The Black Wolf

The Loss

Ellen was supposed to welcome her child. She was ready at the gates to meet Jimmy after a long 3 months. Her heart was beating fast as if she was meeting with a secret lover. In front of her, she could see a long wooden bridge. And at the middle stood Tyler with his black sunglasses on and all his beauty. Her husband was beautiful, she noted to herself for the hundred time.
Then she saw it. A brown coat carrying a child. A man in his forties, she could tell. And the child.. From her distance, too far from him, she could tell it was Jimmy. He was kicking the man and screaming. And then her heart went crazy. She promised to stay in her place, but seeing her child after all that time sent her legs to a run.
She was less than a kilometer away. One kilometer, 1000 centimeters only and she'd hug him. 'Povv' a sound of a gun shot froze her. She turned to her right where a man with a hood stood shooting at the man with the brown coat. A slow motion scene.. The man with the brown coat turned toward the hooded man, Jimmy in his arms and right in front of him. Ellen blinked to the splashed blood. Another blink toward the speedy black wolf that rushed next to her and jumped on the hooded man. Another blink to a silent Jimmy. And her eyes went wide while her legs felt like jelly. "Not Jimmy." She whispered. "Jimmy is safe."
She turned to the arm that held her back and caressed her shoulder. Jacob was looking deep into her eyes. She shook her head left and right taking a step backward and pushing Jacob away."You said he is safe. I asked you twice, you assured me. You said he was safe. That was not Jimmy. No. Not Jimmy."
Jacob could blink. Only blink. A move caught her attention, the black wolf. A huge one approached her with flesh in his opened mouth and blood dripping down. The same thing she saw with Alaric shifting, but it was backward play. The wolf shifted back to a human. To Tyler with bare chest and red chin. The blood that coat it made it red. Tyler hid in the long grass and wore his pants. The way Tyler looked at her, 'I'm sorry' it said. She shook her head again, lightly this time. The man with brown coat was nearer now. She didn't want to look to what he was carrying. She wanted to believe it was all a dream. She looked to the scared face of Jimmy. A silent scared face with opened eyes. She closed her mouth taking more steps back. This was a dream, she was sure. She looked around her, no one was there. Oh, yes! There was Eden. There was Alaric. There was Tyler. There was Jacob. There was Dexter. There was the brown coated man. There was the head of the hooded man. And there was Jimmy. He was beautiful. As she remembered him. No, he was thinner, she thought. Oh, and there was a hole in his forehead, right in the middle. She frowned and walked toward him. Why there was blood leaking from that hole?! She frowned and turned to look at Tyler, "Husband? Jimmy's head is leaking?! Why?! I can see red liquid." She touched it,"It's kinda viscous and a little sticky. Is it blood?"
Tyler stood stiff. What would you tell a mother trying to deny her child's death. Surprised he was to see Alaric walking toward her. He was about to stop him when Alaric pulled her to his chest."Let's go wash his face. Shall we? We don't want him to look dirty."
He saw Ellen nodding. Then she frowned,"Why isn't he answering me. He never does that." She pushed Alaric away and walked back to Jimmy. This time she pulled him from the man's grip. She put him on the grass and cleaned his face with her gown.

Eden turned her face away. She could no longer watch.
Ellen talked as in whispering,"Jimmy. Stop your stupid game. Jimmyyy. Mommy's here." She kissed his cheek."Didn't I taught you that you must answer your mother when she calls you?" She shook his lifeless body."You've been away for too long. Don't you miss me?"
Ellen felt her eyes tearing as she hugged her child,"I taught you to greet me with a kiss and a hug. Why did you forget everything!?!"
She started sobbing. Her tears streaking down without a stop. Then she felt her inside burning and aching for a rest. So she screamed with the highest she could,"Jimmyyyyy"
And then she felt herself drifting away. She heard distanced calls of her name. She saw blurred figures kneeling above her. She wanted to focus. But like when you're injected with an anesthetic, a strong one, she couldn't resist the shut down of her body.

~*~

" A Week." Ellen kept her gaze at Jimmy's grave as she addressed Dexter. "A week ago, a bullet from a hunter hit him. It was supposed to be that soldier, but because he got strong hearing sense, he turned toward the voice and Jimmy's body was his bullet proof."
She smiled bitterly,"I asked Tyler to bring him back weeks ago. But he kept delaying it." She turned to the move behind her, it was Tyler. She gave him a smile,"You wanted to torture me?! Now you'll have it for as long as you'd wish and maybe longer."

~*~

"Noooooo!"
Tyler's eyes flicked open upon hearing Ellen's scream. Eden moved next to him,"Ignore her. A bad dream as usual." Tyler chose to ignore Eden not Ellen. He reached Ellen's room to see her breathing fast with sweat droplets on her forehead. She was leaning forward on her bed with her eyes wide open. He walked toward her and she noticed that because she looked toward him. Her hair messy and covering her eyes. She brushed her hair away steadying herself. Tyler moved slowly and poured some water in a cup. She took it and gulped most of it. Her hand was shaking and she looked pale.
Jacob rushed into the room and stopped when he saw Tyler. They gave each other a greeting look and Jacob stood aside silently. They were studying Ellen. Their beautiful strong woman turned into a total weakness. Tyler forced himself not to smile as he thought of how she maintained her beauty regardless to her paling. 15 minutes passed, and Ellen started to relax. She looked to both of them and smiled lightly.
"Luna."
Dexter's worried voice broke the silence and got the attention. He was by the door breathing fast and sweating. He probably ran for a long distance, Tyler thought as Jacob. Dexter bowed a little,"Good morning, Alpha. Sorry I heard Luna's scream and I was worried."
Tyler tilted his head a bit, "Weren't you supposed to be at the gates?"
"I'm her personal guard. I must stay alert."
Tyler stood up and was about to say something when Ellen spoke,"Thank you, Dexter. Alpha and Beta were here. I'm ok now."
She looked to the other two men,"Thank you."
Without any word, Ellen covered herself and slept dismissing the three of them.

At the salon they sat, upon Tyler's request.
"What's happening to her?" Tyler asked as he played with a lighting match.
Jacob replied,"She doesn't actually talk. Whenever it happens, she drinks the offered water, wait till she relaxes a bit then sleeps."
"Excuse me, sir." Dexter spoke to Jacob. "Does she have to talk for us to understand?"
Dexter ignored the scoff Tyler made,"She lost her son 8 days ago! This is nothing compared to mothers. She is a strong woman, that's why she's holding it all to herself and this happens. Everything she's avoiding hunts her in her dreams. Starting from losing her lifestyle till losing her child. And all because of a bunch of wolves!"
Surprisingly, Dexter's words were faced by a shocking silence. He expected an exile for speaking back to his Alpha. But his Alpha gazed intently all along with his Beta. Then they left.

~*~

Ellen threw a yellow file on his desk. Tyler raised his eyes eyeing her,"What's that?"
He tried not to seem awful after realizing how much pressure she's been enduring.
"A project. I want you to approve this."
He looked down at the file,"I'll give it a check up."
"Thank you." His elegant wife nodded with a neutral smile and left with Dexter.

She was sitting alone leaning to an old tree's trunk. She saw a figure approaching. Her eyes shifted to where Dexter promised to stay, and he was there looking at her but staying still. He looked stiff, but he didn't step forward.
She shifted her eyes back to the figure, and it was Tyler. He stood with his oh tall figure and looked down at her.
She asked him how he knew where she was, and he said,"I have a pretty well smelling sense, a big nose actually."
Ellen smirked, "Reminds me of a story" he smiled, "one of my favorites, red riding hood"
She frowned and asked, "Let me guess, you like the wolf?"
He sensed something "I think he was brave enough to do the invading"
And she moved to stand up,"And is that big mouth, to eat me?"
Tyler swallowed his angry words.He came near her,"if I wanted to hurt you why caring for you and why keeping you safe here?"
He took a deep breath,"You can't quit practice." He saw the disagreement in her eyes. He knew she'd refuse anything he says. She hated him.
Dexter showed up out of no where,"Luna, practice would help ease down your feelings."
And suddenly, Ellen agreed. His wife appears to listen to his subjects more than his. And that shut him silent.