Page 83 of The Dark War

“It seems that the elven lands have been taken over then.” She cringed. Folen stood back, his brother catching him with his arms.

“All those innocent children,” he rasped. “All of them?” Taliyah shook her head.

“I only know that their sister and her mate are gone. Their sisterly bond is broken, shattered.”

“Glinda!” Genesis cried.

“Enough!” I growled out among the crowd that began to murmur. Gently using the power given to me by Clara’s parents to be rulers of this territory, I felt their fear trickle to defeat.

They didn’t think that we could win.

“You all act as if you have lost.” I gritted my teeth, lacing my fingers with my mate’s hand. She squeezed it tight, begging me to continue. Her heart still wept for our lost pup, but the hope we would try again shined through in her eyes.

My mate was strong for us, and with this impending battle, we would end it all and finally have our peace. She would no longer have to worry about tomorrow, no longer felt the pressure of being queen. She would rule with a grace that this kingdom had never seen, and I would stand there beside her when she did.

The crowds’ emotions did not falter. Their feet shuffled in the dirt, their eyes averted from my gaze. “You dare give up before we started.” Clara had our bond warm, the royal blood we shared now pushing through to the surface to encompass the entire territory of on-lookers. There was a time we would use our power to drive the minds and hearts of our people. This was that time.

Clara put her forehead next to my arm, nuzzling into it. Her hand stroked my forearm as I gazed upon the darkening crowd.

“How dare you all! I’m disappointed.” I smirked. Marcus’s brow raised in confusion, soon followed by Jasper, who skimmed back at the crowd.

I did not smile. The only smile I had was for my mate. She alone could make me feel joy and happiness, but this smile was anything but happy. It was essential to the next words I would say.

“The strongest warriors of Bergarian, the Crimson Shadows pack, who have been known to take down hordes of the fastest rogues to date without losing a soul?” I smiled again, my fangs scraping my lips. The swaying bodies and the lack of eye contact from the warriors had Torin grinning ear to ear.

“And these same warriors who have trained the outlying packs and prides to live up to our battle standards, giving them the tools to be our equals... are afraid?” Taking deep pained breaths, they rubbed their foreheads with their dirty palms.

“Disappointed.” I jostled my head. “After everything your luna, your queen, has sacrificed for you? She has yet to give up, and you hear of one area that may or may not have succumbed to the fall of a sorcerer?” Clara gripped me tighter, but her gaze did not leave the crowd.

“Disappointed,” I said again. The heavy hearts of guilt showered down on Clara and me. “Do you want to live in peace again? Do you want your wolves, your people, the children… to live with the guilt that you gave up before it started?” I choked back a howl. Clara wrapped her arms around my torso, her back to the crowd and her head buried in my chest.

Murmurs floated in the sea of people. More had gathered from the other areas of the territory, listening as I broadcasted it through the link.

“Disappointed.” I shook my head again as the silence continued. The seconds felt like hours as they muttered to each other.

“I fight for you,” Marcus finally called out among the crowd. His heartache was heavy, his soul empty, but the small flame of hope grew brighter.

“I will fight for my mate, my child.” Jasper pulled Taliyah to his chest, his hand going to her stomach. She rubbed her hand longingly over his as she sniffed.

“For Vermillion.” Taliyah smiled at the servants beside her.

“For our future,” Wesley joined in. Charlotte was in his arms. Her rational fear for the vampires that stood feet away had her lips twisted.

“For new friends.” Charlotte held her hand to one of Taliyah’s servants. She took it gladly, putting her other hand over hers.

More and more people said their reasons why they would fight. Their voices slipped against each other until we could no longer hear the individuals’ reasons why they fought, just the constant wave of white noise. Once it died, Clara, who had yet to say anything, stepped away from me, her gaze rising to the moon overhead.

“For Bergarian, for all of us.” The fear of the crowd had officially diminished, and the rustling of the mind-link being overpowered by families, friends, and neighbors filled our minds. It was the busiest roar of voices we had ever heard.

“We can hear all of them now.” Clara’s eyes brightened. “I guess we fully accepted the calling, huh?” My hand went around her waist, my nose brushing her neck. “That was a great speech, Alpha. Maybe you should do it all the time,” she chided.

“Only during acts of war,” I grumbled. “And this won’t happen again for a very long time.” Clara hummed, reaching her arms around my neck and eventually her legs. I chuckled, carrying her to the pack house.

Once I reached the top, the people had stopped moving, the mess already cleaned. “We leave at first light. Osirus’s soldiers will need the light sources.”

Torin was restless, his body craving our mate’s touch. Clara nipped at my neck as we walked up the stairs. It had been days, her recovery, her sadness that had poured into me, wrecked everything I was.

I only wanted to see the bright light in her eyes, those same eyes that made me fall to my knees to worship her. My mate didn’t deserve any of this. Sometimes I thought the gods were punishing her for choosing to still be with me.

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