Chapter 49 : A Deadly Attack

Selene

"Have you found the rogue or the witch who was responsible for the death of your family?" asked Selene as she looked into the eyes of Joshua, who was once again staring ahead in silence. She was worried if he would answer her question because he was silent for so long. Also, considering that Joshua was still mourning the death of his family, she felt uncomfortable asking such a personal question. She almost thought about telling Joshua that he didn't have to talk about it. But then he abruptly replied, "He's out of my league right now."

She didn't even notice Joshua saying "he" and not "her". She felt strong sympathy for this suffering man, as she herself felt deep sorrow for not being able to avenge the death of her family and the fallen family by the evil of Nathaniel, the vile hybrid who was also a half-dark witch and a rogue who had to be responsible for many things.

"Don't look so sad, little Selene," he whispered to her, once again surprising her with his demeanor.

"I'm fine, it's you who recently lost a loved one," Selene said without looking at him, embarrassed. His attention made her feel uncomfortable because she didn't know how to react to his gentle and caring attitude. Mike always made her feel angry and violent, but Joshua had never made her feel uncomfortable with physical moves that provoked her anger. This is in contrast to Mike, who always seems to say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time, or makes her feel completely embarrassed, so she often retaliates. At times, she felt guilty for not being able to let Joshua get close to her. She was so afraid that she could not be happy on her own and could not fully commit to him.

Joshua approached her, making her stare at him in shock, and her eyes blinked rapidly. "Uh, yeah? What's wrong?"

"I almost lost you again just now. What is it that makes your mind drift away from here?" Joshua asked her, curiosity shining in his dark blue eyes. It was hard for Selene not to drown in those eyes. Damn, he's so handsome! She thought crazily.

"Nothing," she replied, refusing to look into his intense eyes any longer, confused by his reaction to her.

"Do you want me to take you away from all your pain and fear?" she heard Joshua say softly to her.

*****

Mike

"A rogue who is also a hybrid, a half-black witch, told me of a pack of warriors who seduce women and then abandon them without a second thought, just as Andrew did to me. You have failed in your sacred duty!" she screeched, her voice no longer pleasant to the ear.

He flinched as the image of Selene's averted face appeared before his eyes, this witch woman correctly sensing his flirtatious nature, and then the witch attacked. She threw herself at him, crushing him with her weight. Mike gasped for air, but every time he exhaled, the witch's twisting spell crushed his lungs even more, leaving him unable to breathe.

He flailed around in a desperate attempt to free himself before he suffocated under her weight, or before she crushed every bone in his body with her deadly spell. I can't die like this! Not before he could tell Selene how sorry he was and that he truly loved her.

"Die, you useless warrior," the witch mocked his title before attacking. Quick as lightning, the witch brought her hand to his unprotected throat, choking him and beginning to inject her deadly poison, wanting him to writhe in pain before he died. Before the witch could raise her head, a heavy weight slammed into her from the left, knocking her off of him. Sharp fangs pierced her neck, blood spurting and oozing from the fatal wound.

The witch's scream turned into a rumbling sound as the wound bubbled with her attempts to vocalize the pain. Striking with more pain than precision, the witch tried to strike at the large wolf that dared to attack her, but she missed. Breathing heavily, the witch was lifted high into the air and caught Felix in a tight, circular grip - her long arms wrapped around the struggling form of the wolf, crushing the life from it. Felix bit hard at the coils around him, trying to break free, but pain shot through the large wolf as the coils grew tighter and more painful.

Seeing Felix's struggle, he forced himself to his feet and swung his weapon with deadly accuracy, slashing further at the wound in the witch's neck. Felix fell to the ground, limping towards him before collapsing and returning to his normal form. "Felix!" he shouted, leaning on his weapon as he bent down and lifted the wolf into his arms, even though bending down made his head spin. Feeling a sense of foreboding creep up on him as he stared at the wolf, Mike muttered his lover's name anxiously, "Selene."

A terrifying growl answered his low call. Turning his head, Mike saw that the witch had also returned to her human form, beautiful even when covered in blood, except for the wound on her neck. She was laughing, he realized. Then she tried to speak, though most of her words were incoherent as blood choked her and death loomed in her humanized eyes.

"He...i..is...dea...d..." Amy chuckled, a beautiful smile on her beautiful face, which was now filled with a cold, hard hatred. The expression on her face was frozen in death.

"Mike," he heard a small voice call from behind him.

He turned to see Samuel slowly rising to his feet, blood dripping from his small mouth. As he walked painfully towards him, Mike felt stabbing pain in each of his wounds, but the burning sensation where he had been strangled flared in agony that he couldn't ignore.

"We have to... get to Selene," he said to Samuel as he collapsed to the ground, his vision blurred as he fell forward in a stupor, Felix lying motionless beside him.

A terrified wail filled the clearing as Samuel screamed and howled. "Mike, damn it!"

*****

Selene

She was not prepared for what Joshua said, which sounded strange. Take her away? she thought in confusion. She was about to ask him what he meant by his comment when she heard the sound of screaming in the distance. It was coming from Amy's residence. Looking around, worried about her friends, Selene stiffened and jumped to her feet, but only had time to kneel before a restraining hand grabbed her arm.

Looking angrily at Joshua, she demanded angrily, "Let me go! My friends could be in trouble. Even your own sister!"

He stared into her face for a few moments before standing and helping her to her feet. Roughly, still annoyed at being restrained, she tore her arm from his grasp as she stood up and ran toward Amy's residence, realizing for the first time that Felix was not with her. She wondered what had happened to make Felix leave. She couldn't forgive herself if something bad happened to her friends, especially Mike. I am coming, Mike!

A few minutes later, Selene came upon a battle scene. The building had a huge gaping hole in it, with bricks scattered on the ground and blood splattered on the yellow grass. Her breath caught as she saw Mike lying face down, motionless, and a crying Samuel kneeling beside his head. "Mike!"

She jogged over and crouched down beside her fallen friend, the man she loved, and placed her hand on his neck, feeling for a pulse. "What's going on, Sam?" he asked almost desperately until he felt a faint pulse under his probing fingers. She didn't notice Joshua standing behind her, his full attention focused on the injured man. There was blood all over his clothes!

"We're under attack," Samuel sniffed, looking at Selene with wide, watery eyes. "Princess Amy has turned into an ugly, evil witch. She was the witch in her story, Selene! She attacked us and poisoned Mike with her deadly spell."

"Poison? Spells? Wait, Princess Amy did this?" she asked in disbelief, turning her gaze to the second body lying motionless a few feet away. Blood covered the ground around Amy, and even from her kneeling position she could see her ripped and torn throat, but she was human, not a witch as Samuel claimed. "But Sam, she's human," she said slowly, not understanding as she looked at Samuel in confusion.

"But it's true! She turned into an ugly witch-like creature and attacked us. I caught a glimpse of the Moonlight Powers before they flew away. She's conspiring with Nathaniel!" he accused before his very green eyes welled up with tears.

"Nathan?!" She exclaimed.

Mike groaned and she gently rolled him onto his back, noticing for the first time that Felix was not moving. She quickly laid his head on her lap and checked to see if the wolf was still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Felix's breath on her fingers. Turning her gaze back to Mike, Selene called out to him, encouraging him to wake up, but he did not. She caressed his face lovingly, but worry and fear raged inside her. Without Felix, how could she bring Mike to the Moonlit Grove for healing? He could have died!

"Mike, don't die because of me!" She wailed, tears welling in her own eyes.

A hand on her shoulder startled her, and Joshua said, "I can help him, Selene, so don't cry." He crouched beside her, looking gently into her face, offering comfort and reassurance, but Selene pushed his hand away and glared at him. "You're her brother! You're in the same group as Nathaniel and just as guilty here," she snapped at him.

He didn't look hurt by her rejection of his touch and help, but his face remained cautious. "Things have changed," he said quietly. "You can trust me."

She scoffed inwardly.

"If you want your friend to live, what choice do you have but to trust me?"

He watched Joshua in silence, unable to answer as he stood up and walked back a few steps, never taking his eyes off her as he began to undress.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" she squealed as she watched, embarrassed but unable to turn her face away as his clothes fell from his body one by one. His glistening, brownish chest was revealed, hairless and muscular, bunched together as he ran his hands over the belt that encircled his waist. She looked away quickly as she saw the clothes begin to fall from his slender hips. She heard the clothes fall to the floor, then his voice. "I would appreciate it, my sweet Selene, if you would bring me my clothes, after all the trouble I went through to get them off."

"What are you..." she started to ask, looking at him confused as she saw him change. He shifted into a beautiful, slender, large, light brown wolf with shimmering black fur and tail. She stared at him.

"I am a werewolf, yes, but we must act quickly if we are to save your friend," his voice said, but his mouth did not move. Yes, he was talking to her through the mind link.

Selene and Samuel looked at him in surprise, then in suspicion. Then she felt Mike start to shake and looked down to see the sweat on his brow, adding to her concern.

"Hurry up, baby," Joshua urged.

In resignation, she eventually picked Mike up as hard as she could, as Joshua bent down to assist her in placing Mike face down on his wide back. Then she swung Joshua back with Felix in her arms and Samuel balanced beside her, realizing for the first time that he was hurt too and stroking his head to reassure him before clutching Joshua with one hand clenched tightly in her fur.

Joshua catapulted himself into the air as she gave him instructions on how to reach Moonlight Grove, worrying all the while that she was putting them all in further danger.