AVA
We had a time and we had a place. A time and a place that as far as we knew, Paula believed to be correct. Of course, we weren’t going to put all of our eggs in one basket, I didn’t trust her that much after everything she’s done, but… we had to try.
We moved kids, the elderly and anyone else who couldn’t fight, including my parents straight to the safe room as soon as we finished talking through a plan. I couldn’t risk it any longer. I needed them safe.
I needed my mum safe. Since it reduced the chances of me trading myself for her, everyone else was on board with that plan too. I assigned four members of my Queen’s guard to look after the safe room, and Jacob had assigned another six of his own warriors. It was cramped, but it was necessary. I’d rather everyone was uncomfortable for a day than getting killed.
We prepared as much as we could. I sent out scouts, we had eyes on probable locations, and we were as ready as we were going to be.
At 9pm, myself, my Kings, the rest of my Queen’s Guard, Jacob, Alex and another ten warriors were standing outside the packhouse, ready to go. We’d left the rest of the warriors behind guarding the borders in case anyone slipped through our defences.
We were going to start in the south, but we had eyes on other locations around the pack border too, just in case.
We decided to leave it until not long before we expected Elijah to actually go on the attack… but that was just so we had a greater chance of finding him.
And find him we did.
Not just him either.
My Kings, Queen’s Guard and I all shifted to our Lycan forms, creeping towards the clearing where we could hear the sound of fighting. Jacob, Alex and the warriors were ahead of us. Wolves are quieter and stealthier, but Lycans are stronger.
“There’s a Lycan and a wolf fighting… I believe it’s Elijah and Matthew, but I can’t smell anything over the scent of rogue,” Jacob linked to all of us, and I could see his nose twitching. Rogues do not smell good.
Callum crept forwards, disguising his scent.
“That’s them,” Callum replied. “They’ve got a lot of wolves with them.”
“Lycans too…” Jacob replied.
“Okay. Lycans, focus on the Lycans. Wolves, go for the wolves… my Kings and I are going for Elijah and Matthew.”
I didn’t even realise I’d thrown power behind that until they all responded, creepily synchronised, with “yes, my Queen.”
“Callum, I’m going to shift back. Make me a dress?” Ares nodded, with a slight smirk. Nudity might be commonplace in all shifter packs… but that doesn’t mean I had any desire to let two absolute nutjobs who wanted to forcibly mark me see me in any state of undress.
Once everyone was in position, I shifted back and felt the familiar tingles of Callum’s power across my skin as he protected my modesty. Tingles on my head said he’d made me a tiara too.
I turned to face him, one eyebrow raised. “Bit much, Callum?”
“You suit royalty, little one. We’ve got to have you look every bit the Queen you are,” he linked back.
I shook my head, smirking as I walked towards the clearing. I dropped down in front of Elijah and Matthew, Callum one step behind me, Noah, Oscar and Theo spread out in a semicircle, ready to take on anyone that thought attacking us from behind was a good idea.
“Elijah, Matthew,” I growled. “Shift back.”
I had no idea if that command would work… it would once I was officially crowned, but I had no idea if I had it yet… I did! Kind of.
Matthew shifted back, falling on the ground face first, straight into the mud. Elijah didn’t. We planned to take both Matthew and Elijah into custody to be tried for their crimes, but before we could stop him, Elijah’s Lycan pounced on Matthew, ripping out his throat.
“Elijah, shift back, surrender,” I hissed, throwing more power behind it. This time he had no choice but to obey.
He dropped to his knees, head forced to stare down at the ground in front of him.
We had him. We finally had him.
“Nothing to say, Elijah?”
He just scowled at me, refusing to talk.
“It’s fine,” I replied, a small smile on my face. “You’ll talk for the courts.”
Callum used his power to bind Elijah’s hands behind his back and his ankles together. Just in case Elijah somehow broke that, I used mine to weave shackles made of ice around his wrists, taking advantage of just how much moisture was in the air at this time of year.
Once he was secure, I looked around the clearing, watching our team taking out the rest of those fighting. Eventually, less than twenty remained, all of whom surrendered.
“We’ve done it,” I whispered, not really daring to believe it. “We’ve actually stopped him.” I had tears welling up in my eyes, not really sure I was believing that Matthew was dead and Elijah was on his knees in front of us, unable to move, talk or do anything to harm any of us.
By the time Callum and I had restrained everyone, Alpha Michael had arrived with his warriors. They snapped silver cuffs and shackles on everyone, injected wolfsbane to knock them out, and bundled them in vans to take them all to the prison in Eclipse Mountain.
Once that was done and anyone injured was patched up, we headed home to celebrate.
First we celebrated with the pack in the bar, then with just the five of us in bed.
We did it!
We actually did it.