the one in the middle.

My head couldn't stop spinning. My night seemed to be tumbling over from one event to the next before I could get a grip on myself. I was beginning to think I bit of more than I could chew, trying to keep this my mess and my mess only because suddenly everyone was chipping in. How was I supposed to keep it all under wraps when it threatened to become unraveled at any second. Who decided that it would be funny to make the teenage delinquent have a few responsibilities. Geez, what was wrong with this place? With me? And I stop for a second.

No, I still had a fighting chance. There was no way Archer could have figured out I was the new Prius Supra. No one besides a handful of witches remember such a thing even existed. There was no way he could kill me. It would be hopeless on his part. But Colton, Simon, Travis and the twins, they could get hurt. I knew that if they got hurt I would too. Badly. They were all I had left. I had lost so much already that trusting them was almost as painful as it would be if I lost them. I can't think I could pick up the pieces after another blow. They were my priority now. I had to protect them, protect the pack. I had to be Luna, Alpha, even at the risk of finally breaking.

"We have to warn them." Archer could attack at any second. His sister could be the Lycan in wolf's clothing. Not a breathe could be wasted further.

My phone rings before I can even make the call. The five of us jump, sharing quick looks but say nothing. I answer the call.

"Oh, Haley, you're okay." The relief in Colton's voice warms me. In fact just his voice wrecks me in ways I can't even begin to understand. And I'm thinking about that night we danced, how a feeling started to grow in me. How attached I became to this man. It makes me dizzy how everything had changed.

"If okay is the word you want to use. Listen Colton-" I begin to tell him what we thought but he cuts me off.

"Haley, we're being attacked right now."

"What?" Several of us shout of and I hear the panic laced in his voice, the urgency that I'm so used to arguing against.

"It's just rogues for now but the Lycans are cornering us in. We're being steered to the back mountains. We're all split up and its chaos over here. I need you to get to the mountains as fast as possible. My parents have a house there and Astrid and Drake are already there. Haley, you stay put there and I'll be there as soon as I can. We can handle things without a full moon."

"Colton wait." Simon comes in quickly and tells him that we could no longer rely on the moon. Colton is more than disturbed by this, outraged even.

"And you have got to break out of there. They've stripped all the Monkswood and if they manage to corner you it's over. They have enough for the entire pack. Getting to the river would be the safest option right now. Travis and I will come help with the rogue while the twins and Haley head off to meet Astrid and Drake. They can form a barricade against the Lycans."