I stood still for a moment too long. An imperial soldier advanced on me with a simple sword. He fell before he got to me. I saw Espen pull his knife out of the man’s back. It was bloody. Gruesome. I looked around and realised we were losing. There were too many. The ones inside the walls, the werewolves could handle. But through the gate I saw more soldiers marching in. I made my way through the crowd. For a while, no one tried to swing at me. The soldiers were too focused on the towering werewolves around them to notice one wounded omega weaving through the chaos.
Fighting raged on either side of me. At the front of it all, holding the line almost on his own, was Axel.
His sword was ginormous. At least twice the size of the other weapons. The fire was even greater still. The flames coming from his weapon reached over the walls. Even from behind, he was a sight to see. Unwavering despite being completely outnumbered by his opponents. He kept much of the army out, practically alone. Still, in the massive castle entrance, he could not keep every enemy out. He was only one man after all.
A wave of panic shot through me. He would not hold on for too long. My eyes honed in on a fighter to his left, who was not far behind. It was Boris, with his hammer. The alpha was sure to be one of their best fighters. Even with a sword through the back of his shoulder, he was fending off several soldiers at once. With a violent sideways swing he managed to get all three of them.
I made a choice to make a difference. I sprinted towards the man. I reached for the sword in his back and ripped it out with all the strength I had. The man wailed and turned, looking around wildly. Before he knew what was happening, he was engulfed in green light. It was magic unlike any I had ever used before. The gaping wound, within seconds, was fully closed. I felt his veins filling up with fresh blood. It was a sight to behold. I was exactly where I needed to be.
But there was no time to waste.
“Go!” I shouted at him. Without acknowledgement, he went back to war.
Behind me, Espen was fending off soldiers that tried to get to me. He was nimble and swift. Even as an omega, he was taller than any soldier.
Not too far off, to the General’s right, I spotted Erna. She was fighting with the valour of a hundred men at once. Hit after hit, landing each and every one of them. An enemy came up from behind. In a desperate attempt at glory, he stabbed at her thigh. Their soldiers were so weak compared to the werewolves, that all they could do was surround them and attack them from behind. It made my blood boil.
I saw her stab the soldier’s belly and slash his throat for good measure. I came up to her.
“Erna, here!” I said. She looked for a moment, before returning to the fight.
“Why are you here?” she asked. I came close enough to her to cast my magic. I had to reach deep into my core to find it, but it was still there. The bleeding stopped. I felt glorious for a second.
Until I heard it.
“Stand down! Back away!”
It was Axel, commanding his soldiers to retreat. Was he giving up? Was it all over?
Someone grabbed me from behind. It was Espen. He pulled me back, far from the front, far from Axel. I protested. He was too strong. We stood at the very back of the courtyard. The other werewolves were retreating about as far as we were, crowding near the arches, hiding near the walls. The werewolves abided by his order almost immediately, leaving their opponents stranded and confused in the middle of the courtyard.
There was a man standing across from Axel, decked out in golden armour. Jewels on his chest, and embedded into the blade of his sword. The commander of the imperial army, I presumed.
I expected the man to be elated. To see glory up close, for victory to be so near. Instead his eyes were filled with fear. As his soldiers advanced, the man backed away. Running to the sidelines, as if death was upon him.
His soldiers remained at the front, holding the line. Many of the soldiers that had already entered the courtyard advanced on the General. He was vulnerable at the front of the lines.
It was the General against an entire army. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t move. I felt tears streaming down my face. I was so angry at everyone for listening to him. For not continuing the fight. I was sure it was over, that I would lose him forever.
That was when Axel dropped his sword. A soldier rushed towards him, blade in hand. He was almost there. I closed my eyes.
A deafening sound. The air became scorching hot. I opened my eyes to see a great ball of fire exploding. Breaking through the gate, breaking through the wall. The explosion tore through the gatehouse, sending burning timbers and stone into the ranks of the advancing soldiers. He was right there in the middle, my Axel. Surrounded by bodies that were burned to a crisp. Soldiers turned to ash. Hundreds of them. The fire burning through their flesh with violence. There were no survivors among those at the front. Those at the very back ran. It was no wonder. I would have done the same. Even their commander had retreated.
I saw him then, going down on one knee. His skin was not charred, but he wasn’t unharmed by the flames either. Sorcerers were immune to fire. But Axel was not just a sorcerer. That was when he fell to the floor.
I wasted no time. I ran forward. I lunged at him. At the same time, someone else moved towards him. It was the soldier with the golden armour. As much as a coward as he was when faced with the General’s fury, he was clearly still desperate for victory. But I was faster. I covered him in green. My alpha. I poured everything I had into him. Into turning his reddened skin pale again. Into getting his heart, that was beating weakly, to pump blood through his body. And I felt it. I felt the life returning to him. I was on time. I choked. I cried. I sobbed over his body. I lost almost all my magic. The core of my being. I was depleted, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was close to losing consciousness.
A knife at my throat. I felt a sense of déjà vu then, as I was dragged away.
“Don’t come any closer!” the golden soldier shouted. “Or I’ll kill him.”
I didn’t look to Espen, Erna or Boris.
“Let me go and he’ll live.”
I simply closed my eyes. My alpha was alive.
Seventy-three nights after meeting the General
