Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Aramis POV

We all thought the dark fog wasn't a good sign. And we all knew it when wide fissures in the earth split open and dozens more warriors of hell rose. That was anything but good, that was absolutely shit!

"Damn it!" my wolf snarled angrily as we slashed sword after sword slash, tearing so many of their black hearts out with our mental bonds. But it wasn't enough. Not even close.

"Shit, they're everywhere!" Reah roared, gorging on several demon hearts with her spear in a split second.

I followed the crack in the ground with my eyes. I knew from the start that they hadn't sent all their warriors onto the field. It couldn't have been that easy, but this was worse than I thought. "They've surrounded us!"

Just when I thought things couldn't look any worse for us, my fist clenched. The fissure in the earth not only circled us, another branch led through the forest. And in this there could only be one end in sight. The infirmary - right where Zaira was.

Zaria's POV

Admittedly, I had imagined the whole thing to be simpler. Without omorphies, healing wasn't easy and I couldn't fully restore the wounded soldiers without losing all my powers, my whole being. So every time I reminded myself not to give everything I had and to do my best so that I could at least help them to heal their bodies faster.

"Thank you," the maltreated soldier murmured and looked wide-eyed at the slowly healing chest wound. Without waiting any longer, he moved on his bed and was about to get up when I immediately stopped him and gently pushed him back onto the bed.

"You can't get up yet. For now you need rest until everything heals completely.", I explained to him and put a thin blanket over him. "And until then you can take a little break."

He glared at me. "I'm a soldier, I'm definitely not resting!"

"If you strain yourself prematurely, it will only get worse," I tried to soothe him gently, rather than submit because his health was above the hierarchy. If we were outside the tent and the situation would be different, but in character the healer werewolf didn't care about dominance.

He ignored my objection, however, and was already propping himself up on his elbows and growling.

It was only with difficulty that I managed not to roll my eyes, but the warning expression couldn't be wiped off my face.

Dominant wolves, typical!

"You do exactly what she asks of you if you don't want to be slaughtered as soon as the next demon lunges at you and you humiliate our whole pack in the process." The harsh words came down on us and the soldier like lashes cringed beneath them.

I turned and crossed my arms. "What shoud that?"

Beau bared his teeth, but not at me. "Alex is 24, mature soldier, he should know how to behave and how the hierarchy works."

Of course, a pack needed rules. As familial and loving as it was, the wild animals in us needed clear boundaries or it would end bloody quickly. But still... "No reason to finish him off like that."

"Honey, Aramis would rip our guts out if we let anyone talk to you like that," said the tall blond-haired soldier, winking at me and taking the sting out of the whole thing. I had to smile. I liked Devon the most of all the five Betas who protected me at the orders of Aramis.He was easy-going, courteous, and never found a moment inappropriate to crack a joke.

Arrow, Nick and Joy were the names of the remaining three top soldiers from Xenos, who, as promised, accompanied me everywhere and were currently patrolling in front of the tent. To be perfectly honest, I felt more than a little uncomfortable that they had to play my babysitter when they would much rather fight alongside their pack against Serda's army. And while there was nothing I would have liked more than to persuade her to do just that, I couldn't break the promise I made to Aramis. He'd freak out if anyone found out I was near the battlefield unprotected. Also, I didn't even want to imagine what he would do to those five if they left their posts. So I kept my mouth shut and preferred to concentrate on my work.

I was about to turn my attention back to the injured soldier when Beau and Devon simultaneously drew their swords.

"What is..."

Devon cut me off with a hand, motioning for me to be quiet. Heart pounding, I stood still, not daring to move, as the flapping of the canvas shattered the stifling silence.

"Demons, they've reached us! Quick, get her out of here!" Joy shouted at us over the wind.

Without hesitation, Devon grabbed my arm while his other hand still gripped his blade, pulling me with him. "Quick, get out of here!"

"Wait, what about the others?!" There was no way we could leave everyone behind, there were mortally wounded warriors among them!

"Angels aren't as cute as they look. These are highly trained warriors! And now come!"

I looked around and realized he was right. All the angels who were here in the infirmary, taking soldiers off the field and then tending them, drew their swords and got into battle positions.

Devon pulled me so hard that I tripped over my own feet and ended up falling through the tent with him. I couldn't help them and my omega wolf dreads the fight, but I would have preferred to stay with them and try.

"Come on, faster!" snapped Beau, who ran across the field right behind us, craning his head as he constantly scanned the area for danger.

My legs flew across the grass as my veins pumped with adrenaline and I tried to keep up with Devon. Just as I ventured a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw the earth split open behind us and a huge fissure erupted.

What on earth?!

The rift was rushing toward us, as fast as an express train, and no matter which direction we went, it pursued us. Beau pushed Devon and I aside as the fissure suddenly reached us, preventing it from tearing us apart.

"What's going on here?" I asked out of breath as I regained my balance.

"That must be Hades," Beau growled, stepping in front of me and Devon looking down at the ground. "He's playing with us."

"Not for long," Devon joined in with Beau's snarl and took up a fighting stance, ready to slay the demons.

And he didn't have to wait long either. Shortly thereafter, the black creatures crawled out of the gorge and pounced on them like wild creatures. Beau and Devon fought absolutely fantastic, but it wasn't enough, there were way too many. My wolf whimpered in fear and I backed away before pulling myself together and clawing out. Fighting might not be my profession, but I wouldn't give myself up to them defenseless.

I stood there, fangs and claws out, ready to rip their dark hearts from their chests, when I looked into a pair of white eyes and froze in hydrochloric acid.

"The time has come, Zaira," whispered the dark, lazy voice that emanated from the demon as it drew ever closer to me. He repeated the phrase over and over again, and it was as if his voice were addressing one of my spiritual doors He wanted to get inside my head. "Let me in. Come on, let me in!"

The world around me became a blur and I noticed nothing but him. the demon He was evil, yes, but why again? Why are we all fighting? What?

I couldn't remember. Everything seemed so irrelevant to me. With every second that passed, I became more tired and my limbs sluggish. It took me a tremendous amount of strength to stand on my feet and not fall flat. The voice, on the other hand, didn't get weaker, but stronger. The pressure on my temples increased and I was beginning to feel pain. I wanted to give in to him and saw no reason why I shouldn't.

NO! , my wolf screamed at me in panic and scratched at her walls. He will hurt Mate!

She was so sure and so determined that I couldn't help but agree. Lightning shot through my body and the mate band blazed.

In that second I woke from the twilight state and tried to twist out of the demon's grip. "Let me go!"

"NO, YOU OBEY ME! NEES GETENU TE ASHEV! NEES GETENU TE ASHEV!" the demon roared at me while not letting me out of its claws for a moment.

My claws tried to grab him, but the pressure on my head doubled and I cried out. I wanted to call out to Aramis, beg him to help me, but something inside of me told me he shouldn't be here. Aramis would be in terrible danger if he came now.

Where did this knowledge come from? I did not know it. It was like owning it in the deepest part of my soul, it was so clear and distinct that I just had to trust it.

“Let me in!"

"No, never!" I denied him entry into my mind, mentally erecting a stone wall and locking myself behind it.

"Oh no, you won't refuse! You will obey!" With that he spread his hands on my head and exerted such great force on him that I felt like he was setting my brain on fire.

My teeth gritted from clenching them so tightly while my vision grew increasingly blurry and unclear.

"Nees genetu te ashev."

I whimpered at the loud voice edging deeper and deeper into me, barely noticing as my legs buckled beneath me. I shook my head.

"No! No, I don't want to!" The fear of what would happen if he got inside my head was unbearable. I squirmed as tears ran down my cheeks and warm blood trickled from my ears, but it didn't help. The pain was too great, weakening me too much.

And so many my walls together.

The dark, deeply malevolent presence that was now invading me was whispering words I didn't understand. Still, they triggered something in me.

Aramis! Aramis help me!

I felt the exact moment the call reached him. His roar made the mate band tremble and his fear for me, as well as his protective instinct swept over me in big waves.

He will come.