Chapter 46: The War Begins

The demons came like a wave of black. Smoke and red eyes. Thousands of them.

They hit our first traps. Silver wire. Holy water. Salt circles.

Some demons burned. Screamed. Died.

But most kept coming. Too many.

"Second line!" Cole shouted through the pack bond. "Fall back!"

The wolves pulled back. Fast. Like we practiced.

The demons followed. Right into more traps.

Explosions. Fire. Light. More demons fell.

But they kept coming.

I stood on the roof with The Elder. Watching. Waiting.

"They're pushing hard," The Elder said. "Trying to break through before sunset."

"Why? What happens at sunset?"

"The prophecy. If you're still alive, it starts. You die. They lose." She looked at me. "They want to kill you their way."

"So I'm bait."

"You're the target. Everything is about you."

Below, the wolves fought hard. Claws and teeth against demon smoke.

Alex took down three demons. His blue eyes glowing.

Stacey fought beside him. Fast. Deadly.

Marcus and Andres held the left. Ragnar held the right.

We were holding. Barely.

Then I saw it. A huge demon. Bigger than the others. Red skin. Horns. Real. Not smoke.

A general.

"Who is that?" I asked.

The Elder's face went white. "Beleth. Third general of hell. He commands armies."

"Can we beat him?"

"Not easily. He's almost as strong as the demon king was."

Beleth raised his hand. Pointed at me.

"Luna!" His voice boomed. "Come down! Face me! Or I kill every wolf here!"

"Don't," The Elder said. "That's what he wants."

"And if I don't, they all die." I looked at my pack. Fighting. Bleeding. "I can't let that happen."

"Lita, wait."

But I was already moving. Down the stairs. Through the gym. Out the door.

Cole tried to stop me. "What are you doing?"

"Ending this."

"Not alone."

"Cole, you can't. He'll kill you."

"Then we die together." He shifted. His big dark wolf beside me.

I shifted too. My silver wolf glowing.

We walked toward Beleth. Side by side.

The demons stopped fighting. Made a path. Watched.

The wolves stopped too. Waited.

Everything went quiet.

Beleth smiled when we got close. "Luna Alpha. And her mate. How sweet."

"Let's make a deal," I said.

"Oh? What kind?"

"You and me. One on one. I win, your army leaves. You win, I'm yours."

"And the mate?"

"He goes free. No matter what."

"No," Cole said through the bond. "I don't agree."

"You don't get a choice," I said back.

Beleth laughed. "I have a better idea. Both of you fight me. Two against one. You win, my army leaves. I win, I get both. Luna and Alpha."

"Deal," I said before Cole could argue.

"Good." Beleth cracked his knuckles. "Let's start."

He attacked fast. Too fast.

His fist hit the ground where I was. I dodged. Barely.

Cole jumped on his back. Bit down hard.

Beleth roared. Threw Cole off.

Cole hit a car. Metal dented.

"Cole!" I ran to him.

"I'm fine. Keep fighting."

We attacked together. Me from front. Cole from behind.

Claws and teeth. Power and strength.

We hit him. Made him bleed.

But he was so strong.

His fist caught my side. I flew. Hit the ground hard. Something cracked. Ribs maybe.

Pain. Couldn't breathe right.

"Lita!" Cole was beside me. "Get up."

"I'm trying."

Beleth walked over. Slow. "Is this the Luna who beat the demon king? Weak."

He raised his foot. Ready to crush me.

Cole jumped between us. Took the hit for me.

I heard bones break. Heard Cole cry out.

Rage hit me. Hot. Pure.

My Luna power exploded. Silver light everywhere.

I stood. Healed myself. Pushed through pain.

"You hurt my mate."

"And I'll do worse." Beleth smiled.

"Not if I kill you first."

I attacked. Not holding back. Full power. Everything.

My jaws closed on his throat. My claws dug in.

He screamed. Tried to throw me off.

I held on. Bit harder. Let the power burn him.

"Impossible! You're just a newborn!"

"I'm Luna Alpha. And you picked the wrong wolf."

The light grew brighter. Hotter. Burning him inside.

Beleth's body started smoking. Cracking. Breaking.

"No! This can't happen!"

"It is. You lose."

One final burst. He exploded into black smoke.

Gone.

The demon army stood frozen.

Their general was dead.

"Leave!" I roared. My voice carried. "Your leader is dead! Go back to hell!"

Nothing for a moment.

Then one demon turned. Ran. Then another. Then all of them.

Running. Disappearing. Going back.

In minutes, the battlefield was empty. Just wolves and silence.

We won.

I shifted back. Ran to Cole.

He was hurt bad. Bones broken. Blood everywhere.

"Cole. Stay with me."

"Did we win?" Weak voice.

"Yeah. We won."

"Just wanted to protect you." His eyes closing.

"No. Don't. Stay awake." I pulled him close. "Somebody help! I need a healer!"

The Elder ran over. Two wolves with her.

"Move. Let us work."

They started healing him. Pack magic. Old magic.

I sat back. Watched. Prayed.

The sun was almost down. Maybe ten minutes until sunset.

Ten minutes until prophecy time.

I looked at The Elder. "Will he be okay?"

"Yes. He'll heal. Takes time but he'll be fine."

Relief hit hard.

Cole would live. We won. Demons were gone.

But then I felt it. A pull. Deep in my chest.

The prophecy. Starting.

"No," I whispered.

"Lita?" The Elder's eyes went wide. "What's wrong?"

"The prophecy. I can feel it. It's not done."

The pull got stronger. Like hooks in my soul.

My body got cold. My heart beat weird. Too slow. Then too fast.

"What's happening?" Alex ran over.

"The prophecy is taking her." The Elder looked scared. "Even though she died before. It's not satisfied. It still wants her."

"No!" Cole tried to sit up. Too weak. "You can't take her! We won!"

But the prophecy didn't care.

Luna dies or the world ends.

And I was the Luna.

My vision got dark. My legs gave out.

The Elder caught me. Laid me down.

"Lita, listen. You have to fight this."

"I can't. Too strong."

"Yes you can. You're Luna Alpha. Stronger than any prophecy."

But I wasn't. I could feel myself dying.

The sun touched the horizon. Sunset. Prophecy time.

This was it.

I looked at Cole one last time. "I love you."

"No. Lita, no. Don't leave me."

"I don't have a choice."

My heart stopped.

Everything went black.