The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

105

"Pandora come back to me." Tom pleaded with his mate. Feeling her fading farther and farther away from him no matter how much his heart called out to her. Hannah and Holland were still there, they had tried, until Discord began to grow in strength again until they had backed off.

Nothing was working, Discord was growing stronger every minute. Inching her way into fully manifesting. Hannah couldn't take her eyes off her Panda bear. Her beautiful, strong daughter that she loved with every part of her heart and soul. No matter what. Without question or ever faltering. If this was it, if fates were going to be so cruel as to take one of her children from her; Hannah was going to stay, to be with her baby until the end. She wouldn't look away.

Tom was pouring his heart out to Pandora, it was like she could no longer hear him. His words washing over like mist. Unable to penetrate through the shroud of Discords influence. Lumi burst into the room directly behind Pandora. Immediately her hand reached towards Pandora, the other gripping onto Tom's hand. "Just feel us Pandora!" Lumi screamed.

The force of Discord weakened. Lumi had absolutely no idea what she was doing. She knew she had to transfer the energy of Tom's love, of her own love to Pandora. Lumi could feel Tom's unwavering love for Pandora as it passed through her. Lumi closed her eyes. Needing to concentrate. 

Adding her own love and admiration for her sister to Tom's devotion. Holland and Hannah joined Lumi and Tom. Each wrapped an arm around Lumi. Max entered the room at a run, wrapping one arm around Hannah and Holland's backs, the other reaching to rest on Lumi's shoulder.

Aspen continued his never ending chant, as he too moved to add his power as well. Caspian moved, step, by careful step towards his family. Maintaining his containment spell and focus. It was growing easier as whatever Lumi was doing worked.

Discord began to scream out at everyone in the room. Trying to hurt them.

"Laurel will never love you like she loves her mates. She uses you!"

"You're a weapon born in hate!"

"You will never be strong."

"You are wrong, your pack hates what you have done."

"Your father raped your mother over and over."

"Your mate will never love you like you love her."

Discord paused her diatribe. "Three of your sons are gone from this world." A dark grin marring Pandora's beautiful face.

Hannah, Aspen, Holland, Max and Caspian all flinched. No one let go or moved as Cassi, Penny and Oran all joined them in their group hug. Everyone could tell that Cassi had been crying. Her makeup was a mess of runs and splotches on her face. 

Branson came in slowly, Penny having outrun him by a fair bit. Marisol called out, "Heir! Permission for a dragon to come on pack land?" Needing the help of a dragon princess to effectively banish Discord. The love the available Greenrivers were flooding into Pandora had weakened Discord enough that it should be possible now.

"Permission granted! Get it done Marisol!" today had been a disaster in so many ways. Whatever was needed to solve at least one problem, he was going to take it. A gateway instantly opened with his permission granted. 

A woman with red wine coloured hair walked into the room. Arms loaded with baskets full of rose quartz, salt, and sage. A small earthenware pot with a lid containing pitch from the Holy Pines and last a small lead lined box, etched with runes on every side, including on each piece of the hinges and locks that held the lid attached and closed.

Ash methodically laid a circle of salt around the Greenrivers family. Lit the bundle sage in her hand as she began to chant. Willing the ancient deity to move into the box. This banishment going easily thanks to the unusual magic Lumi was orchestrating. It took only a single hour to pull Discord into the box. The instant the last inky tendril of Discord's influence snaked its way into the box, Ash sealed the confinement chamber closed with the metal lock. Sitting down without breaking her chant, she painted the pitch in a thick layer to fully seal the box on all sides. Sending the sealed box to where she was accumulating evil, hiding it away.

Pandora was now free of the influence of Discord, and fell into the embrace of her mate. Surrounded by her family as she sobbed. She had felt their love, was overwhelmed with their never ending depths of their love for her. When she had been so awful, so many times. So selfish, always trying to stir up trouble and pain. She relived her entire life, seeing with fresh eyes, and hated herself. Hated herself for what she had said, how she had behaved.

Her mind was clear for the first time in her entire life. No wolf corrupted by Envy. No Discord poisoning her heart. She was filled with guilt, and the endless love of her family and mate. Marisol messaged Emma who brought Chuck back to the home quickly. Pandora cried even harder as her baby came back. Reaching out with both arms, Emma set the boy down and he ran on unsteady toddler legs to his mommy.

"I am so sorry." Pandora repeated over and over. Her mind replaying every hateful, selfish, stupid thing she had ever done. Pandora looked towards Lumi. Truly horrified by all she had done to her sister. Saw Lumi's face over the years as Pandora broke her heart over and over. Screaming everything was always Lumi's fault- "I forgive you Pandora." Lumi whispered to her sister. Pandora's tears came harder. She didn't deserve Lumi's forgiveness. 

Pandora next turned towards Tom. "Tom. I-" Pandora had no idea how to even start to express herself to her mate. She had rejected him in the cruelest way. Even when she knew he was hers and she was his. She could try and blame others, but Pandora had always known what she was doing.

She had rejected him, and subjected herself to the nightmare of Endless Sky for reasons that no longer made any sense to her at all. "I love you Pandora." Tom said simply.

"I love you too." She whispered back. Kissing the top of Chuck's head. Hand over her belly. Pandora had everything she needed. She had always had it. She didn't deserve it.

Pandora was about to try and apologise to her parents, thank them for never giving up on her, for always supporting her. They had all, always been good parents. She couldn't find the words, but felt them hold her closer. It was a beautiful moment. Marisol was taking a second. To just breathe. Pandora was safe. Discord had been contained and would be tucked away in a safe bubble dimension. Never to be seen under this sun again.

Cassi was glaring at Marisol. Her face still a mess. Marisol could not fault Cassi for her feelings. Lumi turned and gave Marisol a look. Marisol steadied herself. One crisis settled meant she needed to handle the next one. Going through the motions of taking a deep breath that her lungs did not need, Marisol stayed calm. "There was an incident while trying to rescue Ariel." Marisol started to explain.

Binh teleported into the room. Now that he had his own feelings temporarily under control he was ready to face the Greenrivers family. As a coward and a failure. Except hearing Marisol start to put a spin on what happened, undersell the seriousness, his rage came back in full. The face of his demon nature pushed forward, his voice closer to snarling growl than human, "Don't put fancy words out to spin the story Marisol, tell them the fucking truth. Immediately." Cassi began to sob, body shaking cries as her family tried to comfort her. Lumi looked towards the ground.

Marisol sighed, "The dark witch was in the middle of a travelling spell. We were too late, the spell was too close to completion, as the magic was taking effect, Lumi healed a girl, another witch who had been captive with Ariel. Undoing the sacrifice powering the spell." Binh glared at Marisol as she paused for a moment. "The spell warped with the lack of sacrifice, Cassian, August, Alex, Ariel and the dark witch all travelled; With no way to track where they might have gone." Silence. No one even dared to breathe as the words fell on everyone in the room like a leaden blanket.

Hannah looked at Marisol. She had heard the words. Marisol had spoken in English. Hannah knew she understood each word separately. But what Marisol said couldn't be true. It didn't make sense. There was no way three of her sons and Ariel were gone. That wasn't possible. Except, as she heard Holland and Max start to cry and comfort each other behind her, listened to Caspian as he asked Marisol for more details. Looked at Cassi as she broke down entirely, saw Binh glaring at Marisol with such hate in his eyes. Hannah's mind snapped as she realised the words were not a lie. Hannah looked at Lumi. Lumi had been holding herself together, had been the one to save Pandora. To bring her back. Lumi nodded just enough to break Hannah's wall of denial. Three of her babies were lost, and no one knew how to find them again.