Olivia knew only one thing; she had to help if she could.
I’m going to try something, Zane. Just be ready.
What are you doing? She heard the concerned edge to his voice.
Don’t worry. Margetta won’t be able to see me.
How do you know that for sure? His voice sounded harder now, angry. Clearly, he didn’t like that she was taking action.
I just know. Now hold on. I’m going to shift.
She took a deep breath, focused on the fur on her hands and chest and let her wolf come.
The experience as always, of so much transforming power working in her body, electrified her. Desire flowed as well, and it didn’t help that she was still ghosting Zane. She was connected to him, even more than before, which heightened her need for the vampire.
But she set aside her lust and savored the shift from human to wolf, the feel of the earth beneath her paws, and the stronger scents that came to her from every direction. Unlike her human form that seemed to react in a negative way to most of the odors around her, the shifter seemed to delight in just about every one of them.
Except of course, for Margetta’s stench. That was something not even her wolf-ness could embrace.
She raced through to the backyard and leaped into the air. She didn’t quite understand why she was able to bound as high as she could when she knew most other shifters couldn’t. But she had tremendous reach as she gauged her distance to Margetta.
She bounded, slammed her front paws against the side of a neighbor’s house and almost as quickly her back paws, so that she sailed through the air a hundred yards.
With her gaze focused intently on Margetta, she judged distance and timing perfectly. She angled as she flew so that she touched down three feet behind the smelly bitch.
With a quick swerve in Margetta’s direction, she aimed for the woman’s right heel, opened her maw, and bit down hard, making sure she reached bone.
She leaped away a split second later, loping off to the east, behind the strip center, and heading straight for the forest. Once in the woods, she turned and watched Margetta hop around on one foot.
The Invictus pairs, to the last one, moved away from Margetta a good thirty feet. Olivia wasn’t surprised. Margetta might be lovely to behold, but she had the soul of a monster and wouldn’t hesitate to strike out at any handy object.
Zane, are you there? Once more she ghosted to him in a flash.
What happened? I’m hearing the woman yelp.
Olivia smiled, suddenly glad she’d been born half-shifter. I bit the bitch and it was awesome.
You did what? She heard the laughter in his telepathic voice.
I bit her and the wind has stopped blowing which means the shield is down. I suggest you get a move on because about a half minute ago, several unattached wraiths started doing some kind of enthrallment trick on your biker buddies.
I’m on it. She watched with her internal vision as he waved his arm forward again, setting his Vampire Guard in motion.
Olivia stayed put, keeping her eye on Margetta from the edge of the forest. If the Ancient Fae whipped up a new spell, or pulled anything else out of her magical bag of tricks, Olivia would be able to warn Zane.
The Ancient Fae, however, remained bent over, her wounded heel lifted slightly. Olivia could see blood on the pavement, a nice pool of it. She could also tell Margetta was healing swiftly.
Ghosting Zane again, she watched him lift hand and make use of his battle power. A streak of blue lightning headed toward a wraith-pair and struck a bonded troll. The troll’s face twisted in an angry snarl, as he flew backward onto the street, his chest smoking. He writhed in pain and would be dead soon.
Olivia ghosted away from Zane, deciding she didn’t want to see the rest of the battle, at least not so close up.
Reverting her attention to Margetta, she heard the Ancient Fae deliver a series of orders. She directed her Invictus pairs to head away from the street, then to come in at various points to surround the Vampire Guard.
Zane?
Sort of busy here.
Margetta’s moving her troops to surround you. I’m going to look for a better position to relay their movements.