“Auri, it’s time.” Captain Lila opened up the tent flap.
I nodded. I had been been standing, slowly adding my weapons. Making sure each one was where I needed it and I had the same freedom of movement. I folded my boots over my silver shackles on my ankles, the protection already there. Moving the shackles on my wrist, I felt the burn against my hand but it just made me take a deep breath, feel in the air. Kai would have been proud fighting with our pack again.
One final check of my back and one last check of my body, I opened up at the flap. Captain Lila had waited for me, but the rest of the camp was lit up in bright white lights. Everyone was running, moving to their positions. It was so bright I reflexively closed my eyes.
“Alpha said he wanted to talk to you before we started but they killed a few of our scouts.”
I shook my head. “We don’t have time. We need to go.”
We walked together and I notic
I took a deep breath and all I smelled was blood. One of my swords was gone, now missing amongst the pile of bodies. The adrenaline that had been coursing through my body upon landing in enemy territory was long gone. At this point, I felt sticky and gross. I was exhausted and I wondered if you could feel the weight difference in the amount of blood I had lost at this point.My progress had been halted. I unhooked my tattered armor and threw it aside. It was only getting in my way. Taking a moment that the warriors from our side provided me, I stretched feeling all the pain of my wounds. They had finally reached me and were doing a good job of helping me clear out the area, allowing me to dispatch the remaining two court members that were hanging around. From some of the chatter, vampires had also started to attack from the rear and were helping to spread the forces thin.“Auri!”It was no longer pure
“I gotta hand it to you Alpha, I didn’t think you had it in you but you did as we agreed. Though, I wonder if it should count since The Huntress was the one who got the final kill.”I stood up slowly my eyes locked on the group. Logan stood up as well, someone passed him clothing and he was throwing on pants.“You don’t need to worry Micah, it counts.” I stepped up. Reaching to my gun halter, I pulled out the two guns I had. The magazines were special, the bullets were made to explode with the same compound as the anti-vampire grenades. One shot and a vampire would burst into ash. I felt my heart pound, my throbbing in my arm dulled. Anger, more anger than even when I had attacked Morgan, seeped into me past the Nova.“Well, Huntress I would love to know how you got acquainted with our little Alpha here.”I snarled. “Astra, The Huntress, Miss Hunt.” I looked over at Logan. “Little bird, Aur
“Auri, the sun is going down.” I swallowed. “I can’t leave him, Logan. If I leave, he disappears.” Logan’s fingers brushed my cheek, electricity lighting my skin. “He will never disappear Auri. You will always have him. You will alway keep him in your heart. Your memories together will never disappear.” I took a gasping breath, more tears flowing out of my eyes and collected at his fingers. “It hurts.” I finally whispered out, my lips shaking as I tried to swallow my cries. “I know, Auri. I know.” He leaned his head against mine, still brushing my cheek softly, wiping away my tears. My head slipped off his shoulder for a moment as I started to lose consciousness but I snapped it back, sitting up. I inhaled and lifted my head to the sky. The cool air was starting to sweep through the trees, signaling that the sun was going down. I bit my lip until I tasted blood. I didn’t want to leave him but I couldn’t stay. I knew I couldn’t. “I…” I
I leaned against the kitchen island, savoring the warmth from the sun streaming in through the window. My hands cupped a mug of coffee as I sipped it. It was still fairly early in the morning. Denise and Bryan weren’t even awake yet. Hector was mulling around and Logan was in his office. The quiet was nice. Today seemed like it was going to be a good day. It would either be a good day or a bad day. Sunday and Monday had been bad days. Logan didn’t leave my side. Tuesday hadn’t been bad and yesterday wasn’t as bad but it still had me not leaving my room. Today though, I felt some strength back in my bones. Enough to leave and make myself some coffee. I made enough for everyone else as well, if they woke up. Hector was the first to come down, also grabbing a mug of coffee. “Thanks.” I nodded and flashed a smile at him. “Of course.” “You seem a little better today.” “I might go lay out in the yard
I woke up gasping for air. My eyes widened as I bolted upright in the bed. I couldn’t breathe. I was coughing and gagging. Wildly, I reached out over the nightstand. I knocked over the lamp trying to find the bucket. It crashed to the floor but I couldn’t find anything. Tears welled up in my eyes, I rolled out of bed. Shaking, I tried to make it to the bathroom but I couldn’t. I leaned over, throwing up all over the floor.The door slammed open.“The hell is…AURI!” Bryan grabbed my shoulders as I continued to gag, trying to breathe through the amount of blood that was coming up.Finally, I coughed and my airways cleared and I choked out a sob. My body was shaking and I just cried as Bryan was holding me. I realized the my shaking wasn’t just me. He was also shaking as he held me. He held up my entire weight over the mess I was making.“Logan…” I
***Logan’s POV*** My desk was cluttered with paperwork that I had ignored yesterday, with good reason. Auri needed me more right now but it meant I was stuck in the office until the afternoon. I smiled. She was having a good day. She still looked like a ghost though. After yesterday, it seemed to take more of a toll on her than I think even she realized. Her bones were starting to become more prominent and it reminded me of when I first saw her, playing in the water in Italy. I smiled but my smile dropped a moment later. I was struggling. I was happy. Auri was slowing warming up to being kissed, touched, loved again. Even calling the guys her kids, her family. But it had taken her dying, her wasting away, to come back. It tore me up inside. 'Our mate is strong.' Cato commented. 'Yes, yes she is.' Since the battle, Cato had been more willing to speak, to come forward. Especially when it came to Auri. He also was
Auri was quiet for a moment before she lifted her head from my chest. I looked down at her and watched as her hands came up and brushed the tears aways. She cupped my cheek and pulled it down to her, kissing me. My eyes widened in shock. This was the first time we had kissed on the lips. Cato purred but I didn’t know how to react. When she bit my lip, the shock broke and my hand wove into her hair. I kissed her back with a fever and a need to tell her how much I loved her. How much I missed her. My heart beat fast and hard. She leaned back, staring at me, waiting for me. I searched her face for anything that might fix my confusion. That might tell me why. None came though. Auri didn’t say anything. Her hand wove into mine and she stood up. Walking around the bench, she pulled me along through the house. We reached my bedroom door and she opened it. She didn’t stop but walked through to the bathroom. Standing there, I watched as she pulled the shirt over her head and
I snaked my arms through the sheets but my hand only felt a cold pillow next to me. My eyes opened and I knew I was alone. Auri had already left. Rolling on my back, I closed my eyes. Taking a moment, I just inhaled her scent that saturated my room. Cato howled but he, like me, knew this is what was going to happen. She wasn’t good with goodbyes. Every time we said it, it never ended well. I laid in bed for a bit before I finally pulled myself up. I pulled on some sweats and padded into the kitchen. She had made a full pot of coffee. I poured a full mug and held it in my hands, feeling its warmth. Leaning against the counter, I closed my eyes and sipped the perfect roast. Hector came down first. He poured himself a mug and leaned next to me against the counter. “Is she…” I nodded, taking another sip. He also took a sip and didn’t say anything. We just listened to the quiet of the house. A little while later Denise stomped down the stairs. She was not
Hey everyone. I can't believe we are here. We made it. This is truly the end. This journey has been an epic one and I am both happy and sad all of you could ride this crazy ride with me. It took a long time to get here. Much longer than I wanted, felt needed to, but here we are and it's done. The King's Alpha has finished. I'm sure everyone has the STRONGEST of opinions on my choices of where to go but in the end, I think, I always knew where it was going to end up. And it was here. It just was a struggle to find the right roat to get there. I want to say thank you. To all the mad ones. To all the sad ones. To all the happy ones. To the ones who have stuck by me and given me notes of encourangement through this. To the ones who have left comments telling me that they won't ever read anything of mine again because I haven't finished this story. I thank each and every one of you. Because it means that at some point, my story made you feel something. Made you fall in love or hate
I sat on the balcony overlooking the plains and forest behind it. I’d taken a liking to getting up early, smelling the morning dew as the world slowly woke up. A shot of cappuccino and a bowl of yogurt with fruit and just a drizzle of honey was on the table in front of me. My tablet also was sitting but there wasn’t much in the way of news to capture my attention away from the view.Rowan had called me yesterday from Egypt. He moved there after he found his mate. At first, I thought they might want to both step up as Beta, much like AJ and Jax did back in the day but they started to follow their own paths. Rowan was far more subdued. Taking after the bookworm side of Vale and maybe my introverted side. Reagan didn’t. Reagan was a fists first fight the world kind of girl. She stayed with Golden Moon, though she dragged her poor mate with her wherever she went.She was the Alpha King Nathan’s, Beta and had been for many years now. I had four grandkids and I got to see them as often as I
“Mom!” Syf and Freya both threw their hands around me and I held them close.Týr stood but didn’t say anything. Logan stayed seated next to him, his eyes unfocused as he looked ahead. I wiped the cheeks of my two girls and smiled.“Come on, Vale would be mad that we cried this much over him.”Freya chuckled. “He would say we are being over dramatic about it. Or that we were thinking of other stuff so we would tear up and make him feel better.”I nodded. “We all know it was you two who made him cry most of them time.”“I…we…” Syf looked at her twin before the two of them chuckled. “You’re right.”“I know, I’m right. I’m your mother.”Freya snorted. “Not looking like that you aren’t. I can’t believe you’re de-aging. That’s crazy, Mom. If I didn’t see the effects in you and Hector I would say you were lying.”I tried to smile but it just couldn’t get there. Admitting how much pain I went through wasn’t something I was going to dump here and now. They didn’t need to know. It was the same
We stood gathered on the Italian countryside. It was cloudy but there would be no rain. For the first time in a long time, everyone stood together. Werewolves, witches, vampires, and fey stood side by side to pay their respects to the Alpha King. Vale was encased in stone now. A sarcophagus that stood on the hill of the memorial spot we had chosen. It was carved with running wolves following the one wolf, their king. People came forward and spoke. Spoke of how Vale touched their lives in some way or another. Not just for him though. For Jax, for the wolves we lost in the battles and the ones who went back to their own packs. For Wendy and in my heart all the ones who had lost their lives to Oran’s sick and twisted desires.Hector was sitting on my right, his hand on my knee. Both my hands though were clasped in Zeke’s. Reagan and Rowan were sitting behind us with our kids. Luckily, all four of them made a complete recovery. Only certain things came up, sometimes being alone in a dark
Hector and I stayed by Vale’s side for a while. He held me together as I threatened to fall to pieces. After a long time, I finally spoke. “Oran is dead. Vale incapacitated him and I dusted him. He’s ash in the wind.”“He’s gone. For good.”“But at what cost, Hector? Was the cost worth it? Jax is dead. Wendy is dead. Vale…my son…my king…”Absently, I leaned down and moved a hair out of Vale’s peaceful face. My jaw clenched as I held back another wave of sobs, trying to keep myself together. My body started to shake and Hector turned me away from my son. I looked at him, his eyes as dark and stormy as the clouds above, raining tears down his cheeks. It broke me. Broke my control and I cried out.He put both hands on my face and held me, my hands covering his. It was my fucking fault. It was my fault. My Vale was dead. Our Vale, was gone. Joining the list of ones I loved who left me alone. Absently, my mind thought to the pain of living painfully long and outliving your family. I had co
*** Auri’s POV ***I had killed nine of the monsters that Oran kept in the arena beneath the castle. Nine of them, each one as mutilated and grotesque as the next. They were powerful though and it had taken me too long to kill them all. Too long put them all out of their misery as their minds begged me over and over again to do. Uriel had reached out to me and told me that he had the pups and had left the castle. All that was left was the battle Vale and Zeke were currently fighting.Running as fast as I could, I slid down the hall. I knew the High Council intended that Vale was going to rule inside the castle with them, but I didn’t know they had already built the throne room for him. When Vale first mind linked me about the room and that Oran was waiting for them, I wasn’t necessarily surprised. He was, if anything, a dramatic asshole.I stopped in front of two huge doors that were on the north side of the castle. Using my power, I touched the wood and it turned into a pile of wood
I wiped the blood out of my eyes, trying to focus on the where Oran was in the room. Vale was standing near the center of the room. He didn’t look nearly as bad as I did but that wasn’t saying much. Oran was playing with us but we still couldn’t compare to his strength. Holding up his broken sword, Vale parried Oran’s knife but was thrown back with the power behind the hit. Staggering up, I ran, only shifting my claws since I couldn’t shift my whole body anymore. I caught Oran’s arm as he was making a stab for Vale. My claws dragged across his skin and he dropped the knife.“Well, aren’t you the useful little mate.”I put up my arms to cover my face, sensing an attack either by his fists or foot. Vale though, grabbed the knife and me, pulling us back away and out of reach of the strike. We both were breathing heavily and on our knees. “Vale…we need…”He nodded. “I know. I know, Z. Just hold out a little longer.”Vale lifted up off the floor before brandishing the knife as his own wea
The castle looked empty. At least walking into it from the now ridiculously large exploded hole. Auri, King Uriel, Vale and I stepped over the rubble and the dead bodied of the witches to enter it. Everything was eerily quiet, as though no one had been in here at all. Had all the forces emptied out the different exits just now? Or were they lurking somewhere deeper?“The castle has an underground area as well, correct? If I saw the building plans correctly.” King Uriel looked at the three of us.Vale was the one who answered. “Correct. It has a full underground stadium area and most likely where they are keeping the pups. Or in one of the catacomb areas. It’s a huge labyrinth down there.”He hummed. “We should split up.”Auri frowned. “I don’t know. We don’t know what’s ahead. What we are up against.”“I think he is right, Mom. I think we need to do this. Uriel, if you would take the upper floors. I have a feeling there will be more witches and some other vampires who are able to deal
As expected, the wolves came first. Their snarling and pounding of their paws drowned out every other sound in the forest. Our side had quieted as we waited for their attack. Auri stepped up though, out of the line. Her fur rippled like water as an immense flow of power left her, filling the forest. She barked out a single command and all the wolves we could see coming towards us shifted to their human forms. The sound of their bones assembling back into their body on a massive scale reverberated through the forest.Hector raced forward ahead of her, chomping the closest wolf’s, now confused human’s, head off. It was all that was needed. Our forces surged forward and around us. Vale started to go with them but my paws were planted firmly in the ground. Stopping and turning, Vale looked at me with his gold eyes.‘Can you do this, Z? It’s okay if…’My eyes widened as a wolf came from behind, leaping right at Vale as his back was turned to me. I stepped forward, one step, then another. S