Alissa groaned, her head feeling fluffy and odd. She worked her thick tongue around her mouth that felt dryer than an overcooked chicken. Rubbing her eyes as they felt heavy and glued together trying to unstick them. Nothing felt right.Cracking an eye open she could barely make out where she was. It was light, bright like sunlight but the room was dark walled.A figure moved making her sit up, regardless of how she felt.“Easy, lass.” A hand on her shoulder had her struggling away.“Get off!”“Lass, it’s me, it’s Malachi,” a deep, Scottish laced voice announcedShe stilled. “Malachi? What are you
Everything was dark. He squinted, trying to see for a candle flame to ignite. He blinked, surprised by the shine. He couldn’t make out much though. Moving towards the candle did nothing, it never got closer, it never illuminated anything else. Just a stone wall.The sound of a whip cracked down, he spun, ducking on instinct but no pain lashed across his back. A pain filled groan filled the room though. He wanted to call out but there was something telling him to be silent. He stepped towards where he was sure he’d heard the groan only for his foot to go off a ledge. He felt his stomach jolting with the feeling before he landed in an unfamiliar forest. He felt he was seeing everything through a green lens, it all looked so strange and… green. Like vibrant, luminous green, even the floor, the trunks of the trees. Bright green. Like limes.
Malachi rolled his shoulders as his footsteps echoed down opulent hallways. He knew where he was going even without the wolf leading him. He’d been here many times, sometimes a visit, sometimes being summoned. Today… well. It was different. He inhaled deeply before stepping into a room, seven chairs lined up on a platform. As a pup he strived to be sat on one of those chairs one day, now, he had no wish. “Alpha McBayn, it’s a pleasure,” the High Lykos greeted. Malachi’s stomach rolled. Sure, a pleasure. “I come bearing the news that your… request,” he spat the word, “has been carried out.” He lowered his gaze a little, not really wishing to look at the men before him. But he couldn’t for long… he had to act within expectations.Expectations he always hated. He wished he was back on his boat. Away from all these shitty politics. Rufas frowned, “Request? What do you mean?” he asked.“Alpha Luca Wuffaman along with his pack have been removed,” Malachi swallowed the bile swirling in
Michael parked the car he’d borrowed, surprised the shed was empty. Regardless, he parked close to the wall to ensure there would be enough space when the other cars got back.Getting out of the car, a smell hit his nose, a smell he’d been smelling before he got home but that was his doing; his retribution. But this, this smelt stronger, like a lot more than two bodies. The idea had his feet hitting the dirt, jogging to the clearing.The smell got stronger, the stronger the smell the faster he moved, a chill down his back at the worst possible thoughts although he knew that couldn’t be right.The site that greeted him had him faltering a moment before he was tearing up the grass, towards the pack house. Windows had been put through, the door off its hinges.
Alissa wrapped her baby in another blanket, she was worried about the upcoming journey and hated the idea of leaving her home country. “Ready?” Michael asked, Peta balanced on his hip. Alissa looked to her bags and nodded. “It's going to be fine, we're going to love Canada.” Alissa suspected this was for her benefit as well as Peta's.“Intruder.” Malachi came into view. “You have to leave now, someone's coming” panic flooded through Alissa, she grabbed a bag as Michael dropped Peta to the floor and picked up the others. They threw the bags into the car and placed the pups into the back seats. Alissa happened to look to the edge of the grass, seeing a honey wolf appear.Alissa began to run, she pounded her feet against the gravel then grass. She flew at
Alissa’s feet ached, her head pounding. She had no idea where Vilkaman were… no idea what their pack land looked like. Reaching the outskirts of a human town had her collapsing into a bench. It was dark, the sun had set about an hour ago. Smells of food flooded her nostrils but now she’d sat she had no energy to get back up again. Scents of humans throughout the day still lingered in the air, there were less people around than she suspected had been earlier.She rubbed her face, desperate to claw some energy to keep going but with the healing from wolfsbane, walking at least thirty miles, she hadn’t eaten since… the night before she’d been taken and the last water she’d had was before she tried to break down that door.She felt awful.She had to keep goin
Alissa heard a familiar voice shouting below, she ran to the stone bannister looking down towards the four men wrestling the new comer. Alissa gasped and ran down the stone steps, taking two at a time. She leapt into his arms, the wool blanket slipped from his shoulders as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist supporting her weight. “Michael,” she breathed into his shoulder. “I thought you were dead.”“Close to it,” he muttered. They embraced like their lives depended on it, tears of relief streamed down their cheeks.“Get the man some clothes,” Malachi's voice barked behind them. Michael released Alissa, it was then she realised he was naked, she blushed and averted her gaze. He looked down to her, taking her in properly. “The baby,” he gasped, a panic
Alissa stepped out of the car, her stomach in knots. She had no idea what to expect. Alpha Vilkaman approached, “We’re setting up camp in the grounds, are you joining us?”She shook her head, “I need to find out what’s happening. I know they’re not expecting me but I need to go in.”The alpha frowned, “Not usual to just head on into the council if they’re not expecting you.”“I really don’t care, if there is a chance Luca’s alive… the council should know. They would have heard the rumours and be investigating… right?”Alpha Vilkaman bowed a nod at her, “Very well. I wouldn’t have thought they’d be doing a day a mourning if there were any doubts,