Chapter 35

(Chapter song ‘Orinoco’ by Enya, ‘Animal I’ve Become’ by Three Days Grace)

EZRA “Bottoms up.”

Oliver hands me the vial of Croak. I look at him nervously like it’s a trick.

He smiles. “I understand, baby. It’s OK. Go ahead.”

I put the bottle to my lips and pour back half. I cap it as I swallow it. I feel the heat and the bond to my body. My wolf becomes more clear.

I open my eyes after the power in absorbed. I look around as the rest of my pack drink there’s.

He takes it from me. “Good. Ian is synthesizing more. Once we figure out how to merge your DNA like Cornell did, we should be able to complete the process. Now, I only need six of you. The rest need to stay here in the lab so Ian can work with you.”

Frankie throws his arm around my shoulders. “You’re the creator.”

Oliver crosses his arms and smirks. “I guess I am. I like that.”

I giggle. “You’re a good leader.”

He places his hand on my face. “I have a good Luna.”

I feel my face flush.

He claps his hands together. “OK. Frank. Choose four who’s coming with us. Four ok?” Oliver holds up four fingers.

Frankie does the same. “Four.” He confirms.

“Good man.” Oliver slaps his cheek. He wraps his arm around me. “You…Come with me.”

He grabs my hand and leads me back into the house. We go upstairs and down the hall to his office. He slides the door open and looks over his shoulder. “I have a very special mission for you.”

“A special mission?” I arch a brow.

He walks to another door and slides it open. He turns and faces me. “Your mission, my very special lady bird is…choose one.”

I have lots of questions, but I walk into the room he’s holding his hand out to.

I step in and I don’t know what I’m feeling. The room is so bright. There’s white dust in some spots, lots of tools I don’t understand. Lots of pretty white rocks and…

I cautiously approach as the frozen people stare in different directions.

I look behind me and Oliver is walking behind me with his hands behind his back. “Go on. Look. Touch.”

I smile as I walk around the frozen dresses and legs. I stop at a man and look up at his strong face. I place a foot on his stand and get a close look. I feel his hard hair and feel is cold cheek. My hands rest on his strong arm.

“You like that one?” Oliver asks.

I give him another look. “I don’t know.”

“Well. See the others.” He advises.

I hop down and walk to a woman with a basket. She’s fixing her dress. My fingers run through her stone curls. “Beautiful.” I whisper as I touch my own hair.

His arms wrap around me and his head rests on my shoulder. “Not as beautiful as you. You like her?”

I slowly nod. “You made this?”

“I did.” He kisses my temple.

“I like this one.” I turn to his eyes and smile.

“Good. She’ll be put in the foyer just for you.” He smiles back.

I spin around in his arms. “For me?”

He leans close. “She’s all yours. All my art will belong to my precious Luna.”

I’ve never been giving anything like this before. The feeling of it made me throw my arms around his neck. “Thank you. Thank you for giving.”

“You’re welcome.” He chuckles.

“I want to give you something. Stay here.” I say and run off through the house, up the stairs. I get to my room and rummage through my drawers. I find the thing that’s most special to me.

With a giggle, I run back to him. Panting, I hop in front of him. “Hold out your hand.”

“OK.” He holds out his hand.

I drop the heart pendent and chain in it.

“Baby. This is yours.” His brows come together.

I nod. “I know. It’s my heart and I’m giving it to you.” I push a finger into his chest.

“You’re giving me your heart.” He smiles.

“Yes. I am.” I nod sharply.

He leans to me. “Are you sure you’re a Dire wolf?”

My face falls. “Why wouldn’t I be? I don’t understand the question?”

He laughs. “Don’t worry about it.” He throws his arm around me and places my necklace in his pocket. “Thank you.” He kisses my hair and I hug his waist.

****

“OK. You sure you can keep up.” Oliver says as he climbs into his truck.

“Yes. Dire Wolves can run very fast. We'll keep up.” I answer.

“OK. Stay with me and stick to my side of the road. I don’t need anyone getting in trouble. Try your link.” He says through the open door.

‘Is it working?’ I link to him.

‘Loud and clear, Lady bird. Gimme a kiss.’ He links back.

I kiss his lips then he starts the truck. “When we get to the contact point, I need you to scan for Cornell.”

“We can do that.” Frankie says.

“OK. Link me if you need to stop.” Oliver puts the truck in gear and drives out of the pack house driveway.

Frankie, me and four others, shift to our large Dire Wolves. I roar out and the others follow. We run into the woods behind the house to catch up to Oliver.

Just behind the trees, our large paws grip the ground. I keep Oliver in my side vision. His truck shimmers red and blue. I see him find my eye. He salutes me and speeds up. I huff a growl and start to run faster.

My wolf feels a freeness I never felt before. This doesn’t feel like a fight. This feels almost whole though, she still holds a lot of power of the clearer mind. She doesn’t want to help me speak better or think better. Only when she’s angry does she let me speak like Oliver. Hopefully, Oliver can fix that.

We ran for days. For us, we didn’t need to stop, but Oliver said he did. Each night we would sleep in his truck while my brother and fellow Dires rested outside.

We’d lay on the back seat and look up at the stars through the roof.

He twirls his finger in my hair. “I hope you understand what we're doing.” He says quietly.

“I do.” I reach over him to a food called strawberries. I pick one up and put it to his mouth. He bites half and I eat the other.

“Thank you.” He chews and grins. “I just want to make sure you’re OK with fighting Cornell. I don’t need you triggered. I need your head straight and focused.”

“I know. Cornell’s bad. I’m not. I know who deserves death.” I say as I ear another berry.

“We can’t kill him until I extract information from him. He needs to tell me what I need to complete the Dire process and replicate it then you can kill him.” He ticks his head.

“OK. He can talk to you then I rip every limb off and eat his heart.” I say as I casually chew.

He laughs. “My dangerous baby bird.” He hugs me and kisses my lips.

****

The sun was just rising above the trees.

I pant with the rest of my pack as we run on the side of the road beside Oliver. His black truck starts to shine as the sun hits it. He puts his sunglasses on and steps on the gas. I run up on the black top and he smirks. I shake my thin mane and huff as I keep up.

I jump and bark, then my paws command more power as he laughs. My wolf turns to him in his window and I bark at him.

“I LOVE YOU, TOO!” He yells.

I run ahead, my long tail swinging behind me.

I gnash my large canines and my chest huffs as our paws thunder on the ground. I’m in front of his truck and joined on either side by Frankie and Radar. Cecil, Foster and Kody surround Oliver on the sides. We protect the leader as we enter the area where we meet up with the creator. Our wolves stand half past his windows and our thin fur makes our muscles stand out as we run. Our small thin ears twist front and back as we all go on high alert.

Kody and Foster ask about the mission and I link Oliver.

‘I have Ian sending me the location on the transport now. Be ready.’

He turn down a road toward the spot. ‘Do you feel that?’ I link Frankie.

‘Yeah.’

‘The Creator.’ Cecil says.

They all stand their manes up and Oliver links me. ‘WHATS going on?’

‘The creator is coming.’ I answer.

He slows down to a stop and hops out. Walking around to the rear of the truck and I follow. My wolf watches over his shoulder as he pulls out a large gun and arms it. He puts it in the back of his pants and grabs a duffle bag. Closing the back, he turns to me. He pulls out his phone. Ian is on it.

“Where are they?”

“Straight ahead. ETA 5 minutes. Brown Ford.” Ian says.

“Talk to you in fifteen.” Oliver puts his phone in his pocket.

“Cornell is headed this way.” Oliver says.

My wolf growls and lowers her head. She lifts her paw and bumps his leg.

‘What?’

‘Get on.’ I link.

The corner of his lip ticks up as my wolf takes his duffle into her teeth. Oliver plants a foot on my leg, grabs my mane and throws his leg over my back. Once he’s settled, I lift my head.

“Let’s go!” He points forward and the six of us run up the road with me and Oliver in front.

He links me to stop and I stand in the center of the road with my tail swishing and my nerve endings jumping. The creators energy fills me and it burns me inside as his energy feels weak.

“Kody, Cecil. Up there on the left. Wait.”

The two run off.

“Radar, Foster. Right side. Up there. In the trees.”

Oliver points to the road beside me. “Frank.”

Frankie stands beside me. His red and grey Dire shakes and licks his lips. His mane stands up as foes mine.

“Easy.” Oliver whispers. He pets my mane down as a car comes into view.

Oliver adjusts his glasses. He asks for his duffle and I lift it to him. He pulls out a weapon. He pulls out a cone shaped ball with wings that he puts in the long tube. A rocket.

“Ezra. Raise your head.” He says quietly and nonchalantly.

I raise my head and he rests the big tube on it between my ears.

“5…4…”

He lowers himself to it.

“3…2…”

The car in front gets closer then stops. It sits there, then sounds of its tires squeal and it starts to back up.

“1.”

He fires and I don’t move a muscle. The smoke made a trail as the car spun around. My wolfs cat like eyes watch the rocket flies toward the car and hits it back end.

The rocket explodes, making the car flip high in the air and smash on the road upside down. Smoke billows from it and it’s twisted metal rocks on its roof slowly then stops.

Oliver jumps down, drops the duffle bag on the ground and puts another rocket in the tube. He rests it on his shoulder as he takes a cigar out his pocket, bites the end off and lights it.

He looks to me and nods, I nod back and he starts to stroll to the wreckage.

Black smoke rises into the air as coughing comes from inside the broken cab of the Ford. Oliver’s boots crunch the glass as he takes the last step to the window. Smoke leaves his lips as he squats down and tilts his head to look into the backseat of the car.

“You must be Cornell.” His head turns to the front seat and back to Cornell. “Sorry about your friend, but we need to have a little chat.”

His hand plants on the door as he reaches in and grabs Cornell’s foot as he whines and protests with no voice.

Oliver slides him out onto the road. He’s wearing a green jumpsuit and he has a gold bar in his teeth like a gag. His hands are cuffed.

His face is cut and bleeding and his yellow hair is bleeding.

His eyes are wild as Oliver lifts him to his feet. He looks Cornell over. “I have several things to discuss with you then I will decide how to kill you based on your level of cooperation.”

He mumbles words and looks angry.

Oliver sighs and rips the bar out of his mouth.

Cornell huffs breathes. “Who the hell are you?” He scowls.

Oliver grabs his shirt. “The last face your goddamn eyes will ever see again. Let’s go.”

He shoves Cornell to the truck. I shift and join his side.

“Ezra?” Cornell looks my way and I turn away.

Oliver stops, grabs his throat and lifts him up. Cornell chokes and gags as his cuffed hands try to stop him.

“You keep your fucking eyes off her or I’ll unleash her and she’ll peel every inch of skin from your bones.” Oliver snarls.

Cornell starts to laugh.

Oliver eyes him suspiciously. “You think I’m joking?”

“No…I…think it’s funny…you think you’re…the only one with Dires.” He smiles. “I came prepared.” He chokes.

The surrounding forest rises in various cat and dog like growls.

I look to the trees and they shimmer. Eight dires appear out of the darkness.

“Camouflage.” Oliver drops Cornell as he watches the wolves approach with fur and backs up.

“Yes and unless you’ve trained yours…” He smirks as his move in.

“Ez?” Oliver says as he pulls the gun from his jeans.

“We got this.” I shift and my Dire yips.

Frankie, Foster and Radar jump from the trees and attack the dires at the back. Cecil and Kody attack from the other side.

I sprint to the first Dire in front with jaws open and claws out. He rises up and I sink my teeth into his neck. Shaking maliciously, the Dire screams out and digs his claws into me. I push him to the ground and he tries to push me off. My thin muzzle finds his neck again and I crush his windpipe. Grabbing his spine, I rip it out and throw it.

The animals crash like out of control trucks. The sound hurts my ears as the high pitched growls fill the area.

Cornell quickly runs, turns and a Dire whips his tail between his hands and he runs.

“I don’t think so.” Oliver growls. He chases Cornell down, lunges and grabs him by the back. He throws Cornell to the road and he rolls down the yellow line. “I so, want to rip you apart right now.”

Oliver stalks the man struggling to get to his feet. “What I saw in my head, hell isn’t good enough for you. There isn’t enough justice in the fucking world that will ever make what you did right.”

“You have no idea what I’m doing.” Cornell growls.

Oliver picks him up by the shirt collar. “I know you’ve destroyed countless lives…OF CHILDREN!” Oliver roars in his face. He lets Cornell go and straightens his shirt.

Cornell has a look of anger and fear on his face. His weakness leeches off him. As leader, that’s not a good energy.

Oliver looks over him. “But…on some level, I can understand. Being alone makes you do shitty things. So, you cooperate and do right by my Ezra, I’ll make your trip to…where ever the fuck sick monsters go…a quick and very, very fucking painful one.”

He glares into Cornell’s eyes. Cornell mouths and stammers words as his fear builds even more. Oliver’s lip curls and he swings a blow to Cornell’s head.

I grab a Dire and our large canines lock and we try to flip each onto the ground. Our lips curled back and our eyes flare with fire. Our muscles strain with the wrestle.

Oliver is punching Cornell over and over. He picks him up off the pavement and throws him to the car. Cornell falls onto his stomach.

I’m picked up and smashed into the road. My wolf cries out and Oliver turns my way. His eyes meet mine and I gain more strength.

‘Tear him apart, baby.’ He links and I let out a large growl. Cornell throws a punch his way and he dodges it. “That was just dumb.” He snarls and lands a blow to Cornell’s gut. Cornell doubles over and hits the ground. Oliver grabs his hair and punches his blood covered face.

I lunge at the Dire and my jaws wrap around his head. I crush it in my teeth. His warm blood gushes and I tear it off his shoulders. My Dire stands on him and tears off all his limbs and throws them at the other dires.

I spit out his tail and see Oliver pick up Cornell. I see his hands free. ‘OLLIE! WATCH HIS HANDS!’

Cornell shoves his hand on the side Oliver’s head.

Oliver ticks his jaw. “Why?” He asks as his head tilts.

‘He has magic. He can make you do things.’

Cornell looks Oliver over with confusion. He touches his other cheek then his face. Oliver rips it off with a sneer.

Cornell’s brows come together. “Wh-Why isn’t it working?!”

“You don’t know how this works?” Oliver yanks the strap of his tank top aside. “Maybe because I’m marked by a Dire.” He holds up Cornell’s hand with the gold cuff on it. My Dire hisses at the sight of it. “Or maybe it’s because your suppressed and fucked.”

His eyes go wide as he looks to Oliver’s mark then me as my Dire stands tall and proud.

“Oh no.” He shakes his head. His blood covered blonde hair shakes with it.

“Oh fuck yes.” Oliver smiles with his cigar in his teeth and lands a hard, fast punch to Cornell’s jaw.

Cornell growls loud and shoves Oliver back. “NOOO!” He breaks away, runs, trips and falls to the ground. ‘HELP ME, YOU IDIOTS!”

The fights grew loud then stopped. The wolves get up off the ground and others drop Cecil, Rader and Kody. Foster stops fighting as the energy around the fight changes. They slowly turn their heads, one by one to Cornell. Oliver grabs him by the hair and he screams as Oliver yanks him up.

All of us group together as a pack and walk toward him, growling. The 12 of us, lower our heads and curl our lips darkly as we stalk him.

“NO! KILL THEM!” He yells as he fights Oliver’s grip. His evil face turns red. His blue eyes confused and looking around chaotically.

We continue to get closer as our mouths salivate.

Oliver puts up a hand and all 12 of us stop. Our drool drips to the road and our retractable claws come out of our toes and dig into the asphalt. Our spiked fur stands on end and our rage pours off us.

“They won’t listen.” Oliver smirks.

“What?” He whips his head to Oliver.

Oliver leans close. “I’m their leader now, you fucking dick. They don’t like you anymore.” He narrows his eyes as he glares at the confusion filling the monsters face.

“You’re not serious.” His eyes go wide.

“I’m dead serious.” Oliver ticks his lip. “FRANK! FOSTER!”

Frankie and Foster trot up to Oliver. He turns Cornell around and shoves him in between the wolves. Cornell turns and backs off in fear, his head Flipping between the two prehistoric wolves.

“Take this pussy home. I’ll meet you there. Don’t stop. Don’t kill him.” Oliver clenches.

The wolves howl. Cornell tries to run. “NOOOO!!” He stumbles as Frankie and Foster run at him. Frankie grabs his arm and chest, Foster grabs a leg and they take off on perfect sync with Cornell letting out a blood curdling scream as they disappear into the distance with them.

Oliver puts his cigar out in his hand and stuffs it in his pocket. “The rest of you! You’re coming with me to Eden. Follow the truck. Ez, make sure they stay on track.”

I nod.

“You two.” He points to a pair of Cornell’s wolves. “Clean up these bodies and hide the blood. We don’t need anyone finding them.”

They bark and start collecting body parts and running them into the woods.

“Radar. Stay with them and catch up.” Oliver orders.

Rader howls and goes to help.

“The rest. Let’s go home.” He smirks and walks to the truck.

I follow behind and shift.

“What’s going to happen?” I ask.

“I’m still thinking. Kidnapping wasn’t really the game plan, but I feel like he’s the key to all this, so I’ll take him to the lab and see what I can find out.” He cups my cheek. “For now, he’s off the streets and can’t hurt anyone else. We can do the hurting now.” He smiles.

“I like that.” I smile back.

“I though you would. Come here.” He leans in and kisses me deeply. His soft tongue is filled with so much love, I almost drown in it. He parts, sucking on my bottom lip. “I’ll see you tonight.”

I back up. “Tonight.”

I shift, howl loud and run. The rest of the pack is right behind me. Oliver is right behind them.

On the highway, we part and let his truck through. He drives ahead escorting the army home.

In my mind, I smile as he drives by and waves. The leader of the Dire Wolves.

The true leader.

I’m not alone and won’t ever be again.