She glanced up and saw Nicole. Her teeth gritted and for a moment, she saw red.
Nicole stepped forward, towering above her, “I thought we were done with you? You’re even harder to kill than a cockroach! I guess I have to finish up what alpha Theo couldn’t.”
Zera raced up to her feet, ready for the attack. “You’re not who I want, at least not now, but I will go through you if I have to.” She said and the witch’s eyes flared red and they ran through to attack each other.
Zera groaned out in pain when Nicole dug her claws into her shoulders and her eyes glowed silver. She shoved Nicole off and the force sent her flying and crashing to the ground.
“Silver. So it’s true, you’re a sage.” Nicole spoke as she got up and surged towards her, but Daniel stepped up before Zera, and this slowed Nicole down.
“You don’t get to die by her hands, you die by mine,” he said and pulled his silver sword out from its sheath, having exhausted his arrows.
Nicole laughed and took a step back, and over a dozen werewolves ran to cover up before her.
Daniel and Zera moved to attack and as he fought his way to Nicole, she fought her way to Tosin. Zera tore through and ripped apart those who came up against her, leaving no one alive.
Her fist collided with Tosin’s jaw as soon as she got to him, and not anticipating the attack, the impact sent him off his feet. He crashed onto the floor, but sat up quickly and spat out blood. His eyes narrowed at Zera, surprised at the attack and probably wondering who she was.
“Get up,” she shouted at him.
He did as she told him, “I’d like to know who I am up against.” he said and spat out more blood from his mouth.
“You didn’t show the same kindness to Levi Adams, the man you killed like a coward.” His eyes widened at the mention of the name, and she charged at him.
Her attacks were quick and fierce, and although fast, Tosin couldn’t escape them.
Tosin was on his knees with blood running down his mouth and face within two minutes. Zera’s attacks were too fierce to counter, and she shredded him like a wounded animal.
She walked up to him and grabbed a fist full of his red hair. “You do not deserve a quick death, so think of this as mercy!” she pulled his head back and thrust her hand into his chest. She pulled out his heart and his lifeless body dropped to the ground.
She tossed his heart on the ground, but she didn’t feel better. It changed nothing. Her father was still dead and so was Tia. and vengeance didn’t bring them back. However, she consoled herself with the fact that those who hurt them would never harm another again.
....
Nicole attacked Daniel, and he hastened to defend himself with his sword. She swung at him a few times with her claws to cut him through, but he docked and protected himself.
“You’ve gotten strong. I’m surprised you’re alive and impressed, because I always thought you were as weak as they came.” She spat on the ground, “just like your mother.”
His teeth gritted and he surge forward. Angry, he failed to calculate his steps and Nicole took advantage, tearing the skin off his ribs with her claws. He fell to the ground, grunting in pain.
“Whatever made you think you could fight me?” she demanded, stepping forward and shaking her head.
“Say hello to your mother for me.” She drew her hand to slash him through, but Zera dashed over to her and stopped her hand so she could not do the havoc she intended.
Nicole turned around and found her, and confusion flashed in her eyes. Zera flung her across the field in the same second and she crashed onto the ground.
“Are you okay?” she asked Daniel, who nodded, despite the blood running down his lips.
“She’s mine! I get to finish her,” he grunted in pain. He picked up his sword from where he dropped it and walked up towards her.
He tightened his grip around his sword and attacked, and Zera moved to fight off the other wolves that tried to stop him. His revenge was for her as it was for himself, and so was this war.
Daniel’s blade did damage to Nicole and cut through her shoulder, and she cried out and dropped to her knee. He kicked her onto her back and lifted his blade to thrust her through with it.
“Please don’t kill me,” Nicole begged with fear-filled eyes.
“You don’t deserve to live,” Daniel told her and thrust his sword into her heart, snuffing the life out of her.
After Nicole’s death, Zera returned to Aaron’s side to finish what they had started.
Daniel lost balance and dropped to his feet despite the werewolf surging towards him to attack. Ivan and Lionel ran towards Daniel and Ivan used his magic to throw a few off while Lionel shot at them.
He got to where Daniel knelt and helped him up. “Can you stand?” he asked, his eyes searching Daniel’s weak ones.
“I’ll live,” he grunted, sounding rude. He leaned his weight on the sword and rose to his feet.
“The least you can do is to be nice. We came to your aid.”
“I didn’t ask you for your help. I am a hunter. It’s what I’m trained to do, and I am prepared to die if that is the case.”
“Such a foolish way to live. Death isn’t the worst thing that can happen in life. I would know. I have felt it around for years.” Ivan said, blasting the werewolf about to attack them off. “Where does it hurt?” Ivan asked, his eyes already searching over Daniel’s body.
Daniel pointed to his left rib, and he placed his hand on the spot. The pain began to subside, and he felt as if he didn’t feel so much pain before.
“How is it now?” he inquired curiously.
“Better,” Daniel answered, his voice less pain. “Thank you.”
He shook his head. “It isn’t a cure, just a temporary fix until this is over. Carry your sword, Mr Spear. This isn’t over yet.”
“Are you going to send all these people to their death or will you step up and end this?” Aaron yelled at Theo, who stood at the back watching the slaughter with an amused look on his face.
“If I were you, I would focus on the task at hand.” Aaron ripped out the heart of the one who just attacked him and tossed it into the ground before racing to attack Theo.
Ivan sent a blasting spell to the werewolf about to attack him, and it sent him off, flying and crashing to the ground. When the werewolf rose, Daniel thrust his sword into his heart.
Lionel’s gun ran out of bullets and was taken down before he could reload. Sesi ran to save him, pulling and fighting them off.
She gave Lionel her hand, he took it and she helped him up, “Are you hurt?” she asked and when he shook his head, she pushed him behind. “Stay behind me.” but the more she fought, the harder they pushed.
Aaron thrust into the chest of the third wolf in his path and yanked out his heart, dropping and tossing it to the floor as if it was nothing.
“Can you take me to him?” Aaron asked Ivan, staring at Theo, who stood a few feet behind, having more than a dozen of his pack members serving as barricades.
Ivan nodded without even considering it and stretched both hands out after chanting a spell of separation. It was a difficult spell and blood ran down his nose, ten seconds into chanting. He succeeded and took out all the werewolves before Theo and Aaron took advantage. Zera followed behind him.
Ivan, who used the last strength he possessed, dropped to the ground unconscious, having exceeded his capacity. Damor raced over to stand before the now unconscious Ivan and protect him from those coming to end him.
“I think it’s high time you and I put an end to this, don’t you think?”
Theo smirked and stormed forward, but before he would reach Aaron. An older man stepped forward and blew into his palm. The purple content thereon flew and covered Aaron’s face up, burning his skin and sinking deep inside.
Wolfsbane.
Theo took advantage of the brief distraction and tackled Aaron onto the floor with a hard smash of his fist and got on top of him. Theo’s claws shot out, long and sharp, and he thrust them towards his chest to rip out his heart, but Aaron stopped him and threw him from on top of him.
Aaron rose to his feet, grunting in anger. “Coward!” he hissed and the old man who had blown the wolfsbane earlier stepped up from behind to blow another, but Zera, who saw him, dashed over to him.
He picked up Zera’s quick steps and turned around, blowing the content in his hands at her, but was shocked to see nothing happened. “I am not a werewolf,” she told him and snapped his neck in a second. He fell to the ground, dead.
“No!” Theo cried out in anguish as he saw the lifeless body of the old man lying on the ground.
Aaron gave him no moment to recover because he speeded to him, catching him by his jacket and delivering punches over and over to him. Aaron slammed Theo onto the ground and was about to finish him when he got swamped by werewolves attacking. He tore through them and spotted Theo retreating, but he couldn’t have that. He had to finish this here and now. Yet his pack needed him to fight off the rebellion pack attacking.
“Go! I’ve got this.” Zera told him with a supporting nod.
He chased after Theo and his retreating crew of two alphas and six betas. He attacked the betas first, being faster and stronger. He picked them away from their crew one after the other without making a sound and soon, only the two alphas were left with Theo.
“Going somewhere?” he asked, stepping out of the shadow, his eyes blazing red.
Theo’s breath hitched in his throat, and he stepped back while the two alphas approached.
“This is between me and him. You do not have to die for that,” Aaron told them, but they were too gone to listen.
Putting them down came just like breathing. Aaron tore through the chest of the first alpha and ripped out his heart and the other he snapped his neck. Again, he was left alone with Theo.
“I told you before.” Aaron spoke as he stepped forward, his eyes still glowing. “crossing territories without a formal invitation is forbidden!”
“And now you have shown me how wrong I was to have done that.” Theo said with a weary smile, “Perhaps you could be the better man and let it go.” he said, trying to reason for the first time since this war started.
“Time for understanding is passed,” Aaron answered and flew towards Theo with a furious snarl.
Zera blocked the thrust of the claw of the werewolf attacking and was about to deliver a punch, but someone hauled him off her and tossed him onto the ground.
She spun around and found Aaron behind her with blazing red eyes. And she paused, unable to look away. He barely looked stressed out, almost like he did nothing, but she knew he did. He would not be back if he didn’t finish what he went to do.
He glanced at her and she almost saw a smile on his face before he looked away to those still brawling.
“Alpha Theo is dead!” he thundered, and the fighting seized immediately and all eyes turned to him. “I ripped this out of his chest,” he announced and lifted the heart in his hand up so everyone could see before tossing it to the ground.
“This is over! Surrender or meet the same fate!” he warned, and the entire field became still. “This is your last chance.”
The rebellion with his words retreated, choosing safety over a lost war.
“Take him to the healing room.” He instructed, pointing to Ivan, who was still unconscious on the floor. “both of them.” he pointed to Daniel, who was now on his knees.
Damor nodded and while he carried Ivan away, Sesi and Lionel supported Daniel.
As the five left the field, Aaron turned his attention to Zera, his eyes back to its hazel.
She glanced around at the pile of bodies on the open field. “I’ll have nightmares about this night for a long time.”
His eyes dropped in remorse at her words, “I am sorry.”
She shook her head, “I am not. It had to be done.”
He lifted his hand to stroke her face tenderly. “I will be here to support and help you get over it the best way I can.”
She knew he meant it.
Epilogue
A lot happened in the last week. The rebellion pack’s defeat spread like wildfire and the members of the Dominio pack who had run away for safety returned. In the last six days, they have been coming in their tens and twenties, stating the reason they fled to be the fear of death and asking for another chance.
The Dominio pack welcomed them back, and they put the past in the past with the hope of a better future. The pack’s victory established them once again as the strongest pack and their fear spread through the countries near and far. Now the other pack wanted to stay on their good side and offer a truce and gifts of friendship.
Ivan was in a much better shape, and his magic helped heal him up faster. Daniel’s healing was slower with no magic, but the Harts created the healing room with healing magic that worked at a slow pace. Ivan couldn’t help, he said disrupting the natural healing of Daniel’s body aided by the healing room would affect him in the long run and it was best he stayed there until he got healed. Daniel didn’t like that idea, but he had no choice. He had healed up in the last six days and Zera, as well as the Harts, visited him frequently. This was their way of thanking him for everything he did, despite telling them he didn’t do it for them.
Today Zera visited and found him already dressed in new clothes and sitting on the bed. He looked all ready to leave. He never wanted to stay to begin with, and so six days was a miracle.
“Daniel...” she called out.
His head lifted, and his eyes met hers. “Zera.”
“You’re leaving,” she said what she saw.
He nodded. “I’ve done my part, and now I’m better. I need to leave.” he answered.
“Oh,” she muttered silently. “You can’t stay any longer.”
“I could, but I am a hunter. I’m supposed to hunt supernatural beings, not make friends with them. The last two weeks had been a war against myself to not attack you and everyone else. I think this is best.” he answered. “Can I leave or are the barriers still up?” he asked, his eyes straying from Zera over to Ivan, who stood behind her.
She turned around and found him at the door.
“I already did. The minute the war ended, the barriers fell and the only thing that had kept you here have been your own will. You can leave if you want to now.” Ivan replied and Daniel’s teeth clenched.
Ivan hadn’t told him this truth in the last week since he was here, so he assumed the barriers were up. “You should have told me from the start.”
“Then you would have left without being healed and you would have died out there. I did you a favour.”
Zera turned her attention to him. “So you leave now?”
His eyes soften at her words, but he nodded. “I can’t stay here. I appreciate the care and treatment, but it still feels wrong for me.”
She stepped closer and threw her arms around him for a tight hug, and his eyes fluttered. “Thank you for everything you have done for me, from taking care of me, to training me, to fighting beside me.”
Daniel’s arms wrapped around her. “You saved me. Thank you.” he mumbled into the crook of her neck. “I should have done more, but I am glad I could help.”
“We will meet again,” she told him, and that was a promise.
“I hope we don’t,” he answered and turned to glance at Ivan. “Thank you, witch.”
Ivan rolled his eyes. “It’s ‘wise one,’ not witch, asshole.”
Daniel smiled, and this was the first time he had done that while in the same room with Ivan.
“Wise one.” He nodded in acknowledgement and took the correction. “Do not watch over me when I’m gone.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” Ivan shot back.
Daniel took a step towards him, and his heart picked up its beat. They were almost the same height. Ivan stood a few inches taller, but Daniel had a broader build and a terrifying stance.
“Do not watch over me when I’m gone,” he repeated, this time firmer.
Ivan nodded, “Fine then, I won’t.”
Daniel smirked, stepped back, and Ivan dragged a deep breath. With one last glance at Zera, he departed.
....
Zera stood at the entrance of the now-empty field, her heart beating slowly as she reminisced about everything. She had come every day since the pack war happened, spending at least an hour before leaving. It’s been a week, but it felt like yesterday. The bodies were gone and so was the blood and its smell. Thanks to Ivan, it felt almost as if nothing happened and the field looked as new as it looked before the war happened.
However, the memories of the blood on her hands and her body, the death and destruction they inflicted on their enemies, didn’t leave.
They deserved it because they had attacked them, but that didn’t stop the nightmare from coming.
Aaron held her close every night, just like he promised he would, and hadn’t left her side yet. His love had done so much for her, some of which she couldn’t remember.
Counselling started yesterday, and it went well. Aaron asked while he made love to her last night if she considered returning to work now that the war was over.
It was something that hadn’t crossed her mind until he said it and she promised to think about it and get back to him. With the war over, it meant Zion would have a normal life and she would too, despite them being anything but normal now.
It was good to no longer have to live in fear. That was the world she always wanted. The world her father couldn’t give her, one she couldn’t give Tia. Where ever they were, she knew they were happy and together.
She heard footsteps from behind and having heard the pace and weight of it on the ground so many times; she knew who they belonged to.
Aaron.
Her heart beat slowly against her chest, picking up its beat with every step he took until he came to stand behind her.
“You’re here again.”
She sighed, “I can’t escape it.”
He placed his hands on her shoulder, and she leaned against him. “You’re not supposed to escape it. You’re to live through it.”
Her counsellor said almost the same thing. “It was a massacre.”
“It was.” he agreed, leaning in and kissing her hair. “It was also necessary. We gave everyone a choice.”
“We did.” her lashes fluttered as she exhaled deeply. “So what now?”
“Now we move towards a better future filled with hope and dreams.”
She liked the thought of that.
They returned inside with their hands entwined.
“Mommy!” Zion called, racing towards her with a rose flower in his hand and a wide smile on his face.
Zera smiled at the adorable little angel she had as a son. She released Aaron’s hand and bent to pick Zion up into her arms. He giggled as she placed her head against his.
He had gone out with Sesi on a day trip which involved shopping, beauty treat and sight seeing. He looked so excited in the early hours of the morning and Zera didn’t stop him.
“How did your day with Sesi and Uwa go?” she asked with a curious voice as he set him down on his feet. Sesi and Uwa approached.
“Good, mommy. I got this for you,” he said and handed her the rose flower in his hand.
“Oh,” her eyes warmed as she took the flower from him. “You got me a flower?”
He shook his head, “I didn’t, daddy said to get you one so he can do that.” he pointed to the back where Aaron stood and Zera turned around only to find Aaron on one knee with a black box in his hand staring at her.
She gasped and took a step back, not believing her eyes.
“I know the circumstances are not the best, but I am tired of carrying this box around and not being able to ask.” he began. “I love you, Zera Adams, and I will die loving you. You’re my joy, my world, my mate, and everything I need is right here. So here I am on my knees asking, will you spend eternity with me?”
A tear ran down her face, but she wiped it off and nodded.
“Yes, I will.” she gave him her left hand, and he slid the ring onto her finger.
She heard cheers from up the balcony and gazing up; she found the Hart twin and Lionel beside the railing looking down at what was happening. They were all in on it, even Zion, and it was amazing how well it was planned out.
“I love you, Zera.”
“I know and I love you too.” she closed the space between them to kiss his lips, smiling when she heard louder cheers, but not pulling away.
The End.