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.

at a steady pace forward. I stayed just behind Killian as he stalked toward our enemies, looking every bit like the predator he

king. The animalistic sounds coming

blood. It excited them that they would spill it within the next

A voice called out as the man from last night sprinted toward me.

the man dropped his head in submission before moving to stand

didn't acknowledge him but continued to spare me glances. It wasn't lost on me that several other werewolves moved with him to provide yet another wall of guards around

I didn’t need nor want right now that the stranger with the same color hair and eyes as me knew my mother. He knew her white fur

to house both armies. There would still be fighting within the trees, but it provided us with an opening large enough

and turning more into their kind until they had created the thousands that now stood before

voice when not one but two women stepped forward and into

recognized her anywhere, but the crown decorated with blood -red rubies took my breath away. They had

was a tall yet paunchy woman with pin-straight blonde hair and a glare that could kill on its own. She

women. She had yet to shift and held

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 kind. You think you have the right to

over your rule, or blood will

swallowed hard as I watched the crowd part behind her. The sound of chains rattling reached me before

they were dragged to the front and forced to their knees next to Lillian. They were injured and struggling to stay awake based on their drooping eyelids and swaying

blood oozing from her stomach, staining her clothes. While half of my mother's face had been smashed. The crimson liquid matted her hair

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

metal of a blade. Talia moved around Lillian to

and forth between Lillian and Talia, knowing Talia was waiting for the order to end my mother's life. I wasn't even sure if Agatha was still alive with how she hung limply, only held

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

stepped forward, dodging Tobias and ducking under