In Reach?

Third POV

Liam’s body starts to shudder as he releases a menacing growl, echoing through the woods. Ggggggrrrrrhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

He hunches over, muscles tensing and morphing as his wolf tries to shift, tries to take over. His claws forming, hair growing, and the sound of bones breaking ever so slowly, make the others step away from him, even the rogues.

His shift doesn’t look normal, especially seeing him stand up tall on his hind-legs. He looks half man, half beast, but far bigger than any they’ve seen.

Noah grabs Alex and slowly pulls him away, knowing this is not Liam, and they need to get out of this beast’s sight. His aura is far too dark and ominous, for this to just be a wolf. His broad shoulders heave up and down with his heavy breaths, as he looks at his prey in front of him.

But all the wolves are dead still in their tracks, knowing the danger here, knowing that any sudden movement will be the beast’s first target.

That’s when a beam hits the beast against the shoulder from the side. He instantly runs towards the source with a such a speed, blood spatters everywhere as limbs fall randomly from the sky.

Suddenly, a hunter jumps the beast, and stabs him in the chest with his dagger, targeting his heart. The beast raises his fist and plunges it down onto the short man, crushing his body into a heap of broken bones and sludge on the ground. He pulls out the dagger with no sign of pain and drops it next to the sludge.

He turns around and sees the scared looks of rogues, hunters and witches, all frozen in place, as they watch his wound heal, completely closing within a few seconds. Unfortunately for them, they are standing between him and the burning campsite, where he wants to get to. But he’s not going to let a single one of them, who dared to stand in his way, live.

Gggrrrhhh!!!!! He crouches and bares his teeth from excitement of his coming-kills. One can even see a hint of a smile.

Blood and screams spatter through the woods, as the beast rips them apart.

One by one, more alpha’s join Noah and Alex as they managed to push through with the fight. But Noah and Alex stop them from going forward, knowing no one is safe if the beast sets his eye on them. From a distance they all watch in horror, as he tears through them like candyfloss.

With just two witches left, he slowly stalks to them, with blood dripping from his jaws. But suddenly, a huge bright blue light-beam, hits him, blinding everyone in the woods momentarily. Rubbing their eyes, the others look ahead and see a glowing woman stand between the two witches as they stare at a limp lying beast.

He’s not moving, and the fact that she’s laughing is getting the others worried. They run ahead to meet the woman they think is most-likely Dahlia. They stand facing a glowing-Dahlia.

“I see you’ve finally made it. But you’re too late.” She turns and looks at the burning building behind her.

Noah checks on Liam’s beast, and is relieved knowing he’s still breathing.

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about him. He should be fine. I just hit him over the head a bit. And I would like it if you don’t touch him. He’s mine.” Dahlia says.

“What?” A few say under their breaths.

“Yes.” Dahlia confirms. “He stays. And the rest of you can leave.”

There are mumbles sounding in the crowd. But Noah stands up from Liam’s crouching body. “I am not leaving him here.” The other alphas step closer in agreement with Noah.

Dahlia sighs. “Your attempts are useless. Nobody else needs to die here tonight. All I want is him.”

Suddenly a flash of a shadow swooshes past the crowd and towards Dahlia. But just as the vampire grabs her neck, so does she grab his hands, burning him with her touch.

Aaaahhh!!!! He tries to let go, but she holds on as she laughs, and spreads her light through his body. In just a few seconds, his body crumbles into glowing pieces of ash.

“A mere vampire cannot kill a goddess. So now that you know I possess the powers of the goddess, do you still want to fight?”

There are more mumbles, but Noah knows he cannot leave his alpha behind. “I will fight to the death if I have to.”

Soon, the others join in too, knowing she will always be a threat to them even if she lets them leave today.

But Nina steps to the front, and next to Noah. “No one needs to die.” She looks at him with a hopeful look. “She is no goddess. Whatever power she has gained, is finite. It will run out. Her glow is already faltering. We just need to exhaust it.”

“Witch!” Dahlia shouts. “Why would you betray your kind to help these animals?”

“We are not of one kind. You have no purity left to save. The great mother has already forsaken your soul as you have forsaken us.” Nina says.

Just then, one of the witches next to Dahlia throws a beam at Nina, but Noah grabs her and turns his back to the attack. A huge pang is heard, but Noah notices he’s fine as he looks up. Kendra is standing between them and the witch, with a lightning bolt in her hand.

“This one’s mine.” Kendra says as she charges at the retreating witch.

Alex and a vampire attack the other little witch, as everyone else stare at Dahlia. One by one, more of their fighters step up, filling the woods and surrounding Dahlia and the others.

“You won’t be able to kill all of us.” Alpha Brian speaks up as he looks around at all the emerging fighters.

Hahahaha! “I don’t need to.” Dahlia smiles as she sends out a growing bow of light with the flick of her arm. It hits everyone it touches with a jolt of shock, knocking some down. But as they all, start closing in on her again, she realizes she may get cornered.

She can already hear the cries of death from her last two surviving witches. She’s alone now. In a desperate attempt to instill fear, she sends another string of light, but stronger and brighter, and from all around her. It hits everyone extra hard, especially the wolves, who now feel their wolves starting to retreat. The vampires have burn marks on them and the hunters are numb from absorbing such an intense aura.

But as she starts laughing at their lying figures, Liam’s beast slowly begins to stand up.

“Oh look who’s awake.” Dahlia says as she approaches him. “Your wolf looks strange though. Did you get stuck halfway through your shift?”

Just as she stands in front of him, he grips her throat.

“Liam? Stop. What are you doing?” She tries gripping his hand to loosen his tightening hold. “Your wolf is not supposed to be able to hurt the goddess. Let go now!”

But his hold is only tightening, and she holds out her hands onto his chest and lets the light flow. But he’s still not letting go. She’s desperate as she’s struggling for air. She knows she needs to give it her all.

She focuses all her energy into her hands to let all the light flow out there and against Liam, to get him to let go. Just as the light grows and becomes blinding, her eyes widen as she gets a glimpse of the beast’s eyes, shining with the same celestial glow.

The blinding light emanates through the whole forest, as it pulsed off of them.

Dahlia’s coughing fills the silence, as she tries to gasp for air lying on the ground.

Liam too is lying on the ground, but a bit more confused, seeing his wolf gave him back control. But seeing Dahlia has his anger growing again. He gets up and stalks to her, pulling her up with the collar of her dress. But feeling her hand touching his, has him throwing her against a nearby tree.

The others are closing in on them again.

“You will die.” Liam says spitefully, looking at the weak woman.

Everyone knows it’s already over for her. The beast may be gone, but Liam will still finish the job. It will be easy, especially now that her glow is completely gone.

She chuckles as she spits out the blood in her mouth. “No wonder you survived my wolf curses. You’re no wolf.” Liam pulls her up again. “Lycan.” She snarls out.

But he throws her against another tree again. But a snap and her loud scream tells that she broke something.

But she continues to laugh as she struggles to get up.

“Stay down. For your own good. It’s already over Dahlia” Noah voices out.

But her sole focus is on Liam, as his is on her.

“Do you really think you have won? Because the way I see it, I won.” She twirls her hair with that sick smile of hers.

“Crazy bitch.” Liam voices as he walks to her again.

“What? Do you think you won Liam?” She says as he grabs her collar again. “You’re nothing, but an Alpha who couldn’t protect his mate, leading a pack who couldn’t protect their Luna. You can kill me, but I don’t mind knowing that even in death, I won. You refused me happiness, so I took it from you.” She giggles as her limp weight sways against his.

But he slaps her across the face so hard, it throws her body to the ground. She spits out the loose tooth, as she tries to get up again.

“Liam. Don’t let her get to you.” Alpha Brian tries to get his attention.

“You know, she begged me to kill her.” Dahlia continues as she looks up at Liam standing over her. “She told me to take her life as long as I spare yours and your pack’s”

Liam pulls her up, but she still dares to laugh. “So stupid of her to think I would negotiate when I already had her as a prisoner?”

Liam shoves her hard against a tree. He wants to see fear in her eyes. He won’t kill her until he sees fear.

“Do you know what the best part was?” Dahlia gives a bloody smile. But Liam lifts his one hand and strangles her, but not too much to snap her neck.

He wants to be able to hear if she decides to beg, or plead, or perhaps apologize. She tries to grip his hand off of her, but he’s not letting go. So she just smiles, know she’ll still be able to say her next words.

“She didn’t even know that she was pregnant.” She mumbles through breaths.

But Liam starts to shake as her words register in his head. Mira, -pregnant.

Everybody else give light gasps at hearing the news.

Liam sees red, and that’s when he pulls Dahlia against him in a forceful jolt. Her breath hitches from the sudden shock, - the shock of Liam’s arm, penetrated straight through her chest. His hand gripping her still-beating heart. He didn’t plunge his hand into her chest though, but pulled her body against his hand.

He can see the light in her eyes beginning to fade, but he needs to give her more pain before she dares to die. So he roughly pulls his arm away from her body, ripping her arm and shoulder off. She’s in too much shock to scream, but he knows she’s in pain. He can see it in her eyes. If he can’t give her fear, he will give her pain. And just as her body hits the ground, the light in her eyes go out.

Liam drops the cold heart onto the dirt ground, and looks around him. He sees all the warriors around him, - they were fighting with him, against Dahlia. Only his warriors stand, and Dahlia is gone. The war is over. They won.

But he doesn’t feel like he won. Dahlia was right. He still lost Mira,….and his pup. Yes, his pack is victorious in this fight, but what of his Luna? He is an alpha with a strong pack, but is it too much to ask for him to also just be a man who wants to love and be loved in return?

He looks up to the full moon, knowing the night is almost over. He wonders, that if he prays to the moon hard enough, will he also be taken to Mira wherever she is.

But he’s so weak, he doesn’t realize he has fallen to the ground and on his back. He’s too focused on looking at the moon, trying to picture Mira’s smiling face, hoping his prayers will be answered.

“Liam!” Noah and others rush to him as he fell to the ground, somewhat lifeless. “Healer! We need a healer here!”

Noah tries to get Liam to focus on him, but he doesn’t. He’s getting worried, because Liam’s heartbeat is slowing down too quickly.

“Liam, look at me. Liam?”

A healer rushes to their side, looks him over, and places his palm on Liam’s chest, trying to sense his wolf spirit. As the healer looks up at Noah, he just shakes his head.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. His wolf is just,……giving up. It’s common for some wolves to just give in and die after their mates die as well.”

Before Noah can say something, Liam raises his bloody hand, trying to reach out to the moon.

“Mira.” Liam whispers, right before his arm drops limp, and his eyes close as he welcomes darkness.