Sorcerer: Trouble with Werewolves: Power of Air Book 2 (10 page)

Saturday, May 21
^st
, 2016, 09:18 AM

Werewolves weren’t as fast as vampires, but they were still
damned fast.  I had to balance my need to keep up with what was happening,
but not go so fast it caused me to pass out.  It also didn’t make me any
stronger, I would fight with magic, the speed was mostly about
perception.  I sped myself up, and then took a look at the
situation.  Sierra was already changing as the eight wolves attacked a
lone wolf in front of me.  Katie was fighting hard, and obviously trying
to do enough damage to escape.

I recognized who each of them were, even in wolf form from
the information I’d gotten on their pack.

I wasn’t sure where Clint and Gerald were, but they had to
be incoming by now, they were only stationed a half mile away.  I
surrounded myself in a shield of air and then sent tight compact balls of air
flying at one of the wolves surrounding Katie.  It took her in the side
and the wolf went flying across the field with a pained yelp.  If she came
back, I’d have to kill her, or maybe trap her somehow?

Sierra took one off guard with a lunge and took its throat
and she shook her head violently, snapping the neck.  One dead wolf. 
We had the advantage of surprise, and also the fact the pack had been torturing
Katie, but with one of their number dead the other pack started to attack in
earnest, no longer just playing a sick game.

I knocked two more across the field with air, and Sierra was
fighting with the beta of the other pack, Billy.  Katie managed to take a
second wolf down, and then the fighting seemed to pause as the howls of other
wolves approaching were heard, and I felt Clint and Gerald enter my range of
connected air.  The invading pack broke at that point, having had enough,
and ran for the trees.

One of the wolves I’d hit got up and followed, the other two
were still, knocked out from my blows.  Clint ran straight to his mate and
sniffed Katie, who had more than a few shallow wounds and was now lying on her
side with the fight over.  I walked over and knelt at her side, and
studied the wounds with my magic, and then healed her, although it took a good
minute or two.

I checked Sierra, and she was fine.  She changed then
and angrily pulled her dress on as I wrapped the unconscious wolves in air and
pulled them toward us across the field.

She stalked over to me, “Why didn’t you kill them!”

I looked at her sadly, we were so happy last night, and I
felt something break between us.  Sure, I wasn’t in love with her yet I
didn’t think, but the feelings I had for her were still deep, and she was in my
heart.  But there she stood, she was actually shaking with the effort not
to attack me.

“I couldn’t kill all of them, it happened too fast.”

What I said was mostly true, I could have sped my body up to
the point they were barely moving, but leaving myself helpless afterwards was
something I wouldn’t do ever again.

She growled, “I meant the three you hit, those two right
there, and the one that got away.”

Katie, Gerald, and Clint didn’t seem all that angry with me
about it, unlike Sierra, but they didn’t exactly look pleased either.  The
way Sierra was looking at me actually hurt, so I looked away and walked over to
the two wolves and spoke without looking at any of them.

“I’d have killed if I had to, but I didn’t.  I was
focused on taking the wolves about to attack Katie from behind, and if one of
those had been Karl or Billie, I’d have killed them.  These two, Carrie
and Todd, are virtually slaves under Karl’s power.  I could save them
without endangering the pack, or myself, so I did.”

I turned and looked at her, my face now angry, “Carrie is
their mystic, with her help Selene can break their hiding spells.  She’s
not only a mystic, but also was the omega in the pack, she loathes Karl and
what she’s been forced to do.  If I told you even half of what I know
about what Karl has forced on her… it wasn’t good.  Todd also hates Karl,
but can’t fight the pack bond.

“Those two lying dead in the grass, Paul and Steven. 
Steven was kind of a bad apple, but Paul wasn’t.  I understand they had to
die, two wolves fighting is kill or be killed.  But that is
not
so
for me.  I
can
disable without killing, and not endanger the pack
or me.”

I looked down at the ground and turned, not wanting them to
see the sheen of unshed tears in my eyes.  Sierra had still looked angry,
but not quite so righteous about it.  I went over the last few days in my
mind, had I been looking through rose colored glasses?  And what the hell
had turned Sierra against me today, first she looks like she regretted what we
did, didn’t even want to touch me, and now I doubted she’d even piss on me if I
was on fire.  I was second guessing my decision to ally, they seemed all
about family, at least until they’d turned on me.

I gathered my magic with angry will.  I reached hard
and my hundred-foot bubble expanded half as large again, the power increase was
even greater as the area was increased by much more than just half.  I was
now connected to a half sphere a hundred and fifty feet out in all directions
but down.  I surrounded them all with magic.  Clint, Gerald, Katie,
Sierra… even the knocked out wolves Carrie and Todd, and I willed the air to
take them to the pack house.

I stayed in the field, not sure what to do next.  I
looked around at the blood on the ground and the dead wolves, and decided a
little cleanup was in order.  I turned it all to dust with my fire. 
I thought about just giving up on it and going home, but I dismissed
that.  I wasn’t a five-year-old who ran home after getting his feelings
hurt on the playground.  I still needed to stop Karl and the rest of the
pack, and not just for my supposed alliance with Derik’s pack, but because
Karl’s a murdering bastard.

It was the reason I’d started this in the first place, not
necessarily to help the pack, but simply to stop Karl and his murder
spree.  It was still early in the day, not even ten yet, and I could
decide later if I wanted to back out of being a pack ally.  The decision
was too important to be made in a fit of emotion.

Aitheria didn’t seem inclined to offer any advice.  She
may have been a woman, but she was also made of spirit and magic, not flesh and
blood.  I wasn’t sure how big a difference that would make, but she was
silently watchful as always, and faithfully at my side watching my back. 
There was a certain comfort in that.

An even better reason not to back out in anger, was what if
Sierra had another reason to be mad at me, and she just picked the wolves I let
live to start a fight?  The more I considered that the more likely it
seemed, since the other three hadn’t been nearly as upset about it after
all.  I shook my head in disgust.  Sierra and my personal
entanglement was definitely making the issue more complicated, last night had
been amazing, and I hated the fact I was starting to regret it even
happened.  I got tired of trying to break the circle of my thoughts, I
wouldn’t figure anything out standing here by myself, so I gathered magic
around me, and went to Derik’s backyard.

I opened my eyes when the movement stopped, and took in the
scene.  Both Carrie and Todd were awake, and completely surrounded by the
pack’s nine members.  They were both still and facing Derik, who looked at
them sternly, but not unkindly.  It looked like a staring contest to me,
but I knew there was more to it, but I couldn’t feel their earth magic.

Maybe he was trying to overcome their pack bonds and free
them?  I wasn’t sure.  No one looked my way, so I just stayed silent
and watched.  Carrie started to tremble, and then passed out.  Todd
lasted a couple of minutes longer, until he too passed out.  The pack
seemed to relax then, and Derik looked at me and gave me a welcoming nod with a
smile on his face.

Katie came over and touched my arm, so apparently I wasn’t
in the doghouse and still an ally, except of course with Sierra who I noticed
didn’t even look my way.

Katie said, “I think I’m done playing bait, can you… remove
that spell?”

I nodded and pulled the magic back, “It’s done.”

Katie looked thoughtful for a moment, “Thank you for saving
me, and for healing me.  I think it would have gone differently without
you and Sierra there.  Sierra… I’ve never seen her act that way, and I’m
sorry for what she said.  What you did for those two was a kindness. 
I think… you should speak to her, and work out whatever happened between you
two.  Keep in mind werewolves like to know where they stand, it comes from
that whole thing about knowing where we stand in the pack.  If it means
anything, I think the two of you look good together.  Outside of this
morning, I’ve never seen her look at anyone like the way she looks at you.”

Katie patted my arm and smiled before she walked away and
rejoined Clint.  I was glad I hadn’t given up on the pack, it seemed that
I was right about Sierra’s angry tirade being personal, and not about me
sparing those two wolves at all.  I was still confused though, why hadn’t
she talked to me instead of closing off and running away? 

On the good side, I knew exactly what I’d done wrong last
night.  We hadn’t discussed anything, we’d simply let our passion and love
making do all the talking.  Apparently she didn’t know where we stood, and
I should have told her exactly how I felt about her, and where I was hoping we
were going.  Well I did think having a werewolf as a girlfriend would be
exciting, turned out I was more right than I knew.

I walked over to the group, and let Sierra keep her
distance, now wasn’t the time, but I wouldn’t let her get away without a nice
long talk later.  Right now though, we still had four more wolves out
there to hunt down.  Carrie and Todd started to stir and got up. 
Todd looked shaken, Carrie was a complete mess and broke down in tears. 
Selene led Carrie over to a chair and took a seat next to her.  Clint was
talking to Todd and made sure he wasn’t going anywhere yet.

I was patient, it took a while before Carrie could really
speak coherently.  I wasn’t going to be the one to rush her, I knew
exactly what she’d been going through and it would take the woman a long time
to get passed it.  Once the tears stopped however Selene spoke.

“We need your help.  The spells you have on them that
keeps them hidden.  I believe I can break them using you as the link, will
you allow it?”

Carrie nodded, “He’s evil, I didn’t want to do any of it.”

Selene shushed her and pulled the much younger woman into a
hug.  I could feel Sierra looking at me from slightly behind and to the
right, and with my connection to the air I could tell her expression was
conflicted, and confused.  I’d thought the hateful angry look she’d given
me in the field had broken whatever was between us, but between that look I now
felt, and Katie’s advice, I felt a little hope in my heart.  I had to
remind myself now wasn’t the time.

Carrie pulled back, “Let’s get that done, but they’re
probably back at the house we’ve been staying in.  It’s actually one that
you own over in the new development a few miles south of here,” she told us all
the address.

Clint cursed under his breath at that information,
apparently it hadn’t occurred to them.  I knew they’d been checking hotels
and rental houses in the area for them, but apparently they hadn’t considered
their own properties.

Selene pulled out the package with the bone and explained
what she was doing.

“This was made by a witch, it will use you as a bridge to
find your spells, and for my magic to cancel them out,” she looked around, “Is
everyone set to go once we have a location?”

I nodded along with everyone else in Derik’s pack.  I
felt calm and centered.

Todd spoke, “What about me, and Carrie, what will happen to
us?”

Derik said, “Well, I broke your pack bond, and your hearts
while not untouched are still good.  I would suggest you stick around for
a while, get to know us.  You’ll both need some downtime, and maybe you’ll
decide to join our pack.  Whatever happens, you’ll be free to choose.”

Carrie looked at him in disbelief, “You would want me in
your pack… after what I did?”

Derik looked back at her calmly, “An omega wolf should be
treasured, and a mystic doubly so.  Woman have a place of equality and
importance in this pack, as it should be.  There are others like Karl out
there who twist and misuse the pack bond, but not as many as you would
think.  Let you?  Young lady, I’d be honored if you chose our pack.”

Carrie blushed, shook off her stunned look, and told Selene
she was ready.  I wondered what she would do with the oil, because the
spell was far away, but understood immediately when she drizzled the bone with
it.  Then she started to chant the same spell she’d used on Debbie’s
remains.  Carrie had her eyes closed and a look of concentration on her
face, the danger in doing it this way, was Carrie could if she wanted to, choke
off the spell as it passed through her.  None of us were worried she’d actually
do that however.

A few minutes later Selene’s voice fell silent, and
knowledge rushed into me about their location, and what they’d been up to the
last few weeks before the spells were set.  The pack all stared at me
intently.

“They are back at the house Carrie mentioned.  They
aren’t ready for us either.  Karl is ranting like a psycho, and the other
three are in wolf form in very submissive postures.  We should…” I cut off
what I was saying and dropped the mother of all curse words out from between my
lips.

They all looked at me curiously, except Sierra who looked
shocked.

I sighed, “Agent Kilmer is here, he just got out of his car
and is about to knock on the front door.  I’d give it twenty seconds
before he circles around to the backyard.  No doubt he wants to question
you about your daughter, and quite possibly about me as well.  The man
hates me.”