A Fly never really goes away! Thank you for your patience with me I will have an update tomorrow!
~Travis’ Point of View~ My heart sinks when the two females sit down. The jury is eating out of my palm right now and I don’t need this shit. *Miserable bitches,* Dozer says, turning to eye them both. *Stay calm,* Mick says, as the lawyers whisper at the judge’s bench. If my heart wasn’t racing in my chest I might be able to listen. Doze and Hazel both turn to look at each other and I know they must be mind-linking. *I know I’m not the best tracker but yesterday I sat behind the prosecutor and had to smell him all damn day. I swear this ex-Fly has his scent, like they touched at some point today, but how do we prove it,* Fingers says, over mind-link to all Flyers in range. I lick my lips and instantly know what he’s saying is true. There isn’t a doubt in my mind. She’s feeding the DA intel? Probably pissed she didn’t get Grouch’s cash. When I can’t think of anything else, I raise my hand. The lawyers both go back to their seats. “Yes Mr. Dennison,” the judge says. “May I hav
~Hazel’s Point of View~ ~One Year Later~ “Zachary! Your little sister doesn’t want a cupcake! She only drinks mommy’s milk,” I snap, just as I knock the treat out of his hand. He looks at me confused but runs away. I scoop my precious little Annabelle out of her baby swing and coo at her. She’s awake but irritated with all the noise around her. Zachary could literally sleep anywhere, anytime. But this girl is too spoiled. It has to be quiet, cozy and everything just right. “Mommy’s little princess, yeah,” I whisper, as I rub my finger over her cheek. “It’s still fucking weird that in the time it took me to have one kid you’ve had two,” Kylie says, falling on the seat next to me. I grin and sit down as well, bouncing my little three month old chubby baby lightly on my lap. “Well now Tessa and Annabelle are going to be the bestest of besties,” I say, a bit too chipper. Kylie shoots me the mom face I know too well that says she didn’t get a lot of sleep. She’s probably also hung
~Epilogue~ ~Travis’ Point of View~ ~Two More Years Later~ *Yes! That’s it, you made it,* Mick shouts, though I’m the only one who can hear him and he’s about to make my head explode. He nudges little Hatch with his nose, and we couldn’t be more proud than if he were our son. His wolf head pokes up from the ground and looks around for the first time with his new eyes in wonder. I sniffle and Mick teases me. Fuck it. Being a father has literally changed everything. My entire outlook, my reaction to things. Yeah, seeing a pup I’ve been working with and getting attached to for years have his first shift and become a man … it’s fucking emotional. Red runs by, along with his mate and mine. Then it's like a pack of damn … well … Flyers come out of nowhere. Hatch jumps to all fours and gets right in the mix. It’s a brilliant full moon and Mags has all of my pups tonight at her place so it’s gonna be a damn good one for me! Since watching a new shift had us in such good spirits, Mick
~Four Years Ago~~Black Fog Pack~~Travis’ Point of View~I struggle to keep my good eye open, my feet are already cut up and protesting, demanding I stop. But, there’s no stopping.Every single step is a step further away from him. A step toward a new life. It has to be.My will to survive is too strong, but surviving for what? That I didn’t know. Keep breathing, keep moving. That's all I know. When you raise yourself you don’t trust anyone, you question everything. How I made it past infancy, I’ll never understand.This was hardly my first time in this situation, but I’ll be damned if it’s not my last. I’ve let the adults in my life control me for far too long, it’s over. Today, I take control of my life. I answer only to my wolf, whenever he finally comes.You’d think with how hard I was trying to get away that I was at least running from my Alpha, well… since I’m only a pup I don’t yet have an Alpha. I didn’t pledge shit to anyone. No loyalty to anyone but myself. I more than know
~Hazel’s Point of View~I hum happily to myself, practically coming out of my skin with excitement, I’d been gone far too long. My dad’s idea of sending me to an all girl’s school for shifters four states away was bullshit. But this was the moment I’d been waiting for, and had all but ensured would happen. I had packed every single thing I owned to come home for Christmas break and I was going to let him know I wasn’t going back. No way in hell.Oh and there was also the little teeny tiny problem of me getting expelled. Which, while my plane was in the air my parents would be discovering. So there really was no going back. Oops!When the plane finally lands my stomach is practically doing flips. I’m sweating, and suddenly my plan of getting expelled starts to seem pretty damn stupid. I also knew what the tuition cost per year and my dad had already paid up front. He wouldn’t be getting that back. If it was one thing my dad truly hated, it was losing money. A bad investment.Time to
~Punch’s Point of View~ When Doze first said Hazel was coming home I was instantly in a foul mood. When he told me she’d gotten herself thrown out of school, the slightly undead part of my heart was a bit proud. Maybe it's a cry for help, maybe she’s just tired of bullshit and wants to forge her own path, who knows. Hazel is too much her father’s child in every way. She does what she wants and makes no excuses. Maybe some of that has been my influence. But if she was a male, Doze would be proud and support it. I hadn’t seen her now in over a year, and that was by design. When she came home last summer, me and a couple of the guys went on a road trip. Even though I’m technically a minor in the eyes of the human world, nobody gave a shit. If shifters don’t wanna go to school, they’re not forced to. Like I said, we’re our own city and normal humans don’t fuck with our pack. I had people that took notes for me at school, even took tests for me. I skipped a lot of it but I still went
~Hazel’s Point of View~ Eminem’s “Shake That Ass” blares throughout the large house and everyone was indeed doing just that. I was no exception. I loved the beat, I loved dancing. I’d deal with the consequences tomorrow, like usual. “Here beautiful,” a male says, handing me a beer. Hardly my favorite drink but what do you expect at a frat house? Everyone was home for the holidays so they opened up their invite list to high schoolers. When Ginny texted about it, wild horses couldn’t have stopped me. I wanted to get myself out, away from the high school crowd. Moreover, mingle with people who DIDN’T know who I was, that was key. I wasted no time popping the can open and throwing back the awful liquid. I just needed to feel … something else. Forget my dad yelling at me, forget the bullshit with school. Making my mom cry. Okay that I felt bad about, and certainly being here wasn’t gonna help that. But mostly, I wanted to drink to forget the smug fucking look on Punch’s face at the
~Punch’s Point of View~ I park the van outside a rough building in an even rougher area of town. Not in Flyer territory. Not somewhere I should be let alone the Alpha’s daughter. I tell myself I need to call someone to fetch Hazel, but I don’t. The plan had only been to scare her, just give her a little scare, well she’s gonna get even more. Yet I know she’s safe here even in the most crime riddled neighborhood. The only thing to fear is me. This is a neutral zone, on the border of Flyer territory where it meets Viuda Negra’s. Though for me to be down here it would have to mean I’m handling pack business, which I’m not. Mick paces in my mind, not giving a shit about Hazel for once. He is laser focused. “Listen to me when I say… do NOT get out of this van. No matter what happens. If your ass leaves this vehicle I can’t be held responsible,” I warn, in a low voice. It’s still a voice that says I’m not fucking around and she knows it. “I’ll stay put,” she whispers. The glow of a ci
~Epilogue~ ~Travis’ Point of View~ ~Two More Years Later~ *Yes! That’s it, you made it,* Mick shouts, though I’m the only one who can hear him and he’s about to make my head explode. He nudges little Hatch with his nose, and we couldn’t be more proud than if he were our son. His wolf head pokes up from the ground and looks around for the first time with his new eyes in wonder. I sniffle and Mick teases me. Fuck it. Being a father has literally changed everything. My entire outlook, my reaction to things. Yeah, seeing a pup I’ve been working with and getting attached to for years have his first shift and become a man … it’s fucking emotional. Red runs by, along with his mate and mine. Then it's like a pack of damn … well … Flyers come out of nowhere. Hatch jumps to all fours and gets right in the mix. It’s a brilliant full moon and Mags has all of my pups tonight at her place so it’s gonna be a damn good one for me! Since watching a new shift had us in such good spirits, Mick
~Hazel’s Point of View~ ~One Year Later~ “Zachary! Your little sister doesn’t want a cupcake! She only drinks mommy’s milk,” I snap, just as I knock the treat out of his hand. He looks at me confused but runs away. I scoop my precious little Annabelle out of her baby swing and coo at her. She’s awake but irritated with all the noise around her. Zachary could literally sleep anywhere, anytime. But this girl is too spoiled. It has to be quiet, cozy and everything just right. “Mommy’s little princess, yeah,” I whisper, as I rub my finger over her cheek. “It’s still fucking weird that in the time it took me to have one kid you’ve had two,” Kylie says, falling on the seat next to me. I grin and sit down as well, bouncing my little three month old chubby baby lightly on my lap. “Well now Tessa and Annabelle are going to be the bestest of besties,” I say, a bit too chipper. Kylie shoots me the mom face I know too well that says she didn’t get a lot of sleep. She’s probably also hung
~Travis’ Point of View~ My heart sinks when the two females sit down. The jury is eating out of my palm right now and I don’t need this shit. *Miserable bitches,* Dozer says, turning to eye them both. *Stay calm,* Mick says, as the lawyers whisper at the judge’s bench. If my heart wasn’t racing in my chest I might be able to listen. Doze and Hazel both turn to look at each other and I know they must be mind-linking. *I know I’m not the best tracker but yesterday I sat behind the prosecutor and had to smell him all damn day. I swear this ex-Fly has his scent, like they touched at some point today, but how do we prove it,* Fingers says, over mind-link to all Flyers in range. I lick my lips and instantly know what he’s saying is true. There isn’t a doubt in my mind. She’s feeding the DA intel? Probably pissed she didn’t get Grouch’s cash. When I can’t think of anything else, I raise my hand. The lawyers both go back to their seats. “Yes Mr. Dennison,” the judge says. “May I hav
~Travis’ Point of View~ Much to my annoyance, Hazel comes in and sits down in the far back just as I take the stand. *Couldn’t stay away,* I say, over mind-link. *Bet your ass Dennison,* she chirps. Mick preens at the sight of her, hating that she can’t be in our lap where she belongs. There’s also far too many offensive smells in here blocking hers. “Could you please tell the court why you’re choosing to testify today? It’s rare for a defendant to testify on their own behalf,” Bruce asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. I clear my throat. “I’m fully aware of what humans think of the shifter community. I hope one day we can change that. It’s true we have some bad apples just like any other groups, but we also have incredible people working tirelessly to keep innocents safe. To keep families happy and prospering. While humans have police and other forms of law enforcement, packs handle things their own way. Though the Flying Death sounds scary, we sound evil, we’re far from i
~Hector’s Point of View~ *Maaan what were you thinkin’,* Benji fusses. He doesn’t like the spotlight on us, and neither do I. Unless it's for sports. But it all just didn’t feel right. I know Punch didn’t kill my father but … on the other hand he deserved to die. It was truly only a matter of time. It’s a relief it didn’t have to be me. I wait patiently while the lawyers go back and forth over whether or not I’ll be added to the witness list. My palms get sweaty and I have all kinds of second thoughts. My mind actually wanders to Missile and I have to wonder if I’ll ever have a true friend like that. A real brother that would do anything to protect and defend not only the pack but my female. He fought several males against all odds, only giving up when he fell unconscious. He’s a true brother of the pack and to Punch. My father never, ever inspired that kind of loyalty. Sure, I’ve thought about trying to start up a rival pack to the Flyers. There are several out there that aren’t
~Travis’ Point of View~ Sitting and waiting for court to start with all kinds of people staring at you, hell some are even drawing me for whatever reason … It's a new level of testing my sanity. *I’ve got a good feeling about today! Bruce is wearing his Mr. Arrogant Suit,* Mick chirps. I have several different lawyers and they’re each handling different parts of the trial though it makes no difference to me. I’m hoping like hell today is the last day and it’s all behind me. It better be. I’ve been meeting with them every couple of days for months pawing over every single detail of not only what the humans have and are going to say, but what we want the narrative to be. Everyone that set me up is now dead so really, the only option is to say it was self defense. I know I’m hardly a straight arrow but dear Goddess, please don’t strike me dead for what I’m about to say when I testify. When the judge and jury are seated, my attorney calls Mona as my character witness. I can tell she
~Travis’ Point of View~ ( I base the POV on how they see themselves, he’s no longer Punch in his own eyes) Literally anything to do with the humans makes me positively itchy in the worst way. They hate shifters and they’re unpredictable. I woke up with a damn stress rash on the inside of my arm and I’ve literally never had anything like that. This should be the best week, month, year of my life. I’m a father now and the feeling sits so heavy in my heart. This incredible little tiny pup is so perfect and yet so helpless. He literally can’t do anything for himself and when he looks at me with those innocent little eyes, I promise him he’s not going to have my violence. Mick and I agree, we’ll literally do anything in our power to ensure he’s not a killer. I nearly forfeited my Reeve title the first time I laid eyes on him. But now that most of our enemies are gone, I’m sure as hell praying for things to be calm. My day should pretty much consist of watching my son suck on a nice f
~Kylie’s Point of View~ My dad always said the best way to kill someone would be a snake bite. Literally no one would ever suspect it to be from a shifter, it would be a clean kill. No forensics, no autopsy. Just a poor bastard in the wrong place at the wrong time. A true shapeshifter is still basically a myth to most. That’s partly why I chose to show the pack because your own eyes can’t lie. Though I’d never killed anyone and sure as hell never imagined I would. But it’s beyond personal now. My dad’s terrified face has been in my head non stop and it keeps coming along with little shivers all through me. When I lunge at the first male he screams bloody murder and takes off running. I waste no time darting at the other, and when I slither up his foot and bite his leg, he goes down immediately. Snakes unfortunately have piss poor eyesight and not the best hearing, but I don’t need it thankfully. The vibrations from the pounding of feet are obvious and I now know there are two male
~Hazel’s Point of View~ “Let me go you fuck,” I shout, as I kick and do all I can against the big hands grabbing at me. There’s too many of them, it’s hopeless. Nobody can save us now. Simone pushes her claws through my hand and I swat at a male, drawing some blood but not much. I keep trying. It was as if an army just flooded into the packhouse all at once, they were everywhere. An ear piercing cry breaks out to my side, as Kylie wails. My eyes dart all over and I see Missile’s limp body being beaten. My heart breaks but there’s little time to process it because my body is lifted and whisked away. We’re both carried like brides down the stairs and when the outside air hits me, so does a fucking contraction. Kylie and I are thrown into a van as I search for Mags. It pisses me off to no end that I can’t mind-link her. Is she even alive? Once in a seat, I pull Kylie into my arms as she sobs loudly, and I use her weight to try and hold on. The van is driving erratically, but that’s