Fight for Me

The next day

At breakfast, the dining hall seems extra quiet than it usually is. Nicholas isn’t there, Tristan and Melinda are sitting next to Layla, and Tyler and Ben are sitting opposite her. Samantha isn’t even trying to hide her suspicious looks towards Layla, who is trying to avoid all other eyes wandering her way.

“Did I miss something?” Maxim says to Rebecca sitting next to him.

She looks at him confused. “I don’t think you’re the only one." She glimpses at Nick's empty seat next to her.

“Where is Nick?” He asks back.

“Don’t know. Not that I ever do.” She whispers the last part to herself, but Maxim still caught it.

Barely half-way through breakfast, everyone suddenly jumps up from their seats.

Layla, still seated, looks up at the others. “What’s wrong?”

People start rushing out of the room. Tristan grabs a hold of her and Melinda, and rush them out of the hall.

“There’s an attack. You two, stay here.” He looks at Margret behind them who gives him a nod. “I’ll go help Nick.” He rushes out before anyone could even say something.

“Wait.” Layla hopelessly tries to stop him. She just wanted to know where Nick was, though she probably knows now.

“Don’t bother.” Melinda pulls her back. “He’s stubborn when it comes to certain things. I’m still getting scolded for when we went to help them with that berserk rogue.” She sighs with annoyance. “But it’s not like that will stop me.” She grabs a hold of Layla’s hand. “Come on.”

“Luna Melinda, please.” Margret steps in front of her with a serious but worried look.

“We won’t interfere Margret. Only if I have to.” Melinda tries to further persuade her. “We helped them last time. We can again.”

Margret looks between the two of them and sighs dejectedly. “Rather wait for them at the tree line, behind the healers. I can still inform you on how the fight is going.”

Melinda looks dissatisfied, but Layla rather hopeful.

Melinda sighs. “Fine.”

In the woods, the patrols are already fighting off rogues, who crossed their border.

Nick is just somewhat relieved to have been out here to help patrol this morning. He didn’t want to be in the dining hall this morning, and he certainly didn’t know how to look Layla in the eyes either. He doesn’t know how to explain himself.

The moment he picked up on the rogues’ scent, he alerted his pack and his brothers. He knew this attack might happen, but he will still make use of having three other alphas here.

They’re practically being surrounded by approximately ten rogues. Nick and his patrols all shift into their wolves immediately, and start attacking. Looking at how wild these rogues are, he already knows they are similar to the one that went berserk in town, but they are not as strong.

Nick’s wolf snorts, being a bit disappointed. He’s still angry with Nick, for not marking Layla, but he is still an alpha who has to protect his pack. He is more interested to take his anger out on these rogues.

He lunges at a rogue, and quickly senses another next to him. But before it can attack Nick, another large grey wolf jumps at it. Quickly yapping at his opponent’s neck, Nick grips it and rips out his throat. Looking back at the other two, he sees the grey wolf snapping the other rogue’s neck, as its thrashing body goes limp.

Nick stares at the grey wolf as they slowly pace around each other. But the howling and growling of the other rogues have both of them turn their attention to the oncoming rogues. They both run deeper into the fight within the woods.

Nick’s wolf quickly figures out, that this rogue is not like the others, but rather helping them.

During the fight, Nick quickly spots Maxim’s wolf, not that far from him, and knows he’s warriors should also be here by now.

Rrooaaarrr!!!! A loud rumbling roar draws everyone’s attention, as they see a large golden lion attack one of the wild rogues.

As more wild rogues try to surround the lion, Nick attacks one trying to approach him from behind. The grey wolf is quick to attack the wild rogue next to Nick.

Nick shoves the rogue against a tree, who yelps with a whine, and quickly rips it’s throat out. While the grey wolf rips a chunk of meat from its rogue’s limb and watches it limp. He lunges on top of the wolf, and bites its neck, till the rogue goes still.

Nick’s black wolf and the grey wolf both look at each other as if pleased with their brutality, before they continue attacking the rest of the rogues.

As the last of the wild rogues fall dead, Nick and his men all start shifting back into their human forms one by one. Nick stands naked and tall facing the large grey wolf, as the lion and another brown wolf stand next to him.

“Shift!” Tyler shouts from behind Nick.

The grey wolf snorts, and a few seconds later shifts as well, followed by the lion and the other wolf. Before Nick, stands a slightly tanned man with slick black hair, - his fellow fighter. The lion-shifter turned into a caramel tanned man with rough curly brown hair. While the other wolf turned into a tall and toned man with slick blonde hair.

Nick grabs two pairs of shorts hidden in the crook of a nearby tree and throws one at the former grey wolf as he puts the other one on. They all start putting on shorts as a few patrols start handing them out, which they always keep hidden and in reserve for such cases.

“An odd group.” Nick says with a smirk as he looks at the three men.

“I guess. But we get the job done.” The former grey wolf grins.

“I like you’re fighting tactics.” Nick smiles wider looking impressed.

“I admire yours too, - straight for the kill. Always effective.” He smiles back.

All the other wolves come closer, curious of the new arrivals talking with their Alpha.

That’s when the blonde-haired man starts sniffing the air intensely.

Suddenly, Anthony pushes past Nick and rushes to the blonde-haired man. Both embracing and sniffing each other.

“Mate.” They both growl out.

They both stare into each other’s eyes for a few long seconds, before Anthony realizes where and with whom he is. He suddenly looks back at his brothers, who are all confusingly staring at him and his mate, as all the pack members are as well.

But they’re not the only ones. The blonde’s two companions look just as confused.

“You’re gay?” the curly brown-haired man asks his friend.

He rolls his eyes. “It’s not like it ever came up before, but yeah. Why? You got a problem with it.”

He stands awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands, and not sure if he should cover himself up or not. “Nah. I just didn’t see the signs I guess.” He says awkwardly.

“Relax you big idiot. Don’t think that every gay man is attracted to every man that walks past him. You’re not my type,…..either of you.” He says as he looks between his two friends.

Anthony is avoiding direct eye contact with his brothers as he slightly pulls away from his mate, who definitely notices as he gives a disappointed sigh.

With a brief silence in the air, Nick speaks wanting attention back to his original topic of interest. He isn’t bothered of his brother’s sexual preferences. It has nothing to do with him or anyone else anyways.

“What brings you onto our land?”

The black-haired man looks at Nick up and down before answering, “We actually came to see you.”

Nick raises a questioning eyebrow.

“You are the alpha of this pack, right?”

“Yes.” Nick answers straight forward as the man observes the others gathering closer to Nick.

“And I’m assuming the other alphas surrounding us, must be your brothers.”

Maxim takes a step forward. “You seem to know a lot about us.”

He smirks. “Who wouldn’t? The reputation of the Zokolov brothers is renowned. Though, I never thought I’d have the pleasure to meet you all at once, let alone fight alongside you.”

“You aren’t rogues.” Nick interrupts. “You carry the spirit of an Alpha.”

He nods.

“So why have you come?” Nick questions again?

“One of the reasons was to warn you about……..this.” He says with a scowl pointing at the dead rogues. “It would be better to speak about this in private. Perhaps we could trade on information regarding this.”

“You’ve seen this before then.” Nick says matter-of-factly.

“Yes. Somewhat similar. But…….” He sighs. “with the recent number of attacks increasing, the war is closer than we could imagine.”

“War?” Whispers rub through the forest.

Nick and his brothers however, are giving each other knowing looks. Their father always talked about a coming war, - a war they need to be prepared for as it may happen at any time.

“We’ll definitely need to talk then.” Nick sighs. “I’m Alpha Nicholas by the way.” He extends his hand.

“Of course. Alpha Nicholas of the Shadow Moon Pack.” He returns a strong handshake. He points towards his blonde-haired companion. “That is one of our best warriors, Jason. This rare sight,” he points to the curly haired man next to him, “is one of my closest friends, Mike. And I’m Alpha Blake of the Mountain Claw pack.”

“Mountain Claw? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.” Nick says.

“I’m not surprised.” Blake smirks. “We’re pretty far out from most packs, -further up North.”

“And yet you came all this way to give a warning, - and more.” Nick says as he remembers there is another reason they came. He gestures for them to follow along. “Come with us.”