Chapter 23

This is one of the last few chapters of this novel, and I really hope that you all enjoy!

Don't be afraid to leave a comment on your thoughts!

Also I know that I said there were only a couple of chapters left, but I have seperated this chapter into three different parts. After that there will be one final chapter and possible a prologue of the next book.

Hope that you all enjoy and PLEASE leave a comment!

1Blossom

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Chapter 23

~Lucas~

It was finally the night of the full moon and the alpha battle. Our group of twenty-four members from the pack were standing in the middle of the large clearing where only an hour ago stood the newly transformed teenagers from the pack. Now we stood, waiting for Lucian to show up with his group of wolves before the battle.

“Do you know when he’ll show up?” Zach asked walking up to the right of Josiph and I. We were standing in the middle of the clearing, hand in hand waiting for Lucian to show up through the western side of the clearing. It had only been a couple of minutes since everyone parted, but it felt like hours since then.

“If he’s as serious about this battle as he claimed to be, then he’ll show up soon,” Josiph replied turning to Zach. “You do know that you’re not expected to be here, Zach right? I mean your son just found his mate during the phase. Everyone would understand if you went home to be with your family.”

Zach sighed before speaking. “I know I should be home celebrating the news with my family. We grew up together Josiph, and I'm not about to turn my back on you when you stuck up for me. You will always come first during situations like this.”

During the hour of transformation, Hunter was able to find his mate in Trista who was finally able to take her transformation after healing from a broken leg. The two of them then left after the pack run to go to Hunter's house where the two families would talk about the upcoming events. As tradition goes, Trista and Hunter are able to date, but mating is off limits until they reach the age of eighteen, but until that time a house would be built by the combining families to welcome the newest member into the family. Trista and Hunter would both have to understand that pack members will be watching out for the two of them until the age of eighteen.

Zach however was missing all of this important planning with his family to be here for Josiph during the alpha fight, and that in itself was a big sacrifice on Zach's part. He would expect a follow up conversation with his family about what went on, but other than that he would be missing out until the building of a house began.

Nodding, Josiph clapped his hand on Zach's left shoulder. “Thank you man,” he said with a genuine smile.

The three of us stood in the center of the clearing for another twenty minutes before the first scent of Lucian came to us. During this time Derek took a stand on the right of Josiph were only moments before Zach had been. They had switched places so fast that it would have been impossible to know that Zach had even stood next to Josiph. Still, instead of Zach, Derek stood beside us now. He stood with his legs, shoulder length apart, and his hands locked behind his back. He had no expression on his face, and just seemed to stare off into space in front of us.

“I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show up.” Josiph glared coldly to the wind, his face stern as he stared off to the west.

Around us I could see that everyone was staring off in the same direction, and though none of us could actually see Lucian himself through the branches, we all knew that he was there watching us. Actually, he was mostly watching Kiana who stood to the left of me with her arms crossed in front of her chest surrounded by a half dozen male wolves. She claimed to not need the protection, but Josiph didn't want to take any chances.

She wore a simple blue shirt and sweatpants with her red curly hair hanging down around her shoulders. To everyone around her things looked normal, but nothing was normal about Kiana during the full moon. The main one was that her hair wasn't even her real hair at the moment, and instead it was just a wig to cover up her actual hair color. The second one was that Kiana refused to turn into her wolf form during the pack run and instead just went back with Maggie to take care of the wounded children while everyone else ran. I followed behind her.

“Show up?” came a loud voice from just behind a thick tree at the front of the clearing. He was laughing as he spoke as if Josiph had said some sort of joke. “I wouldn't miss this for the world. After all I’m gaining more than just a pack here today,” the voice said, “am I not Kiana?”

Kiana said nothing and instead just stared directly at the tree where Lucian was hiding with his wolves.

We stood watching the tree lines for a few minutes before wolves came out one by one. The first wolf was a small red wolf who was no bigger than a border collie. It was obvious by just looking at the wolf that he had just recently transformed and had been forced to be here for the battle. It didn't even look as if the young wolf had been on his feet for more than two hours in wolf form.

The young wolf took a couple of uncertain steps tripping as he went, and watching us carefully before moving about a third of the way into the clearing and stopping. There he stood with his ears pulled back and listening for any of his companions to follow behind him. When nothing came at first I could see his face draw back, and he seemed worried about his surroundings, but that all changed when he heard the first signs of a tree branch breaking.

Two wolves walked out from the tree lines following the same path as the youngster. These two wolves were black and gray, and looked to be about twice the size of the first wolf. Both wolves had white paws, and the same dark blue eyes. These two wolves stopped just behind the young red wolf before sitting and watching us. Finally, came the three wolves who were with Lucian a week ago. They walked slowly seeming to want to prolong the fight before stopping just behind the other three in their group.

Lucian was the last wolf to come out from the tree line. He was in his human form and looked much bigger than he had a week ago. His arms were the size of Dwayne Johnson's thighs, and his chest looked to be one out of a magazine. He was huge, and so much bigger than before, and if estimations were anything to go by he was probably also stronger than all his men put together.

We are officially in some big shit, I thought squeezing Josiph's hand as I stared at Lucian.

Lucian seemed to notice, tilting his head to the side before smiling and walking toward us. His strides were long and within a couple of steps he caught up to his men and began pushing them out of his way to be in the front. “Can we get this over with? I have things to do,” Lucian said sounding bored, before stopping in the front and turning to Kiana, “and someone to claim.”

“Do you know the rules?” Josiph asked not even acknowledging Lucian's comments.

Rolling his eyes Lucian turned back to Josiph. “Well obviously I know the rules. If I didn't know the rules I wouldn't be here right now,” he said rudely.

“Does your wolves know the rules?” Josiph then asked, eyeing them all carefully.

Lucian turned around to look at his six wolves before turning back to Josiph. “They know the rules,” he said crossing his arms.

“Good. Still just to be safe,” Josiph said. “For all those watching, you need to know that if you get involved in the fight, your life will be cut short by the other pack. There will be no exceptions,” Josiph said turning to everyone in his own pack as he spoke before landing back on those from Lucian's pack. “Feel free to stop any member from getting involved in the fight by any means possible, but they’re not allowed to physically get involved in the battle.”

Around me I could see everyone nodding their understandings, accepting the rules. “There are only two ways for this battle to finish,” Josiph started off saying, “the first is if one alpha gives into the battle. This is far worse than an actual death in an alpha’s battle and his family will be a laughing stock for the rest of time. The second way for this battle to end is if one of the two, is to be killed during this battle.”

“Well you better get ready then because you won't be alive after tonight,” Lucian whispered, menacingly, only for the three of us to hear. I could see his eyes move down to our hands before he looked back up at us with a smile. “You might want to say goodbye to your boyfriend Lucas,” he said, laughing, “You won’t be seeing him anymore after tonight.”

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Sadly this chapter was a bit shorter than I actually wanted it to be. To be exact I wanted over 5,000 words for this chapter but instead only have about 1,600 words. I am so sorry for that, but still hope that you all enjoy the chapter.

Don't be afraid to leave a comment, and will try getting the next chapter up real soon. Only twenty days left before the beginning of the competition, and angellover254 has already started correcting the chapters. :) Love you sis!

One other thing, I just HAD to add Dwayne Johnson in the chapter, mostly for mk845suny. Love you babe!

1Blossom