Chapter 44: Battle cry.

Thankfully, I notice it is not only Alec that is here. He is here with Ryan, Leila and a bunch of warriors. War is really sneaking up on us as fast as possible.
I watch with guided eyes as we now stand on opposite side, a fallen trunk of tree separating us.
"You are a King, but you sneak up on your subjects for war, how very low of you" Alec grits out to Steven.
"You were never my subject from the beginning, Alexander. The stupid prophecy made sure of that"
With those words, Steven lunges forwards with an inhuman speed, aiming for Alec's head. I scream out in warning as he makes contact but nothing else happens. His fist meets thin air, right between the two leaders. Everyone gasps,
It appears that Steven's attack failed because Alec simply raises his hand, palm out and Steven stops dead in his tracks.
Alec stares at his hand, shocked at the fact that only his palm had stopped Steven from attacking him.
He then turns towards Steven who looks just as surprised as everyone else and lowers his fist slowly. I can only stare and blink as both men are equally confused by their respective actions.
The shock quickly gives way to anger as the two start circling each other. Everyone is holding their breaths as they wait for something to happen. When it does, I gasp as Steven charges forward with renewed determination and slams Alec in the chest sending them flying.
Everyone gasps as the two land roughly on the ground, Alec on top of Steven. Everyone watches wide eyed. What will the Alpha do? Will Steven attack again?
Maybe watching isn't the right thing, because as soon as Alec and Steven lunges at each other, their swords landing in a clatter on the snow. Alec's warriors along with Leila, Ryan and Hera immediately move forward with a roar.
They push past each other, knocking the other warriors to the ground, and make sure they don't get back on their feet.
Now I face my nemesis , Starkev.
I am ready to fight. My heart is beating fast in anticipation. I have been waiting for this moment for years and i can't wait any longer.
"Starkev." I say. "It has been far too long. Come, lets finish what you started years ago"With that said i charge straight for Starkev. I try to block out the sound of shouting behind me and concentrate solely on the battle before us. I know my my Kingdom is counting on me. My parents too. We must win this battle.
I focus on the nature's energy around me, calling to mine . I feel the magic flow through my veins, making my body hum and thrum. It feels amazing. I reach for one last time and throw everything i've got at Starkev. One last time, or maybe not. As soon as my magic leaves my palm swirling to create icicles, it meets Starkev's fire barrier - a very strong one letting my own magic hit me back in full force, throwing me a few feet away.
Starkev advances towards me with a smirk. "I have to admit, you are stronger than I expected. Even with all those spells we cast at each other." He pauses for dramatic effect, "You're almost good enough to beat me."
His words are nothing more than a taunt. I'm not going to let his words distract me from my goal and make me lose my momentum. Not when my Kingdom is counting on me. So I raise my hand again, gathering more magic, and launch myself at him like an arrow.
"Come and get it!" I yell.
He dodges my attack easily. Then, he reaches down his foot and pulls something up out of the ground. When I look down I realize what it is and the realization makes me sick. There in Starkev's hand is a black dagger covered in red runes. A weapon capable of ripping open the deepest fears of any soldier. Vassily had told me about it. The Rain Dagger. If he wants to kill me then he'll be getting close to doing just that.
My body tenses with fear. Fear. It liquifies my magic and now I can't reach it. The only thing stopping me from retreating to safety now is the fact that I can't see anything that might help me defend myself. I glance around desperately and notice another sword resting against a stone.
I lunge for it but Starkev blocks my path, using that moment of distraction to thrust the dagger into my stomach. As he pulls his knife out of my stomach, I groan. I fall backwards onto the ground, blood spilling out across the snowy ground. As my eyes roll into the back of my head I hear a familiar voice.
"I thought you were supposed to be smart."
The pain in my abdomen becomes unbearable. I grit my teeth trying to stifle the screams of agony that threaten to escape. My vision fades into darkness as Starkev kneels next to me and removes his dagger from my chest. Then, his lips touch my ear as he whispers.
"Don't worry, you won't die yet. I need you for my mission"
"Bella!" Alec's frantic voice, is the last thing I hear as I slip into oblivion.
----
[Alec:]
I can only see red as I sink my claws into Steven's neck, impaling him. How long has he been planning this attack on my pack? For all I knew, Karen's vision was only what made me know he was up to no good.
"You pack a punch like a pup, King Steven" I sneer.
"Bastard!" His eyes turn red as he fully shifts to his wolf form. Wrong move. If there is one thing I have learnt training as a white wolf, it is that I have an upper hand to my opponent when I am half phased than when I am fully shifted. Weird right? But well, that's the perks of being a white wolf
He lunges at me, but I duck out of the way and slash at his side with my claws. Blood splatters against my face, stinging me and blinding me for several seconds.
He howls in frustration and charges again, teeth bared. I sidestep and swipe my claws over his stomach. A howl of pain is torn from his throat, and he falls to the ground with a whimper. I jump onto his back, grab his fur around the neck and hold tight. I yank down hard, tearing the skin of his throat and drawing blood. A growl tears itself from Steven's chest as he turns his head back and grabs at my legs. I drop off his back and spring away before he can do any more damage.
Steven rolls to his feet and launches himself at me once more. This time, it doesn't take much effort to dodge his attack, although he does manage to bite into one arm. He pulls away immediately after the contact and howls in pain. I'm glad that I did that; it will hopefully keep him away from my other wounds. I can still feel blood trickling down my leg, seeping through my pants. He charges toward me, jaws wide open, and prepares to strike. I leap forward, trying to close the distance between us, and plunge my hand into his mouth. The force of the impact sends him flying backwards. Before he can get his bearings, I leap on top of him and wrap my arms around his neck. He thrashes under me as I squeeze his windpipe closed. As his limbs move uselessly beneath me, I bring my fist down in a blow across his forehead, sending him crashing to the ground.
His body lays almost limp, his breathing coming in short pants. His head lolls to the side, yet I know he isn't dead, but he is maimed enough not to fight back — yet. He looses control of his wolf form again, rolling over in a ball until his tail wraps around his hind paws. With a snarl, he tries to kick free, but even that movement sends an agonizing jolt of pain through him. I have finally had enough. My patience is running thin. If he doesn't stop struggling, I won't hesitate to end this fight.
"Tell me why you are doing this, Steven" I snarl, slamming him down harder with each question.
Steven continues to twist about, trying to dislodge me from him, but I don't relent. Finally, he gives in, curling up on the ground and letting out a whine. It's clear that the wolf is too exhausted to stand up and fight.
"You are going to take it all from me!" Steven shouts, his voice distorted by his inability to speak.
I release him and push myself off the ground. He tries to roll over on his belly, but I am on top of him again in an instant. He raises his head so we're face to face, and when he speaks, his words are barely intelligible. "You're the real Alpha King, did they not tell you? That goddamn prophecy!"
The prophecy. The prophecy had hidden from me but I had eventually known. The prophecy of the chosen.
It takes a moment before the meaning behind the word registers in my mind, but then it sinks in and I lean forward, pinning him to the ground with both paws. Steven's eyes grow wide with fear.
My rage flares, but I tamp it down to the point where I'm able to speak without shouting. "Is that why you used Julianne against me? is that why you killed her eventually when she didnt do your bidding?"
He groans and then let's out an hysterical laughter, "What took you so long to find out?"
The betrayal hits me like a tornado. Logan was right afterall. Even the smartest of wolves make mistakes sometimes. And now there's only me left to blame, and I won't let Steven off scot free.
"So you used my first mate against me?" The words are bitter on my tongue, but they taste strangely familiar in my mouth. I have never thought of Julianne like this before. I mean, sure, she was gorgeous, funny, intelligent, beautiful, and everything else that made up Julianne. But she was nothing more than a pawn to be used against me, just another means to an end that had no place in my life. I never realized just how much I relied upon her until she wasn't there anymore. Until I had nothing left to rely on.
Steven shrugs weakly, "She was going to die anyway, I just made it easier for her by sending those rogues."
Logan was right. She was just a pawn to me, like everything else that came into contact with me was. And now she's gone.
"So if this is a game to you," I say slowly, "How about we play a penalty, let's see who scores?" I'm already moving away from Steven.
With a grunt of protest, Steven rolls to his feet and limps after me. I watch him carefully. He's got less than ten seconds, if that, before he transforms and attacks again. So instead of trying to evade him, which would lead to more injuries and possibly death, I charge him full speed. When we hit the ground I slam into him with both feet, causing his legs to buckle beneath him. I land atop of him, straddling his chest with one leg on either side of his hips, pinning him down with the full weight of my body and my claws digging into his throat.
As he begins to choke under me I smile maliciously.
"Your final seconds are ticking away," I say calmly. "But this should be fun, shouldn't it?" He tries to struggle, but his limbs are trembling and he's starting to go limp. I pull one hand away from his throat, reach down and press the tip of my claw against his heart. I wait for his last heartbeat. Then, "Goodbye, Steven," I whisper before I crush it underfoot, watching with satisfaction as blood sprays out of the stump where his heart should be.
When I lift my foot, the remains of my kill lie scattered on the ground beside me. I stand and turn around to the battle ground. Blood drips steadily from my cuts and bruises. The smell of death wafts heavily in the air, mingled with the scent of fresh blood and burnt meat. I wipe the blood dripping down my cheeks from my nose and look at my warriors, some of them are dead but..
I killed the Alpha King.
"We won" I hear Hera's voice beside me, "We won!" This time it is louder.
"That we did" Ryan says, closing the distance between us, Leila and other warriors following behind him. They all lower their head in courtesy.
I tighten my fist. I won, but Bella didn't. "I need to find her, Hera"
"I will go with you" My eyes snaps to the side on hearing my brother's voice.
My gaze meets his, and he nods grimly in response.
For once I actually smile at him.