The Wolf Of The Moon & Sun

A Broken Bond (80)

IRENE POV
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I woke up early that morning. So many strangers laid with Ares and I on the floor. Nearly all of them still slept peacefully.

Ares was awake though and gone from my side. Instead, he stood by the door and looked out the window. I stood and approached him, carefully avoiding the scattered limbs of sleeping bodies on the floor.

"What is wrong?" I whispered so to not disturb those still sleeping. He glanced at me as I joined his side and looked out the window.

It was snowing inside of the barrier now. Some said that it happened sometimes on very snowy days. The snow didn't layer thickly on the ground like it did beyond the barrier, just a calm layer of frost.

"I think I miss home," he explained, and I frowned, "Though we are not far from it, it feels as if I'm in a whole other world."

I leaned my head against his shoulder, "Yeah," I agreed. I knew exactly how he felt. I had traveled what felt like all over the world recently. To think about the difference between my humble cottage and family to where I was now made me dizzy. "It's how I feel every time I see my sister," I admitted.

I had seen her a couple of times and it never grew easier. I didn't know what I was supposed to do about her. She was alive, though she was brainwashed, and I couldn't handle it.

I looked up at his face. He wasn't wearing the mask his mom made for him. I thought about our last interaction with her often, and each time it made my heart hurt.

She had allowed us to teleport all the belongings behind the scale wall right outside the tunnel, then she had Delilah come and collect it. Delilah didn't even spare us a glance.

"I'm sorry for what happened with your mom. I would never have insisted if I had known," I apologized like I had millions of times.

Each time, he always shook his head dismissing my apology, "that decision hurts her more than it hurts me," he said. I wondered how he could be so content with the idea of never being able to see his family again, but then I remember that's already how it had been for him.

I assumed he hadn't visited in a while until he brought me there to get cleansed of my curse. He had been on his own for a long time, so it wasn't any different for him.

"I'm sure she will get over it. She doesn't hate you and she won't stay angry with me forever," he now tried to comfort me.

"She doesn't hate me? She knows who I am, how could she not?" I scoffed at the possibility of her even tolerating my existence.

He shrugged and that didn't help. "She knows I like you, so that is enough," he answered. My face warmed like it often did whenever he spoke.

The sun was rising, and the sky was filled with a calm sea of orange and yellow. It was refreshing. Even though I was not outside, I could still imagine the cold air in my lungs.

I could see Reese approaching, her head held high and a serious look on her face. She was a giant and I felt like a mouse next to her. I knew what her approaching meant though. It was time.

Ares and I returned back up to the house. Majority of everyone was still asleep. The only others awake were Lonni, Leo, and both of the alphas of the yellow pack.

"We got everything just the way you instructed," Alpha Nommi said as she led me down the hallway into their bathroom.

It was dark, the only dim light was the ones from the dozens of candles surrounding the area. There were those beige candles around the rim of the tub, sink, and toilet seat.