Metas was completely pissed off when he and Myranda were woken up to shouts and shakes. He was able to not lash out at those around them, but in his soul he was screaming about needing just one fucking full night/day of sleep.
One..full...fucking....sleep...
From what he gathered, there was a female who had been injured by some creature in the forest. He was so groggy that it was impossible for him to process any of the words echoing in his ears.
"Metas, are you okay?" Myranda asked as she looked over to his dazed face.
He didn't answer. It was like the entire world around him was veiled in a thick fog. In fact, he wasn't feeling very well the more his brain warmed up. His body was sweaty, and neck was so hot that it was almost blinding. If he didn't move his hair to get some air on his shoulders, he was going to lash out at everyone.
As though Myranda heard his thoughts, she reached over and moved his long hair off of his shoulders and gathered the rough strands into a bun and held it up for him.
Metas let out a sigh of relief at the cool air hitting his flesh, as well as the tender touch from his mate's soft skin. He collected himself and channeled Myranda's peace as he started to put all the warbled messaged together that had already passed his ears before he focused in on the conversation at hand.
"Why, though?" Ajax asked with suspicion.
"She is one of us. Whatever her reasons, we should at least hear her out before we leave her in the cold," Jess said
"I agree with her," Lara replied.
Myranda sat stoically as she processed the information.
Cassandra left the castle, came here looking for Metas, was attacked on the way here (quite viciously), spewed as much information that she could, and was now passed out in her mortal form as Veltar tended to her deep wounds.
"What did she say exactly?" Myranda asked with a quirked brow, but rather flat expression.
"It was hard to understand, I'm so sorry my Luna" Lara said and bowed to her slightly before she continued.
"I swear I heard something about weapons. Perhaps keeping her alive is beneficial to our cause? We can interrogate her when she wakes up."
"Then what will we do with her? I don't think I can tolerate her presence knowing she contributed to my sister's death. My sister was essentially my mother, and she took her away" Myranda replied coldly.
Metas watched steadily as Jess and Veltar adjusted Cassandra's battered form. She had truly been injured beyond what she had deserved in his mind. It didn't matter anyway. He spoke with authority, but a gentle undertone. "She is one of us. We treat her like one of us."
"What are your thoughts, Myranda?" Metas followed up and looked to her sour face, but reached out to place his hand on her as though it would calm the raging fire behind her eyes.
"I agree with you both. She is one of us - and when she wakes up she can tell us everything she came to inform us of. We can decide what to do after that. For now, she came here for a reason - in the dark, without the help of anyone from what it seems, and she is gravely wounded. I can't imagine she's comfortable. I also can't imagine Silas letting her do this at all," Myranda replied steadily.
As badly as she wanted to go over there and rip the rest of the female to pieces, she swore she could hear Syrana's words in her ear from so very very long ago.
'Myri, sometimes the best course is to forgive someone just a little bit to be able to be around them, and rise above their bad behavior. We don't have to be mom and dad. We don't have to be monsters. Plus, sometimes that bad behavior ends up being them having a bad day.'
Myranda did not want to be a monster. She also didn't want to be too soft so that her enemies took advantage of her. She couldn't be either at the moment with Cassandra being unconscious. To condemn someone while they were conked out felt wrong - especially when Metas clearly cared about honor, and had slowly gotten her to feel the same.
Long ago she had no problem fighting dirty, or cheating to get what she needed. Now, Metas had showed her with his own actions that being justly and honorable yielded far better rewards, even if they came much later than the immediate victory from being a cheat.
It had also brought her to a better place of peace to be someone who wasn't low enough, or capable of doing unjust actions. These hard choices she made let her sleep so much better in the long-run, and it made her feel more confident as a leader.
Metas saved her from all of that bitterness. Thanks to his support, and evenness - she felt more comfortable and courageous to be herself instead of what her past had taught her to be. His peace and intellect calmed her inner anger to something far more productive. He was the weight that kept her on a platform teetering on the edge of a cliff she refused to walk back from.
The Alpha King agreed with his mate's decision and nodded slowly in reply. He looked over to her and smiled gratefully at her response, and her support. To see her flourish away from the anger she had held made his stomach flutter.
Someone so beautiful shouldn't have to live in the fires of rage that could destroy a delicate art piece like Myranda. Had they never met, he feared that he wouldn't have had the courage to keep going. He could see himself pacing back and forth in this cave all alone, trying to formulate a plan. He could imagine himself going mad with anger and bitterness.
Myranda saved him from all of that. Thanks to her trust and support - he felt as though anything were possible as long as she was at his side. Her fire and passion fueled his own when things felt as though everything was lost. She made him believe in himself again, as well as give him something more to fight for other than some cold throne to sit upon. She was the wind in his hair that pushed him upwards when everything was too heavy to handle.
"What can we do to help, Veltar? Whatever she has to say is valuable, so let's not waste time trying to heal her," the Luna asked with real concern.
"Sweet vine, rose hips, rose bark, blessed hazel (witch hazel to us) Yarrow - but I doubt you can find that here." Veltar answered as he and Jessie tended to Cassandra's wounds with crude healing instruments they had made from stone, wood, and non-magical crystals.
Luckily, they had washed many of the linens they reserved for wounds the other day - and had thick, absorbent cloths to help stem the bleeding.
"Ajax, Joss, Lara - go as a team to find those ingredients, please. Metas and I will gather water and scout around for whatever thinks can hunt us as though we're mere cattle," Myranda requested with confidence.
The usual reply she received growing up were blank stares or laughter -- but now, those she commanded nodded and followed her orders.
Still, she was enraged inside to see Cassandra. In her opinion, she was the start to the downfall of her sister's demise. It had been Cassandra who cheated with Silas. It had been Cassandra who blatantly took Syrana's place with no inch of remorse.
What was more important than her feelings, though - were facts. Facts she would pull out the deep brown haired beauty who looked far more peaceful than her sister did when she had lay dying.