The Grim Lost

Ruin

My heart pounded in my chest. Everyone's eyes were on me, waiting for my answer. Despair knelt in front of me, one elbow resting on his knee. The anticipation in the air was palpable.

"What do you say, Ruin?" He asked nervously. "Will you marry me?"

Despair's pleading look encouraged a lump in my chest to form. For Twilight's sake... or do I follow my heart? I began to cough. My body shook with the effort of breathing. It didn't help that last night's events led up to this. Too much liquor. The ring glinted and shone brightly in the rising sun. I tried to answer. To tell him the truth. 

A howl sounded from the front of the house. Chaos groaned and marched to the side gate to look. All color seemed to fade from my surroundings. Suddenly my senses were sharpened. Every part of me went still, the only movement coming from my slight breathing.

"Ruin!" Rath called out after me. "Don't!"

But I was already in their sights. The wolves looked to me for direction. I snarled. Leave. They bowed their heads, whining, as they laid their ears back in submission. This was my territory and mine alone. I had claimed it long after they abandoned me. The biggest one, barely smaller than me in wolf form, shifted.

"We need you to return, Ruin. Rhydian has stepped down..." Horace, the Beta, said. His voice wavered and quaked. To spare the boy, I also shifted back.

"She was challenged and beat, you mean. That sucks. You all voted to leave me to die. What makes you think I'll step up?" I asked.

"For your child and mate," Horace said. "I know he's here. I can smell him."

I stiffened, "Who is and isn't here, is no business of yours."

Despair got shoved to the ground in front of me. Not far behind was the rest of my family. I stood my ground, arms crossed over my chest. That was before I heard Dawn's scream. I looked up to see her hanging out of the window. I felt my irises go from black to blood red as I growled in an alpha tone.

"Put her down. NOW!" My order resonated. Many of the wolves fell to their knees. Horace only flinched. Dawn was brought back into the house.

"Come with us," he pleaded. I shook my head, glaring at him. He sighed, taking out a gun and aiming it at Rath's temple. "I don't want to do this, Alpha, but we are leaderless and need you."

Once again Rath's life was threatened and I wanted to kill someone in his place. I saw Death behind Horace out the corner of my eye. 

"Fine, I'll come. IF you let my family go. They are innocent and have no place in this," I snarled. He seemed to contemplate it. If he didn't agree, then his guts were going to be splattered over my front lawn. The threat in my eye must have been enough, because he rescinded. An ear-splitting sound pierced my sensitive hearing. Covering my ears, I lowered myself to the ground, and doubled over. 

The only person not in agonizing pain from the whistle was Death. He came up next to me. The second his hand touched my arm, I was wearing sound resistant headphones. I peered at him. His finger stayed over his mouth. Nodding, I ran into the house to grab Twilight. Risk was at the Matron's for the week. The Matron had insisted on being named the official 'grandmother' to the little demon. 

"Pick one. I can't teleport any more after that." Death stated, taking Twilight from me and swaddling her in a shadow-shroud. I knew who I wanted. But my baby had to come first. I bolted back downstairs and wrapped my fingers around Rath's wrist, hauling him off the ground. He looked at me. Pain and confusion were laced all over his features. I winced sympathetically. 

Pushing him toward the house where Death waited. I knew his anger would be almost untamable, but I also knew he trusted me to make decisions. Lifting Despair by the back of his neck, I attached myself to Death and used that connection to follow him.

"STUPID!" His bellow was the first thing I heard when we landed. "I didn't have to rescue anyone else. I could have grabbed you, Twilight, and left. But, no, you have to try to make everyone happy!"

I glanced down as he handed my daughter back to me. Passing her to Despair, I used my momentum and knocked Death off his feet.

"Listen up, douche. Get your head out of your ass, it isn't a hat," I began. "You didn't have to save anybody. I could have handled it. Quit acting all high and mighty before I make you truly understand what it's like inside my head."

He flinched, trying to scoot away from me. My scythe appeared in my hands. The weapon hummed with life. I swung, slicing a hole mid-air. Mist fell from it. Death shakily stood and pinched it closed.

"Ruin..." Rath started. My cold look stopped his sentence in its tracks. 

"I don't want to hear it," I said before stepping forward and kissing him. His arms moved to hold me to him. I threw my arms, scythe and all, around his shoulders to deepen the kiss. Despair coughed behind me and I knew what was happening. 

"I.... don't accept your rejection, Ruin. Nor will I ever," He coughed out, blood spattering from his mouth. I took our daughter from him.

Twilight's eyes looked between he and I. Her small mouth formed an 'o' as she yawned. I began to rock her, humming a lullaby. My shakes were barely visible. Rath's arms encircled us, holding me still. Glancing at Despair, I saw him talking with Death. I shook my head and sat on the ground. Twilight needed a steady life. Not this mayhem. My little monster had already grown a head full of beautiful, luscious hair. 

I spent a good hour trying out different styles to make sure her hair stayed out of her face but didn't bunch up on the back of her head. Twin palm tree braids seemed to win out. They stuck up from the top of her head.  I hadn't noticed a fire had been started and night had fallen.