Cyndra’s Awakening

9- Beast

I already know something was off. I was alone with the delta and we were walking along the dark roads of the forest. Judging by the wind and the trees surrounding us, we were miles away from the town and the wondering eyes of those who protect the land.

We were secluded and if something happens to me here, it will take hours for someone to find my body.

I have no means to contact anyone, I left the phone the beta gave me incase I do need something or for emergency. Crazy me right!

I should have listened to the voice that spoke to me earlier, if it didn’t mess up my mind days ago, I would have think twice and decided to wait or I would have at least called Beta Ello to confirm their orders.

I believed that the orders were true since the other delta didn’t seem to mind when we left.

“Excuse me…where exactly are we going?” I had to ask. If this delta was going to kill me, I have to at least know something.

“Just keep your mouth shut and keep following. We are almost there” the delta spoke in a much deeper voice, not of his own. Earlier when he talked to me, his voice was more of a sweet teenage boy. Maybe he is bewitched.

I should probably try and make a run for it, but a part of me also feels that I should at least see where this goes.

I just hope that someone from the pack would notice the unfamiliar smell, mine to be exact.

At the end of the road there was glimmer of light, I couldn’t make out what was it or who it is that was waiting for me and the delta.

My heart grew heavy and my breathing shallow, in each step I got closer to the light, it felt like life was being sucked out of my body.

“The Alpha and the Beta thinks that you should be spared. You even bewitched the high priestess. Nobel bloods thinking that a mixed blood like yours should be given a chance. What a joke. They should have killed you the first time you showed up into their lives” A familiar voice spoke but I couldn’t see who it was or where she was.

I melted to the ground in pain and difficulty in breathing. It felt like something was squeezing my lungs and forcing my heart to stop. I lie down in defeat, not being able to fight, almost lifeless and hanging by a thread. The attack was quick and unknown. The delta watched as I squirmed in agony, he didn’t care.

“It is funny how a single demon roots and moondrop can do to halflings such as you. A dark aged magic that leaves no trace. When they find you tomorrow, you’ll be dead and they’ll never know the reason why. They’ll probably weap, especially the high priestess, but that’s okay, they’ll move on. A little sacrifice won’t hurt the the packs glory.” She laughs like menace, and she knows she’s winning. I didn’t have to see her face to know.

I can’t talk back to her or even throw her some explicit profanities for being such a b***h, I had to focus the remaining energy that I have to at least try and reach for the beast inside me.

If I am to survive this night and this trouble, I have to gain access to my wolfs strength, only she can help me now. She might be able to call for help or at least tell someone what happened to me.

The pain inside me kept growing and even if I do scream, it only sounded like a muffled discomfort.

I lay defenseless, with no energy left inside me, still in pain and gradually losing hope. There is only one thing that is clear in my eyes right now, and that was the moon. It shined brightly, like a spotlight at the center of the swaying trees under the dark sky.

I guess this is not something so bad. The very least, the last thing I’d see, is the glow of blessing that symbolizes the goddess that saves all. We’ll everyone, aside from me.

I guess this has always been my faith, to die miserably and completely alone.

ALPHA CLYDEN

Today is the day.

I cleared everything in my schedule today, in order that I may have the time to fight and see for myself the development of our little rouge. Ello has been full of good words and observation over her these past few days and I have been looking forward to see for myself the improvement and the new found asset we rescued.

The elder are as always, against the idea of giving the Cyndra the chance to live the rest of her life under my ruling. They do not see the value of loyalty a rouge could give to anyone who shows them mercy.

Some rouges would cause chaos, others are simply lost. They do not know how to fit in and so they chose the life of running and constantly trying to survive.

They are the werewolves, whom I believed will become a great asset to the pack. They may be unwilling to submit, but when they recognize their Alpha, they become the best fighters and spies, able to survive and withstand anything that is thrown to them.

I do not need to trust them, I only need to give them the chance to prove themselves. When they see and feel that they are being treated as equal, they too can change their ways.

“Alpha, the high priestess Jada wishes to speak to you.”

I was about to go out and head to the cabin but a servant announces the presence of Jada and before I could even deny her, she rushes inside the room, blocking the servants view and looking like she was about to break havoc if we don’t entertain her.

“Shouldn’t you be in your office, hibernating? Or something?” I said with composure.

“We have to search for Cyndra, I once placed a tracking spell over her, in any case that she runs away again, I would know. Up until earlier, I could still feel her presence, I knew where she is but after my prayers, I tried connecteing with her to give her my blessing for the trial, I couldn’t sense her soul. She’s here but also not here. Something is up and I can feel it”

She looks so certain that something else was in play within my lands. Something that is unknown to me or to any of my officials, because if something was really up, one of my warriors would have reported and raised the alarm. But up until this hour, everything was moving smoothly

If I didn’t know Jada very well, I would have said she’s being dramatic, but in the million years that we spend together, she had proven to me how accurate she is when it comes to what she thinks and sees over something. She’s one of the reason why I even considered taking in rouges and training them to become one of our best assets. Half of the packs accomplishments came from her own guidance.

I can’t question her.

“Have you asked around? Ello should be here soon”

I asked her as she is connected to the packs mindlink.

“I didn’t. No one really knew her, except you, the beta and the four delta’s that were assigned to guard her. The warriors roaming the land had already made their reports and no one was seen leaving or escaping the pack lands. Plus, with my barrier still covering the whole land, it didn’t detect anything unusual.” She explains with worry lacing her every word.

Ello, where are you? Something is up. Jada thinks Cyndra’s in danger.

I called for Ello through the mind link and second after Ello responded.

I’m near the cabin, I’ll check things out.

“Ello’s near the cabin, while we wait for his report, let’s go and meet him there”

Jada followed me as I walked out of my office and before I could shift to my wolf and ran us both to where the cabin is, however Jada had other plans. She places her hand on my shoulder and the next thing I knew, we were both standing steps away from where the cabin is.

Ello also arrived the same time that we did and before I could manage to say anything inappropriate, I threw up to the side. Jada knows I hate it when she performs teleportation.

“Oh. Still not used to the whole witchy dimensions magic I see.” Ello commented and instead of helping me up, he leaves me and walks with Jada towards the Cabin.

I swear to the Goddess, this two are just impossible.

“Get a hang of yourself Alpha, looks like I was right again.” Jada worriedly said, even with the angst in her tone, she was scared.

Ello inspected the cabin while I try to compose myself. The whole travelling by magic is still something I should be getting used to, this is by far my one and only weakness.

I followed both of my friends inside the cabin as they were looking into what happened. The cabin was empty, the assigned deltas are not here and there is no trace to where they would have gone to.

Today was Cyndra’s trial, and I have ordered to make sure that no one else gets to this place. The trial was supposed to be here, in this very long wide lawn by the lake.

Now its empty. No Delta’s, no Cyndra.

“Contact the Delta’s assigned to this place. Where are they?!” I grew angrier by the second. Abandoning their posts and not minding to report anything unusual are just the things that will result them to severe punishment.

“No one’s responding. Something is up. The cabin’s clean too” Ello reported while scanning the cabin.

Jada was also casting a spell to scan the whole area for any chance of remnants. A sign of something that could explain what was happening, but judging by how annoyed she is, she’s not finding anything useful.

“The amulet. I gave her the amulet.” Ello spoke in a rush before giving Jada this look. The look that I’m the only one who recognizes.

“Before you two start reminiscing the past, we should focus on Cyndra first.”

Ello and Jada’s past is just one messy history that should remain in the past. I feel sorry for the both of them but with the pain and sacrifices they had to go through, it is better that whatever feeling they still have for each other, they better keep it to themselves.

“Right!” Jada shakes her head as she looks away and focuses her energy into finding our missing rouge.

“Let’s shift and head to the forest, maybe we can still track down her scent. Make sure to alert every warrior available, no one gets in and out of the lands without my notice.” I commanded and Ello immediately followed.

We both shifted in front of Jada, not really minding the whole loud cracking of our bones while she focuses on her own tracking spell.

Pyatros, an ancient knight of the moon goddess, reborn and made knight for many werewolves, a part of my whole existence. My wolf.

He stretches out his limbs and body, making a loud howl to simply announce his presence. He strides along the lawn before fully running around and enjoying his freedom.

When Ello shifted, my wolf immediately played with Ello’s wolf, Tarin. Same as my wolf, Ello’s wolf is also a part of the knights that served the moon goddess. So it is no wonder why we both get along so well.

“I know you both wish to play Pyatros, but we have to look for someone. Find her scent.”

I called out to my wolf before he forgets why he is out in the first place. Ello must have done the same thing as both of our wolves calmed down and proceeded to sniff the air. When Pyatros recognized the smile, he immediately ran towards it, Tarin following behind.

As we make a run through the woods, I could hear Ello ordering all the pack warriors to keep a look out for someone suspicious. He strongly feels that this chaos is caused by someone from the pack, I know he had a point but as the Alpha, I have to keep my doubts towards my pack members to myself.

Most of the pack members know that there is a new half-werewolf residing at the abandoned cabin. They know how she is being trained for a trial and how she’ll soon become part of their lives. It was their right to know.

So when they all learned that she’s gone and possibly kidn*pped, they clouded the mind-link with questions and reports. I had to shut it off for my senses to focused on my surrounding, looking for any sign of where Cyndra could have gone.

Pyatros and Tarin ran randomly. My wolf recognizes the smell but it was all around. Tarin was also growing restless, he is not my wolf but I could see how his temper is slowly losing.

We’re going in circles. Jada?

I called out for Jada through the mind link, hoping that whatever she’s doing, would lead us to Cyndra.

She’s near you. Go east, she’s by the dark caves. I can’t teleport there but I’m on my way.

Jada immediately answered and without sparing another second, Ello and I went to the direction just as Jada instructed.

Like any predator, Ello and I walk in silence, making our every step silent and unnoticed. I can smell the deltas assigned to guard Cyndra, and a witch.

Tarin looked at me, alarmed and worried but when Pyatros pointed his snout towards the awful smell coming from the other side of the bush, he remained still.

Make sense! The smoke. Its demon roots mixed with moondrops. Unrecognizable to many humans but a powerful poison for halflings. Something is now right with the delta’s too. They should have noticed our presence from miles apart, but look at them...

Ello spoke through our private mind-link, assessing the situation. Like what he said, I look to each of the delta’s plainly standing on the sides. They are simple there, standing and looking lifeless.

They are part of my warriors so they should have known I was coming, they would have felt the pull to toward their Alpha and they should be bowing and explaining things to me, but there they are. Standing and looking like idiots.

Ello and I watched the situation while both of our wolves kept their stance ready for anything. We are up against a witch and judging by the scent, she’s one of the elders. She could already be chanting some spell of the old that could endanger the pack.

“The Alpha is a fool for thinking you’ll be useful for the pack, but the bigger fool here is the high priestess for giving you her blessing when you are nothing but a halfling. This is what you deserve child. A death that is unknown.” The witch laughed like a lunatic while she watches Cyndra fall into pieces and gasping for air. And when she didn’t see the worst, she took out her blade and made a small cut on Cyndra’s face.

I sensed the blood before it even bled out from Cyndra’s skin. I could see her eyes fixed to the moon above, her chest rising and falling hard while her body tries to grasp the little air it could find.

Before I could even react and prevent the worst from happening, Pyatros charges forward, tackling the witch by her neck and biting her led. Tarin eventually followed losing control over the Delta’s that tried to fight me.

I don’t usually mingle with the witches residing within the pack lands, because the only witch I needed to care about was Jada and the rest are just part of her coven. So when I had the chance to see the face of the witch who caused this trouble, I do not know her.

“I should have known you’ll betray the pack when you get a chance elder Dolya. Alpha, with your permission let me take care of this dark witch myself. I ask that you bring with you Cyndra back to the pack house where a healer is already waiting to tend to her wounds.” Jada said in dangerous tone while eyeing the witch I was holding down. She came out of nowhere and spoke in the most scariest tone.

I sensed a heavy aura circling around us. The darkness was already taking over and Jada’s anger was just adding to the whole vibe.

Like I said before, I respect Jada as much as I respect those who lead us. I am the Alpha of the pack, but when it comes to her people, Jada is the high priestess. If there is anyone who should be dealing with a rouge witch, it should be her. Elder or not, Dolya betrayed the pack.

I released the witch and moved away from her, giving Jada the answer that she need. I went to Ello’s side where he already shifted back to his human form and was already checking the delta’s of whom he tackled and fought off earlier. None of them were dead but the four of them are gravely injured and has multiple broken bones.

Jada slowly went to where elder Dolya sat in pain and in fear. I waited for her judgement but Ello snapped me out of it.

“Alpha, you should bring her back, she’s losing a lot of blood. Her heart is still beating, but if we delay her treatment, the poison will keep spreading.”

He was right, as soon as I looked to where Cyndra’s body was lying lifeless, she was already unconscious, but her heart is beating loudly.

Without a second glance, I went to her side and with Ello’s help, she laid behind me still unconscious.

I ran as fast as I could, heading to where the pack house was and to where a healer was already waiting.

Halfway through the woods, I heard the loudest scream and a painful cry, but even with that, I kept running and never looked back.