Jack's POV
We run, what feels like forever to the other end of the school grounds. A memorial statue stands tall and just behind, a giant apple tree. The apples are so shiny that they almost look unreal, but as we got closer the apples began to crumble, mold grows like wildfire and decay curses the bark, the tree stares at us, angry and ready to stop us from getting through.
"I'm guessing we have to go through there." Just as he mentioned it, the tree grows large thorns, blocking anyway of getting through and my pulse begins to rise, boiling my blood.
We don't have time for this.
I'm panicking, what will we do?
What if we don't get to her?
Tears sting my eyes as I think of the worst.
Worrying won't get you anywhere Jack. Breathe. Think. You haven't got time to panic right now.
I look at my wrist, 15 minutes and counting.
"Call your pack Dillon, we may need back up." With that I made my way through the thorns, I don't care that it's tearing my clothes or even that my skin is now covered in scratches, I have to get to her no matter what.
As I'm trying to get through Dillon roars. "MOVE!"
Branches crumble as the memorial statue now lays across the floor making a pathway through the vines to reveal a tunnel.
I look at Dillon and we both head down.
12 minutes left.
We come to a divide, oh of course we do, freaking typical. "You go that way, I'll go this way." Pointing left for him and right for me.
Dillon's POV
I run down the way she points no questions asked, I can't catch Mallaurie's scent and there's no point changing, my wolf won't know what to do, to be honest we're both terrified. We only just found her and now we could lose her.
That's when I catch it, she whispers over and over.
"No no no no no." There in a cage lies my mate, curled in pain and trying to hold on. Most wolves would have given up by now, I'm so proud of her.
There's a gold layer of magic over her, probably the curse that takes her so far away from me. She whimpers again. But it looks like she screaming, no sounds come out that way though.
I touch the bars that separate us and they're strong, but I'm stronger, I break them off the hinges without a second thought of the noise.
I kneel by her, my precious mate, and I cry for her, she in so much pain and I don't know what to do. I touch the golden stuff and I feel dizzy.
Poison.
My wolf seems to know it isn't good.
Go through the wall.
Is this a wall?
Must find mate.
With that I pushed with all my might, through the mist of gold and arrived at a meadow.
Screams erupted from afar and that's when I couldn't control him any longer. My wolf took over and we ran, straight towards to sound.
Straight towards our mate.
Mallaurie's POV
I scream but I hear nothing. All I feel is pain. All I see is red. I've lost all my energy and I can't go on with this. I'm laying on the floor now and I try to lift my arm up but I fail.
The man seems to get the idea though and brings the goblet to me. I could almost feel the liquid on my chapped lips when a howl shakes the meadow. I can't see him but I feel him, I know him but I don't know from where.
Mate.
That word fills my head with a feeling of hope, I don't know why but it feels so good after all this pain. The howler stands over me, his soft fur over my side and stomach, growling aggressively at anyone who dares come near.
Mate. I will keep you safe.
A different voice fills my head and I can't help but love it, the comfort it brings and the ultimate trust I have in it.
He's licking me, it takes away some of the pain and I can't be more grateful as it seems to be getting worse. My bones reconstruct and I try to stop it, I scream once more in pain.
Let it go. Be the wolf.
And so I did, without holding it back the transition happened. The change from myself to her was strange but once it was over I knew it was right.
And oh how beautiful you are.
Dillon? I don't understand, it wasn't his voice I heard before. Where is he?
He is me, I am him.
How did he?
I hear chuckling in my head. I can hear you love.
Now I hear the man, laughing even though he's covered in his own blood, Dillon had struck him with his claws. His teeth are red with it and it's gruesome. Dillon runs to him and snarls. "What are you laughing at?!"
He coughs as he laughs, clearly dying. "You'll never make it to the border, you only have 3 minutes left. She'll still win her prize."
With that, Dillon turns to me.
Run.
Jack's POV
At the end, I can see a light, but I can also hear Nicola.
I knew she did this.
I'm going to kill her.
"How long left?" Nicola says impatiently.
"About 5 minutes." I recognize the voice but not completely, I frown trying to place it.
Suddenly Nicola is in front of me, smirking. "Come to watch the show?" She doesn't act surprised that I'm here, but I didn't make any noise, did I?
Nicola pulls me into the room, it stinks, I gag as it enters my nostrils, then I'm rushed with an anger I've never experienced. I punch her in the shoulder before going again, this time for the face. "WHERE IS SHE?!" I spit.
She laughs evilly. "As if I would tell you, do you think I'm stupid? You're a pitiful human, what are you gonna do?" Now that I thought about it, what could I do.
In my moment of distraction, Nicola grabs a knife and lungs for me. I get ready for the inevitable impact but it doesn't come.
I open my eyes but the light is so bright I close them again and cover my eyes with my arms.
Gabriel.
"Nicoliana Blackwater of the Blackwater Ridge Fae, you have gone against the Creator and he has noticed." His voice was full of power and had a hint of resentment in it.
"Your lights don't scare me, you can't do anything down here." Her voice quivered, more like she was guessing than certain.
"Want to take a bet on that princess? Your father is not impressed by your behaviour. You're being sent back, but not home, you're going to the Riverbed."
"No!" She screams. But her screams fade away, as I open my eyes for a second time, Gabriel is running down some steps.
I run, following his direction and he's crouching over Mallaurie, whose covered by Dillon. Gabriel whispers something into the golden mist surrounding them and it began to lift away.
Mallaurie's POV
Run.
That's all I could think, if I don't run I'll become part of Nicola's cruel plan and Dillon will be stuck here forever.
Even in our wolf forms the end seemed so far away.
The view then began to change, green grass turned to a bare dusty landscape. The trees lost all the life they had and become dark, almost angry that their masks have been removed.
A voice fills the surroundings, almost a whisper in a non existent wind.
"Time is running out but so are you, the gateway opens only for the true." The voice was soothing but not like of Dillon and his wolf, they were heaven to my ears.
Damn right.
"The gateway!" I point my head to it.
A grotesque structure made of the vines from a white tree, it would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the bones and skulls decorating it along with blood red flowers.
We jump through and I gasp.
Opening my eyes, I take in the room, the dungeon.
Dillon is on top of me, he's waking up too, he notices me and cuddles me tight.
It's the best feeling in the world.
Until another body lands on us. It's Jack. "I thought I lost you." With tears in her eyes she hugs me as I get up.
She leans back and looks me in the eye with her hands on my shoulders.
"Don't do that to me ever again."