35 You're Right, Olyana It Is

[AWUOR]

"Is that—'' the Sicario wolves asked themselves when they heard their banished alpha howling in pain.

What Jer had done was cruel and inhumane and instead of the Sicario wolves doing something to stop him, they had just stood there and watched as the heart of their own was ripped apart by the mate bonds.

The wolves felt guilty for being watchers and while they could have wanted to do anything, they couldn't intervene here. Jer breaking the mate bond, meant that he was severing all ties with Awuor and that also meant that he was mostly going to be the only recognized alpha of Sicario.

He had broken the links that Awuor had and right now, the only thing Awuor was linked to, was just her family members. That was basically Dom and her father, both of whom had despised her, from the moment she had been found hovering over her mother's body.

Back in the free lands, Awuor was already done with the cleanup of her bloody crown and had changed into cleaner clothes that Malika had brought her. It was then that she felt the bonds she had with Sicario break, and turn to shambles while she was helpless and watched.

Malika looked at her pitifully, like she was hoping there was a way to take away Awuor's pain, but even if there was, she wouldn't be enabled to fix the woman anytime soon.

The freshly broken mate bonds would leave the young alpha feeling empty and lost, at least for three days; that meant that she would be in pain for three more days.

"We don't have to leave now, Hawi," Malika said to Awuor who was howling out in pain, the raw emotions in her voice and the tears falling down her cheeks made Malika feel terrible for the alpha.

She wanted to comfort her, but there was no comforting a freshly rejected alpha wolf. It would hurt a lot, but she needed to go through it alone.

"Let's... leave," Awuor let out amidst the pain, and Malika was conflicted. Just like every protector, Malika wanted the alpha to be okay but right now, the woman looked like she would die anytime soon.

"I'm sorry about this," Malika said before she took the crown and gown from Awuor's hands, and pulled the woman in a hug, before she began absorbing all of Awuor's pain.

It was too much and could probably kill her, but then she was here to serve Awuor and the first rule of protecting the white wolf was to make sure they went overwhelmed by their pain because then they would be too dangerous and would need the other protectors to come and pin it down.

Malika may not have known Awuor for long, but she knew that whatever it was, Awuor was hurting, and it wasn't even her fault. She just wanted to see the woman smile for once, instead of the months of pain she had had to endure.

Malika knew of everything that had happened to Awuor, including all that she had learned from Razia. She wanted to hate Jer on behalf of Awuor, but that wasn't part of her job description.

"What did you just do?" Awuor asked once Malika pulled away from her, only to stumble and almost fall. She looked weak and Awuor was livid.

The banished alpha had been used to pain for the past months, and seeing someone else in pain because of her, made her want to strangle the life out of Malika herself.

"Relax, Hawi. We can go now," Malika said once she regained her footing. The pain was unbearable but she had endured worse, which was how she was able to get up despite feeling like her whole body was on fire.

She had been warned by her protector commander to never try siphoning a white wolf's pain, but she had felt too bad for Awuor and had gone against the advice. and now she was feeling the brunt of her disobedience.

"You're crazy," Awuor said, grabbing her crown and gown, before she followed Malika who was determined to get her out of these lands.

Now that her mate bond was broken, so were all the links she shared with Sicario, and that applied to the punishment her father had given her.

It also meant that she was seen as more dangerous because this time, she had nothing to soothe her humanity and nothing to remind her of anything about Sicario.

The only thing she felt about Sicario was the hatred and spite of the people who had betrayed her and still dumped her without even thinking twice. she would come back for them though, but until then, she had a protector to keep steady.

"You too. Now come along, before the sun gets high up," Malika said and Awuor just smiled sadly.

She was leaving the one place she had built her home in for the past few months. Granted, she had been forced to be there, but she had grown accustomed to it. Maybe that was what happened when her home changed and she had no one.

"Where are we going?"

"Olyana, the land beyond the land of the protectors," Malika said and Awuor just looked at her like she was supposed to understand a place she hadn't even heard of.

Awuor knew it was stupid just trusting Malika like that, but then she had already lost everything, besides, it wasn't like she even had a plan now that her ties to Sicario had been cut off.

She wanted to stay and fight, but for what?

For who?

Her people in Sicario never needed saving and her family hasn't anything to do with her. her best friend had ditched her for power.

She was alone in all the ways possible.

"Great, another land I don't know about," Awuor sighed as they crossed the free lands and headed in the direction of Olyana. It was a dangerous place, but according to Malika, it was the best place for the alpha to stay if she wanted to prepare.

"You'll love it, I promise. Besides, don't you want revenge for the wrongful accusations? I know you didn't kill your mother, and you didn't have enough proof or even an alibi, making you the perfect criminal. Everyone at home hates you, and you can't do shit about it.

"You can come with me to Olyana, or you can stay in the free lands, and sympathize with people who wouldn't think twice before casting you out again. So what is it going to be Hawi, before we cross this border right here?

"Because once we do, everyone in Sicario will know that you crossed the borders and there's no coming back from that," Malika said with conviction like she wanted Awuor to make a choice and fast.

They didn't have time, considering they were going to use the longest route to Olyana, since they couldn't walk through the land of the protectors just like that.

"I—" Awuor began, looking back at the distance they had walked, and the place she had lived in for a long time. It was a dangerous choice and honestly, staying in the free lands alone would have been safer for her, and not put her at odds with her people.

However, her father had banished her without a second thought, and right now, Awuor could either stay in the free lands, or she follow the protector wherever Olyana was and would get back her life.

"You're right. I have nothing holding me back anymore and staying alone in this huge forest will likely give me depression and kill me. So yeah, let's go to Olyana if it's my best bet for vengeance against them. I will come back eventually, and I will burn them all," Awuor said excitedly.

"Good choice," Malika said as they crossed the border between the free lands and the rest of the supernatural realm.