Chapter 5 Five

• “Do you really have to go?” Alicia asked as Leo changed in the storage room and got ready to head to the fight. The warriors and other gammas were also getting prepared. Everywhere was bustling with activities, but no one was chatting. Mates were helping their mates get ready while wiping away their tears, and the males were trying their best to look strong. Alicia glanced around. She couldn’t believe that the night that was going so perfectly could change so drastically.
• Leo turned to her and hugged her. “I have to, if we are honest, isn’t this one of the reasons you married me?” he joked, trying to make light of the matter.
• Alicia looked at him, in as much as he was right, she just didn’t expect that he would be heading to war on the night of their wedding. Also, the fact that they have already marked each other has recognized them as mates and she would feel his absence and would miss him a lot. “It’s not funny,” she whispered.
• “Oh,” Leo sighed and kissed her forehead. “Listen, I have headed into battle a lot of times with your brothers, don’t I always come back? I will come back to you, I promise. And I will write to you every day. I will also try my best to end the war as soon as possible.”
• “The last war you went with my brothers, you guys took three years to come back. What am I supposed to be doing here alone if it would last that long?”
• “Hey, you won’t be alone. You have your mom, my mom, and my sister, you guys would look after each other. And soon enough, I will be back and it will be like I never left, you will see. Just pray for the Eastern region, let us survive this and not be taken over like the West.”
• Alicia hugged him. “This war with the barbarians has been going on for as long as I can remember. Just when are they going to say what they want and stop the killings?”
• Leo held her tightly. “Soon, hopefully, soon. Although, Micah and Alister always believed that they might have said what they wanted and it’s the royal council that is hiding it from us.”
• “Really?” she looked up at him.
• Leo shrugged, “I don’t know, it’s just a hunch Micah and Alister always have. Don’t worry, we will be at the finish line, no barbarians are going to show up and take our lands. I won’t let that happen, not while I’m alpha.”
• Alicia smiled and placed her head on his chest. “This suits you, I’m beginning to see it now.”
• “And I will make you proud.”
• “Promise to write every day?”
• “Promise.”
• “Alpha, we are ready,” A gamma walked up to them and announced.
• Leo glanced at Alicia and kissed her softly on the lips. “Wait for me, okay?”
• She nodded and he walked out of the storage room with the gamma, followed by every other male in the room. Alicia sighed and glanced around the room, the only weapons left for them now were just the ones they could use to defend themselves, in case any fight broke out in the pack. She left the storage room and saw Leo’s mother and sister hugging him and crying. Alicia was happy, whether she was married to Leo or not, as a former gamma, he was bound to go to battle, so his family would not blame her for sending him to war. Rather, they should thank her for raising his status. Now, instead of going to follow someone’s orders, others will follow his.
• His mother glanced at her then and she saw the sad look for her in the woman’s eyes. She smiled softly and the woman started approaching her. As soon as she was close enough, she hugged Alicia and Alicia leaned into her embrace.
• “I’m so sorry my dear,” Mary said. “It’s sad this has to happen to you.”
• Alicia shook her head. “It’s okay, I can deal with it.”
• “Just know that you will always have our emotional support, okay?”
• Alicia shrugged. “Thank you, Mary.”
• “Joy, I have to go.” They heard Leo talking to his sister and chuckled. They approached them and Mary held Joy to release her brother. Leo glanced at Alicia, he smiled softly at her before turning and getting into the car prepared for him. A gamma was on the steering wheel and the Beta was sitting in the front seat. The Future Beta was allowed to stay in the pack, to help the Luna in protecting the pack. By the time all warriors got into the cars, a convoy of thirty cars left Blood Stone pack, leaving behind the crying mates who had to send their males to war.
• Alicia saw her mom sobbing by the side and went to her. “What now, Mom, shouldn’t I be the one crying? I just sent my newly wedded husband into battle.”
• “I’m sorry,” Sabrina said. “I knew this would happen but I didn’t think it would be so soon.”
• “No one thought it would be so soon, Mom, so don’t blame yourself. You have known Leo since he was young, how many battles did he conquer alongside Micah and Alister? He would come back, I’m sure of it.”
• “You are already assuming your Luna duties,” Sabrina said sadly. Other females are free to cry for the departure of their males, but a Luna can’t, she has to stay strong for the pack, no matter how much her heart is breaking.
• “I learned from the best. I will be fine, Mom, so stop worrying about me and focus on getting better. Don’t forget, Doctor Larry still can’t diagnose what is wrong with you, don’t make it harder than it already is. Okay, sweet mom?”
• Sabrina chuckled and Alicia helped her back to her room. It was going to be a long night, only that the things she had thought would happen, won’t be happening. What a marvelous wedding night, she thought sarcastically and rolled her eyes.
• ***
• Over the next couple of months, Leo and Alicia communicated through the letters and he kept her up to date with the fight. They are holding off the barbarians at the border of the Eastern region, the king had promised to send reinforcement to help the warriors of Eastern region, but so far, there has been nothing. Alicia found herself praying that the king should keep to his words. They were a total of hundred packs in the Eastern region and each Alpha and Beta of a pack were fighting on the frontlines. As long as the barbarians don’t make a breakthrough, the packs were safe from any hidden attacks. The only thing they had to be watchful of were spies, hence why each alpha had passed a rule to their pack, no harboring of refugees. There were watch wolves guarding each pack in turns and the Lunas were doing their best to ensure the running of the packs and that everything including firearms, food, and medication was sent to the frontlines for their alphas and warriors.
• Apart from the war, everything seemed to be going on well and Alicia was getting a hank of her Luna duties, the only downside was her mother’s health. Doctor Larry finally diagnosed her mother to be depressed two months ago. It wasn’t surprising to her, after all, she always heard her mom crying every night and most times, she would find her passed out in front of her father's and brothers’ graves. She missed them too but she just hoped her mother would take care of herself better and focus on recovering. She has already lost a lot, she would not want to lose her only surviving family.