Chapter 149: Alpha king

Aria

Magic chokes the air clearing the fog around us.

“Rick,” I say almost to myself

As the male in question is flanked by several strange wolves.

The wolves, others attack with a magical strength I can't even describe.

Air, water, shadows and lightning strike out at our enemies, attacking with beautiful mercilessness.

“I told you I’d be here, kid,” Rick says.

Revigorized, I jump back into the fray using all the skills I learned from the warriors I trained with to boost my fire range.

Some of our warriors shift, tearing out the throats of all those who come close.

I stumble forward and cry out at the pain in my spine. Twist my body so that I don't fall on my arm and take the brunt of the hit on my hands and knees instead.

A comes down again and again. I focus on blocking, trying to catch my attacker's ankles to destabilize him.

Liam's beast shakes the grown with his growl, his momterpus from bearing down on Hazel's father with a viciousness that is personal.

“Rethinking coming little girl,” the male taunts as my head snaps back from his punch.

I spit my blood in his face. “Stop gossiping you piece of shit.”

I knee him in the gut and head but him.

His blood splatters on his face. I wipe it off with the back of my hand.

I hook my legs with his and use my small size to twist my hips and get me out from under him.

Standing, I duck just as a black spear of magic whistles over my head. It slams into the warrior behind me, throwing him backward in a burst of crimson light. I don't let myself look.

I can't.

The hunter gets back on his feet, he's limping, putting a bit too much weight on the left side.

I take advantage, hitting and punching moving between our opponents.

Bodies start to pile on the floor, making movement more hazardous.

Then echoes of my band's pain and exhaustion start to beat at my mental walls.

My claws meet another blade, sparks exploding between us. The impact rattles up my arms, but I twist, drive my elbow into my opponent's ribs, and send him sprawling before another enemy takes his place.

They keep coming as quickly as they are dropping.

But with the edition of the Syphers it's only a matter of time before their numbers dwindle.

Barric is bleeding from a cut across his forehead, still fighting with relentless determination.

We're doing it. I can see Hazam's team successfully block off their escape.

Ronan makes his way through the space we have created, knocking down those who attempt to get in his path.

Aldren looks panicked, looking around for a place to go to, but there is nowhere to run, his only choice is to fight.

Pure white energy crashes into the enemy line like a tidal wave.

I turn to see a woman, her eyes sparkling like lightning.

The enemy starts to notice the weakened forces and they start to panic, trying to retreat.

“Keep fighting!” Hazel's father shouts. “We die here if we must!”

I can see that some of the hunters are second guessing their orders but they fight none-the-less.

A feeling like lead in my chest pulls me down and it takes me a moment to realize the feeling isn't from me.

Kade.

Shit. Kade is hurt.

It feels like a position, my wolf says.

She is right.

The arrows.

Ronan catches my eyes across the battlefield. “Theo is with him.”

I nod fighting the instinct to run to him and focusing on Aldren’s

Ronan comes beside me as the Assembly leader focuses on us. Then Aldren's eyes switch to Rick and for the first time emotion breaks the surface of his eyes, guilt, anger, hatred, apprehension.

He fears him, my wolf whispers.

The gears in my mind begins to turn and as my thoughts clear, I turn to Ronan. It's all wrong. We have been doing this all wrong.

Ronan could be Alpha king.

But would that be best.

For us?

For him?

We are the keepers of balance.

Rick's words were the key I’ve been looking for. The answer sitting in front of all our faces from the moment he walked up to the mountain.

“It has to be Rick,” I say to Ronan.

“What?” his pupils dilate.

“The challenge has to be Rick. He will defeat Aldren. He can become Alpha King.”

“You don't want me to rule,” he asks cautiously.

I cup his face. “You are a phenomenal Alpha, and you will still lead our people but you would be lying to yourself if you say you want this for anything other than duty.”

He looks between my eyes searching them for any hint of lying. “Are you sure?”

“I want our future, the one with a house full of pups and a night with you. You know you need to be there to make that image complete.”

His gaze softens and he strokes my cheek affectionately. “Do you think Rick will make a good Alpha King”

“Yes,” I say without a doubt.

“Then I will stand by you in this decision.”

A flood of warmth fills me.

Rick catches my eye.

“You said you wanted your revenge, and I promise I would help you now is your chance.”

The realization of what Jean dawns on Rick and he nods grimly understanding what this means.

Not just giving h a chance to avenge his mate and son, I'm giving him a chance to have a real purpose in our future.

“Aldren,” Rock says stepping into the center of the partying crowd. All the noise around us quiets. “I challenge you in the ways of our forefathers for the right to lead.”

Quiet goes around the room and the Syphers steps towards the center. I follow my fire guiding me to be close to people who I may not know but my power does.

“You want to challenge me, there is no way your serious,” Aldren taunts looking around for aid but everyone, including the hunters, have paused in their fighting, as quiet as the dead around them.

“Looking for this,” Liam's beastly voice jeers as he tosses something at his feet.

The slick squishy sound is twice as loud in the silence as Hazel's fathers head rolls to a stop in front of him.

Aldren's face pales as the reality of his situation settles onto him.

Theo half carried a limping Kade towards us. Roana goes to support his others half as they stand with us.

“I’ll be fine, sweetheart, don't look at me like that,” Kade tries to smile but I can tell it's painful.

“Come now Aldren, I've been waiting a long time for this. I'll even make it fair and only use teeth and claws,” he shrugs a shoulder, “to level the playing field.”

The insult lands as intent ends and Aldren launches at Rick in a dirty move to try and get the upper hand.

If Aldren had been a true Alpha it might have worked. Rick moves like the well seasoned warrior he is, his body practically moving without his brain's command.

He weaves back and forth, constantly circling, throwing pitless punches, and kicks, using his claws like knives and stabbing into Aldren.

Aldren takes the brunt of the pain but keeps going even when his body starts to slow he doesn't give up.

If he wasn't such a twisted asshole I'd respect his effort.

“He's trying with him,” Barric says. “This isn't a match, it's a reconning.”

The closer I look there I have to agree. Rick doesn't just want to beat him, he wants to hurt him, to make him feel every iota of pain he has put others through.

My wolf approves, hopes he remembers every horrible thing he's done and faces nothing but misery in the wake of those memories.

Rick drops Aldren to the ground, mounting him and Aldren is too weak to push him off. He kicks and flails his legs to no avail.

“Come on, Rick, end that son of a bitch,” I whisper.

Rocks fist smash and smash into Aldren. Over and over again her hits him until Aldren stops fighting, until the screams stop and the macabre suction of Brian matter and muddle flesh is all we can hear.

Then, he stops.

Chest heaving as he looks down at what's left.

A moment passed. Then two.

I step away from my mates and move towards him.

“Rick,” I say softly.

His eyes, so dark they are almost black, snaps to mine and suddenly he looks broken.

Without thinking I rush towards him and his arms instantly wrap around mine holding me as tightly as I'm holding him.

“I did it for her too, for your mother,” he whispers.

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes but I blink them away.

Roana steps up to us, voice clear and strong. “Behold, in the name of the goddess, Alpha of Alphas, Rick Storme.”

All of the pack Alphas bow their heads in difference, accepting Rick as the new Alpha King and every other wolf in the room follows suit.

Those that are in their beast forms throw their heads back and give a celebratory howl. Rick howls in return accepting the as under his protection.

All the warriors around us cheer, voices carrying so loud they can probably hear us back at the mountains.

My mates circle around me, and we embrace each other, cheeks pressing and rubbing together to share our scents.

We did it.

We fucking did it.

Our bond ebbs and flows with the rhythm of our desires, our dreams and a future we can now forge together.