Jogging through to Chris' office, fairly out of breath and trying to organise my hair instead of allowing it to be a mane, a row of raised eyebrows make me flush as soon as I cross into the room. Alexis isn't the slightest bit bothered despite her clothes being obviously wonky. She's always far more put together than I am after sneaking around.
The terrors start making gagging noises while the others laugh at me and my rosy cheeks. The kid's aren't stupid, they can out two and two together and figure out the rest. They learnt what sex is a few months ago after hearing a comment Lex made. "Mummy! That's gross!" Amelia is on her back laughing at Dylan's disgust. "It's nature."
"Which room needs burning?" I slowly turn my head to the left, glaring straight into his soul as he holds at his stomach between gasps for air. "Look, we clean up after ourselves, unlike some." I peer at Rosie and Ollie who both look away.
"Just tell us the plan." I grumble, stomping over and smacking his shoulder as he wipes away his tears.
He waves us all over to his desk. "Like I said earlier, I only want to go meet these Wolves with a select small group. You all know you are my most trusted members, and have made the decision to take two others. I want to get this done as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the night." It's already about seven. "Zoe, I want you there to help understand how they feel about us. You're an Alpha Mother -"
"- A what?" Lex interrupts, glancing between us, utterly lost as to what he means. "With being an Empatassio, she has the ability to be above the Alpha if she so desires. The natural maternal role over all of our lives is dominating, hence why my dominance doesn't affect her as much."
"You never told me that." I snap. "My mistake." He shrugs. Jerking my head to the side, Leah gets the hint and smacks him on the arm for me. "Alright, I'm sorry. Anyway, I also want Oliver to come. You're a good fighter and aren't intimidating." The boy droops, offended. "It is tru. Ye jus' dinnie come ayout uz threatenin'."
"Is it just me or is his accent getting thicker?" Ro motions to Jeremy. "We've been going to his hometown every few weekends." Holly replies.
"We'll go in an hour. Any Hunter's hanging around should be home by eight. Plus, it may make the Rogue's feel safer with their senses being more alert at night. We'll go in Human form, giving them more control over the situation."
"Sounds like a plan. What should we do until then?" Holly askes, jumping onto the corner of the table, pulling Dylan into her lap. Micah then stomps his foot, wanting to be with his buddy. "Someone go grab pizza, I'll pay. We can chill here until then and keep an ear out for Hunters just to be safe." I suggest though it is more of a demand - I'm craving greasy foods.
As soon as the fattening slices are placed on the table, a swarm of hands dive to collect as many pieces as possible. I snatch out the box of flaming hot for myself, no one else will eat it with the amount of chilli's and jalapeños that cover the top and kneaded into the dough.
I get comfy on Lex's lap, she takes a piece off of me, her tolerance has improved with the amount of heat I put into our meals. The conversations fluttering around the group are bizarre, not that it's abnormal for us since we're all weirdos. The Lovelies are sitting in front of the television. Amelia is sprawling across Ashton's legs, like always. Dylan is sitting on Micah's knee while he feeds him bites of their joint plateful. The two boy's really remind me of myself and Ollie when younger.
"You're daydreaming." The gruff voice tickles the inside of my ear, shifting my attention off of the sweet tots. "Just thinking." I rub my head against the side of her, similar to nuzzling but am unable to with our position. "About anything good?"
"Would you ever want more kids?" She pulls back, stunned by the random thought. "Some day I guess. We're still young and already have three monsters. I know we both want a large family, but it's still early. Why?"
"I was just thinking about how quickly the time has gone. In my mind, they were only babies a few days ago."
"I guess so. Don't you want a break though? These three are exhausting. I love them but I don't have the energy for more like them." I giggle at her as she groans at the tiredness we have felt everyday for three years, my own outweighing hers.
Reaching around us to fiddle with the back of her hair, my fingers get lost in the shaved patch. "You need a haircut."
"Let me know when." She licks the side of my neck, making the lad in front of us cringe. "Oh shut up, Caterpillar. You'll be the same when you find your Mate."
"I don't think I have one, Zo. I'm a huge screw up and I doubt anyone could handle it." Sitting up a little, I tug on the sleeve of his shirt so I can pull him into me. "You're an amazing person, anyone would be lucky to have a ball of joy like you. You're nowhere near a screw up, you have your problems like a lot of us, and the person you are meant for will understand that." My hand moves to the back of his ear, drawing infinity symbols like I do when he's crying.
"Cuddle pile!" Amelia initiates a love mountain, causing everyone to dive at us. I swiftly twist onto my side to prevent suffocation. "I'm dying!" Carter cries. We're at the bottom of the heap, under the colossal weight of several adults and four large children.
We manage to kick them all off. "Guys!" Holly wails. "What? I'm smaller than all of you."
"We're not!" Ash bounces up and down like a ball, trying to look taller than he is. "Not yet, but I don't doubt you will be in a few years." Their genetics have left them already at my hips, Dyl an inch shorter than the other two.
Amelia climbs onto her brother's shoulder, managing to stand on them - he's the strongest. "Will we be this tall?" She asks, holding her arms out to balance. "One day, yes." My shoulders bounce up and down as I answer. "Dyl, join!" She calls the hesitant baby.
Sighing, he scales his sibling's backs. He steadies himself on her shoulders like she is on Ash's. Ashton moans about them both being 'fatties' as he is holding both of their weights. Anthony's hands are on their sides in case they fall. "You're as tall as Ma like that." I laugh.
Wanting to test my theory, Lex stands next to them. Sure enough the top of her head reaches Dylan's stomach. She gasps, making them giggle. "If any of you get this tall, I'll be very annoyed." She wiggles her finger in their faces. "How do we get this tall?" Amelia asks, helping Dylan down before jumping off of Ash. "You eat lots of vegetables and drink plenty of milk." I answer. She groans while Ash agrees.
"I should get them back to the house. I'll see you later, Shortie." She leans over, giving me a brief kiss then jogs after the triplets. I get up to watch them go, amused by their game of chase back to the car.
"Ready to go?" A firm hand clutches my shoulder. Smiling at Boss Man, "Whenever you're ready."
The three of us pack some clothes into a bag in case something happens and we have to change abruptly - they may be alright with walking around naked, I am not. Though I don't think anything is going to go wrong, there's some form of hope and a tugging towards the pack, I have the need to help them.
Over the years, Lex and I have been working to control my abilities as much as possible. I've improved massively and can do things I never knew were possible.
We stand beside one another at the entrance to the inhabited part of the territory, pausing to get a sense of our bearings. The two males look at me, trying to determine if it is safe over my tethers. I shake my head, displeased with their expectations.
Closing my eyes, I move into the now familiar world of connections. Flicking through each and every rope I can grasp, I hunt for the ones of the other present beings. The colours of the vines sometimes change depending on the core emotion one is experiencing. Just like when I first met Lex, the majority of these are crumbling black and greys with the odd blue.
"No threat but it isn't a good situation for them." Allowing my own feelings to choose my course of action, I step onto the path that leads to the ditch. The boy's trust me, I guide them through to our destination.
All of the mixed sounds bring back the memories of that night. I wouldn't change it but the fear within it is still painful to remember.
"Zoe!" A hiss echoes behind me before I'm hauled back behind a huge tree as scruffy brown fur stalks past. It's likely picked up on our scents and is surveying the area.
We want to do this stealthily, entering silently to prevent panic. Being spotted by a massive Wolf isn't going to help us with that. Nonetheless, something feels familiar about him.
Exposing myself, the boy's peek out too, protecting my actions. I'm almost eye level with him, glassy cracked amber eyes that are difficult to forget. His growl is full of threat which the boys prepare to battle with. Then he stops to relax, recognising me.
He barks playfully, thumping his hind on the muddy floor as his tongue sweeps over his bloody lips. I giggle, a blinding grin spreading on my face. Reaching out to scratch behind his ear, I bare in mind to be careful of the rotting hole. He purrs loving the affection I provide, he's still cute.
His head tips to the side, his slimy rough muscle gliding over the bite scar on my wrist that I never cover due to the temperature. "You're not a bad guy, you never were." He makes a sort of sneezing noise which I equate to a negative response.
The two scaredy-cats hesitantly move from their hiding spots, rather confused over the turn in situation. Their unexpected appearance startles him, instantly switching to defense mode.
I slip my hand under his chin, swiveling his gaze to me. "They're my family, no threat to you or anyone else here. We actually want to help all of you." His suspicious eyes loop between the three of his, ending with a grunt and nod.
He turns with a scoff, waiting for us to follow. I remain at his side, the other two behind me to keep the big lad at ease. I take the moment to explore his own feelings.
There's a distinct darkness clouding his mind, hindering his ability to think clearly or care for anything. He's struggling to fight off the temptation to completely give in to the emptiness in his soul. He hasn't become a full Broken with the small spark of hope deep in his heart, he's just a Killer.
A particular pain seems to constantly gnaw away at his sanity, likely a form of heartbreak. Delving in further, my suspicion is proved accurate. Abandonment is a main factor of his downfall, but it is only his interpretation of abandonment, it's the feeling rather than the fact. The poor baby has been through a lot already in his life and is unsure on where to go next - he's only young.
I bump into him as he comes to a halt on the edge of a row of bushes that lead into the ditch. He nudged the leaves with his snout, revealing dozens of visually lifeless Werewolves. None appear dead, they just have no will to continue. My heart aches at the sight of them. There's too many broken spirits to comprehend, there's barely a spark of hope between them.
"C-can I go down?" My hand squeezes at the skin and bone over my chest. He yips, nudging my leg.
Carefully shuffling my feet an inch at a time down the slope, I ease myself into the bottom of the crater. More than a few of them spot us. The more mobile beings shakily push onto their paws. One in the corner of my eye begins to approach, threatening me with his long stained teeth. Mister Wolf tenses, wanting to step in though he must have less authority than the couple attempting to intimidate me.
A female prepares to leap which is when I hold my hand up to quiet them. They lean back, not understanding what is happening. "That is enough, there is no need to be rude. You're in no danger and have no need to threaten any of us. Now, please stop growling, you're making a fool of yourself." I lower my limbs, "Once you've relaxed we can speak civilly."
The lads hold their breath as she doesn't lessen her stance. As soon as I raise my eyebrow and flash my eyes, she backs down to bow her head.
Sitting down on the ground, I motion for them to investigate, inspecting like curious puppies. The other's that were previously laying down have made their way over also. I'm a touch embarrassed after speaking to them with the same tone I use on the kid's when they misbehave.
When one lays his head on my lap, I glance back to the idiots. They're still keeping their distance, allowing me to deal with the scene, though they are also enjoying the image.
"What?" I ask them both. Oliver shrugs, hands in his pockets. "You have them tamed. They trust you like you're their Mother." Chris comments, reminding me of the comment he made earlier - 'Alpha Mother'. The term fits considering the circumstances and my role within the group, I've always acted like a parent to them.
A single puppy comes spiriting over, tripping over her feet countless times though she never lets it deter her mission. I erupt into a fit of laughter as she climbs up the back of the Wolf resting on me, she falls onto his face. He doesn't respond, allowing her to use him as a climbing frame. "Is she yours?" I ask the male Wolf, he scoffs and rolls his eyes though he nods.
With one hand, I lift the tiny girl onto my shoulder where she sniffs and nibbles my ear. The gorgeous Doll is only around on, her form is far smaller than it should be. It's likely they are all malnourished, not good for the growing pups scattered around.
"They've all taken a liking to you." An unknown male voice approaches from the side, stealing my attention for a minute until the baby girl starts pulling on my ear for more attention.
Holding her in my arms, I scratch behind her ear which soothes her. She curls into a ball, probably taking a nap. She snores gently out already.
The young man is probably only in his late teens. He strolls over casually. His scent tells me that he's a Wolf too, also a new member of this pack. I don't think he's been here longer than a few weeks. His hand raises to push his brown hair out of his face, revealing sooty eyes and sandy skin; he resembles someone that I can't make a link to.
Placing the girl in her Dad's paws, I sweep myself off to introduce myself to him after Chris and Oliver. They both shake his hand, then it is my turn.
"I'm Zoe." He reaches for my palm, "Josh." The contact throws me into the other world, glimpses of powerful emotions linking to memories fly around my head. His hand starts to retract but thanks to my eyes, Chris prevents him from doing so, explaining that it can be dangerous and why.
I observe the white as flashes of memories spark randomly in front of me. I typically can control this but when there's a core memory that is the root of their personality and emotions, it's more like they're manipulating me.
I'm dragged into one, the picture desperate to be witnessed as though it has the answers to the universe. Sinking into it, I'm almost blinded by the sun gleaming overhead. It's probably Summer with the heat and brightness of the planet.
A young boy is chasing around a female toddler, the two kicking around a football which is then intercepted by a teen female. The two complain, jumping at her and bringing her to the floor at my feet. Their finger's wiggle against her neck and stomach calling 'birthday tickles'. To me it's like something you'd see in a cheesy movie.
The air then flickers as time moves along, a wickedness drowning the previous affection. It isn't surprising since shredded body parts are littered across the grass, blood seeping into the mud beneath each limb like red fountains. It should be a scene in one of the Saw films.
Near the bushes leading into a park, the boy and little girl are huddled. He's holding her close, trying to put his body between her and the menacing wolf prowling towards them. They are both bleeding a dangerous amount. His jeans are spilt, revealing a deep bite in his leg. Her shirt is almost destroyed by teeth that have dug into her ribs. Outside of this picture, there's tears trickling from my white eyes.
The beast goes to pounce, interrupted by a metal chair flying into its face. It falls to the floor with a groan. The eldest of the three screams for them to make their escape over the hidden fence to safety in a public space.
A thunderous howl escapes its rotten teeth just prior to it leaping at her. Teeth sink into her neck, a contained sharp scream releases in her mouth. Thinking she's done for, it pulls away to go for the two frozen babes peeking through a gap in the railing.
Silently, she collects a knife from the demolished birthday cake reading 'Fifteen'. Deploying her plan to protect her siblings, she pounces onto it's back, driving the blade into its throat. The beast snaps back, clawing three distinct marks from forehead to chin. She's sent into the knocked over barbeque which has started a small blaze. She hollers as her arm catches in the uncontrollable flames, melting part of the skin as she's stuck under the fallen cooker. The image vanishes as the two escape and she loses consciousness as the wolf scampers away.
I gasp harshly, coughing for air; I never breathe when in a memory, they aren't normally that long. Oliver darts to my side, holding me up and asking if I need anything. I merely pant and pat his back while staring at the newcomer with sorrowful tear filled eyes.
"It was her. It's you." I mutter, sighing while straightening my back. "Who? What did you see?" Chris likely explained fully. "I thought that your similar appearance was just a coincidence but the memory put it together. My Mate has a tattoo of her and two siblings, both younger." His head tilts with squinting eyes, not understanding at all. "She never told me much about her past, far too distraught and loathsome over it. Yet you just answered the reason behind her scars. Her name is Alexis Young." I'm full blown sobbing.
He steps back a few feet, breathing heavily. "You're bullshitting." He struggles to say. "Of course not. All I want is to make her and other's happy. I would never set up false hope if I wasn't certain. I know Lex, and her protective nature. I know when and how she got bitten. I know about her parent's and that she lost her siblings, not knowing if they lived or died."
"You're telling the truth?"
"I don't lie. I can take you to see her if you want, even if it's just to prove my point." His head bounces, almost giving himself whiplash. "Chris, Oliver, here's what I want you to do. They are extremely weak. So, you're going to get them plenty of blankets and start a fire for the night. They need feeding fatty nutritious meals at least four times a day to get their strength up. Someone needs to be here with them at all times just in case."
After they confirm and start making calls, I take his hand and make our way back to the house; the best route being straight forward if I'm going all the way to the old house.
"What was your sister's name? Lex could never tell me your names." I ask as we step onto the main road. "Clara."
"What happened to her?"
"We were separated when trying to get away. She kept begging to head back for Alexis and I was able to control her until she let go of my hand and ran off. I searched for hours, I even went back to the house but no one was there." He sniffs. "How old were you both?"
"I was six and a half, she was four and half. Our parents took a break between Alexis and myself to focus on their work since they were fired a few years before I was born." Holy shit that's a lot to go through at those ages. I just knew the basics: Lex's age, how she was bitten, and that she lost her family. She could never bring herself to tell me more than that.
"How did you get by?" I wait before crossing the road. "I changed the same day I was bitten, earlier than most do. I spent a lot of time in my Wolf form until I was thirteen. I started working at random places while moving around, either staying in shelters or in nearby forests." Josh and Lex are really similar, it's kind of scary how much.
Knocking on the front door, I enter since it is still technically mine. Several members of the group peek around the kitchen archway, confused by the unknown person but avert their eyes, leaving me to it. Since she isn't in there too, she's probably in the living room.
Walking in, the kids wave from the TV. "Love?" She stands up, her arm going around my waist to face the new male. "This is Joshua Young." Her hand tightens on my hip. "What?"
"Al?" He asks, scanning all of her features. The sense of style, scars and somewhat unchanged bone structure process in his mind. Meanwhile, the nickname is clicking in her brain very slowly. "Jojo. Oh fuck!"
They tangle together, making me tear up and laugh. She deserves this after basically sacrificing herself to save them and never knowing if it was worth it.
They spend about ten minutes catching up while I try to settle the kids in order to put them to bed soon. We're all interrupted by Carter coming in after going to see his Mum, Oliver by his side. Once his foot crosses the threshold, his and Josh's heads snap to the side, making direct eye contact and freezing.
The rest of us obviously get what's going on. Alexis on the other hand is thrown into the deep end of her protective instincts. She goes to put space between them but I intercept by handing her Ash and Amelia while I hold onto Dylan who's already asleep in my arms.
"We'll leave the two of you to get acquainted." I say, pushing Car into the room while dragging Lex out.
We head up the stairs to lay the terrors down in the double bed they share when here. "How did you know it was him?" She softens her voice, not wanting to wake them. "You look very alike, only minor differences." I pull the blanket over the pups, Ash and Ame cuddling up to Dylan who's in the middle.
"Come on." I link my arm through hers, directing us into my old bedroom to settle for the night also.