War Amongst the Realms

Sometimes, dying is the only reward for hard work. It's the sweet release after years of torment and pain. The freedom given to us by the Goddess herself for our sacrifice on earth. The intoxicating aroma of sage and sandalwood, mixed with cologne flooded Delilah's nostrils, pulling her from the dark abyss and back to reality. She gasped as her eyes shot open, blinking rapidly until her surroundings became apparent. She was laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines with an IV protruding from her left arm. The bare white walls of the room coming in to focus, the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor echoing throughout the room, but the only thing Delilah could focus on was the excruciating pain coursing through her entire body. The events of the last week came flashing back to her, hitting her like a ton of bricks in the chest. "Holy s**t, you're awake," said a voice beside her. Delilah curled her lips into a smile as she turned her gaze to the direction of the voice. A tall, dark haired man sat beside the bed. His normally intense golden eyes now dull and laced with exhaustion. His clothes were wrinkled and stretched, completely opposite from his usual appearance. "How long have I been out?" Asked Delilah, her voice raspy and barely above a whisper. The man leaned forward in the chair, placing a gentle hand on Delilah's face. "Three miserable days, Li." He said. He brushed his thumb softly along her cheek. His smile was genuine, but full of sadness as he stared at his mate and the obvious pain in her eyes. "I thought I had lost you." A small laugh escaped Delilah's lips as she reached her hand up, placing it in top of his hand. "You can't get rid of me that easily, my dear Kylen." "A guy can dream, babe." Kylen chuckled. "I'm going to let the nurse know you're awake." Removing his hand from her cheek reluctantly, he stood to make his way out of the room, but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. "The nurse can wait. How many did we lose?" Delilah asked, staring up at him with her piercing gray eyes. "Li, you are hurt. You've been out for three days. This is not the time to discuss this." Kylen sighed, knowing it was going to get him nowhere to argue with her. "Just tell me, Kylen. How many did we lose? Did anyone survive? If so, what's our next move?" "Our pack is hurt. Numbers are down. We lost a little over a dozen. Some killed, others taken prisoner." Kylen said. "The Goddess was on our side, but we barely emerged victorious. We have to plan our next move very carefully if we have any chance of ending this war anytime soon." Before Delilah could respond, the door pushed open and a plump, white haired woman with glasses on and a clipboard in her hand walked through the door. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Delilah awake. "It's good to see you awake, Ms. Hagen. How are you feeling?" "Like I wished I was dead." Delilah winced out. "You almost were. If the bullet had been two inches to the left, you would have been meeting the Goddess instead of lying in that bed." The woman said. She quickly glanced at the chart in her hand, then moved to the IV, pulling the empty bag off the hook. "I am going to grab you something for the pain and new dressing for your wounds. Can you sit up?" She asked. Delilah hesitantly placed her hands on the bed, inhaling sharply before mustering up the little strength she had to push herself to a sitting position. Pain and discomfort evident on her face as she relaxed back against the small plastic headboard. "Any more request, ma'am" "Well, she can't be in that much pain. She's still being a smartass." Came a voice from the doorway. A tall, slim girl with dark blue hair and green eyes stood in the doorway, a smile dancing on her lips. "It's good to hear your voice, Deli." "Can't say the same about you, Freya." Delilah joked, the edges of her lips curling into a smirk. "If I had feelings, that might have hurt them." Freya mocked, grabbing her chest in jest. "But fortunately for you, I only have sarcasm and weed." She made her way over to the bed, pulling a joint out from behind her ear. "Finally, someone who actually loves me." Delilah said. Kylen rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing the joint from Freya before pulling a lighter out of his pocket. He placed the joint between his lips, flicking the lighter before bringing the flame up to meet the end of the joint. The paper crackled in response, a stream of smoke snaking its way into the air around him. He inhaled deeply before pulling the joint from his lips and pressing it to Delilah's lips. Delilah opened her lips, wrapping them around the end of the joint and sucking the sweet smoke into her lungs. "Must you do that here?" The nurse asked, scrunching her nose up as she made her way to the door. "Just because you're the alpha of this pack, doesn't mean you are above the rules." "Actually, that's exactly what I mean, Ms. Johansen." Freya piped up. "His wife almost died and my friend is in obvious pain. Stop being a lame, and let them be." Ms. Johansen rolled her eyes and made her way out the door. Muttering something about disrespect as she left. The room was silent for a moment, before it was filled with erupting giggles from Delilah. Unable to resist the sweet sound of her voice, Kylen and Freya joined in her laughter. "Never one to hold back." Delilah said, her giggles subsiding as she blew smoke from her mouth. Grabbing her sides as she coughed, pain creeping through her body. "Easy, my love. Don't over do it." Kylen moved closer to her, placing his hand on her thigh. He took the joint from her hand and passed it to Freya, his eyes never leaving Delilah's face. Freya took the joint and placed it to her lips, sucking the smoke into her lungs before removing it and standing up, she walked to the window, exhaling the smoke out after a minute. "That woman has been such a pain in the ass. I'm glad you're awake. We can get you home and out of this prison." Freya stated, handing the joint back to Kylen. Her gaze focused on the sight just outside the window. The earth was still, peaceful almost. Those unaware, would never know that just three days ago, the streets ran red with the blood of hundreds of supernaturals. "As much as I want to be rid of you as well, dear Freya, your Luna is nowhere near ready to go home." Ms Johansen said as she walked back into the room. She made her way to the bedside, pulling a syringe from her pocket, she twisted the cap off and placed the syringe into the port on Delilah's IV. She pushed the contents of the syringe into the tube, watching as it made its way through the tubing and into Delilah's arm. "That should kick in soon, and reduce your pain, dear. Now let's take a look at these wounds." Ms Johansen gently pulled the covers down and lifted Delilah's hospital gown up just below her breasts. A large bandage sat just below her bust line, almost directly on the center of her body. "Ready?" She asked, knowing this was going to be painful. Delilah looked to Kylen, who nodded slightly. He brought the joint to her lips again, letting her take a long drag before standing up and moving to sit in the chair he had previously occupied. Delilah exhaled and turned her head back towards the nurse. "Let's do this." She said, laying back a bit, her fingers curling around the hospital gown as she turned her attention to the bandage. Ms Johansen nodded slightly before slowly ripping the bandage off Delilah's toned body. Delilah grimaced when she felt a searing pain shoot through her chest. Once the bandage was completely off, she focused her eyes on the bullet hole, distorting the beautiful lotus she had tattooed under her chest. "f*****g hell, woman! Remember, there's a person attached to that wound!" Delilah snapped, glaring at Ms Johansen as the nurse wiped away the drying blood from her chest and stomach. "I have to clean it or else it will become infected. Would you like to shower and clean up before I put a fresh bandage on you?" Ms Johansen asked. She finished cleaning out the wound as gently as she could before moving her eyes to meet Delilah's. "Yes that sounds wonderful." Delilah carefully sat up and pulled the blanket completely off her, examining her bare stomach and legs. Her body was covered in bruises and a few superficial cuts, dried mud still caked down her legs. Most likely acquired when she ran through the forest after being shot before she lost consciousness due to blood loss. . Delilah shook her and struggled a little before successfully moving to let her legs dangle off the side of the bed. Her foot brushed against Kylen's leg and he quickly stood up beside her. He extended his arm out for her to grab on to and helped her to her feet. Delilah stumbled slightly, falling back against his chest. His scent calming her nerves as she gripped his bicep and stood herself upright again. "Will you join me?" She asked softly. Kylen nodded and ushered her towards the ba throom, pressing her body against his to avoid causing her more pain. "Can you stand on your own?" He asked. "Yeah, I'm fine." Delilah nodded, giving him a weak smile and pushing off him slowly, steadying herself on her own two feet. Kylen studied her for a moment before moving to turn the shower on. Once making sure the temperature was perfect, he turned back to Delilah. He gripped the sides of her hospital gown and pulled it over her head in one swift motion, taking caution to avoid her open wound. His brow furrowed at the fragile condition her body was in. His poor mate had been through hell and back, but here she was, bullet hole gaping under her chest, acting as if it were but a mere flesh wound. "Like what you see?" Delilah asked, watching him as his eyes traveled her body. "I would be a liar if I said no." Kylen smiled. He stripped off his clothes and took a hold of her hand, leading her into the soothing water. Delilah winced as the water stung her wounds, but took a few deep breaths before relaxing into the water. Kylen grabbed a wash cloth, letting the water soak into it, then grabbed the body wash and poured some out onto the cloth. "This war is long from over, and we must be prepared. We need to call a meeting as soon as possible." Delilah said. Kylen let out a sigh as he washed his mate's body, his fingers softly caressing her smooth, pale skin. "After Ms Johansen is finished, we will speak with Freya over dinner. You can then set up the meeting and the two of you can relay the plan." "Yes, my love." Kylen said, the slightest hint of sarcasm laced his words. "Let's start with getting you fed and cleaned up." "Mmm food." Delilah sighed. As if on cue, a low rumble came from deep in her stomach. "I would kill for some tacos. Oh, and chips and salsa." Kylen chuckled at her words. Kylen turned the water off and reached his arm out of the shower, grabbing a towel off the rack, wrapping it around Delilah, before wrapping one around himself. He got dressed, then pulled some black sweats and a t-shirt out of his bag for Delilah. When they emerged from the bathroom, Ms Johansen greeted them with a look of relief. "Ah, good, now we bandage you up and I can escape this loudmouth woman for a few more hours." "Freya, stop torturing Ms Johansen." Kylen said. "Why don't you go get some dinner for us. Li wants tacos." "If Deli wants tacos, then tacos she let out a sigh and closed her eyes, unable to keep them open. "Get some rest, Li. I'll wake you up when food is here." Kylen murmured, taking Delilah's hand in his and giving it a gentle kiss. Delilah nodded and gave in to the strong urge to sleep. Kylen smiled, listening to her soft breathing. Admiring how adorable she was while she slept. He brushed a strand of her purple hair off her forehead, tucking it behind her ear, before resting back in the chair and resting his eyes. The days to come were going to be trying for everyone, to say the least. Kylen opened his eyes hearing Delilah whimper in her sleep. He stood up and pulled the covers back just enough to crawl into bed next to her. He wrapped his arm around around her, placing his lips on the side of her head, and inhaled her sweet smell of cherry blossoms and cinnamon. Kylen closed his eyes and relaxed into his mate as he drifted off to sleep. Delilah's eyes fluttered open as the smell of tacos filled the room. Her eyes drifted over to a sleeping Kylen and she leaned in, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Kylen's mouth curled into a smile before returning the kiss. "How was your nap?" She asked. Kylen sat up and stretched, pulling Delilah up with him. "Not as good as these tacos are going to be." Delilah said as she reached for the bag and opened it, examine the contents. She grabbed a couple tacos, handing them to Kylen, then one for herself. She wasted no time unwrapping the delectable present in her hand and sunk her teeth into the crispy shell. "Now, bring me up to speed. How soon can we attack Natari and her clan? We need to strike fast before they have time to strengthen their numbers." "Easy tiger. My men have been preparing our next attack for the last three days." Kylen started, "The summer solstice is next week. Natari never misses this opportunity to throw a party. We plan to attack during the height of the celebration." "Won't she be ready for that? The Faye are not stupid creatures. She will have triple the guards." Delilah said, stuffing a salsa drenched chip in her mouth. "Marcos and I have spoken to other packs. They have agreed to join us. Our numbers have far surpassed Natari's at this point." Kylen said. Marcos was Kylen's Beta, and Delilah's older brother. "The Alphas will be bringing their warriors to train with ours starting tomorrow. We will hold a dinner to discuss strategy then. Now please, can we change the subject and enjoy the peace while it last?" "Fine, but don't expect me to not attend the meeting. I will attend and train with our pack." Delilah said. "I won't rot away in a bed while my pack is being slaughtered." "Deli, you can't fight. The silver is not fully out of your system, so you can't shift and your body won't heal on its own yet." Freya stated, studying Delilah's face as she spoke. "We almost lost you out there, and you will little help without being able to shift." "Fry, I got this. The silver has almost worked itself out of my system. Plus, I still have my magic." Delilah said. Delilah was the first born daughter of the high priestess of the southern realms. Her father was the alpha of one the most powerful packs in the southern realms. She was blessed with magic from the Goddess as well as the werewolf curse. "Look at my little warrior princess. Always ready for battle." Kylen chuckled, before shoving the rest of his taco into his mouth, practically swallowing it whole. "This is a conversation for tomorrow. Right now, you need to eat up and rest, so we can take you home tomorrow." Delilah scrunched her nose up at her mate's barbaric ways, shaving him playfully. "You're such a pig!" She laughed. "Pass me another taco before you devour them all." "I could devour something else if you'd like, my love." Kylen smirked, placing a taco in her hand. Freya let out an annoyed sigh before standing up to gather her things. "On that note, I shall be going. I, too, have a mate I need to check on." She said. "I'll be back in the morning with more goodies and my winning personality." Freya waved her arm into the air dramatically before moving around and placing a kiss on Delilah's forehead. "I love you, Deli. Get some rest and I will see you in the morning." She said, turning on her heel and walked out of the room. Delilah finished her taco and crumpled up the wrapper, shooting it into the trashcan beside her bed. "Love you, Fry." She said as her friend pulled the door closed behind her. The sun was setting, casting beautiful orange and purple rays of sun into the room. The light danced on her face, illuminating her delicate features. She furrowed her brow as the realization of Freya's words came to her. "What did she mean by a mate to check on? What happened to Andres?" "He was hurt pretty badly during battle. He was shot in the back protecting Freya. Andres is strong, my love, he will be just fine in time." Delilah let the information sink in fully, "We have to end this, Ky, and soon." She spoke finally. Her voice low, but filled with rage and determination. Kylen cleaned up the leftover food and trash, then laid down on the bed next to Delilah, pulling her into his arms tenderly. "We will, Li. We will rid this world of Natari and any Faye that stand with her." He whispered. "Sleep now, my sweet. You are going to need your strength very soon." He pressed his lips against hers, snaking his hand into her hair. Delilah's entire body tingled at his touch, she pressed herself into him more, brushing her tongue across his lips. Kylen smiled against her mouth, parting his lips and allowing her tongue to slide between with ease. Their tongues twisted around each other for a moment when Kylen pulled away slightly. "Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Hagen?" He asked. "What would your husband say if he caught us?" "Well that depends, sir. Is it working?" Delilah's eyes twinkled as she stared intently at her mate. "And for my husband, don't you worry about him. I have him wrapped around my finger." She said, twirling her finger in the air with a playful smile. "Is that what you think?" Kylen asked, raising his eyebrow. "Keep it up, and I'll show you what you can wrap those lips around." He warned. Delilah gasped and pulled away from him, placing her hand over her mouth, pretending to be offended. "Naughty, naughty, Mr. Hagen." She said, shaking her head. "Such language in front of a lady." "Go to bed, woman." Kylen laughed. He pulled her into his chest and adjusted the blanket over them both. "Goodnight, love." "Goodnight, Ky." Delilah mumbled into his chest. Kylen stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the coming war. After a few minutes, he pushed the thoughts from his mind and inhaled Delilah's sweet scent before drifting off to sleep.