Marked by the Monster [COMPLETED]

twenty three

Nandini's POV

Numb.

Empty.

That's how I felt.

I don't how long I sat there in the cold clearing waiting to feel something, anything. Voices went in and out of my ears... but I stayed rooted in that spot. Not feeling the biting cold weather.

"NANDINI. COME BACK TO YOUR SENSES NOW"

Someone shook me by my shoulders and I turned to see Yash.

His lips were chapped with dry blood. His head was bandaged and so was his leg. He didn't look good... like the rest of the pack.

"Come on Luna. Let's go home."

Like a reflex, I asked Yash, "Manik?"

Yash pulled me to my feet and I took heavy steps, leaning on to him. Suddenly anger flooded my system and unknown tears pooled in my eyes and dropped down my cheeks like a river.

I held Yash by his collar and asked, "Is he okay? Did that bastard get to him?"

"He's at the packhouse... He needs you there. That's why he sent me Luna. You blocked all the mindlinks"

I let his collar go and mumbled a small sorry and made my way to the packhouse as quickly as I possibly could.

.................

The packhouse was gloomy, mournful, and reeked of the dead. Some were crying, some were staring into nothingness and some were desperately trying to save the near dead. People were covered in both bandages and blood. What once was a playground for the young ones was now a first aid center.

Bodies of men and women from both the Blue Moon pack as well as the Crescent Moon pack who were killed were laid out in the training ground.

Among the blood clamped, limp bodies were familiar faces of my pack members. The little girl who complained she was just an irrelevant member of the pack- Hannah was lying on there with no more breaths to take; the little tech wiz Simon; the man who always smiles at me when I threw the knife and hit the bullseye. I prayed and hoped not to see the ones close to me, but my breath stuck in my throat when I saw Charlie and Kiara lying next to each other, lifeless.

"NOOOOO" I dropped down on my knees next to the blazing red-haired girl who no longer greeted me with her smile. Charlie, with whom I threw knives with as well didn't wake up.

"No no-no. Kiara... open your eyes. Charlie Charlie please wake up." 

I shook their bodies... but their eyes remained shut.

I mustered all the powers I had and tried waking them up. I knew it was a futile effort. I knew that no one had the power to bring back the dead... but I had to try. They were my best friends...

"Nandini"

I looked up to find Manik making his way towards me. I continued trying to shake them and tried telling them to wake up.

"Manik... you're alive" My voice came out lower than a whisper.

"Kiara and Charlie... they won't wake up."

He came towards me and knelt on the ground next to me. He took my hands away from Kiara's limp hands and pulled me up and dragged me into the packhouse.

"Your hands are as cold as ice," Manik said and rubbed my hands with his.

"Kiara and Charlie ... even death couldn't separate those two," Manik said and wiped a lone tear that made its way down his cheek.