Chapter Six

Seline.

However, as much as I want to not think about Austin, I can’t get him out of my head.

It’s the early hours of the morning after I’m done cleaning up. I grab my bag and change into street clothes before picking up the trash bags. 

I exit through the alley door and lock it before making my way to the large trash bins.

I toss in the trash bags and begin to close the lid of the trash bin.

I hear the sound first before I look up, only to feel something thin pierce my neck. Almost like a small needle.

My hand instantly goes to my neck, and I feel something thin sticking out of my neck.

“Crap, what?”

I yank the thin dart out and instantly feel a wave of nausea.

I grab the edge of the trash bin and look towards the entrance of the alley. I can make out a few figures approaching me. It takes me a moment for my vision to clear, and I recognize the panther shifters from a few days ago.

“Cowards,” I spit out. “Can’t even take on one woman without trying to drug her.”

But it seems that these idiots don’t know what I am.

If I was a warlock alone, the drug the dart contained would have left me in a drooling, mindless state. But my wolf side, weak as it is, is struggling to burn through the drug, giving me enough awareness to know that I’m in danger right now.

It’s days like these when I find myself grateful for the Lycan blood flowing through my system. I can feel it fighting off the effects of the drug that can be fatal to most warlocks.

But the panther shifters aren’t waiting around, and I see deadly intent in their eyes as they approach me. I don’t have to speak to summon my powers and I touch the ground, making them all jump in pain at the jolt of electricity striking them.

But it’s weaker than normal.

One of them darts over the trash bins, lined against the wall, and runs towards me. 

I try to avoid him, but his hand has already shifted into those deadly claws and he slashes at me. I hiss in pain as his claws score against my neck and chest, tearing cloth and puncturing my skin.

“Don’t kill the bitch yet!” one of them hoots in laughter. “I want to make her crawl!”

Others snicker as I stumble back. I glare at them through the strands of my hair, trying to breathe past the pain.

Crawl? Not fucking likely. I’ve crawled enough for other people to last me a lifetime!

I plant my hands on the ground, one of my fingers landing on some leaves growing out of the crack of the dirty floor. It’s difficult to use my warlock abilities right now because of how the drug is attacking my system. 

But I refuse to be a victim again. It’s a vow I made to myself all those years ago.

I summon all my strength and feel the ground rumble. As do the shifters.

Looks of alarm settle on their faces. “What the hell?”

I smile weakly, not hiding my rage. “Retribution, assholes,”

The ground bursts open and long thin vines race towards the panther shifters. They howl in fear and jump out of the way. I laugh angrily, as the vines change direction, almost as if they have a mind of their own and chase the shifters.

“It’s her!” one of them shouts. “She’s controlling them!”

“How?!” his companion hisses. “The dealer said, ugh!”

He’s thrown against a wall by one of the vines and there’s a loud cracking sound as he slumps to the ground, unconscious.

“Knock her out!” One of the panthers screams.

I see three of them rush towards me. While the vines manage to stop two of them, one of them manages to get through. His claws extended, he slashes against my neck, aiming for the most vulnerable part. Even as I try to defend myself, the already seeping blood has weakened me considerably.

I feel his claws slash through neck, and a gurgling sound echoes in my ears as my vision blurs. I see the vines suddenly fall to the ground, and I, too, slump down weakly.

Dammit!

My healing abilities are nowhere close to an actual shifter’s, but they are fast. While these wounds are fatal, they might not kill me if I’m given enough time to heal.

They are advancing on me and my fingers twitch as I try to common up some strength. Just a small spell to buy myself some time, but it’s hard for me to even think.

Maybe I should consider releasing the magic that is subduing my Lycan side?

The decision has to be made fast. If they find out I’m a hybrid, I’ll have to kill them because if I let even one of them escape, it will come back to haunt me.

Just as I’m about to release the magic, I hear one of the panther shifters grunt before he is thrown against the wall by a moving shadow.

“You again?!”

My vision is too blurred to be able to make out anything concrete. All I can see is a large figure snarling and tossing around the panther shifters as if they are nothing more than rag dolls.

I’m struggling to breathe, feeling my skin stitch together at a very slow speed. My head is light from the blood loss.

I don’t know at what point I stop hearing the sounds of fighting, but something is nudging me before a hand cups my face and a familiar voice reaches my ears.

“Seline!”

There’s panic and worry in the voice, and underlying all that is a confused fear.

Austin?