Galaxies | Cato Hadley

Chapter Thirteen

WREN WOKE UP IN TANGLED SHEETS WITH MESSY HAIR AND HICKEYS ALONG HER INNER THIGHS. She looked at her husband beside her and realized that today was the day that Thirteen would invade the Capitol. Fear settled in her stomach.

"Go back to sleep," Cato grumbled from under a pillow. He knew why she couldn't because he couldn't either.

Wren felt herself breathe deeply as she calmed herself. She looked at her husband again, the only thing time his head was out from under the pillow. His blond hair was sticking up in multiple directions, his cheeks were pink, and his pupils were dilated.

"Do you think we're ready?" She asked him, her voice was nearly a whisper. Cato grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. He peppered her face with light kisses.

"I don't know," he said truthfully, "but if I knew then I'd know the war's outcome."

Wren felt herself feel restricted, so she pushed Cato away. Her thoughts began racing with anticipation of what tonight would bring. Cato only sighed deeply.

"I'm scared too," he admitted. "Scared shitless. More than I was in the Games."

"Because you trained for those," Wren told him.

He nodded in agreement. "No matter how much training I have here I will never be ready for a war."

A knock on their door caused their hearts to sink. It was time to get ready.

Wren slowly began getting dressed. She slipped on a pair of black cargo pants, a skin-tight black shirt, and a vest over her chest. She could feel her heart hitting the inside of her chest as if it were trying to escape. As she pulled her hair back into a ponytail she looked in the mirror. She saw Cato putting his own black shirt on followed by similar pants.

His blue eyes met her hazel ones and he gave her a curt nod before heading for the door to the hallway. Before they left they looked at the room for the last time.

"Goodbye, Thirteen," Wren muttered as Cato shut the door tightly behind them. She heard Cato mutter the same thing.

The boy kissed her on the cheek. "Let's go kick some ass."

The pair walked down the long hallway hand in hand. Cato swung their hands on the walk. A whistle found its way out of his lips. Wren's ears perked up at the sound. "Where'd you hear that?"

"The whistle?"

"Yeah."

"My Dad use to hum it," he told her.

Wren felt the wind leave her lungs. "Oh," she muttered.

"Why?" Cato asked her.

"That's the whistle from Ten. Whenever farmers worked in the fields, they'd whistle and work to pass the time," she told him. She felt herself frown as to how Cato knew the tune. "Your father was a peacekeeper in Ten at one point, I assume."

"He traveled from Ten to Four to Eight," Cato said with sorrow laced in his tone. "I didn't know that's where he got it from."

He rubbed her back in a comforting way as they continued to the aircrafts.

They eventually caught up with Finch and Clove. The shorter brunette appeared emotionless as the redhead beside her looked frantic. After getting shot once before, Finch despised the war.

"You ready?" Clove asked Wren.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Wren, wait!" William called out, "take me with you!"

Wren felt her heart ache as her little brother chased after her. Her mother was close behind with a somber expression on her face. She felt William's body crash into her own. A sound escaped her lips as they impacted.