The rain falls hard causing the terrain to become perilous and difficult to navigate, but Rose Mazur won't let that stop her. The huntress holds the reigns of her mare, Serena, tightly with her right hand and steers her through the forest, both of them moving in a blur. Rose breathes heavily behind her helmet as if she is doing the running, but she feels the fear of never seeing her beloved again gripping her heart. Ducking her head low to avoid a branch, Rose continues to chant in her head the words of Dimitri: Do not stop until you reach the valley, and do not look back no matter what you hear or see. She closes her eyes briefly and takes a deep breath of rain and moist earth. After bursting into the scene and decapitating the rogue in Dimitri's hold, it took all of Rose's strength to just turn around and ride away. If she didn't trust Dimitri with all of her might, she would have argued ardently to stay by his side. But her Russian werewolf has proven to be a master tactician. He has thought of everything from the silver armors of the horses to the actual battle plan.
While he distracted the rogues, Adrian, Christian and other Guardians went around Baia to a nearby valley where they wait for Rose to lead the eight rogues chasing after her in the dark to their death. As Isaiah ranted about his plans to rule the world, Dimitri's pack shifted and moved stealthily, surrounding the rogues, leaving them no way out. Rose and everyone else had to wait for Dimitri's signal though; they waited patiently for the first rogue to attack, whom they hoped would be Isaiah, then Dimitri would roar. Rose was the first to snap into action. She rode fast and sure and with a single swing of her sword, decapitated the rogue. Now she rides away from her beloved silently wishing him good luck and that Isaiah's head rolls tonight.
But if she is fast, she will return to Dimitri's side and help him end this once and for all. With her resolve stronger and burning in her veins, Rose digs her heels into Serena's stomach urging her to move faster. The rogues pant as they struggle to catch up to their dinner. They don't care that Isaiah commanded the huntress to be captured alive. All the beasts want is to tear through her succulent flesh, drink her warm and youthful blood that will give them more strength. Savoring the power, the rogues snarl at each other as they scramble to be the first to taste Rosemarie Mazur. One of them, the eldest of the group, uses a tree trunk to propel itself forward. The rogue growls in gleeful malice as it runs next to Serena. Its mouth salivates as it hears the huntress heart beating wildly in her chest.
Lightning illuminates the sky followed by the thunder shattering the sky just as the rogue opens its mouth to bite off Serena's front left leg. Rose, holding her sword with her left hand, swings down on the rogue, splitting its head in half with the sharp edge. And now there are seven left. The beasts don't even seem to realize their companion has fallen. If anything, the death of their brother encourages them to move faster. Perhaps they are happier that there's one less to share the prize. Rose shakes her head when she hears the rogues carrying on the chase, jumping over the body of the dead rogue like it's nothing. The rogues' disregard for any form of life never ceases to amaze Rose, just like the striking differences between the beasts and Dimitri's pack, her pack. All the time she wasted hunting the wrong kind of evil. Hopefully, tonight she can make up for her past mistakes.
The lack of panting and snarling pulls the huntress abruptly out of her self-loathing thoughts. She doesn't hear the rogues' paws splashing mud and water all over as they chase her. Do not stop, do not stop, do not stop Dimitri said. Even as she whispers the words to herself, Rose begins to pull Serena's reigns, slowing down the mare. Nervous, the mare trots in place as the huntress lifts the visor of her helmet and looks everywhere. Her eyes strain to separate the shadows of the trees and the rogues through the pouring rain. Sweat breaks across her brow as she curses silently under her breath. Where did they go? Did they realize Rose is leading them to an ambush? Did they go back to the battle going on in the castle grounds?
A simple task. Dimitri gave her the simple task of being bait and separating a small group from the rest. And she can't even do that. Just as she is considering going back to Dimitri, a branch comes crashing down missing Rose and Serena by mere feet. As the mare neighs indignantly and fearfully, Rose looks up at the trees, and the lightning in the sky allows her to see the shadows of the rogues jumping from tree branch to tree branch moving swiftly and stealthily. With another expletive in her lips, the huntress incites Serena to resume the chase. Every once in a while, Rose glances up to make sure the rogues are still there. In the darkness, it is hard to keep track of the beasts, so it takes both Rose and Serena by surprise when a rogue jumps directly in their path. The mare comes to an abrupt halt and stands on her hind legs. Rose tugs at the reigns and turns Serena around.
"Shit, shit, shit," Rose mutters under her breath as she realizes that the rogues are leading her back to the castle grounds and away from the valley. If only she hadn't stopped, she would be ahead of the rogues even if they move faster over the trees. The wheels in her mind begin to turn as Rose tries to come up with a plan that will take her back to the original plan. Meanwhile, the rogues begin to drop from the trees, falling closely behind Serena. It's only a matter of time before the mare tires and the rogues catch her. When a plan hits her, the huntress stifles a groan. The plan is rather suicidal; so many things could go wrong, but there's no other option. She closes her eyes briefly, steeling herself for what is to come next.
Heart racing, palms sweating, Rose tugs hard on the reigns and turns Serena around once more. Now they are back on track towards the valley while the rogues are still running towards the castle grounds. Rose maneuvers the mare to miss the claws of the passing rogues. A false movement or a slow act can cost Rose and Serena their lives as well as Dimitri's and the others'. The last rogue pushes itself off the ground, human hands with animalistic claws stretched out to knock Rose down and mouth open to sink its teeth into any exposed flesh. Taken by surprise, the huntress watches frozen as the rogue comes closer in what feels like slow motion. Suddenly, a blur of red collides with the rogue in the air. Both werewolves fall to the ground rolling in the mud snarling and yelping as blows are exchanged. Rose doesn't have the chance to find out who wins as much as she wants to. This time, she will stick to the plan. No matter what you hear. She hears the dying howl of a wolf. Praying that Mason made it alive, Rose pushes Serena to move faster as the sound of running water is closer. The valley is not far now.
A werewolf jumps from the trees to Rose's right. She stifles a shriek when she realizes it is only Mason joining her. Letting out a sigh of relief, Rose smiles behind her helmet and out of the corner of her eyes inspects the red coated werewolf. He doesn't look injured, and that's all Rose needs to know.
"Thank you, Mase," the huntress pants knowing he will hear her as clear as day. "By the way, you have a bit of blood on your fur." Rose fights the urge to giggle at the way Mason's fur drips blood of the enemy. On the other hand, Mason only grunts by way of response as if saying now is not the time for jokes. The huntress makes a fake pout that is lost behind her helmet. "You are no fun."
Both of them turn back to business though, when the six rogues remaining growl in the distance at being outsmarted by a human. Soon enough though, the rogues gain enough ground to once more be mere feet away from the huntress and Mason. But Rose is not worried; the valley is just ahead.
Through the valley runs a narrow and shallow river. Along that river, chamomiles grows abundantly, its aroma thick in the air hide the scent of Adrian Ivashkov, Christian Ozera and seven other Guardians hiding behind tree trunks. Sweat breaks across their foreheads behind their helmets as they wait for Mason to return with Rose and the rogues. Adrian doesn't know what possessed him to take Belikov's offer. Well, he knows Belikov didn't offer him anything; Rose managed to twist the situation to her advantage. For some reason, after all Adrian has done to her, she wants him to be free and alive. With a shake of his head, Ivashkov shoves aside the guilt and grips the sword tighter in his left hand. Fucking Belikov, Adrian scowls as he glares at his bandaged right wrist. He knows he is at a disadvantage with a single functional hand, one swollen eye, and several ribs possibly broken. Adrian sighs rather loudly earning a sharp glare from Christian. Ivashkov rolls his eyes and once more regrets joining this fight. With every muscle in his body throbbing painfully at the moment, the pouring rain, and the agonizing wait, Adrian wishes he had stayed in the dungeons to rot forever. But this is the only chance he will get to exert his revenge. Sacrifices must be made.
On the other hand, Christian's only goal is to kill the ugly fucks as quickly as possible. He has a feeling in his gut that something will go wrong tonight. For some reason he can't explain, Christian feels that Lissa will need him before the night is over. The anxiety to return to his beloved is burning deep within him. He wishes he could jump out and meet the rogues as they come. But Belikov gave orders, and if they are in his land, Christian must obey and wait for Rose to lead the rogues to them. As if conjuring her with his mind, Rose and her mare race through the valley splashing water everywhere. Next to her rides Mason covered in blood and not far behind are the rogues with their mouths dripping drool, eyes flashing red, and teeth bared. With a battle cry erupting from the hunters and the Guardians lips, they all jump out to attack the unsuspecting and surprised rogues.
Rose comes to a halt several seconds later. She turns around to catch the fight as it starts. By now, two rogues are down bleeding into the river. However, the four that are left, fight with more desperation and fierceness. One of the beasts manages to rip a Guardian's head off. Angered, both Mason and Rose set out to join the fight and be done once and for all. Mason is the first to join the battle. He jumps over the beast that decapitated the Guardian and now feasts on his flesh. Rose searches for someone in need of help. She catches Adrian struggling to move fast after the beat up he received by Dimitri. Unsheathing the other sword at her hip, Rose sets out to help Ivashkov, but she comes to a stop when she sees six more rogues jump out of the forest. More have come to join.
Racing to meet the coming rogues instead, Rose is suddenly shoved. The powerful push sends the huntress flying where she collides with a tree. The armor softens the blow but not by much. Her back hits the trunk and her head snaps back with the force causing the neck piece to dig into her flesh. She tastes blood in her mouth as she hits the ground with a thud, the air leaving her lungs abruptly. Gasping for air and her vision going blurry dancing with dark spots, Rose removes the helmet and tries to make sense of what happened. Something shoved her; a rogue no doubt. But where did it come from? They newly arrivals were far from her and the others were engaged in the fight. The air comes slowly and she tries to suck as much as she can. A wet twig snapping nearby distracts Rose from the searing pain in her lower back, nape, and chest. Looking up, a rogue stalks slowly towards her. His eyes, never wavering away from her, are a mixture of red and… hazel.
Scrambling to a sitting position despite the pain, the huntress' hands searches for her swords, which must have fallen as she flew, but the rogue doesn't like the movement. It makes him nervous, so he growls at her. Rose stops moving and swallows loudly. He knows who she is. Eddie remembers her. They grew up together, and he knows how good she is with a sword. He remembers he didn't want her to be a huntress. She was too precious to be tainted with death and blood. Rose is his sister, and he doesn't want to kill her. But he has orders. Baring his teeth, Eddie moves closer loving the sound of her heart hammering against her sternum. Being honest, he has come to enjoy the smell of fear of his victims as much as the taste of blood and flesh.
"Eddie," his victim calls out his name in a voice void of fear. There's an emotion in her voice all right, but it's not the emotion he expected and desired. He comes to a stop surprised and genuinely curious. "Eddie. You have to snap out of this. Fight! I know you are in there. It is me, Rose. You know me."
He shakes his head as foreign feelings assault him. Who is Eddie? Who is Rose? Eddie is me, he thinks. I am Eddie. Images flash through his mind: the night he was bitten by his Alpha. No, Isaiah wasn't his Alpha then. Abe Mazur was his Alpha. More images, farther from the past play before his eyes: his mother's blood seeping through the floorboards under which he was hidden the night his home was destroyed. The inhuman howling of a monster; a monster with red eyes. Eddie hates that monster.
Then he sees a brown eyed girl laughing as she runs away from a blue eyed boy. The way her eyes glisten with tears of joy, the corners of her mouth turned upwards showing her full teeth. And the blue eyed boy screaming her name annoyed by her. Then a small, young Eddie, walking calmly behind them amused by their shenanigans. But Eddie was always alert. Always watching her to make sure no harm came to her. He loves her, and she loves him. They are a family. He got his family back. And again, it's being torn away from him by the same monster.
Rose watches in silence as Eddie clearly struggles. He whimpers quietly and every once in a while shakes his head. The red in his eyes seems to weaken and fade, giving way to the hazel she knows. Slowly, she crawls towards Eddie ignoring the screams going on in the background. If she doesn't save him now, it may be too late later. Besides, saving Eddie means one less rogue to fight. With hands sure and steady, Rose reaches out for him. The movement catches Eddie's eyes, and after hesitating for a while, he leans forward to press his snout to the palm of her right hand. She strokes his nose gently and smiles.
"Please, fight. Please come back to us." She whispers since she can't trust her voice as the tears glisten in her eyes.
But before the red completely leaves Eddie's eyes, an arrow goes through his left shoulder. He throws his head back and roars in pain and anger. Surprised, Rose jumps back and looks for the source of the arrow feeling pissed off that the progress Eddie was making was interrupted. A Guardian stands several feet away struggling to load the crossbow again.
"Eddie, do not…" But before Rose finishes her protest, Eddie jumps towards the Guardian and rips both of his arms off. "Shit!"
Snapping back into action, Rose jumps to her feet and searches wildly for her swords. She finds them at the edge of the river and just as she is about to take off, Eddie jumps in front of her again. The crimson dominates his eyes once more while the blood of the Guardian drips from his teeth and hands. At this point, the huntress knows it is no use talking to Eddie. She needs to tie him up or something. She has to think fast before… Mason jumps on Eddie immediately knocking him down to the ground. Rose stifles a shriek, knowing screaming and crying won't solve the problem. She has to act. Now. Her eyes focus on the crossbow in the severed arm of the Guardian not far from her. Suddenly, she gets an idea that while it is not the best, it will do. She only hopes that Eddie forgives her one day.
Grabbing the crossbow, she scans the scene quickly. She finds Christian fighting clumsily with half of his armor torn off and bleeding profusely from his stomach. Nearby is Adrian, who seems to have gotten used to his left hand by now, cutting down rogues like slicing warm bread. Out of the nine rogues Rose counted before she was pushed by Eddie, three remain. Out of the seven Guardians, only two remain. The huntress knows that the three rogues can still do damage if they are not taken out soon. Giving a quick glance in Mason and Eddie's direction, she makes sure neither of them has killed each other, yet. Satisfied, she loads the crossbow with tree arrows stained by the blood of the dead Guardian.
Her lips form a hard line as she closes her right eye and holds the crossbow high and close. Taking a deep breath, her eyes focus on the skull of the rogue battling Christian. Exhaling, the huntress pulls the trigger and one of the arrows whooshes through the air and in a matter of seconds becomes engraved in the skull of the monster. Christian sways a little, weak from the blood loss and the fervent fighting. He sighs is relief when he sees Rose aiming the crossbow on the next rogue. When the remaining two are disposed of thanks to her arrows, they rush to each other's sides. Despite the pain all over his body, Christian pulls Rose into a bone crushing hug and closes his eyes sending a brief thanks to the heavens for keeping Rose alive. He had seen Rose flying through the air and colliding with the tree. The fear had gripped his heart. His fighting had become more desperate and clumsy, but he knew he had to get to Rose's side especially when the rogue started stalking her.
"Are you all right?" Christian asks out of breath stepping back to look his friend over.
"Yes. I wish I could say the same about you. What happened?" As she asks, she makes sure to watch Eddie and Mason still fighting each other mere feet away from them.
"Does not matter right now. We must take out Eddie." Christian's face hardens, but Rose can see the hurt in his eyes to think of taking out their childhood friend, brother, and lifelong companion.
"I have a plan," Rose confides in Christian, the other two Guardians, and Adrian her plan. Christian looks impressed and rather relieved. While Adrian does not look pleased, and he is quick to express his lack of concern for the well-being of Eddie.
"He has to die. He is no different from all the other rogues you have killed tonight! Burn him!" Adrian shouts at Rose, but she ignores him as she hands the Guardians and Christian their own crossbow. "I am not risking my life for him!"
"Then go!" Rose whirls around and snarls at him, her eyes narrowing, filled with disgust. "You have completed your side of the bargain. Help Dimitri in the fight, and you are free to go. Nothing is holding you back now. Just know that if the roles were reversed, Eddie would do anything to help you. We are all friends, family."
Once she is done scolding Adrian, Rose turns around to meet Christian's eyes briefly. Christian says nothing to defend Adrian, for he knows that Ivashkov has done wrong. Lissa filled him on everything, and Christian will be lying if he didn't admit he's pissed off with Adrian. Even more so now that when they have a way to help Eddie, Adrian is being an ass. Ivashkov takes a deep breath and steps closer to Rose, who is now loading another crossbow with chained silver arrows.
"Think about it," Adrian whispers close to Rose's ear. "You are wasting your time. Your Russian might need you, and you are wasting time trying to save Edison. Now, if you actually go through with this, these contraptions are unpredictable and if they work, shooting the boy you are trying to save with silver might kill him. Do yourself and him a favor and kill him already. He will thank you."
The huntress ignores him and finishes loading the crossbow which, as Adrian explained, is unpredictable. The trigger could get stuck, the string could snap with the force of the chains, or the chains could obstruct the flight groove. And then yes, Eddie could die with the amount of silver Rose is thinking of shooting him with. Many things could wrong, but the huntress' mind is made up. She will go through with this because as she said, if the roles were reversed, Eddie would do anything for her, for any of them. With a nod in the Guardians and Christian's direction they move forward looking for Eddie and Mason who have disappeared down the river, judging by the sound of snarling and the trail of blood.
"I have thought about it," Rose says to Adrian over her shoulder, "and I am going to save Eddie."
Adrian sighs annoyed but follows the others anyway, mostly because he hasn't gotten his revenge yet and because he doesn't know how to get out of this Godforsaken place. The huntress and her companions move slowly. The rain has finally let up, but they are all still soaked to the bone with both rain and blood. Not too long after, the huntress and company come to a stop and see the two werewolves still fighting. Both of them have deep blows and are bleeding profusely. The only one that looks tired though is Mason. Eddie carries on as if he could do it all night until one of them is dead. At the rate they are going, Mason won't last much. Rose knows that time is precious; her friends are dying. Her family and beloved are in danger. Without wasting time and taking advantage of how absorbed both werewolves are in the fighting, Rose signals for her companions to move into position. Christian limps away to her right while the other two Guardians go to her left. Once they are surrounding the fighting werewolves, the huntress raises her crossbow and nods for the others to do the same.
"Fire!" She shouts after keeping a close eye to Eddie's right hand making sure she doesn't shot Mason. Four arrows are fired at once; one to Eddie's right hand, to his left, and two to each leg. Eddie roars surprised and pained as the silver arrow goes through the bone, stinging. "Pull!"
Rose, Christian and the two Guardians pull at the chains attached to the silver arrows, each shot respectively. Eddie pulls too and struggles to free himself from the chains as his attackers tug at his limbs. Rose digs her heels into the mud to keep from slipping as Eddie tugs his hand. The others do the same gritting their teeth at the force they are exerting to keep a hold of their chains. Adrian rolls his eyes still annoyed at their naivety. Still, he moves slowly towards Christian whose arrow went through Eddie's left leg. Together, Adrian and Christian pull the chain causing Eddie to bend his leg forward and fall on his knees. Rose and the Guardians take advantage of Eddie's current position to step forward and chain him up with more silver chains. They work fast before Eddie has the chance to get back up and tear them all to shreds. Mason, despite his injuries, moves forward and stands on top of Eddie to keep him down longer and growls menacingly. Once Eddie is secured enough and tied to a tree, Rose sighs in relief that by now he is too weak from the blood loss and the silver to move. They won't have to kill him, for now.
"I am going back to help Dimitri. All of you stay here to watch him." Rose says once she has everyone gathered. "I will send for you once it is over."
"I am not staying," Christian tries to hide his grimace of pain as he moves towards Rose and Serena. "I am fighting too."
"You are in no condition, Christian. Besides, I do not want Isaiah to take over your mind, too." The huntress bites her lower lip in concern for Christian. Even though Christian did not explain how he was injured, she knows. He was bitten. He must have gotten distracted because there is no way a hunter like Christian would ever be bitten. However, she has faith that Dimitri will be able to control Christian like he has done with Sydney. If Isaiah doesn't die tonight though, Christian will be persecuted by Isaiah. With a shake of her head, Rose climbs on Serena. "Do not let him escape or hurt him." She says turning to Adrian.
Adrian snorts and mounts on his own horse as well. "You may order Christian and the others around but not me. I am going with you."
"Why?" Rose asks suspiciously narrowing her eyes on him. "You can go home now."
"Not until I see every monster die. They killed my family. This is my time for revenge, too." The hunter's eyes darken and become unfocused as the hatred and thirst for revenge consume him. While it concerns Rose how close Adrian is to losing his mind, she knows she can't deny him this. Like Adrian, Rose has lost many loved ones, and she understands the desire to hold Isaiah's life in her hands. And perhaps this will set Adrian's mind to rest. Perhaps seeing Isaiah dead will finally give Adrian the peace he needs to forgive, heal and move on from all negative emotions and feelings.
Nodding her head in consent, Rose turns to Mason. Before she can order him to stay behind in place of Adrian and guard Eddie, Mason whimpers then lets out a loud and wrathful roar. The horses neigh fearfully while Rose and the others cover their ears. No one has a chance to formulate a thought before Mason is dashing up the river back towards Baia. Seeing Mason's urgency triggers something in the huntress' heart: dread. What would make Mason so upset if not the death of his Alpha? No, Dimitri is not dead. He can't be. With that last thought bouncing around her head, Rose feels the air knocked out of her as she urges Serena to follow Mason. Faintly, the huntress hears the sound of another horse following her closely. She doesn't look back though. Her eyes blurred with tears are focused ahead.
Dimitri is not dead. But he soon will be. Isaiah has gotten the best of him. The fight seemed to end several times. Dimitri landed deadly blows that should have killed Isaiah. For some reason, the demon refuses to die. Isaiah would get back up and land his own deadly blows on Dimitri, who has more than half of his ribs broken, a broken leg, several gashes down his stomach and face. Isaiah sports a wound on his neck, his left arm is of no use anymore as it has been almost torn off, and his back has been shredded to show the bone. By some miracle, both of them have managed to survive. However, Isaiah managed to knock Dimitri down taking advantage of Dimitri's broken right hind leg. Standing over Dimitri Belikov, Isaiah gives his own version of a malicious grin.
"Thank you," Isaiah begins his victory speech as he grips Dimitri's head. "Thank you for fighting so valiantly. You have entertained me greatly and proven to be a worthy opponent." Isaiah begins to dig his claws into Dimitri's head. Dimitri growls as the pain intensifies. "I would not have expected less of you. After all, you are our creator, our original Alpha. But the student has surpassed the master." Isaiah chuckles inwardly and continues to crush Dimitri's skull. "I told you I would torture you, but I think I will let you rest. Instead, I will have double fun with your whore. How does that sound?"
"It sounds like you should limit yourself to killing instead of ranting," Dimitri replies just as Mason jumps from the darkness and knocks Isaiah off the Alpha. Even though his every muscle aches, Dimitri rolls over and gets to his feet. Around him, the others fight rolling around, mud covered in blood, snarling and howling as loudly as the thunder over his head. The Alpha takes a quick assessment of the situation. At first, Dimitri and his pack seemed to have the upper hand since the rogues were surprised when they found themselves surrounded. Eventually, the rogues convalesced from the shock and their fighting became as brutish as they are. In the course of the night, Dimitri's pack has decreased severely.
Ignoring the feeling of fear, Dimitri focuses on Isaiah. If the leader of the rogues is taken out, Dimitri can bring the others back under his influence. As he sets out to aid Mason, who is barely avoiding the blows of Isaiah, Dimitri stops as he picks up the sound of hooves and… paws. Rose comes out of nowhere just like Mason did. She comes to an abrupt halt as her eyes desperately seek the brown fur of her beloved. When she can't find him, she panics but her eyes rest on a werewolf standing not too far from her. Rose can barely recognize Dimitri since his brown fur is completely drenched in blood. The dam in her eyes threatens to break when she sees the wounds all over him, but she knows she can't cry. Instead she focuses on the relief that her beloved is still alive. The Alpha also takes another second to look over his Roza. Twigs and leaves are tangled in her wild, messy hair; her hands and face are covered in blood, which he hopes it's that of her enemies. To be sure, he sniffs the air and doesn't catch the smell of her blood. Satisfied that his Roza is well as far as he can tell, he tries to decipher what the distant sound of paws is. Are there more rogues coming?
His question is soon answered when about a hundred Steppe wolves step through the shadows, their eyes glowing in the darkness. No one but he and Rose seem to notice the strange wolves standing there watching the fight. An average sized wolf with fur so white it lights up the darkness locks eyes with Dimitri, who is puzzled by the strange behavior of the wolves. Usually, Steppe wolves travel in small packs, as they are very territorial and hate sharing food as well as shelter. Bracing himself for a fight with the wolves, Dimitri waits for them to make the first move. He is shocked when the wolf bows her head then launches herself at the nearest rogue. Her pack follows the lead and begins to fight Isaiah's puppets. Dimitri stands still shocked, unsure of what is happening.
"Dimitri!" Rose's fear filled scream snaps Dimitri out of his thoughts. He turns his head in her direction. In a blur, she dismounts Serena and begins to race towards something with both swords in hand. He follows her movements until he realizes that Isaiah holds Mason's shoulder in his mouth.
Ignoring his broken leg, he takes off after Rose. How could he get distracted for so long? Dimitri berates himself for leaving Mason to deal with Isaiah. If the Alpha wasn't able to take the monster down, what chance did a Beta stand against Isaiah? Fear grips the Alpha's heart as Mason's eyes begin to droop and his whimpering decreases significantly. In slow motion and with eyes blurred with tears, Dimitri watches as his lifelong companion slowly dies, and he is too weak to move faster, to kill a monster. A blood curling scream joins the howling and snarling of the battling werewolves and wolves. With a single stroke of her sword, Rose slices Isaiah's body in half.
Isaiah's mouth goes slack on Mason's shoulder. An expression of shock and disbelief stitched to his face as his severed body falls limply with a thud on the ground. With the last flicker of life in him, Isaiah turns his head to see Rose standing over him, chest heaving, face and sword drenched in blood and entrails.
"I was… supposed… to win." Isaiah's voice is barely audible in Rose's mind. "It was you… I had to kill you…"
Then, she can't hear his voice anymore. His eyes stay open staring at Rose in wonder and perhaps even fear. The huntress jumps over Isaiah and rushes to Mason's side. She is soon joined by Dimitri, who falls on the ground next to a dying Mason. Around them, the rogues cease their fighting and drop flat on their stomachs, heads bent forward, succumbing once more to Dimitri's leadership. But the Alpha is not concerned with them at the moment. Mason needs him now more than ever.
"You will be ok," Rose says desperately shredding half of her skirt to press the cloth to Mason's savaged shoulder. "You cannot die. You will not." The sadness causes her voice to break and the tears she had been holding back all night to spill. "Bring Sydney!" She commands suddenly, remembering that Adrian is nearby watching from his horse. When Adrian doesn't move, she turns her eyes on him. "Please, Adrian! Bring Sydney…"
Seeing the unbearable pain in her eyes, Adrian lets out a sigh and rides towards the castle to bring Sydney. After many agonizing hours later, the injured are carried back to the castle to be treated. The ballroom is soon filled with whimpers and somber faces. Everyone moves from one place to another, bumping into each other in the chaos. Rose doesn't know what to do with herself. She has so many people to see. People that are beyond salvation and she wishes to avoid because she doesn't want to say goodbye to them. Mason is in critical condition. He has lost a lot of blood and the wound is healing at an irritatingly slow pace, but Sydney is optimistic that he will survive. Worst of all is Dimitri. Rose sat by his side as Sydney broke his ribs again, so they would heal properly. The sound of his muffled screams tore her heart, and even though it hurt her, she stayed by his side until he blacked out due to the pain.
Now she wanders aimlessly through the ballroom, silently counting how many have been covered with white sheets to symbolize their death. Her eyes rest on Eddie lying on a stretcher staring at the sky clearing up with the coming of dawn. He refuses to speak. After Isaiah was disposed of, Eddie shifted back to his human form and begged to be killed. Rose can't even fathom what he must be feeling. She knows she should give him some space, so she moves on. Scanning the room, Rose seeks out Adrian. After brining Sydney to the battle field, he slipped away when no one was watching. By now, he must be miles away from Baia. In a way, Rose is saddened she didn't get to make peace with him. They are likely to never see each other again. Her eyes soon rest on the platinum blonde head of the person she had been looking for. Lissa sits next to Christian, changing the bandages. Lady Dragomir is beyond destroyed by the fate of her beloved. He is now doomed to lycanthropy. To being cursed like Dimitri and his pack.
Rose takes a deep breath and tries to approach her best friends. Her feet won't move, though. How can she face her friends? She is so ashamed that she couldn't protect them all. But she has a way to redeem herself. In her hands rests the only way to end the curse. Quietly, Rose steps out of the ballroom, down the hallway and out to the back gardens. Outside, the smell of dry blood and moist earth hit her hard and the images of the previous night threaten to come: the howling, the blood, and her loved ones getting torn to pieces. She shakes her head and lets her feet lead her. Eventually, she finds herself in the center of the maze.
"This is it," she says to herself, slowly removing her armor and letting it drop on the ground. Unsheathing one of the swords Dimitri gifted her and she used to kill Isaiah, she cleans the blade with her torn skirt. For a while, she stares at the blade glistening under the Sun rising higher, shining brightly after the storm and the battle. "What now?" She asks the sword.
"You know what to do," Yeva startles Rose by speaking up from behind her. The huntress turns and finds the old witch looking paler by the minute. Next to Yeva is the white female wolf that bowed her head to Dimitri. "This is Natara. You know what that name means?" Rose shakes her head. "Sacrifice. With your sacrifice, they get their humanity back. Dimka will live. They all will."
Rose nods and a single tear rolls down her cheek. "I am scared, Yeva. What is out there? What happens to me? I do not believe in God or Heaven…"
"I know you are scared, child. Do not be. No one knows what happens in the afterlife, but because you have been good, I am sure greater things await you." Yeva appears in front of Rose and takes her hand planting a small kiss on her palm. "You have been a magnificent person. I am pleased to have met you and happy that my sister saw you coming."
"Why me?" Rose whispers. She has asked herself that question since the day Dimitri asked her to run away. Why Rose Mazur? Why is she special? Is she special?
"Because Dimka needed a reason to fight for his humanity. He needed someone to teach him about love and all the things that come with being human. You are the most human person I have seen in this world. You fight for love and friendship. You fight for those who cannot fight. I have not met anyone as pure as you. Oh yes, there is darkness in you. We all have darkness, but your soul shines the brightest." With the back of her shaking hand, Yeva wipes Rose's tears. "I will leave you."
"Please… Stay." The huntress' right hand grips the sword while her left hold Yeva's. "Please. I cannot do this alone."
"Yes, you can. But Natara will be here with you." Yeva says with a gentle smile before disappearing with a single blink of Rose's eyes.
Natara settles down at Rose's feet. The wolf stares up at the huntress expectantly. For a while, nothing happens. Rose takes the opportunity to savor life for the last time. She closes her eyes and lets the light breeze caress her skin and wild hair. Her skin soaks up the rays of the Sun shining through the clouds. The sweet chirping of the birds brings a smile to her lips. Behind her closed eyelids, Rose replays the good moments she had in her eighteen years of life. The smiles of her loved ones cause more tears to spill through her closed eyelids. For a second, her resolve falters and the sword almost slips out of her hand. But thinking of Dimitri and his eyes filled with sadness as he carries the heavy curse on his shoulders gives her the strength she needs. Taking a deep breath, Rose grabs the sword with both hands and presses the tip to her stomach.
"This is for you, Comrade." Rose opens her eyes and looks up at the Sun as she slowly pushes the sword into her. "Live well, my love."
Inside the castle, Dimitri tosses and turns in his sleep. Sweat covers him from head to toe as he dreams of Rose with a sword through her stomach. The nightmare feels too real, and Dimitri wishes he could scream, but he doesn't feel his body. It has to be a nightmare. He begins to whimper, and he fights to wake up as the sight of Rose's blood pools around her limp body. Tears spill through his closed eyelids, and he claws at the invisible walls of this nightmare.
"Where is Rose?" Someone shouts. Dimitri is not sure if it's in his nightmare. What he hears as clear as day is the last breath of his beloved.
"Has anyone seen Rose?" Dimitri recognizes the voice of Janine Mazur filled with fear and anguish. "Where is my daughter?" Janine's voice breaks at the end, but the sound of it is like a bucket of ice cold water to Dimitri. He sits up abruptly, not even noticing how his muscles and bones hurt significantly less.
Everyone turns to Dimitri as he rises to his feet and stumbles through the ballroom. He doesn't know where he is going. He has no idea where Rose is, and his nose doesn't function like it used to. In fact, his sense of hearing has become limited. Disoriented, Dimitri stops in the middle of the room and looks around. Several pairs of eyes stare at him with worry.
"Dimitri," Janine steps forward, her eyes clouded with motherly concern not only for her daughter but for him as well. "We cannot find Rose… Maybe you can…"
"Ask Vasilisa," Yeva's voice, though weak, bounces off the wall with enough force to claim the attention of all in the room. "She knows something, do you not, Lady Dragomir? Do you not have a message from Rose?"
Lissa's eyes widen in surprise that the witch knows of Rose's plan. What feels like an eternity ago, Rose asked Lissa to make sure her suicide is not thwarted. Lissa is to make sure Rose's body is eventually found and when it is, she has to deliver a message to Dimitri. This isn't how everything is supposed to go. No one was supposed to notice her absence until later. Even though Lissa did not want to agree, she gave Rose her word that everything will go according to plan. When everyone turns to her, she hangs her head and remains silent. She will keep Rose's promise no matter how much it hurts.
"What is happening here?" Dimitri stumbles some more towards Lissa and Christian in a corner. Even when Dimitri stands ominously over her, Lissa keeps her eyes lowered and her lips sealed. "Speak up!"
"Hey!" Christian doesn't wince when he stands abruptly to challenge Dimitri. "Do not speak to her that way." However, Christian turns to Lissa and tilts her head up gently by touching her chin. "Lissa, do you know where Rose is? Is she all right?"
Tears glisten in the gentle jade green eyes of Lady Dragomir. She closes them briefly and begs Rose for forgiveness. Lissa knows that she would hold Rose's secret forever if needed be, but Lissa can't do it anymore. "She… She said she had to go." Lissa meets Dimitri's eyes. "Rose said: 'I hate to say goodbye, Comrade. I love you so much, and I am sorry I have to leave you, to leave you all. But this is for the best. Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good, for the happiness of those we love.'"
And just like that, Dimitri understands. At first, he thought Rose was leaving him, running away because she has had enough of death, pain and the curse. But he should have known better. Rose is dead. She has taken her own life to set him free. Feeling weak at the knees with the sudden realization that his beloved may be gone, Dimitri throws his head back and screams like his heart is being shredded to pieces because it may very well be.
AN: Sorry for the cliffy again :P Also, my deepest apologies for taking so long to update. I struggled with the battle scenes since I suck at them. Hopefully this chapter was decent enough. As always, thanks to my beta, Romi. You are fabulous hon! Which brings me to guest Jenne thank you for the offer dear, but my beta is practically an English major herself, and I am quite content with her :D As always, Romi and I want to thank y'all for reading and reviewing! Special shout out to those of you following me on twitter. I'll try to update as soon as I can. Y'all can keep up with the progress of the chapters on twitter: littlerichellem. Thanks for all the support and love! :)