Together Forever
Emmalee
I watch the whole scene unfold in wolf form.
...what?
Soren is on the ground, clutching his bleeding side. His breaths are shallow and he's watching Brent with a look of utter disbelief on his face. My gaze lands on the small knife covered in blood in my son's hand before it shifts to his face. Brent looks relatively calm as he peers at the dying Soren.
I can't believe this just happened.
The next person I look at is Romain, who's glaring at Soren. A triumphant smile is tugging at the corners of his lips, though. And he's alive. That's the most important part.
He doesn't look as surprised as I feel.
"Y-You—" Soren begins before coughing up blood. It's a wet, ugly sound.
"Finding out that you weren't my biological father was the best thing that ever happened to me," Brent says to him, his voice steady. The thought to shift back occurs to me but I'll stand before them naked, and I won't have that. So, I opt to just listen instead. "Do you know what it was like, being your son?"
Soren continues coughing, losing more and more strength with every passing second.
"Yes, I would've killed for your attention," Brent continues. "But that's only because we're all forced to need the love of our fathers. I did it to compensate for the fact that I looked at you and felt no connection between us. I tried so hard because I hated you and that felt wrong."
Hearing this comes as a shock to me. I never knew my son felt this way. The guilt I feel is crippling. I've put my son through hell and there's no erasing the past.
"I felt your hatred. I saw it in the way you looked at me. How you treated me. Uncle Cade treated me better, that's true, but he was far too close to you to give me the love I needed from him. I felt your coldness—I took it with me and let it expand and take root inside of me. I let it become a part of me, and it's with that coldness that I approach you now." After a pause, he adds, "Did you really think that I'd ever choose you over my mother? If I have a shred of love inside of me, it's because of her, not you."
He steps closer to Soren. My motherly instincts take over and a sound escapes me but Brent ignores me and inches even closer to Soren. I'm afraid. What if he tries to hurt my son? Brent scans his face before saying, "I've never been a Cimmerian and never will be but I will keep using your name. I will lead this pack as it should've been, without hate and prejudice. Rogues will be welcomed in these lands. I want you to die with that, Dad."
As if on cue, Soren takes his last breath, and goddess forgive me, but it's the biggest relief in the world. Brent steps back and drops the knife several paces away from Soren. Then, he looks my way.
"I'm sorry, Mom," he immediately apologizes. "I didn't want you to see this."
We both go to Romain, and Brent leaves the cell to bring down the chains. I shift quickly, holding onto his face and pressing my lips to his face.
"Romain," I whisper, heart pounding against my chest. The cuts on his neck have stopped bleeding, at least, and they're so thin they probably won't even scar. "I thought I was going to lose you. I was so scared."
"We had a plan," he says against my hair. "Brent was the one who wanted to do it. Our son...he has Fang's ruthlessness. It must've skipped a generation. But it was necessary. We can't complain about that."
"It terrified me," I admit. "Seeing his face. The way he held the knife. I didn't think he was like that."
His arms are lowered. Brent must've found the lever. I have to shift back because I don't want my son to see me naked, and besides, we now have to think of a way to leave this place.
This estate is still crawling with Gammas.
Brent returns shortly afterward, saying, "We'll have to get you out."
Romain is still massaging his arms. He looks exhausted. "Are you implying that you're not coming with us?"
Brent shifts his weight from one foot to the other. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. It all depends on how things are going to go from here. I'll only take charge of the pack once I'm of age. That's in nearly three years."
I shake my head. We have to leave all of this behind. To even think that he wants to stay behind and take charge of this hellhole makes no sense to me.
"I'll distract the Gammas. I know how to. Mom, you're going to have to carry him out."
Romain cuts in. "I'll shift. I can do it."
"The gates will be open. Give me five minutes."
"Only five?"
Brent smiles. He looks so much like Romain that it's almost terrifying. "I've always proven that I'm capable of doing whatever I put my mind to, didn't I? Five minutes. Be ready."
Brent races out of the cell and I shift back one more time, moving closer to Romain. He wraps an arm around my waist as I work on massaging his hands. They're so stiff and bloodless.
Oddly enough, I forget all about Soren's body right behind us. I'm only focused on making sure Romain is well and getting out of this place.
From now on, Soren will be a mere memory.
He'll never torment us ever again.
Our eyes lock right when we reach the five-minute mark. I stop massaging his hands and for a moment, we just stare at each other.
Romain cups my cheek and inhales deeply, eyes searching mine. He steals a glance over my shoulder at Soren, perhaps to ensure that he's dead. When he's satisfied, he looks back at me. "Are you ready?"
I close my hand around his wrist, aware of the clock ticking. "Yes. As ready as I'll ever be."
"It doesn't get much easier from here," he claims.
"Trying to scare me off?"
"I'm putting it how it is."
"I'll face whatever I have to face with you," I whisper before pressing my lips to his.
"There might be more fights."
"I will be yours in the light, in the dark, through every battle they throw our way. I'm not afraid to fight for you, Romain, and I'm not afraid to lose for you." I let the words hang in the air before adding, "We've come this far. We'll keep going until we find the place we're looking for."
"And which place is that?" he asks softly.
"A place we can call home. No dangers, no soldiers, no wars. Just us."
It's time to go. I head to the door but Romain lingers behind. When I look back, I spot him standing over Soren's corpse. In a flash, he rips Soren's throat out, and then we head out, together.