Mark of the Goddess

Chapter 15 - Dark Memories - Part 2

Tesla's POV

Everything was blurred as muffled voices began to shout at me. I snarled, still not completely aware of where I was. 

“Tesla!” Eldwin’s voice reached me. “Tesla!” I struggled to breathe as I tasted blood. Feeling it run down my chin. 

“W-Where am I?” I asked with a raspy voice. As if I had been screaming for long periods of time. 

“You’re with me,” Eldwin said as he brought me into his embrace. His scent overpowered the smell of Varg blood. Varg blood? That’s not right. I began to remember where I was. What I had done. I gasped and pushed Eldwin off me on instinct and turned towards Amelia. Her eyes were normal colored, with the exception of the life it once held. I began to hyperventilate. What had I done? I had killed her. I had never killed someone before. Vargs aren’t people anymore, but she was still a person. Even if she was crazy. I shook my head, but tears never formed. I was upset, but relieved. 

Archek and Erron were standing beside her body. They both stared at me. 

“Tesla, what happened?” Erron asked as he squatted down to my level. I realized I was sitting and quickly got up, taking a few steps back. 

“I-I saw-” I stopped to clear my throat. Spitting out that vile black blood. “I saw her memories.” I saw Erron and Archek exchange glances between each other and everyone else who had filled the rooms. I shook my head as I concentrated on quickly regaining my composure. “She is the reason behind my father’s crazed state. She is the reason there were cryptids here.” 

“Tesla, what did you see?” Kosovo asked as he stepped into my field of vision. I looked at him. 

“I saw Allure. He’s the vampyre hybrid I saw back at the Sunstone Pridelands,” I said as I wiped the black blood from my chin. I felt Eldwin’s hand on the small of my back. 

“How do you know his name?” Eldwin asked. Concern forced his brows to furrow as I looked up at him. 

“I heard his sister say it. Her name is Amelia. They are vampyre witches. Th-They seem to be behind the construction of that chimera symbol. He was about to say what the group was called, I think, b-but I was taken away from the memory.” I sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch the name.” No one spoke. Looking at Archek, I could tell that he wanted to say something. Yet, he didn’t. 

“Get her out of here. Burn her body and clean up this mess,” Eldwin said as he wrapped his arms around me protectively. I accepted his touch. His warmth. His scent.

I looked up at the chimera symbol. I had answers, but those answers raised more questions. I was beyond upset. I was pissed. All my life I had thought I did something wrong. I thought I had caused Talisma to die. In reality, it was Amelia. I don’t know how she managed to wrap our father around her finger and, frankly, it didn't matter to me. It didn’t change what he did to me. It didn’t change what was done to me. 

I grabbed Eldwin’s arm and just held onto him as a few warrior wolves lifted Amelia’s body off the floor. They were being rough with her. 

“Stop!” I growled at them. They weren’t a part of my pack, but still. They stopped and looked at me. “She may have been a b***h, but she still deserves to be treated with respect. She was still a part of my pack.” They looked at each other a bit confused. Even I was confused, but I still knew that regardless of a pack member’s actions, they were still treated with a sense of dignity. 

“Burn the b***h outside of my territory,” Eldwin spoke. His chest rumbled against my back. I understood his intentions. I didn’t speak against him. He deserved a bit of ease as well. Amelia may have been a b***h. She might’ve had black blood, but she deserved to be put out of her misery. She deserved to have a tiny bit of dignity too because she was still my sister. Not only that, but she was also still a part of the pack. 

I felt Eldwin’s embrace tighten around me as he inhaled deeply. 

“Let’s complete the ceremony,” I said nonchalantly. “Let’s go on a hunt with our pack.” 

~~

Eldwin’s POV

When I saw Tesla holding Amelia’s neck in her jaws, I didn’t know what to think. My head wound had healed almost instantly, by the time Tesla’s fangs met her flesh. Once my head stopped spinning I was by her side, I watched as her eyes flickered between silver and puke green. 

I did everything I could to break her from Amelia’s neck. I watched as Amelia’s eyes lost their life before Tesla finally broke away. Her eyes back to their hazel hue. After this incident, I was more than thrilled to get Tesla out of that damned room and out of the bunker in general. I kept my skin in contact with hers at all times. She seemed sad and relieved as fresh air filled our noses. She also acted like she was free. Free from her past, yet still nervous. From what she had told everyone, I felt her nervousness. The answers that caused questions to swirl in my mind.

 Those who were a part of my pack, met us at the side of the pack house. Between the pack house and the training grounds at least. Tesla stripped first and then I did. I looked over at her. Everything I had felt seemed to melt away to only be surrounded by her sheer beauty and love. Her hazel eyes looking at me, up and down. At first they were determined. Then they were filled with nothing but love and reassurance. 

“Are you ready?” I asked her. She smiled and nodded. 

“I told you. Anytime we are together, nothing can stop us,” she said as she placed her other hand on my chest. They weren’t her exact words but they had the same meaning. Her touch sent away the last bit of darkness that lurked in my mind. 

I shifted first. Filled with confidence and ease, with the look she gave me. She looked at me in awe. I returned the look as she shifted. Her wolf form was just as beautiful as her human one. Our ears perked as we both turned towards the sounds of yips from Skald and Tally. They both ran up to us, as if we were their parents. Tails wagging as they doused Tesla in a flurry of licks and nips. I watched her nuzzle them and return the affection. I howled. Sending a physical message to our pack. They howled in response. Including Tesla and her wolf-dogs. 

Allen and Alex were on either side of us. We pushed the recent event from our minds and only concentrated on our pack. 

We’ll hunt a doe. It’ll serve as our pack bond link. Strengthening and finalizing your bond with our pack. I I said to her through our new pack bond. I saw her nod to me. We both trotted in the direction I had nodded towards a few seconds ago. I watched her trot with purpose. Her wolf-dogs on either side of her. I could feel her power as we ran. Hunting for a doe to be our prey. I could feel that she was excited and determined. I couldn’t help but be inspired by her. I nipped at her playfully as we ran and she returned the playful nip. I growled lovingly at her. As we all came to a stop.

I could tell that she wasn’t used to working with other wolves. She watched as our pack members sniffed around. Skald and Tally sniffed at the ground with other pack members. Tesla was different. She sniffed the air. 

Deer are this way! A pack member huffed as she sniffed the ground.

No. They are this way.  Tesla yipped as she looked in a different direction. 

But the scent doesn’t go that way. Another pack member spoke in the pack link. 

Trust me. Tesla’s voice said as she trotted in the direction she was sniffing at. She waited for us as the pack whimpered and yipped. 

Your Silva does not lie. I growled. The pack members followed her reluctantly. I had sniffed the air instead of the ground. She was right. There was a scent of a herd nearby. I never doubted her. She was truly incredible. We all broke out into a run as I let Tesla take the lead. I could tell that she was in her element. I have never seen her look so relaxed as she did in this moment. I couldn’t help but look at every muscle in her body. They all worked normally of course, but somehow she made it seem different. More elegant and swift. I almost ran into a few trees because I was too distracted by her beauty. 

She led us right to the herd. The deer closest to us began to lift their heads in alert as a slight breeze directed our scent in their favor. 

This way! I grumbled through the pack link out of irritation of the breeze. 

Wait! Tesla whimpered. I paused, as well as the rest of the pack. They were looking between us confused. Females with me. Males stay here. We can Distract the herd momentarily. I looked at Tesla. She nodded at me reassuringly.  We can lead the herd into a trap. Breaking at least one from the herd. I looked at our pack members. They waited patiently for my response. 

Females, with Tesla. Males, with me. I said as I stayed where I was. I watched Tesla and Tally lead some of the female warriors around. They trotted quietly out of sight. Some of the other males began to pace with impatience. I growled low at them. They paused for a moment before continuing their pacing.

Females hold position. Eldwin, rush the deer westward. Tesla ordered. I was more than happy to lead the other wolves towards the herd. Running towards them, we snarled and snapped at various deer. Testing them. We were trying to find the weakest one. One of the warriors yipped. Signaling the rest of us that he had found one that was limp. I directed most of the others towards the limp deer. Steering it towards the direction that Tesla had advised us to go in. Before I knew it, the females bomb rushed the doe as it ran towards them. I saw a female go for its injured leg. She slipped on the leaf covered forest floor and the deer escaped her grasp. 

A few seconds later a male wolf jumped on the doe’s back. As we have always done. He quickly went for the doe’s throat. We did not want to make the doe suffer anymore than we had to. 

I saw Tesla hung back as the pack took down the doe as one. She stood there and watched. I trotted up to her and drubbed my face against hers. She returned the affection and added a lick. Kissing my cheek, in a sense. I growled at her affectionately as she nipped at the fur on my cheek. 

You’re a natural, my little lily. I pack linked only to her. She yipped. 

I try. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun on a hunt. I could see the sheer joy in her eyes. I was glad to see that the events from earlier hadn’t taken away her happiness completely. 

~~