Rose
As my foot stepped out of the SUV, I saw my sister race past who I suspected to be her Alpha. It was as if time had held still for her; she looked the same as she did when she left home. Lorraine was perfectly primped with her hair in loose waves and a faceful of makeup. Her brown locks bounced with each step she took. It was clear that at least that much hadn't changed over the years.
She was always a perfectionist when it came to her appearance. When I was little, sometimes, I would lay on the foot of her bed and watch her painstakingly apply her makeup and do her hair. Then after trying on ten outfits, she would be ready. No wonder I hated primping; I had seen her do it for so long. It was a chore that I didn't understand or want to partake in.
"There you are! What took you so long to get here?" Lorraine trotted up to the car. Even though she was older than me, I was a couple of inches taller than her. I felt my breath hitch in my chest as I caught he
RoseThe afternoon slipped by instantly. Orion and I had decided to take a little nap after unpacking. Traveling and being around so many people had drained my introverted battery. I needed a little bit of quiet time with little human interaction. Orion's warm embrace lulled me to sleep and into an unexpected vision.The darkness behind my eyelids vanished, revealing a mist-filled road. Nothing looked familiar as I nervously walked down the empty street. There were no colors either. It was as if I was looking at everything through a grayscale filter.Wherever I was, it was deserted. I aimlessly roamed the maze of roads, hoping for a breeze or something to tell me where to go, but the air was still and lifeless.Everywhere I turned, the roads led me nowhere. It was like I was trapped in a maze of dead ends and loops. I was becoming more and more overwhelmed by the second."Shit," I mumbled under my breath. Never before had I experienced a vision whe
Rose Orion's hand slipped around my waist and protectively cupped my hip as we followed hesitantly behind the Red Spruce pack members. Iris, Pru, and Matt trailed after us. We filed into the stuffy dining room and took a seat on the empty side of the table. I was nestled in a chair between Orion and Iris. The room matched the rest of the house. It looked like it was pristinely taken care of with nothing that was out of place. There was nothing that said this room was used regularly. It didn't feel like a packhouse dining room, but more like a showroom in a fancy furniture shop. I couldn't help but find myself judging the Alpha and Luna based on their home. I'm sure people would jump to their own conclusions about Black Moon based on our packhouse. I would like to think that our home was filled with love and warmth, but I'm sure someone else could see it as cluttered and a bit too busy. I glanced up to catch Colton giving me an evident stink eye. Clear
Rose The sun had only been up for a couple of hours, but Orion, Iris, Pru, Matt, and I were waiting out in front of the packhouse. This morning we were meeting a pack member named Zara. She was one of the Red Spruce warriors who were there after the first disappearance. The spring morning had a slight chill; our eyes squinted as we scanned the streets. Long auburn hair is the only description that was given to us over breakfast this morning. “Zara is about to come around the corner,” Pru spoke up as she pointed towards the far end of the road. “Cheater.” Iris teased Pru as everyone looked in the direction where Pru showed. Of course, Pru was right
Rose “Can we check the forest now?” Matt ran his hand through his curls, puffing them up. “Yes, of course.” Zara piped up and started walking towards the side of Sarah’s house. “This way.” ***What do you think of Zara?*** Orion mind linked me as we followed Zara. ***I like her. She is the friendliest person we have met so far.*** I responded. ***Did you see anything else in your vision, or did you tell us everything?*** ***I told everything I experienced. Do you find it weird that she didn’t know about my gift?*** ***I do, but Alpha Daughtry knows we don’t go around telling everyone you are a blessed wolf. I would appreciate it
Rose My heart raced as I chased after the white furball. Why was I seeing it here? “Rose!” Orion’s voice was behind me, but I ignored him and decided to deal with the consequences of my actions later. I knew I was losing them. I couldn’t stop, though. I ran deeper into the unknown woods; branches clawed at my hair, skin, and clothes. I didn’t care, though; I just wanted to catch up to this little mystical creature that didn’t belong here. I needed answers, and it didn’t matter what I would have to go through to get them. I was closing in on it when it bolted between a pair of trees. My feet skidded on the underbrush, and I stumbled into one of the trees. I groaned as I pried my body off of it.
Iris I had never heard such a panty-dropping voice before; it was so rich and sensual. My heart pounded, threatening to burst from my chest. The sunlight lazily shone through the branches that laced the forest canopy. My eyes scanned the shadows, searching for the source of the voice. Where was he? Who was he? “But they are intruders.” The man I was assuming was Ericson grumbled. “I said to stand down,” the voice came out of a patch of shady trees. He didn’t step out of the shadow, but a beam of light peaked through the leaves and highlighted one eye. It was a piercing, honey-toned pool. Yeah, I would like to dive into that pool and stay forever. “At least identify yourselves.” Ericson scoffed as his body language soften
Rose Nisha was so excited to have us in their territory, and I tried my best to be present with her, but I had lingering trepidation swimming in my gut. I felt the eyes of Lunar Lake’s pack warriors glued to our every movement. Should I have just said that why we were in Nova Scotia? I was doubting myself, and that was the worst feeling as the Luna of a pack. I felt Orion’s hand sneak into mine, sending a flood of warmth and comfort through our mate bond. I let his scent wash over me. I gave him an appreciative hand squeeze before focusing back on Nisha. “Ah! I am so excited! I can’t wait to tell Mum that I met another blessed wolf!” Nisha had a giddy bounce in her step. “She is going to be thrilled!” “What’s your mom like?” I asked Nisha as we walked through a pair
Rose The air was thick and suffocating in the room as we finished explaining everything that we knew about what was going on in Red Spruce to Alpha Avi. His mom and sister had come back halfway through our spiel and tried to offer us refreshments, but no one from my pack dared to accept them. We kept our eyes on the Alpha of Lunar Lake. Avi was pacing beside a row of windows that outlooked his pack. Every couple of laps, he would pause and look out one of the glass panes before starting back at it again. It was clear to see his mind was racing. I couldn't blame him, though; it was like we just ripped the rug out from under him. "Avi, you are going to create trenches in the wood if you keep this up," Mena finally spoke up after sitting her coffee cup down on the coffee table with a clatter. "I'll keep that in mind," Avi let out a sigh as he leaned up against a wall and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you sure I can't convince you to take some
Rose"It was like watching a bad car crash; you couldn't look away, but instead of a gory blood bath, nothing happened. Not even a spark or unusual noise. It took a minute for everyone to realize what happened or what didn't happen." I sighed out into the cup of coffee Iris handed me. My head throbbed, trying to put the past few hours into factual words.We were in the woods, in the unclaimed land between the packs. We had made a temporary meet-up place here after the anti-climatic scene. We were checking in with Iris and giving our minds a break from the heavy atmosphere surrounding the Alpha's family.Iris sat down on the fallen tree beside me. She poured herself some coffee out of the thermos she had brought with her. "I don't even know what to say.""You could tell Luna Emma was relieved, and honestly, I would have been more concerned if she hadn't been." My head hung down, staring down at the ground. "I could never hold it against someone who was relieved that their child did not
RoseWe swept the Red Spruce territory, checking every home and piece of land we could imagine, but we needed help finding Luna Emma or Colton. We knew where Alpha Daughtry was. Surprisingly, he acted like an Alpha should; he was shepherding his pack, ensuring they were alright and keeping the bubbling emotions of fear at bay. I may not have thought much of the man, but in those moments of evacuating his pack, he had a glimmer of redemption, but I knew it wouldn't be enough at the end of this ordeal."Where have we not looked?" Orion groaned as he shoved a handful of hair out of his face. Sweat was starting to drip from his nose because of our widespread search. His eyes scanned the horizon as if the answer would magically appear."What about the graveyard?" Matt questioned with concern in his eyes. I gave him a slight nod in reassurance. "We haven't checked there. There's no shelter, so it wouldn't be an ideal place to go, but then again, nothing about this place is ideal." Orion gr
Rose The seconds that ticked by felt like an eternity as I watched Pru; her body was frozen in place like a statue forgotten by time. The only slight movement I could detect was her chest's slight rise and fall as she breathed. Matt was going to kill me. I paced around Pru and the demonic crystal; the only noises were the distant water drip and my footsteps. Round and round, I went circling Pru and that crystal. I felt like a vulture circling a dead carcass and shivered at the thought. I stopped before Pru and dropped to my knees, "Pru? Are you okay?" Of course, she wasn't answering me. I don't know what I expected or secretly hoped for. Dread started to claw at the edges of my mind. I felt a brush of warmth caress my mind. It was Delilah. Even though we had not been in sync recently, she was letting me know she was there and that I wasn't alone. "Thanks," I humbly whispered out loud as I stood up and stepped back. Delilah did not answer me, but I felt her warmth as she stayed nea
Pru Air hissed by me as I focused on the fluffy tail of Maera. Before I knew what was happening, my body collided with something so hard my breath from my lungs escaped, as it felt like I had burst through a glass wall. I squinted my eyes shut and threw my arms over my head, trying to protect myself from the impact. When I pried, my eyes opened Maera had vanished. I scrambled to my feet and brushed myself off. No longer was I in the town; I did not know where I had ended up this time. I looked around, finding myself in what looked like a dark cavern. My footsteps echoed softly as I walked along the wall of the cave. I reached my hand up and casually grazed fingers across the border. It wasn’t rock; it was cool to the touch and as smooth as glass. It was crystal; I had finally found my way to the heart. I let out a sigh of relief as I peeled my hand from the wall. I was getting closer. The sooner I was done here, the sooner I could get back to Rose, and the sooner I could get back t
Pru A flash of powerful lightning licked the air around me as I fell into the abysses. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as a scorching breeze whizzed past me. The temperature cranked up the further I descended. Sweat rolled off my brow and evaporated instantly, leaving only the whisper of its presence. I couldn’t tell you how long I was falling; it could have been seconds, minutes, or hours. The further I plunged, the quicker I lost track of time. It was just me and the darkness, but this wasn’t the darkness I knew. With every inhale, the air was sharp and painful, almost as if venom was seeping into my veins. Each breath was more brutal than the last; it was like an elephant was stomping on my lungs. Abruptly, dozens of tiny red orbs rained down on me with a crack of irate lightning, the souls. In my freefall, I reached out and touched one of the wisps. It burst into violent flames, and a cloud of thick black smoke poured. I coughed as I tried to wave the smog away, bu
Rose“What do you mean, Pru?” I asked with a shaky voice. I trusted Pru with my life, but my stomach knotted at her words. Why was it best the guys weren’t here?“Do you trust me, Rose?” Pru’s eyes reflect the soft glow of the crystal.“Of course I do, but what are you going to do?”“Promise you won’t tell Matt.” Pru’s eyes fell to the stone floor.“I-I promise.” I gulped and nodded. As soon as the words left my lips, Pru turned to face the crystal.Pru fell to her knees in front of the pedestal and lifted her hands to the crystal. It was only then did it hit me what she was going to do.*************************************************************PruAfter I officially joined the Black Moon pack, Matthew and I had some growing pains. I was introduced to a new place, a new lif
RoseThe floorboards creaked underneath our feet as Pru and I crept through the empty packhouse. Even though I knew no one was around, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that we were being watched.“Rose,” Pru’s voice was soft and comforting. She wasn’t looking for a response. If anything, she was reassuring me that I wasn’t alone in this, that she would be by my side.I nodded at her and tried to lift my chin higher as we walked to Luna Emma’s study. Did Pru and I know what we were doing? Hell, no, but we would wing it until we destroyed that damn crystal.Once we were in Luna Emma’s study, Pru’s eyes ran wild, taking in everything she could. If we had the time, I knew she would love to go through everything in the room and soak up all the information she could.I immediately stepped up to the desk like it was second nature and rummaged through the drawer to open the secret passage. I hear
Orion I watched as a sea of confused faces streamed past me into the forest. Children, women, and men filed past me. Each one was more oblivious than the last. I couldn’t believe this was where we were at now. I had never even thought about potentially evacuating my pack, but then again, I had never tried to kill them all. There is no way we could have asked Iris to try to convince Alpha Avi to have Lunar Lake house any more of the Red Cedar pack members. After the magic was snuffed out, or maybe even contained, what was going to happen? There was no way in hell I would just leave Alpha Daughtry and Luna Emma in charge of their pack. I doubt there was any hope for them. If their pack members didn’t kill them first, we would have to report them to the council. Realistic
Rose The sun lazily crept through the curtains of the packhouse, shedding a golden pool onto a fruit bowl on the countertop. I sat at the kitchen bar, staring at a bruised banana, tapping my fingernails on the counter. The noise echoed throughout the empty room as my heart chaotically hammered away in my chest. It had taken everything in me to walk away from my mate and come back to this house. He was on the other side of the border; he was safe, for now. Matt and Orion were helping evacuate the oblivious pack members. None of the villagers knew the truth; they just knew that they were being forced out of their homes and evacuated into the woods. Eventually, the truth would be revealed, and that is when the shit would hit the fan. All the stability of their pack would