1. The Timber Coven

Prologue 

   In a world filled with war and violence, there is still love and friendship to be found around any corner. Werewolves find their mates after they turn eighteen and then go through the process of claiming them with a bite. 

   Vampires have beloveds that they find throughout the centuries of walking the earth and turn their love into one of them to spend eternity with. In a way, it sounds romantic yet problematic. Who wants to live for eternity?  

   Sorcerers have Amores that they find at the height of their magical abilities, but it's long been rumored that Soren, the rogue King, killed them all years ago.

   Witches and elementals have soulmates that they find after they turn eighteen. They bind their bond with their partner through blood magic and a ring. 

   All of these supernatural beings have one thing in common. They protect their loved ones at all costs. So what will the cost be of our adventure? How many must we lose to get to the end? 

'To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead.' - Miyamoto Musashi 

Ember

   It was another morning like all the others. I was out in the grassy courtyard with the witches and my three elemental friends as we performed combat training. Not only were we supposed to know how to use our magic and powers to protect ourselves and others, but we needed to know how to be physical in any fight we engaged in. Sometimes concealing what you were capable of doing with your magic was important and gave you an advantage. 

   My favorite weapon I learned how to use over the years was the spear. So many others preferred a sword, a bow or daggers but there was just something about a spear that felt right to me. 

   Once training was over, we all dispersed to clean up and get on with our day. Some of us had duties to attend to and some had magic classes to get to. I turned to go back to my shared room with Bastet right on my heels. He’s my familiar, a gray cat with an attitude problem, but he loves me. 

   I walked through the stone hallways of our coven's fortress towards my room. The sound of my shoes against the stone echoed. I reached the large wooden door to my room and went inside. Bastet came in with me and ran to sit on my bed. 

   In the room, there are four beds with four wardrobes and chests of drawers. I share this room with my three elemental friends, Melody, River and Sandy, along with their familiars. 

   Melody controls the air element and is soft and sweet. She hates conflict but is a good problem solver. Her familiar is a large black and red rooster named Pepper. They came to the coven when Melody was only three.   

   River has the ability to control water. He was the only guy in the group of four but he loved the attention we gave him. He was very popular with the ladies of the coven. His familiar is a black lab named Freya. River was born here in the coven like I was, so he was around my whole life.   

   Our Earth elemental friend is Sandy. She likes to wear sundresses with boots after training each day. She seems sweet but I swear she's crazy as fuck. Her familiar is a damn tarantula named Legs, for crying out loud. This crazy friend of ours came to the coven with her parents when she was five. She was just as strange then as she is now.  

   All of us have since lost our parents in battles with the Mystics. My mother was a fire elemental before me and she died a few years ago. My father, on the other hand, died many years ago. I was now twenty, so I didn’t need them as a child would. River was a year older than me, whereas Melody and Sandy were both a year younger than me.   

   I grabbed clothes for today out of my wardrobe and headed to the bathroom. I quickly cleaned up and changed my clothes. I was wearing black wool leggings with small gold buttons on the sides, black boots and a red and black lace dress that ended above my knees. 

   I left the bathroom and went back into the room to find Bastet cleaning himself on my bed. Gross

   "Do you really need to do that on my bed?" I asked him.

   "Where else am I going to get clean? Oh, I know! Your nightstand," he said as he got up and zipped over to my nightstand, knocking two books off onto the floor.  

   I groaned as I bent down to pick them up, ‘jackass cat.’

   As I was putting the books down on my bed, everyone else was walking into the room to change and get ready for their day. River hardly ever used the bathroom to change. I think he liked us looking at him. Sandy was the same way but Melody was very conservative with people seeing her body. She always wore clothing that covered her elegant body.  

   Once everyone was changed, we all left our room and walked down the hall together. I was at the front as always, with Bast on my heels. Sandy carried Legs on her shoulder everywhere she went. Freya always followed River like Bast followed me. Melody sometimes had Pepper follow her and other times she carried him under her arm. He was an odd rooster. 

   "Where is High Priestess Amarantha this morning?" River asked. 

   "She's busy in a meeting with a neighboring pack’s Alpha," I told them. 

   Who knows what this meeting could possibly be about? We didn't have a lot of dealings with the wolf packs, but it might be smart to get their help with the never-ending war. 

~

Killian

   I was sitting in the high priestess’s office of the Timber Coven, who was our neighbor. Their territory backed up to mine and it only took us an hour to get here on foot. If we had run in wolf form it would have taken us thirty minutes.   

   The chair I was sitting in was uncomfortable and unforgiving to my backside. To my left was my Beta, Reginald, who kept shifting uncomfortably in his seat. I tried my best to ignore his discomfort and concentrate on the conversation at hand, but it was proving to be difficult. 

   Reginald was my best friend growing up and became my Beta when I took over the pack. He was darker complected than me with dark brown eyes and no hair on his head. He liked being bald and I thought it was gross. I liked my long dreadlocks and my short beard.   

   "Alpha Killian, I really admire the fact that you are looking for alliances in the war. All of us know that the past ten years have just been leading to something bigger. The only problem I have is knowing what your pack can do for us," Amarantha said.

   "We were hoping that we could offer patrol assistance, and added security. In a manner of speaking, we would join forces to help secure the area entirely," I told her. 

   She nodded her head and thought for a second. She had a snow owl on a perch next to her and, as she thought, she stroked its head. I knew that the owl was her familiar. All elementals and witches had them. 

   "I've always prided myself on the ability to work with the werewolves. We had one years ago that lived amongst us because his mate was part of the coven. He was a great warrior and he died a noble death. His daughter is incredibly strong of mind and body. How strong are your people?" 

   "Average strength wolves but we have grown stronger in our human form so we can fight hand to hand if needed. Our wolves range mostly from Gammas to Omegas. I’m the only Alpha in our pack and Reginald is the only Beta." 

   "What types of weapons do you have?" she asked. 

   "Swords, spears, bows and four cannons we stole from the Mystics about three months ago. We haven't used them yet, so they have no idea we are the ones that have them," I told her with a smile. 

   She hummed and said, "you're resourceful." 

   I just smiled bigger at her statement. I tried hard to be smart about what I did when it came to strategy. I had been in my father’s war meetings since I was ten. I had learned a lot before he died.  

   "I will have to talk with my coven’s board members before I make a decision about the alliance. I will send word to you in a few days of what we have decided," High Priestess Amarantha said.   

   I nodded my head and said, "that works." 

   I went to stand up when the whole building we were in shook violently. What the hell was that? What is going on now and what was I about to have to do? 

~ 

Ember

   I felt the entire fortress shake and knew that we were under attack once more. This would be the third time this month and High Priestess Amarantha had always kept my use of my power low. She didn't want me to use the full force of my power when we got attacked. I've asked why and her answer is always to keep them guessing, so they don't know how strong I am. Hell, I didn't even know how strong I was in a fight. 

   I raced down the corridors to get outside. Everyone was at my heels running with me. I could hear the witches we lived with scrambling to help defend the fortress and all the ones we loved inside it. 

   We ran out into the sunlight and I looked around the space. We were back in the courtyard and there was a large cannonball in the middle of the yard. I looked around to see where it came from and saw it came from over the gates. 

   "Sandy, can you return that cannonball?" I asked her. 

   "I can try," she answered.  

   River, Melody and I all grabbed our weapons as Sandy connected to her element, the Earth. Her light green eyes turned darker green when she used her element. All of us changed in some aspect when we used our powers.  

   You could feel the Earth lending her its energy as she concentrated on the large oak tree in the middle of the courtyard. She used her hands as if she were the puppeteer and the tree was now her puppet. We watched as the tree moved and picked up that large cannonball before Sandy sent all of her energy into the tree and it flung the cannonball from whence it came. 

   The tree settled back into place as it creaked and groaned. It was like Sandy had never messed with it at all. She grabbed her sword and joined us. 

   "Alright, let's get everyone inside the fortress and up on the walls," I said loudly. 

   The four of us, along with our familiars, walked out of the fortress gates and started motioning our people to go inside. You could hear the howls of wolves as they approached. Suddenly the sky was blocked out by dark rain clouds when it had been a promising sunny day. They must have witches with them that want to block the sun out for the vampires. This was going to be an intense battle. 

   I started ordering everyone inside and to their positions and to be ready for anything. Once everyone was inside, I went out onto the field with Bastet beside me. Melody, River and Sandy joined me with their familiars. We were the protectors, but that didn't mean that the witches wouldn't help. They had a big part to play here. 

   I felt my heart hammering away in my chest as the adrenaline started to course through me in anticipation of the battle ahead. I heard the movement of the Mystic’s army into the area. The wolves soon moved into view as the first line of their defense. I knew that mixed in with them would be the vampires and at the back would be the witches. 

   Their forces stopped at the edge of the treeline to ready their attack. I could see the fur and the red eyes of the rogue wolves of the Mystics army. I could hear the hissing of the vampires as they got ready to attack, wanting our blood. The wolves and the witches I didn't mind, but the vampires creeped me out massively. 

   I looked at my friends as they held their weapons at the ready. The witches on the fortress walls had their weapons ready and were prepared to use their magic as we fought to save our home and lives. 

   I took a deep breath to calm myself so I could think clearly about the battle ahead. I could hear someone amongst the Mystics army speaking before they launched their attack. When they stopped speaking, I heard the sound of rogue wolves howling their battle cry. When rogues howl, it sounds like the wind crying through the trees. It's an eerie sound and makes most people shiver in fear. 

   As their army's wolves stepped forward to attack, I smelled burning cedar elm trees. I sniffed the air and looked around for a fire. I hadn't lit a fire or tried to burn anything yet, so I was very confused. I looked to my left and saw nothing. That's when I felt the presence of someone stepping up to my right and I looked over to find someone I didn't know. 

   He had dark skin with big beautiful lips and long black hair that was made into dreadlocks that was currently pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were honey brown and he had a nicely chiseled jaw that had a short black beard on it. This man was taller than me by several inches and I wasn't short. 

   I watched him as he started to strip his white cotton long sleeve shirt off while his eyes were trained on me. My eyes roamed his frame and I saw chiseled muscles along with many battle scars. He was just completely mouth watering to behold. He was the one that smelled like burning cedar elm. I love it. 

   'My soulmate is a wolf.'

~

Killian 

   I followed High Priestess Amarantha out of her office with her owl on her shoulder. We went down the many halls of her fortress with Reginald at my heels. We walked out of the main building and I followed her up onto the fortress walls as all of her people got ready for battle. My hand was on the hilt of my sword to keep it steady while I climbed the steps.  

   We stopped right above the wall gates and looked out past the field into the trees. The Mystics had sent a small unit of their army here to kill and harass the coven. 

   I looked from the treeline to the four people that were standing between the fortress and the army. Those four were crazy to be out there. 

   "Why are those four out there?" I asked. 

   "Those four are elementals that have trained to protect this coven since they were born," Amarantha said.

   Elementals. They were rare and only one had a certain element. You wouldn’t find two different elementals that could use the same element, such as air, unless they were parent and child.  

   I stood there looking at them in wonder. I knew that Amarantha was an elemental, but I didn't realize that there were 5 of them protecting this coven. That made me want to secure an alliance with them even more. 

   The breeze blew in my face as I stood on the fortress wall, and I could smell the rogues from the treeline, but there was something else mixed into the scent. I smelled smoked peaches like an orchard had been burned right as the fruit had ripened. 

   "Our mate is out there," my wolf, Knight, said. 

   "If she's part of the rogue army you realize we will have to kill her, right? We can't afford to possibly be mated to a traitor," I told him. 

   "Yes. I understand, but something tells me she's not part of the army. Get out there and find her." 

   "Ok." 

   I looked at Amarantha and asked, "may I help with this fight out there with the elementals?"

   She looked at me in curiosity and I felt Reginald hit my arm. I needed to get out there but I didn't have time to explain it to him. 

  “You may both join our fight at your own risk,” she said with a nod. 

   I nodded my head and started walking for the wooden stairs that we climbed up to the fortress walls. Reginald was still hot on my heels. 

   "What are you doing, Killian?" he asked in dismay. 

   "Possibly securing an alliance and I might have found my mate," I said as we started to walk out the gates. 

   He said nothing more as we headed out to stand with the four elementals. As we got closer, I noticed that it was the woman dressed in black and red that smelled like smoked peaches. She was a little taller than average height for a female but was still shorter than me. I stepped up beside her and she looked over at me. As soon as my eyes met hers, I knew she was mine. Her big honey-colored eyes seemed to burn like they were living fire. Her hair was long, straight and black as night. Her skin was milky white and looked soft as silk. She was beautiful. 

   I took off my shirt to get ready to shift and watched as she looked me over. I wanted to smirk at the fact that she was checking me out but I didn't. Instead, my attention was drawn to the army ahead as they sounded the first wave of attacks. 

   I looked from the army ahead of us over to Reginald and nodded my head. That was our silent way of saying fight like hell and stay safe.  

   The four elementals got ready as Reginald and I shed our clothes and shifted to let our wolves out. Knight is a large black and gray Alpha wolf. Reginald's wolf, Valor, was a little smaller, making him my Beta. He was dark and light gray in color. 

   We both got into positions to help the others fight. As the army charged, we stayed put waiting for them to come to us. The wolves ran at us head-on. They were a mix of Omegas and a few Gammas. In our world, Alpha’s were large and mostly black, Betas were a little smaller and gray, Gammas were rust-colored and Omegas were cream-colored or white and very small. 

   As the wolves got closer, silver arrows flew out over us and took them down. The vampires were taken down with wooden arrows as they ran at us. They would burst into flames as they died. 

   We stayed there waiting to engage. A rust-colored wolf charged at Knight and he quickly acted as it got close enough, taking it up in his jaws and snapping its neck as he slammed it to the ground. He looked over to our mate to see that there was a gray cat by her side. 

   "Crescere," she chanted, and the cat transformed into a large gray panther almost my size. 

   We instantly knew that the cat was her familiar. This was going to be interesting. A cat with a pack of wolves. I hope no one eats the poor cat. 

   The other elementals made their familiars grow to help with the fight. A large dog was now a little bigger than me. A giant spider that made my fur crawl and then the giant chicken the size of an ostrich. 

   As the army attacked, we all engaged and killed. Knight watched our mate when he got the chance to and was impressed to learn that she fought like a warrior and she was fierce. 

   The witches started to use their magic as the army advanced and we started to get overrun by the enemy. The ground shifted beneath Knights paws and he looked around to see one of the female elementals using the Earth to her advantage. 

    The male was seeping all of the water out of the dead bodies close to him and using it to suffocate the wolves that attacked him. That was creepy but helpful. 

   The other female elemental was using her power to suffocate the ones around her. She had the power of air and could move the wind, or make the oxygen level around her drop. Vamps and wolves alike were dropping to the ground around her gasping for air. 

   We waited to see what our mate would do and what power she possessed, but she kept fighting with her spear and her cat. Knight looked away from her just in time to engage in a fight with three Vamps. He quickly took them down without too many scratches and no bites, thankfully. 

   We looked up to see our mate and her cat being overrun with rogues and vampires. I internally freaked out thinking that she could be killed before I could even talk to her. Knight started to make his way toward her to help protect her when we saw her drop her spear and flames developed in her palms. She controlled fire. 

   We watched as she threw flames at the vampires and rogues. Knight stepped back and took out a few that tried to engage with him. Soon we were being overrun by more enemies like moths to the flames. A Gamma grabbed Knight by the back leg and tried dragging him away. Suddenly, the Gamma burst into flames. He yelped and cried as he died beside me. 

   We looked over to see our mate with a murderous look on her face. The flames in her hands started to travel up her arms before they consumed her whole body. She was burning entirely and the heat of the flames coming off her hurt Knight’s fur. He stepped back and watched as the intensity increased and it hurt to almost look at her. 

   Knight glanced away to see our enemies falling all around us as their bodies burned and boiled. The dead that were on the ground caught flames and burned to ash. Holy hell, she was powerful. 

   In no time, with her elemental of fire, the enemy's army was fleeing from the battlefield. I’m guessing that they were scared to burn to death. I wonder what they would report to their king about this battle.  

   The Coven members started to stand down as the enemy ran. The three elementals' energy went back to normal and they looked around them. They gathered their familiars, made them shrink and started to walk towards my mate who was still standing there burning.  

   We watched as her fire started to burn less and less. It was slowly dying out. Soon she was standing there with no clothes on as they had burned off of her. She's gorgeous to behold and not ashamed of her body or anyone seeing it. She would for sure fit in with a wolf pack.

   The male elemental walked up to her and took his shirt off and gave it to her. I couldn't help the growl that came from Knight, but he was looking at what was ours and offering her his clothing. Were they an item? That couldn't be. The supernatural world knew that all of us had a mate, no matter what species we were. 

   Knight stood there and watched as she took his shirt from his hands and pulled it on. 

   She said, "ad normalem," and her cat went back to its original size as he ran up to her and rubbed on her legs. 

   She looked over at us and said, "shift back so we can talk." 

   Her voice was commanding yet soft and sweet. I did as she requested and shifted back. I pulled on my pants then turned to talk with my mate for the first time.