River's Edge

Chapter 2 15 years earlier

Chapter 2 

15years earlier

Trevor ran quietly through the forest. Blocking his pain from his mate. He could still hear her screams as she gave birth to another still born child. Their last child the doctor said. That was 7 days ago, Amanda, his mate still wasn't eating.

My wolf wanted to go back and demand that she eat. Amanda was so weak, that if she didn't eat soon...No I refuse to think about it. She will get pass this. We, will get pass this together.

My wolf suddenly snapped to attention, I stilled hearing a soft cry in the distance near the river bank. Still in my wolfs form I padded carefully toward the edge of the bank and waded in the water. The faint scent of cooper filled my nose. Blood. I sprinted up the shoreline toward the unknown, but somehow I knew I had just moments before disaster struck.

A child, no more than 1 or 2 years old was partially pinned under the body whose blood I must have scented. Unfortunately, I was not the only one who scented it. Circling the child was, a bobcat. Small, compact and definitely deadly. I charged the bobcat as soon as she began to leap upon the child knocking her sideways. The fight was short lived and I quickly shifted to my human form.

The tiny human child never cried out during the attack, she layed quietly on her side. When I approached, she sat up (as best she could for being pinned) and reached up to me. I checked the body first but I knew, that there was no life left in it. The child reached up to me again, that's when I noticed her eye's. Violet eyes. I'd never seen  eyes like that before.

Our mate needs her, My wolf said. I pick the child up and linked with my Alpha, I am my packs beta. After relaying the information to my Alpha about the body and the child I headed back to my mate. I sure hope my wolf was right, because right after I drop the child off at the house, Alpha Cain wants me to take him and the others back to the body so we can determine what to do and how she died. I however, can already tell you how she died, but I will let our Alpha confirmed it. She was killed by a werewolf. Which means we have a rogue wolf in our territory.

I looked down at the child who so trustingly fell asleep in my arms. She looked so fragile. How long had she been out there? The body look like it had been exposed to the elements for at least 24hrs. Could a small child like this survive that long outside with no food or water? A were child could, but what kind of damage had that done to a human child? Especially one so young? 

I was deep in thought when, I heard a sound behind me. 

"Trevor"

"John Metcalf, what are you doing here?" It shocked me a little to see the shaman for the neighboring pack. Our pack borders an Indian reservation, where John's pack resides. John rarely left the reservation, and when he did, it was usually something prophetic.

"You have to raise the child Trevor, do not send her back to the human world"

"She's not pack John, and it's not up to me you know that" my wolf was not happy with my reply and I had trouble reigning it in. What is wrong with him I wondered?

"Alpha Cain, will be made to understand. The question is, will you raise, love and protect this child as your own?" I felt myself answering before I knew what I was doing. "Yes" I said forcefully. Then, I realized, to my surprise I meant it. If Alpha Cain refuse to let Amanda and I raise this young girl we would leave the pack.

John smiled and said "It won't come to that, your child will be loved and accepted in your pack and as well as mine." He said reading me thoughts. I looked up and said" What about other packs?" his smile turned sad and his eye's had a faraway look. 

"Her future course has been set. But her fate has not." 

"What does that mean?" I asked trying not to sound skeptical. 

"It means she has a specific journey, whether or not she competes her journey is up to her, which road she takes is entirely her choice."

I thought about his words for a moment, then asked one last question.

"The woman who died, was she her mother?" I looked at John expectantly, he knew the answer. I could tell he was struggling to figure just what to tell me.

"Her name was Denara, she was not the child's mother. She was appointed guardian until she could give the child to you. The child's mother died minutes after her birth."

That information rocked me, how could that be?

"But she has to be at least 2 years old!  

Why would it take that long for her to reach me?"

John simply stated" You were not ready for her yet" Sometimes I forgot how frustrating John could be. He won't tell us anything more, my wolf said. I had already sensed John was finished talking for the duration of his visit. Then as quickly as he had appeared John shifted and trotted back toward the reservation.

I was nearly to the pack house when looked down at my new daughter. She was awake, and smiling up and me.

"Well little one, I don't supposed you can tell me your name?" I said with a smile. My wolf pushed forward and said, Her name is River, Name her River.