The week passed them by in a whirlwind of activity. With each passing day, the atmosphere in the pack darkened. Jason's stupid brother didn't help lighten the situation, but made it worse with his incessant whining about losing his pack. It took a lot of willpower for Jason not to tie his brother to a tree in the middle of no-man's-land and wait for the rogues to rip him apart. He didn't have the patience or the time. They had to prepare for battle before Alaric and his army caught them unprepared.

Halfway through the week, the rest of their allies had arrived. The survivors of the attack on the Collective and three legions of vampire warriors arrive from the Blood Council. Together, they quickly erected a magical barrier, which protected the inner sanctum of the pack. This included the pack's hospital in case they needed to rush the wounded off the battlefield. The witches also placed magical traps along the edges of the forest and on the battlefield, which they could detonate on command if the battle turned against them. It was Killian's job to prepare his troops for any scenario in which Alaric might try and subjugate them. Jason only hoped it was enough.

Jason stood on a hill overlooking the massive clearing ahead. He volunteered for the job of overseeing the troops' training regiment. He needed to get away and clear his thoughts before his brother drove him to mass murder. What made matters worse, was that Quinton made it his mission to muddy his image further by turning the pack warriors against him. What a bitch...

A chaotic maelstrom of growls and yells rang out across the clearing as the werewolves and vampires sparred with one another. Plumes of up-heaved snow twirled into the sky as the cold western wind carried them off. The heart of winter was fast approaching them. Diligently, his eyes scanned the warriors' moves for any defensive or offensive mistakes before mind-linking Killian's royal head warrior to correct their mistakes.

"How the hell aren't you freezing your ass off?" Darren yelled out as he trudged up to Jason wearing a thick leather jacket. His black combat boots sunk into the freshly fallen snow, making it difficult for him to walk about.

Jason chuckled at Darren's comment. He, himself, was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. "I'm a hellhound, you dumbass. I'm hot as hell." He blew a column of fire out of his mouth to get his point across.

Darren chuckled, looking at the army gathered before them. His goofy smile disappeared as his eyes scanned over the warriors. Darren had a go-with-the-flow personality most of the time when he was amongst those he loved, but when it came down to business, his beta blood blossomed, turning him into a deadly and conniving warrior.

"Are you afraid?" Darren asked, taking a closer look at Jason's facial expressions. His question left a plume of steam, scattering to the wind.

Jason watched the warriors for a few seconds before he answered truthfully. In times of war, there was no room for lies. "A bit..." He shrugged. It was normal to feel that way before facing one's enemies. Only a fool entered a battle, fearless. "No doubt, Alaric already knows we're intercepting his army. So he'll be ready for us."

"Wouldn't put it past the bloodsucker," Darren replied with a snort. "Hopefully, we'll get through this in one piece, I hope. I can't afford for this handsome face of mine to be torn to shreds." A grin appeared on Darren's face again.

"I thought Ishmael was the handsome one?"

Jason's retort received a punch from Darren. Jason chuckled while rubbing his arm.

"We're no longer together," Darren said solemnly.

Jason's head snapped toward his friend. "What happened? I thought you two were happy?"

Darren nodded while rubbing his frost-bitten nose. Jason noticed his friend's eyes tearing up. "We were... But I can't stand in the way of Ishmael and his mate."

A light bulb flickered on in Jason's mind. He cussed out and said, "It's Rook, is it?" The alpha from the council, which made Killian flip his lid.

Darren chuckled and nodded. But Jason could see the broken heart behind his friend's eyes. Darren never wore his emotions on his sleeves and he hid his true feelings behind a veil of laughter. Jason quickly closed the distance and enveloped his friend in a hug. Even though Darren would have never asked for comfort, Jason gave it anyway. They were friends, and Darren needed the emotional support.

After a minute or so, Darren patted Jason on the back and said, "Thanks. I needed that, but we need to separate before your mate kills me for touching you." Darren chuckled again, sniffing periodically. "He still hasn't forgiven me for—"

"Suck you off," Killian finished Darren's sentence.

In a blink, Jason and Darren separated as if their touch burned each other. Jason caught his mate's eyes. A hint of annoyance played behind those green eyes as Killian closed in on them.

Jason scoffed while patting Darren on the shoulder. "Would you ever drop that? It happened before we met." He then walked up to Killian. "Jealousy doesn't suit you."

Killian pulled Jason into his embrace and muzzled his neck, scenting him. Jason grumbled at Killian's possessiveness.

"Err?" Darren muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll be heading out now. I don't want to be here while you're sucking each other's faces off." He began making his way back to the pack house.

Jason slapped Killian on the shoulder. "Did you have to be an ass to him?" He glared at his mate. "Darren's going through a rough time and I don't need you making it worse."

Killian sighed and said, "Sorry... I heard that he and Ish broke off their relationship. I should have been more understanding."

Jason's glare didn't waiver. "You should have..." He leaned forward and pecked Killian on the lips. "Next time when you act like a dick again, there won't be any sex on the table for a month."

Killian's face paled while his eyes widened, making Jason smirk. "You don't mean that."

"Do it again and you'll find out. Remember, I have a right hand that can keep me happy while you serve your punishment."

Jason then walked off, leaving his stunned mate behind.

***

The dreadful day had come. Over the horizon, a haunting glow of fire announced Alaric's arrival the night before. Jason could hardly believe it. He had mentally prepared for what he had to face, but seeing the smoke trails shook his resolve. He couldn't shake off the dread that snaked around his heart. Would he make it out alive? He sure wasn't going to end up playing Alaric's lapdog.

Since the day the weird doctor from New York told Jason he was going to die, he had slowly accepted his fate. And when Alaric had abducted him, he thought that death had finally arrived to snatch his soul. A quick death—not a drawn out one that slowly withered him into nothingness. But Jason's fate changed for the better yet again when Mallory and his friends saved him. Jason started hoping for a brighter future. Not to mention him meeting his second-chance mate.

No. He wasn't going to die. Jason had something worth fighting for and Alaric wasn't about to take it away from him.

"Are you done with your internal monologue?" Cyron grumbled out.

Jason scowled and said, "Oh, just shut it. A bit of reflection never hurt anyone."

"Well, when you're done reminiscing about your former days, please contact me on this hotline again. We have a lot of killing to do, and I'm getting excited."

Jason clenched his hands into fists before saying, "Homicidal, much?"

Cyron was about to reply, but Killian interrupted them when he stepped out of the crowd and addressed them.

"Today we fight for the lives of our loved ones. Alaric intends to exterminate all those who stand in his way. His blind hatred has corrupted him beyond repair and he intends to destroy our way of life." Killian's baritone voice boomed over the crowd. No hint of hesitation lingered in them. "We cannot allow him to move past this pack, so harden your resolve and fight until your dying breath.

"I know I'm asking for too much, but your sacrifice here today will allow your families to live in peace. I won't lie to you..." Several dozen warriors in the crowd turned green in the face at the prospects of not making it out alive. However, who could blame them? "This will be the most challenging battle of your lives. You're facing a horde of mutated wolves and vampires driven insane by consuming demon blood,"—hundreds of eyes found Jason, no doubt feeding on the accusations of his idiot brother—"but they're disorganized. If you play it cool and use your heads, you'll come out the other side alive."

Killian then turned to Jason. "Jason, if you will?" His mate pointed to the spot next to him.

Jason walked out of the enormous crowd of warriors and took his place next to his mate. He kept his emotions hidden from the world. He couldn't allow their prejudgment of him to rattle him.

"Good morning, everyone," Jason said.

"Good morning, King Jason," most of the crowd yelled back, except for the wolves from Quinton's pack. "Why are we helping these douchebags?"

"Most likely due to a severe case of insanity on our part," Cyron replied, licking his paws.

Jason choked down a chuckle before he continued. "When you meet the enemy, you all have to use your brains and not your brawns." Several people laughed at Jason's joke. "The enemy will be tougher than your average wolf or vampire. You don't have to worry about witches or warlocks because demon blood is extremely poisonous to them when consumed. The others, though, will be stronger and faster, but will lack a clear train of thought.

"Demon blood drives all those who consume it mad. Work in teams of two or more, but never alone. Stick together. A werewolf-vampire combination will work most effectively if backed by a witch or warlock who can boost their allies' strength. Spellcaster shouldn't waste their magic on the enemy; demon blood gives them a resistance to magic." Jason turned to the spellcasters. "So stay out of range and help your allies by healing their wounds or distracting the enemy.

"Furthermore, don't waste your time trying to hurt them. Go in for the kill. They heal faster than a normal vampire or werewolf. To make life easier, rip off their limbs before slicing off their heads. And lastly... another thing you all should take into account, don't ingest their blood too much. There's no risk of the demon blood effecting you, but the blood will burn your throat and stomach. The ensuing heartburn will be a bitch to deal with." A couple of chuckles rang out.

Jason then nodded at his mate before taking his place next to his friends.