Chapter Thirty Six

#Wattys2014

“Alright I'm up for a good vampire hunt." Macarthur shouted and cracked his knuckles indicating that he was ready to go finally finish off the bastard once and for all, and for the moment I was too. Lucian grabbed my arm and looked down at me.

"Tara. We can't just rush into this without a game plan." Lucian said wisely.

I knew he was right but I didn't want him to be. Because that meant days, maybe weeks without Romulus. Not knowing what's happening to him or what Dorian has planned up his sleeve, and I just can't handle that.

I sighed. "You're right Lucian we do need a plan, and it's going to have to be a damn good one."

"I’ll start gathering the troops while you go and get something on, that's a little bit more battle worthy." Macarthur said looking down at the ripped and bloody sheet I still had on, trying not to look any longer than he needs to.

"Alright. I'll be out in a minute." I stated. Lucian, MacArthur, and the guards left but I could hear them outside the door waiting for another attack. I dropped the sheet and rummaged for my riding pants, and slipped them on. Then I looked to Romulus's wardrobe I quickly walked over to the polished oak doors and threw them open. I was immediately hit with the strong scent of musk, and Eucalyptus that was all over his clothing.  I grabbed one of his white shirts and threw it on inhaling the scent of him again. Trying to focus on getting him back and not breaking down in front of everyone. I hastily put on boots and immediately walked outside the big double doors of the bedroom. I turned around and looked at the trashed bedroom one more time.

"I will come for you." I mumbled to myself and closed the doors and walked with the guard outside of my door to the grand staircase where everyone was standing in wait.

All of the male guests at the wedding ere there looking up to me; their new leader. They stood there in wait for their orders from me. I looked to the side of where I was standing and saw MacArthur and Lucian standing there, chest out and ready for instructions. I also saw May, but other than her I was the only other woman in the room. May looked her strongest in that moment she didn’t look like the gentle woman who helped me with my transition into a werewolf. She looked like a warrior, and that’s what I needed to be.

I looked amongst the men and spoke not even sure if it was actually my voice at all. “Alpha Romulus has been captured.” Grabbing onto the railing of the staircase to steady myself from the punch of my own words. The whole room seemed to have taken a deep breathe to brace myself for the rest of my words. “It was Dorian, I don’t know how he did it but he has gotten ahold of some very powerful magic. He is at his highest power now. But the bigger they are the harder they fall, we don’t know the outcome of Romulus’s situation yet. All we know is that he is captured, and Dorian may use this vulnerability as means to attack our pack. ” One of the men in the crowd spoke. “Tara what if Romulus has been murdered what shall we do?”

I looked to Lucian and he nodded. As a means to say ‘Say whatever helps them, but you know what Romulus would want.’

“If Alpha Romulus has been taken from us we cannot worry-“I stopped at the sudden realization that I was crying. Not in a big gasping way, but single tears were falling down my cheeks, I stopped and looked down ashamed of my tears, ashamed of my words. I took a deep breath and looked back at the crowd. “Alpha Romulus has been captured but we are going to get him back tomorrow at noon, and we will finally end this thing now. Who is with me?” I grinded the last part through my teeth and all the men in the hall howled.

****

That night I wandered the castle unable to lay down in that bed. Even though they changed the bed spread and pillows. It still didn't feel right without the weight of Romulus next to me. Pushing the bed down on his side so that my side would lift up and cause me to roll closer to him; closer to his heat. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around myself trying to imagine that same heat engulfing me. I managed to find my way to the hall of Alphas At least that's what I called it now. I slowly walked down the hall seeing all the powerful looking men in the portraits, some with scars all down their face. Some missing eyes, and there at the very end of the hall was Romulus.

I stared at the deep green eyes staring back me. I felt as if this picture didn't do him justice. His jaw was firm and muscular and his cheek bones were perfectly indented. But his eyes looked cold, and his beautiful pouted lips weren't in a wonderful smile that I had grown so accustomed to. I reached out to touch him but before I could touch him someone spoke.

"I know. It's weird seeing him so stoic, and not his usual bubbly self." Lily smiled. I immediately took my hand away from the angel in the portrait and looked at Lily. She had a large woven blanket wrapped around herself.

"Lily. Why are you up? You should be resting."

"So should you, and besides just because I'm pregnant doesn’t mean I need to rest all the time.  I'll get fat just sitting around all day." She smiled through the darkness. "But in all seriousness why are you up?"

I looked down at my bare feet against the dark stoned floor. "I can't sleep."

"Because he's not there, laying down next to you?"

I weakly smiled at her for guessing exactly what I was thinking.

"I understand...What it's like to long for the person you love when they are taken away from you or if you’re taken away from them. I was in that awful place for a few years before you had gotten there." Lily walked closer to me. "I had barely even found out that Lucian and I were destined, we barely even knew each other, and yet when I was taken away from him, and put in that place to be tortured on the whereabouts of Romulus, and the rest of the pack. I only thought of him, so many different scenarios of how he would rescue me, and how he'd take me away; back home. But I would never have imagined as strong as a person as you Tara. I know Deeping my heart that you and Romulus will be united once again. You are strong Tara. Never forget that, but its okay to show that you’re afraid. Believe it or not it's what makes us human." Lily wrapped her arms around me bringing me closer to her, and I wrapped my arms around her too. Slightly sobbing in her arms feeling the weight being lifted off of me. Of having to keep up this persona of strong, and tough, and just letting myself go.

"Lily I'm so scared, and not of Dorian or fighting him. I'm scared of Romulus... you didn't see what he looked like. He wasn't the same gentle man that I love. He was evil."

Lily stroked the back of my head in an attempt to calm me down.

"And I can't even sleep in our bed because all I imagine is him trying to kill me!”

Lily pulled away and held me by the arms. Then you will sleep with me in my bed."

I wiped the tears. “But what about Lucian? Surely he will not sleep on the floor?"

"Oh goodness no. He'll sleep in your bed and you'll sleep with me." Lily smiled and the next thing I knew I was being pulled back down the hall of alphas and away from the mesmerizing, green eyes of Romulus.