Liberty POV
I’ve never wanted a wolf, until this moment.
I’m useless to them, to Evelyn. But I can protect her with my body, they wont hurt me. They want me alive, they can’t shoot me. I was confident in that thought until I heard the gun fire and watch Vicky launch herself at Evelyn and knock her to the ground.
My heart stops as my eyes watch the bullet enter Cassandra’s stomach, her body thrown back from the impact. I rush to a screaming Elspeth who has watched her Daddy’s mate collapse to the ground before her innocent eyes.
Something sinister awakens in Rex. I watch Rex turn, his eyes holding a deathly stare in them. He goes to attack Malcolm but I hold him back. He was four…four. Yes he was good at training but he would die challenging a grown male.
“No Rex, help me. Help me with Cassandra. Tell me what to do.” I drop to my knees, my knee caps aching from the sudden drop as I try to wake Cassandra up. I needed him to talk to me, to keep me focused. He was helping me more than I was helping him. Whatever was lurking beneath his surface had disappeared as soon as it had appeared, his eyes going back to normal.
“You need to stop the bleeding.” He takes his jumper off and places it to the bullet wound.
“It’s green, get the bullet out.” He roars at me, my own fingers shaking at his demand so strong just like his father’s.
“Cassandra, stay with us.” I scream at her as I poke my fingers in her wound to find the bullet.
“Quickly Auntie Lib…the poison is spreading…” Rex rushes me and I can feel my mind shutting down on him… the pressure too overwhelming.
“No Lib, you’ve caused this…keep going. We need to right our wrong.” My mind roars at me, waking me out of my panic attack just in the nick of time. I can see green vine-like lines developing just under Cassandra’s skin, like a poisonous plant growing continuously. What is this stuff?
I look to Rex who is now holding Elspeth, gripping her more like, as she seems overwhelmed like me…trying to run away.
His eyes burn into mine, some strange vibe coming off him that I feel myself wanting to submit to. With a deep breath in, I place my fingers into the bullet wound, trying to get a good hold of the slippery bullet that had imbedded itself into her organs. I try to not think of what I am touching and the gushing of blood, only that I need to get it out and fast.
I manage to get a good enough grip on the bullet and successfully pull it out of her body. Rex quickly places his jumper back on the wound, pressing his weight against it to stop the bleeding.
I look down at the bullet before turning and dossing it towards the lake.
That’s when my stomach jumps into my throat, as I see Evelyn barely breathing as both Vicky and Malcolm try to hold her down. Vicky’s hands around Evelyn’s throat and Malcolm trying to pin her legs down. Evelyn is strong, stronger than Vicky by far but why is she struggling? Why are they even able to hold her down?
Evelyn manages to loosen a leg from out of Malcom’s hold and gives a good solid kick, thrusting his chin upwards as he falls on his back.
A growl erupts from his chest as he shakes his head, before throwing himself back on Evelyn, yelling at Vicky to hold her still. He still had the gun in his hand.
He had been doing everything one handed, he places the gun down by his side now using his hands and legs to hold Evelyn still. I take a step towards them, towards the gun…I need the gun. I need to scare them off.
Reaching for the gun, my hand is pushed away as he turns on me at the last moment, noticing my creeping movement.
“Get back!” He shouts at me, pointing the gun at me, before pointing it to the children. I back step, ensuring the children are behind me as I stand next to Cassandra on the floor.
“Up against the wall, all of you!” He orders, Rex growling as he is forced to let go of Cassandra and only now realising just how much trouble his Mum is in.
I huddle them behind me, making sure they are guarded, no bullet able to hit them by the side.
Malcolm’s eyes haven’t left me once, he has continued to keep the gun pointed at me.
“Stay back and they won’t get hurt!” He mutters as he starts to lower the gun. That’s all and good but we are now standing against a wall that is holding back burning hot flames. The wall is hot to touch and the smoke inhalation alone will kill the children in a matter of minutes.
I need to do something!
Malcolm concentrates back on Evelyn, who in his absence, has gained an advantage over Vicky. She’s now holding Vicky by the throat, her legs straddling her chest.
“Malcolm…” Vicky’s scream is barely audible as she takes her last breathes. In his hurry to get to her he places the gun in his back jeans waistband and pulls Evelyn from off Vicky, gripping Evelyn by the back of her hair.
Vicky catches her breath and pounces back up on her feet, clawing Evelyn across the chest as she remains tightly held by Malcolm.
This was it, they were going to kill her. Her own children watching.
This was all my fault. I let him go, no matter what happens to me, I can’t let them be witness to this monstrosity of werewolf behaviour. Killing their own, why? Because they want what they haven’t got! I’d rather not live in a world like this, if that is what God has in store for me.
Accepting my fate, I’m not afraid any more. This is my choice, no one will decide what is best for me…not Father, not Vicky or Malcolm, not Reuben…not even Pierce.
I push off the hot exterior wall, not giving him a chance this time to react to my closeness.
I grab the gun from the back of his jeans, hitting him over the head with it. It works, he drops Evelyn as he turns, his eyes now murderous.
He lunges for me, for the gun in my hand that was now the only thing between either of us and death.
I fire the gun, the first bullet hitting him in the chest…yet it only makes him stagger back. Once he has looked at his wound and touches it, he comes back for me with a menacing growl.
“Kill him!” My inner voice screams at me and I completely lose control. I just want to be rid of him, rid of the threat to Evelyn and the children. I fire countless times, the bullets hitting him repeatedly….even in the head.
I only stop shooting when the bullets have run out, my hand trembling as I lower the gun to find him dead on the decking ground…his eyes wide open. Holding the expression of his surprise at his own death, by my hands.
I drop the gun, it’s barrel still smoking slightly from the rounds I shot. As the gun falls from my clasp it drops like the heavy killing machine that it is, like a heavy lead that replicates how my heart feels.
I’ve just murdered someone, killed a man. I look at my hands, they weren’t covered in blood but they might as well should be.
“Mum!” Rex yells as he starts to move away from the wall. Something inside of me acts fast, not completely sure if we have eliminated the threat against them. I pull him back, back to be with his sister.
I turn to find Vicky pulling Evelyn off the decking and towards the lake. Evelyn continues to fight her off but she looks weak, the constant fighting must have exhausted her wolf or else why hasn’t she turned.
Vicky was just as exhausted, just as pained. She was hell bent on dragging Evelyn into the lake, her hatred for this female so strong that she would kill herself in the process.
Vicky manages to pull Evelyn into the lake, even though Evelyn was still landing blow after blow to Vicky’s head and chest.
As they enter the water I lose sight of them. I can’t leave the children. I don’t know who else may be out here.
I hear a loud splash and a gasp of breath as one of them is submerged under the water’s surface.
