Maureen's POV
I 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 wished I could tell her I was alright. I tried moving my right hand which was closest to her. I heard her gasp as if surprised then she screamed and I heard footsteps as if the person was running. It then suddenly all went silent. I heard several steps approach again. This time, the voices were all confusing as I tried to differentiate one voice from another. They all seemed to be talking at the same time. 'Please let her answer the question,' I heard a voice say as they all seemed to quiet down. 'What did you say happened Lucia?' Another voice that sounded like the Alpha asked. 'I was sitting next to her talking as the doctors instructed. Then suddenly she moved her right hand and I also saw tears stream down her eyes,' Lucia explained breathlessly. 'Are you sure of this?' The first voice that I didn't recognize asked. 'I am very sure. See, see.' I could feel her hand on the side of my face, cleaning the tears. 'This is the tears I said streamed down her face.' I could only imagine what Lucia's face would look like as she explained. At that moment, I would have given anything to open my eyes and talk to my friend. 'She has never done this in three weeks doctor,' I heard my father's voice for the first time and I wondered if my mom was in the room too. 'What exactly did you say to her before this reactions you mentioned Lucia?' The first voice asked. 'I was only telling her that I missed her and I was telling her the things I wished we could be doing together now,' Lucia sounded so lost and sad that I couldn't help but feel my heart ache again. 'As I said before she should be awake by now, all her physical wounds are healed.' 'What then is keeping her under?' I heard the Luna ask. 'We don't know. But I guess her body is taking time to heal her heart.' 'Heal her heart how? Her heart was not affected in the attack,' I heard my mum for the first time in the discussion. 'This kind of coma is sometimes according to study, associated with heartbreak. Have you noticed if of recent...' Suddenly their voices started to fade away, like the whispers from a distance. I struggled to stay on the surface but I failed. The more I struggled, the worse it became. When I discovered I couldn't fight anymore I gave up and allowed the sea of darkness pull me under. As I sank under, I suddenly found myself falling in a very speedy way down through the darkness. I wanted to shout but I couldn't. I suddenly found myself standing on my feet in a lovely looking garden. The shock I was in at first made it difficult for me to appreciate the colorful and beautiful garden. To make sure my legs were working, I tried moving them. When I was sure that I could move my legs, I started walking down the narrow path that opened up to a big path of the garden. The garden smelled nice and radiated peace. I felt an inner peace that seemed to have eluded me in recent times. Momentarily forgetting my fear of being in an unknown place, I started looking around walking from one flower bed to another. There were different colors of flowers there, the ones I know and the ones I have never seen in my life. The flowers all smelled divine. I didn't want to leave the place ever. I felt so much peace in me that I couldn't even explain how it made me feel. It felt as if I had come home. 'Hello Maureen,' a voice said from my left, from the narrow path that I followed into the garden and it startled me. I couldn't respond as I was trying to make out the face of the person who just spoke. There was a bright light surrounding the person. It was as if the person and the bright light blended into one. 'Who are you?' I asked. I was surprised that my voice didn't shake. 'You know who I am, you just don't know it yet,' the voice replied and suddenly the person started coming towards me. The movement was so majestic that it felt unreal for someone to have that much elegance. When the person stepped out of the light, I could properly see that it was a woman, too beautiful to be real. I was staring at her and I was not sorry to. I was even scared to blink, in case I blink and she disappeared. Her hair was so white that it shone like the moon got caught up in it. Her face was like something done by the best sculptor in the world. I couldn't find a word in my heart to describe her beauty. What thoroughly described her was perfection. 'Maureen are you with me?' She asked me. 'You are perfect,' I said instead of replying her. I was too carried away with my appraisal of her. She only smiled and came closer to me. 'You are perfect too Maureen.' Her statement about me being perfect snapped me out of my daze. 'Don't lie to me I am not perfect, everything is wrong with me,' I almost screamed at her. I knew directing my anger at someone who hadn't offended me was wrong but I was reminded of my frustration with her calling me perfect. 'What is it that worries you child?' She asked. Her questions opened up a flood gate of emotions. And for the first time in my life, I opened up to a stranger about everything going on with me. Talking to her felt like a I was putting down a very heavy burden. Her eyes looked patient and understanding. She only nodded when necessary and allowed me to talk. I explained everything about my parents not loving me and my brother turning against me just because he got his wolf. 'I understand what you are going through child,' she said when I was through explaining to her. 'You understand what I am going through?' I was surprised ' Yes I do. And you need to be prepared for the task ahead of you. You need to brace up Maureen,' her words surprised me. 'How do you even know my name,' I asked when it occured to me that she knew my name. She smiled beautifully, 'I know you more than you know yourself but that is not the most important thing now. The most important thing is for you to get ready for the task ahead of you.' 'Task ahead of me?' 'You have a huge task ahead of you. And you must be ready to stand right beside Lancelot.' 'Lancelot hates me. He would not even allow me stand by him. He almost....' something suddenly occurred to me, 'wait, am I dead? Lancelot wanted to kill me. Am I dead? Is this the after life?' The cocoon of peace surrounding me seemed to scatter immediately. I went into full panic. She gently laid a hand on my shoulder and I immediately calmed down as if she used magic. 'You are not yet dead but you almost died. Your destiny is intertwined with that of Lancelot. No matter how much you both run, destiny would find a way.' 'What are we going to do. What destiny?' 'It is not yet time for you to find out. But I must warn you. The road ahead is a very bumpy one. It is going to be a difficult ride. So you need to get ready and be strong both physically and emotionally.' I could only gape at her. All that she was saying was making little or no sense to me. I watched as she suddenly began to walk back to the light like a queen. 'What destiny am I to fulfill?' I shouted the question at her when I discovered that the light had started ascending. 'You will soon find out child. It is time to wake up. Lucia has an important message for you,' W was the only reply I got before the light disappeared totally. As if in a trance, I suddenly left the garden and was back in my struggling body on the hospital bed. I heard Lucia crying again. 'You need to wake up bestie. Nobody is here to talk to me. Dominus and Lancelot left the pack. They will be gone for three years. I ...' That was all I heard and my heart started beating very fast and the next thing I knew my eyes flew wide open I was staring at the white ceiling. I turned my head and stared straight at Lucia's tear stained eyes. At first she was shocked and only stared awe struck at me. She must have been wondering if she was hallucinating or it was actually happening. Then I called her name and reached out for her hand. Just like that Lucia gave the most earth shattering scream I have ever heard.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
Lance's POVMaureen stormed out of the dining area leaving us in total disbelief. Her eyes turned complete gold- both the white and black. I have never seen anything like it. It shone like there was light behind the gold color.I had thought I had heard wrong when I heard her arguing with Lucia. I had actually thought Lucia had pulled the stunt about her eyes changing just to get back on her good side. I had stood at the door and heard them argue back and forth. I didn't like what I heard. Her voice had been hard and it sounded strange to me.Maureen was so sweet that she couldn't hurt a fly with her words. To hear sarcasm, hatred and annoyance dripping from her mouth actually broke my heart.I had not expected her to show up for the dinner. I was the one who sent the kitchen help to tell her to come for dinner. I had to bully the poor girl into lying. I didn't know how best to approach her. I had cornered Lucia when she was about leaving. 'You are not staying for dinner? ' I said
Lance's POV'Sometimes I wonder if I look that ugly that she wouldn't even look at me once,' Dominus fumed.'She will, eventually when she gets her wolf. Be patient Dom. It is just a matter of weeks,' I consoled him.'Weeks you say? It sounds more like decades. I just hope I can wait till then.' 'You must wait my dear friend because you and I both know you don't want to get into trouble with the council of elders. You are the future Alpha so you must control yourself no matter how difficult it seems,' I said and we both fell into silence, each person to his own thought.I had gone to Dominus' place after leaving the house. Maureen's outburst and her changing eye had really spoilt dinner for everyone. 'What just happened. Am I dreaming?'Mum had asked after getting over the initial shock of seeing what I would term as the most surprising episode of a life time.'Did her eyes turn golden or am I hallucinating?' Dad too asked. They both looked so surprised.'I overheard her and Lucia ta
Lance's POVDominus drove straight to our house and dropped Lucia off. He got down from the car and opened the door for her while she mumbled a thank you. She was expecting us to go inside with her, 'Aren't you guys coming in?' She asked. 'No. We are on patrol duties tonight,' Dominus lied through his teeth. He rested on the side of the car while talking to her.'Already? You guys just got back today,' Lucia sounded surprised. 'I guess we have been away for too long. Maybe they thought we had been on vacation,' Dominus joked as they both laughed.I decided to just stay at the corner and not say anything. If only Dominus had ever faced the combination of Maureen and Lucia's wrath, he wouldn't have dared what he just did.I silently observed their interaction. I realized one thing that I have never noticed, Lucia was not indifferent to Dominus. They finished with the little chit chat and Dominus came back intohis car and he drove back to his house. All through the drive back, he was
Lance's POV'You see what I was talking about?' I asked Dominus after Maureen and I were able to drag Lucia off him and the girls left.Maureen had to practically drag Lucia out of the room while Lucia was cursing us both and condemning us to hell.'Are you sure that girl hasn't gotten her wolf yet? She almost scratched my eyes out,' Dominus said wincing in pain. 'I am not going to lift a finger to help you up. You were too impulsive and irrational.' 'I did it to stop another man from taking what is mine.' 'Are you even listening to yourself?' This girl doesn't even know she is your mate yet,' I rolled my eyes at him.' If you were not my friend, I would have said you are so dumb.' 'You don't have to insult me Lance. I am regretting enough as it is.' I wondered if the scratch on his face was the reason for his regret or he regretted everything. The scratch would disappear in minutes due to his superb Alpha gene. 'Why are you regretting so fast? You had better tighten your seat be
Maureen's POV'Lucia, I have no hand in whatever it is you are planning to do to Lance and Dominus,' I informed Lucia first thing in the morning the following day. 'You should at least let me wake up properly before discussing those idiots. Besides, who told you I was going to do anything to them?' She asked feigning ignorance.'I know you very well Lucia. You would not leave the whole matter just as it is. You would want to get even,' I said.'I don't have the strength for revenge these days Maureen,' she said winking at me and smiling like someone who won a jackpot.'Whatever you do, remember that these two are high ranking wolves. If they kill you in the process...' I warned her leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished.'I will be careful and make sure I keep you abreast of everything happening,' she said smiling annoyingly.'Don't keep me posted on anything. Do what you want and face the consequences. You should learn from my ordeal,' I said sadly. I was still sensitive whenev
Maureen's POV'I wish we could just go back to the former president's house and raid the place,' Lucia said hissing as she scrolled through the pictures Ian had taken at the former president's house.'I wish we could too but if we dare to do that we will ruin everything. We are dealing with corrupt high ups here. They will label the attack as a rogue invasion or say they had rescued the girls the previous day and those they took them from came back to attack the nice and courageous former president. Did you see the way he twisted Sandy's story around?' I said to Lucia.'That man is an evil genius. No one could have thought he was lying through his teeth. He is a perfect actor, believe me,' Lucia said.'I was so impressed with you guys when Lance was saying how impeccable you were with your actings at the former president's house. It is a good thing that I didn't go along, I doubt if I would have been able to pull it off,' Dawn said.'Believe me, you would have when you knew exactly wh
Maureen's POV'You girls should hurry up and pick what you want. My mate will get worried if we over stay,' the Luna said again for the umpteenth time and, as we had been doing all day, we laughed.The Luna and mum had dragged us out of the house to allow them have fresh air. Dawn, Lucia and I had no option but go with them. The Alpha had said we were allowed to go for just three hours which we accepted and that we should take guards with us because he couldn't risk his pregnant mate's safety.Dominus, Lucia and I had gone to the Luna's chamber after breakfast to spend some quality time with her. We met mum there and we had breakfast with them. We talked at length about everything and anything until Dominus had to excuse himself. After Dominus had left, the Luna had said she needed fresh air and before we knew it, Dawn was drawn into the plan and it became an all girls outing. 'We should go like seriously. He has been pressing into the mind link for like fifteen minutes now. It wil
Maureen's POVIt was dark outside by the time we were through meeting at the Alpha's study. My mind was made up that I was going to talk to Ian, whether he liked it or not. As we were about to leave the office, I discovered that Ian had already disappeared but I refused to be discouraged. When we got to the room, Lance had expected me to just freshen up, and he asked for our dinner to be brought to us, but I changed into black trousers and Lance's round-neck shirt. 'I was expecting you to have your bath. Why did you change clothes?' Lance asked as I stepped out of the walk-in closet.'I want to talk to Ian. I want to know who that girl is to him. He defended her so greatly,' I said.Lance sighed and stopped from the chair to stand in front of me and rubbed his hands up and down my arm.'Ok, mama. I know you want to desperately talk to one of your children; I am not going to stop you, but let me come with you. It would be irresponsible of me to allow you to go out alone at this time
Maureen's POVNone of us not even the Alpha or dad recognized the two people in the other pictures. There was one female and a male. I was so disappointed that a female was also involved in the whole thing. It angered me. How could she be indifferent to the suffering of young females? She should be empathetic towards them!'What I am very sure of is that when we smoke out the former president, these other two will surface,' I said confidently.'I have never met them anywhere,' the Alpha said frowning.'One of them actually looks familiar but I am not sure,' Asher said frowning deeply as if he was trying to figure out where he had met him. 'Which of them?' I asked.'The female,' Asher answered.'The female?' Dad asked.'Yes but I am not so sure. After I did the drawing was the first time it occurred to me that she looked familiar but my mind was occupied with something else so I didn't dwell on it. But looking at the picture again just now, the feeling that I know her came back,' Ashe
Dawn's POVI woke up with the feeling of someone's hands against my scalp. It was so soothing that I snuggled deeper into the warmth that encompassed me. I opened my eyes and the vision of Asher's strong abs came to view. I smiled remembering what hours ago had been like. He reached for me one more time before we finally fell asleep. 'Tell me you didn't drop that towel on purpose Dawn?' Asher said and I bit down on my lips pretending I was still sleeping.He couldn't see my face since my head was on his chest so I closed my eyes and tried my best to imitate the way my breath would be when I sleep.'I know you are awake Dawn. Stop pretending,' Asher said applying pressure to his touch on my scalp. The pressure was not enough to cause pain but it was enough to make me stop pretending.I raised my head to look him in the eyes. His lashes were lowered so I wasn't able to read the look in his eyes. 'I might have dropped it intentionally,' I said closing my eyes but not totally closing th
Dawn's POVA day after those heading for the former president's house had left, we had breakfast with everyone present at the dining except Grandma Gina.At the table we had discussed Maureen and the others' movement. The Alpha had said that the former president's call that Maureen and the others can't spend the night at his house sounded suspicious. I could just only hope they would be fine.After breakfast, Asher said he wanted to teach Rocha something on the laptop so I had to excuse them since I wasn't interested in whatever they had to do.When I followed Asher and the soldiers to his pack, he wanted to teach me one or two things on how to use a laptop but I just wasn't interested. He had teased me relentlessly about it and eventually let go of the topic when he discovered that I was truly not interested and he couldn't talk me into becoming interested.I headed for Grandma Gina's room knowing she would be more than happy for the company. Besides, she didn't come down for breakf
Lance's POV'To think I was beginning to feel guilty about deceiving him,' Dominus said as we entered into Grandma Gina's cottage. We didn't discuss much in the vehicle on our way back to Grandma Gina's pack. Ian had simply said the former president was guilty and kept quiet. We all realised that he was battling some kind of emotions so we let him at least sort through them before we got to Grandma Gina's cottage.'What happened at the former president's house, Ian?' I asked as we all sat in her siting room. 'Can you guys give me a second to grab something to eat, you had lunch but I didn't,' Ian said as he got up. 'I put bread on the kitchen table and there is butter there as well. You can manage that till we make dinner,' Maureen shouted after him. 'Maureen I saw your reaction when that man came in to whisper inti the ears of the former president and the saccharine smile you gave Lance after showed that something was wrong,' Lucia said to Maureen.I thought I was the only one wh
Lance's POV'I was thinking I would be privileged to meet your mate. A female that deserved such worshipping love is someone I want as a mentor,' Lucia said to the former president when we settled down in his sitting room.'I wish you met her but she waited all day for you guys yesterday because she thought you would be here early. She had to leave very early this morning. She is visiting a friend's daughter that just gave birth to a baby. We have delayed the visit for too long,' the former president said smiling sadly.'I can see that you are missing her already,' I said. 'Oh, how do you know that?' The former president seemed genuinely surprised by my insight.'Your smile just now said it all,' I replied.The former president sighed loudly as he rang a bell on the table. 'Each time she has to go somewhere, I feel like a part of me is taken away,' he said still retaining his sad smile.A girl of not more than sixteen years who looked terrified as she came into the sitting room came
Maureen's POV'I wish I was going with you guys,' Dawn hugged me again for the umpteenth time.'I wish so too. Please take care of yourself and Asher,' I said winking at her.She smiled shyly and blushed. She understood exactly what I meant by that. She should go ahead and get marked already. 'Will you sisters please allow us leave already?' Dominus asked rolling his eyes. Dawn and I laughed as we separated. I almost stepped on Ian as he materialised from nowhere suddenly.'Sorry. I didn't know you were there,' I apologized.'It is okay. I understand,' he said smiling. 'You smell like Dominus' perfume,' Lucia asked raising a brow at Ian.'I just wanted to blend in with one of your smells in case the old man has a keen sense of smell,' Ian said as he opened the back door and sat down.'I didn't even use the perfume,' Dominus said but we didn't dwell on it. We were distracted by Grandma Gina's opening of the front door and coming towards us.'Grandma, are you okay?' Dominus asked mee