Chapter 48: The Battle

Asher’s POV



I order the pack to form a single line beside Harper and me, allowing the members to huddle together for when the battle begins. Artemis orders his pack to do the same, and before long everyone is in attack mode, waiting for someone to make the first move.

“Any last words?” Artemis calls out to Harper.

“Yeah,” She replies, “F*ck you!”

I try to hold back a laugh but it’s impossible. Harper is so funny without even trying.

The comment appears to make Artemis angrier, because he lifts his hand in the air and shouts ‘Go!’ without a warning.

His pack lunges forward, shifting as they begin running towards us.

“Are you ready?” I ask Harper.

Without looking at me she says, “Not at all,” before shifting and running towards the enemy.

I watch her run away, her golden coat shining under the sun that has now appeared from behind the clouds. I can never get over how beautiful her coat is when she shifts, I’ve never seen a wolf like her. She’s stunning.

As members of the pack rush past me, I bring myself to reality and shift. As all the colors around me begin to change, I lunge forward, ready to attack whoever gets in my way first. It isn’t long before a small wolf with a black coat appears in front of me.

They're quick to take a leap at my neck, but I manage to dodge the attack. I go straight for the front legs because that will drop them quickly and allow me to continue forward. When I land a bite on the leg, the wolf drops in pain, yelping as I continue to move ahead.

Through the mass of bodies, I see Artemis standing on the deck watching the battle intently, never taking his eyes off Harper. He really is watching his back.

If Harper wasn’t so intent on destroying him herself, I would gladly make my way up there to rip him apart.


---------------


Harper’s POV


Each wolf I attack I feel a little bit bad about because I’ve grown up with most of these people. Having to fight them in battle because they’re on Artemis’s side isn’t ideal, but they could’ve been brainwashed by him into thinking I’m the enemy. I guess I won’t know until the battle is over.

I see a big wolf with grey fur running at me. I take a stance and wait for the impact. When they get to me, they’re quick to pounce on top of me, trying to attack my back in any way possible.

With all my strength I manage to throw them off. They hit the ground with a thud, panting as they get back to their feet. Their glowing eyes pierce mine, and I soon realize that I’m fighting Ansel.

He looks angry, saliva dripping from his barred teeth. He’s watching every move I make, even the way my body moves when I breathe. I hadn’t realized he joined the battle until now.

We begin to circle each other, our moves slow and steady. I know Ansel is secretly a good fighter; I need to be careful because if I make the wrong move, he will take me down with ease.

He makes the first move, running towards me. He nips at my front right leg, dropping me down on one knee. I yelp in pain, but it quickly subsides. I don’t stay down for long because that would make me look weak.

I run at Ansel, jumping high in the air and gripping onto his neck. He was too slow to block my attack, so now I have my jaw clenched around his thick neck as hard as I can. The more he struggles, the further my teeth dig into his flesh.

If I can stay like this for a few more seconds, he will be tired enough that I can attack his legs and take him down long enough to go and find Artemis.

Ansel has almost managed to throw me off, but I drop to my feet and bite his front left leg as hard as I can. I hear a loud snap and he yelps in pain. When I let go, he falls to the ground. Before he has a chance to get back to his feet, I’m attacking both of his back legs with all the strength I have left in me.

His cries for help are so loud that it catches the attention of the wolves around me, who stop to see what’s happening. I watch Ansel wriggle around in pain, his eyes looking everywhere but mine.

I look over to Asher who is a few feet away, watching me carefully. He turns his attention to the deck, and I follow his eyes. Artemis has shifted, his dark brown coat shining under the sun. He’s looking over the crowd, most likely searching for me.

I look around me, most of Artemis’s pack has been beaten; they lie in defeat on the ground nursing their wounds. This is exactly what I wanted. I needed our pack to overpower Artemis’s wolves to ensure that we will have enough people to surround him, leaving him with nowhere to go.

I begin making my way to the porch with Asher, Amaris and Jack hot on my tail. Other members of the pack follow us, too, ready to take on the Alpha.

When we reach the porch, Artemis is standing by himself, his glowing eyes speaking volumes. He’s scared.

About ten of us form a circle, leaving him no choice but to stay and fight. He looks around, searching for the best possible option of escape. When he can’t find one, he sits on his bottom with his head down.

I approach him, not backing down at all. I want him to fight me like a man. He talks himself up, saying he has the best fighting skills and could take down any enemy that got in his way. I know it’s complete bullsh*t now, because I’m sat in front of him, the enemy, and he’s not doing anything.

Artemis shifts back, his eyes aren’t as fiery as they were at the beginning of the battle. I think he’s realized now that he doesn’t have Ansel to back him up and none of his pack is coming to his aid.

This is the end for him.

Artemis hangs his head low, “You win, Harper. I surrender.”