Higher Than The Alpha (#Wattys2014) »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-TWO – War [Victoria]

All I knew at that moment of the wolf's howl was that I had to stop any more from dying. But at the same time, I knew that there was only one way out of this mess. War.

I knew that the wolves wouldn't stop until I was dead because I killed an Alpha wolf that may have been used as a pawn. I knew that to save lives and stop all were's fearing and always being on the run would be to fight and win this war now. Or, was it only a battle in the war?

Either way, as soon as I accepted the fact that this fight was inevitable, I felt something glow inside. It looked like a ball of white-gold light with soft spikes. Grabbing it, I threw spikes from the ball out, letting them attach to as many were's as it could as long as they accepted it.

The majority of were's allowed me to connect them. I could feel their minds like I could always feel Lex's family, there but not there. There were just enough to know that I was connected to them. But when I felt the ties again, I realised that I couldn't sense the werebirds, they hadn't accepted because they were already connected to Charlie.

Looking at Charlie, he must have sensed my confusion. "I'm a werebird, and Prince," he said casually.

"What!" I demanded, eyes widening. "Since when? Wait, why are you here? Wait, werebird? Which breed? Prince? Since when?" My mind suddenly buzzed at the new topic.

Charlie smiled when I repeated my first question. "Since birth. And because I'm here to help you, and I'm a golden eagle."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"That I was a werebird?" he continued when I nodded. "What did you do when Lex told you that he was a weretiger?"

I frowned at him as Lex chuckled and responded for me. "She asked me,

"What do you want Lex? You don't have to make things up?"

"I'm not making things up."

"Lex, weretigers, werewolves, vampires... mythology. They don't exist."

"I'm telling you the truth."

"Of course you are. Take your stories elsewhere, Lex. I'm not interested."

"She didn't believe me until she asked why my eyes were changing colour," Lex smiled at the memory.

My cat smiled in response to seeing Lex smile. And that was when another, closer than before, howl hit the air and a sudden determination filled my cat and I. We were going to end this. It would be better in the long run, of that I was sure. But still... when I looked back, it wasn't me who'd killed the Alpha wolf but my cat. But then, I couldn't blame my cat, she was me.

Calling my cat, I asked her to take over. To fight in the war because I knew, deep down, that I couldn't kill. I couldn't watch the fight. Besides, I reasoned, my cat was a better fighter without my human mind distracting her.

At my request, she gave me a purr before shifting us.

Weak [Victoria's Cat]

I felt weak. Thinking back, I knew it was because I hadn't eaten in days. Even though I could go without food for a few days, my human side couldn't, and it was because of that I felt as weak as I did.

Looking up at my mate who was still in human form, I saw that he understood my hunger as he crouched to peel off the baggy shirt I'd been wearing. Scenting it told me it was Lusan's.

Looking around me as Lex got the neck of the shirt off me, I saw that people were staring at me. Looking at the werebird that was a close friend to my human's side, I realised that I couldn't scent him. Growling softly, I pulled away from my mate and stuck my nose against the werebirds wrist. His scent was difficult to catch, but when I did, I smelt rain. Looking up at him, I cocked my head.