Chapter 52 - The aftermath ...

Lena slept for a couple of hours while her entire family waited by her bedside. Her energy levels completely drained after what she had to do. Alaric didn’t know if he was relieved that she knew that kind of magic or if he was angry that she had to use it. The only thing that was a fact, was that she had no other choice. If she hadn’t protected the pack house the way she did, who knows what could have happened if those damn rogues got it.

He wasn’t angry at her. He was angry at the circumstances that forced her to do what she did. He was also surprised after everything she told him about her coven, that she knew that kind of magic. As far as he knew, witches were either light or dark and she often tried to explain that her coven was light. Magic didn’t make much sense to him.

Being a wolf was just so much easier. You shifted or you didn’t and that was that. Magic had different rules and, boy, the price you paid when you did magic! He got up from his chair.

“Have you found anything yet?” Alaric hovered over Rebecca as she paged through one of the many books she had brought into their room. She was trying to do some research on what the price could be for a death spell.

“A life.” Lena’s voice rang through the room. “To gain a life you have to give a life. To take a life, the same price applies.” She sighed and Alaric rushed over to help her sit upright.

“WHAT?! Are you insane?!” Alaric had also learned since Rebecca started with her magic training that a price was usually something personal, which could only mean two lives of people close to Lena!

“It’s okay, Alaric.” She stroked his cheek and smiled, but he could see that she was still awfully tired. “When Rebecca and I were preparing in training, I also spoke to my ancestors. This time the price was two of our wolves that died in battle.” It almost looked as though she was having trouble breathing and he helped her to lay back down.

“But nobody died!” His eyes grew wide when she took his hand.

“Check again. Those rogues had to have gotten past your people on the border at some point.” Alaric opened his mouth to argue, but she closed her eyes and whispered. “Just check again, please.” He heard her breathing calmly, indicating that she had fallen asleep again and he rushed out of the room.

An hour later, Max walked into his office looking grim. Lena was right. They found two of their border patrol guards just outside the border. It seemed they were killed long before the pack even knew rogues were there. This confused Alaric even more. If the ancestors wanted a life for a life that was taken, there would be nobody left! He was furious that Lena had to use magic for protection in the first place!

He didn’t want her using this kind of magic ever again. He wasn’t willing to give anybody’s life for any magic! Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell her that right now. Lena needed to regain some energy first and the only way he could think of helping her was to take her back to her coven grounds. She always seemed to get better when she was there.

Rebecca agreed to look after Ben and Max helped Lena to climb onto Alaric’s back. She was still so weak that she didn’t even fight with him and he made his way through the forest as fast and as carefully as he could. When he reached the coven grounds, he looked around for the so-called house she and his son had been living in.

He hoped to find a bed there and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found the house and a bed. He shifted and put on the pair of boxers Max stuffed in his mouth before he left. After helping Lena into bed, he looked around to find something to make some tea with and quickly found her supplies that she had left behind.

There wasn’t much, but there was enough left to make her a cup of tea. While she slept, he took the time to walk around the grounds and he realized she had taken everything of worth and put it in her little home. When he returned, Lena was sitting up in bed drinking her tea and her eyes were sparkling again. He wanted to feel relieved that she was feeling better, but she had done death magic!

“What the hell were you thinking?” He sat down beside her on the bed and took her hand in his. He was trying his best not to show how incredibly angry he was.

“I was thinking that I am not a wolf and that the last time one of those bastards got into our home! I was thinking that I was going to protect our family no matter what! What do you mean? What was I thinking?!” She threw the blanket to one side and got up. Walking into the kitchen, she pulled out one of the floor planks and underneath was a bottle of scotch. Alaric didn’t know if he was proud of her and angry at her at that very moment, but he took the glass of amber liquid from her as she gulped down hers.

“Lena, you could have died.” As the words left his mouth, he knew how incredibly stupid he was sounding.

“And if I hadn’t killed those rogues, I would have. I know you don’t want me to do that kind of magic,” She took a step closer and put her hand over his heart. “I know that you don’t want anybody to ever do that kind of magic again, but Alaric, don’t you realize that you do so much worse when you attack and kill rogues. Just because you are doing it with your teeth instead of magic doesn’t make any difference.”

“Yes, but when I kill someone, it doesn’t require a sacrifice!” Finally losing his temper, he took a step away from her almost as if he was afraid he might harm her if he stayed too close.

“No, it doesn’t, but don’t you feel as if a part of you dies each time you must kill? Alaric, there is a price for everything we do. Even for wolves. A part of your humanity dies each time you kill. Haven’t you noticed that?” Lena sighed. “Look, the ancestors demanded lives that fate has already decided to take. Their next price might be different.” Alaric whipped around, glaring at her.

“There is no way that I’m allowing you to do that again!” He growled. His eyes turned amber with anger and what surprised him was that she didn’t even flinch.

“You won’t allow me?” Lena felt the anger start to boil inside her. “You wanted to know why I left you all those years ago! THIS IS WHY! You have no right to tell me when and where and how I can use my power! You can shift whenever the hell you feel like it! So why am I not allowed to use my damn power to save the pack?!” Lena slammed the bottle back into its hiding place before storming out of the house, and leaving Alaric speechless.

It didn’t take much for him to catch up to her and as he nuzzled his nose into her hand, she just glared at him and kept on walking. He had done the one thing he promised he wouldn’t do! He did exactly what she feared he would do! When they reached the pack house, Lena went in search of Ben and she was relieved to find him happy drawing pictures.

Her son was thankfully oblivious to the fact that his parents were furious at each other over circumstances that were out of both of their control. Rebecca broke the incredibly tense silence between them as soon as they left Ben with one of the omegas.

“Are the two of you completely insane?!” Her eyes flared with anger. “You both did what you had to, to protect our people and here you are fighting with each other!” Rebecca’s arms flew through the air. Lena sighed and sat down on the couch, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, and decided not to say a word. She could feel Alaric glaring at her, but she wasn’t going to budge on this one.

If she was a wolf who attacked, he wouldn’t have said anything! It was all to do with the fact that she had used dark blood magic and he was so angry. He didn’t consider that she was looking after him and his damn pack! Alaric sighed deeply and sat down on the chair across from her.

“I’m sorry.” He looked as though he was searching for the right words.

“I forgive you.” Lena stood up and walked out of his office before he could say another word.