Chapter 55 - The War In Our Hearts

Adam’s POV

I made my way back to Hastings to check on the status of the vampire nobles and royals since my last uneventful visit a week ago. It appeared that the royals and nobles were still cooped up in the castle.

Why? I couldn’t tell you.

Not much word spread around the royal vampire city aside from common folk stating the obvious of not having heard from any of the upper-class citizens in over a week.

Whatever they were planning, I hoped it continued to take their eyes and attention away from the rest of the city. A smirk curled on my lips as I took one last look at the families roaming the streets before heading back to Belfast.

When I arrived back in the small mining town, I was greeted by the self-proclaimed leader of the werewolf prisoners that came under my command. I believe his name was Devin.

“Your Highness,” Devin bowed to me.

“Devin, my dear boy. I hope you and your men are ready for some ‘action’, as you seemed to call it.”

He nodded his head. “Yes, Your Highness. We’re ready to carry out your will.”

I pointed towards the vampire royal city. The castle could just barely be seen poking out of the horizon.

“The royal city of Hastings? What are our commands?”

“I need you and your men to… recruit some new soldiers for me.”

The one thing I liked about Devin is that he didn’t need me to repeat myself. He always knew exactly what I meant.

“It will be done, Your Highness.”

A high-pitched whistle escaped his lips as his four men surrounded him and shifted into their wolf forms. They left without a moment to spare.

Time for me to make some accommodations for my new “soldiers.” I laughed.

Eloise’s POV

Despite word having traveled to me that Xavier was planning a crusade against the trading city of Gray, I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him. Not after the day I rejected him.

It hurt when he left without saying a word to me and now I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about him. I couldn’t even keep myself busy enough to not think about it.

I didn’t miss Normand’s cold and longed for Noah’s warm weather. Because it still snowed outside, there was nowhere comfortable for me to go even when I wanted a break from being inside all day.

When I did finally push myself to get some fresh air, Normand was just void of any warm and enjoyable company. Everyone stayed inside their homes, too.

I missed Noah’s central market and the rose gardens of the castle. I missed seeing the smiles on people’s faces.

I couldn’t even bring myself to study ancient magic. All I could think about was that if something ended up happening to Xavier in battle, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. Ever.

I knew better than to ignore him. I knew that giving him the cold shoulder wasn’t going to make our problems go away but I did it anyway.

Xavier’s demands of becoming his Luna were unreasonable but the thought of him dying when our last few days were spent as a silent war made my heart ache so much.

I could’ve at least apologized to you before you left…

“Lady Eloise?” A servant knocked on my door and pulled me from my thoughts. “You have a letter from Sir Adrian.”

Xavier’s POV

The journey to Gray was but another blur in time. All I could think about was how I had ignored Eloise before setting off on one of the biggest battles I had planned within recent months.

Pain welled in my heart.

I thought back to the day I proposed for her to become my Luna and how quickly she had rejected me. Only now did I truly realize how stupid it was of me to think that she would agree to abandon her own family.

“If the roles were reversed, I would never ask you to cut out people who were important to you.” Eloise’s words echoed in my mind.

I had asked so much of her then; hell, I asked a lot of her before, too. I’d hurt her multiple times and I still dared to ask her to drop everything for me?

So far, I knew that my apologies were nothing but empty promises and words. I wanted to do better for her and be better to her but I hated how I became so impulsive around her.

I hated that my feelings were so volatile when it came to Eloise.

“Your willingness to want to do better and admitting the wrongs you’ve caused her shows that your passion for our mate is truly a special one. Don’t hate yourself for how you feel about Eloise.” Lyon spoke up in my mind.

I nodded my head slightly but didn’t respond.

I swear to you, Eloise. I will conquer Gray for us… I’ll make it up to you.

Just as we approached the open fields of Gray, I saw an army of men who were battle-ready with their swords and shields up. Standing in front of them was Rom, one of Douglas’s generals and an old mentor of mine.

“So, the traitor returns?” Rom yelled out to me with a smirk on his face.

“Only to tie up some loose ends,” I yelled back.

I turned around and faced my men. “May the Moon Goddess favor us in battle. We will leave as lords of Gray! The Leonard family will not falter!”

My men roared and rallied behind me as we abandoned our horses and charged straight for Rom and his army. Soon, the sounds of iron swords clashing rung in the air as teeth and claws ripped through flesh and bone.

My thoughts silenced as I focused on the waves of enemies before me. Their anger and desire to kill me flooded their auras.

What a shame. You’re all on the losing side of history.

The waves of men who hadn’t shifted, I brought them down to their knees. Looks of horror on their faces forever engraved in my mind as my teeth were the last thing they ever saw.

Some would get some hits on me with their shields but it would mean nothing. I’d press on from my brief disorientation and sink my claws into their chest.

Rom’s men seemed to be endless just as mine were. I started to wonder if I would ever be able to reach the general.

As I took down man after man and wolf after wolf, fatigue began to grip at me but I knew I had to keep fighting. Though as my stamina began to deplete, my battle form would become sloppy.

It started with a bite to my ear.

Then a slash to my arm.

An arrow to my back.

Then a scratch to my thigh.

Hot and searing pain shot throughout my body with each wound but I fought each wave until I got to Rom. The smell of my blood fueled my anger and adrenaline even more.

Rom’s men dwindled faster than mine and as I looked back, the vast majority of my army stood behind me as bodies of Rom’s men lay scattered throughout the field.

I looked into Rom’s dark brown eyes. “I can give you another chance.”

“I would never lay down my life for a traitor!”

“May the Moon Goddess have mercy on your soul.”

I shifted into my human form and charged for Rom with a sword in hand. I never forgot the training he taught me when I was a child. It would be his lessons that would be his undoing.

However, Rom put up a fight. He would decorate my body with more cuts and bruises but it wouldn’t be enough to put out the flames of my desire.

I sidestepped his oncoming attack and shoved my sword into his chest as a final blow. Rom fell to his knees and then to the ground before him. His blood stained the grass just as his soldiers did.

“Gray is mine…” I breathed.

The adrenaline wore off as the sounds of battle finally came to an end. Exhaustion and pain caught up with me and it wasn’t long until I passed out, too.

For a second, I thought I was dying.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a darkened tent, however. I’m not done with this life. I thought to myself triumphantly.

When I turned my head to the side, I saw Adrian standing at the tent entrance. I watched as he slipped an envelope from his hand to someone outside.

Although I wasn’t sure if I heard Adrian correctly, it almost sounded like he said “make sure this gets to Lady Eloise and quick.”

I didn’t even have the energy to speak up and oppose. Not like I wanted to anyway.

I wanted nothing more than to see Eloise once more now that Gray was mine.