Among the Trees

Chapter 39 -Brink of Death and Destruction

"Don't worry Lily, you can live. But child has to die, and so does my brother. Now, I believe it's time for you all to leave." His eyes caught Alannah properly for the first time and confusion sweep over him completely. "Now you I don't believe I've met. You can stay. I have no quarrel with you." Alannah stepped towards him with a sly smile on my lips.

"Oh but you do know me. You just haven't seen me in a really long time. And you most definitely do have a quarrel with me Doughty. And so does your new second in command. The pair of you are scheming, cheating, lying monsters. I hope you both rot in hell for what you did to my parents and your own." She spat at his feet and ended up being slapped around the left side of her face.

"I see the only thing you've changed in the last six years is your dress style. You're still the same old little Alannah whose mouth is bigger than her brain."

"Well at least I don't kill off whoever stands in my way!" An angry red make began to rise on her cheek as she snapped her retort. There was dangerous silence that stretched out for too long.

In the midst of the silence a tall tanned woman entered the small hallway. Her hair was pin straight and dark brown, her eyes almost matching in colour, her physique was tall, broad and neatly muscled. Beside her stood a taller being. They looked almost the same apart from the fact that the second being was a man. The guy stood bare chested beside her, covered in what appeared to be tribal tattoos. They seemed to bring a calming atmosphere with them. Alannah's panting slowed and the rounded black ear that had begun to grow from the top of her head began to shrink again but the tail that had grown remained a while longer.

"My name is Nadia, my twin brother and I had travelled from the Amazon rain forest in search of the alpha that will bring together all packs. We were lead to believe, that this was him." The woman gestured with her slenderly muscled hand towards Adam. "Now it comes to light that we were wrong. He is not, but you," she pointed a single slender finger at William, "you are." I watched Adam's face and if it were possible there would have been smoke tumbling from his ears and nose.

"My brother, Nicolau, and I wish to join you. Wherever it is you are going." She nodded her head at both William and I. "We will follow you."

"Nadia, get back into the other room." Adam spoke through gritted teeth. Neither Nadia or Nicolau moved and the anger in Adam's face grew with each passing second.

"Fine. Cast your lot in with them, but don't come crawling back when you're the only ones left breathing."

Nadia and Nicolau were greeted as though they were family that hadn't been seen in years. There was no big party or feast, just lots of welcoming smiles and hugs. I didn't join in. I couldn't. Adam and William had basically just declared war on one another. It didn't seem right, they were brothers after all. It wasn't like it was a friendship gone wrong. This was blood against blood, this was family. Family that should have been reunited today, not thrown into a war that could damage so many other families.

"So I guess that didn't go too well then?" Lee propped himself against the other side of the doorframe that I was leaning on.

"What does it look like?" My tone was harsh and cold. "One of the last things Gracie told me was not to let Adam ever learn of the child. I let him touch me, Lee. His hand barely even grazed my arm and he knew. This was a stupid plan, I never should have pulled William into this."

"Are you crazy, Lil? This has got to be this packs finest hour, our best chance for survival, all thanks to you." I rolled my eyes. Best chance for survival? I'd just damned them all! They were all going to suffer because of me. Because of my stupidity.

Weeks passed and December turned to January. And January turned to February. Days began to race by too quickly. Day after day, lower ranking wolves returned to the trees. Our numbers gradually decreasing until there were only five of us that stood on this side of the war; Nadia, Nicolau, Betty, Lee and myself. Heaven only knew how many Adam had fighting on his side. With each passing day I could feel my stomach become uneasy with fear of the inevitable shift.