Sovereign (Silenced Part 2)

Part 20

Silas tensed suddenly. It was only a fraction of a second before two other wolves crashed into Aaron. My heart stopped in my chest. Before I could reach out or even think of what to do Silas jerked me behind him. It was just in time to catch another wolf mid air as he lunged at me. There was sickening crack as Silas slammed the wolf into the ground. The entire clearing erupted in snarls. Wolves attacked from every direction. More than half of Willow packs fighters hadn't even shifted as the battle broke out.

I could smell the blood. Everyone around me was fighting desperately to survive. Snarls, rips, snaps, all horrible sounds coming from every direction and I couldn't stop it. This was all my fault. All of these people were here, and going to die, because of me, because of Jackson. My breathe came out harder. Every where I turned wolves were falling. Aaron had managed to fling off his attackers but he was replaced by another. The sound of wolves yelping, innocent wolves from both sides, overwhelmed me. I couldn't take it.

~STOP!~ I screamed desperately. I forced all of my panic through the link. I coudll feel everything as the links snapped into place. All of the pain, anger, and fear. Some wolves were badly injured, some were furious for the wrongs they'd perceived, and most of all they were afraid. No one wanted this anymore than I did. I reversed the emotions, collecting them all, and shooting it back out to everyone I'd connected with. The overload of emotions and pain made the field silent as the separated. I held on to the agony, forcing it out until I was certain that no one dared fight me. I eased up on the pain. No one moved to resume fighting. Some of the them had collapsed, all of them had fallen. I could Silas behind me. He alone was left on his feet after my assault. Everyone stared at us.

~Jackson was a malevolent coward. We are done suffering because of him. You are better than this. You deserve to go home to your families and you should be grateful they weren't subjected to the same abuse as the innocent people in the facility you've claimed ignorance over.~ My voice shook with the level of rage I felt inside. I glanced around slowly to make eye contact with each wolf that dared question me. I'd already proven that I didn't need a wolf to knock them down. Each pair of eyes I met lowered in shame. Wolves began to rise. Some walked away with my dismissal. Some chose to shift back to human but no one spoke. Several focused on helping the injured and the clearing began to empty.

"Holy fuck." Zac croaked. I glanced at him. I could still feel the rage boiling just beneath my skin. I didn't had any patience for disobedience. He lowered his head slightly with his eyes.

"You're alive?" Johnathan had shifted back to human. His expression was unreadable as he approached.

I held up a hand. A silent command to stop. He was whom I was angry with most of all. This blood shed was his fault and if he came any closer I wasn't sure I could continue to contain my rage.

Johnathan obeyed.

~This is how you begin your rule? By leading your pack to slaughter?~ I asked.

"The pack you abandoned." He hissed through clinched teeth.

My anger flickered and I stepped toward him.

He took a quick back.

~I didn't abandon the pack. The pack abandoned me in that facility.~ I used my anger to fuel the connection. I shoved several memories at Johnathan forcing him to see through my eyes what I had gone through in that facility.

Johnathan cringed, stepping back again, and shaking his head. When he looked up the shock in his eyes was clear.

"Jackson would never have-" He started.

I shoved several more memories at him. Painful, horrible, memories of Jackson himself. He clinched his head in pain but I didn't care. It was only a fraction of the pain I had endured and he needed to understand.

"Stop!" He said. "We didn't know!"

"Which is why you were spared." Silas said.

Johnathan looked at Silas and then back to me. He shook his head in defeat.

"So that's it? Wolfsbane will be divided into new territories?" He asked looking directly at me.

~Wolfsbane will remain Wolfsbane so long as it has a competent leader. If you cannot control your lust for power then I suggest you give your title to someone who can or our next discussion will end with your life.~ I said.

Johnathan flinched. He inclined his head toward me before turning and helping some of his wounded.

I stood watching as the field emptied. I didn't move. My strength and anger were fading. Silas shifted to stand next to me instead of behind. I turned my head to look at him. He shook his head.

"Don't draw attention to yourself..." He repeated nodding slowly. "Your defiance was very audacious leannan."

A light smile tugged at my lips thanks to his teasing. The last of my anger was snuffed out by his soothing voice, along with it went the last of my strength, and exhaustion pulled me under the covers of darkness.