521- The Belladonna's Kiss and the Wolf's Vow
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
I felt my body weakening with every passing second. There was something wrong. If it were a common wound, caused by silver, my body would take a little longer to heal, but eventually it would heal. That wasn't what was happening, however.
I coughed, spitting more blood, staining my chin.
Ismael's head flew meters away, separating from his body with an abrupt and sudden movement. I gasped, in shock. His blood sprayed in all directions, including onto me. The decapitated body fell to the side, and then I saw Anton behind him, his arm extended, his nails elongated. Breathing heavily, his eyes gleamed and his features were hard.
Myrion appeared right behind and ran toward Aurelka and Lana.
"Son of a bitch!" he roared upon seeing his sister with a dagger embedded in her chest. "Who was the bastard who hurt you?"
He pulled the dagger, making her groan and curl up. With abnormal strength, he threw the blade far away, with perfect aim, hitting Ismael's head, burying it right in the middle of his forehead.
Aurelka brought her hand to her chest, massaging the area.
"Wow, that hurts like hell, I don't know how Anton handled it," she said, making a face.
Myrion leaned in and examined Lana, checking if she was alright, before turning to his sister.
"Who did this? No one touches my little sister!" he bellowed, his voice too deep to sound human.
Edric and Vladren appeared right behind, walking at a slow, unconcerned pace. He knew the children would handle it. Omar made as if to run, but stopped when he looked at the leader, who made a small head gesture toward him. A silent warning.
"That bastard over there," she pointed at Omar, "but the death belongs to Thalyndra. He was one of those responsible for the murder of her parents."
The leader approached his daughter and examined the wound that had already healed. He leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead, pulling her to him.
"They have no idea of the chaos they've just unleashed by wounding one of my pups," he murmured, looking at Omar, his eyes gleaming golden. He cast a biting half-smile at him. "You've just signed your death sentences."
Omar made a gesture with his hand.
"Forgive me, Lord Eldoria." He bowed, making a reverence. "I didn't know she was one of your pups, we don't want conflict with you."
Edric snarled.
"You entered into conflict with me the moment you launched a hunt against one of my pups."
"But... we never pursued your pups." He blinked, confused. Edric's smile widened.
"Thalyndra is part of my family, she has become one of my pups. There is no longer peace between us from the moment you touched her, much less now, that you have wounded my offspring."
I felt my heart acquiesce to his statement, with all the conviction he carried in his tone of voice.
Family. Home. They were words I thought I would never hear again, that I would never find again, but I was mistaken.
I coughed again and bent forward, my hands falling to my sides, my body losing strength, giving in. In less than the blink of an eye, Anton was right in front of me, holding me. He looked at my face and gently brought his hand to the curve of my neck. He examined me, sniffing.
"Something is wrong," he said, sounding worried. "She should have healed by now, the dagger didn't hit any vital organs."
Yes, he was right. It didn't hit my heart or my head, which would have been fatal. But I also wasn't a super wolf, like them. If I had taken the stab that Aurelka took, I would most likely already be dead.
Sweat ran down the back of my neck, it was as if my skin were burning, melting. I shuddered, letting out a broken sigh.
Anton moved even closer, without removing his hand from my face. He pulled up my shirt and examined the wound. He inhaled. When he raised his face, there was fear in his eyes, so deep that it emerged as panic. He parted his lips and swallowed with difficulty.
"I smell belladonna," he whispered, almost inaudibly.
Myrion moved too fast, grabbing Omar by the collar of his coat, lifting him and slamming his back against a tree trunk.
"Talk, now, what the hell was on that damned knife, or I'll rip out all your teeth and then your tongue," he snarled.
Omar smiled.
"Do you really think we'd walk around without poisoned blades? Silver alone isn't enough for our enemies."
Myrion threw a punch at his face, which twisted his nose.
Anton threw his head back and let out a growl so deep that it made the nearby birds fly far away.
Edric was at my side in seconds. He touched me.
"She's getting cold, we wouldn't make it to Aldren in time to cure this," he murmured. "Not even with your speed."
Anton stared at his father, his expression heavy, denoting a desolation I never thought I'd see in him.
"I can't lose her," he whispered.
Edric pressed his lips together, without reaction, as if he didn't know what to say for the first time in his life.
"I... I'm so sorry, I'm sorry..." the leader stammered, hanging his head. I raised my hand, making an absurd effort, and placed it over Anton's. I smiled with my teeth covered in blood.
"It's alright, Anton. I'm at peace," I affirmed, shaking my head slowly. "I'm happy to have met you, to have met your family, and I will always be grateful for everything they did for me."
Myrion punched Omar's face again, furious, then another and another, leaving his face disfigured. He didn't kill him, despite wanting to very much, respecting the death that belonged to me.
"Please, Father, there must be some way," Aurelka pleaded, approaching us.
"Maybe Elowen knows what to do, we can send for her," Lana shot out, with no apparent injury.
Edric shook his head.
"The poison has already entered her bloodstream, we won't make it in time, nor can they reach us, not without the belladonna finishing what it started." He punched the ground, his golden eyes vibrating, his pupils dilated. "Those damned bastards. They will learn the true meaning of chaos."
"There will be no honor in their deaths," Vladren added.
I coughed, feeling my throat even more constricted, the air finding it difficult to reach my lungs.