Leyla's Point Of View
The sun was setting in the sky. The late afternoon was filled with a warm ambiance that contrasted against the eeriness of the empty pack grounds. There was no quiet murmurs that lingered in the background, the only thing that could be heard for miles was the whistling of the wind. The game of waiting had began yesterday and although we were anticipating an attack, there was no a single sighting of the enemy in sight.
My mother had the warriors prepare the grounds for a attack. Explosives were set up throughout the pack. Each hut that was brimming with life was now prepared for an attack with gun power that would anticipate the enemy. Warriors were waiting in their stations, everything was heightened. Our awareness, our weariness, the anticipation was high.
I was sat with my mother on the roof of the main pack house, both us stared out into the horizon. We had cut down a small path of pine tree's that would have blocked our view. The height of the pack house allowed us to scout the area. Although it looked like we were in a field, the tree's that surrounded us gave an advantage of being hidden, especially when my mother would lift the barrier.
During this time, small talk was passed between me and mother. She wanted to know everything about me. What my favourite was, what was my life in the Royal Pack like, what were my hobbies and dislikes. I couldn't help but have the same curiosity about my mother. I wanted to know more about my mother and as time passed I couldn't help but notice our similarities in personalities and in taste. A lot of my answers were the same as hers.
Growing up, Nona gave me no reason to question who my parents were, she never made me feel that I lacked in anything. She gave me love, she gave me a home and even though my parents missed out on my childhood. I couldn't help but hold no regrets for the life I have lived. If I had my parents, I wouldn't have had the relationship with Nona that I did. That was something that I could not regret, she was a wonderful woman who needed me as much as I needed her.
As the second day of waiting began, my conversations with my mother started to hold some depth. She discussed her relationship with my father, I could tell that she was conflicted. A part of her blamed him heavily for what had happened to her, what she lost. However, as our conversation would develop, I could see that she understood that there was a bigger player involved and they had inadvertently impacted her bond with my father.
The more she spoke about it, the more I could empathise with her. My father was doing whatever he could to rectify his mistakes, the same as Ryan. I couldn't help but see how we were cut from the same cloth. Amira had always stated that something was affecting our bond with Ryan, she was adamant that it wasn't his fault. After seeing Drew's experiment I couldn't help suspect that was what had affected our mate bond. The only question that lingered in my mind was how did he break free?
The Ryan I had seen since his arrival at the pack was a completely different person to the one I got to know in the Royal Pack. I saw Ryan help the elderly that lived on the Mallapers territory, I had seen him carry children to worried parents. The way he was willing to go against his mother showed me that their was still hope. Even though it was still small, the spark was there. I didn't know what had changed between him and his mother but those would be questions that needed answering once we had dealt with the attack from the Royal Army.
The sun was turning from a vibrant orange to a soft pink and on the horizon, you could see the dark blue sky start to spread. The night was coming, the night was falling. The sky was clear, not a cloud was in sight. I could see my mother communicate with her warriors through mind link. She was constantly speaking, repeating the plan, hoping that no surprises came our way. My mother was a strategical woman and it seemed that she had this plan in place for years.
"Are you sad about leaving your home?" I asked my mother.
She gave me a sad smile. "Home isn't the land that you live on but the family you have. My home will always be where my pack is. Well that was until I found you as well." She lets out a deep sigh. "Land is replaceable, family isn't. I will be home when me and you reunite with our pack."
"Do you think you can pull this off? That it's going to work?" I quizzed.
"Leyla this plan has been in place for years. I always knew one day would come where we would be found. My first priority has always been to get the pack to safety. That's why they are heading to the Lumos pack. The second part is taking down as many people as we can, while trying to take out the big players." She smirked.
"Do you know who those players are though?" I said with a furrowed brow.
"Lamia and Marcus are defiantly on the list. I don't think Lamia will be present for this attack though. After what Ryan said, she is going to be recuperating for some time. Marcus has always been impatient, so he will want to strike while the iron is hot." My mother replied as she started braiding her hair, pushing the strands and tendrils that were falling on her face.
"How do you know about Marcus?" I suspiciously asked.
"I have spent years observing them, just because I wasn't in plain sight, didn't mean that I was hiding in the shadows. Marcus is a formidable enemy, don't get me wrong. However he is overly confident and impatient which will be his downfall. He will always be on attack and never on offence. That is how I know we will survive, even though our gap is small. It is big enough for us to get away while taking out a chunk of their army. By the time we get to the Lumos pack, they will have no idea where we have gone."
"Won't they try and speak to other factions of the Kingdom to find out whether they have spotted or sighted us?" I confusingly question.
"The Lumos pack will recognise my brother. They won't attack and when they find Alexander is with him, they will be safe and they will be hidden. They won't go against the crown." She says in a determined tone.
"How do you know that though?" I urge my mother to explain.
"Leyla I would never send my pack to the slaughter. The reason I know they won't be harmed is because that is my old pack. My father was the Alpha and now my brother is." My mother explained.
"But why didn't they believe you when it was your execution? How do you know they won't attack you on sight?" I say in a worried tone.
My mother smirks. "Because my twin Reed isn't believed to be a traitor. They believe he just ran away. They didn't know that he ran away with me. Reed speaking with our brother will give Alexander enough time to get my pack out of the tunnels. Reed will explain what is going on and Alexander will back it up. By the time we reach the Lumos lands, we should be safe. We will also have an ally."
Again the way my mother's mind worked was astonishing, she was well prepared and a force to be reckoned with. She was highly intelligent and had thought of things that I didn't even think about. I couldn't understand why she let Alexander lead her pack through the tunnels when she clearly struggled to trust him but it was all part of her plan is securing their safety and our safe passage.
"How do you know they will support us against Lamia?" I queried.
"Because even though Lamia is queen." She gestures with her two fingers. "She is only Queen by marriage. The Lumos pack won't go against the crown, they won't fight against Alexander. The Lumos pack has been fighting against the order, so once Reed explains what is going on we will have their support. They will offer us sanctuary. Plus, the Lumos pack is blessed."
"What do you mean blessed?" I questioned.
"The land is blessed by the first werewolves that graced the land. Not many people know this but that ground was the original site of the Royal Family. Centuries ago, the Royals resided in the Lumos pack, only for them to resettle somewhere more central. The pack was re-established in the central grounds, while the Beta was left behind to become Alpha of the Lumos pack, they began the defenders of the sacred lands."
"How do you know all this?" I ask in astonishment.
"It is part of our history, the Alpha family was educated in the old ways. The ancient ways. We were taught the secrets that are hidden to ensure our survival. As you have seen, the Moon Goddess has enemies and the Lumos pack is the key to defeating her." My mother deeply exhales.
"Did you always know you would have to return to your old pack?"
"It was always a possibility. But yes I did know I would have to return their at some point. I just never knew when." She gave me a small smile.
"Are you nervous to return home? After so many years." I say as I close my eyes.
"Nervous? No I am not. I am anxious. Returning to the family that abandoned me and didn't believe in me. Facing demons that I have been running from for years. There is that famous proverb. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Well I was scorched by my family, my father disowned me and left me in my time of need. The only person who believed in me was Reed. I don't expect my return to be welcomed. I expect it to be tolerated." She states in a nonchalant tone.
I go to open my mouth to ask my mother more questions but she holds her hand up for me to stop talking. I can see her eyes quint close. The clogs are ticking in her mind as her head scouts the area from left to right. As the night sky reaches higher, in the far distance, small dots start to appear. Like she anticipated the direction coming south of the boarder. She opens her eyes, they are dark and gloomy. She lowers her hand, it is then that I realise she is in full wolf mode.
"It's time." She growls as she pushes to her feet.