Whisper Bloodrose

Chapter-16 War

Chapter-16

War

Is this what victory felt like, Whisper wondered. She was standing on a platform beside Rebel, Ulferd, Vance, Talon and Dazzle looking at the endless sea of soldiers in front of her. The war had not started; they had not even begun their march to the palace. But what she felt, she highly doubted was not victory. It had been a dream to lead an army in war, but with her Omega position always hanging around her neck, she got no opportunity. There she was, leading a group of rebels, in what was supposedly the biggest war of Forever Forest.

Suddenly all she felt was the power, of being a leader. The fear of dying, even worse of losing, had drowned somewhere in the deep sea of fascination, when her dream came true. She was not holding a sword; she was holding the entire world in her hand. She pondered if this was how Lucien felt every time he stood above others. It was a sense of responsibility, like suddenly all the lives belonged to you and you weren’t supposed to protect them, but to lose them in a worthy way. It was beyond pleasure. The world, at least some part of it, had fallen under her control. All the soldiers in that crowd wouldn’t take a step, until she told; she was changing so many lives. The choices you make create who you will become, what the person you have become, would contribute to the world. Suddenly, she was in charge of their choices, hence she was to decide what they will become, what they will contribute to the world. If she died the next moment, which she might, she will have no regrets.

Then, Whisper realized it wasn’t true. She was not just powerful, but responsible and suddenly she was scared. Because if her victory meant their victory then her defeat was their defeat. So many hopes had lined up before her. They were the hopes of the Nomads, who changed their path to join hers. Dazzle’s revenge was on her shoulders. Rebel’s dreams were in her hands, and she was no more feeling powerful. She realized she could not die without regret. She could not die without all these hopes dying with her.

Perhaps, that was why Lucien had turned dangerous, because he had ignored the responsibilities of his power, and had lingered in its experience for too long. Whisper didn’t want to be him. She was lying again. All this time, when she was fighting and trying to keep his place in Seba’s garrison wasn’t she trying to be like Lucien. He could never deny it, he had praised the land he walked on, and she strived to be a king as good as him. That was the place she went wrong. She was supposed to be her; she was supposed to be as strong as Whisper, not as weak as Lucien.

‘I cannot begin to express the gratitude I feel because you all have come here, to fight for me, rather with me.’ She started in a loud voice. The strong winds pushed her hair back and tried to muffle her voice, but failed. ‘As a human I am ought to assure you that you all will come back alive, but I tell you truth. We enter a war zone with zero hopes of returning.’ She declared. Dazzle told Rebel to try and stop her, because Whisper’s words were turning discouraging, but he let her continue.

‘War asks for sacrifices and destined ones must make it. If I have to die, for the safeguarding of our purpose then I will, if I have to kill for that I will. Same goes for everybody here.’ Chatters had started among the crowd, as she started speaking the bitter and unspoken truth of war.

‘I can assure you one thing.’ Whisper smiled and everybody saw her lips curve. ‘If you die, you will die without regrets. Then when you will gaze down to this place and your home is in a better condition than you left it. You will know it was not possible without you.’

The silence broke with into a loud cheer, originating from the crowd before her. They seemed to rejoice the fact that they might die. Perhaps, by burning away all the hopes of their lives, she gave them a new hope. Rebel stepped forward, and touched her shoulder, as if to convey that he was proud of her.

It was time, finally.

………………………………….

The most awaited movement had come. Whisper’s white horse was at the very front line, of the formation, with Ace at its foot. Talon was at her right on his own black horse, awaiting her orders. Rebel was positioned at her right on a chestnut color horse. That was the first line, the Queen, the King and her brother, followed by many horizontal lines of 25 soldiers in each.

The palace’s garden had become a battlefield. It was a grassy land, with dried leaves falling on it, occasionally blowing past the soldiers. Winds were harsh and Whisper’s hair kept flying behind her.

The sky above Whisper’s army formation was under a fire colored sky. It was Dazzle’s faction, who Whisper had ordered to remain in-charge of attacking from above, this way they had better chance at winning. Vance and Jedrek were taking care of the middle faction. Ulferd and Darlene were leading the groups at the end of the formation.

A few feet across from them was the front line of Lucien’s army. It consisted of four leaders, who had once been Whisper’s associate but now were her enemy, Dane, Xavier, Jophiel and Normani. She had worked alongside them all and now here she was, standing against them.

A thick string of red came gliding towards, Whisper. It was a Fierce Rise, that Dazzle had sent to take a view of the formation, and if Lucien was hiding something, because he was not at the front. The flame humanized and a red haired man stood in front of her.

‘Lucien, is not at the end of the formation.’ He reported. Rebel’s face furrowed in confusion, but Talon’s and Whisper’s face remained stagnant.

‘It is a strategy.’ She declared, very sure of Lucien’s tactics. They had used this formation once, when they were against a group of rebellious and extreme witches.

‘How so?’ Rebel questioned.

‘Lucien is on the top floor of the palace. We fight our way through the soldiers, then soldiers in the palace and then reach him. By the time an enemy reaches the end, they are awfully tired. Then they have a one on one with the king.’ She explained, pointing at the top most window of the castle.

‘Then what do we do.’ Rebel asked. They had to change their formation immediately to fend off this strategy.

‘We let the lines behind us fight first. Talon and Rebel you take your troops. Dazzle make sure we reach the castle gate, the three of us and our troops. The rest make sure, nobody from here can come into the castle to help.’ The declaration was complete. Rebel and Talon nodded.

It could start any minute now; they were standing at the edge of a cliff, desperate to fall. The malicious atmosphere of battlefield had always confused Whisper. One minute, loud growls were heard, moans were echoing everywhere and sounds of striking metal were adorning the air. The next it was silent, the silence of death. The winds howled as if to express its confusion. The battlefield that day would see a fight that was personal yet not personal. A fight that was about Whisper, but was also about everybody like her. Her dry and panting tongue collected the dust choked air, mixed with the taste of metal in the war zone.

The swords were glistening wickedly, as if trying to provoke its enemy. Whisper raised her covered sword with one hand gripping the throatlatch of her horse. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, from fear or excitement, she couldn’t tell. She let the rope in her hand fall gently on the neck of her horse, and wrapped the fingers of her now unoccupied hand around the middle of the sheath. Her heart thumped against her chest. The adrenaline rushed in her blood, with speed of light. She uncovered her sword, revealing a glistening silver metal. She wrapped her hand around the hilt, ready to declare the attack.

Her opponents copied the action, followed by her own army. The slithering sound of so many swords being unsheathed at one time, made the battle ground sound like c*****e, even before the war started.

‘Turn!’ Dane yelled and half of his army, including Jophiel and Xavier turned into giant wolves, wolves that were almost the size of their horses.

‘Turn!’ Whisper yelled too. A half of her army began their transformations from human to wolves.

The battlefield had been as silent as a graveyard. But when half of the humans had turned wolves, it was the raw sounds of forest echoing there. Disjointed howling and snarling could be heard from miles away. Against the sounds of pure animalism came a humanly command, to destroy whatever came in between them and their victory.

‘Attack!’ Whisper yelled. Loud screaming of the same word came from behind her, mixing with vicious howling.

Whisper’s horse galloped towards the enemy, a swarm of soldiers surrounded her, their duty being escorting her to the castle door as comfortable as it was possible in middle of a m******e. Beside her Talon and Rebel were surrounded in a circle of their soldiers to be accompanied to the castle door. Within minutes the green ground was covered in thick mercury red, the glistening and polished sword were now dripping with cursed blood. All around was nothing but a whirlpool of violence and disorder that had soaked the once vibrant green. Winds had started howling more furiously, like trying to match with the atmosphere of war, but failed to come even close to that gore.

When they had arrived there was a sweet smell of tulips and mud blanketing the area, now nobody could guess that the place was once home of sweet smelling flowers. Now it smelled of blood, like thousand Vampires had hunted at one time. There was a faint smell of sweat, above which rose the smell of pervasive fear.

Dane had broken the circle from one side and was now in front of Whisper on his horse. His sword was covered in blood, cruelly dripping down it, and towards his wrist. Dane’s face was covered in drops of red and sweat was stinging his eyes like vipers. Whisper was reluctant on killing him he was friend, but the golden rule of war is kill or get killed. It was all a blur of color and venomous motion.

‘I don’t want to kill you.’ Whisper yelled above all the sound in the area. The battle field was a mixture of so many sound, each clear despite the others being equally loud. There was loud clanking of metal, like thunder striking the earth in revenge. Then there was loud snarling of wolves and moans of pain from men. Screams made her want to cover her ears, but she resisted the urge. Blood pounded in her ear, drumming a ferocious beat in her mind. But the sound was not enough to block the howls of beasts, clanking of metal, screams of pain, cheers of men, neighing of horses and gasps of the dead.

‘But I will.’ Dane replied.

‘You want to die an honorable death.’ She spoke. As she did, she could taste metal on her dry tongue. She hadn’t killed one person yet, the circle around her taking care of that, but she still tasted blood, perhaps from the air. ‘So bet it.’ Her horse neighed as if challenging Dane forward.

He raised his sword, towards Whisper. With the fear of the pointed weapon her horse reared, stood on his hind legs with forelegs off the ground. She pulled the bridle towards her to calm the horse, which stood back on its four legs. Dane was the first one to charge, with his sword pointed directly towards Whisper. As he swung his sword towards Whisper, she placed her own blade in front to block the attack. The loud clanking of metal was heard and she pushed Dane’s sword with her own blade.

Dane chose to attack the horse rather than the rider. As he stroke towards the forelegs of the beast, in reared again and failed his attack. Dane had lowered himself to attack the beats’ legs, hence took time to resume to his previous position on the mare. Whisper used this to her advantage and lunged forwards her sword piercing his chest and he fell of his horse. This was war, no lover, no friend, only triumph and death.

The circle kept changing, soldier died then they were replaced, task being one, to take Whisper to that castle door. Dazzle and his faction were spitting fire from the sky, killing as many as they could and now here they were standing before the gate, Talon, Rebel and Whisper, there horses long taken by other soldiers.

They stood tightly ready to charge towards the wall of soldiers before them, but something surprised them. Whisper was not expecting it, nor was anybody else, but it happened.

‘Stop.’ A voice boomed from behind the wall. Whisper recognized it, even against the loud screaming and howling of men and beasts. It made her heart thump faster, than it had thumped during the entire war. The soldiers made way for him to come. He was not dressed appropriately for war, more like for a gala. But that was Lucien he liked surprising people, surprise broke their alert he said.

They both looked at each other, with nothing but wrath in their eyes. Whisper was grimacing and Lucien was grinning, trying to break each other’s will with different tactics. Rebel and Talon’s eyes had widened in surprise, when he came down. They were sure it was a surprise to his soldiers too.

‘Stop your soldiers, I have an offer.’ He smiled. Whisper was not one to take offers, but she saw something mysterious in Lucien’s eyes. He wanted her to say no, almost. She wanted to see what he had to offer in middle of a war.

‘Dazzle, stop the soldiers.’ He ordered and Lucien smirked. All the sounds had died, nothing could be heard anymore, no motion or commotion. There was dead silence on the battlefield that was once a home to chaos.

‘What are you thinking, Whisper.’ Rebel almost yelled, unsatisfied by her choice. Was the war over? It had barely started.

‘Trust me.’ Whisper answered, and that sentence had always gotten Rebel. All of them stayed silent and waited for them the start their conversation. Lucien took a step towards her, and she took one towards him.

‘What are your intentions?’ Whisper questioned when they were only one step away from each other. They stared deep into each other’s eyes, in attempt to intimidate the other. Her heart was pounding against her chest; it could be the end of everything, for better or for worse.

She could not tell what she was expecting, or if she was even expecting something. She was only waiting for Lucien to end the silence and solve this mystery. She was afraid? Will she even be able to defeat Lucien? He was way stronger than her, an alpha, and a person who taught everything to Whisper. He was aware of all her weakness, and her strengths, which was none compared to Lucien.

‘An end to this.’ He answered the smile disappearing into the harsh winds. Ace had stepped beside Whisper, worried that Lucien might strike any moment now.

‘Not before you die.’ Whisper chuckled. Living in Lucien’s territory had definitely done her some good. She now knew how to hide her fear better than ever.

‘Of course, I will give you a chance.’ He smiled, the glazing electric blue of his eyes, disappearing into a dull and dark night like color.

‘Speak.’ She commanded. Lucien growled like a fiery Alpha. Rebel and Talon jumped forward, with Ace ready to leap, until Whisper raised a hand to stop their movements. At that growl something stirred inside her, as if her Omega was waking up. She had not felt a contact with her Omega the entire fight, what was happening suddenly?

‘Let’s have one on one. We fight, only we fight. You and me, upstairs in the king’s bedroom, where it all started.’ Lucien declared and he was taken back to that day years ago, where it all started.

……..

‘Lucien you called me.’ Whisper asked poking her head through the door and stared at Lucien who was sitting on the window ledge, waiting for her to come.

She was very young at that time and there was a smile on her lips that never left. Things the magic of youngness could do. There was beautiful gullibility in her forest green eyes, a lethal freedom in her blood and an ambition to grow up in heart.

Lucien looked up, an evident nervousness in his eyes. He was young too, living the days of his youth. Back then, what he had for her was just an honest and innocent attraction for her. Only if he knew that sometime, it would grow into a toxic and blind obsession.

‘When did you start asking before entering?’ He laughed. The laugh that was once melodious but had become wicked, with time and rejection.

‘Since you started calling for me.’ She answered and entered walking towards Lucien. He was the only friend, she had. Whisper used to go to him, with her troubles and he used to listen, quietly waiting for her to let the burden go. ‘What happened?’ She asked standing in front of him, with eyes full of curiosity. Lucien stood up and towered above her. He was standing very close to her, only inches apart. The lack of distance scared her, made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to step back but Lucien had held her wrist gently.

‘Whisper, I want to tell you something.’ Lucien breathed. His fingers were gently rubbing circles on her wrist, in an attempt to ease her. On the contrary, it made her tense up even more. ‘I tried to avoid this feeling in my heart; it was scary to feel that way. I had become a different person, a person whose life circled around you.’

Whisper eyes widened and lips parted in astonishment, as she looked down at their linked hands. She gasped at Lucien’s confession, wishing that he would stop talking.

‘What are you saying, Lucien?’ She asked, almost heaving.

‘I am saying that I love you.’ He finally admitted. All the air in Whisper’s lungs was knocked out at once. He barely believed the words that left his mouth. Scared of even the simplest contact with the young Alpha, she pulled her wrist away as fast as lightening. Lucien didn’t make a move to grab it again.

‘You have no idea what you are saying. I think you have misunderstood something. You don’t love me. I am your soldier, a childhood friend, you cannot possibly love…’ Her rapid ramble was cut off when Lucien grabbed both her shoulders and pushed her against the wall behind them. It scared her to no extent, but she believed Lucien would not hurt her, until she saw that look in his eyes.

‘I love you and I know it. I am not stupid. I love you, more than anything.’ He screamed into her face and she had stopped breathing. It was not love; it was something much scarier.

‘Then, I don’t love you.’ She answered, her tongue licking her bottom lip nervously. Lucien calmed down; he gulped the salvia in his mouth and stared at her. One of his hands wrapped around her waist, the other one rose to her cheek and caressed it delicately.

‘You just don’t know it.’ He said. After a moment of silence he leaned forward to kiss her, but she looked away. He was shocked. He had genuinely believed that she loved her. He was almost sure she would kiss back.

‘Step away.’ She whispered. Lucien remained stagnant, intentionally or out of shock she could tell. ‘Step away.’ She yelled and he stepped back, again intentionally or out of shock, she could not tell.

Then she left and rest was history.

...............

Now Lucien was asking her to come back there, to end all of it, like a proper circle. Everything ending, where it started. She was eager to take his offer, because even if she doesn’t she will have to fight the battle and reach the bedroom then fight a one on one match with Lucien. Why not do it already? Rebel would not be shocked if she said yes, in fact somewhere he knew she would.

‘I agree.’ She declared and chose a much peaceful war that did not punish the innocent ones, like Dane.

‘Very well.’ Lucien smiled arrogantly and turned around, his back now facing Whisper. ‘I will wait, say your farewells. You know the way.’ He started walking, but was soon stopped by Whisper.

‘What if this is a trap?’ She questioned, not sure why Lucien was making it simpler for her.

‘So I die of dishonor that I had to set a trap to kill an Omega. No, thank you, I’ll pass.’ He jested bitterly then left.

Whisper turned around and faced Dazzle, Rebel and Talon. She didn’t know if she will survive or not, so she chose to say a goodbye, lest they never met again. Dazzle gave her a gentle smile that she mirrored, as if to tell that Dazzle was forgiven.

Whisper walked towards Talon and stood in front of him, Ace following close. Talon placed a chaste kiss on her head and brushed his hand through her hair.

‘I am proud of you, so is everybody else.’ He smiled. Saige had taught them, one must never shed tear when a warrior leaves. The tears taint the task they will accomplish. Even Edith used to say that, crying after saying goodbye is a bad omen. Perhaps, that was why every time her children left, she never cried.

‘I love you.’ Whisper smiled back and moved to the toughest farewell of them all, Rebel’s.

Rebel was an inch away from her and embraced her so suddenly, she was afraid she might fall. She breathed into his neck; if she was dying she wanted to remember that scent, which was her heaven. They pulled apart and looked at each other, not moving, not saying word. They were both memorizing each other, every detail of the other. Rebel wanted to remember the birth mark she had on her neck, she wanted to remember the scar on Rebel’s eyebrow.

The Rebel kissed her, slow and deep, despite of how many people were watching. He couldn’t resist the strong need to kiss her for the last time possibly.

‘Keep your promise.’ He whispered against the kiss and Whisper knew what he was talking about. She had another reason to defeat Lucien, not just revenge but to be with Rebel.

…………………………

Whisper looked around almost hundred times, to make sure Lucien had set up no trap for her. She held the sheath covered sword in one of her hands and with the other she was gripping the door knob, ready to open it anytime now. She was satisfied that there was no trap; her senses also told her the same. So she opened the door wide and entered.

Lucien was sitting on the window ledge, just like that one day. He was looking at his shoes. His elbows were placed on his knees with fingers of both hands interlocked together. Everything was same, except for one. That day Lucien was an innocent, young lover who was left heartbroken. Today he was a wicked, wrathful man, whose ego was shattered and he wanted revenge. His sword was placed beside him.

Lucien’s sword was very precious to him; it was like one of his hands. It was Lucifer’s gift on his sixteenth birthday. He used to call it Epilogue. It was not covered in sheath, like Lucien had no time to waste. Not even the mere seconds to spare in unsheathing his sword.

‘You like to make things difficult, don’t you?’ Lucien smirked and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of Epilogue.

‘I do not want to talk, Lucien. Let’s begin the battle; I am dying to defeat you.’ Whisper declared, unsheathing her own sword. Their swords glistened wickedly against the twilight sky. The cursed steels waited to satisfy their hunger from the blood of the enemy, like desperate Vampires.

‘Desperate and impatient, just like when you left.’ Lucien remarked. He made horizontal cuts through an imaginary enemy skillfully. Whisper in reaction tightened her grip around the hilt of her sword. ‘I taught you better than this.’

‘Let’s see if teacher is better than student or not.’ She remarked, and then started taking her position. She placed her one foot forward, ready to lunge forward. Her arm was fully extended, with the blade vertically in line with the arm, pointing at Lucien.

Lucien took his position too. His sword was held in both hands over the head, with the cutting edge of the blade facing the ceiling, his elbows were strategically bent and held close to the ears. He had a defensive grip, which meant, Whisper was to attack first.

She lunged forward, she had barely taken two steps when she fell to the floor on her knees, with an impact that her knees were scraped and her sword fell beside her.

Is that you? She yelled in her head, but got no reply. She didn’t one. Whisper was sure it was her Omega, but how did she miraculously appear out of the blue.

‘Clumsy, are we?’ Lucien laughed. He had done it. Whisper was astonished, how was it even possible. She knew the dominant in a relationship controlled the soul, but to an extent that it could go into dormancy when wanted, surprised her.

‘How did you do it?’ She asked panting from fear. If it was true, if Lucien had managed to bring her Omega back in control, then the chances of her winning, was like snow in desert. She was looking at the ground, scared that he might spot the fear in her eyes.

‘I might have taught you tricks only Alphas were supposed to know, but I did not teach you all of them.’ He smiled then walked closer to her. His feet were touching her knees and his shadow shaded her. He placed the tip of his sword under her chin and lifted it up, so Whisper was looking at her.

‘So you tricked me, is that how afraid you are?’ She laughed humorlessly. She was trying to provoke Lucien, so he made the wrong move.

‘I taught you one more thing. Stay low. Move fast. Kill first. Die last.’ He smiled, he was about to continue but Whisper did it for him.

‘One strike. One kill. No fortune. Pure skill.’ She added with a nod and a breathy chuckle.

‘So beautiful.’ He breathed, once again enticed by her beauty, like that one day when it all started. ‘So angelic.’ He traced the outline of her face gently, making sure he doesn’t draw any blood. ‘Just pray that I kill you.’

Whisper grabbed her sword again, but Lucien made no move to stop her from doing so. She forgot all the technique, she tried to lunge her hand towards him, with an intention to pierce his chest, but she failed, when her hand forcefully fell limp, her wrist crashed against the ground roughly. A wave of pain started from her spine and rose to her neck, creating a whirlpool of agony throughout her.

She heard a strange pounding in her head and it grew louder and louder until it was unbearable. She covered her ears with her hands to block it, but unfortunately the voice was internal. She placed her head on her knees due to all the pain rushing through her. She screamed, forgetting at Lucien was even there witnessing all that and drawing his pleasure from it.

Don’t do this, don’t do this to me. Whisper internally begged to her Omega to stop the internal torture.

‘Look at you, where all of this brought you.’ Lucien coed at the body that was coiling into herself; she looked like a ball of flesh; she was scared to live at that moment. He leaned forward and grabbed a bunch of her hickory hair tugging at them, forcing her to look him in the eye. She had never seen a phantom; she did that day, a blue colored piercing phantom.

‘I don’t fear you.’ She declared through gritted teeth. She was not sure, if she was telling this to Lucien or herself. If she was unable to survive that day, she wanted Lucien to have sleepless nights thinking that Whisper was not afraid of him, even when she was dying.

Help me, we are one. She pleaded in her mind.

‘Oh, you will be.’ He retorted. He pulled her towards the window ledge that he was previously sitting on, by her hair. Her knees scraped and bled as she was being dragged. She was afraid that her scalp might start bleeding, as he pulled at her hair cruelly. She was groaning with pain. Tears had started stinging her eyes, but not one drop of water trespassed.

Then he pulled her by her face and threw her on the ledge, she screamed loudly. Her face crashed against the ledge, the side of her forehead started bleeding. A trail of blood cascaded down the cut towards her eyelashes.

Don’t do this help me. He softly whispered inside her mind.

‘Look at all this, all because you could not accept your destiny.’ He yelled and pushed her face further making her release a throaty grunt of agony. She stared at the destruction before her. The grass was dipped in blood, the lifeless piles of men and abandoned swords and shields. Dead horses, broken metals, ashes and a dead friend that was the expense of war. It was all on Whisper’s head, all that blood, she was responsible for it. Could she justify it, in the name of revenge? Could Lucien justify himself in the name of love? They both were equally unjustified.

‘Just pray you die now.’ Lucien whispered into her ear and a deep sensation of fear ran through her. Just for mere second, but she prayed she was dying. ‘Actually, don’t.’ He pretended to be astonished. ‘Because what if you die? What about Talon, Dazzle, Ace and your lover, Rebel?’

At the mention of these names, her eyes widened. He was right, what if she died that day, would anybody waiting for her outside survive. What happens to Saige’s sacrifice, to Astera’s sacrifice if she dies? Will anybody ever try to raise again the injustice of Lucien, if she died that day? Her contribution to the world will be incomplete.

Don’t let this happen, we need to win. Whisper tried contacting her again. She doubted if the Omega would respond especially when her head was bleeding. But she could do nothing, except trying.

I am not doing this, Lucien is. Her Omega answered. That was a victory alone for her. Like in a deep sea of defeat where she was drowning, that little success to get an answer from her Omega was a floating woodblock that could keep her afloat.

Christian had told her once that the dominant male could control the inner Omega but not the physical wolf; she could still get a control over her soul. After all it was her soul.

Lucien slashed a deep cut into her shoulder. She screamed with the stinging pain, and her screaming became louder when he pressed the wound. But she had to remain calm; she wanted her soul back in her control.

I’ll save you. Try giving your control to me, resist Lucien’s Alpha I will resist Lucien. Whisper explained to her Omega. She was feeling little prickles in her palm and the base of her feet, perhaps the Omega was trying to push the Alpha off.

‘I will kill you first, so you cannot even try to save the people you love.’ Lucien growled with anger and pulled his sword back. The sharp blade of Epilogue was pointing at Whisper’s back; he aimed, and then sprung his hand forward. He was expecting to pierce through her spine, a hopeless gash and a river of blood flowing through it, but something stopped his blade.

Whisper’s hand was wrapped around the top of his blade, blood poured from it, falling on her dress. She looked up and faced Lucien, she was back in control. He was astonished and let his walls down; she used it to her advantage. She unwrapped her hand and kicked him in the gut pushing him off her.

She ran towards her fallen sword, in the middle of the room and grabbed her sword. Lucien and Whisper were facing each other again, both armed with their blades waiting to strike. Lucien knew she had taken control, so he resorted to fighting his battle.

Whisper and Lucien moved in strategic circle. They both had the same positions. They let their physical form relax, with knees bending, as they moved. Their eyes never left each other not for one second.

Lucien was the first one to lunge forward. He completely extended his arms so the sword was poised at a diagonal in front of his body. He raised the sword over his head and cut down in a single, motion towards Whisper. She raised her sword horizontally parallel to her forehead and blocked the fierce cut, then pushed him behind. She had used all her strength to throw Lucien off, but he only stumbled back a few steps.

The he stroke again. A clean straight cut, that Whisper merely blocked by placing her sword in front of her face. Then he did it again. Whisper kept stepping backwards, the sword in a constant position. It was a poor defense and she could see herself loosing.

Then she slashed downward, from right to left. It injured Lucien. She knew one thing about him. The king had poor defenses, but attacks that never needed any kind of defense. Lucien left shoulder was bleeding. He took a few steps back and turned into his world form.

There in the brightest of his glory stood, the strongest wolf the Forever Forest had seen. It was only slightly shorter than a mare. He had legs thick and covered in glistening black fur. It had a strong at wide chest that heaved up and down as he snarled.

Whisper turned too, because a human was no match to the majestic wolf. Unfortunately her wolf form was much shorter than that of Lucien. An average heighted wolf covered in hickory colored wolf.

They stared at each other through their animalized eyes. Lucien leaped in the air and jumped over Whisper. She bit into his neck which was unguarded. Lucien howled in pain. He bit her shoulder making her yelp and let go the hold that her jaws had on his neck. She threw herself towards Lucien, making the big black wolf fall on his back. He growled challengingly, in response to which Whisper snarled. He sank his sharp nails into her chest drawing a trail of blood. The hickory colored wolf whimpered, and defended by scratching him across his face.

A ten minute fight followed where, nobody seemed to reach a conclusion. They were just two animals fighting without a technique, not actually reaching a result. Lucien was the first one to turn. He had a bleeding shoulder, a bust lip, a scarred eyebrow, a large gash across his chest. His clothing was torn and he was breathing heavily, due to the transformation and the tiresome battle.

Whisper’s skirt now barely reached her thigh; her top was torn apart only covering a few areas. There was a deep cut on her arm that started from her shoulder and ended at her wrist. Her forehead wound was still gushing with blood. Cuts were scattered on her stomach, like she had been possessed by a demon. Her feet were bruised; in all honesty she was much worse than Lucien.

Lucien grabbed his sword which was just beside his leg, but Whisper’s was behind him. So she pulled out her dagger. The dagger that was tied to her ankle in case she needed it.

A combat of five minutes followed and Whisper had successfully grabbed her sword. She was more armed than Lucien. After a few attempts of trying to attack his occupied wrist, she succeeded, but in the process lost her own sword.

The Alpha’s wrist was now bleeding and the sword had slipped from his hand. Whisper attacked him, with his dagger above her head, collecting force. Lucien magnificently dodged her. Taking benefit of his strong muscles and a better physique, he threw himself at Whisper.

He was above her and had pinned her wrists to the ground enabling her from using her dagger. They went through a struggle. Whisper kept moving her hands so Lucien couldn’t snatch her knife, while he tried to get it from her hold. During the struggles the dagger fell from her hands and slid across the room towards the door and stopped at a pair of feet. They were surprised to see who it was.

Titania stood at the door; the knife was at her feet. Her eyes were wide in surprise and lips were parted. She was the deciding factor of that war; she decided who won and who died. She appeared to be scared of the weapon at her feet, and she kept gazing at it, not sure of what she must do.

‘Titania, give it to me.’ Whisper almost pleaded to the Delta in front of her.

‘No, Titania. I am your mate you love me, give it to me.’ Lucien tried to manipulate her. He was trying to hold Whisper down who was putting on a major struggle to throw him off.

‘He has done wicked things to you, trust me; it is your chance to revenge.’ She tried to convince the Delta. Titania was confused, so puzzled that she had almost forgotten the blade at her feet.

‘We can be happy again, Titania. That dagger is our key to a perfect home.’ Lucien’s voice had turned soft. A motionless second passed, a drop of sweat dripped down Titania’s head. Whisper and Lucien waited to be met with their fate. Titania had given the dagger to Lucien.

Whisper was astonished. She had more than believed that Titania, for once will chose her respect over her love. She had let Whisper down. At least now all that blood and murder was at the Delta’s hand.

Lucien stabbed the knife into her shoulder and she yelped from pain. She knew it was the end, she was without a weapon, Lucien was with one and he knew how to use it.

‘Goodbye.’ He whispered raising the dagger in his left hand and then aimed it towards Whisper.

‘I died with honor.’ She declared voice barely audible from her heavy breathing. She closed her eyes embracing herself for the upcoming pain, but it never came. What came was a yelp of pain from Lucien.

Whisper opened her eyes to see, that a sword was stabbed into Lucien’s left shoulder and Titania stood there. She had chosen her respect over love, like every woman should. Then she ran away, unable to bear the pain of her mate’s death. The dagger fell from his hand beside her face and she grabbed it, and then stabbed it into her right shoulder.

She pushed him off easily, the disabled arms being an asset. Then she slid across the room to grab the one sword, Epilogue. Lucien was writhing from agony, when Whisper stabbed the blade into his knee.

Lucien was disabled, unarmored and was awaiting his death. Whisper jerked her head up with his hair, and then whispered into his ear. My turn.

She littered his back with cuts, she remembered from the night.

'One.' She counted in a deep strong voice. Right on the shoulder. She remembered.

'Two.' She counted, loudly. Making Lucien sink in agony and more determined to die. Bottom of the spine.

'Three.' She counted. On the spine.

By the time she reached fifteen Lucien’s back was a river of blood. Crimson dashed from his wound and pooled around him, reaching Whisper feet.

‘Whisper.’ He breathed deeply. Then the final blow came and his heart was stabbed. Lucien had died.

Whisper fell to her knees, moonlight shadowed her face. She dipped her fingers in Lucien’s blood and wiped it under her eyes. The first tear she shed, first crawled the ocean of his blood then fell to the floor.

Whisper had won.