Chapter Twenty-Two:
I gasped as pain exploded across my shoulder and neck where his claws dug in. Percyus did what he could to get me out of the way, but as I fell, it only ripped my flesh apart. I could hear my screams only faintly, the blood rushing in my ears overpowering. I felt like I was in a bubble, my head pounding with fear.
The second I crashed to the ground Lorenzo's hands were on me, dragging my body out of the way right as Percyus slammed his father to the ground where I had been laying. Through a haze I watched the fight unfold, his fathers movements slow as the drug kicked in.
Percyus's neck was slick with red blood that came down from the back of his head. That didn't seem to bother him as he threw a punch to his fathers face. However his fist was caught in the nick of time and threw to the side. I screamed for them to stop, but when my screams go nowhere, I turned to Lorenzo, fury gripping me.
"Why aren't you helping him?!" I screamed, hitting his chest with my good hand. "Stop this!"
Lorenzo looked at me, his eyes flooded with tears, "I'm under alpha command. I can't do shit, he's such an idiot."
I was confused, "What? Why can't you help?!" I shrieked.
He grabbed my fist that was hitting him, his tears finally falling, "He commanded us through mind link to not intervene! I can't help him under command!"
My mouth opened in shock. Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he want help? I looked to the other men who were fighting the same pained look in their eyes, knowing they physically couldn't help him in any way. Their bodies would kill itself before they could act against an alpha command.
I whipped back around to the fight to see the man slam Percyus's head into the floor, stunning him. I screamed and turned back to Lorenzo, "Why aren't the tranquilizers working?!"
Lorenzo shook his head, "He's too big. It would take five to take him down. Two just slows his movements but he's still twice as strong as Percyus... Fuck." He cried, balling his fist and slamming it against his thigh.
I looked up again, seeing Percyus roll and land a punch on his father, whipping his head to the side. A shriek filled the air and I looked up to see his wife standing there, horrified. "Haes!" She screamed, concerned over her husband who was hardly affected by the punch.
Haes looked at her with fury, giving Percyus time to slide out from underneath him and tackle him. He slammed him to the floor and straddled his waist, throwing hit after hit. I felt fear consume my stomach and I made a dash towards him.
I felt a hand grab my uninjured hand and pull me back. "No, Calla!" Lorenzo cried.
I was hysterical. Did he want to let him die? I jerked my arm, but he didn't let go. "Please, Calla! I don't want you to get hurt."
I stepped close to him, my eyes turning black as Walla took over. She yanked him down by his arm, she growled loudly. "Well I don't want to see my mate die! Now let me go!"
He seemed surprised by my outburst and his grip loosened enough to slip out of. He realized his mistake the second he made it, he went to grab me again but I ran out of reach. He tried to follow, but an invisible barrier separated his body from getting any closer to the fight due to command. He swore loudly, "Fuck! Please, Calla!"
I tuned him out and turned to the fight, ready to see Haes blood spill. I had never wanted violence, making my thoughts about how I felt right now foreign in my brain. However I couldn't help it. I wanted him to die. No one hurts Percyus.
Percyus was still on top of his father, but one of his wrists was in the hold of Haes, limiting his movement. In a quick movement, he snapped Percyus's wrist back, the break sounding loudly the room. Pain filled his eyes as he howled in agony.
I screamed in anger, seeing Haes laugh maliciously as his only son writhed in pain. My body moved instinctively and I reared my leg back before driving my foot into his face. His head hit the floor with a loud crack and he grimaced. I took that time to bend down, and with my good hand, I drove my fingers straight into his eyes.
In anger, I pushed his eyes in, digging my fingers deep into his bloody eye sockets. I pushed so hard that he screamed in agony. Hearing that hit something inside of me and I immediately drew my hand back, my eyes widening. I gasped and looked at my blood covered hand, seeing Percyus stare at me in bewilderment.
I had blinded Haes.
I backed up, feeling sick at the blood on my hands and the blood around Haes eyes as he screamed. He had his eyelids squeezed shut, but they didn't round around his eyes like they normally would, as he didn't have any anymore. I saw Percyus reach for a tranquilizer and pull the trigger four times into his fathers chest, his one hand limply resting at his side.
I scrambled back, frantically finding the arms of Lorenzo, who pulled me into a hug. I scared myself with my violence. How could I do such a thing? Walla shouted in my head. He hurt you! He hurt mate! We did favor.
I swallowed hard, watching Haes slip into unconsciousness, his screams dying. I feel numb, knowing Walla was essentially right. If I hadn't done that, Percyus might've been dead by now.
"Calla..." I heard Percyus whisper.
My eyes found his and he stood there, his body swaying slightly. His grip on the gun loosened and it fell to the ground, his eyes droop slightly. He looked pale, sweat sheen on his body, his clothes tattered from the fight. He looked awful.
"Percyus?" I asked, pulling away from Lorenzo, my eyes resting on Percyus's wavering form. "Are you okay?"
"Please." He murmured with pained eyes before falling forward, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
I rushed forward, trying to catch him or do something, but he fell seconds before I reached him. I slid to the ground next to him, skidding across the floor, my knees no doubt splitting open. I shook him, my hands roaming his broad shoulders to wake him. "Percyus?"
I felt fear grip me and I turned to Lorenzo with a wide gaze. "What are you doing standing there? Get Landon!"
I felt awful for speaking to him like that, but my main focus was Percyus. I watched them rush out of the room in a daze, no doubt still recovering from the hold the command had on their bodies. They were no doubt straining, which sapped energy.
"Please wake up!" I shrieked, tears leaking out of my eyes.
I felt my mind fuzz and I shook it away. I tried to focus again, but my mind had different ideas. No, this isn't the time to pass out, Percyus needs you! I felt my my body tug downwards and I want to scream at myself. "I'm so sorry." I murmur before slowly leaning down onto him, my mind shutting down.
\/\/\/\
"Calla? Are you awake?" I heard a familiar voice call, pulling me from sleeps hold.
I moaned sleepily, opening my eyes to adjust to the lights. Lorenzo sat on the edge of the bed, looking like he had gotten no sleep in days. I sat up slowly with the help of a nurse, who stuffed pillows behind my back. I thanked her graciously before turning to Lorenzo, who was staring bleakly at the bed.
"Hey." I said, trying to get him out of his melancholy state.
His head lifted and he forced a smile, "Hi."
I felt incredibly awkward. Never had we had a conversation so dull. "How long have I been here?" I ask.
"A day. You needed to catch up on sleep, so we let you." He answered, his voice void of emotion.
"What's wrong?" I ask. I could see it in his eyes."You're not yourself."
He looked away, his eyes flooding, "I just- I wish I could've done more. I stood there and watched my best friend get beaten by his worst nightmare. Before you got here almost every night I'd wake up to him screaming in a nightmare. Then you came and it stopped entirely." He let his head drop into his hands. "I wish I could've protected him."
I reached forward and rested my hand on his knee, "You did everything you could. It wasn't your fault. You hit Haes twice with a tranquilizer!"
His shoulders heaved and he spoke with a voice thick with tears, "But he got hurt. I can't help but feel awful. I've always been there for him, you know? Ever since he became king, I was his right hand man. I was there for him, but I let him down when he needed me most."
I felt me heart break as he broke down completely. His shoulders shook with his silent sobs, and I wrapped him with my one good arm, a pathetic attempt at comforting him. "I'm so sorry." I murmured, patting him on the back.
He held onto my arm that was around him, as if he didn't want me to let go. I didn't. I stayed silent as he rode out his sadness. Occasionally I'd offer him a 'you'll be alright', but it seemed futile. I couldn't help him, but watching him so sad was awful. I found a stray tear leaking down my cheek for him.
When he composed himself, he blew his nose and wiped at his eyes. "Sorry about that." He whispered, not trusting his voice to go any louder without breaking. I knew the feeling.
"Don't be sorry." I said, offering him a smile.
He wiped at his eyes again, a small smile gracing his lips, he let out a weak laugh, "You probably want to see Percyus. Um, would you like to go?"
I nodded with a smile, secretly not able to wait much longer before I exploded and went to look for him myself. Lorenzo walked over to me and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me out of the bed gently. He set me on my feet and made sure I was stable before he took my hand and put it on his arm. I thanked him on the insides for how kind he was being, even though he looked ready to collapse into a puddle of tears again.
I decided to distract him as we walk. "Why hadn't I seen Haes and his wife around the pack before then?"
He stiffened. I was about to recoil and take the question back, but he spoke. "Kalena. That's his wife's name. Percyus probably didn't go into detail, but when he was a child, his father was king, and he would beat Kalena so bad that she wouldn't be able to walk for days at a time. When Percyus saw this and understood what he was doing he tried to help her, but then Haes starting wailing on him too. Then whenever she would get beaten he'd step in and take it for her. He didn't really care for his mother as time went by. She was an enabler. She never once left or helped Percyus get away because she still had feelings for her mate. It's understandable, but her own son was taking all the hits for her and never once did she offer to let him escape to another pack for refuge or anything.
"When Haes would beat him he'd tell him he'd never be a good enough king. He thought Percyus would take his spot and ruin the dictatorship he had over the realm. That's why he's so terrified of his father, he was always trying to please him, but he would beat him and tell him he was nothing."
He was cut off when we walked into Percyus's hospital room. I gasped at his haggard appearance. Bruises had formed all over his body, his hand was adorned in s hard cast like my arm, and his head was wrapped in a big bandage. I ran to him, my hand finding his. He didn't wake up at my touch like I'd hoped he would.
"He will wake up in the hour. That's what the doctors said." Lorenzo elaborate from the doorway. He looked anywhere but at Percyus.
I pulled to chairs up to the edge of He bed and sat in one, urging Lorenzo to do the same. He did. I didn't let go of Percyus's hand, but I was itching to know the rest of the story. "Keep telling me." I pleaded.
Lorenzo sighed. "Alright. So his father was a real piece of shit. He never once was proud of him, and that's all Perce wanted to do; make him proud. Following Percyus coming of age to the throne being passed to him, he was terrified. He was eighteen and never had true experience outside of training. Training was so he would be taught to rule like his father, but his father was awful. He silenced the council with threats and had no regard for the wolf world. So when Percyus was crowned, the first thing he did, was banish his parents to a cottage on the outskirts of the pack. It's passed the creek and through the waterfall. It's very secluded, no one ever goes back there. They are excluded from all pack activities and gatherings. Because of Haes's violent outbursts we can't let him go out in public, so we have everything he needs delivered to the cottage.
"The law of the coronation requires them to be there to 'declare worthiness' although no one has ever been denied. Haes likes to think Percyus can let in whoever he wants because he wants to see us fall. Percyus begged the council, he literally got on his knees and begged. He didn't want to see you get hurt. But law is law. So, um, that's why you haven't seen them around..." He sighed, his small smile forced.
I was about to start an awkward conversation when a squeeze on my hand stopped me short. I choked on my gasp and turned to Percyus. His eyes were swelled almost all the way shut, allowing him to only open them slightly. When his eyes on me, his mouth cracked into a grin. "Hey, Calla."
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Thank you for reading!
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P. S. I've been feeling generous with the chapters. I've finally got the flow back! I'm so psyched! Love you guys!