The Beast And The Blessed

Ninety-Five: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

Killian was already standing in his Lycan form. His back was to me as he scanned the area.

A few of our pack members screamed and yelped in pain as they tossed their bodies into the dirt, trying their hardest to extinguish the fire. It was short lasting, but I knew they would have some serious injuries for a while.

I couldn’t feel Killian in our bond. He had shut himself off but stayed close to me as I jumped to my feet and waited. The heat from the flames warmed my chilled fur, and I shuddered.

I had trained to fight but had no idea what to do when we couldn't see our enemies.

'They are still in the mountains. That was a warning shot.' A gravelly, deep unfamiliar voice stated, and I turned to look as Tobias stepped closer.

Thomas and George were on my other side, and I knew the sound of their voices. It hadn't been either of them.

It was Tobias.

The smell of burnt fur made my nose wrinkle, and I glanced around Killian as the last of the injured hobbled their way back toward the healers. Only one body remained limp on the dirt with smoke coming from them, and a group of humans sprinted through the crowd with a stretcher to grab him.

The pack was alert, all on their feet, shifting every few seconds as they waited for their orders. But they remained silent.

I examined the area for the first time since waking and found that the sun had barely started rising. The glow of light on the treetops would work to our advantage. Vampires were fine in the sunlight as long as they had fed. Even if they didn't, they could still be in the sun. They would just burn quickly from the vitamin deficiency their diet caused.

From a distance, yelling could be heard, sending a shiver down my spine.

The echoing war cry coming from several hundreds of bodies was something I would hear when I closed my eyes years from now.

and deadly. I expected everyone to sprint through the trees to find our enemy. Instead, we marched together at a steady pace forward. I stayed just behind Killian as he stalked toward our enemies, looking every bit like

his kind were up on two feet as their hulking beasts pressed in to surround their king. The animalistic sounds coming from them were lower than before. Still, for the first time, I finally understood what they

that they would spill

man from last

out a warning growl, and the man dropped his head in submission before moving to

spare me glances. It wasn't lost on me that several other werewolves moved with him to provide yet another

stranger with the same color hair and eyes as me knew my mother. He knew her white fur and cared for her. He wanted to protect her. He had no idea who I was or what my relation to her

be able to house both armies. There would still be fighting within the trees, but

to have been hundreds that had been hiding all these years, breeding and turning more into their kind until they had created the thousands that now

but I felt the slightest falter in his voice when not one but two

her anywhere, but the crown decorated with blood -red rubies took my breath away. They had to have dug up

woman with pin-straight blonde hair and a glare that could kill on its own. She had to

voice cracked as she stared at the women. She had yet to shift and held a long sword that dripped with a

and witches hollered excitedly behind her. The sound sent the last few brave birds up into the sky to hide from the bloodshed that was about to be unleashed. ’ You Lycans have poisoned our world! You think you are a gift from the Goddess, but you are just a group of cursed dogs! You steal and pillage, raping breeders, trapping them as prisoners to sire your lines. Only for them to produce more of your evil, disgusting

or blood will

behind her. The sound of chains rattling reached me before I could see

members were nowhere in sight, but Agatha and my mother hung limply as they were dragged to the front and forced to their knees next to Lillian. They

of blood oozing from her stomach, staining her clothes. While half of my mother's face had been

out as Agatha slumped forward, only to be caught by the

glinted off the metal of a blade. Talia moved around Lillian to stand behind

Talia was waiting for the order to end my mother's life. I wasn't even sure if Agatha was still alive

she gets to die first." Lillian laughed, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from Talia as she lifted the dagger in a dramatic show, wanting everyone to witness the moment

dodging Tobias and ducking under Killian's arm as I shifted into