Emotional Wreck Part One

London:

I sat at the dining table, glaring disinterestedly at the cuisine lined up in front of me. It's been three weeks since the attack Hayes had wedged on my territory, and I wasn't healing as fast as I usually did. My body had taken a great deal of damage, and Fuyu had ended up slumping once he was certain that the entirety of his army was gone and our people were safe enough.

I had sustained a broken arm that had almost been ripped from my body and multiple holes as a result of those assholes digging into my skin. I had scratches all over my body—a mark that ran across my face, from my forehead, past my nose, grazing my left cheek slightly. I had a few broken ribs and a broken leg. I could barely cough without wheezing at the fucking pain or coughing up blood. Indeed, I looked like a wreck, with bandages wrapped almost everywhere.

I haven't been able to contact Fuyu since then, and it worried me because he really pushed himself past his limits. I had a lot of questions to ask him concerning everything Luna had told me. I was surprised that he could draw power from her, and from what I understood, it was easier for him since a part of her lived inside of him. She wore a mysterious aura and hummed a tune that seemed to hypnotise me. In a way, her intensity freaked me out… but I suppose it was what to expect from a powerful deity.

“Alpha.”

I looked up, dropping the fork that I had been using to play around with my vegetables, the moment I saw Miller. He hadn't been spared from damages either, but he was healing better than I was, and it didn't surprise me. He had told me that it might take me a month to heal properly, and that was because the presence of my wolf was faint. I had nearly lost Fuyu by the time I had returned from my meeting with Luna, and I owed him the rest. He deserved to take his time and heal properly.

He bowed his head at me, walking with a slight limp towards me. I heard fast-approaching footsteps and arched a brow the moment I saw Freya run up to him and grab his arm. “You're supposed to be resting today.” She scolded him.

I blinked at the both of them monotonously, watching them. I had recently found out that Freya had started seeing Miller. They were mates and had intended to keep it from me since Freya once served as my mistress. Once I had made the discovery, I confronted Miller about it a few days ago when he had come to check on my wounds, and he didn't deny it. I figured I owed him a family, considering the fact he had almost lost his life fighting to protect Mathias, so I gave him consent to go ahead and marry her.

The way her eyes were coloured with worry as she scolded him and tried to assist him in walking made my heart ache a little because I suddenly remembered someone who, since she had been gone, had left me feeling more empty than usual. He looked so in love as he let his mate help him. I wasn't surprised that he didn't waste a minute marking her after I had permitted him to pursue his love.

At least there was a little life in the pack after the burial of the deceased. I had lost a lot of men and pack members that day, the gloom eating me up and filling me with rage. Rebuilding was still in the process, so we were still making use of the underground fortress.

I sighed when I recalled Cane's dying words. He had come out to assist Fuyu in holding off Hayes’ army but sustained a fatal blow. Even at that, he fought on, trying to buy Fuyu more time to generate more energy. My fists tightened as I remembered the hardened smile on his face, even in the face of death. He had been a loyal man, and it pricked me that he had no family to receive his body. I figured that, inasmuch as I didn't trust anyone, I had subconsciously placed a little of my trust in him as my representative, and he had proved his loyalty till the end.

My blood boiled as my mind ran through every dead body I had counted, feeling a dark craving for sweet revenge. I was a vindictive man, and I despised the fact that I had lost a lot of people who had placed their faith in me. Vad’nuever hadn't been spared either. The general had lost an eye in the battle and a fang. He was almost dead by the time he had been found, but he managed to survive because I had given him a little bit of my blood.

Yes, I had been able to salvage a few people that were on the brink of death, and it had left me extremely weak. I had been unconscious for a week and had regained consciousness one night as a result of the terrifying nightmares that tormented me.

Miller had been giving me herbs to help me sleep since then because, according to him, I should have remained unconscious for a while longer to help the healing process, but I hadn't been taking them, choosing to rather seek refuge in my collection of whisky and vodka.

“Mathias is finally awake.” Miller said the moment he had seated himself by me.

He knew I was extremely volatile, knowing that the deaths I had incurred were eating at me, although I might not look like it, choosing to remain as quiet as ever while revolving around my thoughts yet having my ears on the ground. I could easily snap anyone's neck at the slightest provocation. I was yearning for blood… Hayes’ blood, and I swore to myself that I was going to drink from his dying body after mutilating him. He was going to have a very horrible death coming his way as a result of this.

“Hmm.” My brow twitched as I leaned off the table, chewing gently on the meat I had fed myself.

He cleared his throat, the deafening silence biting at him. He was also mourning Cane in his own way, having chosen to drive happiness the most he could from… well… his wife. “Would you like to question him now?” His eyes gawked at my hand in a cast.

“Does it still hurt?” He asked.

I tapped my finger on the corner of my lips, leaning deeper into my chair to peer at him. Freya was sitting beside him, maintaining a neutral expression. I wondered how it felt for her to be seated with her husband in front of the man she had been sleeping with. It mustn't have been a nice feeling, I presume.

Drawing a deep breath, I dropped my fork and turned to him. “Hmm, perhaps.”

Judging by the time I took to reply to him and my intent stare at the both of them, Miller rubbed Freya's thigh, wordlessly soothing her nerves while trying to decipher what question owned my reply.

Approaching steps snapped my head up, and I rubbed my philtrum while watching Reece march up to my table with a bandage wrapped around his arm to his neck, immediately bowing his head at me. He looked more rugged than he was before he embarked on his mission, and I wondered what his days must have entailed. A scar ran from his left cheek to his left ear, and I found myself tilting my head as I moped at the scar.

“My king… Vad’nuever is requesting to see you.” He spared Miller a glance before flicking his eyes to land on Freya, who had offered him her respect.

Shadow had made his grand return during my fight with Hayes, rushing over the Vad'nuever’s territory to lend a hand. I found it a risk that he had allowed his wolf to manifest and fight beside him because if Shadow had sustained any injuries, it would have almost killed him.

The news of Cane's death drew no words from him, and it amused me because, truly, Reece was a man of little words and monotony. I had yet to speak with him since then because I had not been in the mood to entertain anyone.

“Why?” I ran my hand through my hair, sniffling.

“He's been contacted by the west; a few laid complaints of suspicious movement and found it worthy of being brought to your attention. Dead bodies are popping more and more with each passing day. Also, the news of the attack wedged on the east has really travelled down. Allying Alphas are concerned and panicked. They're worried about what would be their fate if the east could take such damage despite the hierarchy based here.” He reported.

My teeth gritted slowly at the mockery I sensed in his report. I found it a mockery of my name, listening to what the Alphas thought, and it made my blood boil even more towards Hayes.

“They are requesting extra backup to be sent to them…” He added.