Chapter 50

The rogue wolves growled louder and snapped their teeth. The children standing among the crowd screamed and started to cry. All the adults huddled around the kids, trying to protect them.
   Duke stood next to me laughing.
   “You know you are very demanding for someone that’s meant to be a prisoner in her own home.”
   My blood was boiling. My people didn’t need to suffer for something they didn’t even know about.
   “I’m allowed to make demands. Like I said, if I’m not happy, you aren’t going to be happy.”
   “Oh, calm down. You girls are so fucking dramatic. No one will get hurt. The boys are just having some fun,” Duke snickered.
   The sound of shrieking kids and crying babies made me angrier. Those innocent lives had nothing to do with any of this.
   “You aren’t listening to me, Duke. Call off your dogs, NOW!” I took a step towards him, clenching my jaws tightly. I was fuming.
   Duke smirked and looked down at his hands, twisting them as he examined his nails.
   He clearly was in no rush to listen to me. I had to do something to stop the savage dogs.
   I thought back to what Duke had said earlier about me not communicating with my mind link. If he was right, then why could I still talk to Nicholas through our mindlink.
   *The Opal pendant.*
   Nicholas had given me his mum's blessed pendant. He said his mages had blessed it so no spells could work on me.
   Was it just that, or had Gideon managed to work his magic. I guess it was time to find out.
   ****Alpha Trent. How many?**** I mindlinked.
   ****There’s about 80 spread through the forest**** he replied.
   *It worked!* I could mindlink anyone. Gideon had done it. The old man had succeeded.
   Happiness bubbled in me, but I quickly masked it. I didn’t want Duke to find out my hidden agenda.
   Eighty wolves were all he had? That’s it? I had 200 fully trained pack members in front of me, and Duke only had 80?
   I had to move fast. If Gideon had managed to make my mind link to work, Duke’s shields would have crumbled as well.
   ****Matt, can you hear me?**** I tried again.
   ****Oh hell yes, I can! Oh, thank Goddess. How’d you do this?**** he replied.
   ****No time to explain. Get Natalie into that black SUV. Go****
   ****Dad, Uncle Tom. Go stand with everyone in the yard. At my signal, I need you to get all the fighters and warriors to shift. We have to wipe out the rogues. Take them all out. There are about 80 spread out across the forest.  Esther, Ash, get everyone out of the way and take them towards the East. You’ll see Alpha Trent’s and Nicholas’s warriors waiting for you. Dad, can you please get them to separate? You should be able to mindlink now****
   Matt grabbed Natalie’s arm and started walking her to the car.
   ****What about Duke’s magic?**** Dad asked.
   ****Don’t worry about that. Just take out the rogues. You’ll have backup within seconds of you guys shifting.****
   Dad nodded slightly.
   ****Alpha Trent, is your team in position?****
   ****Yes, Queen Danton. We’re ready to go**** he replied.
   ****Noah, you know what to do.**** I used Nicholas’s mindlink to talk to Noah.
   ****I’m ready, Alpha**** Noah replied.
   I turned to look at Duke, looking at him square in the eye.
   “You know your overconfidence will ruin you one day.”
   “Is that so? Would you mind elaborating?” Duke smirked.
   *Cocky asshole.*
   “You see, I’ve had my emotions back for over a week now. Sorry, I forgot to mention that to you.”
   I watched as the color on Duke’s face drained. 
   “You screwed up your plan when you stopped whatever spell you had on me because I was emotionally numb. Big mistake on your behalf.”
   Duke’s face scrunched up and started to go red. I took a few steps away from him. The last thing I wanted was him exploding right next to me.
   Nicholas stood behind Duke. He was ready to fight.
   “Thanks to your mistake, I got the chance finally feel normal. To channel my own emotions instead of you manipulating them. Do you know what the best part was? I felt free. Kona felt free.”
   Duke let out a little growl.
   “What did you do?!” He snapped.
   “Hey, hey, you were the one that wanted me to go see Gideon. So technically, it’s your fault. However, to put you out of your misery, I’ll admit that I knew your plans even before I left Angel Falls 3 days ago. It was after finding out your plans that I decided to turn my emotions back on” I smiled at Duke and stretched.
   This was about to get ugly.
   “How?! How did you know?!” Duke gritted his teeth.
   “Oh, how I knew is the least of your problems right now. Shouldn’t you be more worried about what I know instead of how I know?” I snickered.
   “Spit it out, Alex. I don’t like waiting.” Duke growled.
   “Now, who’s the party pooper?” I laughed, and Nicholas chuckled.
   “I know enough to ruin all the plans you’ve made. The legend, the curse, the firemoon, the vortex. Am I missing anything?”
   Duke didn’t reply. Instead, he just stared at me.
   “Gideon and me. We’re the final pieces to your puzzle. Imagine if one is those pieces went missing. What would you do?!” I made a fake shocked face.
   “I have all the pieces now. You can’t change any of it.”
   “See, you’re missing the point again. You’re worried about the wrong things. Have you heard the story of the turtle and the hare? The overconfident hare slowed down and had a nap because he thought the turtle would never be able to catch up. Meanwhile, the turtle overtook him and won the race. You're the hare, and I’m the turtle. You made one mistake, and I overtook you by miles. I won”
   Duke rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
   “Okay, you’re not making any sense. I’m the one calling the shots here. I’m the one with the rogue army ready to destroy everything you hold dear, and you win? You’ve lost your mind. The stress of all this has made you go crazy.”
   “You don’t see the point, huh? He really doesn’t see it” I looked at Nicholas.
   He had a devilish smirk spread across his face.
   “What fucking point are you talking about?! What the fuck am I missing??” Duke shrieked and stomped his feet.
   “This......”
   I grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and pulled it over my head, tossing it to the side.
   I had a sports bra on underneath specifically for this reason.
   I flexed my muscles and pushed my hair to the back so that Duke could clearly see what I was showing him.
   I watched as his eyes scanned my body. I could see his eyes checking every bump and curve. There was no desire or lust in his eyes. Just pure curiosity 
   “I don’t get it. Taking your shir-....” he stopped talking once his eyes got to my neck. He stood there staring at my neck with eyes as wide as a plate. My lips curled into a smirk as his face started to turn red.
   “There’s a-...a mark-... a mark on your NECK!” Duke stuttered. His face whipped around, and he looked at Nicholas.
   Nicholas pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it aside just like I had. A devilish smirk lingered on Nicholas’s face as he held his head high, glowing in the glory of his mark.
   Duke looked back at my face, then down at my neck. Once Duke thoroughly soaked in the situation, he let out a loud growl and started to take slow steps towards me
   Nicholas met his every move, staying close so that he could intervene if necessary.
   “You bitćh! You mated?!” Duke yelled.
   He was started to pull the attention of his rogues. We had to be fast. 
   “Took you long enough to figure it out.” I laughed.
   “Do you have any idea what you have done?! You have ruined all my efforts! All my plans!” Duke started shaking as he yelled at the top of his voice.
   ****Dad, get ready**** I mindlinked quickly.
   “Yeah, it’s more fun ruining people’s plans rather than being part of it. You’ve destroyed so much of me. It’s a miracle I’m standing here having a calm conversation with you. But now, enough is enough. It’s time to end what you started.”
   “You can’t do shit! Roy’s a powerful warlock. You can’t shift, you can’t communicate, and you can’t run. I will find a way to make the spell work, mated or not; you still are the key to opening the vortex.” Duke growled.
   From the corner of my eye, I saw Erik run out of the house and towards us.
   ****Nick, you take Erik, I’ve got Duke. Matt, be the element of surprise****
   “Funny how you think you're the only one with magic on your side. I haven’t even started to show you what I can do” I chuckled.
   “You are all talk bîtch. Some Queen you are! Instead of trying to save your people, you decided to go fuck that asshole and mate. Is that how important your people are to you?” Duke was shaking more and more with every word coming out of his mouth. Was he trying to make me feel bad?
   ****You and Nicholas mated?!**** Dad questioned.
   I rolled my eyes.
   ****Dad, please not now. I’ll explain it all soon****
   “Everything I do, I do for my people. For my pack. For my family. You have no right to question what kind of Queen I am. You’re just bitter that I fucked someone else and enjoyed it more than fucking you. I can confirm that Nicholas is much bigg-....”
   Before I could complete my sentence, Duke let out a deafening growl and burst into his wolf. He snapped his teeth at me and growled loudly.
   “NOW, DAD!” I yelled and let Kona take over, bursting into my wolf.
   Duke was frozen in his spot as he watched me turn into my wolf. His gaze fell behind me, and I could hear all the warriors change into their wolves too.
   The fight between the rogues and warriors began, and I stood in front of Duke, barring my teeth, ready to go. 
   I heard the SUV start and sped away.
   “What happened, Duke? Your magic not working?” Nicholas laughed. He started in his spot, waiting for the right time.
   Erik was now standing next to Duke’s wolf. They both looked at each other and then back at all the shifted wolves attacking his army.
   “How’d this happen?! I thought Roy put a spell on them?!” Erik exclaimed. He's angry, confused, eyes scanning the damage my warriors were doing.
   Roy came running out of the house and towards Duke’s wolf.
   He, too, looked horrified and gasped at the sight.
   “They-... they shifted?! How?! I swear I did the spell right!” Roy groaned, looking around at the chaos.
   Right on cue, three dozen more warrior wolves emerged from the forest. I turned to find Ash and Esther leading the kids and elders into the forest thanks to the warriors that had cleared the way and surrounded them for protection.
   I watched the warriors rip into the rogues spilling blood everywhere while rogues snapped and attacked the warriors, causing a fair bit of damage. Dismembered wolf and human parts lay across the ground, making it look like something from the most gruesome horror movie.
   I turned my attention back to their so-called fearless leader, who currently stood in front of me with his tail between his legs.
   “Cat caught your tongue, Duke?” Nicholas laughed.
   I snarled at Duke, trying to provoke him.
   ****Wind him up some more. I want a fight**** I mindlinked Nicholas.
   Nicholas picked up a rock and threw it at Erik.
   Erik growled and turned towards Nicholas.
   “You, we’re all tough a few minutes ago. What happened? All the toughness evaporate?” Nicholas mocked.
   He knew Erik was a ticking TNT just waiting to explode.
   Erik growled and clenched his hands into a fist. He started to shake vigorously.
   Nicholas braced himself, waiting for Erik’s outburst.
   Before Erik could react, Duke leaped toward me, tackling me to the ground. His paw settled on my throat, and he pressed down hard, choking me. I felt my windpipe crack a little.
   Kona whimpered and quickly pressed her front paws against Duke’s neck and her hind feet against his belly, shoving him with all her strength.
   Duke flew off of us and landed with a loud thud a few feet away.
   Kona got up and shook herself, crouching to attack again. She didn’t like being overpowered. I could feel the anger rising in her. She had all the resentment, all the betrayal, all the anger bottled up till now just like I had. He had been ruining my life for his gain and it was time to put an end to it.
   Kona snarled and started to run towards Duke. He wanted a fight. He was going to get a fight!