Mine. Mate

9: I love you butt crack

It's dark when we reach my neighborhood and it's packed, there's no parking on the first couple streets, this doesn't usually happen unless there is a pack meeting. Maybe my parents have some news. I tell Tristan to just drop me off but he refuses. He's going to walk me to the door. Sigh. He parks the car a few blocks down and we walk.

When we finally reach the pack house there are pack members outside crying and consoling each other, their faces grim. What happened?

            I rushed to open the door and more pack members are sitting on couches, chairs, tables, the living room, windowsills everyone is here. Cousin's, friends, neighbors, even pack members across from town who didn't make it to last nights wedding.

Some pack members come up to me and give me a hug with tears streaming down their faces. Each part of my body is heavy as stone.

            "It's okay, tell me what's wrong?" I ask. They are too distressed and only whimpers escape. After letting them go I head to the kitchen table, my father and mother will tell me what's going on.

 At the table Storm's surrounded by elders, his elbows are on his knees and his face is buried in his hands. I stop a few feet away from him, his shoulders are shaking, tears are falling onto his jeans making small dark spots, and his skin is a too pale.  Oh Scooby Snack.

A soft calloused hand reaches across my face to wipe my wet cheeks. It tingles. Tristan is standing next to me. You're still here? He looks over me with concern and rubs his hand down my arm.

I face my brother and close the distance then bend down to comfort him.

"What's wrong Scooby Snack?" I say. He looks up with bloodshot eyes.

"Yogi bear," he says and pulls me into a tight hug.

Holding me he says "Mom, Dad.... the girls," he takes a deep breath, "and some pack members. They're gone." He starts shaking again.

Ma?...no.... Dad?.... no... the girls....no, no... our wolves...please no.

Elder Maria explains, "On the way to the pack meeting your parents and sisters were ambushed and killed along with the wolves guarding them." She's crying, her son was a guard assigned to my mother.

They are gone. My heart, it's lying bloody on the floor. Storm and I stand there till our arms are sore. My wolf whines. Storm lets me go and we stare at each other.

Then my head lifts up, my body extends backwards and along with my wolf we let out a loud, long, powerful howl. Everyone in my pack joins and our howls vibrate the night.

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Later in my bed I awake, and smell him. Tristan is sitting on the love seat across the room, asleep. The moonlight from the window flows across his face. Even asleep he looks... powerful, my wolf says.

Yes, that's the word. I roll over and face the other way.

My mind wonders to my parents and sisters. Breathe. Rain. Breathe. In...Out...In...Out. Please... Please no.

They can't be gone, any second Star and Skye are going to burst through my door to wake me. My mother and father are downstairs eating breakfast and are going to complain I take too long to get ready.

I close my eyes, I can see them, smell them, feel them, they aren't gone this is just a nightmare; I'll wake up soon. Go back to sleep Rain this is all just going to go away, my pillow is wet with tears.

There's a ruffling and the bed dips, then strong arms pull me to a chest. Tristan's body curls to mine, my head ends up on one arm and the other is over my waist. What does he think he's doing? I struggle a little to get him off, but he only holds on tighter.