Choleric

Chapter XIV

"Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette,
I'm a lifeless face that you'll soon forget,
And my eyes are damp from the words you left,
Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest."
– Youth, Daughter.

[Unedited - I don't know why I keep bothering to inform you on this when you all probably know by now I edit the entire story at the end]

Celia was lightly shaken to consciousness. Shivering as blazing fire seared through her veins she blinked away sleep that had formed on the inside of her eyes. The night, eerie and unmoving made strange sounds. It was as if the darkness acted to morph the sounds of the wilds into something horrific. The quick scuttering of nocturnal animals rang through the low bushland that surrounded them. The sea kissed the sand in the near distance, but the dark made it sound like a million spiders crawling from the earth's pit.

Alpha Lennon stood by the border of his territory, broad frame outlined by the car's headlights. Stumbling out of her seat, Celia drew in a deep breath. She missed the salty smell of the sea and the soft ocean breeze that caressed her face. She heard the door behind her swing open and out popped the small girl that had been dragged from her home.

Cassius stayed in the car, cold glare focused on the male bathed in blinding headlights. Celia smiled at him, the old, familiar face brought her a certain comfort she had grown to miss.

"Hello Celia," his coarse voice cut through the soft crashing of waves in the distance. Sighing in relief she walked forward and stopped by the border. "Are you ready?" He asked her from the other side. Gulping loudly she nodded and readied herself for the pain that came with crossing a territory belonging to a pack she wasn't a part of.

Stepping through the border, Celia held out her hand to Alpha Lennon who quickly made a small cut in her palm with a thin blade. A quick sting jolted up her arm as scarlet drops formed on the soft skin of her palm. She stared numbly at the beads of blood that squeezed out of the small opening before Alpha Lennon blocked her view with his own torn palm and connecting their blood. She felt as if the weight of the world had been dropped on her. A piercing pain cut through her temples as she waited for the bond to Cassius' pack to break and for a new one to form.

As their blood weaved together the thick cloud of pain slowly evaporated until she felt the threads of the West pack release their grip on her, allowing the vines of her old pack to safely wrap around her like they had for most of her life. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cassius flinch as the ties were broken, but she didn't dare to turn towards him.

Instead she smiled at Alpha Lennon, a small part of her glad to be rid of the intense atmosphere of the west pack's link. Celia turned to Aria and gave her a reassuring smile. Aria's eyes darted around nervously until they came to a stop on the floor beneath her feet. The territory lines were invisible, but anyone could feel the power of the border if they got close enough.

After a few seconds hesitation Aria stepped into the territory and held out a shaking hand towards Alpha Lennon. In the background, tires screeched loudly against the road as Cassius made a sharp U-turn and sped away into the distance, leaving Alpha Lennon and the two girls in the darkness. The three of them watched silently as the bright red headlights shrank into the distance. Celia felt rooted in the spot. Unable to move as she stared dumbfoundedly at the road where the car had previously been.

He actually left her. Clenching her jaw she swallowed deeply. Remember, this is what you wanted. She thought to herself, willing the flower of pain that had begun to blossom in her stomach.

"Let's go," Alpha Lennon mumbled softly, guiding her to the meeting house by the elbow. Walking through the night felt like a dream. Celia, for some reason, felt incomplete. She refused to admit the single minute that had passed since he left had affected her. No, she does not miss him. Not one bit...