Cora, A Sidelines Story from Clayton

Home Sweet H3LL

The Characters of Clayton, Rya, Kennedy, Dallas, and the Valentines belong to Rachelle. The character of Cora is expanded on with Permission from Rachelle, and is written for the pleasure of the International Wildflower Pack, the WhiskeyQueenn fandom. #WildflowersUnited #iwp

:: a special thanks to Rachelle  for the use of her characters and narrative::

Part 3  

Home Sweet H3LL

Cora's POV

The mixture of rain and sleet beat against the rental trucks windscreen and wiper-blades as I pulled into Adams pack territory. I didn't go to the pack house offices. I drove straight home, parking my small moving van behind my brother's. Charlie stepped out on the porch, holding up his hand in greeting. I walked through the storm into his arms for a brief hug. The alphas had given us our parents' house. Inside, the living room furniture was still covered in dust drapes, giving the house an old, haunted feeling. Some rooms were empty, others were trashed. Dad had moved into the pack house after mom had left. 

As we sat in the barren kitchen, clutching mugs of steaming coffee, neither of us spoke. We just listened to the central heat click on and off and the wind howl outside. Finally, a knock. Someone had come to rescue us from our isolation. Clayton, Lance, and a few others had come to help us unload. I would take the master suite downstairs, giving Charlie the entire upstairs. I couldn't live up on that side of the house, looking at where we had spent so many afternoons playing as children, at where she no longer lived. I missed her.

Memo to me: go see Rya's mom at the territory's edge.

All my boxes were meticulously labeled, and quickly placed where they belonged. Charlie's weren't and most of them ended up in the living room or mom's empty office. While I cooked dinner from the groceries Luna Catherine had sent with Clayton, the males laughed and cursed as they tried to put together the furniture I had purchased from IKEA. I loved IKEA, and if you purchased the movers warranty, they would take back the assembled furniture and replace it with stuff to be put together after you moved. This was the reason I had a 10 foot moving truck, neatly stacked and organized, while Charlie's was considerably larger and looked like a frat house had vomited into the back of it.

Clayton fetched another white ale out of the refrigerator, for some reason I had grown a strong dislike for the smell of anything made with hops. Leaning on the counter, he watched as I made home style french fries and quick chili con queso to go with the burgers out on the grill. I said nothing while he watched me work. I had nothing to say.

Finally, he sighed, "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Cora."

Tears threatened, my wolf growled, but I answered coldly "As you know it happens, males want what they want, and they don't care who gets hurt. One piece of she-wolf tail is as good as the next one. It's all about the prettiest or meekest one, isn't it?" I twirled a knife between my fingers, focusing on the blade before chopping an onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and several peppers into pico de gallo as fast as I could. I was glad I had brought my herbs container gardens with me. I couldn't imagine cooking without fresh ingredients, I had enough bitterness in my heart, I didn't need to compensate for the bitterness of dried spices in my food.

Clayton just shakes his head, "So this is how it's going to be between us?"

I pick up the plate of sliced pepper jack and start out the door, "You're my brother's friend Alpha, not mine." He is still standing there when I return with the burgers. Dog can't take a hint! My wolf huffs.