Morning broke through the tree line and the curtain covered windows of the houses. The relaxed atmosphere was what Diamond was first greeted to, along with many of her friends until Opal came panting and gasping for breath into Diamond’s once room when she stayed. Diamond flung from her bed in a hurry, consoling her sister, yet Opal was lost for words and only grabbed Diamond’s wrist yanking her along down the stairs to the outside. Fear and heavy gut feeling sank inside her.
“It is all their fault! We made a mistake in allowing her to stay with us! Had we not, our home wouldn’t be in a destroyed state!”
Diamond’s face went pale. The once humble and welcoming Binturongs and Martens were fighting with the Alpha and his Beta brother. Unlike the aggressive state, many see the wolves in for being threatened and persecuted, there was only worry and chest tightening sorrow expression on the Alpha and many of the pack members that were listening and trying to calm the attacking group. Nothing was working.
“Our home is now ransacked! If it wasn’t for your false excuse of a Genet friend and our friend outcast of the StarDust clan, no one would be in this mess!”
Lia, the Genet, was huddled down shaking and crying by a tree. Tien and someone else were trying to help her calm down after she admitted to what she had down. Diamond was watching from the side with Opal, tears welding in her eyes from the sense that she had caused just because of her escape. Lia had told where Diamond was staying and that she had been here time before. The outcast was a spy no less. Only out to ‘help’ because he had been waiting for this day.
“I say give that princess back to her clan! Banish that faithless Genet!”
“SILENCE!”
Everyone was hushed in a second. The Alpha had the elder of the Binturongs in a hold, hand gripping the woman’s frail wrist and in one more grip, she would be broken.
Erien was done. You could see it on his face. Everyone could. The look of enragement and pity for the ones before him and around.
“Speak ill of my friend once more and I will have you all removed from this place and made to move south. I will take your land and make it my own. And I do not wish to do so. I do not believe in territorial gain if where you are content is where you are content. So shut your mouth. You, the elder of the Binturongs clan, are no elder to me. You are not an authority for my pack. My family. My friends.”
“But she is a traitor-”
“I said silence!” Erien’s voice rang out again, more tempered this time than the last and now fangs baring in threatening expression,” Speak again and I will rip your tongue out.” Inhaled breathes hissed out in fear.
“You do not know Lia. Nor do you know what she has been through. If you fell in love with someone far before they turned into a monster, you would be the same way.” Hushed whispers in an agreement and said sighs with nods followed his words. The Binturongs were only silent. Not because of being in fear of her olden tongue being removed, but because he was not wrong.
“My brother, now, is a monster and it can’t be helped anymore. But what can be helped is stopping him and fixing your home back. And making sure the princess is safe from anyone that threatens her. I am not afraid of what would happen to me, and my pack is not afraid of what would happen to them. We live by helping and making peace. Even if violence has ensued. Now,” Erien turned, his face paling just as much as Diamond’s had before then sighed, looking away and releasing the elder’s wrist,” Go back to the rooms you were given. All of you. Duncan, Lia, Tien and Chloe, I need you both. My sure Needfyer and Everdeer care for the rest and keep the place calm.”
Diamond walked forward, gripping onto the Alpha’s sleeve,” Anything I can do?”
Erien was quiet for a moment. His gaze on the petite woman and then away to his brother who was just as silent. Yet the eye language signalled an answer.
“For now, no. Stay with your sister. We will handle everything as best as we can.”
☽ ☆ ☾
Erien was fighting every instinct to go alone. Mainly because if he went alone it would turn to bloodshed in a matter of seconds.
He had gotten in contact with the king of the StarDust clan and alerted them of what was going or what many happen. The king gave anything and everything he knew about in no hesitation. He said it was best to keep Diamond far away. He did want her to feel or see the wrath of her mother if she came back by force or will. Erien understood and that was that. Now it was time to figure out where Kris was. Hide Diamond until things were done and then place her somewhere else.
Erien was zoned out. Having to place her farther away made him feel tight inside. But it had to be done. Nothing else too it.
“Bro, we got to head out now. Everyone is ready. Many of the Deltas are at the gates now running off in all directions to hunt him. We have to go now. Your bird friend said they would hide Diamond and watch over her until everything is blown over.”
Erien stood up, sighing and walked over to Duncan, placing a small, but deathly firm grip on his younger brother’s shoulder and locked eyes. Duncan nodded and patted his older brother’s hand, getting released and both walking out of the room and down the hall. Diamond was in the living room with Opal and Rayna. Rayna consoled her and smiled, letting her know the plan and her hiding place. Both of them looked up, Opal already in Erien’s face with a protective stance on her sister.
“Don’t get any funny ideas after you save my sister from your brother. Your paws are off!” Diamond was blushing madly, Erien confused on what was going on.
“Opal shut up!” Diamond was running over and clamping a hand over her sister’s mouth, Opal trying to fight her off,” I’m sorry about her! She is just crazy with her words when she is getting heated up!”
Erien smiled small and nodded, looking over at Rayna and saluted to her. She nodded and stood up, pacing herself over to the group of them. Diamond was ready to go, bag in hand.
“It’ll be warm there?”
“Of course. You can trust me.”
The Alpha and Beta said their goodbyes and left. Leaving the group of females in place watching most of the pack leave in a blurry fur-filled mass now against the thick blinding white that was falling around. Winter was at its strongest now, how ironic for a situation like this huh?
“Don’t worry, even though this has never happened, physical fights with his older brother are normal. Now let’s go, we have to get you to cover before word gets out that the pack found him and hell breaks loose.”
“Why would hell break loose?”
Rayna smiled and patted Diamond’s head,” Between all three of them, it is a battle. But this time, it is war. Now let’s go. We need to hurry. It’s going to be far.”
☽ ☆ ☾
Diamond, Opal, and Rayna had to walk through what was left of the Binturongs’ home. It was destroyed completely. The treehouses and bridges ripped and torn to shambles. The trees burnt and fell over into the soft thick blanket of snow below. So much was gone now. So many memories gone and haunting. Once spring would come, nature would try to reheal itself. Take back over again after the destruction. Diamond teared up, sniffling at the sight and looked away.
“You are not the cause of this. None of this is your fault. But I need you to understand that this happened because someone bad is trying to harm you and your family.” Rayna was flying above them. Her dusty cocoa feathers rustled gently in the winter breeze and she guided the cats to the new place.
Diamond knew that, but she still felt guilty. Had she not agreed to running away and escaping, maybe all of this would’ve been delayed longer.
“And having to be married to a monster isn’t fun. Arranged marriages end in pain and death. And trust me, it would with him.”
“How does Lia do it then?”
Rayna looked down, swooping down to them and changing back, her eyes narrowed in worry and a sad glance at the sisters. She smiled a bit after,” Forever love. Lia and Kris were together before he turned out this way. And she feels like she can’t leave him because she loves him. This is what love does once someone gets a certain way. With anything. Good or bad.”
Diamond saw the pain in Rayna’s eyes, but it wasn’t a self remembered pain.
“Did it happen with your Alpha friend?” Opal cut in, trying to get information out of her now.
Rayna nodded to her question and jumped back into the air, a bird now in flight. Diamond and opal waited for her verbal answer. They realized a while back Rayna never stops talking, and at least it was a pleasant trait of the new friend.
“Erien had a lover once. She was a feline like you guys. A bit different in the feline species. He loved her but she did some harmful things to him. Cheating, abuse whether it was physical or verbal. Used him a lot. She is ever coming back, constantly just to pester him and make sure he never forgets her. Sometimes she is sweet to him when she does it, but we all see it as a villainous thing and she really is just tormenting his mind.”
Opal hissed and looked at Diamond, shaking her head.
“She is a whore no doubt. So we do our best to distract him from his thoughts. He gets angry when the thoughts about her come back. So that is a good sign, it means he is finally letting go and not letting her have influence over him.”
“He is good. Kind and sweet. I just didn’t imagine an Alpha being child-like in looks. But it works for him.”
Rayna and Opal stared at Diamond, stopping in their tracks and just stared. Diamond blushed, more than the freezing air was doing,” What?”
“ You have never said that about anyone,” Opal spoke shocked.
“And the look you give to him is definitionally not just a heartwarming friendly look either!” Rayna preached herself on Diamond’s head and jumped about,” You like him, don’t you! You the Alpha of the Carnation pack!”
Diamond was shaking her head fast and waving her hands in protest. Opal and Rayna were laughing as they all continued forward with the snow to their destination.
Diamond did like the Alpha, but, liking him like that after a course of time was out of nowhere. But even love can be funny and warm like that. Just like it can be sad and painful like how it is for Lia. Diamond was okay with just being his friend. Who would like a princess that was causing so much chaos anyway? She was being a handful without even meaning to. She felt so bad.
“He is a good friend. And I am thankful for him letting me stay that one time that I did and continuing to let me visit and be friends with him. He has a nice pack and is a good leader to them. I just hope he will be okay. Same for his younger brother. But I feel like he might get hurt. If not both of them.”
“They both will be okay. Especially Erien. As I said, he is used to battles with his older brother. A war is only a bit different. Nothing he won’t be able to handle.”
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