Chapter 17 | As The Horizon Consumes The Sun
"A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone,
and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone,
and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going.
And dusk crept over the sky from the eastern horizon, and darkness crept over the land from the East."
-John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Twirling around "This is just wonderful," Tessa squeals, "But is it always this fancy?
" I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her.
She just came out of her shower. "I know you want to roll your eyes at me, Blee," she says sashaying into the walk-in closet in a fluffy robe.
Both Tessa and Aaron dropped by today, given her squealing.
"What shall I wear?" She wonders out loud from the closet. "It's just lunch with me. Just me," I go in saying to her. Aaron said he had a video conference with his clients. "Whatever. I don't dress for anyone else. I dress for myself. Help me..." She whines.
"Okay, what about this?" I pull out a pair of black skinny jeans and a light green bell sleeved off-shoulder blouse. "Awesome," she squeals as grabs them from me.
Stripping down, she grabs some underwear and dons them as I walk back to the bed. She comes out, fully dressed and strikes out a model pose, blowing out a kiss to me. I fake out catching her blown kiss and bringing it to my heart. We both burst out laughing at our craziness.
After I had Ron's lunch sent up to his room, we left for ours.
Our lunch was at a local burger shop that was in walking distance to the pack settlements.
Royal guards followed us wherever we went.
Apparently it was customary according to Rick.
Too bad, I didn't want to push that guy.
Tessa kept flirting with some guard. Harmless flirting.
But to her disappointment that guard remained out duty conscious and serious and focused on his baby sitting.
"Let's go," He says walking out of the PIR and slipping his hand in mine.
We had
just wrapped up the interrogation.
Even these set of rogues revealed nothing.
They had said they didn't know how they ended up here.
They actually didn't know that it was the Royal territory or that they had trespassed. And we believed that.
It was visible that it was an outright lie.
It was preplanned. We were sure of it. They also had brought ashes.
Ashes of a dead wolf. It masked their scents.
At the same time it was fatal to werewolves, if consumed it could cause painful death, slowly burning our insides. If they were carrying it...
This was the second time this had happened. After they had trespassed on that day we were out in wolf form, we had concluded nothing. They wouldn't confide in anything. They kept saying that they didn't know anything. We knew it was a lie, but why did it seem like the truth?
But this time, we had to make sure we act on it. Rogues don't trespass territories unknowingly. Twice. We knew that.
But what we were not aware of, was their intentions.
The areas they were at were being raided.
"Alpha, nothing was found in the pack settlement areas.
The temple too was thoroughly checked nothing suspicious was found," reported a guard.
Rick's forehead crunches in confusion. I'm sure my face mirrors his.
"Did y'all search the woods nearby, Will?" Jake inquires. "Some of us are on it, sir," The guard informs curtly. Both, Rick and Jake nod in unison, but I don't miss a knowing look that was exchanged between the duo. "Alpha, you need to see it!"
"Pardon, Will?" Jake butts in, "What happened?" "Brian just informed me that there was something the Alpha needed to see in the woods. It seems to be an emergency," The guard says his face more grim and serious.
All of us rush out, not waiting for more and both Jake and Rick shift into their wolves.
Synthetic fabric in shreds. The onyx wolf beckons me to him, by lowering himself.
Without a second thought, I climb onto Rick's back as the tan wolf next to us, growls impatiently.
Growling back in response Rick takes off as I hug him closely.
Both of them sped fast through the trees.
We stop amongst some trees and I get down, readjusting and rolling up the sleeves of my forest green flannel shirt as both of the others slip on some shorts. Following their lead, I too quicken my pace.
A group of about five werewolves stand surrounding some trees. All of them part ways to let us pass. That's when I see it...
The blood freshly dripping from the final full stops to the withered autumn leaves were the only sound in the quiet atmosphere.
The pink and orange hues splashed spectacularly behind the invariant mellow sun.
The ethereal orange glowed flaming and brazen as the tempestuous winds whip my hair backwards.
The customary pink gave off mild and placid vibes to the observer.
The soft sand beneath my feet scrunches as the salty lagoon waves wash my feet.
Wrapping my arms around me, I shield myself from the chill air that nips at my skin.
The soft rhythm of feet steeping on sand alerts me that someone is nearby. Before my reflexes act out, the scent of pine, fig-tree and lemon washes over me and I relax. Strong arms circle my waist from the back as my back is met with a rigid, bare but warm chest.
He must've run here. All anger at him fades away and I find myself leaning further backwards as I feel his lips on my hair. He tightens his hold on me.
"I'm sorry," His voice evades our silent bubble.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted. I should've let you explain," I was not great at apologies. But when I say it, I definitely mean it.
"Yes, you should've," He pauses, "but it was also my fault.
I should've told it to you. I had a week to the most. I didn't. It slipped off.
Which is a very reckless answer. I'm sorry.
" I turn back in his arms and put my arms around his neck.
"How did it go?" I ask him. "The meeting? " He asks. I nod back.
A soft 'v' forms on his forehead as he thinks evidently. "Alright, I guess. The elders are frustrating. I have tripled the border patrol lines and extra guards have assigned at the gateways. It's not enough though..." He trails off. His tone defeated.
"It'll be fine. We'll figure it out," I look into his eyes. "I hope so..." He presses his lips onto my forehead. "Am I forgiven?" His suddenly asks in a cheery voice, which heightens my own spirits.
"Am I?" I ask back. His lips crashes on mine before he mumbles, "Yup." I sense his smile on my lips. He moves away asking, "What about mine?" "Apology accepted," I mumble reaching to caress his slight five o'clock shadow.
After we had seen the bloody threat. Ironically.
I kind of got pissed at how both Rick and Jake were giving knowing glances.
I was not in on the secret. Even the guards seemed to be aware.
I had stalked off childishly elsewhere and of course Rick followed me.
An argument that ended with a stare-down.
I had asked for some space and here I am.
After a relaxing swim in the beach, I had sat on the rocks, letting my shirt to dry off and pondering over the incidents in my head.
I wasn't used to things being hidden from me. Neither did I like it. Well, who did?
We embrace closer, if that was even possible and watch the horizon consume the sun. Both of us know that great darkness is yet to come and that it will be darker than darkest of nights.
"Alpha! Luna!" Both of us spring apart at the address but ended cracking up sensing it was in the mind link. "Yes, Blake?" Rick replies. "You are needed here at the palace, Alpha. It's about Beta Ronan."
"Jake?" Both of us say at the same time. "We'll be there shortly, Blake," I inform Blake. There have been a lot of emergencies these past few days. All of them had been unpleasant but none of them had involved Jake. We go back to the palace in my car.
After a short sniff, both of us head to the location.
"What happened?" We both inquire, walking in to the sitting room.
All of them were present there. Well most of them.
Aaron, Tessa, Kay, Jake, Chris, Kendra and the guard.
.. What was his name? Ah! Blake.
Tessa was behind Aaron, who was glaring at Jake murderously.
As Jake looked elsewhere trying to avoid the others' glare, beside him, Chris was glaring back at Aaron. Kay and Kendra both looked alert and tensed.
What was happening? Were those tears in her eyes? Tessa's?
What the hell happened to her?
"Tessa, what happened?" I move towards her pulling her to me. Aaron relaxes his protective stance but remains closed off. "Man, I'm sorry. I swear, I didn't mean to do. But..." Jake trails off, his apology directed at Rick.
"He- he marked me," she stutters.
My eyes widen at her reply and then do I notice the blood on her blouse. "He marked you?" I manage to whisper out. She nods, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Is she your mate?" Rick asks the person-who-I- am-about-to-kill.
You hurt me, I manage. You hurt my best friend, you die.
"Damn it, Rick, you think I'll mark a random she-wolf! Of course, she's my mate," he says exasperated. "You're dismissed," Rick waves Blake off, who leaves with a stiff bow. "With her permission?" I ask and all of their attention turn towards me. Jake avoids my gaze as Aaron glares at him.
"She's my mate. It was all in the moment," he shrugs a minute later.
That is all it takes for me to snap. And I do.
"All in the moment?" I spit out, taking a step towards him.
His eyes widen and
he takes a step back.
I'm sure my eyes were flashing silver. "She may be your mate or
not but you have no right to mark without her consent," I let out a low growl as I take another step forward. Jake shrinks back further.
Rick's touch on my forearm, composures me. Taking a deep breath, I step back and put my arms around Tessa, realizing that she would need me the most. She hugs me back and lays her head on my shoulder, sniffling. "Are you okay?" I ask her softly. "Yeah," she moves back nodding.
"It's not okay!" Aaron bellows, "No one messes with my sister and gets away with it!"
"He has to pay for it," he finishes.
With a short glance at both of us, Tessa and me, he turns back to Jake and walks towards him. No, strikeout walk. It was more like a predator circling its prey. Halting before him, Aaron eyes him up and down and snaps his fingers. Oh no!
"No!" Tessa screams the word out as I do so in my mind. "So she likes him," my wolf chimes in. "Obviously, duh."
But it was too late. It all happened within a fraction of a second.
Bright red light shoots out of Ron's palm, towards Jake.
It's now or never. I summon my inner-self and focus on the beam of light traveling towards Jake.
Clear, blue light radiates from my palm and I lurch forward pushing further as the blue breaks the red.
Aaron's black eyes clash with my silver ones as the air in the room grows chill and tense.
"So you have witch powers?" Chris asks me awed. I nod smugly. "That's cool,"
he mutters just as Kendra raises her eyebrows at him and he goes mute. The room remains silent even after the whole explanation.
"And you are a warlock?" Rick asks Aaron patiently and I know that he's testing the waters. He too nods smugly. He doesn't like to be it. He didn't want it of course. He's always hated himself for it. For not being a werewolf but being a warlock.
I had descended some of my mom's powers. He had got most of them. I'm partly witch. A werewolf-witch hybrid. But he was a warlock. Just a warlock.
Witches too were regarded highly in the supernatural world.
Just like werewolves. But warlocks weren't. Both had their covens and they had to report to them.
But Aaron and I, both did not report to a coven.
We learnt to control ourselves from Anna.
The seer. She helped both of us, but after mastering it Aaron, put his foot down and quitted sorcery.
He said he didn't want to do it. He hated his nature, a major part of it being the "mate-thing. "
Warlocks didn't have mates. They were said to be cursed creatures.
It was said that only Witches, were granted the gift of sorcery and witchcraft by the Moon Goddess.
Warlocks weren't. They eventually claimed it by some curse.
Aaron didn't want to be cursed.
At least up to an extent he could control, he wanted to.
But at times, he put his spells into effect, just a like a few minutes ago. When he was extremely angry...
"You never told us!" Jake exclaims at him and I tune back into their conversation.
"How do you expect me to introduce myself, after you bit my sister alias my sister's best friend?
" Jake meddles with his fingers as Ron continues, "I walk down the corridor to see Tessa with a bleeding neck and you with your elongated canines stained in blood.
After seeing that you expect me to go all perfect gentlemen and introduce myself, "Oh hello, what a pleasure to meet you, down a random corridor with my sister's blood on your teeth?
By the way, I'm Aaron Archer, the Warlock.
Tut, tut, why have you sunk your canines into my sister's neck, oh I see, you call it love! " He imitates in a gruff horrid voice.
Chris and Kay both stifle a snort and I bite my inner cheeks to not to laugh as Jake's ears' tips redden.
All three of burst out laughing, both Kay and Rick join in as soon as I see a smile linger on Aaron's lips, I know the tension is over.
Tessa glares at me and inches closer to Jake, who wraps an arm around her shoulder. All I want is, them to be happy.
A soft knock interrupts our mini episode. "Your majesties, Dr. Beaumont is here to meet you," a maid politely states curtsying. Adele...
Rick's eyes briefly clash with mine before replying to the maid, "Send her in, Faye." The maid nods, "Of course, sir," and takes leave.
"Hello, people!" Adele sashays in stating at the top of her voice. Most awkward moment of the day.
She freezes in her position as seven pairs of eyes focus on her. "Um-" She struggles for words as her eyes register each and every one of us slowly, stalling for a moment on Tessa's and Jake's proximity.
All of sudden her emerald eyes, space out and she looks like she's caught in a trance. I follow her gaze to be met with my brother's chestnut brown eyes also locked in a trance. No way in hell!