Mating Games: The Huntress

Episode 19

RESSA POV

I knew minutes before I heard the screams outside that it was gonna get ugly. My phone chimed and I picked it up to find four words glaring back at me in the text.

I’m disappointed in you.

I knew in that moment that Senna was here.

“What.. what’s happening?!” Mia’s head poked out from under the blankets and she looked completely disoriented. Fair, considering she’d just fallen asleep.

“They’re here. Let’s go.” Is all I say as I throw on the pair jeans and the t-shirt I was wearing just hours ago. The clothes still have my mates scent on them and it instantly helps to calm me down.

“Go, go where? I’m not leaving Benji!” Mia says as she jumps up and starts getting dressed.

“And I’m not leaving, Nyx..” I snap back, surprising us both, but I quickly continue “.. I know Senna, and so do you. We’re about to have a fight on our hands.”

Mia nods stiffly and as soon as our boots are on we’re out the door.

Once we’re down the stairs there’s a flurry of bodies moving about and girls are screaming questions all at once. I’m about to bypass all of them when Elsa stands at the door and commands everyone’s attention.

“Quiet! Stay calm, rogue attacks are nothing new. Annabelle and I are going outside to secure the lodge, though I’m sure there’s already warriors out there. The rest of the ranked members are going to stay in here and be a second line of defense on the off chance that any rogues find there way in.

“Who made you boss?” Someone shouts.

“Yeah, you’re not our Alpha!” Another one says.

“By all means continue to piss and moan uselessly, or better yet run out there and become bait for the rogues. It’s no fur off my back.”

“I thought it was hunters attacking?” Another asks.

“We don’t know what the hunters are doing, we do know that there are some here though.” Annabelle answers as her eyes shift to me and Mia.

At this point I’ve had enough and I head for the door, as I reach it Elsa grabs my arm and stops me.

“Perhaps you should stay inside, you can’t shift and you don’t have any weapons.” She recommends.

“I don’t need weapons, but I do need to be out there, so let go of my arm.” I demand and Elsa reluctantly listens.

“It’s all good..” Lucy shouts as she and Ivy run down the stairs carrying a small arsenal “.. Anika showed us where some weapons were stored in case of an attack. I think these are yours.” Lucy adds as she throws Mia her bundle of knives rolled up in her leather satchel.

“And these are yours?” Lucy asks as she hands me my bow and arrows.

“Hell yeah.” Mia exclaims and I just nod stiffly before turning quickly, taking my weapons, and running outside.

Whoever wants to follow can follow, I’m no one’s mother or Alpha, as far as I’m concerned all these women have agency over themselves.

Once outside all I see is chaos, and teeth and blood. I can see a squadron of hunters attacking Dark Tider warriors and then other groups hunters are focusing on the rogues. Something tells me that the rogues surprised the hunters as much as they surprised the pack lands.

I’m about to run into the middle of the battle when I catch a whiff of putrid death coming off from the side, in the opposite direction. And then dozens more rogues breach the tree line, heading directly towards the lodge.

The seconds and minutes seem to suspend in time as I began taking aim. Arrow after arrow finding their silver tipped points pierced through the hearts or soft belly’s of the rogued beasts.

Two beautiful wolves, one a brownish red and and one a charcoal grey, Elsa and Annabelle, formed a second line of defense behind us. It was Mia, Lucy, and I that served as the strike team. It wasn’t so much a discussion as it was instinct that made us take the lead.

Mia with her haladie blade, her favorite doubled edged dagger. Lucy with an authentic samurai sword and me with my bow and arrows.

We’d only just started to fight when another wave of rogues surged from the tree line. For a moment I stood in shock at what I was seeing, mostly because I’d never seen this many rogues work together. Like a well oiled killing machine they salivated without hesitating towards their own deaths. They were truly rabid and it wasn’t normal.. it was unnatural.

I grabbed two arrows at the same time and sliced them both through the air heading toward two different targets. And then I heard a fierce and possessive roar at my back. I glanced behind for a split second to gage the threat, but before I could grab another arrow and raise it a rogue tackled me to the ground.

My bow flew out of my hand as I fell backwards, as I had to use my hands to grip the rotting fangs of the rogue above me. Keeping its mouth trapped, open and unable to chomp down on me. It’s saliva dripped from its canines and burned my skin.

Also not normal I thought, though the thought was fleeting as the big black wolf that distracted me just a moment ago came into view and chomped down on the rogues neck. Pulling it completely off me as it shook it’s head back and forth violently, until it tore apart the rogues flesh.

The wolf’s eyes connected with mine for an instant and a sigh of relief escaped me.

Nyx. My mate, my Nyx.

I smiled up at him for a split second before his ears twitched and he turned away. Soon Nyx, and a large golden brown wolf I assumed to be Benji, were tearing through the rogues with savagery that should’ve probably scared me.

But it didn’t. And instead my own claws elongated and something I’ve never given complete control to started to take over.

My beast.. My wolf.

Looks like it’s her turn now.