CHAPTER 57: 56 - THIS IS REAL

"Well, look what we have here," A deep voice rang.

"What the h3ll?" I grumbled, "Wasn't someone supposed to be keeping watch?"

I glanced lazily at the rouge "pack" standing before us.

"I thought they were just passing through," Rose shrugged.

I rolled my eyes.

"What?" She held her hands up defensively, "I forget werewolf wonderers are so much more salty than

vampires," her nose scrunched up in distaste.

I snorted, "It's fine, we're getting up anyway." I forced myself up and out of Wolfie's comfortable arms

and dusted myself off.

"What do y'all think you're doing in these woods? this is our territory," the rouge "pack's" leader

growled.

Little do they know it's actually the hybrids' territory and these little rouges just aren't big enough game

for them to bother.

Maybe if they were really hungry or extremely bored they'd go after a little "pack" of rouges.

I kicked Wolfie's side lightly, avoiding any wounds, "Hey, some of your buddies wanna talk to you."

He grunted. "First of all, I stay up and comfort you all night, and this is how you repay me?" he

narrowed his eyes, "Second of all, just because they're werewolves doesn't make them my buddies."

"Fine, but tell them to go away," I waved my hand at them.

"Why me?" He frowned.

"Because you have this really neat ability to make people not wanna be around you," I smiled.

He glared at me, "Why are you so snippy this morning?"

I sighed, "I'm trying to make up for when I poured my heart out to you again last night, so consider it

revenge for putting me in a position that makes me not want to like you."

"Anyway," I looked to the group of about ten rouges, done with that conversation, "Sorry about the

misunderstanding guys, we'll just be on our way." I walked a few steps trying to leave the area. A hand

on my shoulder cut me short, though.

A low growl could be heard from, guess who, behind me, but I ignored it. It caught the rouge with their

hand on me's attention, probably shook him up a bit with the power behind it, but he tried to play it off.

"Listen, we don't want any trouble —" Stephan started.

"Well you've got it," the rouge stared him down. "If we let just anyone into our territory, uninvited, who's

to say what scum would come in?" He said, looking us all up and down.

They started to form a circle around us.

Happy sighed. "Can we please just talk about this? No need to be hasty."

"The talking's over," A different rouge sneered. "It's time to show you what happens to intruders around

here," a wicked smile formed on her face.

The rouges circling us chuckled menacingly.

"C'mon guys, please. Us, against all of you? It isn't a fair fight," I tried one last time to keep peace.

"No can do sweetheart," Another shook his head.

Then they attacked.

And we beat them within a few minutes.

Because they're a bunch of rouges, and we're a bunch of pure bloods and alphas.

I tried to warn them.

Most had scurried away once they realized they had no chance, and others lay unconscious at our feet.

I don't think any are dead, but I'm not going to think too hard about it.

After doing a once over of our group to make sure no one has added to their collection of injuries,

including Wolfie who's calmly leaning against a tree off his hurt leg, I nodded. "Shall we continue?" I

asked the group.

Brandon nodded, "We shall."

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We were limping through the forest and nothing was out of the ordinary.

Until the atmosphere suddenly changed.

The smell of death was in the air.

We all made careful glances at each other. 'Proceed with caution,' everyone's eyes seemed to say.

Our steps got slower and sneakier.

Everyone's senses were on high alert, trying to detect any near by danger.

As we got closer and closer to the source of the smell, my stomach dropped even further.

I know this smell.

These scents.

Please don't be who I think you are, I gave a silent prayer.

We kept walking and the smell got overwhelming.

Whoever's scent it is have been dead a while.

Please, please, please don't be who I think you are.

The smell got so strong I knew in a couple more steps we'd find them.

I paused, not sure I want to face the truth.

"Maria," Stephan whispered, "what's up?" He questioned my pause.

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I'm still in denial.

No, no, no, no.

I felt someone else's hand engulf mine and squeeze tightly.

I turned to Rose and squeezed her hand back.

She's realized it too.

"Maria," Brandon called to me.

I turned to him and he put an sympathetic hand on my shoulder. "You can do it."

I sighed and looked back in the direction we knew the dead bodies were in.

"Okay, does someone wanna let us in on the secret?" Happy asked.

"You'll see," I said quietly.

We took the last few steps and they came into view.

A lump formed in my throat.

I knew who it was the second I smelled them, but seeing them. . . I felt the tears forming quickly.

I saw my aunt and uncle sprawled across the ground, covered in lacerations and bruises, both their

hearts missing from their chests.

"Oh," Stephan breathed out in recognition.

There was a moment of silence.

". . . Isn't that. . ." Wolfie started slowly.

I knelt next to my uncle, my aunt a few feet away.

I didn't bother answering his question, he already knew

I let the tears fall.

I lightly closed my uncle's open, but lifeless eyes.

"I'll miss you," I whispered. "I'm sorry I let this happen."

There was silence around me as I got up to do the same to my aunt. I knelt next to her and covered her

chest with her tattered shirt.

I found myself crying harder.

We never acted like we liked each other.

If we weren't ignoring each other we were arguing.

But there was a time I was her Little Red. Before her daughter died. . . Before I killed her, we'd play the

piano together, and play pranks on my parents. They were all best friends, and my aunt and mom were

sisters, so there were no worries of repercussions other than the occasional prank war.

Then, of course, I had to go ruin everything.

My uncle didn't laugh as loud anymore. Didn't smile as much or as bright. And he lost all his fight. All

his hope.

And my aunt lost faith in the world. I know part of her blamed me for what happened.

I don't really mind, I do too.

But she tried hard to hide it when I was younger.

Then I got back from the worst h3ll of my life for 2 years at 11 and was — naturally — a total brat for a

while.

She stopped trying to hide it from me and I stopped trying to hide how little respect I had for her.

But now, seeing her and my uncle dead in front of me, I'm sobbing for them.

It's funny how death reminds you of how lucky you are to have people, of all the good in them.

It's cruel though, that it happens right as it's too late.

A month ago I was literally defending myself against claims that I was like them. I didn't even want to Original from .

be compared to them.

I hated my aunt for abandoning the house, and my uncle for being too pathetic to stop her.

But now they're gone and the anger I felt towards them is replaced with pain.

"I'm so sorry," I cried to them. "I should have come look for you. Should have made sure you were

okay," I whimpered.

I went between the both of them and sent a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess asking her to keep them

safe with her, and for them to forgive me.

Then Rose and Brandon rubbed my back as I cried until Stephan gently urged us to keep moving, so

that we don't run into any trouble.

And we were on our way again as I made a final promise to come back for their bodies and have a

proper funeral for them, once all this fighting was over with.