SIXTY-TWO

Many of the elders and advisors attempted running out of the meeting hall but they were stopped by guards loyal to Jethro.

The entire ordeal was laced with shock, confusion and pandemonium.

The King looked at his childhood friend and finally realized he was right; his own Delta, who was in charge of his troops, his guards and the armory was a traitor.

To make matters worse, some of his most trusted advisers began peeling their clothes to reveal a black uniform underneath, signifying their stance.

The King was stunned at how his pack had been compromised right under his watch.

He had gotten lax, allowing himself to relax in the knowledge that he had achieved a peaceful era, as there had been very little wars between packs for some years now.

Now, it was obvious it was because the packs were facing a graver situation.

“I will give you one chance, Jethro, just one chance. End this foolery at once!” The King demanded, trying to salvage the situation.

Jethro walked to him, a smirk on his face.

“Cane, Cane. You don't know when you have lost a battle, so you? Your father must be very disappointed in you. It took me several years of careful planning, research and sheer determination to get here and trust me, you are not in the position to be making demands. I have converted nearly all of your troops to my side, your elders are waiting for me to win and there is no pack in the kingdom where I don't have at least ten wolves that are loyal to my cause. Once I cut off your pitiful head, I'll piss on that throne and I shall rule with an iron fist!” He declared.

Immediately, he released his aura but this backfired for only his people were bowing to his authority, the rest had been fortified by their master. He quickly withdrew his aura.

Panic wrapped around him as he realized he was surrounded.

Before he could do something, one of the men grabbed his mate and hit her stomach. Her screams alerted the whole pack to the problem.

Meanwhile, guards were shackling the people loyal to the King all over the room and it was all so gut wrenching.

Taylor was watching the scene, her mind flooded with the images of torture she had endured in the hands of Jethro and she decided she looked at her mate who had am equally pained look on his face. They realized that the man they had fought with before was stronger now.

“We need to do something. If we can kill him before this turns into a full out war, then the rest will be easy” she said to him in their link.

“Okay, but we have to be careful. Who knows what powers he has now” he replied, moving towards the King who was down on the ground in pain from watching his mate get hurt.

“I'll try to connect to Celia's powers again. It'll drain us so it has to be used correctly” she said looking at him.

He nodded and grabbed the King by his shoulder, causing Jethro to strike.

Dante dodged the punch that was headed his way and he dragged the King with him, speaking to him to regain his composure.

“You have not lost the battle my King, you need to fight!”

“But he is surrounded and I can't attack him when he has my mate” he replied as they got further from Jethro who was stalking them like prey.

A guard came close to Taylor but Jethro turned to stop him.

“Leave that one, she's mine. I have a special gift for her” he replied with a cold look on his face.

This sent shivers down Taylor's body.

“Celia, please be strong. We need to do whatever we can to get out of here, we are not strong enough for battle” Taylor told her wolf.

The meeting hall burst open and soldiers wearing black uniforms, in contrast to the Royal color of gold and red, filled up the room.

“Yesss, my soldiers are here” Jethro laughed. He moved in a way that suggested he had won already.

But immediately, soldiers who were loyal to the king came through the second entrance. Their numbers were not much but it gave a little bit of hope to them.

The King finally got his head in place.

“Every single one of you has betrayed your family, your wolf and the goddess and for that, even if it costs me my life, you will pay for it” he shouted and he began shifting.

This led to a cacophony of cracking bones as the entire room began to do the same, except those who were tied up.

“We don't need to shift, just knock out that guard at your back then find somewhere you can hide, I can feel the goddess creating a link in my mind.” Celia said to Taylor.

She looked around, the hall already loud with snarls and cries of battle and found an iron that dislocated out of a chair

She quickly picked it up before the guard could react and she hit him on the head with it causing him to fall. He hit his head on the other end of the chair and it went right through his neck. Blood spurted out of the dead guard all over Taylor's body but she ignored it, running to the back of the throne area.

Dante and the King were a force to be reckoned with, the size of their wolves making the hall look small.

The queen was abandoned by the guards who held her down and she healed gradually. Still unable to get up immediately, she sat on the ground, watching the deadly battle unfold.

Then she noticed Jethro leaving, and she realized it could only be for one reason.

“Cane! You need to go after him, he's going to the fountain!” She screamed in panic into the mindlink of the entire pack.

Everyone froze.