Tears of the Fallen Ch. 04

PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here
JazCullen
JazCullen
6,489 Followers

"My name is Ashleigh. I am Liam's mother, and a Were. I am mated to Nors, an Ancient vampire. I figured I'd answer all your questions at once so we can move on as quickly as possible. Before we go any further, I feel obligated to tell you that while I will not harm you in any way, I have no empathy towards you. You came here to murder my son and for that, I will always hate you. For his sake, I will keep you safe, but never think that I do this for you."

The words were blunt but honest and Reasa could understand the wolf's position on an intellectual level. She could even respect it. It was refreshing to know exactly where she stood with at least one person in her new environment. "Noted."

Ashleigh entered further into the room, scrutinising the woman her son had chosen as his. She was attractive, there was no denying that, and she had to concede that despite all the weeping, Reasa had a core of steel somewhere deep inside to be able to take her harsh words and accept them without flinching. She didn't want to think anything positive about the former vampire though, so she firmed up her mental barriers.

"Your presence here is harming Liam. I was overruled about having you in my home when you first arrived, but after today, it appears my reluctance has proven to be correct. I will talk with our Alpha to find another place for you to stay. You need to start adjusting to your changed circumstances. Lying and weeping in this room is not adjusting."

Reasa bristled at her tone. Yes, she may have a right to judge her when it came to matters of her son, but what right did this wolf have to judge how she dealt with becoming human? Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she rose and crossed to the window, staring out at the freedom denied her. "I need to start adjusting? Who are you to tell me what I need to be doing? I have had everything ripped away from me, everything that made me who I am. What gives you the right to lecture me on how I should or shouldn't be handling it?"

A long silence ensued, so long that Reasa thought the other woman had left the room. She turned to see the wolf staring down at the carpet, a frown on her pretty face. Ashleigh appeared to come to some decision as her head raised and she met her gaze.

"A long time ago I lost everything dear to me." Ashleigh's voice faltered slightly and she frowned again before swallowing hard. "My entire family was wiped out by vampires who attacked my former pack. I was young, lost and so very alone. Despite the love of my pack, I wanted to give up. Sometimes at night I would lie awake weeping, longing to be dead with my family. I was moments away from turning rogue, so I know what it is like to lose everything, to feel so alone that you long for death. Our circumstances may be different but the essence of the emotions is the same."

Despite herself, Reasa found her interest piqued by the wolf's admission. The emotion in the other woman's voice told her she still, to this day, suffered from the loss of her family; however she had the strength to go on with her life. "How did you survive?" The question was spontaneous and surprising, but she couldn't retract the words now that they were out of her mouth.

Warmth spread across the petite blonde's expression, her brown eyes sparkling with such a wealth of love that Reasa felt her mouth drop open slightly. The transformation from the cold woman who had entered the room was staggering.

"A vampire saved me," Ashleigh answered, her lips curving in small smile. "Through all the blood and death, the tears and grief, Nors pushed everything out of his way and took me under his protection. He supported me, held me as I grieved; he was a rock and a shining light at every turn. He loved me and waited for over a year for me to heal and accept him as mine. Without him, I would have been lost forever."

"You placed your life in the hands of a vampire when they were responsible for the death of all you loved?" Reasa wasn't sure if the woman before her was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. If a species had taken everything from her, she would never turn to them for comfort. That was why the only saving grace with being in the pack was they were wolves and not vampires. A vampire had stripped her immortality from her. Now that she was vulnerable, she wouldn't trust another vampire as far as she could throw one.

Ashleigh's lips twitched again. "Yes, I did, and continued to do so despite being kidnapped and tortured by the last vampire council, too. You see, I'm not like you, Thereasa. I don't tar an entire species with the same brush just because of the actions of a few. I don't hate and fear a race just because they're not something I understand."

There was no mistaking the barb being thrown in her direction, and Reasa acknowledged it even as she ignored it. If this woman thought anything she said would change her mind, she was wrong, and she didn't see the point in reiterating what she'd already said to Liam. She was sure his mother was smart enough to know it.

Reasa moved back to the bed, her thoughts confused. Ashleigh's honesty impressed her she had to admit that. If what she said was true, she had endured much pain and suffering at the hands of vampires and yet she didn't condemn everyone for it. In fact, she had mated with a vampire and, from her expression when she talked of her mate, it was clear that she loved him with all her heart. This petite woman had a core of strength that was to be admired. It mattered nothing to Reasa that Ashleigh hated her. She had been hated by many of the vampires in her coven, but respected for her strength and wisdom. That was something she could understand.

"Do you imagine your son will be the one to rescue me?" Her tone dripped with mockery and bitterness.

"I hope with every fibre of my being that he isn't your mate, Reasa. If you never believe a word that comes out of my mouth, believe in that, at least."

"Oh, I do, Ashleigh." Tilting her head to the side, she perused the wolf for a moment before smiling. "You know, you would have made a good vampire. You would have thrived in a European coven with your strength and bluntness. I would possibly even have liked you."

Ashleigh skewered her with her gaze, considering her words before speaking. Her wolf was paying very careful attention to the other woman, though was strangely silent during their conversation. It watched, and for what, she wasn't sure.

Standing straight, she met Reasa's gaze. "You're not a vampire any more. You're human. You need to learn to deal with that and stop alluding to a past that will never come around again. I will speak to Rafe and let you know of his decision." She turned to leave the room but halted at the door, glancing over her shoulder.

"I would never have liked you, Thereasa, even if I had been a vampire in your coven. I could never like someone who holds such warped hatred in her heart." Ashleigh closed the door quietly behind her, not waiting for a reply.

*****

"And just where do you think she should go?"

Ashleigh and Nors stood silently in Rafe's study, their Alpha pacing up and down the room, having listened to their request to rehouse Thereasa. He appeared resistant to the move even though he hadn't actually sanctioned Liam claiming his mate in the first instance. He hadn't argued when Liam had taken Reasa into his home, so he had sort of given his consent. Rafe knew that his mind had been on other things at the time and he'd welcomed not having to think about the semantics of having Reasa in the pack.

"She's too fragile to be anywhere near Kothari, and Andrei and Loretta's is out just for the fact that Pietro is there," Rafe sighed, halting his pacing and walking around his desk to sit down. He motioned for them to sit as he leaned on his desk and rubbed a hand over his face. He was Alpha and he didn't get to duck decisions. His pack relied on him to do what was in their best interests.

"Cedar and Alexei don't have room for her with the girls there and there's no way in hell she's coming here. We're full up as it is with mine and Aaron's brood here."

A low chuckle came from Nors' lips that quickly developed into a full-blown laugh. "Guess that leaves Freya and Dayton."

Rafe blinked, automatically shaking his head. "You want to leave Thereasa to your sister's tender mercy? Are you really that mean, Nors?"

Ashleigh was looking at her mate too, with a deep frown marring her forehead. Had he lost his mind? Freya would likely rip the other woman apart for what she'd done to Liam. She loved her nephew as if he were her own son.

"Come on, Freya isn't that bad," Nors sighed, coming to his sister's defence. She'd mellowed somewhat since mating with Dayton. Okay, she wasn't a typical pack member, but she wasn't bad enough to warrant this reaction from his mate and Alpha.

"Think about it for a moment. Dayton has experience handling challenging females. Elina knows how important Thereasa is to Liam; therefore, she will work hard to protect her for that reason alone. Freya is the only female vampire in the pack so she should be able to relate to the woman on some level. Freya also has had to learn to find her humanity, so, that's another thing they have in common. Most importantly, Reasa will be with family and that will make this a bit easier on Liam. I think it's the perfect solution."

Ashleigh and Rafe swapped gazes. When he put it like that, it wasn't as off the wall as they'd first thought.

"There is a certain kind of logic to it," Rafe conceded, beginning to like the idea more as he mulled it over. However, he wouldn't order a member of his pack to do something they didn't want to; not if it wasn't crucial to protecting the pack. "They have to agree to it though."

He used his Alpha bond to communicate telepathically with them. "Freya, Dayton, can you come over for a moment. I need to run something past you."

Turning his attention back to Nors and Ashleigh, he searched for signs of how they were holding up. Nors appeared to be doing okay, though Ashleigh was showing signs of strain. He sent a pulse of love down their bond, bathing her with his pride. "I know this isn't easy for you, that it's putting a huge strain on your family. I would lighten the burden if I could, but I can't do anything about Liam claiming her as his mate. I will do what I can, though, to make it as easy as possible. You know you can always come to me if you need to. We will get through this together. It's what the pack does."

"I know, Rafe." Ashleigh smiled a sad smile that was supposed to be reassuring but she couldn't quite pull it off. Since her meeting with Thereasa, her wolf had been so quiet that she was concerned about the strange behaviour. Being dual-natured, she was used to having her wolf interact with whatever was going on in her life. This silent watching was something completely new that she hadn't experienced before. It was unsettling. She was afraid her wolf was waiting to harm her son's mate and she wouldn't be able to control it even if she wanted to.

A knock on the door diverted her musings and Freya and Dayton entered at Rafe's command. The vampire frowned when she sighted her brother and his mate already in the room, though her mate was all smiles.

"So, what are we cooking up today?" Dayton Alexander raised an enquiring eyebrow as he pulled up a chair beside the sofa Nors and Ashleigh were already seated on. He waited for Freya to sit down before perching on the arm of the chair, his arm casually across the back so he could play with a multi-coloured lock of his mate's hair. Essentially he looked relaxed but everyone knew he was unconsciously soothing Freya, as was his habit.

Rafe automatically took command. There wasn't any point in beating around the bush when it came to his most difficult pack member. He fixed his gaze firmly on Freya as he spoke. "Thereasa's rejection of Liam is causing him harm. She is struggling to come to terms with being human because she's too fixated on him being a hybrid and her potential mate. It's apparent she needs to be housed somewhere else for the time being. You two are the logical choice to take her in."

Freya hissed, leaning forward in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the Alpha. "Is this an attempt at humour?" Her words were emotionless, her expression anything but.

"No, this is a genuine request for you to protect your nephew's mate for a time, until they can work out their differences and find a way to come together."

"No!"

"Freya." Dayton rubbed a hand down his mate's back, his voice low and soothing. He could feel her fury through their mate bond and instantly worked to counteract it before she exploded. She was very close to Liam and the fact she had managed not to get involved with Thereasa so far had been to her credit. Now she was being asked to shelter the woman and that might be too much to ask from her. He held her gaze as she turned to stare at him, disbelief in her eyes.

Dayton agreed with Rafe? He wanted to allow Liam's would-be assassin in their home, a woman who hated all Vârcolac and that included their own daughter? Surely she had to be reading him wrong, but as she searched his face, she couldn't see any sign of revulsion at the prospect of accepting the woman into their home. "You are not considering this." It came out sounding more like an order than a question.

"Yes, what Thereasa did was wrong, but she's been punished for it and has been given sanctuary within the pack. I know you're angry on Liam's behalf and frightened for Elina." Dayton framed her face in his hands sending all his love down their bond. "She is no danger to those we love, Freya. She is broken and fragile, and she is Liam's heart despite what she has done in the past. You have seen first-hand what losing a mate can do if the wolf doesn't go rogue. Before you, I survived, but didn't live. Would you wish that for Liam, my love?"

Furious tears welled up in her eyes as she glared at him, trying to ignore his words. "You know I don't, but this is too much, Dayton. For Liam, for my Alpha, I have left her untouched until now because I would hurt them by giving in to what I want to do to that woman. This is a step too far though. You can't ask this of me."

Rafe frowned as he listened, wondering where else they could turn. He had expected Freya's opposition but her vehemence surprised him. Her hatred for Thereasa ran almost as deeply as Ashleigh's did. If they couldn't place their unwelcomed guest with Freya and Dayton, then he wasn't sure what to do with her. He didn't want her with one of the less senior pack members.

"Freya, I know how hard this is," Ashleigh said quietly, breaking the silence that had descended in the room. She did not hide her inner conflict from her expression as the vampire turned to look at her. Instead, she held Freya's gaze, knowing that this was most probably the one moment they were most in tune with each other since they'd met.

"I don't want that woman in Liam's life any more than you do," she continued, "but what I want isn't the point here. Thereasa is Liam's mate. I may not like it, but it's a fact that can't be changed. If circumstances had been different, and Liam not affected so badly by her rejection, then I would allow her to remain in my home and find some way to come to terms with it. But that's not possible, so I must find another safe haven for her until he can make his claim. Dayton is right, Freya, she is Liam's heart. I know this isn't fair; however, I must ask you to protect my son's heart when I cannot. Please, Freya."

The burning fury inside Freya flashed brightly for a moment, and then it slowly began to diminish as she stared into Ashleigh's gaze. Over the years, she had come to love the wolf as much as her brother, welcoming her into her heart with Liam as a central part of her family. She had come to admire and respect the quiet strength of her sister-in-law, and at times had wished she had her fortitude. There was so much courage in the softly spoken words Ashleigh had just issued that Freya felt pride coming to replace the fury she'd been feeling a moment before.

"Very well, the woman can live with us and I will not harm her," she finally agreed, reaching across to squeeze Ashleigh's hand gently. "You are a remarkable woman, Ashleigh. You make me proud to have you a part of my family. I know you would protect Elina with your last breath and I will do the same for Liam. I will protect his mate and place his needs before my own. "

The tension level in the room dropped and Rafe contained his sigh of relief. His thoughts turned to his sister and he wondered where she was, and if she had any inkling of what she'd been asking of the pack when she'd tasked him with keeping Reasa safe. So far, it had only been upheaval and heavy hearts. He had a feeling there was a lot more of that to come before events played out as they were destined.

To be continued...

JazCullen
JazCullen
6,489 Followers
12
Please rate this story
The author would appreciate your feedback.
  • COMMENTS
Anonymous
Our Comments Policy is available in the Lit FAQ
Post as:
Anonymous
69 Comments
LNJones34LNJones34about 3 years ago

I don't anyone really listened to Anakatrine when she cast her spell on Reasa. In Hearts of Warriors ch. 20 page 3 Anakatrine's exact words in her spell was the following:

"As the first vampire was born with the blood of his Queen, did she bequeath to him his strength, his vitality, his speed and his everlasting life. Her blood flowed in his veins; her blood made him what he was. As she once gave, now do I take back that which was always mine to give and will forever be mine to retrieve. I take back my blood, my honour, and my protection unto the day you should be worthy to once more know my benevolence.

Anakatrine left Reasa with an option. Surprised that Kaleb didn't catch this but dang he was so pissed that Annie was not falling to her knees when he barked out his orders. Was this the first time that the Queen had put him in his place?. And I would have thought Demetri would have been quick enough to catch it.

AnonymousAnonymousalmost 7 years ago
Correction to previous post

Sorry to nit pick but just as proper spelling is 'colour' not 'color'' as taught by us schools. You will find that foetal is how we in the U.K. or indeed most commweath countries would spell the word. So it's not actually incorrect.

Liking series btw.

AnonymousAnonymousabout 7 years ago

I've read this one and the 2 before this and I am loving it. I do hope this is not the last story line in this amazing FTI series. Just so you know its fetal position ....you and the editors have made this mistake a bunch of times in your stories and I had to point it out to you.

aisielynnaisielynnabout 9 years ago
To the Anon who questioned about races and such....

*lil quirk of grin*

Have you not been paying any attention? Pietro is of Spanish origins. And if you pay attention to Reasa's description, you would realize that the caramel skinned assassin from Europe is definitely not a white girl.... Just sayin'.

oorah_sbjoorah_sbjover 9 years ago
odd?? what's odd....?

I agree with anonymous below that we should just enjoy the story....who cares that there is an absence of the other races....? Plus Asian and Spanish mythology has no vampires or were...they have their own cultures of Gods and ghosts and spirits...so to the anonymous who wondered about it - write your own story if that bothers you too much.

Show More
Share this Story

READ MORE OF THIS SERIES

Similar Stories

Hearts of Warriors Ch. 01 Into the lion's den.in NonHuman
A Long Walk Home Ch. 01 Breaking down barriers is never easy.in NonHuman
The Council Ch. 01 Old acqaintances meet again.in NonHuman
The Assignment Ch. 01 On the hunt.in NonHuman
When Worlds Collide Ch. 01 Fighting the mating instinct.in NonHuman
More Stories