Vivienne's POV:
"Everyone," I called out as I stared at the remaining members of my pack. The ones that survived from coming here... the ones that also escaped the tragedy of being left behind in our territory. I took a deep breath as Aaragorn stood by me. His pack also gathered to listen in on what I was about to say. "Alpha Brendon-"
"Is he awake?" Someone asked me from the crowd. I flinched at their questions that followed. The same, wondering when they'd see him again. I held up my hand to silence them.
"Actually," I called out and they fell silent. "It's the complete opposite..." I trailed off. I looked over at Mateo and Eli before looking back at the crowd. "H-he didn't make it. The elixir didn't work." I felt my throat knot up but I- I told myself not to cry in front of them. I felt my lips trembling. Now I've got to tell them they're being lead by an unqualified luna...
Aaragorn wants me to tell them we're joining the packs. It's for the best. I can't protect everyone but.... this is hope I have to believe in.
Aaragorn took my hand and squeezed it. I looked into his eyes and he gave me a small smile. "I can take it from here," he promised me. He looked at the crowd and growled slightly. The faces of my pack was in confusion or depression. My pack mates lost so much.... this is the least I can do. Let a strong leader take over to guide them to safety. We've lost everything. Lamia beat us. If I have to put my life on the line for these poor creatures to escape.... I will. I don't want anymore people to die.
Your luna thinks it best if our packs combine," Aaragorn yelled out. His tone suddenly being stern as he captured their attention. "You're in need of an alpha and I'm in need of a luna," he said as he glanced around. Mateo and Eli looked pissed off as they avoided looking at me suddenly. I tensed up as I heard the crowd start to growl.
"Is this true, Luna Vivienne?" One of my pack mates asked as they were pushed forward to speak better with me.
"We understand we lost our alpha, but we still have you," Another yelled at me. "Is this really good for th-"
"NEVER question your luna," Aaragorn growled out at them. "She is your leader. If she's decided to join our packs together... then you better start getting to know your new pack mates. Isn't that right?" He questioned as his eyes landed on his own pack. They gave welcoming comments suddenly.
Aaragorn turned to look at me.
"Tell them this is what you want," he whispered. I nodded softly as I looked out at my pack mates. I felt an ill intention then as their emotions hit me. They were angry. My mind opened up to what they were thinking. The pack was yelling deep inside our pack's link.
'Joining packs right now- when we are on the brink of war-'
'We should be saving our pack mates!'
'Lamia is responsible.'
'Our luna is weak.'
'Disown our luna.'
'She will pay for Alpha Brendon's death.'
'They'll all pay.'
'We should kill Lamia. She killed our alpha!'
'Yes, kill Lamia.'
'Let's kill Lamia.'
'Kill.... kill... kill.... kill... kill... kill... killl.' Aaragorn stepped back in slight fear as my pack's growls picked up. Some of them transforming. These thoughts were almost like my own. I couldn't make out theirs from mine once we linked together. This was the start of-
"Please!" I shouted. My yell didn't stop their thoughts but if I couldn't hear them thinking, I might be able to speak and change what they're thinking and feeling. "Don't be rational! We can't kill Lamia with this number of pack mates," I told them. "I know- she's kidnapped our pack members.... But, we aren't strong enough- if we go in there we will die," I told them.
"Better to die a warrior then a coward," one of them yelled at me. "You're nothing but a coward, Luna!"
"You're being disrespectful!" Mateo shouted in anger. "She's trying to think what's best for us."
"Our pack mates are dying!" Another shouted in the crows.
"I know," I whispered. "Lamia has done terrible things... But, I can't let you all die..."
'Luna...' Someone in the pack link called out for me over their murderous desires. 'If we could just talk with the remaining of Everfur.... If we could all come together and make one attempt at rescuing our kidnapped pack mates... We will be strong enough to defend the territory as one big pack.'
"Please listen to me..." I trailed off. "Lamia sent Scarlet, Blacktail, and Everfur notes. She's ordering us to leave our territories if we want to survive. Our pack will not have a chance alone in a new territory. Blacktail is graciously allowing us to join with them. I'm sure Everfur has pulled out and left. If they were smart, of course."
"YOU'RE A COWARD!" My pack mates growled at me.
"Let's go. Let's go right now while they're least expecting it," I heard a voice I barely recognize say over the crowd. It took me a minute before I realized it was coming from Issac. Maeve's mate. I recognized they were a couple when I first smelled them. "We can save our pack mates!"
"Let's kill Lamia!" my pack mates roared. "A LEADER FOR A LEADER!"
"She killed our alpha!" They yelled. I could smell their anger as the ones shifted, continued to growl. I rocked backwards as their waves of rogue- like anger was consuming me. I tried not to feel it.... I really was trying.
Lamia killed our alpha. Lamia killed Brendon. My mate.... is dead because of her.
I want to kill her with my bare hands.
I picked my hands up and held them out in front of me. I could almost see blood on them as red was consuming my vision. I glanced over at Mateo and Eli. I could see them holding their heads as the pack's waving feelings hit them. When a pack has strong feelings.... we all feel it. The weak to the strong... but our emotions all start to feel like one. My pack's rage was starting to develop in a rogue style as they started to rebel against my wishes. Their emotions tried to twist me into joining them. Mateo and Eli were trying to fight with me...
"Shit," Aaragorn muttered.
Alpha Brendon's death triggered this.
We shouldn't have told them like this. I watched as the room seemed to thin out like my pack mates were leaving me. They were heading straight to find and kill Lamia. "Your pack, where is your pack going?" Aaragorn asked me.
"They're going to die," I whispered as tears filled my eyes. "They're going to try to kill Lamia."
Mateo and Eli fell to their knees and I could hear them struggling not to transform and go with them. These two were probably my strongest warriors that were trying to stay and protect me. They wanted to still believe I could be a good luna.
"Aaragorn, I can't let my pack go and die alone," I spoke up as I turned to him and got on my knees. "Please help my pack. You owe us a debt."
He growled in annoyance. "If you had a better grip on them... they wouldn't be marching to their deaths."
'I'm sorry Luna,' Mateo gasped out. I suddenly saw him transform as he gave into his instincts. He was running suddenly like a blind fool after my pack. 'I'm going to Everfur, if they're still there then they are waiting to help us. I'll send them after our pack mates. This is not what it looks like, I am going to find help.' Mateo~! I cracked a small smile.
'Thank you Mateo! Thank you!' I watched as Eli curled up into his stomach.
'Luna we must make some decisions,' he told me. I could tell he was in pain.
"Don't worry," Aaragorn spoke up as he looked at his pack mates and nodded at them. "My pack will follow yours and try to stop them." He reached out and touched a tear running down my face. "We'll hurry and try to convince them to st-"
"There is no convincing them, Aaragorn. They're acting on their own. They're going to do it. I need your pack to step up and help mine in battle." He wrinkled up his nose. "We are cowards," I choked out. "Maybe neither of us should be leader-" he smacked me hard across the face. I whimpered as I touched my sore cheek and felt it starting to swell..
"I am no coward," he growled. "I'm a fucking alpha. My pack is going to save yours in this bloody fucking mess.... and when we do... you'll HAVE to be my luna because of how much debt you'll rack up with me," he growled angrily. I felt my jaw drop as he turned to look at his pack. "WELL?" He asked as they stared at us. "GET GOING! LAMIA KILLED OUR PEOPLE. LET'S KILL ALL OF HERS!" He riled up his pack with those words and they started to transform and run in the same direction my pack was going. Aaragorn's wolf must have taken over him when I called him out... This can't be Aaragorn.
How can he be so kind but so mean?
"We're not cowards, Luna." He pushed me forward. "All of us are going."