Chapter 34

I stayed over my mother's body crying, not really being able to accept what had just happened, my father was right there next to me with his hand on my back trying to comfort me, which was useless.

-We have to do something about them – said someone I didn’t recognize suddenly

My father looked at me with a deeply sad and angry expression on his face and then he turned to Aldahir, who was right behind me.

-Stay with her – said my father to Aldahir as he stood up

I heard Aldahir saying something like yes or for sure and a second later he was kneeling next to me and wondering or not he could hug me, I took that decision from him by grabbing his hands and wrapping them around my waist, he sighed relieved when I did it and he squished himself against me as much as he could, he started saying “I’m sorry, I am so sorry Dhalia” over and over again, which confused me because unless he had something to do with my mother’s death he had nothing to apologize for.

-This isn’t over you know? – Asked one of the hunters who was still alive and was being held down by Daiki

Daiki immediately growled at him and was ready to kill him but my father yelled out telling him to stop, Daiki stopped himself looking confused at my father.

-We are not going to kill all of them – he said looking around trying to hold himself together

-We have to, they know about us, they know where we live and because they just attacked us like this they also know a pretty effective way of getting around, if we don’t kill every single one of them they will come back with more hunters, more weapons and a greater desire to get rid of us – said Charles to my father

Immediately after he spoke some of the people from the pack started yenning out agreeing with him and looked down at the hunters that were still alive as if they were about to become a snack.

-We are not murderers – said my father fuming with anger – they are, and if we get down to their level we will be no better than those so call beasts they consider us to be, we don’t want to prove them right, do we?

My father’s words seemed to reach the members of the pack better than what Charles saidand they started to slowly nod and bow down their heads as if they had just been lectured, my father took that as a sing to keep on talking.

-Who from the ones who is still alive is supposed to be the leader? – He asked to the hunters

-I guess I am – said a woman of around thirty trying to get out of Alisha’s grip

-What is your name? – Asked my father grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to the center of the place

-Melissa – she answered trying to hide her fear

Which was useless because every single one of us could hear her heartbeat going fast enough to be annoying.

-Melissa… Let’s make a few things crystal clear here, I’m the one keeping you and all those murderers you might consider friends, alive, if I step back… – he said walking back a few steps

A soon as my father walked back Alisha showed up next to her growling and a few others started slowly walking towards her with that wish for blood on their eyes, that really terrified Melissa and she tried to slip away but Alisha stepped in front of her grabbing her by the shoulders.

-As I was saying – said my father returning next to her and grabbing her arm again – if I step back you and all your hunter friends are dead, now I’m willing to give you all two options, a nice and quick death or… A bite, which will turn you into one of those beasts you all hate so much, but will allow you to live and it will force you to keep our secret because, you will be one of us and I assure you it you speak, you will become their next target

Melissa’s eyes opened wide enough to make you think they would pop out of place and she started breathing heavier than before, she then looked around at the other hunters, probably trying to figure out what they would want and after her eyes locked with a young guy who was crying she sighed heavily and turned back to face my father.

-Is not what we were looking for but… I choose to become one of you, spare the life of the ones you think won’t put themselves at risk to take you down, kill the others
My father nodded, approving of her choice and ordered us to go around asking the hunters whether or not they wanted to live. We did just that and Aldahir ended up biting the young hunter who was crying, as soon as Aldahir bit him he confessed he never really wanted to join the group of hunters but was kind of forced to do it by his older sister, who was one of the hunters that decided to die.

-Well you’re not a hunter anymore – said Aldahir to him – what’s your name?

-Joshua – he answered shivering

-Why are you shivering? – I asked getting closer to him

-One of you got me from behind – he said

I looked at his back and saw a big slash right in between his shoulder blades, Aldahir took a look at it too and shook his head letting me know it was nothing to bad and they bite would heal him.

-You’ll be fine, you’re body is already accepting the bite and you will heal soon – I explained

He did his best to smile at me so I decided to pull Aldahir away from him to give him some space.

-We have to help your father with all the bodies, then we can leave – said Aldahir in a whisper on my ear

As if he had heard us my father showed up next to us asking if – considering everything that had just happened – we were all right, we both nodded and immediately after Aldahir assured him that we would be gone as soon as we had helped cleaning up pretty much everything.

-It pains me to admit I couldn’t allow myself to think myself like this until after this disaster but… I don’t want you to leave Dhalia, not only have I missed you like crazy, I also have a feeling I’m going to need you right now – he said grabbing my arm lovingly

-I’ve missed you and the pack too, but I meant what I said, if Aldahir doesn’t get to stay I won’t stay either

-You both can stay… Your mother is no longer with us to disagree with it – he said looking over at her body

Aldahir and I looked at each other, silently asking if we should stay, he nodded after a few seconds so I smiled and turned back to my father.

-We will stay, but this time I’m the one with conditions – my father nodded – if the members of the families don’t want to participate in the tradition of the choosing ceremony and giving a pure blood heir to the name, they won’t have to, they will not be forced

-That’s fair, I’m not saying I agree with you but we might have gone a little to far by forcing people into it

-Thank you – I said smiling

My father slimed back and me and hugged me, Aldahir smiled at me, almost as if he were proud of me for standing up to my father. When I pulled away from my father we started to pick up the bodies, we disposed as respectfully as possible of the hunters and we gathered all the members of the pack that had been killed in the middle of Loup Ville and we burned them, as we always did when one of us died. Friends, family or the significant other of the dead person stood over their bodies watching them be reduced to ashes, which they then collected and kept in a wooden box.

My father and I stood over my mother and when all that was left of her were her bones and some ashes dad picked some and I grabbed a necklace she had been wearing, I shook off any dirt or ashes that were on it and I put it on feeling a weird weight over me, bus said weight was accompanied by a feeling of closure with her.
She might have died not agreeing with what I had done and she was far from being the perfect mother, but she loved me and having her necklace and being able to stay in Loup Ville would allow me to feel closer to her somehow.

-So it’s done – said Aldahir joining me – I’m sorry about your mother

-Thanks – I said softly – I feel like I can finally breath

-Because we can – he said grabbing my hand

I smiled at him and looked him in the eye trying to tell him without words how much I loved him and how – spite of everything – happy I was with him.

-I know, I love you too – he said smiling

I chuckled and kissed his lips while my mind allowed me to fantasize about our lives together in Loup Ville.