Or So I Thought.

Love Vs. Hatred.

Ryden's P. O. V.

For the moment I was stunned. Nicole had her face in her hand proped up in her elbow repeatedly tapping her fingers against her cheek glaring butcher knives, no giant two handed swords, at Jameson.

Bella kept shrieking 'die' 'die' while shooting the dragon like creature in the head, over and over...and over...and over, it clearly wasnt doing anything. How my little one has the patience for her I will never know. Landon was just screaming cuss words at Jameson.

"Make a choice, Ryden. Kill me or save your little outcast misfits." Immediately I ran towards the shadow pulling out the sword I had in the beginning of this journey. Once I was close the beast swooped down at me.

It was then I remembered James comment, good thing Bella wasn't there or she would have launched herself at him and try to bite his fingers clean off. The creature swooped at me again, creating another wound on my ribs that will scar.

Angered by the pain rushing through my body I swung at the shadow but my sword passed through it without harm. The more I fought the angrier I became until I heard Nicole shout my name. "Ryden, use the other sword!

Thats the only blade that can hurt this bloody thing!" Putting my sword back in the sheath I pulled the glowing blue sword out. I managed to slash at the shadow's tail before Jameson threw his black sword, barely missing me, and pulled out a red sword with a blood red ruby in the hilt like the ocean blue sapphire in mine.

The shadow screeched out as the tail separated and the smoke dissipated. "I worked too hard for my revenge against you Ryden, I will not let you destroy it!" He jabbed his sword at my shoulder intending to keep me pinned to the ground but I rolled just in time.

We lunged at each other clashing swords before instinct took over. Duck, parry, jab, block, lunge, roll, it continued for what seemed hours until Jameson struck at me leaving his hip unguarded. Dodging his attack I slashed at his opening successfully making him stumble and cover his wound with his hand.

I shoved him to the ground while he was distracted and put my sword on his neck, my blade ready to taste his blood but his words stopped me. "Have you forgotten your mate Ryden? If you kill me you kill her, my pet still has her in its claws."

Right then I heard Nicole scream. The shadow had dropped Bell and Landon on a tree top, stranded, but held Nicole above flat ground where if she fell she would die. With out hesitation I ran toward a tree and started climbing as fast as I could.

Finally I was at the top staring at the shadow right in the eye a couple yards away. Before I could back out I jumped as far as I could with my blue sword out waiting to sink in to the beast but I started falling before I got close, I was going to fall to my death.

As I fell I looked into Nicole's eyes which were beyond angry, blazed with her wrath of what was to come to me for what I had just done. She held out her hand pointing it at me as her beautiful grey-hazel eyes turned to a iridescent blue-black color.

The tribal markings painted on her wolf tattooed themselves to her skin, turning from black to a glowing blue color. My fall was broken as I was thrown into the rib cage of the shadow my sword sinking into the smoke like flesh up to the hilt.

The shadow thrashed trying to dislodge the sword buried in it's side, I swung myself up on the hollow between the shoulders and head balancing myself as I pulled my sword out of the shadows rib and thrust it back in to the shoulder steering it to the ground.

"Nicole hold on!" "Yeah I really want to let go right now!" "I'm serious its about to get bumpy." "It's called sarcasm dear." I knew that. Soon after the shadow, along with Nicole and me, crashed to the ground.

Nicole and I were thrown off and landed next to Bell and landon. "Um, guys we kinda got a small problem." Bell said watching the black smoke creature behind us. "What is it now?" Nicole asked helping me to my feet. "Look for yourselves."

So we did and we saw my glowing blue sword, the only freaking thing able to hurt this cursed devil's spawn, stuck in the beast while the shadow was slowly, and intimidatingly, stalking towards us. "New game, rock paper scissors, and the loser has to get the sword away from the guard sound fun?"

With love, guess which of Nicole's morons that was. "Bell were you dropped on your head as a child?" The only smart one here asked, me, if you didnt already know. "Which time do you want to know about?" Nicole told me about when her and Bell were little Bell had found one of Nicole's fathers tractors and hit her in the head with it.

I'm wondering if she didn't would Nicole be dumb like her? Nicole apparently thinking the same thing as me started grining causing Bell to do the same. "Your welcome." she said to Nicole making her laugh which lead to Bella laughing and Landon staring at them weirdly.

"Can you guys read each others minds without mind link?" Landon asked. "Call it a talent of ours." Was Bell's response. Suddenly the trees around us crashed to the ground as the shadow roared, large embers flying out eveywhere causing the ground to erupt in flames.

"Great, what next this thing sucks the souls out of the plants around us?" Nicole said. How we forgot about a giant smoke beast trying to eat us I don't know blame Mrs. Bella Roberts. The shadow once again roared before raising up on it's hind legs and blowing smoke at a tree next to me, the tree dissolved into white ash sucked back into shadows jaws.

You know that saying 'be careful what you wish for'? It's true. "I volunteered Landon as tribute to get the sword." Bell said raising Landon's arm. "Wow, babe thanks." Landon said. "No problem. Run?" Bell asked as the shadow got closer to us eating the souls of things around us.

"Run." Nicole agreed. We took cover behind a tree big enough for the four of us. "Bell I have an idea." Nicole said pulling her and Bella out in front of the shadow while yelling at me to get the sword. I watched as Nicole and Bella shifted into their wolves snarling at the shadow.

Both of their markings starting to glow, the shadow was frozen as flecks of Nicole's black to blue and Bella's gold to silver magic holding it in place as I pulled my sword free and cut the head off of the shadow. Smoke floated through the air, the flames on the burned grass and dead trees died out.

"Beware of the shadows that would your soul." Nicole spoke with a solemn tone. "Well as eventful as that was who wants a nap?" Bell asked.