404- The Reckless Heart
POV Seraphine Valerian:
“When it starts, don’t leave my side!” Florian shouted as we entered the forest.
I nodded, holding onto his back, all of them in that race much faster than any human could manage. Semi-transformed, determined to fight.
“They’re close!” announced one of the miners, sniffing the air.
“I hear them ahead!” another confirmed. “Get ready! Explosives first. Stay behind and shoot when the smoke clears!”
“Take cover!” Florian held us, me and the she-wolves back, while the males approached the enemies and fired the bazookas, launching the explosives.
We used a tree trunk as a shield, the loud sound echoing in the air like bombs, the screams of the invaders being caught by surprise from behind.
“Now!” Florian ran and the she-wolves followed, aiming their weapons.
In the midst of the turmoil and smoke, they turned to attack us, and I threw myself to the ground. I crouched down and started shooting at anyone who came close. Florian beside me, doing the same.
Lana lunged forward, along with the guards, the duchesses, and Raluca. Both of them snarling and firing silver bullets.
They started to flee. Then Viktor’s wolves launched more explosives ahead, mining their escape route. Those who didn’t die tried to retreat and were massacred by our gunfire and furious claws. Stoica killed two with his bare hands, alongside his daughter.
In an instant, bodies and severed limbs were scattered everywhere, the smell of gunpowder, explosives, and burnt flesh on the ground.
My heart raced, I felt alive and insane, jumping back onto Florian’s back as we advanced toward Viktor. We wanted to catch anyone in our path and help in the battle.
I felt an absurd fear that it would be too late. That I would lose him.
Tears in my eyes, desperation inside. The forest was clear, but Anica said:
“There are a lot of dead wolves up ahead!”
My blood ran cold. It felt like an eternity until we got close enough to see several groups standing ahead, in a clearing. Bodies and blood on the ground. Many.
“Viktor…”
I murmured, weak, my gaze searching for him.
“The battle is over,” Florian murmured and then shouted: “Our people are standing! I see my son! Lonut!”
Some turned around, surprised. Then relief engulfed me in a strong, violent wave when I saw Viktor next to two wolves as tall as him. I screamed with all my might, tears leaping from my eyes:
“Viktor!”
He turned, eyes wide when he saw me. I jumped to the ground and ran as fast as I could, seeing nothing else, feeling nothing else but him. He ran toward me too and grabbed me tightly, lifting me in the air against his chest.
“My love… ah…”
I cried uncontrollably, with happiness and gratitude, patting him down, kissing him. He was covered in blood, but none of that mattered. Alive. He was alive!
“Seraphine… what…”
“Father!” Cezar, Lonut, and Petru ran to Florian.
“What are you doing here? Stoica? Daughter?” Emil hugged them. Other soldiers jumped and lifted the duchesses, laughing. Raluca and Eugen kissing.
I laughed too, without letting go of Viktor or stopping touching him. He slowly set me on the ground, holding my face, his desperate golden eyes searching for mine.
“You promised you would stay in the village!”
“I couldn’t let you die!”
“You put your life at risk!” Furious, he turned to Florian. “I told you to take care of her!”
“I tried, but no one could hold her back when we saw a group coming to attack you from behind,” the elder justified. “We came to fight for you! We blew up all those bastards!”
Viktor looked shocked, his gaze passing over the few soldiers, miners, one old man, and the she-wolves. Stopping on me.
“Unbelievable! Damn it, Seraphine!”
“It worked!”
“What if something happened to you?” Nervous, he squeezed my face harder, his eyes burning. “I can’t lose you. Or our son!”
“What?”
I didn’t move, in shock. He breathed, calming down. He ran his hand down my neck to my shoulder, which still burned, but I didn’t even care amidst all the chaos.
“You’re carrying my child. A pup.”
I blinked, confused.
“But… you only marked me a short time ago and…”
“I know. He’s just beginning to have life inside you.”
“Are you sure?” I panted, my vision blurry with tears. My lips trembling. “Viktor…”
“It’s just the confirmation. You are my predestined mate.”
He hugged me tightly.
I was invaded by his scent, by the blood that tried to erase it from my nostrils but couldn’t. An immense joy left me weak, my legs wobbling. He murmured against my hair:
“You could have died. I couldn’t bear to lose you both.”
“I’m alive. We are. With you.”
“Is this your human?” A gruff voice said next to us.
I pulled back a little, drying my tears, seeing the two alphas who had approached. Huge and handsome, but different from each other. Somehow, I knew they were his brothers. There was something that set them apart from all the others.
“She’s my stubborn human,” Viktor grumbled.
“We know what that’s like. The only difference is that we have stubborn she-wolves,” said the one with gleaming blue eyes. The other smiled.
“Edric!”
“Aldren!”
Startled, they turned when female voices came from the forest and two women emerged, escorted by six wolves.
“Damn it! What did I tell you?” The light-eyed one got nervous. “Lunara, what did I say to you?”
“Unbelievable, Elowen! We’re in a war!”
Viktor pulled me closer, and we watched the two arrive, somewhat out of breath from running. The one with long, dark hair replied:
“I knew the battle had stopped. And that you would need me, Aldren. Lunara and I waited so we wouldn’t get in the way! Now I understand everything, everything makes sense, why my wolf wouldn’t let me…”
She spoke so fast, almost in desperation.
“Calm down. What are you talking about?” Aldren held her, frowning.
“And Anton?” Edric grabbed the one with lighter hair, worried.
“They’re all safe. We needed to come.”
The one called Elowen looked at me. She smiled, her blue eyes shining.
“You’re pregnant. Now everything is complete.”
I was shocked that she also knew, like Viktor. She looked at him, then at Aldren and Edric. They were all silent, watching.
“I have prepared for this moment, even without knowing it. All the books I read, the magics I studied, the jumbled dreams I had of what was going to happen. I’m not ready yet, but I will try.”
“What?” Her husband grew more worried.
“To help you enter Noctheria. You will never make it without magic.”
The three said nothing and looked at each other.
I didn’t move, realizing the war was not yet over.