Mercy
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Five Months Later.
I pulled back the arrow on my bow and released it hitting the Rouge in the back. I looked around from my spot in the tree for anyone struggling in the fight.
Mitch was holding his own against one, but another wanted to play dirty, sneaking up behind him. Within a second my arrow hit between his eyes causing the other Rouge to growl at the body of his Friend dropping to the ground lifeless.
As he became irate and unfocused, Mitch was able to lock his jaws around his throat effectively ripping it out. I smiled in satisfaction as he nodded his head thanking me. He didn't look to me only because he didn't know where I was. I never stayed in one spot for too long.
With that being said, using the branches I jumped from tree to tree away from my previous spot. This one isn't as convenient to pull an arrow back, but with the trouble Billy was in, it would have to work.
He was going fist to fist holding his own against three males. They were all different sizes. Billy being the second biggest worried me so I did what I do best. Released an arrow into the biggest Rouge's thigh. He fell to the ground screaming out from the silver tipped arrow embedded into his now bleeding thigh.
The third biggest didn't stop fighting to check on his Friend. He knew the chances of him dying were high if he did. The smallest one however pulled back and rushed to the big guys side. His mistake. The empathy he had for his Friend costed him his life. His body dropped with a soft thud, dead before his head with my arrow sticking out of his ear even hit the ground.
The big man looked around panicked looking for something. Someone. Me. His eyes landed on mine and my arrow landed into one of his. It's kind of poetic. I smiled once again as Billy snapped the neck of the Rouge.
"I didn't need your help." He snapped through the Pack's link.
"You didn't, but it was fun watching them go down."
I heard him chuckle before running off to help Marina that was getting cat scratched by two females. I wanted to laugh, but now wasn't the time. We can joke about it later.
I began hopping through the trees once more before stopping. Something broke inside of me. A bond to one of my Pack Mate's. A close Pack Mate.
I looked down and watched as Chuck's neck was snapped by the biggest man I had ever seen in my life. I held back the tears as I released arrow after arrow into the mans chest. Discarding my bow on the branch, I pulled my knifes out of my boots before jumping down and rushing the now staggering Rouge.
I screamed as I cut and slashed his body until my knife glided effortlessly across his throat. I scanned the area watching as the Rouge's dropped like flies by our warriors before turning and looking to Chuck's dead body.
A sob left my lips as the knives were dropped to the leafy forest floor and I stumbled to his corps. Falling to my knees I placed his broken and beaten head into my lap. It hurts. It hurts seeing him like this. I cried as my body laid over top of his until a hand landed on my shoulder.
I looked into the teary eyes of Marina. Shock filled her face at the realization that it was Chuck. Our Chuck. Our Best Friend. She dropped down next to me and pulled me into a hug.
"All of this could have been avoided." Billy growled angrily.
We just ignored him already knowing he was right. It could have been avoided, but it wasn't. Our Alpha as neglectful as always is the fault for this. Due to his irresponsibility and negligence, the Rouge's have found out just how weak the Pack is. This is the third time this week that we have been attacked and the tenth warrior we lost. It's only Thursday..
Mitch came over helping his Mate who just happened to turn out to be Marina stand as Billy came to my side.
"That isn't Chuck, Merce. It maybe his body, but it's not him. He is with her now. The Moon Goddess." Billy whispered trying to comfort me, but all I could see was his lifeless eyes staring back at me.
With shaking hands I closed his eyes and stood with a new found determination. I was going to die today for what I was going to do. I knew that and I have accepted that. It may be irrational, but enough is enough.
I walked angrily through the territory as Billy followed shouting out questions that I didn't want to answer. I couldn't! He would stop me this I knew for a fact, but I won't let him.
I seen 'Alpha' Grant standing on the porch and marched right up to him.
"What was our loss this time?" He asked one of his minions in a bored tone.
"Four, Alpha." The man answered.
He sighed before shrugging as if it wasn't any big deal and my anger rose.
"Hey!"
"Mercy, don't!" Billy called out trying to grab my arm to pull me away.
Grant looked in my direction carelessly and spoke.
"Let her go." He demanded causing Billy to release his hold on me.
I kept walking as Billy growled staying in his place.
"This is your fault!"
"Oh, it is?" He asked smiling.
I growled and shoved him not caring what the consequences would be.
"Show some respect, Mercy!" He growled to me.
"Do something worth respecting, Grant."
His minion gasped while taking a step back from the fuming Alpha.
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" He whispered dangerously low.
"You heard me! This is your fault! All of this could have been avoided if you would get off your sorry ass and do your job!"
*slap*
"Are you done?" He growled in a whisper.
I looked him in the eye while licking the blood off my lip.
"Open your eyes, Grant. Your Pack has gone to shit, your life has gone to shit, and it's all your fault."
*slap*
Again I looked at him, but this time I was smiling. He was getting madder by the second.
"What's it going to take for you to see all the irreversible damage you've done to this Pack? Is it going to take Rouge's killing every single warrior you have before marching through your borders to tear apart the woman and men? The children?!"
He stayed silent still raging internally.
"Is it going to take them locking you up beside our Beta and torturing you all while they rape us and make you watch?"
Still nothing. I knew what I said next would get his attention.
"They already took your Son. It's a good thing your Luna isn't here to experience that."
He growled while charging at me, but I sidestepped him. He was shaking with rage.
"Oh now you want to react? When it's your Family mentioned?"
He punched me in the face causing me to stumble back, but I pulled myself together and kept going. He was going to have to kill me to shut me up.
"We were your Family too!"
He stopped in his tracks and looked me dead in my eye.
"The only reason you are still breathing right now is BECAUSE of your Father." He yelled at me.
I looked around while waving my hands.
"I don't see him anywhere, Grant. Do you? Do you see anyone you knew anymore other than my Mother?"
He looked around at the crowd that has formed before looking back to me. He wasn't angry now. He was having his moment of clarity. For now..
"They're dying! Everyone is dying! I just cried over the body of one of my Best Friend! This is on you! All of the lives that we have lost, that's on you!"
He growled before marching inside. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as Billy raced to my side.
*slap*
"Are you fucking stupid?" He asked me pulling me into a hug relieved I was still breathing, but I was shocked.
"You just hit me."
"Apparently he didn't knock enough sense into you." He chuckled before pulling back and looking at my busted lips and bleeding nose.
"It needed to be done."
"Maybe, but you shouldn't have done that. Let's get out of here before he changes his mind." He spoke looking between the Pack house and me.
We walked back to the woods where we burned the Rouge's bodies and gathered our people to bury them. I didn't go near his body. I couldn't so instead I grabbed my knives after they moved him, collected my arrows, then climbed the tree for my bow.
While sitting in the tree Mitch walked underneath my dangling feet and placed his hands on his hips.
"I could have saved him. If I would have let Billy handle himself, I could have saved him in time."
"Don't do that. Don't blame yourself, Merce. Any one of us could have saved him, but it was too hectic and there was a lot going on." He spoke softly.
"But-"
"No." He stopped me before I could speak again.
When I looked down to him, I sighed.
"We save who we can. You know that and because of you I am able to go home to my Mate and Billy was there to slap some sense into you." He pressed.
"Billy had it covered."
He scoffed.
"Three against one? He may be good, but he's not that good. That Rouge that got Chuck would have done the same thing to Billy. You seen how many arrows you shot at him and he was still standing. You sliced him open and he still stood. He was only staggering! It took you slicing his throat for him to finally fall." He schooled me.
I just shook my head. He was right..
"Why? Why did he have to go for him? Why didn't he ask for help?"
"Maybe the Rouge surprised him. Maybe he didn't have enough time to call for help." He answered.
I nodded my head silently. Maybe. Maybe that was the case, but maybe's don't give you the answers. Maybe's done leave you with only three Best Friend's while the fourth is being buried never to be seen or heard from again.
"It wasn't his time."
"I know." He whispered.
"He never got a chance to find his Mate."
"I know." He whispered.
"He never got to grow up and see the world outside of this Pack."
"I know." He sighed.
"He.."
"Mercy." Mitch cut me off.
I looked to him through teary eyes.
"I know." He smiled sadly.
I climbed down the tree and as soon as my boots hit the ground he pulled me in for a hug. I bit back the tears, but when he started whispering that it would be okay as his own voice cracked, I couldn't help it. Eventually Marina and Billy joined in and we all mourned the loss of Chuck together.
We come into this world alone and scared, then we all eventually go out alone and afraid... It all could have been avoided. Damn it!
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