The moon help him, this was River right in front of him. She wasn't just no longer the frail young lady he met seven years ago, she was a mother too. A beautiful one at that. The full Auburn hair he remembered cascaded down her back, framing a face that held a mix of emotions – surprise, anger, and a sign of something he couldn't quite place. The playful banter between the children had ceased. The little girl with her amber eyes wide with curiosity, stared at Gonzalo but her small hand still clutched in River's firm grip. The boy only looked on with confusion. Time seemed to stand still. The bustling town, the aroma of fresh bread wafting from the bakery, the distant calls of children playing– they all faded into a dull buzz. All that remained was the intensity of their gazes locked across the space that separated them. A million questions swirled in Gonzalo's mind. Where had she been? How had she survived? Was the little girl his? How did River become this beautiful? This g
Gonzalo left the bakery. He glanced across the street towards the restaurant, hope fluttering in his chest. He thought that he could maybe catch a glimpse of River. But the fading light and the bustling crowd outside obscured any view.He didn't see shit.He groaned, turned his back on the restaurant, and headed towards Doctor Sofia's house. As he approached the house, he saw her sitting on the porch with a cigarette dangling from her lips. Her face which was earlier composed and professional, held a hint of surprise when she saw him.Whoa; Gonzalo thought– he didn't know she smoked. She didn't look like one who did. Or perhaps, could that be her way of dealing with her grief?"Early back from work, aren't you, Alpha?" she greeted him, blowing out a plume of smoke. "Did the bakery close down already?"Gonzalo chuckled in a little too strained way. "No, the bakery's open. My boss, well, let me off early so I could check on Rourke."“Oh, that's very nice of him, I must say.” Sofia chuck
Sofia's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned forward. "It might sound absurd, Gonzalo, but hear me out. What if there's a traitor in our midst? Right here in my pack. Someone high up in the Ironclaw pack who's been feeding information to the rogues?"A traitor in the Ironclaw pack? What gain could they possibly achieve from betraying their people? For all he knew, wolves were dying everywhere in the hands of those feral rogues.He scoffed. "A traitor? That's a serious accusation, Sofia. We're all hurting here. The rogues are attacking everyone, not just the Moonstone pack. People in the Ironclaw pack are also hurting.”"I understand your point, believe me," she said, and a plume of circled smoke followed. "My husband was one of those killed recently, I'm sure I have mentioned that earlier."Her words struck a chord with Gonzalo. He remembered the grief etched on her face when he emerged wearing her late husband’s clothes arrived.He flinched and a wave of sympathy washed over him
Gonzalo stared at the two graves as he stood with Sofia beside Rourke and Pym’s grave. They had done what they could to hurry the two. No investigation would be done on their deaths as it would all eventually be concluded as ‘rogue attacks’.Sincerely, no one cared here. No one. They weren't even members of this pack. Any fuss and Echo might just send them off.With a final and tearful goodbye, Gonzalo turned to Sofia with a voice that was hoarse with sentiments. "Thank you, Sofia. For everything."Sofia nodded and her already dull eyes were clouded with sorrow. "They deserved a proper burial, Gonzalo. And you deserve some time to grieve. We'll find out who did this, Gonzalo. I promise."The last light of day was fading. It was time for him to return to the packhouse, to face whatever awaited him there. He nodded grimly at Sofia. There was something about how much he believed those words for he wouldn't stop until he found who did it, truly."I should get back," he said, sniffing back
River~~Annemarie was only confusing her further. The idea of needing werewolf blood and hunting rogues didn't quite sit well with her. She has had a couple of violent moments in her life but all she sought now was peace. As her mind reeled. "Rogues? Hunting rogues? But... but those bastards are dangerous! They're outlandish creatures!" She queried.Annemarie snorted at her words. "Dangerous, yes. But darling, are you underestimating us? We're witches, and powerful ones at that. We can handle a couple of rogue wolves."“But why?" River interjected. "There has to be another way. Please, let's not go seek trouble in its abode.”Tara stepped forward and placed a hand on River’s shoulder. "River, trust us. We know what we're doing. This isn't just about the hunt. Think of it as your initiation, a way to learn to control your own magic. It would be a lesson for you. We want to help you, River. But you must first help yourself. Or perhaps, want to help yourself.” River's eyes darted betw
River's heart rate was probably loud enough for anyone who cared to listen as she finally choked out, "Alright, what next?" A hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her question. "Shh!" Annemarie’s voice hissed from behind, startling River. Relief would have washed over her as she recognized the familiar voice but that relief was quickly curdled into confusion. Where had they come from? Where were they? She could hear the voice but not see the owner. "Annemarie? Tara?" she stammered, eyes darting around. And then, two figures emerged from the shadows of the towering trees. It was Annemarie and Tara. River yelped in surprise, but Annemarie quickly shushed her again. "Silence, child," Annemarie whispered with a low and urgent voice. "I sense at least six rogues ahead. Any noise and they'll be upon us faster than you can blink." River's apprehension spiked. "Wait," she whispered back, "if you were scared of drawing attention, why are we here at all then?” Finn stepped forward an
Terror squeezed River's lungs as the rogue lounged for her. But before she could even scream, Tara was there. With a flick of her wrist, a shimmering blue net materialized around the wolf and trapped it before it could pounce on River. "Use your emotions, River!" Tara shouted, her voice hardly audible over the thrashing of the trapped beast as it struggled to get freed. Another rogue somehow managed to be freed from the spell and it lunged at River. By the moons, why her? River’s breaths seized. It seemed they were aiming for the easier target. Panic froze her limbs when this one successfully threw her on the floor in a very sickening thud. The beast's claws raked across her arm in slash and a stinging pain seared through her. She stumbled up and back again, crashing onto the damp earth. A throaty roar echoed through the trees as the enraged wolf tore free of Tara's net. Holy hell, those beasts were powerful, it seemed. No wonder they were able to take over Gonzalo’s pack; River
Through the haze of dizziness, River saw Tara kneeling beside her. Her face was contorted with concern. "River, are you alright?" Tara asked gently.River could only nod weakly as she was unable to find the strength to speak.Suddenly, a soft glow emanated from Tara's fingertips. As Tara touched River's wound, a soothing warmth spread through her arm, pushing back the pain. The gash slowly closed, leaving behind only a faint pink scar.Wow. Tara could heal too?"That should do it," Tara said, her touch lingering for a moment. "You scared the living daylights out of us, you know that?"A weak smile tugged at River's lips. "I… I didn't mean to," she mumbled."No, I don't think you did," Tara chuckled softly. "But you did good, River. Real good."Annemarie also chirped in. “You have more power within you than you know. I told you that you are not just any witch. Do you believe me now?”River looked down at her hands, still trembling slightly. "I— I don't understand," she whispered.