14 Chapter 14

(Akira's Section)

My ears stopped working, the empty ringing of the phone, the shouts of warning from Robyn. I was numb. I could hear growling and snarling, I could smell the blood, but it all seemed so far away. Pain ripped through my neck, pulling me from the dark abyss, I stared at my attacker, golden eyes stared back. Then I slipped away again, feeling nothing but cold water.

I woke up in a familiar place, a flower field.

Dandelions, cornflowers, and lavender were dotted around, along with other flowers, I had awoken in the middle of the field, and now I was seated at a little table. I looked around, it seemed oddly familiar. A vase was on the table as well, it held holly berries and pine needles, a strange combination that smelled just like-"Akira? are you going to move?" Charlotte asked, she had appeared across the table, a green dress hugged her frame and holly flowers adorned her blond hair. I looked at the board, a game was in process and I was winning, I moved my knight instinctually, This was a memory, it seemed. "We met here, you know that right?" Charlotte said that with a smile, her green eyes fixed on mine "I was 6 and you were 8, and you didn't want me around." Charlotte said sweetly, I couldn't recall it though, it was all a blur to me, but this place seemed so oddly familiar.

"Akira" I heard a voice outside of the dream, it was achingly familiar, I got up from the table, and the dream Charlotte grabbed my hand, tears came down her face. I yanked my arm free and ran, a storm started brewing and the flowers started dying but I ran, I kept running until I woke up.

I opened my eyes to my room, I heard Charlotte, so where was she? my head spun.

I got up and got dressed, I had a full schedule today but I felt like shit, Creepy nightmares and then weird dreams left me exhausted. I opened the door to my office and sat down, I leaned back in my chair and sighed, my memories were shattered, bits and pieces, my childhood was one fragment after another, and the ones I could remember were painful. I knew that as soon as I became an alpha I needed to be strong, so my memories weren't important to me, but now I know that part of them involves Charlotte...and I do care about that.

I opened my eyes and studied the ceiling, I felt like a huge part of me was missing and I couldn't get it back, I missed her so badly it hurt. I closed my eyes and let myself drift.

"Akira, hey, what's this letter?" Robyn's voice pulled me from my nap and I opened my eyes, another handwritten letter was on my desk, a raven feather rested on top of it, R. I picked up the letter and opened it.

'The Golden bride has begun the descent into darkness, The 6 heroes have awoken and now serve her, The cold Leech aids and abets the darkness, Be aware for soon Your Queen will fall unless you intervene. Always remember-

'Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality'

Sincerely, R.'

I read out the letter to Robyn and he paled, "The golden Bride and your queen seem to be the same person...and that could only be...Charlotte." Robyn seemed worried but I calmed him down, Charlotte, corrupted? to anyone else it would seem impossible, but I knew her dark side. The anger she carried had been changed into empathy but it was still there.

The book I'd been given disgusted me, it contained horrible details of his experiments and his...creations, he called them heroes and named them after Greek heroes, their abilities seemed impressive and he had trained them to serve one master, it wasn't him. Two entries were missing from the book, R, and one other, Terrance was on my radar already, but now I had 6 psychopaths with mythological abilities? I couldn't handle that.

Emmett was seated at the round table along with Robyn, I sat with them. My face must have shown how stressed I was because their faces reflected it,

"Magic? Created Monsters? Charlotte as a Villain?" Robyn's face was wrought with anxiety, but he didn't seem surprised. "Do you know an...R?" I asked hesitantly, he bit his lip and looked away "No...But I know someone who might.." Robyn said while Emmett finished looking through the book. Emmett coughed and gulped while putting it down "All of his...' Creations' have golden eyes, doesn't Alpha Night have Golden eyes?" Emmett said quickly, he then excused himself to the bathroom to vomit.

"Why would he work against Charlotte if he's a creation?" I asked, wondering aloud, then I re-read the note "This is all designed so Charlotte will be able to use magic...why can't she if she's good?" I asked, flipping through the notes, finally finding the entry I needed.

'Magic can be used for good or evil, werewolves cannot use good magic because we inherently are dark creatures, we mirror the moon in equal light and darkness, werewolves may access very powerful dark magic, but only if drawn deep into the darkness, a price one must pay for the abilities of a God.' The notes continues but I quickly grabbed my stuff

"Where are you going?" Robyn asked, I grabbed the notes "I have to save her!" I said quickly, I ran to the door only to be blocked by Robyn "Stop!" he shouted, I tried to push past him but he was somehow stronger. "If you go now when you're not ready...you'll fail." Robyn explained slowly, tears suddenly falling down his face "I can't let you fail! There's too much at stake!" Robyn choked back his tears while I simply sat there.

"What do you know," I asked, Robyn, who continued crying, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!?" I screamed, Robyn flinched but didn't budge from the door. "You aren't ready..." Robyn whispered, I grabbed his shoulders and tried to move him but what he said next froze me in place

"We all have Darkness in us...Some of us lost and some of us won, some are still fighting..." Robyn said this slowly, then he looked at me "Charlotte needs to fight this alone, you can't save her, she has to make her own decision." Robyn crossed his arms and a sad smile crossed his face "I made my decision...let her make her own." for the first time in my whole life I felt tears fall down my face.

Robyn hugged me, I sobbed into his shoulder and I finally understood.

I love Charlotte, but I can't make her love me back, it's her decision, not mine. with my tears went my anger, my stubbornness, something about crying it all away made sense.

Something about having a shoulder to cry on made sense.

I was learning.