Untouchable by Marii Solaria

C

“Then, stop worrying so much. It’s making me itch.”

“Keep scratching, then.”

Moments after Kiya had left to confront Osiris, Anthony and Neron were alerted by the arrival of their warriors. Between the attack of Zircon Moon and losing many lives, Neron’s numbers were small, but Anthony’s soldiers compensated for it. The combined army laid in the outskirts of the forest hiding Osiris” home, their heavy feet rumbling through the forest floor. The Alphas and Avatars were in the front while everyone else followed close behind.

Neron’s right hand dug into his pocket to grip Kiya’s moon pendant, the anchor to his hope. Kiya’s presence had long since faded, but it lingered in the surrounding air. On his skin. In his nose. In his hands. His skin. flushed red in the memories of her hand in his own and the strands of her hair tickling his chin. His chest felt the phantom breaths of her gentle breathing as she slept next to him, safe and guarded from nightmares. As quick as he had her, his heart ached at letting her go once again.

“She shouldn’t have to fight, Neron thought. ‘She deserved rest, just like the rest of us.”

“Neron.” Asim walked up to him, matching his pace as they walked over protruding roots. “May I ask you a question?”

He nodded “Go ahead.”

“I hope this isn’t too personal, but are you and Kiya fated?”

Neron smiled small. “What gave it away?”

“The look in your eyes is the look only a man in deep love has for their mate.” Asim answered, matching the Alpha’s smile. “Don’t feel ashamed, I have the same look whenever I look at my Nailah.”

“Nailah?”

“My wife and my mate. She’s back home, waiting for my return along with my children.”

Neron hoped, internally, that one day, he’d reach where Asim was now. “And you’re here, risking it all to stop your brother.” A pleasant silence befell the men as the shuffling of leaves intermingled with the echoes of footsteps behind them. “Kiya and I are fated mates, but because of… circumstances in our past, we may never come together.”

“And you’re here, risking it all to help her.” Throwing Neron’s words back at him earned the Egyptian a playful scoff from the Alpha. “You’re okay with never having your mate?”

Neron reflected on his next words, running a hand through his black locks. “I’m learning to come to terms with it. It isn’t easy, but in an ideal world, I’d like her to accept me out of her own free will. Destiny be damned. Fate may bring us together, but I want it to be her choice to be with me or to choose someone else. She is a free woman in her rights.”

Asim was silent for a moment, pondering on his words as he kicked a stray rock to the side. “I don’t believe I could ever be that resilient. Displaying that level of strength and restraint is admirable.”

“I would die for her, Asim. I love her more than anything.

And he won’t ever stop.

Two minutes of further travel came to a screeching halt when the acute senses of the wolves detected a plethora of sour and acrid odors billowing in from between the tree barks. Nostrils flared from every member in the squadron, their stances bristling at the new arrivals. Above the dense canopy, many explosions rang in swift succession. Through the distorted holes between overlapping leaves and branches, silvery light shot across the sky like shooting stars,

Kiya’s signal.

On cue, witches and hybrids alike emerged from the trees. Sickening red stretched from the base of their necks toward their chins and ears like tree branches. With bloodshot and bugged out eyes, snarling lips, and fingers either holding claws or black magic, each enemy was ready to tear their new victims to shreds.

The clash of the armies had begun; sounds of battle kissing the leaves and rocking the roots of the trees.

anger pumped and etched into the release of dark energy from his palms to his fingertips, demanding and desiring for both

and humans on

every flail of her dress, the snake spotted the golden weapon attached to her hip. The weapon that caused his accursed wound. Kiya had yet to pull it out, waiting for the perfect opening for the man to pay for his crimes. He sent most of his subordinates into battle, their energy humming through his veins as the darkness from them replaced the adrenaline

didn’t hold a candle to Kiya’s tenacity. She didn’t need to feed off others to

on

he caught in his palm. The other came just as fast, but with both of her hands in his, both struggled in a deadlock.

the fuck are you laughing

forgot about the trick up my sleeve.” He leaned in to where their noses

arms for leverage, she wrapped her ankles around his neck and twisted her body, using her lower body strength to throw the man on the ground before landing on her hands, hopping back on her feet. Her back screamed at such a

through the mind–link connecting her to her friends and family. “Cerberus is on his

their brutal beat down festered like an infection, even more so as the familiar, unhesitant stomping drew closer to the battlefield. Neron remembered the tremor of Cerberus‘ colossal feet and the horrible stinging of his claws through his chest. Anthony confirmed his fears when he raised the alarm, reiterating

fucking hell.” Darien

away the hybrids and witches in his way. His stomping grew louder and rapid once he spotted his targets. Both the Zircon and Garnet Moon

A storm?

Instead, singeing the leaves and branches was a powerful bolt of lightning impaling the juggernaut

as the storm bent to her will. She summoned another bolt of lightning to hit the beast, aided by

control storms?!” Sapphire asked,

two feet.” Violetta shot a wink, lips curling into

bashed the head of an offensive hybrid against a tree. If an army

for Osiris.

from the soil, sprouting

sign she had channeled her partial avatar abilities. Violetta smirked as her blue eyes shimmered, nodding with heavy enthusiasm. When the witch got closer, the taller woman

could join

who sported intense confusion on his face. “I… I couldn’t stay away. I

“We’ll talk later, Phoebe.”

beast within. The female avatars caught on the idea quick. Honoring Goddess Hekate’s torches, Phoche summoned a pyre of orange and red, commanding it to swirl around Cerberus–reminiscent of the fire that nearly claimed the lives of her found family. Everyone watched the grandiose spectacle of light, including the

elements encompassing various forms of light were too much for him to

dying in wisps of smoke and burning flesh. Everyone shielded their eyes from the flash of light before looking at the chains resting on top of

Cerberus remains.

a wad of spit at the ashes. Neron breathed a heavy sigh of

that much

“AHHH!”

and touched the tip of the trees, igniting every sense and instinct; human, wolf, and everything in between within Neron. He abandoned all rationale. His body rocketed through the forest, shoving every obstacle in his way; wood and flesh, toward his woman’s destination, ignoring the shouts of protest

Neron, in which they all took off running, including his parents. “Phoebe, are you

am.” She nodded, confident. Dark witches unfazed by the death of Cerberus tried to attack, but met with a massive force full of fury. Hekate’s presence flowed out of Phoebe and encircled the disgraces to witchcraft, forcing them to kneel in

thin, golden

trapped the witches against the trees, knocking them out cold. “Good?” She asked

4/6

to clear way

his powers, but Kiya dodged by jumping backwards, his fist hitting the dirt; the impact leaving tremors in its wake. “I created

back, summoning a ball of silver, and hurdling it toward the man, hitting him in the shoulder. “All you wanted

machine!”