~Wren~
I should have called the moment I got the phone this morning. I was excited and craving a talk with dad, but now that I’ve spent the entire day stewing in the many ways the conversation could go, I’m finding it hard to hit the call button. What if he needs me and I can’t be there? What if he doesn’t answer or worse, what if something happened? Sweat covers my palms and I wipe them on my clean pajama pants with a puff of nervous breath.
“I can do this. Just a simple ‘Hey dad, how are you?’ Easy. I got this.”
My hands shake as I type in his phone number and hit the green phone icon connecting our lines. I jump with every trill of the line, each sound a reminder that he might not be there anymore. He could be dead for all I know. Tears crowd my eyes and I swallow the sting in my throat.
“Hello?” an unfamiliar male voice answers the phone.<
When I wake up, I have more resolve. My head is clear of the emotions and what felt like a slap in the face from reality. I am finding it much easier to get caught up in the pack's safety I’m in and the comfort of my mate’s arms. Even if he won’t claim me yet and we are just… friends. I can’t allow myself to get distracted anymore. I need to push myself and focus on the important things. Saving my pack and the rebels. I grab my training gear and move to the bathroom, working out my new plan as I go through the daily motions. The first thing on the docket is getting packs to join me, sadly this is also the hardest thing on my list. I’m nothing more than a low-ranking wolf exiled from my pack for betraying them. This is why I have decided I need to travel back the way I came and seek the help of the rogues. They are the original rebels and where I technically belong with them. The biggest feat I
~Sebastian~ Wren will most assuredly be the death of me. The moment her damn lips touched mine, there wasn’t a single person around us. I was locked in and ready to make her mine. Hell, if it hadn’t been for her using the element of surprise to flip me, I’m not sure I would have stopped at all. I’m sure I will have a jealous Nickolai coming at me soon. All the warriors witnessed our little sparring session on the pitch. Her tactics won’t go unmentioned. In fact, I would bet they will be all anyone talks about at dinner tonight. Tank thankfully steps in so I can watch her moves from an outside perspective, which is for the best since I’m sporting a raging hard-on that is not the easiest thing to hide in gym shorts. It does, however, help to quell my desire when I remind myself why I am here. I am here to determine if she is capable enough of handling herself on her own… Not that I really want her going on her own. Nor do I need to actually watch her. I know the answer, and it’s no.
Well, there was no ‘calmly talking’. In fact, it’s been complete radio silence for three terrible fucking days. Wren continues to train and I’ve taken over in patrolling the border of the pack lands. I have tried every night to open her door, and each night she locks it in anticipation of my arrival. In passing, Wren will acknowledge my existence. Each nod in my direction is like a bolt of lightning striking hope in me, only to be shut down when I attempt to get back into our usual routine. I haven’t had a restful sleep since sleeping on my own. Nightmares plague my mind every time I drift off. The fear of where she is, what could happen when she is not within arm’s reach of me, has made me nearly kick her door down once or twice. My desire for her to be in my arms is now overshadowed by my unwavering need to see her every morning, to ensure that she is ok, even though logically I know she has
~Wren~Time seems to slow down. The shock of Sebastian’s words, the weight of them crackle in the air surrounding us. My throat feels dry, and I’m unable to respond when he demands words from me. With a look of sheer determination and love, he gives my head a small shake, and the outside world comes crashing back.“Promise me!” His words are desperate and demanding as I shake my head in affirmation. A small growl leaves his lips and in the next moment, he is running towards Avi. One step, two steps, three thundering strides is all it takes for him to close the distance. I hear every sound, feel it as if it were made or spoken into my very ears. The sound of heavy breathing angered yelling and the muttering of confused border warriors.“Sebastian! Don’t” Nickolai roars
The second I hit the steps leading into the packhouse, Luna Nikita is rushing me with fury in her eyes. I suck in a deep breath of air, hoping to calm my nerves, but no such luck. They are as fried as the rest of me. I lost myself the second I realized it was Avi, the stark fear of watching him be tortured while no one did anything? A shiver runs down my spine just thinking about it.“You!” Luna Nikita sneers at me.Unphased, I sidestep her.“This will have to wait, Luna.”I assume my lack of manners pisses her off since her hand flies out and yanks on my forearm. I jolt forward, my hair cascading down around my face. Her grip tightens and I scowl at her hands, then bring my eyes to her.“I think not.”“Luna, I mean no disrespect, but if you don’t let me go, I can not be held accountable for the actions of my wolf.”
~Sebastian~Nickolai’s knee has been bouncing from the moment I sat down. The relentless tapping and his clenched jaw give away not only his anger but his anxiety. He is worried about the outcome, not that I’m surprised. That’s who he is. When he cares, he cares fully. He glances my way for a minute with a sad frown before looking back at Alpha Jameson, who has yet to move.Alpha’s eyes are heavy with disappointment, but after a minute he leans back in his chair and rakes his hands through his hair, leaving it in complete disarray, and scrubs his face with his palm. He assesses me from his new sitting position before exhaling his breath.“Fucking hell, Seb.” He mutters. “I don’t even know where to start.”I watch him in silence. I know the honorable thing for me to do is beg for forgiveness, say it won’t happen again, and ask to be sent on the
~Wren~“I need to know more about Waylon and his hand in everything,” I say, dragging a chair over to the side of Avi’s bed once the healer leaves the room. His eyes droop sleepily, but he gives his head a rough shake and blinks a few times.“Uh. Well. I don’t really know much. Just that they wanted me executed after Freesa told them I was a part of your—let’s see, how did they phrase it?–‘Futile attempt to take over the pack’?” He smirks and I throw my head back, laughing.Yeah, I suppose the thought must have occurred to Alden that I would want to take over the pack. Why else would someone want to usurp him? He is so wrapped up in himself and his own jackass world that he can’t imagine how shitty it’s been for everyone else. Though it had to have pissed him off a little, knowing that the rebel cause was led by a young female werewolf
After watching Seb leave with Ranger–yes, I watched him jog off until I couldn’t see him anymore. What kind of mate would I be if I didn’t stare at my man’s fabulous ass as he leaves me?—I found myself in search of food and something to bring back for Avi to eat when he wakes up.I swear the kitchen in this packhouse has secret faeries who are incapable of letting a single item be out of stock. I grab a few packets of muffins, cheese, and jerky sticks and decide that maybe a banana or five will be good for my sore muscles. Tank told me it helps with lactic acid build-up. This means nothing to me, but I nodded my head like I was smart and educated, even though I never attended school beyond middle school.I can feel a presence watching me, another sense I developed as a kid. Though I can’t place the scent, the hint of jasmine and citrus dance around me. I find it oddly calming. Like my frayed ne