INTRO

1472 Words
VALENTINE I met my mate two years ago. It wasn't at a function. It wasn't under the perfect glow of the goddess' light. It wasn't bright and beautiful like I had imagined it all my life. It was brutal. Dinner had just finished, and the table was a mess of half-eaten food and dirty dishes. I had been chatting and laughing with my mother while my father sat at the head of the table, smiling indulgently at us. It was happy and peaceful, a rare sight but anything was possible during our holiday at the manor. It was the only time in the year my parents could be actual parents rather than the enforcing Alpha and Luna of the Monarch pack. I was just finishing up clearing the table, stacking the dirty plates in a pile to wash later, when I heard the knock on the door. My mother, who had been chatting with me as I worked, called out, "Who is it?" There was a pause before the stranger on the other side of the door answered, "The Crow brothers." As soon as those words were spoken, the room fell silent. My mother's face paled and my father's hands clenched into fists. I did notice the change in the atmosphere, but I chose to be blind to it. I was curious. Who were these brothers if they could quickly dampen everybody's mood? I was going to say something to break the silence, but my mother put a finger to her mouth, a stern warning to keep my mouth closed. She then approached me and took the dirty plates from my hands. "Go to the bathroom and lock yourself in. No matter what you hear, do not come out," she whispered with tears reaching the corners of her eyes. I wanted to argue. I wanted to ask questions, but the look in her eyes told me whoever was behind that door, they weren't there with pure intention. Like all successful packs, the Monarch had enemies. Were these brothers one of them? "Mom..." I stuttered. "I'll get help..." "No Valentine," My mother chastised, occasionally looking at the front door. "If his children are here, then we can assume that the sentinels guarding the manor or anyone close enough to help us are already dead. No one will help us. So you have to do me a favor and hide in that bathroom. It is us they want. If they have us, they'll have no reason to kill you. You can carry on our legacy as Luna of the Monarch pack." "No..." I whimpered, taking a step back. "No..." I wished I could say I was frozen in fear then, but my legs worked. Too well. My heart was pounding against my chest as I ran. I could hear the splintering of wood and the roars that came from behind the door as I scampered for the bathroom. I didn't make it. The door flew open when I reached the bathroom door. That was when my parents' screams filled the air. The brothers... They were hurting my parents. I couldn't look. All I could hear was their continuous scream for mercy and the blood-curdling sound of tearing flesh. I made another stupid choice. Despite my body opposing the decision to walk into danger, I did. I crawled into trouble. The smell of blood and fear filled the air, making it hard to breathe. I wanted to run, to escape the horror that was taking place in front of me, but my feet were rooted to the ground. I stood behind a wall that hid me well but still offered me sight. What I saw was horrific. My father had been first. His body, lying on the ground, was a grotesque sight. It was mutilated. His limbs twisted at unnatural angles, and deep gashes and cuts covered his skin. His eyes were still open, but I could tell he was no longer with us. All that remained of him was the terror in his sunken eyes. The killers were enjoying themselves, relishing in the power they held over their victims. The brothers were twins—an abomination to the werewolf community. My eyes traveled away from my father's body, and I looked at my mom. She was looking right at me. Her mouth didn't move, but her eyes told me so much. She could tell I was there, and she was begging me to hide. Tears streamed down her face as one of the brothers approached her, a twisted grin on his face. "You shouldn't have stood by him. You were Luna through birth." I knew what would happen yet I couldn't bear to look away. My stomach twisted, and the dinner I just had threatened to force its way out of my mouth. But I couldn't risk it. Even when bits and chunks made their way back to my dry mouth. I shut my eyes and covered my mouth to stop the vomit from forcing its way through. But my ears were left unattended. I heard evil. Oh, he took his time with her, savoring her screams and pleas for mercy before finally ending her life in the most brutal and gruesome way possible. I had looked at the last minute. It had taken just one perfect slice to open her up. I watched my mother choke on her own blood, holding her throat as she desperately tried to keep her spilling life force in place. It was futile, and I saw it all. I couldn't move; I couldn't look away. I was transfixed, unable to look away from the horror unfolding before me. And then it was over. Her gurgling stopped, and her frail body gave up. She dropped flat on the floor, and all that remained of the horror in front of me was silence and the sound of the killers' labored breathing. The brothers looked around the room as if scanning for other survivors. That was when one of them looked my way. I could feel his eyes on me. A twisted smile spread across his face as he wiped the blood in his hands on his jeans. "Jason, I will go wash up. I feel disgusting." The bathroom. That was why he had been looking my way. Maybe it was paranoid to think this murderous stranger knew his way around our house, but I couldn't take any risk. My strength returned, and I ran into the bathroom as quietly as I could. I hid in the bathtub, shielded behind the shower curtain. My breathing was hitched, and the space I chose to hide in only made my breathing labored and loud. I stopped breathing entirely when I heard his footsteps approaching the bathroom. It was louder with each step before it finally came to a climactic stop. My soul left my body when I heard the doorknob twist and the door creak open. He was inside. I sank into the tub floor and hoped he would be quick with it. I could still see his shadow lingering. I remained in silence, holding my breath as he moved around. I figured he wanted to wash the blood off his hands before he got on his way, but then the strangest thing happened. When I heard him open the sink valve, I felt a strange sensation wash over me. It was like a pull, a magnetic force drawing me towards someone. Him. I couldn't explain it, but there was there like madness forcing me to follow. The air was thick. Almost intoxicating. I couldn't ignore it, and admitting that made me go livid. He must have felt too. Because his shadow crawled into the space, I had hidden myself. I looked, frozen, as his hands tore the nylon curtain away, and he looked right at me. I didn't know what to do or say. My mind was blank, and my heart was racing. He looked at me with a cold, emotionless expression, and I knew there was no escaping this situation. "Just do it," I stuttered. "I don't want to be your mate. Reject me and finish what you came here to do." My body shook even harder. I was terrified. I was scared, sickened, and disgusted. I expected some reaction, but the man didn't speak. He didn't even show any signs that he understood me. Instead, he staggered backward before walking out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened. "Come back here!" I screamed. "Kill me! Reject me and kill me!!!" But he didn't hear me. He didn't acknowledge me. In his haste to leave the bathroom, he slammed the door on his way out. I met my mate on the night my parents died. Devin Crow, the man the goddess handed me in her infinite wisdom, was their killer.
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