Final Chapter Fifty-Seven: Inescapable

Sapphire Nightborne

“Sapphire, do not do that!”

I rolled my eyes as Sephira gurgled happily from her place on my lap, trying her best to bat at my claws which I wiggled above her, eyes entranced as she focused on their every move.

“She loves it, Chloe. Do you now, Sephira? Yes you do.”

She gurgled once again in response as I cooed at her.

Chloe scoffed as she continued to get ready, taking deep breaths as she paced around the room, muttering to herself before racing to the other side of the room to look at herself in the mirror.

“Chloe, if you tried a little bit harder, you might be able to wear the wood down to create a little pathway for you.”

She laughed at my words, it dripping with sarcasm before she continued to wear the wood down. I followed her with my eyes, entertaining her daughter with my hand before I had enough.

“Chloe!”

“What?”

I got up slowly, making Sephira was secured in my arms before giving her to her mother, forcing Chloe to sit down and stop moving.

“We have already rehearsed this entire ceremony, Chloe. Everything is going to go smoothly, Xander has already checked that the Main Hall is decorated and people have already started to file in.”

She let out a small whimper as she held Sephira closer to her chest.

“I just cannot shake off the feeling that something is going to wrong, Sapphire. It has been a month since the fight at Blackwater, and things have been so quiet… almost peaceful.”

She whispered the last word as if it was a jinx, herself unable to believe that she was able to use our pack and that word in the same sentence.

“The body of my brother still has not been found, and I refuse to believe that he is dead till I see it before me.”

I knelt before her, placing my hands on the shimmering gold silk on her thighs, trying my best to force an expression that would mask the fact that I had the same worries as her.

The first week was the worst, everyone was paranoid, we had increased the number of groups on watch with them patrolling our borders around the clock, worried that if we started to relax, we would be attacked…. But nothing happened.

Ophelia was heavily guarded as she travelled to and fro from Shadow Mountain and Blackwater, acting as an advisor for those from Black Blood, Grimford, and Verat who decided to live peaceful with us. She oversaw the rebuilding of Blackwater as well as organised meetings between those from Shadow Mountain who wished to see certain members of these packs… to either make peace with them or simply to ask why did they do such things.

However, her most important task was overseeing the construction of a tunnel between Blackwater and Shadow Mountain. It was designed to give both sides a place to hide if we were under attack again.

She nibbled on her lips before turning to me, her lips parted as she gasped, her hand quickly reaching forward to grip onto my shoulder.

“Is Amelia here?”

My eyes lit up as I gave her a genuinely happy smile, my hand moving to rest on top of hers.

“She came, Chloe. She wanted to be here for you.”

As if the universe heard us, the door of the room opened and a familiar face peered into the room. Chloe locked eyes with her before letting out a heavy sob, placing Sephira in my arms while she ran to embrace Amelia. She tried to bury her head in Amelia’s shoulder while Amelia tried her best to keep her at arm’s length.

“You are going to ruin all the effort that was put in for your makeup, Chloe.”

She hiccupped as she tried to reign in her sobs while Amelia lightly brushed away her tears, trying her best not to smear any of intricately done makeup.

“You are here, actually here.”

Chloe moved to squeeze Amelia’s shoulder, squeezing up and down her arm as if she was convincing herself that Amelia was really standing in front of her.

Amelia fondly smiled at her as she stroked her hair.

“It is your wedding day, Chloe. Nothing in this world would stop me from attending.”

Her voice tapered off softly as I walked up to her. Chloe must have seen the change in her expression as she cleared her throat, gently taking Sephira from me, cooing to her as she walked to the other room.

Amelia stared at me, eyes filled with sadness.

“Sapph,…I---”

I did not let her finish before I pulled her into a hug, my hand reaching to the back of her head as I held her close. She sniffled as she relax against the side of my head.

It had been a month since I had last seen my cousin. She had discussed with Xander that it would have been in her best interest if she left Shadow Mountain to heal her mind and spirit. She had left in the dead of night with her pride, just like she had done years ago…except this time, she did not tell me.

I still remember the rage I was in when I found out from Xander, the countless items I broke as I threw things around the room to placate the feeling of betrayal that stung my heart.

She had written letter to let us know that she was safe, but I just threw them at Xander to read, my pride refusing to take the first step.

“I told you that I would be by your side and stand by the choices you make, you know yourself the best and know what it would take for you to set yourself down the path of recovery. I have to respect that, even if it I did not like it personally. The thing that matters now is that you are here.”

She smiled as she hugged me back. Our little reunion was interrupted by Ophelia knocking gently against the door frame.

“Everyone is already seated and waiting.”

I gave a small smile before Amelia and I turned back to face Chloe, expecting her eyes to be filled with happiness, but instead they were filled with fear as she started to stutter.

“This…this is really happening. I am go…going to get married. Will this change what Jared and I have? But what if it does not? Would…would that be a good thing or… or a bad thing?”

Amelia and I looked at each other, while Chloe continued her mindless muttering in the background, before turning to throw Ophelia a pleading look. She gave a small chuckle before taking Chloe under her arm, speaking softly to her, assuring her of the new journey ahead.

I was impressed as Chloe began to calm down, taking deep breaths as she calmed herself before turning to us, a big smile on her face.

“Are you ready now?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

The Main Hall was decorated as if royalty was paying us a visit. Gold silk hung from the newly restored pillars as everyone sat, anxiously waiting for Chloe to arrive.

Jared stood on the left on the altar, fiddling with his buttons while Xander rolled his eyes. My eyes lighting up as we locked on to each other, my heart swelling with happiness as I saw that he could now stand with just the help of a cane, a remarkable feat according to the Chief Healer. His attention was torn from me by the little one on his arm who was content with pulling his hair and babbling to himself. Sephira must have seen her father as she babbled even louder, causing everyone to laugh as she tried to reach for him. I quietly shushed her, elongating my claws for her to grab at before walking to stand by Xander’s side.

He smiled down at me as I leaned my head against his shoulder briefly before Amelia joined our side, leaving the space for two between us in honour of Brendon and Angel.

The crowd muttering began to die down as the Main Hall doors swung open, gasps filled the air as Chloe walked in, Lucien by her side as he walked her down.

Xander snickered as he stared at Jared who gaped at Chloe like a fish out of water, his eyes wide like a startled deer. Chloe drop her head down, pink dusting her cheeks as she blushed.

The serene moment was however broken when the twins gave out a loud cry as they saw their mother, causing Xander and I to turn our attention to the two while Amelia let out a soft laugh.

Chloe finally made it to the altar as Lucien moved to stand behind it. Jared’s hands gripping her as they stared at each other with so much love, as if that nothing else in the world mattered besides the person who stood in front of me causing me to let out a snort as I thought back to my ‘wedding’ where all I was thinking of was driving a dagger into the heart of my ‘groom’.

I could not help but smile as they said their vows to each other, my attention however shifted when I felt Xander’s gaze. His eyes unreadable as he stared at me, I raised my eyebrows in curiosity only for him to smile and shake his head.

Before I knew it, the time had come for the marking ceremony. A soft gasp left my lips as Lucien pulled out a dagger, I had to force myself to take in deep breaths as they cut their palms respectively, reminding myself that this was nothing like what Damien had done to me.

There was no apprehension or fear as they held their palms against each other, just a smile of bliss as they closed their eyes, feeling the power equalise between the both of them.

The pack roared with cheers as the ceremony ended, Jared pulling Chloe into her arms before dipping her as he kissed her. Xander and I playfully groaning as we covered the eyes of their children.

Our shouts of joy soon came to a halt when a screams sounded from outside of the Main Hall, causing all of us to still. Jared protectively pulling Chloe to stand behind me while Xander and I held the twins closer to our bodies as Amelia stood instinctively in front of us.

The doors of the hall swung open as a warrior rushed in, panting as he ran straight to the front.

“The forest is on fire…the burial site—”

Xander did not wait for him to finish before growling, passing Brendon to Amelia as he started to shift.

“Xander, don’t----”

He did not heed my words before he raced out of the room, his warriors and father on his heel. I bit my lip in frustration as I stared at his fallen cane. The Chief Healer had told us that Xander’s Lycan and wolf form were already healed, but that he should refrain from shifting in order to speed up the recovery of his human form.

The pack started to talk among themselves, fear present in their voices as they thought of the worst. I quickly passed Sephira to Ophelia and Brendon to Amelia before walking up to the altar, giving me a better advantage to speak to them.

“Everyone down to the dungeons! Those are able-bodied, get every bucket or vase you can find and head towards the river, it would be quicker to retrieve water from there than here.”

They growled before dispersing, some guiding the old, young, and pregnant down to the dungeons while the rest started to ransack the place for water vessels.

I ignored Chloe’s protest as I began to shift, gritting my teeth at the pain before stretching out my new body,

“Sapph---”

I did not get to hear her before I was out of the hall, racing towards the forest as smoke started to curl up towards the sky.

It was not long before I reached the source of the fire, quickly stepping back as flames whipped towards my face, cautiously moving forward to get to Xander whilst avoiding the wild tendrils of fire.

He growled at his warriors as they struggled to extinguish the flames that only seem to grow stronger as it spread from tree to tree, feasting on its wood to grow in size.

*”Watch out!”*

The warriors just moved fast enough to avoid a falling as it crashed to the ground , sparks flying everywhere as we tried to shield our eyes.

My mind raced as I shifted and gave orders as well before a whizzing sound started to get louder, I turned to move before Xander tackled me to the ground.

It was as if time slowed as the arrow flew above us, my eyes widening as I watch the arrowhead smash against the tree behind us, its body clattering to the ground as red liquid dripped from the tree bark. My heart climbing up my throat as the red liquid began to smoke with reddish wisps moving through the air.

“Everyone leave now!”

Some heeded my orders as they ran, while those who stilled started to gag, their animalistic howls resounding with the crackle of the fire as they tore into their skin, ripping their flesh from their bones. I squeezed my eyes shut as Xander nuzzled his head against mine… knowing that there was nothing to for them.

It seemed like an eternity before help arrived, Jared cautiously stepped forward to sniff the air, making sure that it was okay for the rest to come closer to put out the fire.

More wolves started to howl as they saw the bodies of their brothers and sisters while Jared ordered them to put out the fire.

I gasped as Xander shifted back to human form, his body falling against mine as he groaned in pain. Jared raced to his side and helped him to his feet while Chloe raced to do them same to me.

“Both of you sh---”

Chloe shushed before I could say anything as she steadied me, I groaned in pain before bending down once more to pick up what was left of the arrow.

My fingers gliding over the shattered that remained stuck to the tip of the arrow body before letting out a growl as my eyes fell upon the all too familiar insignia on the arrow.

A intricate carving of a decapitated wolf’s head.

Jared protested as Xander grabbed it from my hand.

“They are hunters, Xander.”

Chloe gasped as Jared clenched his jaw while Xander traced his fingers of the citrine gems that made up the wolf’s eyes.

“These are not just hunter’s, Sapphire… these hunters only hunt a certain type of wolf.”

My lips parted as his eyes glowed gold, matching the ones of the decapitated wolf.