Chapter Sixty-Two: The Strength of a Hero

Hudson:

The other alphas struggled with me, dirt soiling their outfits. Flynn wailed in a locked playpen, his tears never ending. Panic coursed through my mind, the chain tying our hands together around a metal pole landed us in a problematic situation. Our claws couldn't cut it, the five hunters' faces paling. Ice covered the floor, a blood soaked Evie ran in next to an equally soaked Grappy. The two of them were really two peas in a pod, a numb expression haunting her face.

"Unchain them and I will let you go." She offered earnestly, ruby dripping off of her scythe. "Your leader killed himself, and your comrades met my blade." Raising their issued guns, a series of pops signaled their answer. Blocking each bullet, inky sludge poured from her reaper's eyes. Her limit was being met, shame dimming her eyes. Snapping her fingers, ice spikes whipped in their direction. Pinning them to the steel poles, another snap of her fingers sending a wave of smaller spikes towards their wrists. Horrified screams bounced off the walls, pairs of hands dropping to the floor. A bullet whistled in Flynn's direction, a wall of ice protecting him. Releasing them, they sprinted out to get medical assistance. Sinking to her knees, her trembling hands held the chains until ice devoured each loop. One touch shattered them, Evie collapsing into my arms. Clutching her close to my chest, my eyes fell on a worn Grappy.

"What happened to her? She looks like hell." I asked cautiously, not really wanting to know. Sitting down across from me, the sight of him so worn threw me off. Wiping the blood off of his face with his sleeves, his head resting on his hands.

"We went to his village to free the souls of his people, then he stabbed himself in the heart to stop his shadow of death from killing her. After that, she gave him a nice private funeral. He gave us an address to go pick up some girl named Alyssa." He explained tiredly, yawning groggily. "We were ambushed by that new hunter group, the one who kidnapped you guys. She slaughtered them with ease while the leader killed himself. They blew up her car in the raid. To sum it up, the bad guys are dead and her car was a dead hunk of metal. She never took a real break. I have to give it to her, she never stopped once. Devin wants you to adopt Alyssa." Too stunned to speak, my brain filtered through the information for a few minutes. Evan freed Flynn, the happy boy cooing in his arms. His hair hung wildly around his face, the other alphas breathing a sigh of relief. Grappy popped to his feet, he massaged his forehead.

"I am going to fly back and get my brothers to drive a couple of cars back here. Do you think you guys can hold your ground?" He questioned seriously, checking the time on the phone of one of the bad guys. "We will be back in a couple of hours. I don't have the strength to fly any of you back. Shall I take Flynn? Latia can feed him and get him cleaned up." Swallowing the lump in my throat, everyone waited for me to speak.

"Take him just in case someone else shows up." I answered briskly, passing him Flynn. "Take excellent care of him." Smiling warmly in my direction, he kissed Flynn on the forehead. Taking off into the sky, wolves howled in the distance. Fear rounded my eyes, my wife being the only one who could transform. Barricading the doors with every heavy object they could get our hands on, the wolves had surrounded the abandoned warehouse. Evie shivered in my arms, Lucien dragged out a metal barrel, his trembling hands dropping wood into it. Feeling around his pocket, he pulled out a lighter. Tearing off the end of his t-shirt, his jeans danced in the chilly air. Lighting the end on fire, he dropped it down. A bright fire soon illuminated the space, the predators waiting patiently outside. Evie stirred awake, an agony filled groan escaped her lips. Struggling to her feet, the barriers wiggled underneath her as she leapt out the window. Sharp words escaped her lips, whines of dominance assured us of our safety. Climbing back in, the pack of wolves followed her in. A sea of fur surrounded her, the wild animals behaving as well as police dogs. Patting them all, their heads snuggled into her palms. Seeing the sight stunned us all, the rest of us processing the sight. Staring straight ahead numbly, silent tears stained her cheeks. Sitting down on the nearest box, the wolves laid by her feet as a couple of their heads rested on her lap. Pushing me towards her, her wet eyes met mine.

"Are you okay?" I choked out, the wolves growling. Snapping her fingers, they settled back down. Petting their heads, she wasn't okay. Ignoring my question, it was clear that she was broken beyond repair. Refusing to look at us, concern flashed in my eyes. Taking her hands, the other alphas stepped back.

"Devin's dead because I couldn't save him or his people. Now I have to take care of his sister." She broke down, ripping her hands away from me. "She has to hate me. I deserved my car blowing up. I deserve any hatred coming my way. She is going to hate me because I couldn't save them. There was so much blood. Make it all go away." Cupping her face, she was a hero who took the brunt of the aftermath of today. My heart shattered her decreased mental state.

"You saved us all and a little girl that would have died today." I comforted her lovingly, light returning to her eyes. "You need to realize that you did the right thing." Shaking her head, disgust scrunched up my nose at the blood coating my palms. Nope, that didn't matter right now.

"What the hell do you know? I just had to kill people to survive." She panicked with a wild look in her eyes, biting her nails. "Have you ever had to do that? I am a failure. Did you know I saw her aunt get shot in the head? I can't get that image out of my head. My insomnia steals enough from me and now I will never sleep again. I am pretty sure I am in the middle of a psychotic break. Spare me." She wasn't wrong, her eyes narrowing in the direction of the sliver of light. Ripping a nail from a nearby piece of wood, a quick flick of her wrist sending it in her direction.

"Seriously." A chilly male voice whined cruelly, kicking the door down. "You are the one challenging me for my throne. Hi, King of Hell here." Running his hands through his silky waves of silver, his inky black eyes stared me down. Dual silver blades bounced off of his belt, the sleek metal glistening in the flames. Black energy swirled around him, Evie rising to her feet. Sauntering up to him, golden energy swirled around her. Pushing through the pain, she cocked her head back. Grinning wickedly in her direction, the wolves stood proud behind her.

"Do I really warrant a seriously?" She returned venomously, the building shaking from their power. "I may have used up all of my reaper's power but you seem to forget that I am one of three white wolves. You can't be that stupid." Ruby poured from her nose, her legs trembling. Snapping her fingers, the wolves surrounded us. Standing in protective positions, he brandished his blades. Ripping her dagger from her neck, it refused to transform. Lightning crackled around my arm, one snap of his fingers drained me of my powers.

"Hudson, I wouldn't try anything. That power is nothing compared to your basic weakness. She is practically a goddess." He mused playfully, charging at her. "What I would do to make her my wife." Charging at him, one swing sent her through the roof. Smoothing out his white velvet suit, his good foot over her was proving to be an advantage. Curling his inky lips into a maniacal smile, his dress shoes clicked towards us. A flash of gold caught our eye, Evie smashing into his body. Bruises covered her arms, the marks showing where he had broken her arms. Clicking them back into place, a blast of black energy sent her flying towards a single pipe. Grabbing it at the last second, she dangled precariously over a bed of nail covered pieces of wood. Leaping over the wolves, I sprinted towards him at full speed. Aiming his fist for my gut, dread brewed to life in my mind. Taking the brunt of his punch, horror rounded my eyes at his sheer power. Flying into an open locker, I cupped my bruised stomach. Clenching my abs at the right time prevented my stomach from bursting. Struggling to my feet, Evie was losing her grip. Seeing the fear in her eyes should scare us all, Evie rarely showing her panic. Ignoring him, my bare feet pounded towards the wall, my mind flicking through the way she fought. Jumping onto the wall, a rush of musty air hit me the moment I pushed off. Losing her grip, my arms caught her in time. Shit! I didn't know how to land. Flipping behind me, she aimed us towards a nasty mattress. A cloud of dust obscured our landing, my rapidly beating heart thanking her for the help. Laying on her back, her chest huffed up and down.

"I can't keep fighting. He is too powerful." She admitted through a wall of tears, her bangs hiding her shame filled eyes. "I can't move." She was speaking the truth, her fingers not even moving. The golden energy faded away, his dress shoes clicking closer to us. Weak, I felt weak.

"Pick a fight with me, dickhead." Maser Nuit bellowed over the growls of the wolves, one weak nod making the wolves stand down. "I am the one challenging you for the throne. I am going to need a place to stay after this. Will give me a place to stay, Miss Evie?" Shooting him a weak thumbs up, his fingers curling around his silver dagger. The dagger transformed into a beautiful silver scythe, the King of Hell changing his direction. Crawling onto her knees, she poked her head over the pile of debris. Holding her in place, the King of Hell disappeared in a puff of silver ribbons. Returning his dagger back to normal, Evie jumped from her spot. Each clumsy step got her closer to Master Nuit, her body knocking him to the ground. The king's blades narrowly missed her head. Swinging her foot into his ankles, the king dropped to the cracked concrete. Flipping over him, she draped Master Nuit over her shoulders.

"I am going to pay for this later. We need to go. Come along my fanged friends. We can't win." She ordered sharply, fighting the urge to crash to the floor. "Follow the wolves." Dialing Master Nuit's phone, she passed the chain of events to him. Giving him a coded location, she tossed him his phone. Sprinting out the door, the wolves ran seamlessly through the trees. Struggling to keep up, Master Nuit flipped her off of her shoulder. Placing her on his back, he flashed me an apologetic smile. Trees crashed behind us, balls of pure energy whistled by our heads. This man was insane, every part of me hating this. At least my son was safe back at home. Running for way too long, we skidded into a rest stop. The king disappeared for real this time, Theros' hearse waited for us. Theros opened the doors, all of us piling in, taking Evie from Nuit. Theros protested as the pack of wolves climbed into the back. Padding over to her, they whined as the doors slammed shut. Crawling over to them, she allowed them to cover her in rough kisses. Laying down around her, she rested her head on the biggest one. The ash gray hair contrasted her hair. Curling into a ball, snores echoed in the air. A peaceful Evie slept on the wolf, Luce turning towards me. Relaxing back into his normal relaxed personality, all of us sank into our seats. Running his hand through his hair, his eyes twinkled with a restrained joy.

"You have a keeper." He commented with an eased grin, his fingers drumming on his lap anxiously. "Luce? Nice nickname. I'll let it fly. Thanks for coming through Grappy. We would be goners without you." Shooting him a thumbs up, he laid down next to Evie. Falling into a deep slumber, the other alphas' heads were bowed in a deep depression. Devin's lack of presence broke us all, his sad smile got us through loads of issues.

"Do you mind if we do a secondary ceremony in his honor when we get back?" Blake asked politely, his thumbs tugging on his destroyed shirt. "I would like to honor him specifically. He was my best friend." Evie jerked awake, her hands shifted through her boots. Tossing him a golden coin, Blake broke into a sobbing mess. Well, this was a rare sight.

"He said something about paying you back in the letter." She yawned groggily, not bothering to sit up. "I am sorry for your loss." Mouthing a silent spell, three golden wolves with Devin's name and dates of birth and death carved into the bottom appeared in her palm. Sitting up to pass them out, the other alphas cupped them as tears slid down the metal. Resting her hands on her knees, silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I hope you understand, I had to take care of his body right there. These statues are made with his ashes. Take care of them, 'kay." She explained as she collapsed back onto the wolf. "I am sorry for everything. I did my best yet I feel like I failed." Sobbing violently, the dam had burst. Crawling over to her, she let me cup her hands. So much fear rested in her eyes, the guilt eating her alive. An oppressive silence weighed down the ride home, the brakes squealing to a halt. Flying from the van, the wolves padded after her. Flying through the front door, a full pancake breakfast waited for us. A sullen seven year old girl stood behind the table with a stain covered apron, the girl slamming into Evie's legs.

"I can't wait for you to raise me. Devin always spoke so highly of you." She choked out brokenly, saying his name tearing her apart. "I am sorry for my behavior earlier. I promise to be a g-" Crouching down to her level, she lifted up her chin with her fingers. Hiding her other hand behind her back, golden energy swirled into another golden wolf. Smiling warmly at her, her bloody fingers wiped her tears away.

"I am so sorry for failing to save your aunt and your brother. Please know that I will always give my life to protect you." She wept softly, presenting the same wolf to her. "This is made from both of their ashes, so hold it when you miss them both. I am so sor-" The aunt's name appeared underneath Devin's, the girl hugging it to her chest. Kissing Evie's forehead, the pause in the sentence all made sense. Setting the statue aside, the girl cupped her face.

"I know you did your best. I hated you until you leapt in the way to protect me. I would be dead if it wasn't for you. Devin picked correctly. I can't wait for you to be my mother." She comforted sweetly, pecking her cheek. "Now go get cleaned up so you can eat something. I am going to take care of you." Her hands dropped to her side, the girl guiding her to the base of the stairs. How did this little girl disable her so quickly, the girl reminding me of her.

"Eat up, you guys." She chirped kindly, motioning towards the table. "Especially you, Mr. Hudson." Latia opened up the backdoor to let the wolves into the yard, all of them running onto the grass. Rolling around, they really reminded me of dogs. Gathering around the table, none of us could eat. Choosing to wait for Evie, a small ten minutes passed. A clean Evie came downstairs in one of my sweatshirts, the girl tailing not far behind. Flynn cooed in her arms, Evie pausing at the base of the stairs.

"This is Alyssa and she is a part of my family now. Please treat her as such." Evie announced proudly, Alyssa flashing a bright smile for a hot second. "Let's eat this meal in honor of our lost friend, especially since she told me that this is his favorite foods." Guiding her to the seat next to the head of the table, Alyssa plopped down. Making our plates, pride swelled in Alyssa's eyes as we ate the food. A flavor explosion burst on my tongue, her cooking nearly as great as Evie's. Settling into the meal, we all shared our memories of him. Feeling like an intimate funeral, this matched her general vibe.

Hours passed, the other alphas left. Aly tugged on Evie's sleeve, her bangs hiding her eyes. Master Nuit took the couch as Evie got down to her level. Trembling in her spot, the next words seemed to struggle to come out of her mouth. Has she always been afraid to ask for help?

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" She begged darkly, her wet eyes meeting Evie. "I don't want to be alone." Surprise rounded her eyes as I scooped her up, Evie laughing softly to herself. Resting her head on my chest, her fingers gripped my shirt. Snores echoed in my ears, sweet slumber having stolen the girl away. Evie leaned her head on my shoulder, tears flowing freely from her eyes. So much had happened to her, the fragility of her mind showing through the cracks.

"Do you think she will be okay?" Evie queried with a groggy yawn, checking on the wolves leaping into the woods. "Something tells me that they will be back tomorrow. I should make them some dog houses. We should build a home for Master Nuit and his people. I will draw up plans for tomorrow." Everything sounded doable, the house was getting a little too full in my opinion. Kissing her on the top of her head, we entered the bedroom. Laying Aly on the bed, Evie collapsed onto the bed. Telling her that I was taking a quick shower, the water cascaded over my bruised stomach. Cleaning up real quick, I tugged on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Stepping out to a wonderful sight, Aly had snuggled up to a sleeping Evie and Flynn. Evie draped her arms over the two of them, a space had been saved for me on the other side. Climbing in, Flynn woke up. Reaching for me, he cooed as I took him into my arms. Aly moved closer to Evie, the poor girl sobbing in her sleep. Exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids, sweet slumber stealing my son and I away.