"Tae, please talk to me" dad pleaded, yes literally pleaded with her. What an embarrassment for an Alpha. "There is nothing to talk about John" she whispered, I couldn't make out the emotion in her voice, was it fear, sadness or was she being just cold? "You haven't said much since you came here, only work, work, work" dad said, his voice gaining more strength as he spoke. "It is always about work" he continued "what about you, your life?" he asked. "Work is my life" she stated, I heard her footsteps as she walked away from where my dads' voice was coming from "it has always been and you know that" she added. "No, it has not and I KNOW THAT" he countered "I remember times where you would laugh and sing and bring joy to those around you Taemilia" he said.
Taemilia? Joy? I furrowed my forehead, trying to bring the things dad said together with the bitch I knew. "Don't call me that" she whispered "you have no right" she added, still whispering. "I am your God father" dad stated and I finally felt my brain explode "WHAT?!" "And I know I didn't do a very good job" he said, sounded more sad than I have heard him in a very long time "I'm sorry for giving up on you" he continued "I'm sorry for not being there, I'm..." "stop it John" Tae said, now her voice being filled to the brim with emotions "It was not your fault, I have told you before, It was not your fault! I do not blame you for anything! But it happened and I have to live with the consequences, stop bringing it up" she said, almost sounding like a normal woman talking. I wonder what happened.
"You came here to confirm me being certain, yes, I am certain and I will do as I said. No one is to leave the centre and no danger shall come to it" she then said, sounding much like her old self again. Dad let go of a long sigh, "Be careful, I can't go through that again" he whispered "And you won't" she said and I heard her steps near the door. Shocked and still stiff from all the information, I managed to somehow flee into my room and close the door behind me before I heard the door open and someone leave. What the actual heck just happened? I asked myself. I thought about sharing with the others, but something inside me didn't quite want to, so I decided to go for a run, letting out my wolf to satisfy him before the night of the full moon.
Not bothering to walk downstairs and not wanting to bump into anyone and have to talk, I stripped, jumped outside my window and shifted before hitting the grass with my large paws. My wolf was grey with a belly the colour of sand. His name was Rumulus. High time for some serious exercise, that Tae had been torturing your weak form long enough he said and started taking over the sprint. I let him have control, but monitored his action. Despite what humans think, it's not like we're always best friends with our wolf and so similar. I get along with Rumulus quite well since he is similar to me, maybe more passionate towards the pack and a little more protective, but still close.
I've heard of werewolves not getting along with their wolf and fighting over dominance when being in their wolf skin. Full moon is especially hard for those since having control is almost impossible in the night our wolves are the strongest. Rumulus shot along the wood like a bullet and entered at a random point, following the smell of salt water. I didn't think we had salt water in this forest he wondered, as he had to squeeze through small gabs in between trees to follow the faint scent. It smells so good he thought and his mouth watered a little Dude, what's going on with you? I thought, asking him at the same time.
I don't know, I just need to follow this smell he said and mindlessly trotted along a tiny path until reaching a small opening. A river rushed past us, only deep enough to wet the paws and maybe some of the legs, but strong with its current. That's not salt water I retorted to him and send him a "duh" face. No, but there he answered and his eyes moved to a weird looking thing in the trees. He trotted closer, the smell came off this thing. It was a tarp, professionally pitched to protect a hammock from wind and rain. The hammock had a mosquito net hang up on top of it and moved a little with the breeze.
Rumulus had pushed his large nose under the tarp and just as I wanted to tell him to get away from it, it hit us. Full force like a truck. I mentally stumbled back and Rumulus swayed a little as he inhaled deeply. It's her he said and Goosebumps ran up and down his spine, little sparks erupting at random points of his body as he inhaled again and again. The smell of something so sweet and alluring had been hiding under the salt water smell, that's why Rumulus had followed it, it has been there, the faintest hint of it and here was the source, this hammock. I found her he said, pride in his voice as his chest was rising with deep breaths, excitement rushing through his veins.
She was here he said, inhaling again, but where is she now? He turned around, scanning the woods, raising his nose, sniffing the air, then sniffing the ground, circling the whole camp set up, but there was no track, no hint of her smell, just the path we came on. Where is she? He asked again, panic arising within him and me what if something happened? What if something happened to her? These woods are dangerous, why was she here, all by herself? So close to me?! Has she smelled me yet? Is she searching for me? Maybe she is at the house? Maybe she followed my scent.
He rambled and then pushed his paws deep into the ground, jumping into a sprint, weaving through the forest like a maniac, not caring for branches cutting into his skin, plants getting caught in his fur. Slow down man I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't have it. He had waited longer than I have, I have to admit that. When I was fourteen and still a child in my fathers' eyes, being only interested in training and boys, he was already looking for her in every girl we met. Now, ten years later, having smelled her for the first time in life, nothing could stop him.
He shot out of the forest and looked around, scaring some men off the nearby training area until they noticed it was Rumulus and not some Rogue. His eyes frantically searched for someone he didn't know, someone he hadn't already smelled and seen. His nose went from the air to the floor and back, his tail twitching with nerves. Why is there nothing? He wondered, his mood hitting rock bottom as he let out a sorrowful howl, still hoping to attract her with it. People were looking at us enough Rumulus, start behaving! I commanded I need to find her he ignored me and continued sniffing all around, rushing from house to house in the village, continuing to scare children off the Streets.
The crazy look in his eyes scared them even though they knew him to be the soon-to-be Alpha. Rumulus I yelled in his head as he almost ran a man over who had not jumped out of the way fast enough. Where is she? He asked and howled again, pure pain and loss in his howl. My dad came rushing to me, mind linking me as he ran what is it Son? Why is Rumulus in such pain? He asked, but before I could answer Rumulus entered in the mind link I found her, I smelled her sweet smell and I have to find her now he send dad the image of the hammock set-up and dad immediately shut the connection we had, his face growing pale as he looked at Rumulus. "Shift back" he said, Rumulus growled at him, but before he could protest my dad said "I command you to shift back NOW" in a voice full of authority.
Rumulus howled and my body began twitching and moving as it did as my Alpha commanded. Dad quickly took a large towel from the hanging rack in a garden close to us and threw it to me to cover up. "What was that about?" I burst out, not being as respectful as Rumulus when it came to treating the Alpha. "Come inside first and get dressed" dad replied and turned, rushing away in an unusual rush. We need to find her Rumulus said in my head. It was very unusual for him to speak up when I was in my human form. I promise we'll find her I assured him We will find our mate.
I walked into my dads' office fully dressed to find it empty What the fuck dad I mind-link him, angry about being left here instead of searching for my Mate. Rumulus was clawing on the inside to look for her, to hold her, to keep her safe What if a stray wolf gets to her? What if a neighbour pack captured her and she needs help? What if .. Stop panicking, she'll be fine I try to tell him as I look out the window and into the forest "Where are you?" I whisper and scan the treeline. I hear dads' footsteps approaching and turn to see him enter with a grim expression on his face. "Language" he says, obviously not pleased with my choice of words while mind-linking.
"Dad, we have more important matters at hand!" I almost yell and rush to him, gripping him by his shoulder and staring into his eyes. An unusual amount of excitement had shifted from Rumulus to me and filled me with high levels of adrenaline. "We found her dad!" I search his eyes for the same excitement. The excitement a father should show when his son finds the one partner for life, the future Luna of his pack. But there was no excitement, only grief as his sad eyes looked deep into mine "What is it dad? Why are you so grim? Jeez! Rejoice with me!" I yelled and shook him a Little.
He rested one hand over mine, smiling at me, not a convincing smile though "your mate?" he asked. "Yes, YES, father, my mate" I yelled, let go of him and jumped in a circle, something I haven't done since being a child. Dad still looked like being on a funeral "so why did you call me here? I must go find her, it's full moon tonight, she'll be shifted, I will smell her then!" I yell, suddenly having had the greatest idea "She'll be in the woods..." my voice trailed off, shock filling me, anxious I stared at dad "oh no" then anger rushing through me "We must stop her" I yelled and bolted out of the room, trying to sniff out Tae.
I stopped dead in my track when I couldn't remember how the second in command smelled. "Odd" I thought and turned "Where is that bitch?" I asked dad who had followed me, he rose an eyebrow "Tae, the second in command blablabla" I said, disrespectful as always. "You are not to call her..." "I don't care!" I barked "WHERE IS SHE?" I demanded, suddenly angrier than anything. Who was my father to take time away from my mate and me? "In the gym" he said, lowering his head, his eyes clouding over as he mind-linked someone. I turned and rushed down the two flights of stairs, through the lounge and the metal door into the gym where I saw the second in command standing.
She was supervising some of the more experienced warriors, going over some advanced method to pin an opponent down without endangering oneself. "You can't go into the woods tonight!" I yelled as I approached her, she ignored me, keeping her eyes trained on the two man, encouraging them to continue fighting. They did and she kept her eyes on them, not acknowledging my presence. "I am coming with you tonight!" I then said sternly "No one is to leave the village centre" she stated, her voice composed and cold, slightly muffled through the fabric over her mouth. "I must find her, you cannot harm her, she will be in the forest" I said, not being able to help sounding desperate.
"Then you better get her out" she said, waving the fighters off the mat and letting new ones take position. "I can't find her" I said, my voice lowered and hushed as I didn't want the others to hear me in this state of mind, I had respect to uphold. She only shrugged and continued to look at the fighters, correcting them here and there. "Look at me!" I yelled, angry at her for standing in between me and my mate. Who the fuck was she to take that from me, to take those precious seconds and minutes, to endanger her?! "Show me the respect I deserve!" I yelled at her as she wouldn't even look at me.
Her lips twitched under the tight fabric "trust me soon-to-be Alpha" she began, her voice mocking "I am giving you just that". The warriors standing around the ring were looking at us, alarmed by my screaming and now intrigued by her rudeness. I couldn't let her pass with that! I couldn't have her embarrass me like this! Anger was boiling inside of me and just as I wanted to grab her around the throat she turned her head and looked me dead in the eye "you better get your emotions in check before the full moon rising in two hours" she said, staring in my eyes with such intensity "you are not to trespass into the woods" she then added "but my mate" I whimpered, sadness taking over the rollercoaster ride of my emotions "She's out there" I said.
One of Taes' eyebrows rose "get her in then" she suggested, obviously not understanding what I meant. "I can't, I don't know where she is" I replied, growing sadder with the second "Use your mind-link" Tae continued suggesting "I caaaaaan't" I exclaimed and let my whole body fall to the ground, utter shock, terribly sadness and fear for my mate taking over "I only smelled her, Rumulus did, he smelled her, he found her camp, her smell was in her hammock, but nowhere else" I whimpered, looking at my hands on the floor. The gym was pin-drop silent for a while until Tae rose her voice again. "Get this wailing child off my floor and into a safe room to spend the night in" she ordered, warriors started moving
I jumped to my feet "WHAT!?" I yelled. "You are too emotional, you might hurt your pack, it is for your safety" she said in her usual cold voice. I growled at the approaching men "Do not dare touch me" I hissed with all the authority I could muster. Taes' eyes showed no emotion as she stared at me "you are not the highest rank here" she whispered and then added in a harsh tone filled with enough authority to make the walls shake "GET HIM OUT". And they did. My own pack betrayed me like that! To my utter shock they shut me into one of our cells "you must be joking, get my father NOW" I yelled as I struggled against the bars. "No use" I heard my dads' voice.
He was walking through the warriors who brought me here, nodding to dismiss them. "I'm sorry son, but this is for your own safety" he began "you can't go running off into the woods or being free in this state of mind at a full moon". I stared at him in shock, how could he do this to me? "But dad, I might not get a chance to find her after that! I must find her, dad!" I begged, falling to my knees, humiliating myself, but I didn't care, not one second. "Don't take her from me" I whined "Marvin" my dad crouched down to me and looked at me through the bars "I promise this night will not change anything when it comes to your chances on finding her" he said, being sincere. "How can you know?" I asked him, he smiled sadly. "I just know, please trust me son" he said and then stood up. "I'm sorry your night has to be like this" he added before he walked away and out of the cellar, looking the door behind himself.