Crowned Wolf (Original)(Completed)

Sixty-One

Pulling up the covers, Audrey struggles to fight back against the memories that keep appearing in her mind. Things from years ago pop up and she remembers her parents, screaming for Ralph to take her and run. She remembers the fire and the destruction that followed the demise of the Holt clan. She remembers what it was like losing Roman. She remembers the fear that constantly followed her wherever she and her brother went. Traveling by night and sleeping in hidden bushes by day, her brother was the only saving grace she had that kept her from her own nightmares and from the rogues that threatened to take advantage of her. She tries to forget those days but recent events won't let her. They keep coming up, preventing her from sleeping and making her more paranoid than ever.

She knows she safe. She knows that everyone has returned to their rightful places - everyone for the most part. But being Iota and having a sensitive wolf like her own, she can still hear the last thoughts of the allies that died, however few they were. As relieving as it is that most of them made it out, the dead's voices remain in her head and her wolf is doing nothing to help. Nathan's scent is around her but even that isn't soothing the beast thats been locked away in her mind for years.

There's a reason Audrey locked away her wolf asides from the obvious reason of hiding her identity. Her wolf is a sensitive creature, more sensitive than most. Not only can she see and communicate with other wolves without the human's consent or knowledge, but she can pick up on both the beast's and human's thoughts from miles away. All she has to do is see them once and her wolf will automatically connect. If it's an Alpha she connects with, the beast connects with his pack through his link with them. If it's a Luna, it's the same. All Audrey's wolf needs is to see them once and she saw every Alpha allied with them during the meetings. It's proved to be useful but it also has its downfalls and this is one of them.

Ralph understands her wolf. He's the only one who gets how sensitive her spirit friend is. He and his wolf are the only ones who have been able to calm the beast until Nathan. But Nathan has no clue about her sensitivity. It isn't that Audrey doesn't want him to know. It's just that she doesn't know how to explain it. It's not a normal trait and it's one that hasn't been heard of since the first generation of werewolves centuries ago. Plus, Nathan is already so protective of her. If he discovers how sensitive she really is, he'll never rest. He'll always fear for her safety both mentally and physically. She doesn't want to trouble him more than she has to.

Attempting to talk herself into calming down, Audrey grips the blankets and inhales the scent of her mate that's been imbedded into the material. It comforts her a little but it only holds back the memories and the fear and the echoes for a few seconds before they beat her. She tries to keep a control on the link. She knows her behavior isn't doing anything to help her pack and she doesn't want them to worry uselessly over her when they've just gone through a rough battle.

The image of Millis being attacked comes to the front of her mind and Audrey flinches, letting out a small whimper. If only she could have hold on just a little longer. If she could have just stayed strong for an hour more, she wouldn't have forced Colt to release her and her head guard wouldn't have been distracted by her to get injured. She couldn't hold on though. Those prisons brought forth so much memories and so much pain, her scars ached. Karmen helped a little but the omega had no idea how much that building terrifies Audrey.

Audrey doesn't blame Nathan for what he did, despite the consequences. He did what any Alpha would in a time of war, unknowing of who his mate was. She understands that and she understands it's in the past and there's no use trying to fight it or harbor hatred for it. It happened and that's that. But being in that place, remembering the pain of being tortured, hearing her pack members beg for mercy on her behalf and hearing them give up everything they know to protect her - she couldn't do it. Her body is still shaking as if it happened only an hour ago, as if she was tortured only sixty minutes ago. Her scars ache and are more sensitive to her fingers brushing over them.