Upon returning to Elder Elara's home, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. The landscape I had explored, so vibrant and teeming with life, was now etched in my memory. I knew that this was just the beginning of my quest to understand my parents and the life they had lived in this pack.Elder Elara greeted me with a warm smile as I entered. "Layla, I hope your exploration went well. You look like you've found something special."I nodded, my heart filled with both tranquility and curiosity. "Yes, Elder Elara. The land here is incredible, and I feel closer to my parents with every step I take."Elder Elara's eyes held a hint of understanding. "Your journey of discovery is a sacred one, Layla. It's a path that can bring you closure and connection. And you have our support every step of the way."I thanked her once more for her kindness and understanding. Then, as the days passed, I continued my exploration of the pack's territory. Each new location held a piece of my parents' history, and
The words hung in the air, and I felt a wave of astonishment wash over me. Elder Elara's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. It was a revelation that seemed to transcend time itself.Alda continued, her voice gentle and filled with sincerity. "We lost touch with you when you were just a child, Layla. Your parents faced difficult circumstances, and we were separated. We've spent years searching for you, and it was only recently that we learned you were here."My hands trembled slightly as I absorbed the enormity of the revelation. Tears welled up in my eyes as I extended my arms toward them. "Alda, Eamon, I never thought I had any living relatives.”With joyful tears, we embraced, a reunion decades in the making. It was a poignant reminder that even in the midst of our individual journeys and the complexities of life, family bonds could endure.As Elder Elara watched us, a sense of warmth and unity washed over me. The Black Creek pack had become my new family, and wi
The journey had taken a lot from me, mentally and even physically, but I had finally managed to make it back to the Safe Water pack. Home. That is, if the outcasts were still there. Usually, I would be excited to finally get back to seeing my pack members and family, but something about the air was wrong. As I moved my feet closer to the pack boundaries, the familiar scent of my pack members and the land hit me at once - pine mixed in with solid oak - yet something was wrong. On a normal day, the entire pack was filled with sounds of life, children singing, a folksong being carried all about, something. Instead today, there was a silence that was uncharacteristic of the Safe Water pack, talk even less of the outcasts.My legs went one in front of the other in an all too familiar pattern, and I realized that the farther I went, the more that had changed. Usually, even in the night time, members of the pack were out and about, going about their business, and the laughter of the kids o
P.S; Dear readers, please leave a comment in the comments section and your vote rating matters too. Thank you.*****In front of me was illness like I had never witnessed before. In pools of their own vomit, little children lay face down, forgotten meals perched with flies. There were mini fire piles with ashes that looked like clothing remnants, and I assumed that those had come from the pile of clothes that sat beside the fire, waiting to be burnt. I looked around for the shelter that was supposed to keep these people safe from the elements, and in place of anything solid, all I saw was the makeshift overhead raffia roofs. “Is this how they live?” I asked Erin, my disapproval heavy on my face. “This can’t be comfortable for them, or anyone. Why haven’t provisions for homes been made for them?”“We cannot afford to,” came Erin’s solemn response, her serious face convincing me that was the truth. “The only men able bodied enough to build are the warriors of the pack, and if they fal
Her words hit their mark, and I coughed to hide my shock, running after her. “Wait up! You can’t just say something like that and walk away. I don’t think you get it. None of you get it.”Pulling her hand out of my vice-like grip, she turned around. “Don’t I? Really? Do you remember where you found us, Layla? In the bush, abandoned by our family. We had never known what it meant to be in a pack before we met you, Layla,” she laughed sardonically, running a hand though her hair. “I had a pack that ostracized me, Erin. You cannot lose what you never had, but I got to grow up wondering and asking myself if it was something about me that was so wrong, it made me unworthy of love. I spent hours of my time crying at night only to wake up to slave in a man’s home so I could have shelter. When I walked past people, the hid their children, and even on occasion, they threw stones at me. Forgive me if I wanted to find a place where that wasn’t the case. If you found out that the man you love h
Walking into the living room, Erin was shocked to see that I was already awake and going at it. “Layla? Is everything okay? Did you sleep at all?” she asked, and with a wave, I brushed it off, calling her attention elsewhere. “None of that matters. I think I've come up with a plan to help us solve this problem. Come, take a seat,” I urged, tapping at the seat beside me. Curious, she took a seat and raised a brow at me in concern. “Hey, this is pretty early. You can take a quick nap and I'll just-”“No, this is urgent. We have to talk about this now.” With a sigh, she nodded, and I filled her in on the details of the plans I had made in the frenzy of the night, letting her know that I would be sending she and Remy to the packs whose help we needed. “In a few days, they can find their way here after gathering the people they select to make the journey. You can come right back. It's perfect, if you ask me. What do you think? Are you okay with that?”She nodded, and I sighed in relief
In a few hours, the worst of the cleaning was over. The pack members had taken to wearing nylon bags on their hands so they could go over to the sites and pick up all of the ok clothing that could no longer be worn, and on the other end, a makeshift shower had been created, away from other water sources, so they could have their baths. The pack house was already clean from top to bottom, but I went around to all of the rooms and made sure that they were all clean, packing away all of the valuables into one of the other cabins belonging to the pack. Satisfied, I had instructed the move of the sick people to begin, going into the kitchen to check in the broth that was being prepared for the sick. The sight of carrots and floating bits of meat was enough to warm me up, and I thought about what it would do for the rest. “Well done guys!” I called, smiling at them.In return, I got a host of smiles, which satisfied me. “Thank you,” they chorused, beginning to dish the food into bowls. B
By that evening, multiple bodies of different animals had been brought around from all sides of the pack, and I had marvelled at the number of animal bodies that had been found. They had even gone further and traced all the water sources in the area asides from our own to a singular source, and now the plan was to go ahead to treat it the next day. Lunch and dinner hand gone over well, and although it was probably blind hope from my ends, it looked to to me like everyone who had been ill looked a little better. I had gone around finally to visit Eric, Kimora, Margot, and Lee. The latter had still not opened up his eyes, but the rest had peeled their eyes open and had been told about what it was like to find out that my parents were rogues and I had a family that came from a pack of warriors. They could barely speak, except for Margot who had said, “cool.” which had been a sign to me that I had been forgiven. At the end of the day, I climbed up to Brad's room, unafraid of cross con
P.S: Dear readers, we've come a long way. Please don't forget to leave your comment in the comments section and your vote counts as well. See you in my next book' Winks'. Love Ya. Last Chapter. ***** The crisp autumn air rustled the leaves overhead as I stood with Brad by the edge of the clearing, my hand instinctively cradling the small swell of my belly. The pack had settled into a comfortable routine after the wedding, our days filled with moments of joy, laughter, and the expectation of new beginnings. Feeling the gentle kicks from our unborn child, I marveled at the miracle of life growing within me. Brad's hand rested on my stomach, his eyes filled with awe and love as he felt our baby move. The bond we shared seemed to have even deepened by the knowledge that soon, we would be welcoming a new member into our pack, and it would be a baby: a symbol of our love and the unity of our community. As I stood there, lost in the wonder of impending motherhood, Wally and Margot appro
P.s: Dear readers, we're coming to the end of this book. Please try to leave a review in the comments section. I really appreciate all your efforts thanks. ***** The sun set on the victorious battlefield, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. Amidst the jubilant pack members and the warriors from the Black Creek pack, Brad and I found a moment of quiet to discuss our future. Erin had joined the celebrations, her eyes reflecting the relief of a battle won and the joy of newfound family bonds. We walked together along the edge of the clearing, the sounds of laughter and celebration fading behind us. Brad looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of love and determination. "Layla," he said, his voice soft yet steady, "we've been through so much together. I can't imagine my life without you. I want to spend the rest of my days by your side, facing whatever challenges come our way, just like we did today." I smiled, my heart swelling with affection for the man beside me. "Brad,
Amidst the chaos of battle, Erin stood her ground, her eyes locked onto Rame with a mixture of anger and disgust. Brad and I, observing Erin's fierce resolve, exchanged a quick, worried glance. We knew Erin's history with Rame, how he had manipulated her in the past. We couldn't let her face him alone, but we also understood the need for Erin to confront her father. A lot of the battle had been for the pack, but a lot of it had been for Erin's sake too."Brad," I said, my voice low but urgent, "we can't just leave her alone with him. She needs our help, our support. We can't risk her getting manipulated again."I nodded, my eyes never leaving Erin. "I know, Brad. But we can't just rush in without a plan. We need to be strategic about this. If we charge in recklessly, we might inadvertently make things worse for her. We have to trust Erin, trust that she's strong enough to handle him."Brad clenched his fists, frustration evident in his eyes. "I trust Erin, but I don't trust him. He's
The air in the pack meeting hall buzzed with excitement as I stood at the front, my eyes scanning the faces of the pack members. The news of the imminent threat from Rame had spread like wildfire, and now, the entire pack was gathered to discuss our plans for the upcoming battle. Among the crowd, there was a palpable sense of fear, mixed with a touch of anxiety. The arrival of reinforcements from the Black Creek pack was eagerly awaited, not just by my pack members, but by me too. I would never admit it to anyone else, but I was terrified of what was going on. As the pack settled, Brad stood by my side, his presence a source of strength. In the last few days, I had found that I needed it a lot more, because the horror of lur wntkre situationnovertook me at the most random times. I couldn't afford for that to happen right now. Right now, I needed to convey a sense of calm and confidence to inspire our pack members. I took a deep breath, my voice projecting across the room."Thank you
The journey back to our pack was a quiet one. Brad and I walked side by side, lost in our thoughts. The encounter with Rame had shaken us to our cores. As we trudged through the dense forest, I couldn't help but glance at Brad, trying to decipher the storm of emotions that must be raging within him. Finally, unable to contain my curiosity, I broke the silence."Brad, how are you feeling?" I asked, my voice gentle. "Seeing Rame, the one who took your father away from you... it must have been incredibly difficult. I know you never speak about your father. In fact, no one in the pack does. They all act like he is some taboo topic, and hearing Rame just-”He sighed, his shoulders tense. "It's... complicated, Layla," he replied, his voice heavy with the weight of his emotions. "I never thought I'd see him again after that night. I had buried the memories deep inside, trying to move on. But now, facing him, it's like reopening an old wound. Anger, sadness, confusion... it's all mixed up ins
"You can call me someone who's not afraid of delusional villains," I retorted, my voice firm, refusing to back down in the face of Rame's anger. "Your reign of darkness ends here, Rame. We won't let you destroy our pack."Rame's eyes blazed with fury, his lips curling into a snarl. "You think your bravado will save you? I've faced stronger opponents than you, and they all fell before my power. There are many things that I can do that your small brains cannot even begin to fathom. Do you really feed into the belief that your confidence will help you?"I exchanged a shared glance with Brad, our shared annoyance fueling our speech. "Rame, your power may be formidable, but it's nothing compared to the strength of all the love that there is in this pack. Erin may be an exception, but in this pack, we protect our own," Brad said, his voice steady. "Our pack stands together, and that makes us stronger than you can ever comprehend. Get it through your little head that you are not getting your
"Layla," Brad's voice trembled with emotion as he continued, his eyes fixed on mine, "Rame was once one of the most respected wizards in our pack. His fall from grace was a tragedy that was caused by his own ambition. He was a friend to my father, a mentor even. But power corrupted him, turned him into a monster."I took a hold of Brad's hand, offering him silent support as he gathered the strength to continue. "Rame's desire for power took over him," he said, his jaw set in determination. "He killed my father, believing it would grant him the Alpha position. But our pack members, out of loyalty, stood against him. We banished him, hoping he'd never return."A chilling laughter echoed through the ruins, and Rame emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing with malevolence. "Oh, what a touching tale," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "But you see, I've embraced the darkness. I've become more powerful than you can imagine. Your loyalty and love won't save you this time."I ti
The pack house welcomed us with its bright colors, and I felt a warmth inside that I hadn't felt before. Brad and I settled into our favorite spot in the living room, a comfortable couch where we often discussed pack matters and important decisions, long before he had lost his memory. In the distance, the fire in the fireplace burning bright. Seated close to each other, we held on to each other for long minutes at end, looking at each other like it was the first time we had seen each other in a long time. We were locked in lazy conversation and trying to figure out who could have done this in the first place, and we had tried out many different names, but one kept on coming back, over and over:Erin"I know she has a crush on me," Brad said, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "But could it be possible that her feelings took a dark turn? Maybe she couldn't handle the fact that I didn't reciprocate her feelings. Though, that would have been very counterintuitive."I nodded, understandi
The memory came rushing back to me, vivid and clear, as though it had happened just yesterday. I closed my eyes, allowing the past to wash over me, taking me back to that fateful day in the heart of the forest.Many years ago, when I was still young and finding my way as a leader, I used to roam the woods surrounding our pack territory with the forest, with its ancient trees and whispered secrets, was a place where I found solace, and the place where I enjoyed training the most. On that particular day, the sun had gone down early.I was lost in thought, my mind occupied with the responsibilities of being an Alpha. As I walked, I heard laughter, the innocent, carefree sound of a. Hold coughing. Intrigued, I followed the sound until I stumbled upon a clearing. There, surrounded by wildflowers and bathed in moonlight, were three children.The eldest, a boy with tousled brown hair and curious eyes, looked to be around ten years old. He had an air of confidence about him, his posture sugg