Chapter Fifty-Two: Olive Branch

Sapphire Nightshade

Sapphire Nightborne

It was if the world had gone silent and time slowed as I looked around the arena. Xander clutched my arm as he screamed, tears welled in my eyes as I tried to hold his hands back from slamming into the ground, preventing his injuries from getting any worse.

Lucian walked over to his mate and collapsed to his knees as he held her while she cried and screamed over the body of her daughter. Her screams the most horrible sound I have ever heard. They were hoarse and raw that you could feel it grate against her throat as she continued to scream, Lucian holding her tightly as if she would fall into pieces if he let her go. Angel may not have shared their flesh and blood, but she was a Lykos, and was loved as though she was.

My heart ached for them, yet deep down in the darkest part of my soul, I was jealous of Angel. She had been taken in by parents who were not her own, and was loved as if she were borne from them, and had a sibling who protected her his entire life and supported through everything she set her mind too. In a way, the two of us were the same. I had my father who tried to protect me the best I can, but being a Head Warrior Commander meant that he was often not around, and passed when I needed him around. Ophelia was destroyed that she lost her daughter, while my ‘mother’ destroyed herself because I existed. This envy I felt was a gnawing emotion that I tried to supress as I looked at this broken family.

My eyes travelled to Amelia, her back facing me as knelt over the bodies of her pride members. Kalma’s body on her lap as she placed her hands on the still unconscious bodies of the rest. They were still alive, but there was no telling if they would truly be able to live after what *he* did to them.

My fangs elongated as I thought of how he laughed as he broke them, revelling in their pain and misery for the sake of power. I stroked Xander’s face one more time, closing my eyes as I looked at his wounds, I could not have fathomed just how badly Damien had mangled him. I press a soft kiss to his lips before carrying him closer to his parents.

“Sapph—”

Before he could finish calling my name, I ran back up the arena steps to the tight hallway where I left Damien, the scent of his blood permeating through the scent of mildew.

I reached the spot where I had left them and howled in rage, slamming my hand against the hard stone walls, ignoring sharp pain from my bones cracking due to the impact.

He was gone.

The torch bracket, that I had drove through his leg, laid carelessly at the side, his blood and bits of flesh staining the bracket.

I calmed myself and took a deep breath, trying to decipher each scent that entered my nostrils. There was no way he could have escaped without any help, the blood loss would have killed him before he even took ten steps from this spot, the torch bracket being the only thing keeping him from bleeding out.

I ground my teeth as I closed my eyes in frustration. There were countless different scents in this hallway, all seeming to overlap each other as if deliberately to through off a wolf’s ability to track.

Someone had rescued him, and I could not decipher who. My pondering was interrupted by the growls, roars, and howls above me. I cursed under my breath, I had forgotten that a battle was raging above me.

I started to run out of the hallway, biting my lip as my legs started to cramp up, my muscles not use to such exertion after being strapped to a chair or bed for so long. My heart pounded against my ribs in protest as I forced myself to continue running up the levels of the arena, ignoring the shouts for my name as I passed my family.

With a deep breath, I punched through the glass of a window, the cries of the dead and living growing in volume as I stepped out onto the ledge that gave me a better view of the battle raging below me…. The utter carnage.

Orange flames lit up the battle field as buildings burned, the wolves that had been trapped inside screaming as they were burned alive. The dark sky betrayed the true bloodshed that occurred under its light, covering the bloodied ground below it with its soft glow, it was only when the flames reflected against the wet ground did you truly see what death had occurred.

My pack had the upper hand with our warriors tearing at the throats of Damien’s wolves without a second thought to leave them alive, the utter rage that roared through their veins visible on their faces.

*“Sapphire!”*

My neck cracked as I started to look around for Jared, my heart beating faster at the thought of him being wounded, Chloe’s face flashing through my mind.

*“Jared? Are you okay?”*

My eyes continue to sweep across the battlefield till they rested on a large group leaving the stronghold, moving towards the battlefield.

I got ready to inform my wolves to focus on that group before Jared’s voice rang through my head once more.

*“Sapphire! These are the families of Damien’s wolves! Angel told me to free them! They are innocent and many are injured.”*

I ignored the sharp pain in my heart from the mention of Damien’s name before I let out a howl, my lungs and throat burning as I gave it everything I had, bracing myself against the tiles as my knees started to wobble.

I dry heaved as I took deep breaths to lessen the dizziness that I felt. My eyes then flickered to the stares I received from those below me, the sounds of death now a dead silence.

I stood up to my full height, masking any suspicion of pain or injury as I glared down upon them.

“Wolves of Grimford, Verat and Black Blood! Your Alphas are dead, or have deserted you, and by our law, you now have only two options! Either leave as packless wolves… or, submit yourselves and join the Shadow Mountain Pack!”

I waited with bated breath as the wolves tried to mindlink their Alphas, hoping that my bluff would have paid off. Howls and snarls soon filled the air as a sigh of relief left my lips, they could not reach their Alphas. Their cries of betrayal soon mixed with the protests of my own pack as the thought of their enemies joining the pack they tried to slaughter seemed too real.

*“Grimford and Verat, I know that many of you joined this fight, not because you had the desire for our blood, but because your Alphas sold you to Damien! They held your families as hostages! Now, as a peace offering, I will return them to you! You can leave and start a new, or swear your loyalty to Shadow Mountain!”*

Jared howled to get their attention, and it was as if they had never had the intention of killing as they dropped their weapons and shifted, running to their families and embracing them. Parents held each other as their hugged their children close, mates embraced each other, siblings clung to each other, and friends sobbed. I looked at my wolves, their anger dissipating gradually as they stared at the reunion, the envy and anger on their faces still visible as well. These were the wolves that slaughtered their family members, whether by freewill or not, and yet they were the ones who could be reunited with their families.

*“I feel your pain, and believe me, I crave blood for all those who have passed as well, but continuing down this path would lead to nothing but more death on both sides. All I can ask of you is that you trust me.”*

I closed my eyes as I said the last few words, my voice shaking as I lowered my head. There had been a point in my life where I would have fought till I killed each and every one of them for what they did, but now… I was just so tired of seeing people die, after all, we were all just the pawns for a goddess’s fantasy. The only life I wanted to take had evaded me…

My wolves rumbled below me, the werecats joining reluctantly as some of my own relayed my message down to them. The other wolves who belonged to neither Damien or Shadow Mountain just sat on their haunches, resting against each other.

Wolves slowly started to move to stand in front of me, clutching their relatives close to them as they looked down to avoid the stares from the others.

“Thank you, Sapphire.”

More joined them as they knelt before me, the younger ones plopping to the ground and babbling as they pulled at their parents’ clothes, ignoring the blood staining their hands. How could Damien have taken them away?

“Sapphire?”

I looked down and gave a small smile as I saw Mia standing before me, clutching her mate protectively.

“Where will we go if we stay?”

Different voices sounded as everyone pondered that question, I bit my lip before an idea formulated in my head.

“Blackwater is longer a part of Damien’s territory, as by our law once again, it is now Shadow Mountain land. So from now on, those who decide to stay will live here, under my protection…”

There sighs of relief from both sides before I spoke once more.

“However, my protection does not come without conditions. You will rebuild Blackwater on your own, and should you harm another or try to succeed Damien’s legacy, you will be executed… no matter your age.”

“We will never bow to you! Alpha Damien had a true vision for us, he was a leader and our conqueror!”

Some wolves rallied with him and shouted, causing my own to start growling and circling. I growled in annoyance but a howl sounded through the sky before I could even open my mouth, causing everyone to fall silent.