Bound by Spells (Bound Series Book 2) (27 page)

“You will be quiet and grateful, woman. You are alive. You will have more children. You will build the future.”

Her eyes glazed over as he spoke and I heard her mutter, “I will be grateful. I will build the future.”

“I-I don’t understand. How can I possibly fix them?” My confidence was waning and the grief and fear emanating from the women was overwhelming my system. The longer I stood there, the more aware I became of the weak heartbeats of the mothers and the pattering beats of the babies growing inside them. Even with the cuff, my Keeper was reacting strongly to the situation. I worried I wouldn’t be able to contain it, and had no idea what would happen if the five orbs were somehow triggered.

Meeting the Queen’s eyes, I knew right then I wouldn’t like her answer. A part of me had known all along I wouldn’t, but I had to help these women. Somehow, I had to right this horrific wrong.

“You will either take off the cuff and use the power you demonstrated with your brother to give the fetuses back the power they should have, or I will take you to the room where the infamous prophecy was born and show you what it took to get Lavignia to share it with me. The choice is yours.”

Chapter 21

I
approached the group of AniMages from the back. Braxton saw me before anyone else. He pushed his glasses up and with that one movement, I knew exactly where I’d seen him before. He had come into one of the classes Amelia and I shared to announce class was cancelled. I committed his face to memory, thinking he was some perverted professor with the way his eyes lingered on her.

I watched his chest puff up as he decided how to react to me. I intentionally walked through the center of the crowd, tapping the other AniMages on the shoulder and politely making my way through. As more caught on to me being there, they all turned and moved out of the way, making a path as they whispered to each other. I passed Nathaniel, Derreck, and Rynna, and Amelia’s father gave me a short nod. I returned the sentiment, silently thanking him for standing up for me. By the time I made it to Braxton, Melinda had joined him. I wanted to laugh as she draped herself over him.

“Opportunistic, are we?” I addressed her first, knowing the slight would likely piss Braxton off even more. I preferred him to be off-kilter. She laughed loudly, clearly a show for the audience.

“Always choose the winning team, sugar. The odds are not in your favor,” she said as she pecked Braxton on the cheek.

He wrapped an arm around her, clearly not realizing he had picked the most insane woman in the bunch. I was sizing him up, trying to decide whether I should punch first or try being diplomatic.

“Do you have something to say to me? I don’t even know who you are, but I understand there’s some question as to who I am.” I could have had a PhD in mind games at this point. My second foster home was a constant stream of no-win scenarios and manipulations. I just needed to get this guy to make an ass of himself so I didn’t have to do it for him.

“You don’t know who I am?” He looked past me at the others, shaking his head. “He’s supposed to lead us and he has no idea who
we are
. He doesn’t even know how to shift. He can’t remember what happens while he’s gone. He isn’t AniMage…not really. Who knows what he is.”

As Braxton’s insults piled on top of each other, I could feel the power in me building. The need to assert myself and prove my dominance was back. My breaths were coming deeper and I had to hold back my wolf.

“You know nothing about
me
.” I decided to play his game and turned to the people staring at us. Some looked intrigued, some angry, some confused. My eyes landed on Dillon as he stood with his arms crossed, glaring at his fellow AniMages. I knew what it felt like to be an adult in a child’s body. He had seen too much too young, and so had I. I pulled my eyes from Dillon and worked my way back across the crowd.

“He’s right. I don’t know you, but until yesterday, I didn’t know myself. I was born to Zendrick and Kayla Montgomery. Yesterday, for the first time, I was able to see my own memories of my parents—to know what it was like to be a young pup. But I also saw them murdered by Hunters. The same men who killed your friends and family took mine. Not only did they take my family, but one bound the AniMage in me. Yesterday, those bonds were broken.”

I took another step forward and held out my hands. With one internal command, blue power gathered in my palms, a mix of smoke and electricity. I closed my fists, reopened them, and fur sprouted. Seconds later, my hands were paws. And then they were hands once again. I got a few approving head nods from the crowd. “I can shift at will. And I now have all the memories I lost.” As I turned back to Braxton, my wolf shared a critical piece of information. There was only way to settle this dispute. The way our people had been settling challenges like this for generations.

“But, if you would like to officially challenge me, I will accept. Right here. Right now. Man to man, for the pack to see and decide.” My voice echoed and the crowd was silent.

Red crept up Braxton’s neck. He clearly had no intentions of taking it this far and hadn’t expected me to call him out.

“Come on, baby. You can take him. Show them. Show me,” Melinda cooed in his ear, and Braxton had no choice but to accept. He would have been humiliated otherwise. He’d end up there anyway, but at least this way he could say he fought.

I smiled as he stepped away from her. Cole had always called it my ruthless smile. The one I saved for opponents in the ring moments before a fight. This smile told you I was more likely to let you break my arm than tap.

Elias broke through the crowd and stepped between us. “You fight fair—no shifting, no magic. If you’re meant to lead this pack, you have to be able to do it as a man first. Got it?”

I gave him a curt nod and my smile grew as Braxton swallowed, his fear showing in the sweat on his brow and the shake of his hands. I kept smiling as realization hit me. He expected me to be scared of the unknown—of what we were. But nothing had felt more right than knowing I was an AniMage.

I dropped into my fighting stance and bounced on the balls of my feet. For the first time in weeks, I felt at home. My body and my mind were mine to control. I was whole and my wolf and I were one. He was excited. He was ready, too. I had wanted to punch something for weeks. This poor schmuck had no idea what he was in for.

A part of me knew I shouldn’t actually want to hit Braxton, but I did. The need to prove myself to Elias and everyone else in the pack was overwhelming. I wanted them to know I was my father’s son, that I belonged here. Somewhere in the last ten minutes, my whole mindset had shifted. I wasn’t on the fence anymore. I wanted to make my father proud and continue our family legacy. And I wanted my pack to help me get Amelia back. I wanted her to know we belonged in this world together—fighting a common enemy who had taken too much from all of us.

Braxton attempted a fighting posture but it was clear he had no idea what he was doing. Like so many, he was all talk. Guilt crept into my mind. The realization that this guy was probably some book nerd who shifted into something fairly harmless came to the forefront. He was probably the last person I should be taking my pent up anger out on.

“Wait.” I held out my hand, a stop gesture. I stepped toward him and was actually impressed when he didn’t take a step back. I lowered my voice and turned my back to the crowd. “You don’t want to do this and you don’t have to. Just yield.”

As I finished my statement, his eyes glowed blue and his fist shot out, connecting with my nose. I stumbled back a few feet and shook my head, wiping at the blood pouring from my face. Braxton wasted no time, not giving me more than a second to recover. He had played me and was taking full advantage. He leapt at my waist, attempting to take me down. I sprawled, putting my weight into my hips as I pushed him toward the ground. I hit my knees just as I gave myself the room I needed to wrap my right arm around his neck in a chokehold and my left under his right armpit. It was fairly obvious he was a street brawler with no formal fight training, which made this easier than it should have been. He had no idea how to get out of the hold I'd put him in, yanking and pulling in all the wrong ways. With a quick spin, I was on his back, tightening my arm into his throat and cutting off his blood supply.

I vaguely heard the yelling from the crowd, and registered “Look out!” just as claws tore into my back and teeth sunk into my shoulder. Braxton was still underneath me as pain shot through my shoulder. I reached back, grabbing my attacker by the scruff of its neck, and tossing it over my head. The small, reddish wolf went flying. It was easier than it should have been. Was super-strength a Hunter trait? I knew staying human wasn’t going to end this fight soon enough and these two already weren't playing fair. My wolf had been waiting and as soon as the thought formed, he took over. I shredded my clothes as I shifted, still on top of Braxton. I dug my nails into the back of his body, simply to make a point, and was rewarded with a howl of pain.

I leapt at the wolf, realizing it was Melinda who had come to Braxton’s rescue. I was easily double her size and able to knock her onto her back. As I clamped my teeth around her neck, she brought her back legs up, kicking into my belly. Sharp claws sliced open my skin, forcing me to retaliate. I didn’t want to kill the wolf, but I understood what was at stake. I quickly pulled back and snapped at her ear, tearing away the corner. She instantly started yelping, but she also stopped kicking. I moved off her, the blood from her wound in my muzzle and stuck to the fur around my mouth.

I looked up for the first time, only to realize all of the AniMages had shifted and fighting was everywhere. It was clear I had come into a house divided and Braxton’s words had more impact than we expected.

Take control. They are your pack. Stop this madness.

It was the first time I had heard his words, but I knew it was my wolf.

But how? How can I stop this?
I sat there, feeling powerless.

Nathaniel, Derreck, and Rynna were circled, their backs to each other, shooting bolts of magic at the group of AniMages surrounding them. I didn’t envy them not having the ability to shift. Dillon was high in the air, fending off hawks and other birds diving at him. Elias and Will were shifted, but fighting together. They were completely encircled by all kinds of animals—from a hyena, to a mountain lion, to a grizzly bear.

Just tell them to stop. Command them.

Still in my wolf form, I did the only thing that made sense. I let out the deepest, longest howl I had in me. I infused the sound with the command to stop fighting, to listen to me, and to yield to their true leader. I stood on all four legs, my tail in the air and my ears pricked. I made myself as big as possible. When I started, my eyes were closed. I was focused on pulling up all the power I had inside me, collecting it, and sending it out in the sounds vibrating from my core. I continued howling until I heard nothing but my own voice.

When I opened my eyes, not only had everyone stopped fighting, but they were standing completely still, their heads tucked down into their chests. The birds had landed in the trees. Every animal showed me their submission. Even Braxton, still in his human form, had moved to the side and held one hand up, fisted over his heart, as he bowed his head in my direction. I surveyed the crowd and my eyes connected with Nathaniel's. I had no idea what to do now. He gave me a silent nod of encouragement.

Look at me.
Every head came up and I was met with a clearing full of wide iridescent blue eyes. I pulled my gaze from one side to the other, and back again, making eye contact with each AniMage individually.

We are done with this. We are done fighting. There is a war going on and we are being hunted. It makes no sense for us to fight amongst ourselves. I am your leader and I’m telling you I can help fulfill the prophecy, but we must find Amelia. She is the key and she is in danger. Will you help me?

I continued scanning the crowd, unsure of what to expect. Dillon was first, hooting from the branch he sat on. Elias joined in, a screeching yowl. The bellow of Will’s tiger followed. Soon, every animal was shouting their own version of encouragement.

I slowly let out a breath I’d been holding since I’d stopped talking. Adrenaline was coursing through me, but right alongside it was pride in what I’d just done and hope for what this meant for Amelia.

Quiet down, please.
I waited for everyone to simmer down and then turned to Braxton and the small wolf who had attacked me.