Chapter 20 – Aftermath

The battlefield smelled like death and wet earth. I was standing in the middle of it completely naked and covered in blood. The blood was not all mine. I was shaking hard that my teeth kept clicking together. My legs felt like they did not belong to me.

The white light that had been coming out of me had finally stopped. It was now a soft glow under my skin.. I could still feel it humming. It was like my body was trying to decide whether to keep fighting or just collapse.

Damon caught me before I could fall. He put his arms around me tight. One hand was pressing against the back of my head. The other hand was wrapped around my waist. He was holding me like he was scared I would disappear if he let go.

Damon was pale and breathing hard. He had a scar across his ribs. The scar was still pink and angry.. The bleeding had stopped.

"You are okay " he kept whispering into my hair. "You are okay. You are here."

I nodded against his chest.. I was not sure I believed it yet. My ears were ringing. Someone was shouting orders behind us. Someone else was crying. The pack was already moving through the bodies. They were checking their people and finishing off the enemy.

The victory howls had stopped. Now there were exhausted murmurs and quiet sobs.

I pulled back. Looked at Damon. "Your side " I said.

"It is fine " he said quickly. His voice was rough. "You healed it. Mostly."

The word "mostly" just hung there between us. I could see the pain in Damons eyes. He was favoring his side when he moved.. He was standing. He was breathing. That had to be enough for now.

We just stood there for a time. We were holding each other in the middle of all the carnage. There was blood over the grass under our feet. Bodies were lying everywhere. Some of them were our people. Most of them were the enemy.

The mans corpse was just a few yards away. His throat was torn open. His eyes were staring up at the sky. I did not feel sorry for him. I did not feel much of anything except exhaustion and the bond between Damon and me. The bond was warm and alive.

Rafe was the one to come over to us. He was limping. His chest was wrapped in a bandage that was already turning red.. He was grinning.

"You did it " he said. His voice was cracking. "Both of you. I saw the light from across the field. I saw you tear that guys throat out. You are the White Wolf."

I managed a smile. "Yeah. I guess I am."

More people started gathering around us. Lilas eyes were huge and shiny with tears. Marcus was standing a little apart. His arms were still crossed.. His expression was not as hard as it had been yesterday. Old Mara hobbled forward with her walking stick. She was looking at me like she was seeing me for the time.

"The legends did not lie " she said quietly. ". They did not tell the whole truth either."

I did not know what to say to that. So I just nodded.

Damon finally let go of me long to pull his cloak off his shoulders and wrap it around me. The cloak was. Bloody.. It smelled like him.. That helped.

He kept one arm around me as we started walking to the pack house. People fell in behind us. Some of them were supporting the wounded. Some of them were carrying the dead. The silence was heavy. There were no victory cheers now. Just the quiet reality of what we had lost and what we had barely survived.

Inside the hall it was chaos. Tables had been shoved aside to make room for the injured. Omegas were tearing up linens for bandages. They were boiling water. Mixing herbs that smelled sharp and bitter. Kids were being herded toward the rooms with wide scared eyes. Someone was crying softly in the corner.

Damon guided me over to a bench near the fire. Made me sit. Then he knelt in front of me. Started checking me over again. His hands were gentle on my side where the poisoned blade had caught me.

"It is healing " he said. His voice was full of relief. "Faster than it should."

"Yeah " I said. I reached out. Touched the scar on his ribs. It was still tender.. It was closed. "You too."

He caught my hand. Pressed a kiss to my palm. My face heated up.. I did not pull away.

Lila brought over a bowl of water and clean cloths. Her hands were shaking as she set it down beside us.

"I can help " she whispered. "If you want."

I nodded. "Thank you."

She started cleaning the blood off my arms while Damon worked on the deeper cuts. The hall slowly filled with voices. People were recounting what they had seen. They were talking about who they had lost and who they had saved.

Rafe was telling anyone who would listen about the White Wolf. He said I had lit up the battlefield like the moon had fallen to earth. Marcus listened without saying anything.. He did not walk away.

After a while old Mara came over. Sat beside me on the bench. She looked exhausted. Older than usual.

"You chose to protect " she said softly. "Not to destroy. That matters more than you know."

I swallowed hard. "I hope so."

"It does " she said. "The pack is afraid now.. Fear can turn into strength if you give it time."

I nodded. I was not sure I believed her yet.. I wanted to.

Damon finished bandaging my side. Sat down beside me. He pulled me against his chest without asking. I went willingly. I tucked my head under his chin. His heartbeat was steadier now. Stronger.

"We lost twelve " he said quietly after a while. "Three warriors, two omegas and seven others who grabbed whatever weapons they could find and fought anyway. The enemy left than forty behind."

I closed my eyes. "We will bury them tomorrow. Properly."

Damon just said, "Yeah."

We sat like that for a time. People. Went. They brought water, food and quiet reports. Rafe said the border patrols had already been doubled. Lila said the younger ones were asking if the White Wolf was really going to save them all. Marcus finally spoke to Damon in tones about reinforcing the northern wall.

I listened to it all with my eyes half-closed. Damons warmth was at my back. His arm was around me like a promise that he was not going anywhere.

At some point the hall started to empty out. The worst of the wounded had been moved to the healing rooms. The dead had been laid out with respect in the side courtyard. The living needed rest.

Damon. Gently pulled me up with him.

"Come on " he said softly. "You need sleep."

I did not argue.

We walked back to his quarters in silence. The corridors felt different now. They were quieter. Heavier. Like the walls themselves remembered what had happened today.

Inside Damon barred the door. Then he just looked at me for a moment.

"You were incredible there " he said. "Terrifying. Beautiful. Mine."

I gave a little laugh. "You were not so bad yourself."

He crossed the room. Pulled me into his arms again. This time the kiss was slower. Deeper. Like he was trying to memorize the taste of me. The feel of me. Like he still could not quite believe we had both made it back alive.

We did not rush anything. He undressed me carefully. He kissed every bruise. Every scar. Every place the enemy had tried to mark me. I did the same to him. I traced the scar on his ribs with my lips. I felt him shiver under my touch.

When we finally fell into bed it was not about heat or desperation. It was about closeness. Skin against skin. Heartbeat against heartbeat. His hands were stroking my back in soothing circles. Mine were tangled gently in his hair.

"I thought I was going to lose you " I whispered into the dark.

"I thought the same " he admitted. "When that blade caught me all I could think was that I had not told you enough. That I love you. That I am sorry, for every thing I ever said. That you are the thing that ever happened to me. When I was

The sky was clearer now, the ugly bruise-color gone, replaced by pale blue. But the pack house still carried the heavy weight of yesterday. People moved slower. Voices were quieter. The dead had been prepared for burial. The wounded were resting as best they could.

Damon and I stood on the balcony again, this time watching the sun rise properly. His arm was around my shoulders. Mine was around his waist.

“We won the first battle,” he said quietly. “But they’ll be back.”

“I know.”

“We’ll be ready.”

I nodded. “Together.”

He turned me to face him. Cupped my cheek with one hand.

“No matter what comes next,” he said, voice low and fierce, “I’m with you. Always.”

I smiled. Tired. Sore. But real.

“Always.”

Below us the pack was already starting to move again. Training. Repairing walls. Mourning their dead. Living.

The White Wolf had chosen her side.

And her mate had chosen her right back.

The war wasn’t over.

But for the first time, I wasn’t facing it alone.

And that made all the difference in the world.

Can I still use this and like use for my no will they see that I used a high humanizer to humanize it and didn't write it with my hands