36. Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five

Locke

A s if things weren't stressful enough, we had to add another problem to the equation. My mate was dealing with an unbearable amount of pain. It was unfair to her, morphing from human to wolf to Lycan, and having to deal with it alone.

Now we deal with Idris. A threat that I've only briefly discussed with her because the problem felt so far away. Except it wasn't. It had followed us here to the Iron Fang.

Idris, the banished fae necromancer from the Elysian realm, and his followers had entered the territory right from under our noses.

"How could this have happened?" I stomped over to Bear who was still dealing with the pain in his mind.

Bear shook his head. "I don't know, I swear we covered our tracks. With that many people we rescued, maybe we missed one that had a tracker?"

I gritted my teeth and swore. "The Moonlight Outcasts, they were to check for trackers. Were there any on the humans?"

"I think that's irrelevant at this point. Idris is already here." Hawke pointed out, scrolling his phone. "Idris' followers came in the daylight. They were fast, too. They didn't look like rogues."

"Maybe they weren't rogues," Sizzle joined the conversation. "Think of all those humans he's been experimenting on. He might have been converting all of the human guards from Delilah's ex-husband's crime syndicate, giving them vampiric, fae, and hell, maybe shifter qualities. He's got control over all the east coast right now."

"Shit." I ran my hand through my hair. "He made his own army, then. We won't be strong enough, not with the few mated pairs we have."

Besides most of the inner circle, we had a few randomly mated pairs around the club. Being mated strengthens them more than the average single shifter. We even had a vampiric couple from the Moonlight Outcasts. Cyran found his mate when they were rescuing Nadia. She was bloodthirsty and has been held up in an apartment feeding. Releasing her would be beneficial.

Bram limped up to the group. "The mated will not have their animals in top condition. Their animals are trying to connect to the pack-link that is being established by Tajah right now. Once Emm has completely transformed, you will all be stronger than those genetically mutated monstrosities, but, before then—"

Hawke got on the phone and handed it to me. I yelled into it, demanding whoever was on the other line to get everyone to the packhouse. Mated, unmated, almost rabid. We needed all the reinforcements we could get.

The bunker was here, full of guns and ammo, but anything they had on hand they needed to bring. Guns, knives, we needed it all.

I stared at my mate. She was trying to keep her cries to a minimum, but fuck, I remember what it was like. Emm was fucking strong, but all I wanted to do was to comfort her. This is not how I wanted my mate to be introduced to this life. This wasn't how I pictured having her join my world.

Sure, I wanted it memorable, but it wasn't this. I was going to make it romantic, I swear to the gods. This was fucking different. Every plan, everything I wanted to do was crumbling right in front of me.

"Save the pack, " Fenrir growled. "I will tend to our mate."

I pressed my lips to a thin line, staring at her morphing face. Her eyes meet mine, pleading.

"Go," she howled, withering into the dirt.

"If you don't, there will be no mate."

With a fierce growl, I tore my shirt apart, the fabric surrendering to my raw strength. The distant rumble of roaring engines filled the forest as trucks, motorcycles and cars invaded the landscape, their presence felt through the rustling of trees and the crunching of dirt and gravel beneath their tires.

They raced towards the packhouse. The sound of screeching tires and roaring engines filled the air. The urgency of the situation weighed heavily on my shoulders as I navigated through the surrounding chaos. Pack members quickly gathered, leaping out of the back of trucks and through the windows of cars. They armed themselves with whatever weapons they could find, their faces etched with a mix of determination and fear.

Most of them hadn't seen the packhouse. Only the mated could be here. Their faces were of both awe and fascination, looking up at the big structure, but Hawke, Sizzle and Bear had already spouted out orders, organizing everyone into groups.

Those who still had some capability to shift transformed into their animal forms, vampires flashed their fangs, and a sense of unity pulsated through the air despite the imminent danger lurking on our doorstep.

Fenrir wasted no time intending to Emm from my mind. I pushed back his words as he spoke to her, urging her to keep going. My heart ached at the sight of her pain, but I knew she was strong and resilient. She would fight through this; we all would.

As I stepped forward in front of the club, a hush fell over the crowd, enveloping it in silence. The crackling fire behind me sent waves of intense heat searing my exposed back. Before me, the club stood, its imposing presence commanding attention. Though our numbers were not vast, the strength of our training was apparent, even though most members were rogue and unable to shift.

"I have mated with my luna." There was no cheer, but there were looks of relief on everyone's faces. "She is undergoing her transformation, and only then, can we create our pack."

I could hear the haunting sound of her guttural cries as she tightly held in her pain. The blinding lightning cut through the darkened sky, followed by the deafening rumble of thunder echoing through the towering mountains.

A chilling enemy howl echoed through the air, originating from a distant hilltop. Its piercing sound served as an unmistakable warning, indicating that the enemy was drawing nearer.

Time was not on our side.

"Your objective is to protect your luna and Tajah. Without them this club will not form a pack, do you understand?" I screamed at them, my face red with anger.

The pack members nodded in unison, their expressions hardening with determination. They knew the gravity of the situation at hand, and the importance of protecting their alpha's mate, and the future luna. The howls of the approaching enemy grew louder, signaling that the impending battle was upon us.

We were ill prepared, and no fae to help with oncoming attacks. Who even knew if they were still alive.

Hawke, Sizzle and Bear moved swiftly, organizing the pack into defensive positions. Those in animal forms were situated in the forests. Hawke grabbed his snipers and positioned themselves in trees and on top of cabins. The few vampires had positioned themselves strategically, ready to strike at a moment's notice. The air crackled with tension as everyone braced themselves for the onslaught.

Fenrir continued to support Emm through her agonizing transformation, his voice rough and commanding; so she could concentrate. She had to do this fast, but it also could not be rushed. Emm's primal screams echoed through the night, a symphony of pain and rebirth, that resonated with every member of the pack.

"Don't pay attention to her screams, you protect the luna!" I roared.

I pulled on my belt and dropped it to the ground. My unbuttoned pants ripped, and I let my lycan form's muscles bulge as I hunched over. My fur burst out from my skin and covered my entire body. The transformation was swift and powerful. My shoulders rolled back, my posture becoming more upright, and I stood in my full lycan form. I let out a fierce howl, revealing rows of sharp teeth and bright green eyes that glinted in the moonlight.

I felt the gaze of my future pack upon me. I snarled and gazed at all of them before I swished my claws into the air. "Protect your future pack and Luna, or face me!" I scraped my claws on my chest letting the blood drip down my torso.

As the first wave of enemies emerged from the shadows, I took one last look at my mate. We shared a silent understanding of our roles in this pivotal moment. She would concentrate on shifting, and from the looks of it, Delilah and her pup would be by her side.

I would protect Emm with my life. I wouldn't stray far from this center. I would lead our pack into battle, fueled by the fierce determination to keep our loved ones safe. For peace, like I have always wanted.

With a primal roar, I let my venom fall from my maw. The pack stood united behind me, a formidable force ready to defend their alpha, their luna and their home.

The clash was imminent, but we were ready. As one cohesive unit, we charged towards the enemy horde, who broke from the trees on the other side of the clearing. Our battle cries reverberating through the night sky that continued to be webbed with lightning. This fight would test our strength, our courage and our loyalty to each other.

The ground trembled beneath our feet as I stood at the forefront. I tried to look for Idris, but of course, the coward was nowhere to be found—yet.

With a determined growl, I signaled to my pack members, readying them for the impending clash. We were outnumbered and outmatched, but our determination was strong enough.

As the first wave of Idris's followers descended upon us, a primal roar ripped through the air, signaling the beginning of a battle that would determine the fate of our kind.

Fangs bared, claws unsheathed, we met our enemies head-on. The clash of fur and claws filled the clearing with a cacophony of grunts and snarls. Bodies fell on both sides, the scent of blood thick in the air as we fought relentlessly to protect what was ours. I could feel the raw power of my pack members beside me, their loyalty and bravery unwavering in the face of danger.

I locked eyes with a particularly vicious opponent, his snarl matching mine as we circled each other, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. With a swift movement, I lunged forward, sinking my teeth into his shoulder and feeling the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my jaws. He let out a pained howl before collapsing to the ground, defeated.

I punched my fist into his chest cavity, pulling out his still-beating heart. I lift it up into air and roared violently. The enemy that had surrounded me, attacking me from all sides, retreated. I laughed maniacally and bit into the muscle, letting the crimson drops soak my face and neck.

"Fight me!!!" I roared, spitting out the piece of the heart.

It was a quick death; every single opponent was. As it should be. I was a fucking monster, and with one swipe I could take down one, then another.

Some of my brothers were not as lucky. I pulled witches, warlocks and shifters off my future pack, one by one. We were in defense mode, just trying to save them all.

I snarled through the hordes of souls fighting. Bones was picking up bodies, trying to find heartbeats, trying to save those that couldn't be saved.

Gunshots were ringing out, Hawke's snipers were particularly helpful. Especially with the rigorous training Hawke had put them through. Most bullets had been soaked in my venom, and that appeared to be what had been saving us.

I took a quick swipe at one body and noticed how quickly it fell. Human.

Humans were mixed against the men fighting against us. They weren't all genetically mutated. It was a blessing in itself, of poor planning by Idris. My guess was that he was trying to get here more quickly than he had intended.

When I saw the human laying before me and I cocked my head to the side. If he didn't have time to change them all before he arrived, then he must know—

Know that I had found my mate and we had intended to create a pack. A pack that would strengthen us and make us harder to defeat.

My vision immediately went to Emm, and that is where I saw Duke Idris come out of the distant wood. He was wearing a long cloak, and something bulky was beneath it. His face was uncovered, and his chin was tilted upward like a cocky bastard. He had two warlocks in front of him, holding their hands up, using ruins of gold papers to cast their spells.

Bram stood between the women and Idris. His magic emanated a faint shimmer, forming a forcefield that enveloped him, Tajah, Emm, Delilah and her child. The air crackled with a subtle energy as they all remained in his protected space.

Bram's shield wasn't gonna hold.

Shit, shit, shit.

Idris knew about Emm and was going to try kill her.

I roared to Hawke, pointing toward Idris. Hawke yelled to his men, and to the new target, as they took aim and fired, but, the bullets bounced off his own invisible forcefield.

Idris's determined strides brought him nearer to Emm, intensifying the surge of fury coursing through my veins. I sprinted with a vengeance, viciously tearing into our adversaries, the sound of my claws ripping through the air.

I rushed towards Idris, my heart pounding with determination and rage. I leapt onto an enormous wolf, taking them down with a single swipe of my claws. As I tore through the remaining enemies blocking my path, I could feel the temperature around me drop when Hawke's men opened fire.

Suddenly, a blast of energy exploded from Idris, knocking several of our pack members to the ground. I snarled, shoving my feet into the soil and using it to leap toward him. Idris held out his hand, and my teeth wrapped around his white hand with long black nails. I crunched into the bones of his hand, and he groaned.

His grip tightens around my lower jaw, causing it to tremble under his forceful shake. Suddenly, a surge of electricity coursed through, jolting every nerve inside me. The intense shockwave rippled through my body, unleashing a deafening sonic boom that reverberated deep within my stomach. In an instant, I was propelled past Tajah, hurtling through the raging flames, and crashing through the walls of the sturdy packhouse.

I was stunned when I finally landed at the back of the nearly empty main floor of the packhouse, and shook my head, letting the glass fall from my fur.

No, that fucker didn't.

Struggling to rise, I scrambled to my feet, momentarily unsteady until I regained my balance. As I rushed outside, gasping for breath, I was confronted by a gruesome sight. The air was heavy with the metallic scent of blood, and the ground was painted crimson, evidence of the fierce battle that had consumed my territory.

This was not what I had wanted.

My lip curled into a snarl and I leapt off the steps. However, before I could rescue my mate, I froze, I fearing if I took one more step I would see a repeat of my fucking past.