Filed to story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel
As I passed by the edge of a group of Fae that were huddled together, I saw several people that I recognized. Joaquin was there and so were Dietrich, Shawn, Shane, David, and Griffin.
“Where is Vincent?” I asked myself softly as I looked at the group of them.
I saw that Griffin was worried about something, so was Joaquin based on the set of his shoulders. There was a man lying on the ground between them. He was covered in blood and groaning in pain.
That was when it hit me.
‘I recognize that voice.’ I told myself as I walked closer to them. ‘I know that voice.’ I said again when he groaned once more. ‘Oh please Goddess, don’t let this be what I think it is.’ I begged as I took off running toward the group of people.
I could see more friends, more allies. Trevor and Aunt Glory, Athair m貌r and Daciana, Rahim, Nathair, Leelin, Crawford, Anastasia, Analise, Reef, Arno, Kayda, Riley, Rawlynne, and all of the rest of my council members were there along with all of my guards. But I couldn’t see Vincent anywhere.
Joaquin seemed to sense me when I was close enough. He looked up to see me running at him, sword in hand.
“Joaquin?” I yelled out to him as he leapt to his feet to catch me.
“Riviana!” I could hear the emotions that were thickening his voice. “Oh Goddess, Riviana, I am so glad that you’re back.” He was relieved but still worried.
“What happened, Joaquin? What happened to Vincent?” I pushed myself away from him, away from the hug and dropped to my knees next to the man that was laying on the ground. “Vincent?”
I took my guard’s, my friend’s, hand in my own and squeezed it tight.
“I..I..I’m s..s..so..so..sorry, Rivi..Riviana.” Vincent was having trouble speaking and I could tell he was in pain.
I was instantly saddened by the sight before me. Vincent’s complexion had been sapped of all color. His eyes were losing their light. Even his lips were turning blue as I watched. He was dying. I could see it. Vincent was dying right before me.
“Vincent?” I sobbed as I pulled his hand closer to my face. “Vincent, don’t leave me.” I begged him.
I couldn’t lose Vincent. I just couldn’t. He was my friend. He was the first person that I had truly bonded with when my life had changed. He had been there with me every single step of the way since I found out that Joaquin was my mate.
“I can’t lose you, Vincent. Heather can’t lose you either. You need to fight it. You need to get better. You need to be there for your kids. They all need you. Please, Vincent, don’t give up.”
“T..T..Tri..Riviana, I..I..I’ve a..a..al..always l..loved y..you l..l..like a..a s..si..sis..sister. I..I h..hope y..yo..you kn..know th..that.” He weakly gripped my hand back, as I held it against my cheek.
“I love you too, Vincent. You’re my family, I have always thought that. That’s why I need you. Please, don’t give up.. Don’t leave me.”
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Riviana
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“T..t..take c..c..care of H..H..Hea..Heather a..and th..th..the k..k..kids f..for m..m..me p..pl..ple..please.” He was giving up. He was just going to let himself die.
“You haven’t completed your job yet, Vincent. You’re not done yet. You’re supposed to guard me for as long as I am Queen. You’re in my Goddess Guard, you can’t just quit now.” I watched him try to smirk and I decided to push it just a little further. “I told you if any of you got hurt in this battle that I would kill you. You don’t want me to have to do that now do you.” He laughed a little at my joke and immediately started to cough, blood flying from his lips and landing on his cheeks.
“Vincent?” Joaquin called out to him, kneeling next to me. “Don’t talk anymore. We’re going to fix this. Just hang in there a little longer man.”
“R..R..Re..Joaquin, y..yo..yo..you w..w..we..were a..a g..go..good fr..fri..friend a..and a..an a..a..am..amaz..amazing A..Al..Alph..Alpha. I..I kn..kn..know th..that y..yo..you wi..wi..will p..pro..protect R..Ri..Rivi-.”
“Stop it, Vincent.” I sobbed as I tried to silence his goodbyes. “Hush, Vincent. You can’t leave. You can’t go. I won’t let you.”
I threw myself forward, hugging him to me as I sobbed louder and louder.
“Please, don’t die. Don’t take him from me. I don’t want to lose someone so close to me. I can’t. I just can’t. Please, Nehalennia. Please, Thoth. Please, Danu. Please, please help me. Save him for me. Please.”
As I begged the God and Goddesses for help, I felt the tugging that usually told me that I was going to the celestial realm.
‘No, don’t make me leave his side. Don’t make me leave my friend.’ I begged them once more. The tugging stopped and there was not a bright light filling the battlefield. Actually, there were three bright lights.
There was the golden light of Danu to my left, the red light of Thoth to my right, and in the middle of those two was the bright blue light of Nehalennia. The three celestials had joined me in this world.
“Riviana.” I heard the now familiar voice of the Moon Goddess speak to me just moments before I saw her appear before me. I thought that everyone around me would be screaming in shock or joy but I noticed at that moment that everyone in the clearing seemed to have frozen. I was the only one that was moving aside from the God and Goddesses.
“Nehalennia?” I sobbed as I looked at her. Danu and Thoth appeared beside her a second later. “Thoth? Danu? Please, please don’t let him die.”
“Riviana, there have been many gifts over time that we have given you and your people. Do you truly expect more from us?” Thoth asked me with a look that was nearly devoid of emotion at the moment.
“I know you have done much for me already. I know you have. But I have done much for all of you as well. I never asked to be Queen. I never asked to rule the shifters or the magic users. I just wanted a normal life.”
“Yes, Riviana, we know.” Nehalennia looked at me with sadness in her eyes. “For that we owe you so much.”
“You have helped me more than once, child. And you are a descendant of my personal bloodline. That makes you not only chosen by the other celestials, but part celestials as well.” Danu was smiling at me with a soft look. “I do not feel that I have rewarded you nearly enough with all that you have done.”
“We have, over time, slowed down the aging that you and all shifters have been experiencing.” Thoth spoke next, the emotions no longer hidden from his face. “I am sure you have noticed that those who have reached adulthood are experiencing those effects. Some may have even experienced reverse aging.”
