"Niall and Zyaire, you will be our medical team if anyone gets hurt. You may have to fight and defend yourself, but if any of us get hurt, make them your primary focus," Evander said as he stood in front of their families.
"Angels, don't show your wings. We know from experience that they are your weakness and demons will target them." Evander glanced at Zac, Arzhel's father.
He once lost an entire wing to demons six thousand years ago. Niall got to him just in time and reattached it.
"I don't know how to use these... healing abilities." Zyaire said, staring at his hands like he expected them to glow.
"If you think about the wound getting better when your hand is touching the patient's skin, they will heal." Micah patted his son's back, missing having those qualities.
Zyaire nodded and crossed his arms, doing
anything he could to steer his mind away from when the demons attack.
"As for the werewolves," Evander continued, feeling better when he was in charge, "are you fighting in your wolf forms?"
"Yes." Ares stared intensely around the room. There was a faint hum in the air, a buzz of stress. The werewolves in the garden started to integrate with the angels, partnering up. Ares thought a lot of them would run. Their fidelity towards the Gods warmed him in such a chilling moment. "We fight stronger that way."
Evander nodded. For a second, the bizarre situation dawned on him. He stood in a world full of werewolves, getting ready to fight an army full of demons believed to be led by Liam's mother, the God of all Gods.
What surprised him the most was how the angels stayed to help. Heaven had returned. They could flee, but they didn't. They wanted to help, and the vampire couldn't be more grateful.
Thumping in the back of Evander's mind was his home. The Haywoods mansion might not be standing when they get back. Or if they get back at all. Evander knows from previous experience that the angels won't let them use heaven as a portal to their world. With no tear to go through, he feared they'd be stuck in the world of the wolves for a long time.
"Soulmates should stick together," Lyssa added.
"If you get separated, you'll be distracted by constantly checking if they're okay. We're stronger together."
The couples around the room linked hands, feeling a sense of unity. Piper and Pheonix would stick together, and Zayn's Omegas would stick together.
Lilith stood with Vincent by the garden door, looking glum but ready to fight.
"Will you be okay fighting against your own?" Vincent asked, also ready to keep an eye on Athena. She was fragile without her powers. Her age didn't help.
"Of course. Most demons are vile creatures." Lilith witnessed her freedom in this world and would never risk losing it, even if it meant fighting her own kind. She would fight for the right thing, for peace.
"How do you think the demons got in this world?"
"I think Lucifer was making two tears at the same time. One for the vampire world, one for the werewolf world."
"Isn't there a fourth world?"
"Yeah, but it's purely humans. Nobody wants to see that chaos."
Lilith snorted until she saw a face that looked oddly familiar. She took a minute to wrack her brains, trying to remember who he was.
"Vic?" Vincent questioned, standing up straight when he saw Nathan and Kayla too.
"Elara's brother." Lilith turned to see Vincent's reaction. She couldn't tell if he was happy to see Nathan, or irritated to see Vic. "Are they here to help?"
"I'll find out."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Em slumped onto the couch next to Alexis.
Kylo sat in front of them both, chewing his lip, his fingernails, and tapping his foot against the tiles.
"Your nerves are physically hurting me," the vampire said in his usual monotone voice.
"Well, I'm nervous."
Alexis raised a brow at his dad's behaviour. "It'll be okay. We've fought demons before and look how many werewolves and angels we have on our side. Last time, it was just us."
"He's right. You don't need to worry so much." Em opened his arms for Kylo, but a black cat jumped on his lap instead, startling Vesper.
"Orin!" Em yelled and picked the cat up by the scruff of the neck. "What the hell are you doing here? Stupid cat!"
Orin meowed and struggled out of his grip. She quickly pressed her forehead under his chin, purring with satisfaction. Em wrapped his arms around her. He thought the demons would have surely killed her. The cat must have jumped through the tear when nobody was watching. Orin had always been dangerously curious.
"Is... Is that yours?" Lou asked, pulling on the collar of his t-shirt.
The werewolves in the room turned to stare at the animal. Their territory was threatened. If they were in their wolf forms, their hackles would be up.
Em glanced around the silent room. Zayn looked horrified. "If any of you hurt my cat I will suck the blood out of you until you die."
Lou sank back into the couch, believing every word.
Orin perched on Em's leg with slitted green eyes, taunting the werewolves to come closer. As she licked her paw, her eyes fixed firmly on Liam. The animal didn't faze the God. It amused him to see how intimidated Hunter looked over something so small.
He turned to say something that would provoke him, but Vic stood right behind his mate with a face like thunder. Liam was so surprised; he forgot what he was about to say.
Zayn could smell him and prepared a glare.
"Sorry, snakes are not allowed in our home."
Vic had to bite his tongue to keep himself from snapping. "You haven't seen me for thousands of years, and you greet me like that?"
"Oh shut up. We have bigger things to worry about than you."
"Zayn," Liam warned in his head.
"Boys" Nathan spoke, greeting the God with a friendly hug, Liam's uncle has been a big part of his life. Nathan and Kayla visit at least once a month, keeping in the loop, wanting to know how they were doing.
"Vic, you haven't seen your cousin in thousands of years. If it wasn't for him, we would've all died years ago. So thank you Jacota for this wonderful lifeline, and now it's time to do our bit. We're here to help."
"Thanks, Nathan, we appreciate it, and we could use all the people we can get."
When Vincent approached them, he knew it would be up to him to break the news about Nathan's sister.
"Vic, be nice," Nathan said as Vincent guided the werewolf away.
"Look, we're all stressed and we don't need you adding to it" Zayn sighed, cracking his knuckles.
"I'm not here to stress you out. Like dad said, I'm here to help. Just stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours."
Ziam watched as Vic stomped over to a group of people who they assumed were his pack. Vic put an arm around a short girl who they assumed was his mate.
"I wish he got a male mate," Liam mumbled, sharing a smirk with his husband.
"Now that would be entertaining."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
An hour passed and Elara showed no signs of getting closer. She remained on the hill, almost like she was waiting for something. Liam voiced his concerns and almost went to her, wanting to beg her to stop.
The other Gods didn't think that was wise.
Elara worked hard to make the other Gods hate him and ruin his life, the last thing they wanted was their leader looking weak.
"When we end her life, and we will, justice will be served" Vale said, plucking a rose from his hand and giving it to his mate.
"She has done so much to ruin you. The least you can do is get revenge," Zayn whispered.
Liam had looked him directly in the eyes and said, "Violence is never the way."
He left the room to splash cold water in his face.
Zayn knew he was still in the house, he could feel it
"Stop," Lou said, pulling Harry's hand away from his arm. "There's nothing on your skin. You're going to hurt yourself if you keep scratching like that"
"It's really itchy. I don't know what's going on."
"Are you having an allergic reaction?" Niall asked, resting a hand against the human's forehead. He felt nothing for him to heal. "Do you feel anything Lou?"
The werewolf shook his head. "Not really. I mean, it's a full moon tonight. Maybe that's what"
"You're changing," Athena said, seeming to appear out of nowhere.
"Harry?"
"No. Your wolf, Lou. I wanted to wait until the full moon touched your skin before giving up my powers, but of course, you didn't have the time."
"So, what's happening to Haz? Am I turning into an Alpha?"
"Yes. And Gods very rarely have human mates."
Athena was trying to silence the screaming in her head. LOUIS IS YOUR GRANDCHILD. Her inner thoughts wouldn't let her forget it, repeating it over and over again, drilling it into her brain.
Carlos found it just as hard to accept. He was pleased that they now know but irritated that he has known Louis for so long and not suspected a thing.
They turned to the human, wondering if what was bothering him was supernatural or not. The sun sat low on the horizon. The moon would be out soon.
"Athena," Lou said quietly. Concern poured off his tongue, "what if I don't want to be an Alpha? I like being a Beta wolf. I like being Zayn's Beta wolf"
"My dear boy." Athena rested a feeble hand on his arm. "Having two Alphas in a pack is rare but not impossible. I'm sure Zayn will still want you in his pack. You'll figure something out."
Niall studied Harry, then checked the watch on Shawn's wrist. "We wait until the moon is out. Harry is likely to go through changes then, and demons like to play in the darkness."
"Thank goodness it's a full moon," Phoenix said with a smile, sweeping his ginger hair from his eyes. The demon and werewolf hybrid would be most useful tonight.
"Our wolves will have longer lasting energy. We will be at our peak performance. Those demons will make a big mistake if they come for us when they think we can't see them."