Chapter 16
We came to a stop just past the treeline, where any messed up flanks quickly reformed and the ranks were finalized. Chad stood just behind Hayden and I and we stood in front of everyone, like the tip of a pyramid. He wasn't holding my hand anymore, the second we were in the line of sight of the "enemies", he had dropped it. I don't know where I got the idea that I might actually like him, he was a jackass.
He took a step forward without me and my father did the same, leaving my mother behind.
Hayden spoke first, "Alpha Brett."
He addressed my father as his first name and in return, he snarled, "Hayden."
Hayden stiffened at the obvious disrespect my father was showing him. Half of me wanted to comfort him and calm him down but the other half, what I assumed to be my smarter half, wanted to dash past him and reunite with my friends and family, go home and tell them all about everything that happened, all of the pain and misery Hayden had put me through in these several weeks he's had me.
"We don't have to do this," Hayden surprised all of us by saying this. "We don't have to fight, think about all of the pain it will cause Arleigh. We can call a truce, settle terms in a more peaceful environment. Think about it."
My father stood for only a split second before he spoke again, "I have thought about this, Hayden, and I've determined it's for the best."
Hayden shook his head, "Alpha Brett, we don't have to fight."
He was trying to stop the war. Oh my god, he was trying to help me. Just like that, my heart was only half solid, the other half melting away like molten lava just as it had done earlier.
He was really bipolar.
"Yes," my father shot back at him, "we do have to fight."
With a final look, Hayden turned and came back to stand next to me, giving out orders.
I stared across the field to the other edge of the woods. I could see my friends, my family. Their eyes were trained on me and they were filled with disgust. I was a traitor to them, and always would be. But they didn't know the truth-didn't know why I was here. I longed to sprint and join them, but my thoughts were interrupted by a luminous figure. I looked up into his eyes.
"You're not thinking of running, are you?" He questioned me in his low voice and I wanted to smack him.
Instead, I held my tongue, "Why would I do that?"
He circled around me, his arms snaking around my waist as he whispered into my ear, "You want to run to them, tell them what the big bad wolf did to you. You want to prove you aren't a traitor," he paused, "but you are a traitor. You didn't put up that much of a fight when I had you. You kissed me. Face it, Arleigh. You don't want to leave."
"You don't know me and you don't know what I want," I spoke through gritted teeth. He chuckled and kissed me neck. I froze so as not to shiver in delight.
My father stared at us with disgust and fury in his eyes. Bringing up my knee, I slammed my heel down on Hayden's foot and elbowed him in the gut. He hissed and grabbed me tightly, everyone in his pack watching us, as well as everyone from my pack, "You don't ever disrespect me like that, understood?"
I growled back at him, "Go to hell."
He shoved me on the ground and I stayed there, on my elbows, glaring at him fiercely, my eyes watering from how much physical pain I felt. He had grabbed my arms tightly and thrown me hard on the ground. His eyes softened and he made a gentle move towards me, but I backed away and he stopped. Swearing, he turned on his heel and made his way to the front lines, standing directly across from my father. I stood behind the Black Shadow Pack, behind enemy lines, and watched with sad eyes as my father shouted orders.
This was a war, and I was in the crossfire. Maybe not physically, but I knew I was the tipping point. Hayden glanced back at me and I reluctantly stepped forward, taking my place next to him.
"I don't want to do this," I whispered to him.
He remained silent, looking at me before answering simply, "I know."
The Blood Dawn Pack charged and all hell broke loose.
With my heart frozen back to solid stone again, I readied myself in a defensive position. They all shifted in mid-air as they charged and the Black Shadow Pack wolves quickly shifted into their wolves before meeting the others halfway, the large field turning into a blur of browns, grays and blacks, the colors of wolves tangling and dancing to the rhythm of death.
One I recognized, a smaller auburn wolf came barrelling at me and I dashed away and into the trees, tripping over a tree root and flying into a clearing, flipping over, I pushed myself up and whirled around to see the wolf snarling at me.
"Blake," I whispered, my voice cracking as I took in my best friend, "please, I don't want to hurt you and I know you don't want to hurt me. Please, Blake."
Her eyes softened, as if she recognized what I was saying, but her growls and snarls only increased and that's when it dawned on me. My father must've ordered them all to attack me, because if not they would've never had the heart to go after me.
Taking a steadying breath, I stripped and shifted into my wolf, lowering my head to try and show her that I meant no harm, to trigger that peaceful wolf side in her, but it was completely gone. She charged at me and I dodged her easily, circling back around her. She stopped herself from ramming into a tree head-on by a few feet before turning around and growling wildly at me, lunging.
Running out of options, I used my snout and caught her, throwing her up and into the air, her head hitting the tree hard. She shifted back to a human on contact, naked but still breathing-- still alive.
Suddenly, I was tackled and I snarled to break free but stopped when I found my other best friend on top of me.
Dmitri growled at me, pinning me on the ground as I struggled to get out from under him. I stared into his grey wolf's black eyes and shuddered.
The human part of him seemed to be gone and he was out for blood; more specifically, my blood.
a/n: so, what'd we think? Sorry it's so short, they're all kind of short for rn , but lots of action ;)
SPOILER: BIG moment. the real villain will be discovered.
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Behind Enemy Lines
Werewolf"I don't trust you," I told him, refusing to go. He smirked, "You shouldn't." Arleigh Blackburn has always dreamed of the day she would meet her mate. She imagined he would be her knight in shining armor, smiling down at her with love in his ey...
