~Alex~
Holding the weight of hundreds of lives on your shoulders is not fun. Every name and face comes to me with such clarity. I toss and turn on my cot. I can't sleep. I know that tomorrow is the battle of battles, but it's rough. What if I'm not a good enough leader? I slap my face with my hands. I am a good leader and a good Alpha. I will carry my pack to victory.
A knot of dread forms in my stomach. My dad is back at camp, working at the hub of information. We're not the only group of wolves sent out to deal with Nyx's minions. This isn't my first or even second mission. But it is my first time leading hundreds of my people into a battle that we can't be sure of the outcome for.
Sleep, pup, or you'll be a mess on the battlefield tomorrow. You need to be alert to protect the others, especially our mate. Sol chastises me, yet he's pacing in circles. He's still worried about Noct and that strange feeling he felt from Nico. His anxiety is infectious.
When I fall asleep, my dreams are plagued with visions of death and destruction. Bodies lay all over the ground with familiar faces and foreign as well. Blood soaks into the earth, watering the soil until it turns crimson. Crows fly in the air, feasting on the dead. It's a nightmare. I need to remember that this is a nightmare. This isn't our fate. This will not be our future.
I lurch awake, sweating profusely as I look around my tent. Of course, I couldn't have a pleasant dream on the day of a big fight, right? Lucky me. I pull myself out of bed, weary already. My eyes feel itchy and it's like I lost more sleep than I gained. I need some coffee to pull myself together.
The morning sun hasn't even risen yet as the troops pull themselves together for battle. Everyone eats breakfast in hushed silence with the occasional whispers. It's like a veil has been draped over our party and we're all waiting for it to be lifted or to join the dead. Grim faces all around. Everyone has realized their tasks and what is asked of them, I only wish I could reassure them that dying for it was worth it. I guess I'm not cut out to be a leader. I'm not nearly ruthless enough.
After we finish eating and preparing ourselves, everyone stands at attention. We decided to attack at sunrise and the sun is now on its way over the horizon. I bark some orders to a few commanders to flank the enemy in their wolf forms to prevent detection while we take possession of the enemy's attention. We march up the mountain in our human forms. It's more orderly and we can be ready for anything this way.
The sun is pulling itself over the horizon and paints the sky a watercolor gray. Thin clouds scrap against the sky. It looks like it's going to be a miserable day.
My eyes scan the surroundings as I lead the march. No movement on either side of us as we move quickly through the trees. A foreign scent catches my nose too little too late. A band of rogues bears down upon us from the trees. They jump down and land on top of us, taking us by unawares. My soldiers quickly react to the threat. One wolf jumps into action grabbing the nearest rogue and breaking his arm. Another one tackles a rogue to the ground. Small skirmishes pop up between the ranks. They're trying to slow us down and widdle down our numbers.
Soon enough, the threats are disposed of and we fall back into formation. "How many casualties?" I inquire.
"Three, sir," The wolf closest to me replies. "One death and two with minor injuries."
I grit my teeth. Already, we've lost one man. Just like dominoes, more are sure to follow. I can't falter now. One moment of hesitation can cost my men their lives. I must be resolute in my leadership.
"We will continue onwards. Leave the dead behind. We'll bury their bodies when we win." The man snaps a salute before issuing the orders to the rest of the pack members.
"Onwards!" I bellow. A chorus of yells follows.
We trudge up the steep slope of the mountain, protecting ourselves from oncoming attacks as we try and get to an ideal location for fighting. After hordes upon hordes of rogue wolves, we make it to a flat stretch of rocky land that our entire army can squeeze onto.
Wolves shift are locked in battles of fur and fangs. Druids stand in the back casting fireballs into the oncoming waves of men. The smell of burning fur and flesh causes the air to become acrid. Vampires zip through the battlefield draining enemies of blood before snapping their neck. Madness. This is the definition of madness. I stand in the middle of the battlefield, issuing orders to soldiers where our defenses are growing thin or need reinforcements.
Blood and smoke pollute the air like a thin mist. Bodies of brothers and friends lay broken and dying on the ground. I dodge a charging wolf before sinking my teeth into their neck and ripping out their throat. Blood matts down the fur around my mouth. The taste is metallic and sickening. I ignore my churning stomach and jump into the fray to defend my comrades. Blake is somewhere behind me, protecting my rear. Kayla is protecting the druids from any wolves that may slip through our defenses. And Nico is... Where is Nico?
My heart jumps with fear as I scan the battlefield for him. Everywhere I look fights are ensuing, but he is nowhere to be found. Has he already gone down? Did the enemy take him? I grow frantic as I continue my search.
There! Sol calls out, directing me to the edge of the fighting. A head of black hair is heading away from the battle.
"Where is he going?" I wonder aloud. Is he injured? Maybe he's going to try and fight Nyx alone. I won't let him. I'll stop him before he can do something so stupid.
"What's wrong?" Blake inquires from behind me.
"I have to go after Nico. He's up to something or he might be hurt. I'll be back soon, take care of the troops for me." I shift into my wolf form and sprint full speed in the direction that Nico was heading toward.
I know that it is inappropriate to leave Blake leading an army that he's not technically qualified to handle, but I know that if anyone can do it, it's him. As selfish as it may seem, I'm willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of my mate.
I make it to a hidden path that leads up the mountain. How did Nico know this was here? I start up the steep steps in my human form. They're far too narrow to ascend in wolf form. The battle becomes smaller and smaller the higher I climb. The wind carries the cries of the dying on its breeze.
Something is wrong with our mate. I can sense it. Sol reports.
"How do you figure? Is it the fact that he's sneaking away from the battle, or something more?"
No need for the attitude, pup. I sense something strange and dark within him. Noct's fear is equivalent to whatever is inside of him. What we find at the peak may not be the mate we knew.
"Do you think that Nyx finally got to him?" My voice is low. Below the surface, I can feel Sol pacing restlessly. Anger bubbles up red hot tainted with a black fear that oozes through my veins.
Let's hope that it is just that, Sol says ominously.
Rock crumbles underneath my feet, tumbling into the open space below. I scoot closer to the cliff face. "What else could it be if not that?"
Worst case scenario? That's not Nico at all. It's Nyx.
I stop walking for a second. "If we're chasing after Nyx, then where is the real Nico?"
That's just the worst case scenario. I'm not saying it is true. Sol's voice is aggravated. He's clearly upset at the prospect of his mate being stuck in the same body as an evil goddess. I can't say that I'm partial to the idea either.
The air grows thinner the higher we get, making me feel light headed. At the top, the rock face gives away to reveal a flat landing that holds the ruins of an ancient temple. The structure was made from obsidian stone that is as dark as night itself. I hope Sol was wrong about Nico being taken hostage because I'm pretty sure we were led straight into a trap.
I walk closer to the large, slip-shod structure. Ivy grows up the sides and weeds choke the foundation. I guess there aren't many worshippers of the night anymore. On the other side of the temple is Nico. His back is to me and he's facing the horizon.
"Nico?" I call out, hoping with all of my heart that it's him.
"Bzz, wrong guess. Try again." Nico turns around to look at me. He wears a big, foolish grin and his irises are black.
"Nyx," I breathe.
"Ding, ding, ding. You don't seem too surprised to find out that it is me." Nyx pouts.
"I may not know Nico that well, but I know him well enough to know that you're a bad actress." Nyx steps closer and I take a step back.
"Dang, that hurts, Alex. Even though I had you fooled for an entire week you're still dissing my skills." Nyx sticks up Nico's nose in the air arrogantly.
This is going to be hard. How am I supposed to fight her when she's inside of Nico's body? I can't possibly hurt him. I can't kill her when she's inside of him.
"A week? You've been playing as Nico for that long?" I feel stricken. How could I not notice? Maybe she played him better than I think she did. After all, Nico's always liked to keep to himself. The only thing that was different was that he didn't spend as much time with Dom as usual. If only I had spent more time with the real Nico, then something like this would never have been able to happen.
"Yep." She pops the 'p.' "You know, I always thought that Nico was pitiful for not getting you to come to him sooner, but now I get it: you don't really want to know Nico, do you?"
I flinch. "Of course I want to know him, he's my mate-"
"Yet the number of times you stopped by to say hello to little old Nico I can count on my hands." Nyx forms a zero with her hand. Nico's hand.
"Nico got annoyed whenever I showed up and he's still dating Luca-"
"Oh, Luca, I forgot about him. He's a good minion, that one, got Nico and you all prepped and ready for me."
"Wait, what?" Luca was working for Nyx? No wonder why I didn't trust him.
"That's not the point, Alex," Nyx says, interuppting my thoughts. "You still don't have all of your feelings for Nico back yet, right? You love him but you don't feel the pull. Don't worry about that, I'll fix you right up." Nyx clenches her hand and my body stiffens.
I'm frozen in place. I can't move. Nyx struts up to me and places a cold hand on my forehead. A tingling sensation rushes throughout my body from my head to my toes. The feeling burns in my veins and carves something into my soul. It feels as though all the cobwebs are being cleared away and the truth is breaking through.
The first sign that something is different is Nico's scent. It's suddenly ten times stronger than before. I can barely keep my mind focused on Nyx. Next is the pull. Just like Nyx said. I can feel an attraction to Nico as though he were a magnet. But the pull isn't for the person in front of me. I feel it behind me, somewhere down the mountain. The real Nico is near.
"There you go. Now humpty dumpty is put back together again." Nyx pulls her hand away with a smirk. "Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"
I glare at Nyx, feeling annoyed. I want to run to Nico. I can feel him and the pull is like an itch that needs to be scratched. "What business would I have with you?" I growl.
Nyx chuckles. "Well, I thought we could discuss the terms of me giving you back this body." Nyx runs a hand down Nico's body sensually.
A snarl bubbles out of my throat. Sol is scratching to get out and fight. Mate. We think in unison.
"What do you want, Nyx?" I say through clenched teeth. We circle each other like sharks in the water, waiting to pounce at the first sight of weakness.
Nyx taps her chin thoughtfully. Mockingly. "Well, it's just a tiny price to pay for the safety of your mate."
"Get on with it!" I bark. We stop our little dance for a second, missing a beat, before continuing in our measured rhythm.
"I want you, Alex. Give me free reign over your body and I'll happily let Nico go free." Nyx's mouth quirks into a smirk. Nico's features are contorted into an evil manner that doesn't fit him.
"Why do you want me? What's your plan?" I narrow my eyes at her.
Nyx simply smiles and pulls something from her pocket. My eyes widen when she holds a blade up to Nico's throat threateningly. "It's not your place to ask questions. I'll be the one making the demands around here. Safety of your men and Nico for your body. Well, how about it, Alex?" The steel digs into his flesh, releasing a trickle of blood.
What do I do? My men might survive the enemy's attack, but Nico definitely won't. He'll die. If I give Nyx my body, she might do terrible things with it. I'm not too happy with the idea of riding shotgun in my own body either. Sol, what should I do?
I'm at a lost, Alex. We might lose the war and our mate's life and Nyx will still win. But if you give her your body, then many lives will be saved in the process and she'll still win. But for how long? She might take many more lives when she acts as a host. I don't recommend giving her the reigns, Alex. But if you decide to go through with it, I'll follow your decision.
"Nyx," I say, meeting her jet black eyes. "First, get out of Nico and then I'll say yes."
Nyx gives a big Cheshire grin. "You got it. I'll leave him right here then."
Nico's body falls limply to the floor, landing with a dull thud. His eyes are still open but soulless. Nyx stands before me in a flowing black dress. Her skin is snow white, while her hair and eyes are as dark as night. She's beautiful in a dangerous sort of way. She looks too cunning and malicious to trust.
Behind me, where the stairs are, I feel a strong pull. It's Nico. He's coming. He's definitely not going to be happy with my decision once he gets here. I meet Nyx's endless eyes defiantly. "I want you to promise me something. You won't kill Nico or anyone in my pack."
Nyx rolls her eyes. "Fine, deal."
"And also, you have to call your men off as soon as you take over me."
"Deal."
"And lastly, you'll give my body back once you've done whatever you need to do. OK?" My palms grow sweaty and I feel my legs turning to rubber. This is what making a deal with the devil feels like, huh? A lump blooms in my throat as the pull grows closer. I keep my eyes focused on Nyx, though. I don't want Nico to see how lame I look right now.
"Got it, let's get this over with, shall we?" Nyx walks over to me slowly, taking her time. Halfway, she turns to the right and smiles smugly before continuing.
"Alex, will you take me, Nyx, to be your host? To guide you through life and death until my mission is complete?" Nyx's voice resounds through the courtyard, bouncing off of the fallen walls of the temple.
"Yes, I do."