The Delta's Daughter Chapter 394

LYRIC

The aftermath of war was something to behold. The atmosphere was thick with melancholy. A pensive sadness gripped each and every one of us.

Were we happy that the fighting had stopped? Of course. But no one would cheer or rejoice. There would be no celebration.

Because we didn't win.

We were lucky. Those of us that survived. We had lost many. On all fronts.

Including the Changelings and rogues who ended up joining forces against this other realm god with us. Under the command of the rogue, they called Oliver.

Mike begins to take control of New Moon's army. Shouting out commands. Note retreats to the back of my mind, not far, but far enough to rest. The aches in my bones set in, and the sting of wounds where they had already begun to heal, linger.

The dark-skinned werecat comes to stand next to me, She points the short sword in her hand across the jungle plane to where King Mathias stands with a woman whose skin is as dark as night, her hair a flowing white, shining like the moon. "He's going to kill her." The werecat queen tells me.

My brows furrow. "Why? She stopped the war. She stopped us all from dying." I look at her puzzled, taking in the tiny werecat queen next to me.

Tiny but mighty. She single-handedly took down Senko. In one amazing move. If there was a smidgeon of something good that came from this battle - it was that.

The next thing I know a painful roar hollers out and Mathias has the white-haired woman by the neck. His hands turned to massive paws.

I watch the man, King Crimson and Finnegan Artos rush with inhuman speed and try to pry him off her. Mike, Travis, and Tobias are also there in an attempt to separate them.

I looked around for Rhett, finding him. He sits on the ground, his hands on his head, his posture defeated. Not caring what occurs around him.

I nudge the female werecat and point to Rhett. Immediately she rushes to his side, ignoring the commotion across from us.

"She's dead Tawny." I hear Rhett say. "I don't even know if the child lived." I hear the sorrow in his strained voice and my heart bleeds for him. He marked Jonda. He would feel if she died. With or without a wolf.

I pray to the gods that the child lived. Innocence should never be harmed.

I wasn't a fan of Jonda, but I would never wish this upon him. He must have felt the break in the bond. The thought causes me to wonder what happened back at the palace. Was Zane okay? Tala? Was she in as much anguish as King Mathias?

The sudden urge to go home hits me and my emotions begin to rise. Note wearily mumbles in my mind that she senses our pup is fine, calming my climbing anxiety.

Tawny takes Rhett in her tiny arms as he begins to sob. I feel lost. Uncertain of where I am needed. The pull to my mate has me striding towards Mike, needing to feel his touch, his security.

"What did you do old woman?" Mathias shouts, still gripping the old female's neck. Crimson and Finn trying to get in between them.

I wind my fingers into Mike's hand, he pulls them free and instead snakes his arm around my waist and tucks me against him.

"It was what needed to happen." The white-haired woman named Ashe replies calmly, unaffected by Mathias and his hold on her.

Mathias lets go, throwing the woman a few feet away. She stands tall, unwavering. Her eyes are a brilliant purple reminding me of Morgans and her brother. Yet they sparkle and hold an otherworldly light in them.

"What did you do Ashe?" Hunji now joins them with Morgan. "What. Did. You. Do?" He stresses the question again, his eyes showing his wolf, going almost black.

"She and the werewolf King live. I can promise you that. There was no other way." She shakes her head with uncertainty and then looks at Hunji. "It was Ascena's time. She had seen her death and was ready for it."

"Where did they go?" Mathias demands an answer. My eyes bounce between the incredibly powerful standoff. Even Note backed off wanting no part of this.

Ashe's eyes flit with sadness between Mathias and Hunji, "An immortal can only be born once in three thousand years. In order for that to happen certain bloodlines must meet."

"You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?" Hunji shouts.

"You sent my mate to another realm on purpose?" Mathias growls with fury, his beast shining in his eyes. "You wanted Senko to open the veils between worlds! Where did they go, Ashe!?"

It wasn't a question but a horrifying truth. I couldn't help the gasp that left my mouth, "All this death and carnage so an immortal child could be born?" I think this is what it was about. Were King Kellen and Queen Lamia alive? "They are in another realm?"

This was crazy. Unbelievable.

"We didn't expect Aodh to come through. I thought the portals could be closed before he crossed."

"Well, you were fucking wrong!" Mathias snarls plunging for the female again. "Get her back!" Spittle flies from his mouth and veins bulge from his head and thick neck.

He's caught by Crimson and Finn. Tobias tells him to quell his beast. Which only seems to anger him more. Mathias roars out his pain, fur begins to cover his body as he shifts into his massive beast. Swiping the other shifters easily away from him.

He lunges for Ashe, the intent to kill her clear in his eyes.

"Stand down Arcas!" Ashe commands and the bear shifter struggles to ignore the command. Fighting it with everything he has, defying the power the old woman releases. Her hands poised ready to cast some kind of magic at him.

She releases her power, the same white light aiming it at Mathias and hitting her target, but the light has no effect. And Arcas lunges for her again.

Ashe suddenly morphs into a black wolf, bigger and scarier than Lamia's. So much bigger that we all step back as she gnashes her teeth and snarls at Mathias.

Finally, Mathias backs down, his fur receding, and he shifts back into his skin form. He slumps to the ground, tears rolling down his face. "Why?" He cries. "Why?"

My heart clenches at seeing the most powerful shifter on his hands and knees, broken and lost, mourning for his mate.

We have all lost today. Some more than others.

"For centuries this had been planned…" Morgan says stepping up to Ashe. Hunji tries to draw her back, but she shakes him off. "The painting in the artifacts room in Mint. The egg… Oh, my gods! The egg!" Morgan whirls around to Hunji.

"The child has been born, he is with a family," Ashe says. "And yes, It was Ascena's time to leave so the next immortal could be born. In centuries past we have tried and failed. Aodh always found a way to take Inanna. He has held the true Moon Goddess under his power for centuries, her last act was to gift the Beta," She looks at Mike "With a new wolf, a stronger wolf. It took us thousands of years to breed the right bloodlines. To ensure the chosen one was born."

"Just so she could give birth to an Immortal?" Tawny speaks, Rhett with her but still looking defeated. "How do we get them back?" She demands, squaring up to the mystical godlike woman. No fear. Only determination.

I was hearing this firsthand and didn't know what to make of it. This was all too unrealistic. I wanted to laugh because it sounded like a joke. But it wasn't. In front of me stood a goddess, all-powerful and knowing. We had just released a god of the underworld into our realm.

Shit was very much real.

"It had to be Inanna and Conri. It was the only way a mortal could be born. Senko… He was unknown for so long when Ascena and I put the plan in motion. She had already seen her death many moons ago. We just didn't know until recently when.

"You saw it though Morgan. The battle." She looks at the witch.

Morgan shakes her head, "No I didn't. Not this one." Her lavender eyes spring open wide. "Not this one." She repeats whispering it this time. "How do we get them back? We need them back." Her voice turns pleading and her posture bends to Ashe.

"We don't. She speaks. Hunji destroyed one of the stones. Is there no other way." Ashe says bluntly. Yet somehow, I don't believe she speaks the truth. Note growls in agreement. And neither does the werecat Queen, who peers at her with distrust.

Walking to Mathias, Ashe reaches out her hands, touching the sides of his head. Placing her fingers over his temples. She closes her eyes and mutters something I can't understand. Then within the blink of an eye, she vanishes.

Leaving us to pick up the pieces and conform to a new realm. One much darker, one without the Queen of Shifters, and one without the King of werewolves.

*****

OLIVER

The Changelings began to flee when the old woman turned up and fought back against the god. They had fought under my command when they were engineered to obey Senko. To welcome Aodh and pledge to serve him.

Once the battle had died down, the rogues dispersed with Senko's children. And the changelings who were left - which weren't many - fled.

I didn't understand why they had heeded my command so easily. The rogues I could understand, I was a rogue Alpha. Royal blood ran through my veins. They felt my strength.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if it was because Petra was standing next to me. After all, they were changed using hers and Senko's blood. I also assumed now that Senko wasn't draining Petra, she would start to gain new forms to transform into.

She would be a wanted creature. She would be used, abused, or worse. Treated like a clown for the circus. Whoever possessed her would hold power over most kingdoms. She would be accused of spying; they would fear her abilities for this. She would be hunted. Killed.

The thought didn't sit right with me.

Petra would be a hindrance. She would only slow me down. If she was hunted, they would hunt me too.

I stood nearby watching, listening. Taking in the scene that unfolded in front of me.

I was not expecting Lamia and Kellen to be sucked into another plane of existence. That was a twist in events if I had ever seen one.

This was war, like I had never seen before.

"Come sunshine," I say turning to Petra. "We are not welcome here. You will be safe with me." My wolf pressed to protect the young girl and I relented.

Once more I walk away from a battle, unsure of if we had won or lost.

I felt the change in the realm, my wolf prowled in my mind, on the edge of what was to come.

We had escaped death once more. And I wasn't about to hang around to find out what my fate would be amongst the leaders of the realm.

I took pity on Petra. Remembering the little girl who ran through the halls MacTire when Orion brought them with him. Never Senko. Only once did he come to MacTire. And though he had never left.

I don't think Finn remembers much about Senko or Petra. If he wasn't with Orion, he was in Andora. Or tasked to do a job with Jack, if I remember Silas's conversation correctly. He was trained, until he came of age then he became Orion's number-one henchman.

Though nasty and brutal, Finnegan Artos always did have a softer side. He wasn't as sick as I was, or even Jack. He didn't have it in him to take what he wanted at any cost.

Just because I commanded the rogues, did not mean all was forgiven. And it certainly didn't mean I was part of their group. We would never be friends.

I take a parting look at Travis. Strangely I would miss him. I doubt he would feel the same way.

"Where are we going?" Petra asks, her tiny hand sliding into mine.

"Wherever we want," I reply with a wolfish grin, shifting into my wolf once more.

Petra morphs into a black raven and takes to the sky, circling me as I run through the jungle creating as much distance between me and them as possible.

I'm a survivor, a rogue, and one with much more knowledge than I had before.

I was determined to live and see another day.

*****

MIKE

Four massive graves were dug. Corpses were burnt and spirit animals returned to their afterlife. There were more bodies than men left, to carry them home.

We returned to New Moon a week later. There had been no sign of the god Aodh or his army of dark soldiers.

There had been reports of strange creatures and beasts. Some shifters had been killed and some had killed the said creatures. But nothing of him.

Either he was gone, which I highly doubted, or he was laying low. Waiting, strategizing.

New Moon was in a state of grief once more. The second disappearance of Kellen, their King, hanging over my head.

As his second in command, his Beta, I had taken charge, acting in place of our king in his stead. The people and courts answered to Queen Tala and myself.

Already there have been talks about my capability of running the Kingdom, rumors have speculated that I could be challenged for my title.

I knock on the door that sits ajar to the nursery. Rhett twists his body around. His daughter, in his arms. A ghost of a smile graces his face.

"May I come in?" already moving forward. Rhett nods and I pull up beside him. Dark red hair sits on the face of an angel. Her eyes are greener - like her father's But there's no mistaking her lips and nose are of her mother's.

This was the first time I had seen Rhett or the child since we had come home. I gulped down the lump in my throat when I thought of Jonda never getting to hold this precious child. I felt remorse for her.

Tala told me what happened.

I have come to terms in my mind, the only way I could, that it wasn't Jonda. At least not the Jonda we knew. "May I hold her?" I ask Rhett hopefully.

"Sure," He shifts his arms and holds the little angel out to me. I scoop her up, cradling her as if she was breakable.

"Hi, Angel." I coo. And make smushy faces at her. "What will you do Rhett?"

"What do you mean?" I nod to the child. "Take her home I guess and be the best father I can." He frowns drifting off into space for a moment before he brings himself back to the now.

I hand the little bundle back to him and he curls his arms around her defensively. His instincts were becoming more wolf-like day by day. "Have you a name for her yet?"

"No. But I like Angel." Rhett says, surprising himself.

I go back to my suite after a long day only for it to be empty. No Zane to squeeze my neck. No Tala kissing me with unspoken promises for when Zane is in bed.

Duke growls and scents the air, tracking her whereabouts. It leads me to my office, and I find Tala, Lyric, and Rogue crowded over my desk with some ancient text they were all looking at.

"What's going on?" I was a little confused and a little pissed that I hadn't been included in whatever they were… up to.

"Morgan thinks she found a way to get Lamia and Kellen back," Tala says. Her aquamarine eyes gleam with hope as she peers up and answers my question.

*Rhett, come to the Beta office.* I cut the link once I knew he heard me.