Chapter 148 148. Head of the hunters

Chapter 148 148. Head of the hunters
Kade

The last 48 hours passed like honey through a straw. The exit of Hazel and Ransom only set off the internal timer.
Rick hasn't returned and we're not waiting for him anymore. We can't afford that. The best chance we have at winning this thing, at getting Ronan in the perfect position to challenge and face Aldren, is to beat them through a red hearing they would never expect.
Liam moves with his team beside me. The beast is in his eyes hungry, agitated, prowling and waiting for the moment when he could take control.
Ronan is fighting his instincts to remain behind while we carve a path for him.
It took the most convincing to get him to understand that he needs to be in top form to face Aldren or everything we planned goes down the drain.
He's not happy about it but with the support of the other Alpha’s he saw the wisdom in the move.
This is not the time for egos.
We have to be a well oiled machine and everyone must do their part.
The stealth team moves ahead of us disappearing in the shadows to take out any of the guards the assembly has on patrol.
“I'm proud of you,” I tell Liam.
“For abandoning my mate,” he grits out, not at all impressed by the compliment.
“For understanding where you're needed and having the strength and trust in your pack to watch your back.”
“Elliot isn't pack,” he reminds me.
“No but he's family from what I heard.” Liam frowns, unable to debate it. “He will make sure they get out.”
“He better,” Liam warns.
Five minutes pass and a horn sounds once from the eastern watchtower.
“There down,” Cobalt says. “,everyone stay in your groups. Remember we meet in the middle with one goal, get Ronan to Aldrin at all costs.”
Everyone confirms and we head out.
Our infiltration has been organized on several vantage points. My group is taking the South exit beside the training grounds to support Liam's team who will be going through the front.
The yelling starts immediately, hunters and assembly warriors calling out to the others about a breach.
“Time to put em down boy’s,” I call back as the door bursts open and a mix of panicked, angry and disbelieving warriors leave the exit and head straight for us.
“With pleasure,” Sebastian says, bloating past me and hacking into a hunter like he has something to prove.
In a vicious arch he jams his claws up into the belly of his attacker and pulls down, spilling his insides all along the grass.
Another warrior comes at him from behind.
I charge flexing my steel tipped claws as a battle clam washes over me. My claw slide against the blade causing sparks to face along the edges where metal meets.
“Die you fucking animals,” the hunter yells, stabbing, and slicing into the air in a mad attempts to deliver a killing blow.
I grit my teeth as the edge of his blade clips my shoulder.
My wolf growls low. And I drop down, swiping out with my leg. He loses his balance but catches himself before he can fall.
“You're going to have to learn to stand up straight if you're expecting to take down anyone.”
He swings a wild haymaker. “You smug bastard.”
I weave out of the way praying for his youth and rage and I smile. I can practically see him turning into the bull getting ready to run into the waving red flag.
He runs into me with thought and I dance around him, letting him tire himself out until his attempt at a takedown opens him up to an uppercut. My fist cracks against his jaw and he drops.
Dex whips fire across an assembly warrior's face and the shock before he is hit feeds my wolf's desire for blood shed.
I fight each person that comes, keeping eyes on my enemies and allies, working together in a dance of fire and earth, claws and fang. My body aches as we move our forces in finally breaching the threshold of the Hunters manor.
Liam's group breaks in on the other side
Arrows fly and I smell the rotten acid of poison.
“Don't get hit!” I yell. “They’ve poisoned the arrows.”
I duck behind a column as an army of arrows sails across the ceiling and draw a steady breath.
The thud of the arrow embedding into the wall greets me as I look over to make sure no one was hit.
Shit.
“I'll be your shield,” Sebastian says. “You and Dex for us on taking the archers out.”
I nod. Sebastian jumps into the line of sight call forth earth to erect a curved shield.
Dex and I maneuvers behind him as he presses forward. For every arrow they shoot we return it with one made of smoke and flames.
The cries as the archers are hit begin to refuel my adrenaline.
Sebastian gives the wall a mighty shove, throwing it into the line or archers, taking out as much as he can at once.
“Watch out, “ Barric shouts, slamming into me.
We roll onto the floor and his hiss of pain has my eyes searching for whatever caused it.
A throwing knife hurts out of his valve and he pulls the offending item out.
I help him off the floor, “You scared my half to death.”
Barric rolls his eyes. “It will take more than a blade to kill me.”
A warrior creeps up behind him ,
“Behind you,”I say as he ducks. I jab and snap my wrist as I create distance between him and Barric.
Two more surround us using numbers to their advantage.
I'm slammed against a walk. The breath knocks out of me with a woosh and I kick up to prevent a mount.
We wrestle on the ground with traditional punches and elbows. I buck my hips, dislodging him, taking the top position. Using my weight to pin him down I dig my claws beneath his ribs until he stops moving.
I can see Cobolt’s, Ben's and Hazam's teams closing in on all sides.
Grunts, sweat, blood, cinder and dirt compete with the scents of surprise, fear and uncertainty.
Trails of fire and clashes of earth and flesh have put them on the back foot. We keep pressing forward and moving further into the fortress.
“I’ve got eyes on Aldren,” Theo shouts.
Aria is next to him covering his back, using her flames to strike like two coiling snakes.
My eyes move to where he's looking and sure enough the smarmy male is behind a line of warriors standing next to a broad male I recognize as head of the hunters' families.
Hazel's father.
Liam locks eyes with the male and sprints forward but instead of running away from him, the human male picks up a blade and moves forward shouting something out.
Doors fly open and more hunters and warriors than we accounted for enter the room. Silvery blue balls are tossed into the air. They crack and explode, freezing anything in close proximity.
Dex cries out as one of the orbs encases his legs.
“Fire wall,” Ronan roars.
All of the fire wielders move to the front and make a shoulder of fire. The ice orbs break and smoke against it filling the room with a thick fog.
I reach down and bring my instincts to the forefront as my vision dims.
“Fuck! Stay on guard.”
“I plan to.” Sebastian says. “Not making it home isn't an option any more.”
His words strike me as odd but I push them aside to focus on the chaos in front of me.
The battle gets harder, the mist kills one sense in favor of the other. Attacks form from all angles and I battle harder.
My shoulder burns as a sword digs. Using my other area I lift up and dislodge it, ignoring the pain and striking out with my claws. Screams and shouts seem to be happening behind a Vail I can't afford to cross.
Ice burns my cheek and I keep moving, keep going further and harder.
An arrow pierces my thigh and I cry out.
Shit. It went through.
I snap it in half and yank out the arrow by pushing it through.
A fist comes through the fog and when my opponent gets close enough, I see the googles he's wearing.
Shock goes across my face.
Fuck he can see.
That can all seem
This is a trap.
I'm taken down to the ground and I elbow him as he presses his forearm down on my throat.
I can feel the poison burning down my leg.
I choke and sputter, gasping for air. I claw at him but he doesn't let go.
My heart races.
This won't be where I die, where I fail my—
A blast so strong it knocks him and the surrounding fog back.
A male I've never met before looks down at me, “Get up. We're not done yet.”