Chapter XVI

JOEY FLINCHED AND SPRANG upright, startled as a shriek filled the air. Her eyes frantically scoured her friends to locate the source of the scream, and seconds later, Jenny jumped up and backed away from the surrounding trees. It didn't take long for Kathleen to also scramble to her feet, and by this time, everyone except for Joey and Ella hurried to their feet and stared into the shadowed forest.

Joey squinted as Kathleen and Jenny bumped up against Alex, who then spun their way. Joey's eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and her heartbeat quickened as a wolf trudged out of the shadows. Its gray hair stood on the back of its neck and its low growl showed its jagged teeth.

Her head flung to the left as another wolf, this one brown, emerged into the pale light, and Brianna and Chase slowly backed away. Its claws scraped the ground and drool dangled from its jaw. Its ears perked as it stiffened its hind legs and raised its rear end, slopping its back downward in a strike position.

Joey swiftly shifted into a crouch getting ready to stand when a black wolf, larger than the other two, appeared on her right and she froze. Its yellow eyes scanned them in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. No telling if Agcorp was on the other end of this wolf peering at them through its eyes.

Hearing another rumbling growl coming from behind, she and Ella twisted around at the same time. Ella fell backwards in the snow, as another brown wolf emerged from the darkness. She quickly scooted away, but Joey remained squatted beside David, summoning her daggers for protection. She gulped, terrified as the black wolf's head swung her way.

The ground suddenly began to quake as shouting entered her ears. Taking the chance to shift her eyes past the wolf, she watched as Alex chucked balls of fire at the ten or more wolves that advanced on the group. Fear sent her heart lurching as the group commenced in battle with the wolves.

Gritting her teeth, she gripped the handle of her transparent daggers and shouted at the wolf that stalked closer. It let out a horrific battle cry and leapt forward. With a quick upward thrust of her dagger, she pierced its throat and used what strength she had to shove its body aside to keep it from landing on David. Instead, it collided with the ground on its side and didn't get up.

Dipping back down into her crouch, she twirled in a circle on the balls of her feet to where she now faced David. He still remained leaning against the tree unconscious and slopped over.

She returned her gaze towards the battle as a wolf jumped in the air aimed for Heather. The rebels fingertips glowed as she swiped her hand across the air—gold sparks trickling from her nails as they followed her motion—and a long, thick vine sprang from the ground and slammed into the body of the wolf. It flew back several feet and skidded in the snow leaving a long trail of grass in its stead.

Quickly turning her head, Joey watched as Michelle flung arrow after arrow, each one finding its mark in a wolves skull, but her eyes widened as she noticed a wolf creeping up behind the leader.

"Michelle!" Joey yelled, trying to warn her of the coming doom.

Michelle released an arrow and it found its mark in a wolf that had charged Brianna, but she must not have heard Joey's shout because she lowered her bow for a split second and eyed Joey just as the wolf pounced on her back. She landed on her face in the snow and struggled beneath its weight.

Joey clenched her jaw as she watched, confused as to why Michelle hadn't heard the approaching wolf.

Michelle jerked back an elbow ramming it into the wolf's neck causing its stance to falter, and she hurriedly rolled to her back. The wolf repositioned itself giving a low grumble as it leaned forward, its razor teeth mere inches from her nose. Michelle craned her neck to look up and locate where her bow had flown; it had landed about two feet above her head. She reached for it with her free hand while the other now pushed against the wolfs neck trying to keep it from taking a chunk out of her face, but her arm shook as her strength quickly failed.

Joey sprang upright and pulled back her arm, ready to chuck a dagger at the wolf's head, but in a blink Nathan was at Michelle's side, and forcefully shoved the beast aside. He grabbed Michelle's hand and yanked her to her feet before scolding her. "You should've had that!"

Michelle huffed and snatched up her bow. "Well, sorry! I was too busy saving everyone else's bacon!"

Hearing another shriek, Joey's head flung to the right as Kathleen, Jenny, Ella, and the twins fought against a small pack of wolves, six to their five. Kathleen pierced a couple wolves with her arms that sharpened to a point, and the twins both swung their broadswords to slice at the wolves. Heather stepped in front of Ella as a wolf charged for her, and with a swoosh of her arm, Heather wrapped a vine around its midsection and launched it over the trees.

"Jenny, get over here and help!" Kathleen yelled as she stabbed another wolf in the head. That's when Joey noticed Jenny cowering behind a tree.

"I can't!" Jenny replied, her hands clenched tightly around her ears. "I don't have an ability! I don't want to die!"

Rufus plunged his sword between a wolf's shoulder blades before turning to find Jenny. "Brutus and I don't have an ability either!"

"That and Michelle would've killed us a long time ago for running away," Rufus joked before quickly ducking under a wolf that lunged at him.

"Find something to fight with!" Brutus shouted again, but Jenny never moved.

"Jenny, if you don't help us then we will be the ones getting killed!" Chase shouted as he appeared before her. A wolf pounced towards him and he stepped aside before its claws met his ribs, and he went invisible again.

"Says the one going invisible!" Ella screamed, swinging a large stick.

Heather catapulted another wolf over the trees. "Jenny, you better get over here or so help me—" She was interrupted as a wolf pounded her into the snow. Thrusting both hands forward, vines popped through the dirt and and whammed into the wolf; it flew backwards slamming a tree.

Joey caught her breath and her blood ran cold as a low grumble sounded in her ear. Slowly, she turned her head to the side and watched as the wolf she had taken out began to rise, the wound in its neck sealing shut.

She gulped and shouted, "Uh, Michelle? What exactly was this experiment?"

"They're immortal!" Michelle shouted. She dropped to the ground in a somersault as another wolf leapt. "They'll stay down for a few minutes but won't die."

Joey tightened her jaw. "That would've been nice to know!" she shouted through clenched teeth.

"I already told you!" Michelle screamed back. "You should've been paying closer attention!"

Joey raised her dagger in the air preparing for another strike. If she took it down once, she could do it again. The wolf stalked closer, and bent down readying itself for another leap.

Joey smirked. "Don't tell me you're dumb enough to try that again." The wolf jumped midair and she rolled out of the way, but quickly made it back to her feet. The wolf now stood where she had been crouching, and David lay directly behind the monster.

The blood in her face drained when she noticed the wolf sniff and twist its head around to face David. "Don't even think about it!" she yelled. Feeling an uncontrollable amount of anger, Joey shouted and leaped onto the beasts back. It staggered and shook, trying to buck her off, but she raised her right arm high and with one swift move, plunged the dagger in-between the wolf's shoulder blades. With a gut-wrenching cry, it tumbled to its side knocking her off, and before she got the chance to shimmy away, a leg got trapped underneath its massive body and she yelped.

Using her free leg, she pushed on the wolf's fur while pulling on her trapped leg with her hands. Eventually, she got free and panted as she stood, glancing down at the wolf; the animal that wouldn't stay dead long.

She heard yet another snarl from behind, and swallowed feeling the heat of its breath on her arms. She felt frozen in place, realizing that this wolf was much bigger than the last. Eyeing David, the sudden urge to throw herself on top of him for protection filled her thoughts, but she was afraid to move.

She re-conjured her daggers and shifted the hilt in her hand before tightening her grip. Gritting her teeth, she made a small movement and raised her dagger to chest level. Forcing saliva down her tightened throat, she hurriedly thought of a way to take it down. With a quick spin, she swung her dagger intending to jab the wolf wherever she could, but before she made her mark, a thick stake of ice pierced the beast directly in the chest and it crumbled to the ground.

Spinning on her heels, she David in his ice form with his right hand extended. He was panting just as heavily, if not heavier, as Joey and shaking violently. "Why did you do that?" She knelt down on one knee and relaxed her fingers so her daggers would vanish. "You need to save your strength."

David let out a soft chuckle before a grimace. "Can't you just ... say thank you?" The neon blue of his eyes flickered as his ice form rapidly melted away, and he closed his eyes as his shaking intensified.

Joey frowned and her brow pulled together. She reached for his hand, and was surprised to find it warm. Tears pricked her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. Glancing back up at the others, there were many wolves that laid on the ground, but one by one, they slowly got up. She didn't see a possible way out of this mess, and eventually the group would wear down and be unable to continue their fight.

"Jennifer, get over here!" Heather yelled in clear frustration.

Joey turned to find Jenny still behind the same tree and her hands still over her eyes, but this time she sat with her knees up to her chest curled in a ball.

Jenny shook her head. "I can't! I'll be killed! You know I'll be killed! I can't fight!" She wept loudly, "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

"Jenny, we need you!" Jenny lowered her hands from her ears, and Joey glanced around to find Alex shouting from underneath the jaw of a wolf. Slowly, Jenny stood, but clung to the bark. "I know it's scary, but we need every man/woman we got!" Drool dripped onto Alex's face, and he twisted his head to the side to avoid it entering his mouth. His hands burst to life in flames, and singed the wolf's coarse hair, but it was unfazed. Alex grunted loudly as his arms shook. "Jenny, come on! We'll protect you!"

Jenny's hands slowly lowered to her side as she took a step to the side coming out from her hiding place. Her whole body shook violently as her eyes darted around, and she sniffed back her tears. "I can do this. I can do this," she told herself, her voice quivering.

"Grab a branch or something!" Kathleen shouted, trying to fight off three wolves alone.

Nodding rapidly, Jenny searched the ground until she located a thick stick. She slowly made her way there when one of the wolves whipped its head around towards Jenny. It snarled loudly and began to creep towards her. Her eyes shot open with a gasp, and immediately she started breathing heavily as she backed away slowly. Joey's eyes were drawn to Kathleen who's pointed arms reverted back to normal, and Kathleen stared at her hands in confusion. "No, no, no! Not now! Ugh, I still don't have full control!"

Joey gasped and jumped back as a second black wolf snuck up on Jenny's left. Thrusting a hand forward, she knew it'd be too late. "Jenny, look out!"

Before Jenny could react, the wolf pounced and slammed her into the ground. She let out an ear piercing scream, and clenched her eyes shut.

"Jennifer!" Alex shouted, but he couldn't get free of the wolf that pinned him against the ground as his fire died down.

Joey sprang to her feet, the surge of energy rushing to her palms as she recalled her daggers, but she only took a few steps forward when suddenly an aura of green surrounded Jenny.

"Get off of me!" Jenny shouted, over-enunciating each word.

Joey blinked baffled. She watched the black wolves ears dip and it whimpered with compliance, but all the other wolves continued their attack.

Alex's screams pierced Joey's ears as she turned to find the wolf had bitten down on his shoulder, and his fire had gone out, leaving him defenseless.

"Alex!" Jenny sprang to her feet and the fear that had engulfed her seemed to be gone, replaced by an extreme amount of anger. Her eyes glowed an electric shade of green and the green aura fanned out until it had become a massive green translucent wolf.

The gray wolf that had been using Alex as a chew toy, released him and whined as it backed away. Gritting her teeth, she thrust a hand forward, and the green wolf swept throughout the entire pack until not one of them remained standing.

Alex grunted and clasped a hand around his shoulder wound. He laid there on the ground for a few more seconds, panting and letting out a yelp here and there, before he rolled himself into a sitting position. Blood had already begun to seep in-between his fingers and he clenched his jaw and eyes shut. It didn't take long for Brianna to hurry to him with the backpack in hand.

With the wolves down, Jenny relaxed, her eyes closing, and the green wolf dispersed in a flash of green and powerful wind. When she opened her eyes, they were back to her normal blue, but she gazed around disoriented and her knees crumbled beneath her. Luckily, Chase appeared out of thin air from behind and caught her under her arms.

Alex gently pushed Brianna aside, and quickly made his way through the wolf bodies over to his little sister to help her regain her feet. "Jenny, are you alright?"

Jenny breathed rapidly as she glanced up at him. "What ... what was that?"

"That would be your ability," Michelle replied for Alex, stepping around him. "Welcome to the club." She scanned the ground. "You did us a great favor, but I don't expect you could do it again in three minutes, so if you don't mind, I'd like to get moving. Preferably running." She turned to face Nathan as he wiped some blood off his hands onto his pants. "Grab David. We're getting out of here."

"Michelle, something's not right," Ella called, drawing everyone's attention.

Joey twirled and glanced down to find Ella with her hand on her brothers leg, and David wheezed as he struggled to catch his breath. She knelt back down and leaned in, listening to his gurgled breaths. "David?" His eyes opened just barely, but his face twisted with a sharp pain. "Michelle, she's right." She looked to the side as Michelle knelt beside her. "Was this how Timothy was?"

She sighed remorsefully. "No. The poisons not the same." She jumped back up, and Joey followed with her.

"What?" Joey screamed. "But you said it was a Nokida that killed Timothy."

"It was," Michelle confirmed, walking away.

Balling her hands into fists, Joey jogged forward and gripped Michelle's bicep holding her back. "Then what did you miss?"

Michelle glared back at Joey. "I didn't miss anything!" She jerked her hand away. "Timothy's been dead long enough for Agcorp to change the poison. I'm sorry, but David's chances are dwindling fast."

"Ugh, let's just kill him and be done with this," Chase sighed with a roll of his eyes.

Instantly, Joey's dagger appeared in her right hand and she extended it towards Chase. Her adrenaline spiked making it harder for her to breath. "That is not ... happening!" Returning her gaze to Michelle, she declared, "We are taking him to Lucinda."

"Are you really gonna take that threat?"

Michelle held up a hand silencing Chase. Her eyes then met Nathan's and she said calmly, "Grab the boy."

Joey watched as Nathan stooped down and slid his hands under David before lifting him. She then lowered her hand and the dagger vanished, but Michelle leaned in close to her face. "The next time you threaten me," she began, "you better be willing to pay for it." Spinning on the balls of her feet, Michelle marched off.

Joey's throat tightened and her head ducked between her shoulders. "What is that?" She glanced back at Jenny as the blonde turned and stared into the forest.

Jenny gripped Alex tightly around his triceps, but her eyes stayed focused on the trees, and Joey noticed a bit of sunlight began to peak the horizon and paint the bark in a hue of brown. "T-this isn't over," she whispered with a shaky voice.

"What do you mean?" Brianna asked, patting at the blood covering Alex's shoulder with a nonstick pad.

With Jenny's head tilted towards the trees, she said slowly, "I ... can hear them. Their thoughts."

"Who's thoughts?" Joey asked, blood thumping in her ears from her racing heart.

Jenny's head flung towards Joey and their eyes met. It was then, seeing the terrified fear in the girls eyes, that Joey knew they needed to run.

"Jenny what's going on?" Kathleen asked confused. She gripped Jenny by the arm and turned her around to face her. "Are you going to talk to us or not?"

The color in Jenny's face suddenly drained as she backed away "No. No!"

Alex pushed Brianna aside before she could finish and grabbed hold of his little sister by her arms. He held on to her tight as she struggled to get away. "Jenny, calm down! We can't help you if you won't talk to us!"

"He's coming for me!" she cried, punching Alex's shoulders. She didn't seem to care that she was pounding on his wound despite the pained face it brought from her brother. "He's coming for me! You have to let me go!"

Alex twisted her around, and yanked her away from the shadows. He wrapped his arms around her seeing like he would protect her no matter the cost. "We need to get out here."

"We're all gonna die!" She wiggled in his arms, and it must've been too much for his injured arm to handle because, reluctantly, he released her, and a hand flew to his wound as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut with a groan. Still she kept repeating, "We're all gonna die!"

"I'm not going to just let you go!" Alex yelled and his skin crackled as veins of lava sprouted along his flesh. Even in his weak state, it was clear that he wouldn't give up easily. "We can take him!"

Jenny was on the verge of hyperventilating when suddenly she stopped, her eyes staring down at the snow as drops of tears slid down her cheeks. "Jenny, what is it?" She ignored Kathleen's question as she slowly turned towards the shadows overcasted by the trees.

Joey's eyes widened in fear. She looked past Jenny into the shadows as a pair of glowing, yellow eyes opened about two feet above Jenny's head. Jenny gasped and backed away, but tripped over one of the wolves bodies that had begun to stir. Time had run out. Joey's gaze followed the pair of eyes as they descended, backed up, and disappeared. For a few seconds, everything was silent. Not even the faintest breathing could be heard.

The silence was broke as several others screamed, and Joey flinched when the eyes popped out of the forest belonging to a giant black head with pointed ears. The creature stepped forward revealing its long black body, four legs, and bushy tail. Standing a couple feet in front of Jenny, this wolf had to be bigger then a bear and at least six feet tall while on all fours.

The wolves around them began to wake, and their wounds sealed as they made their way to their paws. Glancing around, Joey quickly summoned her daggers, but strangely, the wolves didn't attack. Instead, she was shocked to find their ears turned downwards as they cowered away into the forest.

"Jenny, what is that thing?" Heather asked calmly from behind.

"H-he's ... their leader," Jenny finally answered. Her voice quaked with a fear that Joey had never heard before.

The wolves eyes scanned them, like he was searching for his next meal, and Joey gulped. Their leader. If he wanted to, he could easily make the wolves return and fight and they would be no match this time around. But no, if this wolf truly was searching for its next meal, it would've already killed them. Something about this animal told Joey that it was far more then just an animal. She could see the intelligence in its eyes.

Joey jumped in place, her heart dropping to her stomach, as the wolves jaw opened slowly showing off its sharp dagger-like teeth as hot drool dripped to the melting snow. It stood there not making a move for a few short minutes, surveying the company around him.

Joey's eyes clenched shut, and a few of the others shouted as the wolf suddenly clamped down on Jenny's ankle. Joey pried open her eyes, listening to Jenny scream in pain, and the blonde grabbed at her thigh of the leg it clung to. She pounded on its head, but that did nothing.

"Jenny!" many of the teens yelled out at once.

The wolf stood, yanking Jenny's leg upward, and her slammed backwards into the snow banging hard against the stones.

"No!" Alex dove forward and reached for his sister's hand, but just as his fingertips brushed hers, the wolf tugged her away and dragged her across the forest floor disappearing into the darkness. Only a trail of grass from the flattened snow was left behind.

Jenny's screams echoed throughout the forest as she was being hauled away, and after a minute, the only thing that could be heard was the howling of the wolves but that, too, eventually faded.

The air around them was silent once more as no one knew what to say or do. Pushing himself up on his palms, Alex whispered in a voice laced with disbelief, "Jenny?"

Joey's heart pounded as she watched the scene unfold, and just like that, in the blink of an eye ... Jenny was gone.