Chapter 19:
"I can't fucking believe I'm voluntarily searching for a werewolf on the night of a full moon," Draco grumbled as he expertly wielded his wand to cut off the vines too close to their feet while Hermione and him made their way across the forest to look for Lavender or her werewolf form as it sure was to be by now, Draco sighed, looking with loathing at the bright, big orb shining away ominously in the dark sky above.
Hermione who till then was using her wand as a makeshift torch, palmed her face. "Why didn't I think of this earlier?" she grumbled to herself and 'noxed' the light emitting from her wand before whispering a soft 'point me'. The wand stood still, without even tremble when she asked it for directions to Lavender. She tried again with a werewolf intonation and the wand went crazy, spinning all over.
Draco quickly grabbed her wand with his honed skills and passed it back to Hermione. "Too many in the area. Her werewolf form has no name and the boys all turn to wolves, so.." he trailed off leaving her to fill the blanks.
"Where do you think she could be?"
"I'm hoping she's in the forest. But with our luck, I'm praying to Merlin she isn't anywhere close to the muggles in the town or the settlement."
Silently, Hermione nodded. "Harry and Ron are manning the city boundaries and the twins are at the part closer to the highway. Luna and Ginny are with Seth inside the town with Jasper and Alice. The other vampires are circling their side of the forest and the wolves, theirs. We just need to secure parameter here. I was thinking of setting up some spells that'll alert us to werewolf presence here and then we can keep moving and doing the same at the other areas so we can try to determine the area she's at."
Nodding, Draco took one side while Hermione started whispering the same spells at the other, slowly the two continued to secure the area allotted to them.
…
A rogue vampire had tried to gain access into their area the same unfortunate night and so the reservation wolves had all left chasing behind him, leaving only Paul behind to man their sector of the forest. "All the magical folks and the leeches are here. Paul, you stay. Everyone else follow me," Sam had bellowed and his pack had left in a blur of furry asses. And Paul was angry! He wanted to be a part of that action.. not.. not babysit!
"Cut it out!" Embry growled through the link, "we're almost done here," and that's when he heard it. A portentous howl that wasn't from any of their own.
"Got you," Paul snickered, sharply turning towards the direction of the lonely howl. He flashed a menacing smile into the dark night and flew through the forest to reach the werewolf.
…
"This way," Carlisle whispered, knowing his family would hear him and they all moved towards the sound, leaping through the trees.
…
It took Draco and Hermione a second longer to react as they waited to seal the magic they had cast before making their way towards the sound.
"Hey! Isn't that the vamp area?" Draco asked, brows furrowed as if searching for something that was just out of his grasp. He knew it in his bones that it was an important piece of information. The unsettled feeling in his stomach assuring him that he'd missed a crucial part on the plans..
And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
"Oh, shit!" He heard Hermione swear and knew she had come to the same conclusion. "We need to warn them!"
Draco was sure the time for warning would be long past by the time they made it to the source of the threatening sound but he wisely did not voice out his thoughts. They were going to need all of their energy to subdue a fully formed werewolf who'd be on very high adrenaline, or its werewolf version, when faced with its mortal enemy in heavy multiples. Merlin help them!
"We've really done it this time," Hermione was shaking her head, probably at her own oversight, and the two continued to run through the forest.
…
Paul reached just as the werewolf hid itself behind a rather large tree trunk getting ready to pounce on the doctor and for a split-second, second guessed his decision to involve himself in the fight. A vampire down was one threat less, right?
"Don't you dare!" Sam growled through the link and Paul felt his large furry body shudder at the tone of his alpha. "GO!" Sam barked the order and Paul felt his limbs carrying him towards the werewolf. It smelled different, he registered just as he pounced on its back, flattening it on the ground. His moment of cockiness cost him though. A second of inattention was all it needed, and the werewolf was out of his grasp, hissing and snarling at him while circling him like a hunter.
Well, Paul was no one's prey and he returned the gesture in kind and what ensued had the spectators rooted to the spot. The wolf and werewolf launched into a fight for dominance and neither was willing to surrender.
A few good long minutes into the fray, Paul knew he wouldn't last. The werewolf definitely had more strength and stamina compared to him and that was saying something. "Hold on for a few more minutes. We're coming…" someone from his pack said, Jared probably but he was too busy trying to fight the werewolf to identify the voices running in his head.
Paul knew the vampires were trying to help. He saw them circling the fight, trying to get near but the werewolf was having none of it. Barring his teeth ferociously, it was single handedly keeping the small army of misfits busy.
And then suddenly it happened.
A white blur ran through the thick foliage and in their midst. Bella's mind-reader was right there, next to him and Paul could only count his lucky stars that at least one of the leeches and worth his salt, ehm.. blood then, and was able to help Paul tackle the large beast to the ground.
And yet, it was all for naught.
…
It was instinct really that made Hermione howl into the night when she saw Lavender's werewolf form overthrowing one of the reservation wolves, even with Edward helping his nemesis. But when the vicious magical beast turned her yellowed eyes in her direction instead, Hermione's mind for once went blank.
This was all just too familiar. A boy by her side. A werewolf on her chase. And Hermione was lost.
Really, where was Buckbeak when you needed him the most?!
…
Jacob's heart froze between one beat and the next. And he would later swear that in that single moment he knew exactly what a thousand deaths and an empty eternity all felt like...
His witch stood there, unable to move, hypnotized by the sight in front of her because right at that moment… the werewolf had taken a rather large leap…
