Tyrant

Chapter Eight

Anonymous POV

The woods grew dark and the fog covered the moss that stuck to the ground, the smell of Rouges poisoned the air. They were watching, and they were close. As I walked closer to the boarders of this Pack land I heard footsteps behind me, I turned but saw nothing but when I turned back a young Rouge boy stood in front of me. His pale skin flushed with purple veins, his eyes tainted with grey and his teeth decaying. He was past stage three and past saving.

“You’re not from and yet you’re here, master needs to know. Yes, yes he will know,” he said as he looked around.

“Your master, where is he?”

His eyes glazed over as if he was in a daze, his eyes drifted back to me and he smiled.

“He’s here, he’s there… He’s everywhere,” he walked forward and past me.

I followed behind him until we reached a clearing, in the middle stood an old white oak tree its branches climbed high. As we got closer to the tree I realised what this place really was, the smell of blood filled my senses. It was a sacred place, Celtic symbols where carved into the base of the tree and up along the bark Celtic words.

“With death comes the rising, with the rising comes the fall.”

As the words left my mouth the fog cleared only to reveal many corpses, bodies scattered around the tree. Old and new, they were sacrifices. This was dark magic, but this was also different from what I had seen. In my travels here I had found other places like this, four points around the boarders of this Pack land. Both Greek and Celtic, this coven was joining both. Giving birth to a very dangerous form of magic.

“The rising the fall, the rising the fall, the rising the fall.”

The young boy repeated the words and as he did he pulled out a knife and cut his own throat, I stood in shock as his body fell to join the others. I stepped towards him and he smiled, as the blood poured out he choked out three words.

“He is reborn.”

As life left him the fog covered the bodies once again, I moved away from the tree but stopped once I was clear of the sacrifices.

I pulled out my phone and dialled the number.

“Is she there?”

“Yes I can feel her, the Rouges are drawing close to the boarders. He’s preparing to attack and take her back, but that’s not all… I found something else,” I said as I gazed back at fog knowing what lied beneath.

“Another white oak but this time there are many bodies, and this ones Celtic.”

Silence from the other end of the line, finding this made me worry and I know she did to.

“This is a problem, the witches they aren’t just working with the Rouge king. I’m starting to think that he is just a small piece in their plan, we need to think smart about our next move.”

“And what might that be?” I asked worried about the witch’s plans.

“We need to get to her before they do, I’ll be there in three days. Surround their boarders but stay out of sight we don’t want them knowing that we’re there, kill any Rouges that you find.”

The storm above brewed and it looked unnatural, it was a sign from the Gods.

“Destroy it.”

With that the ended, I turned back to the tree and held up my hand.

“Φωτιά.” (Fire)

***

Leo’s POV

The morning breeze flowed through from the balcony, my skin now cold in which matched my heart. I did not sleep much barely four hours, must be the toxic smell of Rouge.

“You were restless, what troubles you?” Tessa asked as she reached forward and trailed her fingers down my spine.

I stayed silent and pulled back the sheets, my feet touched the cold wooden floor and I moved towards the bathroom.

“Be gone before I finish my shower,” I said and opened the door.

“Don’t you want me to join you?” She purred and I rolled my eyes.

“What I want is to shower and for you to leave,” I said before closing the door and locking it.

I stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on high and let it cleanse my skin, as I leaned my head against the stonewall I thought about the next step. She knew so little and it frustrated me, those symbols and knowing about the witches meant nothing. In a surge of anger I struck the stonewall splitting the skin and cracking the tile, the pain was nothing to me I barely felt it. I barely feel anything anymore; it had been three years since I did. Since Gia… as my mind wondered to that day all I could see was blood.

**Three years ago**

‘Leo your parents want you in the office in five minutes, your fathers furious about last night,’ Lucas’s voice entered my mind and I sighed and rolled over.

Her amber hair spread across the pillow and her body wrapped in a cotton sheet, the sun kissed her good morning. I lay there admiring her for a minute; I wondered how I had been so lucky to find her.

“You’re staring,” she said as she kept her eyes closed.

“I’m admiring.”

The side of her lips flicked up into a small smile and she turned on her side, the sheet fell between her breasts and I growled deeply.

“Creep,” she said and this time she opened her eyes.

Those beautiful hazel eyes stared at me and I melted beneath them, I couldn’t take it so I moved to hover above her and pressed my lips firmly against her. She smiled against them and her hands found their way to my hair and she gripped tight, causing me to growl and deepen the kiss. Before I could go any further she flipped me and stared down at me, the hint of want played her eyes.

“I’m late for patrol, and your late to see your parents,” she said and kissed my cheek.

As she moved to get up I grabbed her arm and she stoped.

“Run away with me, we can go where ever you want. Hawaii, Mexico, Paris, Brazil… Run away with me,” I said and she sighed but smiled.

“We’ve talked about this Lee, this is our home and we belong here. The pack need you, the crowning is in a week. Your fathers pushy because he knows you can do this, and I’ll be right there with you always,” she said and leaned down placing her head against mine.

Her hand cupped my cheek and I sighed at the contact, this woman will be the death of me.

“Promise?”

She pecked my lips and pulled away.

“Cross my heart.”

As she got up she moved to the closet and when she returned she was dressed in shorts and a singlet, I got up and pulled on my clothes. We exited the room together hand in hand, with her nothing else mattered. She was my happy ending, she was my always.

“See you at dinner?” she asked and I nodded and pulled her in for one last kiss.

As she made it to the stairs she turned her head and left me floating from the smile she sent me, when she was gone I moved towards the office. I pushed open the door only to be met by my fathers burning glare of disappointment, my mother stood beside him with a look of worry. No doubt meant for me.

“You, how could you be so careless… SO STUPID!” his voice bombed rocking the pen cup on his desk.

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“Don’t play dumb with me boy! I found the bodies, the witches. You didn’t even care to get rid of them, leaving them there for anybody to find,” he growled and my mother took his arm and calmed him.

“They shouldn’t have made a bet they would lose, they attacked first. I don’t know why you’re so mad we don’t like the witches,” I said and sat down in front of his desk.

“We have had a treaty with them for ten years son, by killing two of them not only have you broken that treaty but you may have just declared war,” he said and paced the floor.

“Dad relax it was two scrawny witches, there’s plenty more to find in every cesspool of the world,” I said.

“Those witches where the sons of the elder witch Leo, how do you think she’s going to react?” this time it was my mother.

Realisation sunk in and the feeling of guilt grew higher, I stood and walked forward.

“She’s coming and she’s bringing an army with her, we must prepare they could attack any-“

He was cut off as the house began to shake, my mother stumbled and I ran forward. Every window in the room shattered, I threw myself over my mother guarding her from the blast.

‘LEO!’ Gia screamed through the link and then I felt a pain I had never felt before.

“NO!”

My parents followed as I flew through the house and out to the front yard, I ran towards the east boarders where Gia was on patrol. As we arrived wolves and witches had surrounded the boarders, the Rouge king himself stood holding Gia by her neck. I snarled as I was about to pounce but my father held me back, Gia growled but his grip tightened around her neck. A woman with long silver hair stepped forward, her eyes where a lavender colour and fired with anger.

“You… Killed my sons, my family. We had a treaty Peter and now it is over, because you couldn’t keep your son in line. So for your crime and for what you took from me, it seems only fitting that I take away what you cherish the most,” she said and smirked at me.

She turned to the Rouge king and nodded her head, his eyes turned black and his claws extended.

“NO!” I screamed and ran forward only to be held down by the witch.

Her power was too strong; I heard screams of the pack as the army of Rouges descended upon them. Gia was thrown forward towards me, he moved towards my parents and I watched as my father tried to fight but the witch made it difficult for him.

“Now watch as he rips your heart out,” she smirked.

My father fell and then my mother, their blood splattered the Oak behind them and I screamed for it to stop. As he moved to Gia her eyes fell to me, she was scared and my body shook with anger.

“You have no one to blame but yourself, you took from me so I’ll return the favour,” she said as she twisted her wrist and I cried out.

He pulled her up and held her against him as she struggled; he pushed his face into her neck and breathed in. My wolf was going berserk trying to get out, but the witch’s hold was too strong.

“Leo look at me,” Gia said and I gazed up at her.

“I love you.”

As his craws tightened around her neck he pulled them to the side, ripping out her throat.

I howled in agony as she fell to her knees, the blood poured out and ran down her body. I screamed and clawed at the ground beneath me, he stepped forward and levelled with me.

“Your pain, your anger is what will keep you alive. Live with it, live with knowing that they died because of you mistake.”

I snarled and looked up at him, my eyes burning red.

“I’m going to kill you for this,” then every thing went dark.

The images of their lifeless bodies haunted me every second of every day, it was my fault and I have to live with that.