AVA
I suddenly jolted back to consciousness when I hit the floor. Earlier, I’d just had pain in my neck.
Now… my body, mind and soul hurt so much I just wanted to die.
Then I saw Oscar on the ground, I felt Oscar slipping away from me.
I screamed; I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I was screaming his name, screaming his wolf’s name,
begging him to stand, to say something, just do something, and he just didn’t.
Callum stumbled towards me, falling down by my side, helping me sit up. “Carry me to him,
Callum.” I was in so much pain I could hardly talk, but I had to see him. I needed to see him. “I need
to see him, please.”
When he realised I wasn’t going to back down, Callum scooped me up in his arms, running towards
the fallen shape of his brother. He set me down on Oscar’s left side, before dropping to his knees
opposite me.
Oscar’s eyes were closed and his heart rate was so slow I could hardly hear or feel it. I couldn’t even
feel Dionysus. I had no idea what the witch did to him, but we had to find a way to reverse it. I
couldn’t let any of my boys die, I just couldn’t.
I looked around the clearing, looking for anything or anyone that could help. At this point, I was not
adverse to having Jeremiah torture a witch into reversing whatever they did to Oscar.
I just needed him back.
In the distance, I could have sworn I saw someone carrying something large, but when she reached the
tree line, she disappeared.
“Jeremiah,” I groaned. “Witch… trees…” I clutched at my chest as agony ran through me, burning
through my veins.
My other hand landed on my neck. There was so much blood… I wasn’t healing, why wasn’t I
healing?
Why wasn’t Artemis healing me? Why couldn’t I hear her?
I could feel myself getting close to panicking. I reached out, taking Callum’s hand, before taking
deeper, slower breaths, bringing my breathing into line with his. Once it was, I was calm. As calm as
can be in this kind of fucked up situation, anyway.
“Don’t talk, my Queen, not unless you have to. Save your strength. I’ll see what I can find,” Jeremiah
replied.
I nodded, unable to force even a small smile onto my face.
I pushed myself up to sit straighter, giving me a better line of sight across Oscar’s body.
I could save him. Surely I could save him. Everything I can do… I prayed to Selene whilst I sat there.
‘Please help me save him. I’ll swap myself for him, I’ll do anything, I just can’t see him die, please.’ I
pleaded with her, begging for help to save Oscar.
A warmth flowed through my mind. I couldn’t describe it, it just felt like reassurance. Reassurance
that maybe, just maybe, I can save him.
I leaned over him, my hands on either side of his face, leaning closer so I could press my lips to his.
“I can do this,” I whispered to myself. “I can save him.”
“Ava, what are you doing?” Callum exclaimed.
“I can save him,” I replied, not looking up from his brother’s pale face.
“Ava, no! You’re bleeding out! If you put yourself under any more strain, you’ll die. We’ll get him to
the hospital, they’ll be able to save him.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m doing this. I can do this. Selene is with me.”
“Ava, please…”
I shook my head, before leaning down over Oscar and pressing my lips to his, tears streaming down
my face. I felt for my power, my life, felt it running through my body, through my veins, to my heart.
I took a deep breath, before pushing that energy out, pushing it into Oscar, giving him my life.
I’d do anything for him, I’d do anything for all of them.
There was too much, far too much power, and it exploded out of me, spreading through the clearing. I
felt it touch Callum, then Noah and Theo back at the pack, right before my vision started to darken
and swim.
Just before I passed out, I saw Oscar suddenly sit up and take a deep breath with Dionysus shining in
his shocked, wide eyes, and all the colour returned to Callum’s face. I could have sworn I saw Ares in
Callum’s eyes too.
“It worked,” I whispered, so quiet Callum and Oscar wouldn’t have heard.
“AVA!” Callum shouted, his voice pained. He reached for me as I started to wobble. I only just saw
Oscar frantically reaching for me through my blurring vision.
When I could no longer hold myself up, I just let my eyes fall closed, and let the darkness drag me
under.
UNKNOWN
That was close. Far too close for comfort.
We nearly lost everything we had been working for, and we lost a lot of wolves, Lycans and witches.
It was a massive set back, and it was nearly so much worse.
Sure, we didn’t technically have the girl, yet, but we could change that. She’d be ours before long.
We’d be able to control her, bend her to our will. She won’t have a choice, and eventually, she’ll just
want to do whatever we want.
As soon as the mark sticks, she’s all ours. And she’ll want to be ours before long too, especially once
she realises it’s what her family has wanted and been destined to restore all along.
Deep down, it will be what she wants too.
We’ll be able to remake the world. Bring the kingdoms back to the good old days of Lycan
dominance.
The destined King and Queen would take their thrones before the Moon Goddess, and we’d create a
better future.
One where Lycans are the top of the food chain once more.