From The Ashes

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Von arrived early the next morning and his face broke out into a huge grin when he saw the mark on my shoulder. He walked over to Valen and clapped him on the back. Valen just smiled in return, before turning to me and looking at me with love in his eyes. 

I smiled at him, no longer afraid of my feelings. Once our bond had been sealed, I knew that nothing in this world could tear us apart from each other. 

"So? Was it everything you dreamed of and more?" Von asked me while waggling his eyebrows.

I blushed and looked down as I remembered last night. 

It was certainly something I wouldn't forget anytime soon. 

Valen shoved his brother away and wrapped his arms around me. I sighed at the contact and leaned into him to get even closer. 

"That's none of your business, brother," Valen answered for me.

Von threw his hands up in defeat, but backed off before examining our little outpost. 

"Nice little set up you've got here. What's the plan for today?"

His mood shifted from playful to serious so quickly it made my head spin. Valen released me and stood by his brother. 

"Today we'll just watch. Pick your poison. Do you want the trees or the ground?" 

"Trees," he answered immediately.

I raised my eyebrows at him but he just shrugged his shoulders. 

"Alright then. Indigo and I will watch from below. We'll be in wolf form, but you should be able to communicate with both of us now."

Von nodded his head before getting to work setting up his small tent. He worked quickly and was soon finished with his task. 

"Where should we start?" he asked as he turned to us. 

"I was thinking you should find a good vantage point up here, while Valen and I go down the hill a little. We'll be able to get closer and see more details," I explained.

Von shook his head in agreement and looked around before settling his gaze on a tall twelve foot tree. He smiled but it looked strained; like the reality of what we were doing had just hit him.

He heaved in a huge breath and walked to his post without another word. 

Valen and I glanced at each other but said nothing before shifting and making our way down the hill. We settled for a spot that was thick with foliage, effectively camouflaging our bodies, but it also had just the right amount of space for us to see the border. We settled in to begin our day. 

Currently, there were four guards posted outside. Two were in watch towers at the gate and the other two patrolled the perimeter.

They'd go in opposite directions for a few meters before turning around and re-tracing their footsteps. 

"There's more than that out there, I'm sure of it," I mind-linked Valen. 

"You're right. I caught a glimpse of a couple of wolves way out on the edge of the territory. Do you think they have it surrounded?"  

"It would be foolish not to. They know exactly who they took that night. I have no doubt they're waiting for us to strike first." 

We sat and watched for a few more hours and noted that the shift change happened around 6'o clock at night. I also noticed that they had more experienced warriors on the night shift. I cocked my head at a familiar face. 

"Beta Alexander is down there," I told Valen and Von. 

"And that's odd because?" Von asked me. 

"He didn't usually have anything to do with the security. That was a duty meant for the Gamma." 

"Who is the Gamma of the pack?" Von questioned.

My eyes widened in realization and I turned toward Valen before answering. 

"His son, Marc, was the Gamma. He was going to become Beta when his father stepped down." 

Valen watched me carefully before looking back over the field at Alexander.

I followed his gaze and watched as he yelled at one of the warriors. He was screaming so hard that we could see his face turning red and a vein popping out of his neck. His eyes looked crazed and glassy. I shuddered.

"Wasn't Marc the one who killed Maddie?" Von asked quietly. 

"Yes." I responded.

"And then I killed him. I made sure there was nothing left to find."

My eyes hardened and I could feel darkness creeping around the edges of my vision. My hackles began to raise and my lips pulled back into a snarl.

Rage festered inside my body and just as it was about to explode, Valen nudged me with his snout. 

I looked over to him and instantly the darkness was gone. I shook my head, confused at what had just happened. I'd only ever experienced that kind of feeling when I killed Marc. The one and only time I'd been able to use fire.

I wondered if the fire and the darkness were connected somehow. 

The look on Valen's face told me he was thinking the same thing. 

"Remind me to never piss you off," Von muttered. 

I hung my head in shame. This wasn't like me. I didn't want to become a monster. 

I had to learn to control these dark urges before something horrible happened to someone else. 

"There she is!" Von's voice rang loudly through my head.

I whipped my head back in the direction of the pack and scanned it eagerly. My eyes landed on a horrific sight. 

Beta Alexander was dragging Artemis out of the pack gate by her hair. She had dried blood running from her nose and it had crusted onto her pale yellow top.

Her arms and legs were bound with silver chains and you could see the raw flesh underneath. I heard Von growl. 

"Von, listen to me. You have to stay calm. You can't let them know we're here yet. He might kill her before we get a chance to save her," I tried reasoning with him.

I could hear him breathing heavily from where I was. I was sure that he was trying to reign in his wolf.

"Valen, say something to him. Artemis will get hurt if we go in now." 

"Von, contact father right away. Tell him to meet you halfway here with a group of warriors and Anton. We're going to get her back. Tonight."

Von snarled and I heard his feet hit the ground as he jumped from his perch in the tree. I breathed a sigh of relief when his footsteps ran in the opposite direction. 

"Thank you," I told Valen before looking back. I gasped at what I saw and Valen growled. 

Alexander had pulled Artemis up by her hair and was facing her in our direction. Tears streamed down her face and her expression looked defeated. It was at that moment that I understood.

He knew we were out here somewhere.

My fears were confirmed when he opened his mouth to speak. 

"Come out, come out wherever you are." 

Author's Note: 

We are getting so close to some intense chapters. What do you guys think will happen next? Was it a good thing Von left before Alexander spoke? What do you think he would have done if he had stayed? 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments and, as always, please remember to Vote! 

Xoxo, 

CrismynIris