Saturday, 4:15 am
Outside, the battle had slowed. Isabella stood and watched as General Nancer's soldiers rounded up the traitors and loaded them into the transports. A good hunt indeed. Only one thing remained. She heard her favorite assassin approach and smiled. "Yes, Drayden?"
"My lady, we found Henry's Betas. Only Jacques seems angry about Henry's order to not help with the rebels." He came to a stop beside her and stared at the captured Weres.
"Interesting. Tell me, Drayden. Do you think the Le Croix brothers are inside? I know Alpha Donil is. After all, he's in love," she sneered.
"We have confirmed that both Le Croix men as well as Alpha Yon are in the main building."
"Yon? Most intriguing. Make a note to set spies on the Jaksenville Alpha. I don't wish to be blindsided. Now, my faithful Beta, let's go feast on the bones of our last remaining enemy." She gave a seductive laugh and shifted into her polar bear form.
Drayden respectfully waited before he, too, changed. All around Weres shifted and soon the area was filled with animals of all kinds.
::Come, my friends. Death to the leader of the traitors!::
Raucous calls answered her summons. She took the lead and lumbered to the building that held Zina. Once and for all, the matter of who ruled shall be settled. Humming with anticipation, Isabella entered and made it only a few feet when a telepathic scream scraped her mental ears and pulled a snarl from her. The Weres with her voiced their pain. Some lost control of their animal form and returned to human, clutching their heads and screaming in agony.
Who was that? So powerful, was Isabella's last thought before she blacked out.
~***~
Laylah could only stand, rooted to her spot in total panic and disbelief as Donil was injured by Zina. What should she do? He needed help! No one was there , except the wolf.
When Zina called the wolf, Stefan, Laylah became wary. Was Stefan going to turn on her? She had to stop this madness. She couldn't take it anymore!
"...I'm going to kill you, Stefan. But first, I need to get rid of this runt of a problem," Zina giggled and stabbed her claws downward toward the prone Donil. "Yes! Die, Boy!"
"No!" She screamed and felt her other self, the strong girl she dreamed of at night, rise up and, with that surge, came the power. She'd never felt so powerful before, except in her dreams. Laylah was moving, the dagger she had freed herself with still clutched in her hand. She realized that she loved Donil too much to let someone like Zina take his life away.
Stefan's howl of warning did not faze her. She let all her pent up rage and fear fill her and spill out. Zina was like Violet, always seeking to harm others.
::"No!":: She roared and her perception became altered. Time seemed to slow. ::I'm not going to make it!::
::You will make it. Remember, you can do anything you want. Believe and it will be so.::
Laylah heard the kind voice and felt a tingle of familiarity. Time resumed and, with only seconds to grasp the situation, she flung herself across Donil. Zina's claws sliced into her back and she screamed as fiery pain blossomed along her nerves.
"Laylah!" Donil panted, too injured to help her, his eyes glazed and unfocused.
"Shh, I'm here," she whispered, ignoring her hurt back. She was yanked off him and spun around to collide with Zina's fist. She felt blood spray from her nose and this new source of pain made her scream.
"Stupid, prey! How dare you interfere! Now he'll pay dearly for your interruption!" Zina slapped her hard and Laylah's vision swam.
::You know what to do. Always save the thing you love. Fight, Laylah, fight for it!:: the kind voice urged.
"Why don't you die, you evil bitch!" She yelled and blindly lunged forward with the dagger. She gasped at her abrupt release.
Zina's incredulous expression didn't connect with Laylah at first. She was too stunned to do more than stare at her tormentor.
At the same moment, they glanced down. Laylah's hand gripped the hilt of the dagger, the only visible part as the rest was buried in Zina's right side.
She started crying. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, but I won't let you hurt him," she whispered and let go of the dagger. She stepped away from the older woman.
Zina stumbled backward and hissed, "This isn't over, whelp. You can all die together!"
Laylah sank to her knees beside Donil, too emotionally drained to do anything. Her fingers sought his. If she was to die, at least she wasn't alone. She closed her eyes as the room began to shake and the sound of breaking things filled the air.