Ch 8 monsters

Trinity felt an unnatural cold and darkness and froze, least she attract the attention of whatever other-woldly creatures had come. The howl she felt more than heard terrified her wolf but her inner shadow reveled in it.

"Trin... Trinity!" Callen's voice pulled her back, she looked around terrified. His bloody hands pressed into her cheek as he forced her to look at him. "Trinity!"

"Callen, the moon... the hounds were here... they took the rogue's soul," she gasped shakily.

Callen looked horrified then pulled her against his chest. "Shhh Trin, it will be okay. We have to find Cami and Gabe."

She leaned against him trembling. In the distance, she could hear Coen's battle howl and the sound of dying wolves. Suddenly, her focus returned. "We can't kill all the rogues, this one said they took them to the sale."

"Took who?"

"Gabe and Camillia and some others, they are going to sell them and we have to know where," Trin exclaimed desperately. "They were heading north when I lost Gabe, he said Cami was hurt."

"Can you catch them?"

"I... I can try... Coen isn't answering me." She grabbed Callen and blurred them to Coen.

He was rampaging. It was a horrifying sight. He tore down four wolves at once, ripping their flesh into pieces. He ran down those trying to flee, and punished them for their cowardice with a gory death. Trinity and Callen were frozen for a moment. A wounded Paul was struggling to push himself up but collapsed again as Coen turned toward him. The teens knew raging warform often could not tell friend from foe.

"Coen, stop!" Trinity screamed. Shimmering herself to stand in front of Paul.

"Trin, get away from him," Callen yelled too late as Coen knocked her to the ground. Callen could do nothing but watch and pray to the moon goddess that his brother did not rip his mate into pieces.

Trinity stared up at him horrified, "Coen, please stop."

He snarled in her face and she whimpered in fear as he towered over her, the blood from his maw dripping on her. "Coen?"

Suddenly, her demoness pushed to the forefront, her eyes dilated and darkened as she changed, her voice dropped an octave as she spoke, "Enough my beast, the battle is done. We must tend the wounded."

His warform growled in her face, but her immortal shadow showed no fear. She sat, running her fingers through his bloody fur, murmuring and calling him back to her. Finally, he trembled and shifted into his mortal form, collapsing in front of her. His whole body was covered in blood, some of it his.

Coen looked up at her with haunted eyes, "I'm so sorry, my angel." Then he passed out from the giant wound on his side. Her shadow demoness looked around and blinked slowly once, then she was Trinity again.

"Is he?" Callen knelt next to her, for a moment neither spoke then the moans of the wounded Paul drew their attention.

"Get Coen, I'll grab Paul. I'll blur us to the pack hospital." Trinity's voice sounded freakishly high after hearing her inner self speaking.

"They took my sister," Paul groaned in pain, but was healing, he looked at them through bleary eyes. "They took your sister."

"We know but you need the doctor," Trinity insisted.

In moments, they were at the steps of the hospital. The Hospital yard where Coen had fought Alpha Blake was a flurry of activity. They staggered in under the burdens of their wounded loved ones. Callen tripped, taking Trinity with him and they collapsed in a heap.

"Help us." Callen shouted for help and ran to find one of the nurses or Doctor Reynolds.

Blood poured out of him too fast, Coen was dying. Trin leaned over Coen as his blood pooled around her knees.

Bite mate, her wolf demanded.

Bite him to heal him, her shadow agreed.

Trinity closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated. She knew some royal vampires could do such things, but she didn't know if she was one of them. If she was wrong Coen would die of her venom, but if she did nothing he would bleed to death before his wolf could heal him. Her fangs pushed out from between her lips, and she whispered, "Please live," before she sank them into Coen' carotid artery.

She felt his soul burning against hers. Coen and his wolf were fighting the darkness, he had kept fighting after being wounded and now he was sure he was dying. He had almost killed Paul and Trinity as he rampaged, but his queen called him back. He heard her whispered plea and felt her fangs in his neck. She saved his soul from being lost to his rage, and now she was trying to save his body. Something like fire burned painfully through his veins, but her breath on his skin was soft as he sunk into sleep.

"Trinity?! What are you doing?" Nurse Shonnie blurted out shocked, seeing the young hybrid vampiress holding the Alpha's son against her, her fangs in his neck. Tears were running down her face as she looked up.

"I had to... I had to bite him to heal him," she sobbed, rocking him slightly, "He's my mate."

Shonnie nodded. The old nurse had once heard some walkers could do heal with a bite, but she had always thought it was a myth. As they watched, Coen stopped bleeding, and started healing faster than the old nurse would have thought possible. Several wolves in the waiting area had witnessed it.

Suddenly, Shonnie pulled Trinity to her feet, her voice desperate, "You have to heal the Lunas. Callen, get Coen and Paul into a room." As she pulled Trinity from the triage area.

One handed Callen a pair of gray sweatpants, and then helped him move his brother and their friend to bed in the back.

Shonnie dragged Trinity away from Coen and into a room, the beds held Luna Marigold and Luna Cerese, both were severely injured. Dr Reynolds and another nurse were working feverishly to save them.

"Jeff, let Trinity bite them," Shonnie insisted. He looked at her like she was crazy as she shoved the bloody young sun-walker at him. Trinity was smeared with blood and gore and it was obvious she had just come from the battle. "I said move aside," Shonnie pushed him aside. "Trin, bite her, just like you did Coen."

Trinity sobbed as she nodded, her fangs elongated and her eyes glowed, as she gently lifted Cerese's hair out of the way.

Dr Reynolds moved to stop her, but Shonnie's hiss froze him, "She's a royal, she can heal them."

Trinity thought about healing and how much the pack needed Cerese, "Please live," she whispered for the second time that night, and she bit the Luna's neck. Luna Cerese moaned in pain but didn't wake. Trinity stood up and went to Luna Marigold's bed, but her foster grandmother help up her hand to stop her.

"Save your gift, my darling," Marigold whispered, "Don't waste it on this old she-wolf."

"She's healing," came Dr Reynolds' surprised exclamation. "Luna Marigold, let Trinity bite you."

"No, royal vampires can only heal thrice per moon," the retired luna refused, "Trinity made need to heal another this night. My Andrew is gone. Let the goddess decided if I am to stay or to follow."

"How did you do it, Trinity?" Dr Reynolds asked, shocked.

Luna Marigold whispered the answer, "Our Trin is special. She's not just a walker-werewolf hybrid, she's a royal... Then there's... the prophesy... The queens of dark and light saw it." Marigold's voice trailed off as her eye lids sank.

"Grandmum?" Trin asked fearfully.

"It will be your soul's choice. Save... unite." Marigold opened her aged green eyes for a few moments more, pain and hope stared into Trinity's blue eyes. "Don't be afraid." The whisper was so soft Trinity shouldn't have even heard it, even being a vampire, then Luna Marigold passed.

"Luna Marigold!" Dr. Reynolds and the nurses tried to resuscitate her.

Trinity staggered out the door, leaning against the wall with her hand over her mouth trying to muffle her sobs. Callen appeared a moment later, tears flowing freely down his face. They stood there hugging, sharing their grief, then looked at each other with cold determination, they knew what they needed to do next.

'Alpha, we are going after the rogues. They took several children, heading north.' Callen broadcasted into the pack link, summoning the remaining warriors, 'Everyone, come to the hospital to aid and protect the wounded.'

'No, stand down warriors. Callen, Alpha Blake is wounded, he may be dying.' Beta Killian's voice was harsh.

'Where is he, Beta Killian?' Trinity demanded to the link, there was no answer. 'I can heal him like I did Coen and Luna Cerese.' Silence answer. Trinity swore aloud, "That bastard is going to let him die!"

'Where is my father?' roared Callen, his alpha command irresistible.

'We're at Long Pond, Alpha Callen,' second Beta Bartlett answered. It was just south of the town, they realized how close community was to being overrun.

'I'm coming,' Trinity stated to Beta Bartlett only, running toward the doors.

Around the town square, people were rushing in with wounded. Some were gathering the dead for burial. Dozens had died on both sides, more rogues than pack members, but the pack felt the death of each member keenly, especially former Alpha Andrew and Luna Marigold.

"We're going." Callen said aloud to her. His eyes held a fierceness she had only ever seen in Coen's. She gave him a curt nod as the ran to the end of the town square.

There was a line of dead rogues. One of the Deltas was taking several pictures of each one. "Search them for identity paperwork, we need to find where they took the children from the safe house and my sister," Callen ordered as he paused from following Trinity, "And call the Guardians."

"But Beta Killian said not to bother..."

"I am Alpha right now, not him," Callen snarled then stalked after Trinity. He hugged her from behind, "Go."

"Deep breath and hold on," Trinity said.

She took a deep breath as shadows swirled around her, she was so tired, but Alpha Blake needed her. She felt Callen's arms tighten around her as they blurred south and east toward the Long Pond. Second Beta Bartlett, his eldest Bradley, and Alpha Blake were in the grassy knoll by the narrow oval retaining pond. All three were hurt, but Blake was the worst. The other warriors were chasing the remaining rogues back south into the empty zone lands.

Trinity stumbled as she stopped and Callen caught her, keeping her upright. His eyes were concerned, "Trin?"

"I'm just tired, Callen," she sounded annoyed and exhausted. Trembling, she knelt over Blake. He was so wounded he couldn't shift. "It's okay, Uncle Blake, I'm here to heal you. I have one bite left." His wolf watched her with trusting eyes and stretched its neck.

She tried not to eavesdrop as Callen told Coen rampaged and she stopped him to save Paul, then they went to the hospital. "Our grandmother refused, so she would have a chance to save another, then she went to the moon."

As her shadow helped her see where to bit under the bloody fur, she heard Callen explaining in a low tone that she was a royal and could heal. Trinity felt her fangs growing and for the third time this night whispered, "Please live," as her fangs pierced his neck.

Blake yelped in pain but stayed still, whining then sighing in relief. Trinity resisted the urge to suck, she was so hungry, instead she sat back and pulled his legs straight. Blake shifted back into his mortal form. The others stared between him and her. Callen had not realized she was glowing when she bit Coen, the harsh hospital lights had hidden it, but in the dim light of the waning night, she seemed other-worldly. His father was healing at an even faster rate than a werewolf's normal rapid healing, they were literally watching his wounds seal themselves. Something was crashing through the underbrush toward them.

Preparing to defend them, Trinity stood up. "Who's there?"

Two rogues rushed into the clearing around the pond and Trinity was on them before anyone else moved. She decapitated one then shimmered to in front of the other and pinned it to the ground through its head. Her fangs and nails still longer, as she staggered away a few steps before collapsing. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she convulsed.

'My beast, help me.' Her wolf and her mortal struggled with her shadow demoness to contain her hunger, to stop her from feeding on the closest source of blood.

'I am almost there, my queen.'

She heard Callen kneel beside her and croaked, "Don't touch us."

"What's wrong with her?" Bradley asked horrified.

"I don't know?" Callen answered.

"She needs blood," Coen' voice was like an anchor. He sounded far away, yet she could hear his heartbeats and the heartbeats of those with them. She could hear the nightbirds flying and the breaths of sleeping squirrels.

"What are you doing, son?" Blake asked. The sound of ripping flesh, followed by Coen's footfalls. Bradley gagged at whatever Coen had done.

"She needs blood," Coen repeated, "Or the hunger will overwhelm her, and she could kill us all." The men gasped. She felt Coen lift her from the grass. His heart pounding and the blood rushing through his veins, were so close, so inviting and she fought the whelming urge to feed from him.

"Help us," her shadow whispered aloud.

"Drink my angel, this wolf was dead," Coen whispered, putting something warm and rubbery against her lips. Warm wolf blood poured down her chin as she sucked it from whatever Coen was holding to her lips. "Get another one, brother."

Callen bolted away, and so did Bradley. The sound of tearing flesh reached her dazed mind, and another, then a third was offered. Sated, she slumped against Coen shuddering as the blood restored part of her strength, her shadow demoness curled up with her wolf to sleep as her hunger faded.

She looked up at Coen tearfully, and whispered in her own voice, "You lived."

His emerald green eyes shined with his love and adoration. "Yes, thanks to you."

She looked at his hand resting in her lap, it held a wolf's heart. He must have realized her thoughts because he tossed it away. She swallowed and looked back at him, while tears leaked from her eyes. "I'm a monster," she half-sobbed.

"Never say that again." Coen stood, holding Trinity in his arms. He was completely healed and so was his father.

"No, Luna Trinity, you're a gift," Beta Bartlett refuted her firmly, "You saved many tonight by taking Alpha Coen and Alpha Callen to scout the false attack on the western border, then getting them back to the pavilion to fight. You saved our Alpha and his mate, his eldest son, and my youngest son. If you need the heart blood of every one of these dead rogues to live, we will harvest it for you. And I, for one, will be proud to have you as our Luna someday." Bradley and Callen made affirmative noises.

Her eyes fluttered as Blake caressed her cheek, "Do you need more?"

She shook her head slightly, she didn't want to move her cheek away from Coen' strong heartbeat, "No thank you," then she made a face, licking her teeth. "I really hate the taste of wolf, I'd rather suck a cat."

Offended, Callen and Bradley stared at her like she was crazy, but Blake and Bartlett chuckled.

A laugh rumbled in Coen' chest, and he kissed the top of her head, "Let's go home. I'm sure they have some sweet O neg at the clinic, besides you would hate cat."

"Why?" Bradley asked as Coen carried her through the trees, she could barely stay awake. "Cats must taste good; they lick themselves all the time." This time all the wolves laughed.

"She says Cat is too spicy, like ghost peppers," Coen explained.

"I hate spice things, I like sweet things," she revealed drowsily. Pressing her cheek against Coen's chest, she breathed out three last words, "Like your kiss." Then she was asleep and Coen had to wonder if she meant to say the last three words aloud, even though they were barely whispered loud enough for him to hear.