FIFTY FOUR

FIFTY FOUR
Kade

We have been running for what felt like hours. I never knew the forest was this vast. Kael was on my heel, surprisingly able to keep up with me.

After that fight, I have tried to be a bit patient. Kael doesn’t understand what I’ve done. I have done my best to protect him. He was my only family member. My blood. Making decisions with him was the only way I thought was best, to keep him in the dark. I treated him like a kid, and I shouldn’t have. It only made him hold a grudge against me, and I hated it. I’d never admit it, but my brother came first.

During Anna. I made the mistake of making her my whole world. Paraded her and left my brother behind. Without a care for what he felt. I never asked if he wanted to be Alpha. Never cared. All I cared about was protecting him, even though it was all due to selfishness.

I made a mistake with Anna. I wasn’t making one with Lyra. I didn’t have to go through anything on my own, and it took a few punches from him to realize that. Pity.

We were cornered deep in the woods. Three, no four wolves surrounded us. They looked feral. Baring their teeth at us. There was a white one in the middle. I’d recognize that wolf anywhere and any day.

“Anna,” I growled.

“Long time no see, Kade,” she growled back.

Kael whimpered. Shit. He didn’t know she was alive.

“Anna?” He said confusion laced his words. He shifted forms.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Didn’t want to see the look of desperation in his eyes.

“Hello, Kael” her voice changed. It was softer and less hostile.

“I-I thought you were dead. What ha- Kade?!” He called my name, but I didn’t respond. Not now.

“I’ll explain everything later, but right now, she is not who you think she is. She’s working with Vallore”

“You got it wrong, Kade. Vallore works for me. But it doesn’t matter anyway. I am sorry, Kael, but I’d have to kill you both.” She growled, and immediately Kael shifted back. He didn’t think as he took to a defensive position.

They rounded us up. Snarled and watched us. I wasn’t scared. Wasn't fazed. I just wanted to get this over and done with so I could continue my search for Lyra except. No wayyy. The realization hits me.

“You took her!” My wolf was angry. He wanted to snap at her. Slice her open.

“Yes.”

“She has done nothing to you. Why would you take her?” Kael snapped, and Anna tilted her head back and laughed. Her wolf is making fun of Kael. I hated her. She needs to die. Again.

“Since you’re going to die anyway, I guess there is no harm in telling you. She’s my twin.” What?

No. The resemblance. It couldn’t be true, could it?

“Bullshit. She’s nothing like you. You can’t both share the same blood,” Kael argued, and Anna laughed again.

“Doesn’t matter what you believe, but she’s my blood. I know Kade knows that too,” she turns to me, and I could not deny it. Not saying I believed her, but there was a possibility that she was telling the truth. No one can argue the fact that they look alike, but that’s all the proof there was to it.

“I don’t know anything, Anna. I will confirm with her later. Tell me where she is, and I might consider sparing you”

“Like your parents did? How pitiful. I won’t be telling you anything, and there is no later for you. Kill them,” she orders the wolves, who pounce on us.

Sharp teeth sank into my legs as I tried to fight off the wolf sinking its fangs into my ears. I growled, biting the one on my legs. Kept him locked in my jaw before using my strength to fling him away towards the trees. I grab the other one with my paw, pinning it underneath me. My paws dig into its skin as it howls.

I need to get this over with so I can save my brother, who howls loudly. I join in gathering strength from the fact that we’re doing this together.

Another wolf leapt at me, but before it could come down at me, it was thrown off me by a white wolf. Big and oddly familiar. The wolves attacking us came to a stop and rushed to stand beside Anna.

“Move,” Anna growled. But the wolf doesn’t budge. Kael looks at me. It’s obvious we were both wondering the same thing. Who was this?

“You’d have to kill me first,” the wolf answered, and something flowed inside my head like a whisper.

“I won’t say it again, Delyria. Move!”

“Not happening. I won’t let you hurt what’s mine.” There was something in the way she said that that made my heart beat faster.

“Lyra?” Kael beat me to it. The wolf turns towards us slowly. Doesn’t say anything, just looks at us. Then shifts. Shit.

Kael was the first to shift and approach her. He was cautious, but when he noticed she was safe, he pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back. I turned to shift, but paused when I realized Anna hadn’t backed down. She had shifted to her human form, and I don’t know where she saw the knife from, but she threw it at Kael, who had his back turned towards her. No.

I rushed towards the throw and launched myself in front of the knife, letting it pierce my waist. A loud growl left my throat as I stumbled back in pain. Falling to the ground as I bled out. I was already injured from the fight and had not fully healed.

Kael shifts as well, Lyra. I shift, pressing against the cut. I pulled the knife out and groaned. My head was aching like I had been sliced in the head. This wasn’t just a regular knife. It was poisoned.

“Poison” was the last thing I muttered before darkness took me.