"How did it happen?" I asked no one in particular when everything became silent. My eyes had returned to their red color, except now, they had a strange glow to them and I knew what I needed to do.
"We were attacked suddenly, there were so many of them. Their weapons were laced with wolf bane." Selene said as she cried.
"They stabbed her many times saying it was a message from Alpha Dante. The moment they killed her, they all left like she was their target from the start." She explained further.
"They have been receiving information about our activities! They even ambushed us at Grata night." I said and they all looked at me with surprise, but I wasn't in the mood to tell stories. "Who did it?!" I asked angrily and Ben walked to me bringing a hand-sketched drawing to me.
When I looked at it, my face twisted with hatred.
"Rosie? How? Adela said she was no longer in the lair." I asked him.
"We didn't know Amanda was Rosie," Selene said.
So she was here the whole time? I thought as I flared up, my claws protruding.
"How could you not know? How could you not take account of all those in the pack?!" I shouted as I walked towards her to attack, my eyes burning brightly.
Ben, who was standing in front of me, held me back, shouting, "Calm down Silveen."
"Get off me!" I shouted back at him as I threw him aside.
He landed with so much force that he and the others looked up to me with surprise, but I didn't spear them a glance. The person I had business with was Selene.
"Did she escape? Did you let her escape this time?!" I accused and Selene flared up too with tears in her eyes.
"What are you saying? It was me who let her escape? We were surrounded! We were weakened. We tried our best!" Selene defended.
"Well, clearly, your best was not enough! Adela is dead!" I shouted at her with glowing eyes, but tears fell from her eyes as she folded her arms around her chest.
"Then where were you? Where were you when we needed your blood rage to save us, help us protect her? You weren't here?! So you don't get to lay blame!" She accused back.
Oh, but it only infuriated me the more.
By now there was a tick to sink my fangs into her neck and rip it apart.
"What did you say?" I asked in a dangerously low voice, my fangs out and my voice almost like a growl.
She looked at me with fear, as did the others, but they only stared, not knowing what to do.
"What did you just say to me?!" I asked again as I walked to her.
"Enough!" Ramon shouted and I growled at him.
He looked up at me. "Enough!" he said with golden eyes of his own. "I would not let you disrespect Adela by shedding the blood of a member of this pack," he said, and I laughed like a maniac, surprising and confusing everyone.
"Yes! That is true. I mustn't disrespect the mistress. I must bring them all to justice." I said and turned around to leave.
"Silveen, stop! Where are you going?" I heard Ramon ask me, still holding on to Adela's lifeless body.
"To settle scores."
"Are you crazy? The lair is in disorder! We need you here." He shouted in response and I stopped at the door and looked at him, then my eyes drifted back to Adela who was still cradled on his lap.
"There is nothing left here for me," I said, then my eyes flickered back to his. "I would make those who hurt her suffer, even if it's the last thing I do," I said as I turned around and walked out of the room. Ignoring Ramon's frantic screams of how reckless I was being.
I don't care. When has an Austan wolf in blood rage not been reckless?
.....
I left the lair after asking for the directions the enemy took, then I pursued them in my wolf form. Days went by with me not catching up with them, just following the scent of Rosie that I clearly remembered. It was still fresh in the air after all.
I followed closely behind them, though not catching up with them yet, they stopped for the night in packs which I assumed were their allies. I mean, if they weren't their allies, why would they let them stay in their pack for the night, sleep in the pack house and restock their supplies before continuing on their journey?
So I made sure to stop there too and left my mark. No one was left alive, not the alpha or the children. I killed them all.
The moon goddess must be frustrated and angry right now at how many people have to die because of Adela, but I don't care. If she is so mad, she can come face me.
I had just reverted to the very thing Adela saved me from and I fed my bloodlust to the maximum, but it only got larger. The desire to kill was thrilling, and the pain they felt brought indescribable joy to me.
The torture, their hurting, watching them beg for mercy gave me satisfaction and, because the sadness and pain I felt in my heart returned when the victim was dead, I continued to kill because I wanted to feel the joy again. So I ended up killing them all.
By the time I am done, no one in the realm will ever mess with me or come near my loved ones again. Rieka watched silently without a single protest and I knew she agreed.
No, I don't even care if she disagrees. Adela wasn't dying in vain.
Or should I say she didn't die in vain? Didn't she once tell me that if I became powerful and people feared me, I could take my revenge on those who hurt me comfortably? Maybe this was it. I am powerful now.
I felt really powerful and I would bring my wrath upon them all, including alpha Dante, whoever he was. But first, Rosie and I have some unfinished business. I thought as I pushed myself, running several days and night without sleeping and soon I stood in the forest not far from where they camped for the night and watched them as they sat around the fire eating a hunted game, talking and laughing.
It reminded me of the first time I sat beside a bonfire with Adela all those months ago but she was gone now.
Rosie laughed as an unknown man whispered some words into her ears and my eyes reddened as blood rushed to my brain. I was going to take away their smiles just like they took mine and make sure they never had it again.