Unmarked Mates

Chapter 22: "Hunger drives the wolf out of the wood"

Terry above

Terry POV

I move around the bookshop trying to spot something that I think will be interesting for the Jewels. They've seemed bored recently, probably because they hardly ever leave the house. Aunty Mae said we must lie low and we do so.

There seem to be some problems in Howl Pack, because Danny hasn't shown up in the bar for over three weeks, and it makes me worried. At least I'm sure Brandon isn't at home so Danny shouldn't be in direct danger. He denied it totally when I asked him by phone about his mating. He claims they have problems and that's it, but I don't believe him.

I'm worried because of what Alyssa told me. Danny is my nephew, maybe not by blood, but still, I feel responsible for him the same way as with the Jewels. I can't let him suffer no matter what, not ever again, not after Jordan.

Jordan, the fucking bastard, how many more children in the clan he touched? Those like him never are satisfied with just one victim. And I was so naïve, I found it strange that after Danny's father become an alcohol addict incapable of working and hunting Jordan was so strong after leaving him alone, saying that he was his friend and just took his wife's death hard and just needed more time. Jordan wasn't the type to defend or take care of anybody, but although I found it suspicious I did nothing about it, and I could've. I was already important enough in the clan to make Jordan stop no matter what.

And Jordan? He hated me, and I was fully aware of that, but at the same time he understood that he wasn't as smart as me and maybe that was why he had never challenged me openly. Well, no matter how smart I was I didn't manage to stop the annihilation of our clan at the hands of werewolves. I still remember all those dead bodies and later sorrow and pain of those who didn't die. I remember when one of the older women who managed to survive asked me if this is how werewolf survivors felt every time when her now-dead husband and son had helped with destroying an entire pack.

I think that was the exact moment when my hatred stopped. When I lost the purpose of what I was doing. I finally realized that for centuries we've been killing each other over and over again and there will be no end to this. Werewolves attacked us, but some of us managed to survive. So if as a clan's leader, I would manage to rebuild the clan one day we would attack werewolves again, and those who would survive would attack us so we would attack them and again and again and again, and nothing would ever change, just different amounts of people would lose their lives.

Jordan and those loyal to him were dreaming about revenge, and I and those loyal to me were dreaming about a new life for those who were still alive. But to give them that I had to manage to get rid of Jordan and his minions and also obtain a large sum of money. At the same time, I got the news that my sister and Danny were alive and found in Black Moon Pack. 

So I did what I did best and managed to attack them, I almost killed their Luna, I got my sister back but Celia found a new home in Black Moon, she no longer needed me, and neither wanted to leave with me. The only thing I'm actually proud of is that I let her go. I managed to secure the future and new life for my clan members, I didn't kill the Luna of the Black Moon and her newborn baby, and I got to say a proper goodbye to my sister and got her forgiveness.

And later I buried myself here thinking that I would never have to take care of anybody or fight for anybody. Aunty Mae was a good companion in my loneliness but she didn't need my protection and I was fine with it, I was fine with not worrying about anyone anymore.

But then the Jewels came into my life and everything changed again. Danny is right, I got attached to them. Maybe that's why I'm always so brutally honest with Ivory when she asks me about my past. I want to come clean in front of her, not only because I think she deserves honesty but also because I think I wouldn't be able to face her finding out that I lied to her. And maybe I wanted to scare her away, to maybe see staying in the pack is safer than staying with me?