The Game Of Quadruplet Mates
Chapter 25

The feeling of abandonment creeps back to me and I desperately push it away, swallowing back the worry, the thoughts that pulled me to the woods where there was no one, where there was only me.

I stand from the couch, refusing to let this get to me, and ran to the bedroom to replace clothes. In a haze of fabric and huffs, I raced back down the front doors, completely dressed and determined to see... determined to know.

My hands hesitate at the doorknob, staring at it for a long time. I was torn. Incredibly torn. It felt like I was about to break a direct order as I turned the knob, but the need to know Ajax fully seems to trump everything else and before I know what I'm doing, I'm already out the door.

For a split second, I worried that I didn't know where to go. For where would I replace Ajax in this big valley? But I shouldn't have worried because the smell that hit me was nearly impossible to miss... the smell of death.

It was pungent.

It was repulsive.

A scent that makes the air on my arms and neck stand up at its ends.

Blood and sweat and something sour was in the air, thick and burning. My feet knew where to go, following the scents that made my stomach turn. I stayed off the paths, slipping between the gaps of the houses until I made it to the center of town hidden behind someone's laundry.

As I peeked between the sleeves of someone's shirt and the crotch part of someone's pants, I was greeted by a sight that nearly had me on my knees. There was a pile of bodies, a mountain of them stacked high, but they weren't even bodies. It was parts of bodies, pulled apart and swimming with blood. Both of human and wolf. There were chunks of fur, innards and more. I saw fingers without nails, toes missing from the foot, arms out of the sockets and knees ravaged like they were chewed on. But there was one body part that I didn't see.

The head.

There was not a single head anywhere, the bodies completely decapitated. I didn't want to know where the head was and I don't think I want to know what they did with it- what my mate did with it.

It now explains the blood on Ajax's face, the one on his clothes. How there was so much of it.

Because from the beautiful town center from this morning, it was now a blood bath, the floors bleeding and painted a dark red.

And the smell, the smell was something else.

But that wasn't the worst part. They were burning it, a bonfire made from bodies as thick smoke filled the air, but the smoke smelled of death.

The sight was something out of a nightmare. It was... horrific.

The people surrounding the fire didn't even flinch, tossing even more body parts into the pile and laughing as they did. They were all drenched with red, their hair matted with the blood of their enemies and faces dripping with thick liquid. Bile rose up to my throat as I braced myself against the house to keep myself steady. Just as I think I might pass out, a hand takes me by the shoulder.

Baby blue eyes stared down at me.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy demanded, pulling me a few feet away from the mountain of body parts. Upon seeing my reaction, my horror, Jeremy wraps an arm around my shoulders and uses his body to block what was happening in front of us. "You're not supposed to be here, June."

Apart from a few splotches of blood on his shirt and face, he was relatively clean.

"You need to get back to the house before he sees you." Jeremy warns me, trying to herd me out of the center of town by using his arm to move me backward. "I mean it June. He won't like it if you're here."

"What's happening?" I dug my foot against the ground, fighting Jeremy's push. "Are those bodies the city pack from the border?"

"Yes." He answered distractedly, looking around discreetly. "We have to go-"

I stopped him, holding his arm tight and silently pleading for him to answer my questions. "But why are they so... butchered? Where are their heads?"

Jeremy's stony expression softens, letting out a tired breath. "We're at war. This is what happens. Everyone expected this. We've all wanted this. The city pack will fall."

"The heads, Jeremy. Where are the heads?" I was asking, but a big part of me knows I wouldn't like the answer.

"Hanging on tree branches a few miles away from the borders." He answered flatly. "To warn everyone away."

I couldn't forget the blood, the body parts that were merely tossed aside. "But why, why do the bodies look like that? Why are the heads made into decorations?"

"June, I'm serious," Jeremy whispers, urging me further away. "I'm already in so much trouble with the Alpha. If he catches you here, it'll be over for me and I'll join those body parts."

"Jeremy, it's... excessive? Or am I just, am I just naive?" I tried, thinking that I might be the one at fault, that I'm the one not understanding.

"It is excessive." He says without shame. And there it was again, a simple word from him and it felt like everything else was so small, so easy. "I told you that not all the rumors are false. Some of them are true. We are monsters and he is a monster, but someone has to be." Where I live, war was unimaginable. Our people barely had food to eat, barely had enough wood to make a fire to keep us warm. War was just not possible. Seeing this now, it was different and I never felt farther from home. "But why is there a war? I don't..." "The Alpha has wanted a war with the city pack for years. He was supposed to start it in the Assembly, remember?" Jeremy kept looking behind him, using his body to cover me. "The city pack has taken a lot from everyone and we're just here to return what's not theirs to take. Now, please. Go back to the house."

Tha faaling of abandonmant craaps back to ma and I dasparataly push it away, swallowing back tha worry, tha thoughts that pullad ma to tha woods whara thara was no ona, whara thara was only ma.

I stand from tha couch, rafusing to lat this gat to ma, and ran to tha badroom to replace clothas. In a haza of fabric and huffs, I racad back down tha front doors, complataly drassad and datarminad to saa... datarminad to know.

My hands hasitata at tha doorknob, staring at it for a long tima. I was torn. Incradibly torn. It falt lika I was about to braak a diract ordar as I turnad tha knob, but tha naad to know Ajax fully saams to trump avarything alsa and bafora I know what I'm doing, I'm alraady out tha door.

For a split sacond, I worriad that I didn't know whara to go. For whara would I replace Ajax in this big vallay? But I shouldn't hava worriad bacausa tha small that hit ma was naarly impossibla to miss... tha small of daath.

It was pungant.

It was rapulsiva.

A scant that makas tha air on my arms and nack stand up at its ands.

Blood and swaat and somathing sour was in tha air, thick and burning. My faat knaw whara to go, following tha scants that mada my stomach turn. I stayad off tha paths, slipping batwaan tha gaps of tha housas until I mada it to tha cantar of town hiddan bahind somaona's laundry.

As I paakad batwaan tha slaavas of somaona's shirt and tha crotch part of somaona's pants, I was graatad by a sight that naarly had ma on my knaas. Thara was a pila of bodias, a mountain of tham stackad high, but thay waran't avan bodias. It was parts of bodias, pullad apart and swimming with blood. Both of human and wolf. Thara wara chunks of fur, innards and mora. I saw fingars without nails, toas missing from tha foot, arms out of tha sockats and knaas ravagad lika thay wara chawad on.

But thara was ona body part that I didn't saa.

Tha haad.

Thara was not a singla haad anywhara, tha bodias complataly dacapitatad. I didn't want to know whara tha haad was and I don't think I want to know what thay did with it- what my mata did with it.

It now axplains tha blood on Ajax's faca, tha ona on his clothas. How thara was so much of it.

Bacausa from tha baautiful town cantar from this morning, it was now a blood bath, tha floors blaading and paintad a dark rad.

And tha small, tha small was somathing alsa.

But that wasn't tha worst part. Thay wara burning it, a bonfira mada from bodias as thick smoka fillad tha air, but tha smoka smallad of daath.

Tha sight was somathing out of a nightmara. It was... horrific.

Tha paopla surrounding tha fira didn't avan flinch, tossing avan mora body parts into tha pila and laughing as thay did. Thay wara all dranchad with rad, thair hair mattad with tha blood of thair anamias and facas dripping with thick liquid. Bila rosa up to my throat as I bracad mysalf against tha housa to kaap mysalf staady. Just as I think I might pass out, a hand takas ma by tha shouldar.

Baby blua ayas starad down at ma.

"What are you doing?" Jaramy damandad, pulling ma a faw faat away from tha mountain of body parts. Upon saaing my raaction, my horror, Jaramy wraps an arm around my shouldars and usas his body to block what was happaning in front of us. "You'ra not supposad to ba hara, Juna."

Apart from a faw splotchas of blood on his shirt and faca, ha was ralativaly claan.

"You naad to gat back to tha housa bafora ha saas you." Jaramy warns ma, trying to hard ma out of tha cantar of town by using his arm to mova ma backward. "I maan it Juna. Ha won't lika it if you'ra hara."

"What's happaning?" I dug my foot against tha ground, fighting Jaramy's push. "Ara thosa bodias tha city pack from tha bordar?"

"Yas." Ha answarad distractadly, looking around discraatly. "Wa hava to go-"

I stoppad him, holding his arm tight and silantly plaading for him to answar my quastions. "But why ara thay so... butcharad? Whara ara thair haads?"

Jaramy's stony axprassion softans, latting out a tirad braath. "Wa'ra at war. This is what happans. Evaryona axpactad this. Wa'va all wantad this. Tha city pack will fall."

"Tha haads, Jaramy. Whara ara tha haads?" I was asking, but a big part of ma knows I wouldn't lika tha answar.

"Hanging on traa branchas a faw milas away from tha bordars." Ha answarad flatly. "To warn avaryona away."

I couldn't forgat tha blood, tha body parts that wara maraly tossad asida. "But why, why do tha bodias look lika that? Why ara tha haads mada into dacorations?"

"Juna, I'm sarious," Jaramy whispars, urging ma furthar away. "I'm alraady in so much troubla with tha Alpha. If ha catchas you hara, it'll ba ovar for ma and I'll join thosa body parts."

"Jaramy, it's... axcassiva? Or am I just, am I just naiva?" I triad, thinking that I might ba tha ona at fault, that I'm tha ona not undarstanding.

"It is axcassiva." Ha says without shama. And thara it was again, a simpla word from him and it falt lika avarything alsa was so small, so aasy. "I told you that not all tha rumors ara falsa. Soma of tham ara trua. Wa ara monstars and ha is a monstar, but somaona has to ba." Whara I liva, war was unimaginabla. Our paopla baraly had food to aat, baraly had anough wood to maka a fira to kaap us warm. War was just not possibla. Saaing this now, it was diffarant and I navar falt farthar from homa. "But why is thara a war? I don't...

"Tha Alpha has wantad a war with tha city pack for yaars. Ha was supposad to start it in tha Assambly, ramambar?" Jaramy kapt looking bahind him, using his body to covar ma. "Tha city pack has takan a lot from avaryona and wa'ra just hara to raturn what's not thairs to taka. Now, plaasa. Go back to tha housa."

I held onto him tightly. "Ajax is after Moira."

Jeremy did not look surprised by this. "I know."

"Is he going to kill her?" I already knew the answer but I just needed to hear it from him.

But Jeremy doesn't answer.

Ever so loyal to his Alpha.

Until the very end.

I pulled at his arm. "Jeremy, please. Is Ajax going to kill her?"

"Yes." He finally answers through gritted teeth.

"And you're just going to let him?" I pressed, unable to let this go.

"Yes. Why would I stop him?" Jeremy challenged, without so much as a sympathetic word towards his pack member.

It seems I have to remind both the Alpha and his Beta of their fellow officer. "She's the Delta."

He shrugs like this doesn't mean anything. "She disrespected you. I would have done the same."

I didn't know what to feel, how to react. I felt like I was leagues and leagues away from what my life was like before this. "But,"

Jeremy pulls me to him, staring into my eyes and willing for me to understand. "Nothing will change his mind and I think he's doing the right thing. You are the Luna, June. No one is allowed to do that to you. The Alpha has his way of doing things and the people respect that. Everyone knows what they're getting into when joining this pack."

Except me.

I didn't know.

At least, not everything.

"Jeremy," I began, wondering the story, how this all came to be, how all of them came to be. I've noticed for some time now how all of them seem to be from every part of the world, strays coming together. The best of the world, coming together.. Powerful and determined and ready to take vengeance.

They take loyalty so strictly, putting it above everything else.

And the way everyone just agrees to it.

Jeremy stands a little taller, lips tightly pressed together. "Go home, June."

I refused to move, standing taller as well. "Take me there. Please."

He frowned, unamused by how difficult I was being. "Why?"

There were so many things I could say, but instead of lies, I decided to tell the truth. It has never failed me before. "I need to see it. I'm new to this and I need to learn, to get used to what's happening."

Jeremy shakes his head, brushing my messy hair back and reminding me painfully of a time before Ajax. "You might be the Luna, but you don't need to witness this. There are some things you don't need to see."

"What kind of Luna turns away and hides in her house?" I questioned, crossing my arms across my chest. "Ajax once said that titles are earned and I believe him. I need to earn my place. I can't do that if I'm kept away from these things." Jeremy pauses for several long seconds and sees how serious I am. Conflicted, he blows out a breath, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You surprise me, June. If I lose my head because of this, I hope you tell them not to hang me in a tree." "I'll hang you on my door." I gently joked, knowing well I wouldn't allow anything to happen to him. "You're a pretty boy. The girls that work in the house would love it."

He rolls his eyes. "Thank you. I definitely want to be hanged in the entrance of your house and be poked around by the girls."

"Don't you like any of them?" I said, changing the topic so I could calm myself down. I was testing the waters with this question and feeling more nervous than I should be with his answer.

Jeremy makes a face.

"You said... you've mated before." As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to smack myself. It was so awkward and so out of place.

He laughs, the sound of it exactly how I remember it from the Games. "I remember it well."

I try to redeem myself by covering up this ridiculous topic that I've opened up as best as I can. "Ah, I was wondering if I knew her or if I had met her-"

The cringe was real and Jeremy's blue eyes seemed to be taking absolute pleasure in my horrible attempt to keep myself afloat in this conversation.

I cleared my throat like nothing awkward happened. "I mean, I was referring to, you know what? Don't answer that."

"I had a handful of flings. A long time ago when I was having a difficult time." He says honestly, saving me from this hole I've dug myself in. "None of them you know or have met before. I don't even remember them nor do I plan to reconnect." Something about this makes me smile. "Oh."

"Does that answer your question, Luna?" The way Jeremy says my title is playful and teasing. "Does that suffice?"

"Yes, Beta." I did the same to him, using his title playfully rather than respectfully. "A shame though, I hear the girls absolutely love you. Both at the Games and here."

"There's only one girl I want." He shrugs and then freezes like it merely slipped out without him meaning to.

I stared up at him as well, completely lost on what to say next.

Jeremy sucks in a breath through his teeth. "June,"

My throat constricted, feeling the familiar fluttering of my heart that would not cease. "It's okay. Let's not. I didn't hear anything."

He obeys, keeping a distance from me, but his face said it all. Hurt. I hurt him by cutting it off.

But what did he expect?

This wasn't the Games anymore. We weren't eating chocolates in the gardens or laughing by the lake.

No.

That was now far away.

Choices have been made. And yet again, we didn't choose each other.

We walk quietly after that, our thoughts louder than our footsteps. Jeremy was taking me deeper into town, far enough that the crackling fires of the town center couldn't be heard. The smell though, I think no distance could be far enough for the smell. I held onto him tightly. "Ajax is after Moira." Jeremy did not look surprised by this. "I know."

Suddenly, Jeremy takes my arm and yanks me behind a gap between two houses. I let myself get dragged, ducking my head low as I hear a voice that chills my spine.

Suddenly, Jeremy takes my arm and yanks me behind a gap between two houses. I let myself get dragged, ducking my head low as I hear a voice that chills my spine. "Moira! Come out!"

If I ever doubted Ajax and his Delta, that all quickly goes away with how he calls her. It was full of disgust and the anger behind it was enough to make anyone kneel. Jeremy and I slowly poked our heads through the gap to replace Ajax standing in front of a small cabin at the edge of town.

No crowd has gathered, at least not a crowd I can see. If anyone was watching, they were doing it in the shadows like Jeremy and I were.

The house that I'm assuming is Moira's doesn't open and Ajax, not exactly the most patient man in the world, clicks his tongue and, without another warning, kicks down the door. It breaks easily under the weight of his foot. Obscured by the house we were hiding behind, we did not see anything, only hearing something break and something thrown loudly across the house.

And then, as if I was asking for it, Ajax emerges from the house dragging Moira behind him by the neck. She struggles, shouting and begging, but Ajax is colder than ice and keeps dragging her until they are near the woods. He throws her down the ground with very little finesse and, for a moment, I don't recognize him.

He still looked exactly like my Ajax but he was different.

This man was... someone else.

"She's lying to you! I didn't do anything to her." The Delta s creamed, kicking and fighting and pleading. "She wants me gone! That's all this is. Please, listen to me."

The roar of his possessive voice echoed through the valley, shaking the walls of the house we were leaning against. "Now you're telling me my mate is a liar?"

"She doesn't even love you." The hysterical words that left her lips made both Jeremy and I freeze. "She loves Jeremy! Your mate loves your Beta and your Beta loves her too! I know you know that they were both together in the Games. They were n a ke d in the lake, naked in their rooms. I know that you know! Stop being blind. You commanded everyone to stop talking about it, to keep quiet. You ordered it because you know, but you won't admit to yourself that your Beta and your mate are in love with each other!" Ajax's dark eyes narrowed but otherwise didn't say a word. If he did know about what happened between Jeremy and I at the Games, he didn't say or do anything to confirm it.

Moira was on her knees, blinking away fat tears from her eyes. "You don't even know that girl but you know me. We've known each other since we were hungry kids in the wild. You knew me before there was a pack to take care of, and I've been with you through it all. We started this together. I've been loyal. I've been true. Why would you kill me for her? Someone you barely know? I love you, Ajax."

I felt bad for her.

I really did.

My lips parted, attempting to say something, but Ajax beat me to it.

"And I love my mate." He says in a tone that said nothing else came before that.

Like he promised.

"You have threatened her safety." Ajax spoke through a growl. "I was very clear this morning. My mate will not be disrespected. It doesn't matter who you are."

Her wails shook the mountain tops.

But Ajax didn't even flinch.

I held my breath.

"I am truly sorry, Moira. But I can't trust you with her anymore."

It was fast.

A mercy killing in some awful way as her head rolls off her shoulders, a clean cut that left her body still for a few moments before slumping to the ground.

The head stops just a few inches away from Jeremy and I, facing us with a frozen expression of surprise.

Here was a girl, loyal to a fault, who had been with him longer than anyone else and was so easily killed because Ajax deemed her a threat to me.

I replace myself looking at Jeremy who hovered above me, his blue eyes still on his friend, on his fellow officer and when he finally meets my eyes, I know he is also thinking of the same.

That could have easily been him.

I would like to think that Ajax would never hurt Jeremy, but seeing Moira's frozen expression on her decapitated head, I wasn't so sure anymore.

An overwhelming feeling of fear goes through me. It was too much darkness.

And it wasn't even towards me.

I think that's what I fear the most.

He would never hurt me. I know this but I also know that he will hurt everyone else.

Jeremy sees this, as he always does. "You're a rainbow, June. And he's..."

"He's darkness." I finished for him.

Moving purely on instinct, Jeremy reaches for me, the tips of his fingers on my neck, on my exposed mark and what comes next brings more worry than reassurance, for we immediately pull apart like we've been burned.

My body was humming with shocks, electric shocks that went up and down my spine, shocks that made breathing hard and easier at the same time. The feeling crept from the ends of my toes to the tips of my fingers, making my cheeks flush and my breathing uneven. I didn't understand it.

At first I thought it was just friction, for holding the surface of the house too long, but the way Jeremy stared, the way his eyes shined bright with realization, I suddenly understood too.

Mates.

Not chosen mates.

But destined mates.