Did y’all like the last chapter?  I hope so.  This story will be done in a soon!

Chapter Quote:
“Do you have other minions? Because these two are idiots.”
~Snakeroot
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Chapter 18: Crimson Glory Rose

Ren 

He was pinned down on the floor by six of Lumine’s new bodyguards, one’s he’d recruited for her.  They’d punched him senseless.  Blood filled his mouth, and his vision became spotty.

“Don’t hurt her.  Please,” Ren begged. “I did want you wanted.  Leave them be.”

“You went against my orders.  You went and saw her during your mission.  Does she know why you’re doing it?”

“No.  In fact we’re not together anymore.  She broke off the engagement,” Ren mumbled, hating the sound of the weakness in his voice.  His mind suddenly flashed back to the night Arya had given back her ring.  The look of utter determination not to break in front of him scared him, but it was her words that petrified him most.  Had he, unconsciously, chosen Arya because she resembled Calla?  He couldn’t believe he’d do something like that, but it was certainly a possibility.

“Do you want to know why you and Arya are so irresistibly attracted to each other?” Lumine queried.  Her back faced him, so he couldn’t see what was in front of her or what she was doing.  It worried him.  He didn’t know what she was going to do to him. “I assume you know what happened to your mother, how she became a traitor to our cause.  You’re the offspring of her and the Searcher Monroe.  See, before that, we had three packs: Bane, Nightshade, and Lightwood.  Arya was the youngest of all of you, but she was already an alpha.  We could just tell.  We let you decide, Ren, which girl you wanted.  Even as babies, you two were irresistibly attracted to each other.  You both practically ostracized Calla.  We decided you and Arya would combine packs.  Then your mother did what she did; we decided then to make sure you and Calla got together.  Your affection for her was out of the idea you had always been meant to marry her.  You and Arya have a real connection.  Sad, since it’s about to be broken.  Oh, and we made sure your mother knew you would not end up with the girl you chose to make sure she was in pain when she died, not only physically but mentally as well.”

“You bitch!” Ren roared, straining against the six men holding him.  One socked him in the side of the head.  Lumine slashed something against the side of Ren’s cheek, but he felt nothing.

“See this blade?  It’s so sharp that you won’t feel a thing if it cuts you.” She brought the blade up to his face again, but he couldn’t anything.  It frightened him. “The more I cut you, the more you’ll bleed.  I cut you enough, you’ll bleed out.  That is my full intention.  However, in the unlikely event your fiancée comes for you-”

“Ex-fiancée.  I told you, she broke off the engagement,” Ren snapped.

“Feisty even when he’s helpless.  A true alpha.  As I was saying, in the unlikely event Arya comes to get you, I have another plan.  One that will cause pain for her too, which really sounds more fun.” Lumine smiled viciously. “Let’s get started.”
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Arya 

They moved silently, cautiously through the house.  The lack of noise caused Arya to have a ominous feeling that something was very, very wrong.  Shay, Shiloh, Bryn, Carrie, Ray, Dmitri, Rigg, and Derek went upstairs in their search.  Neville, Mason, Ethan, Sabine, Connor, Melinda, and Erin took the first floor.  The rest of the pack stayed outside, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

I smell blood. Arya said grimly.

I was hoping I was only imagining it, but yeah, I smell it too. Calla replied.  The two white wolves continued walking forward while Adne took up the back, her weapons out, ready for an attack.  Arya shifted into human form and opened the door to the basement.

“Be ready,” she whispered. “I’m positive he’s down here.”

She went back to being a wolf and padded swiftly, noiselessly down the stairs.  Calla and Adne trailed closely behind.  When she got downstairs, Ren was lying motionless on the floor, blood seeping out of thin gashes that covered his face, arms, and torso.

“I thought she’d come, Renier.  Look, she even brought Calla and Adne,” Lumine’s voice purred. “This is perfect.”

Arya ignored Lumine, wherever she was, and started running towards Ren.  His eyes flicked over to her.  They were filled with despair, pain, and anguish.  She was almost to him when something slammed into her chest, sending her flying back into the wall.  The pain caused her to turn human as she gasped to catch her breath.  Looking up, Arya saw a man, at least six-foot-six and two or three hundred pounds of pure muscle staring down at her.  He looked at her with an avid curiosity, but she knew that wouldn’t deter him from hurting her if she attacked him suddenly.   Glancing to her right, Arya saw Calla and Adne pinned by another guard.  She should’ve seen this coming.  She should’ve known Lumine would have bodyguards.

“Well, well, well, isn’t this special.  You know, I was planning on killing him, but I’ll do something much better.  I’ll poison him,” the former Keeper chirped happily, grabbing a bottle off her shelf. “This is basic magic, but easily done if you know your spell work.”

Lumine unscrewed the lid to the small vial.  Ren started trembling, as if trying to get away from her, but for some reason, he couldn’t move.  She knelt next to him and poured the silvery liquid into his mouth.  She clamped her hand over his mouth, forcing him to swallow.

“Get away from him!” Arya snarled.  She went wolf and attacked the guard blocking her.  He raised his hands to shield himself from her bite, but instead of biting his arms, Arya went low, clamping onto his calf and yanking his leg from underneath him.  He cried out in pain.  His comrade let go of Calla and Adne which was a big mistake.  Calla changed forms and snapped her jaws onto his arm.  Adne swung a punch at his head, knocking him down to the ground.  Arya leapt at Lumine who dodged out of the way.  Shifting to human form, Arya lunged at her former Keeper, grabbing a hold of her shirt and slamming her against the wall.  Lumine kicked Arya in the stomach, making her double over.  The Keeper then elbowed her in the back, causing Arya to collapse to the ground.  Rolling away from Lumine, she turned to Adne and Calla, who had easily subdued the guards, knocking them both unconscious, and shouted, “Get Ren out of here!  Lumine is mine!”

“Arya leave her!” Adne yelled, running to her brother. “Come with us!”

“No, get out of here now.  Get Ren to safety.  I’ll be out shortly.”

Adne and Calla shared a disapproving look, but since this was Arya’s expedition, they obeyed.  The two girls lifted Ren’s arms around their shoulders, dragging him up the stairs and out of the basement.  Arya turned back to Lumine, who was grinning maliciously at her.

“Well?  Attack me,” the Keeper urged.  Arya smiled before throwing a knife straight at the Keeper’s chest.  The knife was off mark slightly, landing in Lumine’s stomach instead.  The woman gasped, looking down.  Her hand fell from behind her back, showing a gleaming blade dripping with blood.  It reeked of Ren.  Knowing that was the knife that had been used to torture her fiancé, Arya snarled and turned around, grabbing more knives.  She faced Lumine again who was advancing on her.  One by one, Arya threw each weapon, and each one landed in a different spot on Lumine.  But the Keeper didn’t stop coming.  Finally, losing her patience and temper, Arya went for Lumine’s throat, changing into a wolf mid-air.  Her jaws connected with Lumine’s throat and she chomped down without second thoughts.
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Shiloh 

“Shiloh!  We need help!” Adne panted from the doorway.  The group whirled around to find the Searcher and Calla supporting an unconscious, bloody Ren.  The Lightwood second ran to take the weight off the two girls.  Ethan helped him.

“Where’s Arya?” Shiloh demanded.

“Downstairs fighting Lumine,” Calla replied.

“You left her down there by herself?!” he roared.

“We had no choice!  If we didn’t get Ren out of there, Lumine would’ve killed him.  Arya told us to get Ren out of here.  Follow her orders.  She’s your alpha,” she admonished.

“Screw that.  Connor, take him.  I’m going for Arya.” Connor barely got to Ren before Shiloh bolted down to the basement.  He was met by Arya halfway down.

“I’m fine.  Lumine’s dead.  Where’s Ren?” she queried exhaustedly.

“They’re getting him outside.  What the hell were you thinking fighting Lumine by yourself?  You could’ve gotten hurt!  You could’ve gotten killed!” he growled.

“I’m fine though.  Please, let’s just get to Ren.  He’s really bad off Shi… really, really bad,” she said quietly.  Shiloh felt bad for yelling at her and took her hand, leading her back upstairs.  The house had been emptied save for the seven knocked out guards that were in the living room and the two in the basement.  The Guardians were outside, circling around a body that Shiloh simply knew was Ren.  Adne was in the process of weaving a portal.  Connor, Ethan, and Sabine stood guard in case someone tried to attack.  Thankfully no one did.

“Arya!” Nancy shrieked

“What?” Arya looked at her pack mate with concern.

“Your back!”

“Oh sh-” Shiloh began.  A sharp pain exploded in Arya’s back, causing her to collapse to the ground on her hands and knees. “I told you that you shouldn’t have fought her alone.” He held up the blade that had been embedded in her back.

“Ouch,” she muttered. “I’m fine.  I need to get to Ren.”

“Portal’s ready!  I see the others waiting for us,” Adne announced.  Shiloh supported Arya as they followed the pack into the portal to Calla’s house.  The moment the two were through the portal, Loren Hess was on the other side of Arya, helping Shiloh support her.  If he hadn’t been so worried about his alphas, Shiloh would’ve been angry.  But there were more important matters at hand.

“She needs blood,” Loren said, looking over at Shiloh.

“Let’s get her in the living room,” Shiloh told him. “We’ll get her comfortable first.”

The two guys led Arya in the living room where Connor and Ethan had also decided to bring Ren.  The Lightwood alpha was barely conscious on the couch, watching the proceedings around him.  Ren watched Shiloh and Loren place Arya in the recliner and watched Shiloh cut his forearm and hold it to Arya’s mouth.  When she insisted she’d had enough, Shiloh took his arm away.  She still looked pale and sickly, but after a quick check of her back, he felt sure she’d be okay because the wound was already starting to heal.

“Where am I?” Ren croaked.

“Safe, sweetie.  You’re safe,” Arya breathed, giving him a smile.

His eyes narrowed in on her. “Who are you and where’s Calla?”

Shiloh didn’t think it was possible, but Arya blanched so white, he thought she had actually died. “What did you say?”

“Calla.  Where is she?  And who are you?  Why did you kill a Keeper?  Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you?” he demanded weakly, struggling to sit up. “Who do you think you are?”

“You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

“Obviously not.”

Arya sighed, staring at him. “I give up,” she murmured before closing her eyes.  She didn’t wake up until morning.
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