HIS MATCH

27.

He, in all his splendour, and His truth.

River.

"Ventus." Chad threw him back. "Demihter." My mother forced him back even more. "Constó." I held out my hand freezing him in place, this was him alright, his body could withstand the spells we were throwing at him, his whole being vibrated and oozed soul energy from all the souls of wolves he had devoured. "Do you think you can hold me little witch,  you don't have the strength." He called out struggling in my hold, I forced more mana into my spell rewriting it's original use into a stasis prison, he could try but he would be bound. There is no doubt about it, this is him, only a wolf leaking soul energy could pass through the barriers and still be able to take so many hits. "I haven't even laid my claims yet and you're already attacking me, where are your manners luna, that's no way to treat a guest." He hissed still frozen in place and I rolled my eyes.

"You've tried to kill me, several times, you've tried to kill my mate, your lackeys attacked my brother, you're no guest, you're a monster." I harshly responded and there was a satisfied smirk on his lips. "I thought to myself that I would come here and just kill you all, but I'm surprised she was right, you're so dark it's deliriously delicious, I could almost taste your darkness, don't worry luna, I won't hurt you too badly." He mumbled looking at me alone, Riley grolwed wanting to attack him but dad held him back. "You're stalling, for who?" He called out as the familiar magic wisped in the air, I knew it because once I had been suffocated by it, I knew his ally, I knew her magic and only she held a grudge big enough to conspire with this monster to get to me. "Mom." I whispered looking at her but she didn't reply, she felt it too, she recognized it too.

"For him." He finally replied nodding behind us, an explosion occured above us, someone was trying to force their way in but it wouldn't work unless they destroyed the obelisks, all of them, but some were hidden, I'd made sure of it. "Mahadhiv, it can't be you." Khan stated as he walked past us toward the lycan corrupted by dark rituals. "Khan stop, who ever you think that is, it's not him." Former beta Granger called out stopping his friend. "It couldn't be, I saw you die, we buried you." Khan exclaimed, pained by the sight before him. "Are you sure you saw me die little brother, are you sure you saw my corpse buried that day?" He retorted as the dots connected, alpha Khan had never mentioned he had a brother, Julian never mentioned him.

"Uncle." Julian demanded as he ran up to us and stood by my side. "Hello my little hunter, glad to see your umcle again." He muttered with a satisfied smile to Julian's shock. "How, you died, we saw you—." Julian paused as he looked down to his feet. "No you didn't Julian, you saw me fall into the water, where my decoy already was, a corpse made to look exactly like me, to take my place." He, explained making everything sensible again. "Why didn't you come back home, why did you stay away for so long?" Khan aggressively asked as he was held back. "Come back to what, to watch you rule my pack, to watch father pamper you and give you the reigns of my birthright, don't speak to me about coming back." He spat looking at Khan who had steeled his face toward his brother.

"So revenge, this is all about revenge, how you would've been alpha if not for me, you've killed a lot of our people, and could've killed a lot more if the Goddess hadn't intervened with River being in this pack, you'd kill us all for power?" Khan exclaimed his eyes set on his brother whose features divulged no secrets, no remorse, just anger. "Yes, brother, I'd kill all of you if only to rebuild the Forester pack in my image, don't think for a second I wouldn't, the witches will live, I have a special task for them, the lycans who flee now will live, those who bend the knee and bend to my will, will live, those who want to be heroes, will die." He stated his accords, a proclamation of what he wanted and I'm sure there was no negotiating.

"You're sick." Julian spat looking at his eyes which lazily looked back at him. "Come cure me then nephew, you have the power to do so, or I will devour you." He, replied, and we all knew that was a challenge, Mahadhiv didn't want to fight Khan, he wanted the current alpha so it truly seemed that he defeated the current alpha and took his claim. "No!" Khan yelled as he looked at his brother, suddenly my prison was shattered by force energy so strong it flung all of us back and into the dirt,  the dust and debris settled just for us to witness Mahadhiv holding Khan by his throat slowly crushing it. I flipped to my feet ready to attack. "Ah, ah, ah, ahh— attack me and I snap his neck." He addressed me dangling his own brother like a sack, Khan couldn't fight anymore the hold was too strong.

"Accept the challenge alpha or he dies." He called out toward Julian who stood behind me. "I accept." My mate replied just Mahadhiv threw Khan's body toward Granger like he didn't weigh anything. "We meet at midday under the clear sky where your ascension to heaven will be quick, you should submit now." Mahadhiv chuckled darkly as he turned to walk away, we rushed toward Khan, my mother had already snapped his neck back in place and healing him. "He'll be alright, I'm not sure for the rest of us, if she's here then we're in trouble." My mother explains as she looks toward the wooded area He had come from but there was nothing, he was gone like smoke. There was no doubt about him, no tricks, that was him and he was scary.

We all made our way back to the house, Julian called for everyone who helped him lead the pack in some aspect, we had to assemble and find a way to fight Mahadhiv, he would stop at nothing to kill us and that was the truth, I personally wanted to have my children with my mate. "My sister, she was there, I felt it." My mother began and everyone was stunned. "How is that possible?" Julian asked what everyone was thinking. "She's the only witch I know with the kind of magic that could conjure Mahadhiv past the barrier River and Chad placed, I felt her nagic when we tried to hold the monstrosity back, River felt her too, so did Riley." My mother explained still confusing everyone. "Why would your sister want her nephews dead?" Elder Errin asked and my mother sighed. "She's adopted." My mother joked and everyone snickered.

"A few years ago I killed Collen her son, then put Vik her vampire boyfriend in a casket which we dropped into the Ladruve trench, the deepest underwater trench there is, the pressure there is impossible to fight, she can't get to him, unless she found a way I don't know, she's held that grudge ever since even when mom tried to explain why I did what I did, she wouldn't listen." I finally explained it, a very dark part of my life that turned Nadira into a vengeful witch. "How do we deal with this, all of it?" An elder asked as I looked to my mate, then my family, I had to protect them, we had to protect them. "Julian will fight his uncle and I will finally fight my aunt, every able warrior will face the hoarde of rogues and vampires they have amassed to kill us." I stated leaving no room for argument. Julian didn't like it and he protested.

"You're too precious River, you can't face her." He argued after pulling me away, we now stood in the backyard, a glowing barrier above us. "What will you have me do Julian, you saw what happened to your father, Nadira is currently stronger than my mother right now, I'm the only one powerful enough to fight her." I argued taking his hand in mine. "You have to trust that I can do this, because if you don't we've lost already." I muttered as he pulled me into a hug, his warmth engulfing my being, I apprecited these moments with him, we had come so far. "I have faith in you, it's just scary, tomorrow we'll be fighting for our lives against what literally is family." The last part made me snicker.

"I love you." He whispered placing a kiss on my mark. "I'm in love with you, we'll be okay." I reassured him, we stayed out in the backyard for a few minutes longer, enjoying the peace until Kirk called us back, we had a plan to finish.

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Saint_Jay