"No, your face is perfect," I whisper. I place a soft kiss on her lips as I wrap my arms around her waist. Before I can even think to go any further, Alex pulls away with a stern face. What did I do now?
"Don't think this changes anything from yesterday. You owe me big time for doing that,” she scolds, a scowl on her face. I purse my lips to conceal my laughter. That was the best prank in the history of pranks. No question about it.
"Oh come on, Alex. It was only a joke," I bargain. The scoff that comes from her tells me otherwise.
"I don't want to talk about it. Who was that girl?" she questions suspiciously, quickly changing the subject. I sigh and rub my face. I motion for Alex to sit down as I take a seat opposite her.
"The girl's name is Kate," I begin, but don’t continue. Memories of her smile and laughter fill my mind, making me smile. Then memories of the countless nights of Damon torturing her and the bruises that covered her body. Who would ever, in their right mind, do that to an innocent little girl? I guess Damon hasn't been in his right mind for a while though.
"Comrade!"
I blink and snap out of my little flashbacks. I turn my eyes to Alex's worried ones and smile.
"Sorry, uhmm, how do I say this? To put it simply, Kate was Damon and his mate's adopted daughter. After Damon's mate, Phyre, found out that she couldn't have pups, she convinced Damon to adopt. Kate had lost her parents in the war I'm pretty sure, so Damon took her in," I explain. Alex nods along as she motions for me to continue.
"They played a happy family for a while, two years in fact. For those two years though, Kate came down to see me nearly everyday. Her face was the only kind one I saw, her smile was the only one that didn't hold hatred and disgust. She was like a safe haven for me, the only thing that kept me going. During the first year, I had lost all hope, but Kate made me find that hope again. She made me... well, me again," I say softly, remembering the first time I saw Kate.
She had stumbled down the steps and landed square on her ass. I looked up at the sound, expecting to see a guard or Damon, only to come across a dark blonde haired beauty. When she saw me, she didn't gasp or look away; she smiled. A beaming, toothy smile she did. I'll never forget the first few words she said to me and I quote, "If you don't smile then your face will be stuck like that forever." It was in that moment that I chuckled or actually cracked a smile in a whole year. Kate was an angel, the Moon Goddess in human form. She was my Kate and she still is.
"So Kate's pretty important in your life then, uh?" Alex asks, bringing me out of the happy memory.
"Yeah, she is," I whisper. I don't really know what else to say. What do you say?
"Does that mean she knows what happened to you during those three years? Does she know what made you the Comrade you are now?" Alex questions, her head tilted ever so slightly to the side.
I furrow my eyebrows and mutter, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that all I ever heard about the 'amazing' Comrade was that he was so full of life and laughter and fun. Sure, you're that Comrade now, but not to the extent you used to be. That's made pretty obvious through Celina every time she sees you," Alex admits, averting her eyes to a crack on the table.
Full of life. Laughter. Fun. That's true, I was like that. I still am, after a few long months. I'm not the same as I was though. I don't think I'll ever be.
"Well, everyone has to grow up sometime. My time just came early," I grumble, not really in the mood to talk anymore. Alex always seems to bring up this subject of me not being the same as I used to be. If you ask me, it's none of her business really.
"Your time came early? What about Celina? She pretty much had to grow up straight away. What about me? Huh? After my mum died, I had no one! My dad couldn't, wouldn't, and doesn't look me in the eye! He's completely shut me out and I can't do a thing about it! I've had to deal with no mum for the last three years! She couldn't wait for my wedding day, the day when I'd finally meet my mate, the day that she would see her first grandchild. She lost that opportunity during that bloody war. So don't go telling me you're the way you are because you had a minor bump in your life. There are people out there who are having a worse life than you at the moment. For goodness sakes, Comrade! Open your eyes and live! You can't live in the past!" she screams at me.
I stay frozen in place, her words running through my head over and over again. I learnt three things from what Alex just said.
One. Her mum died. She's never told me that and I don't think she meant to. She's had to go through pain by herself, hiding it all inside. At least when I lost my parents and was shunned from my pack, I had the Nightfall Pack to help me through it.
Two. Alex's dad is an emotionless man who can't even look at his own daughter.
Three. Both Alex and Kate have the same idea... I can't live in the past, I need to move on. I need to pick up the pieces of my life and get my shit together because a miracle isn't gonna happen anytime soon. I gotta get back on my feet and go on with my life, but first... I need to tell Alex the whole story.
"Well Comrade, what's it gonna be? Are you gonna tell me why your life is so messed up, or are you gonna walk away from me with a blank look on your face like you always do? Pick wisely because I will not be coming back to you when you choose the wrong one," Alex warns, pointing a thin finger at me with a look in her stormy eyes that says, 'Don't mess with me'.
"Alex, if I tell you what happened to me, you can't repeat a word of it. Not. One. Word," I say, accenting every word. Alex's eyes widen. She slowly sits down on a chair and nods her head, her mouth sealed tightly.
"I guess I should start from the capture..."
Comrade's story…
"The war was pretty much over, but I saw one of Damon's wolves run into the forest, so I followed them. I caught them easily and killed them, but I wasn't expecting what came next. There was so many of them...all at once. They all just jumped on me and grabbed me by their jaws. I had no way of escaping. They knocked me out not soon after. I woke up in that terrible cell...
“Nothing happened for the first three days, or what I'm assuming it was. I had no clue what was going on and I had no clue where I was. Shit, I didn't even remember what had happened for a while. The war and the capture and the triplets were erased from my mind, like they never existed. When the memories came back, it scared me half to death that I could forget all of that. I was so scared, Alex, so scared. I'd never been so scared in my life...
“Then one day, or night, the door separating me from the world opened. I thought it was Celina and Axel coming to rescue me. My hopes were crushed though when none other than Damon himself walked through that door. That's when everything started to happen. All the pain and the grief. All the suffering and hatred. All the worst emotions imaginable, but the one that hit me the most was hopelessness. I had given up without even allowing a week to pass. I was so weak. I honestly thought I had given up on all hope before you guys came to the rescue.
“Before you though... that was torture. I never knew there were so many ways to hurt a man until I first stepped foot in Damon's torture room. Knives, belts, hammers, clamps, shackles, silver chains, handcuffs, the list is endless. There was just so much evil in that one room, I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. One thing I do believe though was that Damon was, and is, a sick man.
“I don't want to tell you every hostile thing he did to me, but I will say this: he broke me. He broke me in more than one sense of the word. He broke my bones, he broke my heart, he broke my strength, and he broke my hope. I had nothing left to hold onto. Then Kate came into the picture.
“Kate made me smile and laugh, and forget about everything for a brief moment. She made everything disappear. I learned to love her. She was my dark-blonde-haired, 13-year-old girl. Damon and his mate didn't deserve her. Kate deserves parents who will love her like her own parents did. Kate was my shining star and she will always be.
“When everything went wrong with Kate though, the foundation we built up started to break.
Damon found out about her visits to me over the last two years and he was unforgiving. Instead of torturing me, he tortured Kate. He hurt her and made her cry. If he would do that to his own so called daughter, I wouldn't want to see what he would do to his mate and pack. Pretty much, all my hope was crushed and burnt without a second thought.
“When that guard opened the door that day though, I knew something was happening. Something that would help Kate and me. You found me, you saved me, and you loved me. I love you beyond all imagination for that, Alex. Thank you.
“When I woke up and Celina and Axel were talking to me though... I don't know... Everything just seemed forced and unnatural. I hated it, but I couldn't do anything about it. I lost the ability to open up to people. I shattered Celina's heart by doing that. I caused her so much pain, I felt it. That's the thing when you're a royal's guardian though. You feel all of their strongest emotions. You wanna know what Celina's strongest emotion was? Sadness. She was so sad, it was unfathomable. I didn't want to be the cause of her pain, but I knew I was.
“Over the months though, I've been better. I've had talks with Celina, small ones, but they're talks. I've been spending time with Axel and Callum. I've been joking and smiling and having fun, and you know what? It's all because of you, Alex. It was all your doing.
"So, eventually, I ended up here with you," I finish, my head still resting on Alex's shoulder. We had made our way to Axel's office so that we could speak privately.
"Comrade... I-I don't know what to say," Alex whispers. She lets out a breath and relaxes back into the couch. I look into her stormy eyes to see an internal battle raging through them.
"You don't have to say anything. I answered your question and that's that. No explanations or comments needed," I whisper back, picking myself up so I can plant a kiss on her cheek.
We stay like that for a while, no disturbances or mishaps. Justthe two of us, together.
"Comrade?" Alex asks in a tired voice. I look under my arm to see her eyes only half open.
"Yes, my little mate?" I question back in a cheeky tone as I nip her ear. She releases a breathy chuckle, closing her eyes completely.
"I love you."
I smile at her soft and gentle voice.
"I love you more," I say back before Alex falls into a deep sleep.
20
COMRADE
"Comrade! Comrade, wake up!" a frantic voice screams softly in my ear, if you can scream softly. My eyes shoot open and I sit up like a bolt. My head connects with something hard, causing me to groan.
"Ow, that hurt. Note to self, never wake Comrade up so close to his face,” the voice says again. I avert my eyes to see Celina rubbing her head.
"Celina! I'm so sorry!" I exclaim, quickly getting up off the couch and going to her aid. Before I can get there though, another groan fills the room. I look back over at the couch to see Alex rubbing the back of her head. I groan loudly. Great, I've managed to head butt Celina and drop my mate's head onto a sofa. Fantastic.
"Alex, I'm sorry," I say quietly as I kiss the back of her head. She waves me off with a grunt and a small 'I'm ok'.
"Comrade, this is serious. We have news," Celina cuts in. I look over to her to see the gold in her eyes swirling with anxiety. I quickly nod and help Alex up.
"Let's go," I announce, motioning for Celina to lead the way. Alex stands beside me and gives me a worryied look. I don't know what to say so I just send her a small smile in return.
Celina leads Alex and myself to the backyard where most of the pack have been gathered. I furrow my eyebrows as I see all the confused faces and Axel standing in front of them all.
"Comrade, what's going on?" Alex whispers to me. I honestly don't know, so I just shrug my shoulders and make my way to the front of the crowd, towing Alex behind me.
"Now that we have everyone here, I would like your attention please!" Axel's loud voice booms over the quiet chatter. It instantly falls silent as everyone looks at their alpha.
"As most of you know, the war that happened three years ago was not one that was won, but one that had just begun. Damon, the leader of the pack who attacked us, has risen again. Just this morning, we got a snippet of his scent and traced it back to a camp not too far from the boarder. As I said before, the war had only begun and now it's time to end it. I need as many volunteers as possible. Although they won't be as big as they were last time, they still are trained killers. Anyone who wishes to fight, stay. Anyone who doesn't wish to fight, you may go. Thank you," Axel finishes, stepping down from the stage.
A few people move off, mainly the couples with younger children. I snap my eyes to Celina and Axel. Why didn't they tell me? I start to march up to them as I see Celina whisper something in Axel's ear. He looks a bit unsure about it, but he nods his head.
"One final announcement!" he yells over the now loud crowd. "No females under the age of 21 are allowed to take part."
"Oh hell no!" a voice I can only describe as my mate's, yells.
ALEX
"Oh hell no!" I yell once I've heard Axel's announcement. All eyes seem to snap to me as I march up to Axel in utter fury. No females, huh? No females! Stuff that shit! I'm getting into this war if it's the last thing I do!
"Alex, now is not the time," Axel hisses to me, his fists clenching.
"I don't give a damn!" I hiss back. Before I can take another step though, Comrade's hand lands on my shoulder. I look to him with wide eyes.
"Alex, you're not going to this battle and that's final,” he states sternly. My mouth drops open and my eyebrows shoot up. He’s agreeing? He can't be serious!
"You know what? Stuff you all! I'm outta here!" I say annoyed, storming out of the yard with all of the pack’s eyes on me.
I do not have to deal with this crap. My mum died fighting with that son-of-a-bitch and I'm gonna die fighting, too, if I have to. I will not sit back on the sidelines and watch as my mate and my pack throw themselves into a war that can't be tamed. I will not allow it.
Whether Axel likes it or not, I will be fighting in this war. One way or another.
COMRADE
"How are we gonna do this?" I ask, getting straight to the point as we stare at a map of the surrounding territory.
"We go in three waves. Wave one will be our best fighters, including me. The second wave will be like a distraction wave. The third wave will be the wave that will wipe everything out. Their numbers are small, but their fighting is good and we need to beat that," Axel explains. I nod my head along with the other pack fighters and Callum. I haven't seen Callum for a while, but now's not the time to catch up.
"When do we move out?" I question, noticing that the sun is just starting to go down.
"Tonight at midnight. There's no moon tonight, so it will be pitch black. Thosewolves who have a lighter coat, roll in some mud. I do not want any of my pack mates dying tonight. Nobody will touch Damon, he's mine." As Axel says the last sentence, his eyes lock with mine. I grit my teeth, but nod my head. I don't like the idea, in fact, I hate it. I am not in the position to argue with him though, not after the stunt that Alex pulled. I'm just gonna have to go along with it. For now.
"Right, get everyone ready. Callum, you're in charge of the dispute of the waves. Comrade, you're in charge of putting the rest of the pack into the safe houses. Also, make sure Celina and Alex get in there. I will not be leaving this land until they are locked inside a safe house. Understand?" he asks with hard eyes. I give a stiff nod then make my way out of the door.
Alex is not gonna be happy about this one... I know for a fact that she is pissed about not being able to come along to a gruesome fight that she may not come out of alive. Why wouldn't somebody be pissed?
"Alex!" I call as loud as I possibly can. I stand down the bottom of the stairs waiting for an answer, but get nothing.
"Alex!" I yell louder.
"What!"
I block my ears at the loudness of Alex's voice. I turn around to see her standing behind me with her hands
on her hips, one hip cocked out and a pissed off expression on her face. See, told ya.
"What are you doing down here? You're supposed to be in our room," I say suspiciously. If I've learnt anything about Alex, it's that she's an eavesdropper. She's always listening in on other people’s conversations.
Alex rolls her eyes and snaps, "Can't a girl get something to eat?"
I sigh and shake my head, running a hand through my hair.
"Whatever. Where's Celina?" I question. I'm not really in the mood for Alex's attitude at the moment. She can go and complain to somebody else. Jeez, I sound like a dad talking about his child.
"Right here. I heard the yelling," I hear Celina's voice behind me say. I spin around to see her walking down the stairs. I smile at her and reach out my hand to help her down the last few steps.
"M'lady," I say politely in a horrible British accent. I hear Alex scoff while Celina bursts out laughing. I look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"D-do you remember that time when you and C-Callum tried to make me laugh for the first time? That was hilarious! You both had horrible British accents!" she exclaims as she lets out another laugh. As the memory comes back, I also burst out laughing.
"You totally freaked out about your hair! That was hysterical!" I scream, holding my stomach to try and stop the laughing.
"What the hell are you two talking about?" I hear Alex ask through our laughter. I must admit, this is not the best time to be laughing at old memories, but technically, Celina started it.
"Nothing, nothing!" I chuckle out, taking a deep breath as Celina does the same. We look at each other as grins split out faces.
"That was funny," Celina whispers, another chuckle escaping. I clear my throat to stop another chuckle from escaping me when I see Alex give me an annoyed look.
"Ok, ok, we'll get back to the matter at hand," I say defensively, putting my hands up in the air. Alex rolls her eyes and motions for me to say something. Before I do though, I realise something. This is me, this is the jokester Comrade playing around in a serious situation. I'm me again. I'm Comrade.
Forgotten, Saved, Loved: A Werewolf Story (Nightfall Book 2) Page 15
