Chapter 3: Howl of defeat

Luke.

"NO!"

The scream flooded my ears as I saw Jamie stumbling to the other side. I saw Liana strike him from the back with her sword, then I heard Jamie's men falling to the floor from behind my door on the outside. Liana had just killed them as quickly as she was in the room. She was better with swords than Jaime and I could ever be.

What was she doing here? She needs to leave.

Suddenly, I felt this power surging through me, this strong need to protect her from Jamie's blades. I picked up my sword that had been knocked off my hand and turned towards Jamie, only to find him fighting with my sister.

Liana was furious and I feared she was going to shapeshift into her wolf anytime soon and that'd be bad given the situation. I needed her to leave!

I hurried over to them and joined in, ignoring the pains that came with every forceful swing I made.

"Two against one? That's hardly fair." Jamie breathed tiredly.

"Then you should've come prepared!" Liana spat angrily; her face smeared with blood.

She attacked him, causing him to fall back, far away from her and me but she didn't stop. She kept attacking and striking until Jamie stumbled to the floor, his sword the only shield stopping Liana's sword from slicing through his face.

I decided I couldn't let my sister do my fighting. This was as much as she went for me. I'm the king, their Alpha and I'm worthless if I just stood there and watched her do it all. This was a lost war, to begin with. My men had already been apprehended. I was completely defenseless, but I wasn't going to stop fighting.

I screamed and charged for him, but he was quick to notice my attack and broke free of Liana's bondage. He pushed her away before I could reach him, his sword cutting through her arm and causing her to scream.

Her scream was painful and deafening, but I didn't stop. I struck him with my sword, pushing him backward until he reached the wall, my eyes glaring daggers into his. He saw my eyes, saw the hatred in them and I saw how they matched his. I hated him.

Just then, Lia cut back in.

"Get back, Lia." I growled, "Get out of here!"

"No," she breathes heavily in pain. "I'm not leaving you, Luke!"

"Aargh!" I screamed out of frustration and anger. Then pulled my sword back and drove it forward, towards his chest but he rolled away. He struck back with his sword, but Lia caught it with hers, and then the fight continued again.

For what felt like forever, we fought endlessly, Jamie sustaining a couple of wounds inflicted by Liana's blade.

Just then, the door pushed open, and several arrows came flying in. Everything happened so hastily, and it was too late for me. Too late for me to knock my sister out of the way, too late for me to protect her, too late for me to stop the arrows from striking her on the chest, right where her heart was.

Liana's sword fell off her hand, and she held her bleeding chest with anguish on her face as the pain shot through her and she coughed out blood.

"Lia…" That was all I could mutter while I watched her collapse to the floor. I blinked, my entire body suddenly felt cold.

I stood frozen, and for a second all I could hear was an eerie sound. Then I felt an arrow hit me, then another, until I fell. My eyes shifted toward Lia's body on the floor, I watched how her teary eyes gazed at me, how her bloody lips smiled up at me.

Anger.

That was all I felt. The anger that suddenly fueled me up strangely powered me. I couldn't even understand it, but I knew I needed to do something. Jamie had to pay.

Just as I was about to leap toward him, the room was suddenly filled with thick fog, and I couldn't see anything. Then I felt a hand grabbing me by the arm and dragging me out. I didn't know who, couldn't think about who could do that, but I knew one thing.

I was grateful.

I looked closely through the fog to see Lia's unconscious body lying face down on the floor, blood pooling up around her, her hair wet and smudged across her face. I felt a pang in my heart as the image of her body started to disappear in my eyes.

I tried to pull free from this person and go be with her, die with her, but I was too weak to even break free of the arm. I was too weak to basically do anything and just watched, letting the image of my sister disappear before my eyes, and then completely vanish before my view.

I felt more torment than the pain inflicted by the sword and arrows and they didn't hurt so much. I should've died in there. I should've died protecting my sister. I should not have been rescued. This is wrong.

I didn't know where I was or whose shoulder I was leaning against, but I knew the person's body was a bit smaller than mine and that he or she couldn't carry me for long. But I was losing it. I didn't know how much longer I could keep my eyes open.

I heard the sudden chaos that rose behind me.

Jamie.

He was looking for me. I tried to look into the face of my savior but all I saw was lumps of hair and I just looked down again. I staggered beside this body and started to hear the body of water hitting offshore.

Where was this? Outside the village obviously.

Everything became blurry in front of me as my head spun. I reached out to cradle it and felt my body being lifted, like I was falling. All I could hear was my fluid breathing. Then just like that I was being lifted into something hard.

I was on a boat the next minute. I felt the cold water touching my limp arms and the slow movement of my arm.

My eyes were barely open as I stared up into the night sky.

I've failed.

Suddenly, I heard screams coming from behind me. The screams were not helping and I tried to shut them out but I couldn't prevent them from coming.

Soon after I heard the calling. I heard the wolves howling in the night, behind the trees that surrounded the waters. I heard them call for my help. I heard them howl and the slow running water didn't prevent them from reaching me. I've failed them.

I felt the sharp pain in my chest, struggling to overcome it but couldn't. Then I saw the darkness envelop me and I just…gave in.

I stood next to the gigantic tree where I always liked to practice my archery. At sixteen, I'd just shifted into my wolf form a couple of weeks back and discovered that my best friend, Jamie, was my Beta. I couldn't have been happier.

I readily took a stance and tried to shoot an arrow into the tree. I pumped my chest out and held a firm stance as my deceased father taught me and shot the arrow into my desired spot on the tree. A smile instantly grew on my face due to my achievement.

Then I heard a clapping sound behind me only to turn and see Jamie smiling, a crossbow held firmly under his armpit.

I returned his smile and jogged over to him.

"Bravo, your highness," Jamie complimented.

Even though I knew he was just teasing me, I still felt the need to correct him anyway. "Call me Luke when we're alone, Jamie."

"You're going to be crowned Alpha soon, Luke," Jamie broke the silence. "Are you ready for that?"

I thought about it for a second. Was I ready? I knew I wasn't. I was still too young, but my father just died, and I can't let the pack or the council member see my uncertainty.

I took an arrow from my back and set it on the bow, pointing it to the tree before replying, "of course I am."

I shot the arrow before I turned back to Jamie and added, "I hope you're ready to be pronounced my Beta. Till death do us part." I made an obvious mockery of the last statement, causing Jamie to chuckle firmly.

Pointing his crossbow at the tree too, positioning an arrow on it, he replied, "of course, Alpha. Till death do us apart." Then shot on the tree too.

"Here," I pointed his bow at him, "try shooting with this."

Jamie gave me a hesitant look before taking it from me and placing an arrow on it. He took a stance and positioned himself before aiming for the tree. I saw the flaws in his positioning and stepped in to correct him. I helped spread his arms apart and moved his legs a bit to form a perfect stance before stepping back.

He shot the arrow, but it didn't hit the tree because he had moved his hands a little bit higher, above the tree and when he made the shot, a blackbird came crashing down, the arrow in its chest.

I turned an amused look at Jamie and we both laughed heartily.

Laughter filled my ears and I struggled to peel my eyes open. I tried but each time I did, I gazed at the same thing. The night sky.

Everything was fuzzy around me. Darkness loomed, encircling me while the corners of my eyes begged me to go back into a trance.

I felt the pain wash over me repeatedly but that did not frighten me anymore. I just wanted this to be over.

I was a failure. A failed king and I didn't deserve to live. Not even a single breath. I wanted to end it, but I couldn't.

I peeped to my right side and saw tall treetops gazing at me, felt the firm movement underneath as the boat continued to move me.

A light shone from nowhere, blinding my sight. But it left as soon as it came, then I found myself going into complete darkness. I didn't know what happened next because all I could remember was the darkness as it enveloped me, and I vulnerably gave in.