Fifteen

16 years ago

"Lucius, Why are the hunters here?" Elise asked her husband as they pushed through the darkness with their two boys barely keeping up. She could hear the screams of her people dying to ensure the Alpha of the Crow and his family escaped safe and sound. The ground was damp with dew and the scurrying children could barely keep up. Elise could not blame them. Her little pups were more than terrified but they kept on following their parents and they did not ask questions. Their faith gave Elise the strength she needed.

"It has to be the order of Silverlaws. They had always been against the alliance of packs." Lucius whispered, pulling his first son, Jason into his arms as he ran faster through the crooked path of nothing of trees.

Elise gasped. The Silverlaws had truly been against her husband, Lucius Crow's ideologies but she could not believe they would go this far. Elise's thoughts got the better of her and before she knew it Devin's hand slipped. It happened do fast. A silver blade whooshed through the black night, aiming directly at an innocent child. The hunters were here. Devin squealed as the blade came rushing for his throat. There was a maniacal look in the face of the wielder.

"Leave him!" Lucius growled and in one swift movement, pushed Devin towards his mother and lunged at the human beast that dared to attack an innocent child.

"Elise, Take the kids and run!" Lucius screamed to his wife whilst holding back the mad woman who kept slashing at him with the grace of butterfly.

Elise did not waste a second. She called upon her wolf and shifted onto a being of pure white before grabbing her twins and dashing off. Her heart hammered, her pulse raced as she thought of the fate of her husband. Just like many shifters. Hunters worked on groups and with the sole purpose to kill shifters. Elise could sense him telling her to push forward, to forget about him and make sure she and the children lived to see the light of day but Elise could not bear it. She could not live without her mate.

Once Elise believed she was far from the hunters, she dropped her twins amongst a pile of cut down trees.

"Stay here," She told them. "I have to mislead the hunters."

The twins did not buy her excuse. Even the children knew what Elise planned to do was suicidal. It would be rational to take her children and forget entirely about Lucius because there was no way in hell he was going to make it alive. But Elise was not a Luna to let the things and people she loved go.

"Mom," Little Jason whispered. "Don't go."

His wide eyes was enough to break a woman but Elise could not stay. Yes she wanted to save her husband but if there was a chance of her children escaping too, Elise knew she had to die. Her children could only live if she satisfied the blood lust of the hunters.

"Don't worry Jason,"Elise cried, knowing she was about to saddle a great responsibility on her first son. She quickly pulled together the broken pieces of herself and continued. "I will be back. Make sure you protect your brother and when you become Alpha, remember your people come first."

Elise made sure to kiss her children one last time before she ran into the arms of death.

***

OLAMIDE

"He killed everybody." Jason said, getting emotional. His eyes was pearly and I was certain he was about to cry. I did not know what to feel about it. The feelings that passed through me assured me his pain was real. It felt strange that all I wanted to do was wrap my hands around him and tell him everything would be alright. Jason's mood seemed to lighten when he cast a gaze at Axel and I. I felt my stomach flutter when he sent a weak smile my way. Disgusting. Absolutely repulsing. Why in the world was he happy to see me alive? The last time I checked, he hoped Alpha Sofiane ended my life. I forgot too soon that nothing that crossed my mind could escape Jason. His smile turned to a frown and honestly, I could not care less.

"Satake, do me a favor and take Axel to a healer." Jason ordered his minion.

I remained glued to where I sat as Satake lifted Axel into his hands and rushed out leaving me all alone with Jason. I expected another brash one sided conversation but Jason remained quiet. He just stood by the door and watched me break.

"If you are going to say something, Just say it!"

Jason sagged against the broken door. "I am happy to see you alive."

"So, you are just going to deny that you were never expecting it?" I queried, standing up. "And spare me the crocodile tears. We both know the people or werewolves that died meant nothing to you."

My last sentence seemed to spike something within him. There was a growl behind his throat and his eyes flashed crimson red.

"Six of my people died Olamide. Do you think I am so twisted that I would not give two fucks about today's tragedy?"

"I don't know what to believe Jason..."

"It's Alpha!" Jason snarled.

"Uh huh…okay, back up. First of all, I will not be calling you that irrespective of what fate lies in store for me. I am not your dog, you know. Second of all, you let me fucking finish my sentences. I am a human being and I have a right to a fucking opinion. Also, I do not appreciate you butting in."

Jason lost his patience, never long to begin with, and yelled. "I don't need to hear your opinion. Your thoughts convey everything I need to know. After all, in your head, I am nothing but the villain in this story."

"Your brother tried to kill me. You whisk me away from the life I had like I am some sort of slave and yet somehow, you believe you are not the villain in this story. You left me alone in this house knowing how powerful your enemies were with men and women who could not even stand a chance and yet you are hurt that you lost them. I say bullshit. So tell me Jason, what is your game?"

"Is this what Sofiane told you?" Jason snarled, walking over. "Is this his grand plan? To set you against me?"

"No, He would have killed me if you had marked me. In a way, I should thank you I guess."

"I doubt that will be enough to stop Sofiane. In case you don't know, I killed his wife. Trust me, that would have been enough for him to end your life. So that can only mean, he kept you alive for another reason."

Jason did have a point. Sofiane was boggled that I could.... He can you read your fucking thought! What was I thinking?

"What?" Jason's eyes pierced through me. "What boggled Sofiane?"

"Nothing." I shot back, giving it all my best to avoid thinking about the truth and it only made Jason want to know what it was.

"I don't think it is nothing if you are going to go through great lengths to hide it." Jason said, facing me square. "Tell me what it is?"