Chapter 13: The Storm

The music of metal against metal mixed with roars etched in warfare. Casualties littered the field from both sides. The wolves of the Equinox fought bravely but it was obvious, they were on the line of losing the western front.

A head rolled at Jeremy's feet like a cabbage going down the hill. His elbow found a jaw which he split in two. He rushed forward taking another head with the sharp edge his hatchet. His hearing picked up a whistle, with speedy reflex he caught the arrow inches from his head. The Arrow hit the ground, silver headed arrow coated with a brown liquid that smeared his hand creating a burning sensation that spread upwards.

"Wolfsbane!" His strength ebbing by the second, his skin grew pale as he fell losing control of his limbs.

"May the best pack win!" A voice he very well knew rang behind him like a French horn. Beta krystal moved with a silver stake in leather gloved hands. He was flanked by four warriors with glossy black eyes all covered in blood and pieces of debris yet he was completely clean and well composed.

"You Snake!" Jeremy forced the words out of his lungs, the burning reaching his chest.

"Easy now, you'll want to save your strength, the Wolfsbane on that arrow can be a bitch!" He bent to Jeremy's height.

"Coward!"

"And yet I'm the one driving silver into your chest!" He shoved the stake into his chest the metal sizzling as it burrowed in deeper.

A roar escaped from the Alpha's throat..

"It's time to go boys!" He walked away with his own private army slaughtering their way into the Equinox territory...

"Jeremy?..." Ten stared in disbelief, they got to the northern front a little too late. The war was over for the most part, the enemies already in the pack committing desecration of their land.

Grief came first, not just for Jeremy who had been like an uncle to her but for the all the ones she'd lost. 'Not again, this can't keep happening to me. I can't be stuck in this circle over and over again. I can't take it any.. can't take it anymore...'

Her grief turned into need, a need for peace and less death. Her need evolving into the one emotion she needed pushing the rest aside. Rage feeding of anger. Her eyes glowed red, her powers further lengthening into arm like tentacles of red light emerging from her back.

"Ten!?" Grey took unconscious steps backwards.

"It's okay Grey I am going to end it all!" Her voice a choir of multiple voices layered over one...

A single red star in the day sky. Red the colour of vibrancy and danger hand in hand. Though this time the star told of the latter. Building exhaling flames above broken glasses and debris of different materials.

Krystal stood, the yolk of his small army of four black eyed men while a handful of Lycaon Order warriors dolled out destruction with torches and gun powder in the deserted territory. With pride and joy he watched the pack crumble under the weight of victory.

Now, to find new recruits, the second thing on his to-do list after delivering alpha Grey back to his employer.

"Over here!" A voice rang out like a beacon eating up attention. A warrior crouched over a shallow hole in the ground.

Beta Krystal stared down at the metal cover brimming with satisfaction. The day is going exactly as planned.

"I want this open, like yesterday!" He gave the order with a sickening smile below his nostrils.

A blast sent the metal door into the sky like a tossed coin. Sensitive hearing catching repressed whimpers down the dark pit.

"You three go down and get me my trophies!" He ordered three of them down the pit. They were shuffles and struggles before teenage boys were bundled out of the hole in heavy chains.

"We have delivered you victory, you promised the Alpha..." A black eyed man spoke.

"And I will deliver, Hermes! That's the only reason for the tattletale in the sky. I bet he is making his way here as we speak!" Krystal said busy taking down the numbers. Seeing prospects for powerful warriors his satisfaction peaked. But one shot it sky high. A blue eyed boy staring back at him in malice, his eyes spearheads of hate and anger. Pent up energy just the one he was looking for.

"Bring me that one!" A finger pointed out in guidance towards the one he meant. Dragged from the rest, Jack was dumped at Krystal's feet.

"That's all of them!" The last warrior to leave the pit said.

"How many!?" Krystal asked.

"Twenty-five!"

"Take them back to the van, you can leave this one with me!"

"Yes sir!" They rallied the prisoners into a line..

"What is that!?" One of the warriors said, a faint red light approaching them.

"Move out... Now!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, fear of the unknown taking his attention from Jack working his way out of the chains.

"The Alpha isn't here yet!?" Hermes spoke. Possessing a new body came at a price, he had been patient following the fur coat's orders and he wasn't leaving without accomplishing his mission.

"I know, but I have no idea what that thing is and my men and I aren't waiting here to find out!" Krystal said his calm demeanor dropping like a second skin. The light was closer now and Hermes could make out shapes... The shape of Alpha Grey and the Obsidian Blade was clear to him.

"Thank you for your services, it's been a pleasure working with you.." He grabbed the Betas throat lifting him off the ground.

"Take care of the rest!" He said to his soldiers eager soldiers. They attacked without a another word killing whoever they could lay eyes on. Krystal lifeless body dropped among his among others.

Jack, finally out of the chains rolled back to the prisoners.

"Everybody, grab the person next to you!" He shouted, they obeyed linking arms like monkeys in a barrel. Jack placed his arm on the shoulder of the person next to him, his sights focused on the Alpha Manor far away from all violence. In a flash of light, they were all gone.

Grey and Ten got to the battle, facing Demons taking position behind Hermes ready to go into another round of battle which they enjoyed.

"You three take care of the Christmas tree, the Alpha is mine!" They didn't move from their position when tentacles of light ripped through their chests, the tentacle meant for Hermes deflected against a rock as he rolled out of the way like a boulder.

"Get to the other side, I'll catch up!" Grey pulled his sword. Werewolves were not a raging concern but demons do not deserve to live. She gave a Curt nod proceeding towards the battle ahead.

"Till yesterday my orders were not to harm you, am glad the boss is seeing things differently!" Hermes said lowering into battle stance.

"More fun for me then!"

"Goodbye Alpha Grey, it's been nice knowing you!"

"Wait, Hermes?" He stabbed the sword into the ground beside him.

'Too much'

"The one and only!"

His fingers caressed the blade in the holsters on his belt and in the next second the sword was sticking out of Hermes's head.

"Your aren't even worth my time!" He pulled the sword out of his head, and took off in sprint in the Ten walked.