The Lost One

Chapter 35

War is never pretty. It is never righteous or glorious. War is dirty. It is terrifying. Bloody. Loud and horrific. There is no good side. No winner or loser. There is only the side that lost less, the side that managed to kill more of the other. There are no clean hands in a battle. No innocent pure hearted heroes.

When you die you are no different than the enemy beside you. You bleed the same. Cry the same. Die the same. Meaning, intention, cause, logic none of it matters here. Here all that matters is death. It, the only truth. The rest it matters before. And perhaps it matters after. But at the clash of battle, at the first bash of side against side, with the first death, the first drop of blood it all shrinks away and none of it matters. Why loses all meaning. There is no more right or wrong, good or evil there is only life and death and the struggle to hold onto who you were before it started.

This was no different. They were fighting for the good. It did not mean they were good. Did not mean their actions were good. In the cold autumn air, under the partially hidden moon, there was little that distinguished them from their enemies. Here they were all the same. The only difference was whose team you were on. Tomorrow it would matter. In the light of day good and bad, right and wrong would exist once more. But now they were in the dark, there was no light.

They say history is written by the victor.

War is written in blood.

They didn't have to wait long before it started.

One of Olivia's scouts spotted them first.

Aislinn knew it was starting when Kaiden tensed beside her. Richard inched ever closer so his body was nearly brushing against hers.

Suddenly they heard the sounds of paws and feet echoing through the trees. Taking a deep breath Kaiden caught the traces of their scents on the breeze. Getting stronger as the trespassing wolves made their way closer to them.

Kaiden threw a quick glance over his shoulder at his mate. Richard and his three new guardians, Leland, Emmett and Hugo, stood around her. Not knowing her identity they hadn't been able to take the oaths of the Guardians yet, but they were still taking their duty seriously. Richard had been quick to reassure him that even if they didn't know who she was their wolves would still feel a pull and a need to protect her. Meeting the cool grey of her eyes, he pushed lightly against their bond only to find that like her exterior she had shut down again. He felt nothing from her, a small frown formed as he watched her worriedly. Sensing his unease she shook her head in the slightest motion possible before becoming still once more, letting out a sigh he realized that was all the reassurance he was going to get from her.

Shifting his focus quickly Kaiden looked to the wolf at her side. Richard was utterly calm, a picture of confidence and dominance as he stood towering beside her. He wouldn't leave her side. Kaiden had to trust that. Had to entrust the safety of his mate to him. He had a duty to her and to their people and he couldn't do that and protect her, even if he wanted to.

Kaiden stepped forward with Austin at his shoulder. He pushed all of his fears, doubts and worries away. He had to be calm, ready and levelheaded. Fury and rage would not help him here. Now he had to be an Alpha and protect his pack.

Standing rigidly they watched as Stanley emerged from between the dark trees. A cruel smirk on his face as his beta and third walked at his sides. They were surrounded by at least 30 more wolves most already shifted. Kaiden felt his anger bubble to the surface with one look at the man but quickly pushed it down again before it could be betrayed on his face.

He also didn't let his face give anything away when Olivia mind linked him to say that they had counted at least 50 more wolves hidden in woods nearby the clearing they had decided to wait at. The rest of Fraser's pack had broken off into two groups and were moving to surround them.