Note to readers: Okay so this is the penultimate chapter so get ready to say goodbye to Passion and Joshua. We've had a long journey to these last two chapters so please enjoy.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Joshua could feel something ominous in the forest as if eyes were tracking them. He had woken up to find the bed empty and the hum of the engine vibrating beneath him.
Leaving the room he had found the bears sleeping in the loungers, their snores fighting the turbines for supremacy. Brent looked up from his book his eyes bloodshot as he sent the Tsarev's a contemptuous look.
"Do you think they realise just how loud they are?" He asked making room for Joshua.
Joshua yawned scratching the stubble on his face wincing as Dravo snorted. Smiling he motioned for Brent to follow him, moving as quietly as possible they pinched Dravo's nose.
"Gwah!" The bear growled thrashing is his seat.
Brent did the same to Danny who swatted at his hand. Joshua roared with laughter as the brothers looked about them bewildered.
"Bastards." Vladimir had said good heartedly.
...
Joshua stopped, narrowing his eyes and pinning back his ears, his tail went stiff as he heard a twig snap.
Brent tilted his head listening for anymore evidence of their assailant. The bears stopped up ahead also noticing the wolves' behaviour.
A potent scent of human sweat teased Joshua's nostrils and a glint of something silver caught his eye.
There was someone there and with a weapon, with a bark of warning Joshua leapt at Brent as the rifle went off. The bears reared back on their hind legs, bellowing they charged towards the bushes.
Brent winced as the weight of Joshua's body pressed into his ribs, using his muzzle he nudged his cousin. Joshua didn't respond, instead he rolled off Brent his tongue hanging from his jaws.
Brent whimpered noticing the blood on his fur, it was Joshua's. Shifting Brent ran to where the bears continued to thrash in the brush but there was no sign of their shooter.
"Joshua's down." He told them rushing back to his fallen cousin.
Joshua emitted shallow pants his paw twitched as he tried to lick his wound. Brent rubbed Joshua muzzle while Dravo inspected his wound.
"The bullet is lodged too deep to take it out, but he's going to die if we don't." Dravo said.
"How do you know that?" Brent asked. Dravo lifted his long hair revealing two large scars.
"Shotgun." Dravo said, rubbing them before covering them with his hair.
Brent swore clenching tufts of Joshua's fur in his hands. They were closer to Stillwater than the airstrip, they could only keep going forward. He didn't relish turning up with Naomi's son near death in his arms.
"We move faster in our animal forms, but how will we get Joshua there in one piece." Vladimir mused. Brent searched the area around them.
"We'll make a pallet and attach it to Danny. He's the biggest out of the three of you." Brent said scrambling for fallen leaves and twigs.
In a few moments they had made a crude sled, using stripped bark they tied it around Danny's torso. Danny growled taking a few steps forward.
"It will have to do." Brent said shifting back into a wolf.
Moving at a slower pace but still faster than a running human they journeyed to Stillwater.
Vladimir was the first to feel the fissure of electricity as they neared the fence. Surveying the area Brent couldn't see any possible way in and wondered how Joshua and Passion had escaped the first time.
Brent looked at Dravo who was sitting on his hind legs, Dravo caught his eye and nodded his large head. Carefully Brent clambered up the dark bears back being careful not to pierce him with his claws.
Brent yelped as Dravo slowly stood up, knowing he had only once chance at leaping the fence, Brent bunched his back legs and jumped. For a split second he didn't think he was going to make it, twisting mid air he dropped to the other side on his back.
The wind got knocked out of him and he could barely breathe, gasping he scrambled to his feet. Shaking of the dry foliage that clung to his grey fur he lifted his nose and tried to pick out Naomi's scent.
If it was one thing he was truly gifted at it was memorising scents and his aunts stood out like a beacon. Taking a few steps forward he felt something synthetic beneath his paws before the trap was triggered.
The bears roared in protest as a dozen wolves crept from the bushes. A naked woman approached, her black hair was arranged in a multitude of plaits. She walked towards Brent, a dagger appearing in her hands.
Brent tried to fight away from the cool metal but knew shifting would cut the circulation in his leg.
"Brent Oaken, I used to change your diaper when you were nothing but a pup. How dare you sneak into my home?" She snarled grapping handful of his fur she brought the knife down.
Brent winced as it bit into his flesh. Brent watched at the fur fell from her hands settling on the forest floor.
Naomi hissed as she caught the scent of blood. Her pupils dilated as she realised it was her son's. Naomi walked to the fence where the bears reared back bellowing when she drew near.
"Turn off the fence." Naomi said. The blue light flickered out like the fall of a million fireflies.
Two wolves shifted into human form, opening the gate. Danny walked in, hesitantly watching the wolves as they gnawed at the ropes. Naomi rushed to the pallet running her hands through Joshua's fur. He mewled searching for her heat with his nose.
"You're home now." She whispered motioning to her women.
They lifted Joshua into their arms and headed towards the Stillwater house. Turning to the bears and Brent she smirked.
"Take them." She ordered.
Though the bears were twice as big as the wolves there were too many to take on. Decided not to aggravate the situation any further they shifted allowing their hands to be cuffed behind them.
Brent swore as he was cut loose landing on his head. Barking as the other wolves laughed Brent lifted his head as a muzzle was applied to his face. This wasn't exactly what they had planned but at least they were in Stillwater.
...
Passion paced back and forth waiting for the Stillwater army. Their scout had returned for the last time with news that their numbers had doubled and had the full backing of other wolf packs as well as a bear clan.
She still didn't understand why Naomi was staging such a full scale attack upon them. It would make more sense if she had tried to steal Joshua back but to declare war upon Oak River was ludicrous.
"She has gone crazy." Marie said when Passion had asked.
They had travelled to a plot of land big enough for the coming fight, if Stillwater won they could take over the Oak River pack and make it their own.
The humans wouldn't understand why all the old inhabitants had left but Naomi obviously didn't care. Even the elders had never seen a battle of this magnitude.
"The days of war are over, there are too many humans in this world to fight for power." Lena had said.
That was why Semati had challenged Joshua to a one on one, it was unheard of for so many packs to congregate.
"This is why mates should be picked with care. the DNA imprinted makes it impossible to be without one another for long periods of time. The psyche knows when it's other half is not around."
Tina had said.
Passion shook her head, Naomi was a liability not only to wolves but too all clan specie's. If Joshua couldn't reason with her then he would have to kill her.
"They are here." Spectre said, shedding her clothes.
Grey fur sprouted along her skin as she fell to the floor. Passion followed suit watching as dark silhouettes moved against the horizon.
Like black locust the wolves came snapping and growling, their hackles raised and their teeth bared. That was a signal if there ever was one. The Oak River packed howled before racing forwards.
A large black wolf rushed towards her snapping at her heels, Passion whirled sinking her teeth into its hind leg. Yelping the wolf thrashed trying to dislodge her grip. Passion swiped at its muzzle drawing blood.
The wolf backed away running back to its pack. Passion spat the blood from her mouth noticing Spectre backed into a corner by three bears.
Shit. She thought running up to them.
She grabbed the first by its tail and bit down hard, but she wasn't quick enough to escape his kick. His claws raked the underside of her belly and Passion whined feeling the stinging sensation of blood pulsating out of her body.
The bear turned his full attention on her and with a terrifying growl ran towards her prone body. The pain from her wound was so intense that she couldn't get up.
She shut her eyes bracing herself for the impact but it never came. Snapping her eyes open she saw a blur of white sink his teeth into the neck of the bear.
Joshua?
The white beast was joined by amber lions, their fur glistening beneath the setting sun as they roared tearing into the bear.
It was bloody and horrifying but Passion felt no remorse. The beast stood over his kill, his white mane bleached with blood.
It was the Artashir. He walked towards her, nudging her paws away from her wound and licking the deep slashes on her underbelly. Passion squirmed under his touch but stilled when she felt the pain ease.
The Artashir purred butting her head with his, coaxing her up. All around them the Artashir's pride overwhelmed the Stillwater pack. She had never seen so many lions or so much blood. It hadn't had to come to this, if they had just left Joshua with his mother perhaps her wolves would not have had to suffer.
Passion leant against Alyssa who helped her walk to where the others were huddled. They had managed to drive back Naomi's warriors.
Those that had not fled were helping the wounded and gathering the dead. There were casualties on both sides.
Passion whimpered as she saw her fallen comrades, those that she had fought beside ever since she was recruited as a fighter.
"No!" Spectre wailed over Lucas's still wolf form.
His throat had been sliced so deeply his head remained attached to his body through his last remaining tendons.
Claw nursed a broken arm as he over saw the burial of the human and wolf corpses. Passion shifted wincing as the wounds stretched but whatever the Artashir had done it was already healing.
"Mate of Joshua, I believe my debt is repaid." The Artashir said shaking her hand, his army of lions waiting for him in the distance.
Passion smiled with gratitude then felt a stabbing pain in her chest. Looking down there was no sign of blood but it hurt like
hell. Eyes widening with shock she realised what it was.
"Joshua." She cried falling to her knees, the pain was overwhelming and burned its way to her heart.
