Chapter 49
Braxton
Honestly, I don’t know what Elder had stuffed in her peace pipe, but whatever it had me mellow and hanging onto her every word. Nyah must have been feeling the same way because she snuggled into my side and got comfortable.
“Did the Gods say when the attack was going to happen?” Father asked.
“No,” the Elder replied, moving her head from side to side. “But they did say it will be soon, so we need to be ready.”
“Our men are.” Alpha Lightfeather informed. “Alpha Lennox of Lord Bruin has pledged his Packs allegiance and will fight with us.”
I chuckled. “So, I’m supposed to fight alongside his son Sugar Bear?”
Yeah, Nyah told me all about Joaquin and his preferences. I have nothing against it, but the fucker was still an enemy in my eyes. In my opinion, instead of being born a bear shifter, he should have been a sheep since he likes to follow others with his Mary Had a Little Lamb ass.
Nyah elbowed me in the side as father and Alpha Lightfeather tried to hide their laughter.
Our jovial moment ceased when Elder Nelah gave us a stern look. “No matter how you may feel about the Alpha of Lord Bruin’s son; we are thankful that they are willing to take on this war with us.”
As a show of respect, I bowed my head, realizing I should have kept my thoughts to myself.
Elder Nelah displayed another expression of calm and serene before saying, “War is upon us and until it is resolved, none of you should leave Pack lands. If and when it happens, everyone should be here.”
We all nod together as the sound of an atomic bomb with enough shock waves throws us onto our backs.
“They’re here,” Elder Nelah yells. “The war has begun.”
Nyah and I hopped to our feet. I grasped her hand, leading her out the wigwam. Ballian and Skia swiftly approach us with their fur looking disheveled.
“Is it time, Braxton?’ Ballian inquires.
“It is,” Nyah answered, picking a twig from Skia’s fur. “It seems like our enemies thought this would be a good time to ambush us.”
“Well, they thought wrong,” Ballian counters before glancing over to Skia. “We still have enough time before permanently merging back. Fight with me, mate.”
Nyah nods her head when Skia looks at her for approval.
“And, I forever will,” Skia said before the two of them took off.
“There is no time for uncertainty, second guesses, or doubt,” Alpha Lightfeather declared.
Father walked over, engulfing his large hand around Nyah and mine. “We will fight to the death to make sure our enemies won’t succeed.”
“We need to get to our men. I’m sure they are already defending the Pack,” Alpha Lightfeather says. “Nyah,” he calls.
“Yes, daddy?”
“Bryant and I are going the back way to the cabin. I want you, Braxton, and your wolves to take the trail that leads to the entrance to the Pack land. With our men, I want you all to push the enemy there further onto our land. We don’t need local law enforcement or the sheriffs showing up.”
“What about the bear and his Pack?” I inquired. “Are you going to call and tell him the fight has begun?”
Alpha Lightfeather smirks as the thunderous sound of grunting and huffing fills the air. “They already know. Elder Nelah, please go make sure the women have gotten the children to the underground bunker.”
“Yes, Alpha,” she returns.
He and father transform into their wolves. Under different circumstances, I might have laughed as Alpha Lightfeather’s wolf looked over at Ballian and shook his head.
Ballian gives a wolf smile. “Now, Noah even back then I was bigger than you. Did you think I would somehow shrink?” He laughs.
Alpha Lightfeather grunts before Father and him take off.
Gripping Nyah’s hand, I tell her. “Nyah, I want you by my side at all times. This is the first time we will be fighting without the strength of our wolves.”
Elder Nelah lays her hand on his forearm. “You don’t have to worry about that. Although you aren’t merged with him now, the two of you still have the same abilities as if you were still merged.” she informs before shifting into a large solid white wolf with mesmerizing neon green eyes. She howls, disappearing into the woods.
Then there were four. With Nyah and our destined wolves standing outside of the wigwam. I said, “This might be the first and only time we’ll be able to fight alongside each other. And after hearing what Elder Nelah said, the Gods have bestowed upon Nyah and I something that I have never even heard of them doing.” Letting Nyah’s hand go, I began to circle around them. “For some reason, the Gods have chosen us to end this war and be ready to do so even if it means I take my last breath killing as many of Fenrir’s minions.”
Ballian ducks his head. “I’m with you, Alpha...I mean Braxton.”
I lift my hand. “It’s okay, Ballian. I know you’re still trying to get used to all of this.”
Ballian dips his head, then says “I am, but for now let’s paint the soil with Fenrir’s followers. I still have a bone to pick with them for taking me away from my family, Pack for the cowardly shit they did.”
Skia rubs her head into his neck. “And you will get all of that, my mate. Things will not definitely end the way they did before with me by your side.”
Ballian duplicates her action by rubbing his head on her neck. “I’m not worried about that in the least. I didn’t want to disrespect the Alpha’s or the Elder with my language, but since it’s just the four of us here; I have a score to settle with those motherfuckers.” His breathing becomes slower and louder with the faint sound of a growl. “I will not give them the chance to incapacitate me like they did before. This time, I will use their bones as a toothpick to remove their fellow Pack members’ meat from my teeth.”
“Well, you’re about to get that chance,” I declared.
Ballian looked up to the sky that was slowly moving to dusk. “We might take on some cuts and scrapes, but the Gods wouldn’t have given me this second chance if they didn’t think we would come out on top.”
Skia rubs up against his side. “And on top is where we will be.”
Nyah places her palm on the top of Ballian’s head then Skia’s before saying, “Then let’s go win this war.”
She releases my hand as she and Skia run off into the wood’s opposite of where Alpha Lightfeather and father went. Ballian looks over at me and I shrug my shoulders. Nyah knew these woods better, so the only thing for us to do is chase behind her.
As we’re racing through the trees, by the sound of screams, loud growls, and grunts I knew we were close to the entrance of the Pack lands. We began running faster until we came to the edge of the tree line about a half mile away from the entrance. The guards had already started pushing Fenrir’s men deeper onto Pack lands but didn’t get far enough.
Several of the Pack guards laid dead on the ground with bodies ripped open. Others had shifted into their wolves, fighting the enemy. The rest remained in human form either fighting hand-to-hand or using knives to slash into their opponents. It’s a good thing we showed up when we did because they were clearly outnumbered.
A guard cries out as a wolf latches onto his arm. Before Nyah, Skia, or I can react; Ballian lets out a battle cry. In one large leap, he is on the wolf and has his mighty jaws locked around the back of the wolf’s neck. The wolf instantly releases the guard, howling out from the pain. The smaller wolf looks like a pup compared to Ballian’s size. Ballian gives the wolf a hard shake, immediately breaking the wolf’s neck.
As he lets the dead wolf drop from his mouth, two wolves jump on his back.
“Mate,” Skia growls before charging towards her mate. Using her teeth and claws, Skia pulls the one closest to her off Ballian. Skia looks as if she’s taking pleasure in hearing the wolf yelp with agony as she slices open the wolf’s underbelly. It’s blood and insides seep out.
Glancing over Nyah, I tell her, “This will probably be the only time I hope Ballian doesn’t reign her in.” She arches her eyebrow. Grinning, I wink at her. “Come on, we can’t let them have all the fun.”
We join the melee, going to the aid of the guards. Nyah jumps in the air before connecting a punch to one of the females. The female winces but continues to fight with Nyah. Once I see that Nyah is holding her own, I continue on.
I duck when one of the men swings a large knife at me. We circle each other before the man lunges at me again. With my left arm, I block his strike with the knife and punch him in the face with a right hook. He stumbles back, shaking his head. While he’s trying to gather his bearings, I seize the opportunity to strike. I feel like Tyson in his prime as I hit him with a combination of punches. As he steps back, I continue to hit him with an onslaught of punches. As he defends himself, he finds an opening to cut me with his knife on the forearm. The burning and painful sensation is enough to make me take a step away from him. I look down at my arm that has not only been sliced open but is bubbling as blood flows. This motherfucker!
I yell to the others, “Their knives are made of silver!”
He comes for me again, but this time I counter move his action by taking hold of the wrist that’s holding the silver knife, then sweeping his legs from under him. He loses his grip on the knife as he lands on his back. We look at the knife, then scramble for it. To keep him from reaching it first, I kick him in the face. He grunts as blood spills from the sides of his mouth. I pick up the knife, then straddle his body. As I go in for the kill, the man reaches up and wraps both of his hands around my wrist to stop me from plunging the knife into his throat. He knows death is knocking on his door and I’m about to be the one to let it in.
As our struggle continues, Ballian shouts, “Stop playing with him. You have my strength within you.”
I didn’t recognize the sound that came from my mouth as I used the strength of my wolf to slowly lower the tip of the silver blade into the man’s neck. The more he squirmed underneath me, the more the blade entered his body, there’s no hope for him.
We now outnumbered our enemies. Standing, a blood covered Nyah comes to my side.
“Is any of that yours?” I asked.
She sucks her teeth. “What do you think?”
I couldn’t get my words out as Ballian and Skia leap in front of us, simultaneously howling.
Cowards as they are, the rest of Fenrir’s men and wolves try to hightail towards the exit, but the remaining guards stop them.
My head strong mate took over, throwing out orders to the guards, “Dakota, send two men to get pickups. We’ll use one for our fallen members and the other for the trash. Take their bodies deep into the woods and burn them. The Sheriff knows we like to build large bonfires, but just in case he shows up, Lenny, I want you at the entrance with another guard. Tell him we’re having another birthday celebration. Disarm those assholes of any weapons.”
“Yes, ma’am” they responded.
Dakota sent two guards off to retrieve the trucks while the others shook down Fenrir’s people. Leave it for one of them to try and be an asshole. He talked shit, trying to stop the guards from removing his weapons but his demeanor changed when Ballian smoothly walked over to him, baring his sharp teeth with a growl. The man pissed his pants and immediately started throwing his weapons on the ground. Obviously, he cared more about his life than for it to be ended by following his God. Little did he know with or without his compliance, he was still dealt the same death card as the others.
We might not have had the silver bladed knives, but Alpha Lightfeather had the guards equipped with iron and silver laced collars. With protective gloves, Dakota, Lenny, and the remaining guards placed them on the enemies’ wrists. They hissed, gave out low growls as the metal touched their skin.
After the collars were applied, I was impressed when Dakota, Lenny, and the other guards appeared holding chain linked collars in their gloves.
Nyah elbowed me in the side saying, “We usually use the iron and silver mixture collars for wolves that are out of control.”
Fenrir’s followers tried to hold onto their bravado but once the iron infused silver collars hit their skin, they cried out for forgiveness and mercy. We ignored their pleas, strategizing on how to attack our enemy once we reached the cabin.
When the men came back with the trucks, the guards began separating our Pack members from Fenrir’s minions. When they loaded the last bodies of our member, Nyah and I jumped on the back. For some reason Ballian thought he could do the same but when the back of the truck lowered with sounds of the suspension straining, he quickly jumped off.
“Skia and I will follow you,” he said as I laughed.
“I bet you will,” I smirked.
“Whatever,” Ballian returns. “Don’t let the size fool you.”
Nyah and I tried to contain our laughter as he hopped off the truck and tapped the side of the truck with his oversized paw. “Let’s go.”