Out of the Darkness~ The Guild Leader Chronicles Book Five

Chapter Five

Out of the Darkness

Five

Lexie

Valerio's attack against Sophie, although understandable, was completely unjustifiable. Sophie should be punished for bringing Zombie back to life, that much is clear, but her life shouldn't be payment for it. What was Valerio thinking? It's pretty obvious he wasn't, but even still. He's known Sophie his whole life and has repeatedly said she's his best friend. There were times growing up that Valerio would be hanging out with her, when her family wasn't on an extended vacation, and I could see with my own eyes the friendship they have. I can't even begin to count the number of times that the two would spend all day in the swimming pool, or out on a hike, or even just hanging out watching a movie.

Is all of that over?

I know what she did crossed a major line, but to see Valerio act with such maliciousness is something I never want to see coming from my husband again. I'm not saying he doesn't have a right to be angry with her, hell I'm pissed at her, but I wouldn't go so far as to want her dead.

His rage overshadowed everything; even his love for me. It may have been for only a brief second, but it did. I knew something was going to get him to that point, and where I had hoped it would be something small, neither of us expected the news of Zombie being out there too.

Now, Sophie better hope and pray that I can calm Valerio down enough to where he doesn't want to kill her. I never thought there could be a situation that would have the two on opposite sides, and now that it's here, I don't know how to handle it. How can I convince Valerio that Sophie only wanted to bring herself, and every wolf who had a connection to Aunt Nikiya, some peace after what Zombie did? She could have just accepted that Zombie was dead to begin with, but that apparently wasn't enough for her.

Valerio's struggle with everything going on should make him understand why she did what she did; yet it doesn't seem to matter to him. I know he's wanting his own revenge against his brother for killing their father, so why does he feel Sophie doesn't deserve that too? I know he isn't sleeping much, but the few times I've seen him take even just a nap, he's ordering in his sleep, "kill him". I know what Valerio wants to do with The Warlock, and before a few minutes ago I wouldn't have thought he was capable of killing a family member.

Not that he considers The Warlock his "family" anymore.

As I manifest deep into the woods, I try to think of the best way to calm him down. It's not so much that he attacked Sophie that has him so upset anymore. Had he not poised to attack me, he would still be taking his rage out on Sophie. But the anger he's been dealing with is now flipped around onto himself. I knew he wouldn't actually attack me, and I just have to make him see that.

To the south, I can hear Valerio's paws hitting the solid dirt hard. I had hoped to manifest further into the woods so I had a moment to figure out what I'm going to say to him, but I hadn't anticipated his speed. At his rate, I have less than thirty seconds to come up with something, and I don't want to keep manifesting to other parts of the woods while I think. I don't know how to talk him down. He's never acted like this before.