Part two- Chapter 39

"A people, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night. Dawn and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul."

― Victor Hugo

TEMPLAR P.O.V

The car stopped in front of Simon Ryker's mansion in the LockWood Pack. I turned my head to the right to look at the place. Even though the house was big, there was this dark aura around it that could automatically make others cautious. The ghastly silence around the area wasn't helpful either. In short, the place wasn't welcoming at all.

"Let's finish this" Rett told me climbing out of the car. I followed and behind us, Ketih and Cam climbed out of their car. There were no guards in the place and at first, it made me suspicious, but then I recalled that Simon Ryker lived alone.

Rett opened the black gates and it made a piercing noise as it was pushed open. My eyes automatically drifted towards the LockWood Pack fighters who had surrounded the house. They were ordered to do so by their Alpha. David had sent his men, to help us if need arises.

I honestly doubt any such need would arise!

Sighing, I followed after Rett and walked through the driveway to reach the door. I narrowed my eyes when I found it already open.

"I have been waiting for you" I heard an unfamiliar voice say the moment I stepped inside the house.

A man, who had his back to us, was seated on the couch, watching T.V. He was blindly flicking the channels. Once he switched off the T.V, I strode ahead to take a seat on the couch.

That's when I finally saw Simon Ryker. He was old... older than I expected.

He might be probably in his early sixties. He had dull green eyes, pepper hair and frail skin. One corner of his lips tilted upwards when he saw me and I stiffened. My wolf growled aggressively the moment she saw that.

"What took you so long?" Simon questioned leaning back in his seat and I narrowed my eyes, while Rett, Keith and Cam frowned at him.

"I had much more important work to do then spend time with you" I said carelessly and Simon chuckled.

"Then why are you here now?"

"You know why" I told him, my red eyes clashing with his green ones.

"My son had the same color eyes when he shifted" Simon said glaring at me and I stared at him with an expressionless face.

"I don't care about that. I just want you to end this. Stop this vengeance of yours for the good of not just me but for your own self" I told him.

"You want me to forget what you did to my son? My son, who was the last in our line. My son, who was my world, my pride and you, took him away from me" Simon snarled in rage.

"And as a revenge... you took mine" I hissed through gritted teeth and all of a sudden, Simon smirked.

"I did. Yes, I did" he said and chuckled. His chuckled made my wolf howl in pain and my eyes flooded with tears. "You have no idea how happy I felt when the doctor told me you were pregnant." Rett growled loudly, while I clenched my fists. "I wanted you to go through that same pain. I wanted you to know how it feels for a parent to lose their child, when they are still alive. I wanted to kill you, but what better way to take my revenge then killing your child" Simon sneered and I swallowed back a sob.

"Even if the child had been born, I would have killed it. I wanted to wipe out your whole kin, just like you did with mine" Simon bellowed and blood dripped from my palm, from where my claws dug in it. "You not just killed my son, you burned his body. You did not even give him a funeral he deserved. You sent me his ashes" Simon Ryker sobbed at the end, his frail body quivering from the loud sobs.

After few seconds, he stopped crying and looked at me with tear-filled eyes that had intense hatred directed solely at me. "I wanted revenge for what you did and I got it. It was a poetic justice. Your child for mine" Simon said with a humorless chuckle.

My wolf howled louder than last time and I could hear Rett's wolf howling in pain too. He stood frozen in his place, glaring at Simon.

"She was not the one who burned his body. I did. I ordered wolves to do it" Keith spat with a growl.

"She was the one who killed him" Simon said glowering at me.

"Your son wasn't worth saving" I told him harshly and Simon grinded his teeth. I was angry, bitter and hurt, which is why I started lashing at him. "Glen deserved everything he got. I would have killed him slowly and torturously... but the sun was about to rise and so, I gave him a quick death and boy, do I regret doing that" I taunted cruelly and Simon got up from his seat to attack me.

He was pushed away by Rett and held back by Keith and Cam.

"You bitch... you utterly vicious bitch...." And Simon cursed at me like a sailor.

A feral growl erupted from my chest, "What are you going to do? Kill me?" Simon demanded when he saw me standing up. "Do it. That's what you are good at. That's what you did to everyone close to me. That's what you always do" Simon shouted in rage and I curled my lips in distaste.

"Why should I bother with that when you are already half way into the grave?" I sneered at him and walked past him.

Growling one last time at Simon, Rett, Keith and Cam followed me.

"I should have... I should have asked the doctor to take out your ovaries" Simon spat sadistically from behind us. After hearing his callous words, I froze me in my tracks and sensed the color draining from my face.

Screaming in rage, Rett lunged at him and soon Cam and Keith joined them. I heard them shifting, I heard them growling at him. I heard Simon's last cries. I heard blood spattering on the walls. However, I didn't once turn to look at them.

With my back to them, I stood there pondering over what Simon said again and again. A drop of tear escaped from my skin and I shivered. My wolf mewled in pain and sitting on the ground, curling herself as closely as possible, she moved to the back of my mind. If someone had stabbed me in the heart, I wouldn't have felt as hurt as I felt right now.

Do I deserve that?

I felt as if my heart was being squeezed in my chest to drain the life out of me. Goosebumps appeared all over my pale skin and I felt shaky as a cold sensation sank in. My knees started wobbling and my head hurt badly. A tremor ran down the length of my marrow as my stomach twisted in sickly pain. My mouth felt dry and my vision turned blurry at first, before finally turning dark.

The last thing I remember was me trying frantically to find something to balance myself and stay upright. But when I got no such thing, I slumped on the ground.

__

When I woke up, I was at home, in our bed. With a groan, I sat up and licked my dry lips. "Templar" Rett said and I found him sitting in the couch and working in his laptop. Quickly getting up, he strode towards me. "Do you need something?" he asked.

"Just water. How long was I out for?" I asked rubbing my forehead.

"Sixteen hours. You had a mild fever" he said passing me a glass of hot water. I had slept throughout the journey. "Feeling better?" Rett asked me and I nodded.

But just then Simon's cruel words played in my mind and cringing, I fisted the sheets, while my wolf whined feebly.

Turn me into a barren!

He could have... Dear Goddess! He could have done that. I was completely at their mercy those three days. They could have done anything with me! Anything....

Strong arms, wrapped around my chest just as a pained sob was discharged from my throat. Resting my head on Rett's shoulder, I closed my eyes and let all the tears out while he whispered soothing words to me.