After we all ate, everyone eating in silence, the king then stood up to mention that they would all march out at night to the Valley of death where the war was being fought. The warriors had been told much earlier so the whole pack knew at that point. They were all even sadder, heads bowed. It was the saddest moment in my life with the room falling even more silent if that was possible. One of the head warriors had then stood up and said a prayer for the whole pack and all of them that would march out to the battlefield.The king sat down for a few more minutes, nothing said, just staring around at his people and somehow I could not read him but he was not okay, I could see that. He was never okay. My hand slipped on his thigh, giving it a brush then moved until I found his hand, taking it in mine and feeling his fingers lace through.I squeezed his hand a couple of times, reassuring him that things would be better. I knew better days were coming. My eyes went through all the warriors
Doors opened and closed with footsteps echoing all through the hall. Each time I nearly died, thinking they were leaving but relaxing into the floor with their footsteps heard again. They were busy and I thought the pack would be busy in preparation but it was so quiet it was unnerving. My feet were crossed where I sat; on the floor in Brum’s office.I read through the documents, forcing myself to read through them yet my mind was not there. It took me to the battlefield, creating its own war where the most important people in my life were fighting for all of us. It was brutal and heart wrecking to even imagine. My body went cold, my arms wrapped around each other with my body rocking back and forth.I wanted to cry but could not find the tears with nothing but grief taking over every sense in my body as if to paralyze me. My jaw ached with it flexing now and again. My hand was raw from running it through my hair that zapped it now and again. I pulled my brain away from the war, tryin
CONRI’S P.O.V It had been well over two weeks in the goddess forsaken place. We camped in the forest only to emerge when the enemy had approached to fight. It seems they keep multiplying and there is no way I am seeing that we could win the war. My body was throbbing but not as much as my head. It’s a fight day and night with bodies of my men, my own men, left scattered on the battlefield, bathing in their own blood. No matter how much we pushed it seemed we could never get ahead of this war. A sigh escapes me, my eyes red with no sleep in all the two weeks being there. There was no time to sleep when the enemy could strike anytime, there was no time to sleep when all my men depended on me. They were getting scared I could see, they were seeing the impossible situation we were in. Who would blame them? Fighting with the vampires was like gambling with your life knowing your odds were low. They were just too many. My hand ran through my hair. The rogues usually gave the vampires a h
My body span around, each turn leaving more than three heads rolling on the ground. I kicked and clawed, each move fatal to those near but they did not understand. They never learned. How many times had we fought yet they still came? I took it as an offering. Really, it was something evil. At some point they could not even get to me because the pile of bodies making a circle around me was too grand but fear not, I would never fail.I stepped out for them, how kind I was, so they could get a better access point. My arms were held wide open.“Take your best shot!” I roared, my chest open for any. They could try take my heart out, oohhh, the pain I craved.They ran so fast, like wasps knitting their pulp. I heard the buzzing, feeling teeth sink all over my body. The pain was unimaginable, I had felt worse but still, I had to appreciate the art. They sank deep into my bone. I felt their sharp nailed hands dig into my chest, trying to pry my heart out and all I could do was laugh with blo
Raven’s P.O.V. Two weeks of agony, two weeks of absolute hell. At night my chest would close in, sitting with paperwork all around me, contemplating on what was happening in the valley of death. Were they okay? Nothing had been heard from them all throughout and I had been reassured by Stern that it was normal. When they were away, they concentrated on fighting and nothing else. The pack itself was actually doing better than I would have imagined. All were helping each other with chores. The warriors trained. The ladies cooked, cleaned and washed. I was usually in the mix if not busy. Their liking of me did not change yet none paid attention to me. Everything was going so smoothly. The sun was hot, bent over outside with so many ladies. The water cooled me down a little as I washed the clothes before us. There was a whole pile and I had took it upon myself to do the laundry for the ki
If I thought the place was bad before, it was worse after the door was closed. I never knew I was claustrophobic until then. I thought I would faint but as my eyes went around the room, I calmed myself down or tried to. I had to show strength, had to be a pillar than to crumble myself.I took a deep breath, my chest pushing in and out with my face going blank instead of panicking.Most of the children were crying, having been ripped from their parents. I went to hold onto two, hugging them.“It’s okay, it will be over before you know it and you will be back home soon.” I cooed until they calmed down then moved on to the next, leaving the last two seated down. I did that and it seemed to work until all the children were seated and just waiting for whatever would happen. My hands rubbed against each other, wanting to pace but it would unnerve some people so I stood straight and strong. My eyes stayed on t
I knew I had been out of it for so long and I fought so hard in panic because I knew my pack needed me but no matter how much I pushed there was just nothing but darkness pressing me down. The same darkness I loved kept me hostage in my own body. I screamed in my heard, punched and pushed with all I had but it seemed I could not negotiate my way through the darkness that trapped me down.Nothing was happening, I could hear nothing, just absolute hell. I cried over and over in my head yet it helped no one until I felt the darkness swirl inside me.The ache was what I felt first, deep to my bones then the softness of the sheets and the cool air on my skin. I knew it was happening and all I could do was push it even further away until my eyes flickered open to close. The room was dark, the ceiling coming to view to be whisked away again until my eyes went steady and I was just staring at the ceiling.I stayed there for I don’t know how long. I knew I had done something terrible and I was
The tears came back. I knew it was bad, I knew whatever it was, it was bad. My lips quivered, lowering to the bed. I pulled the pillow he had slept on, bringing it to my nose and held it there while I folded myself.I was a coward, I was hiding and I knew it. The room got lighter and lighter until the sun was in the sky. I just did not want to lose the people that in my head were fine, that were alive. I did not want to crush my reality by going down and realizing so many people I knew and cared about were killed so brutally.But I could not hide forever. I could not let Conri and Brum deal with it alone. I had been passed out for who knows how long, leaving them to collect the pieces. Not anymore.The bed was made, changing the sheets from those black with tears.I then went to take a shower. Black leggings were put on along with a black sweater and sneakers. My hair was tied tightly. My hands shook, waiting by the door afraid to open it and crush my world. Deep breaths were taken be