Chapter 4

WREN

A tear slips from my unblinking eye.

“Lucius.” I choke.

He rises to his feet as his face twists into anger. His lips turn to a snarl. “Get out.”

I snap out of my shock and swallow. “Lucius, wait….”

He steps forward, pointing at the door. “Get Out!” He yelled.

I look around the room and back at him. “Lucius, please….” I beg as more tears fall.

“GET OUT!!” His growl was dripping with Alpha tone.

I turned on my heels and ran. I ran past Raven and Curtis. I ran into the village. Sobbing as I commanded my feet to go as fast as they could.

“Wren, wait!” I heard Raven call me, but I didn’t stop.

I ran out of the village into the clearing.

Crying hard, I tried to outrun the pain. I tried to outrun the heartbreak. I tried to outrun the memories.

‘One day, Wren. I’m going to be a world-famous rock star. My concerts will be filled with millions and you’ll have front row seats at every one of them.’

‘Really. You’d take me with you?’

‘Of course, Wren. I love you.’

‘I love you, too.’

Sounds of screaming people. ‘Run! They’re coming!’

‘Lucius, what’s going on?’

‘I…I don’t know. We better get home.’

I trip on my feet and go rolling down the foothill. I stop on my but. I sit and cry into the back of hand. I can’t even begin to process what just happened. The shock of Lucius being alive is too much for me to bare. I have to get out of here. But I can’t move. My knees are weak. My soul fights me.

“Why are you here?”

I turn around, barely able to breathe. Lucius is standing on the foothill.

I rise to my feet.

“Lucius, I….” I start. Trying to wipe the ever-flowing tears.

“Why are you here, Wren?” He says. He sounds insistent that I answer him.

“I had to come. Raven said my people were….” He interrupted me.

“My people. Get that straight, right now.” His fists were balled at his sides.

“Lucius. How?” My chin quivered I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“Don’t worry about me.” His back was up and his anger could be felt from where he was standing.

“Lucius. Why are you so angry?” I cried.

“Why? Why am I….” He stepped closer. “Death….disease…. starvation….Where the fuck were you, Wren? Living it up with the fucking Alliance while we suffered for 10 fucking years?!”

“I didn’t know, Lu…I didn’t know…” I tried to hold my emotions back.

“I didn’t know either, Wren. But you know what I did? I FUCKING LOOKED FOR YOU! FOR FIVE FUCKING YEARS, I LOOKED FOR YOU!! Did you once look for me?” He was seething.

I choked back my air as he screamed at me. “Lu, I’m sorry. They told me you were dead.”

He sucked in his top lip and nodded. “And you believed them. You believed the people that left us for dead. YOU BELIEVED THE PEOPLE THAT ALLOWED YOUR PEOPLE TO BE BRUTALLY ANNIHILATED!”

“THAT’S NOT FAIR!” I yelled back at him. “I was 17, Lu. I was scared. Devastated. I begged them to search for you, but they told me there was no one to search for. They told me I was alone. I was the only survivor. How could I not believe them?”

His chin quivers, but his anger didn’t fade. “I loved you so much. I never gave up, Wren. Never. No matter how much people tried to tell me. Obviously, you didn’t care enough.”

He wipes his nose and goes to turn.

“Lu, wait. Please…” I beg.

He turns back. “Get off my turf. I don’t want to see your face in these woods again.”

“This is my pack just as much is it is yours!” I put my chest out. No matter how hurt I was, I still deserved to be part of my people's lives.

He stomps toward me. “They stopped being your people the day you abandoned us! The day you abandoned me! Now, leave!”

“I want Raven.” I wiped my face and crossed my arms.

He grits his teeth. “You’re not getting any member of my pack.”

I glare at him. “She’s my family, Lucius. You can’t keep me from her.”

He leans close to my face. My stomach turns to butterflies even though my heart is breaking. “Watch me.” He spits.

He turns and climbs the hill back to the village.

“I’m not leaving without my sister, Lu!” I yell at his back.

He turns. “Go back to being dead, Wren. You were better that way.”

His words were like knives stabbing my chest over and over. I used to dream of finding him. I used to picture myself hugging him and kissing him. Telling him how much I loved him. Him telling me the same.

This Lucius is not anything I thought I’d find. He was spiteful, hurtful. So full of anger. I don’t understand where it’s even coming from. I don’t see how I can be blamed for any of this.

He wants me gone, but I’m not going. Not without my sister. I don’t care how mad he is. The only way I’m leaving is if he kills me. But I won’t go down without a fight.

I head back to my Jeep and lift a box out of the trunk. I keep camping gear in here in case I found myself in a mission that was off the beaten path.

I open the box and pull out my tent and a pack full of gear.

I walk back to the clearing with determination on the brain. I’ll sit on the edge of his property until he hands Raven over to me. Those will be my demands.

****

LUCIUS

The fucking nerve. She shows up after ten years. After not giving a shit about any of us. Playing house with the Alliance. I don’t care what excuses she pulls out of her ass. I never gave up; she shouldn’t have either.

Yeah, I’m pissed.

I stomp through the main road of the village. I can feel the eyes, but I don’t even acknowledge them.

My head hurts. My heart hurts more. I loved Wren when she died, but I can barely stand the sight of her now.

After searching for her for five years, I never gave up hope that she would walk in my door. That was until I actually found her.

I found her in Timber. After the attack. I thought maybe she might have gone there and I had to check it out. She was there all right. In a fucking Alliance uniform. At time though, I didn’t care. I wanted to get to her. Then I was arrested and questioned for fifteen hours. When I told the Alliance why I was there, they flat out told me to leave her alone. That her life was good and they were taking care of her. So, I left her. Hoping that she would look for me instead, but she didn’t. She was alive and didn’t even question if I was too.

So, I stewed. For another five years, I boiled. Knowing she was out there and she wasn’t coming for me.

I threw myself into the pack. Made sure everyone was taken care of. But no matter how distracted I was, I couldn’t get her out of my head. Her bright blue eyes haunt my dreams. Her smile lights my thoughts. Her very presence is torture to every fiber of my being.

I focused on us, but there was this itch that wanted me to go and seek her out again. The problem was if I was arrested again, who would take care of my people.

I head to my house to try and forget the pain in my gut. Curtis is there beside my door.

“Not now, Curt.” I throw the wolf skin aside and forcefully open the door. I walk in and go to my water barrel. I throw water over my head and the back of my neck. Trying to cool the heat that was created between me and Wren.

“Yeah, we’re doing this now.” He invites himself in.

I stand up and dunk a cup in the barrel. I drink from it and throw the rest back in. Slamming the cup on a stand. “No. We’re not.” I throw a finger up at him as I find a place to sit.

“Lu. Man, you can’t be like this.” Curtis stands with his arms crossed.

I get comfortable on some pillows and lean against the wall. My head pounding like it’s being hit with a sledgehammer. “I can and I will.” I bend my knees up and drape my arms over them.

Curtis sighs. “Look. It’s a shock or maybe it isn’t. But you can’t blame her. The Alliance told her. You can’t blame her for believing it.”

“Yes, I can.” I stand up and head for the exit.

I walk around to the back of my house and grab a log. I pick up my axe and start chopping wood for my fire.

“Lucius. She’s trying now. At least hear her out.” Curtis is right behind me.

“Leave it alone, Curtis.” I lifted the axe and started to bring it down when Curtis grabbed the handle

His face was inches from mine. He spoke low. “We started this refuge for every member of Helena. That includes Wren.”

I shrug him off. “I’m the Alpha. I say who’s worthy of Helena. Wren Miller is not.” I snarl. Walking back to the house.

He follows me again, “I know it hurts, man. I know the stories you told, but cut her some slack. This is hard for her. Doesn’t she deserve some consideration?”

I turn and lean to him. “No.” I turn toward the woods taking off my jacket and pants as I walk.

“Where are you going?” Curtis yells.

“I’m going hunting.” I call the wind and turn into my dark blonde wolf, disappearing into the trees.

As my wolf runs, I feel his confusion. His pain. His anger. It’s amplified to a point where I encourage him to run faster. Get it out.

We stop at a clearing. He sits. He raises his head and howls. He calls the wind and the howl turns to a scream as I change to my human form. I bring my knees up and wrap my arms around them burying my head in them.

I try to fight the tears, but I’m losing. I fantasized about meeting Wren. I never thought I’d actually hate her as much as I did today. When I saw her beautiful face, unchanged from the day I lost her, I snapped. We were so in love; I didn’t think there was anything that would keep her from me. I didn’t think that thing would be Wren herself.

‘Promise me you’ll never leave me.’

‘Nothing will ever take me away from you, Lu.”

‘No matter where I am, I’ll always find you. I promise you that.’

‘No matter what happens, I’ll always fight to be with you. I love you, Lu. I'll always come back to you. Always remember that.’

‘I love you too, lovebird.’

She promised me. She broke that promise. She never came for me. Didn’t bother to fight for me. She never came back to me.

She broke her promise and I hate her for it.