28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Emm

I drifted in and out of consciousness, like waves lapping against the shore. Amidst the haze, I could discern Locke's voice. I think he was yelling at someone on the phone. His urgent commands echoed in my ears, piercing the silence. Each time, my body would shudder with distress, as if an electric current jolted through my veins. Overwhelmed, I would surrender once again, plunging deep into the abyss of sleep's obsidian embrace.

There are other times I'm watching a scene of a movie. Two children playing in a primitive village. When I say primitive, I mean it was just that. Dirt roads, log cabins, there wasn't any electricity, and there was an obvious caste system to the dreary town.

The two children I felt the urge to follow each day, had it better than the rest. They looked healthier, stronger. They didn't fight like the rest. They didn't look— so feral. And the little boy's eyes were just so green and lively I could easily get lost in them

I knew I was sleeping, I kept trying to wake myself with a pinch or a shake of my body, but my mind would bury itself deeper into the dream, more immersed in it.

Right now, I was watching these children on the day where the girl called Amaryllis would start her training to be alpha. It was an important day, I figured, by the announcement that the large male yelled over the crowd.

Koen, the young boy with a beaming smile, settled on the sidelines, perched on a rough log. I observed Amaryllis, a determined little girl, brimming with pride. However, as I observed the other children of the pack I saw them to be undernourished. A nagging sense of unease washed over me.

It was a loveless—pack; that was the word often used. These were horrible creatures—the wolves that I saw trotting through the town. The warriors of the pack would kick and hurt the weak, and when I first came here, I often tried to push them away.

My efforts were in vain. My hand would fall right through. I knew one thing, though, I didn't want to have anything to do with a pack if this is how it was run.

I waited, stood in the crowd full of children and adults, watching as Amaryllis stood before her father, the alpha. My panic rose when the alpha waved his hand on the other side of the crowds and easily made a circle.

"Something is not right," I muttered to myself, my head swept through the crowd. I couldn't understand why no one else could sense it, but I certainly did.

A person walked up beside me; I felt the cool wind that accompanied them, but didn't turn to see who they were. No one answered me when I tried to talk to them.

"You are correct. Something isn't right."

Startled, I jumped, my heart racing as I swiftly turned my head towards her. She stood before me, adorned in a pristine white dress that flowed elegantly around her. Her hair, a shade of white so pure that it seemed to possess a faint bluish tint, glimmered under the sun. As her gaze met mine, her ethereal blue eyes locked onto me, captivating and mysterious.

I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again. She didn't belong here. Hell, neither did I.

"This is the Blood Rose pack. The pack was named after the blood-red roses that would grow inside its territory, before it was tainted."

I still couldn't find words to speak, which was rare for me. I just continued to stare at this woman who didn't look human at all.

"It's overwhelming, isn't it? Seeing where your mate had grown up?"

I let a strangled puff of air out of my throat and glanced at the little boy sitting on the log, with a knife and a block of wood in his hand. He didn't look at all like Locke. Sure, he had the same dirty blonde hair, maybe, the same colored eyes, but this boy looked loved despite the pack he lived in.

This boy was shy. He had dreams of making toys. He didn't look like he had a malicious bone in his body.

"I'm going to witness something terrible, aren't I?" I whispered, as I watched the alpha of the pack put his hand on Amaryllis.

The woman folded her hands in front of her, a frown forming on her lips. "I don't normally allow humans to be shown the past of their mates while they are being woven into the bond. Transitioning into a shifter is quite delicate. However, this is a special circumstance."

Excuse me?

Before I could explode with questions, the crowd grew quiet when the alpha hovered over his daughter and pushed her into the ring. There was no love in his eyes, as he ordered her to take on the challenge of a male child, twice her size.

The male was tall and muscular in his build. I would say about fifteen and being paired up against an eight-year-old child was crazy. It was fucking suicide. This was supposed to be her first day of training.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

The powerful alpha remained unfazed, not a muscle twitching, as Amaryllis confidently advanced and unleashed a swift strike. The air crackled with determination as Amaryllis continued to rein blow after blow.

That was until the teenager struck back.

Her mother cried out from the crowd, her hands over her cheeks.

"Why am I a special circumstance? Why am I being shown Locke's past?"

The woman took in a breath. "To show you how Locke used to be, before he was tainted. He may have ultimately beaten his father many, many years later, but it was a rough road to get there. His body, mind and wolf were broken, and they will always remain so, no matter how much the bond tries to mend it."

There was that word again.

The crowd cheered as the male hit Amaryllis again. Koen, who I now knew to be Locke, stood and pushed people away from him to enter the ring. His father yelled and pointed for young Locke to stay back. It distracted the opponent enough for Amaryllis to jump and swing her leg to kick her attacker in the head.

Her much taller opponent, with a resounding crash, stumbled and collapsed onto the unforgiving ground. The impact reverberated through the air, accompanied by a chorus of gasps from the spectators. A moment of stunned silence ensued as the defeated figure remained motionless, defeated. Amaryllis, smiled and basked in the sweet taste of victory.

The crowd had a mixture of cheers and groans they handed money to each other.

The fight was quick, and it took everyone by surprise.

Amaryllis stood tall and pulled her shoulders back. Locke's shoulders slumped in relief and he began walking towards her to congratulate her. Amaryllis skipped, a wide smile on her face as she opened her arms to hug her brother.

The tension in my body left too soon, because I heard Locke scream. Amaryllis' mouth hung open, her eyes filling with tears. She stumbled forward, landing in Locke's arms. He screamed again and the crowd roared with confusion and chaos.

I ran through the bodies, trying to get a better look. When I came to the clearing, there was a weeping young Locke, cradling his gasping sister in his arms.

"No, don't go. Please don't!" He held her tightly.

His mother rushed beside him, screaming her name, "Amaryllis! Amarillys! No! Gods no, please don't take my pup. Gods, please no!"

I stood over them, trying to hold back the sobs. What the fuck happened?

"Mother, what do I do?" Locke was covered in blood. He was holding his sister at an angle so the knife in his sister's back would not go in deeper, as he sat on the ground.

"I don't know!" his mother cried. "A healer! I need a healer!" She gazed over the crowd, but no one stepped forward. They silently traded off their money from their ruthless gambling.

"Why isn't anyone coming!?" I cried. I felt the woman behind me. "Where is their healer?!"

The woman gently shook her head. "There were no healers in Blood Rose. The alpha believed if you were weak enough to become injured, you deserved to die."

My heart constricted, aching with a heaviness that suffocated. I was enveloped in Locke's agony, as if it were my own, feeling the sharp sting of sorrow piercing through my soul.

Locke's anguished cry pierced the air, echoing like a mournful howl. Trembling uncontrollably, he gently pressed his quivering lips against his sister's cooling forehead.

The unbearable pain seared through my chest, tears ran down my cheeks and my body shook. I didn't know I could feel a pain like this.

"Now that his twin has left the living plane, he will unlock the alpha blood within himself," the woman said. "He will take all her strength and multiply it by two."

"Oh my god," I gasped, covering my mouth. "Did—did their father know that?" I pointed to the alpha who stood off at the edge of the fighting ring, with his arms crossed. There was a twitch in his lips.

"Yes," she said angrily. "He did. But he made sure that her death looked like an accident."

The alpha stomped over to the opponent who had fought against Amaryllis. The male had a smile on his face and bowed to his alpha. "I have beaten the alpha's daughter, I have earned—" The alpha gripped the teenager by the neck, his hand wrapping around his throat, and squeezed. A crack echoed through the crowd, and the people stood back in shock, watching the lifeless body fall to the dirt.

"This was hand-to-hand combat. No knives were to be used. You break the rules, you suffer the consequences." His glare went around the ring. "And let this be a lesson to you all. Never turn your back on an opponent, even when they are down."

The alpha's expression remained cold and impassive as he silently made his way towards his wife and his only remaining child. His gaze fixated on his son, deliberately avoiding the sight of his lifeless daughter lying nearby.

"Stand," he commanded Locke.

Locke's eyes narrowed, and the grip on his sister tightened.

"I said stand," he snarled. "Your training starts today."

I hadn't had a chance to look up close at Locke's father, but he was a terrifying male. Tribal tattoos littered his entire body, bulging muscles and a face that was not at all handsome. Luckily, a beard covered most of his face, that held beads and shells.

Locke still did not waver. Instead, his father had to pull Locke away from his sister's body by the arm.

His mother cried out, catching Amaryllis in her embrace.

Locke's face contorted in anger; his lips curled back as he snarled. With a swift, forceful motion, he yanked his arm away from his father's grasp. The gathered crowd stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the intense standoff, their anticipation palpable in the air. The atmosphere was charged with tension, as if a storm was brewing just beneath the surface.

"As I thought," the alpha whispered. "You will be the strongest alpha to lead this pack, once you are old enough. Now," he purred, "you best listen, or your mother will be next."

Locke glanced at his mother, who was still rocking Amaryllis in her arms, crying silently. Locke swallowed and nodded once in confirmation.

The alpha turned to the crowd and held up his hand. "Blood Rose, I give you your future alpha. A powerful male that will be worthy of your protection. Koen. His name meaning bold and brave. What this pack will need in the coming years to be in favor to the king."

The crowd cheered, long forgetting Amaryllis, the former alpha heir.

The crowd dispersed, and I stood there watching Locke's mother cry for the dead child in her arms.

I wiped away the tears and still felt the woman beside me. "I didn't need to see this. Locke could have just told me."

"He wouldn't have told you about it. And if he had, would you had believed him? Would you have trusted him enough?" She said with a smooth, velvet voice.

The surrounding area disappeared, and we found ourselves in a meadow. Darkness fell and the large moon rose above us.

"I have shown you the beginning of your mate's pain. He only suffered more throughout his adolescent and young adult years." The woman walked in front of me and I followed behind her.

I gritted my teeth, trying to listen and not interrupt. I'd been alone for days it seemed and at least I was getting answers. I could not believe I was thrown into this shit show.

"Locke has told you he has claimed you, but I don't believe you realize what that means. Locke can get ahead of himself, especially since his mind was half rabid."

"Half rabid? You mean crazy? I think we both know he has problems, but I'm guessing it was because of his shitty childhood."

I rubbed my hand up and down my arm. I felt so damn bad for him, but I had a feeling that Locke didn't like pity, and I would not give it to him. I would be fucking pissed for him though. He lost his family, and I had a feeling he also lost his mother.

"No, rabid is when your soul is too broken and you begin to die." She looked into the distance. "That is a story for him to tell you about later, but I am just telling you that—you are on the path to mend his soul." The woman turned back to me. She was shockingly beautiful, with skin as pale as the moon itself.

I tilted my head. "Me? How do I mend him?"

"You are his soul mate. You've heard him say that before. You've even heard his mother speak about it."

I bit my lip. The way his mother said what soul mates were was so poetic. Did Locke feel all those feelings when he saw me? Or was it simply lust and desire? There was no doubt I felt a pull, but I tried to force any sort of romantic feelings away. Romance, feelings— just didn't work in the real world.

I swallowed. "I did, and it was beautiful. But, Locke wouldn't feel that way toward me."

The woman smiled and nodded. "He does. He might have a different way of showing it. As do you—you are one tough human, Emmie. Your pairing was quite easy once I saw your soul light up on this Earth."

I blinked several times. "Are you—"

"The Moon Goddess?" She hummed. "You can call me Selene. And just so you know, you have, well, had a choice to accept Locke. You could have rejected him. All souls have the option."

I scoffed. "Locke said I didn't!"

"And would you have rejected him?" She put her hand on her hip.

No. Probably not. He had the mix of danger, desire and hot monster-sex I've always wanted.

Selene giggled and played with the tips of her hair. "Not only are you perfect for each other, but perfect for the Iron Fang. The Iron Fang will transform from a club into a pack of once-lost souls, who will be guided to a better path."

I grabbed her hand, feeling the coolness of her touch. "A pack? Like Blood Rose?"

Selene's eyes narrowed. "Nothing like Blood Rose. You and Locke will create a thriving pack, completely opposite. You will be the protectors of the weak. But I really need you to promise me you will stay, Emm. You need to stay with the Iron Fang. Protect them, fight for them." Selene grabbed my other hand and held it to her chest.

I felt pride that she would ask me, but she was the one that dealt with souls. Couldn't she protect them? Why would she care if I stayed to help protect everyone?

"Because if you don't stay, Locke will follow you. He will let the Iron Fang fall and all the souls with it." Selene gripped my hands tighter.

"He would leave it all if I left? Why would he do such a thing? He built all of this, didn't he?"

Selene nodded quickly. "He did but he would burn the world for you. His friends, his family—all for you. You are the rock, the luna of the Iron Fang. You must stay so we can continue to help the rogues, the ones that will go rabid if they don't find their other half."

"Lost souls? Rabid? I still don't understand." I shook my head.

Heat engulfed my body, it wrapped around my back, to my chest and between my legs. I let out a shaky breath and forced my hands out of her hold.

"What about my family?" I pressed, backing away. "They are far away. I need my family here with me."

"Emm, you must promise me you will stay." Selene's voice faded.

I whimpered, feeling the heat grow. I was so hot, and I was feeling—horny. My nipples hardened and a moan escaped my lips. I needed to touch myself.

How embarrassing.

"I—what about my sister, m-my nephew? Abuela?" I dropped to my knees into the grass. Selene followed, but all I saw was her long hair sweep in front of me. I couldn't hear her voice, just the rushing sounds of the wind.