02 Status Quo Of The Howlers

Emily,

The loud ringing of the landline suddenly woke me up from my light sleep. Exhaustion clung to my weary bones like an anchor dragging me deeper into the abyss.

Reluctantly, I pried myself from the comfort of my bed, my throbbing head a testament to the torrent of tears and sleepless nights that had plagued me.

Reaching out for the receiver, I found solace in the abrupt silence that greeted me, the call had already been answered by David, I presumed.

I looked at the faint light coming through the curtains and realised it was morning. The clock on the wall showed it was nine o'clock. Although I hadn't slept much, it was time to take action. I summoned the strength to freshen myself up, hastily donning joggers and a T-shirt, clinging to a flicker of hope for a glimmer of positive news.

When I joined my brother in the living room, he seemed burdened and sad.

He was sitting with the phone's receiver in his hand, and I felt a sense of worry. Could this be the same call that woke me up? If so, it must have been a long call because I spent thirty minutes taking care of myself before coming downstairs.

"David?" I called out, my voice tinged with desperation, only to find my plea fall upon deaf ears. I hurried towards him, anxiety coursing through my veins. Had he heard some news about Jake? Was he... gone?

"Have they found Jake? Is he... gone?" I asked my brother, my heart beating fast with fear. He shook his head sadly, giving me a little bit of comfort. Maybe no news meant that Jake was okay. It was a small ray of hope amidst the difficult situation we faced.

"Then what is the matter?" I pressed, my voice trembling with trepidation. He let out a tired sigh, showing that the story he was about to tell was going to be difficult.

"That call was from First Bridge Bank in Gaines Village. It seems Jake had taken out a mortgage on our cherished property, the lake house on the outskirts of town. They're proceeding with the foreclosure," he divulged, and a gasp involuntarily escaped my lips. Memories so dear to us were etched within those hallowed walls, serving as our sanctuary since childhood. How could Jake have been so reckless?

"What? Why? How? Did you have no inkling?" I interrogated David, my voice strained with a mix of disbelief and anguish. He shook his head, a painful admission of his lack of knowledge. His response only served to stoke the fire of my anger.

"Jake always kept things secret from me. I was left in the dark most of the time," he confessed, and his words made me even angrier.

"But you, as the beta, were supposed to protect our father's fortune and legacy! You should have taken care of us!" I scolded, getting up from the couch. The weight of our situation was coursing through my veins like electricity.

"He is your husband, Em. You are his Luna. How was I supposed to know he would lead us into this trouble? Jake ruined everything. Our savings are now only fifty thousand dollars. We have to face reality, Em. We need a plan to survive," he declared, and I stood there in shock. I could hardly believe how destitute we had become.

Fear and uncertainty gripped my being, their talons sinking deep into my heart. How could Jake have been so callous? I had warned him time and time again about his reckless spending, yet he assured me that everything was under control. He even presented bank statements showcasing our comfortable wealth. Was it all a facade, a web of lies spun to deceive? Or had circumstances veered disastrously off course?

"It cannot be true. Jake claimed we had over ten million dollars in our savings. He showed me the balance just three months ago—ten million seven hundred and twenty thousand dollars. He couldn't have lied about that. How could it all vanish?" I pleaded, searching David's eyes for answers, but all he offered was a shrug.

"I have no idea. He had accrued numerous debts, engaging in goddess-forsaken ventures," David uttered, his voice laced with exasperation.

"But that is not our biggest concern right now. The property that First Bridge Bank wants to take from us is just one of our many problems, Em. The real issue is how we will lead our Pack. Most of our members are on welfare, and our businesses are failing. Because of Jake's bad reputation, no one wants to hire a Howler. Our pack is struggling financially. We also have a shipment of important medicines coming for our clinic that we need to balance the payment, among other urgent problems. We are in trouble, Em. Fifty thousand dollars won't be enough to solve our problems," he said, his words fading as the enormity of our troubles overwhelmed me. Fear and desperation consumed me, threatening to take away all hope.

What had Jake done? And how did he manage to hide it all? What was happening to us?

I collapsed on the couch, holding my head in my hands, desperately searching for answers. I knew David was lost in the chaos too and couldn't provide the comfort I needed.

When Jake and I exchanged vows, he made a solemn promise to my father, pledging to shoulder the weight of responsibility. He vowed that the Howlers would flourish under his stewardship.

My father’s biggest issue was that he did not birth an Alpha, we were betas like our mother. Yet he settled for Jake, who arrived devoid of purpose, reluctant to embrace the mantle of leadership. I was the one who convinced my father, arguing that he possessed the strength to excel and so, we married.

At the time, Howler's Pack basked in prosperity, a testament to our father's legacy. He bequeathed us fifty million dollars in liquid assets, bolstered by two hundred million dollars in fixed assets. Such opulence bred an illusion, a belief that the Howlers would never want for anything. But now, seven years later, we clung to shards of hope, grappling for survival amidst the ruins of a decaying pack, dwindling in number with each passing day.

How had I allowed matters to deteriorate to such an extent?

A flood of thoughts cascaded through my mind, each one crashing upon my consciousness with merciless force. Anguish mingled with seething anger, and hot tears of frustration welled up in my eyes. I berated myself for my naivety, for failing to see the cracks that now threatened to swallow us whole. How had Jake orchestrated this calamity? And now, we were left bereft of resources to manage the pack or search for him.

Unbeknownst to me, my trembling body caught David's attention, and he gently placed a hand upon my quivering shoulders, imploring me to find composure.

"Please, Em, we will get through this together. We'll find a way. I'm by your side, and so are Claus and Luis. They understand how serious the situation is, and we are united in this struggle. I ask you to gather your strength because alphas don't give up, and neither do Lunas. If you show defeat, we'll lose all hope. Luis has assigned other pack members to search for Jake so we can focus on the challenges we face," He said, gently trying to calm me down.

How could I lead these people and take care of their needs when we had no money? How could we survive?

Jake's ill-conceived escapades, and his audacious challenges to other alphas, all in a misguided attempt to enhance our image and augment our wealth, had backfired catastrophically.

In every alpha challenge, he emerged as the loser and gained enemies in the process. The neighbouring packs probably celebrated his disappearance, enjoying our downfall. Every mistake Jake made had finally caught up with us. How could I guide a pack with no money, burdened by debts, and surrounded by enemies?

David tried to comfort me, and I appreciated his efforts, but I couldn't be consoled. Even though my tears had stopped, I felt desolate, with no hope in sight. I sank deeper into the couch, consumed by thoughts of our dire situation, desperately searching for a way out but finding nothing.

After some time, Luis and Claus returned, their weariness etched upon their faces. Luis approached, addressing me with a respectful tone.

"Since you were absent from the office, Luna, we decided to pay you a visit," he began, and I nodded, acknowledging their presence.

"Based on your current state, I assume Beta David told you about our situation," Luis guessed, and I nodded again.

Taking a seat on the couch, Luis and Claus joined me, weariness evident in their eyes.

"How did it go?" I managed to ask, my voice weakened from crying and lack of sleep.

"As anticipated, we encountered resistance when attempting to post flyers in the neighbouring towns. We resorted to distributing them personally, hoping for any leads. However, given the reception we received, I doubt anyone will reach out if they come across vital information. Our Alpha has amassed too many adversaries," Luis relayed, and I rose from the couch. A bright idea went off in my head like a light bulb, and I had to share it. Hopefully, it wasn’t a stupid idea that desperation had made seem bright.

"Let us create a video and release it online. It will spread more swiftly, increasing our chances of receiving prompt responses. Fortunately, money is not a requirement," I suggested, and David expressed his agreement.

"However, we may need to invest a few funds to boost its reach, ensuring it gains traction among a wider audience. With luck, something fruitful will emerge from our efforts," David proposed, and all present concurred that it was a sound plan.

Thus, I decided to employ my phone's camera, capturing a video plea. With tear-stained cheeks, I beseeched anyone who had sighted Jake or possessed knowledge of his whereabouts to contact us, providing our email and phone number for their convenience.

“My name is Emily Ashbrid of the Howlers settlement. My husband, Jake Ashbrid, went missing three nights ago after he left Jo’s bar. No one has heard from him since then. Please, if you have any information about his whereabouts or know anything that could help us track him down, kindly reach out to us via email or phone call. We will be very grateful,” I said, omitting the reward part now that I knew our true financial status.

“Also, if you are responsible for Jake’s disappearance and you are holding him somewhere, please reach out to us with your demands, the silence is killing, and the only people you are hurting are the members of his pack and me. Please reach out so we can come to a settlement. I am begging you not to hurt him and send him home to me,” I said and started crying.

David took the phone from me and handed it to Luis to work on the video. He instructed Luis and Claus to upload the video online.

David employed limited resources to boost its visibility, aiming to transcend the boundaries of our immediate surroundings.

Days turned into weeks, and still, we received no significant leads. The video circulated, touching hearts far and wide, yet the nature of our predicament eluded swift resolution.

Our financial woes persisted, exacerbated by the impending foreclosure on the lake house. The whispers of impending doom grew louder, carried by the wind through the barren streets of Howlers settlement.

The fate of the Howlers now hung precariously in the balance, and as Luna, I faced the daunting task of keeping hope alive amid the encroaching darkness, clinging to the belief that salvation would one day find us.