The Omega Princess

Chapter 33

I could hear them before I saw them, their voices calling for me, bouncing of the trees in fragmented echoes until they found my ears. I called back once or twice and then I leant against the tree with Neymeria on my lap. Somehow we had managed to make it back to camp but the others were still nowhere to be seen. The forest had returned to its quiet without much reluctance, almost fooling me into believing that perhaps it had all been a dream. Then I’d see his eyes, the eyes of my king-father and I’d remember just how real it had all gotten.

I sighed, both relieved and annoyed as I heard feet pounding through the forest towards me, I just wanted to get this all done, we were taking far too long this was not a time for delays. I could already see that the King was more powerful than I had left him, or perhaps he had always been that way. He had abilities I never knew he had and the longer we took the more monstrous he became and the more experienced.

Dale was the first to arrive, his eyes fixed on me the moment he ran into the clearing, for a second he looked confused as he stared at both me and my wolf and then his face was filled with anger but it was not directed at me.

“I’m fine” I stated before he could even say anything, I knew that by now he had noted the blood and was sure he could feel the throbbing at the back of my head. He took a step forward and Neymeria rose growling at him. I stood calming her as I walked to Dale’s side.

“He’s not a threat” I whispered gently, almost immediately she sat back suddenly more interested in the items of the forest floor now she knew I was safe.

Dale’s eyes never left the small wolf and like me he seemed to stare at it recognition. I didn’t have to ask to know that he too was identifying its condition with the way I had been when had first arrived at Lorenae.

“Dale… I saw the King”

His eyes widened and this anger that had been holding him seemed to inflate even more so, he stared at me with disbelief.

“He had possessed the body of another wolf, but I saw his eyes clear as day it was him. And the wolves I saw…” I shuddered thinking back to those unnatural creatures with the misshapen shape of the Goddess’ creation.

“They were abnormal, she saved me and I her” I said, as I had expected Dale’s eyes found the crossbow, again the anger filled him but I was puzzled who was he angry at?

“You used it?”

I nodded looking down at my hands once again, although they were clean I could still smell the rustiness of the blood and feel it’s sticky liquid. Dale held my hand with a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry”

I shook my head there was no need to apologise this day had been a long time coming it would make make things easier now. Today was the day it all began once more. Another person ran into the clearing and all three of us looked up in interest, Kai stood with Cara on her back. He stepped forward dropping Cara gently on her feet, she ran up to me greeting me with a hug that returned.

“I told you she’d be fine”

Cara looked back at Kai blessing him with a reassuring smile. He stood frozen, stiller than usual his eyes averted to the ground. The silenced which had deafened us all for a few moments dissipated as Cara’s giggles broke through the air, beneath me she played roughly with Neymeria who had taken to licking her like a common dog, sharing an affection I had though wild wolves were incapable of.