Rising Sun (The Awakened Trilogy Book 3)

by Amanda Carol

  I nod.

  “Well, fuck,” he remarks.

  Bennett bounces on his toes. “Blondie’s got this!”

  Although we are confident in Aria and this plan, we’re still on edge. Ares is just that good of a fighter and strategist. But if we can’t beat him, we might as well just give up trying to stop Isabella, and that isn’t happening. Not while I’m the Alpha.

  “Where is she…oh, my God!” Haylee gasps.

  I follow her line of sight to see my girl headed this way. Parts of her hair are braided, and she’s wearing short black shorts, a tight, black long-sleeved shirt, and her all-black Converse. Abby is next to her, sporting a high ponytail, a skirt with knee-high socks, and black boots. She, too, is wearing a long-sleeved black shirt. On the other side of Aria is her brother, wearing black tactical pants and a black t-shirt. The uniform of a shifter.

  “Hunter, man, you are one lucky SOB.” Zach whistles.

  “I agree,” Haylee says, fanning herself.

  I smirk. “You’re damn right, I am.”

  I have to glance away quickly, because seeing her dressed like that is sending messages to my dick, and I don’t need him standing front and center at a time like this.

  “Hey, babe, is this turning you on right now?” Zach asks, turning to look at Haylee.

  She nods.

  “Must be the hormones,” Kyler adds.

  “Um, no, Ky. It’s definitely Aria,” Dani laughs, staring at Aria.

  “How much you wanna bet that HailsBails is thinking about a threesome with Blondie right now?” Bennett adds.

  I growl as I turn to my best friend. Before I met Aria, threesomes were sexy, but now… She’s all mine, and I don’t share.

  “As hot as that sounds, I’m a one-woman kind of guy now.” Zach reaches for Haylee’s hand, and she smiles at him.

  Kyler looks over at me. “Dude, did you just growl?”

  Bennett cackles as I ignore them and focus my attention back on my girl.

  I watch as Abby and Declan stop just inside the circle, leaving Aria to continue on.

  I feel the tug and open the link. Do you have it?

  Of course. I’ve got you, baby. I tell her.

  Then I spread my legs, and Knox and Bennett take a step closer to me to hide the very weapon that Aria needs in order to win.

  Ares smirks. “Showtime.”

  “Well, aren’t you a sight? I thought this was a sparring match, not a fashion statement,” Ares says as I get closer.

  He steps forward, invading my personal space, and I ball my hands into fists at my sides as he slowly circles around me. I can feel his breath on the back of my neck when he stands directly behind me.

  “You seem confident you will win,” he taunts.

  “I will,” I grit out.

  “We’ll see about that,” he says.

  I can feel the shift in the air, so I spin quickly and grab his fist just before it hits my face.

  He looks shocked momentarily, but then he smirks.

  I draw my hand back, but instead of hitting him with my fist, I toss him backward using the air element. He slides on his back against the dirt and rocks, but then flips over on his feet. But I’m already running toward him, and I leap through the air, my foot outstretched in front of me. I kick him so hard in his chest that he falls back down on the ground as I land on my feet. He’s back on his feet in an instant, and I’m able to block all of his punches, but he’s proving to be too quick and he ends up punching me so hard in the stomach that I fly backward.

  I sit up, gasping for air, and I can feel the familiar tug in my head. I know it’s only Hunter trying to see if I’m okay, but I can’t be distracted right now. Breathing through the pain, I see Ares walking forward toward me, his eyes intense and almost red with fury. My eyes flick to behind him directly at Abby. I nod once, and she nods back. She nudges Declan, and the plan is finally set in motion.

  I get up and run, sprinting as fast I can to the rocks that are slowly forming in a stair formation in front of me. I glance over at Kat and the other earth witches, who are concentrating on the stones around them. Tiny pebbles lift into the air, and the witches use them as bullets and send them careening toward Ares. They hit him with enough force to pierce his skin. Once he’s distracted, I leap onto the first rock, climbing the makeshift stairs into the air, going higher with each step.

  The steps circle around him, and with his back to me, I jump off the highest rock and wrap my arms around his neck, squeezing hard and throwing my weight backward so we fall to the ground. I’ve got Ares in my brother’s signature hold, but he elbows me in the side. I cry out with each blow until it’s too much and I have to let go. I feel the tug again and open the link.

  You good? Want us to step in now? Hunter asks.

  No. Not yet, I reply as Ares delivers a wicked kick to my face.

  I spit blood as I sit up, but Ares places his foot directly on my sternum, holding me down.

  “That was a clever little trick. But alas, here we are. It looks like you failed…” Ares starts to lean down, but a flash of platinum blonde hair flashes before my eyes and Ares is knocked off of me.

  I gasp for air as I look over to see my brother and Ares in hand-to-hand combat, with Ares winning.

  I jump to my feet, pushing through the pain, and I glance over at Grace. She wiggles her eyebrows, stepping forward, and together, she and I concentrate, drawing water from deep in the ground. The ground shakes as a spout of water shoots up into the air. Abby steps forward with Ciera, and they direct the water using air, making a giant ball with it. Declan is quick and manages to get a few good punches in at Ares, knocking him back. I use a strong gust of air to help Declan out and push Ares back into the water. I twirl my finger in a circular motion, causing the ball of water to spin with Ares inside it. I notice him starting to choke on water and trying to swim out of it, but I’m making it spin too fast for him to get anywhere near the edge.

  After a few seconds, Ares is able to break free using air, making it rain down on us and the water stings as it hits my skin. He roars as he falls, and when he lands in a crouching position, he hits the ground hard with his fist. I reach for Declan as the ground shakes.

  Ares spits out water. “You’re going to have to do better than that, love. I’ve fought in many wars. Some of them included my uncle, Poseidon, God of the Sea. You wouldn’t be the first to try and drown me, and you certainly won’t be the last.”

  “Wow, his family is fucked up,” Declan mutters under his breath.

  “No kidding,” I murmur back.

  Declan holds out his hand. “You ready, little sister?”

  I smirk, placing my hand in his. “Let’s do this.”

  I look over and see Abby standing with Kat, Zayne, Ciera, and Grace. Declan uses the air element to conjure up a tornado. Abby and Ciera make sure that the air does not affect the people standing around the circle who are only there as spectators. I summon the fire element and set the air tornado on fire. Zayne and Grace are there to help manage the flames. Other witches step forward to help in case things start to get messy. I cut a glance over at the other Alphas and Hunter, all of them ready for my command to step in.

  Declan and I clutch onto each other using our combined powers to overtake Ares. Declan aims the tornado right over Ares. The heat emanating from the flames is almost too much to bear, but we can do this. We have to do this.

  Ares roars, breaking up the tornado and the flames. Declan and I fly back in the air, and I open my eyes long enough to see Grace quickly put up a wall of water as Zayne directs the flames into it.

  Declan pulls me to him and rolls us, so he takes the brunt of the fall. I get up, helping him up to his feet in the process. But Ares is in my face; his burnt flesh invades my nostrils as his fist grips the front of my shirt. He throws me back into the center of the circle, and now we’re back in hand-to-hand combat.

  And he’s winning.

  Hunter, I say through the link as I manage to
punch Ares in the jaw. It’s time to release the wolves.

  I’m busy blocking kick after kick and punch after punch. But Ares is just too fast, and full of unrelenting rage. I hear howls, and I look over to see Caleb running toward me, still in human form, with the other five Alphas right behind him. Haku and Caleb take turns punching Ares, and they switch off, each of them getting in good hits and kicks, until Ares uses a gust of air to knock them all back.

  His hand wraps around my throat, my feet dangling in the air as he lifts me off the ground. He smirks as he chokes the life out me, and just as blackness starts to take over, he tosses me through the air like a rag doll and I land hard on the ground.

  My heart is pounding. My body is aching. My lungs are burning. Everything hurts. I feel a wet nose on my arm and the familiar tug, so I open the link again.

  Blondie, get up! C’mon, badass! Get up and let’s finish this! Bennett tells me, nudging my arm again with his nose.

  I slowly sit up, looking over at him in wolf form, but something flying in the air toward me catches my attention and my eyes widen.

  Hunter is soaring through the air so fast that he’s heading straight for the woods behind me.

  I get to my feet and use the air element to slow his momentum so he drops to the ground with a soft thud next to me. I hold my hand out and help him up.

  “You good?” he asks out loud.

  I nod. “We’re ending this.”

  “You’re damn right we are.” He kisses me quickly before shifting into his wolf, and when he does, the entire pack shifts.

  “Don’t tell me you’re tired, Blondie,” Ares taunts from the center of the circle.

  Hey! That’s my Blondie! No one gets to call her that but me! Bennett growls beside me.

  I glance down at him.

  Let’s end this thing, Blondie! he encourages me.

  I smirk, then start to use the air element, kicking up dirt and forming it around me, my two wolves next to me and Ares.

  It’s just us and him.

  Knox, you and the other six get my weapon. It’s time, I command.

  We’re on it. Good luck, Aria, Knox replies.

  I take off running toward Ares, both Hunter and Bennett flanking me. I can see Ares smirk as we get closer. I send a shockwave through the ground knocking Ares off-kilter. Hunter and Bennett lock their powerful jaws around his forearms as I slide under his legs and then leap up, kicking him hard in the back.

  Aria! Knox grabs my attention using the link.

  I see the wolves forming a circle around us, and Knox tosses my bow and quiver of arrows to me. I catch it, grabbing an arrow and sinking one into each of Ares’s Achilles heels. He cries out as he falls to the ground, unable to move. Hunter and Bennett are biting down so hard, they’re drawing blood. I let the dust settle as I line up one more arrow and slowly make my way over to stand in front of Ares.

  I pull the arrow back, lining it dead center in his forehead. “Look at me.”

  His eyes slowly flick up to mine as I press the tip of the arrow on his forehead, nicking his skin just a bit.

  “You lose,” I tell him.

  Ares smirks.

  I stare him down a moment longer before lowering the bow. Hunter and Bennett release him and shift back into their human forms. Hunter comes over and pulls me into his arms, holding me up slightly because my legs are starting to shake.

  “You didn’t follow the rules, love,” Ares says, wincing as he pulls the arrows out.

  “What rules? You said I had to beat you. I knew I couldn’t do that alone. I knew we’d all have to work together to take you down. Just like we’ll all have to work together to take down Isabella,” I reply.

  Ares tilts his head to the side, studying me for a moment. “Spoken like a true goddess. You did well. All of you.” He comes up to me and Hunter and lowers his voice. “The two of you make powerful leaders. The kind that any warrior would be stupid not to follow. My siblings and I have to stay away for a while. My father is starting to suspect that something is going on, so we will lay low for some time. In the meantime, do not stop preparing. Isabella only has one shot to carry out her plan, and you only have a few months to be absolutely ready. I’ve taught you all I can. It’s up to you now.”

  With that, he shimmers out, followed by Apollo. I’d been so wrapped up in the fight that I didn’t even realize he and his sister were here. Artemis smiles at me and nods her head before disappearing.

  I reach down and place two fingers under Aria’s chin, tilting her face up to look at me. Her open wounds have all healed, but her face is still covered in blood. I hate it when she’s covered in blood because it brings up memories of her in the warehouse. But seeing her determined face as she fought Ares makes up for the blood on her now.

  “Here you go, Aria,” Khari says, handing her a damp towel.

  She gives him a small smile. “Thank you, Khari.”

  He bows his head, and after a moment, Aria nods. Then he claps a hand down on my shoulder.

  I feel the tug and open the link to him. She’s the best warrior I have ever had the privilege of knowing.

  It makes me feel proud that my wolves are accepting Aria. I mean, even if they didn’t, it still doesn’t change the way things are, but having another Alpha tell me what I’ve known all along makes me feel proud to have her standing by my side. As Zach said, I truly am one lucky SOB.

  He closes the link off, takes one more glance at us, then turns and walks away. The rest of the shifters come over and congratulate us, and one by one, they disperse as Declan and Ciera walk over. The other Alphas and Bennett are the only shifters who stay.

  “My little sister kicked some major god ass out there!” Declan jokes as he grabs Aria’s arm and pulls her into a hug.

  She laughs when he picks her up and spins before setting her back down again.

  “It was a group effort. I couldn’t have done without all of you,” she says, looking around at our friends, including the other five Alphas.

  “I have never in all my life seen such powerful magic. It was spectacular!” Oliver beams as he looks at the witches and my girl. “Simply enchanting.”

  “Wow, man. Do you not have witches in Australia?” Caleb asks.

  “Nope,” Oliver says with a huge grin on his face. “I would like to see more, please!”

  “Well, come by the fire pit later tonight. We’re having a bonfire to celebrate a small victory,” Bennett says, coming over and putting his arm around Abby, who promptly shrugs it off.

  “We are?” I ask.

  I really just wanted to spend some time with Aria and my Impala. I haven’t had the time to give it a good tune-up.

  “Yes. Duh. Why wouldn’t we? We just beat Ares! Do you not know how awesome that is?” Bennett stares at me in disbelief.

  “I know how fucking awesome that is. Count me in!” Declan says, slapping Bennett’s hand.

  Ciera smiles when Declan pulls her back into his arms.

  “That sounds like a good time,” Haku chimes in. “I’ll bring my ukulele, play some Hawaiian tunes.”

  Declan looks over at Haku. “You play the ukulele? Can you teach me?”

  Ciera laughs. “Always drawn to the instruments.”

  Declan kisses her. “Quiet, you.”

  “Sure. Come by anytime,” Haku says, and they walk off together.

  Caleb, Oliver, and Clyde—the latter being silent as usual—all go their separate ways, talking battle strategies and such.

  “Well, we kicked some major ass out there, but it’s time for me to go feed and brush Sparkles. I’ll see you guys later.” Kat turns to walk away, but Gunner grabs her arm.

  “May I please assist you?” he asks.

  The New Yorker seems a little out of place here, but he’s been infatuated with Kat since the moment he saw her.

  “If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to borrow Abby for a while,” Zayne smiles as he reaches around Abby and smacks her ass, making her squeal.

  I laug
h when he wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her away.

  “Talk to you later, Aria!” Abby yells.

  Before they get any further, Zayne stops walking and turns his head. “And Bennett, you stay far away from the cabin, unless you want me to set your ass on fire…again.”

  Aria laughs.

  “I didn’t mean to!” Bennett scoffs. “I mean, it was an accident!”

  “You interrupted them, didn’t you?” Aria asks between bouts of laughter.

  “It’s not like I knew what they were doing. And I did knock first. Why doesn’t anyone ever hear me knocking first?” Bennett puts his hands on his hips.

  I slap a hand on his shoulder. “One day, man, you’re going to bring a girl back here. Then you’ll learn real quick why no one ever hears the knock.”

  “Never going to happen,” Bennett says. “I’m not a relationship kind of guy.”

  Aria smiles. “Ah, Benny, neither was Declan. But I’ll tell you what I told my man-whore of a brother. One day, a woman will walk into your life and change everything.”

  Bennett snaps his fingers by Aria’s ear. “Are your ears clogged with dirt, Blondie? Never. Gonna. Happen.”

  I smirk. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

  “Oh, no,” Aria whispers.

  I look down at her and she’s looking at something behind me, so I turn and follow her line of sight. Dani and Haylee look like they’ve just seen a ghost, and Kyler and Zach have pained looks on their faces.

  “We’d better go to them,” Aria says, quickly jogging in their direction. “Dani? Haylee? Are you guys okay?”

  Haylee flushes. “I don’t know whether I should be scared or horny, because I’m feeling both right now.”

  Zach whips his head in her direction, but then he smirks. “I’ll protect you, baby. I can even help with the horny part.”

  Well, then. I think we may have some people who will put Grace and Knox to shame.

  Dani grimaces at her brother’s comment for a moment before letting go of Kyler and throwing her arms around Aria. “Oh, my God! That was incredible, but so terrifying to watch. Are you okay! Wait, how are you even still alive? And how come you have like no cuts?”