Chapter Fifty One: Swan Song

Ophelia Lykos

My lips parted in a silent scream as I cradled my daughter in my arms, my hands frantically pressing against the wound to stop the bleeding, my heart sinking as blood continued to seep through my fingers. I could her body trying to heal itself around the spear, but knew deep in my heart that she was already too weak to heal from a wound like this.

My eyes flickered to my mate as he went to our firstborn, snarling as he took in Xander’s mangled body, and tore of his restraints. I gazed at the corner of the arena to see the woman who was responsible for my son’s wounds kneeling on the floor, her eyes empty as she stared at her dead and unconscious members. I could have hated her for what she had done, but instead I felt nothing but a kindred sadness, as for family we both would have crossed to Hell just to save those whom we love.

Xander collapsed into his father’s arms, his eyes never leaving Angel’s limp form. I swallowed hard to fight back tears as my eyes continued to flick between both of my children. One was severely injured and another was dying in my arms.

*“Save your tears, Mother.”*

I could not help but scoff as I looked down at my youngest, a small smile on her lips as a thin trail of blood dripped from the side of her mouth.

She winced as she tried to turn to see her brother, his quick breaths to numb is pain worrying her more than her own wounds. Lucian carefully dragged Xander to where we were, laying him down and using his own weight to support Xander. My hand left Angel’s hair to stroke his face, clenching my jaw as I saw the slashes all over his body.

Lucian’s hand trembled as he stretched it out to stroke his daughter’s face, her closing one eye at his touch, just like when she was a child.

Our little bubble was broken when a loud growl rumbled causing me to hand on tighter to my children while Lucian snarled, Xander grunting as he tried to move to protect us. I turned to see Sapphire’s Lycan form slowly stalk towards us. The fur around her maw matted with blood, her claws crusted over with remanets from her victims. Her gold eyes were wild with animalistic hunger before they looked down at Angel, darkening as they softened.

She screamed as she hunched over, going the painful transformation back to her human form. Lucian holding on tightly to Xander as he tried to go to her, biting back whatever pain she felt.

Lucian ran to her side to pick her up in his arms, her eyes fluttering in exhaustion before he laid her down next to Xander who instinctively wrapped his arm around her protectively.

She was limp for just a moment before she shot to sit up, crawling to Angel’s side, her hand frantically joining mine to try and stop the bleeding.

*“Do not waste your strength, Sapph. I know my time here is coming to an end.”*

I closed my eyes as I focused on my daughter’s voice, knowing that soon I would never hear it again. Sapphire choked out a sob as she continued to try.

“I am so sorry, I am…”

Sapphire’s eyes flicked over to her cousin who was still kneeling on the ground, her eyes filled with self-hatred as she alternated between the two. I knew she was apologising to everyone in the room, her guilt radiating off her person as she blamed herself.

My heart clenched even harder as a small chuckle left Angel’s lips before she started to cough, blood staining her teeth when she smiled at us.

*“Do not be, Sapph. I made a deal, and now I must pay its price. She kept her end, so I could not be happier.”*

Sapphire let out a sorrowful howl as she glared at the ceiling, tears dripping down her chin as she clutched her heart with her other hand.

My own hand rushed to my daughter’s face as she started to cough even harder, Lucian laying her head on his lap while Xander gripped her hand. She smiled at all of us, as she gazed at the ceiling, her eyes glassy.

*“I have repaid my parents’ debt, Mother and Father. You saved their daughter and now, I saved your son.”*

Lucian chuckled softly as he stroked her hair, before looking to meet my eyes, the same thought reflected through them as he leaned down to press a kiss on his daughter’s forehead.

“You never, ever, a debt that had to be paid. You are a gift that we never stopped thanking for, you are our daughter, Angel.”

Finally, a tear trailed down from the corner of her eye as she stared up at us. My hand gripping tightly onto her. I did not just see the stubborn warrior before me, I saw the stubborn little girl who would cower under the blankets when there was a thunderstorm, the little girl who would hid under her father’s desk with her brother to listen in on pack meetings, my little cub.

*“I am going to die very soon, but do not cry for me, please for I will not be alone in the afterlife, I can see my other parents waiting for me there…”*

She retched more blood from her mouth as she tried to turn to look at all of us. Sapphire biting her lip to abide by her wishes as she wiped the blood from her mouth.

*“Father and Mother, thank you for taking me in when I had no one, you loved me like I was your own and gave me everything I ever needed… I could survive this and still not have enough time to thank you for everything you have done for me.”*

I stroked Angel’s face with one hand while the other reach to grip Lucian’s hands, his other stroking her hand. His eyes filled with an emotion beyond grief as they flickered up and down her face, trying to remember as much of her features as he could.

*“Alexander, you protected me since I was young and stood by my side to train me when I asked. I could never ask for a better sibling to grow up with, to laugh with, to fight with, or to lead with. You let me grow up to be who I am today, and will always be my biggest role model.”*

Sapphire moved to her mate’s side, shifting his weight from his father’s to hers, as she rest her head against his, helping him stretch out his hand so that he could grip his sister’s. Angel smiled at the action and closed her eyes in pain as she gripped her brother’s hand before her eyes flicked to Sapphire.

*“Sapph, the first time I saw you, you were covered in dirt, and who would have thought you would have looked the same the last time I see you. I am sorry that I have to leave asking you for something…”*

Sapphire gripped Angel’s hands over Xander’s as she let out a soft laugh.

*“ I used to think that no one would ever be good enough for my brother, and I am so glad that he found you, and since that day, you have always been my sister… Please, take care of him for me, take care of all of my family, please…”*

Sapphire frantically nodded as Xander leaned into her shoulder, her eyes filled with sorrow before anger filled them, her dark eyes blazing gold once more as she looked behind me before looking at the ceiling.

Angel smiled once more, her eyes roaming past all our faces before they looked up to the ceiling, fixated as they glazed over, her hand gripping Xander’s relaxing as she let out her finally breath.

Lucian howled to the heaven’s, the raw pain and misery in his howl resonating with countless other’s as they felt his pain. Amelia’s roars weaving around ours as her pride roared with her. All of us grieving as one.

Sapphire clutched Xander to her chest, her eyes wide in shock and rage as she alternated Angel’s body to her cousin’s grieving form, her mate snarled and slammed his fist to the ground, ignoring the blood seeping from his own wounds as he tore them open once more. I let out a small laugh, stroking my daughter’s hair, running my hand down her face to close her eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. It started as just a single tear before more joined it like a continuous wave. Everything I had been holding back, to comply with my daughter’s wishes, now gushing through the broken barriers as I held my child to my chest and screamed.

My daughter was gone forever.