Chapter 29

Nick:

Mason has Austin beat. He has his right arm wrapped around his neck and is tightening his grip with each second Austin doesn't yield. Suddenly, within a blink of an eye, I see a shadow run up and into Mason, knocking him across the field.

I get up from my crouched position to go help, but Avery quickly grabs my arm and pulls me back down. “Not yet.”

I look at Avery, bewildered. “If not now, when?” I ask, annoyed. This was supposed to be a fight between Mason and Austin. One of his wolves broke the rules of the challenge, which means it’s a free-for-all now.

My head turns on its own when I hear Austin yelling, "Aiden, the fight wasn't over. Just give me a chance to—"

I go still. I recognize him as the wolf V is having problems with. I realize why Avery wants us to wait.

Aiden answers Austin, "To get your neck snapped? Your fight was futile, but I can still use you. We'll take the pack by force." I look at Avery, hoping that was enough to make him want to help fight.

Avery, however, doesn’t seem like he intends to help them. I grow more and more anxious, my chest tight from anticipation. I can barely keep my breathing steady. Avery just looks at me and smiles. “Just hold on a little longer.”

I don’t understand what he's talking about. Soon I see figures coming towards us. Avery doesn’t seem to care.

“Who is it?” I ask, hoping to get an answer.

“Nick,” I hear Alexandra say. I realize that it’s Alexandra and her protection team. They also have another female wolf I don’t know with them. “What happened to her?” I ask, realizing that she's unconscious.

“I punched her,” Smiley says simply. I look to everyone else, expecting to get an explanation. Instead, I witness Smiley lose his smile for the first time. “So, V was right. That piece of shit is here.”

I'd thought I was bursting at the seams for a fight, but Smiley is more on edge than I even was. Avery and Smiley are the only ones here who have seen Aiden before. Who know what he can do. He's the only person I’ve seen cause Smiley to lose his smile. “How long?” is all he says after that.

“Shouldn’t be too long. Hopefully they can hold out.” They both look at Mason’s men.

Alexandra moans, and I look on as Teddy rushes towards her. “Are you okay? Are the nutrients working?” Alexandra just motions him away.

“You guys don’t have to help, but you can’t expect me to just sit by and do nothing.” She tries to walk towards the open field, but Smiley quickly steps in front of her. “Move, Smiley. I won’t ask again.”

“You couldn’t stop me even if you tried. That’s why you're here with us and not with them. You will wait.” Alexandra doesn’t seem to agree, but she doesn’t press the matter further. Knowing her, she's probably thinking up a way to get out there.

Last I heard, she still couldn’t shift, so it’s probably better if she stays out of this one. As if I cue, I hear the howls of wolves and realize that Mason and his men have shifted and are ready to fight. Even outnumbered, they don’t seem to think of running or backing down.

Then the fighting starts. It takes every ounce of my self-control not to help in the fight. I’m trying to trust Avery and his plan, but it’s hard. I look over and see that Alexandra is in the same position as I am. These are her wolves, her pack. She trained them and now has to watch as they fight without her.

Honestly, they are doing a great job and holding their own.

“Is that Caleb?” Alexandra asks, kind of surprised.

“I think so. He’s smaller than the others,” Avery answers her.

“I didn’t know he could shift. Honestly, his wolf isn’t that small considering his human size.” Avery nods his head at Alexandra in agreement. “Although, I’m sure he was supposed to leave if something like this happened.”

“You can’t blame him for fighting and not running like a coward. Being so small, he must want to prove himself,” Smiley says out loud. I don’t think his words were directed at anyone in particular. He still isn’t wearing his signature smile, and it makes me a little worried for him.

Wave after wave of wolves come and clash with Mason and his clan, and wave after wave fall. Aiden just stands in his spot, watching and calling more down as the others fall. Although they're doing well, they're getting tired.

This doesn’t affect Mason because of the training we went through, but it affects his men. You can only push so far before your mind tells you to stop to protect your body. However, through training, you can turn this off and maximize what you get from your body.

We watch as their tiredness drains them, but their spirits never wither. I guess Aiden has grown tired as he joins the next wave of wolves. Avery and Smiley stiffen.

“He’s joining too soon,” Smiley says, and Avery stands statuesque, quietly observing and, I’m sure, planning.

I watch as Mason’s men are overpowered. These wolves are more skilled than the others who came before them. Mason also isn’t a match for Aiden.

“Avery!” I yell, hoping he will say it’s time. He doesn’t say anything.

I can’t take it any longer. I quickly mindlink my father. “Dad, come to Mason’s land now! We need help! Bring the warriors!”

Without a word, Avery and Smiley shift and bolt towards the fight. I guess they were mindlinking between themselves. V’s other men and I quickly follow suit. We branch off and go to assist. Avery goes to help Caleb, I go to help Blaine, and Smiley goes to help Mason.

We fight off this wave, but Smiley and Mason are losing ground with Aiden. He motions for the next wave of wolves, and we all group together to form a front. Before they make it, I hear the growl I never thought I’d be glad to hear: my dad’s.

“What is this?” my dad asks, alarmed. I’m sure he's wondering why there are so many wolves here, dead and alive. I decide to quickly fill him in as we fight.

“Mason fought Austin and was winning, but he made an arrangement with this wolf Aiden.”

My father stops in his tracks upon hearing Aiden’s name. “Rogue Aiden?”

“I’m not sure. Cassie and V have had problems with him, and he made an agreement with Austin to help take the pack so he would fight for him.” I’m surprised my dad knows who he is.

He opens our mindlink to the whole pack. “We are fighting Aiden. If there is one wolf to fear more than V, it is him. Fight with everything you have to push him and his warriors back. Do you understand!” A howl rings through the whole field as our warriors answer back.

The wolves make it to us, and the fighting starts once again. We have better numbers, but shamefully, our warriors aren’t as skilled as Mason’s. This doesn’t give us much of an edge since Aiden seems to have saved his more skilled warriors for when we're worn out.

Two more waves come, and we can’t keep up. Smiley is pinned by two wolves, one standing over him. Avery is still fighting Aiden alone. Mason is pinned to the ground with two wolves circling him.

I try to go help Smiley since he seems to be the one in the most danger, but I'm cut off by a dark brown wolf. He has electric blue eyes, which means he's supposed to be a white wolf. I take a quick breath and realize that his fur isn’t dark brown; it's the dried blood from the wolves he fought to get to me.

I try to quickly pass him, hoping that I can save Smiley and deal with him later, but he catches me by the tail and swings me back the way I came. I get up and growl, but he doesn’t seem fazed.

I charge at him, and biting as hard as I can, I dig my teeth into his shoulder. He tries to bite my neck, but it’s just out of his reach. Instead, he claws at my stomach, cutting me. But I refuse to let go until he jumps up, hitting his hip into my groin. I let go and wince in pain before I realize I’m in no position to help the others.

I sigh as he wraps his mouth around my neck, knowing my end is near. I open a mindlink to Cassie, “Hey, brat, I’m sorry.”

She doesn’t answer, and I close my eyes as I accept my fate.

As I close my eyes, I hear galloping coming towards us. I feel the wolf's teeth scratch my neck and disappear. I open my eyes and see a wolf exactly like mine standing over me, glaring at me. “You were just going to lay there and die?”

I get to my feet and snuggle with my sister. After, I quickly look around to see what happened. I see that two black wolves are standing with Smiley. Standing with Mason is a beautiful golden-colored wolf with purple eyes.

Aiden, having finally bested Avery, has shifted back to his human form.

“Oh, V, what took you so long? Where's the rest of your pack? This isn’t enough to stop me.” Aiden is taunting V, but he knows that V can probably take care of his remaining wolves himself.

V also shifts back into his human form to speak, “Aiden, we are more than enough to take on what you have left here. But this isn’t everyone, is it?”

Aiden chuckles to himself as he quickly spins his head around. “No, it’s not. You know me so well, Alpha V. It’s a wonder you haven’t been able to stop me yet. Do I still keep you up at night?”

“You’ve never kept me up,” V says through gritted teeth.

“Oh, then what kept your mate from your bed for so long?”

V tenses, and I realize he's talking about things that no one outside of the pack house should know. “Your secrets aren’t well kept, V. You might want to fix that.”

I watch as Cassie slowly inches her way towards V. “Stop right there, Luna.” Aiden focuses his gaze on Cassie before V steps in front of her.

“You focus on me, Aiden.”

“Okay, we can stop this game for now. I'll let Mason and Austin finish their stupid challenge and leave. I don't really care about this small pack anyway. Although, I’m sure we'll meet again, right V?” He smiles a sinister smile that V doesn’t return. “Leaving so soon?”

“But of course. I’m sure your slower comrades will be here soon, so it’s better that I leave now. Just remember that I’m always watching.” With those words, he quickly shifts back into his wolf form and takes off towards his wolves in the distance.

I shift, and so do many of the other wolves as we convene together. “V, I’m so glad to see you.” He smirks at me before looking at my father.

“What about you, Rudi? Are you glad to see me?”

My father doesn’t answer, just nods. He is definitely glad that V came. Cassie doesn’t shift, and I realize why: we don’t have clothes. I look around to Mason, who's rubbing his chest where he was kicked earlier, and he answers my unspoken.

“I have a couple of my pack members bringing clothes for you guys and Cassie,” he says, smirking in her direction. She nudges him before going over to Avery and laying her head in his lap. “Don’t worry, Luna, I’m fine. Just old.”

Alexandra comes out, running towards us with Teddy. Teddy runs straight to Blaine and hugs him. “Are you okay? How could you let that wolf get the better of you?”

“Way to take a shot straight at my ego.” He starts to say something else, but Teddy kisses him. I won’t lie; I was shocked by that, but I’m not one to judge.

Alexandra is also kissing Mason, and I look to Cassie. “I’m sorry, were we not just fighting for our lives? When did this become a love fest?”

“Shut up,” she chastises me through the mindlink.

Someone clears their throat, and I can’t believe it. It’s Austin. “Well, shall we finish our challenge?” He can’t be serious. He had basically been beaten before they got interrupted.

“May I remind you that I didn’t ask for the interference. I would like to finish what we started,” he states matter-of-factly.

“I’m sure you would since you sat on the sidelines and recovered while we fought!” Blaine screams, anger simmering in every word.

“It’s fine, Blaine,” Mason states as he walks towards Austin. “I want to win my pack fair and square, so we will finish it. No interruptions this time.”