HIS

Chapter 23

"Every time I close my eyes, I'm haunted by the attack. I see flashes of my family getting brutally murdered. My own mother sacrificed herself to protect Grey and me. I watched as the alpha tore her head from her body." 

A guttural growl rumbles in Soren's throat, his fangs bared in a silent snarl.

 His wolf has taken over, the primal instinct for vengeance overriding all reason and restraint. 

Tears well up  in my eyes as I gaze into Soren's haunted gaze, my heart breaking for the pain he endures and the darkness that threatens to consume him every night. 

He was never the villain they said he was. 

He is the victim.

"I will help you, Soren," I whisper, my voice barely audible above the pounding of my heart.

 "We'll stop them together, no matter what it takes."

At that Soren pulls me into a fierce embrace making a sense of determination surges through me. I need to come clean to Soren about the fact that if I don't return to my pack in a month, my brother will come for me, and that arrival will most likely come in an attack form.

"What is the big plan? How are we going to do this?" I ask, my voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and resolve. 

"You will need an army to stop them."

Soren squeezes my hand tightly, his gaze fierce and unwavering. "Let me show you something," he says, leading me deeper into the woods with purposeful strides. 

We walk in silence until we emerge into a large clearing, the air filled with the sound of clashing claws and the grunts of warriors locked in combat.

My eyes widen in astonishment as I take in the sight before me—a training field bustling with men and women, their forms shifting fluidly between human and wolf.

The scene is like something out of a movie, a mesmerising dance of strength and agility, as warriors spar with one another in a display of raw power and skill.  Some fought with their claws and fangs, their movements precise and deadly, while others relied on their wolf forms.

Each warrior moved with  grace and ferocity that spoke of years of training and discipline, their bodies honed into weapons capable of facing anyone that dares to cross their path.

"This is my army," Soren declares, his voice filled with pride. "These people are all from minor packs that have been attacked. No one helped them when their people were killed, so they had no choice but to become rogues."

With a newfound purpose  burning in my heart, I turn to Soren, my eyes brimming with confidence.

 "I'm with you," I declare, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides for what I am about to tell him.

" I have to tell you something. Please, try to understand."

Before I can continue, Soren's growl cuts through the air like a thunderclap, his gaze piercing into my soul with a ferocity that leaves me almost trembling.  "No," he snarls, his voice vibrating with raw emotion as he squeezes my hand hard. 

"You will never go back"

My heart clenches with frustration and desperation. "Soren please," I plead, my voice rising with urgency. 

"If I'm not back in one month, my brother and a group of warriors will attack your territory trying to find me. Let me go back so I can tell him about us, so i can explain everything to him."

Soren's expression darkens, his jaw clenched with the weight of his decision. For a moment, the air crackles with tension, thick and suffocating. 

 We stand locked in a silent battle of wills. "Soren," I begin, my voice firm, cutting through the tension. 

"You marked me. I submitted to you. We have mated."

His eyes flicker with a tumult of emotions—fear, anger, and a vulnerability he rarely shows. I can sense the storm raging within him, the fear that I will leave him, that I will never come back.

"I belong with you, okay?" I continue, stepping closer to him.

"You're my alpha, my mate. And I'm yours, no matter what."

For a long moment, there is silence, broken only by the sound of our laboured breaths and the pounding of our hearts. And then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the tension in Soren's shoulders begins to ease, the fear in his eyes giving way to a glimmer of yearning. 

"I... I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. "I just... I can't bear the thought of losing you."

I reach out to cup his cheek, my touch gentle yet firm. "You won't lose me," I vow, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within me. "I'll come back to you, Soren. No matter what it takes."

Soren leans in, his lips meet mine in a tender, achingly gentle kiss, the world around us fading into nothingness.

His touch is like a whisper against my lips, soft and tender, yet suffused with a profound sense of longing and sorrow.  His lips, usually a testament of  strength and dominance, now tremble with emotion, a silent plea for comfort in the face of overwhelming pain.

There is a vulnerability in the way he holds me, in the way he kissed me it was as if he's afraid to let go. 

I was afraid too, afraid that this fleeting moment of tenderness will be snatched away by the cruel hand of fate.

Each brush of his lips against mine is imbued with a sense of finality, as if we are desperately clinging to each other, knowing that our time together is fleeting.  As our kiss lingers, our breath mingling in the cool night air, I feel a tear slip down my cheek as Soren withdraws from the kiss I realise  that it wasn't my tear. 

He takes a step back, wiping away the stray tear, as if he is trying to maintain the facade of strength that has become his armour.

"I have to remind Caleb to pick up Grey," Soren says, his voice rough with emotion. "He doesn't like to be picked up late, and Caleb always forgets." 

A pang of sadness pierces my heart at the mention of Grey, a reminder of the innocent life caught in the crossfire of our world. "I want to say goodbye to him before I go" I say quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Soren nods, his gaze still averted as he takes my hand in his, the touch fleeting yet reassuring. 

Together, we make our way back to the house, the weight of our unspoken fears and regrets hanging heavy in the air between us as we approach the familiar sight of the house. 

I see Caleb leaning against the sleek black car, his brow furrowed in suspicion. "Hi," I greet him, forcing a smile despite the turmoil raging within me.

"What were you two doing in the woods?" Caleb asks, his tone tinged with a hint of suspicion.

Soren exchanges a knowing glance with me. "Just taking a walk," he replies smoothly.

Caleb's gaze lingers on us for a moment longer, his expression unreadable, before he shrugs nonchalantly. 

"Sam, let's go pick up grey" he says gruffly, gesturing towards the car. "We don't have all day."

With a heavy heart, I turn to Soren, his eyes meeting mine in a silent exchange of understanding. "I will see you later," I tell him, letting go of his hand.

Author's Note: 

I can't believe this story has 7k reads?!!!! what? that's crazy! thank you to everyone who is voting and reading It means so much to me!!