by S. N. Nair
I stopped her blubbering with a gesture of my hand.
“The past is the past, what is done cannot be undone so the best we can do is move on from it.”
What I said was more for my benefit than hers, I needed to accept that nothing I do would bring them back. If I continued to dwell on what could have been, I would not be able to move on which would make me reckless... I needed to think straight. She gave a few sniffles before giving me a small smile.
“We should get some sleep now, we still have a long and tiring run ahead of us.”
I could not help but bark out a laugh as Chloe’s face fell at the mention of a ‘long and tiring run’.
“My love, wake up please!”
I jolted up from my otherwise peaceful slumber at the sound of that voice. mMy eyes raked through the forest, my ears on the alert trying to detect any possible movement that could indicate possible danger but there was none. The forest was quiet with the exception of Chloe’s soft snoring.
I could not help but let a small smile escape my lips. She enthusiastically volunteered to be on watch first telling me that I as our main line of defence should get as much rest as possible. I guess she let her fatigue take over as she was probably not used to staying up the long hours that I had been accustomed to without sleep. I shuddered as I thought of that voice I heard. I knew it had not been Chloe due to it being the low voice of a male, but what made me uncomfortable was the fact that that voice made me feel safe, but yet it had been so desperate. I looked up to the moon above us. Why was I still being haunted? I thought that part of my story was over.
I shook my head before picking up a stick to poke at the dying embers that was once our campfire. It seemed that I would have to be on watch from now on since Chloe was dead to the world. I continued prodding at the ambers when I heard a crack coming from behind me. My whole body tensed as I shot up to me feet, landing in a crouch, ready to tackle any possible threat.
A girl just couldn’t catch a break.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Rightful Host
Alexander Lykos
I ran my fingers through my hair, it easily slicked back as it was now damp with sweat. I sat upright on my bed with one hand firmly pressed down to support the weight of my upper body, the blankets pooling at my waist, sticking to my bare torso which was slick with sweat. Running a hand down my face, I got out of bed sighing as I looked down at the sheets which had turned slightly darker due to my sweat. I shook my head trying to shake off the eerie dream that had once again haunted my nights, my dark locks stuck firmly to my forehead refusing to budge even when I shook my head. Ignoring the bite of the cold marble tiles against my bare feet, I walked towards my bathroom, sweat still dripped from my hairline to the base of my throat.
Without even taking off my pants I stepped into my shower and closed my eyes as I allowed the hot droplets of water to beat relentlessly against my skin, not caring that my clothes were now sopping wet. I sighed with relief as the pressure and temperature of the water relaxed my tense muscles, a satisfying crack could be heard as I turned my neck, happy to loosen the stiff joints that prevented me from going back to sleep. The heated water continued to wash over my body again and again as I rested my head against the cool black marble of my shower, closing my eyes I thought about the past few nights where the same routine had been carried out.
I would wake up in cold sweat from a dream that I could not even clearly remember, it almost seemed like a far-off memory where bits and pieces of it had become hazy with time. The only things I could remember was a fire, a huge one where I could almost feel the heat of its flames against my skin as if I was actually being burnt in real life. The second thing was a girl, the first time she appeared in my dreams she had porcelain skin with light hair but after a few days she changed completely, her skin became copper and her hair became raven.
The only memory I had of her besides her appearance was me screaming at her to wake up, that was the last thing I could remember before the fire consumed my vision and I would wake up sweating, just like I had did earlier on. This had been my routine for the past few nights except that now each time the dream got worse, the fire burnt larger and hotter while the girl’s screams grew louder and desperate.
The metal handle fogged up as I turned it to cut off the water before heading to the now steamed-filled bathroom. My hand ran across my jawline, feeling the rough texture that was the result of days of neglect. I picked up the razor that rested on a stand near my sink and glanced at my mirror that had now been glazed with a cover of steam. I placed the blade against the skin of my cheek as I used my other hand to wipe away the misty blanket, the razor slipped from my hand as a pair of dark brown eyes stared right at me as if they were staring into my very soul, fire seemed to burn in them as various screams bounded against the walls of my bathroom. I turned around in circles to see no one but yet the screams got louder and louder till I brought my hand down onto the glass. I opened my eyes to see my own grey eyes staring back at me through the cracks in the mirror as blood dripped down from my hand unto my marble floor.
I reached out to grab a small hand towel to press against the cut on my cheek that was a result from my slip of hand before using it for my hand which had been decorated with various lines where the glass had cut it. I abandoned my razor as I walked back to my bed, the marble tiles feeling colder than they were just now as I had not bothered to dry my feet after I came out of the shower, it almost felt as though I was walking on ice.
The screaks of protest from my bed-springs were the only other noise besides my ragged breathing as I plopped onto my bed. My head was in my hands, digging into my scalp as I pulled on my hair, as I sat on the edge of my bed, the only thought that kept running through my mind was that I could not possibly be going crazy, I had a pack to lead and with the situation going on right now with the Black Blood Pack, they needed a strong leader more than ever and with my family scattered all over the place trying to help the packs that had become victims of Damien’s cruelty. I was the only Lykos left, the only leader left.
Without a care I swung my legs onto my bed, I had to change the sheets in the morning anyway so why bother changing into new clothes. I laid there staring at the ceiling above my room, quietly observing the shadows cast against it by the various trees outside, the world around was quiet and peaceful while my mind was awake and restless. I wanted to close my eyes and drift off but all I could see the moment I closed my eyes was that girl and that fire, even when I was awake, those were the only two things I could think about.
My Second had given me a match to light the candles of one of our member’s birthday cake, but as I stared at that small orange flame, the larger it got till it was a blazing inferno. Screams resounding in my ear, causing me to drop the match earning confused and concerned looks from my members.
That girl was my biggest mystery, she was not like anyone I had ever met, I don’t recall ever seeing a photograph of her but yet she seemed so familiar. Like an old friend that I had spent a long time with but have not seen in a while but yet felt the same security in. What was her purpose? What was her relationship with that fire? What could she mean to me? Those questions constantly ran through my mind as soft hues of orange and red began to peek through my curtain, painting my ceiling with their colours. I flexed my fingers which were once again covered by smooth skin, the mirror the only trace left as a reminder of what had happened earlier. With a groan, I turned to my side and forced my eyes closed no matter how much the fire burned before them.
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“You look as though someone had powdered your eyes with coal.”
My Second smiled as he pointed to my eyes, amusement coating his every word. Instinctively I reached a hand to touch the newly formed bags below my eye before growling at Jared who was still gleefully snickering.
“That means you look horrible.”
My lovely Third, Brendon, decided to so kindly
help me clarify. Our families were close, with their fathers and grandfathers serving my father. They were like brothers to me. I maturely ignored them and brought my focus back to the mountain of paperwork in front of me.
“Jokes aside, the Black Blood Pack is getting out of hand, they have been on a killing spree, slaughtering pack after pack. Those that have not been slaughtered have been forced to sign their land away. The Alphas get to keep their titles, but their people and land belong to Damien.”
I could hear the disgust and anger in Jared’s voice as he spat out those words which were wholly agreed on by Brendon. My hand tightened its grip on my pen, Damien was indeed becoming a big problem. Too many innocents have perished in his thirst for power.
They continued their personal thoughts on the Black Blood Pack as I brought out a map and placed it on my desk. They turned their heads as they focused on the map before them, I took out a red pen to mark certain points on the map as they looked on with curiosity.
“These are all the packs that Damien has hit over the last six months, they were consecutive and impulsive hits with some packs able to still defend themselves. However, over the observations gathered over the last month, he stopped his pillaging.”
I used the pen to mark a large circle to enclose a sizable piece of land. I never expected this pack to fall, many attempts had been made to take down this pack and they failedd...but somehow, Damien succeeded.
“The Blackwater Pack was the last pack to be hit, but what was strange about this attack was that the pack had been totally erased with no sign of its existence, everything had been razed. No signs of survivors as well. All the other packs still had remnants of their pack, something to start a rebuild but there was nothing of the Blackwater Pack. No packhouse, no training hall even their borders disappeared, the only thing we know so far was that Damien had completely erased their Alpha Family, no survivor was left to carry on.”
I watched as many emotions washed over their faces. Anger, sadness, shock. The Blackwater Pack had been one of the more powerful packs with their nearly unmatchable military strength and for them to have fallen while other weaker packs survived was something strange and of interest to us.
"I still cannot believe they fell. They were an impenetrable stronghold, hunters had to pick them off one by one because they could not breach the pack. They were the only pack to have their captured return from the hunters, and any attempts at siege were thwarted. If anything, I though that they would be the pack to end Damien's slaughter."
“We have to prepare then, Brendon, we might be strong, but he has shown that he has ways to take down the strong. We are living right next door to that monster, he could choose to target us soon, this silence and inactivity must mean he is planning something, something big. We are at an advantage already in terms of our geographical location, if we can cut off the entrances in the forest he would have no other choice but to try to storm through our mountains and with a pack of his size, they will be just easy picking for the rest of us as no one knows our mountain’s terrain better than us.”
I nodded at Jared’s words, he was right that we might very well be the next target of Damien’s path of destruction. I would not allow him to even set a paw an inch past the boundary line.
“Would Damien really risk breaking the truce set by our two packs? We should have been the first on his list as we are in such close proximity but, yet he has not.”
Jared narrowed his eyes at Brendon’s response, they usually worked well together but at times like this their different ways of thinking made them clash. Jared was more aggressive and rash, while Brendon was more diplomatic and prudent. This was why Brendon handled our relations with other packs and Jared handled the military aspect.
“So you are saying we should sit here and just wait till he decides to storm through our borders? He has already taken the lives of our countless brothers and sisters. We, the Shadow Mountain Pack, should take charge of the situation as our duty as the closest and most equipped pack to take Damien’s down. We should storm his territory before he inavdes our land."
“And risk another war? Risk the lives of our pack? This rash thinking is what is going to get us killed!”
I closed my eyes as Jared and Brendon continued to go back and forth about their thoughts towards this situation. Jared was right in the fact that we had to prepare ourselves for an attack that could occur any minute but he was wrong to think that we should just storm Damien’s Pack just because we can. We needed to be provoked first before retaliating or Damien would have every right, despite what he has done, to call war on us. He was too prideful to call his conquered packs to help him during an invasion, but he would for a war. Brendon was right by saying that we should be level-headed and not charge into the situation but he was wrong in saying that we should not prepare. There had to be something that Damien had that allowed him to take over so many packs, he was always power-hungry, but his sudden move to invasion only started two years ago.
The best solution I could see now was to wait till my father returned. He, my mother as well as my sister were off to other packs that had been hit by Damien to ask for their support as well as to extend a hand to help them rebuild as my pack had the means to help. I might be Alpha now, but I still went to my father for advice as he was Alpha before me and had watched this pack grow since its very beginning. He had seen wars like never before and knew how to mediate them as well as how to win them.
*“Alpha.”*
I paused my thoughts as the voice of my scout rang through my mind. Silence invaded the room as Jared and Brendon took a break from their squabble to listen to the report.
*“Proceed.”*
*“Yes, Sir. Two she-wolves have been spotted near the Southern Border and have continued to advance closer, both seemed to have travelled from the direction of the Black Blood Pack, but we are still unaware whether they are hostile or not. Both seemed to have been running away from something when they crossed the borderline.”*
My expression hardened as he elaborated on the situation at hand. Their intentions here were still unclear, but they were heading towards the Southern portion of the pack where most of my pack members and families lived. If they indeed came from Damien’s Pack, we could not take any chances.
“Brendon, go and meet the scouts to bring the girls here, we are still unclear of where their loyalties lie so I want them brought here unharmed.”
He gave me a nod before sprinting out the room, I looked out of my window to see a large grey wolf running towards the forest.
“Jared, go and inform the southern patrol of the situation at hand and get them ready to meet Brendon when he brings those girls in. We are still not sure if they are dangerous or not but it will be best to be prepared. Sound the alarm, we need every warrior on the alert and everyone else to be locked in their homes till we defuse this situation. I will meet you there as soon as I can.”
He gave a single nod just like Brendon before sprinting out of my office, I turned to mirror behind me before taking a deep breath. My pack needs me now and I cannot afford to be distracted or show signs of weakness.
With that I rushed out of my office, shifting into my other body to properly greet our guests.
Chapter Thirty: Never Again
Sapphire Nightborne
I used my foot to nudge Chloe’s sleeping form as my eyes kept looking at the area where the snap had been heard. She might not be able to fight, but she could still se and hear... the more eyes and ears the better. We were in no position to be taken by suprise. The tips of my fingernails had elongated into claws as I kept my crouched position, ready for anything to come bursting out of the forest, be it animal or wolf. If it was an animal, it would live... we had ate enough food and could not afford full stomachs that would slow us down. If it was a wolf, I was ready for a fight.
“Sapphire, what are you doing?”
Chloe’s voice was still heavy with sleep as she looked up at me from her spot on the ground, bring
ing a hand up to rub the sleep out of her eyes. I quickly gestured my hand to the forest before bringing a finger to my lips to signal her to be quiet. My ears were now picking up every sound they could, from the softest sound such as the dew sliding off leaves and falling to the ground to the flutter of a bird’s wings as they prepared to take flight. I could hear each and every one of those sounds, but now I was only straining my ears to hear one sound, footsteps.
A rustle of leaves caused me to turn towards it, legs bent ready to pounce on whatever came my way, I advanced towards it when another snap of a twig sounded behind me. I grit my teeth as my eyes closed in frustration for just a second, we were being surrounded. The rustle of leaves became louder as they sounded from all around us, I growled as I could see humanoid figures closing in on us. I used my foot to push Chloe behind me as the sounds grew even louder, they were barely five metres away from us and we could not possibly run now as they had surrounded, herding us like sheep. They left us no way out to escape, we had to fight... and with Chloe's injury, I was not sure we would win.
The figures drew closer and I crouched even lower, preparing for an attack. The swishing of leaves could be heard as the wind swept past them to my direction, my lips pulled back into a snarl as the scent registered with me. They were wolves each and every one of them… and worst, they were all men.