Chapter 154

James's POV:

I thought Deacon would be cruel enough to leave us in suspense for far longer than he did, but he seemed all too impatient to come after Grayson. It’s only a week longer than we thought, and he was at our doorstep like a madman standing at the gates.

If we had a chance, the second I saw him I felt as if a victory was in hand. The man was no longer in control as he once was having been broken by his son, both physically and financially. He seemed at the end of his rope craze looking into his eye with something unpredictable. I thought I should fear it, but I remembered that feeling and how you never knew what was going to come next so you couldn’t strike with precision as he always did.

I watched my sister hand off her son with one final kiss to Amaria. The pain and sorrow on her face as she gave up her child I wanted to kill him just for that. Perhaps this was a chance for me to atone for all the things that I’ve done wrong. I made it much harder for Annette when she came here I should’ve I didn’t make it between her and her husband. I know that they were trying to fix things, but still, I couldn’t forgive him for what he had put her through the fact that he had taken her from me.

I feel so foolish now standing in a place that welcomed me with open arms, despite my rash childish actions. None of them saw me as the full-blooded alpha who was supposed to be perfect with every single step of his life, they saw me as a child who was supposed to make mistakes and learn from them.

I found a sense of duty all on my own when I was here. I love the fields and working in them, making my own food and helping not because it was what they expected of me, but because it was what everyone did. The Pines the way they towed over us, making it feel so safe and secure.

I would defend this place with my last breath, so one day I can return. I’ll build a life for myself here, and keep earning the respect I am given.

When I had watched Grayson take the arrow for me during the last battle and knocked any sense of self-righteousness out of me. He took that because of me because of who I was not because of any alpha blood and that he thought I was supposed to be better than him. He gave me respect when I wasn’t worth it.

Grayson didn’t want to open up the gates to him and let him destroy everything that he had built. We had a much more fun plan in mind. We opened up the back gates and went around. Loading up into trucks and driving so that we encircled them.

I stared at them, holding hands as they sat together, I could only imagine what they felt like hoping to Goddess that they still got to wake up with each other tomorrow.

I felt my heart race slightly as we passed through the trees and tumbled over the bumpy forest floor. I held my breath as I felt the truck rumble to a stop. This was it here we go… my leg tended for a second, but I managed to push them forward.

I got out and landed on the ground trying to figure out where I was for a second. Grayson wanted to be in the thick of it so he stationed himself in the middle. We did our best to get all the way around with them, but there was still a chance that some of them could run.

Deacon hadn’t been planning With all of his mind he thought if he rushed us, he could get the upper hand.

My palms went slick as I stepped closer through the woods. I could hear them from here. I know that they were able to hear the truck engines. I know they had something up their sleeve. I looked over the ground in case they had any tripwires or landmines.

Grayson had a thing or two up his sleeve too, and he wasn’t going to play his nice as he had before. If I had been a year younger. I probably would’ve enjoyed his bloodthirsty vengeance. Now I only knew I was going to cost a lot of lives.

No matter what you do there’s always going to be someone caught in the crossfire.

I spotted them and at that moment I realized they were probably just as terrified as I was. I took one last look at my brothers and sisters. Theo had convinced Cea to stay back and wait for them to breach the gate with my parents.

Charlie and Ella were on the other side with my father. He had his issues with Grayson but my brother-in-law still respected him enough to lead the charge.

Grayson and Annette looked at each other one last time and then Grayson gave the signal.

We charged out of the woods and into the light of day the sun blinding me for a split second before I heard people stepping towards me, and luckily my other senses took over. The swing of a blade and and I stepped it, taking the ax that I held and chopping into his hand.

I plunge my dagger into the other person trying to come at me and keep marching forward after they both drop to the ground. I took the back of the and slammed it into somebody who was attacking another warrior and almost had them pinned.

Fury and fighting swirled around me in a tornado of chaos. I panicked for a second trying to find any face that I found familiar but my brain couldn’t seem to latch onto anything.

* focus on what’s in front of you

I kept moving a larger came at me bearing his teeth and blood up his arms. I’m sure he thought he was tough shit. Well, I hope he enjoys being beaten by a little boy.

I slid underneath him and cut his leg with the dagger. I swung the axe up and lodged it in his back he howled for a second. I attempted to grab the axe back out, but it was too deep in there. I’m sure all of his steroid muscles were holding onto it.

I got onto my feet and my head cleared. I got a good whiff of him. He was higher up in the ranks, a beta for sure. And he definitely smelled chemically induced.

He took out brass knuckles with silver tips, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Again, I’m pretty sure he thought he was the worst motherfucker on this planet. If you didn’t realize the hanging out of him had something to say about that he was gonna learn.

I dodged his slow and feeble attempts to punch me. I landed two solid punches right to his side. He seemed to irk me more than usual because I felt the delicate ribs crack after the second blow.

He inhaled deeply and frantically, kneeling down and trying to gather himself. He looked up at me with wide eyes, I smirked as I spun and landed a kick to his head knocking him out.

Someone behind me saw their opportunity, and I felt the sharp stinging blaze from my shoulder. I reached behind me feeling the burn of a silver blade I spun, and tried to stab me with another knife.

I kicked her legs out and wrestled her to the ground, she seemed vicious and glad to get a little taste of blood. I felt sorry for her as I kept her at bay.

She chopped her teeth like a wild animal, the wolf inside of her raging to get out and taste a little bit of my flesh. I managed to roll her over and get on top.

She dug her claws into my wrists and I screamed as my teeth came out. I bit down on her wrist taking her hand clean off.

She didn’t even flinch and started chomping at me when I grabbed the knife from her side and plunged it into her throat.

I looked up and I saw Charlie going blow for blow with some hairy-looking monstrosity. I picked the knife out of her throat, took a second and threw it with as much force as I could slamming into the guy's side.

He gave my brother the chance he needed and he knocked him clean out. I could only be thankful for a second before a loud blast knocked me over under my side.

Charlie helped me and I looked over trying to figure out what happened. The gates had been opened, Deacon used some explosives to get what he wanted.

He hadn’t even cared that the wolves who were fighting so hard to give him his precious power were laying blasted bits on the ground.

I looked around, frantically trying to see if any of my other siblings had gotten hurt. I couldn’t see Annette and I couldn’t see Grayson, but worst of all I couldn’t see Deacon.

*where had the motherfucker gotten to?

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hope you're all having a good time the final battle will have the following POVs in order: Charlie, grayson, Annette, and deacon.