401- Justice
POV Seraphine Valerian:
He stared at me, his eyes lighting up before concern overtook them.
“But Viktor said under no circumstances are we to leave here! He wants you protected! The guards are few and—”
“I’m going!” I headed for the door and the older man grabbed my arm.
“Are you insane? Nobody’s going to let you leave.”
“We’re supposed to stay here like cowards while all of them are slaughtered? Your three sons are there! My love is there! Along with the fathers of those children, husbands, mates! Florian, we leave some guards at the gates to protect the elderly and children and escape with them if the enemies make it up here. Even if we’re few, with weapons and explosives we can destroy them! It’ll be a surprise attack!”
“Fuck!” Nervously, he dragged his hands through his hair. There was no time to waste, and he knew it.
“You were chief of security! You know every weapon! And you trained me!”
“Not for this! Listen, you stay here and take my position. I’ll go down with some of ours and—”
“There are too few! I’m going! I’m useless here!”
“He wants you protected!”
“I’M GOING!”
I screamed so loudly my voice came out almost like a roar, every hair on my body standing on end. Thunder exploded inside my chest and I gasped, nearly losing control.
Florian froze in shock, eyes locked on mine. He murmured:
“Your eyes…”
“What?”
“They were glowing gold. Like Viktor’s.”
At that moment, I knew the mark wasn’t burning my skin for nothing. Things were happening inside me that I couldn’t explain but could feel. Something fierce, blazing, different, as if his cells were merging with mine.
“And I’ll fight like him! Now! Let’s go!”
“Seraphine, I need to protect you. If something happens and—”
“We’ll die saving the lives of the people we love!”
I ran down the stairs with him following after me. Florian shouted, I shouted too, both of us racing toward the village center.
The villagers came pouring out, hurrying toward us. He quickly explained what was happening without needing many words.
“I’m in!” Lana leapt forward snarling.
“So am I!” Stoica stepped beside her daughter, claws emerging.
“And me!” Raluca came running. “For my husband Eugen!”
“Us too! For Katarina!” the duchesses shouted. “Give us weapons and explosives! We’ll blow those sons of bitches sky-high!”
Everything descended into chaos.
Luckily, everyone there belonged to a combative people who for years had been encouraged by Viktor to build a fortress and defend themselves.
Two of the four guards from the lower gate joined us. Along with three older miners and two guards from the cliffs.
The small remaining contingent would maintain protection around the village and take the elderly and children through the secret passage if they failed to contain the enemies.
Daciana still begged me not to go, to stay with her. But I was already hiding weapons beneath my clothes, as many as I could carry. And stuffing myself with ammunition.
The she-wolves took the bazookas since they were heavier. Florian and the guards carried the strongest explosives.
We wasted no more time.
The gates opened and Florian lifted me onto his back because they could run far faster than I could.
We raced down the road with fierce determination, unafraid of dying, about to join Viktor.
To do whatever we could.
It was all or nothing.
(...)
POV Viktor Averwyn:
I knew what awaited me.
Pack after pack gathered, ready to attack us from all sides. But I counted on only two things: our courage and my brothers.
I regretted not having spoken to them more before, trying to convince them of it. It was too much to hope that they would suddenly believe my words, even though Aldren mentioned that his wife had told him to trust me. They said she was a witch, and he believed her wholeheartedly.
Or that the heightened memories of him and Edric would be enough to break the laws of so many centuries. I counted more on the sense of justice of both of them, because my daughter had been cowardly murdered by Lucian.
Because of all this, I prepared for the worst. But not enough for what I saw before me.
In the middle of the forest, there was a wall of wolves blocking our path. With their alphas leading, standing still and proud, waiting for us to arrive.
Lucian was in the middle, with an immense pack behind him. You could see Cyndrael and Tharengard wolves with him, in addition to several that were not from Tharnak and that he had summoned for the war. Eager for blood.
On his left side, Edric with his armies ready. On his right side, Aldren with his. There I understood that we remained enemies. And that we would fight to the end.
The sadness for the loss of Adelina, which I buried in rage, purged even more with that reality. I deeply regretted disappointing my parents, even though they were dead.
I would not fulfill the promise to protect my brothers. It hurt to have to wage war with them, without even having the chance to live as a family again. This time, they were standing with our traitors.
Memories passed through my mind of Aldren running with Edric in his arms, when I separated from them and returned to the valley to try to save my mother. Just a young man and a boy. I regretted not having taken better care of them, of everything that came after. But it was the past, and that could not be changed. Just like the choices made.
Fury consumed me, and I shouted loudly, running faster, becoming larger. Claws, fur, fangs, bulging muscles, clothes tearing, still full of dried blood. A beast, ready for everything or nothing.
I focused on the center, on the tall, strong beast with hair on his shoulders and a hateful gaze. I would only die after I slaughtered Lucian.
Shouts echoed through the vegetation, from all sides. Violent ferocity. And the battle began.
Lucian growled and advanced with his semi-transformed wolves.
We were far apart, but soon we would clash in a bloody fight. Cezar shouted beside me:
"Prepare your weapons! When I give the signal, fire at them before they reach us!"
"Lucian is mine!" I growled, and they knew it.
I tried not to worry if Edric and Aldren would be hit, even though it weighed on me, tore at me because of the injustice. Which increased my rage, exploding in my charge, in my determination.
"Three..." Cezar began, and my wolves at the front brandished their weapons.