Allure 33 Chapter thirty two

Too scared to move, Too scarred to breathe, Too stiffened to look. Maybe not... My eyes stayed glued on the distorted figure screeching in pain. Each agonizing cry reminding me of the first time I met Eric. I watched him shrink, his bones tearing out of his skin. He was changing...into something different, Something inhuman. I clamped my eyes shut, trying not to faint. Right now, It felt like the only sane thing to do.

  His screams stopped. My trembling eyes flickered, catching the sight of ghost-white fur, a creature on all fours.

Eric... He... He shifted into a wolf! My subconscious took me down a memory lane. The white wolf... Eric! They weren't separate entities. They were one and the same. The jitters were literally leaving me dry.

My head felt blank, a heavy and light feeling altogether. I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing or maybe I didn't want to.

Was I actually seeing this?

The truth hit me hard. This was Conrad's big family secret. The Clarkes were werewolves.

In that frozen second between standoff between two beast, I see their eyes flick from me then back to each other in preparation for the big fight.

A wolf's face should be unreadable but the moment Eric or the white wolf rather peered in my direction, I could see things. The steel-blue eyes filled with worry, fear and for a split second, I didn't know what to feel.

Betrayal? Or the fact that he was willing to sacrifice his secret for me?

The beast charged first, gaining momentum and slamming into Eric who was only a diminution compared to it. His shrill cry shot into the sky seeing blood trickle off its claws, It was one of excitement. It was clearly winning this battle.

My gaze returned to Eric who was lying wasted on the earth, his white coat tainted with his own blood.

Even if I could barely move, I tried to help Eric.

"Eric, Get up."

I was frozen stiff buy my quivering lips could still make words. Eric, Still in wolf form seemed to get encouraged and he jumped to his feet. He back at the creature, his movements were faltering as if each step pained him and his head was sunk low to the earth.

The creature was ready for Eric's frail attack. I had to pity him. In this form, He would be an Apex predator but this was not the case. I could tell this was going to be the killing blow or maybe it was just my premonitions.

I closed my eyes unable to watch as shrieks and howls of beasts drowned the night.

Then, There was dead silence.

My curiosity got the better of me and I was forced to open my eyes. In place of what I and initially expected which was, of course, Eric's fall. I witnessed an unexpected turn of event. My eyes trailed to where Conrad's lifeless body once laid. He wasn't there. Of course, he wasn't. He was the change of event. He was the black wolf aiding Eric. This changed everything.

***

Unknown

I watched from the shadows. The view was quite splendid. Humans were hard to predict but my my... The Clarke brothers were puppet in my hands. The battle between Valentine and the spirit wolves was a sight to bewilder but my attention was divided. I had eyes on the whisperer. She seemed scared. Funny. She hardly knew what lied in front of her, The task keeping her alive, keeping them alive.

Valentine sent a mental who asking if it was time. A waste of good fight. She could be such a fun killer. I nodded in approval and watched her intentionally let them win. The black one bit hard into her leg, a pain that shot through me considering we shared the merge. I manage to keep my curses unheard. Some tasks were worth more than petty revenge. The savages saw this as an opportunity to deal a finishing blow.  I witnessed them pounce on Valentine and sink their fangs into her like she was another of their meal.

My neck stung and I felt warm blood trickle down my amice. I reached behind my all and retrieved the old rag doll. My life force was slipping away, Valentine was leaving this world. Prepared to end her misery and save me, I gave her the last instruction then snapped the doll in two. Her scream engulfed the woods and silencing the bedeviling nocturnals. It hurt to watch Val fall but my little girl never failed. The savages thought they were victors but at what cost. Crimson trickled down the black one's fur as realization hit them. Sad, sad truth. Little midnight was hit. Valentine hit hard, tearing fur, skin, and flesh. His fresh wound ran from his head down to his tail area. Midnight fell to the earth instantly, his transformation reversing.

Damn, The fatality was worse in this state.

Ghost girl looked like she had seen death eye to eye as Conrad battled to start alive.

"It is time."

***

Eric

"Conrad!" I rushed to my brother's side in a moment of brief relapse. He was fatally wounded and having lost someone I loved to this once, I was sure Conrad wasn't going to make it.

"Conrad, Just breathe. You're going to be alright."  I said, not knowing the right words to tell in times like this.

"Your lie sucks. I know I'm going to die."

"Don't say that. You're different."

"Yeah...  Tatia was different. The spirits didn't show her so much mercy."

God! This was so like him. Making stupid references. Death did suit him. I had no idea why I cared. We were destined to be rivals after all.

"Why do you care so much brother? You should be happy I'm dying. Then you don't have to deal with the stupid spirit wolf prophecy."

Maybe. If Conrad had fallen before now, I would have probably rejoiced but something was different. The Conrad I knew wouldn't have come to my aid. He did something stupid for me and now, Now I just couldn't sit and watch him die.

Cursed Chimera venom!

What made it so bad was, I couldn't move him as the venom would spread faster. He would be dead before we reached the Quinn estate but I had another idea, One  One enough to work.

"Maisy! Maisy!" I yelled to her repeatedly but she remained unresponsive.

When I got closer, I noticed she was trembling.

"Maisy?"

"Stay away from me!" She warned, Her eyes glazed, with fear.

Her hard exterior was only a coping mechanism to help her adjust to the unheard horrors she had seen in one night.

"I know you're scared Maisy but you have to listen to me. Conrad could die if you don't help him. I don't know if you can do it but you have to contact the spirits."

She stared blankly at me for a brief second before twisting her head around, jerking in fear. It was almost like she was seeing things that I couldn't.

Wait... Things I couldn't see.

I took hold of Maisy's with one hand and fixed my eyes on her. She wasn't looking at me but I had to try.

"Maisy, What's wrong?"

Slowly, Maisy tilted to face me.

"They want favors."

Chapter end