[Home From Battle]

~~

Artem

~~

  The entire trip home from the land of the Fae was nothing but one long guilt trip for me. I had taken my men, my friends and pack mates off to war with me. I had taken them into the land of the Fae and I had promised them that they would make it home safe and sound.

  Counting me, fifty-six men and women left that day to fight against the dark Fae that were threatening the world. Fifty-seven if you count Doc who had been called in for his special skills instead of to fight. But only fifty of us were returning alive.

  We had lost seven men and women to that war. Seven men and women who hadn’t needed to die. Why? Why had they been taken from us? All because of the Fae?

  OK, I know that wasn’t fair. If we hadn’t stopped them, if the dark Fae would have won then they wouldn’t have stopped with just taking over the land of the Fae. They would have grown too ambitious and would have attacked the world. They would have wanted total world domination. I just know it. They wouldn’t have been content after winning just one victory.

  I know that was why we had fought, I know that was why we had all put our lives on the line. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier for me. I was heading home with seven dead bodies and it was my responsibility to tell their families. And it was my responsibility to hold their funerals and give the speeches.

  How was I going to do this? What was I going to say to them all? Why was this happening to us?

  I basically wallowed in guilt the entire way home. From the caravan to the airport, I oversaw them loading the bodies, which had been magically preserved and put into beautifully carved coffins, onto the private plane that Reece had called in for my use this time. Then, the bodies were loaded into seven different hearses and we took another caravan back to the pack.

  Those of the group that didn’t live in the pack house were instructed to head home, and to please ask the families of the victims to come and see me immediately. After they left, I led the group into the house and the people waiting for us just inside.

  “Daddy?” Dalton, who was now ten years old and so much bigger than when I first met him four years ago, cried out when he saw me walk through the door. I had not called ahead and told them we were coming. I didn’t want them to plan a big welcome home party or any other celebration. I didn’t want to celebrate when one of my best friends had died.

  “DADDY!” He called out again, even louder this time, as he ran toward me and threw himself into my arms, I fell to my knees while I held him against me. “Daddy, I am so glad that you’re home. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.”

  His words had been heard by the others though, and we could suddenly hear the loud pounding of footsteps coming from everywhere in the house. Star was the next one in the room, closely followed by Brayden and Jodan. Behind her all of my boys, aside from Julian who was away at college, came running into the room.

  Chay with her daughter Kayla, Vivian with her daughter Sage running behind her and her new baby boy, Briar, in her arms following as well. Soon my parents and aunt, Ella, and Star’s Grandpa Daniel all made their way into the room. The only ones not here right now were the triplets, or so I thought. They had been in the back of the house apparently. Most likely baking away their worries. But they came into the room last, smiles on their faces.

  Everyone was running to the person they most wanted to see. I was, of course, surrounded by the most people as there were more of my kids than anyone else’s. I peeked over their heads and saw that Dakotah was just standing there, lost and confused.

  It took me a minute, but I separated myself from my kids, wife, and family to make my way over to my cousin.

  “Dakotah?” I called her name when I was in front of her.

  “Is Morgan still on his way home? He probably had to ride in a different vehicle than you guys, right? Too many people in one truck.” I saw her force a smile and give a bit of nervous laughter.

  “Dakotah, I’m so sorry-.”

  “No.” She cut me off and didn’t let me finish. “He’s still on his way home, that’s all.” I saw Larson, Morgan’s little boy standing behind his mom, looking at me with worried eyes. He was almost three years old and I could tell that he knew something was wrong.

  “Mommy?” He walked up to her and tugged on her sleeve. “Momm, where is Daddy?”

  “Daddy is-.” She tried to talk, tried to say something. “Daddy is-.” She tried again but still couldn’t speak, but the tears were starting to stream down her face. “Daddy is-.” That time she broke.

  I caught Dakotah as she collapsed. I took her with me to my knees as I held her close. Dakotah was my cousin and Morgan was one of my best friends. I loved them both and here I was, telling one of them that the other was dead. I couldn’t do this.

  “I’m so sorry, Dahotah.” I cried with her as I held her against my chest.

  “NOOO!” She screamed. “Noooooo” She sobbed and screamed the word so that it was slightly distorted. “Why? Why Artem? Whyyyyy?” She was being destroyed by this news and I knew it, but there was nothing that I could do to help her.

  “I am so sorry, Dakotah.” I repeated those words, they were almost like a defense mechanism for me at this point, but I had to say more. I had to help her understand what had happened. “He was a hero of the war. He helped us and protected so many people. He died a hero.”

  “Why did he have to go? Why did he have to leave me?”

  “I don’t know.” I cried as I held her and felt the eyes of everyone else in the room on us. The cheerful, happy return to home had become a quiet and heartbreaking event.

  “I want him back, Artem. Bring him back for me, please.”

  “I can’t bring him back, Dakotah, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  This went on for a very long time. Dakotah just sobbed in my arms until she couldn’t cry anymore at all. When she was somewhat calmed down I was able to tell her, and the others, exactly what happened. I told her that we would be having a funeral for all those that had been lost and they would always be known as heroes among our pack. That didn’t make her feel any better though. And what she told me next wasn’t going to make me feel any better either.

  “Why did he have to leave me now, Artem? Why? When we have another baby on the way. Why did he have to go?”

  I hadn’t known that she was pregnant before we left. I am guessing it either happened right before we left or they were just waiting to tell us all. Perhaps it was the night before we left.

  “I wish he was still here, Dakotah, but I will make sure that the baby and Larson both know what a great man their father was.”

  “We were going to tell you all, the night that you got the call to go to battle. We were going to share the news but then he didn’t want to tell you yet, because he thought you would make him stay home with me. I want to go back in time, Artem. I want to make him tell you and have you make him stay home. I want my husband back.” She was crying again. I had a feeling that the tears were going to be nearly constant for her for a while. We would all be here for her, though. We would all be here to help her through this, in whatever way she needed us.

  Telling the others didn’t go any easier. If anything, it was harder, because they weren’t close to me and neither were their families. I did my best though and tried to comfort them. There were a lot of tears in my home that day.

  And there were even more three days later when we had the funerals for all those that we had lost. I gave them the highest honor that I could for a pack burial. I made sure that they were all given a place in the pack cemetery with especially carved headstones, made by Aaron himself.

  During that funeral, the entire pack had come, and every single person was crying aside from the young children who didn’t understand what had happened. That made it even harder in my opinion. The children didn’t understand what had happened and couldn’t convey the same emotions that we adults were. That was heartbreaking in and of itself.

  So many lives had been ruined that night. I just wish that it hadn’t happened, I wish that I could have saved them all.. I wish that I could have protected them all like an Alpha should.