Arthur’s PovBefore we ditch our phones and get moving on delivering Robert to the vampires, my phone buzzes. I hesitate for a moment as the number flashing on the screen is only vaguely familiar.“Answer it,” Almara says pressing up against my side. Only because of her I hit the accept call button.“Arthur you need to make a speech down here at City Hall now,” The voice on the other line belongs to Cynthia, our publicist. I forgot I deleted all my publicist's phone numbers when Almara and I decided to go off the grid for a bit.She speaks as though rushed and shouting over some commotion, but even still it’s hard to hear.“I can’t,” I tell her and I know it isn’t what she wants to hear, but nothing is more important than getting to my daughter.“Enough with your excuses,” Cynthia practically screeches and I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “It’s a mad house in the city and you’re the top Alpha. You have to fix this. Now.”“What’s going on?” My father asks.I put my hand over
Almara’s PovWe’ve managed to get to the outskirts of town without a single incident. The military trained wolves had a knack for interweaving through the woods without making a peep and using intricate hand signals to communicate.I try my best to keep up with their signals, but mostly I just stay out of the way. They don’t expect me to do much which is good because I don’t think I can focus on anything else other than Arthur and Grace right now, let alone try to learn all of their hand signals.The military wolves don’t seem to have a problem with my lack of understanding and seem to be content with just looking out for me, maybe it’s because I’m their leader's wife or maybe it’s because I’m their Luna, but either way I’m grateful.Even Robert has lost his gloom and doom attitude and taken on the persona of a stoic military wolf. Maybe that is his way of coping with his very possible deadly fate. He’s gone further ahead of the group, wanting to reach the vampire territory long befor
Robert’s PovLess than a mile left before I come up to the vampire's gate. I can’t believe I got myself into this mess. This is all Almara’s fault. If she kept her nonsense accusations to herself, I would be back with the pack.I almost went running back when I heard that horrendous howl. Who was that anyway? Then I heard Almara call back and figured she could handle it. I’m doing her enough favors.This land gives me the creeps. It’s like there’s something lurking in the shadows, and to be honest there probably is. What makes this barren, desert-like land even more ghostly is the fact that we’re about to enter nightfall.I try to just focus on the mission, ignoring the feeling- or knowing that I’m being watched. Soon enough, I’ll be under everyone’s scrutiny anyway.I reach the gate. A mile-long black metal ironed gate that separates two stretches of barren soil. “Identify yourself.” A voice that sounds to be a thousand years old breaks through the intercom. Showtime. “Robert from t
Almara’s PovI’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t relieved to have Cathy walking beside me. I didn’t realize how much I needed to have a companion right now. At least this way I can project my thoughts rather than keep them trapped inside my head, just bouncing them around and driving myself crazy.We walk side by side, our footsteps fall into a matching pattern. I almost can forget we’re on a journey to vampire lands to save my daughter and restore the wolf nation and just pretend I’m going on a nature excursion with my best friend. Almost.“How are you feeling?” Cathy had asked me ten minutes ago and I’m still trying to unpack this loaded question. I wish I could say that everything is fine and nothing is new, as so many used to be able to automatically reply.Like when checking out at a store and the worker asks how you are, they aren’t really asking and you don’t actually want to tell. But that’s not how it is with Cathy. I know she’s genuinely wanting to know how I am and I could
Almara’s PovFinally, we come to the outskirts of the Vampire territory. My feet are swollen and my back is killing me, but above all else, my skin crawls. Something is off, every fiber of my being is screaming at me to turn back.It’s like my heart is in a tug-of-war match. My motherly instinct wants me to turn around and protect the life I’m growing inside me, but at the same time, I have to go get my other child.Fortunately, I’m not alone in this feeling. Instinctively, our pack has grown tighter together. Everyone is moving slower and chooses a spot to secure their eyes on and keep focus. We move quietly, discreetly.Roman is positioned in the front, carefully guiding us forward. The plan is to wait here until Robert calls us, or something happens and we call for him. I get the feeling the second option is more likely to occur.A place for cover would be nice, but of course, there isn’t any. The land leading up to the vampire territory is just like the vampires themselves, vacant
Almara’s PovWe stay in the forest, processing what just happened and how this impacts the plan.“Robert didn’t call, nor did he respond to our call,” Cody says with a half-shrug. “I think that would fall under the category of us going to rescue him,”“We can’t all go,” I say remembering how we promised to meet Arthur back at the meet-up spot.“We’re already at odds with our dwindling numbers. I don’t know if breaking up further is the best idea,” Cody says. I don’t tell him that it doesn’t matter. We’re all going to probably die anyway. It’s a miracle we didn’t all die back at the outskirts.“Almara’s right,” Roman says. I turn my head to him in surprise. Two words I never thought I would hear him say. “If none of us show up at the meeting spot, Arthur’s going to know something is wrong,”“Something is wrong,” Cody interjects and Roman gives him a look that makes him bow his head in silencing respect.“And I know my son. He’ll panic and create an entirely new plan that we know nothin
Robert’s PovMy eyes are swollen shut. Not that it matters much anyway, even if I could open them fully there isn’t much to see except four stonewalls and a leaky ceiling and even that is poorly lit.I don’t know how long it’s been, days at least. It’s been long enough that I’ve lost any resemblance of hope that the Pack would be coming for me.They’ve been trying to get rid of me for years now and this just happened to fall perfectly in their lap. I bet Almara’s comment about me being a traitor was preplanned between her and her beloved fated mate.The thought makes me laugh out loud and then the realization that I probably look crazy makes me laugh harder. Whatever. It’s not like anyone can hear me anyways, or if they can they pretend that they can’t.Maybe I should’ve been a traitor, that would’ve worked out better in my favor. I certainly wouldn’t be stuck here that’s for sure.The sad thing is, I can almost guarantee that I felt them howl for me. Something inside me picked up a c
Almara’s PovI feel like I have this route memorized by now, which is something I never thought I’d say nor wanted to say.We make our way back to the outskirts. I’ve thought about warning Arthur about the dead bodies that are probably still lying there, rotting and beyond recognizable, but I figure he’s probably seen more dead bodies than I can even fathom.It’s the middle of the night, at this rate we’ll reach the outskirts at the early morning. We walk in silence. Something about the forest in the middle of the night doesn’t breed the desire for conversation. However, the journey is far from quiet.The woods are filled with a concert of crickets, owls, and a few deer. I want to suggest hunting one but bite my tongue. I refuse to give Arthur a reason to say he was right in that I should’ve stayed behind.Technically, I am behind. Arthur and Cody are a few feet ahead of me. Occasionally, Arthur will turn back and wait for me to waddle my way up, and I tell him to keep walking. I can
Almara’s Pov5 Years Later“Cheers,” Arthur sys clinking his mixed drink of vodka and lemonade with my non-alcoholic lemonade. I’m pregnant, again. This pregnancy is completely different than my first two, I actually get to relax. Which is exactly what we’re doing in the manicured garden of our backyard.We sit stretched out on zero-gravity pool chairs, sweat
Almara’s PovAfter a much-needed week of rest and restoration, Arthur and I are back on the vampire territory. I suppose that it can officially be called that again now that it has been reclaimed.My body healed magnificently after months of not only growing another being, but also fighting a war. It’s amazing what good rest and proper nutrition can do. Of course, the real healing ingredient came from the sacrificial love of my wonderful husband.Even though he suffered his own inju
Almara’s PovFinally, after several journeys back and forth from our homeland to the enemies we come to the final steps. We saw plenty of wolves making their expedition back home and there was a unspoken agreement that what everyone needs right now is peace.Thankfully, no one came up to us with questions, grief, or comments. It’s like we have this new kinship with the gammas in our world that we didn’t before. We seem to understand each other, or at least truly see one another.
Almara’s PovOn the way home we make a pitstop to a very special place. “Why are we seeing more dead bodies?” Grace asks, her tone telling me we are nearing a full-blown tantrum.“This body belongs to someone very important in our family,” I tell her calmly and hike her up on my hip. I’m not sure if my words got through to her, or maybe it’s her father's serenity as we ascend up one final hill to where Bess lays.Bess’s gravestone is set apart fro
Almara’s PovWith the vortex closed off and gone, the air becomes breathable again and the storm lessens. Still, my paws squelch in the wet terrain.Unfortunately, as I look around at the battlefield and see the piles of bodies slumped over one another, I think it’s more than just mud causing the stickiness.I try not to look down at the innocent blood shed on the ground. As I take careful consideration to step over and around the bodies, I tell myself they chose to come out and hel
Almara’s PovCathy and I weave through the castle, barely missing rubble crumbling off from the stony walls. We leap over counters, using everything we have in us to catapult ourselves past knocked over statues of gargoyles and shredded velvet furniture.“Catch!” Cathy calls out and reflexively I snatch a jagged shard of ceramic in my hand. I recognize it from a broken pot on the ground. Then out of the corner of my eye I see something else flying at me, though I don’t catch it this time, I duck.
Almara’s PovI’ve never seen Cathy look more confident and proud than she does at this moment. She stands tall, cuts strewn across her body, but they only add to her tough exterior. She’s covered in her enemy’s blood and she has a thrilling look in her eyes.“Have you seen Arthur?” I ask cutting to the chase. Cathy nods back towards tall white cabinet doors. I turn back to look at my mother who nods in confirmation. I rush over to the door and throw it open.
Almara’s PovI awake to a familiar beeping sound. It’s faint at first, like a distant call from far away until it’s suddenly blaring in my ears. My eyes shoot open and the blood in my body rushes to the important organs and I sit up with a jolt.“Where’s Grace?” I ask before I can make out anything else. “Arthur? Robbie?” I call out, hoping the sound of my distressed voice will cause Robbie to cry back.“Shhh,” a gentle voice says with
Almara’s PovArthur flings open the door, this time it breaks off the hinges. I guess there’s no changing our mind now. I keep Robbie wrapped up in both my arms and under my shirt.Arthur uses his body to guard mine, outstretching his arms and a puffed-out chest as he keeps his eyes zeroed in on every moving body around us all while moving us forward and falling in exact pace with each of my steps.We fight through sideways rain and vicious winds, it dawns on me that this storm isn&