Wolf Endangered (Willow's Forbidden Pack #2) - Avery Song Page 0,252

mere sight of her end making him retreat and pushing me to shift back. I was gasping as tears already escaped my eyes and ran down my flushed cheeks. I struggled to contain my magic that rebelled against my being.

My magic couldn't accept this as an end, and yet, my eyes conveyed the truth.

And it hurt so fucking much.

Losing my mother hurt me in a different way, and knowing I'd lose my father very shortly only emphasized how much I wished I'd spent more time with them before I took on this task, but losing Willow hit everything differently.

She didn't deserve to die.

She'd gone through so much: the physical and emotional torture, the mental ridicule from every angle of her life. No matter her age, she’d had to overcome something insurmountable. Had to prove herself in this world that wanted to see her succumb to their bullying taunts.

They all wanted to see her fall, to watch her fail so they could mock Roberto for helping create a useless child. No matter how hard the world tried to block her from prospering, she'd fought through their barricades, cut through their ropes attempting to keep her still, and shattered the walls that tried to silence her.

By being herself in her own unique way, she fought through thick and thin, revealed her true self, and became a beacon of light to so many in the supernatural and human realms. Did she know last month had the lowest amount of suicides in decades? Did she know how she was inspiring so many to be true to themselves and stop being what society wanted from them?

Did she see that she was changing even those in the Forbidden Pack? Little by little, she was making her mark on each of them while validating their past struggles. She did so much without realizing it. Brought so much change without even grasping just how impactful she was.

This was her time to finally take a breather and uncover herself, and in the end...she died.

My Willow...my royal fighter...the woman who had a crush on me all this time...is gone.

Very slowly, I scooped her into my arms, my sobs beginning to leave my trembling lips as my tears dropped onto her purple cheeks. She was losing color already, her lips bluish-purple while those fierce eyes of vivid turquoise were now dull of life.

"Willow," I whimpered. "I...didn't...get to tell...you…"

I reached out to gently touch her cold cheek.

"I didn't get to tell you...I love you," I whispered. "You can't...go to Mother Moon...without knowing that. Come back..."

There was no way of stopping my sobs as I brought her close. This pain was unbearable. The pain of losing someone I loved and cherished felt insurmountable. It was why I'd remained an Omega for so damn long. I couldn't take losing another person. Losing someone who didn't deserve to perish at the hands of evil.

That was how life always was. Those who bathed in the blood of the innocent lived for years upon years, yet those who struggled and worked hard to survive in this dark world always ended up dying early - making their struggles all worthless.

I cried long and hard, and I debated if I should pull out of this pack bond there and then. There was no need for me to remain. I'd joined with confidence that we'd get to Willow on time, and truthfully, I would have remained if it made Willow happy.

If it made her feel a closer connection to me.

Then I'd tell her why I went to Russia. That my parents were on the High Court and my mother had passed. With the earlier blast, I was positive my father was either on the brink of death or already gone, but his chair wouldn't be filled.

His successor was gone...and it wouldn't be long before I faded away as well.

My life mission ended up being protecting Willow. I watched her as a babe, followed her through the torture, stood by when she merely needed someone to be around her, and slowly she began to trust me. She began to rely on my abilities and wished to learn more about how to protect herself.

I trained her in the ring, and she grew stronger, wiser, and became a champion. She found a place where she could let her frustrations out in a way that didn't leave the world littered in blood and death.

She didn't want to be like her father. She wanted to be a part of the darkness, but a shadow that