Chapter Sixteen

[P.O.V. Adriana Braxton]

We have cleaned up the packhouse and the grounds the best we could. It was hard to fix things when they're a war going on. It also hard to get resources and food. Normally I could go to a grocery store. Not this time, the town was destroyed, giving us no food or resources. Why not go to the city or neighboring town? Well, simply because they have been destroyed too. For now, we will be fine over the last months preparing for this war. We have been storing food in our food storage. For when the war did hit, and these situations came.

On brighter things of this war, Katrina has had her baby. It a little boy she named him Gabriel Tyler Michaels. His super cute; he looks a lot like Tyler. Except he has black hair like his mama. Everyone that has stayed behind is excited about their future Beta being born. Kat told me that werewolves have their babies within four to five months, explaining how my stomach got a bump so fast. Also learned werewolves call their babies pups.

The day Kat had Gabriel, she somehow knew I was pregnant; she was excited. That news spread so fast everyone was excited. Because of Kat having Gabriel and me being pregnant. The pack members have been helping us out a lot. Jolene and Scarlet had been gushing over Kat and me the worst.

Feeling nothing but drained from exhaustion. From everything that has been going on. Finishing up helping an older woman in my pack, her name is Jenna. Been helping her prepare dinner.

"Why don't you go lay down for a while Luna Adriana. I can handle the rest of the cooking from here." Elder Jenna suggests.

"I can finish helping." Offering back to her with a hint of sadness in my voice. I have been working so hard around here. Only because it helps me forget the emptiness I feel without Zyston here.

"Hmm... I see." She says, continuing to stir the gumbo.

"See what?" Looking up at her from making scones.

"I know that look."

"What look?"

"The look from missing your Mate. When my Mate would go away to war or died from the last war, I would always push myself through many work. To avoid the emptiness, I felt it eventually stop working. The emptiness was swallowing me whole. I couldn't stand it, so I ask Mother Moon to help me. I had three pups to take care of all on my own. I didn't have the option to go insane. She answered me; all she said to me was remember the good times. Listening to my Moon Mother, I would fill the tub with hot water and bubble bath. I would remember all the wonderful times My Mate and I had together, and it worked. So every night, I would do this. It was the only thing that kept me from going insane. Don't get me wrong; there were some bad days. On those days, you just got push through." I didn't know what to say; instead, I just listened.

"My point is I am going to give you the same advice Moon Mother gave me. Instead of thinking and feeling how sad you are without him. Trying thinking of a good time that You and alpha had together. Remember how it made you feel, and once you feel it. Grab onto it and let warm the emptiness you feel." Taking the tongs out of my hand, she places them on the counter. "Now, you are going to get some rest, and don't forget what I told you. I will come to get you when it's time to eat."

Smiling at her and shaking my head in understanding. I head upstairs to my room, grabbing my iPod putting on Finally//Beautiful Stranger by Halsey. Laying on the bed and snuggling with the lack hoodie Zyston gave me. Remembering the time Zyston and I danced in my living room to this song. When I was living in Scarlet's and Jake's house, a time before I knew about werewolves, that day, I was having a bad day from work. He picked me up and drove me home. We even had a small fight, and after the fight, he asked me to dance. First, I thought he was crazy, but somehow it made me feel better. Remembering good times, I fell asleep without feeling the emptiness.

A loud bang waking me up, jolting up quickly. Tanasha was leaning against the door, breathing hard. Holding onto her side, she was bleeding. Pulling my earbuds out and sitting up.

"Tanasha, what's a matter?" Asking her worriedly. She looks at me and kneels in front of me.

"The Dark Army is here. Whatever happens, you and Katrina must escape. You two are holding the future." She says, breathless and in pain.

"You are not making any sense." Panic in my voice.

"Zyston journey is to defeat the great darkness. Yours is to find the sword that will help Zyston kill the great darkness. Don't head to the Stone Kingdom right away. Instead, head towards where the old kingdom once stood. You will find the sword, and there is where you will find the crowns of the fallen King and Queen. The stones in the crowns are the power the sword needs. The sword will be in the Fallen King's tomb. Remember, some things can look deceiving." The door flies off the door hinges, and there stood the man. What possessed my body months ago, Alexander.

Tanasha stands up in front of me and protects me. Getting up quickly, putting on my tennis shoes.

"Come now, Oracle, let me take the Luna of your hands. And you will have a quick death." Alexander says darkly.

"You will never have her!" Tanasha yells. Grabbing a dagger out of her boot, they attack each other. "Run! Adriana!!"

Moving across the bed to the balcony doors. Climbing down the packhouse. Getting to the ground, I couldn't believe my eyes were seeing. Women, the elderly, and children being slaughter there screams, filling the night air. A fire in the packhouse giving off enough light like a giant torch.

Running towards the forest tree line. A dead rogue stops right in front of me, stopping dead in my tracks. It growls with poison drooling out of its mouth. Its hair was matted and disgusting smelling. I could see some of its bones from where it body decade. It jumps towards me. I was ready to defend my baby and me. Before it could even touch me, Gilo tackles on top of it and rip its heart out and crushes it. Its heart wasn't fleshed; instead made out of dirt, moss, and sticks, with poison coming out instead of blood. Getting off it, he wipes off his hand and walks towards me.

"You alright?" Gilo asks. Nodding my head, yes. Shiloh and Milo run towards me. With Katrina holding Gabriel and Scarlet, Jolene and five other pack members following behind.

"We got to go!" Shiloh yells. Moving from where I stood, Shiloh, Milo, and Gilo fighting the Dark Army while heading towards the forest line. Once safe in the tree line, we get further away.

Stopping to rest for a few minutes, we could see a huge white light shine in the sky. The sound of a High pitch screams echoing. With huge waves, a wind knocking us all to the ground.

"The Oracle dead," Shiloh says bluntly. "We need to keep going." We all get back up and hike away further.

After a few hours of hiking, we make a fire and sit around it. Thinking of the 100's of pack member's and town's people that just died. Also trying to make sense of the words Tanasha said to me. Sitting around the fire quietly.

The silence is broken when the sound of wood falling on the ground. Looking up from the fire, Jolene stood there with the firewood at her feet. She looked pale, with tears streaming down her face. Her legs quivering, she collapses to the ground. Katrina, Scarlet, and I were in front of her fast. Trying to understand what was wrong with her. She was crying in full sobs, crying her Mates's name.

"Joseph..." She kept sobbing. Then all of a sudden, she grabs where her mate mark is and yells painfully. My heart was beating so hard from not understanding. We all hugged her while trying our best to comfort her. After some time, she stops yelling and crying. She looked dead inside. She gets up and walks away. I was mind blown from trying to understand.

"Joseph didn't make it," Katrina said sadly. Her mating mark is no longer there. Now I understand why she screamed. Half her soul was torn apart.