Hybrid's Fury Unleashed

Chapter Thirteen

XILLON 

I’m struggling to make sense of the little information I have. But I’m baffled by what I know so far. Selene’s daughter dwells inside Annalise’s subconscious. Jarek’s dream he had seemed to unfold before our very eyes. Just not in the way he described. Honestly, I’m afraid of what we are about to uncover once Gabriel and I tear down the walls that have her bound in darkness.

“Annalise?” I yell into the dark abyss of Annalise’s mind. I can’t sense her, or anything, within the darkness.

“She’s no longer here. Her soul has left her body. Quickly, we must go back,” Gabriel commands, and suddenly we are transported back to our bodies.

ANNALISE 

Floating aimlessly above the scene unfolding before me, I feel a sense of peace and serenity. Which is something I’ve never felt from the day I was born. I would rather remain here than return to a life where I have been tortured and never loved. Not by whom I hoped to be loved by, anyway.

I watch as Xillon and Gabriel fuss over my body. I hear a shrill beep from the monitor as my heartbeat flatlined. Gabriel starts compressions as Xillon cries out for me to return to him. I glance upwards to see a brilliant light that also beckons to me. All my instincts are telling me to go towards the mesmerizing beams of light, but Xillon’s pleading for me to return keeps me from leaving. Should I Flit around in peace, or go back to being the freak and outcast of the Blood Moon Howler Pack, hum?

"Annalise, I know you’re there and can hear me. Don’t give up. I know we have treated you poorly. Xavier has helped me see the error of my ways. Jarek and Zane will follow. If not, I swear to you I’ll protect you from them, from now on,” Xillon says as he glances in my direction as if he knows where I am.

Treating me poorly is an understatement, by far. He’ll need to do better than promising to protect me.

‘Stop hating me and fight for your life, damn it!’

Xillon’s lips are unmoving and I realize he just communicated with me through a mind link. Could it be that in this plane of existence I might be able to converse via mind link? I’d never know without trying. Closing my eyes to concentrate, only one word comes to mind.

‘No.’

‘This isn’t the time to be defiant, Annalise. You’re dying. We can argue after Alpha Gabriel and I save your life.’

‘I don’t have much to go back to.’

‘Bullshit! You have me, Alpha Max, Luna Celestia, and I’ll even go as far as to say Dante. What about your wolf, Larrisa? Are you willing to leave her stranded and alone, to be a selfish coward?’

Xillon’s right. After everything that has happened in my life, I can’t leave my wolf stranded and alone. I can deal with Xillon and the other two nitwits later. Without another thought, my consciousness glides back to my lifeless body. Instantly, the peace and serenity I felt previously vanished. Darkness and gloom washes over me, as well as unimaginable pain. What am I to do now?

As I blinked rapidly and opened my eyes, the pain coursing through my body receded and flashes of light began exploding before my eyes, just as I thought I would be lost in the darkness forever. Blinking rapidly to let my eyes adjust to the light. I open my eyes and Xillon’s massive, dark grey wolf Xavier stands before me. Beyond him, I see another wolf. I thought Dante’s wolf Titan was huge. Titan is hardly comparable to the giant black wolf standing before me. He has a red crescent Moon glowing between its eyes. His thick lupine fur, a mixture of mostly black with grey hues.

‘I am Alpha Gabriel’s wolf Galith. Let’s retrieve your wolf, shall we? We must converse through the mind link, henceforth. Be on your guard. The princess isn’t willing to relinquish control. To you, or Larrisa. Her goal is to wipe you both out, but I am unsure of her true motives. We must not let her take control under any circumstances.’ Galith explains, tilting his head toward a blinding Sapphire blue and silver light.

‘I have no clue what you’re talking about, but I’ll do my best as I am only human.’

‘I have faith in your capabilities. Dante speaks highly of you. His wolf Titan will arrive soon.’

Xavier growls and I cross my arms and send a death glare in his direction.

‘This isn’t the time to be possessive and jealous, Xavier. Let’s stick to the matter at hand.’ I command, and Xavier stands down.

‘Will she leave this princess you speak of, if we defeat her?’ I ask Galith.

‘I am unaware of what will happen. This is unlike anything that has happened in the centuries of werewolf existence.’ Galith says.

‘Well, that’s encouraging.’ I said, rolling my eyes in annoyance.

I’m ignorant of all that’s transpiring, yet I’m about to help defeat whatever lies beyond that blinding light before us, so I can bond with my lupine counterpart. This should be fun.

‘We will hold her off while you seek your wolf, Larrisa. We cannot harm the princess. She is the heir and daughter to the Moon goddess Selene.’

‘You’ve got to be shitting me.’

‘Language child. Now, where the fuck is my son?’

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I quirk my brows and look away. He wants to scold me for my language, but his profanity was worse than mine. It doesn’t seem he has much more wisdom than I do when it comes to our possible impending doom. I left my blissful state of non-existence for this. That’s just bloody fantastic.

‘Xavier, you will stay back with Annalise while Titan and I distract the princess. While we keep her distracted, you two will seek Larrisa. Guard Annalise with your life.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Xavier says through the open mind link between the four of us and cranes his neck in submission.

Staring in wonder at the vast mystical terrain that happens to be my subconscious, Xavier and I start our trek through the wilderness. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life. Grass, flowers and trees are translucent rainbows of shimmering light. Silky to the touch, as grass and other forest terrain should be. There’s no other signs of life, though, beyond Xavier and I, which seems crazy. The princess must get extremely lonely here. Perhaps that’s why she has made my life hell.

The princess filled my dreamscape with nothing but darkness. This so-called princess has created a paradise for her and my wolf Larrisa, though. Dante says Larrisa is beautiful. I can’t wait to meet her.

Suddenly, darkness consumes me and when I wake, I’m gazing into the eyes of a beautiful creature with wings that span out several yards. Her eyes are silver, her skin has a sky-blue tent within an almost translucent state. Her hair is silver, reaching the ground in thick, curly waves. She’s wearing something out of a medieval mystical war movie. I guess you could compare her garnets to that of Xena the warrior princess. Though her garments are silver.

“Bow down before your princess,” she commands in a booming voice that threatens to burst my eardrums as she rises. She’s slender with taut muscles and reaches eight feet in height. She wields a sword in her left hand that equals that of her height. I glance over to see Xavier, Galith, and Titan submitting and whimpering in pain.

“Free them! Now!” I command.

“You are out of your element as a human. My sister has done a number on you. I have much to say and little time to do so. Before I begin, though, they must go,” she says, snapping her fingers and Xavier, Galith, and Titan vanish.