HERES A LONG CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FOR ALL THE SHORT ONES IVE BEEN POSTING :)
Also— haha. Unedited. Love you guys.
KONRAD
He didn't feel bad. Konrad had killed his only son and he felt was more powerful. Sacrifices had to be made, Konrad understood that. He thought he was the only one who understood that, but the now dead Everly Dawn also understood that.
He twisted a dagger between his newly healed and placed hand. A bitch had torn it off after he killed her mutt son.
He liked feeling powerful. And there were ways to be even more powerful than he already was.
Konrad realized he had been using Becker the wrong way. Instead of having Becker work for him, be able to know everything, why didn't he just... take Becker's powers.
Konrad smiled as he opened the door to the dungeon. His whole plan was falling into place. Arlis was rogue, out to kill his mate and eventually die from it. Everly Dawn was dead. Sure he had lost a great power source such as his granddaughter but she was dying anyways.
If he felt any remorse for anyone throughout his path to ruling, it was for the little girl. She was sweet and innocent, a baby in the scheme of things. She didn't do anything. Konrad felt a little companionship with her. Sure he was still going to run her until she died, but it wasn't like he didn't feel bad for it.
Sacrifices had to be made for the better good. They had to be made.
He walked into the basement and stopped in front of Becker's cell. Konrad stared at the Hunter's dagger and then at Becker. Becker was sitting on the floor, barely able to hold his eyes open. Becker was so weak.
"What do you—" he stopped to cough. "want?" Konrad was proud. He had really messed Becker up in that little duel they had.
Konrad had a lot of answers to that question. He wanted his wife back, power, rulership. A better son than the one he used to have. He unlocked the cage and watched as Becker failed to stand up.
He was glad Becker ended up not being his son. Konrad would've been disgusted if he had raised a son who turned out like Becker. At least Clay was strong, a disgrace, but strong and smart nonetheless. Albeit, not strong or smart enough to save himself.
Konrad took the dagger and showed it to Becker. "Arlis's mutt Beta is dead." He announced. "Figured I'd let you know. Arlis is probably killing Kate soon. Eventually he'll die. Constance is... surely mourning the death of her cousin. Your cousin."
Becker tried to move forward but chains held him back. "You're not going to win." Becker's eyes were watering. Konrad was disgusted with him, with how Becker could have achieve great things but instead he cried over things like family.
"I already have! The sooner you learn that, the quicker this can finish." Konrad smiled. Nobody understood where he was coming from.
He wanted power so he could protect his family and his wife didn't understand that. He wanted to have a happy family and his wife cheated on him. He could get over the cheating. He had gotten over it. He wanted her back. He wanted to rule and save the planet from all the disgusting filth that wandered the lands. Humans, Hunteds, most Hunters. Werewolves. They were all a disgrace to the moon. Konrad didn't want to come out as evil, he just wanted a better world.
Konrad walked to Becker. "Do you remember what I did to your mother?" Sacrifices had to be made. Sometimes sacrifices were necessary.
Becker panicked as he looked from the dagger to Konrad. It only made Konrad feel more empowered.
Konrad didn't say anything more as he took the dagger and stabbed into Becker's chest. "Accipio potentiam tuam."
Konrad knew that at this moment, Becker was feeling his body tighten and constrict. Konrad set a hand on Becker's shoulder and felt as Becker's power ran dry. Becker's aura stopped humming, stopped giving off a sense of relaxation.
Konrad pulled the dagger out and laughed. "You're nothing, Beckerann. I'll send you to Sovereign right now. Tell everyone that I HAVE YOUR POWER! How you FAILED THEM! You can go there and mourn with the rest of the inferior fucks of the world, the helpless and weak! Tell them, I'm coming." Konrad snapped his fingers and Becker was gone. Not a single bit of power was left in Becker's system.
Konrad had all of it. He was the most powerful man in the world, and God it felt good.
KATE
Alpha Rylee smirked at me. His reddish hair was so dark I'd hardly even call it red. His grey blue eyes peered into everything they came across. He might've smirked, much like childish people often do, but Alpha Rylee was anything but childish. I'd even go as far as to say that he was more mature than even Arlis.
"There are some things in this world you don't understand. And Arlis would go his whole life without letting you understand," Alpha Rylee's mate, Ana, said. While Alpha Rylee was all soft features, a curved jawline and a small nose, Ana was harsh. She had a sharp jawline and a pointy nose. Her eyes were a cold shade of blue, her hair was blonde and pin straight. "If there weren't people out there who thought you had a right to know."
I looked down at my feet. "Arlis tells me everything," I defended.
Electra shook her head angrily. "You don't know why your party was attacked that night." Electra played with her hair, her scarred knuckles flashing to the world.
"Because Rylee... because Rylee..." I froze. I didn't know why the party was attacked that night.
"He went to see a witch to see if he still killed you a while back. Konrad mentioned that. And—" Electra began.
I shook my head at her. "No. He told me about that. He went to a witch to see if he died before he found his mate."
Electra rolled her eyes. "He's a liar. A god damn liar." She finished off the braid she was making and then stood up, walking over to sit closer to me.
I dug my nails into the pillow that was sitting in my lap. "Arlis isn't a liar," I argued. Arlis would never lie to me.
"Arlis went to a witch to see if he still killed you." Electra narrowed her eyes at me, daring me to interrupt her again. "The witch said that if he had helped kill Konrad, which he did, then the curse was broken. He asked how he met you and she..." Electra paused, a look of pity crossing her face. "Well she said that he'd meet you either killing you or saving you. Arlis spent months trying to find a loop hole."
"Eventually he did. He could give you a reason as to why you needed to be saved," Ana finished for Electra. "He asked the witch how he met you and she explained to him that it was at a human party."
"He had Sam and Seymour watching for parties for years," Electra continued. "And then yours came around and Arlis felt a pull that you were there."
"You have to understand, Arlis isn't a perfect person. He felt alone." Rylee took a deep breath. "He sent me in to attack the party. And he sent Sam and Seymour in to find a werewolf living amongst humans."
"When they returned back, telling him they didn't find anyone, Arlis flipped his shit. And then you went to him. And... the rest is history." Electra sat back, relaxed.
I ran my hands through my hair. "My friend is missing because of him."
"I don't see you out looking for her. Or complaining a lot." Electra shrugged.
I glared at her, standing up. "There's a lot going on! What do you want me to do, mope around?" I threw my hands up.
"Arlis knows where she is," Rylee laughed. "Of course he knows. Arlis is powerful, missy. And not just because he's Arlis Barron, Alpha of all the wolves." Rylee snarled out. "He has contacts. He found her probably the first time you complained. Not for you of course, just out of his own sick curiosity."
"He would've told me." My chest constricted and my heart raced. I was frantic, mentally trying to find a way out of the house. I couldn't breathe.
"Not if she was dead," Alpha Rylee chuckled.
I yelled and then jumped up from the couch, and ran to the very door that led to where Arlis was. Rogue or not, he had questions to answer.
I couldn't believe that she was dead. My mom had tried to break it to me and I didn't believe her then, and hearing it again didn't make me believe it any more.
"Stop going down there!" Ana yelled from behind me.
I got to the door of the stairs to the basement, and I would've went down there if it weren't for Ralph standing there.
"Move, Radulphus," I sneered.
"Little girl, you don't scare me." Radulphus rolled his eyes at me, tilting his head to the side like a puppy. "You don't need to see him right now."
I did the last thing I thought I'd ever do. I walked to him and looked up, our eyes meeting. "Your opinion is valid." I nodded, agreeing with him.
He widened his eyes in surprise. "Glad someone around here has a brain."
"But I don't care." I shrugged and then pulled my arm back and punched him square in the nose.
He stumbled forward, his hands raised to his nose. I watched a plant shrivel in the corner and when Ralph looked at me, his eyes were brighter than they once were.
When he removed his hands from his face, his nose wasn't bleeding, it didn't even look like he'd been punched. My knuckles were definitely going to bruise, but his face was fine.
"You wanna try that again?" He growled. He took a threatening step towards me.
I started something I couldn't finish. I took a step back just as Electra slid in front of me, fists held up. "She might of started it but you can't blame her."
Radulphus tilted his head at her. "Are you going to fight her battle for her?"
Electra turned and narrowed her eyes at me and then faced back to Radulphus. "As a good warrior does for their Luna, yes." Without even looking at her face, I knew she was far more fierce than Ralph.
The air around us got cold, all warmth being stripped from it.
"Here we go again. Fuck, can't even talk about grown up matters without getting childish responses." Electra put a hand on her forehead, her thumb and pointer finger rubbing her temples.
"Isn't that what your daughter said before she was slaughtered?" Ralph questioned.
Beside him, a girl with strikingly blonde hair and electrifying blue eyes materialized. Her throat was slit, blood poured down her white blouse. "Mom," She whimpered and then fell towards her.
Electra's eyes widened as she lunged to grab her. The girl fell through her arms, evaporating away.
Electra's eyes watered as she stood up, taking a quick step to Radulphus. "Fuck you!" She seethed. "At least I tried to help my daughter! Did you laugh at your sister when she asked for your help!?"
"THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO!" Radulphus screamed back. He clenched his fists and I watched as Electra's color began to go pale. Her skin tightened, leaving wrinkles behind.
She took a determined step and kicked Radulphus in the side. He lost focus for just a second and the air got warmer once again.
Electra picked up a glass bowl and slammed it over Radulphus's head. Radulphus fell to the ground, out cold.
"Hey! TAKE IT OUTSIDE if you're going to break bowls!" Ana walked into the room, arms crossed. "I don't care if you're my sister, leave." And pointed to the door, staring Electra down.
Electra rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm not leaving until my Luna does."
I looked from Ana to Electra, resemblances slowly piecing themselves together in my head. Sister? As in they were sisters? Like... as in having the same parents?
"You're from this pack?" I asked Electra.
She looked Rylee up and down and then spit on the ground. "No. My sister is from Sovereign. But she left when Reigns died and came here. She was close with the Barrons, their deaths sent her on a spiral and she had to leave. That's when she meant Rylee. Ironic, since Rylee has always hated the Barrons. But we all trust Ana. Too much if you ask me."
It all fit. Why Arlis asked Rylee to attack the party, a pack he hated. Why Arlis was with Alpha Rylee instead of back home. Because of Ana.
"Too much? I'm more trustworthy than you. You let Kàra die, my niece." Ana shook her head disappointingly at Electra.
Electra stomped her foot. "At least my husband doesn't collect humans every once in a while! What if a Hunter found out about that, hmmm?"
Ana jumped at Electra and the two began fighting, throwing punches left and right. Their feet traded back kicks.
It all became too much. Too much fighting, too many words said that would soon be regretted. I looked from Rylee, who was sitting and drinking coffee, to the fight going on. I looked at Radulphus's asleep body. Growling and barking came from down stairs, the sound much louder than any normal dog.
I set my foot forward and then growled loudly, the sound burning in my throat. Sure I had growled before, but never that loudly. They didn't stop. They just ignored me.
I pulled Electra off of Ana and then growled in Ana's face. "Leave each other alone. We have more pressing matters."
"Like you trying to get to your lost love? Awe how sad, cry about it!" Ana snapped. "We all have issues, little girl. Stop moping about Arlis and do something about it!" Ana turned and began walking down a hallway. We heard a door slam.
Rylee cleared his throat and stood up. "I'm done protecting you from Arlis. If you want to die, go for it." He followed Ana down the hallway.
It was just me, Electra, and Radulphus's asleep form now.
"I hate this." Electra muttered and then started walking to the front door. "You shift tonight, don't you? Come on, let's get you set up."
"Arlis—"
"Will be here tomorrow morning," Electra defended.
"I can't leave him." I probably sounded pathetic. But I really couldn't find it in my soul to leave him here. The fact that someone I loved was alone in the dark, probably in pain, hurt my heart.
A part of me was screaming to stay with Arlis. I needed to be with him. I had to be with him.
Electra huffed out a breath. "You can't stay here. The pack needs their Luna. I'm sorry, but Arlis is going to have to wait."
"I have a feeling I need to be with him," I sighed. "I can't explain it, I can't. But he needs to be with me."
Electra bit her lip angrily. "Well I'm sorry, he will kill you, and me, and any other person who he comes across!" Electra yelled. "It was a pain in the ass to get him here, we had to call Ralph to bring him here. And even then we all suffered wounds!"
I was small compared to her. I was short, weak, younger. She was smarter, stronger, she knew this world. But I knew how I felt. I knew Arlis. "He won't. He won't kill me."
"Even if that were true, he'd still kill me. And anyone else!" Electra turned and walked towards the door. "Stay here, I don't care. I have a son to get back to, a mate. I have a pack to train and take care of."
She walked away, the scars on her back on full show. I thought about Arlis's scars. The thin white lines that raked down his back in stripes.
"Electra. Call it a sixth sense. We need him home with us." I grabbed her shoulder softly. "You have to listen to me. Please."
She rubbed her face up and down. "Fine. But I'm not happy."
***
Radulphus was not happy when he woke up. But he was happy to get rid of us, very quickly. I hadn't seen anyone that pissed off since I hid Chance's football helmet and made him late to a game.
"Why'd you bring him back here!" Dalia snarled at me.
Dalia, Leif, Electra, Timothy, Electra's second (Win), and I were all seated in Arlis's living room. Arlis was currently lotus chained to a tree out front.
Iris and Anthony were at home still, hushed away in their bedroom. I wished I could be there with them, mourning the loss of Chleo. But... mourning had to wait for me.
Chance was still M.I.A. I may have said some unwanted words to him, but he did as well. We both owed each other an apology. I just hoped he'd let me have the chance to do so.
Lilly and Jake were with Jonah and Melloni at the hospital.
"I need him here." It was a stupid excuse, it was. But he needed to be here. I knew it, I didn't know how or why but I knew.
"You shift in how long?" Leif asked.
Leif And Dalia were sitting close together, their hands entwined. There were still some unsaid words between the two, some feelings that went undiscussed.
"What time is it?" I asked.
Leif looked at a nice watch on his wrist. "Almost nine."
Almost nine. Nine to ten, ten to eleven, eleven to twelve, twelve to one, one to two. "About five hours." It wasn't that long. There were less hours in a school day. I could only watch two movies In five hours. Five or so hours was how long it took me to drive from Sovereign to home and back.
"We don't have the people to take care of you, Arlis, and the pack." Dalia groaned, running her hands through her hair. "Jonah is still hospitalized and Mell is with him, you're going to shift, now Arlis is here."
"Electra and Timothy can watch Arlis. Kate, Leif And Dalia can help you shift. I can man the phone. It's not like the Pack will even notice nobody is watching it. What could go wrong? Especially in the time frame everything is happening?" Win proposed, smiling at us.
Electra rolled her eyes. "With everything going on? A lot. But we don't have another option."
I hated this, being limited. I was a hassle right now. Why of all days, did my birthday have to be now? In the midst of everything shitty?
"Lets start getting everything set up, love." Leif grabbed Dalia's hand and the two looked at me before nodding their head to the door.
I liked the idea of Leif And Dalia helping me. I wished Chance would be there, but odds were he was going to rain check if asked to come. But Leif had grown on me a lot since when I first got here. He was like a brother. Plus, he had just recently gone through the change himself. He'd know my pain fresh on his mind and he could help me through it.
Dalia was sweet but strong, and if anyone would know the right words to say to me, it would be her.
***
It was pathetic, honestly. There was a small picnic blanket laid out on the snow, a random deer body cooling down on ice. A bucket of water. Two people with me. I was in the front yard of me and Arlis's house, the looming full-moon felt like a threatening joke on my life.
When Leif turned, there were a bunch of people by his side. I didn't have the one person I specifically wanted here.
I wondered, not for the first time, what was going to change after I had fully shifted. What would my wolf look like? What would Arlis think? What would I think?
"What's it like after shifting? With bonds and stuff?" I asked Leif.
He was sitting in the picnic blanket. A tarp was laid out underneath it so it didn't get soaked in the snow. "Well... everything feels stronger. Everything is brighter, darker. I can sense things I couldn't before. I can feel other's sadness or warmth. It's beautiful."
I nodded my head and looked at the ground. I hugged out a breath. "How much does it hurt," I asked, biting my lip. It was close to eleven now. Three or so hours, and I'd be experiencing something unexplainable.
Leif looked up at the clear sky, his face grimacing. "Every bone breaks at once. Multiple times. And that's all I'm saying."
"I'll compare it to losing your virginity, it all depends. For some people it's not bad, for others it hurts like hell and bleeds a lot." It could have been a joke, but the way Dalia said it didn't make me feel any lighter.
My stomach lurched and I had to force myself not to puke. The idea of that amount of pain made me want to roll over and rethink my life choices over the past couple months.
"How—"
"NO!" Someone screamed, as a body landed on the ground in front of me. I screamed and clutched my chest, jumping back just as Dalia and Leif got to their feet.
I relaxed. "Becker don't do that." I shut my eyes, taking slow breathes to calm my heart rate.
Becker didn't move. "Becker?" I poked him with my foot, gaining no response. "Beck?" I got down onto my knees and shook him. He didn't blink. I rolled him over and then put my fingers on his neck, lucky to hear a pulse. "Why isn't he waking up? Becker!" I yelled.
Dalia came over and slapped him across the face, and surprisingly it worked.
He lurched up, scrambling backwards in the snow. He shivered, crossing his arms over his chest. "We— we need. Konrad. Clay." He gulped.
I looked from Dalia to Leif. Both looked as lost as I was.
"Becker, what's wrong?" I asked.
"He— he killed Clay Gold. He sent me.... he sent me to say he was coming." Beck gulped. "Where's Arlis? We need Arlis."