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chapter eighteen ━ there will be no peace

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❝ you're all i have left ❞

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ATHENA WAS TRULY beginning to make Thomas worry, to the point where he could not sleep. They had gone back to his apartment because he could not stand to spend another moment in the bayou, knowing that she allowed the wolves to think Hayley had been the one to get them a seat in the faction. She didn't say much, her expression void as she took a shower, got on one of his shirts and boxers before going to bed. He tried to sleep, lying next to her, assuming her presence would calm him. The effect was the opposite. He kept tossing and turning, unable to keep his eyes closed for long. So he gave up, sitting up, laying his back against the head of the bed.

What was going on? That was one of his biggest, most pressing questions. First, she dealt with the situation of her brother and sister, now she was dealing with proving to everyone around her that she was independent, not small-minded and fragile. But in doing so, she was acting unlike herself. Sure there were moments when she'd smile and laugh and he'd forget that she was upset. Then she'd go back to being quiet, making him worried once more.

Then what bothered him the most was that she had let Hayley take the credit, getting it in her head that it was the best option. Yes, he had told her that they weren't the alphas of the Crescent pack and that they ruled over all wolves. However, now the pack was convinced the pregnant female was their Queen, their savior. Not once did he dwell on not being an alpha, he was focused on his mate and how no one seemed to respect her after that party. Not a single soul had approached her, not a single person knew the truth. Because Athena wanted Hayley to be happy. She was thinking of others and not herself. And he hated how selfless that was.

He stayed awake for most of the night, thinking and watching other her, noticing how she laid on her side with her legs curled, her hands clutching to the pillow, making him smile a bit. Once the sun rose, he ended up getting out of bed and decided to make her some breakfast. He hummed to a song in his head, flipping the pancakes but was also jotting down lyrics whenever he would wait for the pancakes to be done.

Athena awoke to an empty bed, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. She yawned and tossed the covers off her legs, standing up. She stretched, her bones popping and cracking which she adored the feelings of. Then she walked out of the bedroom with closed eyes, able to find her way by now with her eyes shut. She managed to make her way to the kitchen which was connected to the living room and the dining room.

"Good morning," Thomas spoke with a gentle smile upon seeing her enter, closing his songwriting journal, putting the last pancakes on the plates before going to her and brought her to his chest, kissing her temple. "I made breakfast." She smiled lazily, opening her eyes to look at him, inhaling the smell of the food before she pulled herself out of his arms and went to sit on one of the bar stools. "Would you like some whipped cream?"

"No thank you."

He did a double-take, arching his left brow with a puzzled expression. She just denied whip cream. Now that was not like her at all. "Are you sure, baby?" She nodded, yawning again and laid her head on her arms on the counter. He frowned, cutting up her pancakes for her since he had already drizzled the syrup, setting the plate in front of her, as well as her glass of chocolate milk. Then he sat beside her. "Did you have a rough night?"

"I slept fine, Thomas," she replied, poking her fork into one of the pieces and ate it, staring down at her plate without saying anything else. She sounded annoyed which he assumed was because she was indeed tired. She seemed to sleep just fine when he was awake. He wanted to help, get to the bottom of what was going on so he could understand how to soothe her worries.

"Ena what's wrong? You can tell me anything, you know that."

Athena dropped her fork onto her plate, it clattering against the white porcelain. "I'm fine. Now would you stop asking me so many questions?" He shut his mouth after she snapped at him, staring at the side of her face for a long moment as she picked up her utensil and resumed eating.

Thomas stayed silent before he couldn't hold back and spoke up again. "I'm just trying to help, that's all I have been trying to do. You haven't been yourself, you cannot say that you have been normal these past few days. If you don't want to talk about it, just say so. But blocking yourself off completely does not get you any closer towards whatever you're trying to do or prove." She didn't say anything and he finally was fed up. He suddenly stood up, having only taken one bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean and then left the apartment, leaving her alone.

She felt a tear go down her cheek as she kept eating. The room was dead quiet and she couldn't bring herself to listen to what was going on around her or listen for what he was doing. She finished her food, getting up and put her plate and her empty glass in the sink. Then she took his plate, scraping the leftovers into a glass container before placing it in the freezer. She did the dishes the best she could, not knowing how to. Once she shut off the sink, silence surrounded her.

And he didn't come back.

———

The bayou was swarming with new wolves, making Thomas confused as to what exactly they were doing here. As he was walking through the camp, heads turning his way and eyes following after him, he realized what they must be here for. News had finally spread that the Nyxs were in New Orleans. He wondered who had told. They made a path for him to walk, not looking at anyone since he wasn't in the mood.

Hayley was drinking tea on the porch when he arrived, sitting down beside her. She smiled over at him but he didn't return it, making the kindness fade from her features before she realized who was missing from his side. When she went to question him about it, he interjected, asking about the new wolves that were popping up all over the bayou.

"So, where did all these new people come from?" he asked, his eyes scanning all of the faces. "Last I checked they weren't here yesterday."

"They've come from all over apparently," Hayley murmured, taking a sip of her tea, following his line of gaze. "From all over the states, some even came from other countries I think." She looked over at him to see him studying all of the new wolves with a calculating look in his eyes.

"And why would they come to see a baby that hasn't even been born yet, hm?"

The pregnant female shook her head, refraining from scoffing at the fake curiosity in his words. "You and I both know that isn't why they are here." He set his elbow on the right armrest of the chair, his lips twitching as if he wanted to smirk. "Look, I know your pissed off that the wolves were celebrating me and not her, but we have bigger problems."

Thomas nodded his head, standing up. "You're right, we do." He turned his head to look at her, his expression blank. The second he was brought back, he was different than he was prior to his death. And the only time he was the way he used to be, is when he's with Athena, but he had his moments when he was like that with Nathan. Yet, despite being dead for over a thousand years, he adjusted rather quickly. And with these new adjustments, he learned how to keep his emotions in check, to be professional and dominant in a sense.

"Athena is on the verge of a breakdown. And let me tell you something, Hayley. . ." He trailed off, moving to stand on the first step going down the stairs, his face turned slightly towards her. "She is the only person I give a damn about. If someone hurts her, I will either get revenge on them myself or I will bring them to her, get them on their knees and let her get the revenge herself. And right now, she's hurting because she is trying to prove to you all, that she isn't weak. I am trying to figure out how I can help her. And if helping her means I have to burn everyone, then I'll gladly do so. Because she's my mate and she's my Queen."

He shifted his head the rest of the way to look at her, giving her a sincere look so she knew that he was speaking the truth. "I won't hurt you because you mean something to her. I have nothing against you. I'm not pissed that they celebrated you, I'm pissed that she's hurting and that she won't tell me what I can do to help make her feel better so I can prevent her from a meltdown. Loyalty and devotion are two very strong things, Hayley. Never underestimate mine for her. Ever."

Then he continued his journey down the steps. She watched him go, sighing as she rubbed her belly. The second he hit the bottom, he caught sight of Elijah, making his way over to him, seeing that Jackson and Oliver were already there speaking to him. Once he got close enough to actually hear them over the chatter of all the other wolves, he figured out what they were saying.

"Your people are uniquely poised to set an example for the rest of the French Quarter. Which is why it's important for the wolves to attend."

"Attend what?" Thomas asked, gaining their attention, moving to stand beside the alpha of the Crescent pack, looking intrigued. "My, you vampires sure do love to party, don't you? After the fight that happened last night, I figured you'd learn your lesson."

"Hear him out," Jackson told him, sounding way too lenient about this when he was so fixed on despising and staying away from the bloodsucking creatures yesterday. That very fact caused the ginger to become suspicious but he didn't let it show, tipping his head, silently gesturing for Elijah to explain.

The noble brother seemed to notice it as well, speaking nothing of it. "The witches insist the factions go to the La Fête des Bénêdictions. Feast of the Blessings. It is a sign that the witches will not be harmed by any of us."

"It's a new day in the Quarter, Thomas. If we're gonna coexist, we have to play ball." Jackson looked at Elijah and nodded. "We'll send a representative with a gift." With that, he and Oliver walked away, leaving the Original and the King. They looked at one another, didn't even have to speak or make signals, they both knew what the other one was thinking.

That was too easy to convince Jackson.

———

He stared down at his phone for a minute over so, his thumb hovering over Athena's number. He sighed heavily, shutting his eyes and rubbed his temple before he lowered his phone, putting it on sleep mood. She needed space, she needed to know that what she was doing wasn't good. And some alone time might assist her in reaching that conclusion. So he decided to focus back on the situation at hand: finding out what Jackson was hiding.

The said male was on the porch with Oliver, talking about something. He approached them and the second she did, they went quiet, no longer talking. He snorted in disbelief. "Seriously? Look, if you're trying to keep a secret, be more discreet about it."

"Why don't you take the hint and mind your own business?" Oliver retorted and once he did, Thomas rolled his eyes, grabbing his by his arm, spun him around, twisted his arm behind his back and shoved his body against the wall. "What the hell?!" He fought back against him but it was useless.

"I suggest you show some respect. Because I have had a really shitty day so I am not in the mood for your high school bickering. And I tried to play nice at the dinner, I warned you, didn't I?" He twisted his arm harder, making Oliver groan in pain. "Tell me what's going on."

"You can go to hell."

Thomas chuckled darkly. "Gladly. Would you like to take a trip with me? We can make it a vacation!" Jackson tried telling him to stop, telling Oliver that there was no point in hiding whatever they were hiding from him, but the stubborn runt wasn't having it. "Say another word and I'll snap your bloody neck."

He let him go, shoving him again. Jackson exhaled, visibly relaxing when he backed off. Then he looked at Thomas, tossing a hand up. "We made an alliance that's gonna change everything for the wolves."

"An alliance with who?"

"Klaus."

Now that certainly got his attention. "Care to elaborate?"

———

Athena knew that going to the party was a bad idea. But when Hayley had called her to inform that Thomas was up to something, she couldn't resist, naturally, much too curious to let it go. Besides, after their first argument, per se, she was left bored. She had tried watching tv, reading, listening to some of the CDs he had on organized shelves. Nothing could get her mind off the fact that she knew she needed to continue to prove her point. Now she had to prove it to Thomas too.

She entered the room in a simple black off the shoulder skater dress, wearing converse again. This time she had curled her hair, trying something new since she hadn't ever done her hair on her own before. It took hours, but she got it down. She didn't exactly do it right; however, it was progress.

Thomas was already there, standing by the bar with a drink in hand. She was going to avoid him, planning to go to the other side of the room, until Klaus came up to him which piqued her interest. She tucked her hair behind her ear, slowly moving closer and stood behind a column to keep them from seeing her.

"I hear you made quite an impression with the wolves," Klaus spoke, sounding annoyed but also pleased. "My arrangement with them was supposed to be a secret, and yet you forced it out of them. It's very bold and stupid. As was your decision to represent them here today. I trust you'll do nothing to harm our cause."

Athena frowned, confused. Had Thomas attacked one of the wolves? The said wolf smirked at the hybrid, taking a sip of his drink. "Yes well, Hayley was meant to attend but I told her to rest, seeing as she's getting closer to her due date. Can't have her stressing too much. I have to say though, are you really going behind Elijah's back?"

"What difference does it make to you as long as the wolves benefit?" Klaus pointed out, before he smirked widely, enjoying this. "Enough of that chatter. Now, I did hear about your little squabble with my sister. She sounded very upset when she called, I nearly went to go kill you, that was until Hayley told me about the conversation you two had. See? Everyone tells me everything. And as much as I don't trust you or like you really, what you said got me thinking." He paused for effect, always one for dramatic. "How far would you go for her? After all, you did call her your Queen."

Athena's eyes shot open, freezing up. Did he say that about her? Then why had he left if he felt that way? She shivered, picturing him calling her his Queen, the thought alone made her feel the same way she felt when they kissed for the first time, when she couldn't stop kissing him back. Her thought process was interrupted when a large group of drummers marched into the party, causing everyone to watch with confusion.

The lead drummer is the only one that spoke. "Happy Fête des Bénédictions. We have a message for all of you from Marcel Gerard." Everyone frowned, whispers moving through the crowd. Then everyone watched in horror as the drummers took out straight razors, slicing their wrists open, bleeding out everywhere. The vampires got antsy, vamping out at the smell. Athena gasped, moving backward. The very sound of her breath hitching caused Thomas to snap his head over, seeing her standing there. They made eye contact.

"Control yourselves," Elijah yelled to all the vampires. "This is a vulgar trick. We do not violate our agreement."

The light went out right after he spoke, the vampires speeding to the drummers and drank off of them. Some even went for the humans who were there representing the human faction. Chaos erupted. Athena turned, trying to seek out Thomas who was also searching for her, calling her name over the screams. Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the waist and she went to attack them but then she heard his voice.

"It's me, it's me," Thomas murmured in her ear, causing her to relax. He pulled them to the wall, his arms wrapped around her, protecting her even though she could easily fight back if anyone did come at them. No one did thankfully. She shut her eyes tightly, listening to the cries of the innocent people.

The lights switched back on and once she opened her eyes, dozens of humans were dead or injured, lying on the ground, blood soaking the floors and walls. And on one of the walls, the words "THERE WILL BE NO PEACE" was painted in the blood of the victims. She covered her mouth in horror of the scene, gasping loudly. Thomas made sure he had a good grip on her before he whispered in her ear that they had to leave. She sped them out of the room, away from the gruesome sight.

———

Thomas switched the light on to the kitchen, illuminating the connected rooms. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He told her he was going to go rinse off real fast, walking to his bedroom. Athena took the opportunity to do what she planned to do whenever he returned to the apartment. She bit her lip and she prepared it for him, making a nice swirl of whip cream on top.

He ruffled his hair as he walked down the hallway, opening his eyes and saw her standing behind the island counter, a plate of pancakes on the side where the stools were. She saw him looking and ducked her head, blushing. The redhead came over and got a better look. She had reheated his breakfast from that morning, adding a swirl of whip cream and a cut strawberry on the tip, a glass of milk in front of the plate. The one bite he had taken out of it was visible.

"You didn't eat this morning so I saved it for when you came back," she explained with a whisper, not meeting his eyes. "I had to look up if you could reheat pancakes cause I wasn't sure." She shrugged to herself, biting her lip as she slowly tilted her head up to look at him.

He smiled softly and sat down. "Come here."

She rounded the counter, moving to stand in front of him, looking at him with hesitance. "Are you still mad at me?" Her voice was quiet, gentle, entirely impossible for him to ignore or be vexed by. "I don't like it when you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad, baby," he told her honestly, closing his eyes for a moment, sighing. "I was a jerk this morning. I shouldn't have acted like that or walked out. I convinced myself that I did it to give you space. Honestly? I left because I was frustrated that I couldn't find a way to make you feel better. I felt like I was screwing up." He laid his head on her chest, wrapping his arms around her and brought her closer.

She frowned, not able to see it but there were tears in his eyes. Thomas couldn't help it, his grip on her tightening but not to hurt her, to assure him that she was there. "When you disappeared, when you woke up from your coffin, I was so scared." His voice broke and she realized he was crying. "I felt so helpless, so lost. I searched everywhere, screamed until my voice was hoarse. I didn't know you were alive until I went to a witch and she told me you were out there somewhere. And I told myself that I'd never leave your side, that I'd do anything for you, that I'd do everything I could to keep you happy. Hearing you think that you have to prove to people that you're strong made me feel like I failed. You don't have to prove anything to anyone, especially not to me. And watching you act like this. . . it made me fear that I would lose you again.

"Athena, you're all I have left," he whispered before he broke down, standing up before he fell onto his knees, arms around her waist, his head laying against her stomach, crying as he held onto her like she was going to vanish again.

She was speechless, crying because he was. The brunette went to the ground with him, sitting on her knees as she held him in her arms as he sobbed, clinging onto her dress. She didn't know what to say so she said nothing. It became apparent to her that there was more to him than she originally thought. He wanted to take care of her.

He might even love her.

———

Writing Thomas sad honestly makes me want to cry because he is so precious, you guys don't even know his backstory yet and I can assure you, you'll understand why I want to cry whenever he cries and you'll get why I love him so much. And did I just write a male crying? Yeah, I did, cause guess what?

Males can cry too, it ain't a crime.

I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

( credit : @pepperronys )