War Of The Witches

PHASE TWO

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PEACE: "After my friends and I went back into Constance's house that night, we came face-to-face with Queen Hiliusa and the Elder Witches in the underworld. They told us that all five of us had been chosen to bear the power of witchcraft and further the line. The Queen informed us that our lives were about to change forever and that a weightload of responsibilities was about to befall our shoulders.

"The Queen also mentioned a crack in the universal balance; an anomaly in motion; an imbalance that could brew war and chaos so horrendous that the entire world would suffer for it. She didn't know when this war was to come or who was to start it, but she knew we would have a part to play in saving the world. Whether it was the vampires who would initiate it, or the werewolves, or demons, or even the Order Of Witches itself, war was coming and it was coming fast. The pieces were falling in place, the domino effect affecting, and the time drawing ever closer.

"Time passed on and the gang and I slowly spilt up and lost touch. I haven't seen most of them in years but I know that when the time comes, we shall be reunited and we will fight as a team again, as friends and as warriors defending the world. But for now, let us wait for the scent of war from whomever it should sprout from!"

10 YEARS LATER

The full moon hung in the air for the second night in a row and it's gleam brightened the forest. A man and a woman were sitting on the hood of a red Mercedes, engaged in a steamy make out session with one another.

"Max, wait! Slow down a little." Selena asked him.

Maximus reluctantly stopped kissing her and pulled away from her.

"What is it now? Don't you want me?" He asked her and grabbed her again, smothering her with hot and possessive kisses.

Selena pushed him away and got off the hood of the car. She walked a few paces ahead and stood by the edge of the river.

"You show up whenever you want, you never take me to your place or tell me anything about yourself, and it makes me feel like I'm not important to you." Selena told him, unhappy about the mystery that was him.

"Of course, you're important to me. If you weren't, I'd have left you after the first time we slept together but did I?" He asked her.

"No...you didn't." She forced herself to admit.

"Come closer, don't stay away from me." Maximus put his arms out, inviting her into his embrace.

She came closer and he hugged her tightly with what could only be described as genuine affection.

"It's just that sometimes I feel like I don't even know you." She said to him.

"I do have some things that I haven't told you about myself but I'll tell you everything when the time is right. I promise!" He said and kissed her again, much softly this time.

Just then, Maximus' ears stood erect and he could hear multiple wolf howls coming from the distance, howls that were a signal for help.

"Get in your car and go home, Selena." He instructed her.

"But why?" She asked in surprise.

"I have to go and I need you to get out of here safely so get in the car and go home." Maximus said to her.

"You have to go? But, you just got here." Selena wasn't having it.

"For crying out loud, just get in the car and go home." Maximus raised his voice at her.

She didn't like the tone he was using with her so she angrily got in the car.

"You know what Max? Screw you!" She said and drove out of the forest.

Maximus started running towards the howls he heard as quickly as he could. He ran through the woods, jumping over fallen trees and flowing streams, trying to get there quickly.

The howls were becoming fewer which was a cause for concern so Maximus jumped high into the air and shifted into a full wolf. His fur was completely black and smooth.

He ran much faster now and made it in little time to the gate of the huge estate that was built deep inside the woods. He jumped over the huge gate and got to the front of the house.

He slowed down when he saw the slaughter that was right in front of him. He found his twelve brothers and sisters, some shifted and some still in their human form, all ripped apart to shreds and lifeless.

Maximus was so shocked to see this because he had only been gone for less than an hour and when he left, everyone was still alive. Now, they were all dead and he had no idea how it happened.

Maximus heard someone coughing and realized that one of them was still alive. He ran towards the coughing sound and found his Alpha seriously hurt and very near death.

He ran over to his Alpha and shifted back into a human as soon as he reached him.

"Gabriel!" He called his name and held him up.

"Max?" Gabriel said his name with love and placed his bloody hand on his cheek.

"How did this happen? Who did this to the pack?" He asked, already shedding tears.

"The Mullers! They...ambushed us," Gabriel coughed while he spoke, with blood spewing out of his mouth, "They came already shifted, we didn't stand a chance."

"They know the laws. They cannot just attack us whenever they feel like it. They must issue a challenge." Maximus said in anger, trying to make sense of the situation.

"The Mullers don't seem to care...about the laws anymore." Gabriel coughed even more, his life flashing before his eyes.

"Why aren't you healing?" Maximus asked because he didn't understand.

He checked Gabriel's injuries and noticed the hole in his chest. His heart was gone.

"They attacked me first, from behind and ripped my heart out of me." Gabriel said.

Maximus was saddened by this revelation because it meant that Gabriel would surely die. Alpha Wolves could only be killed by the removal of their heart and his was gone, which was why he wasn't healing and was on his final breaths.

"Listen to me, Maximus, don't do anything rash. You hear me?" He said while coughing, "Don't go seeking revenge so you don't end up like the rest of us."

"Please Gabriel, don't leave me!" Maximus begged in tears.

"I'll always be with you Max, forever. You remember our words, don't you?" Gabriel asked.

"The pack lives in all of us." Maximus replied.

"That's right! So as long as you live, we all live." Gabriel said with a smile as his eyes slowly began to close.

Maximus held him tighter, crying out in pain and he kissed his forehead.

"You would have made a great Alpha...and I know you still can." Gabriel said with his final breath and died in his brother's arms.

"No!" Maximus shouted in pain.

He put down his brother's dead body and stared at the moon. He howled and shifted back into a wolf.

He started running over to the den of the Mullers, his anger making him deaf to his brother's final words about not seeking revenge. He ran through the woods until he reached the town. He darted across the scanty streets, running past cars and a few people, not caring about the wolf laws of always avoiding contact with humans.

He kept running until he got to the property of the Mullers. His golden eyes focused on their gate and his teeth ready to dig into some Muller flesh.

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The Mudders, which was their actual name, although Maximus' pack referred to them as "Mullers" were all inside their mansion, celebrating their victory of having killed off another rival pack.

Their Alpha, Cornelius Primo, stood in the center of the huge hall with the heart of Gabriel in his hand like it was a trophy.

"My wolves! Who is the greatest Alpha in the known world?" He asked them.

"Primo!" They all yelled in elation.

"That's right, I am. Today was another victory for us Mudders. We took out a powerful pack; The Cullens. This is their Alpha's heart and it will be added to my growing collection." He said with the heart raised high and all his wolves cheered.

His mate, Sheila, walked up to him with a jar in her hand. The jar was transparent and it was filled with clean water. Cornelius Primo put the heart in the jar and Sheila took it away to add to his collection.

"Have fun, my wolves. Eat, drink and party tonight, for you have earned it." The Alpha instructed and went to take a seat on his throne-like chair.

One of his older wolves named Gable walked over to him to give him some information.

"My Alpha, we have a little problem." He said quietly in his ears.

"And what is this 'little problem' Gable?" Cornelius asked.

"There's a wolf outside the gates and he's asking for you. Judging from his stench, I'm positive that he belongs to the Cullens' pack." Gable informed.

"Is that so? It seems like we missed one of them but fate has brought him to our doorstep." He said with a smile and stood up.

Cornelius Primo was power hungry and attention craving. He used every opportunity to put the spotlight on himself and this was one of such moments. He gestured at the DJ to stop the music so he could address his pack.

"My wolves! As it turns out, we didn't kill everyone of the Cullens. One of them still breathes and he had the audacity to come to our home. Let's go kill him together." He said and walked out of the mansion.

His entire pack of almost forty wolves followed behind him and they went to the front gate.

Maximus had shifted back to his human form and he stood at the gate naked, waiting for Cornelius Primo.

The Mudders and their Alpha got to the gate and saw Maximus outside, looking angrier than a hungry lion.

"So, you are the wolf that thinks he can demand an audience with me? I am not impressed." Cornelius Primo said.

"I'm here to challenge you Cornelius Primo, by the laws of the Werewolves, I demand a battle. You and me, one on one, right here, right now." Maximus said angrily.

"Hahaha!" The alpha laughed haughtily, "and what makes you think I'll accept the challenge of a lone wolf without a pack?"

"Just as I suspected, you're a coward and can only face your enemies while their backs are turned. Filthy Muller!" Maximus insulted him.

This comment infuriated Cornelius Primo so much that he ordered his men to open the gates.

"How many times will I say it? We are the Mudders not Mullers! You want me? Then come and get me..." Cornelius taunted him with his hands.

Maximus shifted very quickly into his wolf form and attacked Cornelius Primo. He ran towards him with rage and all sorts of emotions pumping through his body. He jumped at Cornelius Primo with his mouth wide open, ready to bite his head off when another wolf tackled him in the air.

Maximus landed hard on the ground but quickly got back on all four paws. He tried to go after Cornelius again but another wolf stood in front of him and two more were behind him. It was four against one and Maximus didn't stand a chance.

"I must commend your bravery, young wolf, but unfortunately for you, it's actually stupidity...Rip him apart." Cornelius instructed his wolves.

One of them immediately went after Maximus but he used his claw to whack him away. The two wolves behind him jumped on his back and bit neck and legs. Maximus growled in pain and rolled over on the ground, throwing the wolves off him. He grabbed one by the neck with his fangs and crushed his bones, killing him, but before he could turn around, the other three wolves surrounded him and attacked him simultaneously, biting his arms and legs, clawing at his neck and face until it became too much for him to handle.

Maximus fell to the ground, unable to stand anymore as he was badly wounded. Cornelius Primo walked over to him and bent down to mock him. He grabbed Maximus by the neck and lifted him up into the air.

"Your pack was weak and didn't deserve a soldier as strong as yourself. I would offer you a place in my pack but I can see it in your eyes quite clearly that you would never accept such an offer which leaves me with only one option." He said to Maximus.

In an act of defiance, Maximus slashed the face of Cornelius with his right claw. The scratch was deep across his face but it healed almost as quickly as it was made.

"Such spirit!" Cornelius said.

Maximus clawed at him again but Cornelius grabbed his forelimb and broke it. He howled in pain after his limb was broken and Cornelius dropped him on the lawn.

"Finish him off, my Wolves! He's not worth my time."

As the members of the pack were about to attack Maximus, a pick-up truck smashed into the large gate and ran over multiple pack members of the Mudders.

The driver of the car threw a wolfsbane grenade into the lawn and it exploded, sending the toxic dust all over the yard. Gable was screaming at the members of the pack to clear out before the wolfsbane did permanent damage.

Cornelius Primo was able to breathe in the wolfsbane dust as he was immune to it, being an Alpha. He looked at the driver as she came out of the car with a grenade launcher attached to her back and two revolvers in her hand and immediately recognized her.

"Mira! Another lone wolf. Isn't this poetic? Two lone wolves dying together by my hands." He said with a snarl, his fangs now sharp and visible.