Return to Wisteria (Book Three of the Wisteria Chronicles)

CHAPTER 9~Gray~

August

       It took everything in my being to control myself; I wanted to take over as soon as the guard announced the rogues’ arrival. Summer had paled, her panic clear as day. I could smell her fear as the team asked her for instructions. Part of me wanted to gloat; she clearly didn’t think any of it through. But my instincts as a brother over powered my actions, forcing her to focus. I knew she was capable of making the right decisions, it was what we were raised to do.

      When she finally started to form her plan, she proved my thoughts correct. She was a natural leader, her ability to form a plan that quickly was impressive. It was wild and reckless, just like her, but I knew we could make it work. Ziva chatted animatedly as we jogged towards the battlefield. The stench of the rogues was becoming stronger.    

     Based on the sounds of their howls, they were roughly a hundred yards out. I stopped the warriors and looked around. The thicket we were in was dense and dark, the moon light struggled to get in. It would’ve been nice to fight in a clearing; I hated the thought that all of this nature was about to be torn down. I went over the plan again then separated the warriors into two groups. One team went west while the other went east, Ziva and I would remain in the center. 

     The thunderous sounds of the paws hitting the earth grew loud. Ziva and I started to strip. She took her time as she ogled me, a wide smile on her face. “Very impressive, Auggie. Maybe I should find an Alpha to show me a good time.” She giggled, shimming out of her sweats. I tried not to blush as I covered my bits. The ground started to shake, the rogues were almost here. 

     “Protect me and try not to get smashed.” Ziva sent a wink my way then started to shift. I don’t know what I thought seeing a gorgon in their true form would be like, but it was not what I expected. Ziva’s body morphed and elongated, her lower half growing golden scales. She began to curl into a tight coiled circle, growing six times in size. 

     Ziva’s upper half completed the same process, the scales encapsulating her arms, stomach and face. Her chest was double layered with hardened scaled armor. Her once curly wild hair was now alive, the snake tendrils twisted and curled around her. Ziva rolled her neck and stretched her arms, her body rising higher. I stared up at her in total awe, her towering frame had to be at least ten feet high. 

    “I can see them breaking the tree line, get ready.” her voice boomed. I shifted into my wolf, Pharaoh, who let out a howl to signal the others. My missions was to make sure no one got too close to Ziva and to stop anyone from moving forward. The first rush of rogues emerged, their eyes crazed. Ziva started to chant, forming an eerie green glow around her eyes. My heart hammered with excitement, this was going to be one hell of a first battle.

     She aimed for the front line, petrifying over ten confused rouges. Ziva uncoiled her long tail and lashed out. Her thick whip shattered the intruders in one swoop, taking the trees down with them. The enemy seemed unfazed and continued to rush into battle. Pharaoh lunged forward to take down a rogue that made it past Ziva’s tail. Pharaoh made quick work of him, making sure his life ended with a solid crack of the neck.   

     Dozens of wolves entered the new clearing. Ziva lashed out her tail again, separating some rouges to the left. Our warriors quickly engaged, the sounds of their battle echoed. Pharaoh protected Ziva’s right flank, taking on two wolves. The first wolf howled in pain as Pharaoh clamped down on his tail. He flung the rogue at the second wolf, their bodies colliding and tumbled away. 

     Pharaoh pursued them, quickly latching to one’s back leg. He gave an effortless tug, successfully ripping the limb free. He silenced the howling rogue by slashing at its throat, its blood seeping into the ground. The second wolf tried to run, its cowardice only pissed Pharaoh off. He chased after the enemy then jumped on his back, both of us midair. Pharaoh sank his claws and fangs into the rogues matted hair, shattering its bones. The wolf was dead before it hit the floor.

      We trotted back over to Ziva’s side. She giggled as she switched positions, repeating the same technique to separate the rogues to the right. Ziva and I tagged-teamed our attacks; she would sweep her tail out, and I would attack those left as she retreated. If any wolves got past me, Ziva would bend down to smash them with her hands. Thank Goddess she was on our side.

    Time stood still as we battled, our enemy’s numbers seemed endless. Ziva looked like she was starting to get tired and Pharaoh was taking on damage. We need to prepare for our retreat soon or we’d have casualties. I prayed that Summer was successful, our lives depended on it.    

Summer

     We raced back to the storage units with the second group of pack members. We were half way there when Jeffery stopped and shifted back. “Luna said the dining room is being attacked!” Royal motioned for him to return to assist while Duchess ushered the last of the group forward. Jeffery nodded in understanding before shifting back, his form already disappearing into the night.

      When we were finally at the storage we unlocked the hatch, startling the children inside. Autumn shifted to reassure them as the elders piled inside. Alpha Michael was right about it being a tight squeeze, but all of us would be able to fit. There were even food rations inside just in case we had to wait out the rogues. After settling everyone in, Duchess and Royal ran back to the pack house.

    It was absolute chaos inside the dining hall. The rogues managed to break down the outer wall and attacked the people. I counted seven in total, not counting the three carcasses on the ground. Autumn was the first to react, immediately shifting back and rushed to help. She tackled the rogue that was on top of the Luna, its angry jaws aimed at her throat. Duchess rolled with her assailant, slamming its body into the ground. She dug at its soft belly, pulling it’s intestines out to decorate the floor.

    Damn, I never knew Autumn had it in her. I turned my attention to the other fights. The Luna was back on her feet with Jeffrey and another warrior, keeping the other rouges at bay.  I scanned the room for the last group. There were four that were badly injured, but the rest seemed fine. “WE NEED TO LEAVE!” I shouted over the noise. The members helped me move the injured to the back door where we shifted. 

   They loaded two of the injured onto Royal’s back while the other two were settled with volunteers. Royal charged ahead, leading the way towards safety. We were half way there when Autumn’s frantic mind link came. Summer! Three rogues got past us and are in pursuit. I’m on my way but I won’t be able to catch them before they reach you! f**k! What do I do? The other wolves stopped to wait for orders. If I let them past this point, the pack would be in jeopardy. Think fast, Summer! 

     I shifted back, careful not to drop the injured. “Take these two and run. You should be able to follow my scent to the storage.” I ordered. A woman with tearful eyes walked up to me, “What about you?” I gave her a brave smile, “We don’t have a lot of time, but I vow that I will keep you safe.” She nodded at me then shifted. I helped settle the injured on the other’s back and ordered them to go. I watched them disappear, my arms and leg suddenly heavy.

   I let Royal take over as we waited for the rogues. Their foul smell filled our nostrils moments before they appeared. Royal ran towards them and leaped in between them, nipping at their backs. We needed them to follow us to create distance from the shelter. The rogues growled, changing their course to chase after us. We’re headed your way, I linked Autumn. The trees were a blur as we zoomed back to the pack house.

   Duchess came into view, the sight making us stop in our tracks. Duchess was covered in blood, her black fur revealing cuts and bite marks. There were opened gashes, her left ear was chewed and dangled to the side. Royal howled in pain not understanding. How could she be so reckless?! Why would she try to pursue them in this condition?! Duchess whined as she limped over to us. Royal licked at her wounds, letting out small whimpers of despair.   

  The rogues finally caught up, breaking up our reunion. Royal gave them a warning growl which they returned with vicious snarls. Duchess whined softly as she sank down to the ground, her breathing heavy. There was no way she was going to fight and survive. We need to protect her and fight at the same time; I bit off more than I could chew. Royal took a defensive stance, shielding Duchess.

    One of the rogues stepped closer, snapping at our legs. Royal pawed at the ground, daring him to come closer. The rouge leaped forward, its claws extended. Royal jumped to the side, waiting for the rogue to pass her. She jerked her body to the side, knocking the wolf down to the ground.  Royal lifted up her paws, letting her weight crash down. The wolf let out strangled cries as its ribs caved in. Duchess limped forward and bit down on its throat, its blood seeping through her teeth. 

        The other rogues growled as they circled us. The leader began to snap at us, his target was Duchess. Royal changed her stance to hover over Duchess’s wounded form. This was going to limit our movements, but we didn’t care. Our sister’s safety was our top priority and we’d fight till the very end. The leader became bold and nipped at Royal’s back, tearing away our flesh. 

       We kicked our hind legs out to push him back, only causing more damage to our wound. The rogues continued to circle us, each taking turns nipping at our body. Royal tried to hide her whines of pain, but we were getting weak. I could feel our warm blood flowing freely, we weren’t going to last much longer. Duchess curled her body inwards, trying to give us more space to move. She suddenly started to howl, her tail wagging weakly.

    A new strange scent carried on the wind followed by an aggressive growl.  Duchess continued to howl as the new wolf entered the battle. It was a dark gray with eerie blue eyes. It stood tall, definitely a wolf of rank. But its scent was off; it didn’t smell like a rogue, but it didn’t smell like it belonged to a pack either. Royal growled a warning as it stalked over to us, gaining our attackers attention.

   Duchess quieted her howls, her tail still wagging. The newcomer faulted forward, attacking the nearest rogue. They tumbled, their loud growling was eerie in the peacefulness of the forest. The second wolf attempted to help its comrade, its paws ready to swipe. Royal steeled her breath and jumped on top of him, biting down hard on his back.

     The rogue howled, turning its head back to bite us. Royal bit down harder, accepting the damage that was being dealt to her face. The wolf became frantic in its attempts to free itself. Royal looked up to see the gray wolf coming this way. It opened its wide mouth and clamped down on the rogue’s neck. We pulled in opposite directions, tearing the rogue apart. 

    The gray wolf dropped his half of the body and cautiously approached us. Royal growled again, not sure if the stranger was a true ally. Duchess let out small whines, her tail thumped harder. She tried to crawl out from under us, her muzzle extended. Royal took a small step back, exposing Duchess to the gray. 

   The wolf huffed and whined as it made its slow descent down to the ground to meet Duchess. They sniffed and rubbed each other's faces, both of their tails went wild. The wolf examined Duchess's body and licked at her wounds. She looked up at me, Summer! My mate! He’s my mate! Royal tilted her head back and howled, letting August know that we were safe. We plopped down to the floor, careful not to aggravate our wounds. 

   We watched Duchess bond with her mate, I was definitely not prepared for this trip.