Maureen's POV
I woke up with a start. Something woke me up or more like a person woke me up. I could smell Lance's scent in the air. I wondered for a while if he came into my room. Since our talk Monday afternoon in the kitchen, he had been avoiding me like I had leprosy. At my most desperate moment, I kicked against his warning and went into his room. He was not in the room when I got there so I sat on his bed and waited for him. I waited for a long time and when I started feeling sleepy, I laid my head on his pillow and fell asleep. A loud growl woke me from my sleep. I woke up with fright so I started shaking from the impact. Lance did not look at me twice. He banged the door almost removing it from the hinges. Since that day for the whole week, I had not laid my eyes on him. Sensing his scent in my room was the last thing I expected. I had always liked the way he smelled. He smelled like the forest after a heavy rain. Since he got his wolf, his smell has seemed more intense. I looked around and found nothing amiss. I listened, yet I heard nothing. I laid back down took my other pillow to cuddle and sat back up straight, sleep leaving me immediately. My pillow smelled as if Lance had lay there. I sniffed the part where the pillow was and found his smell very strong there. It was obvious he had been there. Did Lance sleep in my room? How?. He knew I was a heavy sleeper, I rarely wake up when I sleep, except if someone woke me up. I quickly checked the time on the mini clock on my bedside table, it said it was just some minutes after four o'clock. I knew that Lance always got up around four-thirty to get ready for training at five o'clock. I wondered if I had woken up when he closed the door. Why was he avoiding me and then sneaking into my room to spend the night? I thought of calling Lucia to tell her what I thought had happened but then I would be waking her up so early in the morning. I decided to wait till she came to visit that morning. At least then she can tell me her opinion face to face. I hugged the pillow close to my chest. Lance's scent on the pillow relaxed me and soothing my hurting heart, I went straight to sleep. I woke up refreshed and happy in days. I headed to the kitchen after having my bath. I was surprised to see my parents already in the kitchen. I have not seen them since the morning after Lance's eighteenth birthday when they left hurriedly in the morning mumbling about a pack giving a distress call. My parents were the main reasons I always prayed to the moon goddess to never mate me with a high-ranked wolf. I would gladly accept a park warrior as my mate. Our pack was in charge of keeping peace in our region, so our Alpha and Beta were in charge of keeping the peace. Anytime any pack sent a distress call, they had to drop everything and attend to it. Each time they go, they leave the Luna and Gamma in charge of the pack. Sometimes I wonder why my mother could not just behave like the Luna and stay back once in a while. 'Good morning Mum, good morning Dad,' I greeted them and they responded 'When did you guys come back?' 'Last night. We didn't want to wake you up,' Mum said smiling at me. 'Ok. Have you seen Lance this morning, mum?' 'Yes, he left for training. I guess he should be back soon.' I only nodded my head as if my mind was with her. I heard the front door open as we started eating the food the kitchen hands prepared. That is one big minus against my mum. I have never seen her cook. She had said she hated cooking because it reminded her of her suffering before she met my dad. 'Good morning sir, good morning ma'am,' Dominus greeted my parents as he stepped into the kitchen. 'Dominus, how are you doing?' My mum greeted him smiling. Dad gave him a pat on the back when he got closer to him. 'I am fine,' Dominus answered and went straight to the refrigerator to get water. Dominus was not a stranger in our house. We were all raised like siblings. Dominus was an only child so he made up for being an only child by stylishly adopting Lance and me as siblings. Although he was very close to Lance, he treated me like an annoying little sister. I liked getting on Dominus' nerves especially since I knew how much he liked my friend Lucia who had eyes only for my brother, Lance. I looked at the doorway and was expecting Lance to step in. I had barely raised my head when he came in. He looked me straight in the eye with a distant look. I searched his eyes for the brother I used to know but he was not there. If it were the old Lance, he would have simply greeted our parents and come to greet me with a kiss on my head. Lance was the first to break the eye contact. He walked to the refrigerator and took water out to drink without greeting our parents. 'Lancelot, are you ok son?' My dad asked seeming to pick up on Lance's mood. 'I am fine dad, just have a lot on my mind,' Lance answered after taking a long sip of the water. 'Mind preoccupied to the extent of not greeting your parents?' Mum asked dropping her fork on the plate with a loud sound. Mum was the toughest of our parents, she didn't tolerate indiscipline or impropriety. We avoided making her angry because her stance was always Dad's stance on any behavior of indiscipline. 'I am sorry Mum. I just zoned out. My heart is so heavy,' Lance said with his head hanging on his chest. His posture and words got to Mum immediately. Although she was the toughest on indiscipline, she was still the softest when it came to caring for what bothered her children. I always wondered how loving and affectionate she would be if she were at home most of the time like the Luna. 'What is it, son?' Mum got up and held Lance to her bosom. For the first time in years, my brother cried. Dad stood up and wrapped his hands around his shoulder while he put his head on mum's chest. 'I guess I will see you guys later,' Dominus excused himself, getting that it was a family kind of discussion. I watched as they embraced each other for a while then I decided to join them. I placed my hand on his back and he immediately went rigid and stopped crying. 'Don't touch me,' Lance shouted and removed his head from Mum's chest to glare at me. 'Lance I ...' I didn't even know what to say because I was short of words. 'I said remove your hand, damn it.' Lance glared at me and growled. I saw his eyes switch between his normal blue which was his eye color and gray which belonged to his wolf. I stepped back from him with tears pouring uncontrollably from my eyes. I could hear Mum shouting at Lance to stop growling at his sister. I ran from the kitchen with my heart beating like it was going to jump right out of my chest and fall on the ground to be trampled by Lance. The hate I saw in Lance's eyes was the last straw for me. I ran into my room and jumped into bed crying as if I was dying. My heart was destroyed above repairs. I was beginning to hate his wolf. If what Lucia said about it all having something to do with his wolf, then I was going to damn all consequences and face his wolf. With the resolve that I was going to face his wolf, I wiped my tears and waited. I went back out after one hour to find the whole house empty. I asked the housekeeper about their whereabouts and she said my parents had gone to the Alpha's house but Lance said he was going for a run at the back of the house. I went outside and followed the path into the forest knowing fully well that Lance would have gone that way. I was there for thirty minutes before I saw the immaculate white wolf walking in the opposite direction. 'Hey Lance,' I shouted, the wolf turned his head and walked towards me. I was scared at first but then I thought if I was going to die then I had better say my piece. 'I don't care to know what your name is but I hate you. You hear me? I hate you with every of my being,' I cried harder as it came nearer. Instead of pouncing on me, the wolf suddenly whimpered and lay on the ground in front of me in a submissive way. His eyes looked at me as if saying he was sorry. I became confused. I thought it hated me so it turned my brother against me. But there it was looking at me with love in its eyes. I crouched down and touched his head, rubbing it in a circle. It felt so good to touch his beautiful fur. I put my head on his back and hugged him close. It whimpered again as if saying sorry to me. Suddenly I felt him go rigid. I drew back and looked into his eyes. It was going between gray and blue. Just when I was thinking of what could be happening, he shifted back to Lance in his naked glory. I jumped back but I was not fast enough. He grabbed me by the neck cutting off my air supply. 'I told you to stay away from me but you wouldn't listen what the hell is your problem?' Lance shouted in my face. I clawed at his hands trying to save myself from him. I started seeing black dots as I started getting tired. I heard someone shouting Lance's name but I wasn't sure as gradually the black dots grew larger and I had no option but to surrender to the darkness.Lance's POVI was going crazy and I knew it but I couldn't help it. The moon goddess must be playing tricks on me. It was my eighteenth birthday but it was my saddest.My wolf had happily tackled my sister to the ground in happiness in the presence of all that were there to celebrate my eighteenth birthday.As the future Beta of the park, it would have been disappointing if I didn't get my wolf. It had happened before in our lineage and this had made my parents especially my mum very anxious.My grandfather was not the direct bloodline of the Beta post but according to history his elder brother who ought to take over from their father never got his wolf.At first, they had thought his wolf was only delayed for a particular reason but when he didn't get his wolf at the age of twenty-five, my grandfather who was twenty years then was asked to start training.According to my grandfather, the training was difficult and draining and he nearly gave up. It wasn't easy to train to become a Be
Lance's POVI heard a soft knock on my door but I ignored it. I was sure it was one of the kitchen hands coming to wake me, probably on Mum's instruction.I had turned all night trying to sleep. I had gone through my own birthday party like a zombie. The idea that the moon goddess gave me a crazy wolf was enough to keep me awake all night. So I wasn't ready to get up that morning.The knock came again and I ignored it, thinking the person would go away when I refused to answer. I waited for another three seconds and dosed off to sleep.My sister's smell was all I smelled in the house now so I wasn't ready to strain myself to get who was at the door specifically.I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly somebody jumped into my bed. The instance the person's body touched mine I knew who it was. My wolf became too alert for my liking.'Shit, Maureen what are you doing here so early?' I shouted at my sister the instance I got on my feet.'Lance, I have always done this in the morning,' s
Lance's POV'Lance stop, let her go,' Dominus shouted at me, his voice piercing the haze covering my senses. I dropped her and started shivering.I couldn't believe I almost killed my sister. I had warned her to stay away from me. I avoided going home because of her. I was going crazy and my wolf was not helping matters. He yearned for her like a pervert. I was going to go mad if care wasn't taken. I had to stay as far away from her as possible until my crazy wolf got back to his senses. I had found her sleeping in my room days before, I had to strip the bed of every layer of clothing on it just to get rid of her chocolaty scent. It was bad enough that her smell hung around the house, even in the surrounding bushes.I had cried on Mum's bosom that morning too overwhelmed with wanting her and trying to stay away from her. I was not about to commit incest because some stupid wolf thought nothing of it. If he was crazy, I was sane. It was an endless war between me and my wolf. In the m
Lance's POV'Lancelot tell me it is a lie,' my mum fumed immediately I entered the pack's hospital room where my sister laid hooked to a machine. I walked towards my mum holding my hands in front of me as if I was praying.That day after I ran, I stayed away from home. It's been two days. Only Dominus knew where I was. I couldn't face my parents, look them in the eye and tell them I almost killed their daughter. Despite the fact that they weren't that close to Maureen, I knew no parent would want their child dead. I walked towards my mum carefully, unsure of how emotionally stable she was. She was after all a Beta wolf. No amount of love she has for me can stop her from hurting me if her wolf decided to punish me for what I did and I was sure my wolf would not lift a finger in defense because of two things. One, she was my mother, two, it would be an opportunity for my wolf to see me punished. He has been going mad in my head for the past two days. 'Mum, I am really very sorry. You
Maureen's POVI could hear voices around me even if I could not discern what they were saying. I heard but I was frustrated by my fussy brain. Why can't I understand a word of what they were saying? I tried hard to open my eyes but it seemed something kept pulling me under. I almost wept. I tried, I fought, just maybe I could open one eye but I lost the battle and gave in. The darkness swallowed me again as I went under. 'Hey Maureen. Can you hear me?' I heard someone's voice saying. This time I recognized the voice as Lucia's and I understood everything she was saying.'The doctors said we should speak to you that you can hear us. If it is true that you can hear me, I miss you Maureen. It is very boring without you. I want my friend back, I want all our silly jokes and adventures.' She stopped a while. I heard her blow her nose. I knew she was crying, my heart ached. I wished I could at least talk to her and tell her to stop crying. I wished I could comfort her and embrace her. I
Maureen's POVI walked into my room with an unexplainable feeling of emptiness. A lot of things didn't make sense. A lot of questions begging for answers.Lucia followed closely behind me. She had not said anything since we left the hospital. It was as if she could understand my pain. She squeezed my hand once in a while as if to tell me she was there if I needed her.What I really needed was to be alone but I couldn't bring myself to do that to Lucia, not after the way she took care of me in the hospital.I sat down on my bed and looked around my room. Even I didn't understand why I was looking from one angle to the other as if looking for something. I was sad to the level of depression. Lucia dropped my overnight bag on the floor then silently came to sit next to me on the bed. She had been by my side since I woke up at the hospital.If not for the seriousness of the situation, I would have laughed at how comical her face looked when she shouted from the surprise of me waking up af
Lance's POVI noticed the difference in the atmosphere immediately we entered our pack territory. My wolf perked up and I noticed that Dominus too looked anxious.I didn't know what type of welcome I would receive from my sister. My parents will surely be happy to see me after three years. We spoke on the phone everyday or I would say I speak with dad everyday. Mum will put in sometimes and I would have no option but to talk to her. Mum and I were never really close but dad and I were like best friends. I tell him everything except for the fact that my sister was my mate. I couldn't even muster the audacity to look him in the eyes or tell him on the phone that his daughter, my sister was my mate.'I just wish that my wolf will not look at my sister the same way anymore,' I said to Dominus.'We are about to find out. If your wolf still feels the same, then you have to let your parents know this time,' Dominus advised.'Tell my parents what? Are you crazy? My dad will simply get a silv
Maureen's POV He is back! That was what kept ringing in my mind. Lance was back. I didn't know he was coming back that day, just maybe I would have fled the house before his arrival.I couldn't look at him so I had left the porch and went inside. I couldn't bear to look him in the face. The anger that still boiled in my heart towards him might spill over and I would do what I would later regret.He almost killed me, left me for death and fled like the coward he was. He left without as much as a goodbye. He left without even seeing me one last time. He never visited the hospital. He that I least expected would hurt me.I swiped at the tears rolling down my eyes. I was determined not to cry. The first two weeks after I was discharged from the hospital were the worst days of my life. I slept in his room for one week. One day the Luna decided she had had enough of my mopping and used her Luna command on me to get out of the room and get myself cleaned up. No one can resist the Alpha or
Dawn's POVI had been nervous about going to see Diego. I knew I shouldn't but I wanted to. He was the only one in my life for a long time. I wanted to know what he had to tell me. Why he wanted to see me.I almost broke down in tears when Diego was brought out of the cell by the man Dominus had introduced as the head guard. He looked so haggard and dirty. He wasn't the person I used to know.When he asked me about his father and I told him his father was dead, something broke inside me with the expression on his face. I believed every word he said about wanting to tell me something that he wanted only me to hear. Asher was not ready to leave me with Diego and I understood his points but I wanted to hear what Diego had to say. My friends left me with Diego reluctantly. 'You have three minutes Diego. So you had better start talking,' I said without looking at him, the moment Asher and the others stepped out.'Do you now hate me this much Dawn? I didn't betray you. I could have told m
Maureen' POV'Wow, this place looks so different,' I said as we entered the former Alpha's house. The place was used by the former Alpha of High Moon, Dominus' grandfather as a getaway from the pack house.We used to go there as kids but it was not looking good then because it was mostly abandoned. Ever since Dad and the Alpha decided to build the Alpha and Beta houses close to each other, the old Alpha house had been mostly abandoned. 'Dad had been doing major renovations on it for almost two years now,' Dominus said.'I never knew of that. What did they intend to use it for?' I asked.'We started renovating it because we thought it was a legacy that shouldn't be destroyed. But when you said you wanted the golden wolf soldiers near, we decided that it should be used for that purpose since it has a lot of rooms in it,' Dad said walking down the stairs. As kids, we often got lost in the house while playing. Standing in the house at that moment made me wonder what the former Alpha was
Maureen's POV'What is the sitting arrangement?' Dawn asked when we got to where our cars were parked at Rolling Hills. We had to wait till we were sure that no reporter was straying into that part of the hideout before we started back to Rolling Hills. Asher had carried Dawn's mother on his back to Rolling Hills. She was too weak to walk the distance. Dawn had refused to walk alongside Asher. She walked beside Ian to Rolling Hills. It was late in the evening when we got to our cars. I knew why Dawn asked the question. She didn't want to sit in the same car with her mother, knowing well that Asher would want that. 'I guess your mum can sit with Ian and Rocha,' Dominus said before I could answer. Rocha helped Dawn's mother into Dominus' car while the rest of us got into Lance's car. If we were fast enough, we would be in High Moon by morning. I didn't bother to wear my wig. It was of no use anymore. It had already served its purpose. Besides the rain ruined it and I was not ready
Maureen's POV'Did you say Dawn? Do you know her? Where is she?' The woman with the mismatched eyes asked when she heard Dominus mention Dawn's name. 'Ma'am we don't have time to explain but I think you might have to come with us,' Asher said taking the decision out of my hands. I pulled at his hands and took him out of the room. Lance followed closely behind us.'Asher, do you think this will sit well with Dawn?' I asked frowning at him.'Don't worry, I will bear the consequences of this. She doesn't want the issue of Talon mentioned around her, will she do the same to her mother? It is time she faced reality,' Asher said.'I am not so sure about this Asher. I share her reservation in having anything to do with Talon and...' 'Guys we need to get out of here,' Dominus said cutting me short. He brought with him the two girls that were kidnapped from the council. They looked so battered and starved. 'Relax Maureen as I have said, I will face the consequences of her reaction. Let's t
Maureen's POVIt was dark by the time we entered Rolling Hills. Asher had taken over the wheel at some point so Dawn was sleeping in the front passenger seat. While Lance and I were in the back seat. Our car was in the front. 'I will advise that we pack our cars where we know it will be safe in Rolling Hills and make our way to the unclaimed land. We stay there for the night and head off to the hideout in the morning,' I said and Lance nodded. We entered Rolling Hills to see that there were still protesters in the streets. We didn't go near them but we parked at a distance where reporters' vans were parked and got out of the car. We each took our backpacks from the car and headed towards the east of Rolling Hills. We walked for almost two hours before we picked a spot and I erected the house. I slumped onto the chair after the house was up. 'What next?' Ian asked.'We stay here till morning and move in on the hideout in broad daylight?' I said.'Anyone wants to eat?' Rocha asked a
Maureen's POV'My eyes have refused to go back to their normal colour since they changed earlier,' I said as I stood looking at the mirror in front of me. Lance and I were in our room retired for the night. We take off first thing in the morning towards Rolling Hill. Rolling Hill was a hot zone at that moment because protest was going on every day calling for their Alpha and his Luna to step down. No one was going to suspect our going there since it seemed the protest crowd kept getting larger every day. Anyone would think we too were going there to see what was happening. Rolling Hill was a whole day's journey from High Moon. But we were prepared. My only concern was that my wolf seemed tired of hiding. My eyes just wouldn't go back to their normal colour.'What is their normal colour?' Lance asked as he stood up from the chair where he was busy pressing his laptop. He came to stand behind me in front of the mirror.'Are you seriously asking me that question?' I asked raising a br
Maureen's POV'What do we do with Linus?' Lucia asked as we sat deliberating on what our next line of action should be. 'Dominus and I will move him to the dungeon,' Lance said. 'He will disappear when his body becomes dry,' Lucia said. 'Don't worry I have that covered,' Lance said winking at Lucia. Then got up to leave the room but surprisingly enough, Shanty fell straight into the room. She had been leaning on the door! 'Shanty?' Ian said standing up slowly.'You said he was dead, you said you killed him. Why is he being moved to the dungeon again if he is already dead?' Shanty said as she stood up from the ground eyes blazing. 'You were not supposed to be eavesdropping Shanty. It is wrong,' Ian shouted at her. 'I was looking for you. You have refused to talk to me. I wanted us to iron things out,' Shanty said defensively.'And you think eavesdropping on my friends and me was a good way to iron things out?' Ian was livid and I know that one says hurtful things at a time like t
Dawn's POVI came awake slowly and stretched my body. I reached for Asher and I was disappointed to see he wasn't there. The space he had slept in was still warm so I knew he stood up not long ago. I heard the tap go on in the bathroom and I knew he was in there. I blushed remembering what the previous night had been like. Asher never fails to pay attention to details when it comes to making love. He took time to make sure I enjoyed the experience every time we made love. I blushed harder when I remembered how I moaned breathlessly and came undone under him last night. 'If you are blushing that way, should I be proud of the fact that I satisfied you?' Asher asked leaning on the bathroom door. I didn't notice when he opened it. 'Don't embarrass me, Asher,' I said turning my face away from him.He walked up to the bed and sat at the edge pulling me to him. He kissed me lightly on the nose and then captured my lips with his in a sweet toe-curling kiss that had me clinging to him. The
Asher's POVI was going out of my mind looking at Dawn's closed eyes as she lay on the bed sleeping deeply. 'She will be fine Asher. Relax,' Maureen said looking worried herself.'Do you even believe what you are saying?' I asked Maureen because I couldn't bring myself to believe she would be fine. It wasn't Dawn's first time going into people's minds and she had never had this type of reaction.'We need to be optimistic Asher, she will be fine,' Maureen said.'Remember that your mate is a fighter, she will be fine,' Lucia said placing a placating hand on my shoulder. I knew that Dawn was a fighter but I just couldn't bring myself to be optimistic. I was scared, there was no denying that. The door opened as Grandma Gina and Dominus walked into the room. Grandma Gina walked to Dawn on the bed and placed a hand on Dawn's face as if feeling her temperature.'Can any of you connect with her in the mind link? Try talking to her,' Grandma Gina said.Everyone concentrated on their mind li