Aries (Gods & Monsters Series Book 1)

by Hanan Sobhy DreamCatcher

  She smiled at me, the woman, content with my reply.

  "And anyone who does not wish to participate, I understand, fully and completely. You will go unpunished." Aries added.

  "Anyone who will fight with us declare your intents," Said Hermes with calculating eyes, "and of you won't, be scarce."

  "Count me in." Cheered an oh-so-familiar voice from behind us.

  "Jake." Breathed Aries, astonishment in his voice as he turned to look at him.

  I turned around to face him and smiled, "Welcome back."

  Jake walked over to us looking dirty, tired, and messy, but he nonetheless gave us a small smile.

  Aries clenched his jaws, "why are you here?"

  A conflict seemed to be wedging itself between these two. But I decided to pry some other time.

  "My loyalties lie with you, Alpha Aries. I'm here to stand by you." He said, bending on the ground on one knee.

  Aries smiled, clamping a hand on his shoulder pulling him up into a brotherly hug, "Welcome back brother."

  And just like that, conflict resolved.

  Should we be worried? My inner wolf butted in jealousy coating her words.

  Don't be stupid, this is Jake we're talking about. I snapped at her.

  A lot of supportive cheers echoed one after the other.

  "We may be losing to the witches," Aries started difficultly, "But we will not go down without a fight." He firmly stated.

  They howled, huddling together as close people hugged one another in encouragement. Every last one of them.

  Even though they knew they'd probably be going into a lost fight, they decided that they'd better go down together instead. This made my heart grow tenfold, they gave me the strength that I thought I had lost.

  ~

  All the werewolves spread out around the territory, some we assigned to send children and people who were incapable of fighting to a different cloaked safe haven that Hermes created, and others were supposed to fight and serve as a distraction to the witches.

  Adrien and my mom were sent to the safe-haven. She wanted to stay with us but my father was able to convince her to guide the wolves there and help the healers take care of the wounded. While he headed out to what used to be Bloodfang territory to help everyone still stuck there. Since our territory was now spacious, we needed to split up.

  Elizabeth and Eric went over to their own pack to take care of things.

  The ground came to life, rumbling underneath us.

  "That would be Hades." Stated Aries.

  "Enough with the dramatic entrance!" Hermes huffed rolling his eyes.

  "Is this any way to greet your favorite Uncle?" Jested Hades.

  "You are no one's favorite." Hermes retorted.

  "And you're no fun." Hades retaliated.

  "Anyway," Hermes cut him off, "We need to device a plan to get rid of the witches once and for all."

  "Alright, let's kidnap a witch, and force her to destroy their ancestral plane," I said.

  Hermes smirked at me, "Well then, Hades, we've got our work cut out for us."

  "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" I asked.

  "We fight." Said Aries giving me an encouraging smile.

  I nodded and gripped his hand tightly.

  On this note Hades and Hermes left, leaving Aries, Jake, & I to fend for ourselves.

  The clearing that we stood at began to fade.

  "What's happening?" I asked, my anxiety beginning to reach out for me.

  "Hermes' roam is disintegrating. It's time for us to fight. Are you ready Ariel?" Aries asked.

  "Can we ever be ready for something like this?" I asked sarcastically, as I gave him a small smile.

  I use sarcasm when I have nothing to say.

  He smiled back, craning his neck downwards as he placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

  "We can do this. Together." He whispered.

  I nodded sniffling, as tears gathered in my eyes. I got onto my tiptoes and hugged him tightly, gripping him like it was our last time together.

  "I love you, Aries," I whispered as the sound of the outside rain began to resonate louder and louder.

  "I love you too." He breathed, kissing the mark on my neck.

  "This is so sweet. I love you guys." Jake butted in.

  I choked out a strangled laugh, and extended an arm towards him so he could join our hug, "We love you too." I said.

  Jake joined us and hugged us tightly.

  "I need to say something," he yelled as the sound of chaos began to deafen us, "In case I don't make it. It's been an honor being your Beta & it's been an honor being your friend." He said.

  "The honor was ours," Aries yelled back before looking around us warily, "We need to run towards the armory, grab the weapons that suit you best, and piece of advice, be fast." He instructed.

  We both nodded and ran.

  We ran as fast as we could.

  I thanked the goddess my body wasn't as tired as I thought it would be.

  I followed Aries, pumping my legs as fast as I could.

  I could feel someone hot on my tail.

  My anxiety caused me to look to the side to make sure it was just my imagination.

  But it wasn't.

  Chapter 48- Battle of the Witches pt.2

  Ariel

  It was Jake.

  Ariel, whatever happens, stick between me and Jake. Aries sounded in my head.

  Okay. I replied, trying to give him peace of mind.

  Heading towards the armory that was next to the practice battlefield consumed a long time on legs. But because our wolves would be more vulnerable to the witches' magic, we had to stay in human form until we really needed it.

  As soon as we got to the armory, I grabbed an archery set and slung it over my shoulder, with the sleek-feeling bow in my hands.

  Aries approached me silently and placed a vial closed with cork around my neck, "A piece of the Mandrake plant. In case you need it."

  "What does it do?" I asked curiously.

  "If you don't have the strength to kill a Witch, open the vial and quickly close your ears. She will die from the screeching voice instantly."

  Furrowing my eyebrows I slowly nodded my head, deciding not to ask further and just follow orders.

  Aries seemed to appreciate my submissive side that has come out today.

  Some may see it as submission, but I think it's more like giving him comfort, just because I feel his desperation and worry gnawing at him inside out.

  "Are you guys ready?" Jake asked, loading a shotgun in hand.

  He looked bad-ass.

  Aries nodded. "Let's go." He said, walking out barehanded.

  "What about you?" I asked.

  Aries smirked at me, "I don't need any weapons." He said clenching and unclenching his hands.

  I rolled my eyes and passed him out the door.

  As soon as I stepped out I noticed the cold malevolent change in the air. The rain had stopped but the unearthly atmosphere was still hanging.

  The fog was so thick this time, you would literally need to cut it with a knife.

  There was no movement, no bullets, nothing but the eerie sound of the wind rattling its protest.

  There were no people, no sounds of screams, nothing at all.

  Aries and Jake came out, standing by my side.

  And they, too, were thinking what I was thinking.

  It was quiet. Too quiet.

  Suddenly, a silhouette ran towards us midst of the foggy air.

  Jake took his aim at the silhouette, but Aries pushed the shotgun down before he could shoot.

  And third Landon came into view.

  He was running towards us. Perhaps to inform us of something?

  No. He was running from something, fear on his face for the first time ever.

  "Run!" He screamed, his face worried, bloody, and battered.

  Before he could reach us he was levitated into the air, his body paralyzed, and before he could scream his neck snapped. />
  His body limply fell to the ground with a loud thud. Leaving us stunned with silence.

  Aries was the first to cut the deafening silence as he quickly slung me over his shoulder and ordering Jake to run.

  I yelped as he ran with abnormal godly speed while Jake mimicked our pace with his new gifts that we passed onto him during the ritual.

  I looked behind us and couldn't see anyone through the fog that seemed to lessen. We seemed to have escaped our fate for now.

  "Aries, stop. We got away. We need to start fighting!" I suggested assertively.

  Aries stopped at my request, slightly skidding in the muddy ground.

  He put me down and looked around us warily with his glowing amber eyes.

  His blue eyes came back to view when he scanned the area. "We need to start fighting, yes, but they're coming out stronger than I thought. We need to be careful. Use your high speed at all times. Their magic is powerful which means they're still withdrawing power from the ancestral plane. We need to distract them for as long as possible."

  Jake and I nodded turning back around to face the side the force came from.

  Pulling out an arrow, I scanned our surroundings.

  We stood in the middle of the forest in our territory.

  Looking into the fog as it crowded, I knew they were close.

  I raised my hands and placed the arrow on the bow shelf. I rested three fingers on the string and pulled it back, my muscles straining. Aiming, I closed one eye and watched the dark silhouettes move like ghosts between the folds of fog with my heightened senses.

  It was quiet for a while. Nothing but the piercing cold wind whistling through the trees as it weaved through my hair. It was a slap of cold water, my skin prickling with the simple wick of air.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood.

  Aries' chest was rumbling with growls ready to pounce at any minute. He never was the patient type.

  Two.

  No.

  Four...

  No, Eight.

  The shadows were slowly increasing in number.

  This had to be bad.

  We were outnumbered, that's for sure.

  The silhouettes stopped a couple of meters far. But only one neared us closer.

  A pale white woman, with straight ash blonde hair and a crown, settled coronal to her head. Her dark brown eyes peered upon us with mockery dancing like fire in her pupils.

  She stood tall, back straight with perfect posture.

  Her black tight-fitting dress didn't seem to be suitable for the occasion, but not everyone liked to be practical. At least this way she had a higher chance of tripping and tumbling into her grave.

  Her cheekbones were high, face thin and long. Her lips were curled finely into a smirk.

  "So, This is the infamous, all-mighty, hybrid Alpha of the ShadowLord pack, that everyone has been talking about?"

  "I'm more of a demi-god, but I wouldn't expect you to be up to date with your enemy's background, seeing how many enemies you probably make per minute." Aries spat, as-a-matter-of-factly.

  The witch rolled her eyes at him, "I was not talking about you." She retorted, turning her burning gaze slowly to me. "Her. She's the one I'm talking about." She continued pointing a slender finger at me.

  "I'm not a hybrid." I retaliated stubbornly, my voice turning out to be quieter and less powerful than I intended.

  The witch laughed, the coven standing behind her snickering in unison backing her up.

  "How misinformed are you? Did your mother not teach you anything about your roots? Lineage? Bloodline? Nature?" She asked, tsk-ing me sarcastically, "No matter, we've got more important things to deal with now." She dismissed.

  She was really beginning to piss me off, and my blood was starting to boil, "You're right," I gritted out, "So how would you like to die?"

  The witch's smug face morphed into one that held disdain, "Your ill temperament will be the death of you, child." She spat before raising her hand at me and chanting feverishly.

  I suddenly felt my body go limp & numb as I started to levitate in the air. I felt myself lose control of my body.

  "No!" Aries growled as he tackled the coven witch onto the ground in an inhumane speed.

  That's when the witches attacked. All of them. At once.

  And I screamed.

  Chapter 49- Gods, Ghouls, and Other things

  Third person.

  The dark lord sped in a hasty manner, with Hermes on his tail. His friends were counting on him.

  Blech. Friends. I never thought I'd be caught saying that word.

  He scolded himself for feeling sympathy. For feeling anything at all.

  Hades spoke, with a hint of hesitation in his voice. He was unsure whether to reveal to the messenger the news that has been delivered to him earlier on this damned night. Not bothering to glance at the god of the magicians and illusion, he asked, “You do know she is free?”

  The sound of Hermes’ shoes digging into the dirt in a halt was enough to stop him in his tracks as he held his breath in anticipation.

  “Who is free?” The master of trickery questioned, skepticism coating his every word.

  Hades knew it was his queue to face him, and so he did, “Hecate, your consort.” He said, unable to hide the dark humor glimmering in his eyes.

  After all, how ironic was this? The messenger’s consort was the one that despised him the most, and in return, hated all the deities and was roaming the earth, rooting for his impending doom.

  Hermes looked like he got his wings clipped and fell from the heavens to the deepest darkest never-ending wells of the underworld.

  “Hecate?” He inquired, his chocolate brown eyes widening in concern. “She is the one that is behind all of this chaos and madness?” He continued, his eyes possessing a look Hades has yet never seen in them before this moment.

  His eyes carried a dark and wrathful look. One that has never really been described to be seen on the god of wisdom and mischief.

  Hades sighed, “Let’s keep moving. We’re wasting time that we do not have the luxury of spending.” He said, before turning and continuing his trek in brooding silence.