Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,73

ripping them to shreds. The wolves, almost as one, wheeled like a flock of birds in flight and resumed their attack. The incredible roar of their fury for their burned members filled the night air.

Ellie waited until the last possible second. Then, as the first wave of wolves leapt, teeth bared, vicious snarls ripping from deep in their throats, Ellie tapped into Dexter’s power and turned their human wagon wheel into indestructible metal.

Wolves slammed into them, emitting howls of pain, some knocked unconscious, some limping to safety, others landing yards away, stunned. Ellie could actually see as Dexter’s power was turned off, the gun-metal grey glow extinguished, almost like a light switch being flipped off. The metal form they’d taken instantly vanished, leaving them vulnerably human again. The pack paused only for a moment. Then the next wave continued their onslaught.

“On my signal, everyone jump in Gideon’s direction!” Ellie yelled, once again hoping her meaning was clear. She tapped into Nate’s strength and speed and then spread that power through the circle.

“Now!”

As a coordinated unit, the circle sprang. With their amplified strength, they were propelled into the air above the wolves. They were almost back to the ground. Ellie could feel them each bracing to land when Nate’s power was doused. They slammed back onto the ground, the circle breaking apart as the force of the impact caused them all to release their holds on each other. They all somehow managed to come quickly back together. The pack wheeled and then paused in unison.

“I see that you have more gifts than I gave you credit for,” Gideon called. The pack rumbled. Ellie couldn’t tell if the sound was agreement or some other feeling they were sharing.

A wild idea occurred to Ellie. Gideon took away every power that they could use against the wolves, and they really only had three active powers remaining: Alex’s power, the most effective offensively; Griffin’s shield, which they needed to protect themselves; and her power to shift. Ellie knew, deep in her bones, she had to end this quickly. A swift closure was their only hope of survival.

If Gideon is the one responsible for taking away our powers, if I take him out, we’ll get our powers back, Ellie thought. Then they could defeat the rest of the wolves. Without their leader perhaps the pack would be lost and just give up.

Ellie gave Alex’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” was his immediate response.

His words skated along her skin and sank in to her heart and soul. She felt peace. And she knew what she was about to do was right.

“Then trust me,” she whispered.

He turned his head to look at her. “With everything I have in me,” he assured her.

Ellie calmly stepped out of the circle, joining Griffin’s and Alex’s hands behind her back. She walked slowly toward Gideon, gathering her courage as she went.

*****

Alex felt all the air leave his body in one punchy breath. The girl he loved… his te’sorthene, whom he had just found… was walking away from him, directly into danger. He looked at Griffin, who just shook his head, his mind reading abilities still not working. The only thing that kept Alex from going after her was what she’d just said to him.

She’s not going to join Gideon. She’s not giving in. She asked me to trust her, and I do, he reassured himself. But how did he reconcile the part of him deep within that wanted to protect her, to keep her safe? Alex took a deep breath. He forced himself to remain calm and to concentrate on Ellie. She might need him with only a moment’s notice, and he needed to be ready.

Then he saw her body start to tremble violently. It reminded him vaguely of the time he’d confronted her at her house, before he’d known who and what she was. She’d started shaking just before she had run out of the house and crashed her car into a tree.

“Oh, jeez,” Griffin muttered.

Chapter 36

Gideon tipped his head to the side with a grim smile. “Have you decided to give yourself to us?”

Ellie barely heard him; she certainly didn’t acknowledge his jibe. She was concentrating. Hard. She’d been thinking about everything this man and his pack had done to Griffin and her. The beloved family they’d lost. The pain. The fear. The loneliness and isolation. Ellie allowed her hatred for Gideon and his Vyusher to wash through her. She stoked the anger up inside