Finding My Mate

Chapter 18

Ashley's POV: 

Since my incident with Cody, James hadn't left my side. Not that I minded, but I really wanted to prepare for tonight.

Ah, Yes, tonight. The night I finally got to spill the blood I wanted to taste most. I would end the "legend" that was Calla Johnson. And I was going to make sure that James got to take Ben. 

It was nearly dusk when Cody came into the den where we had been gathered. With many anxious eyes on him, he began. "Tonight is both a grim and wonderful night. Many of you will lose your lives to this abomination. But that does not mean that every last drop of blood will not be avenged. Tonight you fight like the wolves you are, you go for the throat. You rip their flesh off and you do not stop until you see the light leave their eyes." The silence was broken by a few whoops of agreement. 

Cody smiled and continued. "Now, on entering their territory, they will have patrols running. You take them out first. That will give us the element of surprise. Hopefully. Now, half of you will take out patrols, and the rest of you will come with me to surround the pack house. Strong fighters will take out patrol, fast ones, you're with me. Ashley, that means you." He winked at me. I gulped when I felt James stiffen beside me. 

"Now then, when patrols have been taken out, the stronger ones will join us. Then when we have the perimeter secured, I'll start the howl. It will wake them and when they're in a panic, you strike. Take the first ones you see, but not the alphas. I have special plans for them." He glanced at me again and my stomach shuddered. 

"If all goes well, we will take over the territory as rouge space. A free for all trespass zone, if you will." He finished. 

Cheers broke out around the room. I would've joined in, but the gears in my head were to busy turning. "James," I said. "Don't go with the strong wolves. Follow me. Ok?" He looked confused. I sighed and leaned into him as I whispered my plan to him. When I had finished, he pulled back and his eyes were on fire. He nodded. "I love you." He said. "I love you too." I replied. 

"We leave at midnight." Cody said over the cheers as he left the room. 

I checked my watch. One hour. One hour till I got what I wanted. 

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12:00pm July 14th. Ambush Night. 

Ashely's POV:

I gave James a peck on the cheek before I left. "You remember the plan, right?" I aksed. "Yes, I'll see you soon." he answered. He kissed me on the forehead and left me to do my job. Get Cody alone. 

I started to run with the faster wolves group on Cody's flank. After getting to the house, I shifted next to Cody. He shifted too and said, "Are you fucking crazy? Shift back!" He whisper yelled. "I have to talk to you about..." I gestured to the house. He sighed and pulled me aside. "What?" He asked. I started walking further and he followed. "Well, how are we going to go about this? Are we going to corner them, or chase them or what?" I asked. He waited a minute before answering. "Alright look, they're going to try to protect each other and their pack, so if we can separate them and go for their throats-" He was cut off by James, in wolf form, sinking his teeth into Cody's shoulder. 

I shifted then and went for his right ankle, toppling all of us to the ground. Cody somehow managed to shift with James snapping for his throat and me dismantling his leg. His blood poured in my mouth, an empowering coppery taste that only made me want to keep tearing at him. James had his windpipe in his teeth and began ripping. I joined in by attacking his stomach. Internal organs flew past me but I didn't care. The blood lust had filled me by now and it was pouring out of me. I just couldn't stop. I tore and ripped and crushed until there was nothing left. 

Not just nothing left in his stomach, I mean there was no more Cody. James and I had literally destroyed him. Except for a few intestines here and there, I couldn't find the rest of him. I shifted and James followed my lead. 

I met Jame's gaze and I could tell that he was thinking the same thing I was. One, that we had just killed, no, destroyed, someone. And two, that our plan had succeeded. James could get the revenge he wanted and so could I . 

"Ok, Listen. We get them separated and then go for the throat. Then, we just-" "Do what we just did?" He cut me off. "Yeah." I nodded. "Ashley." He said. "Yeah?" "I'm really glad I found you that day in the woods." He said. Before I could react he kissed me and I could taste the blood on his lips. I could feel my blood lust rising again. "Ok, we need to go." I broke off. 

We shifted and ran to join the others at the house. When we arrived, we were thrown into chaos. Wolves were everywhere, Growling, snarling and snapping at one another. So many already lay dead. 

James and I took off to find the alphas. I spotted Calla's brown wolf right before I was attacked by a large grey one. She tore into my flank and I yelped. I saw Calla's head whip around and her eyes locked on me. In an instant the grey wolf was off me. I stood up, no longer knowing where James was. 

I looked at Calla with a hatred that nothing could match. She seemed to look startled by my behavior. Or maybe she was just surprised to see me. I lunged at her but she dodged it, head butting my side. I flopped onto the blood soaked grass and she just looked at me. I got up and lunged again. Again, she dodged. And again. And again. We repeated this dance so many times that when one of my own wolves was thrown on me, I bit her head clean off. Then turned to snarl at Calla. Why wasn't she fighting back.?? 

I snapped at her and she backed up. I kept doing it until she backed into a battle thrashing out behind her, and lunged one final time. I closed around her throat and held it there. Screw ripping her to shreds. Her death should be slow and painful. As she struggled beneath me, I couldn't help but notice that none of her wolves came to her rescue. Or even Ben. What a pity. 

I could feel her lungs trying to steal air without success. I had almost succeeded her when I felt my heart being ripped out of my chest. I collapsed to the ground, shifted, and grasped to fill the open hole in my chest. 

But as I grasped and grabbed, I kept feeling my skin. Whole and beautiful as it had always been. 

Not understanding any of this, I heard Calla catching her breath. She was gazing down at me with a pity I had never wanted to see given to me. Why was she looking at me that way? I had just tried killing her! 

Suddenly, a massive black wolf came to her side, looking defensive with blood on his muzzle. 

Reality hit me like a truck in slow motion. Things fell into place. And my heart shattered all over again. This time it was me who had to catch my breath before I could scream and sob my mate's name.