Mated To An Enemy

"My Alpha!" Richard shouted as Axel fell to his knees.

The fallen that stood before Axel let out a soft growl, recognizing a moment of opportunity. It raised its clawed hand into the air, taking a heavy swipe at Axel.

Though he felt the intense pressure in his chest and a mournful ache from somewhere inside of him, Axel snarled as he summoned another blade into his hand and thrust it with force into the shoulder of the fallen.

The beast screeched and stumbled backward. Unfortunately for it, Richard was already prepared to greet it. Having abandoned his daggers for a large two-handed axe, Richard swung with all his might, burying the heavy weapon in the fallen's exposed, malformed back.

With a final wheezing groan, the fallen fell to its knees and then crumpled into the snow.

Richard hurried to Axel, helping him to his feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Axel didn't understand how he knew, but he did know that Lily's Rest was gone.

"They've destroyed Lily's Rest," Axel whispered. He looked up at Richard. "They're more organized than we expected."

"It's those ones," Richard said with disgust, pointing his chin toward the body of the fallen. "They were us once. Seems like a part of them might still be."

Axel took a deep breath.

"It's a tragedy," Axel whispered.

Richard nodded.

Axel looked back over the battlefield, several men and women had been lost, but they were holding their ground overall. They were pushing back the enemy and making headway. The Frostbite wolves had all but eliminated the feral. The bears were being taken two on one and had little chance of winning.

From what he could hear of the reports coming in, the others were also holding their lines. But Axel couldn't help the feeling of dread building in his gut. Why would they have attacked Lily's Rest? What was the goal? Their numbers were falling. They should have focused their attention on the front line.

Axel heard shouting from those with radios, a sudden panic as reports came in that more were coming.

"Oh, Goddess…" Richard whispered with concern.

Axel lifted his gaze to where Richard looked. In the distance, through the trees, he saw them. A whole new army of ferals, hybrids, bears and fallen. More than had come in the initial wave, a lot more.

He hurried to one of the men with a radio and grabbed it, turning to the channel he knew she would be on.

"Luna Corrine!" he shouted. "There are far more coming than we knew of…."

He clenched his jaw.

"Prepare your Valkyrie," he said softly. "We will hold them as long as we can. It will be up to you after that."

Axel did not wait for a reply. Instead, he returned the radio and summoned two small axes into his hands. Then, he moved to Richard's side.

Richard took a deep breath and prepared his large axe. He growled as he looked out at the approaching army.

"My son failed Winter. He earned his death," he whispered. "But my daughter… she was taken too early."

"She was among my greatest allies," Axel replied with pride. "I will honor her sacrifice for as long as I live."

"Then live a long life, my Alpha," Richard replied gently, then let out a low growl. "And cut short the ones that took hers!"

Richard shot forward, the others following closely behind him to charge toward the approaching army. Axel watched them run ahead. He took a deep breath, seeing Alice in his mind, remembering their last moments together. The gray image on the screen of the life growing inside of her.

He swallowed and closed his eyes.

"I will return to you," he whispered.

The Alpha of Winter opened his eyes, a bright glow inside them as he let out an angry howl and charged onto the battlefield. The armies clashed between the trees on a field of snow and dirt.

***

"…It will be up to you after that."

Corrine stared with wide eyes at the radio that had landed in the snow as she had fallen to her knees, gasping for air.

The two Valkyrie that had run to her side also stared at the radio. Then, finally, they looked at each other and then at their leader.

"Luna…?" one questioned.

Having just found herself able to breathe again, Corrine took a shaky breath and reached for the radio.

"Axel…" she said in a weak whisper.

She closed her eyes and focused her will.

"Axel!" she shouted into the radio.

The silence was her only reply.

Corrine got to her feet.

"Alpha Axel, repeat your orders!" she insisted, holding the radio close.

In the distance, they could hear the sounds of battle. The Valkyrie all lifted their heads and looked in the direction they had originally come from. The place they knew their Alpha fought to hold back the enemy.

"Luna Corrine," the Valkyrie that had already spoken called to her again. "The battle has begun. He gave his order."

Corrine turned with a dark gaze at the woman.

The Valkyrie swallowed and hesitated to move.

"I'm sorry, my Luna," she said, lowering her eyes.

Corrine looked away.

"No," she whispered. "You're right… he did. So take three, go, and join the others at the midpoint. If you see the enemy, let us know before you engage… but do all you can to keep them away from the Safe Zone."

"Yes, my Luna," the Valkyrie replied, nodding and touching her fist to her heart.

As the woman turned to leave, Corrine called out once more.

"Remember," she said with a dark look in her eye. "Our Alpha has put his own life on the line. He stands directly in the way of the enemy."

All the Valkyrie turned their attention to her.

"Any beast that crosses into our field of battle… has done so by walking through the spilled blood of our people," she continued. A seething anger in her voice. "Our sons, daughters, brother, sisters, and lovers. Every step it takes is one they won't. Every breath it takes is one they won't."

Around her, all the Valkyrie listened intently, feeling a rising tide of anger and vengeance toward those that had invaded their home and attacked their people.

Corrine clenched her jaw, her anger blending with the ache in her heart.

"When you face the enemy," she continued through gritted teeth. "Show. No. Mercy."