"Maybe that's what love is. Having someone who guides you through different experiences, coaxes you to try news things but still makes you feel safe."
― Wally Lamb, We Are Water
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Tyler came up to me. "Is everyone accounted for?" He was still out of breath, panting slightly. His own face splattered with a few droplets of another's blood. His hair matted with sweat.
Relief filled my stomach from the sight of him. He was alright, and so was Cael.
I nodded, glancing back at my own team. All seven of them had made it out unscathed.
"Everyone's just fine." I managed a smile, but I knew it didn't reach my eyes.
It sucked knowing that vengeance wasn't enough to help me move on.
I snuck a quick glance at Justin, who stared off into space by himself as he watched the sunrise. I didn't want to imagine how he felt, after seeing Tiara die the way she did. I was nowhere near fine after Ashton left.
Cael stood off to the side, wiping whatever guck he had on his face with his dirty hands, but it only managed to smear the dirt on his cheek. I found it utterly unfair that he still looked so breathtaking even with the sweat and grime on his face.
It was completely unfair that he still managed to look breathtaking with all the dirt and sweat on his face. He peered up and our eyes met. My breath hitched slightly as I adverted my gaze immediately.
"Good. Now, I'm going to see if they'll compromise." Tyler glanced back at the group of hunters who still sat huddled on the ground.
He spun around in his heels and headed towards them. I watched as he sat down in front of the group, his mouth moving as he talked with them. The hunters listened intently without interrupting or belittling him.
Whatever he was proposing, I knew it would be a great deal for both side. Tyler was a natural at leading, and anyone — even me — found it hard to disagree with him. He had some sort of persuasive power over everyone.
I sighed, glancing up at the sky again. This time, the orange and yellow shades had been replaced with blue. The sun was finally up. An early morning breeze blew, combing through my tangled strands of hair as it weaves past me.
After a few minutes, Tyler stood up again, his hands on his knees as he pushed himself up from the ground. He gave me a light nod, a small smile lingering on his lips and that was all it took for me to realize that he'd gotten his way — a compromise, a treaty.
In a silent agreement, Tyler, Cael and I began setting off in the direction of home. The volunteers and those who'd been rescued followed without another word, though I didn't miss some of the groans as they stood up from the grass.
I glanced back at the group of about 30 of us. No one had died — for a lack of better word. Just a bunch of minor injuries.
"How many did you guys have to kill?" I asked as Tyler fell into step with me. We hiked further and further away from the mansion, the large house was beginning to look smaller and smaller as we walked on — as if the threat hadn't been all that large to begin with.
"Not much, only a few who threatened us as we were leaving." He responded nonchalantly as he trained his gaze ahead of us. We entered a large forest of trees, the underbrush immediately shielded us from the blazing sun. "What about you guys?"
"Same with you." I sighed. "We didn't run into anyone really. Just two, and Justin killed one of them." I ended quietly, feeling the familiar empty gap in my stomach again as I remembered the shaking woman in the room.
"Do you think it's finally over?" I turned to Tyler as he simultaneously looked over at me.
"Well, for now anyway." He looked behind our backs to our little army of volunteers. They all looked so worn out that they couldn't possibly take another step. I felt the same way, it was pure adrenaline that kept me going now.
"We won't have to worry about them anymore." I couldn't help the smile that formed on my lips. "If only Ashton could have been here." The smile immediately morphed into a sad one, rather than triumphant.
"Me too." Tyler sighed, before he looked at me again, rolling his bottom lip into his teeth. "Hey..."
I raised an expectant eyebrow. "Yes...?"
"I've been thinking a lot about the open Beta position lately." Tyler started, staring deep into my eyes. "I want you to be the new Beta."
"Me?" My jaw slackened but I immediately shut it back. "No, it can't be me. I'm not a man, and it should be your Delta who steps up."
Tyler gave me a flat look. "Since when do you care about whether it's a male or female position. You single handedly trained the Moonstones, and besides, I trust that you will honor Ashton in that position."
I could honor Ashton in that position.
If it was the one thing I could give Ashton — it was to make sure it wasn't some scumbag who ended up as Beta after him.
I might not be perfect for the role, and far from ready to take it, but I had years to learn and I would never do anything that could harm The Nightshade Pack.
The crunching of the grass below our feet as we walked and the rustling of leaves on trees from the wind were the only sounds that echoed between Tyler and I.
"I'll... I'll try it out." I finally said after much silence. For Ashton.
Tyler beamed. "Great, you start training tomorrow."
I rolled my eyes. I couldn't even get one day to relax and pig out in my bed with Ava.
Tyler walked off, leaving me alone to my thoughts. My eyes unintentionally trailed over to Cael. He walked with his head hung low, hands tucked in his pocket.
My heart wanted to forgive him, to be with him so that I could be happy. But my brain couldn't help but wonder what would happen to me if he went back to his old ways.
For some reason when I was with Cael, or whenever he was near, a weirdly quiet content feeling spread over me. It was a feeling I never felt with Ashton, no matter how much I loved him.
"You finally want to give Cael a chance?" My wolf purred in my head, not even bothering to hide the irritation laced in her tone. "You finally realize that he wants you just as much as you want him?"
"I don't want him.." I trailed off, infuriated at her. She let out a scoff in my head and went dead silent. She'd left again, just like before, but this time it was different. She was leaving me to decide for myself — for once.
I guessed if he hurt me once than shame on him, but if he hurt me again.....
Ugh. Shame on me that was what.
His rejection sucked, but if I handled it once, I could handle it again. Cael had changed, even if it was in the most minuscule ways. He was more mature now, that was for sure.
He had admitted he was wrong and apologized for his wrongdoings. Maybe I was the one that never gave him the chance to prove himself.
My legs brought me over to Cael without the consent of my brain and I fell into step with him. He peered down at me, his eyes brightening. I didn't miss the ear shattering shriek my wolf let out in my head.
"Hey." His lips twitched up, breaking the awkward silence.
In that moment m, I realized that I didn't know him at all. All my time I'd spent with the Moonstone Pack and I'd never said one word to him. He was around, with his flamboyant and popular personality, and I was always in the back, watching.
I'd always assumed he was a horrible person just because that's what he seemed like. But maybe there was more to him than what I'd always thought. Hopefully, there was more to him.
"Look, I'm sorry for all that I've done to you. I was stupid and immature, and I didn't know what I was doing." He sounded genuine, his voice wavered slightly though his hopeful eyes never left mine. "I... I shouldn't have rejected you, I knew that immediately after you left, and I never had a chance to tell you."
"I know." His eyes sucked me in as a warm, content feeling settled within my heart and stomach. "And I don't blame you, you were pretty idiotic."
"Well, I am thinking clearly now, and I think I'm less of an idiot." He smirked, and my breath hitched from the sight of his smile. The butterflies churned in my stomach. "Can I have a second chance? I can show you just how much I've changed. We don't have to do anything, just... get to know each other better."
His eyebrows knitted together, his forehead creased slightly anxiously. The two of us stopped walking, our feet rooted on the ground where we were.
My eyes found his. Those eyes that could have wooed any girl he wanted to. Now, he didn't want any girl.
Just one.
"Will you let me make it up to you?" His eyes watched me, laced with hope. His face crinkled slightly as he waited apprehensively.
My breath caught in my throat. He had no idea how long I'd waited to hear those words. Now that I have, they sounded so sweet. Better than I had ever imagined them to sound.
My heart swelled slightly, and my feet felt light underneath me, as if I was floating.
My mind drifted to Ashton, who I knew wanted me to be happy no matter what. I was never going to forget him, that much was true. And no one would ever fill the hole that he'd left when he died.
I knew that letting Cael into my heart again could break me, way past my breaking point. But life didn't always give out second chances. I knew from Ashton that every second counted.
Maybe, there was more to Cael than I'd ever known. Maybe, it was time to meet him in the proper light.
I soft smile spread over my lips. "Yes."
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𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚: 21/05/2021
𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥! 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 -- 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨!
That was the last chapter of No Werewolves Allowed, I know it was a really short book, but everything was already concluded and dragging it on would just make it horrible and don't forget to vote, comment and share!
EDITED