‘Your blood tastes so good, Grace.’
The moon had shifted in the sky so that it shone through a hole in the roof and Daniel roared out a deafening howl.
The beam of moonlight had also illuminated Ben, waking him and obviously empowering him as he jumped straight to his feet. He also led out a thunderous howl, then located me with his super-powered eyes. With my last ounce of strength, I cried out to him.
‘Grace!’ he yelled as he sprinted over.
The venom was pumping through my blood stream and I was again unable to move. I could only see and hear the sounds of what was happening around me.
‘Let’s finish this,’ I heard Ben’s voice boom at Daniel
‘I would love to.’
This time they both transformed into their full wolf bodies; Daniel a black wolf and Ben a white wolf. This was the first time that I had seen Ben in his true wolf form.
The wolves charged at each other, scratching and biting one another.
I felt as if I had no more strength in me left to live.
Ben was too late.
I was going to die.
My breathing was laboured, and my heartbeat slowed to a halt.
The last thing I heard was a wolf howling, as the words, ‘Goodbye, Ben’ ran through my mind. At least my breath before death was peaceful.
-------------------
I opened my eyes and found that I was lying on a bed of snow, all wrapped up in my red coat. Scattered around me were rose petals and herbs. I gently lifted my head to look around me.
There was no one around.
Sitting up, I found that I was holding a bouquet of red roses.
I saw the snowy mountain range in the distance and the opening to a forest nearby.
This was the spirit realm between life and death. This was the place that I had dreamed about so often. This was where I had said my final goodbye to Dominic.
‘This time,’ I surmised to myself, ‘I must have come here for good.’
I got to my feet and took a few steps towards the trees
Dominic appeared before ,me.
‘Grace, what are you doing.’
‘I believe it is my time to go.’
‘Well, I’m here to stop you.’
‘Why? Daniel isn’t going to stop.’
‘It isn’t your time.’
‘It must be, my body shut down.’
‘That may be true, but someone is not letting you go, yet.’
‘Who?’
‘Ben.’
‘He was too late, he didn’t get to me in time.’
‘Are you ready to leave everyone behind? Is death your next chosen path?’
‘No, I’m not ready to die yet. But do I have a choice?’
Dominic walked to me. He looked so much paler than the last time we met here. He wrapped his arms around me. It was so nice to see him again.
‘You can’t let Daniel win.’
‘I feel terrible about what happened to you. I haven’t been able to let it go. Natalie has left. It’s like I’m alone.’
‘You are never alone, Grace. Ben will always take care of you. He has never left your side.’
‘What do you mean?’
Dominic clicked his fingers and a window appeared and through it was a night sky and a rooftop.
‘Take a look.’
I looked more closely through the window and recognised it as the area that my grandparents lived. Standing on the rooftop, Ben watching over someone, his gaze following a girl in a red coat, walking along the path was.
It was me.
The view through the window then became like a movie montage, images flashing by. Ben watching me leave the house and arrive back day after day. The time when I’d passed out on the overgrown walkway. Ben pushing Daniel away from me and carrying me straight to my grandmother’s house. The second time Daniel had knocked me out on that path, and Ben carrying me to his own home this time, taking care of me, healing me. Ben and Daniel having numerous fights over me. Ben trying to protect me and keep me out of Daniel’s clutches.
‘He never left me,’ I said in wonder, ‘but why did he keep his distance from me these last days?’
‘That was a hard choice for Ben, Grace. He didn’t think that he could control himself, being close to you, with you wanting to take things slow. He was so worried about you getting hurt, if he got too close to you.’
‘I wished he could’ve told me.’
‘He was afraid of what you would say to that, what it might drive you to do. It wasn’t the right time for you. There was much you had to discover. About who you truly are. That your granddad had chosen him as a child to be your protector someday when your paths finally crossed.’
Through the window, I could see the warehouse where I died. There was my body, lifeless. Ben, beaten and bleeding, crawled over to the bed.
‘Where is Daniel, what’s happened to him?’ I asked Dominic.
‘Ben won. Daniel has been defeated.’
Ben was stroking my cheek with tears falling down his face. I placed my hand up to the window, wishing I could be there now to wipe his tears away. He put his hand over to my chest, trying to bring me back. I felt something strike through my heart, as though it was trying to beat again.
‘Grace, it is now time.’
Dominic placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him and smiled. A white light blinded my eyesight, as Dominic and the surrounding
