Ch 21 Plans always fail

James looked at the map of the Monarch Mountain pack home. Our Father's Beta, Craig was going to help him recover the heir to the Monarchy. After their last conversation, both were agreeing that Jake was no longer in his right mind.

James had begun believing that no one truly recovered from being a Raver. That their wolves and war-forms were irrevocable altered into something larger than normal, more aggressive and dangerous than even a rogue. It grieved James that he was going to have to put down those of his birth pack who had survived and his own family, but it had to be done for their own good. He recalled the Ravers that were his packmates and family. The monarchy wolves had always been larger that others but the Ravers were even bigger. Something about the Project Elm Street Chemical Weapon had altered their brains and bodies, and according to the Doctors and healers at the Mid-America pack refugee center, nothing could be done to fix it.

Dr. Greyson and Dr. Trinity's research confirmed their diagnosis. Permanent damage to the insular complex and limbic system resulting in elevated levels of the neurotransmitters for fighting, and there was the higher than normal activity in the parts of the Raver's brains responsible for aggression and predatory responses. The Ravers would always be more aggressive, larger, more predatory than normal wolves and vampires. They could not be trusted to control the Rage that came with their altered neurochemistry, relapses were always a risk, and their new physiology meant killing them was almost impossible.

Petra came in with a cup of coffee and a frown marred her beautiful face, "You have that look again."

James took a sip before speaking, her coffee was the best he had ever tasted and she refused to tell him the secret of how she made it. Everytime he asked she just laughed him off and saying, it was magic. He watched her as she looked at the map.

"Don't do it, James.They are your family, even if they are all mad now, you shouldn't..."

His growl cut her off. He knew she didn't approve of his plan to capture Jake and bring his mate and pup back by force. "I don't have a choice. Craig sent word that Jake is nearly feral, he almost attacked his mate. She is terrified of him too. She was just a human housewife, she doesn't know what she is doing. The some of the Ravers have gotten their wolves back which means they are going to start wandering away from pack territory and there are more Ravers showing up every day. If we wait too long, Jake will have an army of Ravers and we won't be able to stop them from destroying anyone who stands against him. We won't be able to rescue the heir."

"Can you at least do it quickly? That way you won't have to keep him in a cage. He's your brother," she sounded mortified by what he must do.

"I can't take the risk that Jake's death would harm Quinn, and the pup needs his mother until he is at least three."

Petra put her hand on his arm, "James... To put a wolf in captivity... Death might be kinder."

"No, Petra. I have to capture him and keep him alive until the bond fades. If that fails, I may have to claim her myself to keep her alive. She will just have to understand that this is for the best. The Monarchy comes first. The life of the heir is more important than some romantic fairytale of mates."

Petra nodded, understandingly, "I know you will do what has to be done, you've always done what's right." She hugged him. "I can't imagine how hard this much be for you. I can feel your conflict."

He ran the back of his knuckles across her cheek before pressing kiss into her forehead. "I always hoped Jake or Will would be able to take over for me. That maybe I could step down and leave all this behind like my grandfather Joshua did."

She smiled up at him. "I know, and we would spend a few years someplace beautiful and irresponsible." Her expression clouded. "If you claim Mrs. Phillips... we..."

"If... my angel. It is a last resort..."

A polite knock had them stepping apart. Petra opened the door for James' Beta, and the Alphas and Betas of a dozen packs were waiting along with the Werewolf military's highest commanders. Wolves that were loyal to Alpha Commander Jacob, the Monarch's brother.

Putting her phone Petra's mouth made a thin line as James announced, "Tomorrow morning we are going to retrieve the heir of the Monarchy and his mother from Monarch Mountain. I received word this afternoon that Jacob is losing control of his Raver from Beta Craig. He has been staying at the Monarch Mountain pack, under the guise of checking on his younger brothers who are both Ravers now. Craig called and reported that Jake almost attacked his mate after she got between him and another alpha raver. She has no idea how to be a wolf or how to be safe as one. It is my fear, she will get herself killed or maimed."

"Sir, are you sure? I mean, Jake wouldn't..."

"Isn't the same wolf you grew up with, Tim. He's a raver now." James ended the discussion firmly. "We need to protect his mate and her pup from him. Commander Wilson, please inform them of the plan to secure the Monarchy's future."

Petra sat quietly in the corner, checking her phone and looking attentive to the Monarch's needs. She floated around the room, handing out folders and coffee. As the meeting adjourned, she slipped away for a moment. Plucking her phone from her pocket as she stood alone in the Monarch's office, she held it to her cheek.

"You heard everything?"

"Yes, we will be ready. Stay behind at the Monarch's office, so he will not suspect. If you can make sure he is less rested tomorrow, that would also aid our cause." The cool voice on the other end sounded satisfied. "I think it is time for the Monarchy of the Wolves to flounder."

"It will be my pleasure. I have been a bit peckish of late." She smiled, thinking how she would feed from the arrogant werewolf's soul and give him false healing after, so he would become weak during the battle to come.

"Good feeding, Petra, you serve our clan well. We look forward to your return home."

"Thank you, Master Gerard." Her time of being James' servant was at an end at last.

VvvvvV

Shalom...

My and Saul's wolves were running through the forest when Saul stopped suddenly. His ears perked and twitched. My wolf watched him curiously, listening intently, trying to hear what he was hearing. There was a strange stillness of the woodland birds. In the distance, an afternoon thunderstorm was rumbling and growing. The river and breeze-stirred trees shared their constant sound and with it a thumping like a heartbeat from the far side of the mountain. Saul yipped and rook off running as fast as he could. My wolf struggled to keep up, she had no idea what was going on but she could feel Saul's panic.

Saul's wolf skidded to a stop by the truck I had stashed among the abandoned vehicles. His fur became skin in moments. "Stay here! Get dressed. I'll get J.J. then you take Chelsey and get away."

"Saul, what's going on?" I blurted out as soon as I could speak.

"Do you hear that soft thumping? It's the sound of a low noise rotor, at least five helicopters are headed into the valley."

"I have to get Justice." I blurted out in a frantic tone as I turned to run down the street, this was not the plan for us to leave. We were supposed to have a few days warning.

Grabbing my arm, Saul insisted, "No, I'll get him and bring him. Stay here. Put on your red cloak."

He bolted away, dropping back into his wolf before I could tell him the scarlet hooded cloak enchanted by Mr. Black was in Richard's house with my son. Nic had told me to keep it close to J.J.. My wolf ran after his. Overhead, helicopters headed for the center of town. Thunder boomed through the valley and I glanced over my shoulder at the ominous looking clouds. Some weird sense of deja vu had me running faster because it looked like there were shadows moving in the storm. I passed the grotto and pushed to reach my child then my wolf put on the brakes hard. Ahead of me, there were wolves and warforms I didn't know, Joshua's Raver was snarling at them. Jake was in a heated argument with a man who looked just like him. I recognized him from the photographs in Jake's house, it was the Monarch, James. Saul and Will were being held at gunpoint. I slipped past them, trying to get to Richard's house. Rain and hail began falling hard.

I shifted on the porch and ran into the house but it was empty. Justice was gone, and so was his baby basket and my scarlet cloak. I prayed Nic had gotten J.J., Chelsey, and Ryan away to safety as I hurried out onto the porch, only to be roughly grabbed by a large werewolf in army garb. The rain and hail had stopped as quickly as a it started but it was enough to turn the ground white. I realized this was like the dream I had where the Dark Fae attacked and killed everyone.

"Let go! Let me go!" I screamed and struggled as he dragged me toward Jake's house.

"Sir, I found the traitor."

My terror was instantly replaced by rage. "Traitor? I'm no traitor! I did nothing wrong except try to find the truth. He's the traitor." I pointed at James. "He knew this was going to happen and didn't stop it. I saw the truth in my husband's notes. He had been telling the Monarchy for two years what the Human Purity terrorists were doing."

"Be quiet," the wolf growled, shaking me roughly.

"Alpha Wilson, you need to let go of her or Jake's going to lose it and kill you," Will warned too late to stop Jake from shifting to his raver and attacking the other alpha faster than anyone could react.

Saul leaped toward them as Jake's Raver torn the offending alpha way from me. I scrambled to get to my feet and away from the monster my mate became in this form. Saul shifted into his warform and pulled me behind him as Joshua bellowed in challenge. Ravers stalked out of the woods on all sides.

"Don't shoot," Will was yelling at the soldiers with his older brother, "Your bullets will only piss them off. Everybody calm down. James, tell them to back down or they'll all be killed."

"Hold your fire," James ordered, staring at Jake in horror.

The one Will called Alpha Wilson lay in two pieces on the ground, blood turning the hail red. Jake's Raver snarled viciously and stalked toward Saul. I trembled all over as I stepped between them. I would not have my dream become reality.

"It's okay, Jake, I'm fine he didn't hurt me." My lie was exposed by the purple bruise blooming on my upper arm as I held up my hands to touch his heaving chest. "It's fine, calm down."

Jake's raver immediately sniffed the injury and and growled deeply before pushing me into Saul's chest. Saul bowed his head. Turning, Jake as his Raver stalked toward James and Will. Joshua stood silently watching as the Werewolf soldiers shifted nervously. Jake stood in front of James, glaring and snarling but James only stood and stared back at him.

Saul shrank back to his skin, he whispered to me, "Where's J.J.?"

"With Chelsey somewhere. I don't think they've found them." I shuddered slightly, the air was getting cooler. Thunder made me look back at the storm then at the forest behind the Ravers. "Saul, remember the dream I had the night after J.J. was born."

"Yes."

"I think they're here." My voice sounded so small, his gaze followed mine.

Saul cleared his throat, "Jake... It's here." Quietly to me, he said, "Get ready to shift to your wolf and run." Then his warform grew and held me at his back.

Identical giant silver Ravers turned their heads toward the storm. Joshua growled while Jake raised his lip, bearing his oversized teeth. Something was coming out of the storm, and for a moment, all Shalom could think of was the Dementors from Harry Potter, only these had great dark wings, just like Mr. Black.

Will looked and swore, "Demonus Fae! Everybody! Shift now, they're after the heir!" Will's clothes shredded off his body as his Raver emerged.

The Ravers rushed from the forest forming a line between the dark things falling from the retreating storm, there were almost forty ravers howling challenge at the enemy. James immediately shifted. Between Werewolves and Ravers, they had nearly one hundred facing two dozen Demonus. Suddenly, the air got very cold as clouds blocked the sun. The very air felt evil.

"I'm not leaving without my son." I clutched Saul's furry arm in my terror. It was so surreal to see my nightmare materializing from the storm. His wolf head nodded toward Richard. Richard stared at me, his ear flicked toward the truck. "I know where to go," I murmured so he could read my lips, then I dropped into my wolf.

All chaos broke loose as the first Demonus landed, three ravers attacked it at once. Several of the werewolf warriors attacked another with James. Jake and Will charged the Demonus that swooped down on Saul, pinning him to the ground and sending my wolf tumbling. The Demonus' talons tore at Saul's neck and shoulder, but my wolf grabbed its wrist in her fangs and tried to tear its hand off. Will and Jake tackled the Demonus together, shredding its flesh with their arsenals of fangs and claws. Saul didn't move as I shifted and pressed my hand over Saul's torn neck, just like I had with Kenneth.

"Hang on," I begged.

There were Monarchy werewolf warforms I didn't know fighting with the Ravers against the Demonus. The Monarchy wolves outnumbered the Demonus four or five to one but they were still getting slaughtered.

"Please don't die, Saul," I begged as his eyes stared at mine, his mouth opening and closing like he was trying to say something. Too quickly his life faded from his eyes, he was almost gone, he was leaving me, just like everyone else I ever cared about. "No!"

There was a gust of cold wind and I looked up into the terrifying face of a dark fae. Its wings blocked out the sun. I couldn't even scream before its talons closed around my throat and lifted her.

I could smell blood and death on its breath. "You arrrrreee ourrrrsssss, wolf queeennnnn," it hissed. "Wherrrr issss theee pup?"

Falling to the ground as something large tackled it, I gasped for breath. Richard snarled so loud it sounded like a lion roaring. Nic was suddenly bending over Saul, trying to heal him. She glowed golden in the mists of shadows and battling monsters. The hail-covered ground was painted in streaks of black Demonus blood and the life blood of wounded and dying wolves.

"Flee, Shalom! I'll save him." Nic yelled as Ryan's wolf dropped my red cloak across my lap. The red raver wolf whined.

Mr. Black's warning about his master, echoed in my memory. Chelsey's young female wolf stood beside Ryan holding a basket with my baby in it. I wrapped the cloak over my clawed shoulder and suddenly everything became weirdly slow and almost silent. Taking the basket from Chelsey, I draped the edge of the red cloak over the shewolf's and Ryan's backs and he looked up at me surprised.

"Come on," I whispered to them.

We hurried away. When I looked back, Nic was still leaning over Saul, who was bleeding on the grass but moving weakly. There were dead and maimed creatures everywhere. Joshua and Richard were tearing apart the demonus who grabbed me. They killed it in a billowing cloud of smoke and drops of black blood. Jake, Will, and James, whose warform who looked like Will, but bigger were fighting with each other against two Dark Fae, but the Monarch's warform was barely standing on one leg.

On the horizon, a single shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and moved rapidly toward the battle. It was Gerard, he glowed golden with giant wings. He looked like an angel, but I had read the truth of blessed and cursed fae. I was sure he was the Dark Fae who had been Mr. Black's master. My wolf howled at me to flee, and forced the shift into her fur. The red cloak stayed fastened over the three of us as we ran for our lives, carrying Justice in his basket to safety.

VvvvvV

Jake...

I watched Shalom through the red tint of my raver's eyes as she attacked the Demonus Fae trying to kill Saul. Will and I charged it. Craig claimed he had received word too late to get Shalom and Justice away but he was surprised to discover the heir of the Monarchy and his teenage babysitter gone. Then Shalom had been caught and my raver had killed my third-in-command for bruising her. Today could not have gone worse for my plans to protect her. Richard and Joshua were tearing a dark fae apart as Nicolea bent over Saul trying to heal him. I craned my neck but Shalom was gone. Her smell disappeared from beside Saul, she hadn't moved, it was just gone. I didn't have time to wonder if Nic had gotten Shalom's cloak to her because James howled in pain. Our pack was being slaughtered.

My brother was down on one knee as two Demonus clawed at him, three werewolves were dead beside him. Will and I tackled the winged nightmares as three ravers rushed to help us. We had managed to kill four or five of the Demonus but there were still a dozen or more fighting werewolves and ravers. Every time one of my pack fell, I felt it. Wave after wave of death crashed over my soul as I fought those who would steal my mate and my pup. Will and the Monarch Mountain Ravers forced the Demonus away from James. I bent to help my older brother up when I was struck and rolled across the hail covered ground. He looked like an Angelus, golden and god-like, but his eyes were black.

"Where is your mate, Alpha Commander?"

My Raver snarled in defiance, as I tried to stand. His wing struck me and I landed on top of James. The Blessed Fae stalked toward me with a malicious smile. "You wolves are so predictable, so weak. Dogs that need a strong hand at the end of your leash." My Raver leaped at him and was thrown back down, my ribs cracked. "I am going to kill you now, Alpha Commander. I am going to rescue Quinn from your ambitious brother, and raise your son as my own. Your brother couldn't have played better into my plans."