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Chapter 15: His Way
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2020-07-21 17:59:36The first sign of enemy soldiers on the Southern border came after only half an hour of crouching in the bushes.
It only took the crunch of a twig across the border for me to release an arrow from my bow and send a body straight to the floor.
"Stay in position," I whispered to the surrounding Nightingales as I peered around the tree I was hiding behind to see the man I'd shot.
He was large with a gaunt ugly face and bushy rugged hair. His eyes, which stared frozen up at the night sky, were black and beady as the life faded from him. His skin was weathered and scarred and he held a foul smell, like that of a rogue.
I grimaced before glancing around at my soldiers who stayed still in their positions, ready to fight.
My orders were simple: do whatever it takes to protect the pack.
I didn't know what else to suggest. We had no idea what we were up against or what tactics and numbers to expect but I couldn't help but wonder what Tobia
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I ran in silence towards the village with Alpha Rivers beside me."It's been weeks," I said eventually, breaking the quiet, "Where did you go?"He looked down at me, a sly smile creeping onto his lips, "Why? Did you miss me?""No," I said sharply, "But how could you just vanish like that? It's unsettling.""I had things to do," he replied shortly before the silence resumed until we reached the edge of the village."How many of them are there?" he asked."Forty. There are two villages and a few lone houses around the territory," I said.He nodded, "My men will round them up."I clenched my jaw, "Pheonix men," I said, "The same ones who have killed their friends and family members? There are kids in those houses who are orphans because of them.""We can leave them to die if you'd prefer?" he asked, "Or you can round them up yourself and have your most vulnerable pack members wondering through a warzone unprotected."
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We walked on for hours more. I continued to help the woman and hold her child but she weakened more with every step as the child weighed down my arm. She was small and light but it had so long that my arm was beginning to ache as she kept slipping down.Alpha Rivers men still walked silently around us and although I knew they were for our protection, I couldn't help but feel unsettled by them. They didn't speak or smile or show even the slightest sign of humanity. So I held the child closer to me and just focussed on getting my people through the forest, across the border and away from these men as soon as possible.But when we finally crossed into Pheonix territory, Alpha Rivers lead us on further."Where exactly are you taking us?" I asked half an hour later."To the centre of my territory. A guarded camp has been set up for all of the Pheonix women, children and elderly. There are well-stocked caves to shelter in that will serve to keep them hidden too
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As we walked, I could see the light of dawn growing brighter through the blindfold. The dewy smell of the forest came alive and the birds above us began to tweet again. It was a relief to escape what had been a dreadful night but I was under no illusion of safety. My shoulders were tense and with no vision, every sound and brush of a branch on my arm put me on edge."Relax," Alpha Rivers said after I had flinched with his hands resting on my shoulders, "I'm taking your blindfold off."He pulled the tie and it soon slipped down, allowing me to rub my eyes and reinstate a comfortable distance from him.At long last, I caught sight of Tobias."Finally!" I said marching towards my brother and hugging him.I looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the Nightingale army behind him. They all looked tired but thankfully, we hadn't lost too many and morale still seemed okay.Rose smiled warmly and squeezed my hand before she glanced over to Alpha
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I sat with Tobias in a silence that was just beginning to become awkward when it was shattered by shouts and cries from across the camp.Tobias got straight to his feet and I quickly followed him as he began marching towards it."Alpha Brynn, a group of soldiers broke through the Pheonix Southern border," one of the Nightingale soldiers said as she ran up to us, "They've attacked the camp and Alpha Rivers has ordered the patrols to disperse. He says we're too targetable here."Tobias nodded, "Any fatalities?""No Nightingales," she said."Good. Find your patrol and follow Alpha Rivers' orders," he said to her and she ran off again.Tobias then turned to me."Stick with me, Esme," he said, "We need to find Rose and then help fight off these enemy soldiers. Then I'll come with you to find Alpha Rivers."I nodded and followed him through the camp until we reached the source of the fighting.A small battlefield had cropped u
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Alpha Rivers marched us through his territory for hours. We'd had word from the border that fleets of Alpha Kane's men had leached into the pack so our primary task was to find as many as we could and kill them.All the patrols were doing the same thing but only the most unfortunate of Alpha Kane's men were found by us. Not only were their chances of survival incredibly low against the eight strongest men in the entire Pheonix army but Alpha Rivers fought with an unimaginable ruthlessness and violence. Throughout that day I watched him mercilessly batter our enemy far beyond what was necessary and practically enjoy watching their lives slowly drain away.I had already known what he was capable of. I'd lived through years of his attacks on my people. But to actually see him in the act was a stark reminder of who he was - even if this time we were fighting alongside each other.It was after chasing a group down into a valley where they met their gruesome end at th
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We kept walking through the forest for the rest of the day.I stayed at the back with Lou whilst Alpha Rivers lead and the rest of the men followed silently in the middle."Does he have any friends?" I asked Lou.Lou smiled, "Careful, Esme.""Serious question," I probed, "Does he?""He keeps himself to himself," Lou said, "I've been his Beta for eight years and I can't tell you much about him.""...Why?" I asked, "He's not exactly shy."Lou gave me another smile but this time his eyes darted from mine, "It's just who he is.""What about family?" I asked, "I know his mother died but he must have other relatives that he's close to?"Lou swallowed, "He hasn't got any siblings.""His father?""They never got on well," he replied shortly, "But that is not my business to discuss with you. I'm sorry."I groaned, "Why does he have so many secrets?""Esme," Lou said quietly, "Somethings are best-left s
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Darkness was quickly descending on the forest when we reached the disused bridge that Alpha Rivers had mentioned. It stretched across a gulley with steep rocky sides and when I squinted through the darkness, I could just about see a road at the bottom."This is the perfect vantage point," Alpha Rivers said, peering down, "We'll make camp here. Maybe for a few days."I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't sure how much longer I could have kept up with this patrol and was worried I was going to have to admit my weakness to Alpha Rivers. Now I had an opportunity to rest."But it's dangerous here," he continued, "Sleep with one eye open and Esme you are not to go anywhere alone.""Surely none of us should go anywhere alone?" I asked."Quit the act, Es," he said in a bored tone, "You know you are weak. We all do.""I am not weak," I hissed, "But I am hungry so if you don't mind I'm going to hunt."I then gave him a sarcastic smile before gl
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That night, Alpha Rivers was in a better mood. When Flynn the messenger returned, exhausted but having successfully spread the orders to almost all patrols, he thanked him with a genuine smile and cut him a large piece of rabbit to eat after he had finished catching his breath."Good work, Flynn," he said, "Make sure you rest up and eat enough."Fifteen minutes later, I got up and walked around the crackling fire. I'd been sat next to Lou as we ate but the men had now spread out around the camp giving me the opportunity to approach Flynn."Did you see my brother and Luna Brynn?" I asked him.He was slumped against a tree, finishing his rabbit and as I sat down beside him he glanced up to where Alpha Rivers stood, sharpening his knife on the other side of the camp."No," he said after looking me fleetingly in the eye.My face sunk, "But you went to all the patrols, right?" I asked."I found another messenger on his way to the Eastern b
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The next few years weren't easy. I was Alpha of not one but two united packs and I didn't have my Brother and Rose, who the pain of losing still crippled me, beside me to help.But perhaps even more shockingly, a few weeks after Theodore Rivers' death, I discovered I was pregnant.At first, it nearly destroyed me to be carrying his child after everything he did.But eight months later, when I gave birth to my son, I couldn't have felt more the opposite. When he first opened his eyes, I couldn't help recognise their hazel-brown colour and when chocolate brown curls began to sprout from his head, they felt all too familiar but he was my little bundle of joy and when I looked at his sweet little face I didn't feel any of the pain of the past. Only happiness and motivation to carry on even when things got tough. He filled the hole that Theodore had left and without him, things could have been very different.Lou was there for me and my son, who we named
All Thanks to Theodore Chapter 44: Freedom
Half an hour later I was in the hallway of the Pheonix packhouse tying my boots as I sat on the bottom step of the stair. Theodore had just shrugged on his jacket and was now reaching for the coat stand.He plucked the jacket off the top and thrust it in my direction.It was mine. The one I left on Tobias's body.I took it and stared down at it."What did you do with their bodies?" I asked, clutching the brown leather between my fingers."Burnt them," he replied. "The ashes are in the pocket of your jacket."I reached into the pocket to find a glass vial filled with what looked like just the grey soot of a fire. I wrapped my fist tight around it and held it close to my chest."Can I sprinkle them on Nightingale territory?" I asked.He paused for a second before nodding, "Lou will escort you to wherever you want before I claim the pack."I reached for my bow but Theodore's hand got to it before me."You don't need
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The rain of earlier had returned as a raging storm by the time Lou got me to the doorstep of a large house. We were wet through but he soon sat me down and lit a warm fire before finding some dry clothes and making me a soothing mug of hot cocoa."How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting down on the end of the bed he had made up for me."I've been better," I said hoarsely.He sighed and squeezed my hand."I've had word from some of the men," he said, "Alpha Rivers won't be here until the morning.""And what horrors will the morning bring?" I asked."He's taking you to the Nightingale territory where he will announce Alpha Brynn's death and declare himself your people's new Alpha. The Nightingale citizens are being escorted home tonight and ordered to gather at the waterfall at 10 am tomorrow."I hugged my knees tighter to my chest, "Just in case he hasn't taken enough from me. Now he's taking my pack.""I'm sorry, Esme," he said
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We were soon back at the camp where Rose and Tobias still sat. Theodore still gripped my arm tightly and as he looked down at Tobias with cold eyes, he instantly knew something was up."It's been settled. Esme will be living with me," Theodore told him, "As my Luna."Tobias looked from Theodore to me and my tear-stained cheeks and the way I depended on Theodore's arm for support, my legs still weak and shaking, maybe from the shock, maybe the pain, maybe the betrayal.Tobias got straight to his feet."What has happened?" he questioned, "Esme?"Saying nothing, I just kept my eyes on the floor, completely unable to face either of them.I was ashamed of my weakness. Ashamed that I had let him do this to me."What the fuck have you done to her?" Tobias growled a few seconds later."None of your business, Alpha Brynn. All you need to know is that she has changed her mind," Theodore replied, "And you will need to manage w
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After hours of walking around Pheonix land, hunting down Alpha Kane's men and loading up the bodies of our soldiers and friends onto carts to return home wrapped in a sheet, we were all drained and exhausted.We still had miles of territory to scour but we hadn't had a moments rest in far too long so we decided to make camp for the night."So it's over," I said finally breaking the silence around the campfire, "We can go back to normal.""Finally," Tobias said with a sigh."But now what?" I asked, looking up to my brother."We reclaim our territory and rebuild our pack. There may not be many of us left but it's something," Tobias said.I nodded, "Although it will be a quarter of its original size, it's still our duty to be there for the Nightingale pack.""It's not your duty, Esme," Theodore said, speaking up for the first time since we made camp.He'd been sitting on the opposite side of the fire, his fingers firmly entwined a
All Thanks to Theodore Chapter 40: Scars and Role Models
Sometime later, Theodore came over to me. I was sat with Rose and Tobias and had just finished stitching up a nasty wound on the shoulder of one of our soldiers."Alpha Brynn, everything here is sorted. I'm sending my men out to search the rest of the territory for escapees and to recover the bodies of our lost soldiers. I'd appreciate if you did the same. The sooner the place is cleared, the sooner we can let the citizens out," he said.Tobias nodded.As he spoke I'd been trying to avoid looking behind him at the spiralling flames of the 'crematorium' his men had made to burn the bodies of hundreds of Alpha Kane's men. But the smoke billowed and itched our lungs, refusing to be ignored."We've lost a lot of soldiers so we will be searching the territory for their bodies," Rose said."Fine," Theodore replied, "Esme, you are coming with me though."I looked up at him."I was actually hoping to go with Tobias and Rose. The least I can d
All Thanks to Theodore Chapter 39: Losing Battle
I looked into Theodore's eyes. They were wide and frozen as he kept looking down at his hands."Klaus," I said to the soldier who now cowered in the corner, "Tell all your fellow soldiers that their leader is dead and that if they surrender immediately, we can end this with no more bloodshed."Klaus nodded and scrambled out of the room, not taking his eyes off Theodore for a second."Are you okay?" I asked, stepping closer to my mate.He suddenly snapped out of his trance and his eyes locked on me."Why the fuck are you here?" he growled, striding forward and grabbing my wrist."I'm sorry I-" I stuttered as he dragged me at high speed from the room, "I had to help.""And how to fuck is getting yourself captured and put in extreme danger helping, Esme?" he hissed."If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to challenge Alpha Kane and he would have killed you on your knees," I replied.With that, he
All Thanks to Theodore Chapter 38: Flesh and Blood
I was taken through a large pair of wooden doors into a large room. I stumbled forward as the men holding me shoved me forwards to where a middle-aged man sat comfortably on an ornate chair."Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he asked, looking me up and down.His voice was deep and patronising. His features were sharp and oddly familiar. I even knew those brown eyes. It felt like I'd experienced their piercing stare many times before.Klaus stepped forward and brushed my hair off my neck.The man's eyes lit up and he instantly got to his feet. He smiled warmly yet his eyes remained dark and beady as he strode over to me and held out his hand."Alpha Kane, a pleasure to meet you, Luna Rivers," he said.I looked down at his hand and scoffed."You expect me to shake your hand? After everything?" I asked.He continued to look down at me."Yes," he said sharply, "Has Theodore not taught you how to show respect yet?"
All Thanks to Theodore Chapter 37: The Wall
I next woke on a dark stone floor. The bustle and hustle of the camp had gone and now all I could hear was the echoing drips of water droplets and the pacing footsteps of one man.My every muscle felt tired and useless and I could hardly even sit myself up."How are you feeling?" someone asked.Upon glancing up, I saw Lou looking down at me."Exhausted," I replied.I glanced around. It was dark but I could just about see damp stone walls."Well, that's expected," he replied, "You'll be okay soon."I diverted my glance back to Lou."Expected? Why?" I questioned.Lou furrowed his eyebrow, "Because Alpha Rivers marked you.""...So? And where the fuck are we?"It was then that Lou's face dropped and his jaw tightened, "You don't know, do you? He didn't warn you?""Warn me of what?" I asked.Lou sighed and sat down beside me, "When a female wolf is marked she goes into a deep sleep. It's the natura
