Chapter 2
War waged on the territory. There was no bloodshed as of yet, but as the squadron’s offenses grew stronger, the shifters’ only grew weaker.
The shifters weren’t sure of what to think anymore. They couldn’t bring themselves to believe what they were fighting were witches. They chanted nothing, simply moved their bodies smoothly and things just happened.
It got scarier once they literally multiplied, carbon copies moving and attacking them. It took them a while to understand they were simply illusions.
“The fuck!” Fergus yelled over the noise. “Witches can do this?"
“Just fight, man!” Luke called from the distance, taking on a grey-haired hag who seemed to have more stamina than him with how she was moving. Kevin was beyond astounded because he’d seen Nina practice with her chants and spells, and what these witches and wizards were doing in comparison was beyond minimal. They only used their whole bodies if anyone got too close to them, but from a distance it only took at least moving their fingers in certain formations to throw attacks.
The shifters were forced to take steps back as the battle continued, growing closer to the border. It was getting dangerous as they could pass through and get their work done. Get to Nina.
Get to Dahlia.
The thought was fuel to the fire. Kevin would not have that under any circumstances. It took out a lot of energy to shift and stay in that form, and if he lost too much energy then it would be difficult to switch back. But he’d promised his mate he’d protect them all. He’d go to whatever lengths he could.
With a roar, his body bloated and bubbled as fur ripped past his skin and clothes. Canines grew into his jaw that enlarged and widened. His senses heightened in his bear state, and he charged at them.
He dodged shots of energy thrown at him, jumping over them, rolling away and getting back up on his paws as he neared them.
But the witches’ and wizards’ powers were unmatched. They were tireless and fearless. There was no point.
Luke had been stunned by a shot he didn’t see coming, and he fell paralyzed to the floor unable to feel his body at all. One by one, everyone else was next. It was appalling to see the Elders fall just as helplessly.
Who are these people?, Kevin grew panicky as he lay motionless on the ground, How are they so powerful?
“Guys! Stop!” a familiar voice called out to them. And suddenly, whatever it was sucking the feeling out of their bodies disappeared into nothingness. Pins and needles took over their bodies and they groaned in pain, bodies jittering as they tried to force feeling back into their muscles and skin.
“I thought you told us to attack,” the old hag screeched from somewhere in the distance.
“Nah, these people are cool,” the voice called back. “They’ll listen.”
“You put us through unnecessary labor, Viria.” A platinum blond man sighed.
Kevin looked behind himself to see Kaia standing amongst Nina and Ammara. They did not seem too happy with what was happening, and Kevin was confused. Why had they let Kaia out? And who the hell was Viria?
“You wouldn’t have been necessary for this, either way,” she admitted. “I just wanted you all here.”
“What?” A short haired ginger sighed, “Viria, what had you planned?”
“We all need to talk and explain stuff to these people,” Kaia responded. “They’re all connected to whatever is happening. Oh, and meet Nina.”
The squadron froze at the sound of her name. Nina stared back at them all unsurely. It was obvious she recognized them. And the memories they had of each other were not pleasant.
“Morrigan sent you guys after me before,” Nina stated with her voice hardening, body stiffening. “You came after me when I ran away and dragged me back by my ankles, literally burning the flesh off my body”
Kaia groaned. “Aye, I literally just stopped a battle and you want to create another one? You’ve been petty enough for today.”
“Hey!” Kevin yelled. “Don’t talk to her like that!”
“I’m pretty sure I have that liberty for now to keep another fight from breaking out,” she deadpanned. “Get up, all of you.”
Ammara and Kalen had been communicating simply by looking at each other. Kalen was not happy with her decision and he trusted no one, not even himself, with making the right choices to ensure their granddaughter’s safety.
The fallen pushed themselves to their feet. There was nothing but suspicion, confusion, and calculation. Everyone had their eyes on each other, and also on themselves. None of them had ever felt so suffocated before.
Viria was well-aware of the sour atmosphere, but she was indifferent. She often tended to twists matters as such to create necessary caution and – in rare cases – conflict.
“I was skeptical as to why you called us here in the first place,” one of the wizards said. “Wouldn’t be the first time you would’ve gotten captured and escaped.”
“Escaping wasn’t the plan this time, apparently,” she said.
“Kalen, let them all in,” Ammara finally spoke. “We need to have an important discussion with everyone. There’s a lot that most of us don’t know.”
More than half the table could not believe all that had been revealed. But it made sense. Cassie running away from her pack was a huge deal because not only was she a white Omega that could be impregnated anytime, her initiation as a pack breeder with the lieutenant would have had her whisked away to the Morbus.
“There was a reason one of the Omegas, Dorian, tried so hard to help me escape…” Cassie recalled. “My mother was also a white Omega but he never made an attempt to help her. He knew something was wrong when it came to me.”
Cassie remembered how he’d barged into her cell and broken her chains off, saying he would explain why he was helping her.
“He told me there was a secret Bard was hiding from the rest of the pack,” she said as her forehead creased to remember. “Something about selling off the pack.”
“That’s what we were at war with him for.” Viria nodded. “It was more of an alliance with Morbus rather than being sold off and they received many benefits, but the pack had GPS systems embedded into them and their roaming were endangering all the other shifters. We had to get rid of every single one of its members.”
“Even the cubs?” Cassie growled.
“The cubs are at their main base and God knows where that is and what is happening to them,” Viria explained calmly. “But dealing with them will come later.”
“How could you put children at such a low priority?” Cassie demanded absolutely appalled, and Viria groaned.
“Well, unless you want to go straight to them and put them in line of danger when you yourselves aren’t in any better position to defend yourselves, then be my guest!”
“Everyone please remain civil,” Ammara called out. “Let her speak.”
“Y’all really need to learn how to keep your emotions in check if you’re going to be able to think straight and make the right decisions,” Viria reprimanded them. It all seemed so awkward, being scolded by a sixteen year old.
Luke had been studying Viria very carefully. Her personality, body language, words. It did not seem like she had led a relatively easier life than any of them. It actually seemed like she’d lived through worse. Her eyes had lost their youth and sunken deep, dull and blank. She had the oldest eyes he had seen and it was very disorienting to see it on such a young face.
“Oh, and who are you to decide that?” Nina snapped, “You’re a teenager!”
“Teenagers don’t leave their loved ones and sacrifice their lives as easily as she does,” a voice came from the trees. All except Viria looked toward the trees where the voice came from. Kalen stepped out with a red-haired woman in tow as she pulled her hood away from her head and came into the light.