Chapter 72 - Lost II - The Royal Hybrid
Hayden’s POV
“We have reason to believe that Killian is on his way as we speak,” I said as soon as we entered the sacred hall.
“And how do you know this?” Shane asked.
“I can’t reveal that, I am so sorry, but all I am asking is for your trust here.”
“You have never given us a reason to doubt you before, Hayden, but if we take this further then everyone will be on high alert,” Talia softly said.
“As they should,” Gabriel intervened. “We already know that he will come here, so no matter what, everyone should prepare as much as they can. As Hayden already said, we can’t tell you how, not yet at least, but he isn’t wrong. Killian is on his way here with his warriors and if I’m not wrong about this, he will be here sooner rather than later.”
“I don’t know,” Shane sighed. “We have scouts further away than the border so if that was true, wouldn’t we have heard something?”
Before I could say anything, the doors behind me opened with immense force.
“We have,” Zaya exclaimed as she rushed into the room. “He is coming from the south. The scouts saw him and barely managed to escape without being seen. Alpha Shane, they are coming, and they are high in numbers!”
“How high?”
“High enough,” she said, shaking her head. “We need to call in the warriors now. We don’t have time to wait. For all, we know, the attack could happen within an hour.”
He silenced for a second as he locked eyes with his Luna before nodding.
“Then that is what we will do. Call in the warriors, get them ready, and make sure that every woman and child get to the bunker.”
“I am already on it.”
“You still won’t tell me how you knew before she did, will you?” he asked me.
“I can’t. But I promise you that as soon as the opportunity opens, I will let you know about everything.”
“Okay,” he groaned. “I have learned over the years to listen to those working under me, so that is what I will do, but I will expect a conversation as soon as this is over, that is if we come out of it alive.”
“Shane…” Talia exclaimed.
“I am sorry, but it is the truth. Killian’s army is big and he is stronger than most and if I didn’t know better I would even go as far as to say that he is a second Tyson.”
“I will go and try to contact her,” Talia said as she quickly got up from her throne.
“No!” we all yelled at the same time.
“I won’t have this discussion again!” she hissed. “This is as much my fight as it is yours!”
“You are right, but we have a secret weapon. You don’t need to do that, so please do not put yourself in harm’s way like that. It would be better if you used your powers on the battlefield instead. Goddess knows we need it,” Gabriel pleaded.
“I am assuming you can’t tell me about this either?” Shane questioned; his brows raised.
“You are correct in your assumptions.”
“Fine, anything that keeps you safe is what I will agree to do, so don’t do it, Talia,” he ordered.
“You can’t order me around as you can with others, Shane,” she huffed. “It doesn’t work like that. You and I are equals.”
“I know, and I’m sorry for sounding like that, but we simply don’t have time to discuss it. Besides, think about what would happen if they came here while you were out of it…” he trailed off. “You would be a sitting duck and they would easily destroy you.”
She opened her mouth to protest but rather quickly shut it again.
“I didn’t think about it like that,” she whispered. “Okay then. I put my trust in what you are telling me, Hayden.”
I nodded and headed straight for the door. I needed to find both of my dads. They were both warriors and if I had learned one thing, it was that saying goodbye before a fight was better than to just assume that everyone would return home safely. Because in war, nothing was certain but one thing. There would be casualties.
Within an hour we had lined up every warrior we had. Women and children had been hidden away for their safety and every loved one had gotten to say goodbye just in case. I really wanted to go to Zaya’s tower to say goodbye to Tatiana, as would Gabriel and it took everything in us not to go, but it would have been a big risk and a risk that wasn’t worth taking. Not when it came to her and her safety. This time I was determined to keep her safe and sound, no matter the cost. And besides, I knew she would eventually join us on the battlefield.
“Are you ready?” Gabriel muttered under his breath as he came to join me.
“As ready as one can ever be,” I said, my tone stiff. “And you?”
“I’m ready to get this over with,” he sighed. “Once this is all over you need to promise me that we will all three take some time to ourselves.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I nodded. “Do you have anything specific in mind?”
“I was thinking about the cottage our parents always took us to when we were kids,” he shrugged. “I did some digging, and it is still standing and, as far as I know, it is still in my family’s name. Seeing as I’m the only one left, it now belongs to me.”
I felt a hit in the pit of my stomach. He usually didn’t talk about his family at all, so the fact that he mentioned it this casually was a complete surprise.
“I think that is a good idea,” I said, offering him a small smile.
“Good because I need you to make me another promise,” he said, scratching the back of his head while looking down at his feet.
I had a bad feeling about what he would say next, so instead of speaking I just nodded and waited for whatever he was about to say.
“I want you to promise me that you will go there with her no matter what happens. I also did some paperwork that says that if I die, the cottage will belong to you.”
“Gabriel, don’t.”
“No, I’m serious here, Hayden. This is all I have left of my family, and I want you to have it,” he whispered. “I’m not saying I am going to die today, I’m just… Being prepared, that’s all.”
“Fine, if you are willing to make me the same promise,” I stated, straightening myself. “If I don’t make it today, I want you to take her there.”
He looked at me with a frown on his face.
“I suppose that is only fair,” he said after a little while. “Then-“
We were interrupted by Alpha Shane brushing past us. His facial expression was strained as he continued to walk in a straight line until he was standing in front of everyone.
“They are here,” was all he said, and shortly after that Killian could be seen emerging from the top of the hill with his army right behind him.
“Well, well, well,” Killian chuckled from a distance, yet close enough for us to hear. “If it isn’t Shane himself. I was so sure you would hide behind your people and leave them to fight this out for you.”
“I’m not you, Killian,” Shane said, sounding way too calm.
“No, you indeed are not.”
He stopped speaking as he searched through our lineup, and it wasn’t hard to figure out who he was looking for.
“She is not here,” Shane spoke. “Your plan has failed, Killian.”
A laugh erupted from his throat, and it echoed all over the place, bouncing from tree to tree. He had a thing for dramatics, I had to admit that much. I couldn’t help but wonder if he would act this smug and self-righteous when I would be standing over him with his throat in my hands. This was the man who had tortured her for so many years. This was the man who had let her down, who had used her for his very own game, and who in the end was willing to kill her just to further his own agenda.
A coward. That was what he was. He didn’t look much like one right now, but it was easy to see his true self hiding underneath. He was a man who made others do his bidding, who didn’t like to get his hands dirty, and who would prefer to stay in the dark. Some would maybe be so bold as to call it smart, but not me. Not this pack. This would be seen for what it was. He would be seen for what he was.
“My plan failed?” he grinned, his canines showing slightly in the corners of his mouth. “I don’t see your lovely daughter anywhere. Where is she?”
I felt how the air shifted around us, how the entire row I was standing in tensed up. Even though I knew where she was, that she was safe and sound, my entire body, every muscle, and every nerve tensed and I wasn’t the only one. Next to me, I could feel how Gabriel shook, how he nearly vibrated with anger.
“Don’t you dare mention her,” Gabriel growled. “Or even better, if you want to talk about her, then come down here as a man would instead of standing there like a fucking coward!”
“How dare you call me a coward!” he sneered, baring his teeth even more. “You will regret this.”
And then all hell broke loose. With a swift movement of his head, his warriors shifted and were now running down the hill to get to us.
In the blink of an eye, everyone on our side had shifted too, and was heading straight toward them. This, for Gabriel and I, was the hardest thing we had to do, considering we didn’t have much contact with our wolves, so we had to force a shift. Not only was it painful, but it was also draining.
Everything I usually didn’t feel, I felt and just by looking at him, I could see that he felt it too. It wasn’t until we were both standing on all fours that I truly knew how exhausting it actually was.
‘Forcing me out now?’
Syx’s voice was low and only half as charismatic as it usually was. This was the first time I heard from him since he decided to hide in the darkness.
‘Take a look ahead and you’ll see why.’
I didn’t have to say more than that before I heard him purr of delight. He had spotted Killian and the second he did I felt a rush of energy run through me.
‘He is mine.’
I eyed Gabriel, who nodded. He looked fine but before I had the chance to ask, he took off.
‘You need to take it around on the right,” he mind linked. ‘I will take the left.’
‘Trying to hit it with a back attack?’
‘Killian is hiding out there for some reason. The faster we can take him out, the faster this will be over.’
I shifted my focus to my paws as I tried to run faster. All around me snarls and sneers could be heard. Even the small cries from those who had already been hurt reached my ears even though I had tried to block them out.
‘I will rip his throat out,’ Syx growled.
‘Good to have you back buddy.’
As I neared the hollow spot just before the hill, my eyes searched for Gabriel. He was on the left, only a few feet away from Killian, but he was too focused on one thing, so focused that he forgot about his surroundings.
‘Watch out!’ I screamed through the link and watched as he barely managed to duck and avoid one of the two wolves that had snuck up behind him. Gabriel was strong, but I also knew that Killian's pack had been taught to play dirty.
I had to help him, besides there was no way I would be able to take down Killian on my own.
I only managed to take a few steps to cross the field, when a chocolate brown wolf jumped out in front of me and blocked my way. I instantly knew who he was. His scent almost screamed it for everyone to know.
It was Killian’s Beta.
It was Kathleen’s father.
Barring his canines at me, he growled, the low rumble barely reaching me. He began circling, trying to get me to turn my back to the middle of the field. He wasn’t stupid, but neither was I and, where he had experience, I had knowledge.
It didn’t take long for him to notice that I hadn't taken the bait. I couldn’t stop the grin that now could be seen on my face and that was enough to provoke him.
He jumped at me, his right paw lifted and his claws out ready to grab hold of me, but I wouldn’t give him that chance. I made a zig-zag formation run to get him off course, but the way his eyes narrowed, almost as if saying ‘got you’, I knew something was up. And sure enough, when I landed behind him, on the spot he had been only seconds ago, and he landed on the ground where I had been, I finally noticed what was happening. Four other wolves that had been hiding out, had now gathered around me slowly and almost silently and started to close in on me. My eyes glided over each and every one of them trying to get a feel of their power or strength, but I couldn't. Unlike Killian and his Beta, they showed no emotion and no weaknesses.
There was no way out.
I was trapped.