Moon Child

Trapped

Episode 7: Trapped

- Calum Beckett –

I couldn’t believe it. NO. This must be a dream. A nightmare. Dolores was the aid assigned to me when I turned four. She taught me everything I know. She taught me how to read, write, ride a horse. She even taught me basic self defense. The last one - against my mother’s will. But. Her. Being a witch? It can’t be. But reality is harsh. Only a witch can cast a healing spell. I held on to the moldy wall at my side, trying to keep my composure.  

“Cale…I-” she began, sensing my unease. But she was abruptly interrupted by a loud noise a couple of blocks away from us.

“Alpha! They took James” Gunner frantically said through mind link.

“Where are you? What about Adam?” I asked.

“We’re fine, Alpha… but James… they took James” Adam answered, panting for breath.

I looked at Dolores and asked for the safest place we can meet up with the rest of my pack. We decided on the hill behind the cemetery. There was a narrow pathway to the hill from our current position. I took Alex in my shoulder and walked towards the meeting place. The hill itself was quite far from the town, taking us almost an hour to get there. I found a tree where I can lay Alex down. He was still knocked out from too much blood loss.

Dolores excused herself and chanted a protection spell around us so the enemies won’t be able to see or sense us. I nodded a thanks to Dolores before I sat beside Alex. He was sleep talking again. ”Diana…”  he said. Diana was Alex’ dead mate. She was gone too soon. Her death was the reason why Alex behaves this way with women. Losing your mate like that. I couldn’t imagine the pain he had to go through. Not that I’ve met my mate, yet. And I’m not complaining. My hands are full as it is.

I looked at the bushes around us as two figures came into view. Adam and Gunner. They looked fine aside from some bruises and small cuts.

“What happened back there?” I asked Gunner

“We ran as you ordered, Alpha. But. Just a couple of blocks away from the inn, more werewolves arrived. Adam and I were lucky to outrun them but James. They were able to grab hold of him and knock him out. We couldn’t…” He trailed off as he cursed out loud.

“I let my guard down. It’s my fault Gunner, don’t blame yourself.” I comforted him. 

SHIT. I growled inside. We don’t know where James is. We don’t even know if he’s still alive. I held back that thought. I can’t let this get to me right now. We have to think how we can save him.

Alex woke up at last and we told him what happened. I also got the opportunity to introduce Dolores. They all looked at me, thinking the same thing. There were two information that we got from Roman. First, that my father kept a witch for an ally. And second, that he had custody over the silver child. The first one – has proved to be true. The second? I looked at Dolores intently. Does she know where the silver child is? Are they connected somehow?

A few moments later, we received a mind link from James telling us that he has been held as hostage and his captors commanded him to get in touch with us. They purposely gave us their location. They are in a cliff north of the town.

“Even I know this is a trap” Adam said scratching his head.

“It is. most probably. But we have to save James” Gunner said

I agree with him. But we are severely outnumbered. From my estimate, we will be facing at least twenty werewolves.

“I can help you” Dolores said as she sat among us.

“I can cast an illusion spell that would put your enemies into trance. You can use that time to save your friend. But…”

“But?” Gunner urged her to continue

“It will only last for a moment, it might not also work on the more powerful werewolves. So, it’s not a guarantee that you won’t have to fight.”

“That’s alright. We only need to lessen their numbers and we can take care of the rest” Gunner assured Dolores.

We travelled towards the cliff and stopped about 10 meters away from it. The shushing sound of the waterfall signaled that we are nearing our destination. There were two paths going to the cliff, one was blocked by a large boulder while the other was manned by four men. Dolores informed us that in order for her spell to work, she had to have a bird’s eye view of our enemies. Alex and I took down the four men that manned the pathway while Adam and Gunner guarded Dolores. We advanced silently. We hid from the trees as soon as we came into hearing distance with the enemies. We heard several men talking a few meters from us. Gunner took a peak and saw James chained to a trunk, blindfolded. Blood running down from his mouth. He almost cursed when he saw his brother at this state.

I signaled Dolores to begin her incantation while the rest of us positioned ourselves for an attack. Just as Dolores said, some of the men were not affected by her magic. Alex and I shifted and fought with the remaining enemies. Gunner went ahead to free James while Adam stayed behind to guard Dolores. Our attack went perfectly and we were able to retrieve James.

We hurried to the pathway for our escape but ten or more werewolves blocked our path. f**k. I cursed inside. Just how many of them are here?

Adam shifted and blocked an attack directed at Dolores. I quickly joined him and pushed Dolores to a safer spot. I growled at the werewolves in front of us. One of them lounged at us and I quickly bit its rib before its teeth even reached mine. It let out a loud scream in pain. The rest of the werewolves attacked together. One bit on my leg while the other targeted my stomach. Adam tried to bite the werewolves off of me but he was also attacked by one of the werewolves.

I saw Alex in my peripheral view, fighting off the two strong werewolves that weren’t affected by Dolores’s spell. f**k. Dolores’ spell won’t hold, if we don’t defeat these werewolves now, then we’d have more to deal with later. I hastily pounced on the brown werewolf in my right and bit its neck hard. I used my claws to scrape its leg so it won’t be able to use it anymore. I shook violently and the two werewolves that bit me were sent crashing to the nearby trees.

I was about to bite down another one when a loud scream came from Dolores. When I looked at her direction, I saw her held mid air as a werewolf bit her in the chest. NO!! I growled. I pounced at the werewolf that bit her which sent it falling down the cliff. 

My mind went blank. The next thing I knew, all the enemy wolves were lying lifeless on the ground. I approached Dolores and held her in my arms.

“Dolores, wake up” I called to her

“Dolores, please, can’t you heal yourself?” I asked her

“It seems, that I’ve used up my magic earlier. Age has gotten to me…” she laughed a bitter laugh.

“Shhh… it will be alright. We’ll find a doctor in the town. He’ll be able to cure you.” I told her.

“it’s… too late for me Cale, I… I’m happy to see you before I go” she said choking on her own blood. Tears that I didn’t know I still had in me began to flow. She held my face again. Just as she always did when I was young.

“Maybe it’s fate that brought us together again… please my darling Cale, I have… one request… find her…  please tell her I - ” more blood spilled from her mouth. And I tried to stop her from continuing.

“She’s…” Dolores said as she stared at a distance, breathing her last. I closed her eyes with my hands. I looked at the place she gazed at. 

She?