Chapter 28 Eric

Chapter 28 Eric

Cathy couldn’t sleep, and her nightmares and constant panic attacks wouldn’t leave me either because since our bond became stronger, I could feel and experience everything she did.

"Are you sure I can leave you alone?" I asked her.

"Yes, it’s your father calling you," she told me with her head tucked into her pillow. "It must be important."

I stroked her back with fingertips on the thin fabric of her pajamas.

"I know, but I don’t want to leave you in this mood," I continued. "I know you’re not well."

She hugged the pillow and curled up, covering her face. "I can’t stop thinking about Morgan," she said, voice breaking.

"I know it’s hard. Believe me, I know," I said. "But none of what happened is your fault. You ran away from there in time. Otherwise, you and our son might not be alive either."

I felt Cathy’s pain and hugged it. But she had made a barrier and wanted to spend her mourning alone.

"I’ll be fine," she told me and closed her eyes to try to get some sleep.

I tucked the covers around her, gave her a kiss, and went to my father’s office.

"Son, you’re just in time," my father said, coming over to greet me.

Since it was a private meeting, it was just my father, Andrew, Sebastian, my father’s Beta, and me. The office felt small with the four of us there, but it was also because of the large table my father had the map of our territory on in the center of the room.

"What’s going on?" I asked, seeing them all so focused.

"Explain Sebastian," my father ordered.

"Well, the enemy has infiltrated our territory along the border, specifically around the Delaware River. And according to our informants, they have set up several camps scattered around the area and have not yet organized," he said, rounding the forest with a red marker. "Nicholas would never have been so careless, so we must take advantage of that and strike now before they get organized."

"We interrogated the intruders who ambushed Cathy and discovered that Alston is nothing more than a front and that the real leader of the pack is their former Luna, Lissandra," Andrew said, continuing his father’s explanation. "They will play dirty and attack to kill. We are outnumbered, but their loyalty is compromised as they don’t all accept Alston as their Alpha. We have to use that against them somehow."

"That’s excellent news," I said. "Why haven’t we attacked yet?"

My father walked over to the head of the table and rested his hands on it. "Because there’s something else I’d like to talk to you about," his expression was serious, the same one he wore when he was about to say something either very good or very bad, and I felt my throat go dry. "I want you to be the one to lead this battle."

I stood up with my back straight like a soldier and with my face raised proudly. "It will be an honor for me," I replied. "I want to make those people pay for what they did to Cathy and for threatening my son."

Andrew patted me on the back and stood next to me. "We will carry on our fathers’ legacies," he said.

Sebastian nodded with an almost imperceptible smile and tried to hide the pride he felt.

"There is one other thing," my father said, walking toward me with slow but steady steps. "I’m planning to officially make you the Alpha of the pack," he said.

"I couldn’t accept that. You are still here and capable of continuing in your position," I immediately replied.

"I know, but it is time for an old man like me to rest and leave the future of the pack in more capable hands," he said with an expression that he would not take no for an answer. "Your mother and I have already talked it over. We were waiting for you to get a worthy woman to take her place, and you have."

My pulse shot up, and I felt the ground beneath me shift.

"I’d be honored," I said, "I’ll go make the arrangements, and we’ll leave right away."

"Very well, son, but remember not to take the enemy for granted," he said. "The Sith Pack is strong, and even though they have lost their leader, they have one advantage, and that is that we don’t know their strategy, and it could all be a trap."

"I will raise the Night name among the other packs and return with victory," I said.

My father stayed with Sebastian and Andrew going over all the details they knew so far about the enemy. “Prepare for battle. We leave in an hour”, I announced to everyone in the pack in and around the mansion. When we got to the room, Cathy was sitting on the bed, putting on some boots.

"Where are you going?" I asked her, knowing the answer.

"To war, I heard your thoughts," she said. "And before you say no, I’ve already made my decision."

"Cathy, you’re not ready for war. I won’t let you risk your life like this," I replied, placing my hands over hers.

"You have two choices, you let me go with you, or I will follow you as soon as you leave and fight anyway," she said, more determined with eyes full of hate. "This war is because of me, and I will not sit back and wait for people to die for me."

"If anything happens to you... I couldn’t stand it." I sat down next to her and took her hands in mine. "Someone has to stay and take care of Elliot, besides if something goes wrong, you have to be there for him."

Cathy looked me straight in the eyes. "We won’t lose. I already know how to control my wolf. I’m capable of fighting," she said. "Elliot is not alone. He has Lydia and a whole pack to support him, plus his life is on the line too because if we lose, they will come for him for sure."

She had a point, and I knew I wasn’t going to persuade her, but I didn’t want her to get so involved in the battle, but since I knew her well enough, I was aware that if I didn’t let her go with us she would go on her own and there I wouldn’t be able to protect her.

"Ok, but you’ll always be by my side," I said, "And wear combat clothes. I’ll have one made for you."

"Okay," she said. "But first, I must prepare something."

She hurried out of the room, almost running, and I assumed she was going to say goodbye to Elliot.

I put on my battle clothes, a black shirt tailored from a unique fabric that gave me more mobility, black pants, and titanium-tipped boots.

I took a deep breath feeling the weight on my shoulders, and looked at the clock impatiently until the time was up. I walked out into the courtyard, and all the members fit to fight were waiting in their war suits.

"Today, we will do justice," I said to get their attention. "And we will show the Sith pack that no one crosses our borders and threatens one of our own without getting away with it." They all shouted in response and beat their chests loudly as a show of respect.

I looked around for Cathy and found her walking towards me with a belt full of crystal spheres filled with purple gas that moved as if it had life in it.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It’s for Lissandra. I’ll give her a taste of her own medicine," she said, and I could feel the aconite.

"Be careful. It can be dangerous," I said.

"I may not be able to fight like the rest, but I do know something about chemistry, and I will use it to give you guys an advantage," she said.

At that moment, my mother came out with Elliot by the hand and my father beside her.

"Come back safe and come back victorious," my mother said.

Elliot ran to us and hugged us both as best he could. "Come back soon. Grandma told me you are going to fight the bad guys, so beat the crap out of them," he said with his eyes full of energy.

"Son, the future of the pack is in your hands," my father vociferated.

I felt the weight of his words and the responsibility he had placed on my shoulders. This was no longer about revenge but about commanding respect from those who tried to attack us from the shadows.

We got in the cars, this time SUVs. Andrew drove ours, Sebastian rode beside him, and Cathy and I rode in the back.

The caravan of black SUVs made up of pack members, and territory allies followed us down the road.

"My father’s pack is not like yours," Cathy said. "They are loyal to no one. They simply obey out of fear of being killed. That’s what the Sith pack is based on, and once you wipe out their leader, they’ll scatter like flies."

"Then we can avoid the whole conflict if we attack the leaders directly," Sebastian said. "But in the forest, it will be like a needle in a haystack."

"Not necessarily," she replied. "I know the scent of Lissandra, Linda, and Alston, and now that my senses are enhanced, I might be able to track them."

"In that case, you should go to the front," Andrew said, and I shot him a murderous look.

"Are you sure? It can be dangerous," I asked my destined mate.

I felt afraid, not for the battle but that she would get hurt. I didn’t want to lose Cathy, not after I finally had her.

"I will," she said.

We arrived at the place just where the forest began. We got out of the trucks, and out of the bushes came our two informants.

"You’re just in time," one of them said with a face full of maple ashes to hide his scent. "The enemy is on the move."

One of them took the lead, pointing us in the direction of the enemy groups, but Cathy turned away and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Cathy, what are you doing?" I asked, holding her hand.

"Lissandra is in that direction," she said.

"No way, we checked that area," said one of the informants.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, looking me in the eyes.

I looked at Sebastian and Andrew. They were my advisors in this war, and they didn’t look very convinced.

"I trust you," I said, "Let’s split into two groups. One will come with me, and the other will be commanded by Sebastian. Our meeting point will be the river bank."

Sebastian ran his hand through his grizzled beard and selected the half that would go with him. He grabbed my hand tightly. "Good luck Eric," he said with a strong voice.

Cathy, Andrew, and I were in the lead following Cathy, who didn’t hesitate for a second following the trail until we stopped in a clearing in the middle of the woods. "This is where the trail ends," she said and pointed to a circle of maple ash that blocked our senses. "Let’s get out of..."

The leaves around us rustled, and from the treetops jumped several enemy warriors, and in front of us, from among the birches, emerged Lissandra, dressed in black with a silver dagger in her hands, and next to her appeared Aston and Linda wearing similar outfits.

They looked different, more mature, thinner, and with their eyes full of venom.

"What a predictable surprise," Lissandra said in a serene voice.

Cathy clenched her fists, and uncontrolled anger grew inside her.

"How did you know we were coming?" I asked, stepping in front of Cathy.

We were surrounded, and although there were about fifty of us, we were outnumbered by them.

"When the messengers didn’t return, I knew they would have been questioned, and it was a matter of time before you showed up," she said. "I’m a wise woman, and as hard as it is for you to admit it, Cathy, I know you better than anyone on earth."

"Shut up," Cathy shouted back. "You don’t know me,"

"Is that so?" she laughed a mocking laugh. "I bet you’re here to avenge your friend. What was her name again?"

"Morgan," Linda added.

"Oh, yes. Morgan, I don’t remember her name, but I do remember her screams asking me to end her life," she said. "She and I had a lot of fun in the dungeons."

Cathy took a step forward, but I held her back in time. "She’s just baiting you," I said. "If we split up, we lose."

"So, you think you can win? Look around," Alston bellowed in a vile, gruff tone. "You’re already dead."

Cathy was possessed by anger and vengeance, but in her eyes, I could see determination.

Tell everyone to hold their breath. Cathy said.

I gave the order. Cathy took a step forward, looking Lissandra straight in the eyes.

"Watch out!" yelled Linda, but it was too late because already Cathy had thrown the entire belt at their feet, and immediately the purple gas spread everywhere.

The gas made my skin itch, but it dispersed to our surroundings quickly.

All the nearby enemies that inhaled it in were on the ground writhing, and those that tried to shift were only deformed but returned to their human form. The aconite had gone through their lungs.

Alston and Linda reacted quickly by covering their faces with their hands.

"Get Lissandra out of here!" ordered Alston to Linda, who was barely catching her breath.

"I won’t let you escape," Cathy screamed, shifting while she lunged in and pounced on her half-sister. Cathy’s wolf was the most beautiful I had ever seen. Its fur was a brownish almost blonde color, it was large in size, and its paws were sharp.

Linda froze as she watched Cathy shift. My mate bit her sister on her shoulder, and Linda screamed in pain.

Attack! shouted Alston using his Alpha howl, causing the rest of his pack members to shift and rush at us.

Finish them off! I shouted and shifted lunging toward Alston.

Andrew and the rest of my men surrounded us, making an impenetrable barrier so Lissandra couldn’t escape.

I’ll kill you, Alston snarled, snapping back at me.

He was trying to get closer to Cathy, who, with her claws, was tearing Linda’s flesh mercilessly, causing wounds and weakening her to prevent her from shifting.

Two wolves that managed to penetrate the circle attacked me from behind and knocked me to the ground, and they used their weight to keep me down.

Fight like a man! I growled at Alston, who was coming at me with his fangs ready to slit my throat.

The wolves were biting my back, sinking their fangs into my flesh, causing me crippling pain.

“In war, anything goes to win,” said Alston, a step away from me.

I was immobile, and no matter how hard I tried to free myself, the other wolves would not let me.

Andrew howled and, with his jaws, tore the throat of one of them, allowing me to get up and throw the other one out of the circle.

Alston tried to run away, but before he could break through the circle, I bit his hind leg and dragged him to the center.

I roared loudly, using my Alpha power, and by intimidating him, he was no longer a match for me and fell silent under my dominance, causing him to return to his human form.

"Please don’t kill me," he pleaded. "None of this was my idea. Lissandra planned all of this."

"Coward!" cried Lissandra trying to get to her feet. "I should have picked someone else."

With a swipe, I bounced his head off the ground and knocked him unconscious.

My men had already overpowered the field, and only some of the Sith members were still fighting while the others fled at the sight of their defeated Alpha.

I turned to see Cathy, and she was still attacking Linda, who was already unconscious and covered in blood.

Cathy stop, now, I told her, but she ignored my words.

I used my growl to bring her back to her human form, and in her eyes, I could still see the beast that lived in her.

"I will make them pay for what they did," she screamed, beating Linda’s chest with her bare fists.

Lissandra had managed to get to her feet and unsheathed her dagger.

My heart started to stop as I saw her heading towards Cathy, who was so focused she wouldn’t see it coming, and I was too far away to get there in time.

Watch out, I warned her behind you.

Cathy’s senses were more developed than I thought, and before Lissandra could get close enough, my mate rushed towards Lissandra, and, taking advantage of the fact that she was weak, snatched the silver blade from her and unsheathed it.

"You poisoned me with aconite, made my life miserable, and killed my best friend," Cathy said. "Someone like you doesn’t deserve to live."

"Cathy, no!" I said, approaching her slowly. "You’re not a murderer."

As the poison had spread to Lissandra’s feet, she had inhaled most of it, irritating her throat and nose so much that blood began to come from them.

"Kill me," Lissandra difficulty said. "Kill me so you can be free because if you don’t. I will haunt you to the end of my days and kill you in your sleep as I did to your filthy mother."

I felt something inside Cathy snap as she heard her words. She tightened her grip and slammed it into the ground next to Lissandra’s head. "I’m not like you, and killing you would be distasteful to me," Cathy replied, turning her back and walking towards me.

"You did the right thing," I said, taking her in my arms

I don’t know what you did, but the enemy is retreating, Sebastian communicated with me.

Don’t let them escape, I commanded.

Sebastian and Andrew stayed with the rest of the men to apprehend those who had been poisoned by the aconite, including Lissandra, Linda, and Alston.

***

A week before the wedding, Cathy had finished her treatment, but some of the side effects still lingered. The doctor told us that this was normal and would soon pass.

Without warning, a member of the council arrived at the mansion, and my father let him in immediately.

This man was a very old shapeshifter. He may even have been the oldest of them all. He wore a black suit with a gold wolf’s head ornament on his magenta tie. His eyes were blue, almost white, he was very wrinkled, his hair was gray, and he walked a little hunched over.

At the sight of him, Cathy stood up, ready to leave.

"Stay, Mrs. Sith. I need to talk to everyone, including you," he said in a raspy voice.

Cathy looked at me with wide eyes like saucers, and I shrugged my shoulders.

My mother stood next to my father, Sebastian, on his right side, and Cathy and I stood on the left side so that we were all facing the council representative.

"I came personally to bring you updates," the old man continued. "The prisoners sent to us were interrogated, and we made investigations. And they were found guilty of murdering Cathy’s mother, Morgan, Nicholas Sith, and countless innocents. Moreover, after a... rigorous interrogation, we found out that Linda Sith was not Nicholas’ legitimate daughter. It was all arranged by Lissandra to keep the power, so legally, Cathy Sith is the heir to the Night Pack."

Cathy sat back in the chair, and her gaze was lost in nothingness. She was speechless, as were we all.

"That means..." I started to say.

"That upon marriage, you will unite the territories, and these will become part of the domains of the Night Pack," the council finished the phrase for me.