Chapter 56
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Balls of snow flew through the air as they were launched at their targets.
Everyone broke into groups of two and had snowy fortresses in front of them.
Justice and Aedan fought against Mikah and Grayson.
Brody and Chasen threw their snowy assaults at Hunter and Freja.
And Levi and Reiya were standing against Ken and Alexa.
“This is ridiculous!” Brody yelled as he threw a snowball at Hunter.
“You're just saying that because you're losing!” Hunter yelled back.
“I am not!” Brody defended himself. “At least my mate isn’t protecting me!” He smirked triumphantly at Hunter. Freja had insane skills from her assassin days. She’d saved Hunter several times from being hit with snowballs.
Hunter shrugged his shoulders as a cheesy grin spread across his face. “What do you think, my queen? Are you ready to end this?”
Freja smirked and rolled her shoulders. “I got these two on my own. You stay here where it’s safe.” She reached over and pecked his cheek before she flashed toward the men in a zig-zag pattern while Hunter launched snowballs, giving her cover.
They were still aiming at the spot she'd left when she appeared between them, a snowball in each hand. Both hit home in the same instant, smashed flat with a wet crunch, and she was ten feet back before either man finished flinching.
“You two are out,” Freja grinned down at the two men in triumph. She watched as the snow trickled down their shocked faces.
“I think that’s cheating. You used your vampire speed.” Chasen frowned and looked over at Brody.
“I agree. That is cheating. You two are out too!” Brody growled as Hunter came up to them, laughing.
“Alright, we’ll be out too. But remember which of us had snow slammed in their faces.” Hunter chuckled and watched Brody and Chasen’s eyes narrow at him. Then they each smiled at him slyly.
“You’re right, little bro.” Chasen grinned wider as Brody began to circle him.
“Let’s give you a hand with that.” Brody pounced on Hunter at the same time Chasen did. Within seconds, the three of them were all on the ground, buried in the frosty white powder. Brody was holding Hunter down as Chasen shoved snow in his face.
Freja smiled as she watched the three brothers laughing and having fun. It was a rare thing for them to all get to act like kids again. A special moment to treasure.
“Hey!” Justice yelled as Mikah threw a snowball the size of a boulder. “That’s cheating!” He launched a snowball of his own at Mikah, but it missed, soaring above him and to the unexpecting spectators above. It struck Abe right in the face.
“Stop! Stop!” Abe yelled. “I said I wasn’t playing!” He dusted off the snowy powder as his brows knitted together grumpily.
“Sorry!” Justice chuckled with a wry grin on his face. A snowball smashed into the side of his head while he was distracted. “Hey!”
“All is fair in war.” Grayson chuckled with a shrug.
“What?!” Justice yelled. “That was a cheap shot.”
“Don’t be a sore loser. You're out.” Mikah grinned and nodded his head upward. “Now you can go sit with the girls.”
“Hey!” Derrick protested from beside Lucie, and Harley grunted. “Just because we’re spectators doesn’t mean we’re girls.”
“And what does that mean?” Destiny snorted while crossing her arms over her chest. “What does being girls imply?”
Mikah looked up at the peanut gallery, taking his time like a man choosing his last words.
“Sitting with the girls is a promotion, Destiny. The girls are the dangerous ones up there.” He jerked his chin at Derrick and Harley.
“I was insulting the two grown men using their pregnant mates as snow shields.” Destiny’s laugh burst out of her before she could stop it.
“One against two doesn't seem fair,” Justice protested, looking over at Aedan.
“He shouldn’t have picked a weak teammate.” Mikah chuckled as Justice dragged his legs through the snow.
“Avenge me, Aedan!” Justice bellowed as he flopped down dramatically into the deep snow.
Aedan shook his head as he prepped the cold balls of snow in his hands.
He was missing Deeana and was worried about her.
No one understood her, not like he did. His mate had a lot of pain in her heart, and because of her past, she felt undeserving of him.
She voiced to him that he should have been given a mate that didn’t have the scars that she had.
Every time she mentioned she wasn’t good enough, it felt like a dagger pierced his heart.
Deeana was wrong. She was perfect to him. He knew she had a past, and all he wanted was to be there for her and help her heal. No one was able to see her true self. She hid who she was so often, but he could see it. She relaxed when it was just him. She was strong, loving, and determined.
Even now, he knew she’d stayed behind to protect the pack. She wanted to feel worthy. She only insisted that Aedan leave because she was worried about his safety. Yes, he knew all of it. Because he knew her.
Because he loved her.
Aedan glanced up and saw big, white, snowy mounds crashing on top of him. He wiped the snow off to see Grayson and Mikah smirking down at him.
“And that’s how it is done.” Grayson chuckled and patted Mikah on the back.
Aedan laughed as Mikah helped him to his feet. “Like Justice said, two against one isn’t fair.”
“This is war, Aedan. There is no fair in war,” Mikah boasted arrogantly.
Aedan laughed and nodded his head. With a faint smile on his face, he walked back up the hill, Mikah and Grayson gloating behind him.
Aedan grabbed a drink from his grandmother before he sat down. He watched his aunt and cousin battling below for a moment. Still, Deeana stayed on his mind. There’s nothing fair in love either.
Green and blue clashed together, their lethal gazes locked onto each other.
The battle had turned into a Levi versus Ken brawl.
The barrage of snowballs and lightning-like deflects were neverending.
It was as if the two deities were settling a score between them in this moment.
There was an intense aura in the air as the fight erupted into a frenzy.
Every move made could easily be a game changer.
One wrong move could be the difference between one standing and the other one having to bow out in defeat.
Ken had fought many battles, and he knew that Levi would be making his move soon.
He knew that the goldfish would try to catch him off guard by coming in hard and fast. Knowing this, he would use his current position to his advantage.
He had a wall of snow in front of him where Levi would be leaving his.
A snowball collided with the side of Ken’s head. He looked up at Levi, stunned, only to see the snow dripping from his face as well. Ken turned his head to see Alexa biting her lip as she tried to control her laughter.
“Did you just hit me with a snowball? We’re on the same team!” Ken watched her grin widen as she batted her eyes up at him innocently.
“Oops. I forgot.” Alexa looked over at her mother, who was laughing at her father.
Both women had decided they would end this endless chest-bumping battle.
Alexa watched as Ken’s predatory eyes landed on her, and she sprinted away laughing.
He was right behind her, so she used her powers to glide across the snow.
But Ken followed her with ease. “Got you now!” Ken reached forward, snaking his arm around her waist. “I caught you, my love.” Their momentum sent them tumbling to the ground. The soft snow cushioned their fall as he held her captive beside him.
Alexa giggled as she felt him shift her into the snow.
His hot breath pelted against her ear as his nose nested in her hair.
“I don’t know if I want a feisty mate like you.
” She listened to his deep, teasing voice in her ear that made her shiver.
Sparks and tingles erupted from her skin as his lips pressed against her cheek.
“You see, right there is the problem.” Alexa smiled as he helped her to her feet. He rested his hands on her waist and lifted a brow at her.
“Oh?”
“You still talk like you have a choice. You never had one.” Alexa smiled up at him and he chuckled.
“Quite true. I’m powerless against you.” Ken leaned down and gently brushed his lips over hers. He glanced around, seeing the snowy battle was over for everyone, and saw a man stand up and look around.
“Where did Raine go?” Brody asked, a small frown on his face.
Alexa began looking around as well. Raine and Ryker were there just a moment ago and now they were gone. They’d wanted to watch the fight, but Raine didn’t want to participate.
“Ryker had a headache. It seemed to come on suddenly. So Raine walked him back to their room.” Destiny looked off in the distance to where they had disappeared to. He looked to be in a lot of pain. She hoped he was okay.
“Ryker gets headaches like that from time to time. It’s been like that ever since we found him.” This wasn’t anything alarming to Alexa since it had happened before. But usually they didn’t last long.
Alexa glanced over to where Terra and Jasper were last seen.
The two were still sitting there and seemed to be talking well.
The mate connection wasn’t a sure thing.
Just because you were mates didn’t mean you had to be together.
But it gave the relationship a head start, drawing two people together faster and holding them there.
“Alright everyone! It’s time to eat. And I know this crew doesn’t like to miss their meals,” Lita shouted, waving everyone over.
“Say no more!” Chasen yelled as his brothers followed behind him.
The family gathered around a long rectangular table made of polished hardwood, its stains and worn spots showing that it had seen a lot of life. The back edges of the table were inlaid with a series of carvings of fairy kin and other magical creatures.
Raine and Ryker joined them for dinner. Ryker was acting normal and was flirting with Raine quietly at the end of the table. That is, until Brody sat across from them. Ryker straightened up and became serious after that.
The whole family laughed and reminisced about the past. Lita told stories of when Reiya, Hunter, Brody, and Chasen were children.
Then they told stories of their children.
They also talked about the future and the new arrivals that would be coming soon, as well as the anticipated babies from the new mates.
The worries of the day were drowned out by the warmth and love of their family.
They’d been through a lot over the years but had always found their way back to each other.
They had grown into a fierce, loyal family of couples, tied together by mates, love, and children.
And in that family, they all always relied on each other. Through the good … and through the bad.