Christopher steps towards Eddie, each press of his hind legs radiating mana throughout the ground. His voice is deep and resonant, echoing around him, as he regards his youngest son. “Now, my son, let the mana of the full moon course through you. Let instinct take over, don’t force it.”
Eddie nods and steps between his father and siblings. He can feel mana like never before coursing through his veins. Every beat of his heart, every breath of his lungs send more magic through every nerve in his body.
A sharp pain pierces through him, forcing him to his knees. He holds himself up with his arms, fingers digging into the earth. His jaw clenches, teeth grinding together as his breathing shallows. Every bone and muscle feels set a flame.
His siblings cower and whimper, slowly moving away. Christopher brows furrow in confusion, then he notices the concern in his children’s eyes…no. Fear. The larger wolves are looking at Eddie with fear as Amelia’s smaller wolf stands in front of her siblings, growling defensively.
“Eddie, breath. Don’t fight it, let the pain pass.” Eddie doesn’t respond,his groans of pain muffled by the clench of his jaw. Ocean blue mana swarms around his hunched over body, sparks flying around him. “Eddie? Son?” Christopher takes tentative steps towards his youngest son.
A pained cry rips through the night air. Jackson and Hakeem abruptly stand, their hearts beating wildly in their chests. The group regard each other with worried looks, whispers exchanged among them.
“What was that?”
“Was that Christopher?”
“Are we safe here, Mama?”
“Yes, Habibti.”
“Who was that?”
“Could it have been Eddie?”
“Was your first shift that painful, Meghan?”
“I don’t think it was that bad.”
Janice makes her way to the glass doors, hand pressing against the frame. Her eyes fill with concern. She has no magic but her heart tells her something is amiss. “Yeo-bo? Eddie?”
Jackson and Hakeem exchange a look, hands locked together. “Hakeem, do you have your wand?”
Hakeem nods, “It’s a comfort to keep close by. Jackson, did you feel it?”
Jackson’s gaze hardens towards the back of the manor, “I did. Something is up with Eddie. Something is wrong.”
The world falls silent for a moment, the group seems to collectively hold their breath.
A wave of mana bursts through the grounds, threatening to shatter glass and knocking many of the onlooking group down. Jackson holds onto Hakeem, fighting to hold their ground together. An ear piercing howl cracks through air. The world seems to tremble under the force of the cry. The sound is laced with power like none of them had felt before, and a heart wrenching pain.
The lights flicker, the group fights to stand. “What was that?” Someone asks.
Hakeem and Jackson make their way to the glass doors beside Janice.Their hands laced together, they whisper in unison as they look out towards the back of the manor. “Eddie.”
Chapter 33
Jackson and Hakeem race outside, standing at the edge of the yard where Christopher had gathered with his children. Emerging from a vortex of shadow, Annabella and Joseph appear next to the boys.
“I will never get used to that”, says Joseph shaking his head to rid himself of a dizzy spell. He hurriedly fixes his disheveled clothes.
“You’re fine, Joey. Unfortunate as it may be that our alone time was interrupted, we should focus on the matter at hand.”
Jackson stomps up to his parents, Hakeem close behind, “Mother, what’s going on?”
Annabella glances at her son and his partner from the corner of her eye, expression cold and hard. “Well, it seems your Eddie is simply full of surprises. I’m here to assist Christopher if things go south.”
Jackson marches in front of his mother, face askew in anger. “No more ominous warnings, mother, what is happening?” He demands.
Annabella sighs and points past Christopher’s werewolf form, “Eddie has awakened. Shifting for the first time to a form so powerful will most likely cause him to rampage.” Jackson turns towards the direction his mother points to, eyes widening at the sight. Hakeem rejoins him, hand clutching his wand tightly near his chest.
