Luna's Angel Ch. 17-21

"She's completely untrained," Stephanie said. "All that power she doesn't know how to control; what she did that night was instinctual, but it almost killed her. She needs to work with me to learn what her powers are and how they work."

I looked over at Wendy, she was nodding, the powers scared her. "Where? At your coven?"

"No, we can't do it there either. The same ripples of power I felt were felt by other Dark Ones, they will come looking for her. Plus, the witches in my coven don't trust werewolves, for good reason, and you are both werewolves. I would prefer somewhere isolated."

"My home, then. It isn't much, hopefully the improvements I asked for have been done. It's on my own land between packs, no one will trespass onto it." I poked my head out of the room and called for Wendy's guards. "We're leaving soon," I told them. "You will take Wendy in the car and return her to my cabin. I will meet you there."

Wendy looked at me, a little disappointed. "Why can't I travel with you?"

"Stephanie can't travel through Pack territories, I'll fly her home and meet you there." She nodded, seeing the wisdom but her wolf didn't like me being in close contact with another woman like that, even if it was a relative. I looked at the guards who just arrived. "Protect her with your lives. Wendy, use the link if anything doesn't seem right."

An hour later, I watched as a black Lincoln Navigator we liberated from the previous Alpha's garage pulled out. Wendy was in the back with Andrew, while Mitch and Phil took the front. I had outfitted them with half an arsenal of weapons; although the western Packs had been thinned, you could never be sure. I'd left too many widows and orphans behind, not to mention the angry Pack members left without their leaders.

"Will she be all right?" Stephanie had come up beside me, she had changed into something more appropriate for flying- jeans, boots, a sweater with a jacket over it.

"She better. Come on, we should get you something to eat. We can't leave until sundown anyway." I didn't want to fly during the daytime, too easy to be spotted, and I couldn't fly high with a passenger. I followed her to the kitchen, where some of the Pack women were making dinner. It could be weeks before they were relocated.

I watched as she grabbed a plate and we went out by the pond in back to eat. None of the pack members wanted to be around us, they hated witches and I had killed their members. "What happened to the power of the dark witches? You said they would have stolen Wendy's power, can they collect it now that those two are dead?"

"No, it can be stolen or transferred, but if not done before death it is lost forever," she said. "That was another reason I wanted her out of here, the longer she stays the more likely dark witches will come after her."

"Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head no. "Magical fighting is quite different from physical. I guess you figured that out with the chains they used on you. Wendy's power was much greater than those two, so even though she didn't know what she was doing, it still won. She's going to be an amazing witch, she has a great spirit."

"Yes, she does, despite it all." I gave her a Reader's Digest version of her life since she had been abandoned; it was enough to make her cry, especially with how she had been given over to the rogues.

"How... how can an Alpha do that to one of his members?"

"Not all Alphas have their Pack first and foremost. She was a warrior, she would have understood being sent to certain death to protect her Pack and would have done it without hesitation. This was greed, though. That is what made it unforgiveable."

She looked at her food, suddenly not very hungry. "I hope his death was painful."

"I wasn't there, I was busy taking care of the rogues that abused her," I said. "He is dead, though. I've been in the Hereafter, seen the Sort. He will face punishment in the afterlife, and Wendy knows it as well."

We spent a few hours there by the pond, she learning about Wendy's life and me learning about magic and witches. It was fascinating, really; it was something I'd never been exposed to, a whole grouping of powerful people.

We both looked up in shock at the same moment; Wendy was screaming for help in my head. I jumped to my feet, my wings pushing out. "Black magic," Stephanie said before jumping into my arms. I used the nearby rock to leap off of, my wings beating hard to gain altitude. Sending my senses out, I sought my mate. She was some distance away, after all they had been driving for hours. I flew as quickly as I could, Stephanie was focused on the waves coming from the battle. "She's holding her own," she said, "I can feel the witches. There are at least a dozen of them, luckily none are very powerful. Wendy is using defensive spells, she has a protective field around her right now."

"How long can she hold it?"

"I don't know. The longer she holds it the weaker she becomes."

I was moving as fast as I could, flying a more direct route over the mountains as the sun set. We crested a mountain and Stephanie pointed to the horizon. "There. I can see the power flashes."

"No time for anything fancy, Stephanie. I'm going right into the middle of the battle, I'll let you go then I'm going after them."

"Land from behind them, you might be able to take out a few before they see you and work up a spell to hold you," she said. I was already making the power dive, so I changed course slightly to do what she asked. Wendy was in the center of the empty road, a blue glow surrounded her as she held her hands above her head. Their car was in the ditch; I could see Mitch slumped in the driver's seat, blood down his face. Phil was lying still at her feet, a blue glow covered him, blood was coming out of his nose. Andrew was slumped against a tree, his back at an unnatural angle.

My arrival was completely silent. I held Stephanie down from her arms as I swooped in behind the group of dark witches. As I flared out, slowing my speed to almost nothing, I let her go and she dropped to the ground. I had my Katanas out, and before I even landed I had removed the heads of two warlocks. Their deaths caused a disturbance the others felt, and I worked quickly to take out as many as I could. Stephanie was blasting away with lightning bolts of her own, her magic aura was a pale violet. She focused on the strongest witch in the front while I took out the minions.

Twenty seconds after we arrived, the odds had evened. Only three witches remained, and I was out of the fight. A spell had paralyzed me, it was causing me great pain but I was immortal. Sparks flew between Stephanie and the other witches, and they mate the fatal error of forgetting about Wendy. She dropped her shield and sent her own blue bolts out. The combined power of the two white witches caused the others to spontaneously combust, their bodies breaking into flames as they screamed in agony. A few seconds later, only ashes remained. Stephanie glanced at me, her magic breaking the spell, and I rushed to Wendy's side. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, just tired," she said. I looked her over, I didn't see any injuries. "They attacked right after we left Pack territory. My guard..."

Stephanie rushed over to Andrew's side; she started chanting, the violet glow beginning with her hands until it surrounded him. His body levitated, then his back straightened with a loud pop. She finished the spell, lowering him to the ground before picking him up. "He's going to be all right, but he'll be out for a while," she said as she carried him towards the SUV.

Wendy bent down and checked Phil, he was still breathing but was unconscious. "You're a white witch," I said, "You have the power to heal him."

"How?" She lifted his muzzle into her hands.

"Close your eyes," Stephanie said, "feel the power inside you. Focus on bringing it out and having it flow into him, making him whole and healing him. You can take and direct your power with your will," she told her.

I did, and the blue glow started from her hands and flowed into his body. "Go hold her, pour your love into her, it will give her more strength," Stephanie told me. I knelt behind her, my arms encircling her waist as I sent my love for her through the bond. I could see the glow brighten, and it quickly surrounded the wounded wolf. She kept it going for a few minutes, and I could see the bleeding had stopped. When his eyes opened, she stopped the healing and collapsed back into my arms.

I held her, telling her how proud I was of her, as Phil shakily made his way to his feet. He came over, licking her shoulder in thanks before I scratched his neck. He walked off behind the SUV, shifting back to human form he pulled his bag out and pulled on clothes. "Mitch?"

Phil shook his head. "He didn't make it." He helped Stephanie load Andrew into the back seat, then they pulled Mitch's body out. They laid him on the road, then Phil went to the back where blanket are tarps were stored. They wrapped him in the blanket, then rolled him in the tarp, sealing the whole thing with duct tape. "I need to bring him home, his parents will want to say goodbye to him."

"As will I and the rest of the Pack." I picked Wendy up and carried her over, she was completely drained after all this. Stephanie went around the area, violet flames jumped from her fingers and consumed their bodies, leaving nothing behind to arouse human suspicions. "I'll drive," I said, knowing the others were tired and recovering from injuries. "Stephanie, please sit with Wendy and help her recover," I asked as I placed her in the third row of seating, pulling pillows over for her. In a few minutes we were all buckled in, and back on the road.

"Nothing's simple, is it Nathan..."

"No, my love, nothing is simple. I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Ch. 18

The remainder of the trip was rather interesting. Traveling with wolves of another Pack through multiple territories would have been interesting, but none were going to refuse passage to me after the damage I had wrought. No, they were more than happy to escort me through their territory and hand us off to the next pack as soon as possible.

Traveling with witches? Oh, that changed EVERYTHING.

The animus towards them was deep and pervasive. It didn't matter what kind of witch they were, that they were family or that they had saved the lives of the two wolves with us. The packs were instantly on alert, posturing for attack and only backing off when I let my dominance out. They practically sprinted as they got us out of their territory, always under heavy escort.

The funny part was that Wendy could barely stay awake. She had completely exhausted herself, and Stephanie wasn't a whole lot better. Most times I looked back they were both asleep, Wendy's head on her aunt's shoulder. I let Phil and Andrew alternate driving, we only stopped for gas and bathroom stops in neutral territories. I was busy on the phone the whole way.

It took more than twelve hours on the phone before I had contacted every allied Alpha, and another six to talk to the ones who were neutral. With each of them, after the discussions on recent events and their specific problems, it came down to one thing.

Sides were being chosen, and it was time to join forces.

My father had arranged for a meeting of all the Alphas in one week. No one territory would be acceptable, so he set it up on human land, at the Hilton O'Hare Airport meeting room. Alphas, Betas, mates and two bodyguards could be brought, and I was guaranteeing security. Honestly, anyone that would screw this up deserved to face my swords. There was a lot of resistance, especially as the word of my mate being a witch came out, but I was adamant. They all needed to be there.

Finally, we came onto familiar lands again. My father and Alpha Christopher had laid down the law for their Packs, the witches were family and were to be treated as such. Still, it was a cold reception.

We traveled to our private territory and pulled up in front of the new home. The rogue leader had been removed, the small cabin demolished and in its place was a cozy but modern home, indoor plumbing and all. It was an A-frame design, with a loft master bedroom and bath and two guest rooms downstairs. It was equipped with a well and septic system, and the power was provided by an off-the-grid system that used a wind generator and solar panels feeding batteries and inverters. I put Wendy and Stephanie to bed, then finished the tour with my father. I thanked him and all the Pack members who had completed construction in such a short timeframe, then I asked them for a few days of privacy.

It took two days for them to get back to normal; I spent most of that time next to her, letting my love for her replenish her. It was good to take some time away, and she needed the privacy to train. My little hybrid was learning to harness her witch side, and I was amazed at the power she held.

While they were doing lessons in shooting fireballs, I figured it was a good time to check in with my parents. Flying over to their Pack house, I landed in the yard and stowed my wings. As I walked in, I could see the change in attitude among Pack members towards me. They were still afraid of me, but instead of respect for what I had done, I felt anger and disappointment. Shaking my head, I walked up to the Alpha offices and knocked.

"Come in, Nathan," Dad said. I opened the door and saw him behind his desk, Mom on his lap, and Alpha Christopher in a chair across from him. I walked over and hugged my parents, then shook Christopher's hand before sitting down in the other chair. "It's good you are here, we were just talking about you."

"Good things, I hope."

"No." I looked up a little surprised. "Look, I'll just come out with it. We don't want you or Wendy to attend the Alpha summit this weekend." My jaw dropped. "It would harm the gathering for you to be there."

"But... I CALLED this gathering, I have much to talk about with them!"

My Mom got up and came around, standing behind me with her hands on my shoulders. "I know, Nathan, but you've been so busy wiping out the bad wolves you have no idea what you've left behind."

"I know about the Pack issues, Mom, I'm doing my best to find them new Alphas or new Packs." I had spent a LOT of time on this, I wasn't leaving people high and dry.

"I don't think you understand just how much damage you did along the way," Dad said. "Right now, over a thousand werewolves are still in limbo, not having been accepted into new Packs or not having an Alpha. The anger at what you took from them isn't going to go away just because they make a move. You killed mates, parents, loved ones- and you can't sit here and tell me every one of them deserved to die. There were good wolves, just like you were back before your change, who were just following their Alpha's orders. Those wolves, they would like to see you dead."

I snorted. "I'm immortal, Mom."

"That doesn't mean they want you around." Mom came around and sat on the arm of the chair, her arm around me. "The fighting is over now, the aftermath is what we have to deal with. We need a Tom Hayden here."

The Godfather was one of my favorite movies, so I knew what she was referring to. Tom Hayden was the consiglieri who was pushed aside when they went on a war footing- it just wasn't something he would be good at. Mom was saying that I was the same thing, but the reverse. They didn't need people dead, they needed someone to navigate the peace, and I had no experience in that.

My Dad leaned back. "About a dozen Packs refused to attend if you were there. Another dozen called after finding out your mate is half witch, and refused to attend if she was there. I think they are more afraid of her than you." I snorted, they didn't know Wendy at all if they thought that way. She was not a killer, she was a healer at heart.

"So you're going without me." They nodded. "I have plenty to do, Wendy is still training on how to harness her powers, and if no one needs killing I guess I don't need to go. You do need to pass on a message from Luna for me, though." They looked at me to continue. "I was sent here to kill the ones who were corrupting her people and leading her astray. The rest? They need to turn away from the greed and power games that have hardened their hearts, and return to being the creatures Luna made them. If they don't, our kind will die out, with or without my help."

I walked out, inside I was furious with the rejection. As Luna's direct agent here on Earth, I thought I would end up better than THIS. I pushed my wings out and walked out to the balcony, then pushed myself out and flew away. I was too upset to go back home, and Wendy was going to be busy for a while. It was a good time to just fly and get my head straight again.

I was beating myself up; maybe I should have done things differently. Why did Luna pick me, an inexperienced 18-year-old apprentice warrior, to be her champion? Surely there was a better choice out there, someone with Alpha experience, someone who knew how to deal with people and situations just like this. I was kind of a one-trick pony, good for killing but not much else.

Clearing my mind as I flew higher, I opened it up to see what people were praying for. Sampling them, I found out just how right my Mom had been. People were praying to Luna to keep Luna's Angel away. Praying for loved ones lost to me, praying that new Packs would be better, praying for guidance I couldn't give them.

I grabbed on to one particularly fervent prayer, and recognized immediately who it was. I let out a primal roar, immediately turning in that direction I flew as fast as I could. There was only one thing I could do in answer to this prayer, and THAT was something I was good at.

I landed in the yard, drawing my Katanas and kicked the door down. He was going to die. Slow, just like I promised.

I followed Jessi's screams to the kitchen, she was hovering over her mother, protecting her, begging her to wake up. I glanced over, her throat was torn out, she was gone.

It didn't take long to see the man who did it. I guess my Bam-Bam move hadn't gotten through his thick skull. He ran out the back, shifting to wolf form as he went. I wasn't worried about him, I was worried about her. I picked her up, she clung to me as we walked back to the front door. "I need you to be strong for a moment, Jessi. Run and get your Alpha, Beta, someone high up. Stay with them."

"No!" She struggled in my arms. "I want to stay with you!"

"I know." I kissed her hair and set her down. "But, I have to do something and you can't be along for it. It won't take long. I'll be back."

"Pwomise?"

"I promise." She looked back towards the house, then turned and started to run.

I pushed my wings out and took off, bringing my wolf forward to use his powerful nose. I quickly picked up the track, flying low above the trees through the forest behind the house. When the fleeing wolf got to a clearing, I swooped down, my sword in front of me. Aiming the blade carefully, it entered just in front of his hind leg and exited between his lower ribs on the opposite side. Continuing my flight, I lifted him off the ground as my wings beat hard for altitude. I ignored his howls of agony, his red eyes looked back at me as he tried to turn and snap at me, but he was skewered like a shishkabob and was helpless.

"I told you that if you ever hurt her again, I would kill you and make it slow." We were now a few thousand feet up above the Indiana landscape. "I lied." Lowering the sword until it pointed down, he slid off and shifted into human form as he dropped. I circled down, watching him flail and scream until he splattered against the rocks. Landing nearby, I took some time, moving other rocks on top of the splatter and covering it up; there wasn't enough left whole to scoop up with a shovel.