-Jack-
As I followed Alpha Rayleigh through his territory, I couldn't help but notice he was taking the long way around it. I was grateful for not having to go too close to the village, but at the same time, my broken body was running out of strength. Walking in the snow was exhausting, and even though I was taking advantage of the alpha's footprints, I still stumbled and fell several times.
"It's just a little bit further," Rayleigh said when he again helped me back up on my feet. He glanced at me with worry and sadness in his eyes and continued, "I could carry you...?"
"Please, no," I mumbled. "This is embarrassing enough as it is..."
"You're sick, kid, and there's no one around to see it."
"You said it's close, right?" I asked, trying to push past him, but the snow was deep, and my legs were already shaking, so I lost my balance again. He caught me with a heavy sigh, waited for me to get my balance back, and let go of me.
"You alpha kids..." he muttered as he followed me. "Always so stubborn."
"Weren't you one too?" I asked.
"I was born human," he reminded me. "I was turned when I was in college, though Thisalee says the alpha spirit in me was already awake when I was still human. She's a born werewolf."
I'd heard the story, yes. "Her previous boyfriend turned you by force, right?" I asked just to keep my mind off the pain and exhaustion I was in.
"It was a complete accident."
"Oh."
"He was trying to kill me."
"Ah... I see..."
"He claimed Thisalee was his mate, but she never accepted him, and that sniveling moron just couldn't take the hint..." he suddenly trailed off and cleared his throat. "I mean... he was not a good person, so..."
Neither was I. Even before Anthony Attwood poisoned my pack and let Henry possess me, I had not been kind. I had been filled with hate, just like my father still was. And how I hated Jaden... From the very first moment I met him, I hated him with a burning passion, just because he had a good family and a thriving pack.
And I hated Arch.
"I'm sorry," Rayleigh muttered. "But... If you'd give him a chance... who knows? I know he's eagerly waiting for a chance to talk to you."
"Not you too," I sighed. "I know. I know he wants to talk, but I can't... Not now..."
"Understood. I'm sorry for bringing it up," he said.
He pointed me in the right direction and our journey continued in silence. It was getting nerve-wracking, especially since I couldn't see him.
"My father claimed you were a cruel man," I said. "I can see it was a lie."
"I am a lot of things, a lot of negative things, too, but I sincerely hope cruel is not one of them."
"Trust me, you are not cruel," I said, thinking about my own father. "What happened to my dad?"
"We have him locked up under our great hall. Along with Anthony and several of their henchmen."
"What are you going to do about them?"
"I don't know yet. Oliver made sure Anthony can't use his powers anymore, but it's not guaranteed he won't get his connection to the shadow realm back," Rayleigh explained with a tired voice. "We're just... taking it one day at a time for now."
I nodded. It was surprisingly easy to talk to the Alpha now that I wasn't panicking anymore. He was threatening, and I was still scared, but I wasn't scared of him exactly. I was just... scared in general.
"There it is," he suddenly said, and I lifted my eyes up from the ground.
I saw nothing at first, but a few steps later, I could see a corner of a roof peeking behind tall spruces. When we got closer, I noticed a piece of a wooden fence, and then the tiny cabin right behind it. It was small. It couldn't be more than just one room.
"It's not much, but you'll be safe here. And you have a bed now," Rayleigh said as we stopped at the gate that was so small that I could've walked over it.
I stared at the cabin. It was made of dark logs and looked pretty old. The roof was hanging over the small front porch, making the whole building look like a disproportionate birdhouse. The door was right in the middle of the wall, big windows on both sides of it.
"The outhouse is at the back, just behind the trees," Rayleigh said, opening the gate and stepping into the small yard. "This has been empty for a few years now, but we've been taking care of it. The old resident moved into the city, you see."
I followed him to the door. There were a lot of fresh footprints in the snow, creating a path up to the porch. We stopped under the roof, and Rayleigh turned to look at me, holding a key in his hand.
"Here. It's yours," he smiled.
"I don't know what to say..." I whispered, trying to see through the windows but it was dark inside.
"You don't need to say anything," he said, nodding his head towards the door.
I stared at him for a moment, but then my curiosity won, and I opened the lock. When I pushed the door open, I was greeted by warm air, and it didn't even smell that dusty. It was clear that someone had cleaned the place not that long ago. I carefully stepped in, the scared side of me thinking this was a trap or an ambush, but I couldn't sense anyone inside.
The sound of a match being lit up scared me, and I jumped around to see Rayleigh lighting up a few candles that were left on a small table right next to the door.
"There's no electricity or running water, but when summer comes, we can see what we can do about them," he said with a smile, walking past me to a small chandelier that was hanging off the ceiling, using the lit candle to light up the five that were on it.
I stared around when the light started spreading in every corner. The place was bigger than it looked from the outside. There was a simple kitchen area with a tiny dinner table on my right, and a small living room area with a fireplace on the left. There was an actual room after the kitchen, and I walked to the door to see inside. A simple bedroom, as it turned out. With a bed and a small, wooden desk.
"I'm sorry we couldn't get you a bigger–"
"Thank you," I said, interrupting the alpha while still looking around. "It's really nice."
I meant it. After years of living in that abandoned factory, using whatever I could to get even a little bit of privacy when I was still a free werewolf, this little cabin looked a lot like a palace to me.
Rayleigh smiled at me and pointed at a set of drawers just outside the bedroom. "We gathered some clothes and other stuff you may need. It's all there. And this door leads down into the cellar. You can use it to store food. We already filled it up, so you should be fine for the next couple of days."
I hadn't even spotted the small door at the opposite of the bedroom. I went to open it and saw a set of stairs leading into darkness right behind it. The air was chilly in there, so I closed the door so the warm air wouldn't get out.
"You are doing too much for me," I mumbled, fearing this was just a dream. A dream Henry had planted in my head just to torture me.
"Kid, we take care of our own," he said. "And before you try to argue back, you are one of ours now, whether you wanted it or not."
"So, I've been kidnapped?" I asked mainly as a joke.
He laughed at my words. "As long as you're safe, I don't care what you want to call this," he said.
"Why do you care about me? You have so many others to worry about. Especially now," I asked.
"Because that's what we do around here. We care," Rayleigh said. "I understand why it may seem strange to you, but you'll get used to it."
I let out a dry laugh, looking at the key in my hand. "Yeah... My father didn't give a crap about any of us."
"You guys are safe in my land. You must've heard the news? Your betas, Rai and Pierce, are now in charge, and Black Thorns are now part of our alliance."
"Yes, Oliver mentioned it," I mumbled, still not looking up at him.
"Black Thorns are no longer acknowledging your father as the alpha," he continued tentatively.
"Of course they won't after everything he did to us," I said and snorted.
"Kid... You do understand what I'm trying to say here?" he asked, and I finally looked up at him.
"N-No..." I muttered, taking a step back from him. "I don't... I mean... I know what you... but no. It's not me."
"It's all right, kid. Your betas are doing a great job leading your pack. You just focus on yourself for now," he spoke in a soothing manner, but it didn't help.
"I'm not a suitable alpha," I whispered, my calmness vanishing like dust in the wind.
He let out a deep breath, shaking his head a little. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry. You don't have to become the alpha if you don't want to. I made the mistake of trying to force that role onto my own son, and it almost ruined our relationship. No one is forcing you; you have my word."
I nodded timidly, feeling the maggots trying to take a hold of my insecurities, but his words helped this time.
"I just... I don't... I'm..." I tried to find the words, but it took me a moment to recollect myself. "Do they... hate me? My pack?"
"They don't," he said quietly. "No one hates you, Jack. I don't know why you'd think that."
I didn't reply to him. I turned my back on him and stared at the bedroom, trying to get back some of the excitement I felt seeing it for the first time.
"It's because of that shadow, right?" Rayleigh asked.
"I... don't know..."
"Hmmh... Well, you are safe here. The Spirit Walkers will do their best to get rid of the infestation so you can finally start to heal," Rayleigh promised. "And my pack will protect you and yours."
"Thank you..." I whispered, feeling like I could breathe a little better.
"You're welcome. I'll get out of your hair now. My scouts will make sure no one bothers you, and I will send someone to check up on you the day after tomorrow in case you need something. And you're always welcome to come talk to me," he spoke, making his way to the door.
I turned to look at him. "Alpha? Thank you. I really mean it."
Rayleigh turned to flash a smile at me. "I know. You just try to get some rest, okay?"
"Okay," I nodded, watching him leave after he said his goodbye.
After he closed the door, I turned to look around again. I just stared at everything for a long time, unable to touch anything just yet. The whole idea of the cabin... The meaning of it... It was difficult to let it sink in. It was almost scary.
To think this was for me... For me. The entire cabin, no matter how small it was... If they really let me stay there, then that would mean...
"Home," I whispered.
It took me a while to start exploring the little cabin. I went through the drawers, finding clothes, some hygiene products, towels, shoes and other small items like a toothbrush, a comb, and a bag. After that, I visited the cellar. There were different kinds of home-made foods in plastic boxes, a few loafs of bread with toppings and a few chocolate bars. I hadn't eaten anything that morning, so I grabbed a container full of soup before heading back upstairs.
The kitchen had a stove, and someone had left me and a basket full of firewood in the corner, and instructions on how to use the stove, but even with it, it took me a while to figure out how to warm it up. I found plates and pots from the cabinets below the counter while the soup was heating up on the stove, and by the time the food was ready, I was starving.
The soup had to be the best damn soup I had ever eaten. I never thought that potatoes, vegetables and meat could make such a heavenly combination. I ate until I was too full to even move, so I stayed seated next to the small table, my gaze traveling around the place.
It was so... cozy. The carpets, the curtains, the tiny couch with a blanket folded on the backrest, some paintings on the walls... Someone had taken their time to make the place look like a real home.
And I knew who it had been. The Huntress's scent was all over the place. It was fading, but I could still recognize it.
I turned to look out of the window. The yard, too, was nice. It was covered in snow, but I could see hints of flowerbeds here and there. I could almost see a garden in vivid colors, and myself sitting under the trees...
I shook myself awake. For one, summer was still a few months away, and two, I didn't believe even for a second that I could stay here for that long.
It was just too good to be true...
A knock on the door stopped me from going down that dark path, and I frowned. Rayleigh promised no one would bother me here.
"Jack?"
I sighed out of annoyance or relief or both. It was Oliver. I went to open the door and saw him standing on the porch alone.
"Can't I have no privacy at all? I just moved in," I told him, but stepped away to let him in.
"I'm sorry," he said as he stepped through the doorway. "I'm returning back to the orphanage later today, so I had to come to see you now."
"What?" I coughed, feeling more shocked than I should have. "Why?"
"Long story short, the people who are not aware of the supernatural part of the world have started getting suspicious of my absence, and my caretakers can't cover up for me any longer," he said and let out a heavy sigh.
"But..." I wanted to say no, that I needed him here to keep the maggots at bay, but I managed to stop myself before the words slipped out of my mouth.
Such a demand was too selfish of me. But I guess he knew what I was thinking.
"Don't worry – I'm not the only spirit walker around here," he smiled at me. "Someone will stay here and help you and the others. You're not the only one infested, after all."
"My pack..." I muttered, and he nodded.
"They are still sick, but they are doing so much better already," he said reassuringly.
I nodded, hoping he was right. None of my people deserved a fate like this. The fact that my father only saw us as suitable hosts for the infestation made me angry. That was our worth in his eyes, to be carriers.
"Let's get it over with, then," I said bluntly and went to sit down on the couch.
"Okay," he said and followed me, sitting down next to me. "Do you like your new home?" he asked, placing his hand on my wrist.
"It's not my home," I murmured, and man, those words hurt.
"You're breaking your own soul," he scolded me. "We've talked about this. You need to stop being mean to yourself or your soul starts cracking again, and the infestation grows stronger."
"Bite me."
"Fine, fine," he mumbled, focusing on the infestation in me. I could feel the maggots squirming inside me. "At least your soul is growing bigger. It has gotten from the size of a tennis ball to a football in a matter of days."
He sounded happy when he said that. I guess it was a good thing, but I didn't feel any stronger than before. I let out a deep sigh, not really interested in talking about my spirit.
"How's..." I trailed off, unable to ask what I wanted to.
But again, he knew exactly what I wanted to ask.
"He's worried," he spoke quietly. "He's sad that you won't talk to him. He really wants to see you."
Something moved inside me, and when I turned to look at Oliver, he smiled at me.
"Was that a happy feeling I just spotted?"
"No," I grunted, and looked away. "I don't want to have anything to do with him."
"Uh-huh," he said, but I knew he was still smirking at me. "Okay, brace yourself, I'm about to blast them out."
I had just enough time to take a deep breath before I was suddenly surrounded by a bright light. It hurt like hell for a split of a second, but it was nothing compared to the bliss that the light left behind. My entire body relaxed when the light vanished, and I couldn't feel the infestation. I knew it was still there, but Oliver's treatment had forced it to back off. The maggots were gone too, but more would grow to take their place.
"There," he smiled at me. "The infestation was smaller this time."
"Thanks," I mumbled.
"Your spirit didn't crack quite as much either. It's becoming stronger too," he continued.
"Whatever."
"And you seem to be growing an attitude," he chuckled as he got up. "It's a good thing. I can already see hints of the person you are supposed to be."
"Yeah? And who am I supposed to be, then?" I asked, my voice maybe a little too hostile after everything he had done for me already, but I didn't care.
"A fighter," he said.
"Yeah, right..." I muttered before I could stop myself.
"You shouldn't doubt yourself so much," he said quietly as he started walking to the door. "You are a fighter, or you wouldn't have survived this far."
I didn't reply to him. He stopped by the door and turned to glance at me over his shoulder, and when our eyes met, he smiled.
"Victory is in your veins."