The Hawthrone Heir(UNEDITED)
Chapter 35

Destiny

Looking fierce and mighty in her silver armor. The engraved shield on her hip feels heavier than it actually is. The combat boots on her feet that's strapped with silver handled daggers—along with throw stars also bared their own weight.

Her hands are clad with silver-bluish iron strappings as the cold, steel sword and the iron spear that's attached to her back feels like a ton of bricks crushing her spine. The woman in the mirror looking back at me is someoneI hardly recognized.

"You resemble a warrior goddess," Tyler says out of nowhere, pulling me closer towards his body, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

Sighing, I allowed myself to relax in his comforting embrace. “Today's the day Tyler,” I murmured, causing my lover to hug me a little tighter. “Today’s the day my family had hoped for, the one where I fulfill my promise of earning my freedom and the right to exist." I tell him, my voice cracking a bit at the end.

"Hey….Remember, you're not alone. Not anymore, we've got you." Tyler retorts through the mindlink turning me around to face him, hugging me tightly.

Tipping on my toes, I inch our faces closer, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Whatever happens, I love you and don't you ever forget about me." I declared, kissing him with every ounce of passion that I've got.

"Destin-" Tyler begins to say.

"Let's go," I interrupted him, intertwining our hands together. There's a slight nudge in my head and I know he's trying to push through my thoughts, but I can't afford to be distracted.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Simon laughs as he makes his way towards us the moment we make it down the stairs.

"Hey Simon, what are you doing here?" I gently ask the man I've grown so fond of.

"I wanted to see you off," he replied, grinning.

"Don't worry about me, just keep everyone safe." I retorted, placing my hand on his tense shoulder, gently squeezing it.

“I will,” he declared andI nod.

Walking through the opened slide-door to the back, the yard is full of little over eight hundred people. Everyone's wearing armor but what they don't know is; their aura is linked with mine. Which signifies anyone that falls in battle will not suffer. I'll be the one to feel it all, it's the least I can do in repaying them for their support.

"Good morning everyone," my voice booms across the yard and a string of good mornings go around.

"Centuries ago Viktor McCall and the leader of the Crystals decided to hunt and kill anyone with the last name Hawthorne. They cursed us, took our ancestral land, forced us to live in shame and disgrace, leaving us lesser than a prized slave." I state the facts as a few people hang their heads in shame.

"Regardless of our status in society, twenty years ago a Hawthorne did fall in love and that with a very respected and noble alpha," I say, taking a glimpse at my dad and he gives me a warm smile. "She had to run and stay hidden just like so many women before her. But she didn't escape alone. No, she escaped with something so forbidden; no one could know." I retell my mother's public history.

"My mother, she-" I stop, tears pricking my eyes, my lips trembling a little.

A soft, small, hand intertwined with mine and gently squeezed. "I've got you," Alexis encourages me to continue.

"While I’ve never experienced all of those things, thanks to my mom and grandmother. I do know what it feels like to live in secret, feeling like I didn't belong and I felt the effects of the curse. Watching my mother growing weaker and becoming thinner every day, the light in her eyes getting dimmer and duller until her once bright blue eyes became pitch white with blindness."

"I watched as she drowned in her own blood, gasping desperately to say goodbye." I grip Alexis hand so hard she winced, but she only held mine firmer. "I knew she couldn't see my face, but my voice she could hear. Before she took her last breath. I whispered, I promise you, I'll take back what's ours and the name Hawthorne will never die again. Like a miracle, she smiled as if she was free by my words."

"I was only a thirteen, scared and bitter girl then when I made that promise. But the older I got, the more the drive for that promise grew and the need to belong intensified. Today marks seven years since my mother died and my family's heritage was entrusted to me."

Taking a breath. "My family has done enough running, hiding and feeling less than human. I don't intend to run, hide or be less than what I am. I will stand, even if it kills me. It's not just about the Hawthorne name anymore, it's about freeing people's rights."

"Standing with me means death-"

"If you're trying to talk us out of this alpha, then might as well get comfortable. Because we ain't giving up on one of our own, now wrap this up and let's go kill ourselves some fucking rogues and psycho witches!" Someone speaks out, making the crowd go wild.

An overwhelming feeling of pride cripples my chest for a bit and it takes me a minute to pull myself together. "Let's do this!" I exclaim, putting on my mask.

Everyone takes off, running towards the borderline. Some remained in their human form while others shifted. I get on Tyler's back and he takes off, with demon right behind us.

*******

We've been here half an hour now and my nerves are getting the better of me. Not because I'm nervous, but the need to kill. We had split into groups a while back to protect each entrance of the line.

"Well, will you look at that? The party's already waiting for us girls," a heavily Scottish voice says in amusement.

"Step out of the shadow cowards." I spit out in disgust.

Two, huge, dragons made out of fire rushed towards us, but no one moved. Using the spear I took from Shade, I rotate it like a pinwheel, aiming it at the dragons and they get sucked into the spear to which I hurl it right back at the source.

"I like her Viktor, she's got some backbone." The source of the fire says.

Stepping out of the shadows. The women revealed themselves one by one, all clad in different sorts of body armor.

"That's my little sister's spear you're holding, hybrid." The one sporting the snow-white pixie cut hair says, glaring at me with hate filled eyes.

"Yea... Well, I think it was made for me and not her, Stone. Pity, she found that out the hard way." I taunt making her grip the handle of her swords.

“Enough of this. Come with us freely or we can come and get you ourselves.” the leader arrogantly mocks me.

"Complex, the only way you'll ever get me to come willingly and that's over my dead, cold, body." I replied, staring her deep within the eye—she slightly squirms.

"Very well then," she says bluntly then whistles loudly. An army of rogues surrounds the entire border. Shit, they outnumber us!

"Stay sharp! This is the magical use of Mystery. She's somewhere hidden within the earth." I mindlink, warning them of what's happening.

Demon growls and snarls at a tree just a few distances from us and that's when I feel the slight pain ripping through my body, making me grunt. Our first death!

"Enough standing around. I came here for blood and I intend to get it!" Stone bellows angrily. "Let's see how quick you really are, hybrid," she says drawing both her swords; running at me.

"Attack! And remember your training!" I shout.

"Let's, dance bitch," I responded, drawing my own sword and charging.

"Ahhh!" Stone bellows, swinging both swords at me.

I sidestep one, blocking the other with my sword. I duck and twist her next attack. On reflection, I sidekick her, but she blocks it instead—giving me a powerful roundhouse kick to the face instead—sending me sprawling through the air and I land on the ground with a loud thud.

The kick was so painful, I momentarily stayed still on the ground for a second. She runs at me doing a left-right combination with her swords, making me see doubles. Fuck! I won't make it in time to block that attack.

A flash of dark-brown looms over my head, leaping at Stone—making her scream. "Get off me you little mutt!" She yells backhanding the wolf, but it doesn't back down.

"That's it, baby, get that bitch Luca!" Alexis appears out of nowhere. "Get up Destiny, this is not the time for a nap." She jokes and I glare at her grinning face.

"Wait, you and Luca?!" I exclaim wide-eyed as if my damn face isn't on fire and a war is going on.

"If you live, I'll tell you all about it." She grins sheepishly.

"Did you know Luca and Alexis are a thing?!" I scream.

"Umm, yes I did?" Tyler responds weakly.

"I thought we're a team you jerk!" I retorted.

"Destiny! Now is not the fucking time for you and Tyler's banter, especially through the open link for all of us to hear." My dad's irritated voice echoes in my head.

Getting back to reality, I observe Luca holding his own with Stone. Getting my sword, I focus and breathe for some unknown reason and try to remember how to fight with a sword. It was never one of my strong areas, but I'm not this bad to lose at the first punch. Something's off about these women.

"Hey, I'm your dance partner, remember!" I exclaim levitating myself, charging at her—landing a solid right hook.

Left-right, side-side and twirl, we clash with our swords, sparks beginning to ignite from the force we're using. I swing and miss, but did land a good elbow strike. That move was unexpected, giving me the perfect chance to throat-punch and back-kick her causing the swords to slip from her grip. That's right, she's a close range specialist in sword art.

"Not much of a hand to hand combat are you," I say pouncing on top of her raining blows. I'm so focused on that, I didn't see a rogue coming at me until I heard a painful yelp and a snapping sound.

"Thanks, Luca!" I yelled, grabbing my sword, driving it through Stone clean; killing her instantly as Luca takes off and I'm right behind him, my fist taking some time to heal properly. That bitch was tough!

-------

Panting, I try and take a second to breathe. We've been fighting hours now and I'm really tired from the loss of pack members and allies. The more people fall, the weaker I become. But pain rips through my entire body, so intense; I spit out blood. No!

"D-Demon! Find Grandma Sara boy!" I barely make out my words to demon, who's just across from me. I can barely stand much less walk, Luca lowers his body and I get on. He takes off after Demon and it only takes a minute for me to confirm my fear.

Mystery's huge, blue, steel sword drips of blood and there lays Grandma Sara gasping for air.

“NO!” I yell. “Come on Grandma, I'll get Jackson to take a look at your injury." I plead, taking off my mask—desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"Jackson! Jackson!" I scream in panic.

"Alpha?! Is everything okay? "

He answers immediately.

"It's my grandmother, she's hurt pretty bad and I can't stop the b-bleeding." My voice trembles at the end.

"Do what you can, I'm on my way!"

Hot, salty tears blur my vision so much, I can barely see what my shaking hands are doing. "Hang on Grandma, Jackson's on his way. Hang in there!" I say frantically.

"D-D-Destiny, it's too late. I-I-I w-wont mm-make it," she desperately tries to speak clearly but blood keeps flowing out of her mouth.

"Shhh, don't say that. You'll be fine," I try to reassure myself more than her.

"You were never much of a crier when you came into this world. You made only one ear-shattering wail, nothing else. Your mother was in labor for almost twelve hours. You refused to come out, just to show how stubborn you are." She recalls laughing lightly but coughs up more blood.

“We've been breached! I repeat, we've been compromised, backup needed.” Amanda screams through the link.

“Remember your training, hold them off as long as you can. Help is on the way.” I replied, hoping Grace and her coven would get there in time.

"Destiny, be the best version of yourself, not what ours see you as. You've grown into a remarkable young woman, I'll see on the o-other side." She whispers, her aura disappearing completely.

"No! Noooooo! Grandma?!" I scream, but she doesn't open her eyes.

“Alpha, we've been compromised! I'm evacuating the bunker with the pups, transporting them to the other one.” Brok informs me.

“Do what you can to protect the children at all cost!” I replied.

My blood boils with anger and resentment. My body begins to float, power rushes through my veins like electricity. Holding my head high towards the sky, I levitate further and further. Outstretching my arms, levitating Mystery not by air; but by her blood.

"Impossible! No one can wheel both elements! No even in your family!" She exclaims frantically.

"There's a first for everything," I answer, smirking darkly at her and she pales as I crush her from the inside. Twin fire dragons make their way towards me, but a bigger one swallows them whole. Looking down below is Grace—along with the old man.

Throwing Mystery's dead body to the ground like garbage, I follow Hawkins bird. Both her and the bird are linked and that's the only sensory and visual advantage she has. Sensing the danger, the hawk flaps its wings to go quicker. But I'm faster and hungry for blood. Catching up to it, I snap its neck, hurling it at Hawkins with full force.

In a fit of pure rage, she hurls air bombs at me. Taking out my throw stars, they begin to glow and I can feel the vibration of the weapons calling out to me. Raven, a very skilled archer. Aims her bow and arrow at my head, launching an arrow after the next. But my suit creates a force field each and every time. It's like I'm not in control over my body anymore the more I give into the suit synchronizing with it.

Still, in mid-air, I can see pack members fighting with rogues and trying to hold the broader. Flying towards one of my silver hawks, I drive my dagger clean through the rogue's heart. Jake nods in appreciation and runs off to help his teammates and fellow pack members.

"How dare you think you can kill two of our own." Raven rants.

"How dare you think you can come here spilling the blood of my people and live to talk about it," I say coldly, forcing her body to willingly come to me. Gripping her neck, I snap it as if it was a mere twig. Hawkins looks at me in plain horror and frightened eyes.

Looking at the spear some distance away, using my powers to levitate it right into my hands. Rotating it with my body, I hurl it at Hawkins and launch myself towards Niko. Hawkins didn't have a chance to dodge the spear, as it pierced through her skin, sticking her to a tree.

Niko has her kanata swords ready however and we begin the dance of steel. My thirst for blood makes me more agile and predatory with my moves, she's quick though—cutting my arm. She makes a slight miscalculation of my move and that's when I make a left-right move slicing her head off her body, making it fall to the ground like heavy metal.

Her blood drips off my sword like a leaking pipe and I'm on the verge of beasting out. I zero in on Complex and Viktor, the two I'm really after. Running towards Complex like the speed of light, nothing else mattered to me.

"Mom! Look out, she's right behind you!" A familiar voice calls out.

Before I can formulate what's happening. A solid object pierces right through my armor, clean through my stomach. A heartbreaking howl is heard in the distance, but all I can feel is my body getting heavier and unable to stand any longer.

Falling to the ground on my knees, I wheeze and spit out blood. The last thing I can see before my body fails me is Viktor's blurry figure coming at me with a silver dagger.

_____________________

Vote, share, and comment your thoughts. Thank you for reading, until next time!

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.