The Substitute Bride

A shrill scream filled the silent night. It was nothing to Waylen at this point. The forest was filled with thousands of screams almost every second. At every minute, there was a fallen hero. The grasses were wet and not from the rains. The blood of the fallen coated every inch of the ground.

Waylen jumped over a body as he ran. He had no care for his life again. The singular thought in his head was to get to his wife. He left her behind when he heard the enemy was in the village, he dropped all and went for his wife. She was his world and he could not continue living if something happened to her.

The village looked even worse than the forest. Bodies were scattered everywhere. The houses were burning and the little children who had been spared were crying. He should stop and console them. Get them to safety. Assure them that everything was going to be alright but he just couldn't.

He saw his home come into sight and he pushed himself further. He ignored the burn in his ribs as he stopped at the front door. The doors were open but no sound came from within.

"Salma... my love where are you" there was no response from her. At this point, he wished he was one of the beasts. Her scent would have led him to her but unfortunately, he was human and he had to keep searching until he was able to find her.

His bedroom was the first place he checked. It was empty. He ran down the corridor and checked his children's room. They were all empty.

Where could she be? He was panicking at this point. Praying silently that the beasts didn't take her.

He heard a soft cry and followed it. The sight he met in the kitchen will forever haunt him. His wife lay lifeless, a giant hole in her stomach. Their four-year-old daughter sitting and staring in the distance. The word mama fell continuously from her lips.

"Salma" his voice broke. He fell to his knees taking her bloody hands in his. He was too late. His wife was gone. The tears fell freely from his eyes. He was supposed to protect her and take care of her.

Their little girl was unmoving. Her head kept replaying the images of her mother's death. She was hidden behind the cupboard and could do nothing but stare as her mother was murdered. 

It was only after the men were gone that she crawled out of her hiding place and sat beside her mother.

After sitting beside her corpse for a long hour, he grabbed his daughter and kept her locked in a room. He went for his sword immediately after. The beasts will feel his wrath. He stormed out of the house. Tearing through any beast on his part. He had a single goal. Kill Gael. The leader of the beasts.

He came upon their dwelling and stopped at the sight he met. The proud warrior beast held his dead mate in his arms. His cries were loud, heart-wracking sobs that shook his mighty frame. Something moved in Waylen's heart, his sword dropping from his hands making a loud clatter on the ground. Gael's eyes raised at the sound and met his.

The beast only stared at him. He had no desire to fight anymore.

"We've been so foolish," he said with a humorless chuckle.

"We've killed for nothing. Look at us now"

Waylen said nothing and just looked at the man. A few beasts came into the area. They paid no attention to Waylen. Either they didn't see him or their entire focus was on their leader who held his dead mate.

"I won't fight anymore. It's either we end this war today or you kill me now"

"I don't want to fight anymore," Waylen said and the beasts shifted their attention to him.

He had lost the most important person in his life because of the war. A lot of his people were gone too. The war won't bring about any change. Just stagnation and more deaths. It was time to put an end to it.

With that, Waylen turned his back on the beasts and walked away from their land.

The survivors in the village looked to him for direction.

"The war has come to an end. Let us bury our own and rebuild our village" the announcement was met with a lot of cheers.