Chapter 5: Zev Awakens

"What if I didn't wake up?" He questioned and found the slight tinge of uncertainty on his face then he folded his arms.

"I guess that's that, you've come around,"

"What else would I expect from a spitfire Amy?"

She cleared her throat, her bloody knuckles were busted and her cheeks glowed and then he saw her unyielding eyes and his frown deepened and she smiled.

"I was just keeping her warm for you," She said sweetly.

"Bullshit,"

"Come on, she's the enemy," She pointed.

"Connor, get her out of here,"

"You're not the boss of me," He pointed and wavered when Zev's head turned sharply to glare at him and he mumbled picking her up. "Come on," He said through clenched teeth and Jet reeled limping outside, she might be having a concoction.

His hand rested on his chest.

"Are you okay?" She tilted her head.

He reclined on the edge of the bed. "Get me a shirt,"

---

Sirio Lupo.

The healers were extra busy that night. The rogues had caused more mayhem than they would have expected, each passing moment, the guardians would bring back injured sentinels whose lives were hanging in the balance.

This time the rogues made sure most of them were down.

Alpha Efilian was recouping, although he sustained spinal injuries, he moaned on his sickbed while a healer set a hand to his head. The cuts above his eyes were all sorts of colours and there was a dressing around his head. He demanded Beta Jackson's presence, Jackson arrived with a piece of cloth taped to his neck, he could hardly swallow without the stabbing sensation on his neck, the memory flashed in his head and he shook it off meeting the Alpha.

He was in no condition to even sit up, the healer looked the least dismal that he couldn't even move a toe. From the waist down, he was completely paralyzed. His eyes moved to the nurse giving her a quiet signal to leave them.

His hand settled on his paunch while the healer's shoes clicked on the floor and they relaxed at the door squeaking shut. Jackson went to close the windows, it was getting windy.

Zev made sure he dragged him to retirement, Jackson's new position as Alpha was imminent, while Efilian would be left to supervise...if he survived.

Alpha Efilian licked his dry lip to moisten them but his body didn't push him to drink anything. He shook his head when Jackson offered just a glass of water and he raised a hand. "I just might die if I had a sip," He pushed it aside and Jackson replaced it on the nightstand.

The candlelights swayed but the room remained bright, it wasn't a big room, the bed took up most of the space. The cubs had graciously painted flowers on the walls to make him feel at home. "Can you believe the children made these? I watched everything happen and I doubt these were merely painted by kids." He felt at the walls and Jackson looked unsettled at his senseless babbling and him discussing other topics. He was in denial.

"Sir_"

"Jackson, don't call me sir, I can still serve," He told and Jackson worked his jaw.

"They knew about the ploy," He clasped his hands together. He was afraid that they almost conquered the kingdom.

He was sobbing like a child, he took the decision and now he was bearing the consequences. "Tell me, Jackson, am I dreaming?" He inquired of him while he stood up and signalled a nurse to stay with him.

He closed the door to him inclining to the old nurse's shoulder. He had a lot on his shoulders and his hand ached to hold a cold drink, instead, he raked his unsteady fingers through his hair and exhaled.

Most of the sentinels were maimed, volunteers would have to keep watch for any rogues. "It's gonna be fine," He said and met with the sick victims in the tent infirmary.

There were beds set up on each side of the tent, cupboards with all they needed and bloody bowls and clutter.

The ones with serious infections were attended to while the others were hauled in. Some of the bodies were reported missing and others were so badly severed that they had to be buried quickly. "I'm so sorry for your loss." He patted a woman's hand, her only son was missing an eye and the other was just as inefficient.

They had a lot to recover...

Gamma Ray met him on the interiors and caught up with him returning outside again into the field and the blue sheen of the early dawning sky.

---

The birds chirped into the morning and something was unsettling about the way the pack members hollered to one another casually. A sad compost of more sweet than bitter. Like picking bodies was an everyday job, either way, they were getting their portion done. They could not bury every last wolf, so they would have to be cremated.

Ray sighed "As soon as I heard we were going to seal a pact...I was convinced that things were going to work out for sure but this is just...awful." He raked his hair and leaned on a barrel used to collect rain. The side of Efilian's yard was dark and moist and he had most of his things arranged by the side of his cabin to create room for the back door.

Occasionally, the nurses would come out to fetch something or toss things away, they had to be constantly reminded to keep their voices hushed.

"But at least they're gone," He confessed.

"Not while our sentinels are injured,"

...

Zev leaned over the bowl washing up after shaving off his beard. To have been bitten by a low ranking werewolf was not his cup of tea but his operation was sabotaged, he wouldn't take it, he smelled hazelwood, he would count himself lucky and the rookie dead. Amy was hovering around her like a wolf typically, she had to be kept watch over for hours.

Most of the rogues wouldn't live together for a dime but they all wanted comfort as much as the next person. They were lodging dangerously close to the powerless men, at least that was what they called them. Zev thought they were beyond powerless, they were quick thinkers and no one would see a werewolf and keep silent about it. They would be messaging their colleagues in no time to spread the word.

For now, they would have to make do with this small portion. He thought of visiting his little jailbird. She was still couped up in the small room refusing to speak to anyone and he scoffed. She wasn't much of a hostage either, of no importance to anyone.

"You put yourself in this condition,"

She scoffed. "I put myself in and I can get myself out,"

"Very good, you may as well help to be helped," He shrugged.

"Why would I possibly help you?"

"For starters, you're a liability to your pack, you're rusty, powerless and ignorant. It's a wonder you survived in a war field,"

She squirmed but maintained her composure, even if his pine scent was all over the place and she couldn't bring herself to concentrate. "With all, you've said, how am I supposed to help you if I'm such an inadequate fool?"

"I didn't say that, I said you were a liability_"

"I won't," She retorted.

"Fine, maybe you'd like a visit from Amy, right?"

She paled shaking her head and shrinking back. "Anyone but her,"

"Then are you agreeing on my terms?"

She spat in his eye and he exhaled and brushed it off. She flinched when he stood up and she hugged herself after he left without a word, he wouldn't ask anyone to torture her so she had some form of leverage. She held her chest when it heaved, it was a bad thing likewise but at least there were pros.

"She's not worth it,"

"As long as she's attached to me then..." He couldn't think of anything else to say.

Connor waited for feedback.

"Touché,"

"Proves that you don't just go around biting anyone," He rubbed his neck.

"So what step do you suggest we take?"

"Don't ask me, you're the Alpha_sorry, you're our leader," He corrected and they took quick steps to the front door at the field where the others were roughhousing.

The lawn was spread out in disorder and so were the wolves. They were fighting over a hog they caught in the brushes. Flies were already whizzing and settling over its flesh. It was getting hotter as well and it was too early for a fight.

Another pipsqueak was dragging the carcass away.

"There, problem solved," He beamed at the crafty one running away, he didn't take the whole meat but a generous portion to sustain him.

The boy swung when an older man caught him by the end of his shirt and the meat dropped on the soil. "Where do you think you're going?" He questioned.

The boy seemed like he could be going through a whole lot of pain just by hanging loosely.

"Drop the runt," He ordered and the man dumped him on the floor beside the pound of flesh.

The others were aggrieved that he was getting away too and he punched the old man in the gut.