Chapter 17
I just shut down. I had failed. I can hear people around me but I can't hear the words that are spoken. I want to keep going to find my mate the love of my life our children that are with her. But I am frozen here in place stuck on the road my legs refusing to work. My wolf is so hurt and withering in pain that I can't call him forward.
After a while, I feel myself being helped to a truck and taken back home. My best friend beside me talked words I could no longer understand. When he stops in front of the house and my door is ripped open and a hard sting across my face breaks whatever trance I was in. Growling snapping my eyes to Reena. Michelle was not far behind on the porch with my girls screaming. Their tiny faces were red and covered in tears and snot. The sight snapped me out of this funk more. Rushing to them linking Reena my thanks. Scooping my girls up. Once they start to calm my thoughts clear.
“ty go help find Artemis and Hermes bring everything back you find and I mean everything I want to know who did this what happen and where they are now. I will have their blood for this.” I sneer out. With a nod, he kisses Michelle who is heavy with their second pup. This stress cant is good for her or the pup. “mish sit I am so sorry no let's get you something to drink and get the girls back to bed. Reena, can you have Kavin come to my suite? And see if Hunter is up.” “I am so sorry Phil I don’t know how or what to say but we are here for you and the girls,” she says as she pats my shoulder. Nodding to her as she heads off to get her mate. Michelle takes Eris from me and I follow her down to my suite. Setting them at the table I grab a couple of cinniebonnies and a glass of warm milk for them both. As I warm the water to set the packets of milk in I look at the packets and then at the girls. I know at one they are old enough to not have breast milk but Artemis had read something that stated that they should have breast milk until two or twenty-four months its two people.
I only have two weeks left of Artemis milk then I will have to start giving cows milk. There is nothing wrong with cow's milk we love it it's good for bones and all that but shifters, we carry other beneficial things in our mother's milk. I worry this could affect their long-term. “don’t worry Phil I can help with milk when this little one finally comes.” she says rubbing her belly. Soon Hunter and Will carrying their twins come in. They both look so much like their mother. I thought we had enough sadness for a while but I was wrong. Once the girls finished their snack we take all four kids into the nursery and lay them all down. Eris and Enoy in Enoy's crib and Kaleb and rosemary in Eris’s crib. Making sure the baby monitor is on we leave to go back to the kitchen. Michelle is sipping hot tea. Getting a link from Tyler that I need to come to the clinic had my knees weak. Straightening up I head to the door no one said a word.
Getting down to the clinic I brace myself. I can already smell the iron of Artemis and Hermes's life source. Doctor Locke met me at the doors “alpha I wish I didn’t have to ask you to do this as I could have identified them but you know you have to sign off on it and well I didn’t want them to sit down here.” tears in her eyes. I nod as I helped update the policies. Placing a hand on her shoulder telling her I understand. Taking a breath we walk into the room.
Two gurneys covered with white sheets waiting in the middle of the room. It wasn’t hard to tell them apart. Hermes being two was a small bump under the sheet. Artemis being all five foot five inches tall wasn’t much of a bigger bump. Her slight bump is noticeable under the sheet. My chest squeezes. Walking over I slowly pull the sheet back to look my son in the face. His small face was still full and chubby like most two-year-olds. His black hair was still a mess of curls all around his head. The dark purple makes on his neck told me he didn’t suffer. Placing a small kiss on his forehead I cover him back up. Gathering all my strength I turn to the other bed. Pulling back the sheet I find a black body bag. Glancing up at doctor Locke I can see the pain in her eyes. We both know when they bring us a wolf in a body bag it's not pretty.
Slowly I unzip the bag. My beautiful mate's face has been slashed her eyes ripped out. Her hair was a mess nothing like the sleek black ocean that it is. The slashes across her body were so deep her insides were no longer on the inside. Her hands were covered in cuts and bruises telling me she fought back. I can see with every scratch and bruise how much she fought back. Moving over her body taking in all the cutes and marks I see a claw mark from being stabbed in the abdomen with claws right where my pup would have been. Cupping the one cheek that's still intact I close my eyes as I weep for my love. My tears fell on her. there was no other scent anywhere on her body. I know I checked. Straightening I nod to doctor Locke and walk away.
Stopping outside the office I slide down the door and sit thinking. Looking up to the ceiling I let the tears fall before I make a decision.
“black rose pack I am sure you felt the bond with our luna Artemis this night. I wish I had better news but sadly what you felt was real both Artemis and Hermes were ambushed on the road home from the winters by rogues. Her guard was taken along with her. As the full moon is tomorrow night we will hold our funerals. Tonight and tomorrow are a day of morning for our lost pack mates our luna our family our friends.” cutting the link and blocking all links I slowly make my way back to my suite. Walking past everyone like I was a ghost. Drifting through the halls that once carried the sounds of my loves laugher.
Making it to my suite I drift past everyone stopping just long enough “can you make sure the pyres are ready for tomorrow night please.” not waiting for an answer I looked in on my girls and then head to my room. Dropping to my bed I let the tears lull me to sleep. Waking the next morning I found Hunter and Will getting all four of the kids ready. So I go to the kitchen where a book is set. It's a book Artemis had just recently ordered. “truth out hidden marks” has no author name so while the coffee brews I flip through. Landing on a page that grabbed my attention. Reading and rereading the wordy chapter a plan forms in my head. This is a mark of lost love. The chief of this tribe was killed in battle. The new chief took over his tribe laying claim to the chief's wife. To stop him from claiming her heart and wiping her husband from her memory and heart she took his ashes and mixed them with the ink that would be used to cancel her chieftain's wife’s mark. Allowing her to then be claimed by another. She had seen the new chief use magic on the ink so by adding her love's ashes her heart will always only belong to her husband.
Having no idea if that was true or not I was willing to try. Looking over the list of things I needed the only thing I was missing was magic. But then I remembered the bottle of red and black liquid. I could use that in the ink. It's infused with ambrose's magic and to call him I have to drink it. I hope I don’t need him one day. when the guys come into the kitchen I set four bowls of cereal down. “can you guys watch the girls for a bit?” with a nod I was off.
I have little time to gather what I need.
