Free Web NovelChapter 102: Chapter 102 A New Beginning
Abby’s POV
It took us almost an entire week to clean up after the battle. Every able pack member, guest and coven member helped to gather the fallen defenders together, and throw the enemy into different piles.
Ornata and Greyson were laid in the family crypt until the day of their bodies last journey. We knew, from Willow, they were already with the goddess, but we needed to send them off as we have always done with pack members.
After Jasper arrived with backup and the last waves of the battle died down, a party went out for Sami. Ellie, Morgan, Benjamin, and a handful of guards went to the cave and retrieved the children. Brandon wanted to go, but he and Jonathan were the only ranking members back, besides me and the girls, and I needed them to help coordinate the cleanup, capture of prisoners who were going to be executed and help for the wounded.
As Willow did her work on Matt and Jason, I silently scolded Selene. She needed to let Willow get more than one day with us. We were dead scared Narine would kill her. And after many hours of search, we couldn’t find Narine anywhere. Even though both Willow and Jax swore she had been deadly injured in her encounter with Jax’s panther.
We assume she crawled somewhere to die, but you never know.
Selene answered my silent monologue with a sigh, and told me she would grant Willow free ranging from where she was, as long as it was between our pack lands and the underworld. Which meant she could be here helping, sending the dead on their last journey and have some family time.
Matt and Jason came to in the infirmary three days after the battle was over. We shared the duties of keeping watch over them, but their numbers kept being stable. The doctor said something about their wolf’s spirit needing time to settle in and healing them properly. They were angry and confused about what had happened. Willow filled them in, seeing as she was there when the explosion took off.
She explained how she had yelled at the moon goddess, which made all of chuckle. How Selene told her off, which made me internally chuckle because of my encounter with the goddess less than 10 minutes after Willow yelling at her. She told Matt, with tears streaming down her cheeks, that his parents weren’t meant to be saved. They were happy where they were, and she kept apologizing until Matt grabbed her arm and yanked her into a big hug. It caused him pain, and a scolding from me and the doctor, but Willow stopped crying.
In the hospital, Jax took me aside. He told me that Willow knew he was her mate, and he was afraid she was going to reject him because of him keeping it a secret. I told him to relax, but if he really feared her rejection, he needed to speak to her. Explain the rules regarding mates. You cannot tell a mate who is underage, you are theirs. It’s against the law, because the younger shifter might feel obligated to accept the matebond, even though they don’t want to. But Willow wasn’t told by Jax, she was told by Narine the deranged.
’Little sister, we need to talk.’ I mind-link her, followed by asking her to come to my office. Most of the new packhouse stood intact, but the explosives caused by the enemy lay a lot of our land in ruins. Many houses were destroyed, the old packhouse gone, the dungeon and east side of the new packhouse, schools and much more needed either to be built up from scratch or for serious repairs.
"Hi Abby. What’s up?" Willow asks when she enters through the door with Ellie by her side. I guess Jason pushed Ellie to come as well. She has been clinging to her mate since he woke up. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"Hi, guys. Please sit." I say as I fold my hands on the table.
"Willow, I will not sugarcoat this. Did or didn’t Narine tell you that Jax is your mate?" I ask with a stern look at my little sister. She blush and nod.
"She did." She answers simply.
"And how do you feel about that information?" Ellie asks. She is in shock but tries to stay strong and clam for Willow. We both do.
"Hm. First I was mad at him. He didn’t tell me. You know how long Jax has been by my side, Ellie? But now. He couldn’t, could he? But he did his best with what he had. He knew when I was a baby, and seeing one’s mate as a baby. Knowing you’ll have to wait sixteen to eighteen years for them to recognize you. I don’t know. I kind of admire that. He has done nothing inappropriate towards me and always been my friend, my protector, my familiar. But after she told me, something snapped inside of me. Like I have always known in some place, and now. I. I. I feel the tingles when he touches me.’ The last part comes out as a small whisper.
Ellie and I look at each other. We know Jax loves her; we know he will never let harm come to her and we know he is already possessive of her. But will that be enough?
"Darling. You are young. Too young to know who your mate is, but it is what it is. You now have the choice; will you accept him? Or do you want to reject him? You need to decide cus the matebond is only going to get stronger and rejection will be that much more painful." I tell her gently. I know it’s going to be hard on her, but the fact is that the matebond is there for both of them now.
"I will have to think about it for a couple of days, at least. Jax is giving me some space, which means either Jasmin or Jasper are by my side all the time." She rolls her eyes in irritation and we laugh. Yeah, she’ll be alright. They will both be, though I am not sure what will happen to Jax if she ends up rejecting him.
A couple of days after Matt and Jason woke up, we burned the enemy’s bodies. We held the trial for those who were captured. Some made a blood oath to me, joining our side and getting a second chance. Some swore they would take revenge, and some didn’t say a word. Execution was swift, and they too were burned in a pile.
Jeremy, Kaiden, Adriana and Laurel had healed completely. Laurel, who had been with the women and children, had defended them when they were ambushed on their way to the safe room. Without another thought, she launched herself into battle, to save the pack members and keep the attackers at bay until Kaiden and his men arrived. She was injured by a severe blow to the head, but both she and her precious cargo survived. She could pop any day, but hopefully we would be over these events before their little bundle made their arrival.
