54. Sounia

"Looks like this welcome party is going to outdo the last night's," Thea muttered, before shifting into her raven wolf and launching toward the woods. Her pack warriors followed after their Alpha's daughter.

"Do I have to be here too?" A guy standing beside Hunter asked indifferently.

"If you want to be called Cole and not rogue then yes." Hunter replied, taking off his shirt and imitating Thea.

With a large sigh, Cole shifted like everybody else and followed his beta and others into the woods. He was starting to regret his decision to join Oakheart's pack.

Eden in his wolf form bolted through the mass of trees, the violent rustling following his every step. Oliver and others were just behind. Thea and Hunter with their packs weren't far either. His eyes caught several figures charging toward them with even more speed from the other side. There were hundreds of them.

*Knights!*

Eden finally struck down a human-like being by locking his jaws on its neck, and clenching it down until blood came gushing out of its neck and its body turned limp. The Alpha spitted it out, and saw his white colorless eyes turning emerald blue as he took his last breath. He was just a human, or at least used to be. The very thought struck Alpha more deeply than he had intended to let it. But it didn't stop him from slaughtering the other knights rushing to take place of their dead companion.

Others followed suit and attacked the marbled creatures with the same vigour. Guttural growls and screams ceased the previous tranquility of the forest, and more and more blood started splattering on the ground.

Kyle crushed the neck of a sired one of his species. As the knight fell to the ground, his eyes landed at the top of a tree. He cursed at the sight before him. There stood a woman in a black cloak, her golden curls swaying along the sides of her snow-white cheeks, matching her equally golden eyes. She was just standing, passively watching the bloody encounter between the two paranormal species, but her eyes were more active than any other knight, scrutinizing and calculating the strength of her opponents.

"What are you doing there?" Kyle said to himself, before taking off to reach her.

The woman saw him coming after her. She glowered before dashing off in other direction.

"Oh you bitch!" He chased after her, but was stopped by the knights rounding him from all sides. He kept thrashing them but the streak of homicidal creatures didn't seem to end, exhausting him of his strength. Suddenly, a grey wolf came to his aid, and wiped out the enemies freeing his path.

Eden too had spotted the strange woman, and mind-linked Jessica, their fastest runner, to go after her. But Jessica knew her speed wasn't a match for the knight's. As deflating as it was for her ego, she reckoned Kyle had to be the one to go after that knight woman.

Jessica bit into the torso of a knight which was latched onto Kyle, and gestured him to chase the woman. He nodded and sprinted off, leaving the werewolf to fend off the enemies.

Kyle mustered all his stamina and quickened his pace, which came at a cost of him huffing. He finally saw her back, camouflaged among the dense woods, but once again she seemed to be getting away. Kyle, probably for the very first time, wished Iosif was here. The century old sage was much faster than him, and would've the woman on the ground in a few seconds.

*Well, let's make Snow proud!* He cheered, his steps becoming more furious. But just as the thought entered his mind, the woman was knocked out from the front and fell on his footsteps.

New, energized war cries and growls followed from behind where wolves were fighting. *Perfect timing!* Kyle looked down at the groaning woman, and shook his head.

*Lycans have arrived... and So has Iosif.*

"You just love to pester in my business," Kyle said, turning to his white-haired mate who was glaring at the other knight.

"What are you doing here Sounia?" Iosif asked the woman, ignoring Kyle's remark. He walked to them with long strides. "Dimitri sent you?" He towered over her lying figure.

"No," Sounia answered, her accent thick and voice confident. "I wanted to see for myself with whom you're plotting to kill your own brother." She grimaced at Iosif.

" A brother who is out to kill or enslave everybody else," Kyle added indignantly, and was reciprocated with a glare from her.

"You make him look so evil when you yourself are no better. It was you who started it all." She looked at Iosif accusingly and smirked when he didn't meet her eyes. "You're the reason he's like this, you're the reason why your father was killed, you're the reason for everything!"

"Stop spouting bullshit." Kyle came to his mate's rescue. "We all know Selene started it all."

Sounia chuckled but there was only mocking in her tone. "It's almost fascinating to see how oblivious your mate is. You lie to him so well." She sneered.

Kyle's eyes narrowed, but before he could confront the other two, large shadows surrounded them. Wolves looked more than ready to tear apart Sounia, their blood splattered faces and long canines showing they had no problem in killing another wretched knight.

Eden, however, had other plans.

*******

"You brought them here." Eden asked his parents, before turning to glare at Jared. "Why?" He asked exasperated.

Oliver, Hunter, Thea, and Marley were also in the office. Everyone's grim expression showed that having another gruelling discussion was the last thing they wanted to do, especially after dealing with the attack.

"We can help you-"

"I didn't ask you." The Alpha cut off Jared roughly.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Thea countered with the same roughness. But not a second later she realized her abruptness and took a long breath before continuing calmly. "Let him at least talk. From what I gathered he's not that bad of a guy as you are making him out to be. Didn't he help Marley when she was taken by Odis? And didn't she herself saved Jared?"

"Why are you taking his side?" Eden questioned, looking at his friend suspiciously.

"Eden, Thea's right. You're being too harsh on him." Marley came in their defence, but Eden kept glaring at Thea, who was biting her lips nervously.

With a long sigh, Thea finally conceded when Eden didn't back down. "Fine." She drawled, throwing her arms tiredly. "He's my mate. Are you happy now? This lycan, Jared, is my mate. But I also mean the stuff I said, you're being unjust."

"And you're being biased, but now I can't blame you for that. Congratulations on finding your beloved mate," Eden said with mocking enthusiasm.

Jared felt very uncomfortable. Finding a mate was the last thing he had in his mind on coming to Marshville, but the fate had played its game by pairing him with a werewolf. *A very beautiful one at that...* But the circumstances hadn't really allowed him to get acquainted with her.

The first time they locked eyes was when her midnight wolf was ripping apart a knight, and his lycan probably doing the same. It wasn't a delightful first meeting, but it sure was memorable. They still had to have a conversation, but none of them had initiated it yet. In fact, he only learned her name right now from Marley. *Thea...* However, it seemed like his mate had already gathered a lot more information about him than he could about her.

"Son, how about you listen to me." Nicholas began in a parental tone. "Most of the lycans didn't join us, they chose to rather be rogues. What we have now with us are no more than thirty lycans, ones who are willing to fight with us, join us, and live with us. They made a decision to risk their lives, and we should be considerate about it. Also, we need all the hands that we could get to defeat Dimitri."

Eden turned to Oliver who replied with a shrug. He looked at Hunter and was received with a same response. A very familiar hand discreetly came to hold his, melting away the distress. Eden looked down at Marley who gave a small nod, nudging his decision in favour of lycans.

"You all already have your minds made up." Alpha shook his head, and looked at Jared. "Your buddies better be on their best behaviour, I won't tolerate them if they pose even a single threat to our pack."

"You despise us, don't you?" Jared accused.

"I don't despise you, I just don't trust you," Eden said plainly, "Earn my trust and we'll get along."

Thea stepped to stand beside her mate, and held his hand, for the very first time touching him. A small contact resulted in eruption of thousands of pleasing tingles between them. In return, he pressed her hand back, not wanting to ever let go. She gave Jared a comforting smile, before turning to Eden with a confident face. "You two have no choice, my friend and my mate have to get along."

Eden just let out a defeated sigh.

******