[15]: It Starts and Ends Here

A/N: Its the final chapter guys, before the epilogue.  Thank you for taking this journey with me.  I am going to be dedicating this story to a few people that have taken the journey with me, and I appreciate their input and following me along the way as I finish my first books ever.

So a special thanks to debbie_evanfurn, LillyBelle469, and kotono.

For any readers I have not listed, thank you as well.  I am glad and humbled that you guys have enjoyed my books so far.  I hope I don't disappoint any of you, and I hope to keep writing more books for you guys to enjoy!

- MsNikkiStar

(P.S.  The song I have ascribed for this chapter is a pretty old song, but one I think is very fitting for this chapter.  So please play it as you read it.  I think it adds to the dynamic of the ending.)

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I slowly stand up to my full height, turning fully to them.  Using my body to block Leilani's body from them.  Not sure if they are a threat to her or not, but not taking any chances.  I watch as the woman approaches me, her silver blonde hair falling past her shoulders.  Glacial blue eyes looking at me.  So familiar, but different in many ways.

She looks exactly like Rachel, but is older than her.  Wrinkles on her face showing that she has passed her prime, but still beautiful.  Just as her daughter once was.  But her face expressionless, her eyes holding malice as she stares back at me.

"So glad you decided to join us Damien."

"What are you doing here?"

"Taking back what you took, of course."

"What the hell are you talking about Mrs. Smithson?"

"I have come for what is mine."

I slowly began taking small steps towards her, gauging her movements, looking for a moment to incapacitated her.  I watch as she lifts her hand, a metallic object in her hand.

"Stop right there Damien." she says, as I notice it is a gun in my hand.  "And before you ask, its loaded with silver bullets dear. So don't even think about it."

Using the gun to point, she says "Get your hands up."

"What do you want from us?" I say as I raise my hands up in the air.

"Simple,  I want a life for a life.  You took my precious little girl away from me."

"I am sorry I had to kill her." I begin to say.

"Sorry? You're sorry?  No you aren't.  You moved on with that slut over there before her body was even cold in the ground."

"I loved her. she just..."

"Love? Ha! You don't know the meaning of the word. You killed her, and she loved you!"

"She didn't love me.  She told me she just wanted the power."

"Shut up with your lies!  My daughter was perfect, her only flaw was loving you!"

"Mrs. Smithson, listen.  Her mate didn't die. She rejected her mate..."

"Of course she rejected him! He wasn't worthy of my little girl.  SHE DESERVED MORE!"  she stated, and I realized then Rachel's mom had known everything all along.

"It would have been perfect.  She would have gotten the man she deserved.  But she ruined it all, and you ruined it all by choosing the wrong girl.  Then you take Rachel's life, and you two have the audacity to invite us to a party to tell the world about how big of a mistake loving Rachel was?  Ha!  You both were idiots to believe my apology was sincere.  That I had forgiven you for taking my little girl from me.  That I had forgiven you TEARING my little girls body to shreds.  The same body you so lovingly told her was perfect everyday!"

I heard Leilani began to move behind me turning my head slightly, while keeping Mrs. Smithson in my periphal vision, I look at her.  Her hand reaching up to touch the injury on her head.  Her gaze lifting up to mine.

"Damien?" I hear her say in a shaky voice.

"Good the slut is awake."

"Leave her out of this Mrs. Smithson. She is innocent.  Just let her go, and you can have me."

"Innocent? You are just full of jokes today.  She is as guilty if not more than you. You both will die where my daughter died.  You both will pay!  I thought long and hard if I should let one of you live without the other, but decided that with both of you out of the way, it would be easier to take your territory from you."

"And how do you plan to do that Mrs. Smithson?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she stated in an evil laugh.

"You won't get away with this."

"I have before, and I will again."

"What are you talking about?"

"I see you don't know, huh?  Your arrogance was always your weakness.  I told Rachel to use it to lure you in when we arrived here.  I see you are confused.  You think we came here on a whim? No, Damien.  I had this planned out for years.  My daughter deserved an Alpha, and I would give her one.  She wasn't going to spend her life not knowing power, like I had with my low status mate.  She was too beautiful for that.  So I set out to give her the life I never had.  But first, I had to get your parents out of the way.  What better way then to have mysterious hunters appear on your land and kill them?"

"You, you killed my parents?"

"Of course, they were in the way of my plan.  It's just too bad I didn't know that slut over there was your mate then, or else I could have killed her then too.  And my little girl would be alive right now, and ruling by your side."

Trying to distract her away from Leilani I continued asking her questions.

"Did you know what happened to her mate?"

"Of course I did.  Who do you think brought him and his friends here? You thought it was by chance?  Once Rachel and I knew that slut over there was your mate, we had to get her out of the way." she said with a far away look in her eyes.

"But you knew she would turn into one of those things."

"True, but we couldn't chance it.  We needed a back up plan.  So we used him.  It was just luck that you captured him.  Leaving him under Rachel's thumb to kill her if she needed, or to distract you with as we figured out a way to get rid of her for good. But then you had to ruin it all, by falling in love with the slut.  Rachel knew you were pulling away from her.  On the day my little girl died, she released that thing to go after Leilani and kill her.  But whatever happened, ended differently then what we had planned.  Instead of burying that slut, I ended up burying my daughter."

Just as I got into distance of being able to get the gun out of her hands, while I had distracted her, her eyes refocused on me.  Pulling the tigger, I felt the impact of the silver bullet hit my left leg, causing me to crumple on the ground.

"I told you not to fucking move!  Nevermind, its time to die.  I am going to enjoy you watching as your beloved mate dies before your eyes, before I take your life."

I watch in horror as she aims the gun over my shoulder at Leilani, who has been silently watching our exchange.  I watch in slow motion, as her finger begins to pull back the trigger, I used the last of my strength to jump at her with no time to shift.  Just as the gun goes off, I reach her, putting my body between the gun and Leilani.  A searing pain spreading across my chest.  Using everything in me, I get my hands around her neck, pinning her to the ground.  Just then I see Leilani's white wolf jump over my shoulder.  Her fangs digging in Mrs. Smithson's neck, and ripping it out.  Her body twitching before freezing in death.

I roll over onto my back. as the adrenaline leaves my body.  The pain in my chest intensifying.  My breathing becoming shallow and more difficult.  I cough, tasting blood in my mouth, feeling weaker as the seconds tick by.   I know what is coming, and I know I have broken my last promise to her. I watch as Leilani shifts back into a human, and runs to my side.

"Damien!" she screams, putting my head in her lap. "You'll be okay, please be okay!"

"Little one, I am sorry." I say with difficulty.

"No Damien, save your strength.  I called for my brother through pack link while you were talking to her.  He will be here soon.  You will be okay." she says as tears drop from her eyes onto my cheek.

"I am sorry little one.  I am sorry to break another promise to you."

"Please don't talk like that."

"I don't have much time left, and there is so much I want to say before I leave you"

"Damien, please stop."

"I need you to know how sorry I am for everything."  I state, each word taking every ounce of energy I have left, but knowing I couldn't leave this life without saying it to her.

"I didn't always love you the right way, but I would give my life for you all over again, to make sure you are safe."

"Damien, you can't leave me!"

I reach my weak hand up and cup her face.

"So many promises broken. But I haven't broken my promise of loving you until my last breath.  I love you. More than life itself. I will take my love for you into the next life. I am sorry."  With no more strength in me, my hand falls to the side.

Just as I feel my body take its last breath, and the last of my life slip from my body. I hear her.

"Don't leave me alone Damien.  Please don't leave me alone.  I love you so much.  I forgive you, just live please. Live."

My last fleeting thought regretting that I couldn't give her what she wanted.