Fight for Me

The four wolf council members walk into the town, tall, proud and unwavering. But the second they do, they notice wolf-shifters, -warriors, making themselves known.

They stop in their tracks and gawk at the shifters, demanding the respect they ought to receive.

Ruhan growls loudly, releasing the potent and threatening aura of his wolf, reminding everyone of his reputation as a fearsome alpha. But he lunges at the nearest shifter and rips out his throat before he could retreat. Sprayed in blood, Ruhan looks again through the crowds of shifters, as if ready to pick his next victim.

The air fills with a deafening silence as the shifters all slowly, but hesitantly bow their heads and step back, giving way for the council members to walk through the town.

“Why does it seem these shifters don’t fight for us?” Braham remarks as he walks alongside them with his cane.

Ruhan grunts out annoyed. “Even if that’s the case, we have far more loyal followers who are greater in number and in power. Erickson has always been cautious with us, and for good reason. He is one man. A couple of packs on his side is a grain of sand compared to ours.”

They walk through the town, its roads littered and in disarray, and the stench of blood thick in the air. The buildings and houses are in ruin, if not burnt to a crisp. The moonlight serves as the only light to guide them, but they can sense eyes on them, hiding far out in the woods. As the men walk closer to the only house with lights on, standing on a hill, they all sigh, as if fearing something inevitable.

“More blood will be spilled tonight. I can feel it.” Ruhan says as he stares at his bloody, but itching hands.

“Enough already, Ruhan.” Victor scolds. “We need to make our alliance work. For the sake of our survival, we will need everyone.”

“Enough hesitation.” Morik steps between them. “Let’s get this over with.”

But just as they all turn to make their way up the hill, something drops from the trees and softly lands in front of them.

“You mustn’t.” The crouching woman warns as she stands up to face them all.

They all stare at the woman, who not only managed to sneak up on them, but also dares to stand in their way.

“What do you mean?” Morik asks.

“Who are you?” Braham demands, pointing his cane threateningly at her.

But her attention remains on only one of them. -Morik.

Ruhan continues to stare at her blue eyes. And seeing how the moon lights them up, and the breeze clears her face from her raven hair, recognition hits him like ice water.

“You.” He grunts out as he approaches her. But she stands still, showing no fear, which just fuels his wolf’s anger.

But before he can reach her, Morik steps between them.

“Move!” He demands. But Morik remains firm. “I said move. She is the assassin. The Ghost Killer.”

The other two huff in surprise, though Morik remains stoic.

Ruhan’s gaze shifts between the two. “You knew.” He points at Morik’s face. “It’s you. You’re the traitor.”

“I am no traitor, Ruhan.”

“Then what the hell is this? Or did you forget, that she killed Aleks.” He seethes, thinking back to their fifth council member.

“I will explain. Just give me time.”

“There is no time.” Layla interrupts. “I just came to warn you. This is a trap, Morik. You must leave if you want to live.”

“And what would you know?” Victor says in anger. “You underestimate us, human.”

Though Layla just blankly stares at him before giving her focus to Morik again. “You know you can’t trust anyone. Not even them.” She briefly glances at the men behind Morik.

“How dare you!” Ruhan shouts as he reaches out to her.

But Morik pushes her out of the way as he grabs Ruhan’s arm. They all stand frozen in place as they stare at Morik in disbelief.

Morik huffs out in surrender. “She is my witness. She’s the one that has been warning me about the coming issues.”

“What!?” Victor questions. “You’ve been taking advice from a human? From someone that’s been killing our own kind?”

“Aleks was never innocent. You all knew of his temper and his mischief.” Morik defends her.

“Why would she help you?” Ruhan asks. “What did you promise her? Huh!”

“……Information.”

“Damn you!” Ruhan shouts as he shoves Morik. “You’re the one that has been feeding the assassin information about us. That is treason!”

“It is not! Whatever I have done was for the safety of our kind. Even if it meant killing wolf-shifters who threaten us.”

“I don’t have time for this.” Layla interrupts. “Stay if you want to. But I can’t. I have to warn Nick.” She ends off in a whisper.

But just as she turns to make a run for it, they notice shifters moving out of the shadows and surrounding them.

Layla tries fleeing through their gaps, but one shifter manages to grab her from behind in a tight hold. She barely screams in anger when she suddenly feels a gag quickly being tightened around her mouth, and ultimately silencing her screams.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Ruhan demands in a loud roar.

But none of them say anything as they continue to close in on them.

“They are just escorting my guests to me.”

They all look up the hill, from where the deep, ominous voice sounds.

“We are members of the wolf council, Erickson.” Morik says sternly. “Threatening us will result in your death.”

But he just snickers. “I’m not threatening you. After all, I’ve already pledged my allegiance. My men are as much yours, right?”

“Then stand down.” Ruhan demands, as he looks at the shifters surrounding them.

They hesitate, but after a brief glance at Erickson, and his gentle nod, they do just as was asked.

“Follow me.” Erickson says as he turns and leads the way for the council members.

They slowly follow behind him, as a struggling Layla is being dragged up as well.

They enter the archaic wooden house, and stand in an empty room, with just one seat visible at the far end of the room, near the burning fireplace. The high roof making the room seem far larger.

Erickson makes his way to the leather wing chair and sits, looking back at the council as if they were being sentenced.

“Get up, Erickson.” Morik demands. “You will respect us as your council.”

Erickson slowly gets up from the chair with a huge grin. “Oh forgive me. Where are my manners.” He walks around and stands behind the chair. “As you can see, not much remained intact in this town, let alone this house. You’re welcome to all sit on the floor. Or would the four of you prefer sharing this chair?”

The four of them look at each other, aware of the ominous aura in the air.

“We know what you are doing, Erickson.” Morik states, ignoring Erickson’s confused look. “We demand a blood oath.”

The room is quiet, with nothing heard but the crackling of burning wood. But it breaks with Erickson’s sudden loud laughter, seeming to confuse everyone in the room.

“A blood oath? Are you insulting me right now?”

“The council greatly values your allegiance, but considering everything, it is not enough,……anymore.” Morik says.

“We are in the middle of a war, and you dare risk making an enemy out of me?”

“Stop stalling. The least you could do is to admit.”

“Admit what?.......Are you accusing me of something? Infront of my own men?”

“Our men.” Morik reminds him. “We will not detain you without the necessary evidence or confession.”

“You speak as if you have already decided my fate.”

“I’m giving you a chance to be honourable for once in your life, old friend.”

He huffs out sarcastically as he sees the concerned looks of his people in the room.

“You want the truth.” Erickson says as he looks up.

Following his gaze, the council finally see the people standing on the balcony above them, watching them. Their eyes widen as their senses finally get past the fading mint scent masking everyone’s identities.

Layla’s eyes too widen as she sees not one, but two very familiar faces. There stands Melinda, holding a boy tightly against her side. A boy she thinks might be the very same one that came with the witch elder to the council’s meeting that night. And standing not that far from them is Sebastian. The vampire she met some time ago when he trespassed onto Nick’s pack-lands. And standing next to him is a beautiful woman who looks regal in both attire and attitude.

“Then you shall listen to all of it.” Erickson says, getting their attention back to him.

“You have brought vampires and witches in our business.” Braham shouts.

“Don’t sound so shocked. Not when you know there are vampires and witches who have sided with us against the hunters, -the humans.”

“That’s for the battlefields. Not for our meetings.” Braham responds.

“Aaagghh. Meetings, meetings. That’s all you ever do. If we’re going to work together, we might as well do it properly.”

“So let me guess.” Morik steps forward as he looks around at everyone present. “It seems we as the council are the last to know of what’s really going on.”

“Well,…not really.” Erickson glances at Victor with a gentle smirk.

“I had my suspicions of you.” Morik sneers as he glares at a quiet Victor.

“Nothing of what we’re doing is wrong. At least just listen.” Victor defends himself.

“We? How long have you known about this?” Ruhan yells as he grabs Victor by the throat.

Though, Victor growls out loud as he roughly shoves Ruhan off of him, and getting ready to attack.

“Enough, you two.” Morik steps between them, blocking their wolves’ view of each other, and the target of their anger. “You will explain yourself, Erickson. Now.” He demands with his wolf’s alpha command.

Erickson’s smile waivers as his face visibly creeps up with annoyance. He walks around the chair, and slowly sits in it as he stares at Morik.

“I created the toxins for turning supernaturals into berserkers.”

They all, aside from Victor, gasp in shock. But before any of them could say anything, Erickson raises a finger to silence them, as he continues.

“I’ve lived on this earth for almost a couple of centuries, and in that short time of a lifetime, I could already see everyone’s inevitable fates. - Our end. We are creatures with unfathomable and dangerous powers, and yet we forced ourselves to intermingle, and to adapt to a so-called peaceful life together. And now, vampires are struggling to turn others, witches are losing their powers, and wolves are being born with weaker wolf-spirits. We have become docile. We have broken the food chain. And now we are slowly losing the very power that makes us who we are.”

“….And how are the toxins supposed to make this any better?” Morik questions.

“We are supernatural creatures, Morik. We do not exist for peace. We need a threat to fight for our survival. Or else, we’ll become redundant.”

“You-,…you’re the one that’s been funding the hunters for their prisons and experiments. Do you have any idea what you have done?”

“I have given us purpose again.”

“These toxins are complex and unstable. We do not know what effects they might have on us in the long run. You might have just started the annihilation of us all.”

“But if we all fight together, starting now, we still stand a chance to beat it.”

“You have made a decision that will change everyone’s fate, that you will never be able to take back. Why must you always crave blood and violence?”

“I crave survival. I will not live and die a life meant for a helpless child. Honour awaits me, even at my death. Which will not be anytime soon.”

“There is only so much power you can get your hands on. You will never be Alpha King.”

Erickson sneers at him. “My power grows by the day. Even now, you have brought me the one thing I have been searching for, for decades.”

“What are you tal-“

Though, Morik’s words get cut short as Erickson signals his men to step forth. And to his confusion, he sees two men dragging a struggling and mumbling Layla towards Erickson. But what is new, are the metal chains around her wrists and encasing her hands shut.

“There is no use struggling. I have taken the necessary precautions to avoid your curses. My beautiful Celestial.”

Gasps and murmers sound around the entire room, making it clear no one knew nor believes his words.

“She is a human, Erickson. Can you not smell it? What is this nonsense of Celestials?”

“Celestials have gone extinct for thousands of years. We all know this. Our forefathers slaughtered all of them.” Braham adds on.

Though, Erickson just continues to smile at Layla. “And yet, here stands one, right in front of me. Have you ever considered that the reason Celestials were so good at hiding among the humans, was because they had no specific scent? Not like us supernaturals. Perhaps, because they are something else. Something very different. Almost godly.” He says as he slowly, but gently moves her hair from her face and caresses her cheek.

“She is just a child, Erickson.” Morik shouts, hoping to get his attention off of Layla. “You are delusional. Do not dare make her part of your torture experiments, just to feed your boredom and curiosity.”

Erickson laughs as he finally lets go of her face. “She is no child, and certainly not innocent. She’s a murderer, a fighter, a survivor. I’m almost proud to call her my son’s mate.”

“Wha-“

“It does not matter whether you believe me or not. What matters is whether you are joining my fight or not.”

“Your fight?” Ruhan questions with much disdain in his voice.

“If you were as smart as Morik, you would have also realized by now that the wolf council is no more." Erickson pauses, waiting for the information to sink in. "The power you had for all these years was granted by me, by my patience and tolerance of you. I never stepped down from my claim as the Alpha King. I merely postponed it. So, if you want me to grant you your pathetic lives, you will fight for me, or else you will die.”

Ruhan looks around the room and the serious expressions, as he realizes that everyone surrounding them are already aware and agrees with this dark and ominous path.

The wooden floor creeks as Braham takes a step forward with the aid of his cane. They all look at him, curious and worried for his response.

“I see no humans here. Are they not part of your army?” Braham asks Erickson.

“I have hunters. Though, they are more like lap dogs. Just eager for an order and a chance to bite. It’s a waste explaining anything to them when they will most likely not live long enough to see the bigger picture.”

Braham slowly nods as if processing the information. “I understand……I will join your fight.”

“Are you serious, Braham?” Ruhan shouts, seeing Victor smiling at Braham and patting him on the back as if welcoming him to a brotherhood. “I thought we were your bothers. That we all believed in what we were representing and fighting for.”

“But we do not fight. It’s true what he says. All we do is hold meetings, discussing what not to do. I have felt the disintegration of old-age creeping into my body from doing nothing, but having to tolerate humans, just so we don’t scare them. We have aloud long enough for the humans to believe that they are in charge.”

Ruhan stares at him in shock and confusion, and turns his gaze to Morik.

“And you? You always knew something was brewing. You were always one step ahead of us in some way. Now that you know the truth, what will you decide?”

Morik looks back at Ruhan. “And what of you? Are you not tempted to release your blood-raged wolf, and spread your rage and violence onto every corner of this earth without a care of having to restrain yourself?”

Ruhan scrunches his brow, as he stares at Morik in confusion, as he always does. Never knowing what is truly on his mind.

“I will fight to my death to prevent anyone from doing that.” Ruhan responds.

“Then,…” He takes a step and turns, to face Ruhan. “Are you ready to face your death?”

Ruhan sees Morik straighten his shoulders and fisting his hands, as his wolf makes his presence known and eyes glaze with a golden colour. Ruhan holds his breath, silently begging that his trust in Morik won’t break his hope for this world.