Chapter 8: Triple Power
993words
We moved through corridors, alarms still blaring. Gunshots and howls echoed from a distance. Through our newly formed bonds, I could feel Griffin's determination and Valerian's focus, even though they had gone separate ways.
"This feels so strange," I whispered, following Lucien down a staircase. "I can feel them, like they're inside my head."
"A triple bond is unprecedented," Lucien replied, his voice tense but calm. "We're all adjusting."
A massive boom shook the entire building. I stumbled, but Lucien steadied me.
"What was that?"
"They're using heavy weapons," he frowned. "We need to move faster."
We reached a room that looked like a laboratory. Lucien quickly locked the door and began mixing herbs in a bowl.
"What is that?" I asked, watching him work with practiced hands.
"An antidote to wolfsbane," he explained. "Hunters use it to weaken us. This will give you some protection."
Through the bond, I suddenly felt a sharp pain. I gasped, grabbing the table.
"Griffin's hurt," I said, somehow knowing.
Lucien nodded, his expression grave. "But alive. The bond tells you that much."
He applied the mixture to my wrists and neck. The scent was strong but not unpleasant, like forests and rain.
"The moon is rising," he said, looking out the window. "Can you feel it?"
I could—a pulling sensation, a restlessness, like something inside me wanted to break free.
"What if I transform here?" I asked, suddenly panicking. "In the middle of hunters?"
"That's why we're heading to the safe room," he said, gathering his supplies. "But first, drink this."
He handed me a cup of deep green liquid. I hesitated.
"It will help with your first transformation," he explained. "Ease the pain."
I drank it, tasting an odd combination of earth and mint.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Two hunters charged in, weapons aimed at us.
"Don't move!" one shouted. "Silver bullet aimed at your heart, monster."
Lucien slowly raised his hands. "You don't have to do this. We haven't harmed anyone."
"Shut up," the other hunter snapped, then looked at me. "Is this her? The female Alpha?"
I felt a chill. They were specifically after me.
"Hand her over and we'll spare the others," the first hunter said.
"Lies," Lucien said calmly. "You came here to kill."
I felt the wolf inside me growing more restless, anger and fear mixing together. The moon's pull was getting stronger.
Through the bonds, I sensed Griffin and Valerian's urgency. They knew we were trapped. They were coming.
"Last chance," the hunter said, gun aimed at Lucien's head. "Give us the girl."
Just then, I felt something snap inside me. Pain swept through my body, and I fell to the floor, gasping.
"She's transforming!" the hunter yelled, backing away in horror.
Lucien used the distraction, his hands glowing blue. The hunters' weapons suddenly became red-hot, and they screamed, dropping their guns.
My bones began to reshape, skin prickling, senses sharpening. The pain was less than I expected—perhaps from Lucien's potion, or the power of the triple bond.
Through blurred vision, I saw Lucien fighting the hunters. He was powerful, but there were two of them, well-trained.
I tried to stand to help, but the transformation process kept me immobile. I felt helpless and angry.
Suddenly, the window shattered, and a dark shape flew into the room. Valerian, moving like liquid, blades flashing. He quickly dispatched one hunter while Lucien subdued the other.
"You're late," Lucien said, though I could feel his relief.
"Dramatic entrances take time," Valerian replied, then looked at me. "Oh, look who decided to start the party early."
My transformation was still in progress, but I could sense their concern.
*Griffin?* I managed to ask through the bond, surprised I could communicate this way.
*Handling more hunters,* Valerian responded in my mind. *He'll be here soon.*
Another wave of pain hit, and I felt my consciousness beginning to blur. The wolf was taking over.
"Lyra," Lucien knelt beside me, his voice firm. "Focus on the bonds. Don't let the wolf take complete control."
I tried to concentrate, but the instincts were too powerful. I felt myself slipping, drowning in primal urges.
Then I felt it—the power of the triple bond, anchoring me. Griffin's strength, Lucien's calm, Valerian's sharpness. They worked together, helping me maintain human consciousness even as my body completed the transformation.
When I finally stood on all fours, I realized I was still myself. I was a wolf, but my mind was clear.
*This isn't normal,* I heard Lucien say in my mind. *First transformations should mean complete loss of control.*
*Told you she was special,* Valerian responded, clearly impressed.
The door opened again, this time with Griffin charging in, bearing marks of battle. He stopped when he saw me.
*You did it,* he said, surprise and pride flowing through the bond.
*How many hunters are left?* I asked, marveling at how easily the mental communication came to me.
*Too many,* Griffin admitted. *We need to retreat. Regroup.*
*Where to?* Lucien asked. *They've found this base.*
*I know a place,* Valerian said, his eyes gleaming with mystery. *But you might not like it.*
Griffin looked at him, clearly suspicious. *Where?*
Valerian's answer was filled with dark humor. *Sometimes, the safest place is in your enemy's backyard.*
As more explosions echoed through the building, the four of us exchanged glances. Whatever Valerian's plan was, we had no choice.
*Can you run?* Griffin asked me.
I tested my new limbs, surprised at how natural it felt. *Yes.*
*Then follow me,* Valerian said, moving toward the window. *And try to keep up.*
The hunters thought they were the predators. But tonight, they would learn what true fear was.
Because now, they weren't just facing a werewolf.
They were facing a female Alpha with three guardians.
And we had just discovered our power.
