Elara couldn't feel the world anymore.
The dirt beneath her knees, the blood soaking through her dress, the bodies of guards and their attackers scattered all around in bits and pieces or the identities of those black wolves, none of it registered. All she saw was Callen's still body, cradled in her lap, his once-warm hands limp in hers.
Her fingers trembled as she brushed his wolf from. His blood clung to her skin. The mark on her neck was gone just like him.
"No," she whispered, rocking him. "Come back… please, Callen… please…"
Tamara fell to her knees beside her. "Elara—"
Elara screamed. A sound so broken, so raw, it tore through the survivors like a blade. Wolves bowed their heads. Though Callen never took the position, he was the best warrior. He was their beta in their hearts. His death was too sudden but also gut wrenching.
"Elara, you need to let go." Tamara whispered slowly. "We all will turn into wolves and bid farewell to him. We must turn.." turn! Elara laughed as more tears fell from her eyes. So she could not even pay last tribute to her husband. She could not turn, she had never turned. She had a dormant wolf since her witch power was stronger. If only, she had never come here. He would have been alive. Happy with his pack..
She could see his smiling face standing in front of her and asking her name as they met for the first time.
"I could not let go." she accepted, bare and raw. "I feel like.."
"You feel only grief! Except that, you feel nothing. The bond is not broken. You have not lost your senses since it was never there." Then came the growl.
Elara's spine stiffened. Her head lifted slowly, eyes red and hollow as she watched the man arrive like he owned this place.
Luca! It was him!
He stood at the edge of the destruction, blood on his cloak, silver eyes glowing with barely restrained madness. His wolf was barely leashed, hovering just beneath the surface of his skin.
Garron immediately came forward and stood in front of him, massive and grim.
"Did you do this?" his voice was barely holding the anger. "Did you go against the council and attacked my men?"
Luca took a step forward, his eyes reluctantly tore away from Garron, "it was a rogue attack. I felt it when Elara suffered and only came for help."
"....." gasps filled the room. This was the first time they would have heard Luca explaining but at the same time no one believed it.
"There had been no rogue attack this massive." Garron snapped as he inhaled a breath collecting all his patience.
"You should protect your terruries well then." he growled back with his eyes growing dark.
Garron opened his mouth and shut it so tight that one of his molars might break.
"We do not need you here." he said at last, hands clenched with raw anger. Luca nodded, accepting.
"I only came to take her, since her husband had died, She is mine now."
Tamara rose, fury in her face. "You have done enough! You murdered him—"
Luca's jaw ticked, but he didn't look at her. He looked at Elara. "I did not kill him."
"Come," he said, voice low. Commanding. "You don't belong here anymore."
Tamara moved to block him, spreading her arms. "Over my dead—"
But Garron stepped between them, his hand firm on Tamara's shoulder.
"Don't," he said, his voice quiet. "Not now. He's not himself."
"You're letting him steal her?" Tamara hissed.
Garron didn't answer. His eyes were full of sorrow. "We do not have a choice!"
Elara didn't move. She knelt by Callen's body, trembling, silent tears slipping down her face. Luca came closer. She flinched as his shadow fell over her, but she didn't look at him.
"I don't want you," she whispered.
"I didn't ask," Luca said, voice like steel wrapped in ash. "But the bond is mine. And you're still alive. He isn't."
Her teeth clenched. "I will never be yours."
He reached for her.
She slapped his hand away, magic sparking but it was too weak after hours of war she had fought.
"You destroyed everything I loved," she spat. "Why? Why couldn't you just leave us alone?"
"I didn't come to kill anyone," Luca said. "I came to bring you home."
"This is my home." she hissed and his face went rigid and cold.
"Not anymore."
She screamed again as he grabbed her arm, yanking her up from Callen's body. Her legs kicked, her claws lashed out, but Luca didn't flinch. The pack looked troubled but even they knew they could not fight Luca.
Tamara lunged, but was caught. "Elara!"
Elara twisted, reaching back, fingers grazing Callen's cooling skin. Her sobbing breaths shattered the night.
"I hate you," she whispered to Luca, venom in every syllable. "I will always hate you."
Luca's eyes flinched just slightly but he said nothing. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her like a storm prize. "As long as you are with me, it does not matter."
She thrashed and cried. But no one could stop him.
Elara watched the men waiting, a long line of men surrounding the whole territory and he claimed that he did not come for a far. She kicked him harder.
"You are.."
"That is enough, Elara." he warned. "One more word and every person you hold dear would bleed until they die. Are you so selfish that you would kill all of them for yourself?" his eyes told her that it was not an empty threat.
"But the council…" she hesitated when his eyes narrowed with a dark flicker and his lips curled in a venomous look. "Do you think the council had the power to stop me?"