Ever After (currently rewriting)

Part 22

The door opens and Tye comes in. "Luna." He quietly greets me and goes to sit at my kitchen table. The few times Aedan has left me alone in the house, one of the others has come inside with me. Turning my attention back to Anna's voice, I lean back against the counter.

"...seems like forever until break. I can't wait to come home and see you all," She is saying.

"I miss you, too." Despite her sometimes over the top personality, I mean it. She hasn't been home much these last few years. 

"Shoot." She pauses. "Hey. I'm sorry I freaked on you. I need to get ready for class. I'll call you again later, ok?"

"It's ok. We'll talk more later. Bye."

"Bye."

I hang up the phone and put it down on the counter. "Hi Tye. " He's been looking anywhere but at me, trying to give me what privacy he can while sitting ten feet away.

"Aedan needed to go for a run. I'll stay here with you until he gets back." His eyes briefly flicker to my neck but his expression never changes. 

How embarrassing. Feeling the familiar burn start in my cheeks, I scramble for a subject change. "Do you guys need anything?"

He gives me a genuine smile. "Don't worry about us, Luna. We've never had it so good since you started to look out for us."

Leaving my perch by the sink, I go to sit across from Tye. "I'm trying. I feel like there's so much I don't know."

"You're doing fine. It's always hard for a human at first. Shifter life is different in a lot of ways from what you are used to. Don't be afraid to ask questions. We are all here for you."

I'm grateful for that. "Thanks, Tye." I push back from the table. "I'm just going upstairs to work on some laundry."

"Ok. I'll be down here until Aedan gets back."

I pass Hope, who is busy chewing the stuffing out of a toy, and go back upstairs. I had the small, third bedroom converted into an upstairs laundry room recently. Not having to lug the full basket clear to the basement anymore is great.

The laundry room is at the back of the house. The window looks out across the back field and into the forest. I glance out the window before turning to the table piled with clothes that need folded. 

I'm halfway done with the pile when a faint click catches my attention. I've just started to turn around when I'm grabbed hard from behind. A hand covers my mouth and an arm clamps around my waist, trapping one of my hands.

I'm shocked into inaction for a precious second. Frozen. Until whoever has me starts dragging me toward the window. I try to scream, but the hand is clamped tightly over my mouth. Barely any sound escapes. My free hand claws at the offending appendage, drawing blood. A low, menacing growl sounds near my ear.

There is only one person who this could be. Panic rises, threatening to choke me. We are at the window now. I can't let him get me out of this house. Fighting harder, I kick back, my heel connecting with his shin. I try to pry just one finger off of my face. But my struggling is mostly ineffective. The self defense classes my parents insisted I take, before leaving for college, didn't prepare me for an inhumanly strong attacker. The arm around my waist picks me up completely off of the floor. He's too strong. I do the last thing I can think of to try.

I force myself to go completely limp. When instinct tells me that he is distracted by trying to get me out the window, I suddenly slam my head back as hard as I can. I'm rewarded with a bone crunching sound and a snarl. Adrenalin keeps me from feeling the knock to my own head right away. I kick and scratch with everything I have. The arm around my body tightens painfully. My ribs creak in protest and I can't draw in breath. 

My head starts to swim. Black spots appear in my vision. Panicking completely, I realize I'm about to black out. The last thought I have is that this whole confrontation has been eerily quiet.

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Aedan POV

It's a beautiful day today. The sky is a perfect blue and there is no wind. The late morning sun shines on my grey fur as I pad around Liz's fields. My wolf is happy to be out. He's happy that we've finally marked our mate. He's just in an all around good mood.

I can smell the tracks where the pack has crisscrossed the fields. The guys have done an excellent job of patrolling. They've been everywhere. I glance toward the house. Keller's wolf is sitting by the front steps. Tye is inside. I've sent Braden home for a much needed break. 

Liz is probably still on the phone with her friend. It was sounding like the kind of call that lasts for a while. That's why I decided to shift now. I'll give my wolf a few minutes of freedom while she's busy. I might even make it back inside before she's off of the phone.

I work my way back toward the barn. I stopped out there first to check on the animals there, before I shifted. Trotting back through the door, I give a final shake of my fur, and shift back. 

The goats watch me warily from their pen as I get dressed. I'm just pulling my shirt over my head, when a feeling of unease creeps over me. I stop, and listen. Nothing is obviously wrong. 

"Tye. Everything ok?" I send out.

"It's ok, Alpha. Liz is upstairs," He replies immediately. 

I walk out of the barn and turn in a circle, looking around. Nothing is out of place. But I can't shake the feeling that there is something very wrong.

I jog up the driveway and into the house. Tye is sitting at the kitchen table. Hope is destroying her toy in the corner of the kitchen. The house is quiet. It seems ok, so why can't I shake the feeling of dread curling up my spine?

I head for the stairs and go up them in a few leaps. A spin through Liz's room shows she isn't there. "Liz?" I go to the spare bedroom next. A quick glance inside, and I start for the laundry room at the end of the hall. Tye has just reached the top of the stairs when a rank smell hits my nose. 

It's coming from the laundry room. A combination of the barest hint of rogue wolf, fear, and blood. A deep growl leaves me as I burst into the room. 

The window is open. The closet door stands part way ajar. There's no one here. I rush to the window. There's blood smeared on the sill and I start to lose control over the snarling beast inside, before the scent tells me that the blood belongs to the rogue, not Liz.

 Looking out, there's no one in sight. 

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The natural conclusion to this story is within sight....

Can't get enough of the Blue Ridge pack? Don't worry, the sequel is already underway.

♡
Haven84