Chapter 39: The First Battle

The gym was chaos. Demons everywhere. Black smoke and red eyes. Claws and teeth.

My pack fought in wolf form. Alex had three demons on him. Marcus was down. Bleeding. Andres protected him while fighting two more.

Stacey limped toward us. Blood dripping from her leg. "They came out of nowhere. Just appeared. We weren't ready."

"How many?" Cole asked.

"Twenty. Maybe more. They keep coming."

Cole shifted instantly. His massive dark wolf charged into the fight.

I stood frozen. I'd never fought demons before. Not like this. Not a real battle.

"Lita!" Stacey grabbed my arm. "Shift. We need you."

"I don't know how to fight."

"Then learn fast." She shifted. Ran back into the fight.

A demon broke away from the pack. Came straight at me.

Red eyes. Sharp teeth. Claws reaching.

I shifted without thinking. My silver wolf emerged.

The demon stopped. Stared at my glowing fur.

"Luna," it hissed. Multiple voices at once. "The master wants you alive."

"Too bad."

I jumped. My jaws closed on its throat. It tasted like death and rot.

The demon screamed. Turned to smoke. Disappeared.

One down.

I looked around. More demons pouring in through the broken windows. Through holes in the walls.

We were losing.

I howled. A Luna Alpha howl. Power in it.

The pack heard. Rallied. Fought harder.

But it wasn't enough.

A demon tackled Alex. Pinned him. Claws ready to kill.

"No!" I ran. Slammed into the demon. Knocked it off.

Alex got up. Blood on his muzzle. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

More demons came. Five. Ten. Too many.

"We need help," I said through the pack bond.

"I called the other packs," Andres said. "They're coming. But it'll take time."

"We don't have time."

A demon bigger than the others walked through the front door. Not smoke. Solid. Real.

Red skin. Horns. Eyes like fire.

"Luna Alpha," it said. Deep voice that shook the walls. "I am Azrael. Commander of the demon army. Surrender now and I'll spare your pack."

"Never."

"Foolish." Azrael raised his hand. Ten more demons appeared. "Kill them all. Except the Luna. She comes with us alive."

The demons charged.

Cole threw himself in front of me. Took down three demons at once.

But more came. Too many.

I felt it then. The pull. The soul stone in my pocket. Still human sized. Still there.

It wanted me to use it. Wanted to save me.

Not yet. I wasn't dying yet.

I fought harder. Claws and teeth. My silver fur glowing brighter.

Every demon I bit turned to smoke. Luna power burning them.

But they kept coming.

Azrael watched. Smiled. "You're strong. But not strong enough. You're still just a newborn."

"I'm Luna Alpha."

"You're a child playing at war." He walked closer. "The real war hasn't even started. This is just a taste."

A demon got past Cole. Slashed my side. Pain exploded.

I fell. Blood on the floor.

Cole shifted to human. Ran to me. "Lita!"

"I'm okay."

But I wasn't. The wound was deep. Not healing fast enough.

Azrael laughed. "See? Weak. Helpless. This is your Luna? Pathetic."

Rage filled me. Hot and fierce.

My wolf surged. Bigger than before. Stronger.

I stood. The wound started healing.

"I'm not weak," I growled.

Power exploded from me. Silver light filled the gym.

The demons screamed. The light burned them.

One by one, they turned to smoke. Disappeared.

Even Azrael stumbled back. "Impossible. You're not ready for that kind of power."

"Guess I am."

The light grew brighter. Hotter.

Azrael snarled. "This isn't over. The master will come for you himself."

He vanished. Took the remaining demons with him.

Silence.

The gym was destroyed. Blood everywhere. But we were alive.

I shifted back to human. Naked and exhausted. Someone threw a blanket over me.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked.

"Marcus is hurt bad," Andres said. "Tyler's unconscious. But alive."

"Get them to the hospital. Now."

Cole wrapped his arms around me. "You did it. You saved us."

"Barely."

"You lit up like the sun. Burned those demons away." He pulled back to look at me. "How?"

"I don't know. It just happened."

The Elder appeared in the doorway. How she got here so fast, I didn't know.

"That was Luna power. Full power. You shouldn't be able to access that for months." She walked through the destroyed gym. "The prophecy is accelerating. You're getting stronger faster because you're running out of time."

"What does that mean?"

“The demons know you’re close. They want you dead before tomorrow night.” She looked at me hard. “The gym attack was just the beginning. They’ll keep coming until one side is dead.”

My phone buzzed. Text from Claire.

"Told you. War started early. Get somewhere safe. Now. The big attack comes at dawn. Hundreds of demons. Maybe thousands. If you're not ready, you're dead."

I showed The Elder.

"She's right. You need to prepare. Tonight. No sleep. Just training and planning." The Elder looked at Cole. "Call every Alpha. Every pack. They need to be here by sunrise. Ready to fight."

"They won't all come," Cole said.

"They will. Because if Lita falls, we all fall." The Elder's face was grim. "This is it. The war we've been preparing for. It starts at dawn."

My phone rang. Unknown number.

I answered. "Hello?"

"Lita. It's me." My mother's voice. Shaking. "Something's wrong. There's a demon here. In my room. It's trying to possess me again."

"What? How?"

"I don't know. But it's strong. I can't fight it much longer." She was crying. "If it takes me, it'll use me against you. Kill me if you have to. Don't let it use me."

The line went dead.

"No," I said. "Not her. Not now."

"What happened?" Cole asked.

"My mother. A demon's trying to possess her. We have to get her out."

"It's a trap," Alex said. "Has to be."

"Maybe. But she's still my mother. Still my sacrifice tomorrow night. If she dies now, the ritual fails." I looked at Cole. "I have to save her."

"Then we go together."

The Elder shook her head. "You can't both leave. If this is a trap, they want you separated. Vulnerable."

"So what do I do?"

"Choose. Save your mother or protect the pack." The Elder's eyes were hard. "You can't do both. Not anymore. This is what it means to be Luna. Impossible choices."

I looked at my destroyed gym. My injured pack. Cole bleeding from a dozen wounds.

Then thought about my mother. Alone. Scared. Being possessed.

She was supposed to die tomorrow. For me. To save me.

I couldn't let a demon take her first.

"I'm going," I said. "Alone."

"Lita, no," Cole started.

"Stay here. Protect the pack. Get ready for dawn." I touched his face. "I'll come back. I promise."

"What if you don't?"

"Then you know I died trying to save someone. That's what Lunas do."

I shifted. Ran out before anyone could stop me.

Behind me, I heard Cole howl. Pain and fury.

But he didn't follow. He stayed. Like I asked.

Because he was Alpha. And Alphas protect their pack.

Even when it breaks their heart.