49 - Burning

The early morning sky holds a deep red, as if burning from the fires of the Moon Goddess. I stand on a fallen tree in the middle of the woods, my nose raised to pick up the enemy's scent. Kenna once brought home a human movie because it had werewolves fighting vampires in it, and the two groups had their faceoff in a large clearing. Ludicrous. Not only is the idea of a vampire stupid—any creature requires a beating heart to be able to move—but fighting each other in an open space is only a mistake humans make. You literally forfeit your coverage. Unless you want to fight each other on horses and with swords or canons, clearings are best to be avoided.

Logan jumps next to me. After some debating, I made him my number two since I had to pick someone. As Nicollo's younger cousin, he might even be next in line unless I choose one of my siblings, and they all have their eyes set on their own territories as my tribunes. So now I'm stuck with a wingwolf I barely know. My fighters are scattered within a mile radius. We are the force that will take the enemy down from the inside while the other four troops have formed a large ring around the hostiles and slowly drive them my way. No one will escape this tightening net unless they die. One of the better war strategies Gabriel taught me.

Logan raises his snout toward the treetops that bend across the forest like a solid roof. His whiskers twitch. I've seen this before on Nicollo—it's a sign of excitement. A pang of rage tightens my jaw. He should be here with me, avenging my sister's death. Why the fuck did I ever leave him behind? And if Cassum hadn't felt so secure in his presence, she mightn't have gone hunting in the woods. No ambush, meaning she could still be alive. My choices killed the both of them.

The scent of a group of young wolves drifts my way and forces me to refocus. They aren't far. I listen to nature's voice to give up their location. Snapping twigs. A couple of moving branches. The slightest twirl of disturbed snow. They are heading right my way. With my eyes, I signal Logan to get ready.

Appearing between the trees, I count five of them. All young, barely out of their adolescent years. An easy prey to help me warm up my stiff muscles. One locks eyes with me and growls before he realizes who I am. Even from a distance, I can see his pupils dilate in terror. He lowers his head. On a normal day, I'd give him a chance to surrender. But this is not a normal day—just as it's not a routine fight over a few acres of territory.

Fangs exposed, I leap at him to cut off any escape thoughts. My strong snout rams into his flank. He flies through the air; only the trunk of a tree stops him. On wobbly legs, he stands up. I move my focus to two of the other youngsters; they have decided to gang up on me. I duck to break their jump, my teeth tearing into soft flesh. The blood is laced with the acidy taste of fear. I shake and rip to allow for a quick kill and turn to his friend. Enlarged pupils have turned his eyes black. Horror—and a plead of mercy—jump out at me. Unfortunately, I don't have time to secure a prisoner. I go for the kill bite without hesitation. His blood spoils the perfect white snow, he gurgles as the life dwindles out of him.

I turn toward the wolf I attacked first. He is crouched low on the ground, whimpering. My gaze flicks to Logan. He's fighting two opponents at once, the third sprawled on the ground with his throat torn out. My new number two is doing a fine job handling himself.

Stepping closer to the shivering wolf, I shift. A beat of hesitation and he does the same. I squat down and pull his head up by the hair.

"Where is Lance Ward?"

"I—I don't even know who that is."

He must be a fighter of one of the ally packs. His scent is strong, although not strong enough to be an Alpha born. As he stares up at me with wide, petrified eyes, a twinge of guilt chokes my breath. He's nothing but a pup. No matter what, he'd never be a threat to me. On any other day. . .

Don't even go there, Kendrick.

"Shift and fight."

My next bite almost tears his head off. For a couple of beats, his body jerks on the ground. Then he is gone. The snow around my feet has turned into red slush.

Breaking twigs and a cloud of snow warns of more enemies. This time, it's a group of about twenty, but they are being chased by my fighters. I join in the attack, easily taking out another five. One of them gets a bite at my shoulder. I shake off the pain, adrenaline burning in my blood.

Hot.

Merciless.

Determined.

I will not stop tearing through these wolves until the Scopan Lake Beta lies dead at my feet.

Running with Logan through the underbrush, we battle our way through hostile troops. After fifteen kills, I stop counting. Today will go down as one of the big massacres in werewolf history. The last one was about two hundred years ago, led by Akino, the Polar Warrior, who had managed to unite almost every pack in the North American hemisphere to battle the warlocks. Five thousand wolves faced three dozen enemies, only five hundred or so survived. The warlocks didn't lose a single one of their own.

When I round a big boulder, I pick up Raelyn's scent. She and Jos snarl at a row of fighters who shield her father from her teeth. Coward. Even though I've seen Alphas with bodyguards before, it's considered bad form. Only sissies hide behind their warriors.

One leap and I stand tall next to her. Raising my snout to challenge anyone to come too close. Her glare tries to stare me down, but then she lowers her head in submission.

Only the fighters, her eyes warn.

I pull my gums back to what I consider a wolfish smile.

Got your back, babe, but the ultimate battle is yours.

With one growl, I go for the throat of the closest fighter. Slashing into flesh. Tasting blood. Extinguishing life. The thrill is intoxicating. Even if a few of those fuckers take small bites out of me, I'm unstoppable. I'm the Northern Light King. Enemies bow to me with fear and respect.

As soon as we tear through the row of fighters, more jump out of the woods. I glance at Raelyn a few times, but she stands her ground. Not once does she hesitate to kill members of her native pack. Those wolves betrayed her by keeping the truth hidden from her. They don't deserve her compassion.

And finally, there's no one left to protect the Alpha. Raelyn got a few good slashes and cuts, but the adrenaline keeps her on her feet. She snarls and growls as she approaches the wolf who raised her. Her muzzle is soaked in the life essence of his most loyal followers. And she is out to taste more blood. Even if he surrendered, she wouldn't back down.

I settle in the snow under a nearby tree, all my limps stretched to four sides to make the healing process easier. None of my wounds are deep or close to life threatening; in half an hour, I'll be as good as new.

The Alpha retreats slowly—he truly is a measly coward—but Logan and Jos cut off his escape route in the back. He faces Raelyn, measuring her up. The stringent exercise with my sister and the lean diet from hunting her own food give her an edge. He doesn't look by far as well trained as her and their height competes. Fangs exposed, she seems to be laughing at him. When she leaps at him, I hold my breath.

He rises up on his hindlegs and they crash into each other. Raelyn is tossed on her back but she's up again before I can blink my eyes. She goes for his shoulder. He avoids her teeth through a slick side maneuver and immediately attacks. His bite slices into her neck and down her side, bringing her to her knees. Pain clouds her eyes; she looks disoriented. When he rips open her flank, a terrible howl escapes her throat.

I'm to my feet, growling, my wolf demanding me to intervene. I lock eyes with Jos. His fangs are exposed and it appears that he'll join the fight at any moment. Rules or not, neither of us is prepared to see Raelyn die.

The Alpha crushes her underneath him. His sharp teeth take another bite out of her side. Raelyn's whimpers hurt in the depth of my bones. I lower my head, ready to jump, when by some miracle, she tosses him off. Back on her feet, she shakes the blood out of her fur. Staring down the male who raised her, her muzzle trembles. Steam rises from her snout. I squint at the ground. All the snow has melted around her feet and the foliage left in its place looks burned.

She stumbles a few steps forward, pulling her hurt leg behind her. Yet, the pain in her eyes is gone. With venom, she glares at the Alpha. For one beat, he lowers his head as if trying to surrender, but then he leaps. Raelyn huffs, the mist from her breath engulfing the Alpha flying through the air. When he lands, he's on fire.

Instinctively, I take a couple of steps back. The Alpha struggles in the snow, rolling from side to side. His efforts pay off when the flames die with a hiss. Panting, he stares at Raelyn. Pleading for his life. Begging for mercy.

Snout raised, she approaches, her muzzle still quivering in that weird way I've never seen on a wolf. She glares down at him with so much hate that I cringe. The kill bite is quick. As his eyes turn glassy, her knees cave. She nestles her snout in the snow; her breath is heavy. Blood pours out of her wounds with every wheeze.

I shift and Jos follows suit.

"Jos, you need to take her to Arabella, our healer."

"Will she make it?"

I squat next to her and examine the deep cuts around her neck. "She's losing a lot of blood, so you need to hurry."

He nods, lifting her across his shoulders. She wails in pain and snaps her teeth, but he is trained enough to avoid them.

My gaze flicks to Logan and back to Jos. "No one can know what happened here. If anyone asks, she killed the Alpha in a fair fight, but that's it."

Jos's eyes cut into me. "What exactly did happen?"

Good question, and if I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with her warlock powers. "Not sure and does it really matter?"

"Wolves might question why he's burned."

"I'll think of something. Now go."

They disappear between the trees, and Logan and I cover the Alpha with a bunch of fallen fir branches. That will have to do until I can figure out what to tell his pack. I turn my head when the scent of several Alphas is carried by the wind. They are not far. And there's another scent, weaker, though not by much. It's the essence of a wolf I'll never forget—the Scopan Lake Beta.

Racing through the forest with Logan on my heels, I follow the scent, well aware that this is a trap. Not even I can take on a bunch of Alphas with only Logan by my side, no matter how weak they are, but I'm also not willing to lose Lance Ward's trail. It's as if he's teasing me to accept the challenge. The thirst for revenge ignites the muscles in my legs; my blood burns with rage. I can't let him get away.

When the forest suddenly breaks, I find myself in a small clearing. The Beta stands on a pile of rubble—like he were some sort of royalty—with six Alphas surrounding him in a half circle. A tall rock wall protects his back from attacks. The perfect battle ground, even if I can't figure out for the life of me why Alphas would protect a weaker wolf who isn't even a member of their pack. They growl at me, flashing their teeth. Their tails are straight with the tip slightly curved, their ears flattened against their skulls. They are eager for my blood.

I bark out a series of howls—my signal. At the same time, Logan backs away. Not that I can blame him. Nature demands him to submit to this sort of power and he will not fight these commanding wolves. This might give them extra confidence, make them think they have the upper hand, but I've played this game for a very long time, even before I became an Alpha. Us Northern Light fighters have always had a backup plan. Even an Alpha born never fights alone against an equal opponent, especially not in a battle where retreat isn't an option.

Four of the six Alphas crouch low, ready to attack, when Zyron steps out of the forest. Cedar jumps through the row of trees on the other side. Everest and Killian are next. Even though he's not an Alpha born, he will fight next to his true mate. Gabriel is the last to join. Tall and proud like any Raynes, he is truly my father's younger brother. That makes five Alpha-borns against six, and with Killian, we might have a fighting chance, even if the odds aren't stacked in our favor. Without exception, the Alphas we're facing look strong and well trained. Plus there's Lance Ward, who can't be underestimated. It will be a tough fight.

I'm about to give the attack signal when another wolf steps out of the forest. Tall and with a grace that has always stunned me, she holds her head high to show her Alpha heritage. Sleek black fur stands sharp against the blinding snow. Her powerful, trained muscles ripple under her fur; they reflect that no matter of her status, she still hunts for her own food and trains regularly with our fighters. She is the epitome of a queen. Mother has decided to join the battlefield to avenge the death of her favorite pup.


I entered Lunar Eclipse in the year-end contest on Inkitt, which means that the story has to be fully uploaded on Inkitt by the end of the year. That also means I'm presently updating 2 chapters daily in order to get it done. If you can't wait for the conclusion and want to read ahead, you can read brand new chapters on Inkitt before they are posted to WP (reading on Inkitt is free and you can either read in their app or on their website). The link is  on my profile or you can search for https://www.inkitt.com/AuthorFireRose in your browser. Of course, you can also wait for chapter on WP where I will continue to 2-3 updates a week.

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© Sally Mason 2018

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