The walk back to the pack was silent.
Nana remained back at Evergreen with Dillion. The devastated man, Derrick, was left in the woods. All the shock, pack members who went with us were in various states of remorse and confusion.
"Kalix, is there a chance we can travel back home right now?" I said the words aloud without me noticing them. Kalix nodded in understanding and gave me a much-needed hug. I buried myself in his comforting arms and closed my eyes. I can still recall the pungent smell of the thick blood and the heartbreaking cries of Arabella. It was still ringing in my ears and replaying in my mind.
The adrenaline rush I had was fading. Besides the aching of my heart, the pain on my wrist is making itself known. The sprinting did nothing good for my healing wrist bone.
Atlas decided to take Arabella to the infirmary in a route away from the eyes of the pack. The pack doctor, Hans, arrived quickly after Atlas summoned him. They were quick about their work and patched Arabella in no time. It took a handful of minutes to do it, but the scene would stay with me for the rest of my life. It was my first time seeing it first-hand. All through the incident, Arabella sticks to me. Derrick, nonetheless, was begging beside me, begging to hold the distressed woman. The poor woman wants nothing from him.
"I'll talk to the Alpha. We can ask someone to give us a ride to the nearest terminal." Kalix's soothing voice was mixed with frustration. Sterling Pack was not exactly located in a convenient area. There are no other means of transportation for miles but wheels. If we want to go home, we must ask for transport from the pack itself.
Sterling Pack sat in a vast land with no neighboring city on its outskirts. You can safely say that it's isolated, and nature speaks for itself. You can take a run without bothering the humans.
"Fair enough," I replied. I pulled back from the embrace. We reached the mansion, and it was quieter than it was before. It seems like a cloud of grim loom all over the mansion. I went straight to my room. Kalix was also quiet as he entered his room without talking to me further. He's deep in his thoughts.
The moment I was safe inside my room, I almost breakdown again. What I saw today was truly traumatizing and heartwrenching. To witness such an incident is an eye-opener. It was the bond. Why did she do it? Was it that impactful? Does it make you do foolish things, for real?
I plopped down the bouncy bed and stared at the space. I lift my trembling hands, and I can still imagine the warm blood coating them earlier. It was disturbing. I have taken a quick dip back in Evergreen just to wash the blood away. It might have disappeared visibly, but the feeling has not.
When I walked out of the forest earlier, it was Kalix who ran to me when he saw my bloody hands. He was asking me what happened, but I didn't have the energy to explain anything. My eyes sought Nana, and she was looking at me. Nana's eyes were glowing silver, pale silver, the eyes of a Seer.
She nodded at me. I don't know what for, but something tells me that it's something big. I made a choice today that would upset the flow of a fate an individual intended to take. My gaze fell next to the pretty human who seem confused. She fussed about what was happening and why Derrick left in haste.
A dry smirk left my lips. She would never understand the bond. The moment your mate is in a life or death situation, you would be able to sense it through the bond. Fight it all you want, but your body will move of its own accord and would move to check his mate's welfare.
"Where's Derrick?" the pretty human turned to me when she wasn't able to get an answer from the pack. With the pack in shock and their face filled with remorse, I doubt they can answer.
"I hope he's in hell. That bastard doesn't deserve to be loved." It was wrong of me to be mad at her but I couldn't help it. The woman was shocked at my answer. She looks offended, but I would not give her my attention anymore. I look at Arabella's packmates, who forsake her and coddle this woman instead.
"Mavis?" That was Kalix. I glance at him, and my dried, tear streak face worries him more. I bit my lip to stop it from quivering and giving to unstoppable tears. I don't want these people to see me hurting.
Kalix's question went unanswered. I turned to the group again. "You all are trash. You don't deserve to be called her packmates. You don't deserve anything." I marched away from them, but not before I saw them flinched. Anger was on their faces, and one of them tried to talk back. All it took was one glare from me, and that person hesitated and stopped.
After that confrontation, everyone dispersed, and the place deserted besides Nana and Dillion.
I shook my head to stop myself from recounting the earlier events and stared at my shaking hands. It won't stop shaking. My right injured wrist is hurting, although it's nothing compared to the hollow feeling inside me. My body moved on its own and grabbed some clothes from the closet.
A warm shower might help to ease the tension on my drained body. I was holding the doorknob leading to the bathroom when the door to my room gently opened. Atlas's tall frame filled the doorway. He stopped for a second and closed it after him.
"What are you doing here?" I'm mad at this man. There is a lot of reasons to justify my anger. This same man who is so proud of his pack is the same man who is slowly wrecking his pack apart. I know he can tell from my fuming voice that I don't want to see him right now. This is the first time that I disgust the tingles coursing through the air and dancing all over my body. I detest it so much. I don't want to have them.
"Let Hans take a look at your wrist," he said.
Hans is their pack doctor. He was capable from what I saw earlier, but I don't want anything from Atlas.
A sarcastic scoff was all I could answer. He gave me a dark look.
"Did you also tell Arabella to see Hans?" I mocked. He did not like it one bit, but no, I am not going to back down on this one.
"You need to have it checked," he repeated, and I laughed at his face. Thank the mansion for having thick walls. He let me do my thing before he grabbed my left hand and started to drag me with him. I wiggled my hand out of his grasp.
"Are you this assertive? I hope you were this assertive with Arabella too because heaven knows she fucking needed it." I snip at him. Atlas's eyes glowed dark in anger. I bet my eyes mirrored his.
"Don't be stubborn and let Hans take a look at it." He said with authority emanating his form. He held my left hand again, gentle this time. I slapped his hand away.
"Don't ever, ever use your authority on me, Atlas. Stop fucking disrespecting me," I utter in false calmness.
"I just want you to stop being stubborn and have someone look at your swollen wrist." he hissed at me. I can tell that he is closed to erupting. Emotions were high today.
"I don't fucking care! I don't fucking care anymore! Are you worried that I would end up like Arabella? Is that why you're here because your conscience wouldn't let you live if it ever happens? Don't bother yourself and reject me. If you're worried, then give me the Assent, and let's get this over with!" I all but screamed on his face. I was seething.
"Stop asking me for the Assent. Shut up!" he hollered back at me. I could feel his voice echoing in my ears. It was that strong. If he thought it would make me stop, he is wrong. It did the total opposite; it ignited my anger more.
"You're just like that bastard. You're like Derrick."I gritted my teeth in an attempt to stop myself from throwing my hands at him. I am not a violent person, but this man is testing my limits.
"I am nothing like him," his nose flared in anger. I might have deflated his ego more than he can handle.
"Sure, Alpha." I snickered in sarcasm. "Is this the pack that you were so proud of telling me about? A pack of broken werewolves?" I did not mean to attack his pack.
Atlas's face darkened further. If an ordinary werewolf would attack an Alpha like what I'm doing, they're sure to suffer dire, imminent consequences.
"Take back what you said," he fizzles in anger. Throbbing veins marked the side of his temples. If I judge it correctly, he is in the process of shifting. I waited for the furs to sprout anywhere on his body. It didn't happen.
"I am not taking it back. You have a dysfunctional pack. Your pack ties were decaying, and your pack members deteriorating." after I said those words, Alpha grabbed his hair in frustration and paced the carpeted floor.
"You have no right to say that about my pack," he snarled. Atlas's voice took a deeper turn. It's a sign that his ball-of-wolf is on the surface. It did not deter me from my tirade. I rage on.
"Stop saying that I don't have the right because I'm the rightful Luna of this pack! I have all the right to give you a piece of my mind when I'm at the receiving end of the short stick. I'm the one that might end up like Arabella and not you! You're not the one who is going to suffer for a long time." I took a deep breath.
"Unlike you, Arabella would have to face that bastard every day because she got nowhere else to go. Your pack's location isn't that suitable. A werewolf will always be a werewolf. Being a rogue or a lone werewolf was the only option for her. That damn bastard even marked her and flaunted his lack of contentment. " I snarled.
The fine hairs on my back stood on its end. Anyone might hear us, but I have thrown all my inhibitions out the window. I couldn't understand how a male werewolf, mark someone and led them on, and their Alpha tolerated it because it was the pack's wishes. It doesn't embody the packs' wishes at all. It was evil.
"You were pushing for change that you forgot that you're a werewolf and an Alpha. You sought to change everyone along with you when they don't need it. You failed your pack just like how you failed me," the sharp words hit their target. A resounding thud filled the air as Atlas hit the wall with this fist.
"Shut it!" he snarled. This time, I'm sure everyone heard it.
I forced myself to calm down. This one is a hopeless case. I won't gain anything from hurting Atlas's feelings. Yes, I wanted to hurt him just like I'm hurting at the moment. Just like how Arabella was hurting right in this instant, but it's not pleasant at all. There's no victory in it.
Ragged breaths and huffs dominated the room as I gathered my thoughts. A silly idea popped into my head. I don't know if I could realize it. Nana told me earlier that one must not meddle if they wouldn't take a stand for it. I am not sure if it would help her, but I'm going to offer another option.
"I'm taking Arabella with me. This vacation was a huge mistake in the beginning. I'm going home." I informed him. I don't need his permission to do anything. "Get out of my room," I added. There's a terrifying calmness in my voice. This may be his mansion, but now, I'm the temporary owner of this room.
"This is not over." he retorted. He went out of my room, slamming the door on his way out. The impact was so strong that the door bounced back. He did not give a damn at the crowd outside my room. Atlas left without a glance back.
Shocked faces were gaping at my door, and I shut it on their faces. Kalix has been trying to link me, but I keep my mind blocked. I groaned in frustration when I realized that everyone in the pack must have known that I was Atlas's mate. I was careful not to let them know, but here we are. The pack doctor must have been waiting outside from the start since Hans was among the crowd.
The crowds' shocked faces did not move me, but Kalix's unsurprised face bothered me more. Kalix knew. He knew from the start. Was it the reason why he tagged along? But, when did he find out?
As I drifted to sleep, the familiar memory of my door ajar days ago filled my dreams.