Last Night

Sunlight glinted off the swords as they whirled through the air and the sound of metal clashing against metal resounded across the open field. She grunted and pushed forward, watching and waiting for an opportunity to present itself, it was only a matter of time. She forced herself to be patient as she defended his attacks and continued pressing forward, until finally she saw it. He dropped his sword just a fraction but it was enough. Pushing upwards with her short swords, she dug her heels in the soft earth and using her weight, pushed him back hard, the sudden and unexpected movement sending his sword flying from his hand to land in the grass nearby. Using the momentum, she swung her swords back around, circling his neck with both blades.

“Yield”

“Fine, I yield”, he snapped, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

“Layla”, a deep voice called from across the field and they both turned to see their father, Alpha Blake, coming across the training field towards them.

“What’s he doing here?” Adrian muttered under his breath as he turned away to pick up his sword.

Layla shot him a warning glare before turning to greet their father with a smile on her face.

“You have improved greatly with the short swords, you could be my best”, Blake praised her.

“Thank you Father, I had a good teacher”, she responded, acknowledging Adrian with a nod.

Adrian snorted dismissively and sheathed his sword as he turned to face his father. Blake stared at his only son with narrowed eyes and Adrian glared back, doing little to hide the contempt that darkened his features.

“We are not yet done training. Was there a reason for this disruption?” Adrian asked impatiently.

“I wish to speak with Layla alone”, Blake replied evenly, turning his gaze to Layla.

“Suit yourself”, Adrian shrugged with indifference and began walking away.

“Adrian”, Blake called out to him, “I am not just your father, I am your Alpha”

“For how long?” Adrian shot back without breaking stride.

The rage rolled off him in waves, as Blake stood glaring after his son’s retreating back, his jaw was clenched and his hands balled into fists by his sides.

“He’s just having a bad day”, Layla said, trying to diffuse the situation.

“There seems to be a lot of those”, Blake responded, before turning his attention back to her, “You can take the rest of the afternoon off to prepare for your departure tomorrow”

“Thanks but I don’t have much to pack. I don’t plan on being gone long”

“Then spend some time with Asha, you won’t be seeing each other for a while”

“Yes Father”

Blake left the training fields and Layla went to find Asha, her best friend since childhood. Asha was a Beta and normally trained on the other side of the training field with the rest of the pack, unlike Layla who trained alone with Adrian because she was trained for a specific purpose.

Ever since she could remember, Blake had made sure that she was trained by his best warriors, trained to be an assassin. From the time he had rescued her as a child, Blake told her how her entire family had been murdered by the Alpha of the Black Water Pack, Seth Black Water. Both her parents, along with the rest of her pack, had been slaughtered and wiped out by Alpha Seth and the Black Water Pack and Layla had sworn to take revenge for her parent’s deaths. She had trained for the last ten years for this opportunity and now at last, she was ready.

Tomorrow she would finally embark on her mission and bring her parent’s murderer to justice. Layla was both excited and nervous, excited that she was finally being given this opportunity but nervous because Blake had told her that the Black Water Alpha was a cruel and ruthless man, who showed no mercy to anyone who opposed him. If she was caught before she killed him, she had no doubt that he would kill her without a second thought.

Up ahead she caught sight of Asha, and she was training with Adrian, which explained where he had taken off to after bolting and leaving her alone with Blake. They turned as she approached them and Asha’s face lit up with a smile while Adrian wore his usual sullen look, skulking along behind as they walked to meet her.

“Hey I heard you’re leaving tomorrow”, Asha said breathlessly, still out of breath.

“Yeah, I guess”, she shrugged, trying to appear casual.

“So drinks tonight at my place?” Asha grinned looking from Layla to Adrian while wiggling her eyebrows.

“I’m in”, Layla laughed and turned to look at Adrian.

“I think I’ll pass. You two go ahead and have fun”, he answered, walking by and playfully ruffling Layla’s hair.

“But it’s my last night”, Layla complained, trying to look pissed at him but knowing that she could never be angry with her big brother.

“Which is why you should spend it with Asha, she’s way more fun than I am”, he called over his shoulder as he continued walking, “I’ll see you back at home before you leave”

They were sitting by the pool with an esky of drinks between them when Asha brought up Layla’s mission.

“Are you sure that this is what you really want?” Asha asked, studying Layla’s face with concern.

“Of course it is, it’s what I’ve been preparing for the last ten years”

“It wasn’t you preparing, it’s been Blake preparing you”

“Same difference”, Layla shrugged, avoiding Asha’s stare.

“No, it isn’t Layla and you know it”

“I want revenge for what happened to my parents and Blake raised me, he’s practically my father”, Layla argued, becoming irritated with her friend.

“I get it, I do. But you’re the most kind, forgiving person I know, you have the softest heart. I can’t believe that you would want revenge on anyone”

“So you want me to just forgive the person who killed my parents? You never had to lose your parents so what the hell would you know”, Layla retorted with anger flashing in her eyes.

A moment of awkward silence followed in which neither of them wanted to be the first to speak, until finally Asha sighed wearily and got to her feet.

“I just don’t want to see you consumed by your hatred and revenge”, her voice was soft but Layla clearly heard her, “Oh and one more thing, that was low…….especially from you”

Asha walked towards the sliding glass doors that led back into the house and watching her go, Layla opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, not knowing what it was she wanted to say. She still didn’t speak even after Asha disappeared inside and closed the door with a soft thud. After she left, Layla sat outside alone for a while longer, debating with herself whether to go after Asha or not, but unable to decide, she stood up and headed back home.

Walking up the driveway, Layla noticed that the lights were still on inside and a familiar sinking feeling crept inside her chest and stomach, making it hard for her to breathe. She hurried, breaking into a run as she got closer and bounded up the steps to the front door. She fumbled for her key in her jacket pocket before finally pulling it out and jamming it into the lock, swinging the door open to reveal the grand foyer inside.

It seemed like every light on the ground floor was on and from one of the rooms off the main corridor, she heard the sounds that she would never get used to no matter how long she lived in this house.

It was the sound of heartbreak. The sound of pain. And the sound of utter despair.

It was Adrian’s mother, Alyssa.