[Off To War]

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Artem

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Just under a year after my son Julian graduated high school, in April, I received a summons from Trinity and Reece. Only this summons wasn’t to get me to come to their castle in Colorado. No, this time I was being summoned by them to go to the Fae compound.

Apparently, there was a war starting, and we were being called in as reinforcements. I had to set off with as many abled body fighters as I could. It was not the typical way that things were done for us shifters, but there was absolutely no time to waste.

I was going to be leaving with Aaron, since he was Fae, Dad, Kent, Toby, Morgan, Reed, Bailey, and four dozen other men and women from the pack. None of our mates were coming with us because they were staying home with all the children. And Doc was going with us, but not as a fighter, he was to be a medic in the field.

I knew that since I was going off to war, there was a chance that I might not come back. For that reason, I left my bracelet which tied my life to Star’s at home. I didn’t want to be wearing it if I was gravely injured.

I also took advantage of the night before we left. I was able to give my darling wife a night full of passion and love. I knew that I needed to be with her one last time just in case I never made it back. I wanted her and I both to feel that touch one last time. I wanted her to know how much I loved her, inside and out.

We flew out toward the compound the next day. The seats on the plane were completely filled with all supernaturals of different kinds. I saw Will among the others as we were waiting to board.

“A fight is ahead of us.” He said as he gripped my wrist and showed me his respect. I did the same in return as I spoke to him.

“That it is, my friend.” We had spent a lot of time together over the last year, and our boys were even living together as they attended college. He was family to me now.

“I hope we all make it back safe.”

That was another thing that had me worried. It wasn’t just me that might not return, but everyone in my pack that was coming with me. There were so many families, so many lives that could be ruined with this battle we were heading off to; however, there was no way any of us could have refused to go.

When we landed, there were several large military-looking vehicles that were painted all black, which were waiting to take us all to the compound in one large caravan. We piled in and sat patiently waiting for them to deliver us to where we needed to go.

We were divided into regiments and addressed by the two Queens. There had been more than a little strife that had caused major discord within the Fae community. There was a powerful enemy that was trying to seize control.

Apparently, the enemy wouldn’t be a problem under normal circumstances. However, this particular enemy had garnered the support of all the dark Fae that had been banished centuries ago.

It was these dark Fae, and the monsters that they could call upon, that we were to fight against. There were shifters, magic users, vampires, and Fae all banding together for this fight.

“Thank you all for responding to this summons so quickly.” Trinity started to address us before anyone else since she was the Queen to most of those standing before her. “This is a dire time that we find ourselves in. I have called you all here to lend aid to the Fae. They are our friends and allies, and they need our assistance. This will not be an easy mission that we are embarking on, but I am confident that we will succeed.”

From there, Trinity and Queen Gloriana went on to explain where the battle was to take place, how we were going to get there, and what we were expected to do when we arrived.

I didn’t know what type of monsters to expect during this battle but we would do what we needed to complete this mission and return home as soon as we possibly could. 

We were teleported to a place that looked as if it were in Ireland, but was supposedly still within the confines of the Fae realm. This was what the entrance to the land of the Dark Fae looked like. And since the Fae realm used to be located in Ireland this place still looked like its former home.

Almost as soon as we got to the Dark Fae entrance, all hell broke loose. It was as if they were waiting for us. I hate to say that it was like an ambush, but that is exactly what it seemed like.

Hideously dark beasts started to pour from a crack in a large black boulder. There were winged beasts that looked like they were made of nothing but sludge and bones. Giant dinosaur looking beasts that had thick armored skin yet looked like they were mixed with animals such as elephants, crocodiles, whales, rhinos, and more. There were huge, monstrous serpents that were more than big enough to swallow any of us whole, two or three at a time even. And there were more that I just couldn’t think of the words to describe them.

We had all been given weapons to fight with, but most of us didn’t use them. Most of the shifters were more comfortable fighting in our animal forms than anything else so we shifted and did what came natural to us.

I used my claws and teeth to rip apart the beasts that came before me. When I fought like this, I typically went into what I called a berserker mode. The longer that I fought, the more enemies that I faced, the stronger that I became.

I was tearing through a line of monsters one after another. I had lost sight of everyone that was in my regimen as I just went about my business. I tried my best to be the wolf they needed me to be. I was fighting for my Queen, and both of Star’s Queens. That meant that this was a battle that I felt passionately about, and I was pouring every ounce of my strength into it.

I tore a snake’s head from its body. I ripped the bones out of the sludge monsters. I dismantled the armor of those dino freaks and destroyed what was underneath them.

As chaotic as this scene had appeared to begin with, there weren’t many casualties on our side. I didn’t think that there was any just yet.

That was until the Fae who controlled those beasts showed up. We needed to destroy them, or the monsters would never stop. 

We regrouped once the Fae actually showed up. My men and I formed two groups to attack with. Morgan, Kent, and I banded together while Toby, Reed, and Bailey formed another team.

We started to attack the Fae together. We didn’t want to get cocky so all six were attacking one Fae at a time. One group drawing the magic attacks while the other attacked the caster of said magic.

That approach was working well for a while, but after about eight Fae had been eliminated Morgan was hit with a spell. We don’t know what it was that the spell was supposed to have done, but he stopped moving immediately.

“We need help over here.” I called as I shifted back to my human form to check on Morgan. Doc came up immediately and told me that he had it under control and to get back to the fight.

After my friend had been hurt, I felt my anger intensify at least tenfold. I was pissed and someone needed to pay. I don’t remember what happened after that, but I was told that I single handedly took out another half a dozen Fae before that wave of the battle ended.

Morgan didn’t make it. The spell killed him instantly, and I felt that rip the heart right out of my chest. It was almost enough to ruin me. I had known him my entire life and now he was dead. The Dark Fae were going to pay.

The battle lasted several more days, but in the end, we won. That was good and all, but I now had to take Morgan’s lifeless body, along with six others from the pack, back home for their funerals. That was not a pleasant experience. I didn’t know what to tell Dakotah, I didn’t know what to tell the families of the others that had lost someone. I didn’t know any of it, but I would figure it out, one way or the other.. I was the Alpha, and that was my job.