The Delta's Daughter Chapter 52

MIKE

Tilting my head back, filling my lungs with the crisp warm air of the ending summer, I glanced up into the now fading moonlight, the stars becoming dim and the horizon deep shades of purple and orange as dawn began to break. An astute feeling of Nostalgia, sweeping through me carried by the soft breeze that managed to find its way through the trees and up the mountain side we were patiently waiting on. Summer would soon be ending and Kellen would be inducted as the new Alpha of the Moon pack, the Royal pack.

How things had changed from the beginning of summer, and how I wished for that more peaceful time. Where the three of us were together, not a care in the world, no impending rogue attacks, no mate drama, just us three, running through the forest, jumping in the lake or lying out in our favorite field star gazing.

I think back to when we were much younger, how Kellen and I would chase Lamia through the palace or play hide and seek in the gardens, both of us wanting Lamia’s attention, sometimes even fighting over it. I chuckle to myself remembering when we were twelve and we had our first school dance.

Kellen and I had argued over who was going to take her. We got in such a mess that day, both sporting black eyes and cut lips, our suits torn and parts shredded.

It was that day we promised we would never fight over her again. Our fathers had pulled us apart and were in the middle of reprimanding us when Lamia came down the palace stairs in a soft lilac dress that came to her knees, her strawberry blond hair flowing over her shoulders. She had even put on a little make-up. I remember it was the first time we had seen her wear makeup.

Both of us dropped our jaws at her and stood up straight, trying to sort our suits out and re-tuck our bloodied shirts back in.

“You can’t go to the dance like that!” She had exclaimed, looking at us and shaking her head. Little did we know she had already agreed to go to the school dance with someone else, Stephen? Stephen was a grade above us and when he came to the door with his father to pick Lamia up, we were gutted.

I remember my heart sinking and looking at Kellen who had a sorrowful and defeated look on his face.

That night, Lamia had gone out on her first date to her first dance with neither of us. Because of our actions, Kellen and I were made to stay home and were grounded for the next week. To this day, I believe we were only grounded because neither of us would tell our parents why we were fighting.

It wasn’t until we had just turned 15 and we were having a pool party and Lamia came down wearing the cutest bikini that I realized she had grown into a woman. She and Kellen had already shifted the year before, I still hadn’t got my wolf yet. I wouldn’t, until I was 16, like normal wolves.

But it was that day I had fallen in love with her. I was still in love with her.

I want to say it didn’t hurt when Lamia and Kellen hooked up, but I can’t deny it, I had prayed to the Moon Goddess to make her my mate, almost every night since that day at the pool. When my two best friends said they felt the mate bond, I was crushed beyond belief, even if a part of me could admit that it was meant to be fate, they had been bonded at birth. What was even crazier was when their wolves had them reject each other. That I just didn’t get, I was ok with her being Kellen’s, that made sense, but when she mated to Zane… That was a tough pill to swallow. It still was.

I blew out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, bringing myself back to the present and looking around.

Everyone was rearing to go. This was personal to many of us, some were fighting for their friend, others were fighting for their Luna, and all were fighting for their pack, wanting to take down this so called Rogue King, Silas.

Initially we had thought we would have a little over 200 fighters, but we were surprised when the King and my father had arrived late yesterday evening with other pack warriors to fight with us, packs who had been attacked by rogues and were ready to take a stand and bring the fight to them.

We had been stunned when the King told us the Pacific Moon pack, Alpha Richard’s men, Kira’s father, had attempted an attack on the royal pack a few nights ago. The fighters were made to submit and Alpha Richard was beheaded on the spot by the King. It seemed Kira wasn’t the only traitor that her father had been plotting with Silas also. Before his head was ripped off he had confessed that his Luna had been taken and that he also knew where Travis was. That was another piece of information that had us gaping.

Kira was Travis’ mate and she had him locked up in this castle also.

We had come to the conclusion, if Kira was truly that twisted and evil, she must have had the Luna, her stepmother, of the pacific pack kidnapped too. What we didn’t know was why? At this point, personally, I didn’t care about the why, I just wanted to get our friends back and end this nightmare. For all I cared, I didn’t ever need to know the why, the bitch just needed to be torn to shreds.

“Right everyone, know what your job is? Any questions, ask now. I just got the word we are ready to go on the Kings signal!” Delta Marcus addressed everyone in our team.

We had been split into various task forces and had warriors hiding just outside the territory lines, surrounding the compound. Delta Marcus, myself and Tawny were part of the rescue taskforce. It was our job to get into the castle and retrieve Lamia. The warriors we had with us would make sure we had a way in through the side of the castle where part of the wall had crumbled and was not being guarded very well. However, once we were inside, we had no idea what or who to expect.

A collective “Yes Sir” sounded from all the warriors.

“Tawny, I want you to stick with Mike, you will be blind once you get into the castle. Do not stop for anything until you have found my daughter. Is that clear? She is priority.” Delta Marcus addressed us sternly, his eyes narrowing before he sighed and ran his hand through his jet-black hair, then squared his shoulders and holding my eyes with a look of determination but also pleading with me “Mike, find and get her to safety.”

I nodded my head, “No matter what, Uncle.” I replied with just as much determination.

Uncle Marcus then took a knee, and we all followed as he prayed to the Moon Goddess.

“Goddess, sweet and true, bless us now in all we do.

Help us know which path is right.

And stay with us throughout the night,

Protect us in our fight and if we fall,

Deliver us above so our spirits may live on”

I saw the glaze in his eyes as he stood, and wiped a lone tear from his cheek “It’s time.” He all but whispered.

A chill ran through me and I took Tawny’s hand, watching as she worried on her lips. I felt the anxiety and fear roll off her. “Stay with me” I said.

I wish I could offer words of wisdom or something more comforting, but I had nothing. The atmosphere hung thick as we proceeded down the mountain, creeping through the trees. I hoped we would all make it back, but I knew some wouldn’t.

This was war, death and carnage followed like a demon shadow, the darkness waiting to claim its next soul, its presence ever looming as a darkness within each of us.

A loud and intimidating Howl echoed through dawn’s first light, stilling the air, the sound resonating off the trees, lingering as the wind carried it’s meaning down into the valley, where I watched men shift to wolves and bears, scrambling from the small homes towards the boundaries, shouting orders and commands.

Another howl so powerful ripped through the valley, filling us with confidence. A second howl from the king rang out again, this time louder, giving us new-found courage as we began to run towards the compound and movement below.

Signaling the battle had begun.

*****

KELLEN

It was a frenzy, complete madness as our warriors pored through the tree lines surrounding the castle and village, the morning light casting an orange glow over the battlefield. I let out a ferocious growl as men shifted to wolves, their heavy paws pounding into the dirt advancing towards us. The ground shuddered and I looked up to see bears wielding large axes and swords swiping at our wolves as we closed in on the compound.

There were more bear shifters than we had anticipated. They were big, strong, and fast. I pulled my sword from its sheath that was attached to my back, hurdling myself forward to the first mammoth beast of a bear I was near. His gigantic axe came down and I slid under it, it barely missing my head. My sword connected, slicing through his leg in one swift motion. I spun to my feet as the bear dropped, thrusting my sword into the back of his head and pulling it quickly, not waiting to see if he was dead.

I turned just in time to see Hunji deliver a finishing blow to another bear. He caught my eye and we both nodded, understanding that to fight the bear shifters we needed to stay in human form and use our weapons and speed. I called upon Conri, my wolf having better instincts, and so I could draw from his strength.

I ripped through rogues, snapping necks and using my weapon to slice through them. I took pause, to glance around through the sea of wolves, bears and men. Through the midst of blood and fur, the smell of death and carnage saturating the air, I saw our warriors fighting with everything they had, pushing the rogues back, while tearing into them.

Zane’s black wolf was fighting against three wolves, easily overpowering them. I watched him tear out the neck of one, clawing at another, then leaping on to the third, his jaws grabbing the back of its neck and, in one powerful snap, completely removed his head.

I ducked just in time as a bear's long claws swiped over my head. I plunged my sword deep into his belly; pulling the lodged weapon to the side, ripping him wide open, blood sprayed and intestines began to spew. I turned to face another incoming attack.

*We’re in* I heard Mike through our pack link.

*Find her, but be careful* I replied.

I turned to Zane to let him know but he couldn’t hear me, he was too involved in the fight. His wolf was craving the spilling of blood as mine was. He fought murderously, savagely, “Zane…” I called to him again, this time his wolf spun to face me, blood dripping from his snout and his face matted a deep red. “They are in.”

“MOVE FORWARD!” I heard my father, the King, yell out.

Like a raging wave, we all rolled forward, destroying anyone in our way.

“SILAS!” My father roared “FACE ME YOU COWARD”. He further taunted.

For someone who called himself a king, he was not fighting on the front lines with his men; in fact, we had not felt his presence on the battlefield yet.

I knew Lamia was here, we could sense her, feel her, Conri was as desperate as myself to bring her out of this safely.

*****

TAWNY

At the king's commanding howl, we rushed from the tree line towards the side of the derelict castle, where we planned to infiltrate. Men came running forward, shifting as they sprinted to engage us. Mike held my hand tightly as wolves of all colors collided with our warriors. The snapping of teeth and ripping of fur pierced my ears. Guttural growls and tearing of flesh followed. Warriors surrounded the compound, fighting and digging their claws into the rogues in an attempt to create a path for us to move forward. Hundreds of shifters collided in battle.

We were fighting for our friends and the kingdom. They were fighting for total tyranny.

Delta Marcus shifted, his brilliant black wolf dodging and tearing through anything that attempted to block us from our goal. I could see where Lamia got her beautiful coat and large wolf from, even if she was twice his size, he was still a magnificent sight to behold. He fought with grace, each move calculated but executed with ease and efficiency.

What amazed me and I don’t think we were prepared for, was the number of were-bears that were here. It seemed like there was a whole clan or two. I gave Mike a worried glance, knowing neither he nor I were a match for a bear shifter. Maybe a smaller black bear, but they all seemed so big and strong, their large frames and thick brown fur. With huge teeth and long sharp claws, they were wielding weapons in their beast form, moving like they would as a human, giving them a huge advantage. Luckily, we had numbers on our side.

*Go! Go! Do not stop!* Delta Marcus yelled at us through the pack link as we saw our entry point.

Mike and I made a mad dash to the side of the crumbling wall, slipping in with a few warriors while Delta Marcus and another group of our fighters held off incoming rogues.

We stepped into a big long room. I imagined it was once a court or ballroom. The now charred and burnt high ceiling looked to have been lavish and impressive once.

“Tawny…” Mike growled, and I looked up to see him frowning. He jutted his head towards the end of the massive room. “This way”, he whispered. I shook my head. There was no time to look around and pick up the pace following behind him.

“Duke can sense her” he mumbled, and I sure hoped he could and we were heading the right way. The castle didn’t look so big from our holding spot on the side of the mountain, but once we had got up close and then entered, I realized the sheer size and enormity of the building.

We ran down long corridors turning left and right, the hallways seeming endless. One hand, still in Mikes, the other clutching a strap on the ready bag strapped to my back that contained some clothes and Lamia’s swords.

Rounding another corner, we came face to face with two wolves. They snarled at us, teeth dripping with drool like they were ravaged by disease. Mike growled and shifted, his wolf standing tall and wide, his dark brown silky fur standing on end. The two wolves lunged and Mike flew towards them, catching one mid-air, tearing out his neck with his powerful jaws before turning to the other and making quick work of him. I had no time to react or help as Mike had dispersed of them quickly and easily.

We continued down the hall, me following his wolf form until we came to a huge worn, heavy wood door trimmed in iron. The door creaked as he opened it slowly, making way to another darkened corridor that had a set of stone stairs leading down. Wolves had great night vision, but cats were in their element in the dark.

My eyes glowed as we began the descent downwards. The further we ventured down the more I could start to smell the coppery scent of blood and sweat. The smell overpowered the dank and musty mold. I didn’t like being down here, a shiver ran through me as I could sense the horrible things that have happened down here, like the ghosts of the past were whispering to me ‘turn around. Go back’. It had the hackles of my cat, Juniper, raising.

As we reached the bottom, Mike shifted back and I handed him a pair of shorts from the backpack. We took a moment to asses our surroundings, looking for a light source, now that we stood at the bottom of the stairs. The corridor we were in ran left and right, I could just make out other entrances leading to, I’m not sure where, but nowhere good, I was sure.

Suddenly, I heard a feminine laugh followed by a low growl. I snapped my head at Mike. We both knew who it was. I had followed her and her friend through the mountains with Hunji until we lost them, only finding out we were not far from the compound when we lost them, when we met up with Kellen.

The corridors abruptly lit up with light, like someone had found the switch. I hissed at the stark contrast as my eyes readjusted.

Kira rounded the corner with two men flanking her either side, not at all looking shocked to see us. I narrowed my eyes and hissed at her, my sharp claws extending from my fingers.

“Awe well look at what we have here, pathetic beta and his little pussy” she cackled “Get ‘em boys!” she ordered the two men and they rushed towards us, one shifting into a wolf, the other shifting into a large brown bear. Shit.

As the rogue shifters advanced towards us I saw Kira turn to head away from us. “KIRA” I bellowed. She didn’t stop. I threw the pack off my shoulders, and rushed towards her retreating figure, skidding to a slide between the wolf and the bear. I hated to leave Mike but the bitch needed to die. “I’m going after her” I yelled back to him, not sure if he heard me or not I gave chase.

I caught up with her just as she turned another corner leading into an open room, heading towards what looked like a tunnel at the end of the squared-off room I now found myself in. “KIRA!” I shouted again.

This time she stopped and turned, placing her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side, letting her brown curls fall over her shoulder.

Her jaw ticked and she looked annoyed, not that I cared “Awe little kitty thinks she can take me” she taunted.

“You fucking bitch…” I hissed and growled, letting my claws extend again and getting into a fighting stance “You coward, stand and face me!” I yelled at her.

She bent over a little and smirked, as she let a low, crazy-sounding chuckle out “You stupid Gato, you blindly follow, but you are really just a poor unwanted rejected princess. So desperate for friends, living as if you are one of us. YOU WILL NEVER BE ACCEPTED BY WOLVES! You stupid pussy, that’s all you will be good for, is a good fuck…” She spat as she ranted, flailing her arms in the air “…You are nothing, I am a true queen, and I will have the throne and bear the pups of the true king! Not that fucking whore…”

This bitch was crazy; I wasn’t even following the diarrhea of words that spewed from her mouth. I looked at her with wide eyes, mouth gaping open. She had truly lost the plot, this was the real her, she was insane, loopy, wacky, serious, lost the plot somewhere in her life.

“Bring it on Bitch!” I cursed as she shifted into a dirty brown wolf, myself, shifting into my black and orange-tipped cat. I always thought I was small compared to wolves, but as she lunged towards me I realized I was the same size as her, she must be on the smaller side.

I leapt up, meeting her in the air, our claws scrapping at each other as we fell with a thud to the concrete floor. I scrambled up faster than Kira did and pounced on her, digging my sharp claws into her sides, she let out a whimper, managing to throw me off.

I slid into the wall but hastily came to my feet again and was able to dodge her attack. I spun around as she hit the wall and sprung onto her back, my claws found her neck and the pointed ends sliced across the front, spraying blood across the stone wall in front of her. I jumped off and backed up as she spun around, shifting back into her human form. Grasping at her sliced jugular with her hands, she fell to her knees, the gurgling from her throat making me want to hurl.

I watched her eyes widen as she realized death was coming to claim her, the blood pouring from her wound down her naked body, and the light leaving her eyes. I could hear her heart beat slowly, slowing until it was silent and she flopped forward to the ground, her body rolling on its side.

She was dead.

I had never taken a life before, but I felt no remorse knowing she had a hand in the torture Lamia had undergone.

Lamia. I turned my back to Kira’s lifeless body. I had no time to think of what had just happened and bounded back towards where I had left Mike to face a wolf and bear alone.