Chapter 32 – Chaos

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            Emma ducked around the multiple brushes across the low lands, ignored the cuts on her legs, and kept going.  The rain battered her from all sides as the storm howled angrily, soaking her all the way to the bones.  The wet ground didn’t help much either as the softened earth exposed roots and branches that hindered her speed.  Her last fall had opened both her knees, leaving a trail, but she couldn’t afford to stop.

            Every second count and she couldn’t afford to be more cautious as she rushed through the woods, knowing what would be….

            The inhuman howls that echoed behind her sent shivers up her spine. 

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            Jiro’s head came up as the rumbling sky clapped loud over the horizon.  A storm was moving up from the south and the air felt heavy with its impending arrival.  But that’s not why he woke.

            “What’s wrong?” Benji asked, poking the fire they were gathered around with a stick. He was on watch while the others slept and it was becoming colder by the minute.  He wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow when the storm will hit them while they were all running from the full moon.

            Pausing to let his senses come fully alive, eyes glowing a dark gold, Jiro waited and let his instincts kick in.  He felt it in his heart… in his soul.  “Rainie…”

            Benji sat up straighter.  “What is it?”  He didn’t ever question the power of the connection between mates.  His own parents had an epic connection that only death severed.  And they really didn’t need any surprises right now.

            Jiro face twisted with concern.  “She’s in trouble.”

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            Fei’s legs ate up the distance as she kept moving, ducking under lower branches and cursing the cold rain.  She felt numb all over as the thunderstorm overhead continued to pour freeze water on her.  Tightening her grip on her bow, she moved faster and almost tripped over her own foot when Wes suddenly cut off her path. 

            Morphing out of his wolf, “There’s too many scents.”  And too many of them were crossing over their path.  “Let’s head onto the side road where you’d have better footing.”

            “That’d add extra time.”

            “No helping it,” Wes said grimly.  “It’s too dangerous for you here.”  And  too many scents  around them meant they could be overwhelmed any second.  Putting her on an open road was just as dangerous but at least then she won’t be in danger of breaking her neck and have a clear view of the enemy if they came at her – it would give her better chances.  “Come on… I’ll lead,” and switched back to fur. 

            Trained to not question things when in danger, Fei followed at a clip pace, watching her footing the best she could in the darkness.  She was very aware that Wes had slowed considerably and taken a path of least resistance for her sake.   It warmed her a little on the inside. 

            The howl that echoed through the woods alerted them both. 

            “Pack?” Fei asked, not slowing even a pace. 

            Wes shook his shaggy head.  The fight has begun.   The rain had matted his fur to his body but it did nothing to shrink his massive size.  He would make an effective shield for her if necessary. 

            Fei shivered and asked the unnecessary question, “Jackals?”

            He didn’t answer, his bright eyes glistened in the rain as his ear stood straight up, as if trying to caught something.  His nose came suddenly down low to the ground as something held his attention.  His whole body abruptly went still, coming alert.

            “What’s wrong?”

            Indicating with his head to follow, Wes took off a little faster now, leaving Fei to catch up as they made their way across a denser path.  They curved around several fallen trees , following the curb but taking the long way around the bend until…

            Gasping with surprise, it took a moment for Fei to follow Wes toward the scene of the accident.  But Wes wasn’t paying any attention to Fei now, he was zeroing in on the two jackals circling the overturned vehicle.  The wind and heavy rain kept his approach unnoticed until the last moment wherein the jackals barely had a chance to attack as Fei fired a single shot and Wes’s sheer size overwhelmed the other.  He finished off both threats within seconds. 

            Fei came running as she reloaded her crossbow, cursing under her breath.  “Who is it?”

            Wes would recognized the scents anywhere  and he shifted out of his wolf and was at the upside down vehicle’s side.   “Rainie?  Rainie, you okay?”

            Forcing herself to move, “Get back!” Rainie warned and kicked the window out with her legs.  She had managed to brace herself before the impact of the rolling car had thrown her around in the back seat.  She was just glad she had decided to keep her seatbelt on.  Ignoring the pain of pierced skin as she crawled over broken glass and out of the crushed car, “Kristen?  Selina?  Talk to me!”

            “You know them?” Fei asked as she watched Wes helped the woman up. 

            “Pack,” Wes answered and got onto his knees  again.  “Selina?  Kristen?”

            “I’m okay.”  Kristen groaned and pulled at her seatbelt.  “I’m trapped though.” 

            “Selina?” Rainie ran around the other side, pulling at the driver door.  They had rolled left and the driver side hit first.  “Selina, say something!”

            “Here, move,” Wes said as he clawed off the seatbelt from  Kristen’s shoulder, helping her untangle herself from the mangled SUV.  “Are you hurt anywhere?”

            “No, I’m fine.  Just banged up,” Kristen pulled herself up, barely wincing as shards of glass and metal cut into her legs and shoulder.  The cold rain stole the breath from her for a moment.  “Sis, are you alright?”

            “Selina?  Selina, wake up!” Rainie struggled with the door before Wes came around to help rip the warped  door off its hinge.  “Come on, Selina….”

            Battered, bloodied, and bruised, Selina looked worse for wear as Rainie and Wes dragged her from the wreckage.  Rain washed her face of mud and blood, leaving the wounds of her body stark against the darkness around her.  She was limp like a rag doll and felt just as lifeless.

            “No, no, no…” Kristen rushed to her sister’s side, carefully cradling her head, find her fingers bloodied from the touch.  “Come on, Selina.  Don’t do this to me.”

            “She’s in pretty bad shape,” Fei whispered as she did a quick visual exam of the girl.  “Head contusions bleed a lot but she might have a concussion as well.  She needs to get to a hospital for a proper look.” 

            Wes looked torn.  Conflicting emotions danced across his beautiful face. 

            Fei knew the terror, understood the pain.  “I’ll call for…” her voice trailed away as she looked beyond them.  The dozen pair of glowing eyes detached themselves from the woods, making their way slowly toward the tattered group.   “Wes…”

            Rainie was already in her furs as Wes turned.  Growling softly, she put herself several feet in front of the Ren sisters, ready to defend her pack. 

            “Stay behind me,” Wes said quietly, stepping away from Fei as he shifted again.  He stepped up slowly, his bright lantern eyes watching the approaching threat. 

            Reaching for her handgun, Fei took another step closer to the two girls on the ground.  “Can you shoot?” she asked.

            Kristen shook her head before she realized Fei wasn’t even looking her way; her eyes were still glued to the incoming danger her with crossbow aimed with one hand.  Clutching her sister tighter to her, Kristen answered with a quick, “No.”

            Fei lifted her cell phone from her back pocket slowly instead of her gun, never moving fast enough for others not to be able to track her movement.  She didn’t want to initiate anything.  “Call the first number on the contact list: 1-Pack.  Tell them we’re on Macree Road, South bend.  Need backup and ambulance.”

            Following suit, Kristen moved slow as she took the phone, her eyes on both the girl and the enemy.  She didn’t know how she was going to protect her sister but she wasn’t going to abandon her. 

            “I’ll take first shot,” Fei said calmly though she felt her inside clinch with fear.  Her crossbow never waivered as she took aim at the closest target.  She was a decent shot with the crossbow but better with her long bow which she really wish she had right now. 

            Rainie growled and pawed threateningly as another jackal moved within her striking distance.  She didn’t want a confrontation if one could be avoided.  But judging by the way the jackals were moving into attack formation, that wasn’t likely to happen.  With only her and Wes to defend the 3 others, the odds weren’t great. 

            Wes bared his teeth, letting the jackals know he meant business.  There would be no backing down from this. 

            The jackals didn’t give a warning; the first one went for Wes without blinking an eye, choosing the biggest target and threat.  True to her word, Fei took first shot, taking down the first attacker through sheer luck with an arrow through the eye.  The others all turned their attention to her at that point, realizing too late she was not wilting flower.  Fei was already reloading as Wes and Rainie engaged the enemy.  With their close proximity, she knew she’d probably only get one more shot before she’d have to abandon the crossbow for the gun – her last resort. 

            Being the bigger of the two, Wes took the bulk of the attacked, engaging with three at the get go as Rainie held back another.  Fei turned, keeping her eye on the jackal formation that were trying to circle around them.  She fired her second bolt and reached around for her gun, firing off two rapid shots as the jackals rushed her position. 

            The sudden headlights blinded everyone as the thunderstorm masked the approaching motorcycle engine noise until they were upon them, flying around the blind bend.  Fei fired off one more shot at the attacking jackal and quickly backed up three steps as a motorcycle slid between her and the enemy, shielding all three girls behind the vehicle.  The rider barely kicked the stand into place before he was ripping his helmet off and engaging the enemy – leaping from this clothes.  His companion came to a stop at a more reasonable pace, putting his bike diagonal to the other, forming a effective buffer for the girls. 

            “Are you okay?” Allen asked as he pulled his helmet off and was already morphing, brown fur quickly filling in over pink skin as he pulled his shirt off his back in a hurry to beat his transformation.

            “Go!” Fei shouted at him as she turned and fired another shot.  The rain was making it hard to aim and her hits were barely slowing down the jackals she did manage to nail.  But four wolves against a dozen jackals were much better odds…. Especially when 3 of them looked like they were going through a rage phase.  Wes, Rainie and the black wolf that had joined the fray were tearing their way through the jackals like they were made of paper; ferocious and relentless. 

            Kristen screamed and tried to shield her sister as a stray jackal that had gotten around their defense came at them. 

            Fei turned and sent a volley of rapid fire at it, praying the bullets would penetrate skull and not ricochet.  The attack came too fast and she felt the impact of teeth on her arm a moment before she was knocked to the ground – she didn’t even have time to scream.  A second later, the weight was suddenly ed away from her as bodies viciously slammed into each other.  Not allowing herself to think, she scrambled to reclaim her gun.

            Wes’ jaws clamped down on flesh and bone, breaking the fragile links of vertebrae across the jackal’s neck, before he twisted his powerful head to insure utter destruction.  He had literally seen red when he saw Fei go down – her fragile body hitting the ground as her arm was split open and spilt blood across the soggy ground.  It was like a haze of pure rage had engulf him for that split second and he could do nothing but seek vengeance for her.  The taste of death didn’t even phase him as he turned to assess her wounds but Fei was already back on her feet, gun in hand, completely ignoring the open gashes across her forearm. 

            “Everyone okay?” Fei called out as she watched 2 jackals make a mad dash away.  Her aim wasn’t good enough and she didn’t want to waste ammunition that might be needed later. 

            The brown and black wolves, with the immediately threat eliminated, turned and growled dark and dangerously at the unfamiliar big silver gray that stood between them and a pack member.  The smaller brown was completely ignored for the moment – they had at least crossed paths with her before.

            “STOP!” Fei moved awkwardly but quickly between the aggressive shifters, keeping her gun pointed down.  “He’s pack!”

            “Not mine,” Show growled as he shifted out of his pelt. 

            “Kai gave him sanctuary,” Fei amended quickly.

            Allen gave her a funny look as he continued to scout the area.  “Kai gave someone sanctuary?  That doesn’t sound like him.”

            “Ella didn’t exactly give him a choice,” Fei explained and glanced around the area when she spotted the down wolf.  “Hey, you okay?”

            Rainie looked pale even in the soaked  moonlight, hunched over as if to protect herself.  “I… I think something is wrong.”

            Wes’ face contorted.  “I smell blood on you.  Are you wounded?”

            The tears couldn’t be hid by the rain as she shook her head.  “I think it’s the baby.”

            “She needs a hospital,” Fei said and looked at the two bikes.  “We need to take her in.”

            “Selina too,” Kristen begged from her position on the ground.  “She won’t wake up.”

            Show’s eyes burned bright like lanterns in the dark as he looked at the down girl.  “I’ll take her.”  When he moved toward the down girls, Wes stepped into his path.  The two wolves squared off again suddenly, both of them dancing on the edge of the their shift. 

            “Wes, no!” Rainie called out, panting for breath.  The pain was real, as was the fear, and she felt cold with it.  “Let him take her.  He won’t hurt her.”

            “How do we know that?” Wes asked sharply. 

            “It’s instinct.  He can’t help it.”  She looked up at Show with human eyes before announcing, “She’s his mate.”

            Show looked stunned but Allen rolled his eyes.  “Well that certainly explains a few things.”  He looked at the Gray Wolf, “Can you get Fei to safety while we get your friends to the hospital?”

            Giving him a definitive nod, Wes was already by Rainie’s side, helping her feet.  ”You’re going to be okay.”

            “I know I will,” Rainie replied with a pained look.  “Just not sure about the pup.”

            Saying nothing, he nodded as he grabbed Allen’s only slightly tattered shirt and helped her into it, giving her at least some cover. 

            “He can be trusted, right?” Allen asked Fei as he got back into his pants and on his bike while watching Show moved a still unconscious Selina onto the motorcycle in front of him. 

            Fei picked up his slightly dented helmet and nodded, “Yes.”

            “You sure?” Allen didn’t like leaving a pack member to an unknown, sanctuary granted or not.  “Your brothers would justifiably murder me if anything were to…”

            “I’m positive,” Fei said quietly before confessing, “He’s m…..” the thunder overhead drowned out her words and she flinched at the powerful clap that shook the every air around them.  The eye of the storm was almost upon them. 

            “He’s what?” Allen asked as he started the engine with a quick twist of his wrist.  The rain was coming down harder now; good thing he knew the road well. 

            Fei blinked water from her big doe eyes.  “He’s mine.”

            “WHAT?” Wes asked.

            Startle but recovered fast, Fei shoved the dented helmet into Rainie’s hands.  “This will probably be better on you than on him.”

            Allen said nothing, glancing quickly at Wes then back at Fei with a knowing look.  Shaking his head, he offered his hand to Rainie and secured her behind him.  Giving Fei one last warning look, he took off racing after Show, who had left them to fend for themselves. 

            “What did you mean by that?” Wes wanted to know as he followed Fei back to Kristen, who had crawled on her belly to retrieve something from the overturn car.  “Who’s this ‘he’ you’re talking about?”

            More than a little embarrassed – seriously not how she wanted to tell him – and not the least bit interested in discussing it in front of stranger – Fei tapped Kristen on the ankle and retrieved her crossbow.  “You done in there?  We’ve got to move!”

            “Hey,” Wes grabbed her by the arm a little too aggressively, “I want a name!”

            “WES!” Kristen yelled at him as she came back out.  “What are you doing?”  she gave him the most quizzical look.  She’s never seen Wes so angry before.  “What is wrong with you?”

            Face twisted in frustrated confusion, he took a few steps away from them to try to calm down. 

            “This isn’t how I wanted to do this,” Fei said quietly with more than just a hint of regret. 

            “What the hell does that…”

            “Hey guys!” Kristen stared into the sky where the winds were pushing the clouds above them.  “Is that a full moon?”

            “Almost,” Wes answered staring up at the almost completed circle before the rainclouds obscured it from view again.  “Full moon is in a few more hours but before the sunrise.”  It meant they were still in a lot of danger.  “Let’s keep moving.”

            “What’s that?” Fei wanted to know, moving her chin to the white box Kristen had dug out of the backpack Kristen has pulled from the wreckage. 

            “For you,” Kristen said, shaking water from her hands as she pried the box open.  “You’re bleeding pretty badly.”  She unroll the bandage and pulled it tightly around the gashes on Fei’s arm.  “This will at least slow it down until we can get somewhere to treat it properly.”

            Flexing her hand to test it, Fei nodded her thanks and glanced at the other object Kristen was holding as she put away the first aid kit.  “And that?”

            Kristen slug the backpack on and gave her a helpless look before showing her the tiny black canister.  “Pepper spray.”

            Fei gave her a disbelieving look.  “That’s not going to do any good here.”

            “It’s better than nothing,” Kristen replied with a shrug. 

            Shaking her head, she looked at the slick road.  “Let’s go,” she looked at a silent Wes, “Lead the way.”

            He was giving her a look that was hard to decipher.  “We’ll finish this conversation later,” and morphed into his wolf again.    Fei closed her eyes a second before taking a breath and followed. 

            Kristen shook her head at both their backs.  “What the hell is wrong with them?”

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            The sound of bone breaking made her wince as she finished off the attack with a fatal shot to the head with her cross bow.  Too much was at stake for her to take the chance of letting him live.  No regrets.  Dropping the deadweight of the arm she was holding along with her bow, Jing grabbed her gun and kept her focus on the doorway, wondering if the shot would bring the rest of the mercenaries to her. 

            The first guy had been more problematic, having to disable him without the benefit of her weapons.  But that also meant she hadn’t alerted anyone else to her wondering presence.  A pit stop to her room had remedy the weapons issue and effectively making her a much more deadly opponent.  She just wished she had her 9mm with its silencer but oh well….

            A volley of shots from downstairs had her hurrying.  Beside “Fred,” the poor idiot that was no match against Ella, Emma and Jing combined, there were at least 5 more.  That meant there was at least 3 left on the premise unless Ella managed to eliminate them.  The rain and thunders outside had masked her earlier tussle but she can’t be sure backup hadn’t arrived to aid their uninvited guests.  The wet windows offered little help in visual but she could make out moving shadows outside.  The enemy was closing in.  She hoped the others got out and made it to safety. 

            Careful with her steps and moving cautiously through the inn, she found what she had been unconsciously dreading.

            Ella offered her a pained smile as she leaned heavily against the wall.  Her bare hand was doing a very poor job of steaming the bleed at her side. 

            “How bad is it?” Jing asked as she rushed through the door, looping her free arm around Ella’s waist and getting her back on her feet again.  They couldn’t stay there; it’s too much in the open.  They had to at least get to a contained area.  “Can you walk?”

            “Yes,” she said clinching her teeth tightly but unconvincingly trying to get to her feet. 

            “Can you run?” Jing asked again, more urgently this time.  The backdoor was closer and probably their safer bet.  With Ella wounded, they’d have to abandon their earlier plans and get out fast. 

            “Definitely not,” she answered, gasping for air  and pressed her hand tighter against her side.  The flow of blood wasn’t abiding; in fact, it looked worse than before as her movement pulled at the wound.  She was struggling for air now as she leaned against the wall again for support.  “Damn it, adrenaline wore off.” 

            “Here,” Jing shoved her bow into Ella’s hand and grabbed a syringe out of her boot, uncapping it with her teeth.  “This is going to hurt,” she warned.  But before she could act, Ella grabbed her hand. 

            “I know what that is,” Ella gasped and took another painfully halting breath, “Save it for yourself.”

            Spitting the cap out, Jing looked at her.  “How did you…”

            “This conversation right here, isn’t new to me,” Ella told her soberly.  “I’ve already seen this and how it’s going to play out.”

            Jing felt her body go cold.  She didn’t want to know that.  But Ella hadn’t been shy about her thoughts lately and that more than anything scared her.  “Okay, fine,” she’ll simply have to change the outcome then.  “Then you already know I’m not leaving like I’m assuming you’re going to tell me to do.”  She couldn’t abandon her. 

            “You…” Ella took a pained frustrated breath.  “Your presence isn’t going to change anything here.  My path ends here and now; I’ve accepted that.  I’ve even given up my visions because I know.”  Her face held the conviction and urgency of someone that was desperate.  “I can hold them off a little longer, give you time to escape.   You’d do more good out there.” 

            “I’m not leaving you behind,” Jing said very simply.  They were wasting time.  “How much ammo do you have left?”

            “Jing, listen to me…”

            “The answer is no,” Jing repeated and checked her quiver.  They had broken Holy Ground with the first kill, spilling blood on sacred ground.  It meant the protection at the inn was null and void.  It was open season now.  Movement through the splintered glass caught her eye.  “… they’re coming.” 

            “Don’t do this, Jing,” Ella begged because she had to.  “If you die, so does my brother.  And I can’t have that on my conscience.”

            “And I’m not going to let you throw your life away,” Jing said very simply, “I can’t live with that.”           

            “I already know my fate,” Ella replied all too calmly even as she struggled for air.  The wound at her side was bleeding more now as she wiped her slick hands on her clothes and got a better grip on her guns, pointing them toward the front hall.  She knew what was coming.  “Go while you still have a chance.”

            “Not happening,” Jing replied stubbornly, gun trained to the hall.  “We go down together or not at all.  Besides, I want them occupied here to give the others a chance to…” she barely perceived the movement behind her before her gun was knocked out of her hands.   The crossbow was a little more unwieldy and she dropped it on instinct to fight the arm at . 

            “Drop it!”

            Ella’s gun didn’t move an inch and she silently cursed herself.  She had not seen this coming.  “I had wondered where you went off to.”

            Goon #1’s hand was steady but his eyes were searching the area as he moved quickly to put his back against the wall, dragging his hostage with him as shield.  “Where are the others?”

            “Around,” Jing answered with a grunt.  The arm against was tight and uncomfortable and she struggled with herself not to panic.  But instinct was instinct and she couldn’t help struggling – she just needed one good breath to clear her head. 

            “I told you,” Ella said, not taking her eyes off the guy.  “You don’t know what’s really going on around here.”

            “Yeah, I’m getting that,” the guy said, glancing briefly behind to him make sure no one was sneaking up on him.  This job was not what he had signed up for and these girls weren’t what he was told to be.  “But I’m leaving this place one way or another.  So you just be a good girl and put down your weapon and…”

            “I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen,” Ella replied calmly, her gun never wavering from its target. 

            “You’re going to bleed out soon if you don’t get help.  You’ll be dead before long.”

            “Oh no doubt.  But then so will you.  My brother will hunt you down and kill you if I die.  Of course, he’s going to hunt you down and mount your head on the mantel for putting your hands on Jing in the first place.  So either way, you’re a dead man walking.”

            “Hostage or not,” Jing added, swallowing pass the arm cutting off the majority of her air, “You’re not getting outta here.”

            “Then there’s no reason to keep either of you alive,” straightening his hold on his weapon. 

            “Yup,” Ella agreed with an ironic smile, “Should have killed us while you had the chance,” and the barrel of her gun lifted a tiny fraction. 

            The idiot opened fire and Jing reacted as expected, jerking out of his hold with a twisting turn while he was distracted before bringing her elbow up in the last second and cracking open his nose with a sharp .  She ducked under his arm as Ella returned fire, nailing him to the wall as Jing knocked his weapon out of his hand.  The lethal second shot ended the conflict as suddenly as it started.

            “Is that all of them?” Jing asked, wiping blood from her cheek.    

            Ella gasped as she slide down the wall, her legs no longer able to support her.

            “,” Jing rushed over and examined the wound on Ella’s shoulder.  “I thought you ducked.”

            “Not fast enough,” Ella groaned and pushed Jing’s hand away.  It was a through and through, which meant the bleed would be bad, but it wasn’t going to hinder her aim… just hurt like hell.  “Get going; I’ll hold off the incoming as long as I can.”

            “Are you still on that ?” Jing asked as she grabbed a towel and made a bandage out of it.  “I’m not leaving.”

            “Jing, please.  I just think that…” the noise outside grabbed her attention.  Both her and Jing had their guns out and trained at the door as a dozen wolves suddenly rushed the hall.  Ella all but wilted in relief, “Thank god,” even as the wolves shifted out of their pelts and made their way to them. 

            “What the hell happened?” Kai demanded as he knelt by his sister but his eyes were on his mate, checking her for damage.  She gave him a quick shake of the head, letting him know she was unhurt. 

            “Ella!” Chun’s knees hit the floor hard as he crashed down next to her, trying to figure out how he can help.  His face reflect the kind of anguish that knew no words.  “What can I do?”

            “I’m okay,” Ella answered with a helpless smile.  “I’m glad you’re here.”

            “Stop talking like that,” Jing snapped as Chun took over holding the bandage to the wound.  She looked around the crowded hall.  “Did you guys run into the others?”

            “Others?” Xiu’s face held the dread they all felt, his eyes already searching. 

            “Where’s Nicie?” Nick wanted to know.

            “And Pets and Emma,” Calvin added, sniffing the violence in the air. 

            “Damn,” Ella muttered and looked at her brothers.  “We sent Emma East, toward the cougars.”

            Jing gave her brother a sympathetic look.  “And Nicie and Pets headed North, back to the café to get to a working phone.”

            Xiu and Kai exchanged concern looks even as Kai reached out and grabbed a panicking Nick.  “Wait…”

            “They’re defenseless out there,” Nick argued. 

            “Go,” Xiu agreed with a unwilling nod, his eyes full of trouble as he considered the options – of which there are few.  “Bass, Mickey, Wayne, go with him.”  He glanced at Chun, asking him if he wanted to go fetch his sister but Chun shook his head.  He was staying with Ella.  “Bring the girls back here, this is still the most defensible location.  Do not stay in town.” 

            “What about Emma?” Calvin asked, not bothering to watch the others go.

            “We’ll go after Emma,” Xiu said with a nod to his brother.  “Someone has to be here.”

            Kai agreed but he looked torn, nodding reluctantly. 

            Xiu looked at Jing and mouthed, “Take care of them,” his eyes flickering over to include his brother in that request. 

            Jing glanced over at the clearly frustrated Kai and nodded, making the universal good luck sign to her friend. 

            “Chun, Sam, stay here with them and secure the area.  Everyone else with me,” Xiu said and headed to the door. 

            “Be careful,” Ella and Jing both called out completely out of instinct and habit.

            When Xiu and the others had dashed out, Ella sighed and leaned back against the wall.  “This isn’t how I saw it.”

            “Let’s hope that’s a good thing,” Jing commented as she got up and headed for the front room.

            “Where are you going?” Kai said, just missed catching her by a hair.  He signals to Sam to swipe the area. 

            “We need to stop those bleeds,” she answered and went for the first aid kit.  “She’s not out of danger yet.”

            Kai followed her but stayed out of her way.  When she had finally located the kit, he stopped her with a firm hand on her arm.  The look in his eyes was serious as he searched her face.  “Are you okay?”

            “I’m fine,” and tried to get passed him.

            He held on tight.  “I felt it,” he told her.

            “Felt what?” confused by the intensity of his stare.

            “You.  Your fear.”  He searched her face again.  “Are you alright?” he asked again, this time with a much softer voice of concern.

            The silence between them was heavy.  Jing wanted to assure him, to deny it, but felt herself unable to.  She took a moment, caught her breath, and felt her resolve crack a little at the edge.  “She… she saw her own death,” she finally admitted quietly.  “And she was going to accept it and let it happen so the rest of the pack would be safe.  She was just going to…”  The thought was painful and heartbreaking.  “It hurt.”

            Gathering her into her arm, Kai held her tightly for a moment.  “Thank you for protecting her; for not… for not leaving her behind.”  He kissed her at the temple, pushed back the lump of fear in his throat.  “I’m glad you’re safe.”

            She gave herself one whole minute to feel the fear, the pain, the stress, and hugged him back.  Then she took a breath and straightened her shoulders and pulled away.  “Come on.  Let’s go knock some sense back into that brain of hers.”

            Kai chuckled and pulled her firmly back to him then kissed her.  It wasn’t passionate, it wasn’t sweet, but it was full of emotions that words would be unable to do justice to.  And honestly, he didn’t want to put it into words; it would cheapen what he felt.  When he finally pulled away, he offered her a trademark smirk that promised something before leading her back to Ella. 

            Chun brushed back a stray lock of hair on Ella’s face.  “Tell me where it hurts?”  She looked like a fragile broken doll… with a loaded gun.  He’s never met, and probably will never meet, anyone so full of contradictions. 

            Ella closed her eyes a moment and swallowed the rising tide of fear.  “I didn’t see this coming.” 

            “Forget about it,” Chun advised as he pressed the wound a little more firmly.  He didn’t like her pillar, she was losing too much blood.  “You’re going to drive yourself crazy asking the why’s?”

            “You don’t understand,” Ella made a face and looked at him, “Something changed the path.  Something happened to…” she looked at him again as something connected.  “You weren’t suppose to be here.”

            It hurt him to know she was willing to let go, that she wanted to do this alone.  “I’m here now.”

            “No, no….” she looked around and watched her brother and Jing for a moment through the door way, trying to work out something in her mind.  She’d had the dream more than once, more than just a version of the dream – it wasn’t suppose to change.  “None of you were suppose to be here.  How did you know to come here?”

            Chun frowned.  “You sent Sean.  He said you were in trouble.”

            “Sean made it to the glen?  In time for you to come here?”

            “Yes,” Kai answered as they returned.  “I’ll make sure he gets sanctuary for his troubles.  Maybe even…”

            “How did he get to you so fast though?” Ella murmured softly.  She was missing something; a piece that had changed what she had last seen.  “The woods should have been crawling with jackals by then.  Even without a full shift, he should have been slowed down by the…”

            “Maybe he got real lucky,” Jing suggested as she went to work trying to stop her bleeds.  The pool of blood underneath her didn’t seem the least bit reassuring.  “The rain would have helped mask his scent and made him difficult to track.”

            “His scent.”  Ella wasn’t even listening now as all the pieces clicked together in a horrifying moment of realization.  “Emma.”

            “What about her?” Kai wanted to know, not liking whatever it is that’s rattling around in his sister’s mind. 

            “Emma is what happened,” Ella looked at her brother then Chun.  “She gave him the ring, made him impossible to track.  The jackals didn’t even know he’d been in the woods with them.”  She felt cold with fear now.  “She diverted the path and… and…” her eyes were wide, showing white on all sides, as she stared at Kai.  “And made herself a wide target.”

            Unable to hide his reaction when it all connected, Kai gasped.  “She can be tracked from here through the woods.  The jackals would have known that she came from here and know that she’s…” he looked through the window as the storm clapped overhead, flooding the valley. 

            Ella’s whole heart constructed with pain.  “Emma changed my fate… and sealed her own.”

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            Lightning flashed overhead and dumped heavy drops on the pack of wolves that ran hard deeper into the woods.  Calvin could taste the violence and anger in the air as Mother Nature unleashed her wrath upon them.  They had caught a scent leaving the inn and followed it onto an obscured trail until the rain had diluted it too much to follow. 

            *The scent is different,* Calvin mentioned as they try to pick up the trail again.  *She use to smell just like Ella.*

            *Emma’s not wearing her ring anymore.  This would be her real scent.* Xiu explained as he nosed the ground again.  *We have to find her fast.*

            *I think she’s lost her direction,* Ming interjected.  *We’re too far South to be heading toward the cougars.*

            *Agreed on her being lost part,* Calvin said as he searched the trees some more.  The hint of something, a tiny trace of the familiar, kept pulling at him; he felt it like he felt the pull of the moon above him.  Letting go of his human logic, he let his wolf run free.  Something in the trees caught his attention.  Moving closer, he sniffed again.  *There’s blood here,* he sniffed again before he found the broken branch and the hint of a sweet scent he’s been following all night.  *I’ve got her,*  then took off running again, following the visual trail Emma was now leaving.

            Xiu was moving fast between the trees, his black wolf blending almost completely into the darkness.  *Guys, I smell jackals here.*

            Nothing like the presence of the enemy to motivate them as all 5 wolves sped up and followed the increasingly difficult trail up the sloping hill. 

            Calvin growled as his lost his footing between rocks.  *Where the hell is she heading?*

            *Eastwall,* Xiu answered, looking up at the almost completed moon.  *We have to move fast.  Full moon is coming and I can’t guarantee she’ll be any safer with our people out here than with the jackals.*

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            The thunder clapped again overhead and whipped rain painfully across Emma’s cheeks and pounded across her back.  She knew she was lost the minute the trees no longer look familiar and  the terrain shifted to harder more traitorous grounds.  The moss covered soft earth had turned to slippery rocks and even softer ground that dragged at her feet.  The gentle elms had given away to towering oaks; hard woods meant to drive deeper into the ground for stability.  She was no longer heading the right way… and she was exhausted.  But quitting wasn’t an option; she had to keep moving. 

            Stumbling over moss, she scrambled for foothold as she heard the faint hints of her hunters behind her… giving chase.  Herding her toward her fate.

            The thought slowed her steps, enough that she heard it this time, unlike in her dreams.  The roar of the falls was almost deafening without the wind and thunder to mask it; it was almost obscene how she could have missed the sound of it from a mile away.  The jagged rocks that sloped over the edge was painful to walk on as she looked over the edge into the foaming bottom, so deceivingly gentle in the torrid rain. 

            She had seen this already; and she knew without turning what was coming next.  But this time, she wasn’t even scared.  She had done her part; she’s earned her rest. 

            Turning to face the woods, she picked out the pairs of glowing eyes that watched her with predatory gaze shrouded by the darkness of the storm and night.  They were watching, waiting, knowing she had no way out. 

            But they were wrong.

            She already knew how this ends.  And she was no longer afraid of it.    

            “You might as well come out!” she shouted into the wind knowing her voice would carry even if she couldn’t hear herself.  Shifters’ ears are notoriously good. 

            The jackals moved like the hunters that they were, stalking her as they moved into the small clearing allowed by the rocks and the fall.  The river’s edge meant they were trapped as well, their smaller bodies unable to cross the dangerous currents.  They would have to head back the way they came.  And doing it with a prisoner could be a problem, especially one that probably knew the territory better than they.

            “I’m not going with you,” Emma called out, her eyes stinging with pain at trying to see through the rain.  The storm raged at them from above.  “I’m not going anywhere.”

            One of the jackals morphed out of his pelt, his eyes never losing that shifter glow.  “There’s no way out, kid.”

            Emma smiled, blinking against the rain and maybe even tears.  She was having some trouble catching her breath but it didn’t matter.  “You came here for something but you have no idea what it is, do you?”

            “We came for a girl.”  The jackals moved closer, all their concentration on their target now they’ve found it. 

            “And you’ve found her,” Emma confirmed for them with the same serene smile.  “But you’re not going to get her.”  She took a step back, her feet still finding slippery rock.

            “You don’t want to do that,” the jackal warned, his glittering eyes watching her with salivating eagerness.  A seer!  A seer was within their grasps. 

            Emma laughed breathlessly, truly amused.  “If you knew what I was, you would know that that I’ve already seen this.  I already know how this will all play out.”

            “And how’s that?” the jackal looked almost manic now.  There was just a hint of desperation in his tone.

            “With your death,” she told him as she took another step back, finding air this time.  Her smile was of pure delight as she watched the other jackals suddenly sense the danger they were in.  She gave them one more enigmatic smile and she told them, “And mine,” before she turned and jumped.

            The wolves that charged out of the woods gave little time to react as they jumped on their targets, teeth honing in on kill spots.  They had approached on a downwind, masking their scents further in the wild storm.  It didn’t take long and it wasn’t hard when their bigger bodies had all the advantage of rage, fear, and momentum.

            What they hadn’t anticipated was Emma.

            Xiu turned to stop Emma but felt claws on his back.  By the time he had throw the attacker off, Emma was already facing the fall.

            Calvin’s tasted blood and bone crunched under his powerful jaw.  He looked up from the kill felt his heart drop to his toes.  Emma had turned before the wolves had made their move; she didn’t see them as Calvin sprinted toward her, shifted out of his pelt as he did.  “No… Wait!” The thunder stole his voice and he reached her too late, his finger catching air as she swan dove off the cliff. 

            Without even considering the lethal consequence, Calvin threw his weight forward and fell into darkness after her. 

To be continued….

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Author’s Note:  Closing in on the end… finally.