Her feet slapped against deep grey stone she vaguely recognised. Intricate stonework was all around her. She’d been here before. The sound of a door opening had her moving to the bannister. She looked over to see three men entering through the door holding a limp body wrapped in a bloody sheet. She just knew who it was. She had no idea how.
She also knew what was going on.
War.
She was at Malachi’s. Her pack had been attacked.
It was like a memory of something that had never happened. Yet she knew exactly what had happened before this moment.
She ran down the stone steps, before anyone could stop her she uncovered the body's face. “Jack!” His
Michael sank heavily into the sofa beside Kimberly. “Good day?” she asked quietly.He frowned, watching her closely. “Are you OK?” He scanned her face, her body, looking for what was wrong.“Yeah…” She shifted, a wince flashing over her face.His exhaustion disappeared in an instant to be replaced with worry. “What’s wrong?” Alarm flittered through his chest.“I think the baby is just laying funny. I’m fine.” She offered a pinched smile.“I can ring the midwife,” he offered immediately.She glared at him and wrapped her hand around his wrist stopping
Alissa huffed to herself as she pondered what to take, what to move, what to leave. Ugh it was a nightmare. She looked around her room wondering why they were even moving. Her room was fine. It was perfect! She liked it, there was no reason to move.“Are you stressing?” Luca asked, walking into the room with a box he’d brought from the attic.She shook her head, “No,” she fibbed.“Uh huh. Sure.” He approached and offered a hug, she immediately basked in his warmth and comfort. She let out a sigh, relaxing against him. “We’re taking the bed. Quite frankly… we can switch everything. I don’t like the master suite’s furniture.”“‘Cause it’s your dad’s,&rdq
They were all sat around the table like usual on a particularly cold evening. The arga was still on offering warmth to the kitchen while they filled their bellies with mashed root veg and chicken.As they ate, the conversation turned to the upcoming winter season and how they would all stay warm. “We should get more firewood in, a large tree should do,” Blake suggested.“Can we get more blankets? Fluffy ones?” Kristen asked“There should be some in the attic. All our beds will need extra blankets. It’s going to be a bad one this year.” Luca took a bite of chicken.“Might be worth stocking up a little more. Food and stuff. Just in case we can’t get into the human town.” Blake stretched, his plate empty.&nbs
There was a chill in the air as she sat in a rocking chair. The room was strange. Two beds were squeezed in. A small set of drawers with a wicker basket like for a baby. The window was rattling in the stone arch. The door was hazy like it wasn’t really there. She looked in her lap to find a baby. It was an instinct almost… or it just happened she was nursing the small babe. She cooed down to him, his perfect tiny fingers gripped at her finger while he suckled. “Aunty, where's daddy?” A little boy entered the room and sat at Alissa's feet. He was probably about five, his blonde hair almost down to his shoulders.Alissa's jaw quivered, she didn’t know why. She just knew the mention of this boy’s daddy upset her, “He's keeping you safe little one, he loves you so much, come here.” She shifted her baby so the boy could climb on her lap.
The night crept in, it was a dark night with heavy cloud cover, “I hope it doesn't rain” Jack muttered as they took the last of the wood towards the bonfire.“Doesn't feel humid enough, but you need the moon or the boys won't see you,” Alissa muttered back, Jack hummed in agreement. They threw their wood onto the pile that was stacked in the middle.Alissa crouched down next to Luca who was preparing the kindling, “I don't think we stacked the logs right,” he muttered looking into the wood and rearranging some logs pointlessly.“We're the masters at fire building, it'll light” Alissa blew on his embers for him, small flames licked at the dried birch fungus. He slowly pushed the now burning ball into the centre of the bonfire with a stick as Al
“Do you fancy getting out of packland for the afternoon?” Luca asked as he entered the games room where Alissa was reading.“Sounds good. Got anything in mind?”“Of course!” He plopped into the sofa, lifting her legs to sit beneath them. “Not telling you though.”“Ohhh,” she complained, setting the book on the floor face down to not lose her place.“Want to surprise you. I think you’ll like it.”“Think?”“Have I done anything that you haven’t like when I surprised you?”“Well… no. That’s true.&rdquo
Jack shouldered the axe, wiping his forehead as he looked at the fallen tree. All the houses needed firewood now the weather had changed. There had been a frost clinging to the ground for the last two days and their firewood stores were almost out. His breath puffed out in white clouds as he breathed through his momentary exhaustion, the tree was slightly larger than he really appreciated. He sighed and began taking the small branches from the tree until all was left was a pile of kindling and a very large, tree sized log. Grabbing rope from his belt, he bundled the kindling until it was one big pile tied securely by the rope so he could carry it on his back before he gripped the sparse tree, managing to get it in a position he could drag it back to their homes.Finally, he made it to the edge of their clearing and he dropped the tree with a big boom, sweat streaming from his hairline.
Jack turned over the bacon before slicing the bread. A noise had him looking to the door. “Oh, hey,” Sophie mumbled.“Breakfast will be ready soon.”“Didn’t know you cook.”“Uh huh, well, I can muddle through.”“Where are the others?” she asked, moving cautiously into the kitchen.“Not seen them, I’m sure they’ll be about soon. Smell of bacon usually works.” He shrugged, setting the now sliced loaf on the table.Sophie let out a quiet giggle. “I enjoyed playing pool with you last night.”“Same, it was nice
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