Aries

Kill me later... I mean, kill me after I have at least finished this book.

And... you did not expect an update so soon, right? I know. I tend to surprise people. I love that. And... I wrote this entire chapter in one sitting. So, if you find any mistakes, please do tell me.

Might want a box of tissues with you. This chapter has a roller coaster of emotions and better be prepared. And this chapter is written from 5 POVs, 4 of which you have never read before. Anyways, Enjoy while you can. Next chapter is officially the last. After which you have an epilogue.

Word count: 4001. Total word count as of now: 8634

************

The second his alpha gave the command to fight, Brent May found himself dashing towards Andrew, shifting in the midway. As much as that wolf had been his friend, Andrew had betrayed Lyra, his friend and Alpha. And for that, Brent would never forgive him.

There was a time when Andrew had confessed to Sam and him about how he had a crush on Lyra. Thinking it was just a crush, they both had brushed him off. They both knew Andrew would find another mate when fates did not give them a bond even after Lyra turned twenty.

Had Lyra returned Andrew’s feelings, there would be a mate bond between them. Or had they been mates, even without Lyra reciprocating, Andrew would have known the second Lyra turned nineteen. Yet, Andrew pursued her.

It was only after Andrew had used his own mate, Nira did Brent realise that Andrew did not merely have a crush on Lyra. He was obsessed with her. How could he see that girl whom he had grown like a sister that way? Brent would never understand.

Even this obsession, Brent could forgive Andrew in fifty years, but what he did to Nira was something unforgivable. Giving control of their mate bond to Harper and allowing her to use Nira as she wished was not something a sane person would do. Even insanity had morals. This was beyond any cruelty he had seen. And to think he had even supported this male in the initial days, had him retching.

Lyra was running towards the lab where she could stop this fight. His other Alpha had found that Zayin who kidnapped Lyra and Antlia and was finding creative ways to spill blood. His Beta was busy fighting Max and his other Beta was fighting with Cheryl who somehow managed to stand against Kaina’s magic. Kaina was a strong witch and how the hell did Cheryl manage to withstand her? What sorcery was Harper doing?

Seeing him run towards him, Andrew smirked and continued to twirl his dagger. Did he hope to have that villain effect? Because he was doing a crappy job of being a villain. Andrew was an insult to a villain. He looked like a cheaply hired person who acted as the worst villain in some mock-up of a scary movie.

He looked terrible. That over-confidence that he was oozing out could make him puke in empty stomach. As he was about to reach Andrew, A wolf he recognised to be from Eric’s pack, Sheila reached him.

Brent snarled at her. Seeing this, Sheila growled back, thinking Brent was here to defend Andrew. Brent shook his head. If there was one person who was going to kill this low-life, it would be him. It did not matter if he died doing it. This was his kill.

When she realised that she had come between him and his prey, she nodded and ran to fight another wolf.

He snapped his jaws together and growled. When Andrew did nothing. Brent pounced on him. Seeing that he had not come for negotiation, Andrew weakly raised his hand to defend himself, but the harm was done. Brent’s fangs sunk into Andrew’s forearm.

Then, Andrew threw him off with a strength, a normal shifter could not have. Luckily, Jed helped him up. A second later, Jed shifted to his grey wolf and nodded at him. Together, they began to fight Andrew.

No matter how strong the two were, Andrew always seemed to have an upper hand. It was like, he had access to an unlimited amount of energy. Still, Brent was not going down easily. Even if their fight took all day, he would fight.

It was his mistake of trusting Andrew over his Alpha’s instincts. When Lyra said she was not going to trust Andrew, he would have known something was wrong. Instead, he had pleaded with Rhaze and Lyra to give Andrew another chance.

Jed growled and managed to tear a good pound of flesh from Andrew’s thigh to which that male howled with pain. Blood coated Jed’s muzzle as a drop rolled down his canines.

This was a chance to kill this wolf. Giving in to his bloodlust, Brent jumped over Andrew and his jaws clamped around Andrew’s shoulder. He aimed to rip that arm off, but Andrew managed to shake him off. Throwing him farther away.

That one action separated him from Andrew and Jed who were busy fighting. Only because of his injuries, was Jed able to hold his ground.

No sooner Andrew and thrown him, many other wolves surrounded. Wolves, he had trained alongside with. Wolves he had trained. Wolves who had been his neighbours.

Unable to kill the one he knew, he aimed for the spots in the body that would merely knock them out. If they were out until Lyra managed to turn that switch off, they could be saved.

Just as he was about to reach them, Andrew was grinning. “I hope you know what this dagger is, Wolf. This dagger is coated with a poison that will stop the metabolic activity of all the cells and you will die within a matter of two minutes.”

Slowly, Andrew advanced towards Jed, who was fallen down. Eyes widening, Brent sped up and rushed between them, just when Andrew was about to strike Jed.

The second that dagger touched his skin, he morphed back to his human skin. That dagger was lodged dangerously close to his heart. Jed howled and tried to support him, but Brent knew what was to come. Andrew’s face displayed an array of emotions, which Brent did not bother to pin-point.

If he had two minutes to live, he would live by taking this wolf’s life. Taking that dagger, he plunged into Andrew’s chest, right in his heart. Whenever Aurelia had yapped about anatomy, Brent had listened to a few words. That knowledge helped him to stab this dagger right in Andrew’s heart.

In that shock, Andrew did not react to him stabbing him. Grinning at the black spots that danced across his vision, Brent May took the dagger again and slashed Andrew’s neck, just to be sure.

The choking sound of his death was a melody Brent could close his eyes.

Just when he was about to close his eyes, Jed screamed his name. But he did not have an ounce of life to answer his friend, though his lips took the shape of Jed’s name.

*********

Sam removed her binds. Catherine Meyers parted her lips to thank him, but he shook his head. “Thank me later. Lyra is here.”

Her wolf who seemed to have given up blinked to life. Her soul could not simply take the betrayal from her twin and that torture from her mate. And more than anger, it was hurt that soared in her veins.

It was not Cheryl’s fault, she tried to tell herself. It was not. Cheryl was her twin, someone who would give her life for her.

But her twin changed when Harper changed her Delta from Nira to Max. Nira was an honourable female. She had tried to stop Harper from hunting Lyra down. She tried to stop Andrew from spewing Lyra’s whereabouts to Ethan. In the end, Andrew had turned his back on his own mate and gave Harper the control over their mate bond and allowed that female Alpha to do what she pleased with Nira.

One night, Livvia had come to her home with a bottle of beer. And it was that night Liv told her what Harper had done to Nira.

Cat and Cheryl had tried to save that female and that was how Cat met her mate, Max. Max Cohen was swoon-worthy. He literally swept her off her feet. She thought he was in love with her. And she had been a fool because of that.

He got close to her and gave her sweet promises of forever in between the twisted sheets. But in truth, he had gotten closer to her to gain access and control the bond she shared with her twin. How he managed to find that sacred bond, Cat would never know.

And then he made a move on Cher. On her Cher. When Cher used to giggle at what Max told, Cat thought Max was preparing a gift for her and was asking Cher’s help. It was when Cher imprinted on him and betrayed their Alpha, Cat realised what Max had done.

He had manipulated her twin. And Cat could do nothing but watch them both parade around the pack while she rotted in the pack’s prison. When other members asked the reason for her imprisonment, Max replied he was the Delta and he had rights over this kind of thing. After that, no one could question him.

The lack of food and water along with the dying bond she had with her twin and the parasitic one she had with Max was killing her.

So when she heard that her alpha had come, she was ecstatic. Yet at the same time, worried. That meant, Lyra knew Cheryl had betrayed her.

Sighing, she released the binds that bound her and fled the prison with Sam running behind her. Lyra was before her, with two people next to her.

Ignoring them, with whatever strength that made her body run, she stumbled into her Alpha and muttered the password of the lab. Before Lyra could stop her, Cat moved past her Alpha.

The battle had begun and going on. But this was not where she had to be.

Finding on that ripping twin bond, she fought her way where Cheryl stood.

It was a long run. Her body was already weak and this was making her even weaker. Yet, she pushed herself.

Only when a blast of green light cleared, she saw Cheryl fighting a witch. That witch froze seeing her. Slowly, her twin turned and the eyes that were a mirror image of hers stared at her with absolute horror.

*********

A huge shadow was visible over the battlefield. Upon seeing up, Aspen Ruiz was shocked to see Lyra transform into a dragon.

But what had triggered her Alpha to do that? It was then she felt the pain resonate in the pack-link. Since they were a small pack of close-knit people, the death of a member was very painful. As Lyra raised her head and roared out a breath of fire, Aspen exhaled sharply.

The warlock whom she had been fighting, also stood next to her with his mouth open in awe. No one could deny how utterly beautiful Lyra was at that moment. Her scales were not merely black. It was the darkest shade of red. And that darkness that swirled around her, made anyone feel she was nothing but a creature of demise.

This was the Alpha Aspen had sworn herself to. When Lyra’s fire, scorched many people, the battle resumed. The warlock tried to fight her, but he was in a state of shock like he expected her to burst into a dragon and swallow him.

As she hit the nerve point and knocked him out cold, there was something off about her body. She had never felt so light before.

Coughing, Aspen shifted to her human skin and curled herself. Pain hit her hard. Was she in Heat? If she was, was it the right time for that blasted cycle to come? Why could it not come after the battle? It would drive Miguel crazy. But now, she did not know where he was.

But apparently, she was not in Heat. For her bones unsaid by her command began to take another form. Why was she shifting to her wolf now? Just when her animalistic side allowed her human skin to surface?

But it was the feathers that welcomed her sight. Black feathers nonetheless. What the fuck had happened? But her form was not small. In fact, she was large, as large as a vulture.

A wolf raised its paw to harm her. Unable to shift back to her human form or her wolf that might protect her better, Aspen knew that was how she would die.

Because she did not know how to shift back from this bird form.

But the second his paw touched her, he retracted his paws and howled in agony. Seconds later, he died.

With that bird’s eyes, she blinked in confusion. What just happened?

The vampire who touched her shared the same fate.

When the ones surrounding her saw that just touching her could kill them, they left her alone. She shook her bird head and looked around. Perhaps, Miguel would come and help her out of this form.

Just thinking of her mate, she shifted back to her human form. As much as she never expected this was a form she knew. What had she shifted to? What a kind of bird?

People still refused to touch her. They were not scared of her. They were terrified of her. Was she poisonous?

Fire blazed around her in a circle. Surprisingly, this fire did not harm her. In fact, they looked at her like a child would do at their mother after doing some mischief.

As the fire rose to new heights, a Pheonix landed before her and that bird gave way to her Miguel who was very naked.

It was then, Aspen was thankful for Miguel’s fire. This barrier concealed his naked form from others. Though nakedness was nothing in a Shifter community, she did not want others seeing what even she had not seen.

Slowly, like she was the prey, he circled her and walked excruciatingly slow towards her. That smouldering gaze had her rooted to the ground and stare at him and only him. Even if his fire had licked her skin, she would not know. Miguel lit a fire in her and she was sure that the fuming flames out could do nothing to put it out. Only it’s master could.

When he was just a breath away, he pulled her closer to his body and pressed their naked forms against each other. His hands were firm on her waist and his lips grazed the shell of her ear.

“A shifter,” he muttered. “A female Zhenniao. Do you know how rare you are? And I of all people managed to snag you.”

Aspen blinked. The lust roared and sang a melody in her blood. When his hardness pressed against her skin, wetness pooled between her thighs.

She moaned. “W-what?”

“Zhenniao,” Miguel murmured, dragging his lips across her skin until it landed on her neck. “A poison bird.”

That explained why those people died on touching her.

Before she could dwell on other things, his teeth pierced her delicate neck. The mate bond was complete.

What possessed the idiot to finish their Marking in the middle of the battle? He had so much time before this battle and he could have! Just as she was about to give him a piece of her mind, he retracted his fangs and gave her a lazy grin when his hands traced a pattern on her lower back.

“Punish me later, love,” he whispered before he morphed into a leopard and fled from her, taking the fire he brought with.

“Miguel!” she roared at him, but he had escaped from her.

She fumed. He was going to get it from her after this was over.

*********

Cheryl Meyers felt her blood drain from her face. She could face that powerful Witch. Even that star, but she could never face Cat.

Yet, before her was Catherine Meyers whose eyes did not have a flicker of life. What had Max done to her when he said he would take care of her?

Horror gripped her and she allowed a blast of that witch magic to hit her. And just as Harper promised, her body healed right away. Those nanites that changed some genes were really helpful. But sadly, that computerised carbon particles worked only upon Harper’s command.

Max licked his lips and began to back away but that witch caught him and began to fight him.

Her eyes gazed on the male she had imprinted on. Was he important or the girl who shared even her womb with her?

“Cat,” she whispered.

In that listless eyes, tears welled up and it rolled down because it was too much for her eyes to hold in that amount of liquid. Cat did nothing to wipe those tears away. Did nothing to energise herself.

She just stood there, with her bony self, her lips cracked and her hair gnarled. But it was the despair in those eyes that made Cheryl snap.

“Why?” Cat asked and Cheryl knew then how much energy her twin had used to produce that sound.

Perhaps it was seeing Cheryl again that made her realise what Max had done. He had brain-washed her, yes. But she should have avoided him the second he approached her. Should have stopped him. In spite of knowing he was her sister’s mate, she allowed him to get close to her.

There could never be a worse female more than her.

When her vision blurred, Cheryl touched her cheeks to realise that she was crying too. “I... What I did has no excuse. I...”

“It was my fault,” she croaked.

Cheryl’s eyes widened. Was her twin blaming herself? It was all her. Catherine had nothing to do with it. She was the victim.

“No!” Cheryl protested. “I... I allowed Max to get close.”

Cat shook her head. “Max... he got close to me to use our twin bond, Cher. He... manipulated me and gained control of it. So... he used that to make you do this.”

Cheryl could only stare at her sister. It was not her fault too. Max was her mate and as his mate, she trusted him. The commitment to mateship was always higher than the commitment to one’s Alpha. This was the only pack where she saw loyalty to Alpha overpowering the mate bonds.

Cheryl shook her head. Reality clashed. Fantasy fell apart. That means... Max had forced her to imprint on him?

No, she had desired him. That Max did not control. Perhaps he knew of it and used Cat as the pawn to get information about Lyra. She had wanted him before she knew Max was Cat’s mate. Once she knew, she tried to distance herself from him.

So when he approached her and said she could imprint on him, she did. But would she have imprinted on him without his control over her? Never. As much as she wanted Max, she loved her sister more.

The conflict tore her apart. She glanced at the male who had managed to divert the witch who had Marked Rhaze as her mate to another wolf and was glaring at them.

But before she could do anything, a vampire from behind stabbed Cat right through her heart.

A second later, blood leaked from her mouth as she gave her a smile.

“Cat!” Cheryl screamed.

But she could do nothing but to watch her sister die right before her eyes as the twin bond tore between them. Cat was already weak. There was no way she would make it out alive.

Cheryl choked and gasped. When Max neared her, he gave that vampire a grin. “Good job.”

Good job? Good job? Cheryl rose to her height.

Snarling, Cheryl’s hands morphed to her paws and in one swipe his head was severed. Cat shouted in pain as the bond she had with her mate was ripped apart, but there was a shine in her eyes again.

The shine of lightness.

Jaws trembling, Cheryl sat next to her sister and pulled her head over her lap.

“Cher...” Cat murmured.

What possessed her, she did not know, but she pulled the dagger out. Cat gasped and choked further.

Harper was controlling her, but not anymore. Those nanites could go and fuck themselves. That made her one last thing. Or did she betray her twin because of the control Harper had over her?

But did answer matter anymore? She had betrayed Cat and her elder sister was dying.

Without a second thought, fighting against Harper’s command searing through her mind, she plunged the dagger right in her heart.

At the question burning in her twin’s eyes, Cheryl whispered, “Cat.”

*********

Aries was a killing machine. There had been a reason why called him a Warrior and Varian Rykar saw it today.

Literally, nothing stood in his way. No one. When that Zayin was caught in his hands, he was pleading for death. Just for kidnapping Lyra and Ant, Aries was torturing that warlock. Varian did not want to know what he would do if they had harmed the two girls.

But Aries did not kill the Zayin. He left the Zayin for them. When the Zayin tried to tell Aries about what Lyra had promised, Aries merely grinned and said he revoked that.

The eel-shifter pulled a heavy bolt of electricity from the sky and directed it at the Zayin. Revenge was definitely best. Yet, this would not bring his son back alive. After Varian had his fair share, Aislynn was the one to deliver the blow. It was a hard one.

Since it was the Zayin of a Noble pack, this was a piece of important news and a crime punishable by death. He was a rankless member of a nameless pack.

But Aries had stood by them. Just because this Warrior stood next to them while they killed the Zayin, they would be allowed to walk away freely. Not to mention, this Zayin had touched Antlia. If word got out who she was, even the West Pack would have killed him. Even his own tribe would have killed him.

After that, the roar of the dragon made him turn back. Lyra had shifted and into a dragon at that. Seeing her other form, Aries smirked and rushed towards her. Aislynn was busy fighting some wolves and vampire.

Aislynn returning made him feel whole again. His mate had returned and just that pulled him miles from the darkness he was walking into. He had not been close to Nash as Aislynn had been and he knew that she would grieve much more than him. So he had given her space hoping that she would one day return back to him.

Before they had begun their journey, he had opened the mate-bond and left her the information of where the battle might take place and closed the bond. If she wanted, she could come to avenge their son and just as expected she arrived.

When she flew down, he was sure she was still mad at him. Only after the peck she gave him, he was sure that although they might not be exactly same anymore, they were still together. And that alone gave him the motivation to live past this battle.

A cry made him turn his head to see Nadia, the vampire who had some conflict with his Alpha but later patched up, with magic wound around her neck. Varian sent his electricity, but it was too late. The magic sucked the vampire and threw her like a chew-toy. His lightning did hit the witch who killed Nadia and that Magyc could not survive his power. He was a very old shifter who held a high rank and an aggrieved father. Rankless members were weak before him.

It was then he saw the cries and the howls around him. If it hurt him so much to lose a son, what would Nadia’s parents feel? Would they not feel the same hurt?

Another gasp announced the death of someone. He turned around to see Sheila fall on the ground, her head hitting the earth. Next to her was another wolf and then a vampire. The death counts kept increasing.

The war went on around the one who struggled to maintain peace. Without a choice, he forced himself, yet again to stain his hands in blood and death.

A/N: Leave your thoughts below!

What do you think of this chapter? This is the first time so many shifts in POVs are done in one chapter. Was it confusing?

What POV did you like the most? Brent May, Catherine Meyers, Aspen Ruiz, Cheryl Meyers or Varian Rykar? Comment below!

One more chapter to go! (yay!)

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Until next update,

~Quill