Chapter 154
Drake.
Sarah kept her word, she used her power as soon as Jeremy and I walked away, the ground rumbling and quaking under our feet. It wasn’t as controlled as before, but it would still allow us to get the upper hand. Some would think we are fighting dirty, but that’s not the case, we are using what we can to get the enemy subdued. We are fighting using our strength, which is how it is supposed to work, and even if we are fighting dirty, I don’t care, I stopped caring when they nearly killed my twin.
Dylan is alive, and that matters more to me than anything else, but if I don’t stop these people, this will never end. My family will always be in danger, and I won’t allow that, I won’t allow my daughter to grow up in constant fear.
“She’s not as steady with it as before.” Jeremy says, keeping his eye on her as we head towards the bulk of the fighting. “I’m not sure how long she’ll be able to hold out.”
“We don’t need her to hold out for long.” I say, looking back at her. “We just need her to keep them guessing for long enough to take them down. They don’t know how much power she has, or how well she can control it, but we do. We need them to think that it’ll never stop.”
Jeremy gives me a strange look, “You want them to think she can keep it up even after healing Dylan, why?”
“Because I want them to think that whatever they throw at us, we will overcome it and come back stronger.” I say, my eyes following the chaos.
There are a lot of men left on their side, but all of them are moving backwards, trying to get out of Sarah’s reach and the reach of her power. They think they can outrun her power, but they can’t. she can reach them wherever they go, and they need to realise that if we are going to win.
We need the majority of them to surrender, to lay down and give up. But getting strong warriors to admit defeat isn’t easy, it might even be impossible.
The younger ones, the ones who have had their families threatened are coming to us, asking us for asylum. They want their families to be safe from harm, and they don’t want to fight for an alpha who will threaten everything they love for control.
The enemy we are fighting is desperate, the three rebellious alphas know what they want, but their people are starting to question their leadership. They are questioning the war and why it began.
The alphas are losing control, and they know it, they are scrambling for control over a situation they have already lost.
Jeremy laughs, a sharp sound. “You want their men to betray them.” He says, already knowing that’s the case. “But the warriors closer to the top never will, they are getting just as much as the alphas out of this.”
I turn to him, momentarily stopping walking. “that’s why we kill those ones; we only allow those who were forced to fight to surrender. No one else.”
“How will we know the difference?” Jeremy asks, and it’s a good question.
“I don’t know.” I say, trying to be honest, “But I think it will be easy to see the difference, the young warriors I have already saved were beaten before they even got here.”
“There are some older ones who surrendered with the same thing, all of them had the same story, their families have been taken, and they were told to fight to get them back alive.” Jeremy says, his eyes scanning the wolves we can see. “Get word to every man, tell them to push the enemy back as far as they can. We only let those who are genuinely in trouble surrender.”
I nod, agreeing completely, turning to a warrior close to us, “Get word out, tell the enemy wolves that there is a safe place here for them if they want it.”
The warrior looks torn, not moving.
I understand his hesitation, he wants to protect his family, just as we all do. He thinks saving them will make things worse for us, and it could. But it could also save people who need to be saved.
We are not like those who attack us, and we never will be. We will not kill the innocent.
I step closer to the warrior, “Some of them are being forced into this, their families taken from them. We are offering them safe passage home once the alphas have been killed.” I lower my voice. “Or would you rather we kill the innocent and become exactly like the enemy we are trying to destroy?”
He shakes his head, “No Alpha.” He bows. “I’ll spread the word.”
“Thank you.” I say softly, “You are helping save those who can’t save themselves.”
Not everyone can have a fair and just leader, it is statistically impossible. But if we can save just a few, then we have succeeded.
I turn back to Jeremy, “It isn’t a perfect fix.” I tell him, my voice low. “And some will eventually betray us, but we shouldn’t stop just because a few breaks the rules.”
“you’re right, Drake.” Jeremy says with a smile, “You’ve changed, when we first met, you wouldn’t have thought twice about killing them all, but here you are, trying to save them.”
I think about his words for a moment, “Not everyone can change their circumstances, but Sarah is a good Alpha Queen, she cares about her people, and most care about her. She doesn’t deserve what she’s been through, even before she came here.” I heave a breath, trying not to get emotional. “If I can save someone else from what she went through, then I know I am doing the right thing.”
Jeremy continues to smile, his voice carrying through the crowd. “Long live the Alpha Queen!” He shouts and then lowers his voice so only I can hear him. “We save as many as we can, but don’t blame yourself for those who can’t be saved. You can’t protect everyone, even if you want to.”
“Long live the Alpha Queen!” shouts come from the crowds of warriors surrounding us, all of them loyal to our queen.
Those enemy alphas have no idea what they have done, but they will learn, they will realise that their rebellion will never succeed and I want to be there to face them when they admit defeat.
And then I will personally slit their throats.
They do not deserve our mercy, not after everything they have done, not just to us and our people, but to their own people.
They are going to die, and I am going to be the one to do it.
I’ll be the one who sends them all to hell.
And then we will finally live in peace.