Chapter 40

1661 Words
As the four exhausted wolves arrive back at the alpha house of opal moon, they can’t help but be relieved to be back in a group again, all of them not sure if it is the bond caused by the marks or Jade’s bite or just the burden faced together, but they don’t like being separated. They haven’t known each other for long yet somehow feel like a close-knit family, going through highs and lows together. Granted, at this point, the highs are few and far between, the state of extensive lows is weighing everyone down, the sleep deprivation isn’t helping either. But the ones that have been safe and secure in opal moon can finally relax when their team mates are back with them. Jade couldn’t make it through till their return. The toll the pups are taking on her body is expected by everyone, but she struggles to forgive herself for being too weak. When the four wolves arrive back at the house, there are only a few murmurs of greeting before everyone goes to their own rooms, finally letting sleep overcome them before their bodies and minds give out on them. When they wake in the morning Cressida is happily whisking around the kitchen preparing a large meal. Cooking is not a skill many of them of them possess, only Cressida and Alexis who didn’t grow up in high positions within a pack, where they had other requirements but definitely not cooking. After pushing her magic to the limits, Cressida somehow feels rejuvenated, probably the feeling of Jasper coming in every hour to wipe her forehead and planting a gentle kiss on her hairline, even though her eyelids were too heavy to lift, she could feel his concern and most of all his love. Jasper is back within the pack, he is the highest authority in the pack at the moment, even with the other alpha blood present, Jasper knows opal moon like the back of his hand. Being Axel and Jade’s second in command, he has been with them every step of the way and easily fills their shoes ninety percent of the time as they deal with the mountain of other tasks that being a formidable duo has dropped in their lap. As the group filters in one by one, looking more like what the cat dragged in instead of the usual powerful bunch, slouched postures, bleary eyes, messy hair, dragging feet. Once sleep hit, it was hard to wake up the next day, needing at least three weeks in bed to feel normal again. Seven of them drag their sore bodies and twisted minds into the room. The eighth comes bounding in with a completely different attitude, a mass of blonde hair bouncing, her green eyes shining and a joyful smile on her face. Alexis looks at her with a scowl. What is with these blonde girls and their bubbly personalities? How dare Ava not look half deceased like the rest of them. “I hate you” Ava smiles while moving over and giving Alexis a kiss on the cheek, which earns a half-assed growl from both Hunter and Lucas. “Ava, I didn’t know you felt that way about me, how about I ditch one blonde and pick up the next?” Lucas slouches down on a chair, pulling Alexis down on his lap, paying no attention to her threat to leave him. Ava laughs happily. “I will think about it” Somehow, the smell of Cressida’s cooking coupled with Ava’s enthusiasm motivates the whole group. After they are fed, they stand around the table, no one says a word, just staring at the six items placed on the timber surface. Six photos in total, they all look at the prints, look at the photos themselves, six photos, twelve bodies. Each one as lifeless as the next, perfectly capturing the loss of life, horrifying yet hauntingly beautiful, the fragility of life, here one moment gone the next, nothing permanent. Some bodies that they have seen, some that they haven’t. Twelve deaths, yet there is already so many more surrounding these twelve. The twelve are just her showpieces, the staging, for reasons unknown, the ones not directed at them, the special yet unfortunate ones. Two sets that have only been heard about after the fact, then Samuel and Anna, then Brodie’s parents, then the two sets of mates at the dawn pack. Hunter slowly starts flipping the photos one by one. The lettering is so beautiful, if it wasn’t a message of death, if the words didn’t convey the weak reason that they were taken, a few mere sentences to sum up a life, to cause the end of it. From the strong and vicious, ruthless and nasty. To the weak and lazy, boring and ignorant. To the old and wise, righteous and respected. To the young and playful, loving and kind. To the one that chose beauty over substance and the forsaken. To the one that values position over all else and the c*****e left behind. Cressida stares at the words, taking in every single word one by one. Magic is sometimes beautiful words, sometimes poetic, sometimes riddles. She has never seen a life summed up in such a way. She moves back from the table, the picture of the bodies seems burned in her retinas, scorched into her heart, the words seem to cut deeper than anything else, she slips out of the room before the others notice. The guardians look around the room, each person's expression is confused as the next. “So there is no correlation between the victims except for the worlds shittest eulogy?” Alexis is so blunt that a collective half smile appears on the faces of the group. “So each one is so different. How can we determine the next personality type and even if we could, how could we possibly narrow that down off the massive list of couples? We have names and packs, nothing personal” Lucas runs a frustrated hand through his blonde hair. “Trying to get a step up on this crazy b*tch is more difficult than getting Alexis to filter her mouth” Ava, Jade and Alina purse their lips with eyebrows raised, watching in amusement as Lucas cops a fist to the jaw. “What the f*ck id*ot, don’t drag my name into the same sentence as her. I am crazy....” Alexis gestures to the photos in front of her, lifeless eyes staring at them. "...I am a long way off that crazy" Lucas laughs and pulls Alexis into his arms, caring little about his broken jaw as he kisses her. The group can do nothing more than hit the books again. With the mountain of books, there is no way that it is possible that they can’t find anything to help their cause. In the room, Cressida sits cross-legged on the bed and closes her eyes, linking Jasper. She isn’t able to link like the wolves and it is not always on, but she can work it as more of a 'I call you' scenario. ‘Baby…..’ Just as she links there is a knock on the door, she opens the door with her magic and Alexis walks in. “Are you okay?” Alexis is not a good comforter or even a good sympathetic ear, but she still tries hard. Cressida looks over Alexis and nods before contacting Jasper again, telling him not to worry. “Alexis, would you take me somewhere?” “If you are asking me, then I assume your mate won’t like it” “Yes, and where we are going. Let's just say p*nises are not welcome” “So we are not going to my v*gina?” Cressida snorts a laugh and her solemn expression eases. She has lived in the human world most of her life and she is still confused about how this outspoken, crude and rude girl did the same. Alexis amuses her and she looks up to her. She was going to ask Jasper, but as if fate led a better option to her door, she is pleased with the better guide. “Will you take me?” “Is it dangerous?” “Yes” “Are we doing it behind everyone's backs?” “Yes” Alexis leans against the door frame seemingly deep in thought, a smile spreading over her face. “Hell yes, lets go” A blonde slips into the room, she was only one step behind Alexis wanting to check on Cressida when she overheard the conversation. “I am coming too” “You can’t tell Hunter until we are gone. You know they won’t let us go without them” “I won’t” Alexis reaches out and ruffles Ava’s hair. She is not sure if it is the similar appearance, but she has taken Ava under her wing the same way she cares for Kira. Ava is a lot more vicious, but that sweet personality and innocent look in her eyes needs to be protected at all costs. Alexis looks at Cressie. “When?” “Tonight after the boys sleep” Alexis sighs. “Another night of no sleep” She looks at Cressida with a cheeky smile. “This better be incredibly dangerous to make up for it” Cressida and Ava both laugh. “Alexis, you are a masochist” Alexis laughs and walks out of the room, grabbing a book before settling down to read on Lucas’ lap. He looks at her with one eyebrow raised. “What are you up to princess?” “Can’t I just show affection to my handsome mate?” Lucas snorts. “Must be something big, do I even want to know?” Alexis kisses his lips. “Probably not” Lucas just wraps an arm around her, holding her tight as they continue reading.
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