21. "Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. "
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We ran as fast as we could over mountains and undergrowth. By the time we reached the border of Black Death territories, the moon was rising.
Shadows danced menacingly against the trees as we travelled in the middle of the night. The area was deserted as we crossed into no-mans land, infested with rogues.
Branches scratched at my face, and the bitter cold burned my lungs. The cold spitting rain cleansed my face as I took one step after the other.
I took each step with nervousness, afraid of the questions I would face. It was hard to keep my thoughts focused on the present. Nate was in a vastly different mood compared to me.
He whistled an odd tune as he moved stealthily through the forest undergrowth. He didn't seem bothered by the pelting rain or tired after the vast mountains we climbed.
My chest heaved, struggling to keep up with his brisk movements. I wanted to sit and rest, but with this weather and in no-mans land, I was not willing to take that chance. I knew we needed to cross the border before we were spotted by rogues.
Leaves crunched under our feet; we remained in human form whilst in no-man land - our streamlined stealth as humans was more optimal when trying to remain inconspicuous.
"You've been very quiet," Nate observed. "Are you sad that you had to leave your mate?" He teased much to my dismay, waggling his brows with a smirk.
"I'm not sad," I snorted with a laugh. "I'm happy...but I guess I'm just a little nervous."
"What are you nervous about?"He seemed so puzzled that I envied his laid-back attitude.
"The questions everyone will ask," I admitted. "They're going to ask me where I've been the whole time." I shuddered to think of how I would be interrogated by my dad when I returned. "I can't tell them the truth."
"That's what you were so worried about?" Nate laughed a throaty sound, and his shoulders relaxed. "Don't worry, the Alpha got your alibi covered."
"My alibi?"
"Yeah, he started preparing it a while back." He shrugged nonchalantly. "You're going to tell them that you were in Greyback with your mate, but then Greyback was attacked, and you managed to escape...with me, of course," Nate explained with a grin.
That caught me off guard; my interest piqued. "Greyback?" Where have I heard that name before? "Is that a real pack?"
"Yeah, they have an allegiance with The Seven." Nate's face had changed instantly, his eyes tensing, and he struggled to contain a growl. "We got rid of them a couple of weeks ago; I think it was a few days after you joined our pack."
I was in shock, my hands were shaking. I could feel the rising anger and fear fusing together. The guilt made me bow my head and clutch at my chest.
I was the reason an innocent pack died.
I was disgusted by how this pack of monsters could easily wipe out an entire pack containing villages, people, and children without an ounce of remorse.
We walked in silence. My mind wandered as we trekked past a rushing river, there were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I was too afraid of the answers. In the end, my curiosity trumped my fear.
"Hey, Nate?" I asked hesitantly. "Why do you hate The Seven so much?"
Nate was silent for a minute before he heaved a sigh. "They're...evil." He struggled to form words, his lips twisting in disgust.
"Well, I think your pack is evil." I teased, trying to keep the conversation light-hearted. "Are you saying they're worse than you guys?"
Nate snorted, and his eyes returned to scan our surroundings. Despite his face softening into a far more familiar smile, I still the saw the tension caged behind his eyes as he drew a steeling breath. "Yes."
We lapsed into silence as we moved forward. I absently gazed at the surrounding greenery, my fingertips brushing against wild purple Lupine.
"If you hate The Seven so much, why do you attack innocent packs."
Nate, the complete opposite of his cousin in both resemblance and temperament, frowned, his eyebrows scrunching up worriedly. "They're not innocent if they have an alliance with The Seven." He snorted. "Do you think The Seven just pick any random pack?" Before I could answer, he growled, "You need to prove yourself if you want an alliance with them."
"So you attacked my pack because you think we did something wrong?" I guessed numbly. My eyes flitted up to his rueful eyes, and I watched as he swallowed thickly.
He looked uncomfortable, his hands clenched into fists. "You should ask your pack about what they did."
A howl in the distance was enough to stop me from asking more questions. I jumped in the air, half-expecting a rogue to attack us.
He laughed at my reaction, slowly relaxing again.
I decided to change the subject. "Are we nearly there yet?"
"Yeah....just another hundred miles." He murmured.
My chest heaved as we ran with inhuman speed, mere flashes of colour against the green undergrowth.
"Hey, there's one more thing I wanna know," I whispered, trying to distract myself from my nerves. "How are you going to explain yourself? My dad will no doubt ask a lot of questions."
"Unlike Alpha Gabriel, I've got no plan." He shrugged with a dismissive grin.
I was too distracted to ask any further questions. Night Star border was finally within reach; I could scent it.
I tried to prepare myself for this moment, but now that it had arrived, I realised just how vulnerable I felt. I feared that my pack would see through my lies or worse - find out the truth.
But that fear morphed into relief when I saw the barbed silver fence that ran across our border. The relief was almost overwhelming.
I held my breath as we drew closer. We stopped in a small clearing outside the border, the breaking dawn illuminating the area.
A low growl was heard when one of the guards spotted us, but that growl turned into a howl, and before I knew it, a choir of howls broke through the silent dawn.
A few wolves approached me with a panting grin, brushing tufts of fur and pelts against me as they sniffed and mewed at me.
More howls and wolves joined once I passed the threshold into Night Star; I was paraded through a hoard of large wolves. Nate, in stark contrast, was kept at a safe distance by two snarling wolves.
Beta Saul and his wife ran toward me with outstretched arms. As soon as I was at arm's length, he crushed me to his chest. "Thank you for returning." He whispered, his voice hoarse.
Within seconds, Johnny's mom pulled me out of his arms and into hers. "I'm so happy you're safe."
More wolves surrounded us until we were surrounded by a sea of brown and grey pelts. A concoction of relief and comfort washed over me at the smell of home, of pack.
"Honey, where were you?"
Before I could answer, Johnny bounded through the large bodies of the pack guards, effortlessly shoving several wolves out of the way.
My stomach filled with giddiness; a huge grin stretched across my face. Johnny's expression mirrored mine. His boyishly handsome and muscular build made him stand out as much as ever, and he possessed an air of confidence that only a Beta bloodline could possess.
He folded me into his chest, spinning me around. Our laughs lost in the sounds of a chorus of howls and cheers. Johnny squeezed me extra tight, almost as if he didn't believe I was alive. I stared into his familiar warm brown eyes and finally felt at home.
"Welcome home, Princess." He choked out as he pressed his cheek against the top of my hair.
I laughed so loud it felt unfamiliar. I haven't laughed like this in a while.
He laughed his throaty laugh in my ear as he spun me again.
My breath caught when I noticed Journey standing motionless behind us, her wide eyes in disbelief as if she saw a ghost.
Johnny released me automatically, and I hurled myself at her, almost slamming her to the ground.
"Journey!" I cried.
Her arms hesitantly circled me. "Harper?" The relief was evident in her voice. I hugged her tighter as I gasped in her scent. It was only when she soothingly rubbed my back I realised I was silently crying all along, the tears blurring my vision.
"I missed you so much." I blubbered.
"I missed you too." Her voice strained.
When I finally managed to calm down, I realised I was being towed away from the mass of wolves and Nate and towards the line of parked cars.
"Let's get you home." Beta Saul murmured, turning me out of Journey's hold and into his arms.
"My dad?" My heart stilled in my chest at the thought of dad. I missed him so much.
Beta Saul sighed. "Come on," He led me towards his Black Mercedes. "He's waiting at the pack house."
It was so very quiet as we drove through the small dirt road leading towards the back of the pack-house. The silence was comforting as I basked in the scent of pack.
Trees blurred past; I kept my eyes wide, not wanting to miss a single tree or rock in sight. I wanted to store every single inch of my pack in my memory.
We were soon pulling up to the pack-house. A bright light shined from every window on all five floors. Garlands of pink wisteria wrapped around the back porch, and lanterns hung from its eaves. Roses lined the wide steps leading to the back entrance.
Beta Saul opened the door and offered me his hand. He helped me out of the car and walked me up the stairs. Johnny and Journey remained at the bottom, their eyes tense.
Something was wrong; I could sense it.
Beta Saul led the way through the dimly lit foyer, around the empty communal halls and towards the elevators. The whole place was silent, which was unusual. The pack-house was normally filled with wolves; pack guards, children, and elders.
"What's going on?"
Beta Saul's expression frightened me. His eyes were bleak, and his forehead crumpled. The worry on his face unnerved me.
"It's your Father, Harper." His voice was careful.
I was unable to move from where I stood.
My breath caught in my throat. "My Father?" I struggled out.
He grimaced. "He's not doing so well."
"What happened?"
He stared at me, disgruntled. "He's sick." His words were too vague for my liking.
I shook my head in denial. A wolf rarely got sick, let alone an Alpha. The thought of my dad in pain was a crippling sensation, but I barely felt the pain beyond the shock.
Beta Saul held me tight as he led me to my father's chambers; with each step the worry was eating a hole through my heart. Dazed and disorientated, I gracelessly stumbled beside him until we were right in front of the door.
Beta Saul urged me inside before warily walking away. For a split second, I saw a flash of pity in his eyes.
The look in his eyes haunted me as I headed through the long marble hallway that led towards my father's bed chamber. The room was imposing - adorned with polished gold furniture illuminating against the deep blue wallpaper and the rich mahogany floor.
My eyes focused on a decaying houseplant, which sat withered and dry, completely out of place. I should get rid of it - I thought, and perhaps replace it with begonia or the purple hyacinth my mother used to love. But that thought diminished when I suddenly stepped into his sleeping chambers and was greeted by a flurry of nurses and pack doctors administering IVs into my dad's arms and observing various monitors and charts.
For a moment, I was stunned at the sensory overload of it all, but that all faded into oblivion once I saw him.
My dad was completely unrecognisable. His warm smile and kind eyes morphed into a weary hollow face that was overwhelmingly disturbing.
I needed two seconds to shake off the initial shock before my body moved on its own accord, pushing past the medical equipment and beelining straight to his bed. "Dad?" I began, hesitantly walking towards him. His skin was sickly pale and beaded with sweat, he was propped up against a wall of pillows, and his eyes were closed as if he lost the will to stay awake. I blinked my wet blurry eyes, suddenly sure that this was all just a nightmare.
He must have scented me because he struggled to open his heavy eyes. "Harper?" He croaked out, his voice a grating whisper.
I wiped my eyes hurriedly, "Yeah, Dad, it's me, Harper." I nodded helplessly, my voice cracking with a sob.
I almost heard my dad gulp as the heart monitor spiked with his speeding pulse. He took a strangled breath before he spoke. "No, it can't be; I must be dreaming."
"No, Dad, it really is me," My chest felt tight, and I had trouble breathing, but with shaking hands I managed to grab the hand not hooked to the various machines around him and pressed it against my racing heart. "Can't you feel my heartbeat?" I asked anxiously.
His heart monitor was going haywire, and suddenly his breathing became laboured and shallow. "My baby!" He rasped out as the doctors swarmed him. "You're alive?" His loud exhalation, was accompanied by a groan.
"Wait!" I choked out as the nurses held me back. I struggled against their hold, desperately willing my numb legs to carry me forward. "No, No, Please!" I screamed, fighting against their hold. "What is happening?!" I cried as more doctors swarmed into the rooms, the monitors in the room all blaring.
"He needs rest, Harper." One of the nurses spoke up, forcibly removing me from the room. My struggle was futile; I knew they were right. "You're disappearance took quite a toll on his body."
I will not cry.
I will not cry.
I will not cry.
I repeated the mantra in my head as I hesitantly walked away from my ailing father. I felt horrible about what had happened. If only I had told him the truth, then none of this would have happened. Once I stepped out onto the empty hallway, I started to cry. The tears left me silently as the guilt and fear rose up like bile.
There was someone standing at the end of the hall, near the emergency exit. A woman, one of the pack cooks, stood at the opposite end of the dark hallway. I knew she saw me too as she stilled in stunned silence, almost as if she saw a ghost.
I straightened at once, hastily wiping my eyes before she caught me in my moment of weakness.
We stare at each other in silence until she lowered her gaze and smiled slightly, but in her eyes I saw what I dreaded the most - pity. With a bow, she turned and headed out.
The sigh that left me was long, and anguished. I walked, in the opposite direction, following the carpet bending towards another staircase. I walked up the stairs and past the old grandfather clock, which belonged to my mother.
It was strange seeing the pack-house like this, cloaked in silence. The silence was eerie; with each step I took, only the sound of my weight against the groaning boards echoed into the stillness.
I realised I was soon at the end of another hallway, facing a door I hadn't opened in many years.
My mother's boudoir.
Biting my lower lip, I decided to explore the room.
The room hadn't changed; my father kept everything in place. It felt as though I had stepped into a memory.
The boudoir remained furnished with the massive hand-crafted vanity. The memory of watching my mother brush her hair and put on lipstick brought a small smile to my face. I could almost smell her here if I tried hard enough.
The velvet chaise lounge still sat beside the vanity, whilst its twin stayed positioned opposite a now empty fireplace. The picture-perfect image of my mother sitting opposite the fire as I sprawled across her lap and fell asleep to her endless stories was a bittersweet memory that only filled me with more longing.
I fled to the one place that once brought me comfort, but seeing how empty and lifeless this room was, reminded me of how I felt like a stranger in my own home.
I shut the door behind me, slowly sinking to my knees and shutting out the world.
I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my head in my hands. My shoulders began to shake as the sobs I desperately tried to contain violently broke free.
I let out a scream of frustration that had been pent up for way too long. Every time I opened my mouth to cry, I could taste the salt from the tears dripping into my mouth.
The girl in the reflection of the vanity mirror caught my attention. I didn't recognise her hollowed gaze as she stared back at me, sobbing pathetically. Her crying infuriated me; in her eyes I only saw weakness. She was pathetic. She let her family and her pack fall apart, all because of a monster. She lied and ran away and was too afraid to face the truth.
The doorknob jostling behind me startled me out of my thoughts. I spun around to find Journey, and her eyes met mine - her ocean blue eyes still filled with life. Her golden blond locks looked soft and healthy compared to my tangled limp hair. I felt like we were suddenly on polar ends of life; I was left feeling so out of place. As Journey studied my face, her eyes widening as she took in my appearance, I knew I must have looked out of place too.
"May I come in?" She asked softly, slowly inching forward like she was afraid she would startle me. "You've been in her for so long; I thought you'd like some company."
"I really missed you, Journey." I croaked out; my voice was hoarse from crying.
"I missed you too." She sighed heavily, throwing herself down next to me, "I was so lonely."
"Oh please," I rolled my eyes with a wry smile. "You had Johnny and all our other friends."
"It's not the same," She frowned, deadly serious. "You're the Elsa to my Anna, the Woody to my Buzz Lightyear, the Lilo to my Stitch, the - "
"Were you binge-watching Disney movies again?" I cut her off with a laugh.
"I had nothing else to do without you." Journey glowered, "Johnny was too busy with guard duties, and everyone else was so worried about you and kept asking me so many questions; I stayed in my room most of the time."
"I'm sorry, Journey." The guilt ate at my heart. I felt so bad for burdening her with all my problems. "It must have been hard to keep my secret."
"It was," She nodded sombrely but then shook her head with an exaggerated groan. "But enough about me, tell me everything and start from the beginning."
I skipped over certain parts, glossing over my first kiss, but I told her everything else. I told her about the rogues I was forced to kill, the boy in the caves and how they have no pack-house and live as wild animals.
Surprisingly, Journey listened to my story without interrupting. I expected an outburst or at least a snarky remark, but she remained silent. Finally, I fell quiet, recalling everything that happened to me in a span of a few weeks was somewhat traumatising.
"Well, I'm glad you escaped that hellhole." Journey's voice was thick with emotion. "The Alpha will get better now that you're back." Journey said after a pause. "After you were gone, everyone thought you left for Greyback as the letter said, and then a few days later, it was attacked by Black Death."
I hung my head in shame; all those innocent wolves died because of me.
"The Alpha was so heartbroken, and I could do nothing but watch." She hiccuped with tears in her eyes. "He went through every piece of rubble to look for your body. He was too broken to lead and for the past month The Seven have stepped in to care for our pack."
That was news to me. My head began to spin; so much had happened whilst I was gone, it was hard to take it all in.
"Wait, what?" I sputtered out. "The Seven?"
"The Seven are executing a temporary Alpha role until your dad gets better." It was Johnny's voice. "They've appointed one of The Seven to oversee our pack for the time being."
My head shot up to find Johnny standing there, filling the doorway with his lean frame.
I stared up at him in blank shock. His warm, friendly smile morphed into a grimace, and his bright eyes dimmed into a glower. I was surprised to find him so different from before. I yearned for his carefree attitude and infectious laugh. What made him change so much in the span of a few hours?
Johnny continued to stare at me, his eyes tense with a concoction of anger and worry.
"What happened, Harper?" Johnny demanded, his expression growing colder as he watched the play of emotions on my face. "Where were you all this time?"
I lowered my gaze out of guilt, "I was in Greyback." I suddenly felt an unbearable need to apologise, but I reeled it in as I chewed on my bottom lip.
He studied my face in silence for a moment, speculating. The worry never left his eyes. "Greyback was attacked weeks ago, a few days after you left." He spoke slowly, drawing out the words whilst scrutinising my face. "You couldn't have been there the whole time, and it certainly doesn't take weeks to get back home."
I gulped down the rising bile and silently prayed for my racing heart to slow down. "Johnny, please, it's complicated."
"I know you're hiding something from me." His voice broke at the end.
"I'm sorry, Johnny, I can't -" Tears welled in my eyes. "Not because I don't want to but because I'm scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared that you might not want to be my friend anymore." I looked over at Journey, who lowered her gaze, probably recalling how she felt when I first told her. "I know how loyal you are to this pack and my family, and I love you for it, but my secret goes against everything this pack has fought for, what you have fought for."
Johnny froze for a long moment, but managed to recover. Before he could speak, Beta Saul walked over to us.
"Harper, we need to go." Beta Saul interrupted impatiently. "The Elders are waiting for us."
"Where's Nate?"
"Who?" Beta Saul asked, turning to leave. "Oh, you mean the guy you came back with?"
"Yeah, Nathaniel." I nodded, following him down the hallway. "Where is he?"
"He'll join us at the meeting room." Beta Saul informed me. "Now, let's go; we're going to be late."
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Greetings and salutations,
From the bottom of my stomach thank you so much for reading.
Sending you all virtual hugs.
From the mind of a genius,
Morbid Bacon
P.S If you don't comment and vote I will turn Gabriel into Vecna™