"Run and scream for Kelen," I yelled to Adelina before all hell broke loose. Just as she bolts, I shift and warp in front of Jackson. He snarls at me and I snarl right back, kicking my foot at his neck. It doesn't connect, seeing as he too shifted, now a wolf. My momentum throws me slighly off balance and I stumble to the side. Jackson takes advantage of my mistake and goes to pounce, but I warp away. We become a blur of motion, playing a game of cat and mouse that I have to admit I'm losing. Jackson has like over 50 years on me, but he also taught me how to fight. That means I know all his tricks.

He lets me believe the kick I sent to his left, hind leg was worst then it was so I would target it and not the paw that was really hurt. I rolled to the right, dodging the claws he spent at my face and kicked in his right leg. His wolf let out a genuine cry of pain and I almost felt bad, well that is until he retaliated and buried his claw into my shoulder.

I stumbled back, hissing in pain, but don't let my guard down. We both take a second to regroup before we're right back at it. This time I play defense, letting him exhaust himself so I can drawl him away from the door and to the window.

Distantly I can hear the sound of another fight raging and can only assume it's my guys against Julian. He doesn't stand a chance, but I also know he doesn't fight fair so they guys might be struggling. At that my heart saddens, distracting me enough that Jackson claws up my chest.

I don't even feel it, rage has taken over. I will protect what's mine. I will protect my men, my beloveds, my unborn baby. Something in my begins to stir and I welcome it. My skin begins to shift and crawl and heat up. I embrace it, knowing that this is a part of the prophecy.

"You will not hurt innocent women anymore," I growl out and send a kick to his snout. "You will not sell innocent babies anymore." I send a punch to his jaw. "And you will no longer continue to hurt me or my men."

With that last statement I raise my palm, knowing something is going to happen. And it does....

Red energy burst out of my open palm, shooting like the spray of water from a hose at him. The release of such a great amount of magic threatened to send me to my knees, but I stood my ground and gritted my teeth against it. Jackson let out a sickening howl as it flowed into him. His body involuntarily shifted and now in human form, he was lifted off of the ground, his back arched in pain. I tried to stop it, afraid I was going to kill him, but I couldn't stop it.

The energy just continued to unleash its rath upon him and as the time went by I stopped questioning it and decided this was fate. It had to happen.

Jackson stopped moving.

I felt blood begin to drip down my chin and my head grow light, but I held myself up. The wind around me picked up and I too was lifted off my feet. It now felt like I was being ripped apart as the red energy continued to pour out of me and now in every direction. I didn't know where it was going and really didn't care. I just wanted it to be over.

Tears and blood streamed down my face. My back began to contort as it felt like my spine was shifting. I opened my mouth in a silent scream of agony.

Make it stop. Make it stop. MAKE IT STOP.

But no, it didn't stop. It only intensified until something ripped the skin of my back, bursting free. I was dropped to my knees by the sudden weight on my back.

Wings. I knew they had to be wings.

I panted and cried, bent over on my knees, my head resting on the floor.

My eyes felt itchy, my skin crawled and burned, my back was heavy, and my head was filled with shadows.

I tried to get to my feet, but I was too weak. I tried to call for help, but my voice was gone. All I could do was cry and try to breathe.

And just went it felt like the pain was over, it suddenly felt like someone drove a flaming sword of sorrow through my heart and soul. I gasped, the air knocked out of me. Something was very, very wrong. The other pain had felt oddly natural, but this.....something was very wrong.

With the last specks of strength I possessed, I began to crawl, or rather drag myself, towards the door. I managed to get to the top of the stairs, but had no idea how the hell I would get down them. My strength was gone.

Resting my head against the floor, I took a deep breath and imagined myself warping down the stairs until I believed I was actually there. And when I looked up, I was. Letting out a sigh of relief that it had worked, I looked around.

And that's when my heart completely stopped. Not missed a beat, no, it completely stopped.

I wasn't breathing.

I wasn't thinking.

I wasn't even sure I existed.

There, in the jaws of a wolf I didn't recognize was Alaric. His amber eyes, that had once twinkled with love and light, were now dull and lifeless. The wolf releases his broken and bleeding neck, running away to attack Casbian; who was already fighting off a wolf who had a mouthful of his golden wing, but right now I didn't care.

Alaric.

My sweet boy, my heart, my beloved. He was...was asleep. No, he's not dead. He's just asleep. He's not gone. He's not gone. He's....

A sob broke out of my mouth. "No. No. No," I whimpered, barely breathing.

No one attacked me as I crawled over to him. His eyes were still opened. Why were his eyes still opened!? Panic and sorrow and pain punched me in the gut relentlessly. It stabbed at my soul until I felt like nothing.

When I got to him I sat down and dragged his head into my lap, rocking slightly. "You're not dead. You're not dead. Alaric?.....A-Alaric wake up you're not dead. I love you, so you can't be gone," I whispered, sobbing so hard it physically hurt.

A burning sensation in my hand made me look down. My eyes were blurry from tears but I could make out the mark on my palm. All my stars were glowing except for one. It was duller than the rest. But the longer I stared the duller it grew until it completely disappeared.

I stared at the empty space where it had been, not breathing. For a second I didn't cry or breathe or blink.

Then I fucking lost it.

The scream that erupted from my throat, followed by an explosion of red energy, rivaled any nuke. I threw my head back and just screamed.

I screamed and screamed and screamed.

And it was then that the whole universe shifted.

I hate myself........