Free A Wolf's Duty by Jennifer T. Alli Page A

doing
that?
    She was
hurting you but we’ll protect you. The
voice’s tone had hardened and Emily's face seemed to become even
redder as a branch twisted itself around her throat.
    Oh God don’t.
You’ll kill her.
    Silence followed her
request and the limbs around Emily’s throat tightened while the
ones that had captured her limbs began to pull, stretching her body
taut.
    Stop
it! Alex shrieked, desperation flooding
her.
    Why? She hurt
you, we hurt her. The lone voice’s whisper
sounded confused as to why she was so intent on keeping Emily
alive.
    You can’t do
this.
    Bad?
    Very. Let her
go, please, she whispered, her voice
pleading.
    We do as you
want, you call we answer.
    Her eyes
widened in shock. I did this?
    You call, we
answer. The voice responded. You’re family.
    The branches loosened
their grip on Emily allowing her to fall to the ground straining
for breath. The branches suddenly sprouted leafy green foliage
before coming to surround her, caressing her face and stroking her
arms.
    Safe? The single voice had been drowned out as the
whispers joined to speak in unison.
    For
now.
    Need
help?
    I’m going
crazy, she sighed, resigning herself to
life in a mental institution.
    The leafy foliage that had
surrounded her became thicker and stronger before her eyes, before
they gently but securely wrapped around her body and lifting her
easily off the ground.
    What are you
doing? she yelled; fear suddenly creeping
up on her as the voices refused to answer her for the first time
since they had entered her mind. I asked
you a question, answer me! she shrieked,
her heart beginning to beat faster. The voices continued their
background chatter but no single voice could be heard as they
lifted her bodily from the ground and began easing her out of the
window.
    Her wide eyes
quickly took in the distant ground. I
never though the second floor was this high up, it looks a lot
closer when you’re on the bloody ground! She gripped the branches within her reach tightly with her
fingers, nails digging deep into the hard bark she held on for dear
life as her feet left the safety of the solid ground. Her feet
swayed wildly as she was guided through the air away from the
building. Her heart jumped into her throat as she took in the
college building. The once pristine building was now completely
covered in greenery, from branches to weeds to amazing large flower
blossoms. The wild shrubbery that now flooded the corridors had
shattered the windows on all three floors. Her stomach lurched as
the branches took her higher and higher into the air, the ground
quickly losing its focus.
    “Put me down!” she snarled
between clenched teeth pounding at the branch. “I said put me
down!” she screamed, continuing her frantic efforts to be
free.
    Hurt?
    I want you to
stop ignoring me and put me down, right now!
    Sure?
    I’ve never
been so sure of anything in my life, now you put me on firm ground
right now or else.
    Mad at
us?
    She frowned as
the voices floated through her mind, realising that all the
destruction they had wreaked was in an attempt to help her. Not mad, just well...In future listen when I
speak ok?
    We
understand.
    Her feet touched the grass
covered ground and she breathed a sigh of relief as the branches
released her. She took one final look back at the plant covered
building before turning and running home as fast as her feet could
carry her. Ignoring every ache and pain that flooded her, she
managed to successfully return home, throwing wide the open door
and staggering inside. The door closed silently behind her as she
panted, trying to catch her breath and she didn’t realise that she
wasn’t alone until a cold hand clamped itself over her mouth. She
felt the cool sensation of a knife’s edge at her throat and decided
it would be unwise to scream.
    A man’s voice whispered at
her ear. “I know what you are witch, and I intend to take your
power from you, even if I have to cut it out.” The blade at her
throat