Fight for Me

After the attack, Nicholas had everyone prepare to leave at once.

Their location had been revealed, and this isn’t even a taste of what is to come. His father had just sent his lap dogs after them. Far worse is coming, especially now that his father has support from witches and the vampires.

They have already been travelling for a day and a half, finally stopping to make camp. Moving an army as large as theirs, it will take time to get to their desired destination.

So far, everyone has found no trouble becoming acquainted with one another, building friendships among shifters, rogues and some of the witches there. Everyone, except Nicholas. He couldn’t really be bothered. It’s not that he’s trying to be rude, but he can’t force himself to pretend to like small talk and strangers when all he can think about is stopping this bloody war, killing his father, and being with Layla stress-free.

The night seemed almost peaceful as Nick heard the gentle noise of the camp fires crackling and soft conversations sounding through the forest. Nick almost managed to embrace the calmness of it all before he felt a headache as someone screamed through his mind-link.

Nicholas! NICHOLAS!

He jumps up at the sound, looking for Anthony and the source of his desperation.

A quick sniff in the air as him running, shortly after a loud scream is heard through the forest. One of pain and fear. A scream he has never heard before, but made from a voice too familiar to him. He pushes himself forward to the small crowd forming hearing a ferocious growl from its centre.

He comes to sudden stop at seeing his brother, Maxim, hunched over, on all fours. His hands and feet digging into the ground, his eyes rabid and saliva dripping from his mouth. He growls and snaps at everyone in the growing circle.

Realization dawns on him as Maxim’s body contorts, as if struggling and stuck halfway through his shift. – He’s going berserk.

“Fuck! How could this happen? FUCK!” Tristan swears as he paces in front of the retreating crowd.

“Maxim.” Anthony tries reaching out to his crazed brother who seems ready to attack anything in his path as his fingers morph into elongated claws. “Maxim, what did you do?” He looks at the bloody body behind Maxim.

But Maxim releases a monstrous growl through clenched teeth, making blood drip from his mouth.

He’s trying to stop himself from shifting. Nick thinks to himself.

Nick can see the desperate look on his brother’s face and knows why. Lying just behind him is the bloody body of Abby. Eyes open, throat ripped out and blood covering every inch of her.

Brother.

Nick can hear the faint but painful mumble of Maxim’s voice through their link.

The crowd retreats, fearing what they’re seeing. – An alpha having gone berserk in the middle of their camp. Will they face another attack and bloodshed again, so soon.

Brother. Do it.

He can hear the heartache and desperation in his voice. The tears coming down his face definitely does not go unnoticed.

Nick clenches his fists, not at all eager to answer his brother’s plea. But he knows he must, because he’s the only one that can. Most likely the reason why Maxim is asking him.

Bro-aAaarrggh!!!!

Maxim’s hind leg shifts and he screams in pain as his jaw forcefully morphs into a snout. The crowd gasps from the sight, but all fall silent when they hear the sudden snap of Maxim’s neck breaking.

Anthony and Tristan stare as Nicholas holds onto the limp body of their brother, his features finally returning to normal.

“Nicholas?” Tristan says in disbelief as Anthony falls to his knees, still in shock of what he just witnessed.

“How could this be? He couldn’t have been infected. He made sure none of his pack took any food or water from the towns’ direct supply.” Tyler steps forward trying to block his alpha from some of the lingering eyes.

But a single woman tries to step past him and hands grab each of her wrists, stopping her in her spot. One hand belonging to an angry Tyler, and the other belonging to an even angrier Arem.

“May I.” Melissa says in the most gentle voice.

But Tyler looks at her suspiciously.

“I may know how he was infected.” Her response is followed by angry growls as the brothers look up at Melissa.

Tyler releases her wrist and lets her step forward, giving the bear following her a warning look. She kneels in front of Maxim’s limp body still being held by a silent Nick.

She pulls the bloody bandage from Maxim’s arm, displaying the black veins spreading from the bite that still hasn’t healed.

Nick growls at the sight and Melissa feels the urge to explain her suspicions.

“He was bit in the attack. He complained about the pain and I gave him something for it. I wanted to stitch up his wound because it wasn’t healing fast enough. But he assured me he was fine and that he would call me if he needed something for the pain.” She starts whimpering, feeling guilty for what had happened to him.

“So, you knew something was wrong with him?” Tyler asks accusingly, getting a deep growl from Arem.

“No.” She whimpers. “Earlier tonight,….” She looks at the bloody body behind them. “Luna Abby came to me to ask for pain killers for him. She said he was too proud to ask for anything. I asked if it was anything serious, but she said she just wanted him to relax and get some sleep.”

“You should have told us.” Anthony shouts, still looking at his dead brother.

“Stop it, Anthony.” Tristan grips his kneeling brother’s shoulder. “We know how stubborn Maxim could get. She just tried to help. It’s not her fault.”

“The bite of a berserk did not always infect others.” Nicholas finally speaks, hoping someone would be able to elaborate on his statement.

“It could be mutating.” Melissa speaks up.

“The wolves are mutating?” Tristan asks as everyone gives her confused looks.

“No. The infection. It’s like a virus. There is no reason for it not to mutate.”

“Great. Now we have to fight a mutating virus as well.”

“Are there any more surprises we should be aware of before we go in with just our claws out?” Kesh Lan steps forward and asks Melissa with a bowed head, as if she may hold the answer to his question as well.

“As far as I’m aware, a specific virus like this one does not easily cross species.” She eagerly answers, always willing to put her knowledge to good use. But with more silence, she further elaborates. “In other words, a berserk wolf can only pass the virus onto another werewolf-shifter.”

“And,……what if it mutates again?”

“There is no way of telling. It can either be engineered differently in a lab, or it can happen naturally. But both takes time. It’s just the virus’ way of trying to survive.”

“He will regret his existence.” A whisper says.

“Nicholas?” Tyler asked worryingly.

But Nick just shakes his head, still looking at Maxim’s dull face. “I was just going to kill him, but now,……I’ll make him eat his wretched heart.”

Nick looks at Abby's bloody state and looks at Tyler with a brief nod. As Nick stands up with Maxim’s limp body, Tyler walks over to pick Abby’s body up and they walk off.

That night, Nick burned the bodies of his big brother and sister-in-law, immediately packed up camp and marched towards his father and his own army.

Nick was already ready to bring the fight to him, but he’s livid with himself for ever thinking that he should have done it fairly. He will show his father what a true monster he can truly be.