Chapter 4: Blood for Blood

Liosha’s POV

“Dad, you can't be serious!” What the hell is he thinking?! “I understand that you’re really strong, but these alphas have been killing strategically, gathering power in their hands. You can’t take them on alone. You’ll need an army!”  

“I can’t spare an army right now, Liosha. What happens if the pack house is attacked while I’m away?”  

“I’ll keep it safe!”  

“You can solo a whole army?”  

“I sure as hell can try.” I stick my chin out defiantly, silently challenging him.  

“Be reasonable, Liosha.” His voice softens now.  

“I am.” I calm down, too, fighting the tears pooling in my eyes. I can’t afford to cry now and look weak in front of my dad and his beta.  

“Hugo, maybe she’s right. We’re going to need all the help we can get against those guys,” Jon pipes up, causing us to turn our attention to him. My dad sighs and leans back on the table while rubbing his eyes.  

“So, what would you have me do?” my dad asks him.  

“We have strong warriors; a single warrior is equal to the strength of five average werewolves. We can divide our military strength, gather some of our finest warriors, and take them to battle the alphas with us, leaving the majority of the warriors here to defend the house in case of a surprise attack,” Jon says.  

“That sounds like a good plan, but remember we can’t move in large groups,” my dad retorts.  

“We won’t. Ten skilled men should be able to move without being noticed,” Jon says again.  

“Nine men,” I correct them.  

“What?” my dad asks.  

“Nine skilled men and one woman. I’m going as well.”  

“Nonsense! You will do no such thing!” My dad booms, sending shivers down my spine.  

“I have bested your best warriors in one-on-one combat every time we fight. I have been trained to launch coordinated attacks with the warriors! I am just as good as any warrior, and I am going.”  

“I will not risk having my heir on the front lines. Your brothers' combined strengths will guarantee us better odds of winning the battle.”  

“Sure, you’ll need them too. The pack’s elders can handle affairs here while we’re gone, but I am going, and you’ll have to kill me yourself to stop me!” I stare him down; his jaw clenches in anger, but I don’t back down. “I’m off to make preparations. You can start the selection without me.” I turn and leave, and I can hear my dad scream curse words as he smashes the table with his fist. 

 The world feels like everything’s at a standstill, as if every living thing can sense the intensity brewing among the selected warriors. We all stand in line as my dad paces back and forth in front of us, his brows furrowed as if he’s deep in thought, trying to find the right words to say to us. Some of us have never experienced battles we weren’t sure of winning, and this certainly feels like one of those battles. 

“Warriors!” My dad finally speaks up, his voice loud and commanding. “Some of you here have never known the true despair of battle; some of you have never fought hard until it feels like you’re going to take your last breath; some of you here do not know true pain. But everyone standing in line has been carefully chosen because you possess skills that far surpass those of mere men. You are about to face a threat far bigger than what any of us can imagine, but your skills, which you have worked so hard to sharpen, are what will save you today. Trust your instincts and trust in your comrades because it is only with the trust we have in ourselves and our comrades on the battlefield that we can win, for all the men, women, and children in Santiago, our territory. I swear by the authority the moon goddess has bestowed upon me as Alpha, and upon you as members of the bloodline, that today we will come back victorious!”

“YEAH!” The ground shakes as every warrior around screams with newfound strength! His courageous words send waves of fire to the chosen warriors, our loud war cries evident of our newfound strength and faith in ourselves. 

“Now march with me as we fight together, bleed together, and win together!” 

“YEAH!!” We all scream again, and Jon starts running into the woods as the screams echo around the camp. We all follow suit, running at top speed behind him. His speed is incredible, but I’m fired up now; I pick up my pace and try to close the distance, zooming ahead of my brothers and husband. The closing gap forces a smirk to my lips, but I celebrate too soon when I see my father zoom past us all. His glowing red eyes, sharp claws, and extra body hair are proof that he’s serious now. He reaches Beta Jon easily, and the once-reachable beta picks up speed as well, leaving the rest of us chasing their dust, but our eyes can still see their backs despite the distance.

My dad slows down and raises a hand, and as if practiced, we all stop and begin to move cautiously. He’s crouching now, like he has prey in sight. I can see him sniff around, and then he looks back at us with fear evident in his eyes. Just then, one of the pack warriors is whisked out of our midst, a flash of red eyes and his quickly silenced scream the only evidence that he was there. Our plan to attack stealthily has fallen through, and our position is already compromised. My dad’s initial distraction leaves him open to an attack from an alpha, with Beta Jon fending off another. So, I take charge of our remaining comrades.  

“Everyone, take formation three!” They’re trained warriors and move instinctively into a circle with our backs to each other, their movements no longer frantic. “We have been surrounded, and we don’t know by how many, so be on your guard!”  

“Aye!” they all scream as we strengthen the circle, spears and swords pointing outward and our shields raised, ready to fend off any attack.  

We’re one man down now, and we don’t know just how many they are, but from the reports, they shouldn’t be any more than five. My dad and Hugo have two occupied, meaning it’s about nineteen to three; the odds are in our favor. The intensity of the battlefield is thick enough to be cut with a knife, but we stand firm and wait for the enemy to make the first move. We can win this!