Chapter 65 - Rejected by My Best Friend & Alpha

KILLIAN'S POV

"You're not serious, are you, Vivian?"

Chris stepped forward, bumping my shoulder in the process. "He's right, Vivid. Take it back. We don't need her."

Vivian looked back at Sylvara and then at us. "The deal's been made."

Mother Nature grinned at us over her shoulder and then held up her hands. Her lackeys formed a line around her, waiting for her command. "We go with the wolves."

I looked at Vivian again. "We're taking them back to Blackmoon? Now?"

"How else are we going to train with them?"

I groaned. "Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

She shrugged. "If it makes you feel better. Let's get going."

*****

VIVIAN'S POV

I rubbed my hands together nervously, staring at the trees Sylvara should be coming from. When we'd gotten back to Blackmoon, Killian had offered to make up rooms for them, begrudgingly, but they had insisted they'd feel more at home in the forest.

We'd arranged to meet in the morning to start learning about each other and train. To see where we were lacking and what we could bring to the table. I looked around; Killian and Chris should be here soon, also. I wasn't supposed to be solo in this fight anymore. I just needed to face one person alone.

Seeing movement in the forest, I focused back in front of me and saw that Sylvara was headed towards me. Tatiana was with her, and another woman, Eldra, I think her name was. Looking back, I saw Chris and Killian were also walking together. Apparently, no one was as anxious as me to get started.

I stood there silently. Sylvara reached me first. "Good morning, wolf girl."

"Good morning, Sylvara."

I nodded at Tatiana and Eldra, who just nodded back. Mother Nature apparently didn't like to surround herself with talkative minions. Or maybe they didn't talk to strangers.

When Chris and Killian finally arrived and said their greetings, I clapped my hands together. "Let's jump right into this. Since you all took your sweet time getting here."

Sylvara grinned at me. "Are you always this bossy?"

I hesitated. Should I be this commanding with Mother Nature? Looking at her expression, she didn't seem annoyed with me. So I continued, "Yes. I like to get things done. First, I want to thank you for joining us. But I also want to find out. What all can...you do? Like, what are your powers?"

"I can do much of everything. I am the Mother of Nature."

She raised her palms, and I felt raindrops fall against my skin. Then, it stopped just as suddenly. I heard thunder and saw a crack of lightning in the distance. She smiled as I felt a rumble beneath my feet. "Whoa, okay. Why didn't you take out Sarah when she was destroying the forest before?"

A mixture of pain crossed her face. "I was a fool. She came back with a man. Who was showing her things? Teaching her. And I crossed paths with him. I let him speak words to me. And convince me to leave her be. By the time she had finished decimating so much of the forest, he vanished."

"A man?"

"He looked a lot like her. He smelled of her, too."

My eyes shot to Killian, who I could tell was thinking the same thing I was. Clarence. Clarence had been in the forest teaching Sarah dark magic.

Killian didn't say a word; he shifted and took off toward Clarence's home, leaving me there.

*****

KILLIAN'S POV

I didn't knock. I burst through Clarence's door to see him mid-packing. He was leaving. Or trying to leave. I shifted and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "You helped her."

Clarence yelped. "It's not what you think."

"You're going to tell me everything right now, or I'm going to slit your throat."

He was hanging by his shirt now, his feet not touching the floor. He looked down and squealed. "Can you put me down? Please. I'll tell you. I'll tell you."

I threw him down on the couch. "Now."

He rubbed his neck. "She wasn't supposed to come here. Sylvara wasn't supposed to show up to Blackmoon."

"Is that why you were leaving?"

"Of course. I knew she'd open her big mouth."

I rolled my eyes. "Poor you. Now tell me why you were in the forest teaching Sarah black magic."

He lowered his eyes. "Sarah was angry. She wanted to take that anger out on someone. And I promised her...revenge."

"Revenge. Revenge on who?"

"Vivian."

"You promised her revenge on your own blood?"

"What was I supposed to do? She was the daughter I raised. Vivian was just a faceless stranger."

"Then what happened?"

"The marriage proposal. She got angry. She didn't want her freedom taken from her. She blamed me. I told her it was her rightful place. So then she went back to being angry about her mother in the first place; I was no longer helping her with the revenge for her mother; I was the bad guy again. I was the bad guy in the marriage. And she wanted revenge on me; she wanted revenge on you."

"And you decided to switch sides to Team Vivian?"

He grunted. "I choose the side that doesn't want to kill me."

"You're pathetic."

He squared his shoulders. "I wasn't always this way."

"You are now. I should have your fucking head for this. She'd never be this powerful if it wasn't for you."

His shoulders drooped. "I know."

"But I won't kill you."

"I have something better in mind."

He looked at me with fear in his eyes.

*****

Sylvara's eyes widened as she saw me walking towards her with Clarence in tow. I threw him down at her feet. Her mouth dropped open. "Clarence?"

He looked up at her, his eyes bugging out. "Sylvie. Long time. You look beautiful."

Anger flashed across her face, and suddenly, vines ripped through the ground and wrapped around his body, bringing him up to stand in front of her. Vivian screamed, running towards him. I grabbed her, pulling her back.

Clarence stuttered. "Sylvie, I'm sorry I stopped coming to visit. I just got swamped around here. You can ask Killian. Things haven't been so great with Blackmoon. But with my other daughter here, things will improve, and now you and I..."

A vine wrapped around his mouth, silencing him. Sylvara walked up to him, staring into his eyes. "What did I ever see in you?"

Clarence's eyes shot to me, pleading. He had sold out his daughter. He had played with Mother Nature. He had started a war that resulted in the death of my men. He was a coward.

Sylvara started walking around Clarence, looking him up and down. Vivian was crying, trying to pull away from me. I covered her mouth, trying to shush her. She would hate me for this later.

"You know, I waited for you. For days. For months. I thought you'd return for the longest time. But you never did."

Clarence struggled against the vines, trying to free himself. She loosened the vine around his mouth so he could speak. "I was going to. I swear it."

His words were garbled, tears running down his face. Sylvara laughed. "Say one thing that will make me believe you."

"I love you."

Suddenly, a vine shot through the Earth and pierced through his chest, right through his heart. I watched as his eyes bulged and blood began pouring from his mouth. Vivian started screaming and kicking to get away from me, but I held on tighter. I told Clarence I should've killed him, but I thought of something better. Mother Nature doing the job.

Sylvara tilted her head, looking at Clarence's now blank face. "Actions, not words."

The vines released his body. She held up her hands, turning and heading back to the forest. I released Vivian, who ran to Clarence's body and held her hands over the wound in his chest. She was sobbing. "It's not healing. It's not healing."

I kneeled beside her. "He's gone, Vivian."

"Why did you let her do this?"

"He trained Sarah to kill you."

Her sobs deepened. "But he changed. I would have forgiven him."

I wrapped an arm around her. Chris was standing there silently the entire time. Not even sure what to do. He was in shock. He walked over now, wrapping his arm around Vivian, too. I felt that pang of jealousy again.

She leaned into Chris. I couldn't help but glare at him over the top of her head. But I had just killed our strongest magic wielder in the pack. I needed to speak to Maya, so I needed to make arrangements.

"Vivian, I need to go handle some things. I...I'm so sorry. But I'll send Marcus to dispose of the body."

Vivian pushed me away. "Leave me alone."

I cringed. "I'm sorry."

She screamed. "Just go."

I stood. "I'll come see you later."

"Go!"

I lowered my head and headed towards the hall, trying not to let doubt claw at my mind.