Fire and Flames

Chapter 21

Zaryn

My group of warriors and I walk through the forest in our wolf forms, searching for the group of rouges that were supposed to show up at any time. Though it was calm in the forest, something did not settle right within me. My wolf and I felt distressed for seemingly no reason at all. I stop to take a small break to collect myself. The warriors behind me stop as well, shaking out their fur and stretching. Suddenly, I jolt up as a voice rings in my head through the mind link between me and Caden.

Oh, Goddess! Help!

Caden? What is wrong? Answer me now!

It's Rayne... Rayne is here and I don't know how or why... Oh, Goddess!

What?! What's happening, Caden? Tell me! Why the fuck is my son there?! Caden! Fucking answer me now!

Alpha Zaryn you need to get to the clearing near the west side of the border! Carlisle just slashed Rayne through the stomach! Oh, Goddess, there's so much blood. Please help he is bleeding out!

My heart studders inside my chest.

Raynie... my boy...

Caden

It all happened so fast...

One minute we were being pinned down by the rouges and taunted. The next, Rayne had shown up and somehow freed us all from the Sun Magic spell. While I and the rest of the warriors were trying to control the rouges but not kill them- as there was no way of telling if they had been controlled until Carlisle was dead- I felt a sharp agonizing pain flare-up through my mating bond with Rayne.

By the time I was able to make my way to him, Carlisle had sunk his claws into Rayne. My mate instantly paled, blood gushing from his wound and from his mouth which was opened. His facial expression twisted into one of agonizing pain. I feel his life flicker and fade quickly. When Carlisle pulls his claws out from Rayne, even more of the crimson liquid bleeds out onto the fabric of his shirt.

I shift into my wolf form and charge at Carlisle. He doesn't anticipate my attack and I can successfully tackle him to the ground. We roll over down a small hill and splash into the freezing water of the brook at the bottom. Carlisle pins me down and I thrash and kick to try to get out from under him. I snap my jaws at him and squirm around to no avail.

I realize that through all my attacks on him, he is only trying to pin me down. Not once has he tried to hurt or kill me. That is where he made his mistake. It is' kill or be killed' in times of war. And I refuse to die. I turn my head and clamp my jaws onto his leg and bite down hard. He whines out and tries to pull his arm away from my tight grip. I flip him over so that he is underneath me and I clamp my jaws around his throat and tug.

I tear out a good piece and know that if I were to stop now he would bleed out. But I think of how he mercilessly sunk his claws into my mate and I see red. I rip out chunk after chunk out of his throat until his head is a bloody mess and hanging on to the rest of his body by a small string of tissue and muscle. I leave him to lay in the brook as I run up the hill to find that Sage and all of the rouges are on the ground and unconscious.

Just as I had expected. All of the rouges were being controlled by Carlisle. And now that Carlisle is dead all the rest of the rouges are free from the Sun Magic spell he cast on them. But we cannot be sure that they did not have bad intentions in the first place so we will have to interrogate them before we decide to keep them in the dungeons or invite them into our pack. A sharp burning pain rips through my chest.

Rayne...

I spot Rayne laying on the ground. Pale and not breathing. I cry out, rushing towards him. I drop to my knees beside him and press my lips to his, performing CPR on him. I press against his chest, willing him to breathe. After a couple of tries, tears streaming down my face, Rayne takes in a shallow rattling breath. His eyes open in tiny slits and he gasps out hushed words as he locks eyes with mine.