Chapter 249

Almara’s Pov

After a much-needed week of rest and restoration, Arthur and I are back on the vampire territory. I suppose that it can officially be called that again now that it has been reclaimed.

My body healed magnificently after months of not only growing another being, but also fighting a war. It’s amazing what good rest and proper nutrition can do. Of course, the real healing ingredient came from the sacrificial love of my wonderful husband.

Even though he suffered his own injuries and was on the frontlines of this battle, you’d never have guessed it. He wouldn’t let me so much as stand up from the stool in our newly renovated kitchen to make some toast.

Though it was great to see my husband, who somehow managed to get even more in shape from all the training at the far, cooking in nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants while holding our precious son in his arms. If he keeps this up, we might just end up having a whole litter of wolves.

Robbie is such a peaceful baby, quite different from his rambunctious and fiery older sister. Maybe all that activity I was doing while he was in the womb was enough to rock him to sleep for the weeks after his birth.

It’s hard being away from my children, I still get waves of panic and I have to assure myself that should we ever get separated again, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do until we are reunited. Besides, sometimes it’s necessary to leave the kids behind.

Like now, they don’t need to be here back on the vampire land. Not ever, and especially not now as we and many other gammas fulfill Arthur’s final request which was to come back here and help clean up the land.

This doesn’t mean the vampires and the wolves are at peace. There’s too much damaged history to ever really come to that, but we’re definitely at a turning point in history, to say the least.

Technically the treaty signed between us and Delfino is now null, as it was clearly written that once the war is over so is this peace agreement, but it doesn’t seem likely anyone is going to attack either side as we scrape dead bodies off the ground. No one wants to add to the mess.

Aside from the bodies, the land is pretty much destroyed. There wasn’t much vegetation to begin with, but since the vortex sucked the oxygen dry from this area, any remaining trees have withered. The ground is concaved in spots where bodies were slammed down during fights.

The castle has since been completely knocked down and the mountain of rubble is a hideous reminder of what occurred here. The rest of the vampire town has also taken a hit. The war extended beyond just this main battleground. The other buildings underground also have damage.

Us being here for one day isn’t enough to restore this place. It’s going to take a lifetime to restore this land to any kind of resemblance of what it used to be. At least the vampires are immortal. Lily says and I roll my eyes at her.

Besides, the wolves are working outside and the vampires are tending to the mess underground.

We organize the bodies into two piles. One for the vampires and one for us. For each body, a family member or friend will identify the body and be responsible for transporting their loved one back to our land for a proper burial.

I give a silent thank-you to each wolve I help carry, some I recognize personally and some I don’t. However the appreciation runs deeper for those I don’t know or have never spoken to. One thing is for sure, the loyalty of a wolf can never be questioned or replaced.

“How are you holding up?” Arthur asks, sticking is shovel into the dirt. I quickly wipe my eyes.

“In time,” I tell him and he responds like he understands.

“What about you?” I ask. Arthur leans into his shovel for support and looks around at the mess.

“It’s the cost of business,” Arthur says pulling me from my thoughts.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“War, it’s always a risk but that’s why being a good leader is important.” He pauses and looks around, “If we weren’t good leaders, these wolves wouldn’t have came out. I like to think Bess would be proud of us for that,” Arthur lowers his eyes to the ground.

I step towards him and lift his chin so our eyes can meet. Even still, my breath is taken away when he looks into my eyes.

“She is so incredibly proud of you,” I tell him.

“They killed her, and we’re here helping them,” Arthur says in disbelief. While I agree that no one ever thought we would be here, history is rarely ever that simple.

Part of me wonders if Delfino even just slightly regrets killing Bess. If after everything we’ve been through, he’s once stopped to reflect on that decision. Though the more realistic part of me sincerely doubts it. Cost of business. Arthur’s words echo in my head.

“A lot more happened in between those two things,” I remind him. “Delfino did save our children,” I point out.

“Yes, but would he do that now that the treaty is done?” Arthur asks. I look past him and nod in the direction over his shoulder.

“You can ask him,” I say. Arthur turns around. We watch Delfino take his time making his way over to us. He holds his head up, his shoulders back, and his hands tucked in his long black robe.

I imagine the streaks of sunlight that break through the otherwise dark clouds are like daggers on his skin. Eventually he reaches us, he pulls up his hood as the sun becomes particularly strong for a moment as a big cloud moves out of the way.

“You and your wolves are free to go,” he says his voice dry and low. Arthur and I exchange confused glances. The mess of the place is far from being cleaned.

“Why?” I ask.

“Your services are no longer required, but on behalf of the vampires we do appreciate it.” Delfino says, his voice void of any personal tone. Arthur’s ears twitch in a way that I’ve come to learn he’s picking up on something.

Delfino is hiding something and doesn’t want to tell us. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Arthur says. Delfino looks at him, surprise flashing across his face a second before he forces his features to become stoic again. I think that answers Arthur’s question.

Delfino looks around and lowers his voice. “I won’t say where, but this land is too tarnished for us now. Between the physical and emotional damage, we don’t want to stay here anymore.”

I can understand that. Artur nods. “So, what does this mean for our kinds?” Arthur asks.

Delfino narrows his eyes, “Well, compared to a thousand years of history, I’d say little has truly changed,” Delfino says. “However, where we’re going is far. Very far,” Delfino holds our gazes like he’s trying to convey an unspoken message. Not one of truce or peace, but one of mutual respect.

“We won’t see you again,” I say plainly.

“Likely not. I wish I could say I’m more sad about this than I really am.”

“It’s for the best,” Arthur says. Delfino nods his head.

“Agreed.”

With that, he walks off. Arthur and I watch him go and internalize what this means. At the very least, it means that war between the vampires and wolves is not likely to occur for some very long time now.

It means wolves can expand to new territory if they should desire to come out this far. Perhaps after the statute of limitations has expired and nature has grown back over this area.

It means the wolves get to live as their own and continue prospering at the top. Lastly, it means part of history is coming to an end.