The battle continued for a few hours into the afternoon. But it was won easily with no casualties and few injuries. While the pack slaughtered tons of them, the rest fled back to their dwellings, unable to break past the defences of Siroos’s warriors.
They pulled slightly back to avoid a stampede while collecting their wounded warriors. Wolves let out a victory howl, seeing the retreating Anmiks. The elephant shifter raised its trunk and made a trumpet while the roars of other shifters soon piped in.
"Seventeen, my friend, sweet seventeen kills," Faris triumphantly announced, placing his elbow on Ranon’s back and waving his axe, which was dripping with the yellowish-orange blood of the Anmiks.
Ranon, who was still in his panther form, suddenly transformed and stood up straight. A smirk he carried. Reaching out he ruffled Faris’s hair, messing them up further.
He chuckled while winking.
"Nineteen, little one."
Faris narrowed his eyes in disbelief and turned to face his friend in disbelief.
"Lies! Such blatant lies. I am disappointed." Ranon wriggled his brows at him. pointed to a heap of hearts he had extracted from each Anmik he had killed.
"Oh! You winter child Sera Faris. Even I annihilated 18," leader of the female warriors, Tara spoke up from behind him with a smirk. Throwing her braids back over her shoulder. Ranon threw his head back and laughed while Faris’s scowl deepened.
"Well done, Tara," Ranon appreciated her and she took a bow to their Beta. Everyone loved Ranon, he was easy going, smart and appreciative.
Turning his attention back to Faris, he pointed to a heap of hearts he had extracted from each Anmik he had killed.
"I always collect trophies. They are nineteen, you can count if you know how to do it," Ranon took a jibe with a click of his tongue.
"Haha! You are so funny Ranon," Faris’s mood slightly soured seeing he had lost not only to Ranon but to Tara as well.
His reputation amongst ladies will be tarnished, now that Tara will inform them of her victory.
"If you hadn’t been showing off, you might have won," Siroos added his share of tease as well from the distance, further souring Faris’s mood.
Ranon placed his elbow on Faris’s shoulder and said.
"I will share the ale, don’t worry."
Their jest would have continued but Siroos’s voice interrupted them.
"Gather up as much meat, hearts and hide as you can."
The meat would be used by the pack for eating, and some of it they would store for winter as most animals hibernated in that time, especially reptiles, which were ample in the desert.
The hearts were used in many medicines and Fownso requested them occasionally. While the skin will be used for making rugs, clothes, handles of weapons and other purposes.
"Leave the rest for the other desert creatures, we take just enough, no need to be greedy," Siroos instructed, patching up one of his wounded warriors. The warrior was already healing and his wound was closing with new skin forming on it. They had a very rapid healing process.
"Walis, Gadius, take the wounded back to the pack. So they can rest and Fownso can have a look in case someone is infected and is bitten," Siroos asked two of his warriors. They banged their shiny chests in response and quickly got to work.
After quenching his throat from the skin hide, Ranon took out a grey satchel and began to collect all the hearts inside it while Faris was perched on a dead Anmik. With one leg stretched the other making an arc with Anmiks’s belly, cleaning his already shining axe.
"Aren’t you going to help?" Ranon raised a brow at him, knowing what lazy bones his best friend was.
Faris’s eyes mischievously fluttered towards Ranon as he lazily spoke while raising his left hand.
"You see these hands? They are not meant to touch filth. That’s why I prefer to use a weapon."
Ranon only shook his head at Faris’s shenanigans.
"You are just lazy. I can’t understand why you weren’t gifted with a sloth spirit considering how you are. Your spirit animal is in such contradiction to you."
Faris stylishly checked out his nails for any remnants of dirt or blood.
"I am not lazy, I just don’t like doing..." Faris was sharply interrupted by Siroos’s ringing voice.
"Skin the Anmik you are dawdling on. Collect the meat and heart. You will be carrying that one. Stop wasting time."
Faris turned in distaste and opened his mouth to argue but Siroos’s death stare had him closing it again.
"Fine! Work, work, work..." he mumbled under his breath, getting up from his idle ass.
Ranon guffawed at the turn of events and said.
"Only Alpha can keep you in check."
Faris just rolled his eyes.
The evening had fallen. Vultures circled their heads and hyenas waited in the shadows of the sand dunes for the shifter pack to leave so they could feast.
Siroos offered Shadow some water and patted his faithful horse. Untangling its mane as it had clumped together because of the sand. Shadow neighed in approval, watching his master. Most horses feared Siroos because of the dragon spirit he carried, but not Shadow; he adored his master.
"Move out!" Siroos finally ordered, mounting his stallion and clicking his tongue. Prompting Shadow to move, he soon began to gallop ahead, spewing sand in all directions.
The warriors followed.
He was worried about Cassandra. She had a fever, and the cryptic words she had been saying had this ominous feeling churning up his stomach. The thoughts of her reaction to finding out the truth were gnawing at his soul, slowly but constantly.
They returned by nightfall. The gong of their victorious return had already been sounded and everyone had gathered to welcome them.
The whistles and slogans in their praises had their spirits lifting. Defeating Anmiks was no easy feat, they were malicious creatures.
Warriors were all smiles on their return with their chests doubled in size. The mated ones had their mates rushing out to meet them while others were welcomed by their families.
Siroos was astonished to see Cassandra. His heart stopped beating for a second, seeing her ethereal beauty and the lime-shaded short gown she wore. The anklet gracefully rested on her beautiful ankle.
She stood with Haylia but had a forced smile on her face which didn’t touch her eyes. They were like a dangerous purple haze, ready to engulf him in their depths.
Dismounting his horse he walked straight to them while Ames took Shadow away to be fed.
Haylia greeted him first, throwing her arms around him. The worries had melted away. A mother’s heart always worried for her son, no matter how strong he was.
"You did well, my son. Like always."
"Thank you! Mother." He picked up his mother’s hand and kissed its back.
His wanton eyes finally drifted to his mate. The overly pink hue from her cheeks had disappeared meaning her temperature was gone but the fresh pair of bandages on her arm remained.
"Welcome back, Alpha Siroos. I am proud of your accomplishment," she repeated the words as if she had been taught to do it instead of doing that from the heart.
But her eyes held another emotion that she was trying to hide under the layers.
Worry!
They roamed on his arms and torso, ensuring he hadn’t been injured.
He knew his mother had taken her under her tutelage and would be teaching her the ways but he didn’t wish for her to lose her uniqueness.
They needed to talk.
Siroos decided to do that after the dinner.
His hand went behind her waist and he propelled her forward, placing a small kiss on her temple. She remained taut and distraught. The way her body had started to melt with his didn’t happen.
He whispered. "Whatever is bothering you, tonight we talk and clear that up."