The Doyennes' Worldly Convergence

Chapter 16 - Morning Has Broken

Rieka

Robert's breathing was faint as his wolf fought desperately to hold onto life. If it wasn't for Brody, Robert would have been dead long ago, but he was still breathing and that's what mattered.

Sylvia had carefully removed the bullets with magic as Seth, Sam, and I healed Robert's wounds. Robert had been through so much in his life and we all refused to let him die, especially at the hands of hunters.

The moment Brody sacrificed himself so that Robert could continue to live was like an icepick to our hearts. The feeling was one that Sam was all too familiar with and one that I would never forget. The fact that his wolf drained his existence fighting to keep Robert going just long enough for the possibility of being saved, then sacrificed himself so that Robert could live on is a testament to the bond we share with our wolves and the devotion that they have to us.

Jo had linked Kaj and Delilah, asking them to come over as soon as possible and stay at the pack house to be here when Robert woke up. As if the loss of his pack wouldn't be hard enough, he'd have to learn to cope as a mere human without Brody.

As Robert's wounds healed, his heartbeat and breathing strengthened, but I couldn't help but wonder if Darcy and Cara would be enough to keep him going. Sure, it's easy to say he'd be stupid to give up, that doing so is cowardly and there's nothing in life bad enough to consider it, but I remember the days when I suffered from anxiety and depression and I never even came as close to feeling the loss that Robert has. It's easy for others to judge, as the right answer always seems easy when you're on the outside looking in, but you don't know what it's like until you're in that other person's skin.

Sam and Seth stood Robert up, one on each side of him, and carried the passed-out Alpha upstairs to one of the spare rooms as Sylvia and I went to find the others.

We heard soft talking and followed the voices to the living room to find Freya, Kaden, Zane, Jo, Darcy, and Cara. Their questioning eyes darted toward us, pleading for good news, their bodies immediately relaxing as soon as I nodded my head. All except for Darcy, who continued to sit hugging her knees tightly to her chest.

"Where are the others?" I asked as I sat down on one of the couches next to Jo so that Sylvia could sit next to Darcy.

"Falco, Rory, Cordelia, and Lorne took off. I think everything was a little too much for Cordelia. Heck, it was almost too much for me," Jo's voice quietly faded.

Sylvia placed a hand on Darcy's knee, preparing her friend for the question she was about to ask, "Darcy, what happened?"

Darcy looked like she was on the edge and waiting to be pushed into whatever darkness wanted to swallow her whole. Her tear-filled eyes suddenly focused on me, "I'm being punished, Rhi."

I shook my head out of confusion, "Why on earth would you say that?"

Darcy started rocking back and forth while her words poured out of her mouth almost incoherently, "You were never meant to forgive me, Rhi. You should have killed me that night. You should have left my body to rot. I should have died. For what I've done in the past. For the choices and mistakes I've made. Living has done nothing but bring misfortune to good people ....."

Cara quickly put a stop to Darcy's sobbing rant, "Mom! Enough! None of this is your fault! Stop blaming yourself! If it weren't for you being alive, I wouldn't have been born, is that what you want?!?"

Tears started running down Darcy's face as she looked between Cara and me, "No, Cara, that's not what I'm saying! Rhi, I'm so sorry! I couldn't tell you sooner. We weren't alone... I'm so sorry Rhi ...."

I hurried over to Darcy and knelt in front of her, staring into her bloodshot eyes, "What the f***k are you talking about, Darcy? Who was with you?!"

My words were more angry than I intended, and Darcy's breathing quickened. Damn it. I hoped I didn't push her too hard, "Darcy, please ...."

Silence.

"We were with New Dawn ...." Cara's voice cracked as she answered for her mother.

I heard Lupa's tired whimper bounce off of the walls in my head as I stared into Darcy's eyes, my own breathing beginning to match hers.

"No ..." Jo possibly whispered from somewhere behind me.

Sylvia started rubbing Darcy's back in an attempt to comfort her friend, but comfort would have to wait. I wanted answers, and I wanted them now.

I quickly reached up and grabbed hold of both of Darcy's hands, her eyes widening in fear as she fully understood my intentions.

"Rhi, don't! She's been through enough!" Sylvia yelled as she tried to pull my hands off of Darcy, but it was too late and I didn't care.

The living room started spinning around us, objects and voices becoming blurred together until the blended colors started to change to a mixture of brilliant golds, pinks, and oranges.

When the spinning finally stopped, Darcy and I were kneeling outside of the pack house that belonged to Winter Bliss, facing a breathtaking sunrise. I sucked in a sharp breath of air and covered my mouth with my hand as tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw Douglas and Natha with Darcy and Robert from just hours ago. The four of them were all sitting at a wooden lawn table, drinking coffee while watching the sunrise.

"Thanks for having our pack over these past couple of days," Doug's familiar voice made my lips curl into a smile as I stared at the handsome man with graying red hair and green eyes. Oh, how I wish I could stop whatever I was about to see.

Robert smiled and nodded his head, "It's no problem at all. The least we could do is make sure that our packs get along before we merge together."

I fought myself from breaking down as I turned to look down at Darcy who was still sitting on the ground, her face pale like she was going to be sick. They were together to do what was best for their packs, and instead, horror ensued.

Nathan tilted his head to the side as he shrugged his shoulders, his gray eyes standing it against his brown hair, "We're not getting any younger, plus, Cara is Brett's mate ..."

The earlier Darcy pointed at Nathan and stared at him with wide eyes, "Careful! I don't want her to hear you! I want her to form emotions towards him on her own!"

Robert smiled and placed a hand on top of Darcy's, lowering her hand to the table, "Who would have thought our daughter and your Beta's son would be mates."

Douglas took a sip of his coffee before speaking, "Kevin is a good Beta and an even better man. He and Jody did a great job raising Brett. Your daughter couldn't have a better future ....."

Suddenly a large gray wolf ran towards them, shifting into a bloodied man as he slid across the grass, "Get out! Now!"

Earlier Darcy ran over to the man and cradled his head onto her lap, "Ryan?! What happened?!"

"Hunters. Government hunters ...." Ryan collapsed onto Darcy's lap, using the last bit of life he had to warn his Alpha.

But before the four of them had a chance to act, gunshots and screams soon echoed in the morning air.

I left the shell-shocked Darcy sitting alone on the ground as I ran after the three Alphas and Luna that carelessly charged into the house. Bullets screamed past me, piercing the flesh of those I held dear to my heart as fire soon crawled its way up the walls.

The entire time Darcy stopped countless bullets from hitting her as she called out for her daughter, "CARA! CARA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Finally, Cara came running towards her mom from the back door, "MOM! Brett led those he could out back, we need to go with them ...."

"NO! We need to get your father help! We're leaving, NOW!" Darcy grabbed hold of Cara's hand, yanking her towards her father's dying body.

"But everyone here is dead!" Cara sobbed as she followed her mother.

"Not yet, they're not!" Darcy yelled as her eyes and veins turned black, and soon I was staring at the dark witch I met years ago.

I stood in the burning house, watching in awe as Darcy turned the flaming house into a bomb, the explosion jarring me to my core as every human that was sent to kill my friends became non-existent. The only ones who were left were myself .... and current Darcy who turned to look at me, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

"Darcy, you had no choice ...." I started walking towards my friend to comfort her, when Luke suddenly appeared in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest, his dark eyes locked onto me.

"Rhi, we have bigger things to worry about ...."