Xavier watched as Layla skipped away happily and he turned to face Jimin.“Seems she had a lot of fun today,” he said. “I’ve not seen Layla this happy in a very long time.”Jimin sighed. “If I know Layla very well, then I think your definition of fun is killing a lot of people. That right Rhea?”Rhea nodded. “She killed almost thirty percent of the warriors that set out against us. Most of them joined us when they saw her, but the ones that refused, she happily bested them.”“She allowed them to pledge their allegiance?” Xavier stared at Rhea.“Your sister has been learning a lot about ruling,” Rhea smiled. “And she has a good elder brother to teach her. She was very willing to cut her losses.”“That’s amazing,” Jimin chipped in. “The kind of Layla I would want to see.”“Ahem,” Jaime coughed, feeling left out already.Xavier turned to Jaime and patted him on the back. “Rhea, meet my lieutenant, the new commander of my Northern army, Jaime.”Jaime smiled at her and stretched out his ha
“Jimin!”Jimin did not even turn back to look at them. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.“Where’s he headed?” Jaime asked.“Calistè,” Xavier replied. “We’ve got to get to him before he gets to her. Jimin is no match for Calistè all by himself.”“He’s gone too far,” Layla said squinting to see if she could still see him. “And I can’t pick his scent. No one of us here can pick his scent. He always hides it.”Xavier stared at Layla. He was as confused as the rest of them there.“What are we going to do?”“I think this would be a good time for Steve to show us what he’s capable of,” Rhea said.Xavier spun around immediately and faced Rhea. “You think it would work?”“I’m a hundred percent sure it would,” Rhea replied. She brought her fingers to her mouth and whistled out loud, so loud that it resonated over the hills far away.And then, they heard the noise. They all turned back to see what it was and from the distance, Xavier could sight the beast barreling towards them, faster than
“I have a very bad feeling about this, Xavier,” Rhea muttered.“Oh come on,” Layla grunted and pushed the door to the cottage open. “We’re not Ice wolves like you and Megan. You’ve lived in the North your whole life and you can decide to sleep outside in the cold. Nothing will happen to you. We would freeze to death if we even thought of it.”Rhea frowned. “It’s not about the cold guys. That cottage wasn’t there when we passed earlier.”“And it is now,” Layla sighed. “Guess Selene is actually keeping to her promise of making the final days of this battle worth it for me isn’t she.”“We can’t keep taking risks like this,” Rhea raised her voice. “Risks like this would eventually cost us our chance of success in the end. We have to think carefully about all the decisions that we’re going to be making rather than rushing into them.”“What are you implying?” Xavier stared at her. “That I’m rushing into a decision.”“Because you actually are, Alpha,” Rhea muttered. “You’re putting your life
The sound of something moving in the snow caught Rhea’s attention.“Who’s there?” she asked, her eyes wavering around to see if she could catch any movement.Rhea spun around quickly to check on the gang. There was no noise coming from the cottage and she guessed that everything was fine inside.“It’s just me and you then, ghoul,” she sighed and started off deeper into the snow. She knew that the lives of her stubborn friends depended on her now and she was not particular about seeing things hi South after how far they had gone. If only Xavier decided to listen to her and stay away from that cottage.Rhea sighed as she trudged along the snow. The cold was never a problem to her. She was already used to it. She stopped when she heard the noise again and she turned around quickly and at alert, her sword firm in her hand.“Come out now,” Rhea grunted. “Don’t be a scaredy cat.She grunted at the sight of Steve, snoring loudly at a corner. Was it his snore that she had heard. She stared at
Rhea stared into space as Calistè disappeared. She was not sure she had heard the witch correctly. Did she just say that Jimin was dead? Rhea’s heart skipped a beat as she considered the possibility of it all. Calistè had known that Jimin came for her and she had caught him first and killed him?“Oh no,” Rhea muttered as she ran all the way down to the cottage. “This can’t be possible. Jimin can’t be dead.”Rhea burst into the room without even bothering to knock and immediately, Layla disentangled herself from Jaime and looked up to see who it was.“Where are your manners Princess?” Layla murmured. “Can’t you knock before entering? And what do you want with us anyways? You said you would stay out and watch so do just that.”“Jimin…” Rhea replied, her face pale. “He’s gone.”Layla rolled her eyes. “That’s the reason we’re all here isn’t it? Of course we know he’s gone. Don’t worry we’re going to find him.”“I mean he’s dead!” Rhea cried. “Calistè killed him.”Xavier who had been sleep
Xavier watched as Rhea made her way out of the cabin and he heaved a deep sigh. He knew Rhea very well and he knew that once she made a decision, she was not going back on it. She was going to follow it up to the end.Xavier turned to face Jaime and grunted. “Don’t allow my sister get out of here. Keep her busy…”“I would keep her busy,” Jaime grinned.“And by busy I don’t mean whatever rubbish you are thinking of right now,” Xavier frowned. “Just make sure she’s good okay?” “I would,” Jaime said. “You can have my word on that.”“Don’t give him your word on me,” Layla hissed. “I am uneasy like the tides. I would make you lose your head.”“You can’t leave here without me getting to know,” Jaime smiled. “You might be sneaky but I’m a very observant person. You can’t elude me.”“If you’re very observant you should have noticed that your wallet was missing already,” Layla smiled.Jaime frowned and spun around quickly. True to her words, his wallet was not with him. He saw it on the floor
“Hail doesn’t really mean anything,” Xavier frowned in a bid to shrug it away.“You really think that hail falling in the North doesn’t mean anything?” Rhea frowned, her eyes fixed on Xavier. “We’ve seen hail a couple times back in the West,” Xavier shrugged. “I can assure you that it doesn’t mean a thing.”“Calistè is up to something evil,” Rhea grunted. “And the faster we get to her the better for our Beta.”“The better for our Beta,” Xavier murmured and chuckled to himself.Rhea hissed and walked faster up to a snow mountain a good distance away.“Wait,” Xavier laughed as he ran up to meet Rhea. “The way you said it was a little bit funny you’ve got to admit that.”Rhea spun around immediately and Xavier could see the anger in her eyes.“You are taking this thing as a joke,” Rhea frowned. “It’s funny to think that I, who was the enemy before am now even more serious about the issues that concern your own pack more than you who is the Alpha.”“Relax,” Xavier grunted. “I know what I
Xavier stared at Rhea in awe as the realization of what he was implying hit him.“You mean Calistè has learnt how to make these things that your father made?” Xavier stared at her.“They’re not things,” Rhea frowned. “They’re humans, werewolves, Lycans, like me and you. Just dead and turned to weapons of war.”“More like undead,” Xavier grunted.“Whatever you prefer to call them,” Xavier shrugged. “So you think she has hers now?”“That’s how it seems,” Rhea replied, her eyes fixed on the snow. “What do you think we should do now?”“What we should do?” Xavier stared at her frowning. “I think we should keep looking for Jimin. That’s what we should do.”A loud groan came from a mile away and Rhea turned to face Xavier.“Our fears are officially confirmed,” Rhea said. “She has hers now.”“That’s none of our business,” Xavier replied. “Our business now is to find our own, and after them whatever happens next I believe we would be fully ready for it.”“I don’t think you understand the gravi
“Rhea? Helping? After all I told you about her?”The disgust on Jimin’s face was pretty much obvious and Xavier knew that it was going to take more than mere words to convince his Beta that the Lycan kings daughter was actually on their side.“She’s helping out with Calistè,” Xavier frowned staring at Jimin. “She saved my life and i really think we should give her a chance.”“Well I don’t think we should,” Jimin sighed. “After all that she’s done, but if that’s what you want, who am into argue with you?”Jimin turned around immediately and stormed out and Xavier watched as he left. He turned to face Jaime and Layla who had been quiet all the while and he stared at them.“What’s with the look?” Layla frowned. “Come on let’s go help your Luna. I want to be an aunty very soon.”Xavier smiled and blushed and bolted towards the sound of the clanking swords. He was happy that his sister had gotten over her hatred for Rhea and he knew that with her on his side now they were going to defeat C
"Hunny! Did you miss me?" Calistè gave a smug smile while Xavier stared in shock."You…yo " he tried to speak but what befell his eyes was greater than what his mouth could speak out loud."Yeah. I understand" she made a mocking face." Now! Are we going to fight or what?" She grinned big time and whistled to her beasts.He beasts all came after the others that stood in the room, Layla immediately changed to a wolf, her teeth snarling and her roar as clear as crystal.Calistè raced towards Xavier, her sword in hand as she raised her arms and swung at Xavier.Xavier missed it by a beat and she smirked hard ."Oh, much I've waited for this!" She screamed and charged at Xavier again, her heels hotter than the very earth as she kept off.Meanwhile kycans began to climb the walls and started to hit the windows."Jimin! The windows" Jamie screamed while trying to fend off a beast who looked at him as though he was nothing more than food.Before jimin could think of anything else, the shatte
Jimin watched as Layla rallied the group together in the small study, the space getting filled up immediately with eager faces ready to fight for their Alpha, for their kingdom. Jimin turned away from the group, striding into the main study and shutting it close behind him. When he turned around, Xavier was staring up at her, his hands frozen untop a map that he'd probably been gazing at before Jamie entered."You know you can join your sister and help with the planning. Instead of being all by yourself, worrying, like always." Jimin was satisfied with Xavier's severe frown, his forehead wrinkling. Xavier ignored him and went back to his perusal of the map. Jimin drew closer, his head tilting down to take in the almost real picture of their kingdom. Xavier had placed pins around the boarder, and was currently swirling one in his hand while staring at the map in concentration.He stuck the pin at a place that didn't make sense and let out a grunt of frustration. Jimin was confused and
"You can't believe you can ever defeat me, right?" Calistè said with vigor and a growing grin coming up on her face."Just wait till I smack that stupid grin off your face" Rhea said, her brows nearly touching from anger."Make me?" She challenged.Rhea rushed at her, her hands holding two daggers now, her feet swift on the ground and her stance defensive even though she was the attacker now.Flames went up in different directions and Rhea glanced quickly to see that Layla had her hands on Xavier as he steadied his breath to catch his breathing and stop the bleeding that was now obvious.Rhea got even more angry as she dodged the attack on time, her face nearly been dissected by calistè's sharp sword."You know how I got this sword? Huh!" Calistè boasted and struck again, missing Rhea immediately from her swift and tricky movements."I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway, so do" Rhea said and took another stance.With two of her fingers she gestured for calistè to meet her a
Xavier looked from jimin to Layla with so much surprise."How did you know that?" Jamie asked the man in question but he didn't reply.He gestured to his fellow elders and they all went to take their various seats at their high tables."So tell us, Xavier. Why have you come back?" The eldest elder asked again.Xavier who was still managing to recover from how they knew about Rhea snapped out of his head and stepped forward in the council."I have lead this kingdom for a while and everybody can see my works" Xavier began and some of the elders nodded their heads to what he said but not Marcus."I have been away for quite some time" he looked intently at everyone" And I bring you news from the snowy mountains and others... Calistè is alive and well" the elders gasped in shock." And what's even more? — he paused Ashe examined each and everyone one of them including Marcus — she has beasts of her own"Gasps rang out from every corner and Xavier liked the fear it impacted on them, it was
The fight took a lesser time to finish as they had gotten that source of information, blood and splatters of beast remains stained them and the very earth that they walked on. Layla couldn't help but feel very dirty about the whole scenario that played out in front of her."We've got to help the women and the children Xavier" she said while Xavier turned back into his human form.Xavier didn't utter a single word as he walked past her and back to where a horse had galloped to."Xavier!" She called for him, her feelings out on a platterXavier stopped walking but didn't turn to look at her."I'm talking to you. We should help them out Xavier" she said, her voice sharp and firm and this got Xavier turning to look at her square in the face and Layla was able to see just how much anger resided in his little orbs of crystal clear darkness."No" he said, a Huff if air coming out of his nostrils with his finality."What?" Layla asked, baffled by what the heck he could mean."You heard me rig
"Calistè?" Jamie asked, astonished.layla didn't know what to say or how to respond, the whole world felt like it went silent and collapsed."She gathered up every last woman and child and took them with her alongside some beasts" a man spoke up." You've got to help us sire. You're our only hope now" the first man said. Xavier came out in front of jimin, his hands still placed on the scratch he had obtained."We journey to my Homeland, the black wolves" people began to murmur." We plan on taking back our Homeland and we plan on defeating calistè once and for all" Xavier said with an air of finality.The crowd stopped murmeeing and cheered a bit." Can we come with you?""Oh... Let us come with you!" Another said." Let him rest folks, wherever he goes, we go. We pledge our loyalty to you sure" the first man said again. Xavier didn't know what to make of all of these information and all of these kinds of response. He just gave a Curt nod and that was it. The men dispersed out of the h
"What did you find?" Layla said with all seriousness. Jamie had so much excitement in his eyes as he jumped up and down." I found a shelter and jimin found food, we could make a camp fire later tonight" Jamie replied. Xavier nodded his head in agreement."Lead the way" Jamie was more than happy to do so.They walked together under Jamie's direction and lead, he would lead them to a path that had a sheltering , like a makeshift house but with tents. Jimin was bent over a hurdle of stacked sticks and on closer inspection, he was currently striking two stones together in order to produce fire."Jimin, let me help you with that" Layla said and walked ahead of the men to help jimin, in seconds she had done that which jimin had struggled with.With food on the raging fire, each of the flame licking a bit of the left over meat, night had quickly fallen on them."I have a question Xavier" Layla suddenly said, everybody's attention focused on her , the illumination the fire casted around the
There was an obvious change in the air the next day, Xavier was calmer and for the first time, so was Layla. They had both had time to think, mostly Layla.Jamie had appeared out of nowhere, map in hand as he suddenly cleared their breakfast off of the table that had seen more of the good life than the ugly.He spread the map evenly and Xavier glanced at Layla just in the nick of time to see that same excitement he couldn't deny made him feel a spark." Xavier, lead the way" Jamie said as he stepped away from the map. Xavier who had been seated stood up and so did the rest. With their necks outstretched, they gathered around him like a flock of flightless birds in need of direction."We go through the Rocky mountain which should take a day but now that we have no means of flight or how to get there asides from our obvious walking, we'd have to take nearly two days to get there," he said, pointing at some steep and yet pointy figures that made its way to the map."What about going arou