The First King
Chapter 27

With a heavy sigh, Prew walked through the clearing. She would stop to look into the tents or under debris. This was to ensure that everyone was accounted for, whether dead or alive. But then she stopped as she neared one of the wolves who had perished. His mate was crying above his body, and it hurt her heart to watch. Prew reached down, whispering apologies to the she-wolf.

After embracing the woman, Prew continued in her search for any missing pack members. Once she had gone around the clearing, where most of the fighting took place, she went toward the cabins. The interior of the first cabin was torn apart, but after looking under everything, she confirmed that no one was there. The second cabin was also cleared, but she could hear crying as she approached the third. Prew hurried into the home, where she saw Ava lying on the floor. Behind her, under the bed, were two little kids.

“Rowan!” Prew shouted as she ran up to Ava. She placed her hands on Ava’s face, feeling that she was still warm and breathing. “Rowan!”

“I’m here!” He called out as he ran in. Then he froze upon seeing his grandmother on the floor. Rowan knelt down and helped Prew to look over Ava. There were streaks of blackness that went down her left arm.

“Lightning,” Prew gasped at the realization. “She was struck with lightning. Is she healing?”

“I don’t think so,” Rowan replied as he furrowed his brows. He gently scooped Ava up and set her on the bed. After others came in to take the children, Prew helped Rowan replace where the black streaks originated. They went up her left arm, across her shoulder, and down her chest until they ended at a scorch mark just above her left breast.

“Her heart…” Prew murmured as she looked at Rowan.

“No, no, no!” He cried as he placed a hand on Ava’s cheek.

“She is still alive,” Prew tried to assure him. “When Konrad gets here, we can have that witch help to heal her.”

“Except Sofia can’t heal this,” a voice said from the doorway. It was Jude, who stood there with Porter. Both were out of breath, their clothes soaked with sweat. “We can’t heal curses or lightning to the heart.”

“And where were you?!” Rowan bellowed as he stormed over to Jude. He tried to reach for him, but Porter got between them.

“They were in town,” Prew interjected as she glanced up. “Even on horseback, that is at least 30 minutes away.”

“Why was he in town having a grand old time while the rest of us were preparing to fight against his own kind?!”

“So… loud…” Ava rasped as her eyes fluttered open.

“Gran?” Rowan questioned as he hurried back to her side. He took her right hand in both of his. “I’m here.”

“It… it hurts,” Ava gasped between breaths. Lightning generated by magic was not like lightning during a natural storm. The magical version would linger in the body of its victim, electrifying them sporadically. For Ava, since the shot landed in her heart, the electricity was flowing through her veins with each heartbeat. Little by little, her body was growing weak.

“Is there nothing that can be done?” Prew pleaded as she looked at Jude. “Nothing to even ease her pain?”

“Her body would burn it off,” he said sadly. Medicine doesn’t work on wolves.”

“I’ll… be… fine,” Ava mumbled as she turned to look at Prew. Her hand shakily reached out, touching her cheek gently. “My… Luna…”

“Ava…” Prew cried as she leaned into her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t… be…”

“Where is Konrad?” Porter questioned as he looked at Rowan. “Please tell me he is close.”

“He says he isn’t far,” Rowan answered as he wiped his tears. “Gran, hold on for Konrad. He shall be here soon.”

“He better… be…” Ava stated firmly as she struggled to breathe. “I… have words… for that wolf.”

“I’m sure you do,” Rowan nodded as he kissed the hand he held.

While others were outside preparing their dead or moving their homes out of the forest, Rowan and Prew remained with Ava. With each breath she took, she would whimper in pain. Her fingers and toes had gone cold with the poor circulation. And each time she closed her eyes, everyone feared that she would not reopen them. But she needed to hold on… just a little longer.

As the sun began to set, a wolf came running into the cabin. It was Nero, breathing heavily as he stood at the entrance. After shifting, Konrad fell to his knees on the floor beside Rowan. Ava opened her eyes at the commotion, her lips curving into a small smile.

“My… Alpha…”

“I’m here, Gran,” Konrad stated as he kissed her cheek. He looked her over, noticing the scorch marks on her chest instantly. His mouth went dry as he let out a deep exhale. Rowan had mind-linked everything to him, but he could not believe that Ava was dying. He refused to believe it. And yet, now that he was here, now that he saw the black lines that streaked across her chest and left arm, he knew there was nothing they could do. But it still hurt. Like a knife to the heart, his world was falling apart again.

“Rowan,” Ava rasped as she looked at her youngest grandchild. “Do not… stay… under the shadow… of Konrad. Go… live your life. Be… an Alpha. Forge… your own path… in life.”

“And you… my foolish grandson,” Ava murmured as she looked over to Konrad. She took one of his hands and then one of Prew’s. “I hope… the two of you… can forgive… one another. Today… your wife… your Luna… saved your people.”

“And I shall forever be grateful to her,” Konrad whispered as he finally looked up at Prew. Her eyes were red from crying over his grandmother. And then he saw her arm, the blisters and burns that had not been treated.

“Do… more than that,” Ava pleaded as she put their hands together. “Love… one another.”

“Gran…”

“Do not… argue!” She stated firmly as her hands released them. “Please.”

“Alright,” Konrad conceded. “Don’t strain yourself.

Ava opened her mouth, but she could not replace the energy to speak. Her wolf had been working to keep her alive, but now her spirit was fading. The electric shocks kept going, heartbeat after heartbeat. With her soul now dead within her body, it would not take Ava long to go as well. But she smiled as she looked at the boys to her right. Though she did not always agree with Konrad’s choices, he was a good man; Rowan was a good man. She was hopeful for their futures, for what fate held for them. With one last exhale, Ava closed her eyes, finally feeling relief from the lightning as her heart stopped beating.

The room was silent as everyone held their breath. There was hope that she was still alive, but as the seconds passed, everyone soon realized that she was gone. Ava was no longer in pain, no longer suffering. But the loss of their grandmother was hard on the men. Rowan sobbed into the bed, his back trembling with each breath. Konrad choked back his tears, but he was hurting. Everything came flooding back: his parent’s death, the witches, the hatred and wrath. As fire danced through his heart and eyes, he looked up, freezing when he saw Prew. She was crying as she stroked Ava’s lifeless hand. Seeing her, not only physically hurt, but emotionally, it broke him. Prew loved his grandmother—and not just her, but all of his people.

Konrad stood from the floor and walked around the bed. He took Prew’s hands, pulling her up to her feet. While being cautious of her left arm, he embraced her tightly. She wrapped her right arm around him as he buried his head in the crook of her neck. As tears fell from his eyes onto her skin, her left hand slowly went up to his hair. Fighting through the pain, she did her best to console him.

“Thank you,” he whispered between his tears. “For everything.”

Prew pressed her cheek against the side of his head as her grip on him tightened. Her heart was breaking, not just for the pack or Ava, but for Konrad. Seeing him like this, broken and in tears, was hurting her more than her disfigured arm. Her wounds would heal, but how do you heal a man who has lost another family member? How do you mend the broken pieces of his heart and soul?

Konrad’s body relaxed against Prew’s warmth and attention. It made him realize that he wanted her; needed her. With each breath he took, the fire of hate within his heart was being extinguished. At this moment, the smell of blueberries on her skin and hair was comforting. Prew was the one thing keeping him grounded, keeping him from going crazy.

After some time, he pulled back to look at her left arm. There were so many blisters going from her elbow up to her shoulder, with scorched, black skin in between. He could see it in her eyes that she was in pain when he moved her arm. She attempted to look away, to hide that she was hurting, but Konrad took her chin and turned her back to meet his gaze.

“Go to Sofia to get your arm healed,” he instructed gently. “Rowan and I shall help with the pyres.”

“I want to help,” she argued with a hoarse voice.

“And you can, by getting this healed,” he stated as he pointed to her left arm. “Please.”

“Fine,” Prew whispered. “But after, I want to help you.”

Konrad gave her chin a gentle squeeze before releasing her. Rather than leave, Prew approached the bed, reaching out to Ava with a trembling hand. She touched Ava’s cheek and then smoothed out her hair. With a shaky exhale, she stepped back to Konrad. As she looked up at his downcast eyes, she could not help but lean in, kissing his cheek gently. With a pat on his chest, she exited the cabin.

Konrad closed his eyes as he listened to her walk away. When he could no longer hear her, he turned around to look at Rowan. His cousin was wiping his eyes, doing his best to compose himself.

“How many died?” Konrad questioned as he looked out the door.

“Four of ours,” Rowan murmured before clearing his throat. “And five witches.”

“Alright,” Konrad nodded. He placed a hand on Rowan’s shoulder and gently squeezed it. “Let’s go pick out a spot for the pyre.”

Konrad left the cabin, followed closely behind by Rowan. Outside, the atmosphere was both somber and chaotic. Human soldiers were gathering the bodies of the witches, tossing them onto the back of a wagon. Some wolves fought through their tears as they dissembled tents and packed up their homes. Then, there were some wolves who were bringing in large logs to create a pyre.

As he stood there, Konrad felt like everything was crumbling around him again. Bringing his pack here was supposed to be a new start, a place of safety and hope. But now, this place only felt of death and sorrow. This was not a spot where he wanted Ava’s ashes to scatter. He wanted not only her but his other fallen members to burn in a place of peace.

As Rowan went to help gather the dead, Konrad headed to the west. On the other side of the forest of sequoias was a valley. The grass was a mixture of deep browns and greens with dots of white from the remaining fall flowers. He glanced up to the sky, noticing it was clear tonight. The vibrant colors of the stars and the moon were shining down on the valley below, illuminating everything around. This was where he would lay his people to rest. In this valley, there was no pain or grief, no bloodshed or loss of life.

After choosing the location of the pyre, logs were brought out to the valley. Four stacks were made, with dried grass and herbs placed on top. As midnight approached, the bodies of the fallen wolves were brought out. They were wrapped in white cloth and then placed upon the pyres. After some prayers were said to the Goddess Bil, fires were lit. The sound of wailing filled the air as the ashes of the burned wolves floated into the night sky.

After the fires died down and all that remained were smoldering embers, the wolves began to make their way toward Sella castle. Tents scattered the once-perfect front lawn, establishing a temporary village for the pack. It was not an ideal setup, but it was safer compared to the woods. Once it was morning, more permanent homes would be located within the city a few miles to the east.

As the pack settled down, Konrad made his way inside the castle. He walked up the stairs but stopped as he got to Prew’s door. His bed chambers were further down the corridor, but he did not want to go there. A part of him did not want to be alone, not after everything that had happened. As much as Nero hated it, Konrad needed Prew. She was all that they had left. And even still, there was no guarantee they would still have her once this was all over with. Their relationship was built on so many lies that he was unsure if she even wanted to remain married to him.

With a heavy sigh, he knocked on her door. After a few tense seconds, the door to her room opened, revealing Prew in a gray, sleeveless night dress.

“Konrad?”

“Can I join you?” He questioned as his voice wavered.

With a gentle nod of her head, Prew stepped back, allowing for him to enter. Konrad walked in but stopped in front of her. He reached out, picking up her left hand. The night had been so busy, so chaotic, that he had not gotten to see how much Sofia was able to heal. But, to his surprise, there were no remnants of the burn. The blisters were gone; not even a scar remained. He ran his fingers up her arm, but the skin was soft to the touch.

Once at her shoulder, his hand didn’t stop; he felt along the top of her dress, up her neck, finally resting his hand against her cheek. Prew closed her eyes as she leaned against the warmth of his hand. Watching her relax into him brought a smile to his face.

“She is ours,” he stated to Nero. His thoughts were firm, and the tone almost threatening. Nero growled, but he did not reply. There was nothing that his wolf spirit could do. They had been rejected by Lorelei, and now nothing was separating them from Prew.

Konrad leaned forward until his lips were pressed against hers. Though his actions surprised Prew, she did not pull away. The kiss, Konrad’s lips, they were gentle. Her heart fluttered nervously at the sensations that traveled through her body. And she was left wanting more as Konrad pressed their foreheads together.

“I am so sorry,” he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her. “For all the lies and deceit. For all of the hurt and pain that I caused you.”

“It is done,” Prew replied as she opened her eyes to look at him. “What you did, what you said is in the past. I’d rather it stay there so that we can start over, on a clean slate. Something that we can build upon and actually make this work; make us work.”

“You want to still be with me?” He questioned as a lump formed in his throat.

“I am willing to try,” she stated, pulling back from his embrace. “But I will only give you one more chance—any more lies, hidden secrets, and I’m done. I will leave and go far away. I don’t care about the charter or the Leader Council. I care about your people, and even through all this, I care about you.”

“You care about me?” He inquired with a smile. “Is that all? Is there nothing more that you feel for me? Because there is so much more that I feel for you.”

“Well…” Prew mumbled as she looked away from his gaze. “It is rather late. Let’s table this conversation for a day when we aren’t as exhausted.”

“Alright,” Konrad uttered as Prew walked over to the bed. He went to the opposite side, lying under the covers beside her. At first, he assumed that she would sleep facing away from him, as she had done previously. But, to his surprise, she moved close to him, snuggling against his side. He wrapped his right arm around her, pulling her close until her head rested against his shoulder. As her hand went to his chest, he nuzzled the top of her head. Though there was more that he wanted to do, this was nice. It was comfortable to be lying with her, with her scent and the feel of her skin against his. This woman beside him was his; he would do anything to ensure it stayed that way. For she was his wife… his Luna… his chosen mate.

Did anyone else get sad at Ava's death? 😭 Made me want to call my Grandmother and tell her that I love her.