Chapter 7
TALIA
“ Talia…”
“Talia…”
I didn’t recognize the voice calling my name.”
I pried my eyes open.
White sand and clear blue water surrounded me for miles.
Birds chirped and waves crashed against the rocks along the water’s edge.
My eyes widened at the scenery, my hand flew to my mouth as my breath was stolen from my lungs.
I was just back in the forest surrounding my home, and I was fighting that man.
I looked down, finding that I was in my human form, I ran my hands over my stomach smooth skin met my fingertips.
No evidence of being stabbed.
I felt sick, my vision tunneled as the walls closed in around me.
My breathing was coming in shallow gasps.
Maybe if I closed my eyes and hoped hard enough, I would be back home when I reopened them.
Taking a deep breath , I squeezed them close and counted, but no matter how hard I tried… my surroundings never changed.
“You can visualize your home all you want Talia, but you are currently dying back there, and if we don ’ t figure out how to get you back then we won ’ t be able to save the shifter realms.”
A feminine voice spoke.
My head snapped up, my eyes widened as I snarled, “Who the hell are you?”
Standing in front of me was a woman who looked almost angelic.
Her hair swayed with the breeze, a shade of bright copper.
A pale pink Grecian style dress covered her body, a material so thin it shone with the rays of the sun.
I had no idea who she was or what she was talking about.
“Who are you?”
I repeated.
A soft smile met the corner of her lips as she spoke.
“I am Aurelia, and you, my sweet Talia, are the last remaining descendant of my line of children.”
My mouth dropped open wide, my muscles tensed up, freezing me to the spot as I struggled to wrap my head around what she just told me.
“Listen to me carefully, child.”
Aurelia insisted.
Stepping closer she reached out her hand and placed it on my shoulder, “The shifter realm has been fighting a war for the past three decades, and while you may have escaped with your life many are still in peril.”
She spoke softly.
“Fighting a war? I thought there was nothing left over there?”
I questioned.
“You have been shielded by the one who was tasked to protect you and kept in the dark.”
“Someone I know has been shielding me?”
I asked.
“Yes, but it will be up to them to reveal themselves to you when they see fit.”
She responded.
What a crock a bullshit! Someone had been lying to me! For how long? I needed to know what was going on in my life.
Could I trust anyone back home, or were they all in on this? “We don’t have long Talia.
I have slowed your bleeding back in the human realm but you are still dying.
You were stabbed with silver and there is no one around to get you the remedy, nor is your mate close by to claim you and save you.”
I clenched my fists tightly, opening and closing them again and again.
I took a deep breath.
The salty ocean air doing nothing to ground me.
My hands were shaking, and the sand beneath me felt like it was going to swallow me whole.
“I am going to show you what you need to know, but it will be up to you to figure out what it means in time.
I am not able to give you all the answers.”
My visioned darkened as I was pulled into a memory.
A vision? Where was I? I turned my head trying to find anything, I couldn’t see anything, not even the hand I had in front of my face.
The darkness surrounding me caused a chill to run up my spine.
A loud scream echoed through the air.
I jumped to the side as something brushed against my leg, What the fuck? “Aurelia? Are you here?”
I whispered.
I received no answer.
“Sionn, are you here with me girl?”
I asked.
Once again, I was met with silence.
Looks like I am alone to find out what the hell is going on…I began walking, the cold ground crunched between my toes as I moved through the darkness.
My hands were out in front of me as I tried to feel for any trees, boulders, or buildings to let me know where I was.
I walked for what felt like an hour before the sky illuminated with a red glow.
Smoke clouds billowed in the distance, screams echoed around me the closer I got.
The loud clanking of metal, doors slamming, and children crying pierced my ears as I made my way up the hill I was now climbing.
A boulder sat between a set of pines, pines with green and black leaves.
I slowly climbed onto it and shrank my body down as I looked over the edge into the town beneath me.
What I saw shook me to my core.
Soldiers in dark black armor with a wolf insignia on their shoulders were dragging women by their hair.
Shoving them into metal cages and beating them with the hits of their swords.
Blood was pouring out of wounds and tears were streaming down their faces as they screamed for their children.
“Let them go!”
one of the women screamed.
“Please, I will do anything just let my children go!”
She cried.
“You want them set free? Is that you little bitch?”
A dark-haired soldier growled.
He spit into her face just before a cruel smirk appeared on his lips.
“As you wish.”
He laughed.
“Bring me this bitches’ children.”
He ordered to the soldier across the stone pathway.
The children were covered in soot and ash.
Blood soaked through their clothing, clothing that was too large for their tiny little bodies.
You could see the streaking on their faces from where they had been crying.
“Mommy!”
The little girl cried as she saw her mother come into view.
She tried to run towards her when she was yanked by her hair.
Causing a scream to tear from her throat.
The little boy stood beside the soldier not uttering a word as tears streamed down his face.
These kids… They couldn’t be more than five or six.
“Aurelia!”
I screamed into the darkness surrounding me, "We need to help them!”
Why was no one helping them? “Please!”
I tried again.
Still no answer.
Fuck this.
I threw my legs over the side of the boulder and went to jump just as an ear shattering cry met my ears.
“Noooo! My babies! My sweet babies!”
The mother screamed and cried, an earth-shattering scream that put a vice like grip on my heart.
My head shot up, looking down below.
My eyes widened as tears began to stream down my face.
I felt like my heart was being squeezed inside of my chest.
I couldn’t breathe.
Knots formed inside my stomach as I felt the urge to vomit.
I placed my hand over my mouth to keep it at bay.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Trying to clear the image in front of me.
I will never forget this.
My vision blurred, my body felt light and the darkness began to lighten.
The smell of the ocean invaded my senses as I returned to the beach I had awoken on.
form was fading as I ran towards her.
I needed answers.
Now.
“What.
The.
Fuck was that! We need to help them! All those women and children! They are being slaughtered!”
I screamed while pumping the arms and legs faster.
“Stay with your true friends, and your mate , and all will be revealed in time, Talia.”
She whispered while fading into the ocean mist.
Leaving me alone.
To think about what I had just witnessed.
My arms began to feel heavy, my vision becoming blurred at the edges as darkness enveloped me.
Wait! Aurelia, I need your help, I can ’ t do this!”
I screamed into the sky.
“Don’t worry child, all will reveal itself in time.”
She whispered in my ear, her breath hot on my skin.
A scream tore through my throat as a sudden onslaught sharp, shooting pain coursed through my stomach traveling through my limbs.
The scream stopped as the breath was stolen from my lungs.
The crashing of waves and birds chirping was suddenly overwhelmed by faint voices and steel against steel clashing, grunts and shouts were all around me, fists connecting with flesh.
The smell of iron filled the air invading my senses.
“Tals, please wake up.
You can’t fucking leave me! We have too much to do together!”
Was that Celeste? I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't.
I reached for Sionn and felt nothing.
A vast emptiness filled my chest where her presence should always be. “ Sionn”
I whispered.
“Who the fuck are you?! Get away from her!”
Celeste screamed.
Pain shot through my arms as a strong pair of hands was grabbing my body and yanking me away from Celeste.
The movement jostling the wounds inflicted on me, and coldness further sweeping through my veins.
Strong arms wrapped around me, cradling me to a muscular chest, the rich earthy scent of cedar filled my nose as his warmth soaked into my body, warming the blood in my veins.
“I’m not going to hurt her.
She’s mine.”
He growled.
“You are insane! Talia doesn’t belong to anyone, don’t touch my best friend!”
Celeste shouted.
A loud thud sounded behind me.
“Talia…Can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes , little wolf.”
Little wolf? Confusion filled me as I willed myself to open my eyes, and staring down at me was a pair of glowing blue eyes.
There are those beautiful caramel eyes I liked so much.”
He whispered.
The corner of his lips turning upwards.
“I can’t believe you shoved me over! Who the fuck do you think you are!”
Celeste roared.
I peered over Declan’s shoulder to see Celeste standing behind him.
Her eyes glowing so brightly, fists clenched blood dripping from her palms.
Her wolf was about to come out.
Looking to the side of Celeste I noticed Lucas.
His pupils were blown, blood covered his hands, and he was clenching and unclenching his jaw as he kept his distance.
Suddenly I feared for the man whose arms surrounded my body.
“Celeste...”
I croaked.
“Oh my god Talia! You’re awake! Shit, girl, you scared me.”
She cried.
Why aren’t you healing?”
She asked, Celeste was now leaning over me with sweat dripping from her brow, eyes wide as she took in my wounds.
Her eyes widened as she began to tremble.
I met her scared gaze and whispered, “They found me. ”
“Tals… what ...
no we were so careful, they couldn’t have found you...”
My throat tightened, tongue feeling heavy as I tried to speak.
I opened my mouth and began coughing, blood splattering across Declan’s chest.
Blood trailed down my chin as I gagged on the taste of iron filling my mouth.
My chest tightened, heaviness settling over me as my lungs seized, and forced out one word. “Silver.”
Tears filled Celeste’s eyes, she shook her head back and forth. “No.”
the word slipping from her mouth as she fell to her knees.
Declan’s grip tightened around me, snapping my attention back to him and… wait was he growling? I felt the low vibrations throughout my body, a sense of calmness rushing over me.
“We need to heal her and fast.
She’s losing too much blood.
At this rate, she won ’ t last much longer.”
He snarled.
“What do you suggest we do? Unless you see her fated mate around here, I don’t have a cure for silver poisoning!”
Celeste screamed.
Celeste was panicking and a panicked Celeste was never a good thing.
She tended to go feral when she shifted… unable to recognize the people around her.
I gasped for air, the tightness is my chest almost unbearable, my lungs would not expand, my heartbeat began to slow.
My chest rattled as a cough left my lips, blood pouring from my mouth, it was getting harder to keep my eyes open.
My eyelids began to flutter as they closed.
Declan shook me.
“Little wolf, I need you to keep your eyes open and stay with me, okay?”
He shouldn’t care that I was dying, but I swore I could see sadness in his eyes.
I pried my eyes open, the edges of my vision blurred and I couldn’t focus on the figures surrounding me.
The sound of clothing tearing and the smell of iron met my nose a wrist was my pressed against my lips.
“Drink up, little wolf, we have many things to do once you are healed.”
Declan rasped.
I closed my lips over his wrist and drank greedily from his palm.
The taste of sweet, rich chocolate met my tongue and soothed my throat as the warmth slid down my throat.
My body began to feel stronger.
The pain receded more and more with every mouthful I took.
Declan’s eyes glowed brighter and a small smirk appeared on his mouth.
A sense of calmness and rightness took over me before my eyes closed and darkness consumed me.