CHAPTER 8.

　　It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. ?

　　Whereas most werewolves' eyes turn yellow upon turning or when their wolves are in control, Malias were neon green.?

　　Xena braced herself, parting her legs and bowing slightly. She was standing in a fighting stance to make sure nothing happened.?

　　Malia shifted, she turned into a beautiful dark-grey wolf with white paws. She wasn't much smaller than me.?

　　Her wolf started tossing its head back and forth, it looked like they were fighting for control. I looked at Lydia and she walked up to Malias wolf.?

　　”Malia, you need to stop fighting your wolf, you must trust her,” Lydia said.?

　　Soon enough her wolf relaxed and her head went down. When it came back up, her eyes were glowing again.?

　　”Good, now, what do you want to do?” Lydia asked her playfully. Malias wolf looked to have, for the first time, gained complete control over herself. She started patting her paws in place and bent forward, indicating she wanted to play.?

　　I laughed internally and Xena followed suit.?

　　We started running around, darting through the woods.?

　　We jumped over rocks and tackled each other. Malias wolf seemed at peace, I couldn't quite understand what she meant when she said she didn't have control over her wolf.?So far everything was working out wonderfully.

　　We started running back to where we had left Lydia.?

　　Our paws pushed off the ground and we nearly flew. Xena was faster than a normal werewolf, meaning we had to slow down a few times.?

　　Xena was at peace as well, she hadn't had a good run in a long time. Malias wolf started baring her teeth playfully and Xena joined in. After what I believed to be an hour, we reached Lydia and as Xena stopped, we were slammed forward by Malias wolf.?

　　Xena landed on a rock, a scratch forming on her hind leg but it would heal within minutes.?

　　Malias wolf was standing on top of us, playfully nipping and growling, until she looked down on the scratch.?

　　Until she saw the blood dripping out.?

　　Her eyes changed, saliva started dripping from her jaw and her canines were bared in an aggressive manner. Malias wolf had lost control and blood was her trigger.?

　　She bit together as the saliva dropped down on us, she leaned her head down and let out a low growl. Before she could make a move, Xena maneuvered and turned us around. She bit down on her front leg, injuring her slightly but mostly as a warning.?

　　She wouldn't back down, Malias wolf fought for dominance, she fought for the kill.?

　　Xena growled loudly, trying to get Malias wolf to submit.

　　”Malia!” Lydia shouted but to no vain. Malia was pushed back, deep into the mind of her wolf.?

　　We needed to work on this.?

　　Xena bit down on the wolfs neck, making her whimper. But she didn’t submit.

　　”Aves, we have company,” Lydia warned.?

　　We sniffed around and before any of us could make another move, I was pushed off by another wolf.

　　Lydia shifted and went for the second wolf that was nearing in on us.?

　　Xena was back on her feet, snarling at the rogue and baring her teeth.?

　　He attacked but we bit down on his back as she jumped over him, making him flip over.?

　　He coward back but he wasn't alone.?

　　Malias wolf was up as well but I couldn't trust her to have my back. Lydia was fighting of another two rogues which left me with the five that were heading towards us.?

　　Another one attacked, Xena dodged him and as she did, she let out a fierce howl that echoed loudly throughout the forest.?

　　’They’re too many’

　　I know, help is on the way

　　’No, their too many for me’

　　I understood what she meant.?

　　I looked back and saw that Malia had shifted back, she was pressed up against one of the trees, covering herself with her arms. Her eyes darted around and her body was shaking. I wanted to run over there but I couldn’t. One of the wolves spotted her and went in for the attack.?

　　Xena jumped in his path and rammed into him. As he fell, she bit down on his neck, keeping him still until his life left his body.?

　　’Avery’

　　I know

　　We shifted back. I was standing on my knees, my leg was worse than I thought.

　　I winced as I got up and the rest of the rogues came towards us.?

　　”Avery, what the hell!” Malia yelled. I looked back at her, her eyes were wide in shock.

　　”You’re part of the family now, it’s time you learned the truth,” I said and raised my hands.?

　　I immobilized every rogue around us and as I swung my hands, branches came swinging at them.?

　　Harsh winds slapped around them, cutting them like knives. I felt my eyes growing heavy, begging that help was on the way.

　　Dirt, leaves, sticks and grass were flying around us, causing everyone to loose sight.

　　’They’re on their way, Avery, just a while longer’

　　Xena…I

　　’Just a little more!’

　　I swung my arms and caused the winds to get harder, I could barley see them anymore.

　　Wolves were whimpering and whining, I knew they were being hurt but I couldn't kill them, I didn't have the strength.

　　”AAHH!” The noise left my lips but was barley heard amongst the wind and whimpering of wolves as my energy was running out.?

　　I fell to my knees, my magic getting weaker by the second and just as my hands were about to fall, five wolves jumped into the foggy mist I had created and ripped into the rogues. And then I fell, my head slamming down on the ground.?

　　~James~?

　　Alex took the rogues that Lydia were fighting while Jason and the warriors took care of the rest. I took the three that were close to my mate.?

　　I watched as Avery collapsed on the ground, my canines bit in to the neck of the brown-furred rogue as I ripped his head off. I continued with the other two until blood was splurging around and their dead bodies laid on the ground.?

　　I looked around to see so we had gotten everyone before I shifted and ran over to Avery.

　　I wrapped my arms underneath her and carried her close to my chest.?

　　”How is she?” Alex asked as he ran over to me.?

　　He was wearing a pair of shorts and Jason handed out clothes to Lydia and Malia.?

　　”She’s weak, tired. She used to much of her magic,” I said, my voice holding a certain edge, making Alex refrain from asking further questions.?

　　He took Avery in to his arms and I put the shorts on as quickly as I could to get Avery back. It didn't matter who it was, no shirtless man looks good holding my mate, even less so when she was naked.?

　　We started walking back and flashbacks of last time I held Avery like this, walking almost the exact same path flashed into my head.?

　　It was after Natasha had put the barrier up in Averys head, she had collapsed, her body and mind exhausted.?

　　Avery needed to learn how to handle the magic in a safe way. If ever she was to use it and then collapse and I wasn't there.

　　”Brother?” I looked to my side and saw Alex looking carefully at me.?

　　His brows were furrowed as his eyes went between me and Avery.

　　When I looked down I saw what the problem was.?

　　I retracted my claws and took a few deep breaths, easing Blade down.?

　　She’s fine

　　’And if we hadn't been here?’

　　That was a stupid thought, we will always be there

　　***

　　I placed her down on the bed and tucked her in before walking out of the room.?

　　”My office.” I said to my brother who was standing outside.

　　”What the fuck is up with all of these rogue attacks?” He seethed as he paced back and forth in my office.?

　　”I have no idea,” in my mind I was playing a hundred scenarios of what may be causing this. All of them making no sense, except for one.

　　”We went from being the pack where no one dares to enter, to being attacked by these flee baring dogs every day.” Alex snapped. His hands flew up in the air and a rumbling noise left him as his wolf was stirring awake.

　　And then my mind circled back to that one scenario where the pieces seem to fit, we had been having a few calm days after the war. Before the war, these events all started when Avery came to us.

　　”Do you remember when it started?” I asked my brother as my brows fell down and my eyes narrowed.

　　Alex stopped and turned to face me.?

　　He shrugged his shoulders and wore a bored frown on his face.?

　　”Alex, do you remember when this started?” I asked him, more slowly.

　　”Loose the dramatics brother…” and then it hit him. His eyes grew as realization struck.

　　”Malia,” he whispered.

　　”And last time it was Avery,” I said. I walked around the desk and stood in front of my brother.

　　I dragged a hand through my hair as a simple thought came to life before my eyes.?

　　”It means that war is coming,” I said.

　　”And this time we’re facing yet another creature,” He said.?

　　Last time we had this many rogue attacks was when Avery came here. It was when Crow decided to come for her. Right before he had, rogues were spying around the pack territory and attacking spontaneously.

　　It was an indicator that they were assembling an army.?

　　”Alpha,” Alex said, making me confused.

　　I raised a brow and crossed my arms over my chest, intrigued to hear what he had to say.?

　　”Werewolves, witches, and vampires. They're bringing armies, we have an army,”?

　　I went around the desk and sat down, my shoulders falling.

　　”Then we better make it a really fucking good one,” I said and looked up at Alex through my lashes.

　　A smirk tugged at his lips as he gave me a stiff nod and in a sincere tone he added, ”Yes, Alpha.”?