Determination

CARLYLE’S POV
Embarking on the journey to the distant land of Aridah proved to be no trivial feat, but my determination fueled every step. With unwavering resolve, I pressed forward, compelled by an unyielding commitment to unravel the mysteries that awaited me in the heart of Aridah.
As I treaded the path to Aridah, the landscape bore witness to the ominous signs that whispered an impending turmoil, an impending war. Small villages which were once vibrant hubs of life were now deserted along the way with no single sign of life in them. Hollow echoes replaced the usual hum of communal existence, leaving an unsettling. void in their wake. How did all these happen? I had taken my time to look around for clues.
Also, the cost of necessities like foods, weapons, clothing materials soared to unprecedented heights, rendering even the most basic of foods a luxury. The inflated prices which was a telltale sign of what was to come was a symptom of an impending conflict.
Questions danced in my mind like elusive specters. What ignited the flames of war in this seemingly serene land? On what basis did these villages become deserted, leaving their homes behind? The road to Aridah became not just a physical journey but a quest for answers.
But what caused the war? On what basis? Why were the villages deserted? Why was there no report about these things? I didn’t know and sought answers to the question by hastening my journey toward my destination.
Before getting to the land of Aridah, there is a particular piece if and where one must pass and that’s the Mountain of Canth. That was surely one dreadful name, a name that brings shivers down one’s spine. A place where all rationality could be lost if care is not taken. That was because of the inhabitants of the area since the Canthrastras were sealed. On a normal day, the Canthrastras were the owner of the Mountain of Canth; it was a place where they had fun and a place where some of their pack tradition takes place. It was a holy mountain for them and was known to be the most peaceful mountain to ever exist since the supernatural realm came to exist.
However, that was then. Since the Canthrastras were sealed, legend has it that the Mountain of Canth has become the opposite of what it was. It was no longer a place of tranquil but now a place of danger. It was known to be very dangerous.
Werewolf rougues, beasts, maniac vampires and supernaturals took the place as their abode because they knew nob*dy ever dares come there because of the dread the tale of the Canthrastras lied them with.
The few that go there, are either so strong or they don’t come back.
Suddenly, two formidable beasts emerged, their sinewy forms a sign of raw strength. Their eyes were fierce and they were looking untamed. Surely, one wouldn’t find a sane beast out here for no reason. Both beasts locked at me with an instinctual challenge and without hesitation, I summoned my strength to fight back.
The clash was a symphony of snarls and ferocious roars with the beasts’ muscles rippling with unrestrained power. I howled, the beasts made their sounds. My every instinct honed in on the ebb and flow of the struggle, a ballet of survival in the heart of the untamed wilderness. Soon after much waste of strength, the lifeless forms of the defeated beasts lay silent.
“Afante!” I spat on their bodies. They should have known better than attacking me. That word was a swear word in my pack’s language.
“What’s going on?” I asked my wolf who suddenly became restless, wanting to take over my human senses. He failed to get what he wanted and began disturbing my mind. No matter how I tried to shut it off, he seems to have more power at that time. Definitely, something was wrong.
“Speak, Laryl. What’s going on?” I asked, groaning out of the pain he inflicted on me by wanting to separate our minds from each other. If Laryl should succeed, then I’m more like a living dead.
“What…” I wasn’t able to complete my question when the smell wafted across my nose.
Her!
“Our mate! Mate!” Laryl finally calmed down when he noticed that I’d found out what was happening.
“Mate!” Was all he said to me. Sidonnie! I looked around, trying to figure out why her scent was around. Moving forward, her scent became stronger.
“You could have just said it plainly, you know.” I said to Laryl.
“I should say that she’s around here for you to act like an asshole again?” He fired back. I knew where he was heading with his speech. Since we left Rex’s Pack, Laryl had been angry with me because of how I acted nonchalantly toward her when she was being used as a threat to me.
“You don’t have to get had, buddy. It was all calculated. I knew Rex wouldn’t do anything to her.”
“No, you’re wrong. You took risk.”
“I know so well what I did. You don’t have to get mad and never should you threaten me the way you did just now.” I warned to Laryl’s amusement.
Blood! Blood! The strong scent of blood suddenly filed the air and Donnie’s scent became stronger with every step I took.
“She’s injured” I mumbled after listening in on the father distance ahead. From the
voices and sounds I could get, she wasn’t alone. I hurried up towards the directio
where her smell was quite stronger and I saw her.
She was looking all terrified and scared as some dark men surrounded her. The sky was beginning to get darker but it wouldn’t hurt to take some time in her quest. I wanted to intevene hurriedly but I had a second thought which made Laryl get angry at me once again and tried to surface but I was quick to shut him off this time.
Standing at a distance, I watched as she battled with the six masked men that encircled her in the midst of tree and flowers. She started out good in defending herself as she ran about the space. Like someone playing with a child, she ran around, dishing hier attack near her. The scene looked like one of a little child playing a round about game with six adults.
The moment I heard her wince, my countenance changed. Her leg was injured already. Nevertheless, she tried to escape still. Such strong spirit! She could only be my woman. The goddess chose well for me, though, she needed more training definitely. Then again, she was hit with another weapon on that same leg, making her bleed more. She couldn’t withstand the chase any longer and I decided to interfere.
“Kill!” I ordered the invincible death forces around me and they had the masked men dead within a couple of seconds. I had to save her. Moreover, she was my girl, my
woman.
CARLYLE’S POV
She was shocked when the men around her suddenly dropped dead but she heaved a sigh of relici which made me happy. Limping towards, them she was a bit scared but was still bold to move forward toward them. She squatted beside one of them, feeling his pulse and she realized they were dead. I bet she must have been confused before finally coming to a conclusion gat someone else was with her.
“Is anyone there?” She yelled at the top of her voice. I didn’t show up or say anything but stood there, staring at her. I wanted to know her next line of action. But who would have thought that she will be persistent?
“Who is there?” She paused, waiting for a response which she got none. “I know you’re there and I don’t know how long you’ve be even following me, but…. Her knees gave way and she winced in pain, almost falling on the ground as her steps began to falter.
“You need to take it easy, love” I showed up behind her, having my arms around her waist, steadying her on get feet to prevent hr from falling. After thinking it through, I decided it won’t hurt to show up in front of her. Perhaps, it was a good time to set things right between us. I really needed her in my life and maybe this chance was given to me by the moon goddesss to make things right.
For a moment, she stood comfortable in my arms, her b*dy leaning on my mascuar chest as she looked at me intently. Our gaze into each other’s eyes was prolonged as if searching for something before I finally cleared my throat, jolting her back to reality from whatever realm of thoughts she had herself going to.
My throat clear sound worked just like I wanted it to. She rolled her eyes at me, heading forward towards a particular flower which I couldn’t see from a distance.
“Thank you,” was the only thing she said before leaving my front. Still limping, she walked ahead, aiming for the flowers. Just as she bent to uproot the flowers, her legs gave way and I hurried to pick her up before she would fall on her butt.
Carrying her away from the midst of the flowers, I sat her down on a small heap of rock not far from where she was earlier. She tried to stand up, but I sat her down with her hands, gently pushing her back. I raised her gown above her knees to tend to her injury but the sight that greeted me nearly made me lost my mind.
Her leg was all bloodied and not healing. How dare they hurt my mate this way? They had to pay! If possible, I’ll have them killed all over, again and again. To make things worse, the wounds weren’t healing or showing any sign of healing.
“Shit!” I cursed. Delicately, I pulled a clean cloth from my inner pocket, wiping the blood all around her leg to make clear the wound.
“Wolfsbane.” I mumbled, more angry. I bent over her leg to suck out the bane venom from her wounds to grant them chance to heal.
“No. drat.” She held my shoulder, stopping me.
“It’s okay, it’s fine. I assured her with a smile and she let me do my thing. By now, it was already dark but the moonlight was so bright that it enabled our visibility.
I sucked out the venom, spitting it out on the ground, and the wounds began to heal. But it was slow for my liking. In order to aid it. I dug my fands into my palms, creating a wound dripping with blood and I allowed the blood to drop on her wounds which closed up in a minute. They healed faster, putting her out of her pain.
“How did you do that?” So much enthusiasm radiated in her eyes a she shook her legs
for any signs of pain.
“It’s a secret.” I said, chuckling as I cleaned the final blood stains off my hand and her leg.
“Anyway, thank you.” She bowed her head a little out of respect for who I am and hurried towards the flowers she intends to uproot. About three minutes later, she was done and about to leave with a basket on her back full of the flowers. Surprisingly, I noticed that her nose were now covered but I didn’t know why. Could it be that she’s covering her face to prevent me from seeing her? I was a bit hurt but I ignored it.
“Sidonnie” I called out to her as she began to walk away. I think she was done with whatever took her there in the first place. I knew she heard me just right since her steps. faltered when I called her but she didn’t wait. She didn’t want to see me but I wouldn’t let the chance go and I didn’t.
“I am comanding you, Sidonnie Xander, a member of the Moon Shade Pack to stop there this instant.” I ordered, my voice resonating with complete authority. I never wanted it to result in this but I had no choice. She left me none and as a last resort, I had to use command for her be a use she’ll have no choice but to obey.
The atmosphere carried an undeniable tension as I issued the command, a silent acknowledgment that disobedience to an Alpha was a boundary rarely tested. No one in his right senses would dare disobey an Alpha’s command. Not in my pack! As expected, she halted in her tracks with a submissive acknowledgment of my authority.
“Turn around,” I ordered, and she pivoted without hesitation, her head bowed low in
deference. The unspoken language of dominance and submission played out in the stillness of the moment.
Taking a seat on the rocks she had occupied earlier, I gestured for her to join me, tapping the spot beside me. We needed to discuss matters that couldn’t wait, even in the face of the looming mysteries of Aridah. Right then, Aridah could wait as I might not get the chance to discuss things with her again.
“Come here,” I beckoned to her with the authoritative tone of an Alpha ringing in my words. She hesitated at first, standing rooted in place like an unmoving tree as her gaze was fixated on the ground.
“I’m still ordering you as an Alpha,” I reminded her, and with that, she took slow steps toward me, eventually settling beside me as directed. She gently placed the basket on hr back a few feet away, a symbol of surrender which earned a smug smile from me.
“Let’s talk. I need clear answers. But first, let’s start from what you came here for,” I stated, studying her expressions for any hints of the emotions she might be concealing. The weight of our discussion hung in the air, and I was determined to unravel the mysteries surrounding her presence in the Mountain of Canth and her absence in my pack for the past three years.
She stared at me, initially unresponsive as if my words were mere gibberish. It wasn’t. until I reminded her that I would be addressing her as her Alpha throughout the discussion that a spark of recognition flashed in her eyes.
“Pay your respect,” I declared without restraint, setting the tone for a conversation that would delve into matters of the past.