Untamed - Wild At Heart

Chapter 20 - Ash

"I will hold you up when you cannot stand. I will wipe away the tears when you cry. I will fight for you when you give up. I will love you always and forever."

They came in laughing, but when they noticed our presence the diner fell quite. I screwed my nose up at their presence, Matt had picked up their scent, to him they didn't seem to be a threat. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when they took the table across from us.
"Just ignore them." Jesse whispered in my ear, squeezing my hand to get a reaction.
The diner seemed to have noticed the tension between us and wearily had shifted away from us. Cathy knew about us, her ex-husband was a werewolf so she knew the signs of aggression and challenge. She wouldn't give us a chance to say a word to one another until we would be outside well away from the diner. I heard Matt's knuckles crack as I could hear a threatening rumbling sound in his throat, his wolf was eager to come out. Obviously there was a past between Matt and the Light Shifter Pack. Cathy came around and checked on our milkshakes and our tempers before taking their order.
"I'll ah have a nice brown fur coat with that thanks." One of the joked.
I gritted my teeth, I knew exactly who they were talking about. Jesse had noticed this and shifted closer so that there was a better chance of him stopping me from doing something I wouldn't regret.
"Now look, if you lot are gonna act that way you can just leave my diner and take your business else where." Cathy warned them.
"Come on, Cath. We're just joking around with ya." One of them carried on.
"Yeah well if ya gonna keep it up you can pack up here and find the next diner." Cathy snapped at them. "I sure as hell ain't gonna take your lots crap."
Once she walked off, they fell quite again, uttering under their own breathes and casting glances our way.
"Is that?" One of them would mumble.
"Nah, it can't be." Another one would shrug.
"You sure, cause it certainly does look like him." Another would contradict.
"Okay, if you have something to say to us just say it." Matt snapped.
I casted an unsure glance at Matt, I didn't understand why Matt had to snap. To be honest Jesse had calmed me down enough so that I wouldn't snap.
"It is him." The first one murmured once more.
"Long time no see, Matt. Lucile." The second one smirked. "And who's this little guy?"
"You dare lay a hand on him and you won't be able to see daylight ever again." Matt threatened them.
"Funny thing is, that was the same thing our alpha said to you when he banished you. So what are you doing back in town?" The third one challenge.
"That ain't any of your business." Matt replied.
"Alright that's enough. Otherwise I'll have to kick you's all out." Cathy came over and threatened us.
Matt sat back down and stayed quiet whilst the others murmured to themselves. One we finished the milkshakes we left without saying a word, we all seemed to know that it was time to leave.
"See you around, Cathy." I waved goodbye to her.
"Here, your mum and brother would be missing my famous muffins." She said, handing me two paper brown bags. "One's choc chip and the other is apple and cinnamon."
"Thanks. I will be sure to give them to them." I smiled sweetly at her.
"Not if she doesn't eat them first. So I think I shall guard these." Jesse teased, taking the bags out of my hands.
"Get your grubby hands off." I said, slapping his hands and stealing back the bags.
"Alright you two. See ya around." Cathy chuckled, smiling and waving as a we left.
Once we saddled the horses back up and mounted, we watched as the Light Shifter's came out.
"Come on guys, let's go." I murmured, turning my colt around.
"Just like your father." One of them called out.
"What did you say?" I asked, pulling my horse to a halt.
"You're just like your father, a coward." He taunted once more.
"Let's keep going. Ignore them." Jesse urged me.
I didn't move, my horse snorted and flattened its ears at the comment.
"Trust me, my alpha will surely want to come and see you Matt." He called out once more. "Especially you, Lucile."
"If your alpha or anyone of your pack sets a paw on my territory trust me your lives will not be worth living." I threatened before kicking my horse.
He snorted before rearing up, I managed to hold on before we took off, like in the western movies. Once we had reached the safety of the forest, we slowed down to a walk. We reached the house and dismounted, I handed my horse's reigns to Jesse before grabbing Matt by the collar and dragged him away. Lucile went to go and stop me but Jesse stopped her.
"Dad!" Mica called out.
"I'll be okay son." Matt called back as he stumbled.
Once we were at the side of the house, surprisingly I threw Matt against the wall and looked up at him.
"Wow, your surprisingly strong." Matt commented.
"What the hell was that all about?!" I asked him, staring him straight in the eye.
"What was what?" Matt asked, acting dumb.
"You know exactly what I am talking about." I stated.
Matt sighed and avoided eye contact, looking down at the ground and lowering his head. "It happened long ago."
"I don't care. If they are going to come onto my territory I need to know why." I told him, making him look me in the eye.
Matt sighed once more, "Fine, I'll tell you."
"Well?" I asked, being impatient.
"I was 17 when it happened, Lucile was 16 and Brody was the same age as me. His father had organised with mine, I was going to become Beta when Brody became Alpha.
Lucile was to be Brody's mate, but it didn't all work out to the way they had planned." Matt paused. "When Brody found out that Lucile and I were mates he lost it, when his father passed he banished me. That night when I was leaving Lucile had come and found me, she said that she didn't want to live with someone she didn't love. So we left. Started our family before Lucile and Mica were kidnapped by the hunters and the rest is pretty plain."
I didn't know how to respond to it, instead I let him go and walked away.
"Everything alright?" Jesse asked as he noticed my reappearance.
"We have some cleaning up to do." I mumbled, not making eye contact.
Jesse sighed and followed whilst Lucile and Matt finished up in the stable. I sighed when I walked back into my once home. I found the broom in the closet and handed Jesse the dust pan. I began sweeping up the shattered glass and broken wood when Matt came back.
"We found an old cart, we can put all the broken things in it and then dump it off." He mumbled.
"Thanks." Jesse smiled, before lifting up and large part of the stairs railing.
The railing was thrown into the cart before Jesse began to drag all the other broken wood into the cart. Matt and Lucile joined us while Mica was helping pick up any photos or anything that had survived. I felt him tug on my shirt and I looked down.
"Is this your family?" He asked, handing me a photo.
I smiled at the photo, it was a photo of my dad, my mum and I. "Yeah. I also have a brother."
"Really? When can I meet him?" Mica asked, his eyes lit up.
"We can go and get him once we clean up a little bit more." I smiled.
"Ok." Mica nodded before beginning to pick up small wooden bits and carrying it to the cart.
I looked down at the photo once more and smiled before placing it on the stairs with the rest of the photos we had found. I looked around to find that the hallway was cleaned up and majority of the kitchen and been cleaned. I winced as I heard a crashing sound from up stairs.
"What are you two doing up there?" I asked them, frowning as Jesse reappeared.
"We'll all the cupboards, doors and a beds need replacing." Jesse replied.
"What did you break now?" I asked, teasing with them.
"Nothing that wasn't already broken." Jesse winced.
"Which is majority of the things up here." Matt jumped in before I could say anything else.
"Miranda, we have a slight problem." Lucile reappeared from outside.
I had asked her to go and harness the one of the horse's up.
"What is it?" I asked, frowning at her concern.
"They're on their way here." Lucile murmured.
"Who are?" I asked once more.
"Brody and his pack." She mumbled, I could sense that she was scared.
"Boys time to go and dump this stuff." I called up to them.
"Hang on, we just have one more door." Jesse replied before he and Matt came down the stairs and threw the door onto the cart.
"What's the hurry, we can fit a few more things in this cart?" Jesse asked.
"But we can fit even more if it was empty." I shrugged, trying to hide my urgency.
"She has a point." Matt shrugged, placing a hand on Jesse's shoulder.
"Fine." Jesse rolled his eyes before mounting his horse.
Mica and Matt sat up in the cart, whilst Lucile, Jesse and I mounted. Jesse and I lead the way whilst Lucile kept an eye out for Brady and his pack. We reached the dump without no problems, unloading all the rubbish we had picked up didn't take too long. On the way back Mica had managed to spook Jesse's horse, causing Jesse to land flat on his back and Lucile managed to stop it from bolting off any further.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" I asked, teasing him.
"Fine." Jesse moaned, putting a thumb up.
"Mica, what do you say?" Lucile asked him, bringing back Jesse's horse.
"Sorry, Jesse. I didn't mean too." Mica apologised.
"It's alright twerp." Jesse said, remounting his horse.
"We might wanna avoid the house." Lucile said, as she pulled up beside me.
"Why?" I asked, fear settling in.
"They're waiting for us." Lucile mumbled.
"No. No more avoiding this." I stated.
"But they most likely outnumber us." Lucile commented.
"Not for long." I smiled as I sensed someone else's presence coming towards up.
The sound of thundering hooves and snorting horses drummed throughout the forest towards us. I heard Matt growl whilst holding Mica down from spooking anymore of the horses.
"It's ok. They're allies." I reassured Matt as the horses pulled up around us.
"Miranda, I didn't think we would see you again." Geoff commented, pulling up in front of me.
"So, where were you heading?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"Your father had set this date to go over the war details and casualties." Geoff replied.
"Well, I am afraid you won't be seeing him again." I murmured.
"And why would that be?" Geoff asked, raising his eyebrows.
"He's dead. Brody and his pack attacked my father, my beta and one of my pack members." I told him.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Geoff lowered his head.
"Actually we need your help?" I said.
"Sure, how can we help?" Geoff asked, looking back up.
"Brody and his pack are at our place, waiting for us." I started before Geoff cut in.
"Wait, why is Brody and his pack waiting for you?" Geoff cut in.
"That doesn't matter right now. Matt can explain it too you later." I dismissed him.
"Sorry. Please continue." Geoff nodded.
"We don't know whether they are hostile or not, but either way we need some back up." I stated it simply.
"Very well, we will gladly help." Geoff nodded.
"We'll need some people to sneak into the back paddock and let the horses go, unsaddle them and all." I instructed.
"I'll do it." Lucile said, dismounting her horse.
"Are you sure?" Matt turned to her.
"I'll take Mica with me, so that when we have finished we can go inside." Lucile smiled at Matt asking him to have faith in her.
"You'll need back up just in case you are spotted." Geoff commented, signalling for some members to come forward.
"I'll go with." Matt stepped forward.
"No. We need you with us." I jumped in.
"But..." Matt stopped himself from continuing, realising that it was a safer option.
"Tie the rest of the horses to either your saddles, the cart or have their reigns in your hands." Geoff said, dismounting his horse.
I dismounted mine and tied him to the cart alongside with Jesse's. Lucile took Matt's place before sitting Mica beside her. The other men unsaddled the horses and placed the saddles in the cart, all that was left on the horses was their reigns which were either tied to the cart, to someone's saddle or in someone's hand.
"Be safe." Matt told her before waving goodbye.
"Don't worry, you'll see them soon enough." I said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Will I?" Matt second guessed.
"Come on, it's time to go." I sighed.
I shifted first with Geoff following. Once we all had shifted we have ourselves a quick stretch before racing towards my place. Thunder ran beside with Bandit on my other and Blaze right behind me. Once we had reached the edge of the forest that surrounded my place we halted and smelt the air. Laughter erupted from in front of us, there was the Light Shifter Pack, they hung around like flies on a cow's ass.
"So what is the plan?" Bandit asked, checking out the situation.
"They probably already feel our presence if not then there must be something wrong with them. I say we just walk on out with our heads held high." I replied.
"Great idea." Bandit nodded before flicking his ears at a rude comment.
I looked to Thunder who was ready to growl, he flicked his ears before nodding to me. I was going to ensure that our presence was known. I lifted my head and let out a howl that sent shivers through me, halfway through Bandit joined in and before long everyone was howling. When we stopped we stepped out into the open. My ears flattened and canines bared as I lead the way. Brody clenched his fists before shifting the rest of his pack following. If they had come here without being hostile that has certainly changed. I growled as we stopped about 10 metres away from them, my eyes rested on Ash but yet my ears flicked at every movement his pack members made. I snorted and heard the door close silently at the back, Blaze must have heard it too for I saw him relax a little bit more. Thunder lunged forward slightly, forcing one of the Light Shifter Pack members to jump back as he had tried to attack. Ash threw his head around and snapped his jaws shut as a warning. I grinned inside, knowing that he was a little frightened of our presence. Bandit must have felt it too, for he to took a step forward. A window was opened and this caused me to look up, there up above us was Lucile and Mica watching us from above. I flattened my ears as Ash took a step forward.
He bared his canines at me, "I did not expect you to be here."...