Chasing Ghosts

An Ending for the Ages

Gabrielle remained silent as she was led to her quarters by the young one called Alex. Her head hung a bit low, contemplating all the things that her daughter had said to her, and feeling a knot in her stomach at the truth of some of her words. She had thought that she was keeping her daughter safe by keeping out of her life, suspecting that her brother would have all his attention spent on finding her that her daughter would be able to break-free from their cycle of destruction and pain. However, it seems that her absence had only made things worse. Jade had managed to still find her way into this life and, on top of that, into the hands of her depraved brother. She tried to rationalize the decision she had made as doing what was best for her daughter, but upon reflection, it appears that perhaps she had only done what was best for herself. As Alex brought her to the room she was staying in, she thanked him with a nod and simply at on the bed, facing the window and further contemplating. She hoped that, in time, her daughter might forgive her and open up to her a bit more, as she was beginning to see the fault in her inaction.

Alex paused before leaving the room, turning his head to talk over his shoulder. "If you need anything...." he began, "you're welcome to ask Jeremy or search it out yourself," his voice carrying just a tinge of anger and frustration. "Our Luna has allowed you to stay here...be grateful," with this final statement, he closed the door to her room and went off to find Lexi.

Alex was torn between this decision. On the one hand, it was the decision of his Luna and he was to accept that. However, considering what Jade had gone through and the whole pack had gone through, he found it hard to accept such a person under their roof. She may not have been Ulric, but to Alex she wasn't too far off.
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As Alyssa and Jax were relieved of their duties, they made their way down to the kitchen, passing Alex and Gabrielle. The hairs on the back of their necks raised as they passed in the hallway, they could feel the power that seemed to emanate from her body. The both of them could see where Jade got her overpowering aura from, and they knew that neither of them were someone to be crossed. The fact that Jade's interaction with Gabrielle could have the legendary creature in such a down state spoke volumes. As they went to the kitchen they shared a look with one another, and they knew what the other was thinking.

"Should we though?" Jax asked, leaning against the counter, looking to Alyssa.

Alyssa grabbed herself something to drink, not talking until she took a sip. "I mean, it would be dumb not to take the opportunity," she replied, sitting down and looking up at the ceiling, "We need to be stronger. Not really trying to get have Jade's anger taken out on me," she half-chuckled, "Plus, she'll be trying to get in her good grace, so it should be fine."

Jax nodded. "Not like you can ask Erin," he smirked, mischievously.

Alyssa's face twitched for a second, "I could ask him, if I wanted, but there's just a history there that makes things unnecessarily complicated. We don't need anymore issues than we currently have, and with her having..." she paused a moment, slight jealousy flashing through her mind, "....the pups and her daughter as well, she doesn't need any more distractions or inner pack conflicts."

Jax sat with her. "You're right," he stated, "I was kidding...poor joke. The mood here has been shaky ever since everything went down, you know. You're right though, we need to get stronger..."

Alyssa slowly raised her hands to her face, sniffing them, inhaling the Vanilla Hazelnut scent. It was a pleasant scent, it was just a shame that it came from such an abomination....a thought that she would most definitely never voice aloud, but one she knew that the majority of the pack shared. Ulric was the enemy, Jade's mother was in they grey area, but that bastard of Ulric's was a bad apple that should've been dealt with.
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Val kissed Shane passionately. He had been extremely helpful and understanding through all of this, and she couldn't have asked for a better partner. She smiled as she rubbed her stomach, thinking about the bundle of joy that she would soon give birth to. Bad things and nightmares aside, their pack was growing. She was going to try to stay focused on the positive nature of it all. She was soon going to have a pup with the man she loved, and there was nothing that could harsh her high, in that regard.

Shane's words were comforting, and probably right. Jade had Erin, and Erin would make sure that Jade, his pups, and the pack were just fine. She took in a deep breath, and felt herself relax as she exhaled. "You're right, if there's anyone who can make sure she stays level headed, it would be him.

Val turned her head, looking to a sleeping Lyn, imagining the absolute joy of motherhood that awaited her. She did feel a bit apprehensive about having Jade's mother here, if only because of the recent events, but she ultimately thought it was a good idea. She hoped that the two might be able to fix their damaged relationship, and it was clearly beneficial to have a full-blooded seasoned Lycan to the pack....although she knew that it would likely take time before Jade and most of the others to accept her as a true member.
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Erin had a huge grin on his face as he held Lysander's sleeping form close to his chest. They had been through a lot, both the Pack and his mate, but their children made it all seem worth it. He wouldn't lie and say that he didn't have some reservations about Fenris, but that was more his pride speaking than anything. Ulric had signed his death certificate the moment he had touched his mate, the boy had no say in the matter, but it did sting a little. However, he tried to look at it in a different light, something precious coming from such a villainous act, that would be rectified on the end of the perpetrator. Erin loved Jade and the Pack, and he would do whatever he could to keep them all safe. That being the case, there was no way that he was ever going to forgive or forget Ulric. With his bare hands, he was determined to end that Lycan's life.

When it came to Jade' s mother being allowed to stay, he was actually happy that Jade had allow it. Her mother had made mistakes, but he believed that it had all been done with the attempt to keep her away from all this. He felt a bit guilty, hearing from Gabrielle, knowing that his interference had sped up the timetable for Jade, and had he not done what he had, things might've turned out very differently. He was determined to have his own talk with Gabrielle, but he was definitely going to wait a few days and do it somewhere away from the others, as he knew that things weren't going to be as controlled and semi-cordial as things had been in the cells.