Chapter 46 A Test of Strength

(Alexander POV)

I have the second biggest army of wolves in the west coast but we are considered the strongest. Three thousand strong and well-trained wolves. The largest army belongs to Luciana. During wolf battle games, Dark Moon always wins first place.

Two hundred rogue wolves coming in fast. This wasn't an attack. This was a test of strength. If two hundred rogue wolves can do damage to my pack, then The Rogue Lord will be here tomorrow for the extermination of The Dark Moon Pack.

I shift to Echo once I get to the edge of the forest and I sprint into the darkness. We hear a high pitch howl from our ally Malcolm. He was alerting us the rogues were near and his warriors were in position. I mind link Mark and tell him we need to circle around them and flank them so they wouldn't head to the territory. Even with the protection charms up, there was always a possibility the shield may weaken, giving Leia an opportunity to make a doorway into the territory.

Mark mind links back and says there's not a chance in hell Hope would allow that.

I slow down. I caught the scent of rotting fish. Faint, but it was there. "Mark, Leia is here. I think the rogues are a diversion. They know we'd flank them." I mind link Mark.

"Is she that horrid fish scent I smell?" Mark links back.

"Yes and her scent is getting stronger."

We hear another high pitch howl. The rogues have changed direction going east.

"They're bailing out." Mark mind links me.

"I was right. This is a diversion." I mind link Mark.

I test the direction of the wind. The wind was coming from the west. There's a stream about eight miles in that direction too.

"We go towards the west." I mind link Mark.

"If they follow us, that will lead them to our territory."

"Our warriors will be ready for them. Tell Malcolm to give them chase to Spokane. Alarick will take over from there. Tell him to alert us if the rogues change direction towards the west." I mind link to Mark.

"Copy, Alpha." Mark stops and howls, delivering the message.

Suddenly, a fire erupts from the neighboring trees. I hear whimpering. Two wolves were stuck in the middle of the fire. We hear a high pitched laugh which echoed around us.

So, this was the plan all along. To watch me and my pack burn.

"Head to the west. Against the wind. There is a stream there that will keep us safe." I mind link to all my men.

I hear another high pitch howl. Malcolm has captured a rogue wolf and his pack were now leading them to Alarick.

Mark howls his reply. The flames were starting to grow. I see the rest of my warriors running to the west. The flames of the fire were moving against the wind.

"Head to the stream. The water will protect you." I mind link to my warriors.

I started kicking dirt at the flames to extinguish enough of the fire so the two wolves who were caught in the fire would be able to escape. They noticed that some of the flames were being extinguished by the dirt which was still wet from the rain which Hope conjured earlier. The two wolves followed my lead and started kicking dirt at the flames too.

Mark comes beside me to help. We hear another deafening high pitch laugh. Black smoke from the fire begins to engulf us, making it difficult for us to breathe.

I feel a gust of wind and it makes the fire open up enough for my warriors to escape. They jump out and we start sprinting to the west.

"Oh, not so fast. Don't you miss me, Alex?" We hear her voice echo in the forest. I couldn't sniff her out. There was just too much smoke.

"Come on, Alpha. Run! Leave her!" Mark mind links me.

We all ran as fast as our legs could, through the trees and smoke. The stream should be up ahead. The whole forest was burning around us. We needed to get to that stream.

Then, it started to rain. Glorious rain! Hope was watching over us. The thunder rumbled and the flames started to sizzle out.

"The daughter of Adella, I see, has mastered the elements. However, that is not enough to stop me!"

I smell it. That rotten fish smell. It was strong. It only meant she was near. "Echo we need to use our vision," I tell my wolf. Echo gives out a low growl and our vision goes thermal. "Mark, get the wolves to the stream. I'll meet you there." Thunder rumbled above and the rain continued pouring. The wind picked up and I catch the direction of that nasty scent. Finally, I saw her. She gave off an ugly red glow.

I run close to her, my face away from her direction making it seem I didn't notice her. When I was close enough, I quickly pounced at her, my teeth getting a hold of her hand.

She screamed in pain. Her scream shook the trees. Echo growled pleased, his fangs sinking further into her flesh.

With her other hand, she sent a black ball of energy that knocked me into the nearest tree.

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(Hope POV)

We arrived at the mansion in record time. Howard was already instructing the warriors to take their posts. I told my mother, father and aunt to follow the other women and children to the basement of the mansion. I instinctively put a protection charm and some runes around the mansion and territory to reinforce the last one I put up the other day.

We hear howling. The high pitched howl, I didn't recognize. I recognized the howl calling back, it was Mark's. They were headed towards this direction.

"Oliver, they're near. The howling is coming from that direction. I need to get higher so I can see over there." I told him.

"Come on. My room has a balcony that overlooks that area." Alicia and I follow him to The Trusted Home.

It was my first time to enter The Trusted Home. It was a beautiful hotel-like home. Oliver's room was on the top floor so, we took the elevator.

"Don't mind the mess." He says before he opens the door.

"This is like a hotel room. Wow." I told Oliver.

He shows us to the balcony. Perfect. I see the forest where the howling was coming from.

"What's that?" Alicia gasped. Fire!

"Someone started another forest fire!" Oliver exclaimed. Alexander might be trapped in that fire.

"Moon Goddess, I implore you. Keep Alexander safe," I whisper into the wind. I snap my fingers and the thunder rumbled through the sky once again. We saw flickers of lightning dancing in the darkness and then the rain came. I could already see the flames dying down.

"Let's go." I told Alicia and Oliver.

"Where Luna?" Oliver asked.

"To the edge of the territory toward the sound of the howling. They may need our help. Let's shift into our wolf form," I said.

We leave The Trusted Home and walk towards the end of the housing area.

"How far is the edge of the territory from here going to that direction?" I asked Oliver.

"About fifteen miles."

"That's nothing in wolf form. Let's go." I shift into Opal and start running with Alicia and Oliver close behind me.

We get to the edge of the territory and we see some of the wolves at the stream. I look around. I couldn't find Mark or Alexander.

"Alpha and Mark stayed behind to help two wolves trapped in the fire." Oliver mind linked me.

"They should be here by now. I'm going into the forest to look for them." I mind link Oliver and run into the forest.

"Luna, wait!" Sorry, Oliver. I can't wait. Alexander might be in trouble.

I sniff the air for Alexander's scent while I run, searching for him. I smell an awful rotten fish smell coming from something or someone. It was strong, but I couldn't see where it was coming from.

"It's coming from a wolf," Opal said.

"Smells like a rotting corpse to me," I tell her.

"One of dark magic. The evil causes you to decay from the inside. I will switch my vision to see auras."

Opal switched her vision to see auras. The plants and trees had swirling auras of green. The flowers gave out different colored auras. It was all so very beautiful. We scan the area for anything out of the ordinary. On top of a rock was a swirling aura of black.

I saw a brown wolf with an aura of red and blue, following him were two other wolves with auras of yellow, orange and violet. They ran past me, the smell of rotting fish so pungent, they didn't even notice I was there.

Then I saw Echo. He was running so close to the black entity although his focus seemed to be somewhere else.

As he was about to past the black entity he suddenly pounced on it, his teeth clamping down on whatever part he was holding. I heard a deafening scream. The scream coming from it was that of a woman. All of a sudden, a black ball of energy hit Echo and he was thrown against a big tree. I heard him whimper in pain.

"You bit my hand, you bastard!" The Dark Witch lifted her hand to show a chuck of it was missing. She laughed. "Still you are no match for me. You never were." She started to come closer to Echo. "Alexander the Great is now Alexander the Puny. Awww, is there no daughter of Adella to help you this time? Tsk, tsk, tsk. So sad."

Opal shifted back to me. Naked, I walked toward The Dark Witch, anger consuming me, with it all other emotions connected to Echo and Alexander.

The wind starts swirling around us, so fast, my hair was flying in the air. Lightning started to strike the trees. The Dark Witch was oblivious. All her attention was on Echo who was injured, lying on the ground. I had conjured a small tornado. All I needed to do was time it perfectly so the tornado can pick her and toss her away from where we were.

"Even if you have injured my hand, I can still kill you." She flicks her hand up in the air and Echo flies up. "The daughter of Adella is still young. She can find another mate."

I saw my opportunity when she raised her hand above her head. I directed the twister to engulf her and throw her miles away.

Echo fell to the ground and started shifting back to Alexander. He was hurt. "Moon Goddess, help me heal my mate," I prayed.

The clouds moved to show the moon. I harvested the light and gave its healing light to Alexander. The mark on his neck from our mating ceremony started to glow a deep blue.

The light of the moon from the mark of his neck moved all over his body making Alexander glow. The light of Alexander's body became brighter and brighter then it moved through me and I felt the heat of my mark on my neck. I looked down at him and saw Alexander had his eyes open.

"Alexander, are you ok? Can you talk? Does anything else hurt?" I asked.

"No, I'm not okay. You're naked," he growled.

"So are you." I pointed out.

"Are there any spells in those books of yours which can provide clothes once a wolf shifts back to human form?" He asked, trying to sit up.

"Now that's a good idea. I'll see if I can find one." I smile at him.