Twenty-Five-That wasn’t supposed to happen

As soon as breakfast was done, Rafe was back at SecCon watching the footage. It seemed they weren’t in a hurry to break camp. Every four hours they would send two runners out to do recon. He noticed the humans gearing up. And knows that the battle is a go.

He sits bolt upright in his chair watching two men arguing in the middle of camp. He realized it’s the two Alphas at the same time Beaumont punches Armand in the face. Well..that was interesting.

Andrea was just finishing off in the last bunker and sent Madi to tell her sister goodbye before locking down the bunkers. Maggie finished up making snacks for the warriors to pack for the battle. They food would be kept back from the frontline as well as the medical tent. She has checked and rechecked everything..making sure her people would be fed and had something hot to drink. As well as being able to handle all triage…thus ensuring everyone would be as safe as possible. She takes herself over to look for Rafe and she found him in armaments.

He is arming our snipers so he can get them moved into position. They are to take as many humans out as they see. Andrea has finished packing their backpacks with not just ammo, but bottled water and snacks as well. They all know their position and will head out as soon as Rafe gives the word. The enemy is almost two hours away so once they start moving out, we will get our people to their posts. Rafe turned to her and said “let’s run! Adira and Baron need some time. She agreed! So they stepped out of the armaments building and stripped and shifted…heading for their waterfall. They laid at the water’s edge and he linked her..”worried, baby?” She shook her head. And said anxious.

Then she looked at him and said “and angry! How dare they endanger our people when they have bothered no one! Our pups are scared…their mother’s are worried. And I am fucking furious!” He laughed in that deep husky voice that only Baron can achieve and said “Let me help you relax” and Andrea receded to the cottage for some hot tea and a chat with Starla.

They arrived back at the packhouse for a warm lunch and a cup of Maggie’s hot chocolate. Madi said her sister was brought to the showers and given some warm clothes to wear on the flight. Everyone was under Alpha Command to not tell her she was leaving tonight..but, in all honesty, it is the only way to save her life. Andrea mumbled I would glamour her and lead her off a cliff, but that’s just me. Rafe busted out laughing and Damon said tell us how you really feel. Everybody laughed and just like that, all the tension dissipated.

Gideon linked Rafe to let him know the hunters were on the move moving at the treeline and trying to stay out of sight. Rafe linked him back to stay on surveillance and he would be there shortly. Rafe looks at his inner circle and said the hunters are moving out. Andrea said “why aren’t they waiting to move with the group?” And Jax said “ They are traveling on foot..and they can’t move as fast as a shifter. They know it and we know it” and Andrea mumbles can’t hang with the big dogs stay your ass on the porch! And Gavin laughed “Literally!”

Jax, Rafe and Andrea were back in SecCon watching monitors. The first humans were about 5 meters out from the border and set to climbing trees. Andrea felt hot all over. She has never felt such fury. She gritted out “Those fuckers are mine!” Rafe tried to calm her down but she was livid. She was pacing back and forth fighting herself to not run to the border right now and kill them all. Rafe wrapped her up in his arms and sat down with her in his lap. She curled into him and disappeared. Jax laughed and said “that never gets old! Now you see her..now you don’t “

Rafe laughed and said “she was tired. She was getting cranky and this is the quickest way to quiet her thoughts. Pixies live in hovels carved from a tree trunk. It’s a very small cosy place that shuts the world out. When she gets like this, it’s best to make the world go away. It works for us.” He shrugs. Jax said “ how do you know so much about Pixies? We didn’t even know they still existed a six weeks ago.” Rafe said “a thousand late night talks..a couple walks through each other’s minds. You pick up a few things”

Damon asks “a walk through each other’s mind??” Rafe says “yeah bro! It is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. She has this entire imaginary environment where Starla and Adira live. There’s a cottage and a garden..so Starla can grow her own fruit and vegetables. There’s a cave and a spring fed warerfall. Adira has all the game she can hunt and shares her kill with Starla. They have a clock like ours and run through a daily cycle.. and they have seasons like us! It’s amazing and I fell in love when I saw it. Then she visited Baron at his home and promptly reamed my ass for not realizing Baron needs more than a forest and midnight on a full moon!” Gavin said “her mind is fascinating but I wouldn’t wanna live there” And they all laughed.

She sat up and stretched, yawning great big and Rafe says better baby? She nods and says “I’m sorry y’all..but I’m still going to fuck those hunters up. Starla has an idea” Before Rafe could ask about it, Gideon said “enemy on the move” Rafe looked at the monitors and laughed. “They aren’t even breaking camp. Figure they’ll be back” Andrea says “Oh no..did they bank the fires, at least? Are we going to have to go put them out after we kill everyone?” They all laugh and Rafe says “the way your brain works!” And they laugh again.

Rafe bellowed “Warriors! To your posts!” As he shifted Baron roared through the link “Ready your wolves, lads! Something wicked this way comes” and howls went up across the packlands.

Andrea and Gavin ran to the bunkers and slammed doors shut..setting the first timers for eight hours. Everyone who couldn’t fight were now sitting tight for the next 8 hours, at least. She shoved her katana in the sheath on her back and swung her cloak over her head. She would stay human unless a shift became necessary. She and Gavin jumped in the truck..well, he jumped…she climbed..and they took off for the triage camp.

She barreled out of the truck and ran to the border looking for Rafe. He stood tall. Taller than anyone else and her heart melted at the stunning sight of him..the sun setting behind him and the first hints of dusk in the sky. She looked behind her and saw the moon just cresting the horizon in the east! She sent us a silent prayer to the Goddess and walked to Rafe.

As soon as she stepped in the open a shot kicked up dirt at her feet. Rafe spun in the direction the shot came from and couldn’t see the shooter. He turned back around to make sure Andrea was okay, only to see her cloak clothes and weapons on the ground. He spun a 360 and spotted a dimmed lavender light a little ways in the distance. He linked her and said “baby..what are you doing?” She came back with “taking care of business.”

He roared at Gideon to keep Luna in the drone’s line of sight. He watched as her little light trailing glitter zipped in and out of the tree tops dropping pixie dust as she went. Within a half hour she was back to her magnificent height and redressed. Soon enough they heard “what the fuck is that?” “ did you hear that?” “Get it away” “where am I?” “Make it stop”.and screams!

Grown men..screaming and falling out of trees. They watched and waited to see if the hunters would charge the border. All of a sudden a man stepped from the treeline with an automatic rifle and started firing in a circle. When he turned the gun on himself and fired, there were 15 dead hunters at his feet. Andrea looked at Rafe..eyes wide and said “that wasn’t supposed to happen” and Jax fell on the ground laughing.