Bitter Love

Chapter Seven

This chapter is like a rollercoaster of emotions. You'll understand what I mean after you read it. Tell me what you think. And yes, there will be Tristan in the next chapter. A lot of Tristan. Next chapters are going to be ALL about Tristan.

Listen to the song on the side. I command you. 

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Chapter Seven

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I was running around the track, my heart racing, my legs aching and my breath coming in little pants. It was my forty-fourth lap when Jebadiah came racing in. He stopped at the edge of the forest and began to wave a paper around in the air, almost jumping up and down.

“Cade! Caden, you won’t believe this! Holy shit, Cade, come here!” I could see his face and it was like someone turned on the light in his head because he was glowing. Even the sun couldn’t compare to the smile on his face.

Despite the ache in my legs, I dragged my feet towards Jeb. “What is it?” I asked.

He was panting, too. “Cade, you won’t believe this.”

“What is it?” I asked, getting impatient.

“Cade, they signed the treaty.” I almost choked. “They signed it, Cade! The Circle signed the treaty!” He put his hands on my shoulders and shook me. “Are you listening, Cade? The Circle signed it.” His voice became soft.

“Are you joking with me, Jeb?” I asked. I was surprised when my voice wavered.

Jebadiah frantically moved his head from side to side. “Cade, read this. Just read this.” He thrust the paper towards my chest. “Andrei had a letter sent to every single Alpha in the world with a copy of the treaty.”

With shaky fingers, I took the letter in my hand and scanned through it.

Treaty…Hunters…Circle…Werewolves…War…Over…Peace.

The words all blurred together because suddenly there were tears in my eyes and they began to rush down my face. Seven months. The werewolf race had been waiting for six months for this. Andrei Karvosky had taken over the Circle two months ago, but getting the other leaders to agree was a battle in itself. But he had done it. We had done it.

No more war. No more fighting. No more death. It was all over.

“Oh God,” I choked. “Oh my God. Jeb, this is…,” I put my hands over his, dropping the letter. It fluttered in the light breeze before settling on the grass.

His face lowered and his forehead pressed against mine. “It’s over. The war is over,” he whispered. One lone tear slid down his cheek.

Then suddenly, I was laughing. After decades of meaningless killing, this blasted war had come to an end. My mother, father, Darren, Xavier and hundreds of werewolves, they had all died because of the Hunters, but their death wasn’t in vain. Not anymore. Because it was over.

I threw my arms around him, still laughing as uncontrollable tears streamed down my face. Instinctively, his hands came around my waist and he lifted me up, spinning me around. Jebadiah was laughing now, too. I hadn’t laughed this freely in ages. And it felt so good.

“Does the pack know yet?” I asked eagerly, my hands grasping his hair. His silky, golden locks slid through my fingers.

“No, only Lily and me. And now you. I wanted to tell them together.”

I wiggled out of his arms and dropped gracefully on my feet. I bent to pick up the paper and grabbed his hand. “We have to tell them – now. Something this big…it demands celebration. Instant celebration.”