Order of Protection Ch. 54-57

I guided the fireball, ignoring all else until it collided with the tail of the aircraft. The fireball broke the aluminum frame, and the helicopter started to spin. The pilot had no time to react. He was already just over the treetops and slammed into a tall pine a few seconds later. It dropped straight down to the rocky ground, the remaining barrels exploding and sending a huge fireball up.

I rose higher in the air, until I could see through the trees at the battle taking place below me. There were four defensive positions, three of which were still fighting. The fastest wolves were only a few hundred yards from breaking through. Some of the wolves in back, the ones with the weapons, had shifted and were pinning the defenders down while the others rushed the gap.

I started to form fireballs and shoot them down, targeting the men hiding behind rocks and trees as they fired rifles at the remaining positions. The sudden attack from above caused a panic, but it didn't take long until they reacted.

I could hear the rifle shots and see the flashes as more and more wolves started to target me. Putting up an invisible shield, I let myself fall until I was just above the trees, then I moved to the defensive position on the far left. The position just to its right had been taken out, and the attackers were focusing their fire here, so they could bypass the other two spots. I moved quickly through the treetops, dropping into the middle of the rock semicircle as the men fought for their lives. "What do you need help with?"

One of the Vermillion warriors, I think his name was Nathan, looked at me. His eyes got wide before he went back to firing his rifle. "Slow them down, they can't get past us," he said. I looked at the gap, the arrowhead of running wolves was less than fifty yards away.

Focusing, I called forth my ice-making powers and laid down a thin layer on the bare ground. The wind swirled as it formed, and the result would have been comical if it wasn't so serious. Thirty wolves at a full sprint suddenly looked like Bambi on a frozen pond.

The defenders focused their fire on the wolves as they slid and piled up along the trail. Dozens were cut down in the crossfire as they struggled to get back to their feet. A cheer went up as the column stopped, and the wounded attempted to retreat.

I was too busy shooting fireballs through the trees at the men I could see. My efforts were not unnoticed by the attackers, who started firing heavily on our position. My shield was taking round after round off of it, the men were starting to run out of ammunition, and I could feel myself weakening.

I was beginning to think that flying off like that wasn't my smartest move. I let my mental block down. "I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have done that."

"Hold on, love. We're coming for you."

I stopped the fireballs to conserve my remaining energy. As more and more fighters ran out of ammunition, I pulled them inside the shield I was maintaining with my dwindling energy. We could see the enemy moving forward, tree to tree, their entire force moving towards ours. They were getting farther and farther from the defensive positions to our right, and they were probably running out of ammunition as well. These groups had to reposition here quickly and didn't bring a lot of gear.

"I'm out," the last defender said as he tossed his AR-15 aside.

"Get in here," I said. Three men out of the twelve were dead, four were wounded, and all of us were helpless now. I kept the shield going over us as I heard the sounds of gunfire coming closer, the sounds of paws on the ground heralding their arrival.

A powerful howl shook the trees, and a new rumble was heard from behind us. "JOHN!" Tears ran down my face as I watched my mate, wearing a pack laden with rifles and full magazines, leading a group of dozens of warriors towards us. He leaped over the rocks at the back of our fighting position, shifting as he landed and coming to a stop. "You came..."

"Load up," he told the men as he tossed them full thirty-round magazines. They each grabbed a couple and loaded their rifles, taking positions back at the front of the fighting post. The men with him filled in the line, and the tide of battle shifted with them.

I looked across, more men had poured into the vacant position to close the breach, and a few brought ammunition and men to the other two positions. The attackers had been repelled and were now trying to fight their way out of the kill zone that had reformed in front of them. The men who had come in were skilled and fresh, and they exacted a heavy toll on the remaining wolves. The attackers didn't have the rifles or the volume of ammunition to get into a static fight with us. The return fire was withering by the minute.

It sounded like World War Three as we pushed them back. I kept my head down, trying to focus on rebuilding my magic, when the firing suddenly slowed. "CEASE FIRE," the Vermillion Pack warrior shouted.

"Did they surrender?"

"No, but we don't want to shoot our friends." I looked out, and from behind and the right I saw wolves tear through the remaining wolves before they could react. Howls and screams filled the air, and a minute later it was quiet.

The men shifted and I recognized Alpha Stan and Beta Peter among the men looking over the bloody battlefield.

We had won.

Alpha Sven's POV

I sat down in the chair, the adrenaline coursing through me as I watched the battle on the cameras. We had all been shocked when Jessie entered the fray, especially as she did. John was going nuts, and ran after her. I quickly sent men to follow him, telling them to grab rifles and ammunition and take them forward.

Now that it was over, I could see how decisive that impulsive action had been. The helicopter had created the opening, and the third line of defense wasn't ready yet. The attackers were so many, they would have broken through our lines and had a clear run to the Pack House.

"Send medical support to the second line immediately," I sent to my Pack. "Squads, take non-critical injuries to the lawn in front of the clinic." Stretcher-bearers and medics moved out, they would stabilize the seriously wounded in the field. Our clinic staff had been augmented by three Pack Doctors and six Nurses, all provided by allied Packs for the battle. "Deactivate all explosives and safe all weapons. Squad leaders, report to your Betas with casualty reports."

I needed my mate. Linnea was still recovering from her captivity, and I had left her in the safe room with several guards during the battle. I linked them to bring her to me. While I was watching, I focused a camera on the fighting position Jessie had joined. I could see John was nuclear-grade pissed at her, his body language spoke of his anger and his worry. She was on her knees, her hands over one of my men. "Nathan, what's going on with Jessie?"

"She's fine, but she won't be sitting down for a week after John gets her alone tonight," he said with a hint of humor. "She's almost worn out but is insisting on healing Carl. She's telling John that it doesn't matter if she passes out now since the battle is past."

"Don't get between mates, Nathan, but tell her she saved the day." It was true; the casualty reports were coming in. We had lost a total of twenty-one wolves, with another thirty-one suffering significant injuries. Over half of that total had come from the helicopter fire-bombing the defensive position early on, and without her intervention, the helicopter would have taken out more.

I watched as she lifted her hands from the man, then tried to stand. Her legs collapsed under her, and John caught her in his arms and guided her to the ground. She had exhausted herself for us.