“Don’t take it, Kiran. I need to feel this pain,” James said and I stopped easing his pain.“I’m so sorry, brother.” I had no other words of comfort to offer him. He stopped hugging me and looked up at Malachi.“I don’t care which wolf law says what, Adrian Peters is a dead man!” His voice held hatred and most of the members were nodding their agreement.Children were wailing and being taken away by the surviving women of the pack. Malachi had closed the hotel for repairs the week before and he told everyone to go there, we needed to be together if we were to survive this.We heard sirens in the distance as the fire brigade and police cars sped up towards the den. The warehouse explosion would go down in Seward history as one of the most tragic events to ever occur in this little town of ours.Robert Jones was one of the first officers to arrive and he pulled Malachi aside. “Malachi, what the hell?” Robert looked around at the carnage and I felt the horror that he felt.“You were righ
The police had come back to the hotel to question Malachi about the dead headless body in our house, never mind the fact that it was covered in bullet holes.“Officer, I’ve already told you. I wasn’t there, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Malachi’s face remained impassive and Carl and Frank had already written statements supporting Malachi’s story.“Why would anyone want to destroy your house?” Officer Michaels looked at Malachi through narrowed eyes and I could see the suspicion as he looked at us.“Probably for the same reason that they blew up the warehouse,” Malachi said and kept to his story, no matter how many times the officer tried to ask it differently.“Where were you, Kiran?” The officer turned his attention to me.“I was here at the hotel, getting extra blankets for our hiking trip,” I replied innocently. It wasn’t the truth but there was nothing else I could tell him. I could see that they weren’t entirely satisfied but that was as far as they would get into th
“Adara?” Malachi asked.“I’m here. I know you want me to return for the funeral ceremonies and I will come back to support James and Shoran, but I’m not sure that I want to see Kiran,” Adara said finally.“Why?” Malachi asked.“He’s been back for a week and he hasn’t called me. Shoran called me the day after the explosion and told me everything. She also told me that he came back. When are you doing the ceremonies?” Adara asked; her voice had a hint of anger in it.“In a week,” he replied.“I’ll book a flight for Thursday and be there on Saturday, in time for the ceremony on Sunday. I have to go now,” Adara said and hung up before Malachi could reply.I stood at the other end of his door and felt my heart grow heavy. I had pushed too far. She didn’t want to see me. I went to my bedroom and closed the door behind me quietly. I phoned James instead. He still didn’t answer and I waited for his voicemail.“James, I’m sorry that you feel betrayed. In that instant I felt that the pack neede
We stood in the clearing under the moonlight, the bodies laid out in front of us. Richard went through the ceremonial questions and each family stepped up to perform their incisions and set the spirits of their loved ones free.Malachi had stepped up to perform the ceremony for the families that had nobody else and I shared all our pain with him. The children were the worst. The tears were rolling down his cheeks freely and he didn’t care who saw him crying. It was an emotional night for all of us.Malachi took over the ceremony when it was Richard’s turn to set his wife free. I had started crying with Malachi, I couldn’t control my emotions as I looked at him and saw the pain he was in. Richard was also crying as he took her heart from her chest and let the moonlight envelope it.It was the worst night in our pack’s history and I thought back to how it had all begun, that first time I had sensed Death. Was it a blessing as my grandmother had said or would this turn into my curse? I d
Depression. It’s a word that everybody knows, yet people rarely discuss it. The word depression is like leprosy. If you don’t have it, you have no idea what it feels like to be in that deep, dark hole.The best part of that deep, dark hole is the loneliness. You might find it odd that I say ‘the best part’ but it happens to be true. The loneliness is an escape in itself and that’s what makes it so dangerous.Getting yourself out of that hole is one of the hardest things you’ll probably ever have to do in your lifetime. It’s worse than losing a loved one. Yes, it is. You might wake up and feel fine, nothing happens and suddenly you’re there.That sinking feeling you can’t describe; nobody understands the extreme highs you feel and the extreme lows you sink to. It’s like a light switch. Nothing specific targets you, it’s just something that happens.Wanting to die is not a new feeling when you’re in that hole. Wanting to end your suffering and be done with everybody and everything; it’s
Adrian Peters sat in his car and looked at the house. He knew that Jeff Smith was inside. Jeff’s wife had died two years earlier, leaving him to care for their six-year-old twin daughters, China and India, by himself. They were identical twins and they reminded Adrian of little porcelain dolls.Jeff spent most of his time at home, writing books for children. Adrian prided himself on his abilities to be, firstly, a real man, and secondly, to gather information. Jeff seemed to lead a fairly boring life, just like the others he had preyed on. Jeff Smith had a live-in nanny that took care of his daughters while he wasted his time writing books.The look on Adrian’s face was one of utter disgust. Couldn’t he find a real job? He looked down on weak people and he refused to tolerate that weakness, especially within himself.Jeff went jogging at five thirty pm every evening with Travis Michaels, another pack member. Travis would drive to Jeff’s house and they would jog together.Travis lived
Adrian quickly put a smile on his face and displayed his badge. “Good afternoon, Sir.”“Yes?” Jeff was almost rude as he looked at Adrian. He was a big man but Adrian still felt sure that he could subdue him with the gun if he could only manage to gain entry into the house.“I’m going house to house to ask if any of the residents have noticed any suspicious activity in the area…” Adrian began to talk but Jeff interrupted him.“Like you, Officer? You’ve been sitting in your car for a week now, watching my house. I think I should call Chief McKenzie, who I play poker with once a month and inform him of the suspicious acts of one of his officers.” Jeff’s gaze bored into Adrian.“I apologize, Sir, my intention wasn’t to ruffle any feathers. I’m working overtime and watching certain areas every week on my days off.” Adrian tried to save the situation. He could feel that he was losing this argument with Jeff Smith.“Stop watching my house or I will report you!” Jeff said and slammed the doo
Dezrael opened her eyes and looked at the flickering light of the candle in front of her, smiling triumphantly. She was beautiful, like you would expect a movie star to be. She had long blue-black hair that came down to her mid-back with full lips and soft green eyes. In a way, she reminded you of a gypsy, with her olive skin and exotic cheek bones.She had finally found him; he was in Seward, Alaska, of all places. She sighed audibly. She would have to move, again. The half-breed Seiomaor was no longer a boy and the time was right. She wondered what he might look like and if he resembled his half-breed mother, Karani.She closed her eyes briefly and thanked her ancestral spirits for taking Karani’s spirit, hopefully to Muspelheim. She also sent up a quick prayer to her mother, asking for guidance in what she had to do next.Before today she’d been unable to find Kiran Sinclair, due to the cloaking spell Karani had placed around him from the moment of his birth. Dezrael had grown up w