Chapter 163
Kaene
“Maybe my story will be a lesson to other nobles who might harbor the same darkness in them.” My mother had said right before we left for the wedding.
Well, now no one will know her story because they were all dropping like flies.
It had all happened so fast.
First, the arrow that struck my mother’s chest after Phoebe and I shared our vows and then the pandemonium that followed as the attacks started raining on the wolves in the event Hall.
I rushed to her, catching her before she could fall to the ground, watching life slowly slip away from her.
“K– Kaene My mother gasped, her eyes dimming as she stared at me.
I hugged her body close, my eyebrows creasing.
The arrow stuck to her chest had a silver blade.
Hunters p>
Her gown was getting soaked by her blood but I tried to slow down the bleeding by placing my hand on the wound and applying pressure.
“You’re going to be alright, Mother,” I stated reassuringly, trying to be calm as I wrapped my hand around the arrow.
I gritted my teeth, slowly trying to pull it out of her chest while also trying to ignore the terrified screams of my people.
The other wolves, from young to old, and the elites and lower class wolves… All of them were the same under the assault of the hunters.
I subconsciously glanced at them, watching as they tried scurrying out of the event hall under Elder Gita’s unwavering guidance.
“Kaene. P– protect the people.” My mother said in a shaky voice, trying to keep eye contact despite her waning consciousness. “They need you. I’ve… I’ve lived enough. I’ve caused enough… Enough pain. I p>
“Mother now is not the time for your emotional walk down memory lane!” I yelled at her, getting increasingly frustrated. “What I need now is a way to stabilize you before p>
I paused, sniffing the wound more closely.
The arrow wasn’t just with a silver blade. It was coated with wolfsbane.
A strong dose of it.
My body shuddered as I remembered how I was also poisoned by wolfsbane.
I remembered the pain I went through the night that the effects of the small doses of the drug started kicking in.
I remembered the agonizing nights I spent on my bed on the road to recovery. I shouldn’t have survived… If it weren’t for Phoebe and the mate bond.
“There’s no saving me, Kaene.” My mother placed her hand on mine, a wry smile curling up her lips. “J– Just preserve our people. Protect your Luna… Your wife, with everything you have. Protect your family in a way that I was never able to accomplish p>
It was then that it hit me. Foreign emotions began overflowing within me, causing my eyes to sting.
I subconsciously brought my left hand to my eyes, feeling the moisture on them.
Tears.
They’ve seemed to be a bit more normal ever since I died and came back.
But I couldn’t show weakness now.
“I love you, my son.” My mother suddenly muttered, shattering whatever walls I had left preventing me from breaking down. “A– And I’m proud of all the decisions you’ve m– made so far. I– I know you and your wife will do well without… Without me p>
Argh, could she not p>
“Mother, I don’t know how but I will I paused, noticing her eyes closing.
No.
I tightened my grip around her body, shaking her repeatedly. “Mom. Mother?!” I called out.
She was no longer breathing. I could no longer hear her heartbeat.
She’s… Dead.
My mother is dead.
The fierce Catherine Maverick is actually dead.
Suddenly, an explosion occurred on top of the stage, causing smoke, wooden shards, and debris to fly all over the place.
I bent down, using my body to shield my mother while roaring out in anger amidst the screams of terror from my pack members.
My people.
None of them deserved this.
Eventually, when the effects of the explosion had calmed, I got up from my mother’s body, gazing at her one last time.
My heart ached when I realized that I would never hear her scoldings or feel annoyance at her attempts to meddle in my life.
She was gone.
Gritting my teeth, I swerved my head, searching through the smoke for Phoebe.
My heart raced when I thought of the possibility of her being hurt by the blast but luckily, I heard her voice.
“Kaene p>
I squinted my eyes, spotting her walking toward me through the smoke, unscathed.
When she saw me as well, she rushed up to me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.
“Are you okay?” She asked, her voice shaky with sobs.
Okay? No… No, I was not.
But I remained silent, wrapping my arms around her as well and just letting myself get lost in the warmth of her embrace for a second.
After a while, I pulled away from the hug, placing my hand on her shoulder.
“You’re okay,” I muttered thankfully, trailing my right hand to her face and caressing it.
She smiled, nodding her head. “N– Negan pushed me away from the blast. I’m p>
She paused, her eyes landing on my mother’s body behind me.
Her eyes widened in shock before sadness seeped in.
It was amazing how she was able to show sympathy for the death of a woman who put her through hell.
Phoebe’s kindness knew no bounds.
“K– Kaene, I’m so sorry.” She whispered, cupping my face with her hands.
However, I shook my head, wrapping my hands around her wrists. “Don’t be. You’re not the one who needs to be sorry.” I stated plainly.
It was those conniving Hunters!
I was tempted to believe this was the handwork of the mysterious killer hiding among us, but I knew the patterns of a Hunter attack.
I’ve seen it several times before. It was how my father died… By the hands of Hunters.
And now my mother is gone too.
’I’ll take down as many as possible.’ I promised myself as I took Phoebe to Negan and entrusted her to him for protection.
Without another word, I shifted into my wolf before sprinting out of the event hall, already picking up the scent of humans.