Taylor's POV
"I totally just realized," Jason said as we watched from the front of the attack lines. The army of rogues was coming close and closer--until we could see the whites (actually, it was more of a gray) of their eyes with our werewolf vision. "Michael and Taylor only went to school for, like, a day."
"Jason." Grayson's voice was unnaturally soft and quiet. "We're about to face the war of our lives. Maybe even the last war. There's a huge possibility we might all die and the thing you're worried about is Taylor and Michael's high school attendance?"
"Hey!" The redhead protested. "Education is important!" I smiled as I heard Grayson mutter something similar to 'making the other Stone brother Beta if we make it out alive'.
Everyone fell quiet as the rogues descended upon us like a shadow covering up the sunlight. All were in wolf form and as they ran towards us, we could hear the thundering of all their paws hitting the ground, the earth shaking underneath us. Grayson had an intense, determined look in those dark, cobalt eyes of his. I stood up straight and tall, erasing all signs of emotion on my face, trying to exemplify a strong leader in front of all the packs.
Grayson? I mentally called out through the mate link.
Taylor, his hand searched for mine and when he found it, he interlaced our fingers together. Bringing our entwined hands up, he placed a gentle kiss on them, his lips barely brushing my skin. "I love you." My breath caught in my throat. Without a care of what I exemplified, I stepped towards him and wrapped my arms around his taut waist. Grayson immediately enfolded me into his arms and I inhaled, drinking him in. He seemed to do the same, burying his head into my neck and breathing in deeply. Shutting my eyes, I rested my forehead against his firm chest.
"I love you too, Gray." I lifted my head and stared straight into those magnificent, electrifying blues of his. "And if you don't survive...I'll kill you."
Grayson gave me a roguish grin, which I found pretty ironic. I see where Michael gets the whole killing if you don't survive thing from now. He sobered up. One of his hands came up to my jaw and he tenderly caressed my cheek. I leaned into his touch and my hands bunched up the part of his shirt I was holding. It didn't seem fair to me. I had only just begun to experience what having a mate feels like and now...now these stupid rogues were here and, and...
I don't want to lose you. A tear managed to escape out of my shut eyes and I felt his soft, calloused thumb wipe it away.
"We're not losing anything," Grayson stated firmly. He pulled me closer to his chest. "Stay near me, okay?" I nodded, unable to do or say anything else.
This was it.
"IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN DO DO DO DOO DO DO DO DO DOO DO DO DO DOO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DOO DO DOOOOOOOOO—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, STONE."
"DON'T TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE, BABE."
At least I would die smiling. Without further ado, I shifted and leaped into battle.
~
I'd like—scratch that—love to say that it was a piece of cake. I was badass Taylor, I could kill rogues in my sleep if I wanted to. But it wasn't easy. Not one bit.
After my thirtieth or thirty-third (I lost track after I slipped on what I desperately hoped was water but sadly knew it wasn't) kill, the adrenaline lost its kick. My energy was seeping fast, and we were only five minutes into it. I paused mid throat claw slash to check out who was still alive.
My eyes roamed around, darting everywhere to find familiar fur colors. I saw Michael's gold brown, my dad's midnight black, a bouncing ginger flash, and finally, a white gold.
Luna, I prayed. Take care of my family. Please.
I continued.
Grayson's POV
I was tired. Every single cell in my body wanted to freeze and just pass out on the battlefield right there. But, sadly, I couldn't. Man, after this, I'm gonna get a smoothie. I was fucking hungry.
You won't be alive to eat your next meal if you don't pay attention, you dumb fuck, my wolf growled at my stupidity. What the hell are you thinking, Grayson? Do you want to die?
No, sir.
Then keep fighting.
Yes, sir. For some reason though, I wasn't scared. I was completely calm.
We're gonna be fine, I promised myself.
I roared when something scratched my back. Clearing my mind, I focused on the present and continued.
~
Taylor's POV
End this now, Taylor.
I startled, the voice in my mind new, but familiar in a way. Pausing in my tracks, I wildly scanned around, looking for the source. It had been a female, I was sure, perhaps Margaret's age -
"I'm right here, darling." The voice sounded like it was right next to me and I spun around, claws ready to rip out this stranger's throat -
Mom?
I collapsed, shifting into my human form and staring, jaw wide open, at the woman who had disappeared from my life without a trace eleven years ago.
A snarl from my right had me tearing my gaze away from her to the rogue who was about to pounce on me. I growled threateningly and rose to attack.
"Stop." The command had come from my mother, and I had no intention of listening, but it had been apparently intended for someone else. The rogue halted, glancing toward my mom and growled once more before obeying, running off elsewhere.
"What the fuck - "
Now that I paid attention, I saw no other rogues coming forward to kill me now that I was in such close range with, I quickly deduced, the
"Alpha of the rogues." My eyes narrowed as I analyzed my mother, her black hair the same as mine save for the streaks of gray, pulled back in a braid, silver eyes gazing back upon me, soft, but alert. She wore combat gear but stood with all the casualness of a predator who had found easy prey.
She chuckled lowly, stepping closer, making me step back. "Now, don't be like that, Taylor."
"You're behind all of this," I bit out, realization dawning upon me. "All these years, this entire time you've been gone, you've-you've - " I choked, unable to even process what the hell was happening. "Why?"
"You of all people should understand my struggle, daughter dearest," she crooned, unphased by my disgusted tone. "Women like us deserve to be in power, we thrive upon it--being a mere Luna is nothing to being an Alpha. You've seen firsthand how difficult it is to prove your worth to others, to earn their respect."
"How the hell would you know?" I snapped, fists clenching. "You weren't there, you couldn't possibly know - "
"But I do, my love. You may have been none the wiser about my whereabouts, but I kept eyes and ears on you. I watched you grow up, Taylor, just from afar. Your mother - "
"You are not my mother!" I cried fiercely, canines elongating, claws unleashing. Her eyes narrowed at that and the nice act she was putting on dropped.
"Taylor," she gritted. "I did this for you, for us! When the rogues take over, when we rule over all the packs, everyone will have no choice but to respect us!"
"They'll fear you! That's not the same thing."
"It is to me," she smiled, eyes as cold as steel.
I spat, feeling my eyes darken. "You're crazy as fuck if you think I'm even going to think about joining forces with you, bitch." She snarled loudly at that and I showed my teeth, not the least bit intimidated. "Now shut the fuck up and get the fuck out of my home." With those words, I lunged at the Alphas of the Rogues, aiming to kill.
~
"It's...over?" I tentatively asked after having transformed back to my human form. My breath came out in harsh pants and my wolf let out a low whine, having exhausted herself as well.
The entire fight was a difficult one, to say the very least. The rogues were savages and murdered tactlessly, attacking anything they could get their hands on, even their own. However, while there was an abundance of rogue werewolves, they were ultimately no match for the packs of trained warriors. After the death of their Alpha, their confidence wavered and eventually led to their demise. Of course, it was a long battle, but the number of casualties the entire thing resulted in was a far smaller number than all the Alphas had anticipated, thankfully.
"Okay," Jason started, panting and supporting a multitude of wounds. Blood dripped down from a scratch across his brow and there were deep marks across his bare chest that were not unlike those of claw marks, healing rapidly thanks to werewolves' rapid healing. "is it just me, or was that totally unimpressive?"
Slowly, all the remaining members of the packs combined began to shift back into their human forms--unashamed of their naked glory, only happy to still be alive.
Grayson, who had even fewer battle scars and an even more bored look on his face, nodded. He glanced warily around the battlefield, doing his best not to look at the mutilated corpses--wolf and human form alike--strewn across the scarlet-stained ground.
"Sorry it wasn't up to your expectations, Stone, maybe next time we have a war you can kill your mom," I barked. Jason paled at my words and looked away shamefacedly. Michael gave me a warning glare and went to comfort his mate. Regret filled me at my harsh actions, but the fight from earlier still had me shaken.
If my father hadn't arrived when he had...I would've been dead, no doubt. While I was strong, my mother had years of training on me, and a vengeance streak a mile long.
He had to kill his mate, my wolf whispered, haunted. I shuddered, unable to even imagine having to go through that with Grayson.
Searching the crowd for my father I found him standing all alone, half leaning against a tree. I made my way over slowly. He saw me coming and I froze at the broken look on his face. His eyes shuttered closed and he weakly lifted his arms toward me. Immediately, I stepped into his embrace, hugging him with all my strength and hoping he would heal.
~
After assuring me he would be okay, my father sent me off to find my mate, and I looked for my blond, only for him to find me first.
Grayson stood a few feet away, his nose wrinkled at the pungent smell permeating the air and I covered my own nose with my hand, only to find it covered in blood as well. I gagged and quickly wiped it on my clothes before scanning myself to see if there was any more blood on me that I was unaware of.
I looked at Grayson, my mate, and gave him an unabashed grin. His features immediately softened and he opened his arms. Uncaring of his nude body and my grimy clothes, I lunged at the blonde. He placed chaste kisses along my jaw, whispering over and over "you're okay, you're okay, we're okay."
I breathed in his natural scent which penetrated the metallic stench of blood. I wrapped my arms around his taut waist and tucked my head into the side of his neck before finally, finally, allowing myself to relax.
~~~A/N~~~
I'm actually alive??? What??? Wowza 3 years to write this fucking chapter and I come up with this crap??? Laaammmeeeee. How anticlimactic amirite, folks? (Are any of you still even here?)
I shall post epilogue whenever I feel like it :)
Treat yo selves.
Much love,
4everAloneAnAwkward
P.S. Stay sexy, my friends. (love youuuuuu)
P.P.S. None of this is edited because my editor (A.K.A. my cousin ThatPersonInYourRoom) doesn't go on Wattpad anymore :(
P.P.P.S. Sorry I was gone; I missed you all so much.