CHAPTER 61

CHAPTER SIXTY- ONE
The clouds withheld its rain from falling, and the sun too had not scorched the face of the earth. It was surprisingly a good weather for Avyanna to relax and reflect on her past days.
A lot had been going on, but Avyanna seemed not to know its root. Ericson had died, and no one seemed to know how and who, or even when he was killed. Avyanna tried her best to put things in order, but it only escalated.
The thought of Baron filled her mind, she wanted to be with him at all points, but she did not want anything unconventional to happen, so she had to tame what she felt, but her heart did not respond to her thoughts.
Avyanna decided to let things flow, if it was going to happen, it would. She could not continue with the thought of being alone, she hated the idea that she had absolutely nowhere and no one else apart from the pack and kingdom. The thought of Vanessa haunted her again, she heard that Vanessa was angry, and silently blamed her for the death of Ericson. She was back at the kingdom, and one of the first things she found out was that Vanessa had changed from who she thought she was. Avyanna knew what it meant to lose a loved one, so she was not offended that Vanessa wanted to mourn her brother, but she despised the fact that she would not say or do anything.
In Avyanna's past life, Vanessa had turned her back against her, so her change in character was not so new to Avyanna.
Avyanna could not continue with her thoughts, for they depressed her soul, so she decided to take a walk around her late father’s orchard, it was one of his favorite places, he would sit and watch the little birds that flew over the big trees.
One time, the late Alpha built a cage where he kept insects from the earth. Avyanna loved the way her parents lived and trained her, she imagined how difficult it would have been for her to cope if they had trained her only like a princess wolf. Her parents took her childhood severe, they made sure she trained with the best warriors in the pack, enabled her to master her wolf abilities, and her speed grew faster than that of her peers, all because her parents would rather prefer she trained than go for wolf parties. She was treated as a princess and a warrior, which is what led to her independent lifestyle.
Avyanna sat and watched all that happened in the orchards, she paid keen attention to the trees, the flowers, the insects, and the birds, she could feel her late father’s presence in everything in the orchard. The place also brought back memories of Ericson.
Ericson and Avyanna also visited there during the time he was alive. He was a nice person at the time they started hanging out together, he made her smile and all, but she knew something was missing in the relationship, the smile was not enough to keep them from the challenges that had come, it was not enough to save him, and not even herself from the claws of death. She could not explain what was missing in the relationship, but one thing she knew for sure was that the smile did not save them. It did not hold them till the end of time like they thought it would. She could remember the first time they met, how they were wrapped in the arms of each other, how it seemed as if nothing would go wrong, how she confidently told her parents that she was sure it would be forever. Now she could clearly understand the tale of the old myth, the myth constantly warned against talk, it said that talk was so cheap, and anybody could acquire it.
Ericson had changed, he was not entirely a good man, but he tried, and he cared for the people when he felt like, he was not a creature of many enemies.
So how come he is dead? and dead so fast? Avyanna wondered, It was true that he had influence, but she was not sure of his enemies. Avyanna suspected Nancy from the depth of her heart, but she could not raise an alarm without fire, she had nothing against Nancy as proof, all she had was a hunch, which probably might be because of her hate or her insecurities, or experience with the vampire.
Avyanna could not help her thoughts, she swam from one ocean of thought to the other, the orchard was not an antidepressant to her depression, the orchard only sparked more thoughts and memories, and Avyanna was exhausted from all she had in her mind.
Avyanna retired from the orchard, it did not serve as her place of solemnity, rather it incurred grieved thoughts that she could not part with. She went into her room and continued to imagine, how better it would have been if she was beside Baron in the Lycan territory. He would not have allowed her to wander in thoughts, there was this ability he had to make her see the better and clearer view of the future before her than the past behind her, she missed his words of encouragement and peace, he made her feel loved, every single chance he had, she thought about them together if he became her mate, would it be possible, Avyanna could not save her head from thinking, her thoughts came like a mighty volcanic eruption. She wasn't supposed to think about Baron and she knew it, it wasn't the right time to allow such thoughts to distract her.
Vanessa plotted how she would embark on a revenge journey for her brother, she believed that the universe was completely unfair to take the only one that protected her, and loved her. How could the universe not take anyone else, why was it brother instead? She panted like a wounded deer, who was in need of water, she wanted revenge and she wanted it soon.
Vanessa thought about the last time she saw her brother, he looked happy and full of life, he was not supposed to die, but yet he did.
“Ericson, I will avenge you, once I am sure of your killer, if it is Avyanna, I would make her pay, whoever it is, once I am sure, Nancy and I, would make whoever it is pay. You did not deserve to die, you did not. Vanessa was not the type to start a war without a reason, and when she had her reason, she could eventually go extreme to prove and make her point. Vanessa knew she would not be able to revenge for Ericson alone, even if she wanted to start a war, she needed a strong backup.
Nancy was the only backup Vanessa had, she trusted Nancy, and she believed that she was the only person that cared about her and her late brother, Nancy was the only person she had to defend her and stand by her, so it got Vanessa worried when Nancy was not where she thought she would find her. She dialed Nancy’s number on her phone, but Nancy did not answer, she kept trying to call her, but it did not go through.
Vanessa was not worried, she believed Nancy would come and they would actualize her plan for revenge.
The sunset was the most beautiful thing Avyanna had seen for the day, it gave a golden and orange reflection on the part she sat, she wondered if her day would just be as peaceful as it was before, she hated violence but loved justice. She wished the calm and quiet, would be the description of her entire life, but it was not in her lineage, not even in her destiny.
Just then, she heard a ruckus in the distance. The ground shook, and deafening howls of wolves filled the air.
Avyanna got up from her comfort zone and headed to the roof of the mansion so she could see what was causing the ground tremors.
Avyanna stood up as squinted her eyes to see a horde of gigantic wolves charging towards her kingdom, she had no idea of what was about to happen, but if she had learned anything from her days as a creature, she would have known, to be alert and watchful was a theme, that long preserved her kind.
“Jonathan!” She roared from the rooftop. “Sound the alarm!”
Jonathan, who was not so far away, he heard the Luna's yells and immediately beat the war gong.
It was a very large gong made of bronze that once it was beaten, it would resonate all over the pack house and even beyond.
Jonathan too heard the earth quake and immediately discerned that a danger was imminent.
“Men, ready your positions!” He barked at his warriors who were scurrying to position themselves in their formation of attack.
“Ready!” they barked in unison.
Avyanna whooshed down from the rooftop and rushed to the frontline.
“Be ready my warriors, for a great danger approaches. We know not who they are or their purpose, but what I do know is that they are a stone throw from the mansion of Kingdom Wales.” She drilled words of motivation into the warriors. Avyanna didn't want fear to get the best of her especially in the absence of her wolf.
“Hold your ground!” Jonathan yelled, the alien howls grew louder and the intensity of the ground shaking increased.
“Who is protecting the people?” Avyanna asked immediately.
“This line!” Jonathan selected the last row of soldiers on the left, and said, “Head deeper into the pack house and protect the people. Tell everyone to get ready.”
“I will go with them. Goodluck in battle.” Avyanna said and lead the troop further into the pack house.
The earth shook.
The soldiers readied their claws and changed to their wolves.
“Attack!” Jonathan yelled as the gates of the pack house burst open.
The horde that broke through the pack house gates came prepared. They sliced the creatures of Wales with ease. Avyanna and her people fought hard, they resisted them from going deep into the kingdom and stealing their properties.
Avyanna watched as the attackers, stabbed and cut her warriors, she fought without Katie her wolf, so it was difficult for her to speed up. She protected her people but she could tell that luck was not on her side.
Avyanna observed that the creatures, did not just carry out an attack on them, but they were fully armed and ready, the way they fought relentless, it showed they had prepared for the battle, they removed the heads of her warriors, they overpowered her men, the warriors that contended with her people, had no mercy, they brutally chopped off the hands and legs of her warriors, they shot arrows into their chest and pierced knives into their hearts.
Jonathan was brave. He fought relentlessly, until he was overpowered. He was severely wounded but he made his way to Avyanna,
Seeing her strongest warrior wounded broke her and made her hopeless.
“My Luna. We …” Jonathan spat out blood.
Avyanna stood and watched, she watched with tears flowing from her eyes, she watched how her warriors fell. She had no idea how she would place her men for them to win, she touched her chest with the blade in her hand and spoke to the Moon Goddess.
“If a Zeta can be wounded, then this is serious. Moon Goddess guide me.”