From The Ashes

Chapter Forty-Five

Valen's POV

I lunged at Alistair. Any thought of mercy I had had before was thrown out the window the moment my brother was stabbed.

He'd already taken one member of my family, and I'd make sure he never saw the light of another day.

I snarled and gnashed my teeth together as he dodged my fist last second. He smirked at my reaction and beckoned me toward him once again.

I steeled myself and prepared for another attack, trying to ignore the chaos that was ensuing around us.

I blocked out Artemis's panicked cries and my mother's nearly silent sobs. I knew Von would be in good hands if Aislinn got to him quickly enough.

A splinter of pain cracked through my heart at the thought of my brother being in danger, distracting me for just a moment.

It was all the time Alistair needed.

He pounced on me and knocked me to the ground. He pinned my legs beneath him with his knees and wrapped his hands around my throat.

I furrowed my brow and roared in anger. I watched as spittle hit his face, but he didn't bat an eye. I tried reaching for him to throw him off of me. If I could just get my hands around him, I could turn the tide of this little scuffle.

But my hands were being pinned to the ground, once again, by his asshole Beta.

Alexander smiled down at me wickedly. I could feel the blood rushing to my head and black spots were beginning to dot my vision.

I could no longer hear what was happening around me. All I could hear was a loud whoosh as my heart tried to furiously pump oxygenated blood to my brain.

On instinct, I tried inhaling but it was cut short by the tightening of Alistair's hands.

He was laughing now, celebrating his victory over my pack. I closed my eyes and let my mind drift to Indigo.

I imagined her beauty and grace. I imagined the way her violet eyes would watch me when she thought I wasn't looking.

I remembered every touch and every kiss we had shared. I was ready to give up.

If I was dying now, at least I could remember my mate.

My eyes popped open once again as the ground began to shake. Alistair's hold on my neck loosened just enough for me to gulp in a small breath of air.

I looked at him and saw that he was glaring over his shoulder and shouting, but I still couldn't hear what it was that he was saying.

I followed his gaze and my jaw dropped.

There, in all her glory, was my beautiful mate.

One eye shone gold and her raven hair whipped around her wildly as the wind picked up speed. She was walking toward us slowly with her palms facing the sky.

Every step she took caused the Earth to shake and shift. A small smile curled on her lips and she tilted her head. That's when I noticed that one eye was all black.

It was the last thing I remember seeing before my own soul plunged into darkness.

***

Indigo's POV

My visit with Selene had been...enlightening, to say the least. She had explained to me that she pulled me away at a crucial moment.

She could feel her light being rejected from my spirit and knew that her sister Fate was trying to rearrange her carefully woven tapestries.

She told me the only way Fate could change the course of my destiny was if I let her in, and I had been unknowingly doing just that.

She said she didn't blame me, but that I needed to learn to keep balance when using the gifts she granted me.

If I didn't, I would succumb to the evil that was trying so hard to drag me under. There would be no saving me then.

I had taken her words seriously and practiced using my gifts in her presence, both the dark and the light.

She had given me many pointers and a lot of advice before sending me back to my Earthly body, assuring me that she believed I was ready.

Apparently I was only gone for a matter of minutes, but it had felt like years in the in-between.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was my father with his hands wrapped around Valen's neck. Rage had coursed through my bones and I could feel the familiar dark pull trying to steer me in the wrong direction.

I remembered what Selene had told me and, with a quick meditation, I was able to push it back and keep it at bay.

But that didn't mean I couldn't use the darkness to my advantage.

I slowly got up and shook out my heavy limbs, making sure the tendrils connected to my back were guiding me to the moon.

"I'm glad you're back," Sienna said quietly.

"Me too," I had replied before directing my body toward the scene before me.

I slowly made my way over to my father, letting my powerful aura break away with every step. I wanted to make sure he knew exactly what he was dealing with.

I thought I saw fear flit across his cold eyes for just a moment, but I didn't linger on it. I couldn't bask in his darker emotions just in case it spurred mine.

I looked into the eyes of my mate, reminding myself that I had so much more light in this life. We both had so much to live for now.

His love was all I needed to power through any obstacle. I watched as he finally drifted into unconsciousness. I wasn't worried, though. Selene had promised me he'd be safe.

Alistair rose from Valen's limp body and faced me head on.

"Well, well, well. Look at this."

He smirked in my direction but his expression didn't hold as much confidence as it had before.

"Surprised to see me?" I sneered at him.

"Not at all, my dear. Though I must say I could do without the living reminder of your mother right now," he stuck his nose up in disgust.

"It seems she'll never leave me alone," he muttered loud enough for only us to hear.

I growled in response and rose up onto my toes. I curled my fingers to my palm one by one, feeling the wind roar in response.

Alistair rose his eyebrows at me and I could have sworn pride had crossed his features for a moment.

The wolves around us who had been snarling and growling at each other stopped and became still. My aura had directed their attention back to the battle at hand. They all sat and watched in anticipation.

"What are we waiting for?"

Author's Note:

Battle scene is next you guys! It is the last big fight of the story before the end.

Do you think it'll be easy for Indigo? Will she get cocky and lose focus, or will she make it a swift end?

Comment and Vote and let me know what you think!

Xoxo,

CrimsynIris