Teacher’s Pet

Holly

~It was like a dream.~

My professor, who now insisted on being called only Zillana, held my hand as she led me through the dense forest.

The trees seemed to sway with a life I had never seen as if they were breathing all on their own.

Birds flew overhead, beautifully colored like they were dripping with fresh paint. Their calls filled me with wonder. If this were a dream, I never wanted to wake up.

Zillana kept looking back at me, smiling and nodding to go on. Wherever we were going, we were almost there… I could feel it.

I gasped as we finally left the forest and made our way into a large clearing. On the far side was a hill with a cave that seemed to be calling for us to enter.

“We’re here now, my dear,” Zillana purred, “This is your new family.”

She guided me into the cave. Its warmth swallowed me whole. Torchlight on the walls filled it with a faint glow, allowing me to see the beautiful Zillana continue to smile and nod.

“Thank you for showing me the way,” I said.

“On the contrary… you have shown us.”

Her smile was all I would ever truly need to see… it filled me with such hope. If every witch cared for each other the way that Zillana cared for me… nothing seemed impossible.

“They’ve arrived,” I heard a female voice say.

The voice broke me from my reverie. I’d heard it before. I couldn’t place the person to whom it belonged.

Zillana led me into another, smaller cavern where I could see small cages. This dream was quickly turning into something else…

Two figures stepped forward into the light and I froze in place. Even Zillana could no longer pull me forward.

“We’ve been waiting a long time,” Devina said.

Her pale hair and piercing eyes filled me with dread. I had seen this face not long ago, hadn’t I?

~Blood forming into a body.~

~A wicked smile greeting me.~

~The ceremony!~

Matthias stepped into the light beside her. My initial reaction was to recoil, to try and run… but they only stood there, grinning, seemingly without ill intent.

“Where have you brought me?” I asked, looking at Zillana.

“Where you needed to be,” she replied mysteriously.

My professor moved between Devina and Matthias, who wrapped their arms around her.

“Welcome, Holly Stone,” Devina said. “You belong with us now.”

Zillana kissed Devina’s cheek before reaching into a satchel. She pulled out a worn, leather-bound book. ~The Grimoire!~ Zillana handed it to Devina who seemed to glow with a new aura when it touched her hands.

I knew that the people in front of me were the very ones who had burned down my pack. They’d lied and stolen and killed every person I had ever loved or that had ever loved me.

But as much as I wanted to run, my body remained frozen in place. They were not attacking me… they were welcoming me.

I looked at my wrist and saw my new tattoo glowing like a thousand suns. It seemed to speak to me… filling me with a calm understanding that Devina was right… that I belonged here now.

A smile spread across my face as they opened up their arms, telling me that I should have no fear. And I didn’t.

“Come, young Holly. You still have much to learn.”

I nodded my head, wanting nothing more than to be taught.

“Teach me,” I said. “Teach me all you know.”

Bambi

There was so much going on I didn’t know who to try and help first. Seeing Ela and Hunter in such disarray chilled me to the bone. But I knew there was no time to waste.

We built a small fire after the sun went down. It would be necessary to keep away unwanted creatures that may be attracted by the scent of blood.

I searched through our packs and found the first aid. It wouldn’t be enough to cover all the wounds on Hunter’s body, but it was at least a start.

I poured rubbing alcohol over the wounds and Hunter moaned, but he was so out of it he seemed to barely register the pain. I applied salve and bandages on the worst cuts.

Max helped me as best he could, but without a witch or any true medicine, things weren’t looking good.

“Ekon, give him some water,” I shouted.

Since Hunter and Ela had collapsed in front of us, my mate withdrew inside of himself. I wanted to hold him, to let him know that we could keep pushing forward to do this together, but it was no use.

The spell Everly cast had worn off and he was back to his old urges… his alcohol deprivation had doubled in direness once he witnessed Hunter’s and Ela’s desperate states.

“Don’t do this shit!” Max yelled. “We need you to help us!”

“Fucking Cunt Sniffer! He’ll get what he deserves for murdering Chair Fakari and dooming us to this life on the run.”

I looked at Ela who was sitting nearby, holding her knees close to her chest, as if that was the only way she could cope.

Her eyes were wide and filled with fear. I needed to learn what had happened, but every passing moment looked like it would push us further from the truth. Ela hadn’t spoken much at all and the look in her eyes warned me that she might never again.

My eyes met Max’s and he shook his head in disbelief at our situation.

I opened Hunter’s mouth and poured in the small bit of antiseptic we had managed to bring. I held his head so that he could swallow it without choking. After laying his head down on a soft patch of grass, I collapsed against a tree trunk and tried to hold back the tears fighting to pour out.

This was not what was supposed to happen. We were going to find Holly. She would take us to Devina and Matthias and we would end this horrible fight once and for all.

“You did very well,” Max said, sitting down beside me. “Without us, they would still be lost in the woods.”

“And with us, they might still die.”

Max nodded sadly. He knew I was right, even if he didn’t like to hear the words.

We sat in silence, listening to the calls of the forest as the early morning sun began to climb over the hills, filling our otherwise dark time with a glint of hope.

“It doesn’t make any sense. This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Ela said suddenly, startling us. We turned toward her, watching her tears begin to fall.

Max slowly moved closer, hoping to hear her words, but afraid we might scare her into silence. I did the same, scooting along the ground until I could see her face more clearly.

“Why are you in No Wolf’s Land, Ela? Tell us why Hunter brought you here.”

She looked at me and registered my face with a slight flicker in her eyes. At least she knew we were her friends.

Ela began to cry, no doubt remembering the events at the Supernatural Parliament.

I reached my hand out and touched her arm. She laid a hand over my own and gripped it tight.

“Did you know what would happen with Tyler?” I asked.

Her eyes met mine and she shook her head vehemently. “I didn’t know anything apart from the fact that we needed to get out of North America.”

“Hunter knew what was going to happen?” Max asked.

Ela nodded her head. “He heard rumors that President Nelson was looking for any excuse to lock us up, no matter what happened in Austria. The Rogue attack set things in motion, but what happened at the Supernatural Parliament…

Her voice trailed off, but I rubbed her shoulder with my hand, trying my best to ease the pain she still carried.

“Hunter didn’t know what to do,” Ela continued. “But he thought finding Holly could help us.”

Max and I looked at one another again. So, they had the same idea we had? But if they wanted Holly’s help, that must mean they weren’t the ones who killed Chair Fakari…

“Bullshit!” Ekon roared. “You and your double agent mate wanted to silence her from warning us!”

“Lies! What you say are all lies!” Ela screamed in response.

Max moved to Ekon but was pushed away. My mate’s nerves were knotted and I feared that he might never be able to unravel. The need for alcohol was too much for him to overcome. If he didn’t find a way to ease the stress, it might put us all in harm’s way.

“Look at her, Ekon!” yelled Max. “She has been through hell and your accusations will get us nowhere. Calm ~the fuck~ down.”

“Don’t speak to me like that!” warned Ekon. He stood up and I could see his eyes growing dark. His anger was nearly causing him to shift.

“If you shift and hurt any of us, Ekon, so help the Moon Goddess, I will leave you to fend for yourself in this forest!”

My trembling voice seemed to shake even Ekon’s stubborn aggression.

I turned back to Ela and placed my hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. “Did you find Holly? Were you able to speak to her?”

Ela shook her head, looking across the camp at Hunter's unconscious body.

“We were almost there, but…” her voice trailed off.

“It’s okay. We’re here with you and we won’t leave. You can tell us what happened,” I said in my most comforting tone.

“Who did this?” asked Max. “We want to help you, Ela. But we have to know.”

“They came out of nowhere,” Ela responded, feebly. “At first, I wasn’t sure. The first wolf hit Hunter from behind and nearly knocked him unconscious.” She took in a deep breath and tried to swallow her fears.

“What wolf? Was it a Rogue?” I asked, fearing the worst.

Ela nodded her head sadly. “There was a whole group of them. Nine or ten... I think they had tracked us for a while, but I can’t be sure.”

“We heard about a Rogue pack making its way south. They must have picked up your scent,” said Max, fearful.

I looked around at the dense trees and worried that they could still be out there… watching… waiting.

“They tore him to pieces and made me watch,” Ela said, burying her head into my shoulder. “Poor Hunter…”

I held her as she sobbed uncontrollably. This wasn’t good at all. Not only was Holly missing and Ekon crumbling before my eyes… but Devina and Matthias must be closer than we imagined.

“What are we going to do?” Ela asked, scared.

I looked at Max, who shook his head. That was a hard question and I feared the answer. Ekon’s nerves were on edge, Max and I were absolutely exhausted and Ela seemed too distraught to continue.

If Hunter died, I feared it would only spell doom for the rest of us...