The Beast And The Blessed by Ashley Breanne
Chapter 94
Natalie’s P.O.V.
The sound of wolves and other creatures trampling through the forest was oddly quiet. The muffled and skilled footsteps of warriors quickly covering the distance to the mountains felt like the timer of a bomb slowly ticking down to zero.
The humans would be driven in with the other witches, the medical equipment, and the healers later that night. But those that could run did.
A fleet of wolves and Lycans sprinted through the trees like a tidal wave, ready to take down anyone in its path. The council had teleported with Joselin and my mother to their positions to block Talia and her coven of witches from being alerted of our presence before we were ready for them to know of our arrival. The plan to siphon their magic from them had long been thrown away as it wouldn’t do enough damage to be impactful with our limited time. Instead, they masked the enemy, forcing them into a bubble to keep them blind to the outside world. We didn’t know how long it would hold, but we hoped it would last through our journey.
We would camp several miles south of them tonight while scouts surveyed the area. At sun-up, we would attack.
My white fur rubbed against Killian’s leg for only a moment as we ran before he moved away again. It was like he was working on a timer to brush against me or to have his knuckles touch my back or side every thirty minutes as if he wanted to confirm that I was still here with him and that I hadn’t fallen behind.
It was strangely quiet in the pack link. All of their emotions had been pushed down. Killian hadn’t entirely placed the wall like he did the last time he was here, but it still felt like there was a thick collection of water between us, muting everything.
I had tried not to focus on those around me. Still, every now and then, I would wonder which one of the wolves running amongst the thousands was my father and if I would even need to decide about meeting him when it was all over. We would both have to survive for that.
A poisonous, almost sour smell made me slow, and the pack followed suit. Killian let out a low guttural noise, and the surrounding Lycans responded in a sort. It was an odd way of communicating. Their primal beasts were talking instead of their humans through the link, and I was slightly jealous that I wouldn’t understand him.
I wondered if even he knew what he was saying or if it was just their animals communicating with each other.
‘No fires. Keep the noise down.’ Killian ordered through the pack link.
I watched with awe as the seasoned warriors began scouting a place to settle in for the night while the newcomers like myself stood around with discomfort.
I stood by Killian’s side, waiting for him to take the lead and choose where we would sleep. I had never run so far or fast in my fur before, and my legs were ready to shake.
With the large army and the fact that we had to run, it had taken all day to get here, and night had fallen hours ago. The good news was that we were now prepared. We could rest tonight and be better prepared to fight in the morning. I had to admit that I was relieved that we had an extra day before the battle. It was worrisome that we were so close to our enemies, having no idea how many there were. Still, I would be grateful for every hour our people had before they had to fight…before some of them would die.
Killian stood watch over his pack, and I could see in the way his eyes fogged over that he was giving orders through the pack link. I couldn’t expect him to comfort me today. He had to be a leader, and from what I had been told, he was a cold and empty beast when he entered a battle.
I sat a step behind him and to his left as I observed our people, taking in every face. It would be the first and last time I saw them for some.
Most of the pack was solemn and on alert, but those that had shifted and changed into the clothes they had around their leg, were laughing and quietly joking.
It was easy to see who had been in battle before, and it put me at ease knowing that they weren’t concerned. They had either accepted their fate or trusted their king to lead them to victory.
I scanned over a group of familiar barbarians. They wore their weapons with pride, and Charlie sat beside Damien as she chewed on a stick of dried meat with a smile as she chuckled with her team. I wondered what her life was like when she was on her adventures, but seeing her now, she seemed more comfortable than ever.
This is what she preferred.
A lone man was standing behind them but wasn’t watching the boisterous group. He was watching me. His dark brown hair was easy to see between the moonlight and the enhanced vision of my wolf, and I felt my heart drop as I saw the same green eyes that looked back at me in the mirror.
Could it be him?
I shook my head, looking away to find Killian’s beast breathing deeply as he glared from me to the man. Whatever he saw, he didn’t like. He moved quickly to stand between us, blocking me from the stranger’s line of sight.
The sneaking suspicion in the back of my head told me it wasn’t the last I would see of the man. But I knew it was too easy. Too good to be true.
My birth father didn’t even know about me. He would have no reason to come looking for me. I mentally kicked myself for letting my subconscious get the best of me. It wouldn’t be surprising if I had even hallucinated the man’s features, wanting to find my father.
I looked around Killian’s back, wanting to see the man again to confirm, but he was gone.
‘Do you know him?’ Killian growled in a voice far deeper than I had ever heard. He was unmoving as I began to look around, wanting to find a place to turn in for the night. I spotted a large tree only a few feet behind me and figured it had been left empty for us as I trotted toward it.
‘No, I was just wondering why he was staring at me.’ I muttered, not wanting to get into it and hoping he would understand that and let the subject drop. ‘It is curious. He tends to keep to his own pack, but they are all further down.’ Killian stepped in front of me, shifting into his full beast that dwarfed all the others, and lowered himself to the ground next to me.
He didn’t offer any more information, and I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to know. Not yet. Perhaps he was just some random wolf.
‘Maybe he just wanted to see my fur.’ I offered as Killian made himself comfortable. I placed my chin on my paws and sighed, content when he rested his neck and head over my side and back.
‘Perhaps.’ Killian lifted my fur twice before settling back down. ‘Get some rest, my love.’
I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to sleep despite my anxiety and fear about the morning. My eyes cracked open as a shiver went down my spine, and I looked up to see the same man from before leaning against a tree as he openly watched me.
I wanted to growl but didn’t want to wake up Killian. Whoever he was, I wanted him to walk away. If he didn’t, I would never get any sleep.
My lips pulled back, exposing my teeth in a silent threat. But it was pointless as Tobias stepped between us, standing closer to the man than he was to me, and let out a low growl.
Killian lifted his head from my back but lowered it back down when I curled mine against the side of his body.
It was hours of listening to the low murmur of voices. I even heard the vehicles pull up to drop off the humans, witches, and healers behind our army before I was able to fall asleep.
It was also only minutes later that I woke up to a loud explosion and opened my eyes to several of my pack burning alive as they were consumed by the fireball in their sleep.