32 Before the Storm

♔Flynn (P.O.V)

It's been a week since Eustacia left.

It's also been a week without his wolf, but that doesn't bother Flynn. Although without his wolf, he can't shift back and forth freely like before, he still has his ways if it comes down to it. The answer is in a small syringe he has capped and tucked away safely in the front pocket of his blue jeans. A small yet big enough amount of Foxglove that will make him shift into his wolf once injected into his thigh, almost like an EpiPen.

The cure? That's safe with Gedeon. A small mixture of hard to come by flowers and herbs, carefully mixed by a high-rank witch. If he didn't have it, he'll be stuck that way. After all, his wolf is gone.

A werewolf's wolf counterpart leaving is a rare occurrence, but it happens. Sort of the Moon Goddesses way of repenting for what monsters she created. Only to the animal's side though the humans have no choice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Welcome to the beginning of a new order!" Flynn shouts into the wireless microphone he holds, standing in the clearing in front of the fighting pits.

The large opening is barren of trees, and only grass covers the ground, beautifully and perfectly grown. A large crowd stands in front of him and Gedeon.

Flynn wears a solid black tank top and navy blue jeans with black tennis shoes. His medium brown hair that is normally hidden by a beanie flows freely in the air.

Gedeon stands beside Flynn, his dark hair that is normally slicked back, flows freely as well. He wears a dark maroon button-up shirt with the collar carefully folded down with black jeans and dress shoes.

The cold nip in the air doesn't bother the werewolves that litter the crowd gathered around him. They all dress in short sleeves, jeans or shorts. Roughly a hundred scatter around staring at their alpha wide-eyed. All of them are sixteen even up to elders who are still able to walk and function properly.

The cold breeze bothers the other two factions loitering in the crowd, even with the afternoon sun brightly overhead. Nearly ten people are female witches, wearing solid black cloaks pulled over their heads. To keep warm, hold an orb of a fiery ball cupped in both hands. At least forty of the men and women wear heavy coats and hats that cover their ears. Crossbows strung on their backside by a strap over their shoulders. Werewolf hunters.

"We have prepared for a week. A week's worth of creating, planning, and training.

Beside me, I have my Beta Gedeon, who will lead our troops into battle. My werewolves will be armed with silver claws fashioned the same way the once-proud Shadow Thorn pack did! With one stab it opens the spring-loaded claws and releases wolfsbane into their systems, directly through their open wounds," a wicked smirk crosses Flynn's face as he waves his hands addressing the crowd.

"My witch friends, you will march in the very back, providing boosts to our archers and offering healing to our wounded. You have a key role in our victory!" He shouts, his voice booming through the mic.

Turning his attention to the group of hunters behind the witches, he approaches them calmly. One of the males in the front line appears to be twenty-one around Flynn's age. Dark brown hair and chocolate eyes, he wears a large brown winter coat and a white toboggan with black boots. Flynn greets the young man by a simple fist-bump and motions to the entire hunter crowd.

"Hunters! I know we have a long and brittle history, but together we can bring down this monarchy and bring a better and equal peace to our people. Instead of being forced to hide and sneak out both our parties will be free! You will march in the middle of our line, your bows will be laced with a new liquid we like to call 'Wolf Hunter.' A mixture of both silver and Wolfsbane."

Flynn walks calmly back to the front of the crowds beside Gedeon who has a serious look on his face and hasn't uttered a single word. "I will march behind you to make sure no one flanks us, and if they do they will be sorry. We leave at midnight!" He howls, nodding his head at his accomplishment as the crowd disperses.

♔Gedeon (P.O.V)

"Thank you, Gedeon," Flynn stated to him, which made guilt swell in his stomach.

"It's no problem. Um- I'm going to spend some time with Leah before we head off. . . Just in case," he smiles bleakly at him.

"That's cool, I understand," Flynn smiles, patting Gedeon on the back.

Gedeon smiles as he heads toward his bedroom. "This has gotten out of hand," he whispers to himself.

~~

"Leah," he greets his mate as he opens their bedroom door. She's sitting on the couch in the living room, a large white clothes basket in front of her legs full of freshly dried clothing. Gently she folds them one by one and places them on the couch cushion beside her.

"Gedeon, we need to talk," she says in their mind link, motioning toward their bathroom.

"Why do you need to use the mate link?" Gedeon questions, what could be so important or secret she would need to?

"I told you I wouldn't stay if he did anything to Eustacia, and he has. I also know he fucking decapitated a grown-ass woman with his bare hands with no mercy! The rest of the pack doesn't know these things, but I do," she states sternly.

Leah was right, she had said something like that, and he agrees with her. Flynn has completely cracked, and the ordeal with decapitating Emma has proved it. Now he's going after a pack of Lycans, stronger werewolves, but even if they have strength Flynn has witches, hunters, and surprise. Something the Royals won't have.

"What do you want me to do about it? If I try to go against him, I'll die and he might go after you and I can't risk that." Gedeon murmurs, sadness filling his heart at the very thought of them harming his mate.

"Well, the answer is in the bathroom."

"What the hell is in the bathroom woman?" He asks, confusion and concern evident.

"Go look," she says shrugging as she goes back to folding clothes.

"I have an idea to get out of this mess though, Leah. Can we talk about that first?" He questions.

"After you go look."

He obeys and walks to a door directly across from the living room which is closed tight- the bathroom, and it's normally open. Opening the door he's started to see a young man sitting fully clothed, in Gedeon's clothing that swallowed the short fellow, on the toilet. The boy appeared to be around Flynn's age, with vibrant short red hair matted with leaves.

"Who the hell are you?" Gedeon asks the boy, who looks up at him, his yellow eyes make a chill run down his spine. Even without an answer, he knew what he was, and where he was possibly from. "You're a lycan."

"Yes. My name is Luka Collins, Tristen instructed me to stay behind and watch you all," he coldly states.

"You're in my bathroom, why?"

"For a week, I have run around your border and even inside it, watching as a wolf. You see, I flew in with Tristen when he came to watch the show, while I stayed in the shadows. Just in case something went wrong-"

"It did, I'm assuming."

"Yes. Tristen's father had suspicions of this pack and the things they were doing. So when Tristen took over, it was one of the first things he looked into, and everything just sort of fell into place. Then he found out his mate was one of the wolves fighting, but also was a mate to Flynn. So he made me stay to watch and report if anything happened."

"That doesn't explain why you're in my bathroom, or in my clothes," Gedeon states.

"Oh. Your mate saw me and realized where I came from. She wanted an option out so I offered to take you all back to the pack. I didn't see any harm in it, but she insisted I come back and talk to you personally- she was afraid you wouldn't agree with it," Luka says nonchalantly.

"Well, that was sort of my plan. Except this is better," Gedeon sighs, the weight being left off his shoulders. "I need to personally talk to Tristen, and we need to leave now because they leave in less than ten hours."

"Alright, it'll take a few hours to get a flight," Luka pauses as if he's thinking, "but if we run there in our wolf form, we might get there quicker. You won't need to pack anything either, they can provide clothing," he states almost reading Gedeon's mind.

"Thank you," he breathes, leaving the boy in the bathroom.

"Leah, we're leaving. We're going to warn Eustacia and her mate about what's coming," Gedeon informs his mate through their link.

"Oh, Gedeon!" She shouts loudly, dropping clothing on the floor as she runs and jumps into Gedeon's arms. "Thank you," she whispers.