Chapter 43: Facing The Sly Wolf

[Dove]
The villagers and I were standing on guard at the gate, facing the bluish-grey mountains when Connie came up behind us.

"A force is coming. Seven odd."

This was unexpected, I thought. Who could it be? I wanted to ask when Abe's face barged into my view.

My heart seized for a moment. An unknown fear crept into my mind. What is he doing here? Shouldn’t he be at the battle?

“Dove,” Abe said calmly. His mask was completely off, showing his raw emotions and darkest desires. “I didn’t expect you to be here.” He raised his head to the blackening sky and inhaled deeply, then returned to us with an evil grin on his face. “I wasn't expecting the village to be guarded.”

Realizing that he was up to his old sneaky ways, I straightened. “You never change."

An eerie cackle escaped his grinning lips. "Aren't you bolder now?" His smiling eyes fell into a death stare. "You think that marrying an Alpha changes your status, don't you? Did you tell them, Dove? About your special gift."

I pressed my lips in panic.

Hands to his hips, Abe sneered mercilessly, "You didn't?" He shook his head like a parent reprimanding a cub and chuckled. "My Goddess, Dove. You shouldn't lie."

My heart wavered slightly as guilt crushed my insides.

The pack remained quiet and held their stance, but I could feel their eyes shifting with curiosity.

An elder next to me mumbled without moving her lips, "Stay alert, my Luna."

I mentally nodded. Cole's face surfaced in my mind and I was slightly calmed.

A finger pointed carelessly in my direction. "She is a curse!" Abe broke into hysterical laughing. His fighters cast strange looks at him. "She weakens anyone who goes near her, including you all. Why do you think this battle happened?"

Ignoring the hotness in my eyes and the bitter taste in my mouth, I kept still.

None of us dared to move for the slightest movement would give away our secret weapon.

A huge rock, the size of a dinner plate, crashed into Abe's face.

My eyes widened as the old Alpha stumbled backwards. He grunted in pain then growled loudly in rage. Swinging around, his bloody face glared at us as his squeaky voice pierced our eardrums.

"Who's that?"

"Me!" A familiar voice came from behind me. It sounded like Modis. "Hey Uncle Abe, I didn't know you could talk so well. Father says you were always half-awake."

Abe looked astonished. His eyes fell into a frantic search.

"Now!" I cried.

Immediately, we divided and rushed to one side. A row of cubs, who had been hiding behind us, stepped forward and hurled large rocks over to Abe's side.

The six Moon Paw Pack wolves gazed with alarmed expressions at the looming boulders. Panic struck their eyes and they scrambled clumsily for a safe space, colliding with each other, losing their formation.

I nabbed the chance and called for our next move. "Go!"

Before the rocks fell on them, we dashed forward and attacked the befuddled enemies.

Remembering Cole's instructions, I slid across the ground towards beautiful face and knocked down her forefeet. As she tripped forward, I swirled to the air, shifted into wolf form and clamped down on her neck with my sharp teeth.

She howled in pain and tried to throw me off, but I was stronger. We struggled on the ground, brushing sand around us and gusting dust up in the air.

My final move, the hardest, would be to grab her tail with my teeth and swing her over to a hard surface.

Then, the horrifying sour smell stung my nose. I froze in terror. It was the same one from the red candle.

But this time, it was from a thick smoke. The smell was more pungent.

Beautiful face hurried out of my grasp and scurried behind Abe who was holding up a torch. His face was half-covered.

I hastily backed away to the village gates. "Squeeze!"

The elders and werewomen released the whimpering and squealing wolves and rushed towards me, but then their knees gave way and their bodies crumbled to the ground.

"No!" I snarled at Abe.

Behind the thick, brownish-grey fumes, Abe grinned with satisfaction. "What will it be, Dove? Them or you?"

I watched helplessly as the villagers lay on the ground, groaning. Energy was also slipping from me; my knees felt wobbly and my skin was scalding.

Closing my eyes in surrender, I said, "Take me." Then, I shot a glare and barked. "But let them go!"

He removed the torch and I stepped forward.

"No!" Modis rushed out to stop me, but a bandaged hand grabbed her and pulled her behind the village wall.

Beautiful face and her chummies seized my arms, locking them behind me. Then, I felt a sharp blade at my throat. My eyes fell onto the tool - a clean cut would sever my head. I swallowed carefully.

"Alisa," Abe jingled.

The name halted my heartbeat.

He sang louder in a creepy tune, "Alisa, dear! I know you're in there. I'm here to take you home."

I looked at the grey-haired Alpha, stunned beyond words. Had he gone mad? Why was he calling my mother’s name? Why would she be in the Whispering Moon Pack village?

Abe turned to me with flaring nostrils, "You! It's all your fault! You cursed me! If you hadn’t been born, Alisa wouldn’t have left me. You took away my magic power. You weakened me!" He spun around and tossed the torch onto the ground, near the villagers.

"No!" I screamed in horror. "You said you wouldn't hurt them!"

The old sly wolf cackled once more. Dancing in a strange merry to two of his wolves, he grabbed their torches and cast them over the village walls.

I watched a few cubs fall out from their hiding places, slumped to the ground, and was outraged. "Stop it! You maniac!"

Abe paused and grinned serenely. "You hear that Alisa! She's exactly like you." He came slowly towards me with dangerous eyes. "Except she’s not as useful as you. She can’t do anything right. She has no magic powers." The same eyes turned bloodshot.

A few villagers started to scream in sheer agony, squirming on the ground like prawns in boiling water. Steam was fizzing out of their reddening skins.

I struggled to break free so I could help them, but I was completely restrained. "Let them go!" My voice was turning hoarse as I continued to plead for their lives as if they were mine.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the smoke cleared.

Abe grinned his satisfied grin as a shadow emerged into the light.

Staring at the face, a wave of goosebumps washed over me.

Abe turned around. "Alisa, dear! Oh my Goddess, what did you do with your beautiful blue hair? And your brows. You did all that just to hide from me? You know I’d still find you."

Claire said nothing and kept a blank stare at Abe.

Ignoring her silence, Abe hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much."

As Abe muttered inaudible words to her, Claire raised a hand…

The knife from my throat fell sharply to the ground. Beautiful face and her chummies started swaying aimlessly with happy faces.

Abe turned around, but before he could react, an invisible force held his throat.

Claire was secretly twisting and straining her wrist.

"That-- that was-- a new-- trick," Abe spoke in gasps as he struggled for air. "Are you-- defying--- your Alpha--?" He coughed with a smug look on his face.

Claire stared blankly at Abe. Then, she spoke in a low, velvety voice. "My Alpha is Cole Grey."

The declaration confounded Abe. Gaping at the emotionless face, his arms started flailing helplessly.

"Leave us alone." Claire’s eyes shone in an angry yellow.

Abruptly, Abe dropped to the ground with a hard thud. Grimacing in pain, he started giggling like a wild hyena.

Remembering the villagers, I rushed forward to check on them. Their skins were still burning in furious red.

"Leave my daughter alone," Claire warned with a vicious tone and Abe was flung to the village wall. I heard something snapped.

Abe slithered to the ground. Blood spurted from his lips like a broken hose. Despite his pained expression, he was still cackling as if he had gone crazy.

"You've changed, Alisa. I told you that Dan was a bad influence, but you still married him. Both of you have created a curse." Abe tore his half-opened eyes from Claire and shot a chilling stare at me. "You have cursed them all. They will now die because of you."

And he fainted.

I was stupefied. They? An image of Cole sprung into my mind, then the burnt torch caught my eyes. A sharp terror seized my nerves. I spun around at Claire.

"They're using the silver smoke at the battle!" Tears gushed down my cheeks. “Cole!” I collapsed to the ground, feeling utterly defeated.