Possessed (10 page)

I've got to move on for now, though; I’ve been down here long enough and I miss my little girl. Plus, I have Milissa to worry about. We have to put her in a cage until after she turns. I know that this time is different because Ralph isn’t in control of the Wolves, but I don’t want to take any chances.

When I spot the others, Clarisse looks weak and Jacob looks happy that she’s weakening. I want to rush on over to her but I’m stopped in my tracks by a Demon that looks similar to Jeffrey but without the horns. He corners me, dagger outstretched- I’m trapped. I have no room to do anything... I’m going to die.

22
Rebecca

The burning corpse of the Demon in front me blocks my view, but once it finally collapses from my fireball I see that Alana needs help. So, I maneuver myself through the battle to get to her. She’s bleeding badly and I kick the Demon that was attacking her hard enough to the appropriate distance to throw a fireball at it. I manage to throw three of them and it is turned to dust.

I rush to Alana’s side and check her wounds. She’s completely covered in blood and her pulse is slowing. I wipe away the blood on her arms where the worst of the cuts are and then suddenly her wounds start to heal! I’m in the Underworld... how... how am I healing Alana? Come to think of it, my wounds have been healing themselves, too! I wonder why- it should be impossible! Alana looks at me with surprise and questions in her eyes, and all I can do is shrug. I mean, what can I say? I can't answer because I don't know!

But, I'm not so foolish to resist the help. So, I move my hands over all of her wounds to heal them. I’ll take my freaky extra-strong healing powers if it means that I don't lose my friend and that I don't have to explain to Destiny how her parents died.

When she is all healed I stand up and help Alana up, too. Even though her physical wounds are healed, she's lost a lot of blood and she needs to rest... but if I know Alana, and I do, then I know she won’t rest, so I won’t even bother to mention it. She starts to wobble so I hold on to her elbow to steady her. After she is stable she brushes my arm away to show that she’s strong enough to walk on her own.

She looks weak, but she also looks pissed. She looks around at the battle and starts heading towards Clarisse, who looks even weaker, but I stop Alana and run to her myself. Clarisse is losing her glow with each attack she deflects; she is going to fall soon. Sean is right there, too, and the look on his face indicates that it's taking everything in him to not touch her, to not help her, to go against his instincts and
not
protect his mate. When I get to her, I manage to push past the force of the glow and place my hand on her shoulder to heal her. It’s a slow process because that potion really weakened her, but it’s definitely working; I can tell by the electric shocks that are spreading. She’s getting stronger.

From this point I tell the Wolves to circle us and fight off every Demon who tries to get close. They do and they even grab the others to join in protecting us. Eventually, I release my hold on her and conjure my own fireballs to continue the battle with the Demons.

I can’t see Jacob, though, and that both pisses me off and frightens me at the same time. He could easily go back to the compound- after all, no one would know that he’s evil- and kill them. Easily! I have to find him, and quick. I tell Clarisse to take down the glowing shield she has on herself because most of the Demons are gone. The last few should be easy enough to handle without the super-glow that was killing her, which frees me up to go on the search for Jacob.

I push past the ring of battle and look everywhere, thoughts of where he could be flooding through me. I can’t let him get to my family! Most of them are weak and in the infirmary, recovering. I knock out a few Demons who are trying to follow me just when I notice that Alana is gone as well. Where did she go? Did Jacob take her? Did she go home? I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I hardly even notice a lone Demon throwing a dagger at me. My Wolf senses are on high alert, though, because she told me it was coming allowing me to dodge out of the way just in time.

Upon closer inspection of the Demon, I realize who it actually is: Jacob! He wastes no time in rushing at me. He slides his leg under my feet in an attempt to trip me but I do a backflip while nailing his chin with my foot on the rotation.  I land in a crouch, my Wolf barely kept in. I know my eyes are bright yellow- they must be, because she is right on the surface, and she wants blood.

Jacob, lying on his back, impressively jumps right to his feet just like we trained. I growl loudly as he runs at me again- I think I just caught him slowing down briefly
?- and then he speeds up and dodges my fireball. But to my surprise there is another fireball heading in my direction very quickly that I didn't even seem him conjure! But there's no time to wonder if that's why he slowed down: I bend myself back ‘Matrix style’ to dodge it but when I'm standing straight again he is right next to me and he punches me in the face.

I am so stunned by the punch that it takes a few seconds to process the information for what it is: Jacob just punched me in the face! That's it. I can’t hold back my Wolf anymore. In one swift motion I jumped and transform in midair; by the time my feet hit the ground I am a Wolf. I jump on top of him and scratch him from his face down his chest, but now he is using some super-strength that I didn’t know he had to shove me off of him. I land against the wall of the tunnel and I can't help but let out a whimper of pain. I try to get back up but I think that fall broke a rib bone: I’m stuck! I can’t move and Jacob is eyeing me like prey.

Now he’s hovering over me, about to attack, and he starts to speak: “Although I didn’t know you growing up, I heard a lot of stories about you; to be honest I’m very disappointed that I didn’t get a better fight. I expected more. After all, you’re supposed to be this all powerful Witch, right? With all sorts of powers like fireballs and invisibility, and here I am- about to kill you
far
too easily. It’s a pity, really... but it's worth it because afterward I'll be known as the Demon who slayed the leader of the most powerful Covenant in the world. All of these lowlife Demons will come to me, a part Demon, because I killed you. Sorry that you won’t get to see your baby be born. It’s probably for the best, anyway; a half-Werewolf and half-Vampire with your powers? Now, that kid would be invincible. I would hate-” but he is cut off as Sebastian jumps him and sinks his teeth into Jacob's flesh.

Jacob struggles beneath Sebastian to get free, but it is no use; Sebastian is just too strong. When his body goes limp Sebastian sucks a little more blood and then throws his lifeless body down. Wyatt tosses in a fireball that sets Jacob's dead body ablaze for good measure: we can't afford for him to get back up.

My Wolf form can’t hold because my Witch body is trying to heal my broken bones. So, Sebastian takes his shirt off and gives it to me so I can cover up my naked body. I try to get up and he and Wyatt come to my aid. I have one arm wrapped around each of their backs.

“Let’s go home,” Wyatt says. Yashira comes up on his left.

I shake my head to stop them from using the potions before we leave, though. “Where’s Alana?” I say weakly.

“Right here!” she calls from behind Eva.

“What?! Where were you? I couldn’t see you and I got worried; that’s why Jacob got me.”

She looks at me as if I should know the answer to that. “I went invisible. I'm sorry that you got jumped because of me, but right now I’m weak and the Demons must have sensed that because I was surrounded by five of them, so I did the only thing I could do.”

Oh yeah,
I smiled. I forgot we all had those potions. “Well, in that case- I think we have everyone. Let’s go home.”

******

We get home and everyone goes to the infirmary: Clarisse is very weak but not dying, thanks to my mystical healing power; Alana is restricted to stay in bed for as long as it takes to get more blood into her body; and to my surprise, John is up and walking around the infirmary already. By the time the doctor sees my wounds my bones are healed and I have only a little scar on my skin from where I was hit by a Demon. I don’t remember getting hit, but it’s healed anyway.

The doctor lays me down and tells me to pull up my shirt just below my breasts. She takes an ultra sound machine over to my bed and puts some cold gel on my belly. Then she takes the stick and rubs it over my abdomen. “This is a good sign,” she says, and shows me the monitor. “You’re having twins. It's too early to tell what they are, but their heartbeats are normal and they don’t look like they aren’t injured in any way from what I can see.” You need to take it easy for a few weeks- no missions until you deliver those babies!” she orders.

I nod my head, wiping away the stray tear. “Okay. No missions. Are you sure that those babies are in my belly? I mean... two babies? Twins! Could there be a mistake?” I ask her and she just looks at me and smiles. “Right. Okay- twins.,” I repeat, like I’m waking up from a dream. “Could they be the reason that my healing power was working down there?” I ask her, trying to keep my voice low; we may be in a private room but there are many people up here that have exceptional hearing... I don't want everyone to know about the twins yet.

“It very well could be. I'm thinking that, as offspring of you and John, that they are a mixed breed: part Witch, part Vampire, and part Werewolf. It is my opinion that their mixed nature allowed them to keep their powers while in the Underworld; and, as you were carrying them in your womb, they transferred these powers to you. Plus, you had
two
babies to feed you power, not just one- and this is why I think your healing powers were considerably stronger. The good news is that since you are no longer in the underworld, now, your powers will be tripled because yours are back in effect."

"Wow! That's incredible, doc! Well, the important thing is that they are okay and that they helped to keep everyone else alive. We are all already indebted to my babies!" I laugh. "Anyways, how is Milissa?"

“She is definitely going to turn. She’s weak and her eyes are already yellow. We put her in the cell downstairs yesterday morning. We didn’t want to take any chances. We didn’t know if you guys were going to make it back in time. You have been gone for three days,” she says.

Wow, three days? It didn’t feel that long. I know time runs differently down there, but three days? “Dr. Montgomery, what are the chances that my babies are going to be alright? I mean, I drank probably ten potions down there; I almost died twice during battles;
plus
I was possessed for a couple of days!"

She looks at me thoughtfully and says “Our potions to replicate powers do not harm our bodies or our unborn children, but with the possession I can’t tell you. We’ve never had that happen before. But I believe they should be fine. Get some rest, now- I’ll be back in the morning to check on you.” And with that she leaves and I am left alone with Sebastian. We don’t talk much; there is too much to think about. Then I finally sleep.

23
Milissa

As I sit in this cell that they placed me in for everyone's protection I can't help but wonder how painful the turn will be and if I will ever forgive Rebecca. She's the Alpha; she should know to be more careful,
especially
in the middle of a battle with friends everywhere. It's disappointing, to say the least. Regardless of my feelings for her, I feel a surge of energy when she comes home. Is this strange feeling of awareness going to happen every time the Alpha is in the same room?

I wish I had someone to talk to about this; the only people that could relate are in bed, healing. How did the fight go? Did we lose anyone? Did we kill that son of a bitch, Jeffrey? No one is coming to see me tonight and I’m too wired to even try and sleep. This is going to be a long night. I
need
someone to talk to, to vent to... I don’t think I can sleep at all until I do.

I get up and pace my cell. It’s really gross down here: the floor is covered in old Demon blood that is still clearly visible even after scrubbing it; the walls have scorch marks on them; and because we reinforced this cell for Werewolves it doesn’t stand a chance of one breaking it down.

I have a little cot as a bed which is very uncomfortable. The blanket and pillows from my room are the only things keeping me calm.

I freeze as I hear someone coming in. To be clear, I don't freeze because of a visitor, but rather because of the name of this particular individual. It's Rebecca. I'm getting a strange sensation with her being here. I think it's partly because she is Alpha. It’s hard to be mad at her when my body wants to obey everything she says. How do I stop that?

“Hello, Milissa,” she says to me, more formally than I expected. I don’t look at her, I can’t know that she’s sorry for doing this to me because if I see the sorrow in her eyes it might keep me from flipping out on her... and I really want to flip out on her.

“What do you want?” I sneer as she walks closer to my cell.

She looks at me and even though I’m looking away I can feel her sadness for what she’s done to me. “Ive come to see how you're doing and to say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do this to you. I know you’re mad. I can feel it. You're sending me your 'I’m pissed the fuck off' vibes and now I can read your mind. I’m not trying to, but your mind is very chaotic; with some questions that I can answer and some that I can’t, but others from our pack can answer those,” she says, but I stop her as she says "
our"
pack.

“I’m not even done the change and you have the balls to call them ‘our pack’? I didn’t want this.
You
did this to me! Yes, I know you didn’t mean it and yes, I know you’re sorry, but you can’t take this back, Rebecca! Once I’m done the change I’m officially a furry mutt for the rest of my life! I don’t want to be a Wolf! I’m already a Witch without a mate; I don’t want to add Werewolf to that mix because there's no
way
I'll find a mate! And even if I do... what if I find him and he’s disgusted by me? He doesn’t have to take me!” I didn’t even realize she had opened the door and walked in until she holds me in her arms. I feel her tears hit my skin as I try to dry my own.

“No one wants this. No one asks to be changed, it just happens, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident. If you find your mate and he doesn’t want you, then that’s his loss, but the change is going to happen; you will be a Wolf. You can’t fight it forever because you will only hurt yourself in the process. The sooner you accept the change, the sooner you will enjoy your new longer life. I can’t change what I did, but I can try to make it up to you.” She rubs my back and kisses my forehead like a mother would to a child and she sits me on my bed, just letting
me cry.

I can’t believe that’s all I needed- a good cry and few minutes of yelling at Rebecca. I feel better already. I still don’t want to be a Wolf, but she’s right: I can’t change it and the more I fight it the longer it will take me to start enjoying life. I didn’t realize that I had fallen asleep but I wake up as Rebecca is laying me down. “It’s okay. You dozed off, you need to rest. I’ll be back in a few hours with some food and coffee. The full moon is in two days. Since I’m not keeping some weird spell on you to get you to do bad things I’m not worried, but you will remain in here until the first change is complete. I don’t know how hard it is to control your Wolf on your first turn, so to keep the others and yourself safe you will remain here. I will be down here with you, as well as Alana. You will not go through this alone. Okay?”

All I can do is nod my head. I close my eyes and drift back off to sleep.

******

When I wake up I feel great- far more refreshed. I uncover myself and see Jorge and Eva as I get up. “Good morning. How long have you been standing there watching me like that?” I ask them.

“Rebecca sent us here to help explain anything you may need explained to you. She didn’t go through a normal change like the rest of us. We all experienced the pull of Ralph the way you’re feeling the pull of her,” Eva says. “I was born this way so I can answer more than Rebecca and Jorge. Jorge was turned, though, so he knows a lot and can help you if you need it, too.”

I look at them, dumbfounded. Rebecca really is trying to make this easy on me. I spend the next few hours with them during which they explained all there is to know about being a Were. Food was brought to us and we ate together in my cell, talking about the shared feelings, mind links, the power that the Alpha has over everyone, and how Rebecca has mastered using it but doesn’t like to use it. They explained how she keeps the bond open so we all feel comfortable knowing that we are all okay. I learned so much- I am actually somewhat looking forward to the change, now.

I didn’t yet ask the one question that I really want to know, though- probably because I'm afraid of the answer. Does it hurt to change? And if it does, does it hurt every time or just the first time? Depending on what the answers are I have some more questions, as well, but I still avoid the topic. Nobody else brings it up, either. Nevertheless, the day flies by because of everyone coming to visit me- even those who had been on bed rest.

I can’t remember the last time I received so much attention, but I like it. When it is time for bed, though, I am alone in the dark cell again, and this is the hardest time for me. It gives me time to think, to make me feel alone, abandoned, and forgotten- even though I had just had a full day of visitors. I'm always afraid of being alone and forgotten, especially now. When it was just Yashira  and I as kids it was never a thought, but as we got older I realized that we would be pulled apart once one of us found a mate. I always hoped we wouldn’t find them, unless we found them together.

Ah, what twists life provides. Now, Yashira has her mate... and I’m in the dungeon, alone, about to turn into a Werewolf. How did life get so complicated? Suddenly, I freeze when I hear a voice inside my head. Not just any voice, though- it is Rebecca’s.
“You need to relax and stop worrying about everything! You are going to drive yourself crazy worrying about stuff that doesn’t warrant it. Calm down; tomorrow you will spend the whole day with Alana and I. We will explain things that I forbade Jorge and Eva to discuss with you.”
And then she was gone. Strangely, I feel even more empty than I did before she spoke to me. But, I also suddenly felt very tired. So I lie down and go to sleep.

*****

The next morning, I am woken up by Rebecca and Alana. They take me out to the garden and decide to talk to me there. “I thought it would be good for you to see the outside just one more time before the change. Your senses will be stronger, later, so you will pick up scents that you never noticed before. You will also see things a little differently as well. Right now we are seeing all of the colors like a regular person does, but when you are a Wolf in your Wolf form you see vastly more colors. When your Wolf is close to the surface this tends to happens more, mostly because you start to lose your humanity. So, your human senses begin to diminish and your Wolf ones take over. You will be able to hear farther and better than before as well,” Alana explains, perhaps with a little too much detail  because I'm still confused.

“I think she just wants you to enjoy what you have before it changes. You will see things and hear thing differently than you have before and you just have to take it as you go,” Rebecca translates for me.

“Okay. So can you answer me the one question I want to know but am to afraid ask?” I say, looking at my feet.

“Yes,” Alana says, but no more.

“Yes, what? It hurts? For the first change? For all of them? Am I going to want to die of pain because of how much I change?” I ask, nervously.

“Yes, it hurts, but mostly for the first one. After that it often feels like you've been beaten badly, but it won't hurt as much as the first time. We've learned to just not wait until our Wolves are ready to tear out of our skin- it's too sudden and harsh. Instead, we let it come out gradually,” she says, looking at Rebecca who nods in agreement. “Okay. Let’s go back inside. Rebecca has some news she wants to share with you."

I stand up and lead the way to my cell. We sit just outside of it as I wait for Rebecca to share the news. “Well?” I say, trying to pry a little.

“Well, the good news is that it doesn’t look like the Demons did any harm to the babies. The other news is just that- bab
ies.
Plural. I’m having twins!” she says, sounding a little scared. I would be scared, too! Two kids at once? Both Sebastian and her aren’t quite the easiest to live with- they both have a tendency to find mischief. I can’t imagine
two
of them roaming around at the same age again.

“Twins, huh?” I say, and she rolls her eyes. I keep forgetting that she can read my mind, now. I have got to learn to control that.

“It will take some time; just don’t think too much around me and you’ll be fine,” Rebecca says with a wink, once again deciphering my thoughts.

We continued to talk about the pros and cons about becoming a werewolf, mostly Rebecca seemed thrilled to become one. She seemed happier to be one over Alana, although Alana seemed to enjoy it as well. Before we knew it, the sun was setting which meant it was time for my first change. I was secretly scared, but also kind of excited. I have no idea where the excitement came from because I was so against becoming a monster two days ago. They locked me in my cell and I stripped down into just my panties and bra. Even though they were stripping completely naked I didn’t want to stand there with them staring at me.

They tell me that they will change with me as slowly or as quickly as I change; this way I am not alone. I am grateful that I am not being watched like Alana and John were when they turned for the first time... that must have been so embarrassing.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my abdomen. I clutch at my side and fall to my knees at the strength of the pain. I, even with all my years of fighting Demons, have never felt this type of pain before. I feel my leg bones snapping and reforming to take the form of my Wolf. I feel the same pain in my shoulders and my fingers, and just when I feel like I am going to die from the pain... it stops. It takes me all of two seconds to realize that I am now a full Wolf: with fur, claws, and very sharp teeth.

I turn around and stare at the other two Wolves in the room. I know who they are, but I still can't help but growl at them. Rebecca doesn't say or do anything, I guess in an attempt to hold back her Wolf from attacking me- after all, here I am growling at her. I don't think she can reign herself in completely if I don't stop growling. So, I stop and nudge the cell door with my nose, making it a point to show that I want to get out.

“How do you feel?”
comes Rebecca’s voice in my head.

“I feel fine. Can I get out of this cell now?”
I say, a little annoyed.

“You may. What would you like to do? Go for a run?”
Alana suggests.

I think about that... oddly enough, I
do
want to run. Usually, I hate everything about exercising- and running is definitely an exercise- but I actually
want
to run right now. It must be the Wolf in me. So I nod my furry head at them and they open the door. We go upstairs and out the backdoor to meet up with the rest of the pack-
my
pack- for my first run as a Wolf. We run all night and I don’t even get tired until the sun comes up, at which point we head back home. We make it back in time for breakfast so I eat until my belly is full and then I go to sleep in my bed, in my own room. I sleep until late afternoon.

24
Alana

I’m sitting in the garden with Destiny, watching her crawl around to get the flowers and fake butterflies I have flying around her and landing on her arm. I love to hear her giggle and watch her face light up every time I have one come close and land on her. She is so precious to me. I’m so grateful to be here to watch her grow up and play.

I’m trying to come up with a spell to get our powers out of Annie for good. I’m so sick of these Demons trying to get our powers and kill us with them, as if that would ever happen. We reinforced the shield around our Covenant complex so no one can get in here without us knowing. They can get to the front door, but they'd be lucky to leave alive if they tried to go any further.