Book 2: Chapter 94
John
I don’t remember the terror of last night… I don’t remember being shot. I don’t remember anything other than their taste… and their faces… I felt like an addict. I Craved it… I guess it was why they gave the curse such a simple name, because it was all I wanted. I ate raw anyway, but I could have that for breakfast, lunch and dinner…
With my silver claws I tore through their numbers in a rage that even brought fear to the Shadows who took men by surprise… The look on my father’s disapproving face… the look of my mother and adopted mother both worried for me while they gave me field stiches…
The look of my biological mother fearful eyes and bloodied arm…. No one told me who did that… but I knew it was me… and for it I held a regret I was too ashamed to express to her.
How could I have the nerve to apologize to one who lost her eldest to my claws… and almost her arm too?
The only thing that took me out of it was my mate’s sorrow for loosing her familiar. Rahrraam was a little shit at times, but he was like an ally to me. She’d told me once that that kind of feeling for a familiar was technically illegal, because at any time they could turn on their handler if they saw weakness… but I highly doubt he would ever do that.
She wept in my arms until the sun came up, and the true ramifications of our deeds came to light… I’d killed so many… and she’d killed a Man of the Cloth… that was something we had to report to the Secret Police, and with it…. My mate may suffer the same fate as her familiar… but at the same time he Shouldn’t have Been with Headhunters.
They were an illegal people…. But it didn’t matter. At the moment, the only two living were ironically the Hunter leader’s son and his lieutenant. They more or less hid while the men they rallied to come here died in their stead.
“What do we do with them?” Asked Dion, my Beta.
“I already called Captain Gumdrop…. The Church is on its way Here.” He said gruffly.
“Don’t let them know your location… I’ll go to them.” Offered Heidi.
“So they can burn you on the Ring and your grandfather rip out my throat? I think not.” Said father.
“I’m the blood of the King… if they burned me, it would make war. Let me go to them so I can have them ignorant of the pack…” She said looking down. She felt like it was her fault that they came with guns and fire.
“It isn’t your burden to do alone. Father is the King’s second, and I his… that holds weight too you know.” I said sternly. I would not have her face an enemy so dangerous with no escort… because I know her. She sounded like she meant to go off on her own…
“But-” I cut her off.
“I understand everyone is highly emotional right now Heidi, but you can’t go be irrational. They could still follow you home. They could still find this place because of Gulteer’s magic. I’m not dismissing you… but be still… some of our pack have also lost dear friends and family.” I said rubbing her back.
She looked down… I didn’t say it harshly, but she took it that way. She wanted to prove herself.
“In the meantime, let’s get the bodies ready; I’m willing to part with the meat.” Said Ron.
“Alpha, after what they did to my mate…. I would like to protest that.” Said a female Warrior.
“Warrior Judy, I understand your anger… so I will do this instead. So long as no one negotiates for the bodies, it will be available in LapisMart and StoneMart, free to all so long as Alpha John agrees.” He commanded, and she bowed.
“I’ll allow that.” I said with a firm nod.
“It will not bring him back… but it will soothe my wolf.” She mumbled, walking off. I felt for her I really did… that could have easily been me in the same situation.
I only held bits and pieces of memory here and there… but feeling her fear, sorrow, and pain made me see reason. That priest was a true man of the cloth, and they personally were coming for his body….
“Warriors.” I said getting everyone’s attention. I stood tall, though my shot wounds hurt. “Today we have defended our pack… They came in the night, thinking to wipe us out for unearned revenge… They tried to take everything from us, and failed…. Though we lost many good wolves… 53 in total… they will Not be forgotten… and now we must prepare. The War may be over, but the day is not yet done for those who hold rank…. I want every wolf Lieutenant class and under evacuated to StoneMoon.” I said firmly. “We must head to Lapis and plan for sunrise…”
No one protested since most in my company were that rank already. I walked back to the pack with Heidi… who held a broken broomstick handle charred beyond recognition. Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was a stick she’d pulled from a bonfire, and there was a somber silence…
“Grandmother made this with me.” She said silently. “… she helped me grow the tree… the straw… she did the carvings as expertly as a witch, even though she cannot perform magic.”
“You have others. I’m glad that stick isn’t You.” I said patting her back.
“… she could only do that Once…. I should have kept better care of it…. Oh right, you don’t know what I’m talking about. She was permitted to help me because she’d saved the energy to do so since the Second War ended… that was ten thousand years ago.” She mumbled.
“I’m sure she’ll understand.” I said to reassure her.
“Stop worrying about me.” She said suddenly. “I Can’t be babied. This is Serious! I Can’t be weakness…. They will be here any moment.”
“No one is babying you!” I growled softly, and I was glad she didn’t take it the wrong way. It was a little hard to reel in Terracotta today… “You lost a creature bound to you, and a tool that will never be useful again… And on Top Of It All, the One of the few peoples who accepted you are now in Greater Danger than We Can Help. …. You also got to see me at my worst… you aren’t a child for being upset.”
She was silent, and refused to shed tears. Instead, she was a Luna, and I didn’t like it, but this was how she chose to handle it…
“Let’s make sure we’re ready.” She said sternly. “I’m not saying that to be stubborn or dramatic… it’s literally the only way I can deal with this…. We are Alpha And Luna. People are looking to Us to be strong in all this uncertainty.”
“Alright.” I said in agreement. “But just don’t overdo it. You can still Grieve Heidi…”
“I will when our people are safe.” She said firmly.
We’d reached my father’s packhouse, and he was already there waiting. We all silently walked up the stairs, and there was a somber unrest held in the office, as the body of the priest was in the morgue, but his scent was so strong, that I noticed it off Heidi now that we were in close quarters.
“Sit.” Said Ron, getting on the phone, but he passed it to me.
I was placed in his chair, something no other Alpha would do, even to his own son. He didn’t even sit to the side of me. They both allowed me to handle this as a leader, as I was. Our decisions impacted thousands… and on the other end was the chapter leader of the XIII Sect… the most Vicious sect in their religion.
“Alpha Stone of StoneMoon.” I said on the like calmly, but all in the room could see my shaking hands. Not of fear, but one of survival. It was a primal shake, a nervous anticipation of war, because in my gut I felt as if nothing would stop this unless their god himself intervened.
“You must be the blood of Ronitus.” He said just as calmly. I was taken off guard … “I already know where my brother’s blood was laid, and I only request his. To my understanding, my people started all of this, and the Cardinal had no Place in an illegal Squabble, one that could have been settled with Peace.” He growled.
It was one that even took my mother and father off guard as well…
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
