Ok, I lied. There's one more chapter after this and then the Epilogue. I wasn't planning on adding another chapter but there was a certain scene I wanted to add to help wrap things up. I'm hoping I'll be able to end this story by Sunday. This was originally supposed to end by New Years but that obviously didn't happen, so hopefully (with better time management) I'll be able to finish on time this time around. 

Thank you to everyone who votes/comments/fans. This story really is dedicated to you. 

(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes.)

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                                    Chapter 37

Evan’s POV:

            The fight was over and once again we were blanketed in silence. We all stood still and quiet, privately basking in the joy that we were still alive. Bodies cluttered the field and the grass was stained red with blood. I wish I could say there were only hunter bodies lying on the ground but unfortunately I recognized the faces of fellow pack members, still and a ghastly shade of white. As I had predicted, not all of us made it out alive. For a moment, it was like time stopped, and with it, the world stood still. There was an almost eerie stillness, an untouched peacefulness. For a moment, we were immerged in absolute silence.

            Then, like everything in life, the moment passed and time restarted itself. The world began to move, as did the wolves around me. Slowly, we regained ourselves and made our way to the cover of the trees where our clothes were. Some had already and shifted and changed before the fight was even over to care for the wounded. Stopping behind a tree, I shifted and changed. Emerging from the shady woods I took a hesitant head count. There were still some people changing in the woods and others had already run to get the pack medics here, but all in all, I’d say we lost a good amount of people. Sobs started filling the silence as family members and mates recognized their loved ones lying on the ground. Sorrow filled my heart for them and I turned away. Glancing to my side I realized Sutton wasn’t standing there. I started panicking as I tried to think back to the last time I’d seen her.  She’d killed Lockey and then after that…After that I don’t know where she went.

            My head snapped up and frantically scanned the field, searching the faces of the people that were moving. I refused to look down for fear that she would be one of those, lying cold and lifeless on the ground. I tried to pinpoint her scent but it was scattered all over the place. Worry set in on another level when I couldn’t find her in the woods. I paced around the field quickly, asking various people if they had seen her. They each shook their heads, their eyes drifting towards the ground. Each time I asked the question, fear set in in their eyes. They feared the same thing. The death of their Alpha Female.

            “Sutton?” I called. No response. I noticed the pack medics had already come and were tending to the wounded. “Sutton!” I called once again.

            My wolf was already begging me to let him out and find his mate but I reeled him in. We’d made sure no hunter was left alive so there was no one that could have dragged her off. She had to be around here somewhere. Fear wormed its way into my heart as I thought of the only place she could be. If she’s not answering your calls, it’s because she’s gone. Hesitantly, I looked at the bodies on the ground. I tried not to spend too much time on them, not wanting the haunting images to stick with me. Unfortunately, I noticed among the dead were Paige’s parents. I don’t know how her and Sadie are going to take this.

            I’d just walked by the outer edge of the field when I heard a soft sob. I spun quickly on my heel and bounded forward. Just beyond the tree line I found her, sobbing quietly. She already wore a long shirt and as I got closer I realized there was someone lying in front of her. From the stillness of their body and the lack of movement from their chest I knew they were dead.

            “Sutton?” I called softly. She looked up, tears pouring down her face.

            “She-she died right in front of me.  Was holding her hand and she just-just stopped. Stopped breathing, stopped living.” She whispered, looking bewilderedly  at the body in front of her. As I stepped closer, my stomach churned. I recognized the girl that was dead.

            “Sadie.” I stated sadly. Sure, we weren’t exactly friends. Nonetheless, she had her moments and didn’t deserve to die so young. She didn’t deserve to die like this.

            “I couldn’t save her, Evan. I wanted to. So bad. But, there-there was nothing I could do.” Sutton shook her head and I reached out for her, realizing she was going into shock.

            “Sutton, why don’t we go back to the pack house, sweetie. I think you need to lie down.” Her reaction was instantaneous. She pulled back and shook her quickly.

            “I can’t. I-I can’t just leave her here.” She gazed down at Sadie sadly, tears still flowing freely.

            “Come on, let’s go.” I urged, gently taking her arm.

            “No. No. No!” She yelled, hitting me on the arm. She punched me again and again, taking her anger and frustration out on me. I let her, knowing that in some way, this was actually helping her. She finally wore herself out and collapsed. I caught her easily and held her tightly to me while she cried into my chest, clutching my arms tightly.

            “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s just…she was alive and then she was just…gone.” She whispered the last part. I wrapped my arms tighter around her and then lifted her up, gently taking her in my arms.

            “Come on, let’s go back to the pack house.” I said quietly just as a medic came over. He took a look at Sutton and then looked behind me. He nodded knowingly and walked over to Sadie’s lifeless body. “Let’s go home, Sutton.” I whispered.

Sutton’s POV:

            I woke up surrounded by the familiar dark red walls of the bedroom I shared with Evan. The room was lit only by dim lamp in the corner of the room. Sitting up, I chuckled when I saw Taylor lying next to me, frowning slightly in her sleep. I smiled down and her and smoothed down the crease in her eyebrow with my thumb. She woke up at my touch and looked around groggily. She looked at me bleary eyed before reality caught up with her. She flung herself at me and roped her arms around my neck. I welcomed her warm embrace and hugged her tightly.

            “Thank goodness you’re alright.” She whispered into my hair.

            “You doubted me?” I teased lightly. She pulled back and smiled slightly at me.

            “When Evan brought you back and he was carrying you, I was so scared for a minute there. I thought-I thought you were dead.” She admitted looking down. “In that moment, I was sure I was going to die too.”

            “Oh sweetie.” I murmured, pulling her close to me. Taylor really isn’t an emotional person but the two of us have a close relationship. I could understand her pain. I don’t know what I would do if Taylor ever died.

            “So what happened?” She asked a few minutes later. I thought about it, wincing at the memory of watching Sadie’s life slip between my fingers.

            “We fought. We won.” I stated simply. She nodded, knowing I couldn’t go further.

            “May I ask what it was that made you go into such a shock?” She asked quietly. I was about to tell her I didn’t want to talk about it but suddenly I felt like I had to talk about it.

            “Towards the end of the fight, I saw this hunter fighting against this wolf. The hunter was just going at it.” I murmured. “I jumped into action and shoved the hunter away. The wolf was wounded badly and could barely stand. I led her over to the trees and stayed with her. It-it was Sadie.” I shuddered as I spoke her name. “We weren’t close or anything, but in those few moments we had our own understanding. I stayed with her and she just…she slipped away.”

            “Sutton.” Taylor breathed, tears forming in her eyes. I felt my own waterworks trail down my own cheek.

            “You know what the worst part is? I think I would have really liked her if she had lived. But she didn’t. I sat there and watched as she slowly faded away. And the whole time I wished I could just make her stay there with me. I wished she would stay here and take care of Paige. But she didn’t. She died and there was nothing I could do. Tay, I have never felt so hopeless, so useless.” By this time, we were both full on crying.

            “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.” She whispered as we hugged once again.

            “Me too.” I breathed. We sat again in silence, thinking. A sudden thought struck me and I faced her. “Taylor, how come you don’t like Claire?”

            “What?” She blinked, pulling herself from her thoughts.

            “How come you don’t like Claire?” I repeated. She scowled instantly at the mention of Claire’s name.

            “You can’t honestly expect me to like everyone. I’m sure there are people you don’t like. She just rubs me the wrong way.” Taylor bit down on her lip and looked away, letting me know that she was lying. That was always her give away.

            “Taylor.” I used the warning tone and she sighed, looking down as she fiddled with her hands. She mumbled a response but I didn’t quite catch it. “Come again?”

            “I said…I just don’t want her to take you away from me.” She hissed quietly, not meeting my eyes. A laugh bubbled from my lips and she glared at me.

            “Sweetie, why would you ever think she’d take me away from you?”

            “As much as I hate to admit it, she’s your sister. You’re real sister. I can’t compete with that.” She sighed dejectedly, fiddling with her hands again.

            “Taylor, you seem to forget you’re my sister too. I was there your first day of school. I was there the first time you rode your bike without any training wheels and I was there the first time you shifted. The both of you are just going to have to accept that you both have claims to me as your sister.”

            “You pushed me off.” She smiled faintly, her eyes in a far away place.

            “What?”

            “The first time I rode my bike with no training wheels. Mom and dad were so proud and they were taking pictures and videos. You got jealous of all the attention they were giving me and when they weren’t looking you pushed me off my bike.” I shared her smile and chuckled.

            “You never told.” I said, remembering the memory.

            “I’m your sister. Sisters don’t rat each other out.” We burst out laughing at that.

            “Is that so? Because I remember a certain sister telling mom and dad that I snuck out to go to Jamie Hoover’s birthday party when I was a junior.” She was about to respond when a light knock sounded. A minute later, Evan’s head peered around the door.

            “Oh good, you’re awake.” He sounded relived and wasted no time in striding to the bed and plopping himself down next to me.

            “I’ll give you some time to yourselves.” Taylor excused herself and slipped out of the room.

            “So how is everything?” I asked quietly after she’d left.

            “You’ve been asleep for a while so I managed to get everything pretty much settled. We lost a lot of good people but the threat of the hunters is no longer a concern.” I nodded mutely, taking it in.

            “What happens now?”

            “Now, now we try and move on as best we can.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. I noted the shadows under his eyes and snuggled into his side.

            “What about Paige?” I had difficulty saying her name without thinking of Sadie. My breath caught as I thought of how alone she is now.

            “Well we aren’t really sure what happens to her. I mean, of course she’s going to stay in the pack but her parents will states if anything were to happen to them, Sadie would be her guardian. I guess they didn’t plan on all three of them passing at the same time.”

            “Doesn’t she have any aunts or uncles?”

            “Unfortunately, no. The will just said Sadie would get her and if anything should happen to Sadie then another person would step up.” He replied sadly.

            “Another person?” I questioned.

            “Yeah. Sadie was supposed to appoint another person to watch over Paige if anything ever happened to her but as far as I know, she never chose anyone. She had no need.” His voice drifted off and I found myself replaying Sadie’s last words. Please promise me you’ll take care of her. Please promise me. My eyes flew open in shock and I gasped.

            “Sutton?” Evan glanced down at me, worry coating his blue eyes.

            “It’s me.” I whispered.

            “Huh?”

            “It’s me. When Sadie was dying, she made me promise her I would take care of Paige. She chose me because she knew she wasn’t ever going to get to see her little sister again.” My eyes watered as those last few moments out on the battle field replayed itself in my head.

            “Then I guess that’s solved.” Evan finally said. I glared up at him.

            “That’s all you have to say?” I hissed.

            “I don’t really know what to say.” He admitted. I nodded at that. There really was nothing he could say to make any of this better.

            I wasn’t quite sure how any of this was going to play out. I was certain of a few things though. I’m now in charge of an orphaned child. My two sisters hate each other. In just two months I was moving to New York to go to school. In four years I would take over as Alpha Female. All of that together was enough to make me want to run and hide but as Evan slid his arm around me, I was reminded of the amazing mate I have. I could survive all of these things as long as Evan was right there next to me.

            “You ok?” Evan asked, referring to everything that had happened in the last few hours.

            “No,” I replied honestly. “But I will be.”