Rose held her chin high as we walked but she wasn't afraid to admit when she needed to stop to rest. Theodore was satisfied by our safe distance from the border and agreed to make camp for the night.
"Were you scared?" I asked Rose as we sat by the warmth of the fire.
Tobias sat beside us too as Theodore sat brooding on the other side of the fire.
"Of course I was, Esme," she said, "I didn't know where I was, I didn't know if Tobias was alive, I didn't know if I was ever getting out of there with my life. With so much uncertainty, I was terrified," she replied.
I nodded, "Did you feel weak?"
"Fear isn't a weakness, Esme," she continued, "It's a natural response to danger."
"It's what you chose to do with the fear that determines a person's strength," Tobias said, "They can either choose to let it break them or face it with courage."
"And I certainly refused to let those despicable men break me," Rose said squeezing my hand.
"Ho
In the morning I woke up next to the pile of ash that was the fire to see only Rose still asleep. I sat up, brushing the leaves off my hair and clothes before I glanced around.Only ten or so metres from the camp, Tobias and Theodore stood face to face."She's not your responsibility anymore, Brynn," Theodore hissed, "Let her go."He spoke quietly like he didn't want to wake us but his voice was still as sharp and commanding as ever."She's my little sister," Tobias replied."And she's my Luna now," Theodore said, "Trust me to take care of her."Tobias's face creased, "Trust you? What reason have you ever given me to trust you?"Theodore clenched his jaw, "What do you think I'm going to fucking do?"Tobias shrugged, "I've learnt over the years not to underestimate what you are capable of. And I know for sure that you will take away her autonomy.""For her own protection but also the good of my pack," Theodore said, "Esme
Theodore held my hand as we walked South.The chill of the morning had never fully lifted and even as we marched on at the fast speed Theodore set, I felt my hands and feet become numb as my cheeks and nose blushed red. The discomfort of this combined with the pain of being ripped away from Rose and Tobias after just being reunited meant that I was in no mood to speak.So I just walked with my eyes on the floor, watching the light shining down on the dead leaves slowly change to orange and then just begin to fade away."Are you alright, Esme?" Lou asked after hours of walking."She's fine," Theodore said, "Alpha and Luna Brynn are needed on the Eastern territory. We are needed in the South. It has to be like this.""I thought I was a burden?" I asked, "Now you need me?""I need you by my side where I can protect you," he replied."And you don't think Tobias and Rose can protect me? Or that I can't protect myself?" I asked.He c
The next time I saw the light of day I found myself inside some kind of tent laid on a bed of linen spread over hard wooden planks.I groaned as I lifted my stiff neck.How long had I been lying there?"Welcome back," A soft voice said.It was Lou. He was stood on the other side of the tent, by the door, with his arms folded as he watched over me.I scrunched my eyes together and the effort required to lift my body any further proving too much, I let myself fall back onto the bed."What happened?" I asked."You got knocked out cold," he said, "You've been unconscious for nearly two days."I stared at him in disbelief, "Two days?""Like I said...cold," he replied."All I remember is sinking to the bottom of the lake. Then someone pulled me to the surface and that's it," I said.Lou smiled, "A few moments after you fell off that cliff, Alpha Rivers jumped after you. By the time he got you to the shore, you we
The next morning was cold and crisp. I was glad to have Theodore's arms still firmly around me, keeping me warm but dawn was approaching fast and he soon got up.At first, he just sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, probably dreading what he was going to have to do today.I sat quietly watching him, feeling the same dread on his behalf. I felt it for me too. The dread of losing him.His shirt was still on the floor by the bed where it was discarded last night and for the first time since I saw them on the night of the storm back at home, I noticed the thin scars on his back."What happened to your back?" I asked after a few moments of mustering up the balls to question.He seemed to freeze up and he stayed facing away from me."Nothing," he said bluntly.I shuffled forward and sat behind him before I ran my fingers down his spine, feeling the faint bumps of scar tissue underneath my tips. He tensed even more and sat upr
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
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?"
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?"
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