Leader of the Pack Ch. 24

"Brennus," Aislinn said as her mind wrapped around something.

Jenna growled angrily and rushed toward Cullen. Aislinn came out of nowhere and ran into the stone circle. She didn't know if it would work, but she figured that it was worth trying. She focused her mind on Brennus Tairneach. As she stepped beyond the stones the ruby ring around Jenna's neck flashed a blinding red and suddenly Aislinn and Jenna were gone.

Cullen felt his sense of Aislinn fog over and he roared his anger. She had trapped herself somewhere with a dire lycan. Aislinn, his mind screamed. But in that instant Maon attacked him. Cullen rolled away from the monstrous lycan and howled for reinforcements. He managed to dodge the brut again and he heard a response. But it was far off. Cullen was no fool. He knew that he couldn't take on one of these alone. He thought back to fighting Rafe the werebearlion and really didn't want to go through that again. In the end it had been Brinah's sacrifice that won that match.

Jacob watched Cullen dodging artfully out of the way of the giant lycan he had just created. He stood next to Malik and tried to be sly about reaching up and pulling the wad of cloth out of his mouth.

The Tairneachs for the most part seemed unconcerned with the druids now. They didn't know if Jenna still wanted them. They were more worried about where their alpha had gone at this point than what the orders might be when she returned. Then there was the fight going on in the circle and the fact that reinforcements were coming. The men looked from one to the other, uncertain what they should do. Maon seemed more than capable of dealing with Cullen. There was more howling but this time it was closer than before. That seemed to decide it. The Tairneachs took up positions to deal with the oncoming reinforcements.

Jacob untied Malik the minute that the other lycans were distracted. By that point the other three druids had worked their way over to Malik as well. "Strength in numbers," Jacob said. There were nods to answer his comment. There was a quiet conversation as more lycans burst into the clearing around the stones and the Tairneach met the attack head on. As the lycans brawled the druids spread out. They took up positions around the stone circle and began to speak quietly again in unison.

Cullen was running out of steam fast. When he noticed that his call for help was being intercepted he wasn't sure he was going to be able to keep avoiding Maon long enough for it to do him any good. Cullen leapt out of the way of the huge lycan and hit one of the standing stones. When he fell he knocked over a glass jar at the base of the stone. Maon was coming at him again. Cullen picked up the jar and threw it at the lycan's head. It shattered against his face and Maon roared in pain as glass shards stuck in his muzzle.

Cullen rolled under another grab. He was trying to think of something. Maon was bigger than the others that he had fought. He had obviously lost speed in the transformation. But if he got his hands on Cullen it would be all over.

The druids continued speaking quietly. They're voices seemed to carry through the area though. It drew the attention of several lycans but they had their hands full with actual fighting and didn't have time to deal with the little men talking quietly to themselves in the background.

Cullen dodged again but this time Maon got a hold of his foot. With one yank he whipped Cullen back and threw him against one of the stones. Cullen hit the stone with a thud and he wondered if his back had been broken. He crumbled to the ground and felt the glass jar beneath him break and slice into his side. Maon reached to grab hold of Cullen again and Cullen took a huge chunk of glass with him as the lycan held him by the neck and slammed Cullen against the stone with one hand.

Cullen felt Maon's grip on his neck tighten and his windpipe begin to crush under the pressure. He struggled against the ungodly strength of the dire lycan and slashed at its wrist and arm with the chunk of glass, trying to get Maon to release his hold. Cullen couldn't breathe. The entire circle was spinning around him Maon's digusting muzzle was in his face and the man was growling savagely at Cullen as the world began to go black.

***

Aislinn looked around cautiously. She didn't really know what she had done. The circle was silent and still. The battle raged on but that was somewhere else. Here there was only the power and the stones. Standing in the middle of the stones was a ghostly Brennus Tairneach. He looked dazed at first. He stared at Aislinn suspiciously. Then his eyes fell on his daughter.

Jenna was confused. She didn't know where everyone had gone or what had happened. When she had turned to attack Aislinn and saw her father standing there she came to a standstill. Jenna immediately changed back to her human form. The look on her face was that of child who had been caught doing something wrong. "Daddy," she asked then glared at Aislinn with tears in her eyes. "Is this some kind of trick?"

"No," Aislinn said. She didn't know what to expect. But obviously this was doing something. "Brennus Tairneach is dead. I just brought you to him."

Jenna's eyes widened. "Am I dead?"

"No," Aislinn said. "You're wasting time."

Jenna looked back at her father. He was staring at her angrily. "What have you done to my pack, Jenna?"

There were more tears. "I'm making them stronger," she said defiantly.

"By turning them against the Pack Council?" His tone was anger and wrath. Aislinn found herself stepping back. She didn't know how Jenna could stand up to that.

"No. By making them-"

"Freaks," Brennus finished. "I see all of it Jenna. I know you now."

Jenna was sobbing. "I just want you to be proud of me Daddy."

"And when did I ever give you the impression that this was the way to go about that?"

Jenna shook her head. "I'll show you. I can be the alpha."

"No, Jenna. You were never meant to be the alpha. But that doesn't matter. It never did." His voice took on a sad tone. "I love you, Jenna. You'll always have my love. But you're wrong and you're destroying everything."

"No Daddy. It'll work. You'll see," she pleaded.

Brennus stared at her. "You want to make me proud?"

"Yes Daddy. Please."

"Then fix this," he said.

Aislinn's head was pounding. It was as if someone had taken a jack hammer to her skull. She pitied Jenna. She didn't understand how the girl got so warped. Brennus sounded somewhat intelligent from this angle. She blinked through the throbbing pain.

"How Daddy? How do you want me to fix it?" Jenna tried to touch him but her hand went through the ghostly figure. She cried harder when she found that she couldn't touch him.

"Put things back the way they were."

Jenna's eyes were wide. "I'll look like a fool. I'll not be able to keep our bloodline leading the pack. They'll never follow me," she said desperately.

"That doesn't matter. Bring the peace back Jenna. That will make me proud of you."

Aislinn couldn't take it any longer. She staggered back from the stone she was leaning against and everything flashed back into motion, along with the realization that Cullen was in danger.

Jenna turned on Aislinn when Brennus disappeared. "Bring him back," she screamed and ran to Aislinn.

Aislinn pushed Jenna away from her. Even after seeing the woman turned into a sobbing child, she couldn't bring herself to comfort her. Aislinn grabbed Jenna by the arm and made her look at Maon. "Make him stop," Aislinn ordered in a desperate voice. "Make him stop now Jenna. Brennus said to make it stop."

At first Jenna's face was confused and defiant. But at the mention of Brennus' name she turned and went to Maon. Cullen's eyes rolled back in his head and Aislinn felt the pain and defiance quiet. "No," she whispered shaking her head in disbelief.

Jenna grabbed Maon by the arm and pulled him away from Cullen. "It's done Maon. Make them stop," she said. But all the confidence had drained out of her.

Maon growled at her. Weak bitch. We're winning and you're giving up now?

"Just make it stop Maon," she pleaded.

Maon grabbed Jenna by the hair. I've had enough of your incompetence. First we're going to finish this fight. Then I'm going to take you back to the manor and we'll decide how I'm going to deal with you. He threw Jenna to the ground and headed for Aislinn. If Jenna wasn't able to deal with the bitch he would.

Aislinn knelt over Cullen with tears in her eyes. "This isn't happening," she said. Her head was throbbing. She could barely think. "I'm dreaming. This isn't real," she sobbed as she held him in her arms rocking back and forth. "Cullen please. You can't do this." But she couldn't feel him at all.

As Maon came up behind Aislinn Malik stepped in his way. Malik was still speaking quietly and there was determined look on his face.

Maon laughed. It was guttural and menacing coming from the dire lycan's chest. Out of my way little man. I may need you yet. Don't make me kill you.

Malik almost faltered as the words rushed through his head. But he fought to keep his concentration. Jacob stepped up behind Maon and with looks of fear on their faces the two men knelt and touched their hands to the ground. One in front and one behind Maon.

The lycan looked at them in amused confusion for a moment. Do you think bowing before me will earn you something?

Then the ground beneath Maon's feet opened up and he fell. The sounds of his screaming were cut off as the ground closed up again as if nothing had happened. He was gone.

Jenna stared wide eyed at the druids. Then she realized that there were three of them standing around her. She shook her head. "No," she said desperately to the men she had been torturing the for day before. "I'll stop it. I can fix it. I swear." Jenna howled into the night and the confused Tairneach began to stand down. The druids remained encircling Jenna. She was afraid to move.

Malik and Jacob turned to Aislinn. "He's still here Aislinn."

She turned on them. "What? In spirit? I need him here," she cried and she pressed her hand to his chest. She felt the circle surge again and suddenly Cullen gasped for air.

Malik put his hand on her shoulder as she stared down at Cullen in shock. "I told you. His soul had not yet moved on."

Then Malik pulled a vial from his pocket, uncorked it and poured the liquid into Cullen's mouth. He choked on some, but swallowed most of it. Aislinn helped him to sit up. He was staring around in confusion and trying to catch his breath. Aislinn buried her head against his chest. She couldn't stop the tears. Cullen put his arms around her and looked at Malik. The fight seemed to be ending. But he had obviously missed part of it.

***

Celia watched as the wounded were carried in on at a time. "Maybe he's just unconscious," she kept saying. Rissa watched her. There were a couple times that Celia tried to get out when the door was left unattended. But Rissa intercepted her and reminded her why she was inside.

Keith came in the front door carrying Sarah. She had been too badly hurt to completely regain consciousness. But she would survive. Celia came up to them and looked down at her friend with fear in her eye. "She'll be okay Cel. But move we've got a lot more coming in."

"Have you seen Mack," she asked softly.

"Yeah, he's coming." Keith walked passed Celia with Sarah and headed for the elevator in the back of the main room. He wasn't about to use the stairs tonight.

Celia turned around after Keith walked by and almost started crying. Mack was helping Drake to limp into the room. Celia rushed over to them and grabbed Mack around the neck hugging and kissing him.

"Hey," Drake yelled when Celia nearly pulled them over. "Save it for after I get put down," he growled.

Celia reluctantly let them go, following them over to the couch where Mack helped Drake to sit down. Then he called some omegas over to take Drake the rest of the way upstairs.

When he looked back to Celia she had tears in her eyes. "Our bond is broken," she said unhappily. She didn't even want to imagine what had happened that had been bad enough to break their connection.

Mack took her hand and pulled it to his lips. "We never completed it in the first place. We'll put it back. And we'll do it right this time," he said.

She smiled at him through the tears and grabbed hold of him again.

"Careful," he said wincing as she hit some soft spots. "I'm still tender."

***

Jenna and the rest of the Tairneach were rounded up. Cadifor decided that the Pack Council would have to be informed and then they would decide what to do with Jenna and the rest of the Tairenach. He wasn't sure if the pack would be disbanded and the territory redistributed or not. The Council would have to discuss it.

By the time the druids had finished assessing the wounded and mostly dead lycans the body count had been reduced to five. As much as they hated to lose anyone, five was a great deal more acceptable than what it could have been. The Tairneach hadn't been so lucky. The dires who had been killed had been ripped apart. There was no salvaging that kind of death. There were limits to what could be healed in a body.

Cullen spent most of the rest of the evening thanking people for helping them and making sure everyone who needed anything had it. Aislinn refused to leave his side no matter how many times he had suggested she go upstairs and get some sleep. The most she had done was summon an omega to bring her some clothes to put on and to take her jewelry up to their bedroom. Cullen watched her carefully remove the diamond covered chains. He had to admit that no matter how beautiful she was with them on she was more beautiful just standing there naked.

"I heard that," she said softly and looked at him over her shoulder. He smiled at her.

Keith walked up to them and watched them stare at each other a moment then he started laughing. "So are you two ever going to get mated? I mean this is getting ridiculous."

Cullen kicked at Keith's bad leg for the comment. Keith dodged the attack gracefully. "I'm just saying that I need to know what to tell all these guests in the morning when they start asking what's going on." He was grinning widely.

Cullen shook his head. "We need recovery time."

"Again," Keith added and Cullen kicked at him again.

"We have five deaths and a bunch of injured people. Tell them all we reconvene in a month's time. That should give us all a chance to regroup."

Keith shrugged. "Are you sure you want to drag this out for an entire month?"

"Yeah, it should have been planned that way anyhow. We rushed things for any number of reasons. All of those seem to have been dealt with. Though at this point I'm not counting on anything," he growled. Aislinn smiled at him in agreement. "Just tell them all that everyone who is here is welcome back in a month."

Keith nodded and took off to spread the information and Cullen went back to dealing with the rest of the people he needed to personally see to that evening. It was nearly morning by the time they managed to go up to bed. Aislinn followed Cullen into the shower and then into their bed. They were so exhausted that they were asleep instantaneous.

*******************

You guys have no idea how close I was to cutting this chapter and making it into two. I thought about putting a break in there right after I made it look like everyone was gonna end up dead. Then I thought, "no, you know how many people will go nuts and write you threatening feedback if you leave a cliff hanger like that?" So my belated Christmas gift to everyone is the entire conclusion of the battle.

The end is near. It took 26 chapters and I have a feeling that everyone will be calling foul… Don't worry, I guess I can't let it go completely. If I close off every storyline then there won't be a natural progression to book two. So I hope that makes you all happy.

Hope you've enjoyed the ride. But all good things as they say.

Thanks for reading.

And Wow! A friend just told me to check out the favorite authors list and thanks to you guys I'm actually on it. That blows me away. Thanks for adding me to your favorites. I'm a bit speechless.

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