Chapter 64 - Back home ... But is it safe?

IT FELT AS IF THEY HAD BEEN WAITING forever for the night to pass. When daylight finally came again, Lena almost couldn’t believe it! She was on the verge of losing hope when her mother called her. They didn’t waste a moment in grabbing their stuff and making their way to the last place her mother suggested.

They started to look for shelter, but it soon became clear that there wasn’t any nearby and Lena was growing impatient. She needed to know if this was the way out! They had been walking for what felt like a couple of hours. Their water was nearly finished and they hadn’t eaten since they started walking. To make matters worse … Day was quickly turning back into night! They had to find shelter, but Lena couldn’t wait anymore! She couldn’t spend another night in this place!!

“Where is it mother? Where is the spot?!” She demanded, but her mother looked around frantically as if she was trying to see something. In the slight darkness, any shadow could be a monster or it could just be a shadow. That was what Lena thought until she heard the hound howling not too far off. This time they had no shelter to hide in! This had to be the right place or they would never get out of there!

This had to be the right place or this was going to be where they both died for the last time. Her mother seemed to get it together and she started to run. Lena followed her and when it sounded as if the hell hounds were right behind them, she shouted for her mother to drop everything they were carrying! Her mother pointed at a tree in the distance and Lena nodded.

In the distance, Lena could see something shining on the tree trunk. That was it! It had to be it! The hounds were right behind them, and there was no time to try and figure out how they could get through! There was no time to figure out if they were stepping back into the world of the living. There was just no more time!

“GO! Lena! GO!” Her mother shouted, but before Lena could say anything, the hounds jumped her mother. Lena didn’t have any time to look back. She turned and placed her hand on the shining symbol on the tree trunk. Her mother cried out in pain and a bright light blinded Lena, drowning out everything else.

ALARIC WAS HOLDING HER HAND. It had turned completely black by now and the doctor still had no explanation. Her legs were covered in whatever it was that was killing her. The doctor had just told Alaric that there was nothing more they could do. Her body was dying. It was as if her spirit had left her body. It was time to say goodbye, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He couldn’t take his son into the room and tell him that his mother wasn’t going to wake up again. They hadn’t had enough time together yet! There was still so much … Alaric burst into tears for the first time since all of this happened. It was all just too much. He couldn’t say goodbye to her. He couldn’t even begin to imagine living his life without her! Alaric pulled Lena into his arms and held onto her while sobs ripped through his heart.

LENA GASPED FOR AIR and it was freezing on her lungs before she realized Alaric was holding her!

“Alaric?” Her voice was soft and raspy. Her throat was so dry it burned and the room was freezing! She tried to put her arms around him, but she felt frozen and when she looked at her hands, she could see something had gone wrong!

“Lena? LENA! I have to get the doctor!” Before he jumped up and ran out of the room, he kissed her. She looked at her hands and while she was looking, the darkness drained from her hands as if it was being sucked out. The doctor rushed in and asked Lena so many questions that her head was spinning while she tried to explain what happened.

“Well, if the stories about purgatory are true, then all of this would make sense.” The doctor put away his equipment and sighed before looking at Lena. “You have been through so much that I suggest you rest and eat. You seriously need some food.” He smiled before leaving Alaric and Lena alone in the room.

“So, you were actually in purgatory?” Alaric sat down on the bed looking stunned. He was still trying to process what she had told them. When she nodded, a shiver ran down his spine. Everyone in the supernatural world had heard the stories. He never really believed them. He always thought they were just an old wife’s tales, but from what Lena was telling him …

“Alaric, I couldn’t save my mother!” Tears started to roll down her cheeks right before sobs ripped through her body. The memory of her mother’s last cry would never leave her. For a second time, she had to experience her mother dying. Her body shook in Alaric’s arms as she cried for her mother and the pain her mother had gone through. They held onto each other tightly until Lena’s tears finally dried up. Her stomach growled, reminding them both of what the doctor said, and Alaric smiled broadly. He was so happy he didn’t tell Ben to come and say goodbye! Now he could surprise the entire pack!

Since Lena had to rest, but she didn’t want to be in the room alone, Alaric picked her up and carried her to the dining room. The colour had completely returned and she was slowly starting to warm up, but she would never be as hot as a wolf. The pack was so happy to see her that it took them another half an hour before everyone was seated and ready to eat.

Ben couldn’t stop looking at his mother, but he hadn’t said a word to her since he walked in. It almost looked as though he wasn’t sure if it was her. Lena let it go, thinking it would just take him some time before he warmed up to her again. Their entire family had been through so much since that fateful day when the council declared war.

All she wanted to do was recover and spend time with her family. She had no idea if she would ever return to that dark place. She had no idea what could happen now that she left! What if the hounds came after her? Dammit!

“What if the hell hounds come after our family?!” Lena looked at Alaric with such fear in her eyes that it scared him. Luckily, they were alone in their room. Her breathing was fast and her heart was racing. Lena paced back and forth until Alaric stopped her.

“Look at me.” His voice was calm even though he didn’t feel calm. He might not have believed in purgatory, but he sure as hell believed in hell hounds. He saw for himself what they could do. The council used them when they needed someone taken care of quickly and not quietly. It was one of the ways that they kept everybody in line.

“They won’t come after you or our family, and if they do, we will take care of it, okay?” As he said the words, he could only hope that she believed him and he pulled her into his arms. He sure as hell didn’t believe it. The hounds would come after Lena. That was a fact. She escaped … They would come and … He held her a little tighter and tried to push thoughts of what would happen out of his mind.

He had her back and there was no way in hell he was going to give her up. He couldn’t help but laugh silently. Hell … Hell hounds … Suddenly the level of danger had risen by so much that he didn’t believe they were safe in the pack house anymore. He told her that they would kill the hounds, but was he going to do if more came and he was sure more would come.

Hell hounds kept coming until they got what they wanted. If the original blood witch made a deal with the devil, the hounds would keep on coming!