A/N
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BELLA
The entire forest was silent.
Holding the bow was a familiar woman with white-blonde hair and blue-green eyes similar to mine. Vlaxin hit the other man who was supporting the guy lying lifelessly on the ground. The man's head turned to an awkward angle before he too fell palely to the dirt.
I never once took my eyes away from the woman. The woman who fed me until I was nine years old. She was the only one who protected me with her life and died for me in the hands of my father. Then how was she alive? What was she going here?
Tears welled my eyes as I took slow steps towards her. My hands began to tremble in happiness and sadness. It was a different type of feeling to see someone after so many years. Someone who you saw dying in front of you. Someone to whom you pleaded to stay with you.
Bella? I heard Xanthos' voice in my head but I didn't reply back to him as I weakly walked to her.
I didn't care on whatever my foot trudged on. I just kept on walking with tears now falling uncontrollably from my eyes.
"Mom..." I breathed out her name. Her greenish-blue eyes looked glassy as she stared at me. "Mom..." I whispered again in pain.
She was alive but never took me away from my miseries and agony. Never visited me to get me away from those monsters who made me walk on pieces of glasses.
A sob escaped my lips as she took a step forward. "Princess...? Is that you?"
I closed my eyes as soon as she muttered her nickname for me. Old memories of her playing with me, cooking food with me, teaching me about days to day lives of poor as and rich and many other things flashed in my eyes but instead of savouring the recollections, I tried to clear them off of my mind.
"How...?" I asked her whilst standing in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak but I beat her to it. "How are you breathing when you died in front of me?!" I yelled in anger. I didn't care about whoever was watching us but my only focus was on her.
"Princess--"
"Stop calling me that! How-how are you still alive? What are you doing here? Why did you leave me? Leave me with those monster--those Satans who almost killed me every once in a while!" Heavy tears escaped my eyes and my breathing became ragged. "You purposely left me to get beaten--"
"Let me explain!" She interrupted me but I continued yelling mean things at her.
"The physical and the mental trauma I went through for the past nine years is something you would have also not experienced at my age. I was a punching bag for them. To your ex-husband, step-mother and step-brother!"
Strong arms wrapped around me. Xanthos' smell entered my nose as I buried my head in his chest and greedily inhaled his scent.
I looked up and noticed his eyes were no longer red which meant he definitely was Xanthos.
"Calm down, my queen. You crying doesn't suit you."
"She wasn't there to save me when I got abused." My body raked as sobs after sobs escaped my lips.
Xanthos growled and deeply whispered, "now isn't the right time to cry. Just calm down and let's deal with this matter later, mate." I nodded my head and pulled away from him but he snaked his arm around my waist and kissed my eyes and the crown of my head before turning around to look at the people standing at the opening. "Stop crying, mate," he softly whispered.
I glanced at my mom who was leaning against a tree and looking at me with tears running down her cheeks. My heart ached to see her cry, nevertheless, I turned around to look at the crowd that was formed in front of me and my mate.
I was sure there were more than what I estimated before. Many wolves came out of bushes and a few men walked inside the opening carrying twigs and branches. When they noticed the dead guards, they dropped the branches that they were carrying before looking at the crowd and us.
They, along with other people present here bowed their head to my mate. They had a look of confusion as if they didn't know why they were submitting to my mate.
"You may rise," Xanthos commanded gently.
"What's going on?" An old man who seemed to be almost sixty grumbled. He had long white hair and beard. His eyes caught mine and widened as though he recognised me. He snapped his eyes to my mate and if possible they grew wider after checking my mate once.
He pulled his white beard and put an expression of thinking. People watched at the man curiously with huge eyes.
I tilted my head to the left. "You smell like a wizard," I said as I recognised his scent out of all the mixed scents.
"That's right, my queen. I'm a wizard." He glimpsed at my mate and looked away whereas I watched the old man in awe. He looked too cute as he was same as the size of an eight year old.
I totally ignored the fact that he called me a queen.
Whispers between people in front of me spread. A man with a bleeding arm walked out of the crowd. "Alpha," the crowd greeted.
"Pack," the Alpha greeted them back.
The Alpha stared at Xanthos and said, "I don't know who you are but my wolf sees you as his superior. You finally freed us from them. But the entire thing hasn't ended yet. You came like a storm and cleansed the wind. My pack will always be loyal to you." He shifted his stare at me before looking at my mate. "Ask us if you need anything."
My mate held me close to him and gazed at the Alpha. "What's this pack's name and what's yours?" He asked.
"This pack is just a small piece of my actual one which is now a part of the main Inferis territory. My pack was actually called 'The Embryo' however, the king divided it into segments. Myself Alpha Loisel."
Xanthos hummed before staring at me.
Plan two done. He said in my head. We'll gain his and the other packs' consent for helping us. This was pretty easier than I thought.
Thanks to Vlaxin. I said to him through our mate-link.
The old wizard walked to me or more like hopped and held my hand in his. He brought my hand close to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "I too can help you, Queen," Xanthos growled from beside me and tightened his hold on my waist. "Don't get jealous that your mate thinks I'm cute. I too am from a clan."
"Why can't we take help from wizards too?" I asked.
Xanthos scowled but nodded.
"We would be moving to the next fragment of your pack, Alpha. Lead our way," Xanthos said.
"As you wish," Alpha bowed and turned towards his pack members. "Follow us!"
"Okay, Alpha."
I turned to look at my mom. "You have a lot to explain to me," I mouthed the words as she walked closer to me.
Plan three formulation begins. Xanthos said in my head.
I guess this is going to be hectic.