Her Legacy

XXVII. Remember

"My father is dead, too!" I retorted. "I don't know what happened, Lex! I didn't even know that lycans existed until about a month ago! Up until then I thought that my dad died in a car accident."

"You don't know?" Lex asked in disbelief. "Seventeen years ago, a member of your father's pack tried to abduct my mother. My father set out to remind the Providence pack just where their border was, and your father took it too far. He started a war, and he ended it by killing my father."

I didn't know what to do with this information. I didn't know if it was true. There had to be more to the story. But what did he want me to do? "Lex, what can I do?" I asked him. "We are not our fathers."

"What can you do?" he repeated, looking me right in the eye. "You, Sara, are going to end this conflict once and for all. You are the rightful Alpha of the Providence pack. You are the Luna, the mate of the current Alpha. You're the linchpin. If you're out of the picture, the pack disintegrates. The Providence pack will answer for what they did, and I will assume control."

Holy shit, he was going to kill me. He was actually going to kill me. I was going to die. Today was my last. My life didn't flash before my eyes as it did in the movies. All I could see was Lex.

Fight. Freeze to fight. Adrenaline was coursing through my body. My pulse was practically a hum, with no individual heartbeat. This person in front of me stood between me and living. I had to keep myself alive.

I was sitting on the cold, damp ground, with only my hands bound. I immediately brought my knees up to my chest and kicked my feet towards Lex's groin with all my might. Lex fell backwards as he yelped in pain.

"Fuck you, you psycho!" I screamed as I struggled and wriggled, fighting my restraints. I only had seconds before he would recover and resume whatever plan he had to end my life. I was scratching the hell out of my arms as I pulled against the tree.

Lex, gasping, fished into his pocket and brought out a switchblade. I heard the blade flip up as he released the safety. "You crazy bitch," he said, staggering to get back onto his feet.

I kicked my legs, bringing up dirt and tufts of grass as I did, but I couldn't pull my arms free. My instinct was to protect my torso as he came towards me with the knife. I tucked my chin against my chest, closing my eyes as I kicked blindly, cursing and swearing with every breath that I had left.

I was fighting. I was trying. But I was thinking of my mom. I was thinking of Shea. Of my dad. I was thinking of the people that I loved most. My last thoughts couldn't be of fear.

"Alexander!" cried a voice from across the clearing.

We both stopped and looked around, Lex still holding the blade as he did. A man had joined us in the clearing. He was holding both of his hands up in a calm surrender. He looked between Lex and I worriedly, eyeing the blade with apprehension.

As he drew closer, walking carefully as he did, I was able to get a clearer look at him. I felt like I had seen him before. His face sparked my memory, but I couldn't quite place it. He looked to be about forty years old, his hair dark, but longer than most men his age, and his facial hair was neatly kept. He was tall, and looked very fit, with a lean, muscular build. His eyes stood out to me early, being of a brilliant blue. The same light colour as Lex's but not nearly as cold.

I had seen him before. Where had I seen this man before?

"It can't be," Lex said in disbelief.

Lex knew him. How on earth did I know someone that he knew as well? I felt like I had met him back home in New York.

"Alexander," he said again, this time he was not twenty feet from us. His hands were still raised in a steady, calming way as he approached us.