It happened at night, as is usually the case with these unexpected attacks on the pack.Clyde heard his father’s booming voice through the pack link, jolting him from his sleep. Shit. He ran out immediately and moved to his assigned location.What were they thinking? Snow Mountain is not a weak pack. Who actually dared? He couldn’t believe any pack near them would decide to commit such atrocity.As he slowly became aware of the situation, he realized the enemy is a group of rogues. Seeing them up close, he became sure of it. What he’s surprised of is their number. How could there be many of them? Still, they’re no match for all the warriors and fighters of their pack. They managed to subdue them within half an hour. They scoured the territory for any uninvited individual and to tend to those who are injured.Clyde did his rounds to evaluate the damage and the possible casualties. He froze in his spot when he recognized a familiar face on the ground, surrounded by three children. Why a
“Let her grieve.” Conrad told Clyde as he remained close to Sab. They took her mom’s body to the hall next to the infirmary. She wouldn’t let go of her. She held her hand as they moved her.Alice exchanged a look with her mate, before looking at their son.“I couldn’t tell you what it feels like to lose a parent. You can try imagining it. When my mother died, I didn’t have the time to mourn as I had to run. When your grandfather died, I blamed myself. I didn’t want your father to suffer such a loss, because I knew how it feels. The guilt was so great. Your father lost his father and then his mother not long after. As he had to shoulder the responsibility for the pack, I don’t think he had the time to grieve as well.” She slowly related. This is something they haven’t talked about before. Those were terrible incidents that they would rather not speak of.“Let her be.” Conrad advised, but his mate looked exasperated.“That’s tricky.” She turned to Clyde, “Let her be, but don’t let her f
Alice knew she wouldn’t wait long for her son to return so she simply waited while keeping Sab sleeping in her arms.“What happened?”“I suppose she’s too tired. Take her home.”Clyde looked at Sab for a moment before turning to his mother.“When you say home… should I take her back to their house? Or…?”Alice raised an eyebrow. “You plan to take her to your room?”“Wouldn’t it be better? Their empty house would definitely remind her of her loss.”His mother sighed, “You have a point, but there’s no real danger at their house. She would have to face it in order to accept that her mother’s gone. Their memories are there. It wouldn’t just remind her of her loss. It would also remind her of the happy memories she had with her mother.”It was his turn to sigh, “So, I should bring her to their house?”“Yes. I’m sure she would also want to stay there instead of anywhere else.”“Alright.” Clyde accepted it and went to carry Sab.“Careful.” Alice reminded him.He made sure her position is com
The mother was with the children when Sab knocked on their neighbor’s house.“Sab…” The woman was clearly surprised to see her and then her expression showed her guilt.“I’m so sorry about your mother. I’m really grateful for her help. If it wasn’t for her…” When the woman teared up, Sab couldn’t help crying as well.“I’m sorry.” The woman hugged her and Sab accepted it.After a while, they composed themselves.“Is there anything you need?”Sab felt uncomfortable, but she still tried. They’re just kids, she knew, but they’re the ones who saw what exactly happened.“I’m sorry to ask this, but… would it be possible for me to talk to your kids? I need information.”The woman pursed her lips as she contemplated. “I think Arryn’s old enough. He’s also traumatized but I do believe talking about it helps him process what happened. Have a seat first. I’ll talk to him.”In a way, she felt it’s the least they could do. She told her other kids to stay in the room as she took Arryn into the livin
She pursed her lips. It’s not that she doesn’t trust the pack to exact revenge against those bastards, but… it’s just not personal to them. And those who experienced actual loss, some continued to mourn, some would feel as she does. Not everyone is feeling as haphazard as she is now. The Alpha would still need to go through a process, to make a plan… she can’t wait for that. And it’s no guarantee they would allow her to be part of it. They might think she would be too emotional for it. They’re not wrong. Right now, it’s as if she has nothing to lose. When she steps out of the territory, she understands the risks. She may die. She may not return. But what matters to her is that she tried. She would avenge her mother.There was another thing that convinced her to act on her own. Her father. When he died, her mom said they didn’t get the revenge she wanted. The attack back then was probably more chaotic than what they recently had. More died from both sides, so…Sab found a trail with a
“Two hours is the least amount of time we would require to hastily prepare what we would all need if we’re to ensure this mission would be a success. It may be more than two hours, actually.” His beta explained and Clyde looked helpless.“I’m going to prepare, then. Or are you briefing us already?” He asked his father.“Given the circumstances, I don’t think I should give you leadership of this mission. Wayne would lead. Would you be able to follow orders?”Wayne stepped forward and looked at Clyde. He can understand his worries, but still… it’s a bit unsettling to see it from someone they look up to. They have high expectations for Clyde, but alas… he’s not unlike many of them. He’s also prone to extreme emotions that might cloud his judgment.“That’s better, actually. I can follow orders. I’ll listen to you.” Clyde stared at Wayne and gave him a nod.Conrad let out a deep breath. Good. For a moment there, he expected him to insist on leading it. It’s something not easy to relinquish
Thankfully, they were away from the others. He would’ve snapped if anyone saw her nakedness. He tackled her down and she weakly struggled. He already surmised that she’s too tired now, so he risked it.“It’s me, Sab. Listen to me. It’s over. They’re all dead.” Sure, some are still being chased, but they will be as good as gone.Her eyes finally zeroed in on his and she began to relax. She was breathing heavily.Clyde was a witness to how she fought earlier. It was just as he expected. She did better than their monthly evaluations. Having the intent to kill your opponent is probably a moving factor. He kept an eye on her as they decimated any enemy in sight.They have proven their strength. Snow Mountain isn’t to be trifled with. The casualties of that night are simply because it was unexpected. They reacted a few minutes late. And yes, even a few seconds could mean a loss of life. It was something they have to improve upon. They might have to utilize whatever they’re working on in the
Sab grimaced. How could she spend the last few days in this place? She’s sure she inconvenienced him greatly. It’s time to go. She left his room and went back to her house. She braced herself when she opened the door. She was unable to stop the tears. Eyeing her mom’s room, she slowly made her way inside. She has no idea how much time has passed. It felt like a long time to her. She took a deep breath before taking a step towards the direction of her quarters. She needed to face it. Even though she’s already grown up, there were nights she would sleep with her mom… a few times a year. When she’s sad or sick, her mom would stay with her in the room.She would miss her a lot. Life won’t be the same without her.Sab decided she’s never going to touch anything in this room. Not literally, but you get the idea. She might decide to sleep on the bed if she misses her too much. Her scent still lingers. She sat there and cried a little more. Is there anything in the kitchen?Clyde attended a m
Once they confirmed the date, the preparations for the ceremony began. It’s not much, given how it would coincide with the year-end celebration. Sab tried to familiarize herself with most of the people in the pack. It wasn’t very difficult. She’s familiar with everyone who uses the training grounds, not to mention the elders, women and children she interacts with as her main responsibility. She’s bad at remembering names, though. She hoped they won’t hold it against her. She would still try, of course. More people have graduated from their training programs. This translates to a higher fighting power and better security. Hopefully, that is. Clyde remained attentive to trainings and classes, analyzing the needs and potential of new batches of trainees. All seemed to be going well and the activities have been normalized again. A couple of weeks before the ceremony, Clyde remembered something which worried him before. He deliberated before bringing it up in a conversation and asking h
The next day, they were visited by Alpha Xavier and his men. There was a bit of a commotion when they realized Isabel has been injured. It’s a good thing Lucas has been by her side since the incident and has given her the best treatment for her wounds and injuries. Isabel helplessly tried to calm her father. “It was my fault. I wasn’t supposed to fight but I still went. I didn’t know about all their rules yet.” She tried to explain. “You’ve been here for months and you don’t know all the rules yet? There can’t be too many!” “I’ve been with Lucas most of the time. I was supposed to assist him but I was itching to fight.” She dared not say that Lucas didn’t bother telling her because he really thought she won’t be battling anyone during an attack. His role is to tend to the injured and he expected her to assist him, given how he somehow educated her about his job since she began staying with him. It was really her fault for joining the fray. Her father would probably be livid if he l
It was almost dawn when Sab sat with the others for a pack meeting, attended by the alpha’s family, the ranked members and the elders. “What was their intention?” An elder asked and everyone turned to look at the alpha. His expression isn’t good. It seemed like a serious matter. Sab noticed how his gaze was fixed at a certain point on the table and she turned to look at their Luna. She assumed they’re communicating at the moment. “Have you been informed already?” She used her link with Clyde and she saw him minutely shaking his head. “Not yet. This will be the first time I’ll hear of it. I wasn’t there when they interrogate those people. The Beta led that mission.” “I see.” Sab waited with the others. The silence was welcomed by everyone. After about ten minutes, Conrad finally spoke. “They spoke of vampires. They heard Snow Mountain is home to several. Obviously, their information is inaccurate. They believe we’re a threat.” “Do I count as a vampire?” Alice asked out of pure c
Clyde tried to be rational about it. It’s true that she has trained for years for this particular purpose. He just didn’t realize until that moment how worried he would be of the possibilities. He’s simply afraid that she would get hurt. Looking back, he did think his mate would be someone who can fight alongside him. And Sab can, but he’s still not assured that she would be relatively safe. At the end of it, he realized it all stems from the fact that he wouldn’t be able to accept it if he loses her.When his father saw him, he was immediately reminded to focus and to worry less.“Have you ever felt afraid of losing mom?” He can’t help but ask through the link and he was floored by the response.“Every day, but you live with it as normally as you can. Don’t let it distract you. You have to trust your mate. She’s not ordinary. She’s your equal. Trust that she can protect herself as well as others.”Clyde grunted and talked aloud this time, “So, what’s going on?”“Rogues, apparently. B
Sab was surprised one time when she saw Isabel on the training grounds.“What is she doing here?” She asked Hana before they started their training.“Do you know her? She introduced herself as Lucas’ mate. She’d been here since the alphas’ conference. Apparently, she stayed at his place and remained at his side every day. Lucas went out to visit the city so she came out.”She was understandably surprised to know about it. “Really? She’d been here all along?”“Yeah. She seems like a chatty one. Look at your mate’s face.” Hana chuckled and Sab quickly found Clyde. He seemed to have just arrived in the grounds and he’s already frowning at Isabel’s direction. He felt his mate’s eyes on him and turned to look at her.“Did you know she’d been here for months?” She asked through the link.“Dad might have mentioned it. I’ve forgotten about it.”“What are you going to do?”Clyde grunted. “Would you mind taking her in? Let her join your team.”“No. My team would feel intimidated. She’s an alpha
They haven’t really made an announcement. News of their mating slowly spread by word of mouth. Clyde and Sab would randomly be congratulated by others in the span of almost two months. One time, as they’re having dinner with the pack’s Alpha and Luna, his father asked him if he’s ready to take over. He has now fulfilled all the requirements. Sab quietly glanced at him and he carefully contemplated. These last few months with Sab, he hasn’t really given that matter much thought. Alice spoke up before the conversation turns serious. “Sab would need some time to prepare, too. You can let her join the meetings from now on, so she’s aware of what’s going on within the pack and other important matters outside our territory. How about we give you six months? Afterwards, we will hold the ceremony of conferring the titles to the two of you, as the new Alpha and Luna of Snow Mountain. I think it would be a lovely celebration.” The elder couple gave them time to think about it. “What do you t
“So… you know now that I was telling the truth? You… you’re feeling the bond now?” Sab would be surprised if that’s what he’s saying. He nodded, “Yes.” There was a moment of silence as her eyes widened and she thought of the situation. “Then… why are you… why do you keep your distance from me?” That is what’s puzzling her. Clyde sighed and held her hand. “I’m just feeling guilty. This seems different than before because I knew with absolute certainty that I truly wronged you. I know you’ve forgiven me and you’ve given me a chance… What I’m struggling with is forgiving myself and overcoming that feeling of guilt. I know what I should do, but I still feel bothered.” It was then that Sab realized what was different. The banter. He doesn’t tease her to annoy her, which he did before. As she looked at him, she knew she would be unable to understand what he’s going through. “But… you still want me, right?” That’s all she wanted to confirm. “Yes, of course I do. Always, Sab.” He cuppe
Although Clyde kept her company, she could feel a certain distance from him. He didn’t leave her to attend the conference. Too bad they didn’t witness the other amusing event which happened on the third day.During the morning break, Lucas showed up and Isabel gasped when he turned to look at her. This the girl Clyde previously considered to be his mate.“Mate! Mate, mate, mate!” With wide eyes, she leaped over and quickly pounced on him. She was excited, especially upon seeing how attractive he is. He looked very mature and dependable.Those around them were surprised, especially her father. Xavier squinted at the man. Who is he? How come he showed up only today? Why wasn’t her daughter alerted of his presence sooner? He heard someone sigh near him and looked over.“Do you know him?” He asked Conrad who wore a somewhat worried expression.“Lucas. He’s our pack doctor, the only one in Snow Mountain. Although he has a few apprentices and he teaches classes on first aid and medication.”
Sab braced herself but what she expected to happen didn’t come. After recovering from the intense pleasure, she felt dejected. Clyde immediately noticed the way she turned her head away, the absence of her smile, and the sadness in her eyes.It was a reaction he least expected after their mating. He became worried.“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Was I too rough? Was it bad?” He couldn’t be sure which one it was.Sab shook her head and glanced at him. She tried to smile, “It was nothing.”She wanted to curse herself. Just as she replied, tears came to her eyes for whatever reason. Even she doesn’t know why. Why is she freaking crying?“This isn’t nothing. Sab, tell me.” He carefully wiped her tears away and she forced herself to admit her fear.“You… you didn’t mark me.” Her voice was so low and she couldn’t look at him straight.Clyde audibly exhaled. Oh. So, it’s just this. For a second there, he really thought he did badly. When his brain processed her words, he felt elated and chuckl