noun ~ a great victory or achievement

POLLUX

As the snow settled, I saw Gaia holding down the cult leader with only one hand. I winced as I adjusted myself to try and get a better look, Nova's droopy head falling to my lap. I froze, holding my breath as she groaned. When she settled once more, I sighed in satisfaction, resting my hand on her shoulder.

Looking back towards the confrontation, Charlie's eyes were already focused on me. I gave him a brief nod, which he returned, before we both looked back towards the furious Alpha.

The air fell silent as everyone held their breath as they forced the man to remain on the ground. The snow surrounding the three of them started to melt away to reveal solid concrete. I shifted uncomfortably, the pain in my shoulder as it healed, causing too much discomfort to concentrate.

"Who are you?" I heard Phoenix growl.

The man sniggered. "You do not get my name."

Gaia sighed, shaking her head. "Why did you turn out this way?"

He rolled his eyes. "Probably because you never let me be my own person. You just left me to live with father because you thought I was a weak witch."

"You are a weak witch, Donovan." She snipped.

My eyes widened as I looked between the two. They had no similarities that I could see from here. Where he was tall, dark, and slender, Gaia was a short, plump woman with gorgeous caramel skin and greying brown hair.

"I am not weak!" He growled. "You never trained me! You just sent me away!"

This was an interesting family reunion.

"You bedded another man who is not your mate to have my insolent, pathetic sister." He continued. "You even raised that Lycan runt over me! You were only meant to give him to someone, not raise him!"

"You do not get to speak of Raven in such awful light. She wanted nothing but good things for people and just had difficulty showing her emotions." Gaia hissed, increasing her force on his shoulder. "And you know witches do not feel the mate bond like that! After ten years, I moved on!"

Donovan scoffed, shaking his head despite the pain I could see she was causing. His body had started to tremble, but he forced himself to sit upright, not falling victim to it.

"Well, I got rid of that problem, didn't I?" He chuckled. "She was weak, you all are. A single species should not have all the power. Even the Lycan female could not keep herself from becoming vulnerable, rather pathetic creature she is. I must say, though, Alpha, congratulations on your new parentage."

Phoenix didn't waste a second, his fist flying as he threw a force into the man's face. Donovan's head span, spit and blood spewing from his mouth at the impact. His hands fell to the ground, and Phoenix did not retaliate further. His dark eyes turned to Gaia, a sternness that had me cringe.

"Lock his powers. He is cannot leave this place." Phoenix growled.

Gaia was frowning, but she nodded. As she mumbled some enchantment, her son struggled, trying to move away from her grip. I watched with fascination as his shoulders slumped and some glowing white cuffs appeared on his wrists. He frowned; eyes hard as he glared down at them.

Gaia released him slowly, taking a step back. "He cannot use his magic... what little he has."

I smirked at her insult, as Donovan scoffed at her. She turned to Phoenix, her jaw clenching as he nodded his head. With a stiff bow, she walked away. I wondered what she was doing for a moment, but I soon became distracted as Phoenix launched himself at Donovan.

The dark man stood in the small circle of melted snow, snarling as he raised his hands to force Phoenix away. As he swung one way, Phoenix counteracted and went the other. He tried to run, only to have Phoenix catch him by the shoulder and slam him to the ground. The noise of his back making contact with the cement had me wincing.

Phoenix's arm drew back, the muscles on his shoulders rippling as he ploughed his fist into Donovan's face. One hand held him to the ground as the offending arm drew blood. Donovan was groaning, arms flying as he tried to fight back.

Swallowing, I looked away from the gore as Charlie soon joined in. I searched for Gaia, finding her stood off to the side. I frowned when she sighed heavily, suddenly collapsing to her knees beside a deep trench of snow.

My breath hitched as she began to whimper, her arms fretting over something in the snow. I was confused about what was causing it until she pulled a limp body from the trench, all my answers becoming clear. My heart ached for her, for the sorrow she must be feeling.

Gaia pulled her daughter from the snow, small hiccups leaving her lips as she cradled her head to her chest. She smoothed her dark hair from her face, the colour of her skin blending in with its surroundings. I swallowed down the emotions, the realisation that the girl I had trusted to be my sister growing up, was dead. Every day, every laugh we had as children, was now never to be made again.

Five deep claw marks resided in her chest, blood dried down her front and back. I felt tears brimming in my eyes as I saw my mother figure break down before us all. A female warrior approached her, a comforting hand on her back. I wish to join her, but I couldn't move without the pain, and I didn't want to jostle Nova.

There was so much death here, I could smell it in the air. The decay of souls as they fought for their leaders. It was barbaric. Both sides had lost innocent wolves, some corrupted into thinking that they were superior to natural hierarchy. Wolves needed hierarchy; we would not survive without it. It was natural, and we all accepted it. If you didn't, you became a rogue, simple as.

Vampires were our natural enemy. They were cold and ruthless, run by coven leaders. Each coven had their own rules, but each ran differently. For a vampire to 'go rogue' was not a bad thing, as some tended to not finding companionship or leadership so well. They were individual and always wanted to be on top of the food chain.

The sound of skin meeting skin filled in my senses, and I drifted my blurry gaze back to the Alpha. He was in a frenzy, his fists flying as he and Donovan fought. The once calculated Alpha had become almost frantic as they wrestled for the top spot. I was glad that at some point, whilst I was distracted with Gaia, he had put on some shorts because I was not interested in seeing my brother-in-mating's penis again.

With a pained cry, Donovan's head fell to the side, unmoving. His blood coated Phoenix's fists and arms. The stench of his anger was almost suffocating as he continued to claw into his prey. Charlie was calling to him, trying to get close to pull him off by the shoulders.

"Phoenix! Enough! If you kill him, it will be a waste!" He called.

Phoenix growled, pausing his next attempt of murdering Donovan. I mean, I would not complain if he did. That man had hurt Nova and created a war.

My hand clenched on her shoulder with the thought, and I looked back down at her. She was so strong to be here right now. Despite her weak body and mind, she had stayed alive and awake. She had fought for her survival, something incredibly difficult for someone like Nova. She didn't realise it, but she had accomplished so much.

I smiled softly as I recalled her just moments ago, being a true leader as she bossed me around. Sacrificing her consciousness and blood to save me. She was selfless, something I admired to be one day. I was glad to have met her, to have found her. I just wish that it came sooner. I understand Gaia's intentions. She was an oracle witch, after all. She only ever did things for good reason.

Snow crunching nearby had my gaze lifting, and I tensed, keeping my hold on my sister. There were still nearby enemies, being held down by our wolves. I counted six left earlier, but I wouldn't put it past them to attack when no one is prepared for it.

A shadow cast over me and I came face to face with the extremely bloodied, fuming Alpha. His tanned skin was drenched with it, splatters smeared up his jaw and ears. I swallowed as his eyes fell to me, his jaw set hard and eyes smouldering as he glared. I knew I was not the reason, but couldn't help feeling uncomfortable.

His eyes dropped to Nova in my lap, his nostrils flaring. Behind him, I saw Charlie poke at the unconscious form of Donovan before he walked through the battlefield to round up the remaining enemy. I counted five vampires, all of them being held back with claws locked around their throat.

"Alpha, what should we do with the prisoners?" Charlie wondered.

A small grumble sounded in Phoenix's chest, and he looked back at me. As he stared at me, he seemed to run a thousand thoughts through his mind. When he spoke, a dreaded chill ran down my spine at the deadliness that it held.

"Kill them." He commanded.

I flinched, dropping my eyes away from Phoenix to the warrior stood behind him. He bowed his head once, and the panicked gasps of the vampires behind him filled the air. His eyes stayed locked on Nova as the sound of their necks being snapped met my eyes. I felt sick to my stomach. The brutality of his mercy was something I was not comfortable with.

Phoenix closed his eyes, breathing deeply to calm down. I watched with fascination as his fists unclenched and his shoulders relaxed. He cleared his throat, and I looked back up at his face with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" He muttered.

I blinked, tilting my head. "Me?"

His eyes flickered to my bloodied top and shoulder before back to my face. He nodded once, the silence of his body language concerning.

I cleared my throat, rolling my sore shoulder to ease the cramp. "I'm okay."

He nodded again, eyes falling to his mate. His eyes flickered between the current black and a dark hazel as they trailed along her body. We bundled her warm, her body relaxed and at ease. His hands clenched again, his hesitance clear.

"She's okay." I murmured, fingers rubbing into her shoulder. "She must've been exhausted, didn't take long to pass out once we dressed her."

His mouth parted to speak, but no sound escaped. He shut it again, tongue licking nervously at his lips as he did so. He said nothing, but I knew what he meant.

He was worried, unsure, and unable to convey that in the right way.

"Just pick her up, dammit. Stop acting like a scorned puppy." Charlie scoffed, coming up to stand beside him. "Actually, wipe the blood from you or at least put a shirt on."

Phoenix growled at him, upper lip twitching. Charlie rolled his eyes, unaffected by the Alpha's display, as he handed him a shirt. Phoenix pulled it on begrudgingly, wiping his hands on Charlie's own shirt in return. Charlie's eyes narrowed at him childishly before he crossed his arms with a scoff.

Phoenix turned back to us, hesitant to move. He was so wary, it's like he thought he was going to break her.

"I know you don't know what to do, but you're gonna have to take her before my leg goes numb." I shrugged, feigning my injury.

He looked back at me, face full of thought once more. He cleared his throat and nodded, stepping closer. His hands sank beneath my sister, picking her up gently. Her underarm fell to his elbow, knees around his other forearm. She grumbled as he moved her, twitching in his grip.

I was almost laughing at the panic on his face. It was like someone holding a newborn baby for the first time. He pulled her close to him, her cheek pressed against his chest. He exhaled heavily, body relaxing, eyes locked on her. I wanted to look away, truly I did, but it shocked me when I saw the build of tears arrive in his eyes.

His head dipped, falling into her neck and hair. His hands clenched around her gently, arms shaking. He kissed her neck, her unconscious body shivering and snuggling closer to him. I dropped my eyes then, choosing to study the state of my clothes.

Blood caked my top and trousers, and my back was aching from the slouch I was in. I winced as I tried to pull myself more upright, wanting nothing more than to stretch or walk it off. Charlie's hand darted out to help me but I shook my head, pulling my torso forwards so I sat leaning over my knees.

I exhaled loudly, testing that I wasn't dizzy before looking up. My vision stayed steady, thankfully, and I looked across the battlefield in awe as the snow started to melt. Gaia stood to the side, eyes dry of tears as she hovered her arms in front of her. The snow melted at her command; a woman on a mission.

"Beta, we rounded all the bodies in this area up. The prisoner is secured." A warrior approached, bowing.

Charlie turned to him, nodding a thanks. He looked back to his Alpha, jaw set hard with determination. Behind him, I saw Donovan in a heap, the magic cuffs still on him, along with some silver chains on his feet and elbows. I had a feeling that those were for karma's sake.

"We ready to go?" Charlie wondered.

Phoenix's head rose from Nova's body, and he cleared his throat. If Charlie noticed the tears on his cheeks, he didn't comment, but I saw the way his face relaxed at the display of his best friend's emotions.

"Yes. Burn the bodies."

Charlie nodded before flicking his arm into the air. "You heard the Alpha."

There was the strike of fire before a piece of wood was set on fire. I peered around the Alpha's opposing figure to see an enormous pile of destroyed and decapitated bodies.

"What are you going to do about our deceased?" I wondered.

"I will transport them home." Gaia announced. "After I take you home."

"Are you sure? That is a lot of magic." Phoenix asked, to which she nodded.

I looked at her ashen face and frowned. Forcing myself to stand on shaky legs, I staggered my way over to her like a baby deer. She took on my weight as I fell against her, arms wrapping around her shoulders as hers rested on my waist.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered.

Her grip tightened on me, words failing us both as we stayed in each other's embrace. The smell of burning bodies hit my nose, which had me pull away from her as the warmth hit me in the face.

"You okay?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes, my hands staying on her shoulder. "I am. Are you?"

She shrugged. "No. But that's okay, I will be one day."

"You always have me." I tried.

She chuckled softly. "That I do."

I smiled sadly, rubbing her upper arm. "Time to go home?"

She sighed, nodding as she stepped away. I found my eyes widening as the lack of a something to hold on to made me sway. Ugh, blood loss was no joke. What an awful sensation.

I turned to make my way back to the alcove before I embarrassed myself by hitting the floor. I staggered just as someone's arm wrapped under my shoulders, my hands clutching onto their shoulder instinctively.

"Just pretend you love me." Charlie laughed.

I rolled my eyes as he supported my weight. "Thanks."

He shrugged, jostling me slightly, but I didn't mind. We exchanged no other words, as he allowed me to use him as a post. Gaia stood before the four of us, the remaining warriors circling us afterwards.

"Right. I can take three at a time. I will take Alpha, then Leo and Pollux, Beta I am assuming is staying behind. Then I will come back for... the prisoner." She explained. "The rest of you stay here to round up the deceased for me. I will take them home respectively."

The warriors cast a look at their Alpha, avoiding looking at their Luna, as they waited for his command. Phoenix stood straight, shoulders square as he narrowed his eyes at them. They had kept their gazes steady, as to not aggravate the beast.

"You heard her. Get to it." He nodded.

A chorus of "Yes, Alpha" filled the air as the warriors returned to their work. Phoenix glanced at us, giving us a nod before Gaia's hand covered his on Nova's body and transported them away.

I sighed heavily, leaning more on Charlie than I cared to admit. He shifted me slightly, walking me over to the alcove. My hand wrapped around the wood and I looked up at him in thanks.

"I've never seen him cry before." I commented.

Charlie shook his head. "He had a rough childhood. He struggles to show his emotions. It paralyses him with the fear that punishment will come after."

"There's a lot more to him than I thought." I frowned.

"Isn't there for everybody?" He shrugged.

I dropped my gaze from him in thought. He was true. After everything that has happened, after how much I travelled, I would have never expected so many kinds of people. Everyone has a face, one they don't show to the world. I trusted Phoenix with my sister now more than ever, because I truly knew he would let nothing happen to her or their baby.

******

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, finally on their way home!

Question of the Day:
Valentines, you doing anything today?
Me? Nothing lol went out to a play group with my kids and that was it haha

Next update is Wednesday of course

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