129

129

WRITER

At his words, Bradley's whole body sparked with an anger that was beyond him. Even Diana could feel it through the budding bond that had been forming.

He growled in anger, shaking the battlefield, even Loras could feel it, but he stood back, staring blankly at both of them.

Jael didn't feel anything, he was sure he would tear this man apart just as he had so many before him.

Bradley attacked him immediately, with ferocity, anger, and force, tearing at him with his claws and strength.

Their fight began, Diana making sure no other pack members interfered or tried to attack either. She wanted to make sure Bradley took his revenge for both of them.

Jael fought with the strength he had gathered all these years, his body almost invincible because Bradley had hardly hit him.

“You fight like a puny little boy" he mocked.

This sparked something in Bradley he had never felt before; all the anger and pain came flooding back, and his attack was more vicious than it had ever been.

He gathered his strength as alpha and threw a heavy punch directly to the side of his head, before Jael could dodge it, Bradley had made the hit.

The hit which significantly weakened Jael, he fell to his knees in agony, surprised at himself as well, at what was happening.

He felt a pain in his chest, blood foaming in his mouth. What was happening?

He looked up at Bradley whose face hadn't changed from that anger. Bradley sneered at him.

He clawed at his chest repeatedly, digging past his skin and flesh.

Then he stopped, Diana stood beside him staring down, she was bloodied from her own fight.

Bradley held his head and pulled it up towards him, “What did you say?" He smirked, his teeth were coated with blood, the smirk sickening.

Jael tried to growl, but his voice box failed him; his whole mouth was full of blood, litres of it, pouring out of him.

“You wondered if we would die the same? Wrong guess, I swore on everyone's grave that I would make you kneel before I tore you apart, so any last words Jael Cross?” His question was sarcastic but Jael tried to speak.

"I.. I will” he coughed, the speech cutting off.

"And when you die this time, I can promise there will be no resurrection this time.” Jael tried to rise quickly on his feet, but before he could, Bradley had his hands inside of his chest, clenched around his beating heart. “Goodnight, Jael Cross,” and he pulled it out, letting it drop to the floor beside Jael's falling body.

That had brought all the peace he had needed, his shoulders dropped free of the pressure on it. He had avenged his parents, Diana's parents, and Elias.

Loras stood, watching the show. He hadn't been too involved with any fighting, but his hands were dripping with blood.

Diana and Bradley turned to him, ready to fight when they looked to the warriors to notice something.

The fight had slowed down, and they both looked closely to see why. The Whitemore soldiers were each, one by one, slowly falling on their feet, clutching their chests, and blood pouring out of their mouths before they dropped dead.

“What?" Diana muttered to herself confused.

Just like that, everywhere it continued. The war had suddenly stopped now because there was nothing to fight for. A few tried to turn around and run but couldn't get far before falling on the ground.

They turned back to Loras who had a look of calm on his face. He didn't care that he was losing.

Bradley, though confused, was still angry. He went to Loras, holding his throat, “What is this?" He shouted.

Loras smiled, his teeth red from blood before he slid out of Bradley's hands and onto the floor on his knees.

"Well, it's a long story, isn't it, Alpha Bradley, and I don't know if I have enough time to say it.” he could feel his chest tightening on him.

He had known when he drank that wine that he would die along with each of them but he hadn't cared. What was left to live for if Roseline was dead? Especially killed by his own family? He couldn't live with the betrayal.

Both Diana and Bradley stared closely at the weakening Loras, whose eyes were closing.

“They betrayed me, all of them" he managed to let out, with a cough that only brought out more blood from his mouth.

Bradley didn't care to listen to any more, he turned around to leave, victory was his anyway. But Loras's next words stopped him.

“The girl, Marian. She's the spy" he said.

Bradley turned back around to stare at him, "What?”

Loras nodded, he felt weaker and weaker, "Yes, she knew Damon was taking Diana because she was the one who had been watching her, she couldn't let her die because Celeste had something more in store for her.” his eyes were closing, his breath slowing, and his heart rate reducing.

It was all coming to an end, "What did she have in store?” Diana rushed out before Loras could die.

"I..I don't know,” he stammered out before falling to the ground, and everything stopped.

Loras Whitemore was dead.

And the war had come to an end.

Bradley and Diana looked at each other, surprise and pain in their gazes. What had just happened?

Celeste had been restless since Loras had set off for war. She and her mom had been seated in the sitting room, both staring at each other and exchanging thoughts telepathically.

They had been quiet for over two hours when Celeste decided she was done waiting around. She had to do something to occupy her time.

The parcel from Marian had never arrived, but it didn't really matter because Loras had remained as angry as before, even more so, she had noticed.

The feast and the toast were the two strange things, there had been a look in his eyes when he turned to both her mom and her. She hadn't placed her hand on it then but now it began to dawn on her.

She decided to go to his office, and surprisingly it had been unlocked, which was surprising.

Maybe he just didn't have anything to hide anymore, not after they had found out about Roseline. The success of their plan brought a smile to her face again.

She went to his table where she found his laptop, and then something, she picked it up to find out what.

She turned the paper around to see what it was. When she recognized it, she froze.

The parcel, Bradley's insignia. The parcel had arrived after all and he had been the one with it the entire time.

Celeste opened the envelope, and the seal was broken; there was no doubt anymore what had happened. Loras had read the letter already, and he had received it from Marian; he had known before he left.

Two pieces of paper fell out. The first one was the letter she had forged from Bradley, the actual parcel, and the second one, she began to read.

Dear Sister, or Mother, whoever finds this first.
I want you to know that I found out. I found out about the betrayal you both have shown me, and I cannot say it was out of character. Both of you would go to any extent to get what you wanted.

Celeste paused. There was a metallic taste in her mouth, and she gagged but swallowed it, pushing aside the distraction and continuing to read the letter.

Celeste, you wanted power by all means, you were willing to marry Damon for it and then you were willing to kill him as well. Mom, I had always known of your desire for control, the insatiable desire for it. Which was why you had gotten rid of Father so you could make me the next alpha, the easily controlled one. I turned a blind eye to both of your antics, I never thought they would get to me but you did it. You knew how much I loved her, both of you knew how much I would risk for her, and you both decided to take her away from me. You instigated me against the wrong man, you thought I would never find out. So as a gift, one of my deaths, because I can assure you that I will die, I threw a feast.
Maybe a few minutes or seconds after reading this, you'll feel the bile rise up inside of you, you'll then feel the slow and methodical rise of your heartbeat just before you begin to spit out blood. Because of my revenge, I have planned a mass poisoning, and you both will be dead in a few minutes.
No more power grabs for either of you. Goodnight.

Celeste paused, her heart beginning to race, no it wasn't yet happening, it was due to what she had read.

The poisoning, she could feel the bile already beginning to rise. Celeste knew it before she screamed and ran out of the room, they were both going to die.

She met her mom in the sitting room, head down with his phone in her hand.

“What happened, Mom?” She asked her.

"He's dead, my son is dead and we all lost,” she indicated to the phone in her hand.

Celeste didn't care, her life was about to end, she knew it. She pushed the letter into her mother's hands.

“Read it"

The blood had begun to rise inside her mouth, she didn't have any choice but to spit it out, and a tight pain gripped her chest.

She had fallen to the floor, clutching her heart.

Her mom looked a
t her, her eyes almost black and lifeless, “He had known. We're dying"

There was resignation in her voice as she fell to the ground.