Chapter 46

Forest's POV

"I don't," I felt my heart jump out my throat in joy.

I thought I'd truly lost her for a minute there. I thought she was gone, her dad had finally won.

I should have had more trust in her. She is mine, and will always be mine. No one can change that.

I watched in satisfaction as Elias, Simon and Tasha all reacted. Their reactions were pretty funny.

Tasha was yelling out about how she had to marry him, because she loved him. I nearly growled at her. She didn't love him. She wasn't allowed to love him.

Wait. That sounded really over protective, and rude, and controlling.... Oh well. She can love who ever she wants, I can't force her to love me, just because she's my mate, and I'm hers, she can love anyone, just not him.

Simon's screech was so high pitch, I could only hear because of my wolf. Only a dog could hear that. In fact, I think I heard a dog howl in the distance.

"Terra, you will pay for this. I won't let you get away with this." How dare he threaten my mate. He will pay for this, he will die. If not by my hands, that by the hands of my family. One of us will kill him.

I saw Elias growl at her, I smiled at her defiance, the way she kept her head high even as he growled. Before, all it took was a dog barking and she would jump a mile in the air.

She wasn't the same girl he tried to kill not so long ago.

The priest was still standing at the front, looking at Aria with round eyes, "Umm, umm," He stared to say, "What do I do now?"

From next to him, I had a great view of the evil glint in Elias' eyes, he looked murderous. He was mad. He thought he had won. Only for Aria to prove to him he was, and will always, be a loser. "You run," He snarled angrily.

The priest seemed to get the message and he ran out the room, I kept my eyes on Elias, he wasn't going to hurt my mate.

"You," He snarled, turning to me, "It's all your fault. If it wasn't for you, this brat would be dead by now." He turned to me, fangs baring, and leapt at me.

I had just enough time to shift before I was locked in battle, a dangerous game of tug of war, a tug of war of life. The loser forfeits their life, and it will be Elias dying tonight.

I wanted to keep an eye on Aria, to make sure she was safe and that my pack arrived soon to help her fight, but I couldn't take my eyes off my own battle.

Elias wasn't a skilled fighter, his attacks were messy and his reflexes were slow, but he was older than me, more experienced.

He was a rogue, he fought for no reason, and he fought to the death. He fought messy and disregarded all laws and rules.

His wolf was bigger than mine, mine was quite big, being the alpha's son, but I wasn't of age yet, my wolf hadn't come into his own. I had been trained, but only to fight. Not to kill.

I was at a disadvantage.

But I wouldn't lose. I refused to let this scumbag of a wolf continue on this earth for one more day. Not after what he did to my mate.

I felt my wolf anger at what he did to our mate, and used it to fuel my fight. We fought as one. We both wanted revenge.

We had one chance to wipe the earth of him, to remove his from Aria's life forever.

And we would grab it with both hands.

I jumped on his back, latching on and biting deep. He shook me off, but not before I ripped a chunk out of his back. I heard his wolf whine in pain slightly.

I would give him no mercy.

He lunged at me, aiming for my neck, but I jumped out the way, his teeth grazing my side, not enough to draw blood. I could afford to be lazy. That was my warning.

If I let him get that close to by underside again, he would win.

I had to be careful. He wouldn't fight fair. I had to keep my eyes peeled for his dirty tricks.

His goons surrounding us were being fought off, one by one, by my pack, so I knew I didn't have to worry about them joining in, this was our fight.

He lunged again, this time catching my back leg in his teeth as I jumped out the way. His grip was lose and I shook it out his grip before sidestepping his next attack.

I was the smaller wolf, but I was more agile.

I danced circles around him, trying to tire him out.

His lunged started to get sloppy, giving me more opportunities to strike myself.

I lept on his back. Grabbing his skin in my teeth and twisting my head sharply, ripping his flesh and causing his blood to start to splurt out the multiple bite wounds on his back.

His death wouldn't be pretty.

His death wouldn't be quick.

His death wouldn't be merciful.

He will pay for the pain he caused my mate, and he will pay in the worst way possible, the most painful way possible.

Death would be slow coming, it was too good a fate for him, but I couldn't risk him coming after Ari again. I would let him stay on this earth.

If possible I would keep him alive, torture him like he tortured her. Death is too easy. He wouldn't have to live with his life choices, death was the easy way out.

I will make sure he's begging for death by the time it comes. I will only allow him a minuscule amount of time longer on this earth, but I will make it an experience he will never forget, not even in death.

Hell on earth.

He lept at me, pushing me on my back and trapping me with his huge frame, keeping me squished into the ground. He slapped me across the face with his paw, his claws biting into my skin.

It hurt, but what he did to my mate hurt more.

I shoved him off me, running my claws along his side before he crashed into the wall next to me.

I jumped to my feet, not letting him gain advantage of me while I was on the floor.

I was panting. But he was worse.

He leaped at me again, but it was sloppy, his legs trailed behind and his leap wasn't as high as when we started. He was tired, and had lost a lot of blood.

So had I.

I felt my pack, my family, surrounding me, I felt my father lend me some of his power, let me draw on the pack bond for the strength to continue.

I felt their energy and encouragement flowing through me.

I flipped Elias on his back, his neck in my teeth. His life slipped away from him. His soul left his body. His death was too good for him, but at least now he was gone.

I bit down as the clock struck 12.

I heard a bang from the corner of the room.

A gun.

I knew he would play dirty, but getting one of his cronies to shoot me from the sidelines?

I didn't have enough energy to jump out of the way.

I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable impact.

Instead I felt a searing pain in my heart, emotional, not physical.

I heard a scream.

I opened my eyes. Dreading what I would see. What I knew I was going to see.

Aria lay on the floor a few meters away from me.

Her white top turning red as her blood seeped into the material.

"No," I whispered. This couldn't be happening. "No, no, no, no," I ran over to her, I didn't know what to do.

The wound was to deep, I couldn't stop it.

I couldn't move her, I couldn't even touch her in fear of hurting her, or making it worse.

"No, don't leave me. I've only just got you back. You can't leave me. Not again." I whispered to her, running my hand lightly over her cheek. "Please don't go,"

She grasped my hand in hers, her skin already growing cold, "I have to go, it was the only option. This was my choice. My choice Forest. Everyone has always made decisions for me. This time I decided."

"No," I whimpered, holding her hand tighter. My wolf howled out in my head, he wouldn't, couldn't lose his mate. "No,"

She just smiled at me, wincing slightly as pain swept through her, "Stay strong. Look after the pack for me. You're strong, you can survive without me. It was me or them. I couldn't let them die. You can't let them either."

She was wrong. She said I was strong. I wasn't strong, not without her. She made me strong. Without her, without her I was weak, "I'm only strong because of you," I whispered to her.

"You have to live Forest. Live for the both of us."

Her skin grew colder, hey eyes started to drift closed, "Live for the both of us," She whispered before the life left her eyes.

I was left alone.

I shook her shoulders slightly, "Ari?" She didn't respond, I shook harder, "Ari? Aria? No, NO," I screamed out, tears rolling down my face, not caring who saw. My wolf howled out. Long and pain filled.

My mate was gone.

My mate was gone.

My mate was gone, and it was all Simon's fault.

I jumped up, screaming in pain. My wolf took control, shifting and running full pelt towards where he had been hiding, where he was still hiding.

My wolf took one look at him and ripped his head off his body.

Not satisfied he started to rip up his body, tearing and ripping at his skin. His death was too quick. He took my mate from me.

I only stopped when I felt my father's power flowing over me, forcing me to stop.

My wolf tried to fight his command but he increased the power and I was forced to submit.

My wolf collapsed on the ground, howling out in heartbreak.

Our mate, our other half, our twin flame, our soulmate, was gone.

Gone.

The ruins in which I lay were abandoned, all but my parents, Ash and Skye, had left, gone to clear up the rogues and go back home.

They didn't know she was my mate.

And now they never would.

My father came up beside me, his shoulders slumped in defeat, "I'm sorry," He whispered, "I'm sorry we couldn't save her."

My parents loved Aria as a daughter, they were hurt by her death. We would all morn for her.

Ash and Skye stood in one corner, tears rolling down their faces.

I wanted to go and comfort them, but what could I say?

It will all be ok?

It will get better?

It doesn't matter?

All would be a lie.

My world was crashing to the ground. My future crashing and burning, all because they killed her. She was gone, my life would never be the same.

It was as if someone had erased all colour, replaced the blue of the sky, the green of the grass, the whole spectrum of colour, with grey.

My love, my life, my entire world was gone.

How did she expect me to continue, to live, when all I wanted to do was curl up and die.