She looked back at him and he was continuing
to stare at her so intensely she felt she could almost read his
mind. "Can you understand me?"
He couldn't believe it, she knew. She saw him
for him and he wanted to shout with happiness. He was trying to
figure out if he should shift back and tell her he understood
everything, but didn't want to scare her with his nudity. In
addition, his body was covered in blood and gore, so he nodded his
head as if he were human.
"This is crazy. Garrett, it really is
you?"
He nodded again. He watched her gingerly get
up and crawl towards him. He could tell she was in a great deal of
pain and he wanted to growl with frustration, but kept silent so it
wouldn't scare her. She put her hands around the ruff of his neck
and hugged him to her. He was so happy he could barely stand it.
His heart was beating fast and he started panting in joy, but he
needed to get her changed and out of here. He stood up, towering
over her, and nosed the backpack, then sat down facing the other
direction.
"Ok, I'll get changed," she said. Wow, her
boyfriend was a werewolf. What kind of crazy life is this? As she
stood up, she realized she was light headed and felt weird, as if
she had vertigo. She figured it was from being knocked in the head
a few times and tried to be careful to not fall over as she changed
her clothes. Everything was huge on her: men's thermals, jeans,
sweatshirt, and jacket. The boots were five sizes too big, but at
least she'd have protection on her feet. She wasn't sure how far
she'd have to walk. She rolled the sleeves and pants legs up, and
then looked over at Garrett who still had his back to her. "I'm
done; I've changed."
She saw him turn around and walk toward her,
nuzzling the backpack again. She opened it up and found the liquid
he had asked her to drink. It was clear and smelled astringent. She
held her nose and swallowed it quickly, hoping it wouldn't make her
pass out. She was looking at him and couldn't believe how big he
was. His eyes were almost level with hers. She noticed the bone
structure of his head and knew it was at least twice the size of a
standard wolf. She ran her hands around his neck and down his back
and flanks. He shivered beneath her touch and she laughed. "I can't
tell you how strange this is." She gingerly shook her head. He bent
down for her to crawl on. She wanted to spend more time inspecting
him, but wanted to escape the cabin more. She climbed on his back
and he took a couple of tentative steps and then turned his head to
look at her. "Yes, I'll hold on. Let's get out of here."
His Kismet was amazing. What human could wake
up to a world of magic and take it all in stride like this? When
she ran her hands along his body he wanted to shift and throw his
arms around her and never let go, but he needed to get her safe.
She was as light as a feather on his back and he was afraid she'd
slide off. He could only hope she had ridden horses at some point
and could hold on well enough.
They stepped out of the cabin and the ground
had an 8" layer of white snow. The night was eerily quiet and
muffled. He wasn't sure which way he should head, but he decided to
head back the way he had come in, hoping to find a log to cross the
river. He felt Riley lie down and hold onto his neck, with her
thighs clamped hard on his back. He started loping to let her get
used to the feel. When he felt she was staying on safely, he sped
up, knowing the longer they were out here the more pain she'd have
to handle; he could hear her sucking in her breath from the
jostling.
Riding a giant wolf was exhilarating. If she
wasn't in so much pain and scared for her life, she'd be enjoying
it. She held onto Garrett's neck and closed her eyes, feeling his
wolf form run fluidly through the woods. It was amazing how he
soared over fallen trees and rocks as if they weren't there. His
strength was astounding. She felt him skid to a halt and she looked
up. There were two other wolves fighting, a grey one, and a brown
one. It was terrifying to watch.
He skidded to a halt as he saw Breck fighting
with the elder, Jack. He was stunned; they weren't supposed to
encounter each other. He heard Riley's intake of breath and he
didn't know what to do. Breck couldn't win by himself. Where were
the others? What could he do? He had his Kismet to protect. He
whined and pawed the ground, trying to get a grip. Then he saw
Chase and Jasper running around the same corner, with the other
elder, Lars, on their tail. That was it. He'd have to stand and
fight; he couldn't leave his friends to battle for him. He lay down
to give Riley an indication to get off. Then he used his body to
push her behind some bushes. He looked at her, trying to convey she
needed to stay. She nodded at him and he pushed his muzzle into her
hair. He then turned for another battle, praying for a miracle.
With her heart in her throat, Riley watched
Garrett run to join the fray. He went to help the first grey wolf
they saw. He slammed his chest into the brown wolf and rolled him
over. The grey wolf bit at the brown one's flank before he was able
to get back up. The brown wolf was vicious, strong, and extremely
fast. He lunged for Garrett's throat, but missed and caught his
shoulder instead. Garrett was knocked to the side and he kicked his
feet up into the brown wolf's stomach while the grey wolf went for
the brown wolf's throat. He made a connection with the throat and
tried to shake him, but the brown wolf was stronger and broke free.
Garrett righted himself and snarled, with his teeth bared, flecks
of blood spraying the air. His eyes were hard and unyielding. All
the hair stood up on Riley's arms as she watched, feeling as if it
was in slow motion. She saw Garrett eyes flash red and he lunged
for the throat at the same time the brown one lunged at him.
Garrett made a connection, but so did the brown. They both shook
their target and ripped, Riley screamed as both wolves fell to the
ground, splattering the snow in blood. The grey wolf whined and
nosed Garrett, then lay in the snow next to him and whimpered.
She was running before she realized she had
even moved. She didn't know what was happening but she knew she
could help. She could save him. It didn't make sense, but
everything in her body screamed for her to help. The snow felt like
peanut butter sucking her feet to the ground. The boots and clothes
were so oversized she couldn't make good time and the vertigo was
threatening to topple her. Her connection to Garrett was weakening
and she pushed as much love to him as she could. She couldn't lose
him, not now. She was a doctor and could make this right. She
landed on her knees at his prone body and sobbed with what she saw.
Crimson blood was all over his coat, pouring onto the white snow.
She felt for his pulse and it was weak and uneven. She quickly
looked for the wound to see how deep it was. When she pulled his
fur back, she was heartbroken, his neck was ripped to shreds, and
there wasn't enough time to save him. Blood was pouring out of him
at a rapid rate, soaking the ground where she kneeled. If she were
in an operating room with blood standing by she could help, but not
out here in the woods.
She hung her head defeated, her head feeling
dizzy and strange as if she was having an out of body experience.
She looked at her blood soaked hands and a gleaming blue light
pulsed around them. She shook her head and looked again, but it was
still there. She held them up into the black sky and looked at
them, completely in shock over what was happening to her. Her whole
body started humming and a soft blue glow encompassed her from head
to toe.
She heard a gasp behind her and a man said
"Rapha!" in a reverential tone. She turned to look at the naked
man, assuming he was the grey wolf that Garrett was helping.
"What?"
"You're Rapha! Heal him!"
"What do you mean? I can't heal him," she
cried with tears running down her face.
"Yes you can, you are Rapha! Just do it. Put
your hands on him and heal him!"
She turned around and set her hands on his
injury. She closed her eyes and she could see his body lying below
her. She could picture all of his organs, veins, muscles. His heart
was beating sluggishly. Her mind could feel where his injuries were
and she concentrated on them, instinctually knowing she could heal
the wounds. Her energy traveled through his body and found the torn
muscles, ripped arteries, and gashed skin. The blue energy knitted
him back together, the damage healed like watching a video in
reverse. She could feel their connection growing stronger and his
strength was gaining. He began to wake up and he sat up looking at
her. His wolf eyes were glowing yellow and she could feel his shock
and surprise.
She turned to the brown wolf on the ground
that was equally injured. He was a foe, but she had an overwhelming
urge to heal him. She put her hands on him and felt the same
magical feeling through her body and saw the same injuries
repaired. She felt like she was a tiny little camera moving through
every inch of his anatomy, seeing the injuries and repairing them
instantaneously. She couldn't believe it was happening, but it felt
right. She felt whole while doing this. As the other wolf came
awake and opened his eyes, she slumped back onto the ground, tired
from the ordeal.
*
Garrett was dying. He could feel his life
draining from him, knowing he had failed his Kismet in the ultimate
way. They would both pay for his failure with their lives. He could
feel their connection thinning, but then he felt her fear turn to
determination. Suddenly warmth started flowing through his body. He
could feel energy touching all of his injuries and he knew
something was healing him. As he woke enough to open his eyes, he
was shocked to see his Kismet in a nimbus of blue. She was Rapha!
He couldn't believe it; they were incredibly rare, more fables than
anything. As she moved to heal Jack, she saw Breck, Jasper, Chase,
and Lars in human form on bended knee, bowing towards her. His
heart was relieved with the burden lifted. She would be revered and
welcomed into the pack.
Then he saw a fully clothed Jason running
into the clearing with Jeremiah, John, Cherise, Jessica, Brian, and
Ryan. They all stopped and bowed on one knee except for Ryan. As
Riley flopped back in exhaustion, Ryan put his hand on her head.
Garrett Growled to warn him off.
"Calm yourself wolf. She is yours, but I am
her Rapha guide."
He was shocked again.
Ryan is Rapha
too?
Their friendship finally made sense and the pieces of the
puzzle were coming together. He still hadn't heard of a wolf and
Rapha sharing Kismet, but at least she was magical. That would keep
her safe from the first law.
"Riley, I'll explain everything to you
tomorrow. But for now you must sleep." Ryan placed two glowing
fingers to her temple and she slumped into unconsciousness.
"Are you strong enough to shift back yet?"
Ryan asked him.
He painfully shifted back to human form and
had to catch his breath before he could move. When he could, he
rose onto his knee and bowed. His wolf wasn't happy with the
submission, especially since Ryan was so close to his Kismet.
"Please, all of you get up. You don't need to
continue bowing in the snow."
Garrett immediately moved to Riley and
scooped her up in his arms. "Can you heal her?" He asked Ryan.
"Wait!" Jeremiah commanded. "I want to see
the injuries to ensure Garrett had a reason to kill an elder." He
walked towards them with hard eyes.
Garrett didn't want Jeremiah anywhere near
his Kismet, his wolf was raging at him and was not cowering in
submission as Jeremiah approached. He let a low growl out of his
chest in warning and turned his body to shield her from him.
With eyes wide, Jeremiah said in his alpha
tone, "Obey me. If she was injured you had every right to protect
her by taking a life, but I need to have the proof. I know your
wolf is fighting you, I can smell your anger, but let me near, I
command you."
With a great deal of effort, he controlled
his wolf and nodded for him to approach and see for himself. As
Jeremiah was close enough, he sucked in a breath and growled at the
damage he saw.
"I did not sanction this. You have my
blessing on your retribution. I should have known Garth was defying
my orders. I apologize to you and your Kismet," he said with a
bow.
"Yes, I'll heal her. She is my Rapha protégé.
This will all be new to her, she had no idea she was Rapha until
she healed you, Garrett. She still doesn't know what it means. We
come into our powers at age thirty and it is just past midnight on
her thirtieth birthday. Lucky for you, the fight didn't occur any
earlier," Ryan said.
Jason came over with a bag of clothes. "I
figured you'd want to take her back in human form, here are some
clothes to change into. We have a motorcycle around the bend."
"Thanks Jas." He wasn't sure what to do with
his Kismet. He didn't want to put her down, but he needed to put
clothes on.
Ryan saw his predicament. "John and Jeremiah
explained Kismet to me. If you'll allow me, I'll hold and heal her,
as you get dressed. Don't worry, I honor the bond you have with
her," he said humbly.
He tentatively handed her off to Ryan,
kissing her gently on the lips. "Thank you." He then quickly
changed as Ryan emitted a blue glow and healed her. It was amazing
to see the bruises, scrapes, and swelling disappear as if it had
never been there. The others circled around as well, watching the
spectacle. They had all heard of Rapha, but except for some of the
Alphas, had never seen one in real life, and there were two in
their midst. He walked over to hug his sister. "I'm sorry I didn't
tell you earlier Jess. It all happened so fast and I didn't want
you to be in any danger."