40

I held him close while he cried on my shoulder. There was nothing we could've done. We were simply too late. I remember the countless bodies they dragged out. Watching the house creak as the wood burned. The smoke burning my lungs with the scent of human flesh. 

Peter made it out.

That's a good thing, maybe the only good thing if you're willing to overlook the fact that he's a vegetable and burnt to a crisp. I know it's killing Derek.

I lost a sister and I'm still not over it.

He's lost everyone but his sister. 

It's an entirely different ball game. 

That's probably what caused me to march across their territory in the dead of night. That unrelenting anger I felt for my mate. Maybe if he'd marked me I would've felt nothing but grief. It would've played out different if I was consumed by his grief. I wouldn't have marched into their territory that day. It wouldn't of been the last time that I'd see him.

But he hadn't and I was angry.

So angry. 

This has to stop now. The feud, the bloodshed, all of it!.

I don't know what's worse, teaming up with hunters or killing innocent humans. Obviously killing humans but still, the betrayal disgusts me. It fulled me to keep going. Also, what if I'd been home? Would they have killed their own?...

I knew the way off by heart but the terrain still felt foreign. As if I needed the reminder that I'm no longer apart of this pack.

When the white mansion came into view I hurried my step. And I didn't bother to knock, they'd have scented me anyways. I pulled open those double doors dramatically and followed the scent of my father.

Like a bloodhound on the hunt I was out for blood. Only I paused when I saw the suitcases. I gulped. "What is this?".

My mother eyed me warily. "We're moving to Seattle".

I clicked my tongue. "All of you?".

Alec coughed from the window. "All of us".

I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere with any of you".

My father than walked into the room carrying two bags that looked suspiciously like my stuff. "Of course you are. We were in this mess because of you and Anna. And now that it's finally done we're leaving".

I felt like a parrot. "Leaving? And done. You call a massacre done?".

He was so casual. Like he was discussing the weather and not killing off the second most powerful pack in existence. 

Father nodded. "We did it for you. They killed your sister, your mate and Peter. They slaughtered her together. We couldn't let you live with them after that. Killing Tahlia makes your promise to her over. You no longer have to worry about curses and destruction that will follow you around. You are no longer apart of their pack".

I could feel it. The weight had been lifted. I haven't submitted to Laura yet but nobody had. Not even Derek, they're too busy crying and mourning to strengthen the pack. And until Derek submits to Laura, I won't feel the need to submit to her. 

No pack. An omega.

A frightening thought and now my reality.

I instantly shook my head. "He wouldn't do that, I don't believe you".

Alec shook his head in outrage. "How could you not think we'd try and save you from them?. We weren't really going to let you stay there. We couldn't risk telling you because we didn't know if you'd come alone".

Mother scoffed. "Which you didn't, you left that puppy on the boundary waiting for you".

I ignored her. I knew that Alec meant every word. I know he loves me, and I know father does. Enough to kill an entire pack. I exhaled and shook my head. "Derek wouldn't kill Anna".

My mother rolled her eyes. "Yes, because the Hale boy has killed absolutely nobody in his young life".

I huffed and turned to her with a seething glare now. "You don't know what your talking about".

She cackled. "Sweetheart, do you? That girl was found bloody and broken in a ditch. Just. Like. Your. Sister".

I shook my head, tears falling. "He wouldn't do that to me. And Paige was different".

Alec cleared his throat. "How was she different?".

It hit me then that he'd never told me exactly how she died. I quickly shook my head again. It was accident? Was that what he said?. Or did he just deny it?...I know one thing. And Alec voiced it from across the room."It must of been really bad Avery, if Tahlia took the memory of it away from you. Just incase the mate bond wasn't strong enough for you to overlook it".

I was crying now. "No h-he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't kill..".

I stopped because I can't say that. He did kill Paige but he's good and he loves me. He wouldn't kill my sister. I huffed. "He didn't kill my sister!".

My father sighed and whipped out his claws. "I was there. Do you want me to show you?".

I was sobbing now but that doubt that's been put in my head told me to say yes. Too many questions and emotions were swimming in my head. 

Why didn't he tell me about Paige?

Anna dying.

The Hales all dying.

My pack proving their undying love for their own, even me.

That they'd never planned on abandoning me.

That...my father saw Anna die. I need justice for my sister. I wanted whoever stole that light from me to pay.

I nodded. "Show me".

This wasn't the first time I'd allowed an Alpha in my head. My father has taken countless traumatic memories from me as a child. Most involved him killing some unsuspecting ally only to turn around and find his five year old staring at the bloody heart in his hand while I nibbled on cookies. However this felt more personal then before. My father showing me a memory.

I stayed deathly still, as I knew any movement could kill me or paralyse me indefinitely. I stiffened as I felt the claws finally dig into my spine. 

A scene started to form. 

I felt emotions swirling. The biggest being anger that my daughter left her cell. 

And following a scent. Anna's scent. Only I wasn't the only one. Across the clearing were two wolves. And it happened first with Peter Hale's blow. 

A slash to the neck. So deep. Hazel eyes we there too and he clawed her stomach like it was a full moon and he had no control. 

I growled. The growl of an alpha. Deep and powerful. They ran but still I was too far away to catch them and Anna...she wasn't breathing.

I gasped as his claws left me.

If I wasn't so caught up in my own pain and ear splitting silence of what I just saw, I would've heard all their hearts skip one collective beat. 

I couldn't breathe. I felt like my world just exploded.

Derek killed Anna.

My mate killed my sister.

I screamed. And screamed. 

My father held me. 

He held on like I was drowning and he was the only thing keeping me a float. I'm sure I banged on his chest. Trying to hurt the most powerful alpha in the country. It did nothing. I felt nothing. I felt betrayed. I wanted the world to end. I wanted it all, to stop. Pain, hurt and love. I want none of it.

And I knew then that I couldn't go back to him.

He was lying every day I cried over Anna.

It was because of him.

So I didn't hesitate.

I let my anger consume me and I submitted to me father. 

For Anna.

And everyday I wondered if he'd have marked me, would I have been so consumed by his grief that I never would've  crossed the boundary that day?. 

Sometimes I wonder too, because mate souls are always intertwined...

 I wonder if now his anchor is anger too instead of me. 

Two packs, both adverse in dignity,

In fair Beacon Hills, we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where supernatural love makes claws unclean.

From forth the fatal lust of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their sides;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Do with their love burden their parents' strife.

The fearful passage of their fate-mark'd love,

And the continuance of their packs' feud,

Which, but their favourite's end, nought could remove,

Is now the tail of love' within our town;

The which if you with patient hearts attend,

What here shall repeat, or toil shall strive to mend.