The air outside was cool. Rae was tired of staying inside the caravan. The space was too confined to even think. No, especially to think. Keegan wasn't back and she was exhausted of waiting anxiously for his return. Despite everything he said, she was still worried and hadn't changed her mind. She didn't know if it was stubbornness but the feeling was stronger than her and essentially out of her control. She was too worried about the whole affair, almost unnaturally so. She went from being optimistic to not being able to see how the whole thing would even work out. She saw Keegan dying in her mind's eye over and over again. Sometimes by Negan's hand. It was torture and she wished she could shut her brain down even if only for a couple of hours. Rae banged the back of her head against the caravan in frustration. The whole thing was unstoppable. No amount of complaining and crying would put a stop to it. Keegan would go, and she either had to side with him or not. She wished she cou
Keegan had already left. The worst part was that he left without her. Rae looked around at the empty camp with despair. She didn't know what to think anymore. How could he have left her? How could he have done such a thing after all that they had been through? It made no sense for him to leave her after all that was said and done. She believed that he left her not because he didn't what anything to do with her but because he didn't want her involved in the fighting. So he lied to her about the date so she wouldn't know when he'd leave. She wouldn't be able to follow him. She should've guessed that that was what he meant the previous night. It was all crystal clear now. She couldn't remember ever feeling so down. She didn't know what to do. Most importantly, she knew she had to act. She felt that she had to do something or it would all be lost. She was upset at him, tremendously so. What he did was unforgivable. How could he leave her after everything they went through together? Ho
Rae ran until she felt her heart beating in her mouth. The only thing that would stop her would be if it detached from her chest somehow and fell to the ground. She would stomp on it accidentally as she ran and drop to the floor when it was completely crushed. Like a sack of potatoes. It was a morbid and nonsensical thought but it was how far she was willing to go to reach Keegan. She wasn't totally sure why she was so adamant about reaching him. She didn't know if it was for support anymore or to show him that she was perfectly capable of going to him and ensuring whatever war he was waging on StonePaw. It was stubbornness, the purest kind. How dare he decide for her? She made her own decisions. If he had consulted her and explained, maybe she would have opted to stay behind, but he decided for her and that was out of the question. It was unacceptable. She would show him what she was capable of even if it killed her. There were no footsteps behind her but she refused to relax. He c
Where would Rae begin to describe what she had seen?Chaos wasn't a big enough word to describe the mess before her eyes. The scene made her knees weaken considerably and if it weren't for the male, she would have crumbled to the ground. He held her upright and too stared at the mess in wonder. "What's this?" he asked, most likely to himself. "What has he done?"Keegan. She suddenly thought about him and the urge to find him was stronger than anything else. Where could he be in such a mess? There was fire everywhere. The flames danced near the entrance of the enormous house. There were wolves lying dead on the ground. She tried not to look too closely as she neared the house. "What are you doing?" the male asked her. He sounded distracted. "I have to find Keegan.""He isn't here." There was sense in his words. There was nobody walking around. The only wolves alive were them as far as she could tell. But she kept looking because she had to know that he wasn't lying dead on the grou
StonePaw was just as she remembered it. The interior of the house hadn’t been changed a bit. She was unintentionally reminded of the time when she first visited the prestigious pack house. Her first thought was the the decor was tasteful. Everything about it was stylish, from the color combinations to the furniture. She was only sixteen then, so she was easily impressed. As she grew older, she began seeing the flaws with a more keen eye. She told herself that when she became Luna, she would make the necessary changes. She fantasized about having the most stylish pack house in their region. Everyone would talk about it. She would be admired for her work and Negan would be proud of her. It was a childish dream. Decor didn't matter. Nothing did apart from the influence that she would have on her pack and the impression she would make. Besides, where would she find the material to redecorate the pack house? They were hard to find, perhaps even harder than finding food and clothing and ot
Negan called for her again. Rae was beginning to pray for the monotony of the camp again. The uncertainty of living under his roof was going to kill her from the inside out. She looked up at the guard who came to fetch her with distaste. What she wanted was to keep on sleeping until the end of her days. She didn’t want to confront what was happening. Being blamed for Kara’s death was not what she thought would happen when she was captured. How would she even have done such a thing? Kara was clearly attacked by someone in wolf form and Rae couldn’t shift. It wouldn’t take much to prove that. But she knew that she had very little chance of convincing him of her innocence. If he wanted her dead for her ‘crimes’, he’d have her dead. Who would challenge him?Who would save her?She still wasn’t sure if the brief encounter with Keegan in the woods was real or imagined. It would be discouraging if it wasn’t real. Deep down, she was counting on him to waltz in and save her. Negan was feral.
So Negan knew that Keegan was behind the attack. Rae could only stare at him with her eyes wide. She thought that he didn't have any clue about that. It confused her even more because it didn't explain why he was accusing her of Kara's death. Did he know she was with Keegan this entire time? Was that why?Negan drummed his fingers against the tabletop. He did so absentmindedly. Rae watched him do it with a tense body. Her mind was racing. She didn't know what the right move was. Tell him about Keegan? She couldn't do that. It didn't matter what he said. It wasn’t much of a choice that he was giving her. He had changed overnight. He wasn’t even the grieving man she saw beside Kara’s grave. In his eyes, she saw all his hatred. He was thirsty for revenge. “Still not talking, are you?” he said, tilting his head. Looking at his face, she wondered what the hell she ever saw in him. “I didn’t do it,” she finally said. “I didn’t kill Kara.”“That’s not what I asked you,” he saids sharply
Two days had passed. When Rae arrived at StonePaw, she couldn't see herself staying long-term. She didn't know how things would work out but she knew for sure that she would soon leave and be able to reunite with Keegan, that was if she ever found him. She didn't expect to be locked in the bedroom at the end of the hall for two days. The thought never crossed her mind. They weren't starving her, at least. That was the one positive thing. She was given meals thrice a day, as normal. She didn't have much appetite but starving herself wasn't a solution. So she ate the food she was given and drank the water. The wait was torturous, though. Nobody spoke to her. She wasn't informed of anything. Did Negan intend to keep her until Keegan showed up? Did he really believe that she had the answer to all his questions? Even if her life depended on it, she wouldn't be able to tell him where he was. She had no idea. She didn't even know where she would find him when she was released. Or should sh
Rae awoke in a light room. She felt the area around her with the tips of her fingers. She could move her hand. Linen. A soft mattress. A sheet covered her body. She was in a bed. She instantly relaxed, and fell asleep for a few minutes again before trying again. There was the scent of bleach in the air. She knew that scent well, it was a detergent that her mother loved to use. Thinking about her now meant nothing to her. She didn’t feel pain. Her absence from her life did nothing for her. The wolf who made her heart ache was her father and him alone. He had been kind to her, and she wished that they had parted ways on better terms. Rae would never see anyone from her family again. It was strange to think about, but it was the truth. Trying to figure out where she was wasn’t easy. There were two options. Rather, there was only one probable one, but she would include the unrealistic one in her possibilities. One, was that she was at StonePaw. Where else would Keegan have taken her, i
Rae searched the grassy field for something. Anything that she could use as a weapon. There was something glittering in the dark, and upon inspection, she discovered that it was a thick shard of glass. She picked it up. Nobody paid any attention to her. Everyone was engrossed in their own fight. She saw Negan and Keegan tumbling around in the dirt. They were still in their wolf forms. She held the glass tightly, but not sharply enough to cut her hand. Any extra injuries wouldn’t be doing her any favors. She neared them. Neither of them noticed her, and she began to fear that they wouldn’t. She stopped a safe distance away from him. She thought of calling Keegan’s name, but that would distract him and give Negan the advantage. So she held her breath and called out, “Negan!”He turned his head to her sharply. Keegan did the same. The point of this was to give Keegan the advantage, but he didn’t take it. Her guess was that he was too shocked at seeing her. Now that she had his attent
How would Rae get there?It was all that she was asking herself.She began walking. She didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that she couldn't stop and do nothing. Waiting for him to return was not an option. She was the one who was enraged now. How could he? How could he abandon her again, without a word?How could he make such a big decision without her?Rae felt hurt and betrayed, but she had to remind herself that Keegan wasn't himself. She had never seen him lose so much control. He was a shadow of his former self, and she knew that he would only go back to what he was once he killed his brother. But that was the whole problem. Fighting Negan was not a piece of cake. His pack was strong, and although Keegan's group had been reinforced by the males from WoodFur, they were all injured. The ones who weren't were very few. They would not stand a chance against StonePaw. So, why did he leave? Rae was walking around without any sense of direction. She was walking away
Smoke was everywhere. Rae sniffed her arm, and could smell it on her skin. It was rancid, and a constant reminder of what had happened. The house was black, and everything inside of it had burned. Nothing could be salvaged, and they lost most of their food. It was kept in a small room under the stairs, and had burned along with everything else. Three lives were lost, two of Keegan’s males, and the female who had been whipped by the cruel Beta of WoodFur before Keegan showed up. She couldn’t outrun the flames, it seemed. She had been in bed rest for the whole week. Rae’s heart ached for her, and when she heard of her passing, she cried. The unfairness of it all was too bitter. A lot of wolves were injured, and Rae along with Tara, all of the females, and some of the males who knew how to clean and disinfect wounds, had their hands full. She had never wrapped a wound before, so she was learning along the way. Tara taught her the basics, but it was far from enough. Watching their fac
They lied awake, staring at the ceiling of their bedroom. Rae was beyond spent. Her body ached deliciously, and the sleep that hovered above her threatened to drag her under its murky waters at any moment. Her fingers were interlocked with Keegan's. The warmth in them was unimaginable. He emanated enough heat to keep her warm. It was almost as if he was feverish all of the time. The night was lovely and breezy. Rae couldn't have imagined a better evening to be mated to him. It was the coolest night in the whole of summer. The moon had decided to bless their union in the most surprising way. She glanced at Keegan and saw that he turned to look at her at the same time. His lips curved into a smile, and he turned his body so he was lying on his side, and closed the distance between them. His fingers were on her hips. "Are you okay?""I'm perfectly okay," she said, smiling. "I didn't think that I could be this happy. In the beginning of this week, things were so grim and hopeless. I n
The after-ceremony was more entertaining than Rae thought possible. The food was amazing, and everyone ate and danced merrily. Rae was glued to Keegan's side, and nothing could tear them apart. Everyone in the pack congratulated them, including Keegan's Beta, whose name she had finally learned; Jace. How had she forgotten? When she told Keegan that she had completely forgotten his name, he laughed. "Don't worry about it," he said, and kissed her full on the lips. "I don't think he minds. He's a practical wolf."Rae couldn't have asked for anything better. She was truly content. The evening was better than she thought it would be, and all her nervousness left her. She felt totally at ease amongst everyone. She ate and drank a little, mostly because she was nervous for what would happen after the after. And the way Keegan looked at her was a confirmation to her that he was thinking about the same thing. She felt hot all over, and trembled occasionally. Now that she had a taste of wha
The day of their mating finally arrived. Rae was dressed in the fine dress that Tara had remedied. It had belonged to the Luna of WoodFur, and now it was hers. The design was a little different than the usual ones—the bodice was tight-fitting, and there was a slit on the side of the skirt so she could move freely. The sleeves had been ditched because the days were getting increasingly hot, and overall, Rae was absolutely in love with it. "Thank you," she said to Tara. "I can't take you enough for making this beautiful design for me. I look...I don't think I've ever looked this beautiful.""The pleasure is all mine," she replied with a smile. "You've saved us all from a miserable end. For that, I will always be thankful. You and Alpha Keegan saved our lives."Rae blushed. "It was our pleasure."Tara took her hand in hers and they stared at each other’s faces for a full minute. Rae felt truly grateful for her help. She was the one who she and Keegan put in charge of the house’s affair
Rae slept for the better part of the day. She woke up feeling exhausted yet refreshed. Her muscles hurt, but it was a good like of pain, especially because she knew why they hurt so much. There was a smile plastered onto her face, and she couldn't stop smiling no matter how silly she felt. Last night was a marvelous experience, and she was thankful that he gave her a taste of what their mated life would look like. She was ready for the big commitment. It wasn't just that he made her feel good, it also had to do with the way she felt about Keegan excluding everything that they had done. To know that they could make love like that was a bonus. She hadn't expected that when she first fell in love with him. She wanted to make love with him every single day. She was excited for it to happen. And it was funny how she never craved sex before, but now that she had an idea of what it was, she wanted to do it again. Right before breakfast. It was insane, and she could hardly recognize hersel
The two of them had dinner inside their tent, and Rae ate well for the first time in a long time. Everything was delicious; she ate as if her life depended on it, and perhaps it did. For the most part, Keegan watched her, and he did so with a faint smile on his lips. “Good?” he asked. She nodded. “For you, only the best,” he said, and she blushed. “The cooks here are spectacular. They had months of food kept all over the place. A cruel folk, they were. Starving all of you for their benefit. The injustice makes my blood boil.”“It’s over now,” Rae said to him after she swallowed her mouthful of wine. “You’re here to make everything right. You’ve saved them all.”Keegan smiled, then leaned in for a kiss. Rae felt delighted. She had forgotten the argument they had about StonePaw, and chose to live in the moment. There was no use in stressing about something that hadn’t happened yet. She was only shortening the beautiful moments, and tainting them with her worries and despair. She had