Return to Wisteria (Book Three of the Wisteria Chronicles)

CHAPTER 10~Watermelon~

August 

     The sound of Summer’s howl was music to my ears. Pharaoh was struggling to keep up with the oncoming waves of endless rogues. We sprinted to Ziva’s left side as she slapped down at the enemy, smashing them like bugs. Her tail was covered in bite marks and splinters from the forest she demolished.      

    I shifted back, struggling to stand up. My body felt heavy and everything hurt. I leaned against Ziva; her scales surprisingly soft. “Order a retreat!” I shouted up to her. Ziva tried to wipe the sweat off her face, smearing the blood splatter across her forehead. “RETREAT! RETREAT!” she bellowed. The warriors slowly made their way back to the center. There seemed to be no casualties but almost half of them were severely wounded.   

    I helped put the injured onto Ziva’s tail. The rest of us climbed, we were weary and battered. Ziva released a deafening screech before she took off, her body slithering through the trees. I struggled to hang on, my hands weak from the battle. I couldn’t keep up with the scenery but I knew we were being pursued.  

    After a few miles Ziva slowed down, her body nearing its limit. Her long tail was shrinking, making it a tight squeeze. “Ziva! Just stop, we’re too heavy.” I ordered. She slowed down to a stop and I signaled for us to get down. Ziva was half her size now, the strain from battle weakening her. “We aren’t there yet and we are being followed.” she said breathlessly. I shook my head, “I know but we won't be able to outrun them in our condition.” 

    “What are we gonna do, Auggie?” she asked, this was the first time I’ve sensed her fear. I racked my brain trying to remember the countless war strategies and theories that I studied. f**k! Why couldn’t I think of anything?! “August, they’re getting closer.” Ziva whispered. I closed my eyes, praying for a miracle. If only there was a way to protect the wounded… I opened my eyes, a plan finally forming.  

     I shook myself; it was unorthodox and something completely out of character. “Ziva, if you curled into a ball, would you be able to protect yourself and our wounded?” I asked. Ziva nodded her head, “Yes, as long as I don’t use any more magic. I should be able to stay in this form and not sustain injuries.” “Can you heal yourself?” my voice was hopeful; her answer would decide our fate. “I can. I can also heal others as long as they are inside my coil.” she replied. 

    I lost my composure and let out an excited yell. I quickly explained my plan to Ziva, her laugh sounded crazy. “Auggie! I didn’t think you could play this dirty!” she squealed. I frowned at her comment, “It’s not playing dirty.” Ziva continued to laugh, “You dirty dog!” I ignored her and addressed the warriors. “Gather around, we don’t have a lot of time.” 

     We huddled together and let Ziva wrap herself around us. She tucked her head in and smiled at us. “You guys look like my little babies fresh out the egg.” she giggled. I barked with laughter, “Ziva, what the actual f**k?” The warriors joined in, confused by this weird situation. I could feel her healing power already working, my torn body was grateful for relief.  

    Ziva’s face turned serious, “They’re here.” I grunted, “Are you sure they won’t hurt you?” Ziva chuckled, “I’m positive. My scales harden when I’m in my protective stance, I could be attacked for days and not feel anything.” I prayed to the Goddess that she wasn’t over exaggerating because what we were about to do was… tricky. 

   Ziva poked her head out of the cocoon she created to count the enemy. We could hear the angry growls coming from them. Ziva came back down, “There’s fifteen, are you ready?” The warriors saluted. She grinned, “Ok, let’s do this.” Along with two other warriors, we climbed up Ziva’s thick coils and waited for her signal. She lifted up and we jumped out, shifting midair.  

   Our tiny group of three quickly attack the closest rogues, swiftly bringing them down. “Now!” Ziva ordered. My group jumped back into her folds while a second team switched out. We shifted back and rested against her scales, trying to heal quickly. She lifted her head up to let in the second team; they returned bloodied and injured.  

    “There are six left but they're being cautious. They surrounded the second team immediately. It will be a while before team two is healed. We are outnumbered.” Ziva announced. “We’ll go out one more time, if it looks like it's going downhill we’ll come back.” I advised her. Ziva looked doubtful but lifted up and let us climb through. The rogues stood at a safe distance as we descended.  

    We ran forward, each of us trying to take as many opponents on as possible. The enemy was unfazed at our attempts to separate them. They were maneuvering us instead. They moved away from Ziva’s reach, backing us further into the thicket. They created a circle, slowly closing in on us. There were three of us and six of them. Their bodies were free of injuries while we were heavily damaged. 

  We were running on borrowed energy. I couldn’t risk shifting back to yell for help, we were f****d. I couldn’t believe we landed right in their trap. I was filled with regrets. I never got a chance to apologize to Autumn for failing to protect her from Quincy. I wasn’t going to be able to walk her down the aisle with Dad; a promise she made me make when we were eight. 

      I never got the chance to tell Summer that I was so proud of her. I should’ve confessed to her that I was jealous. She got to live her life as recklessly as she wanted and she had thrived. I wish I could thank her for saving our allies. She really was the best Alpha I knew. I couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t be present to watch her Ceremony. Goddess, I never got to meet my mate. She was going to live the rest of her life looking for me, not knowing that I died here tonight.  

    The rogues began to attack. We held our formation tight, trying to deal as much damage as possible. Pharaoh was repeatedly bitten and clawed. It was getting harder to breathe, our vision hazy. f**k, I promised to call Mom back, I needed to call Mom back. Pharaoh fell to the ground, it hurt too much to stand. We let out a soft whine as we watched a mangled rogue approach. I hated that this disgraceful mutt was going to be the last thing I laid eyes on.  

   The rogue’s movements suddenly stopped, a heavy gray fog forming around us. The wolf’s fur started to smoke then caught on fire. Its screams echoed but it’s comrades. Great, now I’m hallucinating. Pharaoh took in short breaths, the stench of burnt hair stung our nose. The fire was real, what the f**k was happening?  

   The wolves’ bodies crumpled to the ground in a bed of ash, the gray smoke clearing. A male with a weird scent walked forward, stepping on the ashes of the fallen. Pharaoh growled a warning as the male towered over us. He squatted down to study me. His eyes were a cold gray and he had silver blonde hair, he seemed… familiar.  

Summer 

        I let Duchess and her mate have fifteen minutes of peace before Royal made them get up. Wait for your wounds to heal a little more before shifting back. Take your mate to the shelter. I’m going to the pack house to make sure the warriors and the Luna are ok, I linked Autumn. Duchess huffed and stood up with assistance from her mate. We watched them leave the clearing then made our way back to the pack house. 

      Jeffery jogged over when he saw me. I shifted back, “What’s the status report?” Jeffery grinned, “We sent out a scout to check in on the warriors. Your brother has been injured,” I gasped, “But he is ok. He said he received unexpected help but the rogues were terminated. Their numbers were larger than expected, anywhere from 90 to 100.” he finished.  

     I was speechless. Who would send that many rogues to such a small pack? What was their motive? What did this mean? “Who helped them take down some many?” I was drowning in my curiosity. Jeffery shrugged, “He didn’t say. But they are headed back this way.” I thanked him and then addressed the Luna. We decided that it was safe enough to bring the pack back, so another warrior was sent to bring them home. 

   The Luna had brought me an oversized t- shirt. She apologized for not being able to provide more since the stairs to her bedroom were taken down in the attack. I thanked her and happily accepted her offer, at least my ass was covered. I chatted with her as we waited for the teams to return. I highly recommended new upgrades to be done for the territory.  

       Although the pack was small, they still lack necessities for survival. The Luna agreed that once the dining hall was rebuilt, they were going to build fortified bunkers. She left to check on the damage as well as the other members that fought here. I was left alone to deal with my thoughts. 

    I owed August an apology. I had thought he was being a hard ass all of this time for no reason. I never knew the extent of the pressure that he was under everyday as our Alpha. A pack puts all of their trust into their Alpha, hoping that they will be able to protect and provide for them. It was a tremendous responsibility and it was terrifying. August tried to warn me, teach me, but I had blown him off.  

    I peered into the distance, noticing the pack members make their way over. I thought of Autumn and her mate. What were the chances of him being here? He wasn’t a part of the pack and he wasn’t a rogue. Why was he here? I wonder if he was working with whoever assisted the warriors. If he was, how did they know Spring Creek was being attacked? 

     The pack started to file into the building, their atmosphere was a cloud of relief. “Thank you, Alpha Summer.” a man said, patting my shoulder. The rest of the crowd mirror his actions, thanking me as they went inside. I tried to hide me joy, we f*****g survived! Summer! Autumn linked me. Duchess limped over to me and licked my face. I giggled as I examined her body, she was mostly healed with no major injuries. Autumn shifted and jumped into my arms. 

     “I’m so proud of you.” I confessed. “What? Why?” Autumn sounded breathless and confused. “You were so strong. I’m so happy you’re ok.” I told her. Autumn held me tighter, I could feel her tears dropping on my shoulder. “So, are you gonna introduce your mate?” I asked. Autumn gasped and pulled away, her face in shock. “I have a mate.” she whispered. I laughed, “You do.” Autumn turned around as her gray wolf plopped down next to her. She sat down on the floor and buried her face into his fur, making him purr in response.  

    “The warriors are back!” someone shouted. We raced to meet them halfway. Summer and I yelled out for August and Ziva. Ziva was being carried in, her body was covered in dirt and some cuts, but no major injuries. She grinned when she saw us, “We’re not dead. Thanks to your brother and his hot friend.” I chuckled, “Are you doing ok?” She weakly waved her hand, “I-I just need s-sleep.” She closed her eyes and started to snore. The warrior that held her chuckled and carried her inside. 

    August limped over to us, a wide smile on his beaten face. Autumn and I ran into his arms, making him wince in pain. We were trying to talk to him at once, demanding to know what happened and if he was ok. August just chuckled and held us close. “I met my mate, Auggie.” Autumn announced shyly. August raised his eyebrows, “Who is he?” Autumn’s mate walked over and shifted, he looked familiar. My mouth dropped, “Archer?”      

    “I can’t believe you remembered me after all of these years.” He smiled sheepishly; his voice had a slight accent. Autumn embraced him and began to sob. Fleeting memories of the festival where we met him and his brother crossed my mind. He hasn’t changed a bit, especially that smile. Mom is going to lose her damn mind. August seemed unfazed, “Well, things are starting to make sense.” I frowned, “Where is your brother?” Someone cleared their throat, “I’m right here.” 

     I spun around quickly; his voice was unforgettable. I stared at Aiden; his tall muscular frame loomed over me. His blonde hair covered his face but his gray eyes remained perfectly visible. He smelled like sweet watermelon on a hot summer day, my favorite thing. He closed the distance between us, “Hello, Summer.” His voice made me shiver, there was no denying it, he was the man from my dreams. He bent his head down and cupped my cheek. His touch sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. 

    He pressed his lips against mine, quickly becoming the very air I need to survive. His lips were gentle but firm, he made me feel like I was drugged. He swept his tongue across my bottom lip; the pleasure made my knees give out. Aiden caught me and pulled me closer, deepening our kiss. My mate was intoxicating.  

     He broke our kiss to stare at me with unreadable eyes. He helped me stand up straight then pulled away. Royal and I both whimpered at the absence of his touch. “Archer, let's go.” his voice was cold. “You don’t have to do this.” Archer said. “Archer!” Aiden barked, I frowned not understanding.  Archer gave Autumn a passionate kiss then warped next to his brother. 

    “I, Aiden Summons, hereby reject you, Summer Frost of the Crescent Woods pack.” My heart stopped pumping. I tried to speak but coughed up blood instead. My body refused to cooperate with me as I tried to reach out for him. Aiden was unfazed of his rejection, his face cold. He grabbed Archer’s hand and warped away. I felt agonizing pain and numbness at the same time. 

    It felt like I was falling in slow motion. Autumn was screaming and August leaped to catch me. My vision began to blur as the promise of darkness claimed me.