97: His smile
Hayley’s POV
He smiled, considering it. And then-there’s something important that we need to talk about. Your powers, Hayley. They might prove vital in the upcoming war.
His words made my heart skip a beat. “What do you mean?”
Marcus drew a deep breath and looked at me with confidence that was unwavering. Perhaps your bond with the elements can provide us with an advantage. So, if you can control what abilities are different in this game,
It was something I had been looking forward to and dreading. The thought of actually having to use my powers in live, no-holds-barred combat was simultaneously exciting and scary. I will go to whatever length is needed to protect the pack.
And then Aiden gripped my hand harder. And we do help you every step of the way.
Marcus nodded, his face serious. Since your training will need to continue during this preparation, Every moment counts.”
When we got up to go back into the training area, I felt like a significant change had just occurred. It was an uncertain road ahead with an attack hanging over us, but I knew we were going to take it head-on. Having Aiden and Marcus with me was very empowering. I felt like, after everything, there was some hope.
The pack kept readying themselves; the air was so thick with suspense and expectation. Every single member we met was passionate and determined, not broken down. It was a show of the strength and unity that existed before, when we were just Moonlight Howl wolves once again. I remembered how this pack supported WolfBlood last fall.
The sexual torment they were feeling was now acute, near unbearable, and as the sun started to set on their homeland, casting shadows that stretched very far indeed, an idea of a solution began brewing in their minds. The sentries were posted, the defenses readied, and all the high-value assets were blown clear. The pack was prepared for anything.
Aiden and I were at the edge of clearing, watching as Becca finished up her final preparations. There was tension in the air; something big was about to happen.
Aiden’s voice was a lot more composed: “We’ve done all we could. “Now we just have to wait.”
I said yes as my heart became heavy. The vision of the attack remained present in my head as a chilling warning of what’s to come. But there was this hopefulness; it felt like we could conquer anything that stood in our way.
Standing by, watching the pack get ready, I felt joy and strength. We did whatever needed to be done and fought against the strict mandates because this was our home, our family.
We were about to return to the main building when one of our scouts ran toward us, wide-eyed and alarmed.
He gasped for air and shouted, “Aiden, Hayley.” “We’ve spotted them. OTHER WEREWOLVES, LONE ONES, on their own words, were coming from the north.
The words went through me like an electric shock; they scared and inspired me at the same time. This was it. We As the Moment Had Built
Aiden’s expression grew dark, his determined eyes serious. “How many?”
“A dozen, give or take,” the scout stammered. “They’re moving fast. They’ll be here soon.”
It made my heart thud in recognition of this fact. However, there was nothing to fear. We had to act quickly.
“Notify the pack,” he said, his voice calm but urgent. “And get everyone ready.” We need to be ready.”
A nod from the scout, and his footfalls receded.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
Aiden looked me in the eye, determination shining through. “It’s time, Hayley. Are you ready?”
I knew better now. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what lay ahead. “Yes. Let’s do this.”
We headed quickly back to the main building, a focused atmosphere hanging in the air. The pack members were already glowering but prepared. Explicitly or otherwise, this was the battle for which everyone had braced.
When we entered the main building, Alpha Lucas and Luna Elara were already there, organizing a defense. They were a grounding force and kept us from feeling as though we were all alone in the battle.
The Alpha Lucas called out as we neared closer, “Hayley, Aiden, “the rogues are coming. We have to have the right people in place.
“Okay,” Aiden said determinedly. “We’ll take the front lines.”
Alpha Lucas agreed with a serious face. “Good. Or, as the Alpha who speaks at my home town’s chapel would say,.
I expected to feel a surge of adrenaline as we started moving into positions. The image of the raid was coming to life, but we were prepared. This moment was something we had planned for, and it would be met as a team.
Aiden and I stood in the front lines; our eyes roamed over the horizon when he turned to me. I was full of adrenaline, every muscle in my body taught and ready to explode.
Aiden muttered under his breath, more to soothe himself than anything else: “Stick with me.” “We’ll face them together.”
I nodded, a new kind of determination flooding in. “Together.”
The sun was setting, and the shadows were lengthening across the land. The pack members had their sights set, ready to go. The build was almost vengeful, drawn out until every minute carried the weight of what would inevitably occur next.
And then we saw them off in the distance. Werewolves howling at the moon, those rogue devils with fangs glinting in the night. It made me shiver, but a small thrill coursed through my blood at the sight. This was it. The moment that we had been planning.
The rogues approached with darkness on the horizon. The pack prepared themselves to defend their territory. There was an intense energy in the air; everyone was clearly concentrated and on a mission.
As the rogues came near, there was a burst of power in me. The current that spread out from me had attached itself to a more steady flow, and the connection to the elements was clearer. I turned my attention to tapping into that power with Aiden at my side, determined to be ready for when we had to use it again next time and defend our pack.
By now, I was a bundle of nerves as the rogues approached. The electricity from them swirled me into a purposeful stream. I concentrated on the feel of it building within me, and with Aiden beside me, I was prepared to unleash that power if we needed to defend our pack.
The first of the rogues burst out from among the trees, growling and snarling as he did. The battle was about to commence, and it is a done deal.
Aiden turned to me and had a steely glint in his eyes. “It’s time, Hayley.” Let’s make them eat those words.”
I nodded back, and a wave of determination surged within me. “Let’s do this.”
The pack was determined and ready, just as the rogues drew close. Sounds of clashing steel and bloody screams filled the air as they fought ferociously. But the pack had come at them hard, every heart one, and their strength a testament of all.
But as the first rays of daybreak spilt into the darkness, I realized that this was just our start. In return, I had no other allies in my way to the South but the pack of wolves. It was a difficult and treacherous path still ahead of me, but however brief it might be, they displayed rays.
We would face anything together, and we would have the strength to deal with it. We still had our battle to fight, but I felt that we were prepared for it.
Dawn light rained down in golden banners that filtered through the tree tops and brightened them where they fell upon the battlefield, splashing into existence among toppled timbers. The pack’s defenses remained unbowed in their resolution. The rogues were unyielding, but the pack had given everything they could, and that tenacity was their gift or their curse, so long as loyalty and true love remained in it.
And as dawn broke and bathed the battlefield in a comfortable light, I knew that I would be alright.
We did not fight this battle in isolation. But we were a family, brought together with loyalty and love.
It looked like what we saw when the attack was perpetrated, but it had become so real-realer than real, if that is possible-as an analog human being. And we would always go down fighting for our pack, no matter what it cost us. What was coming would be hard, but I had a new determination that grounded me in the pack and aided hope.
We would face whatever the future held for us together, and we could handle it. The fight was only starting, but I knew that we were ready to take it on together.
A realm of gray replaced darkness as the first light filtered through the trees, Marcus words ringing in my ears: “I can train you, Hayley. Show you how to switch on your powers and make them work for you.
This was only the start of a journey, and it would be an uphill battle to overcome all that stood in our way. However, having Aiden there and Marcus to guide me made me take that as a ray of hope in the dark. We would cope with whatever life dealt us, and we would be strong enough to reinvent ourselves.