A.N: The Captain is the best! Super speedy beta skills and all. Much love 2damnpretty2die.
This is a sort of filler chapter before Arizona has all her meet and greets, different Clans to see, lots of begging to do.
Also, thanks to all the new readers that have favourited/followed this story.
Chapter 34: The Answer
Hades p.o.v
The black smoke billowed from beneath my newest experiment, expanding and thickening until finally a figure formed before it. I could feel my grin widening as it began to take shape, and when the smoke cleared the limp and unconscious form of Martin Francis lay on the ground.
"Hmm… Marvellous." I was giddy with excitement. Finally, a project that was successful. It had yet to show signs to degradation and its powers were starting to stabilize. So far it had passed the initial 'seven day expiry date' test and the secondary 'powers' test. I wondered how much further I could push this one.
There was a groan from the limp form as the Elder began to regain consciousness; however he started to tremble from the lingering effects of whomever had attacked his mind. 'Mnemosyne? Or perhaps Theia? Most likely Theia considering the state of the Elder.'
"Guards!" I summoned, "take the Elder to the lab. We need him to be in fighting form as soon as possible."
They dragged his struggling form out the door and I turned my attention back to my experiment. His dead eyes stared forwards blankly; back so straight it was as if he was a soldier in the military. Though, it wasn't far off, he was a soldier in my army. I closed my eyes as I imagined hundreds of him, all standing before me ready for action. Oh it was so exciting! My eyes reopened and I licked my lips in anticipation.
"X!" He kneeled immediately, but otherwise showed no other signs of acknowledgment. "Let's see what else you can do."
Arizona p.o.v
"I'm listening."
"We're going to settle this old school style." Athena replied with a cheeky grin. "A fight!"
"Uh…A fight?" I asked uneasily, "are you sure that's a good idea?" I wasn't sure if I could take on Artemis in this current situation.
"Your choice of opponent Artemis. Anyone that is currently present." Terri added.
Artemis' eyes scanned the field, across every single one of us and for a moment I was worried that she'd choose Calliope or Aria.
"Anyone?" Artemis asked as a smirk took over her lips.
"Anyone." Terri confirmed.
"Then my choice is you, Invictus." She replied confidently. Terri arched a brow at her, chuckling, and I chewed at my bottom lip in concern.
"Your conditions?"
"I want to fight you. Without Athena."
"Oh?"
"I want to fight the real you. Just you. Athena will stand by the sidelines, but I want to fight you at full power. I want to experience the full power of the Crown Princess Invictus."
"Athena is not allowed to intervene or join? Are you completely sure?" There was concern reflected in Terri's dark eyes and my brows furrowed as I wondered why Terri seemed more concern for Artemis than she was about herself. Why would fighting without Athena be more dangerous than fighting with?
"One hundred per cent. And win or lose, I will return to Arizona. My only condition is that you don't hold back." Artemis confirmed and Terri nodded.
She then turned to face her avatar. "Looks like you've been benched, love."
Athena clutched at her heart dramatically and draped an arm over her face. "Oh the pain. The betrayal! I thought for sure Artemis would want me, it's been so long after all!" She then straightened up and stared directly at Artemis. "Your loss, let's hope my dearest Teresa doesn't break you…too much." She smirked cryptically before she reached out for Terri's outstretched hand. The moment they touched the thunder clapped loudly and the lightning struck down directly onto them, burying them in a bright light as the wind whipped around us violently. Suddenly, the light exploded and the power expelled caused me to choke on the air as I struggled to breath. 'Jesus Christ, what's going on?'
The light finally disappeared and I finally saw the 'real Crown Princess' Artemis was referring to. Terri's hair had lengthened so it now reached her waist and it had turned pure white with red streaks running through, her wings stretched out fully before folding themselves behind her back, her eyes were glowing white with hints of red and gold swirling in the centre, and her aura, white with hints of gold, crackled wildly around her. However, what shocked me the most was the missing symbol of Zeus, Jupiter, on her forehead. A golden Crown sat there instead, though it was more like a tiara. The thick band of the 'Crown' formed a small dip at the centre of her forehead and the rest disappeared into her hair. There were multiple symbols shining brightly, a mixture of red and white, all etched along the band. I couldn't figure out what the symbols meant, guess I really should have paid attention during the lessons with Theia.
I inhaled sharply at the majestic sight before me; I couldn't believe that this was Terri.
"Jesus…" I heard Calliope whisper out in awe. I looked around and saw the completely astonished looks on Calliope, Erica and Aria's faces. Styx and Artemis, however, remained indifferent, as if they weren't affected by the amount of power that was pouring off of Terri. Athena caught my eye as she appeared beside me and winked at me playfully before turning back to Terri with eyes filled with pride and joy.
"I thought she wasn't supposed to fight with your help?" I wondered aloud.
"Well, Artemis only said that I wasn't supposed to help, which I'm not, 'cause I'm standing right here beside you." She gestured between the two of us. "And besides, that form isn't actually the power of the Avatar, it's yours. We just act as guardians and keep it locked away until you're ready to use it."
"That doesn't make sense. I couldn't activate the form when Artemis refused to answer me."
"That's because you weren't ready, not completely. Unlocking the form is one thing, but you need to train in order to fully become one with it. It was obviously something that you failed to complete." I winced at her bluntness, but I understood what she meant.
"Invictus…" Artemis stuttered out and I worried about the tremble and briefest hint of fear I had caught in her tone.
Terri swung out her right hand and her sword slowly began to take shape. "Are you ready?" She didn't wait for an answer as she charged. Her speed was incredible and so fast her movement could barely be caught.
Artemis scarcely had the time to summon her own sword to block as Terri's sword as it came down at her head. The impact caused a great explosion of energy, and we were only able to stay standing from the quick appearance of Athena's barrier. The only thing I could do was watched on with wide eyes, mouth agape and mind completely blown.
Fuck…me…
The fight was over before it even had a chance to properly begin, as Artemis lay bowed on one knee, leaning heavily on her sword for support, panting heavily.
"What…that hell was that?" Calliope exclaimed in fear.
"The true power of Teresa has never been seen before." Athena replied with a cheerful grin. "She has never fought with just the power of one."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Erica growled out, the shock forcing her defences to rise.
"Her power consists of: her own, mine, Zeus, Theia, Helios, Richard, Elizabeth and, surprise! Hades."
"M-my father?" Erica stuttered out. "I… The darkness that's tainting part of her aura, that's my father?"
"Oh yeah." Athena grinned at us. "Well, technically it's you more so that your father Erica." My eyes widened and I stared at Erica in bewilderment. "But since she spent more time submerged in Hades' mind and his power, it became more influenced by his power than yours."
"Wait a minute. Go back a bit. Why is her power such a mix?" Calliope interrupted with utter confusion in her voice.
"During her revival, I'd mentioned that Teresa had latched onto Theia's specialty. But what I didn't say was that she didn't completely discard the rest of the power that lingered in her essence. They merely merged with hers, so whilst she may not display the characteristics of those powers, they're still there. She's just found another way around it. Sort of like how the serum boosts your power, she has additional power from those who brought her back from the 'dead lands'."
"Jesus! But why doesn't she usually use this power?" I asked curiously.
"Because, the conflicting auras are too draining. To simplify, if she constantly uses the different auras, she risks the possibility of losing herself to their influence. And whilst most of the auras don't matter too much, if Hades' darkness takes over then we're screwed."
"So… The different auras could influence her behaviour and her desires?" I concluded. I guess I was right about her having bipolar disorder after all. I thought wryly. Though this wasn't exactly what I'd meant.
"Essentially." Athena replied with a sheepish smile. "Hey! It's hard to control when there are other peoples' desires and wants trying to take over your mind!" She defended when she saw the looks on our faces.
"Riiiiight." We all replied in unison in a teasing manner.
"Surrender?" Terri asked in a neutral voice. She had barely broken a sweat and she actually looked sad at the entire situation.
"You are filled with so much anger." Artemis replied instead. "Why? Because of the trickery Theia and Mnemosyne devised?"
Terri narrowed her eyes and her grip tightened slightly on her sword. "The lives of my partner and my child are not for gambling."
Artemis laughed dryly. "And Apollo's is?"
Terri's brows raised and a smirk appeared as she studied Artemis' exhausted form.
"Oh, this is an interesting turn of events." Athena exclaimed gleefully.
"What is?" I asked.
"Listen to what Artemis is saying, feel what she's feeling. If you truly want to reconcile with Artemis then you need to understand her."
"You still wish to fight?" Terri was amused, and I could tell that Artemis was getting pissed.
"Your anger is not justified. The wolf and her cub were not harmed in any way. It was all a trick of the mind. But Apollo? Timothy? He was ready to give his life. And you were ready to take it! Your plan went awry and you were lucky to have been able to revive him!" Artemis spat out with pure hatred lacing her voice.
"Uh… Is she?" Calliope asked hesitantly.
"I-I…" I was speechless, as I finally understood why Artemis chose to fight Terri.
"She's fighting for you, Arizona. The anger and frustration that you never resolved. Apollo's death still hangs over both of you, and it's the main reason for your broken relationship with Teresa isn't it?" I nodded mutely. "You had every right to leave after Apollo's death and Teresa has no grounds for continuing to dismiss you. No matter how you look at this, Teresa betrayed you when she sent your brother to his death. You were right to be hurt and to choose to leave the court. Perhaps it wasn't at the right time, but considering what had happened, it's justifiable."
Artemis struggled to her feet as she forced herself to an upright position and raised her sword to Terri.
"You're exhausted." Terri reached out and Artemis' sword disintegrated.
"You act all high and mighty. But you're nothing but a hypocrite! You showed no remorse when you used Apollo's life and refused to accept our anger. Yet when you're placed into the same position, you destroyed half the court, you shut the world out for days and then you refuse to accept the reality of the situation! You instil fear upon those who have stood by you and you use their guilt to reaffirm your dominance. You're fucking pathetic!" She screamed out as her aura started to rise and a blade made purely of energy began to take shape in her still outstretched hand. "You don't deserve our loyalty!"
She charged at Terri, who made no move to block, and I gasped out as her blade made contact with Terri's body, directly over her heart.
Unexpectedly, the energy was absorbed inch by inch as it made contact with the energy that had surrounded Terri like armour. In the end, Artemis was pressed up against Terri as she completely supressed Artemis' power. She opened her arms and held Artemis tightly against her as she began to break down, screaming tearfully into the air. It was then that I finally felt it all, her anger, her pain, her frustrations, and I realised that it wasn't hers at all. All of those conflicting emotions, they were mine. They were the emotions I had hidden, the ones that I didn't think I deserved to feel.
No, Terri's not the pathetic one. I am, for hiding who I really am, for being afraid of what I am, for being so angry with Terri and Tim for embracing their true nature so easily, for being so afraid to face reality, and most importantly, for hiding you, Artemis. I'm pathetic because I was so afraid to accept you, even though you're the reason I'm alive. I've been so afraid to accept the changes around me and in me; that you've had to bear the burden of my fears and cowardice. I'm so sorry Artemis.
"Feeling better?" Terri asked as Artemis started to calm down. She drew back, cheeks red from embarrassment and nodded sheepishly.
"I'm sorry Invictus."
"No need to apologise. I was wondering which one of you would crack first." Terri nodded her head in my direction. "I'm actually surprised it was you, considering Arizona is the more emotional one. But I guess she doesn't feel comfortable enough in this world to let go."
"So… We're all good then?" Athena asked smiling brightly.
"Yeah." Artemis replied timidly as she met my eyes. "We're gonna be just fine. I'm going to hold up my end of the deal, don't worry."
"Wait." I interrupted. "Before we go any further, I need to apologise to you Artemis. You've had to suffer through so much because of my fears and cowardice. You're right, I don't deserve you, but I promise you I will do my best to become the host you deserve. So please, trust in me for this last time and I swear you won't regret it."
She smiled at me, trust and acceptance reflected in her eyes, and held her hand out to me. I reached out and the moment we touched, I felt her energy pour into my soul.
"Styx!" I barely caught Terri's voice before I was overcome with a pain that spread like wildfire in my veins. My eyes struggled to open, but when I managed to do it, I saw Artemis collapsed on the floor beside me, face contorted into pain.
"Argh!" I opened my mouth to speak, but a scream escaped instead. What's happening to me?
"Don't fight it Arizona. Embrace the fire, the heat. Accept the power." Terri commanded and I forced myself to calm down as much as possible. It was so hard to ignore the burning pain that was engulfing my body; it was like it was taking over my soul. My vision swam as darkness tainted the edges; my head was spinning and I could hear my laboured breathing. I could barely make out Artemis' face anymore, but I reached out and slowly crawled across the floor until I finally made contact with her again. The darkness was so cold, but the fire was still burning wildly in my veins, I was so confused.
"Don't fight it!"
I let go of everything and the darkness won. I was surrounded and then…
I felt nothing.
Callie p.o.v
I smiled at Arizona's heartfelt words to Artemis, and I knew that she was finally accepting everything around her. Artemis must have caught on to the sincerity in her voice because she nodded and reached for Arizona. The moment they touched, I felt the energy transfer instantly, warming my heart.
All of a sudden Terri cried out, "Styx!" and Erica's avatar appeared behind Artemis and injected a syringe into her neck. Both Artemis and Arizona cried out in pain and dropped to the floor, trembling in agony. My heart stopped as I felt a rush of burning pain run through my body.
What the hell did she do? Fuck!
I dropped to my knees as I struggled to breath, I could barely make out Aria kneeling beside me, holding my struggling form tightly.
"Don't fight it Arizona. Embrace the fire, the heat. Accept the power." Terri commanded and I furrowed my brows in confusion.
Don't fight what? How is she supposed to embrace the fire? This fucking burns.
My mouth fell open as I tried valiantly to suck in air. I could feel Arizona's pain, I could feel her fighting against the darkness and it was killing me. I trembled with fear, unaware of what the darkness signified. I could feel her confusion building and I panicked. Her thoughts were rushing through my head and the pain it caused was indescribable.
"Don't fight it!"
Suddenly, the pain disappeared as I felt Arizona relax and fall limp as she finally submitted to the darkness.
No…
Arizona p.o.v
The darkness was everywhere, but there was no fear. I actually felt lighter than I had ever felt before. It was peaceful and quiet, and it felt great. There was a sudden rush of brightness that caused my eyes to snap shut.
A light breeze against my face made me open my eyes again, and I realised that I was back in the field in Terri's mind. Except, I was floating. A bright purple was surrounding my body and I could see the golden aura that crackled around it. Tilting my head to the left, I saw Artemis in the same state as me. When our eyes met, I saw her blazing golden eyes. I took a quick assessment of my body and found that I felt no pain or ache, but instead I felt power. I felt more power rushing through my veins than I had ever experienced before. Artemis' fangs were exposed when her mouth widened into a grin as she came to the same conclusion as I did. With a nod, we both reached out for each other and the energy that surrounded us multiplied tenfold.
The energy that burst forth was cataclysmic, and when the light faded, we were met with bright smiles from Terri, Athena and Aria; smirks from Erica and Styx; and a hesitant smile from Calliope.
"How do you feel?" Terri asked. I turned to look at her and noticed that both Athena and her looked oddly pale and tired.
"I feel amazing." I answered in awe as I stared at my hands and the energy that was crackling around it. "What did you do?"
"The quickest way to adapt to the serum is to directly inject the Avatar." Erica answered. "We used a smaller dosage though, just in case."
"The serum? Why?" Calliope demanded, fearful of the side effects of the serum.
"Because my father has found the means to create Hybrids, and we're going to need the power to defeat them." Erica huffed angrily. "And we don't have twenty years for you to test and adapt to the serum, like Zeus did."
"And you were sure that this was going to work?" Calliope shot back sceptically.
"Well, no. But it was worth a shot." Athena answered sheepishly.
"What would you have done if it didn't work?"
"Well, it's one of the reasons we did it here," Athena gestured to the area around, "instead of in there." She pointed at my head.
"What?"
Athena shrugged, "my world, my rules. Remember?"
I had been silently during the entire exchange, studying Terri's pale form. "Hey, are you okay? What's the matter?"
She gave me a weak smile. "Your outburst was a little hard to contain."
I took in the destroyed area around us before looking back at her in confusion. "What?"
She chuckled tiredly, tapping her head before replying with a simple, "my world."
I smiled back at her, and I knew in that instant that we were okay again. She straightened up and called for everyone's attention.
"We should probably head back. There are way too many of you in my head right now. It's really exhausting."
Chuckles filtered into the air as we were all pulled back to reality.
I swear I'll prove it to you Artemis. We're going to be stronger, faster, and better, because you and I… We're a team and neither of us can survive without the other.
When we returned to the garden, I noticed that our friends were lingering around outside Lana's barrier. Teddy was the first to realise we had returned.
"Finally!" She exclaimed from her place beside a pacing Addison.
"What's the matter?" I asked in concern, her brows were furrowed and I was worried that there had been more attacks.
"God, you guys took forever!" Addison huffed out impatiently. "We need to celebrate!"
"Um… Celebrate?"
"Duh! Karev?" She asked as if I should automatically understand what that meant. I glanced at Calliope, but she just shrugged back at me.
"Care to elaborate?"
"General Karev?" her eyebrows raised as she gave another hint and it was like a light bulb had been lit.
"Oh! Celebrate, right." She chuckled at my obliviousness and ran towards us the moment Lana lowered the barrier to grab for us.
"Come on!"
"Wait." Terri stopped us quickly and Addison tensed, quickly masking her emotions and turned stonily to her. "Celebrate all you want, but there are two conditions. First, no matter what you do, stay inside the manor. Secondly, remember that Arizona and Callie have to leave early tomorrow, so go easy on them."
Addison relaxed instantly with Terri's blessing and Teddy shot me a curious glance. I smiled and nodded back and was rewarded with a giant grin.
"You coming, T?" I asked warily, not sure how the use of her nickname would be taken.
"I'm afraid not. There's something I need to do tonight. Have fun though, you deserve to relax before facing the other Leaders." She quickly turned her attention back to Erica, Lana and Aria.
I looked over my shoulder as we were dragged away by an ecstatic Addison, and when I caught Terri's eye she threw me a small smile, making me grin in return.
We're gonna be okay.
Callie p.o.v
"Congratulations General Karev!" We cheered loudly as we toasted the star of this evening's event.
He grunted and downed his shot quickly, trying to hide the blush that had formed. I looked around at the amount of people that had turned up to this impromptu party in the hall that Addison had somehow managed to get permission for. I quickly realised how when I spotted my mother, Elizabeth and Theia. Elder Kensington and a few of the other Generals had also turned up to celebrate the new member amongst their ranks, and with them several of their soldiers had bravely joined. The alcohol was quickly passed around after we'd arrived and before I knew what was happening, it was already night, but the party didn't look like it was going to be ending any time soon.
"I'm proud of you Karev." Arizona yelled out over the loud music blaring from the speakers that were usually used during ceremonies and formal events for announcements. Her cheeks were tinted a bright shade of red, dimples on display and eyes glazed over by the influence of the alcohol. If there was one thing I could say about these vampires, it was that they had good taste in alcohol and boy could they drink! And I wasn't stupid enough to try to match them drink for drink, Arizona handled that for me and I was beyond thankful, otherwise I'd be passed out on the ground like Mark currently was. Don't get me wrong, Mark and me could handle our alcohol, as proven our undefeated record back in Miami and Seattle, but we had nothing on these guys. They were out of this world!
I glanced at Mark's form slumped over in the corner and felt sad for him. He was trying to drown out his sorrows as Lexie had yet to warm up to him. She hadn't even turned up tonight, though I wasn't surprised considering Terri and Aria weren't here. Having said that though, he did seem a tad more pathetic tonight than usual. I figured it was the full moon, but everyone else seemed unaffected. Including myself as well. I shrugged away the thoughts and turned back to the table, not wanting my mood to spoil.
"Hey Ari?" I leaned over to Arizona, trying to get her to hear me better. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."
"Don't take too long! I'll miss you!" Arizona's grin had not left her face the entire night. It made me ridiculously happy to see her so relaxed and carefree after these last couple of days. She grabbed my cheeks and planted a sloppy kiss onto my lips before pushing me towards the door. "Hurry!" I winked at her before slipping myself through the throngs of people and out the door.
When I'd finished washing my hands and opened the door, the window on the opposite wall distracted me. The moon was so round and bright, casting an almost blue glow onto the grass below. It was so captivating I couldn't tear my gaze away from it. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, basking in the effects from the moon.
Then I heard it. It was low, barely noticeable, but I heard it. It was a low growl, almost whine, and it was coming from beyond the hallway I was standing in. Maybe it was the alcohol or perhaps it was the full moon that was clouding my rationality, but I found myself following the echoes, searching for the source.
Before I knew it, I was standing out in the garden where the whining was becoming more and more obvious. I continued to follow the sound until I had reached a pathway down the side of the manor. I looked around and found a small stone building just towards the left of the path, I was wary to proceed as I had never been to this side of the manor before, but my curiosity won out and I reached out to open the old and rusty black iron door.
When the door opened, I was met with darkness and an overwhelming scent of blood. I felt my eyes change quickly to allow me vision and the growling was echoing loudly from the stairs that led downwards. I slowly made my way downstairs and I started to shiver from the iciness that was in the air and the scent of blood that was becoming more pungent.
I reached the end of the stairs and was met with a long corridor with another iron door at the end. The growling increased and I noticed that it was no longer a single growl, but three separate growls. Suddenly, something slammed into the door at the end with a resonating 'bang' that echoed loudly in my ears. The decision was made quickly as I approached the door and reached for the door. I opened the door and recoiled immediately, horrified, when I was faced with a large grey wolf. Its teeth were exposed as it snarled loudly and menacingly, saliva and blood dripping from its mouth. Its eyes were wide open and red with sparks of gold flashing within and energy crackled around its tensed form. It lunged at me and I screamed out in fear and horror.
The door suddenly slammed closed as arms came around me from behind, pulling me backwards and away from the door. I was quickly spun around to face my saviour, but I couldn't see who it was. The fear was taking over all of my senses.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The voice was angry and demanding, but I couldn't stop shaking for long enough to form a coherent answer.
I heard footsteps running from behind my saviour, before a soft and familiar voice called out. "Calliope?" The corridor brightened as lights came on and I finally realised who was holding onto me.
Erica.
"What's going on Calliope? Are you okay?" Arizona's voice was panicked and I quickly shrugged out of Erica's tight grip and crashed into Arizona's tense body, wrapping my arms around her tightly, willing the shaking to stop.
"What the hell did you do to her?" a third voice demanded, and I looked over to see Addie and Teddy standing behind Arizona.
"Me?" Erica scoffed, "I didn't do anything."
"N-no." I whispered out. I wasn't even sure if I was heard. "No!" I repeated louder. "S-she saved me."
Arizona relaxed slightly before pulling back to examine me. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
I shook my head and relished in the warmth that was spreading from where her hands were. "W-why are you here? H-how did you know where I was?" The shivering wouldn't stop. The bloodthirsty and deadly eyes kept flashing in my mind.
"I felt your fear and panic rise from all the way back inside the manor, and when Teddy and Addison told me you hadn't returned yet we rushed out. I just followed our bond." She pulled me back into her body and I buried my head in her neck. "God, you scared me. What happened?"
"I-I don't know. There's something in there." I gestured weakly to the door behind Erica and watched as Erica stood protectively in front of it.
"I thought you were told to stay in the manor?" A voice echoed around the corridor and I froze up again in fear.
"Aria?" Arizona wondered out loudly, "that you?"
"Erica." The voice ignored Arizona and Erica sighed.
"Follow me." She said in an annoyed tone before she led us back down the corridor and up the stairs. She then opened another door that I hadn't noticed before and led us to where Aria and Lexie were waiting. The room was empty, bar a few old couches and a large glass window took up the entire length of the wall opposite the stairs. Aria and Lexie stood leaning against said window with their arms crossed, staring at us with concern, but also disappointment.
"Are you okay Callie?" She asked.
"Yeah, just shook up slightly." I replied as I avoided her gaze.
"What the hell is going on?" Addie demanded.
Lexie opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted when a dark black form slammed against the window loudly, making us jump. Aria and Lexie quickly turned around with worry in their eyes before turning back to us and gesturing for us to approach.
The sight we were met with was horrifying.
"J-Jesus Christ!" Addie and Teddy both breathed out.
Addison p.o.v
The adrenaline that had been rushing through my veins since we'd rushed out of the hall disappeared quickly and was replaced with ice. The amount of blood that covered the room below was terrifying.
It turned out that the room we were in acted like an observation room for the room we had found Callie outside of. And the glass window was apparently stronger than I'd originally thought considering it had yet to shatter from the large wolf that had just crashed against it.
There were three large wolves in the room below, a black one, a white one and a grey one. The black and the white one were both tense, but very still as the grey one stalked restlessly around them. Taking a closer look, I noticed the golden streaks and gasped in realisation.
"Is that Caleb and Lauren?"
There was a loud bang as a fist slammed against the window, and Aria, Lexie and Erica pushed us all backwards just as the grey wolf let out a loud and powerful roar that sent lightning crackling violently. The black and the white wolf were sent flying against the window, however they reacted much quicker twisting their bodies and launching off the wall with their hind legs before they made impact.
I quickly realised that there was another person in the room, the one who had warned us before. Walking closer, I saw Terri with her back flat against the wall, eyes blazing red, and somehow managing to balance herself on a small ledge that wrapped around the room, just under where the window was situated. What shocked me the most was the amount of blood that was covering her body and the clothing she was wearing that had multiple rips and tears everywhere.
The inside of the room was suddenly encased in a layer of ice and I could see the mist forming from the Terri's breath. She slammed her fist against the wall dissolving the ice instantly and dropped in the centre of the room just as another violent burst of energy whipped out. Two wolves backed off as Terri landed in front of the grey one, but it took no noticed as it lunged for Terri immediately. She stepped backwards just as the claws caught her across the chest and the wolf latched it jaws onto her shoulder. A faint glow emitted from around Terri and the energy slowly faded from around the wolf. Terri easily pushed the wolf off and jumped back up to the ledge as the two wolves surrounded the grey one once again.
We watched as blood dropped freely from her wounds that were already healing, and then she tapped her hand onto the glass once again.
"Fifteen!" Aria quickly shouted and Terri nodded before turning her gaze back to the scene below.
"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" I demanded; the sight was becoming too much for me to handle. The scent of Terri's blood was so fresh and so overwhelming. "Who the hell it that?"
"Well, you've obviously recognised Caleb and Lauren." Aria answered. "That's Lindsey."
We gasped as we stared at the violent grey wolf that was now attacking her parents. I couldn't believe that sweet and innocent Lindsey had turned into…that.
"I-is she going feral?" Teddy asked as she reached out to grab my hand, which I now realised was shaking.
Erica scoffed and I felt my anger rise at her attitude. "It's a full moon." She replied dryly.
"Erica." Aria warned, and she shut up immediately, turning her attention back to the other room. "I'm sure you've all been told about the effects of the full moon on those who are away from familiar lands?" We all nodded. "Well, this is Lindsey's first one away from home, and it's on Vampire lands. It's hard for the younger wolves to control themselves during full moons, though usually their parents can help them through the transition. But Lindsey's unique because of Terri's blood that's running through her veins. She's stronger than most and so extreme measures are usually taken to contain her power during nights like these. However, because of the unfamiliar lands, it's causing havoc on her senses, more so than usual, and we have this." She gestured to the room below.
"Her powers, all of them are going out of control. That's why she's in a different form right now. Not only are her powers being 'magnified' due to the moon, but her wolf and vampire nature are battling each other for control too. The perils of being a Hybrid." She threw in with a weak chuckle, trying to make light of the situation.
"Jesus, how long have they been at it?" I asked, wincing as Caleb bounced off the glass window again.
"What time is it now?"
"Um…" I fumbled for my phone, "Ten."
"Really? I thought it was later." Aria replied absentmindedly, "Anyway, wow, roughly three hours?"
"Three hours!" I guess that explained the amount of blood on Terri. Another slam hit the window and Aria scrambled to hit a button near the window. I inched closer and saw that it was a timer of sorts. "What's that for?"
"It's to time how long it takes for Lindsey to calm down."
"Calm down from what?"
"From Terri's blood's influence. When Lindsey reaches a certain limit, Terri intervenes and drains it. Otherwise, Caleb and Lauren keep her distracted, trying to tire her out."
We watched as Terri jumped down again, this time landing on the back of Lindsey who became frantic and started bucking ferociously. Terri lost her grip and was carelessly thrown against a surprised Lauren. They both went crashing down and Lindsey pounced over her father, who had tried to intervene, and landed onto Terri's midsection with a sickening crunch as her ribs cracked under the pressure. Terri blocked frantically as she tried to protect Lauren who was still trapped underneath. With a loud roar, Lindsey sent a burst of flames into her father's chest as he lunged from behind, before howling and an explosion of lightning lit up the room. The light faded quickly and the two wolves and Terri were briefly paralysed. Without second thought, Lindsey swiped at Terri's face creating three large gashes across the left side of her face and across her left eye. Terri and Lauren quickly separated when they rolled in opposite directions, but Lindsey's focus was set on Terri as she gave chase and sent a broken wooden table leg at Terri's head.
"Why isn't she fighting back?" Arizona yelled anxiously when the blood splattered across the floor.
She was then lifted up in Lindsey's mouth, but she was quicker to react this time having shaken off the temporary paralysis as she hooked an arm around her neck and pushed off the ground, slipping across Lindsey's back. She held on for dear life and Lindsey doubled her efforts to buck her off.
"It's not about defeating Lindsey or getting her to submit. She needs control. Beating her into submission won't achieve anything. The best they can do is tire her out or lower her energy levels so she can try to grasp some kind of control. Eventually she'll get used to the power and the effects of the full moon and she'll be able to control her instincts." Aria's voice was calm, but I could see the tension in her jaw and the tightly clenched fists. "If she masters control over her power during a full moon, then any future training will be a piece of cake for her."
The faint glow surrounded Terri once again and Lindsey's aura faded once more. Terri quickly left the vicinity and hit the ledge slamming her fist into the window with more force than she had previously.
Aria hit the button again and screamed "ten!" There was more terror in her voice this time as we were granted a closer inspection of the wounds on Terri's face. Her left eye was shut and blood covered the entire left side of her face, she had wrapped an arm around her stomach and she was panting heavily.
"Aria…" Her voice sounded weak and tired as she placed her hand flat against the window. Aria quickly responded and copied her movements, a golden glow emitted from their hands and Terri's wounds sealed shut and her breathing evened out. She nodded her thanks and removed her hand, leaving a smeared bloody handprint behind and turned back to Lindsey.
"The bond?" Callie asked her sister, who was staring at the handprint with tears in her eyes. She slipped her hand into Aria's hand and wrapped the other around her shoulders.
"Yeah, it's pretty much taking everything she has to not fight back. She's focusing on supressing her own instincts whilst trying to monitor Lindsey's progress. This is between Lindsey and her parents. There's nothing else I can do. I'm just here to provide times and power." The sadness and helplessness that was in her voice could be felt by all of us and I winced at the thought of having to watch your loved ones suffer without being able to help. I snuck a glance over at Teddy.
I know how that feels.
I fought hard to hold back my own tears when I thought back to when I thought I'd lost Teddy forever. Her blood was all over my hands and my clothes, and there was nothing I could have done for her except watch her die. Teddy must have caught on to where my thoughts had led me as her arm came around my shoulders and squeezed gently, pulling me into her side.
There was another loud howl that caught our attention. It was completely different to the angry and wild ones from before; there was a lot more sadness, fear and panic in this one. Terri slammed against the window and Aria quickly recoiled, bringing Callie with her.
"Shit. Lexie, Erica!" She ordered as she gestured for us all to back away.
Lexie and Erica quickly leapt into action as they stood before the window, each with one arm raised, hand touching the glass. Their auras rose with alarming speed and a strong barrier was formed against the window protecting us, a mixture of black and red swirling almost lazily.
With a quick glance to ensure the barrier was in place, Terri leapt into the air and her wings burst forth from her back. The room was lit up in a golden hue as a large amount of energy gathered in her right hand. Caleb and Lauren had trapped their daughter in a barrier below as a large magical circle had formed, glowing with a mixture of Lauren's white aura and Caleb's blue.
"What's going on?" I heard Callie's cautious voice.
"Lindsey's reached her limit. The power is overloading her system, if they don't take her out now she's going to inflict damage on not just those around her, but herself too." Aria replied with a tremble.
"Is that normal?" Arizona's voice was filled with wonder and awe at the large amount of activity from the four people inside the room.
"She's already done pretty well for her first full moon away from home. I mean, she's managed to fight for over three hours without completely losing her mind or throwing in the towel." Even though the tremble was still present, there was also a strong sense of pride that was mixed in her voice.
Terri's wings folded back as she allowed herself to drop downwards, she raised her right hand tempering the energy before pushing to back out onto Lindsey. The room was engulfed in a blinding light as the energy expanded, and even from beyond the barrier, we could feel its effects.
Jesus. I never want to find myself on the receiving end of that.
Before the light had even faded, Aria had charged out of the room. Lexie and Erica dropped the barrier and rushed out just as quickly. We all stared blankly and wide eyed before scrambling to follow, practically climbing over one another in our rush to get out.
Aria had opened the door and I was suddenly frozen as the lingering energy around the room hit me. The air felt like it was on fire as I could feel my skin burning up, but my blood felt like it had turned to ice as it ran through my system causing me to shake uncontrollably. My legs then turned to jelly and I fell to my knees on the floor.
God, I knew Terri was strong, but Caleb and Lauren too? I glanced at Teddy and Callie who also seemed to be struggling with the power, then over to Arizona who was staring into the air in awe, and finally I landed on Aria, Lexie and Erica who was examining the state of the room. Duh! Stupid me, Caleb is an Alpha after all. He's the leader of the Randall Clan, and Lauren is his mate. She also has Terri's blood in her. If all of the Leaders are this strong, then we might actually stand a chance against Hades and his Hybrids. I smiled at the hope that had started to bloom. Let's just hope they actually agree to join the United Council.
There was a groan as the air finally cleared. "Well fuck. Right now, I really hate you Teresa." Caleb announced from his position on the floor flat on his back.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with Caleb." Lauren added. She was sitting against the wall with her legs drawn up, arms hugging her knees whilst her head rested on her arms. She had tilted her head to the left to glare at Terri.
"Trust me. I'm hating myself right now as well." Terri agreed. She was also on the floor, with her with her legs stretched out before her. She chuckled lowly trying not to disturb Lindsey, who was currently asleep in her arms. "But if it meant having Lindsey then I'd do it over and over again, a million times, even if you hated me."
"Agreed." Caleb and Lauren echoed.
They were all covered in blood and exhaustion was written all over their faces, but the pride shone brighter than anything else.
"She did good though, right?" Terri asked, turning to face Aria. "How long was it?"
"Roughly three hours." Caleb cheered loudly, pumping his fist in the air, before moaning in pain as his muscles protested the movement.
"That's my girl! And you owe me two hundred bucks Teresa!"
"Seriously?" The disbelief in Lauren's voice was barely noticeable as she mumbled into her arm. "You bet on our daughter?"
"He did, I didn't agree to anything." Terri protested. "Fuck, I'm tired." Aria had now kneeled down behind her, allowing Terri to rest most of her weight against her.
"You and me both." Caleb mumbled as he forced him to roll over onto his stomach. "You think we can sleep here tonight? I don't think I can move anymore. I'll even let you cuddle up to me in my wolf form if it gets cold, baby." He waggled his brows suggestively.
"I really hope you're not talking to Teresa. Only I get cuddling privileges." Lauren teased, throwing a wink at Aria. "Well, aside from Aria and Lindsey anyway."
"Um…Do you want me to try and help?" Callie asked warily. "Though I don't know if or how it works with Lycans."
"Worth a shot, hit me Doc!" Caleb raised his hand up high and forced himself into a sitting position.
"Just help Caleb and Lauren, I'll be fine Callie." Terri offered and she gestured for Erica. "Here, take Lindsey for a sec."
I was genuinely surprised that she allowed Erica to hold her daughter, even though Lexie was free. She really did trust her, and I seriously wondered why. I mean, come on! The woman tried to kill us multiple times.
I was alarmed when the fresh scent of blood hit my nose and whipped around to see Terri feeding off of Aria. I watched on, mesmerised, and I didn't know why. Maybe it was the way Aria was so willing to give her blood. Or they way Terri drank so hungrily, but still managed to be so gentle with her. Either way, I couldn't tear my eyes away. Even when Terri's dark red eyes shot open and met mine. She drew back and licked at the open wounds on Aria's neck, coating them with her saliva to aid the healing process, but her gaze never left mine.
"Sorry, but this is the best I can do, for both of you." I snapped my head away and was shocked to see that Callie had healed both Caleb and Lauren whilst I was captivated by Terri's feeding. What was wrong with me?
"Well!" Caleb stretched out and stood up shakily, moving to help his wife to her feet. "That feels so much better." He shot her a cheeky grin, displaying his sharpened canines.
"Sorry I couldn't do more." Callie was apologetic and I saw that their wounds were still evident, though no longer bleeding.
He waved of her concern. "Don't worry about it. A good nights sleep and we'll be as good as new tomorrow."
"I'm keeping Lindsey with me tonight, you guys need sleep." Terri offered. Caleb nodded and ruffled Terri's hair as he walked past. Lauren leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead and when they reached Erica and Lindsey by the door, they repeated the motions on their daughter.
"Thanks for not reacting in the Court today." Terri randomly said.
"I understand and I'd expected it. I need to gain their trust." Erica replied.
"Like I said before. I trust you. You're safe with me."
"I know, you're my home now. No one else matters. And that's enough right now."
Holy fuck, Erica fucking Hahn actually smiled?
The smile on her face was actually sincere and the way she handled Lindsey with such care and surprising gentleness. The way Terri and Erica interacted was strangely familiar, the trust and respect between them was confusing. What the hell happened between them?
"So, what's the plan for tomorrow Ari?"
A.N Lindsey's a wolf by nature and has the genetics of a Vampire. When she loses control it ain't gonna be pretty, I feel sorry for her parents...