The food had been good. The restaurant hadn’t been what she was expecting… true, in truth she had no idea what she could have expected from a restaurant but it was lovely. And the company? Well, that had been way more than she expected, particularly after what Jack had said. They left the restaurant arm in arm. The cold night air swirled around her, making Alissa feel woozy. She had probably foolishly finished the bottle of Rosé, and was now regretting it. Her head spun and Alissa stumbled as she got to the car but managed to right herself before Luca noticed. She successfully fell into the seat and placed her head against the cool glass, desperately wishing the world would stay still. “You OK?” Luca asked as he turned on the engine, his worried gaze on her. She inhaled, a small amount of nausea tugging on her stomach. “Yeah, just shouldn't have had that last glass,” she replied, closing her eyes as the coolness soothed her head. Luca gave a small chuckle and squeezed her knee
Luca stepped out of his room, the morning sun greeting a golden glow on the bannister. He smiled to himself thinking of the night before. He silently glided down the stairs, he didn’t bother with shoes as he stepped out onto the glistening dewy grass, instantly soaking his bare feet. He went to the tree line stripping off his jeans then leapt into the wood. His dark honey wolf instantly appearing between the fir trunks. He jumped a few paces before shaking out his fur. He ran most mornings, this morning was no exception. He turned his enormous furry face back to check where he’d left his jeans before leaping into the trees. His paws slapped the ground as he thundered along, he felt safe in these trees. He ran deeper, increasing his speed. Avoiding the tree trunks became harder the faster he went but he wanted to challenge his agility under the warming sun. Luca’s ear rotated, the sensitive hearing picking something up. Luca slowed a little to concentrate on the new sound, a rustle o
Alissa sat with Luca while Felicity tended to his wounds. Alissa looked at his face taking in the details of his profile. Noticing when he winced he tried to keep his eyes open as his lips let out the involuntary hiss, betraying his strong exterior. He didn't want to show he was in pain, but Felicity was poking in his wounds examining their depth, pondering the treatment. He gasped as she hit a particularly tender spot. “Please, can you just stitch me up and be done with it?” he snapped. Felicity smiled and sauntered off to get supplies.“You don't have to be strong all the time.” Alissa reached out to him but stopped just shy of his arm, placing her hand on the bed instead. He gave her a look of disbelief, “Yes I do.” He straightened himself in the bed, his shoulder muscles rippling under his skin. “I need to go ring the council, sort out that bastard.”“It can wait a few hours, let him stew in a cage for a while. Let Felicity sort you out first,” she suggested, not wanting him to c
Alissa sat back in the sofa, trying to take her mind off what had just happened. Take her mind off that Luca was injured. “Have you thought any more about those holes in the plaques?” she asked. “Not really, did you find anything out?” Alissa sighed, “No, I looked through the history. The only thing that was strange was our first ancestor. It claimed his initiation was the first of its kind?.. I think?” Alissa had forgotten about finding out about the holes and the secrets, she had been kept so busy.Jack's warmth withdrew as he stood up, “Come on then, let's look at what it says. Have you looked at all the names with holes up?” Alissa sat up, “No” she admitted. Jack moved over to the side table, opening a drawer he pulled out a notepad and pen “Let's write all the names down then.” Alissa smiled up to him. He was trying to distract her, and she felt some of her worries melting away as her mind focused on the task at hand.After writing the long list of names the pair headed to Al
Alissa entered the kitchen to find Blake looking in the cupboards. She watched as he wrote a note then looked at the herb cupboard. “Have you seen Jack?” She still hadn't found him since the day before. “No,” he replied. He wrote something else down as he spoke, she peered over Blake's shoulder seeing what looked like a list of food items. “What you doing?” She came up closer behind him.“I'm just seeing what we need, council could arrive any day now. We need to make sure we've got enough food in case the council stay. But, to be honest, I'm out of my depth planning out food,” he sighed. “I can help. Years of experience, me,” the joke in her tone didn’t quite match the squirm in her stomach, reminding how far she’d come in such a short space of time. He smiled, relief spreading over his face. Alissa looked at what he had written and then started planning meals they could do with what they had. Although she could see they would need some ingredients. “Have you checked with Dotty?
Alissa peered in excitement through the window while Blake drove down the narrow path leading out of the woodland. She was desperate to catch her first glimpse of the town. Blake turned off the dirt track onto smooth tarmac road. Woodland turned to rolling fields, with cows grazing on the horizon. It looked better in the full sunlight. The lush green turned to fluorescent yellow as they passed rapeseed. She tried to take everything in. She rolled the window down a crack, letting the fresh air envelope the car; the air was no longer overpowered by pine. Her sensitive nose could now pick up animals, grass and pollen.“Remember, you need to blend in,” Blake growled, his face set stony as he glanced behind him to Alissa, his anger still clearly evident.“I know, I know, no going wolf on anyone,” she muttered nonchalantly. She was going to be fine. She was too excited to even care what Blake had to say, he was probably just trying to scare her. “It's not just that,” Michael pitched in fro
They entered back to the busy street, Alissa flinched with the increase of sound and colours. She felt Michael's hand between her shoulder blades again which allowed her to centre her nerves on his touch. “Are there any book shops?” Alissa thought to back to Luca's suggestion of her becoming the pack bookkeeper, and she wanted to know more about humans.“Yeah, this way.” Michael led her up the highstreet to a shop with black window sills and rows of books of all different sizes in the window. They entered the quiet shop, bookshelves housing books with different designed spines covering the walls. Signs hung over different areas 'romance', 'crime' and 'horror' were at the front of the shop, bookcases created walls further into the shop. “Anything in particular you're looking for?” Michael asked, Alissa ventured further into the shop, she saw the sign for 'History'.Alissa turned into the area and scanned the spines. There appeared to have been two human world wars as that topic feature
They parked back up within the barn, a few minutes walk from the clearing. The three of them grabbed a few bags each and followed the narrow dirt path. They climbed over low branches, logs and roots covered in moss. Finally they could see the large stone house as they left the tree line.The trio put their supplies away and Alissa grabbed a few bags of sweets from Michael's plastic bag before heading up the steps. She knocked before opening the big wooden door. She saw the lump under the covers stir as he sat up.Alissa produced one of the bags of sweets on the bed as she sat opposite Luca, crossing her legs. “Ah, I see you met Derek.” The edges of his lips turned upwards as he picked a stick of licorice. “What's his story, why is he so bad?” Luca chewed thoughtfully, “Nothing for you to worry about, we keep a close watch on him. How did you find being amongst so many humans?” he asked.“It wasn't too bad.” She didn't want to admit the panic she felt at first. “It's louder there, a
Alissa nursed her baby, she cooed down to him, his perfect tiny fingers gripped at her finger while he suckled. “Aunty, where's daddy?” Peta entered the room and sat at Alissa's feet.“He's keeping you safe little one, he loves you so much, come here.” She shifted her baby so Peta could climb on her lap.He peered up to her questioning, “I want daddy.” Tears welled in his emerald eyes.Alissa curled his chin length hair around her fingers. “I know, darling, he has to do his job though, but he has to keep us safe doesn't he? Or he wouldn't be a good wolf.” A large tear fell from Peta's eye. The little one had been very clingy recently.Maybe it was the birth of her and Luca’s little bundle of jo
Alissa couldn’t help flicking her glance to Luca every now and then, it may have been a few days but she still felt he was going to disappear within a moments notice. He caught her eye and opened his arms, dragging her into his body as soon as she was in arms reach. “It’s all going to be alright,” he whispered.She sunk into him, everything felt so right, his arms, his heat, the pressure of him against her body. It was what she needed.“Be better when we’re back home too,” he reassured.Alissa nodded against him, nuzzling slightly. “I miss home,” she whispered.He rocked her gently, squeezing her against him. “Me too, I wish the investigation hadn’t taken so long but at least it’s a
Luca grasped Alissa’s hand tightly as Rufus lead them through the council building to the sitting room beside the meeting room where the Alphas were filing into. “I’ll be right with you,” Rufus directed to the Alphas before following Luca and Alissa in.“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Luca asked.“I don’t, in truth. I wish to listen to them all regarding their concerns but… please, tell me what happened. I’ve heard Alissa’s perspective, I need yours.”Luca nodded, sitting the the cream sofa, tugging Alissa with him, not wanting to let her go. “From the beginning?” he asked to clarify.Rufus nodded, “Please.”
“I second that query, High Council.”Alissa frowned. A voice she knew so well permeating into her mind. She knew she was hearing wrong, knew that voice wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real… but it sounded so real.Gasps erupted around them, from everyone, not just the council. A ripple of surprise spread from everyone.Michael grabbed her hand and she almost had the confidence to look up but didn’t. She couldn’t look, she didn’t want to confirm or deny it was his voice. She didn’t want to know.“My land is not up for discussion, let alone on a day like this. But it is my land, High Council.”“Alpha Wuffaman,” High Council Vilkaman bre
The sun was warmer than it had been for months, the beginnings of spring poking through barren trees, dandelions budding within the dewy, luscious grass that looked inviting despite what the day was. Alphas, families, betas, and probably some others were sat, some on chairs, some on the grass, some had rolled up sleeping bags beneath them. It looked like any congregation when their packs came together but this felt very different. It felt wrong. It felt unjust.Alissa stood beside Michael on a slightly raised stage to the side, the white council house to their backs, the sun almost blinding them as it rose high above the trees. The council was assembled… All six of them were assembled (including Raoul much to her displeasure) at the front of the congregation. A congregation to mourn for her mate. Her pack, her nephew, her brother, her friends.
After getting changed, Alissa popped the wet, stained shirt on the arm of the sofa, unsure where to put it before sitting nervously. Her mind wasn’t really working properly, that was what it felt like. She felt she’d been given more information than she could process and arrange in her tired, dishevelled mind.There was a knock on the door and she was up off the sofa, taking long strides towards the door, “Yes, come in,” she called before she got to the door, wanting the door open.Michael stepped in, his hair as disheveled as his clothes. There were rings under his eyes and he looked just as bad as before he’d gone away… maybe worse. Alissa didn’t even give him time to look before she lunged at him, wrapping herself around him, clinging to his neck.&ldqu
Luca was vibrating, desperate to not let his anger out but he was finding it hard. Not knowing… Not having a clue what was going on. Angry Malachi had downed him, and he had no idea why.Alissa. Where was Alissa?“I’m going into the pack. I’m not sitting here like some prisoner,” Luca stated, a tiny rumbling growl through his words.“The pack member, Steve told us to stay here for safety,” Henry announced calmy.“He didn’t tell me.” Luca stood, he wasn’t some pup to be told to stay put. Fuck that.“I’ll be back soon,” he told the room, heading for the door.&ldq
He watched a car move away, just knowing Alissa was within. A feeling a safety moved over him… at least knowing Alissa was safe. He wasn’t safe though. A wolf body slammed him, sprawling him to the floor but he didn’t reach the floor, he kept falling… and falling.He was running through the woods, Aunty Dotty clinging to his arm as he kept moving, he was getting her to safety… he just knew that.Aunty Dotty slipped from his arm… she was safe with humans, a human ally, his vision shifted and changed, a new landscape before him, scents flooded his nose, he needed to keep going, keep moving. There was a scent he had to find. He panted, pushing himself to follow the scent. He hadn’t stopped, hadn’t slept. It was a vagrant’s scent he was hunting… although whether it wa
His hand fastened tighter over her mouth, preventing any breath to escape. She wriggled and struggled in his hold only for a panic to blind her as his other hand came up, his fingers pinching her nose.He was going to smother her.She stamped her feet down, struggled and fought with all her strength. She shook her head, desperate to get his hand dislodged enough for her to suck in a breath.She would not die today.Black crept into the edges of her vision so she struggled harder only for her head to spin from exertion with no oxygen. She stamped her foot down, landing squarely on his but it didn’t release his hold. He was infallible, regardless what she did nothing was working. She was running out of time. In a last ditch attempt, she threw her bo