The years gone
~
Cadence
~

Henry Goodwin
~
17 - 6 - 1970
23 - 8 - 2010
Always in our hearts.

Cadence stared at the gravesite, a pure and silver metal with polished engravings that swirled words into expected sentences. Whenever she came here, once a year, on this very date, they were always clean and tidy — ready for viewing.

Cadence didn't come here any other time — she didn't need to. Everyone else who was killed in the attack that took her parents was buried here too.

If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't here to see them. She only ever came to visit her parents. If she hadn't slept over at Accalia's home that night, she would have been amongst them. Tortured, ripped to bits and fatefully killed.

A rush blew past her and she dropped her chin on her knee.

Years had passed and still, a nagging and pestering feeling Cadence couldn't place continued to bother her.

She couldn't shake it off. Couldn't reconcile with it. And didn't want to understand it.

Cadence wouldn't know if that was what her mother would want for her. Or her father, she had to deal with it on her own.

Only, she wasn't entirely alone.

Cadence lifted her eyes to her older cousin, Accalia. Accalia Lilybelle Larren. She drifted to the headstones, a certain grace in her step and wilfulness in her face. Cadence always found her pretty.

Accalia and Tristan looked most like William and Katerina Larren. The dark, thick wild hair. The warm, becoming brown eyes. And dazzling bronze skin that didn't need the sun's kiss.

In the coils and fragments of Cadence's mind, everyone around her was stars hanging in the skies, whereas, she bled blackness and endured hollowness, a cosmic void.

Cadence had the black, volcanic eyes — always bound to erupt. Tied back hair she never liked to grow out in case it would be used against her. On occasion, she had witnessed werewolves gripping hunters' hair so tightly — in such a deadlocked hold, they scalped them. Although she didn't like the idea of being bald, she kept her brown hair always swooping past her shoulders.

And her stature, lean and long, like her father. However, he hardly ended up with cuts and bruises. He never knew of lycans, until he met Cadence's mother and slowly became acquainted with the lifestyle before he was killed for it.

Cadence released a harsh sigh.

Accalia came on over, two white petaled flowers gently handled in her hands and first placed one on Cadence's father's headstone and then her mother's.

Katerina Larren
~
1 - 10 - 1971
23 - 8 - 2010
Never forgotten.

Cadence stared at the flowers laid out before her. The white, pure petals, were moon-kissed and glinting under the night skies.

The flower completed the silver headstone and Cadence felt then, that her family was protected — even here, in the place of the dead.

Accalia sat down beside her and hooked her arms under her legs, hugging herself close.

"They're moon flowers," Cadence acknowledged and peered over at her cousin. "Thank you,"

Accalia gave a half-smile and said, "Frankie said I could pick them up from his garden after dinner."

Cadence noted to thank him too, when she had the chance. However, she didn't know when that would be. After visiting her parents, she didn't know where she was heading with Accalia.

All she knew was the bloodshed she left behind in the Fenris pack and how it was rightfully deserved. For all of them. The Beta. The she-lycan — every single one of them.

Anger pounded in her pulse. The threats laid upon her and Accalia waged thick and her jaw ticked.

No one had fought Cadence after she sliced Melina's arm open. They were too engaged in their own lives. Trying to flee the clutches of Lycus Fenris.

Melina Thrax. That bitch never should have laid a hand on Accalia. When Cadence saw it, saw that cursed hand wrapped around the throat of her cousin, silver never felt more intertwined into her skin and she brought that blade to the sky.

And cracked it down until it met skin.

Cadence didn't anticipate seeing the colour white swirl her vision. No, not a white light fading her into darkness, but the whiteness of bone from slicing Melina's arm wide open.

She deserved that and more.

Perhaps Cadence would have finished her off but after the she-lycan collapsed, everything had blurred surreally. The snotty brother of hers, Alpha Zenith, scooped his unconscious sister into his arms and taking Accalia away from the bloodletting was at the forefront of Cadence's mind.

Her only regret was not finishing the Beta.

But looking at Accalia, her battered face and bloodied cardigan, Cadence's shoulders weighed heavy and she didn't know where to go from here.

The moon hung high in the sky and stars filled it all with abundance.

While Cadence's shoulders weighed down, she knew Accalia's heart would weigh just as heavy.

"Accalia, do you miss your mum?" Cadence had never once asked.

Accalia blew out a hearty breath and nodded. "I do,"

"But you never see her,"

"She is always in my heart, Cadence. I don't need to see her."

Accalia's mother, Belle, died just before Cadence's parents. From an illness she didn't know of and William detested talking about it. Belle Larren was somewhat sworn off from being talked about, especially in William's presence.

All that Cadence could recall of Belle was her disapproval of the Larren history, the Larren cause and the Larren children delving into the art of hunting.

She was soft-natured, much like Accalia was. Maybe a bit too soft for hunters.

"Then why do you always bring me here to see my parents? They're in my heart," Cadence said with a shrug.

"They're in your head, Cadence. Whatever move you make, it's always a reflection of their death."

"What's wrong with that?" Cadence asked in a mumble and scanned the cemetery. 

Ahead of them, past the lineups of headstones stood a willow tree and lake that reflected tranquillity against the moon's light. Lustrous and glinting. The water came in light waves, heading to the shore and shooting back. The tide rippled lightly and serenely. What lay beyond that, Cadence didn't care to know.

"Should we go?" Accalia asked. "It's getting late,"

Cadence nodded absently. Her question fell into the back of her mind as she reached her feet.

Side by side, the Larren cousins pivoted to Gabriel's car and had their backs facing the dead.

"Do you think Lycus will be after me?" Accalia asked after a moment of silence.

Cadence lifted a shoulder. "Could be ... I'm sick of running, though,"

Accalia's steps faltered before coming to a dead halt. "I know. It's not fair on you."

"Or you!" Cadence threw her hands up, resigned. "We're hunters, we don't run from the things that go bump in the night, we hunt it."

Accalia's arms wrapped around herself and exhaled, a puff of air leaving her mouth. "I know ..."

She was at a dead end, Cadence realised. Did she think running was her only option?

"I never asked for anything of this," Accalia blurted out and her lip curled, bitterness scathed across her features. "I never asked to be mated to him!"

"I know that, Accalia," Cadence responded, just as bitterly. "All I'm saying is that this situation can't go on."

Hardly, if ever, were Cadence and Accalia hostile with each other. When they were children, they never got on and never saw eye-to-eye. Cadence would always try to play fight with Accalia, who always dismissed her and played with her dolls.

That was years ago, they weren't playing with dolls and plastic swords anymore, but lycans and silver.

"I'm not going back. I'd be damned if I do that, Cadence," Accalia affirmed and turned to the car.

"I'm not saying that Accalia. I'm saying that running will do none of us good."

Accalia threw the driver's door open and looked over her shoulder, her russet eyes lost their sentiment and seared with menace. It wasn't directed at Cadence. "Lycus will find me. I can't take any chances. And I can't be without you. I need you, Cadence, you're all I have left."

Cadence's face fell and looked to the gravel, kicking it beneath her feet. "You have me. You have Tristan, Frankie and Erisa too. Running isn't going to get you anywhere."

If she ran now, she would run forever. Always in fear that he was lurking and closing in. His prey. His mate.

"Lycus caused a bloodbath a couple of hours ago because Gabriel helped us escape. He killed his people, slaughtered them and didn't care. I can't get anyone involved, especially hunters." Accalia raised a fair point. He could hurt anyone that played as an obstacle in his path. They couldn't risk it.

Accalia closed the door and strolled up to Cadence, offering her hand on her shoulder and gently clasping down.

"Come on, Cadence, you've always liked being on the road. We can do that. It will be like ... we're playing tag and we're not it yet." Accalia said, too hopeful.

Cadence laughed and lightly shoved Accalia. "You're going to measure your life with a game we used to play as kids?"

Accalia's mouth drew into a smile and she peered up to the sky, the moonlight glistening down on them. "Perhaps. But you have money and we can finally do something with our lives other than being told what to do. We're no longer under Dad's control and I'm not about to be under Lycus's."

Cadence nodded, taking in every word Accalia uttered and drinking them in with solace and justness. Accalia was right. They were no longer under anyone's control.

Cadence threw her hands in the air. "Let's hit the road then."

Accalia hugged Cadence and spun her heel, excitement itching in her steps as she headed to the car.

Cadence followed after her, battling with this firm and decided decision. Nervous scorned through her like a vicious rush of heat.

As quickly as she doubted, her train of thought cut off like knives cutting into her as a pair of arms wrapped around her, nails digging into her skin.

Cadence shrieked, "Accalia—"

Her scream ended as an echoing, begging wail and her body was lifted, whisked away. Darkness encased her as the person didn't let go and refused to relent. Not once.

~

The rewrite of Cadence's first point of view. It's very different. May have errors and mistakes.

— Caranyx.