Chapter 55
Nyah
Braxton and I looked on with astonishment as Ballian licked his lips after swallowing the last part of Ezekeil’s heart down.
“Who’s next?” Ballian beams, swiping his tongue over his teeth. I wish I had a toothpick or ice pick to give him to dig out the remnants of Ezekiel’s heart embedded between his teeth.
“Go check on the others and I’ll help Braxton,” I replied.
Ballian’s eyes fell on Braxton as he took a step towards us. “Are you alright? If you need me to stay with you, I will.”
Through his weakness, Braxton raises his arm and points in the last direction we saw our family fighting. “Go to them. Make sure our family is okay. Nyah and I will join you shortly.”
Ballian raked his eyes over Braxton before running off.
Our Pack members made a circle around us to keep Fenrir’s people from getting close.
“Can you stand?” I asked Braxton.
“Yeah,” he replies, rolling his neck as the open wounds heal.
I stand, then help him up. Once on his feet, Braxton tells me. “We still have a lot to do.”
“Yes, we do,” I return, pointing to his neck. “Your wounds are quickly healing so that’s a good thing. How do you feel overall?”
Braxton’s chest rumbles as he replies, “Like killing more of Fenrir’s soldiers,” his eyes go dark before adding, “and then him.”
I lay a sloppy kiss on his lips, then say, “That’s what I wanted to hear. When this is over, we need to have a talk about why you summoned Ballian and not me.”
He chuckles, kissing my forehead while carefully wrapping his arm around my covered waist. “I called upon Ballian because he is my destined wolf and Ezekiel’s death was his and his alone. I also knew you wouldn’t be too far behind him.”
“Because of the bond,” I sighed, knowing he’s right.
It doesn’t change the fact that his pain had become mine and when I saw Ballian tearing through the crowd, I knew he was going to Braxton’s aid. I almost tripped over my feet when it felt like constricting hands around my neck began to tighten, cutting off my air supply. I started holding my breath. When Kenia and I were younger, we would play in the creek by grandmother’s house. One of our games would be who could hold their breaths the longest underwater. I always won and got up in over ten minutes. It’s funny thinking how a childhood game was preparing me for future events.
“I hope you’re not mad at me,” Braxton says.
“I’m not. I probably would have done the same with Skia if I were in your position. Our destined wolves were placed to fight alongside us, but just know as your mate, I am too.”
Braxton nodded. “I know you will, and so will I. Now that we’ve come to an understanding, how about we go help the others.”
“Say no more.”
He releases his hold on me. Our members make an opening for us while being bombarded. Braxton and I waste no time assisting them. Mangled bodies lay twisted on the ground once it’s all said and done. We give praise to our members before running off towards the last spot I saw our parents.
We ran up a slight incline in the ground. Snatched...my breath is snatched out of me as my family fights for their lives. Odin and Fenrir dropped their swords and knives, going head-to-head throwing punches. Daddy and Bryant are removing spines from shifters and humans like fileting fish. Kenia, Levi, and Kelly look feral as they chew into anyone who tries to get close. And Ballian, what can I say about Ballian? I’m pretty sure that the fur around his mouth will permanently be stained red. Braxton and I jump into the melee, slicing throats and ripping out hearts. Our families fight as one universal Pack looking for the same outcome.
Thinking we had the upper hand; some members began to prematurely celebrate. Their cheers went silent as a silver sheathe was tossed upon Ballian. With him being Braxton’s destined wolf, Braxton went down too. It was like reliving what Ballian told us of his previous demise, but this time Braxton is involved, and I’ll be damned if I lose both.
As Ballian screams, fighting to get from under the silver, Braxton mimics his movements, shouting out for relief. Fuck, he just healed from the chain around his throat and now this.
My parents along with Bryant try to calm Braxton as I go to Ballian and use my silver hands to remove the sheathe. I struggle to lift it because of its weight. Levi and Kenia try to help to no avail as the metal burns their skin.
“Don’t touch it,” I yell, not wanting them to get harmed more.
“But Nyah, it’s too heavy for you to remove by yourself,” Kenia argues.
Levi chimes in, “The wounds will eventually heal Nyah, but if losing my hands knowing it’s from saving my brother, my Alpha then I’m willing to make that sacrifice.”
“No,” I said in a huff, still working to alleviate Ballian’s pain.
As everyone focused on them, Fenrir took the moment to knee Odin under his chin. The blow knocks our God onto his back. Fenrir laughs, dropping down to his knees, then bombarding Odin with a barrage of punches to the face. One of our brave Pack members jumps onto Fenrir’s back to stop his assault, but with one mighty shake, Fenrir tosses him aside.
Fenrir in all his presumptuous glory rants, “He may have beaten me once, but do you think I will let him do it again?” He moves his head from side to side as he stands, then grabs the collar of Odin’s shirt. Odin looks defeated, but I pray he still has enough fight left in him.
“The time of Odin’s rule over shifters is over. Bow down to me and I just might let you live,” he declares with a smirk.
“No, no, no,” I exclaim, pulling at Ballian’s make-shift bounds.
Suddenly two different howls echo through the forest, making the limbs on the trees tremble. I let out a sigh of relief, recognizing one of them.
Through the clearing, two wolves, one white and the other black break through with others following.
Skia. Elder Nelah. My heart does backflips watching them run through Fenrir’s subjects. In human form, normally the young ladies who served Elder Nelah are pleasant and respectful, but that has changed as their wolves are ready to tear away flesh from the bone.
Skia leaps next to me. Not only are her paws covered in silver but so are her teeth and her muzzle.
“I don’t have time for you to stare at me. We need to work together to get this shit off my mate,” she says intently.
Amidst the chaos around us, I know I should be doing something, but I’m stuck in one spot gawking at my destined wolf. Skia is here and healed. When I don’t make a move to assist her, Skia huffs before latching onto the sheath with her new silver teeth and snatches it away from Ballian.
She guards him as he slowly rises, shaking off the effects of the sheath. Skia rubs the top of her head under his chin. Ballian receives her sentiment by a rumble in the chest. The white wolf, Elder Nelah, gives me a hard nudge, knocking me out of my stupor. My eyes meet hers.
“See to Braxton,” she instructs. “They will be fine.”
Braxton. Oh, my God. I scurried to him as Levi helped him stand. The outline of the sheath on Braxton’s skin is starting to repair itself.
“Babe, are you okay?” I ask, raking my eyes over him from head to toe.
Braxton cracks his neck, swiveling his head from side to side.
“Never better,” he replies with his focus directed to the fight between Odin and Fenrir. Kenia, Levi, and I stare at each other as he runs off. We take off behind him as Ballian comes to his side and Skia, Elder Nelah, and her wolves join in.
Momma and Kenia come to my side. Momma grasps our hands as the clouds darken once again. Lightning streaks through the sky while aggressive sounds resound behind the very few clouds.
“No matter how this ends, just know I’m always with you girls and I will always love you,” Momma says with a smile in her motherly tone. Tears of pride and love roll down her cheeks.
Tears filled our eyes and before we could respond to her, another thunderous crack exploded from the sky.
Fenrir grins, looking up, then squints at Odin. “More of my army is coming. So, this is the last opportunity for you and your people to recognize me as the true God over the wolf shifters.”
Odin remains quiet as the clouds separate. Fireballs fell from the sky, transforming into human warriors, ready to battle.
“No, no, no,” Fenrir scowled, backing up.
Laughing, Odin treads nearer to him, but keeps a good distance between them. “What was that you were saying about your army, Fenrir?”
“They will come.” Fenrir snarls. His remaining soldiers, not as many as before but still a good number, flank his sides.
As the last fireball hits the ground and the person is revealed, you can see the fright in Fenrir’s eyes. It’s Vidar, the son of Odin.
“No, no, no,” Fenrir scowls, backing up.
Odin laughs, treading nearer to him, but stops with a good distance between them. “My son, Vidar avenged my life by taking yours centuries ago, but this time it will be me.”
Odin roars as he charges at Fenrir. Fenrir semi-shifts, showing ghastly looking scars on his face. Odin remains in his human form as they look up, hopefully for the last time.
Vidar, his men, along with Braxton, and the other men in our family come to blows with Fenrir’s men. Ballian has already killed two men and is feasting on their corpses. Momma, Skia, Kenia, Elder Nelah, her ladies, and I take on the shield maidens.
I’ve always dreamed about fighting alongside my momma and now I am. It’s silly to think about it, but the hope of someone recording this crosses my mind as I watch Momma scissor cross her knives at a woman’s throat, damn near removing her head before plunging the knives into her heart.
I shake off the thought as Kenia elbows another in the throat, making the woman gasp for air, then twists around, bringing the woman’s head over her shoulder. As if this was some plan we had practiced, I jump on the woman and spear her with my claws. I break her ribs, pulling out her heart. With a whistle to get Skia’s attention, I toss the organ to her. She swallows it down without chewing.
We show no remorse to Fenrir’s brainwashed followers as one by one they meet their demise. When the last maiden succumbs from Elder Nelah, we turn our attention to the men.
Fenrir stands alone begging for his life with no soldiers left to protect him.
“Spare me, Odin,” he beseeches, dropping to his knees. “If you kill me, how do you think it will look among the other Gods? You’ve clearly shown who is the ruler over the wolf shifters. If you let me go; I can assure you this won’t happen again.”
Odin was speechless for a few minutes. I hoped he wasn’t going to give into that tyrant’s words.
“So, if I let you live would you acknowledge me as the true wolf shifter God and pass that along to any future followers you may acquire?”
Fenrir presses his palms together, then interlacing fingers to make praying hands.
“Yes, yes. That is what I am saying.”
“Father, you cannot trust the words of...” Vidar interjects, but Odin lifts his hand, silencing Vidar’s words.
“My son, do not take me as a gullible God,” Odin objects with his eyes still on Fenrir. He points to Fenrir. “This is the same man, or should I say God who didn’t give me the same courtesy as he killed my mate, our parents, members of our Pack, and he would have done the same to you if your mother and I didn’t let Elder Nelah take you off to a safer place once the war had begun.”
I cut my eyes to Elder Nelah. This little tidbit adds to the question of her age.
“And you will never know,” she chimes in my head with a wink.
How does she do that? I only have my mind open for Braxton, Skia, and Ballian. How is it possible that she’s able to come through?
A soft giggle tickles my brainwaves. “When you get to be my age, you learn a thing or two in the process,” Elder Nelah informs before fading away.
“Alpha Lightfeather,” Odin calls.
“Lord,” daddy returns.
“I have taken a special liking to your Pack, not that because I am showing favoritism over the Packs, but I like the way you run yours. You’ve always been fair with your members and gave discipline when needed.”
“Yes, Lord,” daddy returns, bowing his head.
Odin holds up his pointer finger, shaking it as he takes meticulous steps toward Fenrir, then stops.
“But the last one you did with your Beta and his son...I fully enjoyed.”
“No,” Fenrir protests.
“So, you must have seen it too?” Odin asks, clapping his hands together. His humorous expression swiftly turns expressionless. His head does a freakish jolt to the side. “Then you know you have a few moments of a head start before we begin our hunt. I believe it was a thirty second head start...” He looks at his watch, then says, “begins now.”