FIFTY

FIFTY

Kael

I have a lot I regret, but now is not the time to reminisce on them. We were far gone into the forest. I have lost Kade. I could easily find him, but I don’t move. Not after the fight. I pushed him, but he pushed me too. That’s all he does, push and push until I stop trying, but not this time. Lyra needs me as much as she needs him.

She wasn’t Anna. She wasn’t only his. She’s mine too, and whether I am mad at Kade or not, we have to save her together. I don’t shift, but I began to run through the woods, giving my wounds time to heal. There is no way I could run fast in my state.

A howl. I paused, recognizing the sound. Kade. Was he hurt? Has he found her? What is it? I thought. Panic filled my mind as I ran towards the sound. I wasn’t fast enough. Too slow. I quickly shift. Letting my bones break and bend to accommodate my wolf. He was also bothered about our brother.

My mind is hazy from the pain. I didn’t realize how painful Kade had hit me until now, but who cares? He needs me. “He needs us” my wolf says and takes the lead. Now that I was no longer in charge, I began to calculate.

Where is Lyra? Who took her and why? Although I could very much understand why she was taken, who did? Anyone with the capability of getting into the alpha’s chambers unnoticed had to be strong and not from our pack. We know no one of such power.

The trees moved as the winds howled alongside Kade. “I think he is hurt” I said to my wolf, who picks up the pace, going faster than ever.

I could feel him but not see him. “He’s close” my wolf says as he takes a turn into the woods and stops right in front of a stream. Kade was standing there. His breathing is off.

I quickly shifted and rushed to his side. “Get away from me” his voice was laced with anger and bitterness, but I didn’t care.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, kneeling in front of his wolf. I looked around it, and it didn’t look to be hurt. What was wrong?

“Kade” I called out his name cautiously. He was in a dangerous state. Unstable. Unreachable.

“Kade. What the fuck is wro-“. Melody.

The winds sang. I paused and looked around. Kade wasn’t unstable he was alert. There is something off with the water.

“Always so slow” I heard him say. He has shifted now, but his eyes stayed the same.

“What is this place?” I asked, and he sniffs the air.

“I don’t know. Never been this far from the mountains” neither had I.

“I think she’s beyond this veil”

“A veil?” I asked. A frown morphed my face as I stood to look around, reaching out to the space in front of me, and truly, it was a veil.

My hand dipped into something wet yet dry. It felt like a ripple. I had never seen a veil before. I removed my hand and looked over at Kade.

“I am going in”

“No” he turns sharply to look at me. More like glare at me.

“We don’t know what’s beyond this veil. What's waiting for us, we can’t j-“

“If you don’t wanna come, then don’t. I’m only telling you because she’s your mate too” I was taken aback by his words.

This was the first time Kade was directly involving me in a decision. Looked like that fight was necessary, but still.

“Thank you, but I am not saying we won’t go in, I am saying we can’t save her if we end up dead. We don’t know what behind this veil, and we are clearly outnumbered”.

“I don’t care”

“You have to fucking care kade. She will suffer more if we are both dead. We can feel the bond, and we know she’s alive. And as much as you don’t want to admit it, you know two of us alone can’t fight a person with this kind of power”.

“Yes, we can. I’d tear every fucking one of them to pieces. I’d kill them”

“And they’d kill you. You’re alpha now, Kade. Think like one” I fear Kade won’t listen. He never does, so I prepare myself anyway. If we were to die saving our mate, then death wouldn’t be so bad.

“Okay” what?

“What do we do?” stunned to stupor is such a light word for how I felt. Kade was asking me what to do.

“You know I wasn’t expecting you to be so easily reasoned with. I was getting ready to die”

He glanced at me. His eyes are normal now, probably due to the fact that he was much calmer.

“You'd better have a plan, or I am going in” he meant it.

“I-I don’t have one per say but we can always go back to the pack and gather a few hunters to fight with us”

“What if nobody wants to risk their life for her?” Something about the way he said it did something to my wolf.

“They would risk their lives for their Luna without a doubt. She is Luna, whether they like it or not” I tried to believe what I said.

With everything happening back at the pack, I know there would be a little hesitation, but they would never defy their Alpha.

“Going back up feels like we are wasting time. Talking here right now is wasting time. How about you go and gather some soldiers and meet there”

“No. I am not leaving you behind. If you want to go ahead, I am with you”

“Someone has to lead the pack when I am gone,” he says calmly. Too calm.

“No. I already made the mistake of letting you take care of things by yourself. Not this time. I won’t loose the both of you”

He looked up at me, and suddenly it felt like all the anger I held for him was gone. Not completely, anyway.

“Shift”