Moonlight Avenger

Power of a Zeta

I berated myself even as I ran through the forest growth. The brambles tore at my fur and left shallow cuts on my body. I had just left my two mates in the hands of my former alpha. An alpha I knew to have a cruel and violent past, but I couldn’t let Mana take on these beasts alone. Even if he had the power of the Goddess with him, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t need back up, and unfortunately, it took my mates far too long to wake up once they were fast asleep. Besides, Hades would have tried to stop me. I loved how protective he was, but sometimes it was suffocating.

I was following Mana’s scent trail but it was different now. The stench of burned foliage was throwing off my senses. It hung in the air from all directions, and there was something else in the air as well. The musk from the wolves had grown far stronger. It wasn’t as small of a grouping as I had originally thought. No, this was at least double the size of the first group we had run into. I could tell from the various scents that tinged the air. The cats all smelled the same to me, but the wolves? Each had their own distinct odor and they all had the smell of blood and gore clinging to them. My eyes scanned the burns all over the territory, and far more of the hellcats this time too.

A flash of bright light froze me in place. I watched as another ball, bigger than the first, burst from the clearing and flew up into the sky with a giant explosion that made me see stars for a few moments. My ears rang from being so close to the giant explosion. A cat’s pained yowl echoed through my injured eardrums and I crept forward on my belly to get a closer look at what had caused this thing.

There, in the distance, I could see the outlines of the combatants. Mana stood in the center with a silver aura pulsing around him. It wrapped around him like a giant snake, rising high into the air and all around him, I could barely make him out with all the light that poured from him. His eyes had turned silver as well and they glowed with an eerie light.

He didn’t fight with tooth or claw, no, this time the wolf was just standing there in the middle of the clearing. One by one the wolves would attack him but before they could reach him they would be thrown into the air or away by a pulse of the light. One of the cats bigger than the others had gotten brave and instead of leaping for him, had run full blast at him and tried to claw Mana’s legs out of the way.

Mana opened his mouth wide and the light gathered there for but a moment before it poured from him in a single beam, hitting the cat straight on and throwing it so far it landed beside me in a heap with smoke rising from its still form. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as Mana battled them beast by beast, one after the other. The wolves fell as if they were paper, and the hellcats were too stupid to attack in form and were obliterated in mere moments.

Was this the power of the Goddess? Had she really blessed Mana with all this for refusing to turn into a human? None of this seemed possible and I was afraid if I blinked I’d wake up in bed somewhere and this would all be a dream. I didn’t want it to be a dream, watching a zeta like this was mesmerizing. Even my wolf was in awe.

Another ring attacked him now bursting from the forest behind him. They closed in with a rough ring, not close enough to set off his powers, but not far enough away that when the power left him that he’d be able to get away. I crept a little closer again. I wanted a better look since the circle was obscuring my view. Did he even need my help by this point?

The fur at the back of my neck grew hot from a moist breath and I froze once more. Damn, I had forgotten about the beast that had landed beside me. Funny, I hadn’t thought they’d have such good recovery skills. The hellcats were easy compared to

“I would suggest you not move,” snarled a deep husky voice right behind me. I could practically feel its jaws around my throat already at this point.

No, that wasn’t the cat, the stench of the burnt feline was still coming from the other area. This was a wolf. How had someone snuck up on me? While it was true the explosions had distracted me a lot, it still didn’t make sense that someone was able to get behind me like this and so close. “Are you going to explain what you’re doing?” I demanded. Could I turn in time before they attacked? No, impossible.

It chuckled. “Very good job on listening. Now, turn slowly like a good little bitch.”

My wolf simmered beneath the surface, she wanted to be free and to rip this impudent creature apart, but I knew how to play the long game. How many times had I bided my time before for the perfect moment? There was always a perfect moment.

I turned and was forced to look up at the monstrosity. Ah, that explained a lot, another zeta. These beasts were a rarity to come across one in a lifetime, having two around was unbelievable. The price to be one was far too high. The eyes that surveyed me were cruel, I expected that. He smirked at me, good he thought he had already won. I could always use overconfidence against my enemies.

“I never expected our original prey to fall into my trap so easily. We were going to take out that zeta over there and use him as a trap to lure you in. Thank you for making it so much easier.” He grinned. “You’ll help me get a better place in the pack with this boon.”

“You’re a zeta, how much better of a place do you need?” I demanded.

He chuckled again. “With this, I’ll be ahead of the generals by leaps and bounds. Zetas are usually kept out of the command circle but you’re going to change all that. Thanks for letting me win this little competition.”

“You haven’t won yet,” I replied as I sat down and stared up at the beast. Mana was bigger, but not by much. “Who are you, and what do you people want to begin with? I never had any intention of leaving this land and yet I hear I’m an obstacle to your plans?”

“You’re not afraid? That’s interesting.” The wolf’s eyes were black with yellow spotted rims. His shaggy brown fur reminded me of mud. He wasn’t beautiful in the moonlight like Mana was. There was no way this one had been blessed by the Goddess. “My name is Zephyr, and you are the little Rogue we’ve been searching for. Interesting that you managed to take out the group that was trailing you, how many are there of you? Even with a zeta, I don’t see only two being capable of it.”

“What do you want with me, Zephyr, and why did you take my people?”

“Ah, those?” He tilted his head as he studied me. His eyes grew even darker as he licked his chops. “Those are our sacrifices to our God.”

I dove at his throat my jaws gaping as I struggled to get a hold on his throat under all that fur. He grabbed me like I was a pup by my scruff and tossed me through the air. I landed in a heap in front of Mana and struggled to clamp down the scream that threatened to escape from me. No, I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing me hurt. I got up on shaky paws but another bulky form stopped me. Mana shoved me to the side as he walked past me the silver aura still lighting the entire forest around him.

“Alpha, stay here,” he demanded.

I snorted. “I’m not staying here, he’s dangerous, Mana.”

“I am aware.” Mana turned back and his silver eyes glittered with starlight. “This is my fight, you should get back and protect the others.”

“I’m not going anywhere, you can’t go one on one with that wolf.”

Mana sighed a soft rumble of discontent. “Fine, but try to stay safe.”

As the silver aura had woven itself around Mana in an infinite loop, so did a pitch-black aura erupt from Zephyr. I was right, this wasn’t from any Goddess I knew. “How can he be a zeta if he doesn’t serve the Goddess?” I demanded.

“He’s got his own God to follow that has granted him powers. Don’t worry, Alpha, I will stop his ambitions here and now. I hope you got the information you needed from him because I will not be able to stop once I get started.”

“You’re going to fight me by yourself?” The other wolf shook his head. “That is a mistake in itself. You should have relied on that Rogue more. When I’m done tearing you apart I’ll capture her and take her with me to see the boss. He wants to see her used as the ultimate sacrifice.”

I shuddered. Speaking of sacrifices reminded me of the last time I had dealt with anything of the like. The lines of children that had been tugged forward and their necks exposed. I had stopped that one, and I’d stop this one too. But this meant that I had more to deal with than just one fanatical pack. Not only would I have at least one demon to dance with, but there were witches involved, and I hated witches.