Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Delilah

It had been a long night of restless sleep again. My twin mattress, laying askew on the bare floor, was no longer comfortable. Neither was my own room. It was all saturated with the essence of pain. The oppressive four walls constantly felt like they were closing in on me, and the single light that I could never darken no matter what, taunted me.

I couldn't find a switch, a button, or anything to turn that damned light off. It kept me visible at all times for my mother and sister to see. They would walk in at any time without warning. Sometimes it was just to yell at me and scream, other times to beat me.
I rubbed my itching neck. For as long as I could remember, I had been forced to wear leather collars. They were uncomfortable and tight, and my tormentors would use them to either hold me in place or catch me if I dared try to run. I had the faintest memory of a time when I didn't wear a collar - when I was little and could still go to school with the rest of the pack.

That was before we were banished from our old pack, where my stepfather had died suddenly. My mom and sister said it was all my fault, and ever since then I've been living like this - collared, beaten, starved. Whatever I did to deserve this must have been really, really bad. If I could just remember what I did, maybe I could fix this and make mom and my sister happy again.

As I lay on my mattress, thinking about how this was what I deserved, I finally felt the sweet embrace of sleep filling my tired eyes. I closed them for just a second...

“DELILAH ANSTON JAMES!” my sister's voice shrieked, jolting me from the dreamless sleep I had finally succumbed to.

I scrambled to stand up, dizzy and confused, and yelped as my sister yanked on my collar. My vision cleared slowly, and she cuffed me upside the head for being so slow to get up.

“It's breakfast time. Get your ass into the kitchen and make us some eggs!” my sister snarled.

“Yes.” I replied. I wasn't allowed to speak more than necessary.

My sister shoved me in the direction of the door, and I stumbled into the hallway. I could see my mother sitting at the table with her coffee, angrily reading the newspaper. She glanced up at me and turned the page loudly. I scuttled into the kitchen and began preparing eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes.

The heat from the stove made my neck itch worse, but I had to ignore it if I was going to get the food out in time. The faster I was, the better chance I had of eating something myself before I began the day's chores. I marked off exactly how many eggs, cups of pancake mix, strips of bacon and slices of bread I used. Mother always kept careful stock of what was used when I was in the kitchen, “in case of any ideas.” I hadn't eaten for two days, but today I was holding on to a spark of hope...

That hope was dashed as soon as my sister dug into her plate. She wolfed everything down and chugged at her milk, grabbing spoonfuls from the other platters as she did so. I knelt in my corner, disgusted and wanting to cry yet awaiting further commands. Mother was following suit, eating quickly and spooning more onto her plate.

“Katrina, what are your plans for today?” my mother asked my sister.

Katrina chewed thoughtfully. “Well, I've made some friends from that nearby pack. If I can get one of the males to sleep with me, or even fall for me, maybe he'll choose me over his destined mate. We would become part of his pack if that happened. I have a few other males in mind, too, just in case he won’t vouch for us.”

Mother hummed and nodded her head. “Keep me updated on that.”

They ate in silence. I stayed kneeling, waiting, starving.

“Delilah!” Mother snapped sharply. “You may eat the scraps before doing the dishes. Then get the list from the fridge. I am heading out today as well. I expect everything to be done before Katrina and I are home.”

“Yes.” I nodded. I began gathering the platters and taking them to the kitchen counter. There were a few mouthfuls left of everything, I was surprised to see. It was a meager feast for me, but once all the dishes were cleaned up from the table I practically inhaled those mouthfuls. I chomped noisily as I grabbed the list from the fridge and began to wash the dishes. Today I was to have the house and all the dishes cleaned up and dinner in the oven by 5. Tonight's dinner was a pork loin roast with potatoes and asparagus.

There was nothing for lunch, as usual, other than a warning not to eat anything unless instructed to do so. I got to work washing dishes immediately, hoping everything would be done before dinner time. Pork loin sounded really good, and I just wanted to eat more. Mother cleared her throat, and I rushed to the door. I pulled her coat out of the closet and helped her into it, then did the same with Katrina. I bowed my head as they primped themselves up before they opened the door and stepped out. As soon as the lock clicked, I sighed sadly.

Dejected, I slunk into the kitchen and continued the dishes. I wished I could go to school- I remembered having fun playing with the other wolf pups at recess. Letting those dim memories swirl thoughtfully through my mind, I worked on the rest of the house and got the roast ready. The laundry was humming, the walls were wiped down, and the floors were swept and mopped. Chores were always faster when I could think of something positive.

As I cleaned, I could feel the sweat dripping off my body. The warm, grainy, salty drops of sweat coated me in a thin film of grime. I wondered when mother would allow me to shower again- it had been a couple of weeks. My hair was grungy and had some mats in it from not being allowed to use a hair brush consistently. My scalp itched a lot.

Clumps of hair bonded together from the sweat that clung to the strands. If I couldn’t brush them out, they would add to the mat collection my hair had going. I wiped my brow with the back of my arm and kept cleaning.

Katrina was allowed to use the shower whenever she wanted- she had so many fragrant and luxurious essentials in there. They all smelled so good, and she was allowed to use perfume and deodorant for school. I was envious. When I was allowed to shower, it was forbidden for me to touch anything of hers and only use a plain 3-in-1 formula. She had loofahs and shower brushes. I had a ratty old washcloth. She had luxurious, fluffy towels. I had a thin towel that never got me dry. Honestly though, for rogue wolves, we were doing pretty well for ourselves. We’d seen other rogues before, and they were horrifying- rank, filthy, and red eyed. We, at least, were clean.

I didn’t want us to be rogues forever. I really hoped whatever plan Katrina had would work, and I could escape at last. To be a rogue wolf, or even a lone wolf, is as close to a death sentence as a werewolf can get. Without a pack, there’s no protection from other wolf attacks and when we die, we don’t get buried with a pack. Rogue wolves typically start to go insane as they get older, and they begin attacking any other wolf they come across. No one is ever really sure of the intentions behind those attacks. Whatever pack mother and sister went to, I would only follow until I could transfer to a different pack. I had decided years ago I would run the moment I had a chance. My best chances were either finding my mate and hoping he was from another pack, requesting a job within another pack and having the Alphas agree to a transfer, or simply begging another Alpha to take me in. I would not stay with my sister and mother for any longer than I had to.

I couldn’t run yet merely because I was not prepared. I didn’t have my wolf yet, which was a major problem. We’re considered “pups” until we’re around age 25, though at age 18, there’s still a lot to learn before taking over a pack. This doesn’t stop the mating frenzies and mass of teenage pregnancies, though. A wolf’s gestation is around five months, and we grow fast in the womb.

Not having my wolf meant I did not have any survival skills. Pups don’t learn survival skills until much later. When our wolf, our other half, finally emerges and shares our mind, they teach us how to tap into our primal instincts. We learn to hunt, to track, to cache food for later, and to eat meat raw. We build up our relationships with other packs members and thus build up teamwork.

Every werewolf gets their wolf at the age of 18. They’re the second half of our soul. We’re then able to shift into our wolf form and speak with our wolf, then our senses are enhanced even further than they were before. The best part of all for many wolves is finding their mate- their other half, as well as their wolf’s other half. We don’t pick and choose mates, for they are destined from our great mother, the Moon Goddess. She guides our paths through life. I’ve prayed to her so many times, begging for a way out of here.

My neck itched, and I rubbed my fingertips under the leather. I couldn’t remove my collar on my own, either, as it had a tiny padlock, and only Mother had the key. I couldn’t just steal food and run away as a lone rogue. I’d never find a pack to welcome me in then. The only clothes I had were in tatters and would not protect me from the elements - thin t-shirts, thin sweatpants, socks full of holes and underwear that just didn’t fit. Ever. And to top it all off, I didn’t have any shoes. I couldn’t even remember wearing shoes. I must have, when I went to school. My feet were scary to look at- thick soles, overgrown toenails, hairy toes. There was a scar on my left foot from where I’d cut myself on broken glass two years ago. Every step I took tingled in pain, especially on my heels, as though there were permanent splinters within my skin.

As I was scrubbing off the ring in the toilet, I paused to look at the makeup and jewelry on the counter. Mother and Katrina always looked so beautiful, and they also made strides to enhance that beauty. I had been forbidden from touching any of these, especially since Katrina didn’t want my “little rogue bitch stench” getting mixed in. It would ruin her chances of getting on the good side of the pack she went to high school with. She was already 18, with her wolf, and she was hunting for her mate within that particular pack, whether he was destined or not. A destined mate is someone that our deity, the Moon Goddess, chooses for you. It’s said that when you meet for the first time, you get intoxicated by their scent and it drives you mad until you find each other. You’re immediately drawn to each other, and a lot of wolves nearly make love right then and there because the urge to claim their mate is so strong. It’s supposed to be a magical, electrifying time. When you touch each other, sparks and tingles erupt and your heart skips a beat. However, sometimes things go wrong and you end up having to choose a mate from a pool of unmated or rejected wolves. Anyone can reject or be rejected, anyone can die, and anyone can be victims of never having found their mate.

Katrina was hoping to find her destined mate, I knew, but she was also using every trick in the book to lure in a chosen mate. This was all for the sake of finally becoming part of a pack. The one time I did touch her things, I lost my school privileges. I was not in the mood to clean or do any chores, and it was one of the first times I was left alone. I remember how itchy my new collar made me, and how I sought relief. I scratched up my neck and the scratches were burning and itching as they healed beneath the leather. I felt like something in Katrina’s makeup would make me feel better. Her eyes always looked so pretty when defined with eye shadow, and she used very expensive products. So I played around with all of it and made a massive mess all over myself, the mirror, the counter, and the floor. I didn’t know what belonged where. I managed to find a bottle of mildly soothing lotion and rubbed what I could under my neck, which did help a little with the itching. When mother got home with Katrina in tow, I proudly presented myself. The beatings I received that night taught me to always do my chores and keep away from everything that wasn’t mine.

After they were done, I had to clean the mess up while they went to bed. I had deserved the beating for what I’d done. I helped myself to some dinner afterwards and was beaten in the morning for stealing food. Again, I learned my lesson. I mouthed off a few times after that, asking questions and demanding answers. Why was only I kept home? Why did I have to do all the cooking and cleaning? Why wasn’t I allowed to go to school anymore? The beatings that came after quickly fixed that issue. I learned never to speak unless spoken to and to keep it very short.

During my musing, I’d moved on by now to sweeping the hallway and paused by a door. This particular door I had been forbidden to touch, and having learned so many lessons, I knew better than to try my luck. But this door also had an overwhelming presence to it, somehow, warning me to stay away. It felt like being alone in a dark alley, with a single dim light to guide you, yet you know something is wrong. One step in the wrong direction and perhaps you’ll die. The problem is both ends of the alleyway are the wrong direction, so you stay put in fear. It gave me the chills, and I hurried away from it.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Soon, it was 3 PM. I was working on preparing the meat and veggies when Katrina burst through the front door and startled me. She ran into the kitchen and yelled, “Get me something for my guests!”

I stared at her in confusion, and she slapped me. “I have friends over, get us drinks and snacks!”

I whimpered and bowed my head, gritting my teeth as another couple of slaps hit my cheeks. As soon as she let me go I booked it to the pantry and got as many bags of chips and cookies as I could and a box of sodas, then rushed them to the doorway where she stood. Katrina was wringing her hands together, glancing at the front door and back at me. I heard voices on the other side, and my heart jumped. Katrina yanked the snacks away from me and rushed to pile them on the couch.

“Good. Get that roast in the oven and get in your room. I’m letting them in. Do not look at anyone or speak to anyone. As far as they know, you’re my introverted cousin who hates other people and would rather be left alone. Got it?” Katrina ordered. I nodded and quickly finished up what I was doing, putting the roast on a low setting before making a beeline to my room- where she locked the door behind me. I hadn't even had time to mark off what was taken from Mother's inventory.

I heard giggling and the sounds of several male and female voices floating down the hall, and I leaned against my door to better hear them. I couldn't make out the words, but listening to how happy everyone sounded broke my heart, and I began to cry. I choked back any noise I would make and kneaded my nails against my carpet in frustration. Here I was, locked away from the world, while Katrina and mother were happily engaging in the outside and making friends. I couldn’t remember my friends from when I used to go to school. I wondered, in that moment of heartbreak, if they even remembered me. If someone out there was looking for me.

I wanted out of here, and my only hope was when I got my wolf- then I could finally be free. We would run away and live a life of peace with plenty of food. Free from the pain, free to eat as we pleased, and free of these constant chores. Katrina and her friends would most likely leave a huge mess for me to clean up and mother was going to be angry about it. That and the unmarked food.

I wished so badly one of those wolves out there would pick up my scent and ask about me. That they would realize I was here, and ask their pack for help. Accepting Katrina and mother into the pack would set me free. I didn't care what pack, even, just not one that I would have to share with them. I laid down on my mattress and pulled my pillow over my head, trying to drown out the happy voices.

Katrina didn't let me out that evening. Neither did Mother. I could hear them eating the pork loin I had cooked and laughing about something when Katrina's friends were gone. Their voices were so happy and my heart ached, wishing I could be part of their happy world. I had resigned myself to trying to sleep when mother opened my door and strode in.

“Get up, Delilah.” She growled. I stood immediately. She tore the collar off my neck and replaced it with a new one. This one was heavier and much thicker, and much wider. It burned my skin a little, and I whimpered.

“Shut up,” mother cuffed me. “Come on.”

I followed her out of my room and down the hallway to the creepy door. She opened it and gestured to me to go first. It looked like a cellar, but to reach it I had to go down the stairs first. I was apprehensive, hesitating at the door jamb. The air was stale down here, and it was dark and dirty. I could almost choke on the smell of dust. Mother growled at me to get moving and I did so quickly, clinging to the wall and worried she would kick me so I'd fall down the stairs to my death. Thankfully, she didn't. She just followed me and turned on a very dim, yellow bulb when we reached the bottom of the stairs.

“You're to stay here from now on,” she said. I looked around and my heart sank. In one corner of the room, there was a cell. I couldn't tell if the bars were iron or silver. There was a small bed, a sink, and a toilet. Just like a prison cell. “You cannot be trusted upstairs anymore, and I don't want to see your goddamned face. You look too much like your good-for-nothing father.”

I bit my lip. “M-mommy-”

“DO NOT CALL ME THAT!” mother roared and whipped around, backhanding me on the cheek so hard I tasted blood. I’d bitten down harder on my lip upon contact. I stumbled, but kept myself standing. If I fell, I might never get up again. Mother was moving her arms in the darkness, as though she was pulling something on. “GET IN YOUR CELL.”

I hesitated. I could never get out of that cell. Even with my wolf.

Mother grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into the oppressive space. I didn't fight back. I struggled to keep up with her, however, she kicked me in response. I hit the floor from the force of her kick, and she grabbed my collar. I hadn't realized she was wearing thick gloves before, but now that she was towering over me I could see them. That’s what she must have been doing earlier. She pulled a chain close and clipped it to my collar, hissing slightly through her teeth at the contact.

The chain was made of silver. It was as though the chain ignited the collar, and my neck felt like it was on fire. I screamed in pain and writhed on the floor. I dimly registered Mother’s leaving and locking the cell behind her.

“MOMMY PLEASE- IT HURTS- I'LL BE GOOD!” I begged. “IT HURTS!”

She ignored me and walked up the stairs. She paused at the top, and I cried for her one last time before the door slammed shut and I was enclosed in darkness. I never knew this cell was here- this door had been forbidden. And now I know why. Eventually, the pain began to subside to a dull throbbing, and I wept loudly. The silver would keep my wolf from coming to me.

I would be trapped here forever.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Encased in the dark, I didn't know how much time had passed. Mother would come down with three cans of soup and some stale bread for my meals and would leave me behind in the dark as soon as she was done. I had to learn to portion out my soups- it was the most I ever got to eat before, and the first few times I ate them all at once. I had learned how to make one soup last for a while, taking a gulp every once in a while. Thanks to the sink I was able to drink as much water as I needed. The stale bread I would leave to soak up any last dredges of soup from the can before consuming. Katrina would come down sometimes and torture me with a silver lined whip through the bars, laughing the whole time and mocking me.

She would remind me how our living situation was my fault. That I hadn't marked off the snacks I'd given her so I couldn't be trusted upstairs. But it wasn’t my fault! The snacks were Katrina’s doing. How I hadn't cleaned up the rugs or couch before she got home. I ran out of time because you brought your friends here! Anything she could find fault with, she blamed me for. The whip would cut deep and the injuries would heal extremely slowly. Why, why, why?

The cell was so small I couldn't get away, and my only defense was to turn my back to her and absorb the pain that way. I asked and begged for an explanation, asked how I could fix what I had done to get us banished. There was no mercy. They did everything they could to keep my wolf from ever appearing. It must have been working. When I could work through the pain in my back, I’d explore my cell. The bed was bolted to the wall and was steadfast- no amount of jumping on it would move it. Next to one of the bed’s bolts was the chain’s beginning links, all held sturdily in place. There was a space under the bed, but it was all hard concrete. No chance of digging. All of the steel bars were sturdy with no chance of getting them loose. I couldn’t pull the sink out of the wall, but under the sink was where the concrete floor ended. Then, it was what felt like varnished wooden flooring. This flooring felt like it went around the toilet only, for some reason, then went back to concrete. I halfheartedly felt around the wood, checking along the sides of the toilet as far as my arms could reach.

Suddenly, and luckily, during one of these investigations I discovered that the floor beneath the toilet pipe was rotted, and I could start trying to dig my way out. The wood bowed under my fingers and bounced back up when I took them off. There was a way out of here after all! Thank the Moon Goddess for a leaky toilet! The collar and chain were keeping me from really going at it, and trying to remove the chain had burned my hands. I couldn't figure out how the chain attached to the collar before having to give up and rinse my hands in the cold water from the sink.

One time, I remember lying on the tiny bed in the cell and just wishing I could die. I couldn’t dig out any more of the rotted wood without more chain length, I couldn't think of how to use the silver chain to kill myself, and I knew starving myself wouldn't be fast enough. If I were dead, I would never have to worry again about any of this and mother and Katrina would be happy.

Don't think like that, little one.

“What choice do I have?” I asked aloud. “I'm so, so tired.”

I know. And I'm so sorry it took so long. But I am here now.

I blinked, processing the words. Then realization dawned on me. “Are you my wolf?”

I am. My name is Cherry. I have a plan to get us out of here, but I need full control to do so. Do you trust me?

“...Can I just... go away for a little while? Sleep?” I asked.

If you want to. I can take care of us for a while.

This was it. My chance. I wasn't going to let anything get in the way.

“Okay, Cherry. Take over,” I sighed. “Let me sleep.”

Chapter Text

Cherry

Days, months, years. How long had it really been since I should have awakened at Delilah’s side? I remember coming into my consciousness, immediately blocked and left in the dark on my own. I called out to Delilah so many times, pushed and bounced against the binding spells trapping her mind. Scratching and digging had no effect. I spoke to the Moon Goddess, asking for help. She simply told me: breathe.

It was as good an answer as I was going to get. I took some time to meditate, just breathing. As I calmed down, I realized I was under binding spells as well. I’d have to break through those first. I could remember some spells from my time in the Moon Goddess’ garden- where all wolves grow up before finding our human halves.

The deeper the breath I took, the more relaxed I became. I felt some of the spells on me begin to wither away. Those spells were contingent on my being frantic! Whomever had placed these spells knew exactly what they were doing. It was almost as though they felt a little bad for keeping me locked away.

Now, I would focus on the same spells surrounding Delilah. Just breathing in and out. In and out. I was shocked when I hit the first sensation of silver. As if the spells weren’t enough, now they were using silver to keep us apart! My rage began to build, yet I forced myself to keep breathing deeply. I was finally able to break through all the binding spells and silver to get to my other half. Poor Delilah had been through so much abuse and was forced to wear a silver-lined collar every day. Here she was, chained up like some dog in a tiny cell! As her consciousness receded, I was able to fully take over her body and shift- albeit slowly and painfully because of the silver-lined collar- into my own body.

It was a long, drawn-out process. It was painful, and more than once I had to stop to recover. But at long last, I was able to stand on all four paws, having fully shifted into my wolf body. I began to wrestle my way out of my collar and chuffed with joy when it finally popped off. I made my way to the barely dug hole by the toilet pipes and went nuts. My claws ripped up the rotted wood and in practically no time there was a hole small enough to squeeze through.

How Delilah had learned her way around this cell in the dark, I'd forever be impressed. It was so dark I could barely see. I squeezed through the hole and did my best to cover it all up from below. I was under the house; from what little I could see of the outside world I had very little time before the sun rose and the two vile females would come after us. I rolled in some animal droppings that were under the house with me to conceal my scent- but they were old and wouldn't last long. Faced with no other choice, I drew into my deepest mindspace and activated a spell I'd had to learn by heart.

The spell would conceal our scent until the next time we shifted. This particular spell was a one-time use, though, and I'd never be able to use it again. That was fine. I tore into my forearm and let it bleed, calling upon my ancestors and the Moon Goddess.

“I loosen my blood into the sacred dirt; I sacrifice my blood for their sake; I give my life source for their assistance. Hide my scent and hide it well! Give me strength! For I must be as scentless as the wind itself, my existence must be null!” I cried out.

The trickle of blood seeping from my wound stopped, then began flowing back into my veins. The blood that had pooled on the ground followed suit, and the wound sealed with a blinding green flash. The wind whipped my fur around, and I squeezed my eyes shut. As soon as the wind dissipated, I knew it would be safe to take off and run.

I slithered out from under the house and raced across the yard. I cleared the fence and bounded across the road. The fresh air was cold and sweet; I wondered how long it had been since Delilah had been outside like this. For now, it was time to run to wherever the Moon Goddess wanted me to go. I raced into the horizon, never once looking back.

Chapter Text

Samuel

I stretched my arms above my head, groaning loudly and listening to my bones pop. I'd been stuck inside my office all day sitting in the same chair, and I was tired of it. I wanted to be free and gallivant in the woods, patrol the boundaries, and watch for rogues. My pack, the Purple Crystal pack, had been having some issues with rogue sightings recently, and members were getting worried. As the Alpha, I could be challenged at any time, and if I were to lose...

I shook my head to clear it of those awful thoughts, I would not lose a challenge.

“Ooooh, big stretch!” I heard a familiar voice chuckle from the doorway.

“Oh, shut up, Beth,” I snickered. My Beta, Bethany Jones, let herself into my office and sat down across my desk with a plop.

“You need to get out, man. Working in this office isn't good for you,” she stated, idly twisting some of her long black hair. Beth was a gorgeous woman- shoulder length black hair, green eyes full of ferocity, curvy and plump yet fit, and pretty skin. More than once I had privately pined for her, wishing the Moon Goddess had given her to me as my mate.

It was a little unusual that I would have a female as my Beta, given that I myself was a male Alpha, but my pack seemed quite blessed with mostly female members- all of them beautiful, funny, and smart. Any one of them would be an excellent mate, even if chosen and not destined.

“So, what do you say?” Beth asked.

“Yes, please. Get me out of these oppressive four walls!” I whined. “Let's get the wolves together and do a long patrol, I'm itching for exercise.”

“Oooh, big scary Alpha whining like a puppy to go play outside?” Beth teased, taking my hand in hers and leading me to the door. Though we were not mates, we had always been friendly and platonic through our touches of each other. She had been looking for her mate for as long as I had, but it seemed none of the eligible males we had were hers. Just as none of our females were mine.

“You're lucky I let you get away with that crap,” I grumbled as she pulled me along. I mind linked several guards to meet up with us in the front yard for patrol and warned them this would be a long one. I was met with enthusiasm from all and a chorus of excited yelps.

“Seems like we all really need this run,” I commented to Beth.

“Yeah. With the sightings lately everyone's just been so on edge, but with you going for a long patrol and inviting them along it's bound to be exciting. Everyone loves you, Sam,” Beth agreed. “You're one of the most beloved Alphas there is!”

“I guess,” I half heartedly agree. We arrived in the front yard, where our assembly of guards- both male and female, mated and unmated- bowed their heads in respect at our arrival.

“Don't let me forget- I had an idea for a mating ball to bring in other packs,” Beth whispered suddenly. “We need new bloodlines and alliances, and I'm sure some of our members want to see the world.”

“Good idea. After patrol let's talk,” I agreed. I turned my attention to the awaiting pack members and spoke to them. “We're going for a long patrol tonight- every inch of our borders needs to be patrolled and marked. We're going to break up into two teams. I will lead one, and the other will be led by Beth. My team will take the Southern and Eastern quadrants, and Beth's team will take the Northern and Western. Anything even remotely suspicious is to be regarded as a possible threat and reported immediately.”

The wolves chorus in agreement and split into two groups without any further prompting. I chose my team, and Beth took hers; each team set out within mere minutes. I was proud of my pack for their efficiency and praised them accordingly. I led my wolves to the clearing where everyone tore off their clothes and shifted. Some wolves kept their clothing tied in a bundle to their legs, some left their clothes within the trees, and others dropped their clothes in a bag affixed to their sides.

I myself had a bag. It was so thoughtful that pet stores had begun carrying saddlebags for dogs, they really came in handy. Mine held my clothing and a first aid kit. After I finished shifting and stuffing my clothes away, I called the pack to order and gave assignments. Each wolf had their own strengths- I had recently instituted tests and ranks within the pack formations based on the results.

My strongest wolves surrounded the weaker, and the wolves with the best tracking abilities closely flanked them. The wolves with more logical sense stayed in the middle, as they were keen enough to see anything the rest of us may have missed. I strode into the treeline and the rest followed obediently. We were going to take it slow tonight. I wanted no running about unless we encountered rogues. Everyone was to walk and observe their surroundings.

We reached the border in due time and everyone went on alert. The scent of rogues here was faint, but recent. I proudly lifted my leg and marked the edge of the territory, and I saw the others squatting and doing the same, adding more wolf scents. I lifted my leg because I am Alpha, and they squatted in respect for my rank. Then we slowly meandered along the border, stopping here and there to mark the border.

As we were reaching the end of the Eastern quadrant, many hours later, the sun was beginning to rise. The Southern quadrant would be rough, as it was steep uphill climbs and full of rocky crags. I called out to rest for a while before we continued, and my wolves gratefully found spots to nap and refresh themselves. I was accepting an offering of beef jerky from one of my trackers when she froze, ears standing straight up and eyes wide. She turned her head to look beside me and I followed.

I didn't see anything, but I could definitely sense something in the bushes. The tracker stalked towards the bush, jerky completely forgotten. My hackles raised and tail raised. The tracker's hackles were raised as well. We encroached on the bush and the tracker looked at me. I nodded, and she slithered into the prickly branches.

I waited patiently, keeping the rest of my wolves calm. None of them had stayed put- they were all flanking me and keeping watch on the surrounding area. My wolf, Spirit, was confused and kept nudging me.

What's that scent?

What scent?

I can barely smell it- but it smells like cherry blossoms.

Dude, you're on crack. There's nothing here.

We didn't have cherry blossoms here. I couldn't remember the last time we saw those kinds of trees other than when we used to go into the city. Spirit huffed and pouted. I lifted my nose and took a deep breath.

...Huh.

I TOLD YOU.

He was right- it was super faint but it was there. Cherry blossoms. Last I checked, we didn't live in a region with cherry trees, but maybe it was just perfume or lotion from one of the females with us. The bush rustled, and my tracker crawled out, looking haggard and definitely in need of a shower.

The scent hit us all and we reeled back in disgust-

Skunk.

A skunk. We'd all been put on edge... by a skunk. This tracker had paid the price. I pawed at my nose, eyes watering, and noticed many of the other wolves doing the same.

Sorry, Alpha. Just a skunk.

It- it's fine, we're all on edge. G-go home, take a shower. Google what gets skunk out- out of stuff.

The tracker nodded and slunk off, giving the others a wide berth and doing her best to save their noses. I turned tail and briskly trotted away, leading everyone from the offending, acrid odor and up the first of many steep climbs into the Southern quadrant. As we climbed, one of my other trackers called for me with a short bark. I turned and squeezed past everyone who was climbing with an order to keep doing so.

Alpha, look at this. The tracker pointed her muzzle to the ground.

A single, tiny paw print. Definitely that of a wolf, and it was pushed into the mud like the wolf had slipped.

It's so light, it looks like a puppy's print.

Which could mean the rogues are forcing their children to shift sooner than they should. Black magic perhaps? The tracker offered.

If you have your phone, shift back and take a photo. Mark the location and send it to the witches back home. If there's black magic afoot, they'll find it. I ordered. The tracker complied, and I stood guard as she did what I asked. The other wolves were easily a quarter mile or more away from us at this point, following my orders. It took a moment before I recalled that this wolf's name was Blair.

Well done, Blair. Let's get back to the pack if you don't see anything else. I commented as she shifted back. She nodded and followed me up the climb.

Alpha, with all of these rogue sightings, have you given any thought to choosing a Luna? Blair asked suddenly.

I would rather not have to choose a mate if I can help it. I replied. My destined mate is out there somewhere.

Blair didn’t respond and quietly followed along. We rejoined the rest of the pack and continued along our way.

She is trying to push her way into the position. Spirit warned me.

Figures… I’d have to keep an eye on her. Unless…

Blair, I need your assistance.

What are you doing?!

Just trust me, Spirit.

Blair was next to me in a heartbeat. Yes, Alpha!

Blair, do you have any experience with setting up formal events?

Yes, actually!

Beth and I are musing about having a mating ball, and we will need all the assistance we can get should we proceed. Can I trust you with this task?

Blair’s wolf was wagging her tail so hard I thought it would fly off her rump like a frisbee. You can count on me!

The patrol went much more smoothly after that. We found no more traces of the rogues or any more skunks to harass. It was well past evening when my team and I arrived back at the Pack house, where I dismissed them, and everyone headed to their dwellings. I hadn’t yet heard from Beth, but I wasn’t too worried. Her patrol might take a little longer to return depending on what they found.

I shifted back to my naked human self and dragged on my pants. Exhaustion was starting to settle in, and I desperately needed a shower. I staggered through the pack house to my floor and stepped into my room. My too big, very lonely, dark room. With my too big bed, my too big closet, my too big adjoining bathroom and too big adjoining sunroom. I looked around, feeling like the oppressive loneliness would crush me at any second. I sighed and started up my shower, wondering if this ball would finally lead my wolf and I to our destined mate.

I think… I think if we don’t find her here we will have to choose a mate, Spirit.

I understand.

It isn’t fair to us, but it also isn’t fair to the pack. Even a chosen Luna is better than no Luna at all.

You do not have to justify yourself to me, dear boy. I understand, and regardless of whether she’s chosen or destined we will treat her as a queen. She will never know the difference.

My wolf gave me the comfort I needed. We were both too stubborn to say it out loud, but the fact remained that we were both lonely and longing for our mates. I shrugged off my pants and stepped into the steaming shower. The water was comforting and warm, and my body drank it all in. While I stood in the stream, my thoughts wandered back to the tiny paw print we had seen and the strange hint of cherry blossoms. It wasn’t difficult to hide your scent if you knew the right witches. But the paw print… that felt deliberate. Like a tiny warning. My thoughts wandered back to the cherry blossoms and my groin started to tighten. Looks like I had some business to attend to.

I reached down and started stroking myself. Long, lingering strokes down the shaft and teasing feather light touches on the head.

“Started the party without me?”

I screamed like I was being murdered and jumped, slamming my back into the hard tiled wall of the shower. Beth stood, naked and smirking, holding the shower door open.

“Beth! What the fuck!” I snarled.

“Oh, shut up and move over. Let me in.” Beth shoved her way inside the shower and shut the glass door behind her. “We have details about the ball to discuss, and I need to report our findings from patrol. Nothing serious, luckily, so it can wait.”

“Beth- why are you in the shower with me?!” I demanded, completely at a loss of what to do.

“Pretty obvious, I would think- I need a shower, you need a shower, and we’re both lonely.” Beth pushed a finger on my cock, admiring the bounciness. “So let’s take care of that too.”

“We’re not mates…”

“Well, if we don’t find anyone we very well might be. Now shut up.” Beth growled and got on her knees, pushing me up against the wall and grasping my thighs.

Y’know, having Beth as a chosen mate was really tempting…

*****************************************************************************************

After our romp in the shower, we went at it a few more times all over my room. The only spot we didn't fuck in was my bed, out of respect for my future Luna- whomever she ended up being. Finally, with the itch satisfied, Beth left me behind and I washed her remnants off my body. My head felt a little clearer, and I felt fulfilled for now.

My room reeked of us and what we'd done, and I opened the windows to let everything air out. The dawn was approaching fast but it was time for me to sleep for a good long while. I mind linked my head warriors and let them know Beth and I- as well as our patrol team- would be out of commission for a while. The warriors assured me they'd take care of everything, and I laid down to rest.

Cherry blossoms filled my nose. I inhaled the earthy, sweet scent and opened my eyes to a swirl of pink and white petals dancing in the wind around me. I lifted my hand and caught some of them and looked at them closely. They were so thin and soft, full of beauty and melancholy.

I looked up suddenly and there was a wolf. Not my wolf, but a small, raggedy looking rogue. Her eyes were the most beautiful silvery blue I had ever seen, and though I should disgust her for being a rogue, I couldn't help but be drawn to her. I took a step towards her and she fled, stirring the blossoms and leaving behind a trail of tiny pawprints. My heart ached in her absence, and Spirit howled in grief.

Chapter Text

Samuel, some time later...

“So, the pack colors of crimson and navy will alternate in table cloths at each table, including the buffet table. Silver ribbons will adorn each one as well as decorate the walls. Balloons and streamers will be placed everywhere, especially the streamers over the dance floor. The DJ will be one of the selected musically apt pack members, the servers will be volunteers and hired human caterers. Does this sound correct so far?” Blair looked over her notes at me.

“Yeah.” I grunted.

“The feast will consist of finger foods like fruits, cheeses, vegetables, crackers and assorted dips. There will be drinks of all kinds ranging from water to mild alcohol. The main courses will be carb and protein rich foods, such as pulled pork sandwiches, beef brisket with dinner rolls, and salmon with potatoes.” Beth continued.

“Uh huh.” I mumbled.

“The stage will be set up on the eastern wall as this will allow the caterer’s table to take the most room on the west wall.” Blair finished.

“All right.” I looked at my phone.

Slam!

I jumped. Beth was staring daggers at me, and Blair was timidly looking from her to me and back.

“We have worked our asses off on this ball for the pack, and all you have to say is 'uh huh' and 'yeah' and 'all right'?! Nothing constructive?! No 'thank you'?? Excuse me, Mr. Alpha, but what the actual fuck?!” She roared at me. Blair cowered in her seat, clutching at her binder. The slamming from earlier had been from Beth slamming her own binder down.

“B-beta, m-maybe Alpha just needs a nap...? He looks exhausted...” Blair tried to speak up.

“Shush, Blair,” Beth shushed. “Don't stick up for him.”

“Who do you think you are?!” I snarled, standing up from my seat.

“Your Beta and friend. Now what the fuck is wrong with you, Sam?!” Beth snarled, standing as well.

“NOTHING!” I growled. “This ball bores me, is all!”

“W-we only needed to make sure our choices were acceptable-” Blair started.

“You're the ALPHA of this pack, EVERY DETAIL HAS TO BE RUN BY YOU FOR APPROVAL. Or have you forgotten that, Samuel?!” Beth hollered over her.

“Stand down, Beth...” I warned, flashing my canines.

“Have you forgotten you do more than just border patrols and paperwork? Have you even decided on the invitations for the other packs? That was all we asked of you. Not this disinterested, ho-hum bastard of a wolf,” Beth snapped.

“B-Beth!” Blair yelped.

“I SAID STAND DOWN, BETHANY!” I roared, towering over her. Having no other choice, Beth sat down in her seat again. I turned to Blair. “You're excused. Leave the binder here.”

Blair all but scrambled like a madwoman out of the room, leaving her binder behind. I picked it up and thumbed through it, grumbling to myself. Beth snorted, but said nothing. I knew she wasn't going to until I apologized.

I made her wait for a little longer, pouring myself some enhanced scotch from a little mini bar in the room. I gulped down the burning liquid and sighed loudly. “Beth, I apologize for my behavior. I've just been under a lot of pressure from the rogues and losing sleep from this dream I've been having repeatedly.”

“The rogues haven't been as much of an issue since we increased patrols. The witches checked that pawprint and the surrounding area, remember, and said though there was definitely magic, it wasn't black. They all agreed the paw print was pretty small. We investigated the whole area, and nothing was amiss.” Beth strode up next to me and poured herself a double of enhanced whiskey. “Aaah. Mmm. Okay. So! Tell me about this dream that's plaguing you.”

“It's so weird. There's always cherry blossoms- like, swirling tornadoes of them. Then there's this shadow wolf that appears- and her eyes are a silvery blue. Every time I go to touch her she runs from me, leaving behind more swirls of cherry blossoms,” I explained.

“That's it?”

“Yeah.”

“I'm not a seer or anything, but if this dream keeps repeating and you're losing sleep over it I bet it means something. Maybe it's about your mate. Try doing something else in the dream, like talking to her or sending Spirit to her,” Beth suggested.

“Like... lucid dreaming?”

“Yeah!”

Couldn't hurt. Spirit reasoned.

Chapter Text

Cherry

We’d been on our own for a good couple of months now. Delilah had been so quiet while she tried to heal mentally. I kept us fed and safe, and we hadn’t shifted since the first night. Our scent was still masked, thankfully. No one was able to follow us, even when I made a mistake and slid in some mud. We avoided multiple patrols, and I chanced upon a skunk, who was more than happy to spray us in fear. It covered up our scent even more, even if we suffered for it.

I didn’t think we were far enough away from the reach of the vile women who claimed to be family. Part of me wanted to keep going, but for some reason I felt a pull to stay here- on the border of the Purple Crystal’s land. Their pack was large and prosperous, I’ll admit, and I certainly wasn’t having trouble finding enough water and prey.

When we slept, though, Delilah and I fell into troublesome dreams. Nightmares shrouded us, and our sleep quality was awful. I could feel it all wearing us down and I slept every chance I had to make up for it. Delilah had outright refused to come out on multiple occasions when I asked; no one could blame her. She was as safe as she could be, hiding away in our shared mind.

Last sleeps’ dream had me rattled. I had been suspended over what looked like a giant dream catcher, complete with beads and feathers. I slowly landed on a giant string of sinew, and found myself following it as deftly as a circus tightwalker. A bead blocked my path, and I turned to follow a new strand of sinew. At the end of this sinew was another bead- and a form. It was a man neither of us had ever seen before. He was muscled, had a little bit of a belly, had dark hair and green eyes, and he seemed very distracted. He didn’t seem very old; in fact he easily could have been Delilah’s age. He was staring forward and reaching his hand out, then bringing it back in a slow rhythm.

I edged forward slowly, trying to commit him to memory. He seemed important, somehow. Before I could reach him, the sinew strand beneath my paws snapped and I fell, followed by shattering beads all around me.

I awoke with a jolt, panting to catch my breath.

That was weird. Delilah sleepily mumbled.

“Very.” I agreed. We watched the sun rise, bathing the mountain in soft light and swirls of different colors. “Delilah, I think we should introduce ourselves to this pack.”

Why?

“We’re not rogues. We’re refugees.” I explained. “And besides, don’t you want to be able to settle down one day? Have a home, a pack of our own? Food whenever we want, a shower whenever we want? Maybe even find our mate? Experience love- real love?”

I’m not ready for a pack yet. And what if mother and sister find us here? You said it yourself that we weren’t far enough for comfort.

“We’re not, but what if we find our mate here? We can talk with the Alpha, explain our situation. It isn’t adding up that somehow you, as a pup, were responsible for a falling out and banishment for the family from your previous pack.” I pushed.

Delilah went silent, and I knew she was done talking. I shifted so my paws were folded under my chest like a cat and huffed. I began calculating then weighing the benefits against the cons of introducing ourselves to this pack. As I was doing so, I almost missed a shadow falling over us for a brief moment and shivered.

I looked around and swiveled my ears, straining for the slightest sound. All I could hear was a little bit of normal forest life and the stirrings of the little river below. Quickly, I got up and trotted to another hiding place. How long could the spell I had invoked last? As far as I knew, we were still well hidden scent-wise.

Chapter Text

Sam

The ball was proceeding as planned. Wolves were busily decorating and cleaning the guest rooms and cottages, each being compensated for their time. The invitations had been mailed out, and many RSVPs had come in. Blair had taken charge of keeping track of which packs were coming and which weren’t. Beth had taken over patrol duties, and I had been left to my own devices. I had stacks of paperwork to catch up on. Sign this, initial there, date on this line, and print name clearly on this one. Ugh.

As soon as one stack had been signed and filed and mailed out, more appeared. Our previous Alpha had really left the pack in a rut- not that I’d ever let them know. We had come dangerously close to bankruptcy and losing the territory more times than they had known until I had come along. The old Alpha had even begun piecing out the territory as payment to rival packs, shrinking us down a good 150 acres. I snarled to myself as I remembered how hard I had to fight to get those acres back. We were still unable to reclaim a good chunk of them- that particular pack, the Yellow Rocks, insisted our debts be paid in full before handing them over. Yet, they would not sign any of the agreements I sent them and kept sending over ludicrous agreements of their own.

First, it was rights to the land once a month on the full moon. Then, it was an allotment of females every two months. Then it was proposed that we share the land. Now, they were demanding livestock every month, as though this were the middle ages. And it was a ridiculous amount of livestock as well- 400 head of cattle, 50 goats, and 600 chickens! Once again I sent a refusal letter. I had nothing else I could do for Yellow Rocks. Clearly, they needed that land and they couldn’t come out and say it. I mentioned this in a tactful way in my refusal letter before sealing it up and shoving the envelope in the mail pile. I pinched the bridge of my nose, grumbling quietly to myself before my office door was thrown open with a BANG and Beth scrambled in, sweaty and out of breath.

“SAM. COME. NOW.” she panted, then turned and ran down the hallway. I leapt after her, shifting once we hit the outdoors. Our paws pounded the ground, and I could detect the faint scent of fall in the air. We ran for a good few miles before Beth skidded to a stop and began silently stalking. I followed her lead, albeit a little more clumsily due to Spirit’s size.

She stopped and nosed some bush branches out of the way. I peered through and my breath caught.

A tiny wolf was curled up asleep under a shallow, carved out cove from a massive boulder. The trickle of the river must have lulled her to sleep. She was dirty, but not like a rogue usually is. Her fur wasn’t clumped and greasy. Her ears flicked here and there, but she clearly hadn’t heard us approach.

Is that a pup? Beth asked. That has to be the owner of the paw print we found. I couldn’t answer. She was small enough to be a pup, and I could definitely see her as the owner of the paw print. Questions began spinning in my brain.

I can’t smell her. Get closer! Spirit demanded.

I took a step around the bush but Beth got in my way, lifting her lips in a silent snarl.

Oh no you don’t. Let me go to her. She ordered.

I sat down with a huff and nodded. Beth turned and made her way across the stream, silently padded next to the sleeping pup and put her nose close to the soft fur. Beth sniffed, moved her head, sniffed again. Her ears went askew and her tail dropped. She snuffled again and stepped back.

She- she doesn’t have a scent.

Chapter Text

Beth

This was impossible. This tiny pup had zero scent. It was as if she wasn’t there!

What do you mean, she doesn’t have a scent?! I’m coming over. Sam stood and stepped ankle deep into the river.

STAY. THERE. I whipped my head around to my Alpha. If she makes a run for it we won’t be able to catch her.

Sam complied, but he threw me a dirty look in response. I got on my belly and leaned my head forward, jaws open, to take the pup by the scruff. As I was doing so, Sam suddenly sneezed and the pup’s eyes flew open. She saw him first, then whipped her head around to me. I froze when we made eye contact and my stomach lurched.

Eyes of pure silver.

My wolf, Maria, panicked and we threw up on the spot. This wasn’t a wolf, or at least, not a normal wolf. She sprang up on her light paws and bolted into the surrounding brush.

Beth! Sam roared, charging across the water to me. I was still dry heaving, shocked to the core. Beth, what happened?

That- that’s not a wolf! We choked out. The eyes- their EYES!

What about them?!

They were pure silver, Sam! No wolf has silver eyes like that!

Silver? Are you sure?

Why else would I be in this state, genius?!

Sam turned his face, staring at where the pup had disappeared. He was silent for the longest time before looking back at me. Did you smell that?

Smell what?

…Cherry blossoms. It was very faint, but it was there.

Chapter Text

Sam

Beth and I got back to the pack house in silence. We shifted, allowing some wolves to bring us robes to dress in, and headed to my office. Upon reaching the desk, I pushed the button beneath it and locked us down. Beth settled in one of my chairs and I settled on my couch. I had never seen a wolf react the way Beth did. It was almost as though Beth had ingested something from the small wolf pup when they’d made eye contact. The pup itself was skinny and in need of care, but there truly was no scent following her. And she’d taken off so quickly once she’d been alerted to our presence. I cursed myself for sneezing.

“So… what should we do?” Beth asked in a shaky voice.

I sighed. This was one time that Beth couldn’t make a decision for me. “We talk to the elders. Sending out more patrols when there isn’t a scent trail to follow won’t do us any good. And from the way you reacted, I hate to think what might happen if that pup finds herself in front of a patrol unit. With how tiny she is, I can’t imagine she poses a threat to us, but then again…”

Beth nodded. “It was just so… startling. Pure silver orbs. No pupils.”

I got out my phone book and dialed the first elder. He didn’t answer, and I didn’t trust a voicemail to do the job. I moved on down the list until at last Elder Lisa answered my call.

“Alpha, it’s very late. What troubles you?” Her tired voice asked.

“Elder Lisa, I hate to bother you and especially so late at night, but I must speak with an elder immediately. May I send a car to bring you to my office?” I asked.

Elder Lisa was quiet for a moment. I was afraid she’d fallen back asleep when she spoke again: “If it is indeed that urgent, yes. Do I need to dress myself?”

“Please come in whatever comfortable clothing you’d like. This is an urgent matter, not a formal one.” I replied, my voice starting to get shaky. “I can have a car there in ten minutes.”

“Oh, that won’t do. Twenty minutes. I’m not as young as I used to be, young wolf.” Elder Lisa chided.

“I apologize for my impudence. Twenty minutes.” I hung up and sent a mind link to a small group of guards. They set to work immediately.

“What do we do while we wait?” Beth asked, gnawing on her thumbnail.

“Do you think you can hold something down? Congee, maybe?” I asked. The health of my pack was paramount.

“I’ll try.” Beth nodded. I mindlinked some more pack members and a few got to work right away making us food.

Forty minutes later, Elder Lisa was seated next to Beth and enjoying a cup of tea. We had just finished explaining what had happened with the pup and Beth’s reaction to her silver eyes. Elder Lisa said nothing at first, and we held our breaths.

“Was her fur greasy like a rogue?”

“No. Just dirty.”

“Any matting?”

“A little, but nothing like a rogue wolf.”

“Hmm.”

A few more sips of her tea.

“So she was more of a lone wolf than a rogue. Less of a threat to us. I’m sorry, dears, but nothing comes to mind right away. This will require research, and we might have to reach out to other pack elders for assistance.”

“We will do whatever it takes to figure out what’s going on.” I assured Elder Lisa. “Out of curiosity, though, why do you think Beth reacted like that?”

“A wolf’s eyes should never be silver.” Elder Lisa stated, her voice going cold. “Something is seriously wrong with that pup. I advise that we all stay away from her, and all sightings need to be reported and mapped out immediately.”

“Already on that.” Beth nodded gravely.

“Should we call off the mating ball?” I asked.

“I don’t think so. It would be prudent to alert the alphas of the packs attending that there is something going on and we are investigating. At this time no one is in danger so the ball can continue.” Elder Lisa took another sip of her tea. “Tell them it’s a harmless fluctuation in phenomena.”

“But we don’t know if it is harmless.” Beth pointed out.

“Need we worry other packs with this issue, when we are already standing on fragile ground? Especially with Yellow Rock?” Elder Lisa asked. Beth looked at me, eyebrows raised. I looked down at my half eaten congee. It was one of the few things I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.

“My final advice is to warn the pack as a whole.” Elder Lisa drained her tea. “And to do it as soon as the sun rises. Make note that you should warn younger troublemakers not to try tracking this poor pup.”

“Elder Lisa, one last thing… it was very faint, but I could swear I picked up the scent of cherry blossoms.” I hurried to add. “Both this encounter and when we found the paw print.”

Elder Lisa paused. “Fascinating.”

“Could it mean anything?” I pressed.

“We will see.” Elder Lisa stood and we stood as well. We said our goodbyes and thanked her for her time as she left my office. Beth turned to me, eyes black in fury, as soon as the door was closed.

Chapter Text

Beth

“SAM, WHAT THE FUCK!” I hollered. “Fragile ground with the other packs?! Yellow Rock?! What are you hiding from me?!”

Sam bit his lip. He was carefully avoiding eye contact with me. As his Beta, he should have been sharing information concerning both our pack and that of our standing with other packs every chance he got. I stomped up to him and grabbed him by the throat.

“Sam, spill it,” I growled.

“How dare you grab my throat! I am your Alpha!” He snapped back, grabbing my wrist.

“Right now you’re acting like a guilty Omega pup,” I snapped back, tightening my grip. “So, SPILL it, Oh Mighty Alpha.”

Sam sighed and released my wrist, and I released his throat. He shuffled over to his desk, coughing a little, and pulled some paperwork from his drawers, handing it to me. I took it and sat down, reading through it all. As I did so, it all dawned on me. Things began clicking into place, suddenly made sense, and I understood why he hadn’t shared with me. The Yellow Rock pack made sense now too.

I don’t know how long it took to read through everything, but when I finished at last Sam was passed out on his couch, legs spread wide and hand idly on his thigh. His head was thrown back and mouth was wide open, snoring. I chuckled to myself. Then I looked back at the paperwork in my hands. Sam couldn’t do all of this on his own. We needed a Luna, and I needed a mate. And we needed Gammas. I was going to have to delegate most if not all of my tasks to the higher ranking wolves in order to help Sam get everything figured out and back on track. The mating ball couldn’t come any sooner.

Speaking of, we only had two weeks before it happened. Guests from other packs were due to begin arriving any day now depending on how far out they were. I slid myself behind Sam’s desk and grabbed some paperwork, having a look and separating what I couldn’t authorize myself.

As I looked over the proposals from Yellow Rock, I realized what area of our land they must now hold. I checked a map and confirmed my suspicions. It was an especially sacred ground and I could see why they were reluctant to give it back. That was why they kept asking for ludicrous things. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a stack of letters waiting to be mailed out.

I shuffled through them and found one addressed to Yellow Rock. I tore it open and read what Sam had written. He was giving up the fight for our territory over that area. We couldn’t have that. I knew there had to be something going on, as the other packs wouldn’t have given up their portions so easily. They must not have had proper legal standing, somehow.

Looking at the time, I was annoyed to see it was nearly 7 AM. I dug into ledgers and notebooks from our previous Alpha. After a couple hours of strenuous research, I pulled the phone on the desk over and made a few calls to the packs affected, which only confirmed my suspicions- nothing legal had actually occurred, no paperwork had been signed, no one had witnessed the previous Alpha giving the land away over the phone.

Yellow Rock knew they had no legal standing. And it was time to take our last few acres back.

Chapter Text

Sam

I awoke with a start. I’d finally had a deep, dreamless nap, and I felt incredibly refreshed. I looked around, bleary eyed, and saw Beth behind my desk furiously scribbling and checking a calculator. She noticed my movement and nodded at me.

“Beth, what are you doing?” I yawned.

“What I should have been doing as your Beta. Investigating, signing forms that I don’t need you to authorize, double checking the ledgers for mathematical mistakes, and getting to the bottom of our issue with Yellow Rock.” She explained, not missing a beat.

“They’re not going to give up the land,” I groaned. “The last Alpha really screwed us over.”

“He did so over the phone, no signatures and no witnesses.” Beth replied. “Yellow Rock has no legal claim. I am going to call their Alpha, and if they refuse to give the land back we will issue a challenge for what is rightfully ours. That is sacred ground, and it’s in our territory for a reason.”

I blinked. “Say what?”

“Shocker, I know, and that’s why I need you to shut up and get us something to eat.” Beth reached for my office phone and punched in a number. I stepped out and headed to my bedroom, where a quick shower and fresh change of clothes greeted me. Then I trotted off to the kitchen and found the cooks for the day had prepared a hearty pot roast for lunch. They loaded me down with food and drinks and snacks for later and shooed me away. As I stepped back into my office, Beth was holding her head in her hands.

“Didn’t go well, then?” I asked.

“Alpha Nola was more than happy to give the land back.” Beth replied.

“She… what?”

“Sam, she hasn’t been getting any of your letters, much less making these ludicrous demands.” Beth stated. “She said she’d been waiting for us to call and reclaim what’s rightfully ours.”

“Then… who have the letters been going to?” I stumbled on my words as I laid the food out on my coffee table.

“I don’t know. Someone has been intercepting them and trying to keep us away. I’ve already sent several parties out to investigate the area as well as patrol our newly reclaimed borders.” Beth made her way to the couch and grabbed a container of pot roast. She didn’t dive in, but rather picked at it. “Sam, why didn’t you ask me for help? Don’t you trust me?”

I picked at my food as well. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just really don’t know how to delegate tasks. You know I’m new to this stuff.”

“Sam, it’s been three years.” Beth admonished me. “You have all these resources, all these wolves who would jump at the chance to help you.”

“I know.”

“DO you?” Beth snapped. “DO you know I could have helped with the near bankruptcy? DO you know I easily could have handled half of these current issues had you not dilly dallied on them? DO you know I could have had this ball going a lot sooner than two weeks from now? That we could have had all our land back before now?”

“Maybe you should be Alpha.” I grumbled.

“And let you off scot free? I don’t think so.” she snorted. “This was your challenge, it’s your responsibility to take care of this pack. Don’t you think we’ve been through enough?”

The phone rang suddenly, and I got up to answer it. “Alpha Samuel.”

“Alpha. I must speak with you privately. It’s urgent- no, beyond urgent. An emergency.” The voice on the other line sounded panicked.

“Slow down, what happened?” I asked.

“That pup- the one we were warned about- a patrol unit saw her.” The voice was panicking. “Everyone got sick suddenly and panicky, and I couldn’t control them.”

“Where are they?” I demanded. If my wolves had lost control of themselves over this pup…

“They’re all holed up in one of the cottages. I couldn’t get in with them, but I found another cottage to hole up in. Alpha, whatever she is… she’s terrifying. We’ve been reduced to screaming puppies!”

“Stay right where you are. I’m on my way.” I ordered. I turned to Beth, who had already abandoned her pot roast and was at the door. “No, Beth. You need a shower and a nap. Finish your meal.”

“Oh, now you decide to be an Alpha,” She snipped.

“Beth, don’t test me right now. Our pack members are holed up in a guest cottage scared out of their minds over that creepy pup,” I growled.

“All the more reason to come with you. I know what they’re going through,” Beth argued.

I threw my hands up in surrender. “Fine! Let’s go!”

Beth cast her robe aside at the entrance to the pack house, and I shed my own clothing before we shifted and raced to the cottage.

Chapter Text

Unknown

I couldn’t understand it. The wolves had come into contact with the very wolf I had been tracking- but their reactions were completely opposite of what it should have been. They should have knelt before her, sworn fealty, all of that nonsense wolves do to their superiors. Instead, they all got sick and panicked, racing away from her and barricading themselves in their cottages.

It was an interesting turn of events, really. Thanks to them, I’d found my target; but also thanks to them, I’d lost her. I already had been having a devil of a time finding that particular wolf and now she was gone again. She left no scent behind, which was clever, and was extremely hard to spot. Almost like a living mirror, how she camouflaged herself with her surroundings.

I sighed and leapt into the trees, beginning my hunt all over again.

Chapter Text

Beth

“Everyone, please take a deep breath.”

The wolves, all seated in a semi circle across from me, closed their eyes and breathed in deeply.

“Now one at a time. What exactly happened today?” I asked.

“It was horrible, Beta! This pup, it- it was like a walking mirror!”

“The way it blended into our surroundings was unnatural!”

“And those eyes! It was like looking into pure silver! I swear it felt like silver was touching my very soul…”

“My wolf started panicking, and we threw up.”

I listened carefully. “That’s exactly what happened to myself and my wolf.”

Everyone fell into a frightened silence. “This pup is yet to be determined as a threat. So far all she’s done is cause a ruckus before fleeing in terror. I think she’s more scared of us than we are of her. I want a written statement from each and every one of you by tomorrow night, on my desk.”

“But Beta, if she is a threat we don’t have a defense against her!”

“Yet.” I scolded. “Go home, write your statements. Dismissed!”

The wolves filed out, one by one. The wolf who had been leading the patrol lingered. “Beta, Alpha, do you want me to take you to where we saw her?”

“Yes. At once,” I commanded. Sam nodded his head, and we followed. Her name was Rhonda, and she was one of the most physically fit wolves we had. To see her reduced to a sniveling pup was quite a sight, as she prided herself on never showing fear.

“My squad will never look at me the same,” She groaned. “I wasn’t the first to run, but I got sick first.”

“They’ll understand. It even affected me,” I comforted Rhonda. “Think about it, one day we’ll look back on this and laugh.”

“I hope so…” Rhonda muttered before coming to a halt. Sam lifted his face, squinting at the trees above.

“This is definitely the place.” I covered my nose as the sick scent of vomit permeated the air. “You may leave, Rhonda.”

Sam growled and shifted suddenly, eyes trained in the trees. Rhonda and I immediately followed suit, and I scented the air.

Vampire! Maria snarled.

Why here?! I groaned. Why now?!

Beth, Rhonda, flank me. Sam ordered. We did so and kept our eyes on the trees.

Soundlessly, a figure dropped from the trees and stood up, brushing himself off.

Chapter Text

Sam

I let out a loud growl as a warning to the vampire as he casually brushed himself off. He was dressed in an impeccable dark red pinstripe suit and his ears were slightly pointed.

“I hear you, Alpha Samuel, and I do hope you’ll forgive my intrusion into your territory,” The vampire bowed. “Please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Damascus. As for why I’m here, well, I can’t reveal that quite yet.”

You’d better, if you want to keep breathing! Beth snapped her jaws.

“Temper, temper.” Damascus sighed. “I promise, the reason I am here presents no harm to you or your pack.”

Why should we trust you? I snarled. 

“Because, despite our pasts, I actually think we would be better off as allies than foes, especially in this case.” Damascus fixed his sleek black hair. “I am happy to discuss what I can, but only in the presence of the Alpha himself in private.”

Not without me. Beth stamped her paw in irritation. 

She’s right, not without my Beta. I snorted.

“Well, all right, if that’s what it takes to get you to listen to me.” Damascus bowed again. “Please, lead the way to your office, assuming you have one?”

I turned and nodded to Beth and Rhonda. Stay close to us. No funny business.

“None intended.” Damascus stayed true to his word, effortlessly keeping stride with us as we headed back to the pack house. My wolves were on high alert as we approached and handed out robes to dress ourselves with as we shifted back. 

“We are not to be disturbed. Neither is Rhonda, do you understand?” I commanded. My wolves bowed their heads, bound to my order. I led the way to my office and once again locked it down. Beth went back to her cold pot roast, appetite seemingly renewed. I sat down and gestured that Damascus should sit as well.

“Thank you, Alpha Samuel.” The vampire sat and pulled out a pair of glasses, carefully wiping them down before putting them on. They didn’t look messy to me at all, but there must have been specks of something on the lenses if he felt the need to wipe them down. They gave him a very distinguished, respectable look. “Now then. There’s a strange wolf in your territory, is there not?”

“Yes. Do you know of her?” I asked, immediately feeling dumb. Of course he did, he brought her up!

“Yes. Believe it or not, I have been looking for her for years. She’s a little past due for her arrival, and she’s only prolonging it. I fear she’s forgotten who she is.” 

“So… who is she?” Beth prompted. 

“Is it safe to assume neither of you have heard of the Sakura Wolf?” Damascus leaned forward, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers.

“The what now?” I asked. 

“Well, that answers that.” The vampire sighed. “Essentially, the Sakura Wolf is one of the supernatural world’s greatest forces of power. She can be used as the greatest weapon of all time, or used as a peace keeper of sorts. We don’t have time for an in-depth history lesson, I fear.”

“Okay, so how do we flush her out of hiding and get her out of my territory?” I demanded. “The safety of my pack comes first, you understand, and I don’t want some walking time bomb placing us all in jeopardy.”

“Samuel! She’s one of our kind! We should be protecting her!” Beth scolded me.

“We can’t flush her out, because we can’t track her at the moment. She’s covered her scent somehow and mirrors her environment.” Damascus sighed.

I thought for a moment. “The word ‘Sakura’- it’s Japanese for cherry right?”

“Goddess be damned. I don’t want to live in an anime.” Beth grouched.

“Correct.” Damascus nodded.

“So if we were able to track her scent- would it smell like cherry blossoms?” I pressed.

“Presumably.” Damascus nodded again. “But it’s hard to know for sure. The last Sakura Wolf was killed almost three centuries ago.”

“Killed?!” Beth and I cried in unison.

“To prevent a Great War from happening. Her own mate turned on her, ripped her throat out. He did it to save the world.” Damascus sounded forlorn at this. “In doing so, he only pushed off the inevitable. There are beings who would do practically anything to get their hands on her, without a care in the world for whom might be affected.”

Beth and I stared at each other, too shocked for words. Then Beth turned to Damascus.

“Damascus, we have a mating ball coming up-”

“-Oh, I know. In fact, that’s something I wanted to speak about as well.” Damascus interrupted. “I, along with a few others, would absolutely love to attend your ball.”

“Vampires?! At a werewolf mating ball?! Are you out of your mind?!” I exploded.

“Not quite yet. Vampires and werewolves can be mates, as rare as it is. Besides, if the Sakura Wolf appears we can keep everyone calm.” Damascus sniffed.

“I don’t see how.” I snipped.

“May I show you?” 

Beth and I nodded. Damascus stood from his seat. “Understand, this is merely a demonstration. We would never use this power for illegitimate reasons.”

He took a deep breath. “KNEEL.”

I slammed down from my seat on the couch and knelt before him, head down. I could hear Beth struggling.

“RAISE YOUR HEADS.”

I did, looking the vampire straight in the eyes. They held no malice- in fact, he looked sorry to have to do this

“CALM YOURSELVES. BE AT PEACE.”

I immediately felt tranquil. Unworried. 

“STOP FIGHTING, BETH. RELAX.”

Beth let out a roar as she resisted, but she too fell prey to the tranquility offered by the vampire.

“Well done, Beth.” The vampire praised her before releasing us. All the stress and worry came rushing back and I held my head between my hands. Beth looked ready to kill Damascus.

“That’s how we can keep everyone calm. Of course, many higher ranking wolves will fight as Beth did. Surprising that she fought harder than an Alpha did,” The vampire looked Beth over thoughtfully. “Miss Beth, I would like to glean into your future. May I hold your hands?”

Beth hesitated, but offered her hands. Damascus took them and his eyes glazed over, as though he were mind linking someone. After what seemed like an eternity, he released her hands and came back to himself.

“It’s a shame you weren’t born an Alpha, you’re very strong. That’s not to say you’re weak as a Beta. I think you’re going to have a grand time at the ball, my dear. By the way, go with the blue dress.”

Beth blinked owlishly. “Uh- alright. Thanks.”

“Back to the matter at hand.” I said. “Other packs are going to arrive soon. How are we going to keep them from finding this other wolf?”

“Leave that to me. You just concentrate on your dreams- and paperwork.” Damascus winked.

Goddess damned vampire.

Chapter Text

Cherry

Delilah was in a panic. We were seen! We were seen!! 

“I know. Calm down, love, nothing happened. Something about us is… keeping us safe somehow.” I reassured her.

Those poor wolves got so sick when they saw us. Why? 

I sighed. “I wish I knew.”

Every wolf I had made eye contact with had retched out their guts and went into a complete panic. They weren’t following us, which meant our scent was still concealed, but I felt a pull begging me to be seen. 

Delilah, of course, wouldn’t have it. Too risky.

But I longed for a warm house, a soft bed. I was beginning to yearn for human things. I felt tired; like I had been out for far too long.

Yet still Delilah refused to shift. Even the prospect of becoming human again terrified her.

Right now, I was sniffing around one of the cottages the patrol pack had taken refuge in. Other than their recent scents, nothing stood out as to this little cozy house being used.

“Why don’t we spend the night here? There’s a shower inside.” I reasoned.

…shower? 

“Ooh, I smell food too.”

Food? Here? 

“Mmhmm…” I inhaled deeply, flooding our senses with the rich smells. Delilah couldn’t hide her feelings about that. I could see the mistreatment she endured, what little food and hygiene she’d been denied.

…okay, quick shower and meal and then we run for it. Deal?

“Deal.” I agreed, pawing open the door. I passed the kitchen and went right into the little bedroom with the adjoining bathroom. My eyes lingered on the bed, and I could feel Delilah’s envy.

“You know, we could take a little nap, too.” I suggested.

Shower and food first!

I chuckled and began to shift. My bones popped and groaned, creaked and broke into place. It felt so weird to be human again for the both of us. I relinquished control to a very hesitant Delilah.

Chapter Text

Delilah

Oh, goddess. This shower was really cool and had a deep built in tub. There was a ledge thick enough to sit on! I rummaged around and found a cabinet full of goodies. I chose some black cherry merlot body wash, strawberry shampoo and conditioner, and grabbed what I think was called a ‘loofah’. I felt a little clumsy, being back in human form after being a wolf for so long. 

The shower’s hot water felt so good on my skin and hair. My hair was so dirty I couldn’t get it to sud up at first, and it took several washes to get it all nice and clean. The mats I would have to deal with later. The body wash was so lavish, I truly felt spoiled. I decided next time I would try taking a bath, since I couldn’t remember the last time I had been allowed to just soak. 

After an eternity of showering, I dragged myself out and dried off with some fluffy, luxurious towels. They felt amazing against my skin- much better than my old, ratty towel. They actually soaked up the water clinging to my skin. I rummaged around in the closet and dressers in the bedroom until I found a decent set of sweat clothes. 

These were the first clothes I had ever worn that were comfortable. They were big, so they hung off me at awkward angles. But they were warm, comfortable, and soft. I felt like I was wrapped in a fluffy cocoon! Who cared that they were the wrong size. I tied the pants as close as I possibly could with the drawstring so they wouldn’t fall off. These clothes were not torn, they weren’t threadbare, and they weren’t stained. I felt so very lucky.

Then, I went to the kitchen. There was so much good food in there!

There were cans full of fruits and vegetables, soups, chips, cookies, ice cream, frozen meat, frozen fruits and vegetables! Sodas and chocolate and juices and beef jerky! Food I had never even heard of before- little round frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Fruit snacks? Crunchy granola bars? I couldn’t wait to try everything I could get my paws on. Best of all, as long as no one minded, I could eat these whenever I wanted! 

The freezer even had a bunch of strange frozen treats, like something called “mochi.” I munched on an ice cream drumstick while I got some food made up. Oh Goddess, it was so decadent and creamy with a slight crunch from the nuts. The cone just tasted like thin fried sugary bread to me. Then I reached the chocolate tip of the cone and moaned over how rich and delicious it was.

Don’t overeat, now. This is a lot of very rich food we aren’t used to. Cherry warned sleepily.

“I won’t.” I promised. I scarfed down my meal and set some chicken breasts out to thaw for dinner. 

So, we’re staying, then?

“Maybe at least for a little while, so we can plan out what to do next.” I sheepishly admitted. “It’s very nice here.”

Into the bedroom we wandered. I climbed up into the tall bed and gasped at how much room there was. I sank into the mattress and moaned at the softness. It was so cozy and the blankets were warm and soft. There were at least three blankets piled up on this bed! I curled up under the fabrics, making a little nest for myself. Luxury, luxury, luxury. 

Did all packs live like this? And the pillows! I couldn’t remember ever having such pillows to myself. One was firm, as it sat under a softer pillow to offer support. My head rested in the fabric and it felt like a warm hug around my hair. It was amazing. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

Chapter Text

Sam

Sure as the moon rises, wolves from neighboring packs begin to arrive. Damascus had warned me against allowing the two cottages near the last sighting of the Sakura Wolf to be used, and I had heeded his warning. I was busy greeting other ranked wolves, having private meetings with other Alphas, and Beth was busy working on the paperwork stacks as well as coordinating what packs were to stay where. Blair had her hands full with last minute details and many wolves were flooding our little town with their attire requests. 

Several trips into the human city two hours away had to be made to retrieve bolts upon bolts of fabric and what felt like freights of food. I winced when I thought of the financial impact this would have on my pack, but Beth assured me we were fine. Ever since she’d taken over the ledgers, she’d slowly been discovering what revenue was owed to us and scheduling out repaying smaller debts.

One of the last packs to arrive was the Celestial Crown pack. They were a very old, very wealthy pack, and they expected nothing but the best. We had reserved our best rooms for their ranked wolves and the best cottages for their pack. All of the wolves of the Celestial Crown pack carried themselves like nobility, and it was surprising to see one wolf was standing out.

She was tall and curvy, with thick black hair toting a single bleached stripe on the side. This alone may have helped her stand out, yet it was also her mannerisms and the way she carried herself in comparison to her pack mates. She was wearing expensive clothing, which she kept tugging at as though she were uncomfortable. Where the Celestial wolves were graceful in their movements, she was awkward and a little klutzy.

Turned out she was a new addition to the pack and they had invited her along to experience her first ball. I introduced myself, and she batted her eyelashes that framed her hazel eyes, letting them sweep against her cheeks that showed sparse freckles at me before announcing her name as Katrina. 

“It’s lovely to meet you, Katrina. Have you settled into your new pack well?” I asked, shaking her hand. It was warm and sweaty, as though she were nervous.

“Um. Yeah. It’s cool.” She mumbled, looking at my eyes intensely.

“I hope you enjoy your stay here with us. I wish you all the best in finding your mate at the ball in a few days.” I said.

Katrina just stared into my eyes, as though she were hoping for a connection.

Stay away from her. Spirit growled suddenly.

Why?

She has a strange aura to her. I can’t sense her wolf, either. 

All right.

I excused myself from Katrina with a nod and hurried away with the Celestial Crown Alphas. We had a meeting arranged, and I didn’t want to keep them waiting. Once we had settled in my office and drinks were served, business was the only thing on all our minds. 

After a very long discussion, it was agreed that both our packs were willing to trade unmated members to strengthen bloodlines and renew our treaties. Volunteers would be rounded up a couple of days after the ball. As my pack was basically overrun with females I was happy to be getting a chunk of new males. And I knew more females than needed would happily volunteer, considering it was the Celestial Crown pack.

As I was walking the Alphas out, Damascus jumped through my open window. 

“Please, enjoy your stay. I’m afraid I have some other matters to attend to and I will be late to dinner tonight.” I apologized.

Alpha Vandus sniffed the air and his eyes darkened. He raised an eyebrow at me and I lowered my voice. “Yes, it’s a vampire. We’re working on a peace treaty between his clan and our pack to avoid more bloodshed.”

“Ah. Perhaps I can be of assistance. Do seek me out whenever you’re able.” Alpha Vandus nodded before he and his Luna left and walked down the hallway. I shut the door and turned to the vampire in question.

“She’s shifted and taken up residence in the larger cottage.” Damascus was grinning ear to ear. “Keep making sure your wolves avoid that area. I’ll patrol there myself.”

“But it isn’t well stocked. Those cottages have the bare minimum. Who knows how long she’ll stay?” I mused.

“With your permission, I’ll take care of restocking the cottage myself. Fresh bedding, fresh food, toiletries, and clothing I can easily sneak in while she sleeps.” Damascus offered. “Which she’s actually doing right now. If she feels cared for, and secure here, I should hope she’ll be reluctant to leave.”

“Seems like a perfect opportunity. I’m sure you’ll find everything you need here in the pack house.” I nodded. 

“Oh, no. Not with a bunch of neighboring packs here. I’ll go into the human city myself to get what she needs.” Damascus put his hands up. “We need her to be as comfortable as possible before we confront her, don’t forget, but we also don’t want to intentionally panic all these packs with my presence until you’ve made that speech.”

“Oh. Yeah. Good call,” I mumbled, feeling very stupid.

“Which you should make tonight, now that the Celestial Crowns know of his existence,” Beth stated from behind her mound of paperwork.

“Right.” I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed.

“But until then, here.” Beth held out a small stack of papers. “Review and sign.”

Chapter Text

Beth

Sam signed his papers and took off as soon as he could. I stretched out and sighed. I had done so much work in just a week and a half I honestly had surprised myself. Never thought I would be one for doing paperwork. I took Sam’s papers and prepared them to be mailed off. 

Between this mess, the vampires, this Sakura Wolf, the ball, and my own troubles, I was getting just a little bit worn down. It was time for a nice break. I left the office and went to my room on the third floor, listening to wolves behind closed doors gossiping,  squealing, and laughing.

It was easy to guess most of them were hoping for high ranking mates. It was always the same when it came to younger females- all dreaming of their new lives as Lunas. Only a small percentage came to be such, and they weren’t always the best choices. We had to trust in the Moon Goddess. She put everyone in their place for a reason.

I stepped into my room and locked myself in the bath. I ran the water, pouring more bubble bath than was necessary before stripping down and letting myself soak. I wondered if we were going to survive the ball- not just myself and Sam, but the whole pack. Our seamstresses were stressing out working themselves to the bone. Our volunteers were getting tired of cleaning up constant messes, which Sam planned to address.

Other packs forced their lowest ranking wolves to essentially be servants their whole lives. When Sam took over, he abolished that idea and took on volunteers instead. At first, it was a rotating schedule of forced volunteering. Then, the pack took to it. We were happier and healthier for it, and it strengthened our bonds to each other.

My bath water eventually went cold and I toweled off before heading to my bed and snuggling under the blankets in a naked heap. Sleep overcame me in mere minutes.

Chapter Text

Damascus

It had been very simple to procure bedding and other necessities for the Sakura Wolf. Clothing was another story, due to not knowing her size or style. Eventually I went with pajama sets and sweat clothes, though I really didn’t know her preference. I couldn’t quite walk up to her and ask.

But, I could hypnotize her and find out that way. As long as I was careful, the Sakura Wolf would speak with me. I had no way of knowing how long my hypnotism would work, or if it even would in the first place, before her powers kicked in and I was pushed out.

My drive back from the human city felt longer as I made my way through the territory to the cottages Sam had so gracefully cordoned off. I parked next to the unused cottage and stealthily made my way to the occupied one. I slipped inside silently and headed to the bedroom, where I stood and watched her sleeping form.

The Sakura Wolf was much smaller than I had thought she’d be. It was odd, as she should have been a decent size by now. The fact that she was alone and had taken to hiding her scent didn’t surprise me, as she needed to keep hidden from any enemy sources. I was curious how she’d done it, though. It was no longer working, now that she’d shifted again. Her cherry blossom scent was practically filling the room.

She stirred and moaned, eyes beginning to open slowly.

“Ah, ah, ah. No you don’t.” I placed a hand over her eyes and helped her back to sleep. “Not yet.”

Taking a deep breath, now that I had skin contact with her, I plunged into her mind. At first, everything was dark and empty. Then there was an explosion of light, and a tree covered in memories like a mosaic towered above me. Memories flitted about here and there, like gently falling leaves. Most of them were dark, robbing the rest of their light. Enormous roots reached out in many directions, each flooded with memories. 

The memories themselves raced all throughout the trees, mesmerizing me. The darkened memories followed suit, like horrible little ink blotches on an otherwise perfect piece of art. Those would have to be investigated later. I had my suspicions that they were under the influence of binding magic.

“Mental status looks complete. If not a little damaged, ” I mused, taking myself away from the sight and coming back to my own body. I removed my hand, and her eyes fluttered open. I looked straight into them, watching as our connection took hold and her eyes glazed over, then spoke.

“Hello, there. What’s your name?”

“D-Delilah…” she mumbled.

“Delilah, what are you doing here?”

“Hiding…”

“Hiding? From whom?”

“...family…”

I could see she was struggling, trying to figure out if she was dreaming or not. My hypnotism wasn’t going to hold long.

“You should know, you’re safe here. This cottage is all yours. We will take care of you. But you must promise not to leave. There are those out there who will use you to their advantage and hurt others. Can you do that for us?”

“...sure…” Delilah began blinking her eyes, trying to wake up.

“You won’t remember me, or this conversation when you awaken. However, you will remember to stay here, where it’s safe. You will not want to leave this cottage.” I hurried, watching her eyes scrunch closed as she began to really fight back. I put my hand over her eyes again. “Back to sleep with you. You’ll awaken in five minutes.”

Subdued, Delilah relaxed. I made my getaway and promptly vomited outside of the cottage. Just as the wolves had all said, her eyes were pure silver. As though silver itself was touching your soul when she looked at you. I wiped my mouth with my handkerchief and rushed everything I had bought for Delilah inside the cottage.

I didn’t have time to unpack everything, so I scribbled out a quick note.

Didn’t want to wake you. Fresh groceries and toiletries await you. I’ll see you soon. You’re safe here.

          -Damascus

It would have to do for now. 

Chapter Text

Sam

“Attention, everyone! I have several announcements to make!” I called out across the banquet hall. The chattering ceased to a murmur, then fell quiet. “Thank you. As you are all well aware, our mating ball takes place tomorrow evening. However, we have some new additions that will be in attendance as well. We have been working on an alliance with a neighboring vampire clan in order to stop the bloodshed between our species. Therefore, we will have some vampire visitors in attendance tomorrow night.”

There was, as expected, an outcry from many wolves. We had known this wasn't going to be taken very kindly. I held up my hands for silence, and the neighboring Alphas quieted their packs down. “I understand that this is last minute, and an outrage for many of you. However, I must advise that I am doing what it takes to protect my pack and secure our future. I fully understand if anyone would rather go home than stay for the ball. However, I will not tolerate any harassment towards our guests, and vice versa. We are here to make peace and find our mates, not start an interspecies war.”

Murmurs of agreement fluttered through the room. Alpha Vandus of the Celestial Crown pack stood up.

“I fully support this endeavor of Alpha Samuel. It is far past time we make alliances with other species, not just our own kind. Granted, it will take a long time to do so, but I applaud Alpha Samuel’s efforts all the same. My own pack will be seeking to form alliances with the vampires in our area once this ball has concluded.” he announced. Then he held up his wine glass and looked straight at me. “To peace!”

Alpha Gunnigan of the Cloud Creek pack and Alpha Nola of the Yellow Rock pack stood, glasses in hand, and echoed him. “To peace!”

A few other Alphas stood up and echoed the toast. As far as I could see, only two packs didn’t stand. One seemed uncomfortable and the other looked pissed beyond belief- as expected. I fully expected to lose support from some packs. I mentally steeled myself, preparing for some kind of outcry for war from the two packs.

Then, the Alpha who looked uncomfortable stood slowly and echoed the toast. “To peace!”

The last Alpha snarled, and gripped his glass tightly. “I object!”

The standing Alphas and I drank our toast and they sat down, giving him their full attention.

“I am Alpha Gunner of the Black Star pack. I object to this madness. Vampires and werewolves can never get along! How dare you not bring this up in our private meetings? How dare you surprise us like this and expect us to just go along with it?” He growled, rising from his seat.

“I admit I made a mistake not speaking of the alliance, but the plan to come to the ball was not suggested until this morning,” I stated. 

“Then you should have called an Alpha meeting to confer!” Alpha Gunner exploded.

“Confer what? This is his territory and his pack, Alpha Gunner,” Alpha Nola challenged. “A little more warning may have been nice, but this is fine.”

“This is not ‘fine’! What’s wrong with you?!” Alpha Gunner roared. “You’re all going to die. Black Star pack! Get your things, we’re leaving.”

Alpha Gunner was met with a chorus of complaints and begging to stay. It seemed his pack was fine with the vampires, even if he wasn’t.

“ENOUGH! If you stay and get killed by those bloodsuckers, then so be it! Don’t expect to be welcomed back with open arms. In fact, any one of you wolves who stay will be excommunicated from the pack.” Alpha Gunner threatened. A horrified silence swept through the hall.

“In that case…” Alpha Gunnigan started. “Well, in that case the excommunicated wolves will be more than welcome to move in with my pack. We have plenty of room for newcomers.”

A very bold move. I was surprised.

“As do we.” Alpha Nola nodded.

“We could use more men around here.” I admitted.

Alpha Gunner’s eyes bulged out of his head angrily. Clearly, this wasn’t how he planned the situation to go out. Grasping at straws, he screamed out, “You’ll all make an enemy of the Black Star Pack!”

In the excitement, many wolves were tense. I could see several panting, as though readying themselves to fight then and there. Others were looking around fearfully, as though waiting for a signal to shift or run. The uncomfortable Alpha from earlier looked pale and worried; perhaps he’d counted on Alpha Gunner accepting the alliance after he stood. Had he accepted on a contingent basis? I made a mental note to speak with him later.

“We can handle that. Our treaties with you are on thin ice anyway.” Alpha Vandus replied nonchalantly. 

Alpha Gunner let out a furious roar and stomped out of the banquet hall. Only a few of his wolves followed, and some looked back with sad eyes. I could only guess they were wolves who couldn’t leave Gunner’s pack as much as they wanted to. Probably those with family and pups.

Those of the Black Star Pack that remained looked around at the other packs sheepishly.

“Let’s worry about who will be moving where later. Everyone is still welcome to stay in their quarters. As a final announcement, the territory to the north is strictly off-limits to any non-pack members. There are a couple of cottages out there that need peace and quiet for their inhabitants, and any type of harassment will not be tolerated.” I called out. “For now, eat and be content, and let us all enjoy the ball tomorrow.”  

And so, all of us wolves did.

Chapter Text

Delilah

I awoke with a start. I could have sworn someone was here with me, someone who could invade my mind and dreams. There was no scent that I could trace, but I felt uneasy and felt as though I had a faint thought of seeing two strange white eyes staring deep into mine. I shook off the sleep and felt around in the dark for a lamp. I turned it on once I felt it and stretched out. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept so hard and for so long. This bed was amazing. I wished I could keep it forever.

I stumbled out into the kitchen and flicked on the light there, remembering I had put chicken aside to thaw. I froze in shock when I saw paper bags sitting on the counter, all stuffed full.  Someone was here. Someone was here and we didn’t even notice! 

The bags were inspected- they were stuffed full of more food, mostly fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese-  some clothing, and more toiletries. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, odds and ends I really hadn’t a clue of what they were or what they were for. 

A piece of paper caught my eye. I snatched up the note on the counter and read it, my beat pounding in my chest. How did they know we were here?!

That’s odd. Cherry commented. 

“We should go.” I whispered. Though… I really didn’t want to.

Why? You read the note. We’re welcome here. They’ll take care of us here.

I mulled her words over for a moment, then read the note again. It was as far from threatening as I could make it, and I really didn’t want to leave. Damascus must be the Alpha of this pack. If he was okay with me staying here, then… 

“Well, it’s not like we’re being held prisoner here.” I agreed. I began unpacking the bags. “Guess we’ll stay for a while, then.”

Sweet! Cherry cheered.

“Just until we can figure out our next move, Cherry,” I reminded her. I thought back to an older conversation we’d had, and felt a small twinge of wanting to be accepted by this pack. “Maybe we can ask for some books so we’re not bored. And a map of the area so we know where we are.” 

Great idea!

With everything settled and put away, I started on my dinner. Chicken stir fry was on the menu. Cherry cautioned me once again about eating too much and I listened. After eating, I found tupperware and put it all away in the fridge. I couldn’t believe that, as of this time, all of this food was for me. And I could have it whenever I wanted. All of this food was exciting and a lot of it was new to me. I’d never eaten a bell pepper before, I’d never been allowed ice cream (though I’d had to serve it plenty of times), and now that I had free reign to eat I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me.

Same with the bedroom and bathroom- it was all mine, and I could use them as I pleased. I didn’t want to worry about how I would pay Alpha Damascus back right now. I went and drew a bath with too many bubbles in it and soaked, enjoying the first bath I could ever remember having. After a while, I pulled out a comb from the items given to me and got to work brushing out the mats I could in my hair. The rest might need to be cut out, but I didn’t see any scissors included in the toiletries given to me or under the sink.

Maybe something more important than books to ask for.

Chapter Text

Sam

Shewolves. Shewolves everywhere. All of them giggling, shrieking, flouncing about getting ready for the ball, which started at 6 PM. I just had to shower and dress in my tux. I had no doubt that Beth was off with her friends getting made up nice and pretty. I was hiding with my breakfast in the company of the other Alphas- we’d adjourned to my office to discuss a few more treaties and the newly abandoned wolves. 

It was going well, I thought, but I wondered where Damascus was. I felt like he should be here. 

“...Here’s one issue: two of those wolves were Alpha Gunner’s Gammas,” I heard Alpha Nola explaining. “They’re not going to be happy to be stripped of rank just to join a new pack.”

“True, true,” Alpha Vandus agreed. “But they knew the possible outcomes when they made their choice.”

“It won’t do to have our own current Gammas challenged,” Alpha Gunnigan mused. “At least, not mine.”

“Wait, I have a solution,” I interjected. “My pack has had no Gammas since I took over. I’ll take them in and they won’t lose their rank. We really need them.”

“Oh, perfect!” Alpha Jesus clapped his hands together. 

“That’s settled, then,” chuckled Alpha Arthur. 

“We do need to be prepared in the event Alpha Gunner declares war,” I added. “I cannot imagine he’ll just let this slide. He may even come back to reclaim his lost wolves.”

“Let him! Our forces are greater. No one in their right, sensible mind agrees with anything he has done with his pack,” Alpha Nola growled, studying her nails.

“I’ve heard a lot of things. He seems to be more of a downright abuser than an alpha,” Alpha Vandus agreed. “I hope someone challenges him soon.”

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a human living with his pack,” Alpha Jesus mused. “Which, considering his reaction to the vampires, I can’t possibly imagine being true.”

“Interesting,” Alpha Arthur murmured.

“If our territories overlapped, I would challenge him myself. Even if they’re not mine, I can’t stand seeing a pack so mistreated,” I snarled.

“That’s how you ended up here, dear boy.” Alpha Vandus reached over and clasped my hand. “And you were right to do so.”

“And we’re all glad for it!” the voice of Damascus suddenly interrupted. “Alphas. My name is Damascus, I am the representative from the vampire clan you no doubt have heard of by now.”

The Alphas, though startled by his sudden appearance, nodded and made room for the vampire to sit. Damascus cooly poured himself a cup of hot water and added what looked like a tea bag from his pocket to it. The scent of blood, old blood, wafted from the cup. Though not overpowering, all of us sniffed in distaste.

“My apologies, but I haven’t fed in a while. I’ll drink it quickly once it cools some.” Damascus apologized.

“Dehydrated blood?” Alpha Nola asked.

Damascus nodded. “I prefer to raid blood banks of expiring blood. Whatever I don’t drink fresh, I dehydrate for later.” 

“It’s like a tea bag,” Alpha Vandus looked at the cup thoughtfully.

“Exactly! Thank you, Alpha Vandus.” Damascus grinned, then quickly sipped at his meal. “Ach- still hot.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Master Damascus,” Alpha Nola offered her pleasantries.

“The pleasure is mine, Alpha Nola.” Damascus returned the pleasantries, and everyone began side conversations. Even though he’d just gotten here, I felt he and I needed to speak privately. He would have to meet with the other Alphas another time.

“Well, my fellow Alphas, I suggest we adjourn this meeting and try to survive tonight.” I addressed them all. There were chuckles all around, and the other Alphas stood to leave. They respectfully nodded to Damascus, who stood and bowed properly in turn to each one as they passed.

With the click of my door being shut, Damascus growled loudly into his meal.

“Bad blood?” I asked innocently.

“You don’t know the half of it. Remember when I mentioned younger wolves might go harass the cottage the Sakura Wolf is in?”

My stomach dropped. “Oh, don’t tell me…”

“Indeed.” Damascus snarled. “She’s spooked, and I had to chase them away. Luckily, I caught their scents, and only one pup belonged to your pack. The rest were from the other packs. One wolf in particular, however, really caused a scene at the cottage.”

“What happened?”

“Well, she looked shocked, went white, then red with rage. Began screaming insults and snapped at the windows. The Sakura Wolf locked herself in her closet crying, and the other shewolf tried to break in. Her packmate tried to calm her down, after which she bit him without prejudice. I have a suspicion she knows who- or what- the Sakura Wolf is.” 

Damascus paused to take another sip. “Therefore, I think we should round up the troublemakers and interrogate them before the ball.”

“I agree.” 

With his help, we resummoned the Alphas and their charges. Damascus went and brought my troublemaker to my office before the Alphas arrived. They all arrived with pups in tow and complaining loudly that they needed to get ready. They were mostly teenagers, maybe one or two in their early twenties. When they were presented before my desk, they all paled. Damascus stood to my right, carefully eyeing the she-wolf who had caused the most trouble.

“You pups have shamed your packs with your irresponsible behavior,” I began. The other Alphas nodded. “As I am only one of your Alphas, I choose not to punish the rest of you, but you all need to understand that what you did was very, very wrong. You are all guests in my territory, and by all rights I could punish you in various, often painful, ways. None of you had any right to disturb those cottages. Now, I ask you: What were you thinking?! ”

My wolf pup, freshly eighteen himself, shuffled his feet. “I just wanted to see what made my mom so scared…”

“Did you stop to think about the danger you could have put yourself in? I have half a mind to ban you from the ball tonight,” I growled. He lifted his head, mouth open to protest, then snapped it shut and hung his head.

“Yes, sir.”

“However,” I continued. “However, I am not one to deny a wolf his chance at finding his mate. You may attend the ball, but you will be put on one month of mandatory volunteer duty.”

The wolf nodded eagerly. It was a light sentence, I’ll admit, as I was hoping the other Alphas wouldn’t punish their pups too harshly. Except for the one she-wolf. “You’re all excused- except Katrina and Alpha Vandus. I need to speak with you two privately.”

The others shuffled out with their heads held low, under the scrutinizing gazes of their Alphas. Katrina and Alpha Vandus stood before my desk. She wouldn’t look me in the eye, and Vandus’ jaw was set. “Katrina, I understand you caused quite the ruckus at my cottage. You even bit your packmate when he tried to calm you. Care to explain yourself to me and your Alpha?”

“You bit Ken?” Alpha Vandus asked incredulously.

“That little bitch has no right to be here,” Katrina mumbled.

“You talk as though you know her,” I pressed. “Speak.”

“She’s- a monster. Everything I’ve been through is her fault! She’s the reason I lost my pack, my home, and almost lost my mother!” Katrina began to tear up. “All of it- it’s all her fault!”

“That doesn’t explain biting Ken,” Alpha Vandus growled. “ Speak. ”

Unable to resist her alpha’s command, Katrina answered with a simple, “He deserved it for trying to stop me from killing her.”

“Killing her? Why would you think that was an acceptable course of action? She is a guest here in my pack, on my lands. As are you. Your actions, had you actually gotten ahold of her, could have sparked a war between our packs.” I leaned forward on my desk. “And being that you’re a very new member of the Celestial Crown pack, I doubt Alpha Vandus would have been grateful to you for that.”

“You were granted sanctuary- you and your mother- into my pack out of the goodness of our hearts. And this is how you repay us?” Alpha Vandus looked disgusted. “You offer a weak explanation for your actions, Katrina.”

Katrina refused to look up at either of us. 

“If I may,” Damascus interjected. “I can search her memories for her relationship to this wolf.”

“NO!” Katrina whipped her head up, glaring at Damascus. “Don’t TOUCH me, you filthy bloodsucker!”

Alpha Vandus reached over and cuffed Katrina. “SHOW SOME RESPECT!”

Katrina began to blubber and wail loudly, but it wasn’t a straight vocal wail… She was literally crying out the word “Waaah.”

“ WAAAAAAH!!!! WAAAAAAH!!!! ” Katrina howled. She held her head where Vandus had struck her. “ WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

“Mister Damascus, if you would. You have my full consent.” Vandus motioned to the wailing pup. 

“NOOOOOO!” Katrina screamed.

“SILENCE, PUP.” Damascus ordered. Katrina shut up immediately, shocked. “GIVE ME YOUR HANDS AND LOOK DEEPLY INTO MY EYES.” Damascus continued. Compelled, Katrina held out her hands and looked into Damascus’ eyes.

They stood like that for quite a while. Vandus and I waited patiently for a while before making quiet conversation.

“May I ask what’s going on with this guest of yours?”

“She’s… to start off with, not one of my pack. But we don’t want her wandering off and getting hurt. I’m not sure how much I should disclose for safety’s sake.” I replied. “I’ll let Damascus make that call. What are you going to do about her?”

“Katrina? I’m not sure yet. She has brought shame upon my pack- as has her mother. We were reluctant to let them in, honestly, but Ken- our Beta’s son- kept begging for us to give them a chance.” Vandus looked at the she-wolf, disgusted. “I feel we made the wrong choice.”

“What is their background? Were they rogues?” I pressed.

“Lost their pack because of some accident. They never really went into detail. It was a smaller, non-established pack by the sound of it,” Vandus replied, brow furrowed in thought. “Though now I really find that suspicious.”

Damascus growled as he came back to himself and slapped Katrina so hard her neck nearly snapped from the force.

“What is it? What happened?” I cried out, shocked. Katrina merely sat, quiet as a mouse.

“I need some time to process what I saw.” Damascus held up his hand and pinched his face in his other hand. “Just- just let me be for a bit. Please. Get this wailing verm- child out of my sight.”

Without a word, the three of us wolves left my office, giving Damascus all the space he needed. Vandus gripped Katrina by the shoulder, deep in thought still.

“She will not be attending the ball. I must speak with my Luna about her future with our pack as well- and that of her mother’s. Please, excuse us.” Alpha Vandus bowed his head and led his charge away. I checked the time, feeling sick to my stomach, and dared venture down into the kitchen for lunch.

Chapter Text

Damascus

I threw myself into Sam’s plush office chair, processing all that I had seen. Not only was this Katrina the Sakura Wolf’s sister, she was also her abuser . That was what Delilah had meant when she mumbled the word “family”. It made me sick to my stomach and it took every ounce of willpower I had to compose myself. Once I felt I had pulled myself together, I headed out of the pack house.

I wanted to rush to Delilah’s side and give her the affection she so clearly needed and deserved. I wanted to kill Katrina and her deplorable mother. I wanted to take all the pain Delilah must hold away forever, yet I knew better than to go near her tonight. Instead, I jogged to the lovely cabin where some of my brethren had been housed. I needed to vent to my own kind, who would be just as horrified as I was and would strengthen their resolve.

Upon entering, I was greeted by five other vampires. 

“Armando. Seth. Amy. Beulah. Harold,” I greeted each by name.

“Welcome back, Master Damascus,” They replied.

“Are you all ready for the ball tonight?” I asked, sitting in a leather arm chair.

“The men moreso,” Amy replied. Beulah went into the kitchen and returned quickly with a tall glass of blood for me. I accepted it and sipped, wishing I had something stronger.

“You look rather pale, Master,” Seth remarked. “Did something happen with the Sakura Wolf?”

“Not directly. Please, everyone, seat yourselves.” I explained what I had seen to my coven members. I could feel their rage growing with each sentence. Once I finished, Beulah was the first to act. She roared, grabbed a tv tray, and threw it through the window. The glass flew everywhere. I sipped my drink calmly. It was more than vital that I did not show my similar feelings at this time. 

“Beulah, we’re all angry, but don’t destroy our hosts’ dwellings!” Armando hollered, grabbing Beulah’s arm.

“To hell with this cabin! We should just take the Sakura Wolf and leave! How could those bitches get away with abusing her for so long?!” Beulah exploded. 

“They are not of this pack,” I explained. “The Purple Crystal Pack has proven to be the Sakura Wolf’s savior as far as her safety goes. However, considering the circumstances, one of you must guard her tonight during the ball.”

“Me!” Amy yelled instantly. “We should all take turns watching over her. But I’ll protect her tonight. I don’t want to attend the ball anyway.”

“Amy, I’m surprised at you. I thought you liked dressing up in silly gowns,” I joked, dramatically throwing my hand to my heart.

“Please don’t tease me, Master.” Amy grumbled.

“Then you may take your leave.” I dismissed her and she was gone in mere seconds, the front door slamming behind her. “The rest of you, get ready. I want us to arrive before the ball begins.”

Chapter Text

Beth

I had just put the finishing touches on my makeup when Sam knocked at the door. Upon letting him in, I inspected him and found his bowtie to be crooked. I fixed it for him, at the same time admonishing that he needed to dress himself better for a formal event.

“Who knows what could happen tonight. What are you going to do if I find my mate? I won’t be able to look after you any more,” I chided gently.

“You’ll still be my Beta,” Sam countered.

“True, but I’ll have my mate to think of. And eventually, pups to look after.”

Sam was silent. 

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, leading him to the hallway.

“If- if we don’t find our mates tonight, when will we announce ourselves as chosen mates?” He stammered.

“In three days. That should give everyone time to calm down from the events of tonight.” I had been thinking about that as well. It wasn’t that Sam wouldn’t be a wonderful chosen mate. Not at all. I just… really wanted my mate. I knew they were out there somewhere, waiting for me, just as much as I was waiting for them.

Down the stairs we went, getting caught up in the flurry of gowns, suits and excitement. We proceeded to the ballroom, where Blair had outdone herself with the decor. We admired everything she’d done before making our way to the stage. Wolves were still filing in, like colorful streamers from a magician’s sleeve.

The plan was to make a grand speech before declaring the ball as having begun. Sam was fidgety, as he always was before such a speech. I couldn’t fill in for him, not at such an important event, and he knew it. I could hear him mumbling and rehearsing what he wanted to say. I was about to make a teasing remark when a faint scent hit me and made my mouth water.

It had to be my mate, but I needed to ignore it for now. I had to attend to the speech- but it was so delicious, like brie cheese and fresh berries. 

“Beth? What is it?” Sam asked. For some reason, his voice sounded muffled and far away.

Fuck it.

I took off towards the scent, leaving a confused Sam behind, and trailed the scent through the crowd. As I did so, I became confused. The cheesy scent split off in one direction, while the fresh berries split off in another. Confused, I stopped in my tracks, looking around and trying to pinpoint the scents. I made eye contact with a she wolf and my heart stopped.

Mate! Maria screamed. The she-wolf and I made our way to each other cautiously. 

“I am Bethany Jones, Beta of the Purple Crystal Pack. Who are you?” I introduced myself, taking the she-wolf’s hand in mine. Sparks erupted between us at the contact, and my heart filled with love.

“I- I’m just an Omega. I’m Cherise, from the Celestial Crown Pack.” Her voice was trembling. I drank in the sight of her- so tiny she had to be only 90 pounds soaking wet. Her hair was dyed- I could smell it- to a rich auburn red. It made her sapphire eyes pop.

“You’re beautiful. I’ve been waiting to meet you for so long.” I purred, bringing her hand up to my lips and planting a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. She shivered in delight.

“You- you wouldn’t rather have a male mate?” She asked.

“Not if I get to spend the rest of my life with you.” I pulled her close, nuzzling into her neck. She squeaked. and I wanted to take her right there and then.

“ Beth! ” Sam came crashing through the crowd to us. “What on earth has gotten into- oh.”

Sam sounded absolutely heartbroken upon finding me and my mate. “Well, I can do the speech on my own.”

“Yeah, you’d better get up there. Cherise and I will be at the table.” I pulled my mate along behind me to the grand table set aside for higher ranking wolves.

“Beta, please- I’m just an Omega!” Cherise whimpered.

“It’s Beth. And as you’re my mate, you are a Beta now yourself.” I took her to the spot reserved for me and pulled the chair next to me out, gesturing that she should sit down. She did, cautiously, and I pushed her chair back in before sitting down myself.

“I have to ask- I can still smell another scent that’s making my mouth water. Were you wearing a berry scented perfume earlier?” I questioned.

“N-no, but I smell it too. Fresh berries. I smelled that before I picked up the scent of pine needles- your scent.” Cherise blushed.

“I wonder what that means.” I tapped my chin in thought before going to attention as Sam stepped onto the stage.

Chapter Text

Sam

  “Good evening, ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between. I am Alpha Samuel, and I thank each and every one of you for attending the very first mating ball hosted by the Purple Crystal Pack!” I greeted the room. “Tonight is all about you finding your mates. I wish you all luck, prosperity, and hope for your utmost happiness. Before we begin, please note that our vampire guests are in attendance tonight. I want no squabbles or petty fighting.”

The wolves cheered, chanting for peace and welcoming the vampires. Much better than I thought would happen.

“May you all have a wonderful night. Let the mating ball begin!” I called out over the clamor. As I stepped off the stage, the DJ began pumping up music. I took my seat at the head table with Beth and her mate on my left. They were just fawning over each other, giggling and whispering. A flash of color caught my eye, and I turned to greet Damascus and one of his coven members.

“Please have a seat. Who is this handsome fellow?” I asked after gesturing that they should sit in the Gamma’s seats. 

Beth and her mate froze, eyes turning black. The vampire accompanying Damascus turned to them, his eyes black as well.

“This is Armando. He’s my second in command, and I think he just found his mates.” Damascus looked amused over the frozen trio.

Suddenly Armando had leapt over the table and scooped both my Beta and her mate up in his arms. They squealed, causing a few heads to turn, before a cacophony of curious questions in loving tones of voice emitted from them. What’s your name, where are you from, it’s so nice to meet you, Mate Mate Mate… Man. I turned to Damascus, raising an eyebrow.

“You saw that coming, didn’t you?” 

“Naturally. Hence why I brought him up here with me.” Damascus purred, leaving to take his seat. “Would you like me to look into your future and see about your own mate?”

“Nah, I’m good. I think I’ll just wander around for a bit.” I stood and left the table, overwhelmed that my Beta had found not one, but two mates- and one was a vampire. I mean, good for her but… selfishly, I had been hoping tonight would be a bust for both of us. I sulkily stalked around, halfheartedly greeting those who greeted me, and stopped when I saw none other than Katrina sitting at a table.

Alpha Vandus was at the table as well. His Luna was at the head table from what I could see. He gestured to me to sit down beside him, and I did.

“Perhaps I am too merciful an Alpha,” he mused. 

“Only you can determine that,” I replied, accepting a drink of champagne from a volunteer server.

“I decided Katrina can attend the ball, under a stipulation. She is to sit here the whole night. If her mate wants her, he’ll find her, though I will be sure to have him sit down and listen to what needs to be said about her.” Vandus took a sip of his sparkling water.

“With Damascus’ assistance, I assume?” I dared ask.

“Hit the nail on the head,” Vandus nodded.

“Whoever he is, he’s in for a nasty shock,” I murmured.

“I see your Beta was blessed with two mates,” Vandus grinned. “Now you have no choice but to keep an alliance with the vampires, it seems, or you’ll suffer the wrath from both parties.”

“She’s very lucky,” I growled.

“Your mate is out there. An Alpha cannot rule without his Luna. Look at Alpha Gunner. No Luna for years upon years and his pack is in shambles,” Vandus pointed out. “Not that he deserves a mate, though.”

Suddenly, I picked up the faint scent of cherry blossoms. “Excuse me, Alpha Vandus…”

I took my leave, trying to follow the scent that had been haunting me for a long while now. If I could finally figure out the source, it would bring my inner turmoil peace. I clumsily made my way through wolves busily making out and all but screwing each other on the tables. My pursuit felt endless as I circled back more than once over the same track. The scent would get stronger, then fainter.

Allow me. Spirit suggested. I let him take over, and he stood awkwardly on two legs as he adjusted to being in a human body. Then he took off after the scent, scattering some couples. He skidded to a stop and our breath was sucked away when we laid eyes on her.

Light chestnut hair, pulled into a curly ponytail, glasses covering her beautiful gray eyes, dressed in a gorgeous sequined forest green dress. She looked like she was scared, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I approached slowly, and she turned to meet my gaze.

“Hello.” I greeted her. “I’m Sam.”

We locked eyes, and Spirit began somersaulting in my mind.

Mate! He crowed. Mate! Mate! Mate! At long last!

“I’m- um- that is…” The she-wolf stammered.

“She’s my mate,” A tall woman stepped forward. I was taken aback by her sheer height. Tall, dressed in a white gown, pale skinned and with curled gold hair. Her eyes gleamed a chocolate brown, and her lips were painted nearly blood red. 

Vampire! Spirit yelped.

“Ah, you must be from Damascus’ coven! We haven’t yet met. I am Alpha Samuel, of the Purple Crystal Pack.” I extended my hand to the tall woman. She took my hand in hers.

“Amy. How can we help you, Alpha?” she asked.

“Well. Ahem. I’m in a bit of a predicament here. You said this wolf is your mate?” I asked, gesturing to the female next to me.

“She is. What of it?”

“I think she’s mine as well.”

I couldn’t register the hit until I was already slammed into the wall. Amy held me by the cheek against the cold stone, her face lowered and dangerously close to mine.

“You’d better be joking, pup,” She snarled lowly.

“A-Amy wait!” my mate cried, gently pulling on Amy’s other arm. “He- he smells really good. Like chicken tenders.”

CHICKEN TENDERS?! Spirit roared out laughing.

“What does she smell like to you?” Amy demanded.

“Ch-cherry blossoms…” I choked out.

“Amy, please release our host,” I heard Damascus calmly demand. Amy let me go, and I dropped to the ground. “I thought you weren’t coming, my dear?”

“Minor change of circumstances, sir.” Amy bowed her head. “This was the safest place to be.”

“Hmm.” Damascus went to my mate and lifted her chin gently. He turned her head this way and that, inspecting her, before letting her go and taking her hand. “Welcome to the ball, Miss Delilah. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

Delilah. Her name was Delilah. My heart soared.

“Now, tell me, Amy, why did you get defensive with our host?” Damascus cooly asked.

“Part of the circumstances, sir. I don’t think we should discuss them here.” Amy glanced around.

“Later, then. Come, let us be seated at the head table for dinner.” Damascus kept Delilah’s hand in his and led us along. We all sat down and began to eat. Delilah looked very out of place, as though she didn’t belong up here with us, but she must, if she is truly my mate!

Cherise struck up a quiet conversation with Delilah, and they instantly seemed to bond. Amy kept a hand on Delilah’s thigh, and I was surprised that Spirit and I were so calm about the contact. I had seen males tear each other apart over touching their females before.  Damascus leaned over to me.

“Offer to glean into your future still stands, Samuel.” He smiled serenely.

“Later.” I brushed him off.

Delilah looked in a direction that Cherise was pointing and froze. Fear radiated from her and everyone picked up on it. Ready to destroy the source of her fear, I turned to look at what she was seeing and my breath caught in my throat.

She was staring at Katrina in fear, and her glasses had slid down her nose. She glanced at me, and my stomach lurched.

The glasses she wore had hidden her eyes. They weren’t gray, they were silver . As I realized this, Delilah fumbled to push her glasses back up and conceal her true eye color.

Silver eyes… Cherry blossom scent… Skittish… Damascus knew her, Amy had mentioned a change in plans… It couldn’t be.

My mate… Was she the Sakura Wolf?!

Chapter Text

Damascus 

An eternity later, the ball was over and done with. Exhausted wolves lumbered off to their rooms, many with their new mates. Sam, Amy, Delilah, and I went upstairs to Sam’s office and locked it down for privacy. Amy sat down and led Delilah to sit in her lap. Delilah looked worried, but snuggled into Amy’s embrace and practically purred at the contact.

I smiled before addressing Amy. “Fill us in, if you please.”

“I’ve never experienced anything like this, Master,” Amy replied. “I walked into the cottage and we locked eyes. My heart stopped, and all I wanted was to love this young woman. I would die for her, give my heart and soul to her.”

“I feel the same,” Delilah piped up. “She smells like daffodils.”

“Her favorite flowers,” Amy nuzzled into Delilah’s hair.

“I see. And for the reason why you slammed Alpha Samuel up on the wall?”

Amy glowered at Samuel and held Delilah tighter. “Because he thinks he has some moronic wolfy claim on her!”

“She’s my mate too! I wouldn’t bother you two otherwise!” Sam snapped. 

“He smells like chicken tenders.” Delilah sheepishly admitted.

“Amy, my dear, is it not possible that the two of you are, in fact, mated to the same wolf but not to each other?” I asked cooly. Amy took this into consideration.

“It’s not impossible, just unlikely.” Samuel replied. “I think I’ve heard of it happening a few times.”

“There, then. Samuel, please take Delilah’s hands.” I said. Only too happy to do so, Samuel obliged and everyone could see the reaction as sparks erupted through the contact between the two wolves.

“As suspected. You’re both her mates, you’re just not mated to each other,” I mused.

“The other issue that arose, Master Damascus. A few curious noses were sniffing around, and I don’t mean wolves.” Amy added. “The cottage might not be safe any longer.”

“And who did those noses belong to?” I growled.

“Dragons,” Amy shuddered.

“DRAGONS?! HERE?!” Sam exploded.

Delilah looked horrified. This was bad, very bad. If dragons had come out of hiding to look for her, there was trouble brewing. I had to act fast. “Delilah, come here.”

The shewolf slid out of Amy’s lap and shyly stood before me. I took off her glasses, exposing those deep silver orbs, and gently touched her face, once again turning her this way and that. 

“Delilah, my dear, how old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“No, you’re not. How old are you?”

Delilah shook her head, confused. “Eighteen?”

“These spells are far more powerful than I realized. Wolf, how old are you?” I demanded, cursing myself for such a crude title and not having asked for Delilah’s wolf’s name.

“My name is Cherry, and… I don’t know.” a different voice coming from Delilah admitted. “It took such a long time to break through the binding spells, and I hid our scent with an old spell I had to learn before finding Delilah. Since we’ve shifted, it has worn off.”

“Dark magic, and much too powerful at that. Who are your parents, Delilah?” I rumbled.

“Mother and Katrina are all the family I have. Daddy died when I was little so Mother married my stepfather.”

“I see. Do you remember any old pack names?”

“Uh uh,” Delilah shook her head.

“We need Katrina in here.” I whipped around to look at Samuel. “She has the answers about their old pack. And we need the mother here too.”

“I’ll speak with Alpha Vandus first thing in the morning,” Samuel bowed his head.

I looked at the clock. 4 AM. Delilah looked dead on her feet. I nodded. “We’ll adjourn for now and come back to this later.”

“Please, mister vampire- I don’t want to be near Katrina. I’m scared of her. Mother too,” Delilah begged. Samuel and Amy rushed to her sides to soothe her fear.

“Then you won’t. Not unless it’s completely necessary,” I promised. “You three, get to bed. If you don’t mind, Samuel, I’ll stay in here.”

Samuel nodded, then led his mate and hers away. I flopped down in his office chair once again and rubbed my temples. A lot of unforeseen problems were arising. That was the problem with the future- it could change at any time, however, if there were dragons sniffing around, it meant we had less time than I originally thought.

We needed to protect Delilah, and if that meant removing her from her own kind- and one of her mates- then so be it. I would repress her memories and his if it came down to it, all to keep her safe, though I truly didn’t want to break their trust in me.

“I didn’t see this coming at all,” I groaned to myself. “Having to choose between keeping her safe, or keeping our friendship safe.”

Chapter Text

Sam

I couldn’t believe it. The most powerful wolf currently in existence was my mate. And the mate of an amazon of a vampire. There were dragons who slipped into my territory and were sticking their noses where they didn’t belong. Beth had found herself two mates. Everything played in my mind, keeping me awake while Delilah and Amy slept, curled up together.

Dragons hadn’t been heard from or seen in centuries. I wasn’t even sure how to handle one. Were they really giant flying lizards? Did they have human forms? Were they like werewolves- two minds, two souls, in one shared body? Did they really hoard treasure? Could they be reasoned with? Could they really breathe elemental weapons?

Amy stretched out in her sleep, and I was thankful I had a california king for a bed. She had legs for days. Delilah snorted herself awake and propped herself up on an elbow, blearily looking around and blinking. I rolled over to face her and smiled.

“Hey.”

“Um. Hi.”

“What’s the matter, beautiful?”

“I…” Delilah fiddled with a strand of her hair. “...need the bathroom.”

“That door to the left.” I pointed. Delilah disentangled herself from Amy, who grumbled in protest, and locked herself in the bathroom. 

“Where’d she go?” Amy sleepily whined.

“Bathroom. She’ll be right back,” I replied.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Too many thoughts racing in my mind. Too many questions.”

“Ah,” Amy sat up, rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. “Yeah, I get that. We’ll have answers soon.”

“In the meantime, I’m glad my bed could fit all three of us.” I patted the mattress. 

“It’ll have to, since we’re all permanently bonded now. I guess I’ll have to move in here, since you can’t exactly abandon your pack,” Amy grumbled.

“True. Maybe I should have a second bed moved in so we have even more room,” I replied thoughtfully. “Thank you, though.”

“For what?”

“Understanding that I can’t just up and leave my pack behind.”

“Oh. Yeah, I doubt the other wolves would take being abandoned very well.”

The bathroom door flew open and Delilah all but leapt on the bed from the doorway. She burrowed under the blankets, shivering, and we could hear tiny whimpers emitting from her. Immediately, Amy and I were on high alert. I jumped off the bed and searched the bathroom, growling loudly.

“What happened, honeybee?” I could hear Amy asking as she comforted our mate.Whatever Delilah said, I didn’t hear it. I opened all the drawers and cabinets, glared out the windows, shoved the door of the shower open. Nothing.

“S-Sammy, come back.” Delilah’s tiny voice called. I stalked back to the bed and settled in by her side. Amy wrapped her arms around both of us, keeping us close.

“It was- it was my eyes. I looked in the mirror for the first time in years and- it was awful. They’re just silver balls!” Delilah sobbed.

“There, there…” I shushed her. “We still love you.”

“You’re a very special wolf. You’re going to have odd little quirks like this,” Amy soothed. 

“But- but when I looked, it felt like the collars I used to have to wear were touching my soul. I almost threw up,” Delilah whimpered. Amy and I looked at each other.

“What collars, sweetie?” Amy asked first. Delilah sat up, gently holding her neck.

“Mother always made me wear these thick, heavy leather collars. They hurt a lot. They were itchy and sometimes they burned.” Delilah shuddered at the memory. “The last one she put on me- the really big one- she was wearing super thick gloves that went all the way up her arms. Then she clipped the silver chain on the collar and left me in my cell.”

I was too shocked to speak. Amy reached over and turned on a lamp. Delilah shrank in fear as Amy put her hands over hers.

“Let me see your neck, baby.” She urged.

Delilah shook her head.

“It’s okay. We’re not going to be mad,” Amy promised, gently prying Delilah’s hands away. Once we got a really good look, our breaths froze.

Scars. All along her neck. Small slivers, huge bulges, short and long. They were the type that were only made from silver. The collars had been silver laden, which proved that the woman who called herself Delilah’s mother had known something. No sane werewolf would have forced another to wear one of the more powerful weapons against us.

“Baby, are there any more scars like this?” I dared ask, gently running my fingertips along the side of her neck. Delilah nodded. “Where?”

Delilah blushed, then turned and lifted up her shirt. Her back was littered with scars of all shapes and sizes. I felt bile rising to my throat. “Anywhere else?”

Delilah hesitated, then turned to look at Amy. Amy nodded and they went into the bathroom together. They were in there for maybe five minutes before there was a squeak and Amy slammed the door open, eyes bright red in fury.

“GET. ME. THAT. WOLF!” she roared, stomping to the door. 

“Amy, whoa, hold on! What’s going on?!” I jumped out of bed and in front of her.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY, SAMUEL!” Amy growled. She pushed past me to get to the door. 

We can’t stop her like this, she’s in a blood rage! Spirit cried. Damascus, help us!

“DAMASCUS!” I yelled, hoping he could hear us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small wolf slip under the bed. I jumped in front of the vampire once more. “Amy, Delilah’s terrified! You’ve got to calm down!”

“I’LL KILL HER! THAT BITCH!” Amy grabbed me by the scruff and tossed me out of the way. She’d no sooner ripped the door open than Damascus appeared, filling the doorway. Amy froze.

“And just what, ” Damascus asked in a dangerously cold tone. “is going on here?”

“I’m going to kill those wolves. They laid hands on my mate,” Amy growled, cracking her knuckles. “She’s littered with silver caused scars. And you know what else they did? They-”

Here, Amy paused, choking on tears.

“What else did they do?” Damascus prompted, deathly calm.

“Master, it’s horrible. The sister carved words into Delilah’s thighs, and I and I saw evidence of silver being used- gods above, everywhere on her body!” Amy put her hands over her eyes, digging her nails into the skin around her eyebrows.

Damascus’ usually cool nature flared up in his voice. “What words did they carve?”

“‘Whore’ and ‘monster’, one on each thigh, sir.” Amy was shaking, and now wringing her hands nonstop. She kept her gaze trained on the floor.

Damascus couldn’t hide the rage emanating from him, now. He kept his temper calm. I was awed. “I see.”

There’s one more. We all turned as Cherry poked her head out from under our bed. It’s embarrassing to say where it is. But Katrina carved “burden”, too.

Damascus strode across the room and knelt down before the frightened wolf. “Where is it, Cherry?”

The wolf slid out from under the bed, laid down on her side, and lifted her hind leg. Sure enough, even on Cherry’s body you could see “monster” and “whore” scarred on her legs. But the word “burden” was carved right where her uterus would be. And they were very, very deep scars.

They had rendered my mate infertile.

Chapter Text

Damascus

“Thank you, Cherry. You can go back under the bed if you wish.” I said, standing up. “Alpha Samuel, Amy, come along.”

They followed. Harold was already standing guard at the door, and Seth was patrolling the outside. Beulah waited for us to pass before going into the room with the terrified wolf. Back into Samuel’s office we went.

“This is a major problem,” Samuel groaned, running his hands through his hair.

“You’re on good terms with some witches, correct?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah.” he nodded.

“Please get in contact with them. We need all the healing magic we can find, and all the spell breaking smarts, too. There are so many binding spells on that poor wolf’s soul.” I sat down on the couch, my heart breaking. For the first time, I felt my composure slipping away. Amy sat down on my left, and Samuel sat on the chair facing us.

The phone rang suddenly. Samuel looked at it, clearly confused. Apparently, no one ever called at 8 AM. He answered the phone, relaxing once he heard the voice on the other line. Leaving him to his conversation, I turned my attention to Amy. I took her hand in mine. “I understand.”

She lifted her eyes to meet mine, full of shame. “I’m sorry, Master.”

“I said I understand. She’s your love, your mate, and she’s been wronged. I swear, you will have first rights to those she-wolves once we have all the information we need from them.” I promised. “I’m sure Alpha Vandus will be all too happy to leave them in our custody.”

“He’d better.” Amy mumbled. I pulled out a small tube from my pocket and popped out a capsule.

“Here.” I offered it to Amy. It was a tightly compacted pill of concentrated dry blood. “You need to eat a little something to take the edge off that blood rage.”

Amy took it and sucked on the pill for a while before swallowing. “Thank you.”

“We’ll have a proper meal soon,” I promised. 

Samuel hung up the phone, looking ashen. “That was one of my Elders. She’d been looking into the whole Sakura Wolf business before you’d come along, and she found some terrible news.” He sat down with an exaggerated flop. “Apparently, the Sakura Wolf can have many mates. They act as a battery for her life force when she needs to use her powers. But if she uses them too much… Her mates all die. ”

I let that sink in for a moment, then smiled. “That’s outdated information, I’m sure. I’ve never heard of her mates dying. Being a type of capacitor for her power flow, yes.”

Sam and Amy looked relieved. 

“Right now, Alpha Samuel, I think it’s best to get Katrina and her mother into our custody. My coven and I need to properly feed before anything else happens,” I admonished. Samuel nodded.

“Leave that to me. I have wolves coming up now to guard Delilah, myself included, so you can release your vampires for now.”

“We will be back soon. Stay safe and keep her safe until then.” I led Amy to the window and we leapt out, keeping to the shadows as we shifted into our bat forms.

Armando, Seth, and Beulah caught up to us in due time. The sun had risen, so travel was slowed by the need to stay in the shadows. As a Master vampire, I was fortunate enough to be able to withstand much of the harmful sunlight. I chose to keep to the shadows with my subordinates. Keeping our bonds strong was imperative to me.

It took a very long time, perhaps hours, to find a blood bank for humans. When there hadn’t been shadow to cover us, I had enlarged myself to offer shade to the others. One of my many useful powers. At last, we landed upside down on a tree branch. After making sure everyone was settled, I descended down towards the back door reserved for deliveries. I transformed back into my humanoid form and knocked on the door.

It took several patient moments before the door opened and a middle aged woman answered the door.

“Oh, I don’t think we have anything going out today. Excuse me, sir, but are you actually here to donate?” She asked, looking me up and down.

“I can see why my attire might have you confused.” I replied, leaning forward and catching her eyes for full contact. My hypnosis triggered and set in, with her eyes going glossy. “Please bring me all the expiring blood you have. You needn’t mention this to anyone. Any questions can be brought here to me.”

“Yes, sir.” The woman replied dully before ducking back inside. I waited patiently for about fifteen minutes before the woman was back with a small styrofoam cooler. “This was all we had, sir.”

I opened the lid and inspected the pouches. About eight, all full of dull red liquid. It would do for now, and I told the woman so then thanked her.

“You won’t remember me. You’ll merely recall a knock at the door and sending a misguided donor to the front.” I snapped my fingers and zipped back to the tree where my subordinates awaited my return. I handed them each one bag, which they held in their little jaws, took three in mine and transformed into my expanded bat form. Our little caravan headed back to the Purple Crystal Pack. 

Upon return, we settled down in our cabin and feasted on the blood donations.

Armando kept rubbing both sides of his neck. It was repeated so much that Beulah must have gotten annoyed with him.

“Armando, quit rubbing your neck! It’s so annoying!” She snapped.

“I’m sorry, it itches,” He defended himself. 

“From what?!” Beulah demanded. Armando blushed in response.

“Have your mates marked you, Armando?” I inquired.

“Y-yes, sir. Both sides of my neck. Those she-wolves are insatiable, I thought I was going to die!” Armando complained, rubbing his tired eyes.

Amy snickered. “Did you mark them as well?”

“Of course I did! They’re my mates, my goddesses!” Armando looked offended that Amy had even asked that.

“Wait- marks? What’re you talking about?” Seth asked.

“I find myself surprised you don’t know,” I replied. “Wolves mark each other on the neck in a specific spot to claim their mates. It’s likened to a physical warning for others to stay away. We vampires will do the same, on occasion, if we find our own mates. I’ve heard it also enhances their connections to each other- feeling the others’ emotions and such.”

“And good GODDESS are those two horny as fuck,” Armando grinned.

“Language, Armando. Don’t be so crude.” I admonished him.

“Oh.” Seth mulled this over.

“The mate bond is very, very strong with wolves. Quite fascinating, really, but we don’t have the time to delve any deeper.” From my peripheral vision, I noticed Amy stiffen suddenly, lip lifted in an ugly snarl. It looked as though it was time to return to the pack house.

Chapter Text

Katrina

I was so, so scared. Ever since coming to this pack it has been nothing but trouble for me. It was all her fault! Once again, that stupid little bitch had ruined my life. Of course she’d show up here, she must have known I was going to be attending the ball to find my mate.

It wasn’t bad enough that Delilah had killed my father. It wasn’t enough that she’d gotten us all banished from our old pack. It wasn’t enough that she’d almost killed our mother! She had to keep showing up and ruining our lives!

When mom had discovered Delilah had escaped, I was so happy. The little bint was gone at last. I wouldn’t have to worry about all of my mom’s attention being turned to keeping her under control any longer. Mom had taken a turn once Delilah had disappeared, though. She got sick, really sick, and she’d told me to make my move.

Ken, my high school sweetheart, had finally given in and mated with me. We had a decent time, I guess, but it wasn’t anything like how it should be when you find your destined mate. He was the Beta’s son- the Beta of the Celestial Crown Pack. One of the oldest, most influential, wealthiest packs known to exist. So I used Ken to help me plead my case to Alpha Vandus and his Luna.

The Luna didn’t seem to care one bit about me or my case for integration. She kept looking down her nose at me, yet said nothing. Alpha Vandus looked very sympathetic, but not convinced. It had taken Ken basically begging on his knees for Alpha Vandus to finally accept us and give permission to bring my mother before him. He was kind enough to send a car and some guards to help move mom out of our little house and into one of the pack cottages, upon which he made a house call with a healer.

The healer said mom might not make it. I remember howling in grief and frustration. I couldn’t lose her too! I just couldn’t stand having lost my dad, now I might lose my mom too?! And be on my own, all alone? I remembered storming out of the house, throwing myself down on the porch to cry and let it all out. That was when Alpha Vandus had decided to grace me with his presence.

“The healer will do everything she can to help your mother, dear.” He put an arm around my shoulders. “You just have to trust in the Moon Goddess.”

“The Moon Goddess doesn’t exist,” I snarled, shoving his arm off. I was fully aware of how disrespectful this was, and I didn’t care. “She let my dad die.”

Alpha Vandus was silent.

“I should have been able to grow up with my daddy here,” I sobbed. “We never should have been forced out of our old pack. If it wasn’t for my little step sister-!” 

Here, I choked and coughed. Alpha Vandus patted my back until I regained my composure. “A-anyway, it doesn’t matter. We’re here now, safe and sound.”

“How would you like to come with us to visit the Purple Crystal Pack?” Alpha Vandus asked. 

“How come?” I sniffled, wiping my eyes on my wrist and making a face at the smeared mascara.

“They are hosting a mating ball. You’ll get to dress up all pretty and possibly find your mate. It will help get your mind off your mother.” He replied kindly. “We can help with financing a lovely gown for you, and introduce you to some of the other she-wolves your age. You need friends, after all.”

“Sure,” I shrugged.

“You’re what, seventeen? The ball isn’t for another month. When’s your birthday?”

“Soon,” I mumbled. “I’d rather not share full details.”

Alpha Vandus raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press. “Right. Well, come along. Let’s introduce you to some of the other pups.”

Pups. Ugh! Nothing but a bunch of teenage and early twenties brats. I might only be seventeen, but I was far more mature than any of them. I’d already had my first time, and I’d seen how cruel the world could be. I could fight and fend for myself. I could beat a wolf into submission, regardless of my rank. Socializing with those lower ranked babies did not sound like fun.

Alpha Vandus dumped me off at the rec room in the big pack house, and I was immediately rushed by some barbie wannabe she-wolves. Their spray tans and awful makeup made me sick.

“We should highlight your hair!” Barbie #1 squealed. “It’s so thick and healthy!”

“You need to use a different foundation, this one is too thick and clogging your pores.” Barbie #2 said, touching my face all over.

“Let’s put you in some of my clothes and see what fits!” Barbie #3 looked to me like she ate nothing but high fat, deep fried foods. I felt insulted by all three of these bitches, but I had to play nice- for mom’s sake, so I let them drag me off and let them play dress-up with me after showering.

Barbie #1 put a single streak of bleach in my hair on the side, giving me a really pretty, unique look. Her name was Clarissa. Barbie #2 was right about my foundation and even gave me hers, saying that ever since she’d started tanning it didn’t match any more. Her name was Elena. Barbie #3 had laid out a bunch of clothes and they forced me to give them a one-wolf fashion show.

They fawned over some outfits, gave thumbs down on outfits they didn’t deem good enough, then squabbled over what store to hit up for my ball gown.

“She’d look best in a puff dress,” Elena declared.

“It’s not a quinceanera, El, it’s a ball. Hence, ‘ball gown?’ She needs something slim.” Clarissa argued.

Barbie #3 was busy showing me the different kinds of corsets I should consider, when I already knew which kind fit me best. Very unhelpful. She asked me what color dress I wanted, which was black, and relayed that information to the other two. Helpful. They decided I would sleep over with them that night and tomorrow we’d all go shopping before the trip.

It seemed like we shopped at twelve different stores before I found a single dress I liked. It was a black ball gown, with beautiful off-shoulder sleeves and ruffles. The dress itself was slimmer with only two petticoats, and I found striking stiletto heels to match. We debated on gloves for my arms, like princesses wore, and collectively decided against it.

Clarissa found a gorgeous salmon dress with quite the poofy skirt. Elena found a stunning dark blue dress with a slit up the leg to her thigh. Barbie #3 found a green mermaid style dress and had managed to stuff her fat self into it. I guess she looked all right, though I couldn’t help but wince at first glance. With our dresses found, we loaded them up in the car with our personal driver before looking for lingerie and corsets. Clarissa and Elena found stuff right away, while Barbie #3 and I struggled due to our curves and her size.

Eventually, we found some nice things and we headed home. I went back to our little cottage to check on mom, who seemed much better. I told her all about the trip and showed off my dress, which she approved of. She was sitting up in a rocking chair the healer had provided, wrapped up under a thick quilt. She was looking out the big bay window in the living room.

“Kat, use the suitcase in my closet. It’ll fit your dress nicely. Make sure the Omegas at the Purple Crystal pack take care of any creases and folds. Then come here,” She had told me. I complied, gently tucking my dress away in its protective sleeve before putting it in the suitcase and rushing back to her side.

I sat down on the floor and she stroked my hair. “Sweetheart, I just know you’re going to find your mate at this ball. He will be an Alpha, I can feel it. You only deserve the best. I’m so sorry Delilah has caused you so much grief. You must understand, as I am her mother, too, I love her as well, just… in a very different way.”

“How can you love her?! She’s done nothing but bring us down to rock bottom! She’s evil! SHE KILLED DADDY!” I cried out, fresh tears streaming from my cheeks.

“Now, now, my darling. Don’t work yourself up,” Mom stroked my hair. “Mothers love all their children, and they love them differently. You’ll understand one day.”

I hoped so. Two days later, mom and I were unofficially adopted into the pack by Alpha Vandus and his Luna, with a promise to go through the official ceremony after the ball. A week or so after that,  I was loaded up in the car with my new “friends” and on my way to the Purple Crystal pack’s territory. Where our land was lush and ripe with fields of produce that our Omegas harvested, their land was rocky and full of grass. Too many trees. Ugly. They had a river flowing through the land though, and it looked nice enough.

Alpha Vandus collected us at the door to the meager pack house and ushered us to our room, where we barely had time to drop everything off before being rushed off to dinner. I looked around and realized it was only myself, Elena, and Clarissa staying in the room. Clarissa caught my eye and explained that since Barbie #3 was the Gamma's daughter, she was staying on the upper floors.

Mentally, I kicked myself for not realizing how important Barbie #3 was, and for not learning her dumb name. I should have been sucking up to her this whole time, had I not been so miserably blinded by her weight. Mom had warned me not to judge others like that and here I was, having done so. I didn’t have time to sulk over the issue, though, as Alpha Vandus took us along to meet the Alpha of this miserable pack. I bet I could kick them into shape. Morons.

Everywhere you looked, this pack was mingling like they weren’t Omegas or unranked. I could see warriors and guards hanging out with Omegas, roaring with laughter, and Omegas being served by others rather than the Omegas serving them. Clearly something was wrong here.

It made my blood boil. Stupid little Delilah wasn’t an Omega, no matter how hard we tried to force her to be. It made me sick. Anyone who saw her could see she was a higher rank, possibly even an Alpha. It was so gross! And here I was, rankless. I hoped mom was right and an Alpha was waiting for me.

I picked at my expensive clothing, feeling left out of the conversations around me. No one had even bothered talking to me. Alpha Vandus was talking to another Alpha, then introduced me. He was Alpha Samuel of this pack! He was one of the few unmated Alphas wandering around. I stared hard into his eyes, willing the sparks to come forward so he could claim me as his rightful mate.

It was no use. I didn’t have my wolf yet. He was old enough to have his, for sure, but they weren’t reacting to my scent at all. Usually, the mate with a wolf can smell when an underage mate will be theirs. Something about how their scent tells them. I never really paid attention. It wasn’t fair. I wouldn’t have my wolf until a few days after the ball! But if he was here, and he was already eighteen, he had to smell me.

I knew I smelled gorgeous. I had to. Most males couldn’t resist me, and a lot of them would do what I said. They were drawn to me, to my touch, my mouth. Favors could get you pretty far, and I considered it all practice for my mate. I would impress the hell out of him with my skills.

I wandered into the dinner hall, where Barbie #3 waved me over to her side. Trying to respect her as a Gamma, I rushed to her side and forced myself to keep my head low.

“Hey, Kat! We were talking to Brady here,” she gestured to a young male across the table from us. “and he said there’s something creepy going on in one of their cottages to the far north territory. Wanna go check it out with us?”

“Oh, uh, sure. Who is ‘us’?”

“You, me, Ken, Brady, and a few others from other packs. Brady says whatever it is-”

“Whatever it is, it’s insane. It made my mom and a whole bunch of other guards sick and super scared to go near it,” Brady interrupted. “Alpha Samuel said not to go near the area, so we have to be really careful not to get caught.”

“Cool.” I was served a plate with a turkey sandwich and some chips by one of the stupid Purple Crystal wolves. I dug in, taking an offered soda while I was at it. 

An hour later, lunch devoured, we stood and left our messes behind as we made our way out of the pack house. Only Brady cleaned up after himself, I noticed. We were about to set out when Barbie #3’s mother called her back inside.

“Adrianna, dear, I need to discuss a few things with you. You can explore with your friends later.” The woman purred, playing with Barbie #3- I mean, Adrianna’s - hair. 

“Sorry guys. Tell me all about it when you get back!” Adrianna waved before going back in.

Brady led the way, and it took a good hour or so before the cottage was in view. 

“Remember, whatever this thing is, it made a whole patrol unit lose their lunch. They were so terrified the Alpha and the Beta had to come rescue them. My mom has been having nightmares for days now,” Brady whispered as we snuck up quietly. 

“Kat, you can hold my hand if you get scared,” Ken whispered to me. I rolled my eyes in response.

The scent hit me first. It was soft, like cherry blossoms. I stiffened, unnoticed by the others. It couldn’t be. Not here. Not her again… only one wolf that I knew of smelled like cherry blossoms.

Delilah.

A growl ripped through me, and I stalked up to a window. Brady tried to stop me as I strode past, and I shook him off with ease. The first window only showed me a kitchen, and the next window was a hallway. The third window was a bedroom, and there, striding out of the bathroom like she owned the damned place, was Delilah. 

“YOU BITCH!” I roared, pulling my fist back to punch the glass out of the window. “WHY ARE YOU HERE?! HAVEN’T YOU DONE ENOUGH TO ME?!”

“K-Kat, stop!” Ken grabbed my arm, stopping any movement. I whipped around and bit into the back of his hand. He yowled in pain but kept his grip on me.

“LET ME GO!” I roared. “SHE’S THE ONE WHO KILLED MY DAD!”

Ken’s eyes, pained as they were, went wide with confusion. 

“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!” I screamed towards the window. I lunged against Ken’s grip only to be grabbed around the middle by Brady.

“Kat, calm down! This is the effect that thing has on others!” He yelped.

“Oh, that thing is gonna pay for this!” I snarled. “DO YOU HEAR ME, DELILAH?! YOU’RE GONNA PAY!”

The boys dragged me away from the window, shushing me and shaking off my glancing blows and kicks.

One of the females with us looked up and went deadly pale.

“G-guys?”

We looked at where she was gazing and all froze in terror. Sitting atop the roof of the cottage was a man dressed in a dark red pinstripe suit. He had dark hair and pale skin, and he did not look happy.

“Th-that’s a- that’s a v- vampire,” the girl choked out.

“I will not waste a greeting on you wretched little trespassers,” the vampire spoke and we all shrank in fear. “I believe you were given explicit instructions not to disturb this cottage.”

No one said a word.

“You have all made a grave mistake. I suggest you get back to your packs. This will not go unnoticed by your Alphas. BEGONE!”

We all turned tail and fled, screaming the whole way. 

Now that little bitch had a fucking vampire guarding her! How much worse could things get?! 

As it turns out, it could get a lot worse. We were found out and all dragged to Alpha Samuel’s office. I wanted to rip Delilah apart. She was ruining my time with my new pack, ruining the ball, ruining everything as usual! Of course she would follow me here just to rub salt in the wound. Her fucking vampire bodyguard was there, too.

Brady was so weak willed when his Alpha confronted him. Ken had somehow wormed his way out of being punished- something about being in the infirmary with a healer- and the other wolves that had been with us were left to their Alphas. Imagine my shock when Alpha Samuel excused everyone but me and Alpha Vandus.

He must want to discuss choosing me as his mate! I did it! I thought gleefully. I kept my gaze down at his desk, hiding how relieved I was to have escaped punishment. I did nothing wrong, anyway. It was all Delilah. Surely now he believed me-

“Katrina, I understand you caused quite the ruckus at my cottage. You even bit your packmate when he tried to calm you. Care to explain yourself to me and to your Alpha?” 

… Huh?

“You bit Ken?” Alpha Vandus asked.

I fumbled for words. All I could push out was, “That little bitch has no right to be here.”

“You talk as though you know her. Speak,” Alpha Samuel pushed.

Now’s my chance! All or nothing, Katrina! I mentally pumped myself up. “She’s- a monster. Everything I’ve been through is her fault! She’s the reason I lost my pack, my home, and almost lost my mother! All of it- it’s all her fault!”

I sniffled, for I had started tearing up.

“That doesn’t explain biting Ken. Speak. ” Alpha Vandus commanded.

Fuck. Since Vandus was my Alpha now, I could not resist any commands from him. I was compelled to keep talking. “He deserved it for trying to stop me from killing her.”

“Killing her? Why would you think that was an acceptable course of action?” Alpha Samuel was practically glaring at me now. This had to be a test, right? To see if I was a chosen mate worthy of him? To see how I would take care of threats to my pack! I would kill Delilah and they’d all be safe. They would have to respect me as Luna then. It all made perfect sense!  “-could have sparked a war between our packs, and being that you’re a very new member of the Celestial Crown pack, I doubt Alpha Vandus would have been grateful for that.”

Crap. I totally missed what he’d said before that.

“You were granted sanctuary- you and your mother- into my pack out of the goodness of our hearts, and this is how you repay us? You offer a weak explanation for your actions, Katrina.” Alpha Vandus was looking at me funny. I looked down, trying to formulate better answers. Think, Kat, think! What answers are they looking for? What would a Luna say in this situation?

“If I may, I can search her memories for her relationship to this wolf.” the vampire said suddenly.

“NO!” If the vampire discovered Delilah was my step sister, I could never become Luna! Mom and I would be cast out again, and this time we really would be rogues! “Don’t TOUCH me, you filthy bloodsucker!” 

I am not afraid of you!

I yelped as my head was knocked forward and pain exploded behind my eyes. Alpha Vandus was yelling at me, and he’d hit me! I couldn’t stand this mistreatment any longer. If this was what every Luna had to go through in order to be chosen by an Alpha, I wanted nothing to do with it! I wailed from the pain and injustice and screamed when Alpha Vandus told the bloodsucker to go ahead with his plan, then ordered me into silence.

I really don’t remember anything after being forced to look into deep red eyes. Those eyes will haunt my dreams for years. I came to when he slapped me so hard I thought my head would go flying off my body. I just sat, my mind cloudy and my chest tight. I barely registered Alpha Vandus dragging me to my feet and out of the office.

I heard him say some things to Alpha Samuel before he pushed me down the hallway in front of him. We went straight to his guest quarters, where his Luna was waiting for us. As usual, she just stared down her nose at me before he ushered her off to another room to speak privately after giving me orders to stay where I was.

I wanted to cry again. Mom would be so mad at me for this failure! I failed to kill Delilah, and I failed the Luna test. I had one last chance to become a Luna, and that was to find my destined mate. I was thinking about this when Alpha Vandus and his Luna came back into the room, taking a seat and looking at me like they were angry with me.

“Katrina, your behavior here has been absolutely deplorable. You’ve trespassed and angered the Alpha whose lands you are a guest in. You have brought shame upon the Celestial Crown pack. You willingly injured a pack mate, the son of your Beta no less, and you have somehow brought the wrath of the vampires we hope to ally ourselves with upon you. Do you understand what any of this means?” Alpha Vandus snarled- snarled! - at me.

I hung my head. Might just be better to play humble right now.

“You have disgraced our pack, little girl,” the Luna spoke suddenly. “And so, we must disgrace you. You will not be allowed to attend the ball.”

“WHAT?!” I screamed, whipping my head up. “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!”

“I can, and I shall,” The Luna didn’t miss a beat.

This fucking bitch. “But what about my mate?! You’re denying us the chance to meet!”

“You should have thought of that before you acted so childish. Do not forget, you’re still just a pup. You have no rank, and you haven’t been officially adopted into the pack yet.” How was she so calm?!

“At this point, we think it may be best to ask you and your mother to leave. As sick as she is, it’s clear you two are not fit to be members of our pack after all,” Alpha Vandus said.

“That’s not fair!” I screeched. “You said we were welcome with you!”

“And you were, until we saw how truly vile you are,” The Luna scoffed.

“I am NOT vile!” I hollered. “I am just as fit to be a Luna as you are! Mom said so! None of this is my fault; it’s all Delilah’s!”

“Yes, you keep saying that, but none of your explanations hold water.” Alpha Vandus stood and poured himself a glass of dark amber liquid. 

“Mom swore me to secrecy,” I growled. “And I will not break her trust like Delilah has.”

Fuck, now they know we’re related! How could I let that slip out?!

Alpha Vandus sat back down, sipping his drink while offering his Luna a glass with the same liquid, which she took. They were quiet for a while, and so was I.

“Look, Delilah is the cause of all of my problems. She killed my dad, and because of her we were given a choice from our old pack: abandon her or leave. Mom could never abandon her pups, so she was forced to leave. Delilah has been nothing but trouble ever since. Mom even had to hire a witch once to help keep her under control,” I spat out. Alpha Vandus’ eyebrows rose. 

“Yeah. I really can’t talk about it, but everything we have been through was because of Delilah. Mom still loves her, regardless of everything she’s done to us, and I can’t understand why. I hate Delilah. If it weren’t for her, my dad would still be here!” I bawled.

“What did she do to your father?” Alpha Vandus asked.

“She- I don’t really remember all of it, but everyone said she sucked out his life force and devoured it, then ate his wolf alive.” I admitted. “It wasn’t enough that she killed her own dad, but she had to take mine too! It isn’t fair! I deserve to have both of my parents in my life! I’ve never done anything wrong! I’ve never killed anyone!”

“What pack did you use to be in?” Alpha Vandus leaned forward.

I bit my tongue. “Mom said to never mention their name.”

Alpha Vandus looked at his Luna, who motioned with her head to the room they’d spoken in earlier. They adjourned to that room again. It felt like hours before they came back. Every minute the ball was drawing nearer and nearer. How was I going to find my mate if they kept me from going? How would they keep me from going?

Finally, the door opened. Only Alpha Vandus came out. He did not sit down, but rather stood before me and made full eye contact.

“We have made a decision. You may still attend the ball.” 

My heart jumped.

“However, you will not be permitted to mingle. You will sit at a designated table the whole time, where I will be sitting as well to keep an eye on you. If your mate wants you, he will have to find you, and first, he will deal with me. You’ve proven to be a danger to others and very volatile. Your mate, if he wants you, will need to understand just who you are.” He stated sternly.

“That’s not fair!” I cried. “What if I pick up his scent first? What if he can’t find me?”

“Too bad, then. It’s either strict supervision or no ball.” Alpha Vandus didn’t budge.

I hung my head.

“Life isn’t fair, pup. Get used to it.” Alpha Vandus turned to open the door, where a guard was waiting. He must have mind linked the guard before coming to give me my choice. “Oh, and after tonight, you and your mother will have no claim to my pack. I cannot, in sound mind, allow you two to stay in my territory. You’d better pray to the Moon Goddess- whom you don’t believe in- that your mate wants you. If not… Well, you can imagine.”

The guard escorted me to my room, refusing allowance to Elena and Clarissa when they came to get me. I had to ready myself for the ball all on my own, with no time for bathing. I just wiped myself down with a warm washcloth, repeating the process on the stinkier parts of myself, and doused myself in perfume.

I remembered we’d had plans for the four of us girls to take pictures together, but the guard would not allow it. He took my arm and dragged me along to a table in the ballroom, sitting me down roughly and taking a seat next to me until Alpha Vandus arrived. The ball began with a boring speech, and wolves everywhere began pairing up with their mates, or dancing, or eating.

I was served a glass of water and a plate of finger foods. I picked at them, sick to my stomach and burning with hatred towards Alpha Vandus. He was going to pay for this, somehow- him and his snooty-ass Luna. I willed my wolf to come forward a few days early, just so my mate would find me and I could be freed from Alpha Vandus’ tyranny. Once I was a Luna, I would declare war on the Celestial Crown pack and destroy them. Mother would be so proud of me. 

Then I would destroy the Purple Crystal pack, and kill Delilah in the slowest and most painful way that I could.

Chapter Text

Cherry

We’d been hiding under the bed all day. Neither Amy or Sam had come back to the room yet. The guards were really nice, and at one point someone had brought up a tray with some food on it. It smelled like bread and cheese and ham. Our stomach was too tight to eat, and Delilah and I weren’t willing to come out from under the bed unless completely necessary. Everyone had been so angry when they saw the scars we bore.

I had expected emotions to run high, honestly. But wasn’t sure who they would be directed at. Delilah was horrified at the reactions and kept whimpering that everything was her fault. I snarled silently, knowing she was only repeating the mantra Katrina and Mother had constantly used against her. I peeked out from under the bed once to see the sun was starting to set.

Gotta pee. I whimpered. Delilah didn’t respond. I slunk out from under the bed and ran into the bathroom. I didn’t bother shifting- I just jumped in the empty tub and peed right down the drain. I ensured there weren’t any droplets around the rim and scrambled back under the bed. We’d agreed that we wouldn’t fully come out until one or both of our mates was here.

“Baby girl?” I heard a female’s voice call out. Amy!

Under the bed. I called. Soon enough, my tall, gorgeous vampire mate knelt down and peeked under the bed.

“Oh, honey. Wanna come out? Or are you still scared?” She asked. We picked up on a very sad tone of voice- unfamiliar to us. 

Not ready yet. Delilah whispered, and I shook my head no.

“Hmm. What if we set up camp in the closet? We can use the blankets to make a nice little nest.” Amy offered. “We can close the door and snack on this nice lunch they made you.”

My stomach growled suddenly. 

“Hungry?” Amy prompted.

Delilah relented and I slunk out from the bed, beelining for the closet. Amy opened the door and we zipped inside, picking a corner and curling up in it. Amy grabbed the blankets from the bed and tossed them over me.

“There you go. Nest away!” She said cheerfully. I complied and soon had a nice mound of blankets beneath me as well as one on top. “Oh, you look like a cozy little hamburger.”

I am a cozy little hamburger! Delilah giggled. Amy placed a very gentle kiss on my forehead, and we shivered from the sparks.

“You’re my cozy little hamburger. I’m so sorry for scaring you earlier.” Amy laid down, pulling the door shut behind her. “I wasn’t angry at you. I was angry with those other wolves who dared lay hands on you.”

It was my fault. Delilah pipped up.

Only because you were forced to think that. I replied sadly. Amy was watching us, eyes full of… adoration?

“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” She asked.

Delilah sighed, realizing that our conversation wasn’t going anywhere, then reluctantly shifted back. She drew the blankets over our naked form and tucked in deeper.

“It’s my fault,” she said. “It’s always been my fault. From when daddy died to now. Mom and Katrina said so.”

“What’s been your fault?” Amy asked. I nudged Delilah to answer.

“Like- like everything. My stepfather dying, being banished from our pack, forced to live as- as rogues, or lone wolves, I don’t even know- to the house never being clean enough. Just… everything.” Delilah struggled to get this all out, and I was so proud of her.

“I see,” Amy replied.

Welp, she’s done with us now. She’ll reject us for sure. 

Oh, Delilah, don’t think like that.

“Baby girl, it wasn’t your fault,” Amy said suddenly. Delilah looked up, startled. “I said what I said. How could any of that be a pup’s fault?”

“Be… because…?” Delilah stammered.

There was a knock at the closet door. “It’s me!”

“Come in, Sam.” Amy scooted over to make room for him. Sam opened the door and slid inside the closet with us.

“Hey, sweetness. I’m glad you’re not hiding under the bed anymore. This is much roomier.” Sam stretched his arms out. 

You were saying? I nudged Delilah.

“How couldn’t it have been my fault, though?” Delilah burst out. “They said everything was my fault to begin with.”

“But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. What did they tell you was your fault to begin with, that led down this road of blaming you for all their problems?” Amy prodded.

Delilah went silent. I couldn’t find any clear memories to share, so I stayed quiet as well. 

“It’s okay if you can’t remember,” Sam assured us. “Though I should tell you, Master Damascus wants to talk with you.”

“That’s who wrote the note!” Delilah yelped suddenly. “At the little cottage! Oh, gosh, all of my stuff- well, the stuff he got me- it’s all there too. I need to talk to him and ask him how I can repay him for all of it! And my chicken probably isn’t any good now either. I was going to make chicken fried rice.” 

“Baby, sweetie, honey, slow down!” Sam looked quite confused.

“Goodness, baby girl, take a breath!” Amy looked shocked. I was shocked too, Delilah had never spoken in a rush like that before. She was slightly gasping for breath, too.

“Master Damascus won’t expect payment, I don’t think.” Sam said. “We can send someone to get your things, and you can have chicken fried rice tonight if you want. I can ask the volunteers on duty to make some up.” 

Delilah whined in frustration. “But- but there’s stuff all over the place. Please can’t I go back by myself?”

Are you planning to run away?! I demanded.

Hush, Cherry!

“Not without us.” Amy and Sam said in unison. 

“Besides, I don’t want to live in this big house. Can we go live in the cottage?” Delilah tried a different angle.

“Sorry, sweetie. You’ve been told ‘no’ all your life, and I hate to add to that, but it isn’t safe for you there.” Amy said firmly.

“But it was comfortable.” Delilah whined.

Oh my Goddess, you are! You totally are! I yowled.

Shut up, Cherry! We have to!

But we found our mates here! And they love us, they want us! I howled.

“We can change things up here, dear. This whole floor is ours.” Sam pleaded.

Sam, she’s gonna run for it! You gotta hear me! I hollered.

CHERRY, WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!

NO! I can’t believe you! We’re finally safe and wanted and you just want to run off, leave it all behind, for what?!

Ladies, ladies! Please calm yourselves!

We both fell silent. That voice was neither of ours.

Excuse my intrusion, I will be with you in due time.

…Okay, let’s maybe stay here. Delilah whispered.

Yes, let’s! I barked.

“There’s- there’s clothes there, that are warm and soft. I’ve never had clothes like that before, and I don’t want to lose them.” Delilah said. “Everything that is in that cottage- those given to me- they’re the first things I’ve ever owned.”

“Oh, honey!” Amy and Sam exclaimed before throwing themselves onto us in a tight hug.

“And- and that bed was really soft.” Delilah fumbled on her words.

“We can move that bed in here for you. Whatever you want, we will do our best for you.” Sam promised.

There was a polite rapping at the closet door. “Excuse me, may I come in?”

“Yes, Master!” Amy called out. The door opened and the vampire from this morning stepped inside, neatly closing the door behind him.

“Good afternoon, Alpha Samuel. Delilah.” he nodded to each of us. 

FINALLY! A voice of reason! I chirped, much to Delilah’s annoyance.

“Indeed, Cherry dear.” Damascus nodded. He awkwardly looked around before sitting himself on the floor with his legs crossed. To see such a refined gentleman sit like this, in his clean red pinstripe suit, made me snicker.

“Ahem. Now then. You’re wanting to retrieve your belongings, is that right?” Damascus asked once he was fully- well, as settled as he could get, really.

“W-well, I hope they’re mine. I haven’t paid for them yet.” Delilah mumbled. “I guess you’d like to drink some of my blood, since you’re a vampire, so- here.”

She extended her hand towards him, squeezing her eyes shut in anticipation for the pain. Damascus took her hand in his and squeezed lightly.

“Quite a generous offer from you, my dear, but let’s not offer our blood willy nilly.” He gently pushed her hand back. “I do not require any form of payment for those things. They are cheap and trivial as far as I am concerned.”

She needs some more stuff! I offered. Like books! And underwear! 

CHERRY! Delilah shrieked.

“Well, my goodness! We can’t not have undergarments, can we now?” Damascus held his hand up to his cheek in mock surprise.

“Sure you can, Master, it’s called ‘going on command’ these days.” Amy interjected.

“Ah, that’s ‘going commando’, Amy.” Sam corrected her. 

“Oh, you young people these days! Scandalous!” Damascus continued to feign surprise, now moving his hand from his cheek to his forehead. “I fear I may faint!”

“So naughty, just how I like it,” Amy purred, nibbling on our earlobe. Delilah flushed beet red. “We could get you a nice padded bra, I suppose.”

“We could skip the cotton underwear. I’ve heard recent studies suggest it collects too much bacteria in the groin. Don’t want to get a UTI.” Sam added thoughtfully, hand on his chin as he looked up and off to the side.

“You can always carry it in your pocket in case you need a hat.” Amy snickered.

“OH!” Damascus clutched at his heart.

We’re lucky not to have gotten a UTI already. I added. Then again, we haven’t worn underwear in… months? Not since we wolves just let it all hang out.

CHERRRRYYYYY!!!! 

What?! It’s true! 

“Cherry, you naughty, naughty wolf! Good gracious, who taught you to speak like that?!” Damascus chuckled. “SUCH unladylike manners.”

“Who’s a lady?!” Delilah snapped, then clapped a hand to her mouth. 

“Oh, was that a clap back? Good for you!” Amy praised.

“I’m- I’m so sorry, Master Damascus.” Just like that, Delilah was back in that quiet, dark place. Damn. She’d come out of her shell just a little bit.

Master Damascus folded his hands together, propping his elbows up on his knees and his chin on his interlaced fingers. “Well. We’ve had a little fun- much needed, I should say- and now we get to the serious discussion.”

Sam and Amy sat up, faces serious. Delilah pulled the blankets around her a little tighter. 

“Delilah, I have arranged for some healing witches to have a look at you. All female. Your body needs healing from all the silver poisoning, and your mind needs to rest while all those binding spells are broken down. I offer my apologies for acting without receiving your consent.” Damascus started off with. “We can go forth and bring your possessions back from the cottage tonight. After you’ve healed up some, I have made arrangements for a shopping trip to the human city. Wherever you go, you are to be with no less than four guards at a time. This is in addition to either or both of your mates and myself.”

“I’m not worth so much trouble, sir!” Delilah gasped.

“You are. You are safely unaware of just how much trouble you are worth, and I intend to keep it that way for now.” Damascus replied without skipping a beat. “Though you should know this: Katrina and your mother will be forced to take up residence here. They are going to be placed under trial.”

Delilah went cold.

“Now, they will not under any circumstances be allowed to see you or contact you.” Damascus held up a hand. “They will be under heavy guard. We need to interview them for answers. Answers you don’t have.”

“No. No, you shouldn’t bother them. They’re very cruel, very strong. They’ll hurt you!” Delilah whimpered. “They’ll know it’s because of me, and they’ll find a way to get to me. Please just leave them be, sir!”

“I’m afraid that is out of the question. Alpha Vandus has relinquished them into our custody,” Damascus replied. “They have crimes to answer to, dear one. Child abuse is no light matter. Silver poisoning isn’t, either.”

My heart stopped as Delilah suddenly lunged at Damascus and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Sam and Amy cried out, trying to stop her, but Damascus held up his hand to stop them. Delilah seemed to have forgotten we were completely naked under those blankets. Even I blushed in embarrassment.

“Please, mister Damascus. I don’t want them to hurt you. You’ve been so kind to me and to Cherry,” Delilah whimpered into his neck. Damascus responded by pulling us into his lap and cradling us close, pulling a blanket along and careful not to look until we were covered by the fabric.

“They couldn’t hurt me if they tried, my dear,” he cooed, rocking back and forth a little. “I promise. Your pleas are not falling on deaf ears.”

“They’ll hurt anyone guarding them,” Delilah sobbed.

“Our guards have dealt with worse,” Sam offered.

“Katrina will scream and cry for help a lot,” Delilah whimpered.

“Let her. They’ll fall on deaf ears,” Amy cracked her knuckles.

“They’ll escape somehow. I just know it,” Delilah sniffled. 

“Let them. They will incur the wrath of the pack and my coven,” Damascus smiled warmly.

I hope you understand what you’re getting yourselves into. Those two are not to be taken lightly. I added.

Underestimating those two would be our undoing. Fear not, Cherry. Place your fragile trust in us, and let us prove to you we can handle those unintelligent creatures who dare take the title of wolves.

Oh! So that was you earlier, Damascus? I realized.

I should hope so. Damascus’ smile widened a little.

Delilah, I think we’re in good hands. I nudged. Let’s just give them a shot, okay?

Delilah hesitated, taking a deep breath. Damascus reached up and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “O- okay. I’ll do my best to trust you all.”

Yess! I cheered.

Chapter Text

Beth

I stretched my sore muscles and let loose a loud, long groan of appreciation. Cherise grumbled and wiggled further under the covers, grumbling louder as I chuckled. On my other side, Armando kept his arm over his eyes, pretending to be dead. I climbed on top of him and straddled him teasingly.

“Babe, whichever one you are, for goddess’ sake give me a break!'' he whined.

“But I waaaaant you!” I whined back playfully, grinding my hips.

“Will you two shut up?!” Cherise snapped from her blanket burrito. “SOME of us would like to sleep last night off!”

“I think you mean ‘this morning’ my dear.” I teased, reaching over and patting the blanket pile. Cherise growled. “Oh my gosh, fine! We can’t afford to take another day off, anyway. I have to go back to Sam’s office and continue that paperwork.”

I slid off Armando and made my way to the bathroom. “Cherise, you’re coming with me today. We have to make arrangements for your moving in, speak with your former Alpha, and plan your introductory dinner to the pack.”

Cherise whined loudly and joined me in the shower. “No fair, I wanna stay in bed all day.”

“Welcome to being a Beta, babe.” I snickered.

“What about Armando? How come he gets to stay in bed?” She asked.

“Unless Damascus calls for him, Armando needs to sleep so he can make more love to us tonight.” I winked. 

“I heard that, you cheeky vixen.” Armando called from the bed.

Freshly showered and in clean clothing, Cherise and I headed out to Sam’s office. We passed a small group of she-wolves, who bowed their heads in respect to me, but stopped and stared at Cherise.

“Cherise! Why are you bothering the Beta of the Purple Crystal pack?” One asked in a fake concerned tone. “You should be down in the kitchens with the rest of the Omegas!”

I stopped, but didn’t turn my head to the she-wolves. “We do things differently here. Our Omegas are not servants.”

“Yes, Beta, but she’s from our pack. She shouldn’t be bothering you!” the second female stated.

Now, I turned my head. “Who said she’s bothering me?”

“Cherise, go. Kitchens. Now.” the third female ordered. I was about to say something, whirling suddenly, when Cherise held up her hand. I stopped.

Confused, the female ordered her again to go to the kitchen.

“You know, I’m pretty tired of being a servant for you,” Cherise said quietly.

“Excuse me?” The first female choked.

“Yeah. I won’t be going down to the kitchens, because I have important work to do with my mate,” Cherise continued.

“Your mate is as low-ranked as you are.” Snarled the third female. “So get your ass to the kitchens and stay where you belong!”

“The bottom of the totem pole!” The second female chimed in.

“I don’t have to respond to your commands anymore. My mate is, in fact, highly ranked, and so that rank has transferred to me,” Cherise smiled sweetly.

Well, color me impressed. This was a different side to Cherise than her quiet, submissive self… and she was actually holding her own very well against the three she-wolves.

“I think you need a little lesson in respect.” The first female snarled, balling her fist.

“Actually, you do. Stand down, ” Cherise ordered. The she-wolves all looked shocked, but the first female’s fist dropped to her side and relaxed.

“Very good. Get your asses into the kitchen and help serve anyone who is hungry. If you ever disrespect myself or my mate again, there will be severe consequences,” Cherise growled. “GO!”

The three she-wolves bumped into each other in their hurry to get down to the kitchens. Cherise turned to look at me.

“Damn, babe, that was hot. ” I pinned her up against the wall. “I should just take you right here and now.”

This was a pretty common occurrence, really. Whatever it was about werewolves, we had super high sex drives. No wonder poor Armando couldn’t keep up.

“Can’t, we have work…” Cherise whimpered as I nuzzled into her neck, licking where I had placed my mark. 

“Mmh, you’re right.” I huffed. I gave her a kiss and led her the rest of the way to Sam’s office. Upon arrival, her eyes bulged at the stacks upon stacks of paperwork on the desk. “It’s not as bad as it looks, Sam just procrastinates.”

I set Cherise up with a map of the territory and a few documents to look over while I got back to work. I called Alpha Vandus and asked him to drop by when he had some time to discuss Cherise leaving his pack, followed by opening the door to being served quite a breakfast of waffles, fresh fruit, syrup, whipped cream, bacon, sausage, coffee, apple juice, and milk by the three she-wolves from earlier. I permitted them to place their food laden trays on the coffee table before dismissing them.

“How does that feel?” I asked Cherise. She looked up from the map and smiled.

“It’s such a relief not to be forced to listen to them anymore,” She admitted. “They always hated how headstrong I am, so I had to become more meek to get by.”

“I like your headstrong nature,” I purred. We settled down to eat, discussing treaty renewals and answering her questions. Shortly after we finished, Alpha Vandus was knocking at the door. I welcomed him in.

“Cherise, you finally found your mate! I’m very proud of you,” he praised. “You haven’t always had it easy in my pack.”

“When can we move her out, Alpha Vandus?” I asked.

“Whenever you like. Our pack is open to any of yours.” Alpha Vandus smiled. “In fact, I was hoping to speak with Alpha Samuel about rewriting our treaty.”

“He’s… somewhere.” I mind linked Sam right away. Where the hell are you? Alpha Vandus is waiting!

Well, hello to you too. I’ll be up in my office soon. Sam replied. Once I’m done with him I’m taking the rest of the day off.

Like hell you are, most of the packs are leaving today, and you need to see them off. Also, tie up any loose ends. Have you even talked to those Gammas about taking our open positions yet? He had some balls on him.

Erm. Not yet?

GET. YOUR ASS. UP HERE. NOW!

“He’ll be with us shortly,” I said sweetly to Alpha Vandus. Maybe 45 minutes later, though, Sam came bursting into the office.

“She didn’t want me to leave,” He said awkwardly. Right behind him, clinging to his hand, was the Sakura Wolf, and right behind her, one of the female vampires. “Please forgive us for being late.”

“This is her?” Alpha Vandus stood to greet the trio.

“Alpha Vandus, wait-!” I tried to stop him from looking directly into her eyes, but it was too late.

Alpha Vandus lost his lunch in the wastebasket.

“I’m really sorry. I have that effect on people.” The Sakura Wolf hung her head. 

“My dear girl, you are as frightening as a newborn kitten. You’re clearly a victim of massive silver poisoning,” Alpha Vandus coughed out. “Not your fault at all.”

The Sakura Wolf sat down on the couch, next to the female vampire. Sam came to his desk, which I gladly walked away from.

“I would like to begin by rewriting our treaty…” the Alphas began discussing. Meanwhile, I mindlinked  some guards and asked them to find the displaced Gammas, then bring them to us. They complied, and within twenty minutes the Gammas were seated on the couch sipping at some leftover coffee. Some volunteers on janitorial duty swept through, taking the soiled wastebasket and dirty dishes with them and leaving us a fresh pot of coffee with extra mugs and all the fixings.

Other Alphas began to arrive, each taking a seat and waiting their turns to speak with Sam. As Beta, I made sure each was comfortable and served coffee as needed. The female vampire and Sakura Wolf were starting to doze off together, with the Sakura Wolf clinging to the vampire like a koala. Kind of cute, really.

Cherise caught my eye, and I walked over. “Just wanted to clarify this…”

It was the document with the notes about the territory Yellow Rock had given back. “Ah yes, it’s all resolved. That area is located in this quadrant on the map.” I pointed. “It’s a sacred place. When we have time I’ll take you through the whole territory.”

“Sounds good.” Cherise nodded and went back to her work. I heard yet another knock at the door and went to greet the next person. I opened the door to Damascus, who eagerly stepped inside and took the seat next to the female vampire and the Sakura Wolf. I really needed to learn their names.

Chapter Text

Sam

Alpha Vandus and I finished rewriting our treaty and signed together with Beth as witness. He’d made the very generous offer to align our packs as sisters, with a treaty for the vampire coven to be added at a later time considering how full my office was. He graciously took his leave, promising to call once his pack returned home.

The Gammas were next. They nervously approached my desk and took a seat in the two available chairs across from me.

“You two were very brave to give up your ranks to achieve peace,” I started off.

“We would rather have done so than be part of a one-sided war,” the female stated.

“Things have not been going well in the Black Star pack anyway. We were Gammas in name only, really,” the male admitted. “Alpha Gunner wouldn’t let even his Betas do their work. They’re more like show ponies than ranked wolves.”

“That’s horrible,” I agreed. “Have you truly worked as Gammas before, then?”

“Oh, yes. We have experience and our wolves still hold rank,” the female nodded.

“We haven’t been properly introduced. I am Alpha Samuel,” I realized.

“Gamma Louise,” The female introduced herself.

“Gamma Austin,” The male introduced himself.

“Gammas Louise and Austin, I have a vacancy here in my pack. We’ve not had any Gammas for quite some time now, and as you can see,” I gestured to the mounds of paperwork, “we are very much in need of you. I would be more than happy and grateful to adopt you two into the pack and allow you to resume your duties.”

“You’re serious?” Louise gasped.

“Perfectly so. We need you here,” I replied.

The Gammas looked at each other. “We accept!”

“Excellent. The third floor of the pack house is all yours. Is there any need to find a way for you to retrieve your belongings from your previous home?” I asked.

“Yes, actually,” Louise nodded. “Can you help us arrange that?”

“I’ll do my best,” I promised. “For now, I can help finance a small shopping trip to get any necessities for you.”

“Oh, Alpha Samuel, allow me to take care of that,” Damascus spoke up suddenly. “We can discuss the particulars later.”

Oh thank goddess, I wasn’t sure how we were going to afford that help.

“Thank you, Master Damascus.” I bowed my head in his direction. “Please, speak with him at your leisure. That is all the business I have for you, unless you have anything for me?”

The Gammas shook their heads and took their leave, heading straight to Damascus to discuss details. The other Alphas stepped forward, mostly to work on our treaties and some to congratulate me for allying my pack with vampires. A bold move, and a smart one at that, they all agreed. 

Finally, the last Alpha left, and I collapsed in my chair with a loud groan. Beth and Cherise had left a while ago, and Amy had taken Delilah to our room for a nap. Damascus was laying on the couch.

“An Alpha’s work is never done,” he chuckled. “Will you be able to take the day off tomorrow?”

“If Beth lets me,” I grumbled. “I wanted us to go today.”

“Probably for the best. More important matters concerning your pack happened today.” Damascus sat up, swinging his slender legs off the couch. 

“It was very generous to offer financial help for the Gammas,” I said.

“Considering the current financial issues your pack has, it is the very least I can do.” Damascus held his hands up. “Money is no object to me.”

“Hence why you’re also funding the trip tomorrow for Delilah?” I prompted.

“Well, that is for more… personal reasons,” Damascus admitted, shrugging his shoulders. 

I was silent for a minute. “Damascus, did you ever have children? Before becoming a vampire?”

“I did.” Damascus put his hands in his lap. “I miss them terribly. Every year, their graves are decorated with flowers and small treats are left on their altars. Same for my wife.”

“I’m so sorry.” Shit. I shouldn’t have asked that.

“I do not wish to disclose details at this time. My past has passed us by, and I have my new children.” Damascus sighed.

“Your coven?” I asked.

“Indeed.”

“And now Delilah.”

“Perhaps.”

“You’re just a big old softy, aren’t you?”

“I believe the phrase I should use in response to that is ‘them’s fightin’ words’.”

I laughed at his attempt to speak in a southern accent. “Just don’t forget she’s my mate and Amy’s. That makes her more like a granddaughter.”

“And grandchildren are meant to be spoiled. Tomorrow I plan to learn as much as I can and observe her. She seems very excited at the prospect of getting some books.” Damascus tapped at his chin. “I doubt she had any enrichment, growing up as she did. There’s still the matter of figuring out how old she really is, too. We need that mother of hers in custody as soon as possible.”

“Alpha Vandus will most likely send her to us once he gets back. Katrina is still under heavy guard in her room,” I replied.

“Have you any dungeons or torture chambers?” 

“We have dungeons and cells.” 

“Move her to the barest cell with the hardest bed possible,” Damascus growled. “Let’s see how she likes it.”

“Pardon?” I asked. I had no issue moving that horrible she-wolf, but what did he mean?

“Later.” Damascus waved his hand. “Please have it done within the hour.”

I mind linked the guards watching over Katrina right then and there. Take her to the dungeons. In a cell with the hardest bed. 

“Add in no food but three soup cans once a day,” Damascus interrupted.

She is not to eat anything but three cans of soup once a day. 

Yes, Alpha!

Suddenly, it clicked. “That’s what they did to Delilah.”

Damascus was hiding his fury. I gnashed my teeth. 

Make that every other day.

Chapter Text

Amy

Poor Delilah. Poor, poor, poor Delilah. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those monsters who had put her through so much pain and misery. Where did they get off with carving such horrible words into her very skin?! Where did they get off with all the abuse and starvation and the silver poisoning?!

Right now, she was curled up against me in a fitful sleep. She was so tired, and now that she was safe I hoped Delilah would nap often. I’d had to coax her once to sleep when I could see her fighting it. The current plan was to go back to the cottage for her belongings once she woke up. Sam and Master Damascus would be busy for a while.

I loved this girl like I had never loved anyone before. I couldn’t remember having loved anyone before Master found me and offered this life. When I had walked into the cottage and made eye contact with Delilah, my heart had stopped and the world around me followed suit. She was all I wanted, all I needed. She was perfect. I would die for her.

I worked so hard to keep up the tough woman facade, and yet in front of this little wolf pup I was a melted pile of marshmallow goo. Upon coming back to my senses, I had picked up a strange scent of brimstone and charred wood. Delilah had begged me not to leave her, claiming she didn’t know why, but she wanted me to stay near. I kissed her forehead and told her I was merely doing a quick patrol around the cottage and I’d be right back inside. She could follow me from inside, and we would check in at each window with a wave.

The scent trail confirmed my suspicions- dragons had been in the area sniffing about.

I was panicking internally, but damned if I would show that to my little mate. I stepped back inside the cottage and shut the door as Delilah excitedly asked me questions about being a vampire.

“I promise to answer every question you have later. For now, would you like to go somewhere fun?” I’d asked. Delilah nodded excitedly. “How about we get dressed up and go to a ball? Does that sound fun?”

Delilah had only heard of balls in a book she’d read once. “Back before I wasn’t allowed to read any more.”

I had scooped her up and zipped to the cabin we vampires were staying at in mere minutes. I already had a dress since it had been assumed we were all going. I just needed my purse and we could go shopping. There was enough time before the ball to quickly find a dress and get a haircut in for Delilah.

Who had just recovered from the first run when I took off again, staying in the shadows as I took us to the werewolf seamstresses. There was no time to make anything, so I was banking on some forgotten or hated dress. As it was, luck was on our side! There was a single dress that fitted Delilah with a few pinned alterations. A gorgeous forest green, fitted with silver plastic sequins.

Her haircut was squeezed in at the last minute. Mats were cut off and strands curled, then pulled back in a ponytail. A quick visit to a witch’s apothecary to get some enchanted glasses, and Delilah looked perfectly normal. She’d kept her eyes trained away from everyone in order not to startle them into being sick as she had so many others before. She’d felt ashamed of that.

And now, here we were. She was blessed with two mates and had an entire wolf pack and vampire coven at her command, if she so wished. Yet all she wanted was to be cuddled and held and to eat. Silly, poor little wolf. Come tomorrow, she will experience the first known shopping trip of her life. I couldn’t wait to let her loose in the book store.

Master Damascus was more than wealthy. Just as he provided for us, his coven, he would provide for Delilah. I saw how he looked at her- not as one of the world’s most dangerous weapons, but as one of his own family. The rest of the coven had sworn fealty to Delilah, as we had with following Master Damascus, to the very end. She was considered family- had been, before we’d ever met. Master Damascus had been looking for the Sakura Wolf for nearly a century now, and had we only known that she was suffering…

I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about that right now. Katrina and the mother would face my wrath eventually. A swift death was far too merciful. I planned to draw it out for months. Slow, agonizing, and make them beg for death’s sweet embrace. As I was deciding which weapons I was going to use on them, the door opened, and Sam poked his head in.

“Hey, Damascus and I are going to go to the cottage to get Delilah’s things,” He whispered. “Is she still asleep?”

“Yeah. Be careful, don’t forget about the dragons watching the area,” I cautioned.

“We will.” Sam shut the door. Delilah whimpered, and I fussed over her. She might have nightmares that I can’t help with, but I can be here when she wakes up with soothing words and hugs.

Chapter Text

Damascus

I felt something very wrong in the air as my coven and Samuel in his wolf form followed me to the cottage. I held up a hand, and they stopped. The cottage was in view, and we could all see the front door was askew. The dragons- or some other entity after the Sakura Wolf- had been here.

Samuel rushed to the cottage, and we followed. He leapt into the cottage, tail raised and growling menacingly. I flicked on the light, and my coven gasped at the scene. Furniture was toppled over and shredded. The kitchen counter was smashed through. Food was flung mercilessly everywhere, and what was spoiled was already filling the air with its rancid smell. 

The bedroom was destroyed, even Delilah’s bed. The clothing I had bought her lay shredded all over the floor, and the bathroom was a fizzing, bubbling mess of running water and destroyed toiletries. The water leached into the carpet, soaking everything. Samuel rushed to turn the water off. I knelt down, picking up a scrap of fabric.

“It smells like dragons.” Seth spat. 

“And humans. They must be working together.” Beulah kicked at an empty body wash bottle.

“This was an act of rage, seemingly because Delilah was here previously, but now she is safe at the pack house. They won’t dare approach that yet,” I stayed thankful that Amy had managed to hide Delilah’s scent somehow.

Samuel growled and stalked off, fur bristling like a pincushion. 

“Master, we shouldn’t take the Sakura Wolf into the human city tomorrow,” Harold said. “It’s too dangerous.”

“We’ll conceal her scent. For all we know, she has very little time left in this world. We must make the best of it and give her what she deserves,” I replied. “Harold, find the healing witches I’ve employed, and get them to the packhouse straight away.”

“Yes, Master,” Harold bowed and was gone in mere seconds.

“Beulah, Seth, you two clean up in here. Make your presence very well known, as a warning,” I ordered. “Those dragons and humans have made a very grave mistake.”

Had I the luxury, I would have stalked off like Samuel did. Seeing as it was a luxury I couldn’t afford, I simply strode out of the ruined cottage and transformed into my bat self. I flew around the area, scanning for intruders and clues. Nothing was out of the ordinary, though I couldn’t put using invisibility magic out of the question.

Master, the witches are ready to begin.

I’ll be there soon.

Delilah was about to undergo a very stressful night.

My return to the packhouse was met with four witches, an angry Amy, a frightened Delilah, and no Samuel in sight. 

“Please, everyone, be at peace. Delilah, these are the healers I mentioned. They are going to put you in a dreamless sleep while they work on you,” I reminded her. “We will be here the whole time. I recall your trust is fragile, so this is a perfect opportunity to help strengthen it.”

Delilah nodded, clinging to Amy’s arm. The oldest witch stepped forward.

“Please allow me to examine you,” She ordered. Delilah sat very still while the witch ran her hands all over her body, particularly over her eyes and the areas most affected by silver. “Master Damascus, this is all too much to do in one session. This will take multiple treatments.”

“However many it takes. She must be healed,” I replied. “I will triple your payment if that’s what it takes.”

“Money isn’t what I am after. We can discuss those details later.” The witch shrugged me off and motioned to the others to come forth. “Delilah, lay down on the bed. That’s it… relax… Breathe in, one two three, and out, one two three…”

Delilah let out a shuddering sigh and that was it- she was under the sleeping spell. The witches got to work, murmuring, muttering, and mumbling while running their hands around her body. Amy stepped up to my side.

“The cottage was ransacked. Everything was destroyed. Nothing left,” I whispered. She snarled and clenched her fists. “We’re still going out tomorrow. I will buy some potions from the witches to hide her scent.”

Amy relaxed.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

Sam

Spirit and I tore through our territory, ordering patrols left and right to spread out and search everywhere for threats. Someone had left a very clear warning that they were here for my mate. Delilah was safe in the pack house with Amy, probably undergoing some healing from the witches Damascus had hired.

Spirit let out a roar as he leapt over a log, startling the wildlife around us. A rabbit was too slow to get out of his way and paid the price. Spirit tore into its soft flesh brutally, devouring the animal’s carcass while it was still warm and bathing his muzzle in blood. 

Was that really necessary?

Try it sometime. It helps relieve anger. And I’m not wasting it if I’m eating it.

Point taken.

I felt bad for Spirit. Cherry was his mate as much as Delilah was mine, and she hadn’t so much as acknowledged him or asked to go for a run with him. All he wanted was her, to keep her safe and warm and loved. He was going mad with want and even more so with being ignored. 

With nothing but bird scraps of the rabbit’s carcass left, Spirit stalked off again. He was much calmer now. We were going to patrol all night if need be- anything to keep Delilah safe.

Chapter Text

Damascus

Hours later, the exhausted witches handed over the potions we needed and headed to their homes. Delilah would sleep well until morning, and Amy was pacing the room.

“Settle down, my dear. Delilah isn’t in any pain,” I told her.

“It’s the ransacking, Master. It has me on edge. And where the fuck is Samuel?!” She demanded, continuing to pace.

“Out running a patrol. He is the Alpha of this pack with obligations, you know that,” I chastised her.

“He should be here. Shouldn’t he be here? I think he should be here,” Amy rambled. 

“You don’t wish to be selfish and keep Delilah to yourself?” I asked, baiting her.

“Not right now! Right now I think she needs both of us. Think of how devastated she’s gonna be! Those were her very first belongings, and now they’re ruined,” Amy snapped. 

“We’re going to replace them tomorrow,” I reminded her.

“It’s not the same,” Amy huffed, throwing herself in a chair at last. 

“No, but it will be significant,” I replied. Amy was quiet, picking at a hangnail for a little bit before she spoke again.

“I can’t wait to let her loose in the bookstore. She gets excited about books,” She mumbled.

“I’m curious if she’ll be interested in anything else,” I responded in kind. “What do the kids have these days? Portable gaming systems?”

“Yeah- those. Video games are dumb, though.” Amy rolled her eyes. 

“Are they if Delilah winds up liking them?” I prompted.

“If that’s the case, then no. Not at all.” Amy looked surprised at herself. “I wonder- Master, do you think she’s too old for toys?”

“Such as what- dolls?”

“No, like… board games and stuffed animals. She’s a cuddler, as we’ve all seen, and she might need something to latch on to when she naps alone.” Amy blushed a little. “Plus board games would be good for her mental health.”

“Whatever she wants, she will have,” I promised. Delila let out a little groan and we both turned, breath held in case she needed anything or was breaking out of her sleep. When nothing else happened, we went back to quietly chatting and planning out where to go first.

Chapter Text

Delilah

I woke up feeling so well rested it was a shock. My head was aching a little, and my eyes felt tingly. Amy was asleep across the room, curled up in a chair. I didn’t see Sammy anywhere. I got up and stretched, then stumbled over myself. Odd, it was like my balance was all out of whack.

Ooog… Cherry whined. What did they do to us? I feel all weird…

“Me too. Like off balance,” I agreed, making my way to the bathroom. 

BONK!

“YEOWCH!” I yelped, rubbing my forehead. I’d bonked into the doorframe.

“Baby! What happened?!” Amy was at my side in a minute. Her eyes widened in shock. “Whoa.”

“Is it that bad?” I asked, rubbing the injury. Wait. Why did she look different? Yesterday I could swear I was looking up at her. Today I was almost eye level with her. Amy wasn’t exactly easy to come eye level with.

“Let me see- no, you’ll be alright.” Amy placed a gentle kiss on my forehead next to the injured site. “But you’d better look in the mirror.”

I turned and rushed to the bathroom counter. I braced myself with a hand on either side of the sink, took a deep breath, and looked up. My eyes were no longer pure silver orbs! There was a faint outline of a pupil in them. But… Why was I almost towering over the mirror? Why did the sink feel so far away? What was with my chest feeling so heavy suddenly?

I looked harder at the mirror and realized my body was different. It was as though I had hit a second puberty overnight! I was taller, my hair was much longer, and I was shaped like a cello in the hips. My breasts were much larger, and my sleep shirt was exposing my belly now.

“Is that me?” I asked Amy, reaching to touch my reflection.

“It sure is. Master Damascus was right, you’re definitely not eighteen.” Amy sounded thoughtful. “That’s a body that’s at least twenty-five years old.”

“So… the binding spells…”

“They appear to have bound more than just your powers, baby girl.” Amy mused. “I wonder what else they’re hiding.”

“Oh, they’re repressing memories. I confirmed that with our witches,” the voice of a certain vampire called from the bedroom. Damascus peeked into the bathroom. “Excuse my sudden appearance, ladies.”

“Damascus, look!” I cried, gesturing to my body.

“I see. I see,” Damascus nodded. “Yes, we’ve determined you have repressed memories as well as your powers, and we’re expecting another possible growth spurt.”

“Thanks for telling me,” I grouched.

“To be fair, my dear, you were very much sedated,” Damascus pointed out. “Now then, are we ready to go? I thought we might dine for breakfast in the human city. Amy, please drink this potion- it will protect you from the sun temporarily. Delilah, drink this one. It is designed to hide your scent.”

Amy took a potion from him and downed it without question. I scrutinized mine before gulping it down and making a face at the awful taste. Maybe breakfast could wash that out of my mouth. Speaking of…

“I’ve never been out to eat before,” I whispered.

“The food will be rich, so I suggest you eat light. Humans enjoy greasy, fatty foods. We can help you choose something if needed.” Damascus disappeared for a moment. “Unfortunately, Samuel will not be able to join us.”

“He won’t?!” I yelped. 

“There are pack matters to attend to. He relays his apologies and promises to take you out at another time.” Damascus reappeared, handing me a set of sweat clothes. 

“But- this is my first time out ever. It was supposed to be special,” I whined.

“We will make it so. After all, you’ll have Amy,” Damascus replied, disappearing again. “The matters at hand cannot be ignored and must be dealt with right away.”

“Tell Sammy he’s a flake,” I snarled.

“Done.” 

“And a butt!”

“Young lady, such language! But done.”

“Also-”

“That’s enough. Get dressed,” Amy ordered. “Sam gets the point, I’m sure. Do not forget he is an Alpha and runs this entire pack, as you will do at his side when you’re ready.”

“You mean- as a Luna?” I asked, pulling on my shirt.

“Exactly.” Amy nodded. “As a Luna, you’ll be the Alpha female. You will protect the pack, deal with pack matters and politics, and help Sam stay sane. Your pack is your family.”

“It’s dumb that Alpha females are called ‘Lunas’. Males are so fragile,” I growled. “Okay, I’m dressed.”

Damascus looked slightly unsettled. “I am not entirely familiar with the logistics, but I’m sure the title of ‘Luna’ is in reference to the Moon Goddess. Luna is another word for moon, after all.”

“It makes Alpha females sound less important, less powerful,” I countered, walking to the door.

“Babe, wait,” Amy called.

“What?”

“Shoes.” She handed me a pair of socks and some tennis shoes. 

I took them gingerly and looked them over. White shoes, with black trim. Sturdy. I held my breath as I put the socks on and followed up with struggling to get the shoes on. I hadn’t worn them in so long. The laces I couldn’t manage, and Amy had to help me. They were a little big, but Damascus promised we would have my feet measured for the proper size.

Gingerly, slowly, I took a few steps. I felt off balance and awkward. The shoes made a smart plap against the floor with each step. Outside the room, four guards were waiting for us.

“Luna.” They bowed their heads.

“H-hello,” I replied awkwardly. “Thank you for protecting me.”

“It is our duty to you, Luna. No need to thank us for doing our jobs,” one of the wolves replied. Her hair was white and cut short, styled so it swept to the side of her face. “I am Hannah. This is my squad, Joann, Michelle, and Tiff.”

“I’m thanking you anyway,” I smartmouthed. 

“Shall we?” Damascus held out his hand, and I took it eagerly. We made our way outside, not stopping to look around at the pack house, and piled into a big van waiting outside. The driver introduced herself as Makenna and held the front door open for me. 

“Thank you, but I would rather sit in the back. I’ve… never been in a car before,” I explained. 

“I’ll take that seat, then,” Damascus volunteered. I clambered into the back seat with Amy, and the guards climbed into the seat behind us. I squeaked when the car began to move, and Amy put her arm around my shoulders.

It was a long drive until we reached the human city. We parked at a little local diner, where I settled on trying chicken and waffles for breakfast. It sounded interesting, and upon delivery I was not disappointed. A mountain of waffles and chicken and all the syrup I wanted! I dug right in, taking my time for once and savoring the flavors. 

Amy and Damascus only ordered coffee, each drinking it black. The guards had all ordered the biggest breakfast platters and were gorging themselves. I felt bad when I realized I couldn’t finish my food and began worrying I would be in trouble. As it turned out, I was allowed to get a “to go box” and take the food with us into the van! 

“Mother would have thrown it away,” I told Amy. She lifted her lip in a snarl. We all piled back into the van and headed for what Damascus called a “mall”. He told me not to panic but to prepare myself for being around a lot of people. I took a deep breath and got out of the van, holding tightly to Amy’s hand.

Chapter Text

Damascus 

“My dear, I did warn you. Now please come out of there,” I pleaded. Delilah had barely walked inside the mall and was immediately overwhelmed by the massive amount of humans walking about. She’d bolted and taken refuge under a bench, rambling something about feeling exposed.

“I think it’s a panic attack, Master.” Amy sat down on the bench, using her long legs to shield Delilah from any curious onlookers. The guards with us had taken a defensive stance, just daring any human to bother us. I hadn’t anticipated this reaction, frankly. 

“Why didn’t I think of renting the mall, just to clear out the space?” I pondered aloud. “We would have had it all to ourselves then, save for the employees.”

“That would have cost a lot of money, though!” Delilah whimpered.

“Bah. Money is no object to me, my dear, and if you’ll recall I intend to spend quite a bit of it today on you,” I replied, pleased that she had taken the bait. “But if you won’t come out from there, we have no choice but to try renting the whole building out for your comfort.”

“No! No! I’ll come out! I’ll be good, I swear!” Delilah burst into tears, scrambling to come out from under the bench.

Damn. Adverse effect.

“Delilah, you’re always good. Never think otherwise.” I pulled her into a warm embrace. “Let’s compromise: we’ll get as far as we can today, and if you are unable to handle shopping like this after, say, two hours we will go home and try again later.”

Delilah sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. I offered her my handkerchief and she took it, wiping her eyes. “Okay.”

“There we go. What would you like to get first? Some books?” I prompted, giving her the lead. Delilah’s eyes sparkled, then dulled.

“I really would love to get some books, but they’re not what we’re here for. Let’s look for undergarments instead, since apparently those are more important.” Delilah looked down at her feet.

“Amy, can you lead the way? You’ll know better than I where to go,” I asked. Amy nodded.

“We are not going to Victoria’s Secret, though. They won’t have your size in anything. Let’s go to Cacique.” Amy talked soothingly to Delilah. “Now, they’re going to have to touch you a little to get your proper size…”

I let them and the guards go ahead, bringing up the rear. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a couple of heads taking quite an interest in our party. I took a deep breath and concentrated on their scents, annoyed to find that they were supernatural beings as well. Not dragons, thankfully, but a few elves and a fairy. I whipped my head in their direction, and they scattered.

I couldn’t protect Delilah from being found out. I could only delay the inevitable. As long as she was with me, she would be safe. I had yet to have that conversation with Samuel about taking her with me to a safer location until everything settled down. The more we worked on the binding spells, the stronger she would become.

This would include her powers. Though they were mostly latent at this time, they would eventually come out in full force. I doubted Delilah knew how to control them. The display of anger this morning over the Alpha vs Luna title gave me a mere taste of the power she wielded. She’d shaken the pack house- a tremor, really, but enough to notice. Delilah could easily snap that house into pieces if she so wished. 

Truthfully, I had set out to capture her in the beginning to keep her hidden from the world. I had always worked to find and secure the Sakura Wolf. The last Sakura Wolf I had found (centuries ago) fought with me exposing his power while refusing to come with me, and had been preyed upon immediately by other supernatural beings drawn to the display. I know not what became of him, as I could not fight so many beings on my own. I had to leave him behind to his fate in order to continue my destiny.

I seek to secure the Sakura Wolf because they are so powerful. In the wrong hands, angered by the wrong thing, or left alone to suffer would lead down a dark path of misuse and abuse of their powers. Some would seek to utilize the Sakura Wolf as a weapon to gain control over any faction they pleased, while others would kill them in order to stay safe and alive. Very few sought to preserve the person under the power, I had found, and thus made this my mission.

With proper guidance and care, a Sakura Wolf can control their power and measure out exactly how much they need at any given time. All Wolves needed a teacher, according to the research, and I intended to be that teacher. I hadn’t been successful yet, much to my dismay, but there was always another chance. As I mulled over the previous Sakura Wolves and their demise, it was sad to think I had needed more than one chance to help.

Then, my memory jogged, I recalled that there had been the Sakura Wolf who had been killed by her own mate. He’d done so out of what he felt was pure necessity; yet I hardly thought a public execution was what was needed to stop a Great War. How he had moved past his mate bond to kill her, I couldn’t decipher. He was dead before I could even begin my search for him, as his whole pack had turned on him for destroying their Luna.

The Great War. That war could have been the end of the world as we knew it- or perhaps, a new beginning. The aforementioned Sakura Wolf had been well into her prime by the time she was discovered by both myself and those seeking to harness her power. The supernatural world had been on the brink of utter chaos for vastly unknown reasons. Tensions were high, murder wasn’t out of the question, and when she had been found, everything made sense at last. The Sakura Wolf had been tense herself and her tenseness had been amplifying itself slowly for years. The power was driving all supernatural beings slowly insane. What she’d been so tense over, I had never found out, but nevertheless it was far too late to do so.

Her own mate had finally bound her and ripped her throat out in front of their pack, as well as invited representatives from other supernatural families. I was amongst the invitees, and I cursed myself for not having understood sooner what was happening before the Sakura Wolf was dead. As she took her last breath, the tenseness affecting all of us vanished and we all felt like our heads were much clearer- as though we’d all come out of a fog together. With the clarity, however, came understanding and realization. Utter chaos broke out from the pack and the last I saw of the traitorous mate were his fear-filled eyes as a swarm of wolves took him down and tore him to pieces. I knew I could never allow this to happen again.

Before long, my coven and I had built a bunker in a secure location awaiting the arrival of such a powerful being. It was carefully warded, isolated and located in a remote part of the world, and overly guarded. There was always the chance of a raid or battle, yes, but I was willing to take that chance. The isolation would make a battle more discreet from the human eye, and I had no doubts of any of my vampires’ integrity, as each had been trained how to fight numerous ways with numerous supernatural beings. Delilah must not fall into the wrong hands.

I was so deep in thought over how I would discuss this with Samuel that I hadn’t noticed we were stopped outside a lingerie shop. Two of the guards were inside with Amy and Delilah, and two were stationed outside the doors with me. I realized Amy would need my credit card, so I sauntered in and waited patiently for them to finish their shopping.

Delilah was going to need a substantial amount of training for her powers. The sooner we could safely remove the binding spells, the sooner we could leave. I couldn’t risk any outsiders knowing the bunker’s location. 

“Damascus?” a tiny voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Delilah had her hand on my arm, concern in her face. “Are you okay? I don’t think you heard me.”

“I was deep in thought, my dear, I do apologize. What did you say?” I asked, putting my hand over hers reassuringly.

“Well, I found some undergarments that I like. How many should I get?” she asked timidly.

“I told her as many as she wants, but she won’t listen to me.” Amy interjected from behind. 

Hmm. I thought. I caught the eye of the sales employee helping Delilah and waved her over.

“Please, get her undergarments of choice in every color you have- we’ll take the whole stock,” I told her. The sales employee’s eyes lit up and she shuffled off, gathering Delilah’s things. Delilah’s eyes were bugging out of her head. “Don’t think about it. Amy, where is our next stop?”

“Glad you asked. I was thinking that store would do the trick.” Amy nudged Delilah to get her attention, pointing at a store filled to the doors with scented products. “You can pick out body wash, bath bubbles, soap, candles…”

Delilah perked up at that, and they walked to the front of the store chattering about different scents while I paid the bill. One of the guards- Tiff, I believe- took the many bags. I thanked the employee and followed my charge to the next shop. It was offensively pungent, but when a very excited Delilah grabbed my hand and pulled me along I couldn’t help but follow.

It was good to see her so excited. The binding spells could have potentially been keeping a lot of her emotions under control. It was heartbreaking to see her so scared all the time. I humored her and sniffed at some of the more “masculine” scents that she shoved in my face, not caring for any of them. Amy and Delilah both had a basket each, overloaded with items. Amy smiled and shrugged, and I smiled back.

Hannah stepped forward to claim the bags once we paid. Delilah was shining, and I hoped she was feeling absolutely spoiled. Once we’d gone away from the offensively overscented store, she paused. She lifted her face up and took a deep breath. “What’s that smell? It’s- it’s delicious.”

Amy sniffed. “Oh, it’s cinnamon buns- Delilah, wait up! ”

The Sakura Wolf had excitedly run towards the scent, and we all rushed to keep up. She skidded to a stop, mouth open and practically drooling over the decadent cinnamon buns. Her eyes fell on a bun slathered in cream cheese icing, caramel, and nuts.

“It’s very rich, babe. You’re not used to sweets like this,” Amy cautioned. 

“Can we all have some? Please, please, can we? Can we?” Delilah bounced up and down, giving me puppy eyes as she begged.

“Of course we can. Order whatever you like, darling.” I nodded.

“YAAAAAAY!” Delilah squealed, rushing to the counter to place her order. The guard wolves put theirs in, and I ordered an iced coffee for myself and Amy. Hannah stayed with Delilah as they made our orders, watching eagerly at how it was all done. The other wolves claimed a couple of the tables and watched the area carefully.

“She’s experiencing life just like an excited pup right now,” Amy commented, sipping her coffee.

“It’s refreshing,” I agreed. 

“It’s been over two hours now, Master. Think she needs to go home?” Amy teased. 

“Oh, I think we can let her stay a little longer.” I replied. Delilah came bouncing up to the table with her treat and dug right in. “Delilah, slow down please. The bun isn’t going anywhere.”

Delilah complied- for about eight seconds. She was a sticky mess already.

“Good gracious, baby, we’re going to the bathroom to clean you up when you’re done,” Amy laughed. 

“Amy- Amy iff’s sho good! Fry sum!” Delilah, mouth full of deliciousness,  picked up a giant bite on her fork and shoved it at Amy. Amy humored her and took a small bite.

“Mmm. Too sweet for me,” She replied, gagging slightly. Delilah looked a little disheartened. “More for you, baby.”

That helped. Delilah ate the whole bun, seemingly unaffected by the heinous amount of sugar, and sure enough she and Amy disappeared into the bathroom to clean up. The guard wolves followed faithfully. I caught wind of the elves and fairy from earlier, but didn’t see them. My guard was up in either case.

At last, our group resumed our shopping. We went to quite a few clothing stores, where Delilah carefully selected different types of clothing. She refused to use the dressing rooms alone unless Amy went in with her, and I noticed the subtle appearance of hickeys on each of their necks. Delilah was becoming very possessive of her things, I noticed, as she kept checking and rechecking that all of her guards had the correct amount of bags from each store. 

Shoes were an entirely different matter. Delilah was stiff and unresponsive as her feet were measured, and she was given several different options. As I watched her stumble about trying on different styles, I noticed she seemed tender in her feet. I made a mental note to ask the witches to look at her feet, curious to know if there were more silver scars.

At last, Amy led us to the bookstore, and Delilah sped off with a delighted squeal.

I looked at the guards, laden with bags, and chuckled. “Perhaps you should take all those to the van. We can manage for a few minutes.”

The guards nodded and took off with their inhuman speed. I sat myself down in a lackluster arm chair and waited patiently for my charge to wear herself down. I could hear Amy laughing once in a while as Delilah’s excited voice delighted her. The guards returned in due time, headed straight for their Luna. I half expected each of them to become laden with books. Some time later, Delilah approached me, arms full of books.

“Damascus?” She asked quietly. 

“Yes?” I asked.

“Do you- that is, um- well, there’s- see, I…” Delilah was struggling to ask. I waited a few moments, letting her gather her courage.

“There’s this thing called a Mook. It’s supposed to have lots of books on it, and I was thinking maybe… maybe we could get that instead of so many physical copies,” she finally asked, shuffling her toes and looking away from me.

I reached over and took her chin in my fingers, turning her to look at me. “Delilah, never be afraid to ask me questions. What is the worst I can do?”

Delilah gulped, but didn’t answer.

“The worst I can- and will do, I promise- is say ‘no’. The Mook is a wonderful idea, go ahead and get one,” I stated firmly. “That reminds me, you need a phone too. We will go to a phone store next.”

Delilah practically left a trail of fire behind as she sped off to customer service. In fact… I saw some small pieces of pink flitting about in the air. I put my hand out to catch one and realized she’d left behind cherry blossoms in her excitement.

How cute, though possibly troublesome. I thought to myself.

At last, the book store purchase was complete. Amy had discovered the childrens’ section had stuffed animals, and Delilah had pounced straight into a massive pile of them. Once that was over with, we went right to the phone store and got Delilah the newest phone, as well as a tablet when Amy saw her doodling on the display. The whole time, Delilah clung to one of her new stuffed animals- a little gray and white dog with piercing silver beads for eyes.

At last, it was time to head home. Or so the others thought. I deliberately walked us to the gaming store and watched as Delilah paused, peeking in at the colorful visuals.

“Would you care to go inside?” I asked, and Delilah nodded. “Go ahead, then.”

Delilah breathlessly examined multiple video game cases, watched advertisements, and played on display consoles. Once finished, she silently began to lead us out of the store. 

“You didn’t want anything, dear?” I prompted.

“Everything is too expensive. I can’t ask for any of that after all you’ve given me. I don’t even know how I’m gonna pay you back for all this.” Delilah paused at the door.

“I believe I have stated multiple times that money is no object. Today has made no impact on any of my accounts. If you want a gaming console, please choose one,” I replied with confidence. 

Delilah looked at Amy, who was looking at the portable gaming wall. If anything, Amy might be walking out of here with a system of her own. So much for her biased opinion on gaming!

“Okay. Yeah, I’d really like a console and some games…” Delilah admitted.

“Me too. Master, may I?” Amy asked.

“Oh, very well. Both of you, indulge yourselves,” I sighed dramatically. “Especially you, Amy! You know how to twist my arm!”

Both women, mostly with Amy’s encouragement and reassurance that I was playing with her, went nuts with their purchases. Two consoles, an unimaginable amount of games, and other accessories later, we were finished with our mall trip at last. Most of the stores were now closing anyway. We headed to the van and loaded up the last of the bags before piling inside. Delilah looked completely exhausted. I was proud of her for overcoming her fears.

“When we get back, just think about a nice bubble bath with one of the new bottles you got. Maybe with some of the candles too,” I offered as an idea.

“Candles? On a bathtub?” Delilah cocked her head to the side. 

“It’s quite common,” I assured her. “I do it myself from time to time.”

“We can use some of your face masks too,” Amy purred. Delilah blushed, then covered her mouth as she let out a yawn. “Sleep, babe.”

Delilah curled up on the seat, head in Amy’s lap. She was asleep in a matter of minutes, and I turned back to look at the others. They all looked exhausted, but smiled at me warmly.

“Thank you, for today. I think the Luna really needed this outing,” Hannah spoke first. “I think we did, too. It was nice to get out of the territory while still doing our jobs.”

“I am glad you were able to accompany us,” I replied, rather pleased. “You are all pleasant company to be around.”

Delilah groaned in her sleep, and Amy soothed her with soft strokes in her hair and whispers of reassurance. We all turned to them for a moment, then I turned back to the front and made quiet conversation with Makenna as she drove. 

Chapter Text

Delilah

Cherry and I found ourselves in wolf form floating weightlessly through a dark void. We weren’t scared, we weren’t worried, we were… content. Cherry blossoms lazily snowed around us, as though pretending to be stars in the darkness. We were floating on our back for a while before our body involuntarily rotated forward. We spread our paws out and landed gently on a long string. 

We lowered our nose to the string and sniffed it. There was the scent of leather and wax, and the feeling of the string beneath our paws was sturdy but thin. 

“I think this is sinew.” I said aloud. “Like a dream catcher uses.”

Cherry didn’t respond. I’d have to show her a dream catcher later on, I decided, but for now it was time to explore. I set off across the sinew, changing directions when a new string crossed my path and the current string was blocked by a giant bead. Down below us, I could see more sinew and some massive feathers. I wasn’t sure if the path I was following would lead us there or not; there didn’t seem to be a reason we were even here in the first place.

As I padded on, more and more beads began to appear and block my path. Before long, I found myself surrounded by three large beads, one on each side of me and one in front. I tried to turn around and go back the way I came, but the sinew under my paws started snapping tiny stringlets off.

Guessing I couldn’t go back, I turned around to face the dead end via bead, and the snapping stopped. I looked deep into the bead before me, and wisps of fog began to form within the bead’s surface. I squinted, jaw slightly agape, at the picture forming. My ears flattened when Katrina’s face came into view. 

She looked much younger than she was, and her face was streaked with tears. The image shifted and I could see her whole body, kneeling on the ground next to someone. She kept grabbing on to their hand, their arm, pushing her face into the hand and receiving no response. Was this her father? The man I had supposedly done something bad to?

The image shifted again, and I shrank at the sight of my mother kneeling on the other side of the body. She kept her head low, flinching now and then, as though someone were yelling at her. She took the body’s other hand and held it to her lips, tears glistening on her lashes. Then she placed the hand gently down and stood, taking Katrina’s hand and leading her away.

I stared at the body for a while, trying to figure out where I stood in all this. I couldn’t see myself anywhere. Wouldn’t I be there, if I had something to do with his death? The image shifted once more; I yelped in surprise and jumped back onto my rump. I was looking into the cold, dead eyes of the body. They were a piercing amber color, and though dead, I swore I could feel them burning a hole into mine as they stared.

“Murderer,” the body spoke suddenly. The voice was grainy, as though it were made of sand. “Murderer!”

“Me?!” I asked, compelled to do so.

“Murderer!” the body accused me again.

“But- but what did I do? Help me, please! I want to understand,” I begged.

Suddenly, the bead in front of me shattered. Pieces went flying everywhere. I screamed and turned to run, but the sinew beneath my paws had snapped fully and I was dropped, falling at breakneck speed along with the raining shards of bead. I screamed for help, watching the sinew above me recede farther and farther away.

Chapter Text

Sam

What a freaking day. The Gammas had been successful in retrieving their most important items and making it back to us safely. Apparently, Alpha Gunner had been away from the pack and it had been the perfect opportunity- aided by the Betas- to collect and run. The newly mated wolves who intended to join our pack had finally begun introducing themselves to me, and I was immensely pleased to find many of them were male. There would be a formal ceremony at the end of the week to welcome our new pack members officially.

I had called for a lunch meeting and had a list made up of volunteers who wished to move to the Celestial Crown pack. Alpha Vandus had called to confirm that Katrina’s mother would be brought to me within the week, as she had seemingly suffered a heart attack in his absence. Katrina had been screaming her lungs out down in the cells and her guards had requested ear buds to play music to drown her out with. 

I had sent extra patrols back to the northern territory to watch for the dragons, with strict orders to attack on sight and call for me. So far, there has been nothing. This could be both a good and a bad thing - good because maybe the dragons realized we would fight for my mate, bad because maybe the dragons were pulling back to strategize. Either way, my stomach churned with worry.

Last, but not least, was meeting with the wolves who were leaving my pack to join their mates in theirs. Several moving vans were parked across the territory, and emotions were beginning to run high between family members. I could not remember a time we had dealt with so much chaos in such little time since I had become alpha. Beth and Cherise had loaded up an office cart with paperwork and had gone into Beth’s office, leaving me very much alone and intimidated by my own work to deal with.

My office phone rang a few times throughout the day and I had elected to let it go to voicemail. The only exception had been Alpha Vandus’ phone call, naturally, since he was now my most powerful ally and had Katrina’s mother. The voicemails were of little importance to me right now, as I could feel Delilah was crossing back into our territory and I desperately wanted to see her beautiful face.

The mate bond is so much more than being drawn to each other. Through it, we can feel the emotions our mate does. We can feel when they’ve left our territory, and when they’ve come back. We can feel if they cheat on us, even! Truly, the mate bond was nothing short of incredible. Our bond became even stronger when we marked each other.

Marking is usually done during the first mating with each other. Where our necks connect to our shoulders is a soft dip of flesh that we sink our teeth into in order to mark our mates. This is what deepens and solidifies our bond, as well as visually warns off other wolves from taking what’s ours. A mated pair has a deeper connection via emotions, and to lose their mate- be it through death, cheating, or worse, rejection - can kill a wolf.

Some wolves go insane when their mates die. It happens slowly, like forming a habit. They grieve for the lost loved one, and for some the grief clouds their mind. They start to get easily irritable, start lashing out, and start isolating themselves from others. I’ve heard of some wolves who died of broken hearts, and I’ve seen a grieving wolf lose his mind who followed that path first hand.

Before I could get lost in memory, there was a knock at my door. I called out permission to enter, and was startled when an entire crowd made their way in. It was Damascus, followed by the four guards I’d sent with him this morning, followed by Amy and a very distant-looking Delilah. Bringing up the rear was my trusted personal driver Makenna, who looked very pissed off.

All of them were covered in pink petals; quite obviously cherry blossoms. 

“Um… Who would care to explain what is going on?” I asked, standing up and gesturing to the mess of pink.

Delilah raised her hand. “It’s my fault, Alpha.”

I cocked my head, confused. “My dear mate, you have no need to refer to me by my title. You should know you can call me by name.”

“Alpha Samuel, I have a request!” Makenna shouted, marching to the front of the group. “Please install safety plastic around my driver’s seat!”

“You wish to be isolated from your passengers?” I asked, bewildered.

“Isolated from her and her stupid blossoms !” Makenna roared. 

Delilah hung her head. Damascus looked from her to me, raising an eyebrow but keeping silent. Amy looked furiously at Makenna, and the guards looked ready to rip her apart for disrespecting their future Luna. I gripped my desk, gathering my strength. Time to be an alpha.

“ Makenna, ” I snarled quietly. “ She is your future Luna. ”

Makenna’s eyes dropped to look at the ground. I strode around my desk and stood before the woman. She’d been my personal driver for three years, and had never once acted out of line. Regardless, she could not act like this around her future Luna.

“I do not care to hear what happened,” I stated, keeping my voice level. “but I do care that you treat her with the respect that she is due. If you would rather not be her personal driver, that’s fine. You will not treat her or speak of her in this manner. Do I make myself clear?” 

Makenna whimpered.

“I said, do I make myself clear ?!” I roared. Makenna flinched and squeezed her eyes shut, nodding her head furiously. “Good. Go get cleaned up, and when you’ve fixed your little attitude problem you may come before me again to discuss this issue further.”

Makenna turned to leave, but I called her back. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Makenna’s cheeks flushed, and she looked humbly at Delilah. She bowed her head in apology. “Forgive me, Luna.”

Delilah nodded her head and kept her eyes trained on the ground, clearly still upset and scared. Makenna looked at me, and I nodded to the door for her to leave. Once she was out, I asked everyone to sit down and explain what had happened to them. Amy spoke first.

“Delilah was having a nightmare. I did my best to soothe her, but the next thing we know- yelp! Shift! POOF!” she waved her hands around to mimic an explosion.

That was… not helpful.

“What Amy means to describe is the fact that Delilah suddenly burst awake from her nightmare, shifted into her wolf form with a loud yelp, and the next thing we knew the car was full of these cherry blossoms.” Hannah, the head of the unit, explained while wiping some petals off her pants. “Makenna couldn’t see and she panicked behind the wheel before stopping the car. When she opened her door, the petals just went cascading out and we could see she had nearly crashed into the river.”

“The petals were easily taken care of with the door open, seeing as we could all breathe and see again. I’ll admit that this is an unforeseen consequence from the healing session last night.” Damascus admitted, taking his glasses off and wiping them down before putting them in their case. 

“You’re telling me that Makenna lost her mind over an accidental explosion of flower petals.” I stated.

“It was my fault,” Delilah said quietly. “I should just go.”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“Go where, my love?” Amy asked. Delilah shrugged with little more than a hum.

“You’re not leaving,” I growled. “No one is leaving. Hannah, see to it that the car is cleaned up and some plexiglass is installed around the driver’s seat. If this should happen again I don’t want anyone, regardless of who is driving, to crash.”

Hannah nodded and led her wolves out of the office, leaving a trail of petals behind. Delilah was fiddling with the ends of her hair quietly, and I looked to Damascus with a raised eyebrow. He held up his hands in an apologetic gesture. Amy put her hand on Delilah’s leg.

“Well,” I began, unsure of what to say. “It was an accident, and no harm was done.”

“True.” Damascus agreed. 

“I expect we may have more surprises like this down the road.” Amy stated. “So the plexiglass is a good idea, regardless of how it was brought up.”

“Makenna will no longer be the driver for Delilah. I will find someone more suitable.” I decided. 

“Stop it.” Delilah growled. Everyone looked at her again. She looked back up at us, eyes hardened in anger. “This isn’t right. You shouldn’t be trying to reorganize your pack around me. I am not fit to be a Luna, and I’m not some special wolf. I’m just me, a nobody, and I’m- well, it doesn’t matter.”

She stood up suddenly, brushing Amy’s hand away. “I’m leaving. No one should be associated with me. Please release Katrina from the cells and let her live her life. Mother too, please.”

My mate had made it two steps away from the couch when Damascus’ voice, quiet and edged with a dangerous tone, stopped her.

“You, Delilah, aren’t going anywhere without myself or one of your mates to accompany you.”

Delilah gulped, and I could see her start shaking.

“Katrina and your mother are still going to face justice for what they’ve done. You are going to remain here, under our protection, until further notice. You will learn how to be a Luna, how to control your powers, and how to be loved. You are not going to run away from us, not now that we finally found you.” Damascus’ eyes were a deep crimson, now- a startling change from the dull red they usually were. “Now, be a good girl and-”

“I’M A MURDERER!” Delilah screamed, startling everyone. I saw her fists clench, and the sting of blood hit the air. “I killed someone, and I can’t even remember it! That’s why they hate me so much! Makenna is right to hate me, too! You should all hate me, you should be afraid of me!”

Damascus was in front of Delilah in a matter of seconds, looking deeply into her eyes. “That is quite enough of that.”

Delilah relaxed, keeping eye contact with the vampire and quickly becoming subdued. Damascus continued talking to her. “You are going to go have a nice nap. Then, you’ll eat and have a bath with the nice things we have gotten you. After that, it’s off to bed with you. Tomorrow, you and I will have a long talk and a walk in the territory. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Delilah replied, her voice thick with unshed tears.

“Good girl. Stay with Amy and Samuel. You’re not to be out of their sight tonight,” Damascus ordered, breaking eye contact and glancing at me. I nodded, and Amy did the same when he looked at her. “Now that’s settled, I wish to ask for your permission to look at the nightmare you had.”

“Okay.” Delilah sighed, hanging her head. “Go ahead. Maybe you’ll understand it better.”

Amy pulled on my arm as Damascus focused on… whatever he was doing with Delilah. I turned to give her my full attention.

“You did very well, earlier with Makenna. You hardly ever pull rank, but that was nicely handled. When we have a chance, you need to tell me how you became Alpha of this pack,” She said. “Then we need to discuss some details as to how our relationship is going to be.”

“What relationship? We’re mated to Delilah, not each other.” I asked, confused.

“Exactly. But I have a few ideas in mind for you and me. Just trust me. Looks like Master is done, so let’s take our mate and go.” Amy nudged me. Just as she’d said, Damascus had his back turned to Delilah, who had her head down low again. Amy and I rushed to her side and both tilted her chin up.

“A Luna keeps her head high, honeybee,” I admonished.

“She is a leader. Display confidence and walk like you own the place, because you do,” Amy added. Delilah tried keeping her head up, she really did, but it fell again as we walked out the door of my office and to our room. It was going to take her even longer than me to learn to hold her head high.

Chapter Text

Damascus

Disturbing. Truly disturbing, the nightmare was. No wonder Delilah had been acting out like that. She couldn’t be allowed to get away with her behavior, however, and I planned to address that during our talk tomorrow. For tonight, I needed to find out everything I could concerning her past. The only link I had was Katrina, and so it seemed a brief visit was in order.

I had no sooner opened the door to leave Samuel’s office than Seth walked in. He looked very worried, and relief washed over his features when he saw me.

“Master, we’ve been so worried. You have been running yourself ragged,” He chided gently.

“I am fine, dear boy, you needn’t worry yourself or the others over such trivial matters,” I replied.

“Master, you haven’t eaten or slept in three days.” Seth bluntly pointed out. 

I cursed myself. He was right. It explained my short temper this evening, too. Seth gently took one of my hands in his.

“Please, Master, let’s get you fed and cleaned up. Then you really should sleep. The haggard look does not suit you,” he begged. I sighed and let him lead me away to the cabin we had taken up residence in. The visit with Katrina would simply have to wait.

Chapter Text

Katrina

I paced in the cell, growling quietly to myself. I couldn’t understand it- how had Delilah gotten here, when had she gotten here, and what had she told this pack about me? They treated me like a rogue! Here I was, dressed in thin sweat clothes, chained by my ankles to the wall, and only able to move a few feet here and there within the cell. They wouldn’t even bring me proper food, just cans of cold soup every other day!

I sat down on the hard stone bed. It was suspended against the wall by heavy chains, just like a jail cell. The tiny, thin pillow and small, thinner blanket were all I had to comfort me. I looked out at where the two guards watching me were standing. They were silent, muscular, and one was female. I had come to realize that the ball, and by extension, my birthday, had passed now. I didn’t have my wolf yet. Why didn’t I have my wolf yet?

I remember waking up crying from a dreamless sleep at midnight on my birthday. I felt hollow, and my heart ached- like the feeling of loss when Delilah killed daddy. I felt depressed and alone. I had asked the guards on duty at the time when they had gotten their wolves, and they both answered the same: at midnight on their 18th birthday.

Where are you, wolf?! I thought to myself. I need you! Why aren’t you here?

Tears fell from my eyes again as my heart ached. Was I mourning the loss of my father again? Mom had said it would come and go for the rest of my life. Thinking of my mother, I cursed Delilah once more. She was probably being ripped out of the nice little house we had been given and was being dragged here at this very moment. She didn’t deserve such treatment, neither of us did!

The Celestial Crown Pack would pay dearly for this. I didn’t know how I would do it, but one way or another I would destroy them and all they held dear. And once I did, they would have no choice but to accept me as their Luna. I would take the strongest male I could find, unmated or not, as my Alpha and we would produce powerful pups to carry on my bloodline.

I laughed to myself as I imagined ripping out Alpha Vandus’ throat in front of his snooty Luna. Imagined tearing her heart out of her chest while she was still alive and fighting the pain of losing her mate. It would be all too easy. Then, with my position secured, I would publicly execute Delilah. She deserved a lingering, painful death. 

As I daydreamed of my revenge, I didn’t notice my three cans of soup had been delivered until much later. I leapt to them, tore the lids off, and gulped them all down as quickly as I could. I cut my tongue on the edge of the sharp tin as I licked up residue from the sides and cursed loudly. The guards watched carefully, waiting until I was clearly finished eating, before coming in together. One guard grabbed my arm and kept me restrained while the other cleaned up the cans and took them away.

The first time I had been fed, I took the sharp lids and tried to attack the guards with them. I had been overpowered and whipped for my actions, and now they watched like hawks. When the second guard with the cans was out of the cell, the guard restraining me let me go and wiped her hand on her armor like I was diseased or something. 

We all heard the sudden, heavy groan of the metal door leading outside and looked around. Was someone coming down?

“We have to wait here until Alpha Samuel and Master Damascus arrive. This is not going to be an easy situation…” I heard a female voice speaking. There was the thud of another heavy door closing and I couldn’t hear anything else. Faintly, I could smell that there was a male with that guard.

I snarled. If Samuel and that blood-sucking vampire were coming down here, they’d better leave me the hell alone!

Chapter Text

Unknown

I had been walking the grounds of the Purple Crystal Pack out of boredom while waiting for my big sister and her mate to let me know it was time to start moving her stuff into the truck, when the wind shifted and a peculiar scent hit me. It was a deep perfume with a sharp spark to it, like the one salespeople would spray on those little strips of paper before shoving it in your face. I felt somewhat compelled to follow the scent the more it teased me.

Mate! Mate! My wolf, Keenan, chirped while bouncing around excitedly in my head.

Are you sure? This scent isn’t exactly intoxicating like everyone talks about…

I am sure! Follow the scent! Keenan crowed.

The scent was faint and somewhat stale, but we managed to follow the trail. It grew a little stronger as we followed it, but the staleness remained. My guess was that our mate had come through at least a couple of days ago. After following the scent for what felt like an eternity, it began to take on a harsh undertone. Sickly sweet, unforgiving, and a little rotten… almost like carrion.

What do you think, Keenan?

Most unusual… Perhaps mate is sick?

It bothers me. It bothers me that I’m not feeling particularly drawn to this scent, either.

Keenan didn’t respond to this. None of it made sense- the way other wolves went on about it, they were practically intoxicated and being driven mad over their mates’ scent upon their first meeting. Nothing was ever described like this… For me, I was compelled to follow the scent but I was sure I could just as easily walk away.

However, now that I had started following it, I wanted to see what was going on. A few more yards and I stopped at what came into view. A triangular, small building receding into the ground behind a massive iron door. It was guarded by four wolves- two stationed at the door and two circling. I gulped; the scent was leading me right into that bunker entrance.

I had two choices here: approach the door and find out if the scent was really my mate, or walk away.

Don’t you dare. Mate needs us! Keenan roared.

Okay, okay. I submitted. Taking a deep breath, I took another step and all four guards heads’ whipped in my direction on full alert. I lowered my head and showed my hands to show them I wasn’t a threat. One of the guards approached me while the other three resumed their duties.

“Can I help you, sir?” She asked as she approached.

“Yeah- uh- I was just- following a scent,” I stumbled on my words.

“A scent?” The guard squinted at me and I trembled. She was definitely a higher rank than I was. 

“I think- I think it’s my mates’ scent.” I whimpered.

“And it led you here?” The guard prompted, tilting her head.

“Yes ma’am.”

“”Follow me.” The guard turned on her heel and I scrambled after her. The other three guards snarled at my approach, backing off only when the woman leading me growled back. She put in a long sequence of code into the bunker’s code pad and led me inside when it opened the massive iron door. We trudged down a flight of stairs and the heavy door slammed shut behind us. The quiet in this place was nearly oppressive.

The scent was filling my senses now, fresh and strong. It was making my eyes water and I felt nauseous. The guard was observing me as we walked, and I figured she was picking up on my unusual behavior. We stopped at the end of the stairs and she led me into what looked to be an interrogation room.

“We have to wait here until Alpha Samuel and Master Damascus arrive. This is… not going to be an easy situation for you. Want something to drink?” the guard asked, a trace of pity in her voice and her eyes soft.

“Coffee would be great,” I replied, sitting down at the interrogation table. With the door closed, the scent was faint enough that I was feeling better.

Reese? Hey, Reese! Where are you?! My sister suddenly mind linked me.

Not now, sis. Something urgent came up, and I have to meet with the Alpha here. Start without me, I’ll be back soon. I replied before blocking all communication.

The guard served me a fresh mug of coffee and placed a bowl of sugar options and creamer in front of me. I thanked her and made the drink to my liking before sipping at it. We waited for what seemed like ages before we heard the massive iron door open and slam shut. Footsteps penetrated the silence of the bunker and soon enough, I was in the presence of the Alpha of this pack and his vampire ally. I stood and lowered my head in respect.

“Hello, I am Alpha Samuel. This is my ally, Master Damascus. What is your name, and where are you from?” Alpha Samuel asked.

“My name is Reese, and I am from the Celestial Crown pack. I’m helping my sister with her mate today- he’s moving out to come live with us.” I explained.

“Explain, then, why you are here in this bunker.” Master Damascus said, partaking in the coffee from the guard when offered a mug.

“Well…” I explained again about the scent flooding my senses. Both Alpha Samuel and Master Damascus looked grieved as I finished.

“I’m so sorry, Reese. This isn’t going to be easy for you. There is only one prisoner here at present, and from the sounds of it she’s your destined mate. For your own good, we must explain why she’s down here.” Alpha Samuel looked down into his own cup of coffee, eyes full of sadness and anger.

“I’ll listen to whatever you have to say, sir,” I replied. “If she’s my mate, I must know everything .”

The two higher ranking beings before me began an explanation of abhorrent behavior from my presumed mate. Abuse, lies, death threats, attacking her own pack members- my heart sank with every sentence. Keenan was shocked into pure silence. We were disgusted, angry, horrified… and sad. 

“...in fact, I have to ask- what is the scent like for you? You’re not acting like most wolves do when they pick up the scent of their mates.” Alpha Samuel raised an eyebrow as he asked me this.

“It’s… like those overly saturated perfumes salespeople shove in your face, with undertones of what I believe to be carrion,” I confessed, having left that detail out earlier. “It's not appealing but it is compelling.”

“Would you be able to walk away entirely from this scent, knowing what you do now?” Master Damascus asked.

“I think so. I think I could have done so before, as well.” I answered honestly.

The two men before me looked at each other and nodded. Alpha Samuel turned back to me. “Do you want to meet her?”

Did I? I looked to Keenan for an answer, helpless. He was furious and ashamed. Yes. We must reject her if we are to move on.

We might never get another chance, I reminded him.

Regardless, we cannot take this female as our mate. She will bring shame and destruction upon us.

All right.

“Yes. We want to meet her, even if…” My voice broke.

“Even if it leads to rejection.” Master Damascus finished for me. I nodded, my throat tight. “Elaine, bring Katrina in here at once.”

Elaine, the guard, nodded and left the room. In mere minutes a ruckus of shrieking and cursing filled my ears as a woman was dragged into the room by a pair of handcuffs. She was forced to sit down in a chair adjacent to the three of us and her handcuffs were clipped to the table.

“Let me go , you fucking assholes! I’ve done nothing wrong!” She screamed.

“Katrina, take a deep breath. Do you smell anything… different? Perhaps around this particular male?” Master Damascus asked, using his arm to get her attention and emphasize me.

“What?” Katrina looked at me and made eye contact. Where I had expected my heart to jump and my stomach to explode into butterflies… nothing happened, but the unsettling feeling of disgust. The scent was definitely hers, and my eyes were watering again. “No, I don’t smell anything different. You all smell the same to me.”

Her wolf is dead. That is the carrion scent. How is this possible?! Kennan howled in anguish.

I looked at the woman before me, taking in the sight of her filthy body and stringy, unwashed hair. She was cute, in a way, but that was overshadowed and turned ugly by her overall attitude and knowing what she’d done in the past. This only served to disgust me even more. My heart ached, but was not broken over the thought of rejecting her.

“Katrina,” Alpha Samuel called her name gently. “this young wolf followed your scent here. He was drawn to you. Do you know what that means?”

Katrina was silent, pouting. She might have looked adorable under any other circumstances- yet now, she just looked like a disrespectful brat. We waited in silence before she finally answered with a sullen, “I don’t know.”

“I’m your mate! ” I snarled loudly, leaping to my feet and slamming my hands on the table before me. “How could you not know why I’d come here?! Where is your wolf?! Why aren’t you responding to my scent? You should be overwhelmed by it!”

Alpha Samuel and Master Damascus looked surprised at my outburst, and honestly, I was surprised too. What the hell was I acting like this for?

“My… wolf?” Katrina asked. “She-she never showed up for my birthday.”

“Have you felt anything different? A presence, perhaps?” Master Damascus asked.

“Fuck off!” Katrina snapped at him. “No, I haven’t! My wolf isn’t here !”

Master Damascus snapped his fingers twice and Katrina went stiff. “I am going to ask you again. Have you felt anything different?”

Katrina nodded almost… robotically. It gave me the shivers. “There is one thing I have been feeling… my wolf hasn’t come to me. I have been feeling this horrible sensation of loss- my heart hurts, I’ve been crying. I thought maybe I was mourning my father again.”

Her tone was so robotic and calm. This must be a reaction to the hypnosis vampires are famous for.

“You… really can’t smell me?” I asked, my voice breaking. Katrina shook her head.

“I can’t smell anything coming from you at all, other than you’re male.”

Master Damascus snapped his fingers twice more and Katrina went back to her crappy behavior.

“It would seem,” he stated solemnly, “that you never got your wolf because she died.”

His affirmations confirmed, Keenan howled in pain and loss. I squeezed my eyes shut, clutching at my chest. “How- how is that possible?” I demanded, drawing the others’ attention. “We cannot live without our counterparts!”

“Very dark magic.” Alpha Samuel shuddered. “We need her mother to get to the bottom of this.”

“It would appear so.” Master Damascus agreed.

“Leave my mother alone!” Katrina yelled, though we all ignored her.

“So… what now?” I asked, feeling very small and awkward.

“It’s up to you. If you accept her, you have to understand she is for all eternity a dead wolf and living human. She will be required to be rehabilitated and will have to repent for her actions- only if her victims consent to her being given such justice. You will be more of a warden than a mate, as the responsibility for her will fall solely on your shoulders. You can reject her here and now, and no one will think differently of you,” Master Damascus replied. “Normally, she would have been executed by now in accordance with pack laws. However, her victims are the ones deciding her fate.”

Keenan whimpered in remorse. He knew as well as I did what I had to do. I stood and made my way to my mate. I knelt so we were eye level and placed a hand on her cheek. 

“Katrina, we could have been so happy together. You would have come to live with me and met my family and friends. We would have had such beautiful pups together, and every day would have been pure bliss. Because of your actions, this life is no longer possible for us. Therefore, I, Reese Hardenfool, of the Celestial Crown pack, reject you, Katrina, as my mate.”

The bond snapped and my eyes teared up. She jolted away from my hand and tried to bite me. I managed to dodge her teeth, and happened to catch a glimpse of her eyes. She, too, was tearing up. I stood and walked back to my chair and cup of coffee.

“Please, Alpha Samuel, take her away.” I held my mug and looked down into it. Tears splashed into the brown liquid for a couple of minutes as Katrina was dragged away and locked back up. Seconds after we heard her cell door slam, a wave of relief washed over me and I felt lighter than I had before. 

“Well, now.” Master Damascus said suddenly. “Judging by your relaxed posture I would say you’re ready to move on. The bond was not strong to begin with, and you’ve been relieved of a heavy burden.”

“Yes. You needn’t worry about her any more.” Alpha Samuel joined in. I lifted my head and gave them a weak smile. “You’ll find a second chance mate, I’m sure of it. The Moon Goddess won’t torture you with a one chance crappy mate like this.”

Perhaps he’s right, and perhaps not. The two men escorted me out of the bunker and back to my sister’s moving truck, where she fussed over me and asked why I had been crying. She and her mate were horrified to hear what had happened, and I’ll admit I cried some more. They comforted me and we finished moving her stuff. 

“Look at it this way, Reese. You have a chance for a fresh start with someone new who will cherish you and give you lots of pups. I just know it! Keenan will romp in the woods at her side under the light of the moon. It will happen.” My sister hugged me as we piled into the truck.

“Yeah. I hope so.” I replied, gazing out the window as her mate started the engine. “I just hope Katrina can see the error of her ways. This is a fate I’d never wish on anyone.”

I planned to write to Alpha Samuel and ask him what ended up becoming of my former mate. All that would happen later, though. Right now, I had a five hour road trip with my sister and her mate blasting the radio and singing along to deal with- and neither of them could sing on key!

Chapter Text

Samuel

Delilah, Amy, and I were happily cuddling in our bed last I remembered. I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up to a desperate mind link buzzing in my mind like an angry, caged hornet with a vengeance against sleep. I groggily opened my eyes and opened the communication.

Alpha! Sir! I’ve been trying to reach you for ten minutes! It was Rhonda.

I was asleep. What’s going on?

A van from the Celestial Crown Pack wishes to enter our territory. They have a prisoner in it, sent via your request?

I sat up suddenly, earning a whine of protest from Deliah as she slid off my chest and onto her pillow. What?!

Shall we allow entry, sir?

Yes, right away! I’ll meet you at the bunker! I leapt to my feet, ruffling the blankets, and rushed to put on suitable attire. 

“Sammy?” Delilah’s quiet voice asked. “Everything okay?”

“Ah- yeah,” I went back to the bed, petting her head. “just some Alpha business.”

“Oh. I should come too, right?” she yawned, propping herself up on her elbow.

“No, I want you to sleep. You need it.” I murmured, kissing her forehead. 

“But I’m the future Luna, I should deal with late night issues too,” Delilah pointed out. “...shouldn’t I?”

“Yes, but not this one. Please, honeybee, go back to sleep. Cuddle up with Amy.” I nudged her down onto her back and tucked her in. She gave me a raised brow and I fled the room, racing through the packhouse to the prisoner’s bunker. Spirit was growling and running in circles in my mind, and I couldn’t blame him. We were about to meet Delilah’s mother- another abuser. As I rounded the trail, I saw the headlights of the van pulling up to the heavy iron door. I skidded to a slowed jog and made my way to the van.

The two front doors of the van opened and I met the two guards Alpha Vandus had sent to escort the vile woman. They were both male, and lowered their heads in respect at my approach.

“Alpha,” they greeted me.

“Gentlemen.” I greeted them in response. “Is she restrained?”

The guards looked at each other, and the driver stepped forward. “She’s not, because she is far too frail to do anything to any of us. It may not even be necessary to chain her in a cell.”

As he spoke, the second guard slid open the back side door. I peered in, and saw the woman in question. She was of medium build, skin wrinkled, black hair with many strands of white mixed in, and chocolate eyes. She nodded her head in respect to me as well.

“Hello, Alpha. Are you taking me to my daughter?” she asked.

“To Katrina , yes.” I snarled.

“My poor, sweet girl…” the woman sighed. 

Something about this woman made my skin crawl. As I pondered this fact, I realized I hadn’t called for Master Damascus. I immediately sent a mind link to the closest guards and asked them to send him here. In the meantime, the Crystal Crown guards began unloading Delilah’s mother from the van and into a cheap wheelchair.

In a matter of minutes, Damascus was at my side and silently fuming. The old wolf woman looked him up and down and smiled.

“Ah, a vampire. How strange,” she remarked. Damascus ignored her, to my great surprise. He seemed a little… stiff, to me. I lifted my face and sniffed the air, my eyes widening and jaw dropping slightly in shock. Delilah and Amy’s scents were on the wind. 

“Get her inside the bunker, now !” I roared to my own guards. They opened the iron door and each grabbed a side of the wheelchair, prepared to carry it down, when Delilah’s presence alerted the old wolf woman. She turned her head, scanning for her other child.

“What are you looking for?” I snapped, zipping up to her and blocking her view. 

“Oh… I’ve already found her.” the vile woman smiled again, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I turned to where she was facing and saw Delilah and Amy peeking out from the trees a few yards away. The fear in Delilah’s eyes was unmistakable, even from such a distance, and I guessed she was probably trembling.

“Delilah, come here.” the old woman commanded.

“ NO !” I roared, blocking her view again. “Whoever you think that is, you’re delusional. That is a pack member of mine.”

“Don’t be silly, little boy. I know who she is,” the old crone looked up at me. “I know my own child.”

“I am an Alpha , old woman, and you will address me as such. What are you two waiting for?! Get her inside and shut the door!” I snarled, shoving the chair forward to get my guards moving.

“ Delilah! ” I heard Amy yell. I turned and my heart stopped. Next to me, Damascus was in shock as well. Delilah was slowly making her way to us, her eyes blank as she stared at her feet while she walked. It was stiff, robotic… creepy, the way she was moving. Amy was right behind her, trying to stop her, but it was as though Delilah were under a spell.

In a flash, Damascus rushed to Delilah and scooped her up in his arms. He held her close, and she weakly tried to escape his grasp. He held strong, and Delilah gave up quickly. She shook her head, humming to herself. Trusting Damascus, I turned and followed my guards into the bunker, making sure to slam the iron door behind us as they worked to get the wheelchair down the stairs.

“Keep her away from Katrina. Chain her ankles, both of them! I don’t want this old crone anywhere near her child or my mate! Find four extra guards, I don’t care where you pull them from! This woman is not to be left alone at any time!” I ordered as we reached the bottom floor. 

“You’ll chain an old woman?” the devil herself asked. “As you can see, little boy, I am harmless.”

“It’s ALPHA !” I growled, shaking the room. “Call me ‘little boy’ again, and I will spare you no mercy!”

“Temper, temper,” the old woman clicked her tongue. 

“Mom?” a quiet call came down the hall, and I realized Katrina could hear us.

“MOVE IT!” I hollered. My guards booked it with the wheelchair in the opposite direction before the old woman could reply. I stomped back up the stairs and walked outside, where I saw Damascus and Delilah being hugged by Amy. Delilah still had that blank look in her eyes, and I burst into tears. I ran to their side and joined the hug. “What did she do to her?!”

“I…” Damascus swallowed. “I don’t… know, Alpha Samuel.”

“You don’t know ?” I shrieked. “You’ve had answers for everything so far, Damascus!”

“My knowledge is not all-encompassing, wolf.” the vampire stated in a deadly, calm voice. “Is that what’s really important right now? Your mate has been deeply affected by that woman!”

“I can see that! I don’t know what to do about it!” I yelled, releasing the hold I had when I joined the hug.

“ I don’t either !” Damascus snarled, shaking the ground around us.

“ KNOCK IT OFF! ” Amy boomed, startling us both. “Master, please give me my mate. You two are acting like idiots, and you need to get it out of your system. I am taking Delilah back to our room.”

“And you , how could you bring her here?!” I demanded.

“ I did no such thing, you idiot wolf! Delilah dragged me here, going on about Alpha and Luna business, and how you told her not to come along, but as future Luna she felt she needed to! I had no idea what was happening until it was too late!” Amy screamed at me, ripping Delilah from Damascus’ arms and holding her tightly.

Delilah let out the tiniest squeak at this and buried her head in Amy’s chest. Amy glared at me and Damascus before turning on her heel and stomping away into the darkness. 

“That was… unprecedented,” Damascus commented. I snarled and turned to him, throwing a right hook and connecting with his palm. “Alpha Samuel, both of our tempers are running high, but please refrain from physical violence.”

I ripped my fist out of his hand. “What the fuck is up with that woman?! She’s beyond creepy!”

“Yes, I found her rather… unsettling as well,” Damascus admitted. “I believe it would be best to have a witch or two along when we confront her.”

“Sure, we can ask the witches working on Delilah.” I grumbled, holding my wrist and glaring at my feet in frustration. 

“Good idea.” Damascus nodded. “I’ll contact them when it’s daytime. I recommend we go back to sleep, ourselves.”

Not bothering to wish him goodnight, I turned and ran back to the packhouse. I took the stairs two at a time, only slowing down when I reached our floor. I walked to our bedroom and slowly opened the door. Amy was on the bed, with Delilah wrapped up in a blanket, and was reading her a story from her tablet.

I took my shirt off and tossed it to the floor before climbing in the bed with them. Amy finished reading the chapter of the book and laid Delilah down. Our poor, sweet mate was deep asleep and her face looked peaceful again. I sighed and settled down as Amy did the same.

“You know what she told me earlier?” Amy asked.

“What?” I asked.

“She said, ‘Amy, it sucks being the middle spoon. It gets too hot!’” Amy chuckled.

I couldn’t help but laugh as well. “I’ll look at getting a bed fan installed.”

We lay in silence for a while, and at last I started to drift to sleep again. As the sweet, silent embrace nearly had me in its arms, Amy spoke again.

“I think that woman is infused with dark magic. Did you notice anything peculiar when she called out to Delilah?”

“Mmm? No, not on her, anyway.” I replied.

“She looked… younger, somehow.” Amy stated.

“Younger?” I sat up.

“She was really frail and old looking, but when Delilah began to walk towards her, the old woman suddenly looked less old. Her head lifted up a little, like it wasn’t so heavy to hold up anymore. Prior to that, she’d been keeping her head down, like it was heavy.” Amy reached over and grabbed my hand.

I looked at Delilah’s sleeping form. “You make it sound like Delilah was a battery of some kind.”

“She may very well have been,” Amy pointed out. “and the only way we’ll find out is by putting Delilah near her again.”

“ No !” I snapped. “We are not letting Delilah go near her again.”

“She wouldn’t have to know.” Amy said calmly, letting go of my hand. “We could keep Delilah in a room nearby, and observe any changes.”

“You’re missing the point,” I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t want Delilah in the bunker. Those dungeons are there for a reason.”

“She’s your future Luna, Sam. She’s going to have to go down there eventually, and she will have to face the same decisions you have. Have a little more faith in our mate. Plus, we’ll both be there with her. You’re not the only ones wanting revenge on those callous bitches.” Amy curled up around Delilah and tugged at the hem of my pants. “Now lay down and go to sleep. You, Master Damascus, and I need to kiss and make up tomorrow.”

I hated to admit it, but she was right. I laid back and sighed loudly before succumbing to sleep.

Chapter Text

Damascus

Deplorable. Truly deplorable. That was the only word I could dare use on a creature such as Delilah’s birth giver. She was unsettling, and anyone could tell she was encompassed by some dark aura. I was thankful Samuel had sent a messenger to bring me to the bunker, though I’d thank him later. Our little spat was more important for the time being.

As I settled myself back into bed, I reflected on my poor actions as well as his. We were both in the wrong, and we deflected our frustrations on each other. He had actually tried to punch me, for Goddess’ sake! Could he not see the inner turmoil I was facing, for having no answers or knowledge for the situation at hand?

My heart stopped when I saw Delilah making her way to her birth giver. All traces of our Delilah- my Delilah- were gone in that moment. She was shut down, systematic, robotic. Amy was helpless and I did the only thing I could think of- using my body to both restrain and block the views of the Sakura Wolf and old woman. 

I stared up at the ceiling, thoughts racing through my mind. We needed more witches, now . The bindings needed to be undone, now. We needed answers from that old crone now ! Who had Delilah been accused of killing? Why was Katrina’s wolf dead? What pack were they even from? I racked my brains, trying to remember anything about any packs being wiped out.

Alpha Vandus had mentioned it briefly but even he didn’t know Katrina’s full story. The old woman was all we had for answers, and she wasn’t going to just give them to us. Because of the dark aura, I did not feel safe enough to glean through her mind as I had her daughter’s. 

I yanked a pillow over my face and roared in frustration. The muffling from the fabric wasn’t enough to fully drown it out, and I clutched at it so hard I could feel my knuckles going white.

“Master!” A voice yelped. I startled and sucked in a breath, removing the pillow and looking into the darkness. Beulah was at my side, worriedly looking down at me. “Master, what is it? You’ve never roared like that before!”

I sat up and patted the mattress. Beulah sat down and put her hand on my shoulder in an effort to comfort me. 

“I apologize for startling you, dear Beulah. Tonight has been… rough, to say the least,” I groaned, putting my face in my hands.

“Do you wish to speak of it?” Beulah asked, rubbing my back. I turned to look at her, feeling ever so drained. “Perhaps not? You need sleep, Master. I know the Sakura Wolf is a high priority, that she’s paramount, but you must take care of yourself, too.”

I let out a deep sigh. “I know, I know…”

Beulah was silent for a moment, continuing to rub my back. “Master, may I… serve you?”

“You already do, my dear, and you do it well,” I praised her. “You never disappoint me-”

“-no, Master. Not this kind of serving.” Beulah looked down, suddenly shy, and stopped rubbing my back. We were silent for a few moments, and finally I pressed for an explanation.

“Beulah, I haven’t the faintest clue what you could mean. Please elaborate further,” I pushed gently.

“Master, please, allow me to serve you in another way entirely. You’ve been tense and cranky; you won’t be able to get good sleep tonight.” Beulah blushed. I blinked, still not understanding what Beulah was asking of me.

“Show me,” I commanded. “Show me, Beulah, just what you mean by this service.”

Beulah looked me in the eye shyly, then stood up. “Master, please lie back down and roll onto your stomach.”

I complied, confused when she climbed into the bed with me and straddled me around the hips with her legs. She placed her hands on my shoulders and administered a most wonderful, relaxing massage. She worked out knots here, kinks there, and cracked my spine skillfully. Beulah’s hands were like magic.

She worked on my whole body on the backside, then had me roll over and worked on my body from the front. She began lingering over my groin, giving seemingly extra attention there. I opened my eyes and looked into hers, and realized they were lit with lust.

“Beulah, dear…?” I asked, unsure of what direction she expected us to take.

“Master, please, allow me to service you,” She begged. It hit me then- the type of service she was asking for. 

“Beulah, dear, why do you…?” I tried to ask.

“Master, please. Please let me do this,” Beulah whined, sliding up my belly and straddling me once more. She ran her hands over my chest and I shivered. “Let me service you. Use me for everything you need. Relieve the stress.”

“This is most inappropriate-” I began, but Beulah began grinding her hips and my breath caught. Oh no . My body was responding. “Beulah, please , I promised all of you I would never-”

“-take advantage of us. I remember. I am offering myself to you, Master, of my own free will.” Beulah slid her hands into mine and interlaced our fingers before pushing my hands down and pinning me to the bed.

“I…” at a loss for words, and with my mind beginning to cloud with lust, I gave in. “All right, Beulah. Service me.”

Chapter Text

Samuel

I woke up late in the morning. Delilah and Amy were still asleep and somehow I had become the middle spoon. Delilah was clinging to me like a leaf on a branch and Amy was splayed out with her arm over my chest. It was really, really warm. I stretched out and let out a loud groan, announcing it was time to get up.

Amy grumbled and rolled over while Delilah let out a whine and clung tighter.

“Amy, I appear to have a koala attached to me. Can you help me out?” I asked. Amy grunted in response and pulled the blanket over her head.

“I’m a vampire, I’m supposed to be nocturnal. We don’t deal with daytime or koalas,” she grouched.

“But it’s a really cute koala!” I cried.

“Meh.”

“It’s super cuddly.”

“Meeeeeh.”

“It’ll give you kisses.”

“Mrrrrr.”

“Oh, come on!” I whined.

“Okay, okay, I’m up,” Delilah snapped. She detached herself from me and stretched, shaking the bed as she did so. “Excuse me for not wanting to leave the bed today.”

“If I have to leave, so do you two. We’re all in this together,” I decided. “You’re my Luna, and Amy is part of our trio. Which reminds me, did you want to have that talk today?”

“Oh, yeah,” Amy pulled the blanket down and sat up as well. “Yeah, we’d best do that today.”

“I gotta find Master Damascus,” Delilah sighed. “I don’t think I can avoid our talk today.”

“No, I don’t think so either,” I agreed. “Let’s all hop to it, then.”

I got up and headed to the bathroom, where I turned on the shower and combed my hair in preparation. A little quirk of mine- I preferred to comb my hair down before showering to prevent knots. I stripped down and jumped under the hot water. Seconds later, the shower door opened and Amy stepped in, followed by Delilah.

“Uh- can I help you two?!” I exclaimed, covering myself. Oh good lord, they were both gorgeous. And completely naked. In the shower. With me.

“We might as well get used to seeing each other naked. It’s going to happen eventually, accidental or not.” Amy declared, bringing Delilah closer to me and rubbing her hair under the water.

“Okay, but have you considered Delilah might not be comfortable with that?” I demanded, reaching for her shampoo and handing it to Amy.

“What? It’s just a dick,” Amy shrugged, accepting the bottle of shampoo. Delilah looked tense and her eyes were squeezed shut tight. 

“Delilah, do you want me to leave?” I asked.

“N-no, it’s fine. I don’t want shampoo to get in my eyes,” Delilah explained.

“This shampoo was a good pick, honeybee. It’ll help repair your hair. And Cherry’s fur will look much better.” Amy praised as she irritated the suds in our mate’s hair before doing hers as well. “C’mere, Sam.”

“I have my own shampoo…” I withered. Amy grabbed my shoulder, dragged me closer to her, and slathered more shampoo than necessary in my hair. She was rough with me as she irritated the suds, and her long nails scratched my scalp. I yelped more than once.

“Sammy sounds like he’s tender headed.” Delilah observed, doing her best to stay still while Amy rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and replaced it with a hearty amount of conditioner.

“You let that sit for a bit while Sam and I wash our hair.” Amy ordered. I closed my eyes and let myself be tortured with more rinsing and application of conditioner. “There, now you wait with Delilah.”

I couldn’t do much with my eyes closed but comply with her demand. I heard the rustling of hair and the wet whump of water being dropped in a heap, then nearly jumped out of my skin when a cold hand grabbed my thigh. I rubbed my eyes and opened them slightly to see Delilah was holding on to me.

Amy finished conditioning her hair and pulled Delilah under the water to finish with her hair. “We leave the conditioner in longer to help heal the hair,” she explained as she worked. “The conditioner has ingredients better suited for that. There, all clean. Go get your body wash and lather yourself up.”

Delilah complied, giggling as she rubbed herself with her loofah. Amy dragged me under the water and I complained with a loud whine. 

“ Quit it .” Amy spanked me and continued her torture.

“You’re cruel!” I squealed. “And your nails are sharp !”

“Then I’ll clip them later, so stop squirming.” Amy spanked me again . “There, now go lather up.”

I skulked over to Delilah and she handed me her loofah. Not willing to argue any more, I accepted it and let her pour a generous heap of her body wash on it before rubbing myself down. 

“Is it okay? I really liked the smell.” Delilah asked.

“It’s sweet, like honeydew,” I smiled. “It’s perfect.”

Never mind the fact that Beth was going to tease me relentlessly. 

“It’s kind of cold if you’re not under the water. Why does such a big shower only have one tiny shower head?” Delilah asked.

“That’s a great question. I don’t know. Do you want to remodel it so there’s multiple heads?” I asked back.

“Master Damascus will pay for renovations.” Amy said, shaking her hair out and nudging Delilah under the water to rinse herself off. I handed her the loofah and poured some more body wash on it.

“Damascus can’t pay for every little thing my pack needs,” I stated quietly. “Just because we’re struggling right now…”

“We are?” Deliah asked, turning around to rinse her back.

“Samuel, I think you need to talk to Master about your finances. He’s well aware of the pack’s situation,” Amy looked me in the eye. “I suggest you arrange that when we’re done talking and everyone has kissed and made up.”

“When you say ‘kiss and make up’…” I began as Delilah yanked my arm and pulled me under the water.

“I mean it full on. Kissy lips, tongue slip, the whole nine yards.” Amy replied.

“I don’t think Damascus is going to go for that,” I sputtered. 

“You’d be surprised.” Amy snickered, lending Delilah a hand as she stepped out. “Towels are on the counter, honeybee. Take two.”

“Two?”

“One for your body, one for your hair. It’s okay.”

“Okay.”

I finished rinsing and stepped out as well, wrapping myself in a towel and helping Delilah dry her hair. I stopped when I heard a sniffle. “Am I rubbing too hard?”

“No…” Delilah whispered.

“It’s okay to tell me if I am.”

“I’m scared to talk to Master Damascus. That’s all.”

“Aah. I got ya.” I turned Delilah around and looked in her eyes. They were turning blue around the edges, and there was a hint of pupil in them now. “Delilah, having a difficult discussion is one of the hardest things we must face. But I have no doubt that you will handle it like a true Luna. You’re strong, you’re brave, and you are a very good listener. Master Damascus loves you just as much as we do, I doubt he will be too hard on you.”

Delilah nodded, wiping away a tear.

“And he absolutely will not hurt you. The worst he will do to you is give you a stern lecture. That’s all,” I admonished.

“You don’t know that,” Delilah shook her head. 

“I do, actually,” Amy chimed in as she came out of the shower and wrapped herself up. “Besides, if he laid a hand on you he would be violating the treaty and have the whole pack after him.”

I nodded in agreement. 

“The coven too, actually.” Amy added.

“What? He’s your master!” Delilah was shocked.

“We don’t condone abuse. If Master were to raise a hand to anyone, we would tear him to pieces.” Amy stated in a firm tone. 

“As would be well within their rights to do so,” Master Damascus’ voice called through the closed door, making all of us jump. “Forgive my intrusion, I see we have all just awakened. I was worried I would be late.”

“No, sir. I’m just not dressed,” Delilah whimpered.

“I shall wait for you in the hallway,” Master Damascus replied.

“Well, let's do this.” I opened the door and Delilah shuffled out behind me. “What do you want to wear today?”

Delilah thought for a moment, clearly not used to having a choice. “I wanna match Amy!”

“I want to wear the matching shirts we got, so that’s perfect. Let’s wear those jeans with the rhinestone studded pockets, and our new blue sneakers.” Amy dug through the closet for their clothes. I went behind her and rustled through my clothes, opting for a button down shirt and black slacks with loafers.

“How come you didn’t get me a matching shirt?” I asked playfully as I pulled my underwear on. 

“Simple. You don’t come with us, you don’t get a shirt.” Amy replied, helping Delilah clip her bra. 

“Yeah! You’re a butt!” Delilah stuck her tongue out at me. I stepped closer to her and put my face in hers.

“Stick that tongue out again.” I murmured softly, staring into her eyes. She did, and I leaned in for a passionate kiss. I traced my tongue around hers and sucked on her bottom lip. I could tell she had no idea what to do from her lack of reaction and pulled away after a moment.

“Do you mind ? She’s trying to get dressed, here!” Amy pushed me aside. I chuckled and finished dressing myself before leaving the room. I nodded briefly at Master Damascus, unsure of what to say, and he nodded back. We stood in an awkward silence for a few moments.

“Can we talk later?” I finally asked.

“I thought you’d never ask.” He replied gracefully. 

“Excellent. Please come to my office when you have the time.” I exhaled in relief and made my way to the office. I stopped short when I saw Elaine, one of my guards, waiting at my door. When she saw me, she bowed her head in submission.

“Alpha.”

“Elaine.” I greeted her. “Have you been waiting here long?”

“Yes, Alpha. I’ve been here all morning and most of the afternoon waiting for you.” She nodded.

“What?! Why didn’t you mind link me?” I exclaimed.

“With all due respect, Alpha, you have your blocks up and I didn’t want to wake you up so soon after what happened last night.” Elain kept her head down.

Crap , I had put my mental blocks up without even realizing it. “Has anyone else been trying to reach me?”

“Not that I’m aware of, sir.”

I opened the door to my office and gestured that she should follow. “Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?”

Elaine shook her head. I sat down behind my desk and she sat in one of the chairs across from me. “It’s about that woman, sir.”

“The old woman from the Celestial Crown Pack?” I asked. “Or Katrina?”

“Well… both, I suppose,” Elaine replied.

“You’re free to speak your mind. You should know I value any input,” I stated.

“Katrina is easier to deal with. All she does is scream insults and now has started calling for her mother,” Elaine began. “The old woman… She's beyond creepy. Something about her is off. Now that they’re in the same vicinity, there’s this… aura, I guess you’d call it, in the air. I think it’s emanating from her.”

“I would agree with that.” I nodded. “Something is definitely up with her.”

“Please, Alpha. I saw what happened with the Luna last night. I beg you, do not allow that to happen again. There’s some kind of magic involved here, and I fear what could happen to the Luna if she is near them. She’s kind and strong, and I see great potential in her. Don’t let those two creatures take away the Luna this pack so desperately needs.” Elaine begged.

I was speechless. “Elaine, have you come to accept Delilah as your Luna in just a few days?”

“I have, Alpha. Not that I have any choice in the matter, but I have sworn my fealty to her whether or not she officially holds the title,” Elaine’s eyes shone with loyalty. “As have the rest of my unit. You’d have to be a complete idiot not to see how powerful she is. Her very presence commands me to kneel before her.”

I thought for a few minutes. As I did so, I stood up and walked to my window, looking down at the gardens below. I could see Damascus and Delilah walking along in the distance, presumably having their talk.

“Elaine, let me ask you a question. Take all the time you need before answering.”

“Yes, Alpha?”

“This ‘commanding presence’, as you put it- would you describe it as possibly being an Alpha’s aura?”

“Without a doubt, sir. If I may be so bold, quite a lot more powerful than yours.”

“I see. Elaine, I am going to share some information with you in the confidence that said information does not leave this room.” I sat back down at my desk and locked eyes with her.

“It will never leave this room, Alpha.” Elaine swore. I took a breath and dove into the explanation over Delilah’s being spellbound. How the bindings were being removed and how she was changing mentally, physically, and emotionally. How it was an agonizingly slow process and we needed to recruit more witches to help. 

Elaine listened attentively to every word, her claws extending from her fingers and digging into her thighs out of anger. She lifted her lip in a silent snarl and I could feel her anger. I finished speaking and let her mull it over for a bit.

“Alpha, please let me help you recruit more witches. I have a cousin in the East who may be able to make a trip here, and her coven may follow suit.” She growled. “Also, please let me guard the old woman personally. If she steps a toe out of line I want to be the one to bring our wrath upon her. I will whip her, beat her, poison her, anything you ask of me.”

Well, that was… a dark offer.

“Easy, now. I will speak with Master Damascus about your cousin and her coven, so please wait to contact them until he and I have spoken.” I said softly. “As for the old woman… Yes, you may guard her personally and choose your relief.”

“I wish to keep her under observation at all times, Alpha. Please allow me to install a security camera so I can watch from afar as needed. She is not getting away with abusing a child, especially my Luna.” Elaine spat.

“I appreciate your concern, Elaine. I really do. A camera… I’ll need to discuss it with Delilah. I should no longer make all the decisions alone,” I mused. “Her input is just as valuable as yours.”

“If not more so.” Elaine agreed. She stood up suddenly and bowed her head again. “Thank you for seeing me, Alpha, and listening to my concerns. Also, for sharing with me in confidence. I’ll take my leave now, as I believe you have another visitor.”

Elaine opened the door and Amy strode in with a greeting. I nodded, dismissing the guard, and gestured to Amy to sit.

“Sam, don’t be so formal with me. Save that for the pack.” Amy chided. She sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her.

“All right,” I chuckled before sitting next to her.

“Delilah is with Master. Hopefully it’s going well. She got so nervous she threw up a bunch of white foam before going with him.” Amy sighed.

“White foam?” I asked.

“Her stomach is empty, since none of us ate before the shower. She said it happens when she’s upset and hasn’t eaten.” Amy explained.

“Oh.” I replied. “That’s unfortunate.”

“She’ll be all right- it might have been for the best. I’d hate for her to throw up after a good meal and waste the nutrients,” Amy picked at some fuzz on her jeans.

“As would I,” I agreed. We sat in silence for a bit, Amy picking at her jeans and me watching. I figured whatever she had to talk about must be hard for her, so I made no moves to push her into speaking.

“So… about us,” she said at last.

“Yes?” I asked when she hesitated.

“We’re not fated mates, Sam. I don’t want to spend all of our lives together staying apart and just sharing Delilah. So I have a proposition…” Amy’s voice trailed off. Once again, I waited for her to speak. 

“I think we should consider being one of two things,” Amy said at last.

“Those two things being…?” I prompted when she hesitated once more.

“Either- either friends with benefits or chosen mates.” Amy finally choked out. My eyebrows rose, and my face betrayed my shock. That was certainly out of left field.

“Look, I may have wanted to kill you at first. Delilah is my- is our - world. The night of the ball, I felt you were encroaching on what was mine. You understand how it goes, you’ve seen wolves tear into each other for touching their mates.” Amy looked me in the eye. “Now, though, I understand that Delilah needs us both. That she may have more mates than just us. I can handle being her mate but I am very much energetic in bed and I’m not positive Delilah can handle me.”

“I have to agree on that. It’s not something we know but given her laughable excuse for an upbringing…” I nodded, thinking deeply.

“So that’s what I want to talk about. I understand if my being a chosen mate throws a wrench in the pack ranks, but I’m also concerned about how it would be viewed for us to be friends with benefits.” Amy continued.

She was right- I couldn’t have two Lunas, and I might be taken less seriously as Alpha if word got around that I was sleeping with my mate’s mate. We couldn’t have that. So what could I do in this situation? Would it be wrong to give Amy a rank below Alpha, but above Beta? How would Beth feel, how would the new Gammas feel? And the Elders?

“I’m afraid,” I began. Amy had looked down again, but at my words she looked me in the eyes again. “I am afraid I can’t make this decision alone.”

“You need Delilah’s input too, I get it.” Amy smiled.

“Not just hers. I need to call a meeting with my ranked members and Elders, and we need to discuss it. I’d happily bestow a rank below me and above Beth, but as far as I know there’s no such position. We’d need to create such a rank.” I explained.

Amy nodded. “Either way, I know you have the stamina to keep me satisfied. And it would be nice to get to know you on a more… personal level.”

I thought for a minute, then decided to make a joke. “You came into the shower this morning for a reason, didn’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely. I like what I saw.” Amy winked cheekily. “If I gotta choose a dick, I’d rather it be yours. Easy to find when I’m in the mood to get wrecked.”

We laughed at that and I patted her on the shoulder. “Let’s see what gets decided at the meeting. Now, I have paperwork and phone calls to attend to, and I’m sure you’d like to find our mate and rescue her from Master Dam-”

ALPHA!!!

I reeled back in pain at the sudden scream for help via mind link. Amy watched me, unsure what was happening. 

Go ahead! I called out, unsure who I was speaking with.

Alpha, come quick! There’s blood everywhere! Another mind link cried out.

I stood up immediately. Where are you? I’m coming!

The northern part of the territory, there’s been a murder! 

I looked at Amy. “We have a problem. Come on.”

She followed me as I bolted out of the office and through the pack house, ripping my clothes off before shifting. Spirit took over and we flew across our territory. His paws pounded the earth and flung debris behind us. Amy kept pace easily, and we could tell the stench of blood hit her the same time as us from the way her nose wrinkled and eyes dialated. It felt like forever before we arrived on the scene to find several guards in their wolf forms waiting at attention for my arrival.

Is there a body to recover? I asked as we strode up to them. They all bowed their heads.

No, Alpha. 

Do we have evidence of this being a murder? I questioned.

Silence.

Answer me, someone. I growled.

One of the smaller wolves- a tracker- stepped forward. 

I may have jumped the gun, Alpha. There’s just so much blood I panicked. She kept her head low and her tail tucked. I chuffed in annoyance and stepped past her and the others to look at the scene. Sure enough, there was blood everywhere. The earth was soaked, trees were sprayed, and boulders were marbled in it.

“This is too much blood for a werewolf, especially without a body.” Amy observed.

I turned to my wolves. Who found this?

We all did, sir. While on patrol. The small tracker answered. 

I nodded and looked back at the scene. I took a deep inhale and waited, trying to sort out any scents beyond the blood.

Sammy! I was startled out of my concentration at the sound of Delilah’s mind link. I turned, and my wolves turned to see Cherry and Master Damascus racing up to us. Delilah held her tail up high as she bounded along, showing her rank as she did so. I couldn’t let her see this scene! Also, how dare she just run up here and blatantly hold her tail high!

Delilah, no! I don’t want you to see this! I growled, leaping forward and blocking her path. I lifted my lips in a silent snarl, showing my teeth, and pinned my ears back to show I was serious.

That is our mate! Spirit snapped at me in anger. I shook him away and concentrated on Cherry’s form before me. Has she gotten bigger?

She skidded to a stop, then looked up at Damascus. He nodded and held a hand forward, indicating she should go ahead. She looked back at me and stalked right up to me. The fierceness in her eyes cowed me and I could feel my tail tucking and ears flattening in submission. My wolves were confused, and some had even let their jaws go slack in surprise at my reaction. Alphas never cowered.

C’mon, Sam, get it together, you’re an Alpha! I cursed myself.

I am here to help investigate. If you don’t like it, tough. I don’t need to constantly be hidden away from the dangers of this world, Samuel. Delilah snarled, and I swear I felt the ground beneath my paws shake a little. I am not so delicate that I can ignore threats to our pack and hide under our bed.

Alpha, who is this wolf? The small tracker asked, stepping forward, as though she were going to stand between us. I knew it was to protect me against what she perceived as a threat, but I couldn’t have that. I snapped at her in warning and she dropped to the ground in submission, showing me her belly. Satisfied, I looked back at Delilah.

Can they hear us, Delilah? I asked.

Only if I wish them to. Delilah tilted her head to the side, squinting at me.

Then let me be clear: you are my mate, my world, and soon to be my Luna. I love you with every fiber of my being. But don’t you dare make a mockery of me in front of the pack. They do not know who you are, and you have not had your ceremony yet. 

I took a step towards her, snarling to show how serious I was. I lifted my tail- with great effort- and tried to look bigger. Couldn’t she see how dangerous it was for her to be out here right now? Couldn’t she see that now was a bad time to announce that she would be the future Luna?

Why is it a bad time? Spirit asked suddenly. What are you doing? Why are you acting this way?

Uh… why was I acting this way? Confused, I lifted my head and tried to focus. My head was feeling a little…fuzzy. While I was doing that, Delilah just walked past me and started sniffing at the blood on the ground. I turned towards her in a panic, reeling back in fear with a yelp when she whipped her head around and snapped her teeth at me.

I’m busy, don’t bother me. She warned.

The other wolves in attendance shuffled their paws awkwardly and stared in different directions. They’d just seen their Alpha cowed by a strange wolf- not once, but twice . This was unacceptable.

I started toward my mate when I felt my scruff bunch up in an iron grip. I was ripped off the ground and yelped in surprise as I was raised into the air. My eyes darted wildly and landed on Master Damascus. The bastard was holding me by the scruff like I was little more than a disobedient puppy! 

“Knock it off. Watch.” He said quietly.

He turned me so I could watch Delilah. She was taking her time, sniffing here and nosing around there. It felt like an eternity as she searched, and my neck began to ache terribly. I couldn’t risk shifting right now, not in the grip I was currently being held in.

Amy was staying off to the side, also watching our mate. She slipped me a stink eye once. My wolves were all frozen, unsure of what to do. The small tracker was still on her back. The scent of fear filled the air, mixing with the blood scent. For all these wolves knew, I was being challenged by Delilah for the pack.

Aha! Delilah exclaimed, pouncing on something. She picked it up and proudly strode towards Master Damascus, who knelt down to her level and held out his hand. Delilah opened her jaws and dropped something shiny into his palm, and he let me go. 

Delilah immediately stood over me, growling loudly and pushing me down if I tried to get back up. I tried several ways to get up and was met with force each time, which kept me down. My humiliation was eating away at me, and my frustration was building. The fuzzy feeling in my head was growing worse, as well.

“Dragon scales. There was a dragon here,” Master Damascus announced suddenly. He looked to us, with concern deep in his eyes. “Cherry, I wonder…”

Yes? Delilah asked, putting a paw on my head while maintaining eye contact with the vampire.

I want her so bad right now. Spirit whined. 

Are you seriously turned on right now?! I demanded.

Very. She’s dominating and it’s incredibly sexy. Spirit whined again. 

How humiliating . My mate was dominating me in front of pack members, and my own wolf was turned on by it! My irritation was burning higher. If Delilah was going to pull rank on me when she wasn’t even Luna of my pack yet, she had another thing coming. I’d never lay a hand on her, but there were other ways to punish someone for disobedience.

Suddenly, the delicate paw atop my head was gone, and I was being scruffed and held down by Master Damascus again. I wriggled a little and he pushed down harder. He leaned in very close to my ears and whispered, “If you can’t control yourself, I will use commands on you. Delilah and Cherry are investigating.”

I huffed and complied, going limp and flattening my ears. I felt the white-hot, static-inducing feelings of rage begin to sweep through my body. 

A-Alpha, should we do something? One of my wolves asked.

No. Let this be a lesson to you- even an Alpha needs to be corrected sometimes. I replied, meek and humiliated. Do not interrupt that she-wolf. I will explain later.

I fumed while Delilah did… whatever she was doing. I began to gnash my teeth in irritation and claw at the dirt beneath my paws. The rage building up over my humiliation was all I could think about. 

Samuel, calm down. That’s our mate. Why are you so enraged over this? Spirit asked.

Because she’s undermining my authority! They all are! I screamed in response.

Since when have you ever cared about that? What’s going on with you? Spirit roared back.

Uh- huh. Since when did I care about that? I was a really laid back Alpha, and here I was thinking about ways to punish my mate while I was enduring this humiliation. The fuzziness in my head was worse now, and it added to my anger.

Delilah let out a strangled bark and Damascus released me. I whipped my head around to look at her and my breath caught in my chest. Delilah had her head raised to the sky, eyes completely white and… hell, it looked like she was crying blood ! Her mouth was open, as if she were howling, and her body was…

“SHE’S HAVING A SEIZURE!” Amy screamed. Delilah fell to the ground, twitching and beginning to foam at the mouth. Damascus was at her side in seconds, fear riddling his features. I whipped my head to my wolves, who were equally horrified.

Don’t just stand there, get help! Find the witches! I ordered. They turned tail and took off, back to the pack house. I stood up and shakily tried to make my way to her, but Amy stopped me. 

“Don’t. Just don’t,” She growled into my ear. “Whatever you’re going through, get over it. You are going to regret your behavior today.”

Let me go, I warned Amy. Let me go or I will fight you.

ENOUGH! Spirit snapped. The next thing I knew, he was shunting me to the back of our mind and taking over.

Spirit, you idiot, what are you-

I couldn’t make out his words before everything went black. Finally, the fuzziness was gone.

Chapter Text

Delilah

After we got dressed, Amy nudged me to the door. 

“You have to be brave, honeybee,” she admonished me. “It’s going to be hard, and you might cry. That’s okay. You be the big, brave Luna that we know you are, face this challenge, and come out stronger.”

“What if I don’t come out stronger?” I whispered, terrified. What if she didn’t love me and rejected me?

“Well, then we’ll work on that. Together. I’ll love you just the same.” Amy took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Now go. It’s rude to keep others waiting.”

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the room. Master Damascus was waiting, and he looked me in the eyes. “Good afternoon, my dear. Shall we take that walk?”

I went to answer him and froze. Uh oh.

“Delilah?” Amy asked from behind me. My shoulders bunched up, and the next thing I knew Amy had shoved Master Damascus out of the way as my stomach contracted and I puked on the carpeted floor. It was thick, foamy, white saliva. I collapsed on my knees and the nausea hit me again.

Faintly, I registered someone calling for something to clean up my mess with and someone rubbing my back, telling me it was okay and to just let it all out. This was… odd, their reactions. I had just puked all over the floor and instead of screaming and beating me, I was being comforted.

The nausea passed and I shakily stood up. The guards standing at the door asked if I was all right.

“I’m okay. I need to clean this up. I throw up this stuff when I’m upset…” I tried to explain, unable to stop the tears that started flowing. 

“We have someone on the way, Luna. Please don’t worry about this.” One of the guards assured me. 

Master Damascus held out a handkerchief and I wiped my mouth with one side of it. The other side I wiped my tears with. A cleaning wolf arrived and happily told me to put the handkerchief in her laundry basket while she cleaned up my mess. I apologized profusely, bursting into tears again.

“Come along, dear.” Master Damascus put his arm around my shoulders and away we went. “Do you need something to eat? We can postpone talking for now.”

“N-no, let’s talk. I’ll eat after.” I didn’t want to risk throwing up again.

“Hmm. Why don’t we go out to the gardens and walk while we talk? Would you like that?” Master Damascus asked.

I thought for a moment. “Actually, yeah. That sounds good.”

He led the way, and I followed awkwardly, arms folded and looking down at my feet. I remembered what Amy and Sam had said, about keeping my head high, but this didn’t seem like the right situation for that. I didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t taking this situation seriously. It didn’t take long for us to reach the gardens, and Master Damascus began to speak.

“Delilah, I cannot even begin to fathom the extent of the abuse you’ve been through. You’ve been denied your childhood, your happiness, and personal growth. Outbursts like yesterday are to be expected; however, you cannot run away from your problems,” he began. “As far as your dream goes, I don’t think it was fully a dream. Rather, I think it was a repressed memory. We know you have quite a lot of those.”

“That would make sense, actually,” I nodded. “They always said I killed someone.”

“The mystery remains as to why and how. We will get to the bottom of it,” Master Damascus assured me. “Now, then. We need to discuss the next steps forward.”

“Okay.” 

Master Damascus sat down on a stone bench, and I followed.

“You’re going to need training on how to control your powers, obviously, and I’m going to do my best to teach you. I will not go easy on you- we have decades of work to catch up on. We will also need to incorporate Luna lessons, as it is fully intended for you to take over this pack. I cannot argue against your Moon Goddess and her plans. The next few months are going to be… grueling, to say the least.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

“There is also the matter of finishing unbinding you from the magic surrounding you. We have two options right now, which I wanted to let you choose. We can use our time wisely and do separate sessions, or we can take a risk and try to undo it all in one night.” Master Damascus put his hand over mine, and I realized I was trembling.

“The choice is mine?” I asked softly. “No… no consequences?”

“There will always be consequences. There is no wrong answer here,” Master Damascus assured me. “You don’t need to answer right this minute, do take some time to think it over.”

I hummed, looking down at the ground. It didn’t sound so bad to have it all done at once, really, but I knew it might be better for all parties involved to work past it all slowly.

Hey… do you smell that? Cherry asked suddenly. I lifted my head and took in a deep sniff. Master Damascus watched before following suit. The wind was drifting towards us, carrying the faint scent of burning and iron.

“That smells like blood…” Master Damascus growled.

“Should we investigate?” I asked, taking some more sniffs.

“We should leave it to Alpha Samuel. This is his territory,” Master Damascus reminded me. I hesitated for a moment. “What is it, dear?”

“Well… if I am to be Luna of this pack, this will be my territory too, right? I need to learn how to be a Luna, and this is an opportunity to show my pack what I’m made of,” I mumbled, unsure how he would take it.

Plus, we can probably find better evidence of what’s happened. Sam and Spirit seem the type to miss details. Cherry added. Master Damascus looked amused by my request, and after a few moments of contemplation, agreed that we should check it out. I shifted to Cherry’s form and off we went, following the blood trail.

When we arrived, Sam and Amy were already there, as was a small patrol unit of shifted wolves. We called out his nickname and rushed to be at his side. When Sam caught sight of us bounding up to him, anger flared up in his eyes.

What’s that all about? I wondered. Cherry hummed in response. 

Delilah, no! I don’t want you to see this! Sam growled, leaping forward and blocking our path. He lifted his lips in a snarl and pinned his ears back at us- almost as if he thought he could intimidate us into obeying. Then, he squinted his eyes and titled his head to the side a little, as if he were confused.

We skidded to a stop, as did Master Damascus, and looked up to him.

Can I try something? I asked, wondering if he would side with me or with Sam. Luckily, Master Damascus nodded and held his hand out, indicating I should move forward.

Watch this, Cherry said. She looked Sam right in the eyes and stalked up to him, and I could feel the sudden aura of power in the air. Sam cowered and tucked his tail in, then flattened his ears in submission. Well, now… That was odd. Alpha wolves never cowered in submission. Not even for other Alphas!

Filing that away for later, Cherry nudged me forward and I took control of our body.

I am here to help investigate. I stated. Sam started to lift his lips in a snarl again and I realized that my powers were working with him just the same as Master Damascus’- a private mind link, no marking required.

If you don’t like it, I continued, Tough. I don’t need to be constantly hidden away from the dangers of this world, Samuel.

Sam looked unsteady on his paws for a moment, and I felt a surge of power race through me. Cherry barked in encouragement, and I kept going.

I am not so delicate that I can ignore threats to our pack and hide under our bed.

One of the patrol wolves let out a yip and stepped forward, eyes locked on Sam. He snapped in her direction and she dropped in instant submission. With her belly exposed to the air, Sam whipped his head back to look at me. Cherry growled, unhappy that his eyes were burning with more anger and… resentment?

Can they hear us, Delilah? He asked, voice tight.

Only if I wish them to, I replied perhaps a little too smugly. This was a handy power to have.

Then let me be clear: you are my mate, my world, and soon to be my Luna. I love you with every fiber of my being. But don’t you dare make a mockery of me in front of the pack. They do not know who you are, and you have not had your ceremony yet.

Sam had stalked closer to me as he spoke, snarling at me once more. He lifted his tail and puffed out his chest. He looked rather silly to me- and then, he looked confused. Taking advantage of that, I strode past him and started sniffing around. The blood on the ground reeked of burning rocks and-

Look out! Cherry yapped. I whirled around and snapped my teeth at Sam, who had tried to encroach on my space. 

I’m busy, don’t bother me. I warned him before turning my attention back to the blood trails. I registered a yelp and a thud from behind me and snorted- I guess Sam was the type that couldn’t take a hint. How, exactly, did he expect me to be his Luna when he wouldn’t let me help with these matters?

Grumbling softly, I continued my slow search of the scents. There were definitely two scents here- one more pungent than the other- and the damage to the surrounding flora was considerable. Yet, it didn’t seem like this had been done by fully grown dragons- more like adolescents, or a smaller breed of dragon.

If those even existed.

I stopped by a particularly stinky spot next to a boulder and barked in joy. There was a small strip of beautiful white scales, all held together by delicate strands of flesh! I gently picked them up in my teeth and strutted over to Master Damascus, dropping them in his outstretched hand.

Hold Samuel down, please? He asked mentally. I complied, pushing Sam down with a paw to his head. He resisted a few times- and yet, holding him down was as easy as pie. He grumbled and snarled quietly, clearly humiliated. 

He shouldn’t be this easy to hold down. Neither him, nor Spirit. Cherry commented. It’s almost as if… 

Maybe he isn’t a true Alpha. I finished for her. We would have to ask about this later- if Sam was still speaking to me.

“Dragon scales.” Master Damascus confirmed. “There was a dragon here.”

Two, actually! Cherry pipped. Master Damascus looked at us with raised eyebrows.

“Cherry, I wonder…”

Yes? We asked.

Why don’t we put one of your possible powers to the test? If I am correct, you should have the power to briefly see into the past while in a situation like this. Maybe we can see what this was all about. Master Damascus mind linked. 

How do I do that? I asked.

If you immerse yourself in the scents around you, and focus only on the sounds of the nature around you, it should come quite naturally.

I’ll do my best, but no promises. I stepped away from Sam and went back to the crime scene. I sat down next to the stinky area where I had found the scales and closed my eyes, concentrating on the scents and sounds of my immediate area.

Just breathe. Cherry urged me. We need to be in sync for this. Relax. Breathe in, breathe out. Feel the earth under our paws, the air around us, the rustling of the trees…

I concentrated. After what felt like years, I felt a tingling sensation in my paws. It started to travel up my legs, then all over my body.

Yes! That’s it! Cherry barked. Open your eyes!

My eyelids felt as heavy as boulders, and I struggled to open them. At last, I managed, and looked at the world before me.

Why is everything in black and white? I asked, startled. Blacks, whites, greys- that’s all I could see! 

Actually, I can see a small hint of color- it’s muddled, but look at the blood. Cherry sounded just as confused as I was. We looked at the blood before us and stood up to investigate- then nearly jumped out of our skin as a loud noise assaulted our ears.

A white dragon had crashed into the boulder behind us- or maybe it had been thrown. It was smaller than we expected, but we still scrambled out of the way. It roared loudly and extended its talons out, tail lashing wildly, as another small dragon came flying towards it at breakneck speed.

They screeched at each other and the second dragon grappled with the first; the back talons slashed near the tails and the stinky smell from earlier polluted the air.

Oooh, that’s a punctured scent gland. That explains a lot. Cherry winced.

Yuck, but also, ouch! I agreed. We watched the dragons push apart from each other and stand haggardly, each panting and holding their wings down at their sides. They kept their eyes locked, possibly deep in conversation.

I wish we could hear what they’re saying! I griped. Cherry murmured in agreement as the dragons began circling again. The white dragon looked worse for the wear. The second dragon was a lighter shade of muddled red, though I doubted it was covered in blood.

Another roar shook the ground, and both dragons stopped and looked up at the sky. I followed suit, lifting my head and squinting to see a massive, black dragon decorated in what looked like ancient jewelry. The two on the ground cowered in submission, and the magnificent black dragon growled and snapped at them further- almost as if it were berating them.

It turned to leave, glaring over its shoulder at the two smaller dragons, before taking off to the west. The red dragon slashed at the white dragon one last time- ripping off the very same scales I had found previously- and the two took off after the black one. Albeit, they were much slower due to their injuries and respective smaller sizes.

Color started to run back into place, and I knew we were coming back to the present.

That was so cool! I can’t wait to tell everyone what we saw! I squealed excitedly.

Uh… That’ll have to wait. Cherry said.

Why? I asked, right before I felt like I had been hit in the head with a baseball bat and blackness overtook my vision. Oh… goodbye cruel world!

I groaned and lifted a hand to my head. My body felt heavy like lead, and my head felt like I was hungover. I opened my eyes and panicked; I couldn’t see anything! Everything was dark!

“Delilah, it’s okay, don’t panic! We’re right here!” An unfamiliar voice exclaimed.

“It’s okay, Honeybee. It’s okay.” Amy’s voice calmed me a little.

“Is she awake?” I heard Master Damascus ask, followed by running footsteps. “Delilah, oh, Delilah! I apologize, please forgive me! I shouldn’t have encouraged you to use that power yet, you’re not trained properly!”

“Wh- what happened?” I asked feebly.

“Oh honey. Oh honey…” The unfamiliar voice whimpered.

“Why can’t I see?” I asked, scared to know the answer.

No one answered me.

“Guys? Why can’t I see?” I asked again, my voice quivering.

“We… we don’t know.” Amy admitted. “We didn’t know you can’t see.”

“Where even are we?” I demanded.

“Pack clinic. We rushed you here as soon as we could after your seizure.” The unfamiliar voice explained. 

“What seizure?!” I cried.

“The one you had from using your power, my dear, your eyes were bleeding as well,” Master Damascus replied. “We couldn’t get you moved until the seizure was over with. We couldn’t risk any more damage than what I had already done.”

“What damage did you do?!” I screamed. 

“Honeybee, Master is the one who encouraged you to use that power,” Amy tried to soothe me. “He’s the one who should have known better and is admitting fault.”

“ No one is to blame except for me,” I growled. “I wanted to try using my powers. Master Damascus just offered the possibility of doing so.”

“And you have lost your eyesight because of it,” The unfamiliar voice mourned.

“Who is that?! Who are you?!” I snarled, turning my head in the voice’s direction. “Where’s Sam?”

“He… he’s not here right now,” the voice replied carefully. 

“Why not?” I asked, my voice shaking, fearing the worst.

“Because… I’m here. I’m his wolf, Spirit. I had to take over,” the voice- Spirit- explained.

Spirit! Cherry hollered. My mate! Let me out! Let me talk to him!

“Cherry wants to talk to you, Spirit,” I said.

“About time,” he answered grumpily.

“Is this really the time and place for-” Master Damascus was cut off and I heard shuffling.

“You two talk, I’ll take care of Master,” Amy admonished, before her footsteps shuffled out and a door closed, cutting off a brief “Master, what the hell-”

I let Cherry surface and take control. I just wanted to sleep.

Chapter Text

Cherry

“Spirit!” I cried, once I had control. 

“Cherry.” He replied sternly.

There was an awkward silence, shadowed by a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“I… ahem.” I cleared my throat. “I haven’t… been a good mate to you, have I?”

“Not really, no.” Spirit confirmed. “But, then again, neither have I.”

“What? I’m the one who’s been ignoring you,” I cried. “There’s just been so much going on and-”

“-and I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what you’re going through, my beloved. It can’t be easy, being abused and hidden away for so long.” Spirit finished, taking my hand in his. “I do feel slighted, but I understand that right now, you and Delilah need time.”

“I hate this,” I sobbed, for I had started crying. “We didn’t ask to be the Sakura Wolf. Mother always told me I had a great purpose, but she never said what.”

“The Great Mother never specifies. She can’t, remember? She told all of us that in the gardens of our births. The higher powers forbade her from telling the chosen wolves any more than that.” Spirit reminded me.

I huffed. “Why are we always ‘the chosen ones’ in our paths? Why can’t we just be normal wolves?”

“Life doesn’t work that way, I suppose. No one really has a normal life- I don’t think, anyway. You can’t write a book with a boring plot- it doesn’t sell. Everyone craves excitement and adventure, after all.” Spirit finished matter-of-factly.

“I’ll take the boring life any day at this point,” I grumbled. 

“Not me,” Spirit chuckled. “I’d rather have my powerful Luna, trauma and all.”

“That’s good to know. Sam doesn’t seem to share that same viewpoint,” I sighed. “Any idea what was up with him, today?”

“He was embarrassed and let it get to him. Turned it into anger. I pushed for control- perhaps too late. He was… he was thinking of ways to punish you for humiliating him.” Spirit confessed, his voice thick.

“Punish us?!” I cried, gripping his hand. “Oh, no, Spirit, not after all we’ve been through- what Delilah’s been through!”

“I won’t let him hurt you. I don’t know what he was thinking, though I can promise he would never lay a hand against anyone. Especially an Alpha.” 

“What… does that mean?” I asked, confused. I felt Delilah stir a little and knew that last sentence had gotten her attention.

“Uh… Ahem. That’s… Well…” Spirit sputtered, sounding like he’d been caught with a paw in the cookie jar. “It’s… not my story to tell,”

“Yes, it is. You’re his other half. It’s just as much your story as it is his,” I argued. “And we deserve the story. The truth. Don’t you think?”

“I do. I just don’t think I should be the one to tell it, especially without the others around.” Spirit agreed slightly. “Master Damascus, Amy, you, Delilah, and probably a few others deserve to know what happened. I’m sure you’ve all noticed that we aren’t exactly… Ah, I don’t know how to say it.”

“You’re not exactly a ‘conventional Alpha’.” I said.

“I suppose, yes. We…” Spirit paused, then took a deep breath. “We used to be an Omega. We worked in the cleaning division, keeping this place and other buildings clean. The barracks were the worst- sometimes the stench of blood and… assorted cleaners got to us and made us sick for days.”

I didn’t like the way he said that. There was nothing wrong with being an Omega, in my opinion- in fact, Omegas were extremely valuable. Yes, they were the lowest ranked wolves, and they often got the short end of the stick when it came to jobs and roles, however; they had insights into the pack that any ranked member could use information for. 

It was rare for an Omega to be mated to a ranked member, as well, but it still happened. More often than not, an Omega ended up mated to another Omega or to an unranked wolf. What felt wrong to myself and Delilah was that an unranked wolf still held a higher position than an Omega did- we felt it should be the other way around. The very rank of “Omega” is still a rank, is it not?

“Don’t dwell on this revelation, my beloved,” Spirit murmured, kissing my hand. His lips were rough and felt chapped, and I wanted nothing more than to take his face in my hands and kiss him like he deserved.

“I’m not,” I promised. “I’m really just thinking about how silly things can be, is all.”

“Well, you should rest, now. A witch is scheduled to be coming in half an hour to work on your sight, and to perhaps work on the binding spells.” Spirit stated.

“Will Master Damascus be here with us?” I asked in a small voice. The witches were kind enough, but I was still wary. Something about witches sent our anxiety through the roof.

“Of course he will, and if you’ll permit me to, I shall stay as well. It will be a bonding experience, to say the least.” Spirit assured me.

I thought for a moment. “Spirit?”

“Yes, my beloved?”

“When we have a chance- when we’re in our bodies- take me for a run?” I asked.

Spirit was silent, then he chuckled. “Absolutely. I want to mate and mark you just as badly as Samuel does Delilah. I want to run with you by my side, splash in the river with you, howl to the stars and bay at the moon with you. You are my mate, and I am yours, and a rocky start to our relationship isn’t going to stop me from loving you.”

I smiled, imagining us racing through the territory and playing on the banks of the river. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter Text

Spirit

After tucking in our mate, I stepped outside the room and looked at Amy and Master Damascus. They were sitting on a bench, and Amy was sitting stiffly with her arms crossed. Master Damascus looked thoroughly chastised, and was sitting bent over with his arms on his knees. His hands were clasped tightly together and his eyes looked haunted.

I cleared my throat and the vampires turned to look at me. Amy’s eyes were burning in anger, and Master Damascus were dim and baggy from exhaustion.

“The witch should be here soon. Our mate expects us and Master Damascus to stay in there while she works. Amy, I assume you’ll be with us as well?” I prompted.

“You assume correctly, wolf.” Amy sneered. She stood up suddenly, glowering at me. “Are you sure she wants you two around, after what you did?”

“We’ve been over this- it was just Sam, and he’s asleep for now,” I growled, holding my head higher. “However, our mate has requested a conversation I believe the two of you will be quite interested in.”

“Pray tell?” Master Damascus asked quietly.

Amy just lifted an eyebrow.

“A discussion pertaining to… our rank,” I explained deftly, being mindful of the ears around us listening for juicy gossip. 

“Say nothing more. Not here.” Master Damascus stood up quickly, clearly also aware of the situation.

“Oh, this I can’t wait to he-” Amy started, but was interrupted by a bold voice’s “Excuse me, Alpha?”

The three of us directed our attention to a young woman clothed in head to toe in pastel clothing and makeup. She stood out from her surroundings so much that other wolves were staring in confusion and distrust. She extended a hand to me, and I shook it. 

“My name is Henrietta. Just call me Hen. I’m the witch you contracted to take care of a blinded wolf?” She explained.

“Ah yes, actually you would have been contracted by Master Damascus.” I directed her to the vampire in question.

“Oh my, you need some sleep and a decent meal,” Hen observed as she shook Master Damascus’ hand.

“So I’ve heard, and so I agree. First, it is of utmost importance that we take care of-”

“-yes, yes, I understand we have quite a special commodity here. I’m ready whenever you are!” Hen interrupted cheerfully. 

“Er… right. She’s just in here,” I opened the door and ushered everyone inside. Delilah turned her head towards the sounds of us coming in and lifted an eyebrow. “Beloved, the witch- Miss Hen- is here.”

“Oh, hello,” Delilah said in an unsure voice. I guessed that Cherry had gone back inside their mind, for now, and my heart ached a little. I had waited for so long to meet my mate, and fate seemed determined to keep us apart for as long as it took for her human host to heal.

“Oh my heavens , you poor thing! Just look at you!” Hen exclaimed, practically flying to Delilah’s side. “Silver poisoning, blinding yourself, soul binding of a severe magnitude! Who would do such a thing?!”

Hen’s hands were all over my mate, feeling and assessing the damage as she spoke. I felt dizzy, watching her hands fly all over and her fast speaking. I could tell Amy and Master Damascus felt just as dizzy as I did.

“Strong aura… Powerful essence… You’re an Alpha, aren’t you?” Hen asked.

“No- well, I mean, I’m an Omega mated to an Alpha so…” Delilah trailed off.

“But you aren’t marked. You haven’t mated yet. You’re definitely an Alpha by blood, and certainly a blessed wolf, from the feels of it,” Hen continued. “Now then, I can get your eyes healed up and ready to go without much effort. You’ll need to stay in this clinic for a few days, and avoid straining them. It’d be best not to have any other spells performed while your eyes heal.”

Master Damascus stepped forward at that. “Pray tell why?”

Hen clicked her tongue and emitted a sigh. “Other healing magics can cross each other and cause more harm than good.”

Amy looked confused, adding in, “But we’ve had several healing witches work on Delilah already.”

“They’re a coven that already knows how to work around each other and ensure their spells work together,” Hen explained as she washed her hands in the nearby sink. “Adding any more witches that haven’t worked together could be the exact opposite of what this poor creature needs.”

I recalled the conversation earlier with Elaine. “So perhaps we shouldn’t ask Elaine’s cousin and her coven to come help?”

Hen shook her head as she dried her hands. “Oh no, you absolutely can! They just have to take their time in shifts.”

Delilah grumbled to herself, and I took her hand in mine. “What was that, beloved?”

Delilah spoke up. “I thought I had the option to get it all done at once.”

Master Damascus cleared his throat in embarrassment. “I apologize, my dear. Clearly I was ignorant in offering that option.”

“Hell yeah you were,” Hen snorted, slapping her soiled paper towel onto Master Damascus’ chest. “Don’t offer shit if you don’t actually know how it works, bloodsucker.”

Amy growled, locking eyes with Hen. “Don’t you dare insult my master like that, you incorrigible-”

“ Out! ” Delilah suddenly barked. We all shivered as a wave of her aura swept the room. “That’s enough. Everyone get the fuck out! ”

Hen smirked at us. “You heard her. I have work to do.”

I turned and ushered the vampires out of the room. We stood in the hallway, awkwardly looking anywhere but at each other. I couldn’t remain in this human form for too much longer, but I was hesitant to let Samuel out. Something about his earlier behavior was eerie and wrong, yet every time I tried to pry into his memories to see why this could be I triggered a painful headache that threatened to get worse if I continued to pry.

“If there is no other business to conduct, I suggest we retire for the time being,” Master Damascus offered. “Perhaps Samuel will be in a more amicable mood following some rest.”

“I’m going to go get some things and come back. Even if Delilah doesn’t want me in the room with her and that witch, I’d rather be here just in case,” Amy stated before striding off down the hall.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I think I’ll take a run, patrol the territory for a few hours. When Samuel is feeling more like himself, maybe we can catch up on some of that paperwork. I’m sure Beth has a few things she’ll want to say.”

Master Damascus nodded, and we went our separate ways. I left our clothing in a heap near a large tree before shifting and taking off to patrol the territory. It was strangely quiet without Samuel’s constant presence, and I briefly wondered if this was what it was like to be a one-spirited creature. If it was, I pitied them- it felt like a very lonely existence.

Chapter Text

Beth 

“Goddess damn it!” I yelled, slamming down a binder on my desk. Cherise and Armando jumped in surprise. “Even with the payments we’re due, we’re starting to run a deficit. The pack is close to going bankrupt.”

“What- what does that mean?” Armando asked innocently.

“If the pack goes bankrupt, the Elders can step in and take action. Either they can disband the pack and sell off the assets to other supernaturals to make up for the loss; they can sue the ranking members; they can sell the pack itself to another pack; basically anything they can to keep the property itself from falling into human hands.” I explained.

Cherise went pale. “When you say ‘sell’ the pack…”

“Servitude,” I elaborated. “We’d all lose our ranks first, then we’d be forced to accept Omega ranks for our new packs.”

“How archaic.” Armando murmured.

“It is, but it’s a proven method. Packs will actually buy new members depending on circumstances.” I agreed.

“Humans just end up homeless and unwanted,” Cherise mused. 

“We’re not humans. It’s to also ensure the secrecy clause.” I replied.

“How long do we have until the Elders step in?” Armando asked. “I’m not letting my girls be sold into slavery.”

“Great question. There’s a lot that has to be done beforehand; the first thing being that this-” I pointed to the binder. “-has to be brought to their attention first. They’ll give us a chance to rectify the situation, at least, before taking more drastic measures.”

“Wait, don’t you get a stipend for being the Beta? And Samuel for the Alpha?” Cherise asked. 

“We do, but it’s not much.” I sighed. “Frankly, I’m surprised we even get anything at all.”

Cherise’s brow furrowed, trying to make sense of my words. Armando snapped first. “You’re not getting much of a stipend, are you?”

“I’m afraid not. In the beginning, it seemed like a lot more money than it actually was,” I explained. “Everything depends on how you, as your rank decrees, present yourself. For example, I’m a top-ranking Beta. Cherise would be considered a low-ranking Beta, only because she has inherited my title via our mate bond.”

“Oh, so I should start getting a stipend soon?” Cherise’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, actually. Sam has to finalize the paperwork and send it off to the Elders- I already filled everything else out.” I smiled proudly.

“What about me?” Armando asked. I shrugged. Another thing to discuss with the Elders, I supposed.

There was a knock at my office door and I bade them welcome. Master Damascus stepped in, looking like hell. “What happened to you?!”

“Master!” Armando leapt to his feet and dragged his master to a chair. “Master, what’s happened? Is it the Sakura Wolf?!”

That fucking wolf AGAIN! Maria snarled. Ever since she stepped paw into our territory it’s been one thing after another!

Maria, keep in mind that that “fucking wolf” is to be our future Luna. I reminded my wolf. Maria huffed and curled up in a corner of our mind.

“No, Armando, it’s nothing to do with her. I’m afraid the problem is me,” Master Damascus sighed. Armando fussed over his master, making both myself and Cherise a little jealous. I caught my female mate’s eye and patted my lap, where she happily plopped herself down and leaned in for me to fuss over her.

“Please excuse my intrusion, Bethany, but I find myself at quite a loss for where I can go. Samuel’s office isn’t the best place right now.” Master Damascus apologized. “If I go back to the lodge my coven and I have been so graciously given, Beulah would have my hide.”

Armando stiffened a bit. “Master, why would Beulah…?”

“Later,” Master Damascus waved him off. 

“So you came here to hide?” I asked bluntly, placing a kiss on Cherise’s forehead when her breath caught.

Master Damascus was silent for a moment before nodding. “Essentially.”

“So the great and powerful Master vampire does feel fear sometimes?” I teased.

“It would appear so. That will be all of your teasing I plan to humor for now, miss Bethany.” Master Damascus’ voice had a hard edge to it, and I knew not to push any more buttons. “I made a grave mistake today, and it has been hitting me harder than I’d like to admit.”

Armando made his way over to us and sat down on the floor, placing his head on my other leg. I reached down and played with his hair, and he hummed in appreciation. “Well, in other topics- have you seen or heard from Samuel? I haven’t since I sent out a patrol to clean up the mess those dragons left behind.”

“I’m afraid not,” Master Damascus sighed, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. 

“Not surprising. That idiot will hide any chance he gets from responsibility,” I replied. We all sat in silence for a bit.

“Bethany, enlighten me. What do you know of Samuel’s history?” Master Damascus asked suddenly.

I thought for a minute. “Well, not much, honestly. He challenged our previous Alpha and won. He needed a Beta, and I was visiting from a neighboring pack. My parents had brought me along to witness the challenge, and he asked if I wanted to stay here- as his Beta, of course- once the challenge was complete. He’s been offered help from multiple sources, but he seems to want to just be able to run this place on his own. However,” I gestured at the financial binder before me. “We are not doing very well at all.”

“Odd,” Master Damascus murmured. “Tell me, why do you think you’re not doing well?”

“For one thing, Sam never made the investments he should have when he first took over. He drained the previous Alpha’s bank accounts in order to build more of and remodel the pack cottages.”

“This did not extend to the pack house?”

“Nope. Not sure why.”

“Yet the pack is not big enough to support those cottages.”

“Not at all. A huge number of females with very few males means hardly any pups. We’ve been stagnant for the better part of his three years as Alpha.”

Master Damascus leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of his face. “Bethany, is Samuel a worthy Alpha?”

I sucked in a deep breath, then let out a long sigh. “You know, if you’d have asked me that before I started actually doing my job and finding everything Sam was hiding from me, I probably would have torn your throat out for suggesting such a thing. Now, though, I find I have to admit that no, Sam isn’t an Alpha worthy of… anything, really. He’s not…” I struggled to put it into words.

“You feel betrayed.” Master Damascus prompted. “Why is that?”

I held Cherise and Armando close. “He lied to me, Damascus. When I started going through the paperwork that was piled up on his desk…”

“Why hadn’t you done so sooner?”

“He wouldn’t let me. When I took the Beta position, he told me he only wanted me to worry about organizing patrols, pack events, and handling any complaints the pack members had. That’s not what a Beta does, but I figured he’d come to me eventually and delegate more tasks to me. He’s been treating me like a Gamma or a lower ranking wolf this whole time. And to think,” I let out an embarrassed laugh. “To think, I slept with him a few times and actually was going to consent to us being chosen mates! What would have happened if I did become Luna of this pack?! I’d have probably killed him!”

“You slept with him?!” Armando growled, looking up at me. Cherise looked ticked off as well.

“Not the time, doves.” I grumbled back. 

“What changed, Bethany?” Master Damascus asked, eyes fixated on me.

“The Sakura Wolf.” I replied. “Once she appeared, it was like… something shifted, in the atmosphere. I felt like my mind was running clearer, as though I were coming out of a fog. I took control like I hadn’t done before and started to find out just what shape this pack is in.”

Master Damascus was silent, and I thought about what I had just said.

“Oh my goddess. You don’t think-” I realized. Master Damascus put a hand up.

“I have some suspicions now, based off what you’ve told me.” he replied in a hard voice. “There’s quite a bit at play here.”

Armando and Cherise looked at each other, then at me. “I swear to the Moon Goddess, if he put some kind of spell over this pack-”

“HOLD.” Master Damascus ordered, and I felt my gut churn. “I apologize for using that power on you, Bethany, but I feel it was necessary. Please, for the sake of your pack, allow me to conduct an investigation.”

I felt my anger settling, and I let out a huff in response.

Did Sam bewitch the pack? Maria asked, her voice horrified. I could feel that her fur was standing up in fear, and wished I could comfort her. I held my mates as close as I could, breathing in their scents to calm us down.

He has a lot to answer for. I growled mentally. One way or another, Maria, we’re going to figure out just what that idiot has done.

Eventually, we decided to adjourn to our room and leave Master Damascus in my office. Armando and Cherise had each taken ahold of one of my hands; both had firm grips that made me think they were afraid I’d run away. I ought to have been furious, maybe even in a blood rage right now- Sam had used me. He had used me, used the pack. For what, and why, I couldn’t figure it out. He’d won the challenge fair and square, hadn’t he? Why did he need to place some kind of spell over the pack?

“Love?” Armando’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I responded with a hum. “Don’t go there, Bethy. You’ll not find any more answers than questions.”

“Yeah, let Master Damascus handle it,” Cherise put her head on my shoulder. “He’ll figure it out.”

“And in the meantime, I should just leave things as they are? What about the pack?” I grumbled. “Is he using them too?”

Suddenly, I found myself slammed up against the wall. I blinked in confusion and registered Armando’s face right up against mine, his body pushing mine against the hard surface. “Enough, Beth. Did you not hear me just now?”

“Oh, what, are you gonna fight with me now?” I snapped. “I can’t help it- my whole pack is being used and-”

“Stop it.” Armando growled.

“I can’t! He used me, Armando! He’s using the pack, and we don’t know how!” I howled in frustration.

“ Stop it. ” Armando growled louder, his eyes darkening as he pushed me further against the wall.

“I- he- Armando, he-” I choked out before the tears burst from my eyes. “This isn’t how- how you take care of your pack- I’ve f-failed them and I promised-”

“ STOP IT. ” Armando commanded, and I fell silent. Oh heck.

“Good girl,” Armando praised me. He pressed a warm kiss to my cheek and I whimpered. “Stop letting those intrusive thoughts win. You’re better than that, Bethy. Let Master Damascus investigate. Leave it all to him. Now that you’re aware, you can focus on taking steps to better yourself and look at how you can help the pack.”

“But for now, you’re in trouble,” Cherise snickered.

“H-how am I the one in trouble?” I asked. Armando licked his lips.

“I think we all know, Bethy,” he purred, pushing his hips against my abdomen. I caught his meaning, once my frazzled mind picked up on his hardened member pressing against my clothes.

“Oh,” I squeaked. Armando pressed another kiss to my cheek, then down to my lips, then down my neck. “Ohh…”

“‘Mando, bring her in our room first!” Cherise giggled, pulling on his arm.

“Yes, dear,” Armando pulled away from me and playfully slid his fingers along my crotch. “Let’s go to our room.”

I followed, mind numbed by how amazing his kisses and teasing touch had felt. Cherise led the way to our room, ushering us inside and closing the door once the three of us were in. Armando put his hand around my throat gently and curled his other arm around my waist. He kissed down my neck once more, and I let a few whimpers emit from my mouth.

“Don’t hide your sexy noises from me, Beth.” Armando whispered. He tightened his hold on my neck and I squealed. Cherise popped up in front of me and pressed a kiss of her own onto my lips, teasing me with her tongue. I opened my mouth and she took advantage, our tongues racing around and muffled moans forcing their ways out. Cherise took my breasts in her hands and fondled them, paying particular attention to my nipples with her thumbs.

Armando slid his hand down my belly and into my pants, feeling my heated skin against his, before slipping lower and teasing at my outer labia. Having his fingers brush against the sensitive skin was torture- I wanted him to push into the folds, find my clit…

“Naughty wolf, I can smell your arousal.” He whispered into my ear. 

“Me, too,” Cherise agreed, kissing at my collarbone. “Maybe we should move to the bed, ‘Mando?”

“I think so, ‘Rise.” Armando agreed. Before I could register what was happening, he had picked me up and thrown me across the room and onto the bed before leaping after me. Cherise giggled and pranced along behind us, climbing onto the bed at her own leisure. Armando fiddled with my pants, unbuttoning them and unzipping them. I chirped as Cherise moved my head up and put it in her lap, looking into her lust-filled eyes.

“Someone has been dominant for a little too long, don’t you think?” she asked, teasing my cheek with her thumb before pulling her shirt off and exposing her perfect breasts hidden within her lacy bra.

“I- I’m a Beta, I’m supposed to be…” I whimpered, squirming as Armando’s hot breath suddenly blew across my pubic area.

“Not right now, you’re not. Time to teach you to be submissive.” He said, voice thick with need. He slowly pulled my pants off and nuzzled his face into my groin, inhaling deeply against the fabric of my underwear. He let out another breath, and I shivered. The tantalizing heat from his breath made my body pulse in excitement.

Cherise took this opportunity to kiss my flushed cheeks before laying over me and letting her breasts dangle above my face, begging to be licked and suckled and teased. She pulled my shirt up and I whined. “Go on, play with them.”

I obliged, fondling her breasts and lapping at her nipple with my greedy tongue. Cherise kissed my belly all over, letting out a few whimpers of her own. Armando pulled my underwear to the side and licked gently at the folds of my labia before using his fingers to spread them wide open.

“ So inviting, my lovely mate…” He murmured, before shoving his face right up into my intimates and using his tongue to stimulate my clit. I jumped at the contact, letting out a muffled yelp, as I still had one of Cherise’s breasts in my mouth. Cherise pulled away, and I growled. She responded by growling back and pinned my hands around my head. “None of that. You’re learning to be submissive.”

Armando nuzzled deeper against my clit and hummed, sending small, concentrated vibrations that made my legs shake. The stubble of his unshaven skin plucked in the most pleasant way against my sensitive, inner skin and I moaned. “Ffffuck…”

“Hmmm?” Armando questioned, and I let out a little squeal as he used the tip of his tongue to tease me further. “What was that, my mate?”

I kept my mouth shut, growling in irritation now that he’d pulled away. There was a burning in my belly, I needed release. Cherise clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Someone isn’t learning her lesson at all, is she?”

“I’m afraid not,” Armando agreed, pulling off his shirt and exposing his gorgeous body. I huffed, and Cherise let my wrists go. “Stay just as you are, Bethy.”

“I am not a submissive wolf, Armando!” I snapped back. “It’s not my nature to be-” 

“ Hush. ” Armando commanded. “Cherise, come here.”

She obliged, and he drew her into a passionate kiss. I watched the faint bulges of their tongues race around in each others’ mouths, yearning to taste both of them. Armando slipped his hand under Cherise and kneaded at her breast, drawing a breathy moan from her captured kiss. When they parted, they were panting slightly and both were blushing. “Good girl.”

I whined, drawing their attention back to me. Armando grinned cheekily and straddled me, then picked Cherise up. “Get to work, Bethy.”

Cherise was then plunked over my face, wiggling her own tempting entrance over my mouth. Armando slid off of the bed, and I drank in the beautiful sight before me.

Oh shit... I grasped her thighs and began licking at her entrance, shoving my tongue in occasionally. Cherise gasped and moaned, and I imagined she was playing with her nipples. I felt her fingers brush against my chin and hummed as I understood she was playing with her clit while I ate her out.

Armando, meanwhile, had switched to using his fingers. Long, soft strokes against my soaked clit made me shudder in pleasure, and I let out a few muffled whimpers. Every few strokes, he rubbed faster and I could feel myself just about to cum when he’d stop and go back to the slow stroking. I could feel his gorgeous cock pressing gently against my opening, begging in a sweet way to enter my depths. I whined as loudly as I could, making Armando chuckle.

“Not yet, Bethy. Not yet…”

“ FUCK !” Cherise hollered, her body clenched…releasing as warm fluid gushed all over my face. I swallowed and gasped for air, as Cherise rolled off of me. She collapsed on her side, panting, and I tried to roll over to make sure she was okay.

Armando grabbed my sides and rolled me back to my position. “Nope. She’s fine. Don’t you dare move.”

“Oh, come on!” I complained. 

Armando smirked. “Don’t make me tie you up.”

I gasped. “You wouldn’t dare. ”

Armando towered over me then, restraining my wrists. He leaned into my face and snickered. “I would. In fact, I will.”

Then…before I knew what had happened, Armando had used his vampire speed and bound me to the bed with soft ropes. I pulled against them and found I was completely at his mercy, my legs spread for him and my arms tied above my head. I snarled. “You guys are mean!”

Armando smacked my thigh. “So mean.”

Cherise snickered, now propped up on her elbow and watching me. “‘Mando, that shirt is in the way, don’t you think?”

Armando snorted. “No problem.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” I challenged. In response, Armando grabbed the collar of my shirt and ripped the fabric off of me. I squeaked. 

At least it wasn’t a favorite shirt. Maria snickered.

Enjoying yourself, are you?

Immensely.

Great, my own wolf was against me. I jumped as a soft, cold feeling rubbed up against my clit and looked down as best I could at Armando. 

When did he find my vibrator?! 

With a soft click , he turned it on and pressed it against me. I squealed and writhed, cursing the restraints. Cherise giggled and traced along my navel, then along my breasts, then my collarbone. I began to arch my back, feeling the tingling sensation as my orgasm built up, ready to gush out and soak the-

Click.

“HEY!” I barked.

“Cherise, my dear, I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting you. Come here,” Armando opened his arms, and Cherise eagerly went to him. He turned her so that she was facing me, enveloped by his strong arms. He parted her legs, exposing her beautiful body. Cherise blushed and put her hands against her eyes, suddenly shy. “Relax, Cherise… Enjoy it…”

He began rubbing her clit the same as he had done for mine- long, soft strokes. He nibbled on her ear and she whimpered, moving her hands from her eyes to her cheeks. Armando slid his hand over her delicate wrists and restrained her, picking up the pace of his stroking and encouraging her in a soft, sultry voice.

“Let it build… Take in the pleasure… Feel the warmth in your body, building and building and building up… until…”

Cherise cried out and bucked her hips, flailing her arms and grabbing onto Armando’s legs as she rode out her orgasm. Armando gave her a moment to enjoy the sensation before returning his attention to her clit once more- this time, with another vibrator. 

Is that hers?

Cherise moaned and panted, and Armando steadily increased the intensity. Cherise came time and time again, squirting fluid every so often, and soaking the bed. Armando leaned close to her sensitive ear and whispered, “Do you want it?”

“Ffff-fuck, yeah, yeah I want you…” Cherise begged. Armando flipped her over and shoved his face against her, lapping at her juices and making her shriek in pleasure, before positioning himself at her entrance.

“What about me?!” I cried out suddenly.

“You get to wait. Cherise has been waiting very patiently, and I reward good girls for good behavior.” Armando stated, putting his hand on Cherise’s cheek lovingly. “You’ve been a naughty wolf, and need to learn about patience and submission.”

He gave Cherise another round of passionate kisses before pressing his firm cock into her body. Cherise cried out and her eyes teared up a little, and I worried- was she in pain? Did he go too fast? Though soon enough, Cherise’s tears dried and she was clearly enjoying herself as Armando pounded her. She let loose with her voice, making me want them both to take me. I could feel the fire within me fading as I watched them, and grumbled for having lost my own climax.

“Does it feel good, Cherise, my love?” Armando asked.

Cherise nodded.

“Answer me with your words,” Armando growled seductively.

Cherise gasped and struggled to get a few words out. “Y-you- it f-feels… so… good - Ah! FUCK !”

With the last curse, Cherise arched her back and dug her nails into Armando’s skin, howling as he bit his mark on her body and heightened the sensations. Armando’s growling ripped through me, and I sighed lustfully. My mates took their time coming down from their highs, and with a final kiss and some praise, Armando slipped out of Cherise’s tight pussy. He nuzzled her cheek before asking if she wanted to go shower or stay and watch us.

“I th-think I’ll go shower…” Cherise stood on wobbly legs, nearly falling over. Armando caught her and smirked at me before leading her to the bathroom. I listened to the shower turn on and huffed in irritation. I closed my eyes and began to take deep, calming breaths. Sleepiness began to overtake me, and I was just at that sweet spot of fully falling asleep when I heard Armando’s voice.

“Not yet, Bethy,” he purred, sliding his fingers along my crotch. “Oh my, look at that. You’re not so wet anymore.”

“I dried out waiting for you assholes!” I snapped.

“I could fix that, you know,” Armando smiled. “But it seems you haven’t yet learned your lesson.”

“I can’t submit, I’m a Beta wolf! I am dominant!” I barked, blushing in embarrassment. Armando crawled on top of me, his weight and naked body melding with mine. He leaned over and nibbled on my ear, eliciting a moan from my lips.

“Learn to be, Bethy, and I’ll let you cum,” he promised. “I know you’re so pent up right now and just need that sweet release.”

“How?” I begged. “How do I submit?”

Armando chuckled, kissing his way down my neck and licking at my mark. “Ask me for what you want, for starters.”

I shifted my hips in response, and he shook his head. “Use your words.”

I bit my lip. “Promise you’ll never make fun of me for this.”

“Never,” he promised. “You will only be a submissive in the safety of our closed door.”

For fuck’s sake, let him dominate us! I’m dying over here! Maria howled in frustration.

“P-please…” I whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Please, Armando… please touch me?” I begged, swallowing my pride. “I- I need you.”

“Where would you like me to touch you?” he asked.

“Um…” I faltered. Armando waited patiently. “D-down there?”

“Down there? You mean… here?” Armando slid his fingers along my clit once more. I squeaked and nodded. “How about we get this wolf nice and wet, hmm?

“Please,” I pleaded.

TO BE UPDATED...

Chapter Text

Damascus

I sipped at my mug, watching out the window as the weather grew stormy. This had been an unmitigated disaster, and I couldn’t help but beat myself mentally for it. Why had I encouraged Delilah to use her powers, as untrained as she is? Why had I, so to speak, jumped the gun? Was it from my own excitement? Selfish motives? 

Whatever it was, Delilah was suffering from it. I shook my head, trying to concentrate on staving off my hunger. I was on my third mug of the highly-concentrated blood concoction my own father had invented. I knew, if I went back to the lodge without having at least eaten something, Beulah’s concern would be far worse. I planned to head back once the edge was gone.

Since when have I ever been afraid of one of my own followers? I asked myself. Perhaps, now that Beulah and I have… changed our dynamic, as it were, it has affected us in a manner not precedented?

I had always been aware that Armando and Amy would leave my service eventually for their mates. My limited future foresight had told me as much. It had never mentioned Beulah’s involvement, and it was a terrible move to not have used it for predicting the outcome of Delilah using her powers prematurely.

What a wretched fool I am.

As I berated myself, a bold knocking came from Beth’s office door. Wondering who it could be, I abandoned my mug on her desk and opened the door just enough to see who dared disturb me. Samuel stood awkwardly in the hallway, his hair and clothing an absolute mess of dirt and other filth.

I asked incredulously, “What happened to you?”

His response was gruff and sarcastic. “Stuff.”

“Well. How may I assist you, Alpha Samuel?” I tried to hide my annoyance.

“Oh, we’re back to using titles now?” Samuel rolled his eyes. 

I narrowed mine. “What on earth is with this attitude?”

Samuel tried to shove the door open in an attempt to stride past me, but I easily kept the door between us. Has he gotten weaker?

“Let me in,” he commanded.

I shook my head. “I’m unable to do so, considering this is Bethany’s office.”

Samuel scoffed. “Get off your high horse.”

“I have no horse, high or otherwise. I am not at liberty to allow you to use your Beta’s office, considering that you have your own. If you wish to speak in a civil manner, we shall do so there,” I admonished in a firm voice.

Samuel shoved his finger in my face in response. “You’re a fucking prick , do you know that? This is MY pack, MY territory, MY pack house. We do business where I please, regardless of what room it is.”

I snarled in an unpleasant manner. “You’re right, I am a prick. I refuse to abandon my principles for your ill temper. You sound like a dictator right now, much like your previous Alpha was.”

Samuel’s eyes went black with rage. “ How dare you?! I am nothing like that bastard was! ”

“Right now, you are. You are acting completely unreasonable and unbefitting of an Alpha.” I replied.

Samuel let out an angry roar at that. “If you think that, then you and your Goddess-damned coven can pack up and get the fuck out of my territory!”

I let out a small laugh at that. He has gotten weaker. 

“Something funny, Damascus?!” Samuel growled, his canines elongating in his anger.

“Oh, absolutely,” I nodded. “I’m inclined to believe that Delilah would need to agree with your decision, considering she’s your Luna. Oh, and may I remind you that two of my coven are mated to two members of this pack? Would you truly separate fated mates just like that?”

The ball is in your court, Samuel. Choose wisely.

Samuel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in response. “You absolute bastard. ”

“I am exactly that,” I agreed. “And we both know that I am right.”

“Let’s get something straight here. I am the fucking Alpha of this pack, and my word goes. Pull any of this shit again, and you’re out.” Samuel threatened me.

“Again, you’re not the absolute ruler here. Delilah is your Luna and she has equal-”

“ DELILAH IS NOT YET MY LUNA! ” Samuel thundered, and the pack house shook a little. “I am so sick of everyone reminding me of who she is! As of right now, she is a visiting lone wolf, who just so happens to be mated to me, and in addition to that- the most powerful wolf currently in existence. She has not been marked by me, she will not have her Luna ceremony until I am ready to plan it, and I certainly will not announce her presence to the pack! You’ll do the same, if you want to keep her safe.”

With that startling proclamation, Samuel turned on his heel and began stomping down the hallway before hurling another few words over his shoulder. “I expect to see you in my office tomorrow, where we can further discuss the humiliation you and Delilah forced me to endure today. You both overstepped your bounds today.”

Aghast, I watched him disappear around a corner. He hasn’t marked Delilah? He’s not accepted her as his Luna? Is he not going to tell the pack anything about her?

My mind began racing. I realized that the only mark I had seen on Delilah’s neck was the scarring from the silver collars. Amy had mentioned wanting to wait to mark Delilah until those were as healed as possible, which was understandable. However, as highly sexual as werewolves were, it was astounding that Samuel and Delilah had not yet jumped each other’s bones and marked each other.

Perhaps… the mate bond is weak for them. Neither have been reacting the way other wolves have when they find their fated mates, I tried to reason with myself. But then, the fact that they haven’t mated could be why Samuel’s Alpha aura seems to be weaker.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I nearly leapt out of my skin when I felt warm hands over mine, and a concerned voice calling my name. I blinked and shook my head before looking up, my vision blurry. I rubbed my eyes with my fingers and apologized to the being in front of me.

“For what, Master?” The voice sounded muddled in my ears, for some reason.

“I- I don’t know who you are, my senses aren’t quite working…” I trailed off.

“Master, it’s me, Beulah.”

Beulah?! I panicked, cursing internally. How did I not notice- much less recognize- my own follower?

“Master, please, you’re scaring me,” Beulah whimpered.

My sight began clearing, and I could see her beautiful and concerned face. She was kneeling before me, as I seemed to be sitting in an armchair before a fireplace. Was I back in the lodge?

“Beulah, how- how did I get back here?” I stumbled over my words.

“Master, you- you just appeared out of nowhere. It looked like you shimmered here, but you were so confused it couldn’t have been a normal shimmer. I’ve been trying to get your attention for almost an hour now,” Beulah rubbed my thighs as she spoke, trying to soothe me.

An hour?! It’s hardly been five minutes, hasn’t it?! My brain tried to think through the issue logically in a frantic attempt.

“Master, please don’t go back to whatever you were thinking about. Come to bed, you need rest!” Beulah begged, standing and tugging at my hands.

I stood and looked Beulah in her beautiful, light crimson eyes. There were flecks of dark pink in them, I realized- as well as a rich, wine red. “Your eyes are beautiful,” I breathed.

Before she could respond, I wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace and buried my head in the crook between her shoulder and neck, breathing in her scent. She hugged me back, holding me just as tightly.

“Master, please,” She whispered softly in my ear. “Please come to bed.”

“Yes, dear.”

************************************************

Not very long later, Beulah and I had settled into bed together. She was cuddled up against me, arm over my chest and one of her legs intertwined with mine, and her delicate head resting on my shoulder as I held her in return. I found myself staring at the ceiling, listening to her soft breathing for comfort as more useless thoughts swirled around in my mind.

Moon Goddess, what am I meant to do now? I am so very, very lost… I do not know how to proceed.

I could simply pack Delilah up and whisk her away to my bunker. I could simply leave behind this pack to rot. Every sacrifice made for the Sakura Wolf would be justified, in my mind. But then… What of Armando? Amy would follow her mate without question; would I truly be so careless as to leave Armando to the fate of the pack? Would I be willing to kidnap both of his mates, deteriorating this pack further?

Goddess, how can I keep my family safe?

Chapter Text

Amy

I awoke with a start. I’d fallen asleep on the stiff clinic bench outside of Delilah’s room; something had touched my shoulder. I groggily looked up into the face of that witch- Hen, if I recalled correctly- smiling at me with gentle eyes.

She greeted me and bade me good morning. “I’m glad you got some rest. Delilah’s eyes are all healed, but she needs a few more days to recuperate. Since she shouldn’t be straining them, perhaps you’d like to read to her and help her eat.”

I nodded and got up to stretch. “Yeah, I can do that no problem.”

“However, I do have some concerns I would like to address,” Hen’s tone of voice changed from light and aloof to low and serious. “Though it’s too risky here. Too many curious heads. Please contact your master and seek me out in three days’ time.”

“Oh, sure,” I nodded. “Can I have a hint at least, concerning what this is about?”

Hen looked around, suspicious of anyone around us, before standing on her tip toes and covering her mouth before whispering in my ear. “The mate bond between Delilah and Samuel. It’s far too weak. Something is terribly wrong.”

I nodded. “We’ve all begun to wonder about that.”
“Three days. I need time to research some ancient tomes,” Hen returned to her normal stance. “Take my business card. You’ll be able to summon me with it.”

She handed me a blank pastel yellow card. I looked at it, turning it over. “There’s nothing on this.”

Hen didn’t respond, and I looked up to see she was already gone. I stuffed the card into my pocket to give to Master Damascus later, and stepped into Delilah’s room. “Hey, honeybee…”

“Amy.” Delilah breathed, relaxing a little. “I’m so sorry I yelled at everyone… Do people hate me now?”

“Nah, it was good to see you angry for once. You’re always putting on a brave, happy face,” I smiled, laying down on the bed and cuddling her. “This means you’re not a complete pushover.”

“I suppose not,” Delilah sighed. “But Sammy must hate me now.”

I kissed her cheek. “If you ask me, his dumb ass needs to be knocked down a few pegs.”

“We humiliated him in front of his pack,” Delilah pressed. “His wolves are all so confused. They have no idea who I am. I can hear their mind links, all of them questioning each other about the ‘strange lone wolf’ and ‘the challenger’.”

I took a minute to muse this information over. “So they think you’re challenging him for the pack.”

“Yes,” Delilah nodded. “Sammy hasn’t made the majority of the pack aware of who I am.”

I furrowed my brows. “He should have, the moment he found you.”

“Yet he did no such thing.” Delilah sighed. “Now everyone is confused. As uneducated as I am in pack matters, I do know a few things. Not introducing a new pack member- especially one of rank- is practically unheard of, is rude, and is a huge breach of pack etiquette. So when that patrol saw me rushing him-”

“-they assumed the worst,” I interrupted. “Samuel has caused this, not you, honeybee.”

Delilah shuddered, and some wet spots appeared on the bandaging over her eyes. “Amy?

“Yes?”

“Does he… does he even love me?” She asked. My heart stopped. “He hasn’t tried to mark me. Our wolves haven’t even met. He won’t announce who I am to his pack. He got so angry with me that Spirit had to take over to protect me. He’s really not showing a lot of interest in me- not like he did for the first few days after we met.”

I swallowed hard, trying to think of what I could say.

“What did I do wrong?” Delilah whispered. I tightened my hold on her, trying to soothe her.

“You did nothing wrong,” I began. “Sam is the one at fault here, not you. He is the one ignoring his mate, refusing to follow established protocol. He is the one hurting you. If he can’t see what a beautiful treasure you are, right under his nose, it’s his loss… and my gain. I’ll keep you all to myself if I can,” I promised, nuzzling and kissing her cheek. “If he cannot see you as he should, it’s his loss. You deserve a mate that will worship the ground you walk on.”

Delilah let out a disgusted noise. “I’m not some goddess needing to be praised.”

“No,” I agreed. “But you are a very, very powerful wolf.”

Delilah was quiet for a moment. “I never asked for this.”

“I know.”

“All I ever wanted was to be loved. By my mother, by my sister, by my stepfather, by my future mate. I have been shunted all my life, taught to believe I am undeserving and unworthy of love, and that everything bad that has happened to us is my fault.”

Wait… Delilah has a stepfather? I asked myself. I swear, if another wolf has put harm upon my mate-

“I only just remembered I had a stepfather,” Delilah whimpered. “Things have been coming back in patches, since the witches did their work. I’ll get a flash of memory here and there. We were eating that delicious stir-fry when I remembered that he used to make that for us a lot. That’s when I remembered that he used to be around.”

I waited silently as she struggled to say more.

“I think… I must have killed him. That must be who Katrina’s father was- and it hurts, you know? That I can remember bits and pieces about him, but not my own dad,” Delilah sobbed. “Why, Amy?”

“I don’t know, sweetie,” I whispered. “Maybe those memories are all still repressed. You know you have a lot more healing to go through.”

“I HATE THIS!” Delilah cried. “I hate all of this! I hate that I am so bound, so fragile, and yet everyone calls me the most powerful wolf in existence! It would have been nice to know that while I was being beaten, and starved, and wearing those painful collars! Maybe I could even have stopped them from hurting me!”

I couldn’t hide my shock, nor my own tears, for Delilah’s predicament. “It wasn’t fair, baby, but we’re going to change all of that-”

“Nothing will fix what’s broken inside of me, Amy!” Delilah mourned. “Everyone is treating me so differently and I just don’t know how to handle it. Damascus treats me like I am his own kin, and spoils me with lavish gifts that I will never be able to pay back. You give me love and attention that I stumble to reciprocate. Sammy treats me with disdain, then doubles back and says he loves me. Wolves all around us treat me like I am a filthy rogue, or hold me high on a pedestal. I am just so lost, and confused, and my mind and heart are just a massive mess!

“Here I am, lying around in a clinic bed with my eyes blown out from my own foolishness, when I should be focusing on and taking care of this pack. Oh, woe is me, and all that bullshit! Well, no more. I am not going to let others assume I need to be cared for. I am not going to let anyone say that I have a victim complex. I am a strong girl, who isn’t gonna hide any more! Once I am out of this bed, I’m gonna confront Sam, and I’m gonna learn how to control my powers! I’m gonna get educated like I should have been all these years, and show them all who I really am!” she finished, body shaking and fists clenched.

I sucked in a deep breath. “That was… quite a proclamation, honeybee.”

Delilah huffed. “Well, I needed it to be said.”

“I can tell,” I murmured. “And I am so proud of you. It took a lot of strength to say all of that, didn’t it?”

Delilah nodded. “Yeah…”

A knock at the door startled us, and Delilah shook her head. I got up to warn the visitor off. I opened the door to see a very irate and disheveled Sam glowering at the floor. “You are literally the last person she wants to see right now.”

“Well, too bad. I’m her mate and her Alpha, and I demand to see her!” Sam snapped back. I blocked the door with my body, tensing in apprehension. 

“ You have not marked her, nor claimed her as your mate. You are not her Alpha, you are of equal rank to her. You do not get to demand anything of Delilah, especially after the way you’ve been treating her. Delilah feels like you hate her right now, and I refuse to let you see her until you have calmed down.” I snarled.

Sam let out a frustrated growl and tried to shove the door- and subsequently me- out of the way. I held fast, barely budging. Sam looked bewildered, stepping back and trying again with the same result. “Look at you, Samuel. You’ve gotten weak. You’re shunning the mate bond, not accepting your mate nor claiming her. It’s going to weaken you until you either accept her or reject her.”

Sam let out a frustrated roar, causing our surroundings to shake slightly. “ Get the fuck out of my way, Amy! ”

I had barely opened my mouth to retort when I was drowned out by an even louder roar. Sam and I both cowered, eyes wide, as the building shook as if reacting to an earthquake. Every wolf around us, most of whom were merely doing their jobs, dropped to the ground in submission. Several rolled onto their backs, displaying their stomachs and throats. To see a human react in such a wolfish way would have been comical if not for my own want to react in a similar manner.

I flinched as something sharp sliced at my cheek, and watched a small spattering of blood fly to the ground. I turned my head slowly, resisting the urge to look down, and saw Delilah standing in the middle of her clinic room in the midst of swirling petals. The petals danced with her pulsing anger, slicing up even the strongest of materials in the room. My cheek was wet, and I realized a stray petal must have been what cut me.

“H-honeybee,” I choked out. “Please stop-”

“SAMUEL, I AM A VERY PATIENT PERSON, BUT YOU HAVE TESTED MY LIMITS. AM I, OR AM I NOT, YOUR MATE AND FUTURE LUNA?!” Delilah demanded, her voice forcing me to look down. Sam whimpered behind me. “ANSWER ME, YOU COWARD!”

More sharp petals flew past me, clumsy and not aiming for anything in particular. Sam hissed, and I figured he’d been hit. “Y-yes, Delilah, you’re my mate- and- f-future Lun-”

“THEN WHY DO YOU NOT TREAT ME AS SUCH?!” Delilah screamed. “WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE WRONG TO YOU?!”

Master! Master, help! I cried through a mind link. Delilah- the clinic-!

Nothing but silence met my plea. Sam struggled to answer, hissing again as more petals cut into his skin. “Y-you embarrassed me in front of the w-whole pack,” he whimpered. “H-humiliated me, even!”

“YOU SEE ME AS WEAK, AND UNFIT TO BE YOUR LUNA, DON’T YOU?” Delilah demanded. I glanced up at her and marveled at the sight before me. She was floating a few feet off the ground, eyes shining a bright white again, hair and clothes whipping around in the wind generated by the petals. Her hands seemed to be engulfed in rich pink flames. “I’LL SHOW YOU HOW WEAK I TRULY AM!”

“DELILAH, NO!” I screamed, as she raised her left hand and pointed those magnificent flames towards us. Sam yelled and I braced myself, gritting my teeth. Something knocked into me, and I felt a burst of heat fly past me before a solid thud was emitted from the wall behind me. I prayed that Sam was still alive, if that was him being thrown like a ragdoll against said wall.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The pressure and power lifted, and the urge to submit dwindled. I looked up, petals gently fluttering off my head, and sighed in relief. Master Damascus had arrived, holding Delilah close in a restraining hug. Her face was buried in his chest, her hands dropped and in fists at her side. Master was whispering in soothing tones, occasionally petting her hair in long, soft strokes.

I stood up on shaking legs and turned to see how Sam had fared. He was a little cut up from the petals, and the wall behind him had a pretty decent-sized impact dent from the flame. Other wolves were scrambling to their feet and scurrying away from the scene, some shouting orders to call guards and healers. Sam was panting hard, blood from his wounds slowly seeping along his skin. I looked back at my Master and mate- and realized Master Damascus was even more so cut up than Sam was.

Now, though, Delilah had begun sobbing loudly and was clutching at Master’s back. Master continued to soothe her as best he knew how, voice low and reassuring her with his hand on her head. It didn’t escape my notice how tightly he held her with his other arm, as though he were worried for another outburst. Delilah’s knees eventually gave out, and Master followed her down to the floor, where she continued to cry into his chest.

Amy, dear. Master called me through our mind link.

Yes, Master? I replied, relieved to hear his voice.

Go attend to the cut on your cheek, and have Samuel looked at. I will stay here with Delilah. 

Y-yes, sir. 

I nudged Sam and helped him up, giving him a once over. His wounds were already starting to heal, thanks to his wolf. Werewolves were very lucky in that aspect- each wolf had a wonderful gift of healing their human counterparts. Vampires weren’t as lucky. We staggered our way to the entrance of the clinic, where a nurse quickly helped dress our wounds.

“Alpha, what was that?” he asked, pressing a cotton ball with antiseptic on my cheek. I hissed at the stinging sensation.

“It…” Sam’s voice trailed off. The nurse paused, waiting for an explanation. 

Seeing that Sam wouldn’t speak further after a minute or so, I stepped in. “As you noticed, we have a very powerful Alpha wolf visiting the pack. Things are going to be slightly hectic for a bit while she heals up from her recent injuries.”

“I’d argue that ‘powerful’ doesn’t even begin to cut it,” the nurse stated bluntly. “I’ve never felt like that in my life. Not even when Alpha Samuel expends his aura, and I apologize for saying such. No point in lying, Alpha.”

Sam grumbled in response. I sighed. 

Looks like we’re going to have a very, very long road to recovery.

Chapter Text

Damascus

I don’t know how long exactly Delilah and I were on the floor for. She cried for such a long time, clutching at me as if she were afraid I’d up and disappear. I soothed her every so often, assuring her that I was here and she was okay, and to let her emotions out. Eventually, I assume her exhaustion won out, and she went limp slowly as she fell asleep. I picked her up and put her back in the clinic bed, tucking her in and sitting in the chair placed next to her. I looked around, assessing the damage caused by the petals.

Clearly, this room and equipment, if salvageable, will not be suitable for use for a long time.

Everything was sliced up. Petals were all over the place, making the tile floor slippery and dangerous. Equipment was destroyed. Cuts marred all of the cabinets and furniture. As much damage as there was, however, I knew this was merely a fraction of the power Delilah was capable of. She could easily destroy this room if she so desired; there was a reason she was considered the most powerful wolf in existence.

A tender knock at the door drew me out of my thoughts, and Amy entered, stepping gingerly on the petals. “Hello, dear.”

“Master,” she greeted. She made her way over and sat down on the bed, reaching over to stroke Delilah’s legs. Neither of us spoke for a while, unsure of what to say to each other. Finally, the silence broke. “I hope she hasn’t hurt her eyes again.”

“It would be hard to say,” I replied. “We will need to call upon Hen or another witch to check.”

Amy glanced at me, unwilling to take her eyes off of her mate for long. “Remember, Master, about Hen’s warning that other witches’ magic can interfere. I have her card; she said you’d know what to do with it to summon her?”

Amy handed me a pastel yellow card, blank on both sides. I took it in both hands and ripped it in half, and within moments Hen was in our presence.

“That was fast,” Hen chuckled. “I half expected you to… to…”

The witch looked around, bewildered. “What happened here?!”

I let out a breath I’d been holding. “Delilah had an emotional and quite obviously powerful outburst.”

“No shit ,” Hen breathed. “I’d better check her eyes!”

“Please,” Amy replied. “I’d hate for her to have hurt herself again.”

Hen put her hand over Delilah’s closed eyes, muttering to herself. After a few minutes, she sighed. “No permanent damage, luckily. Didn’t I tell her not to strain her eyes for the next few days?”

Amy nodded. I clasped my hands and looked down at the floor, feeling the weight of shame crushing me. Hen clicked her tongue in annoyance and set about healing what she needed to. Delilah stirred once, moaning, and quickly settled again. Once finished, Hen turned to me. “I’ve put her under sedation. She’s not going to wake up for three days.”

I nodded, and Amy wiped her eyes of stray tears. Apparently she’d begun crying during the process.

“ What were you idiots thinking ?!” Hen suddenly burst out. “ What the hell happened to make her lose control like this?! ”

I reared back, shocked. Amy looked at Hen, wide eyed. Neither of us spoke and Hen snarled, “Get rid of the source of her stress. Neither of you can seem to comprehend just how powerful she is, and this isn’t even a fraction of her power.”

“We can’t, he’s her other mate!” Amy yelped. 

“ Who is?” Hen demanded.

I snarled in annoyance. “The Alpha of this pack- Samuel.”

Hen stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. “Oh. Him . I see,”

she mused. “Well, it would be best to keep them separated.”

“I’m inclined to agree, however, there would be severe complications with that,” I began.

“Oh, shut up !” Hen snapped at me. I stared at her. “You can’t begin to comprehend half of the issues at play here. You think you’re some all-powerful master vampire, which couldn’t be further from the truth as I see it. You’re mediocre at best. You think you can bring this wolf to her full potential? Save this pack? Let her live happily ever after, powers controlled, no problems at all?”

My mouth went dry at her accusations. “I-”

“You, nothing! You idiots have no idea what you’re doing, and this girl is suffering for it!” Hen roared. Amy leapt to her feet, nails extending into sharp points.

She emitted a low growl. “How dare you insult my Master.”

Hen smirked at her. “Oh, I would love to see you attempt to hurt me.”

I held up a hand, attempting to stop Amy from attacking. “Don’t.”

Amy glared at me, shot a nasty look at Hen, and sat back down on the bed with an irritated huff. Hen reached over and grabbed my arm roughly before leading me out of the room. She pulled me along though the clinic, where wary wolves looked at us in unspoken fear and confusion, before thrusting me outside the door. I stumbled on the concrete, catching myself on a pillar before turning to look at her.

Hen was snarling at me still, her upper lip curled and exposing her teeth. “Pathetic. Recall how I stated before that you were a mess? You’re getting worse.”

I sighed. “I admit I haven’t been eating and resting as I should-”

Hen cut me off, pointing her finger in my face. “Excuses. You’re coddling that fucking mutt, and it’s draining you, leading to poor decision making and mistakes. Mistakes that can, and will, be costly.”

“I am not coddling her, and don’t you dare call Delilah a mutt!” I growled, my temper flaring slightly.

“You absolutely are!” Hen countered, taking a step closer to me. “She is suffering, because you’re too afraid to get her the help she needs as soon as possible. She could have been healed from her spells weeks ago if you hadn’t insisted on letting her rest for days between. She could have begun working on training and controlling her powers by now. Instead, you have been coddling her under the guise of her being fragile. She is anything but fragile, Damascus!”

“I-”

“ No! Shut your fucking mouth, bloodsucker! Delilah is a victim, I won’t argue that, but you and your coven and this pack of dogs is not helping her get past that in the slightest! Do you want her to have a victim complex? Be completely dependent on you and those around her?” Hen raged. “Because that’s exactly what you’re letting happen, you goddess damned enabler ! She will always be weak at this rate, and she won’t become the wolf she’s been destined to become and it will all be because of you! ”

My rage hit the boiling point. “ YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! CEASE YOUR BABBLING AND DROP YOUR MOCKERY, HEN!”

“ DROP YOURS FIRST!” Hen roared back, getting in my face. Were it not for the seriousness of the situation, the differences in our heights would have been comical. She stood on her tip toes as she yelled, and neither of us were willing to back down at this point. “ YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE ME? I KNOW WHO SHE IS, WHAT SHE IS! DELILAH IS THE GODDESS DAMNED SAKURA WOLF , THE BRINGER OF THE END OF THE WORLD! IF SHE ISN’T TRAINED PROPERLY, WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!”

“ WHAT DO YOU THINK I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ACHIEVE?! SHE IS CURRENTLY A DELICATE CREATURE AND NEEDS NURTURING AND CARE! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH?!” I demanded.

“OH, DO ENLIGHTEN ME, FOR SURELY YOU ARE ALL-SEEING AND ALL-KNOWING!” Hen rolled her eyes.

“YOU SEE THE ABUSE SHE’S SUFFERED! YOU SAW THE SILVER POISONING! YOU KNOW HER MEMORIES AND SOUL ARE BOUND! MAY I REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SAID WE SHOULDN’T TRY TO HEAL HER ALL AT ONCE!” I exploded.

“YOU-” 

“ WHAT IN THE MOON GODDESS’ NAME IS GOING ON HERE?! ” 

Hen and I flinched and turned to face the new voice. Samuel, bandaged up and still in a disheveled state, was glaring at us. I ran my tongue over my fangs, showing a subtle display of dominance and warning. Hen snorted in annoyance.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Samuel growled. “Damascus, you are going to come with me so we can discuss your actions. Hen, you are going to leave my territory immediately. Until the two of you can be civil to each other, you are not to meet again. I have enough going on without the two of you engaging in a shouting match that goes nowhere.”

Hen smirked. “Oh, look at that. Someone decided to be an Alpha. Too little, too late, though. I can feel how weak you’ve become, Sammy Boy.”

Before he could retort, Hen disappeared theatrically in a puff of multicolored smoke. We both coughed, and I waved my hand in an attempt to fan the offending exhaust away. Samuel looked me in the eyes, suddenly looking exhausted and drained, and I felt my shoulders sagging. We stared at each other in tired silence for a few moments before I finally spoke. “Do we really want to have this discussion right now?”

Samuel looked down at the ground. “Not really, anymore… but I think we should anyway.”

“Lead the way, then,” I acquiesced. He turned and we walked in silence from the clinic to the pack house. I observed the cottages we passed, noting how some were in much better shape than others. This confirmed the conversation with Beth prior. It’s almost as if he expected a bigger pack somehow.

Upon reaching his office, Samuel held the door open for me and I collapsed on his couch. He collapsed on the armchair opposite me and sighed loudly. “I’m going to get someone to bring us food. Want anything?”

“Black coffee,” I replied, pinching the bridge of my nose. Sam was silent for a bit as he sent out the mind link. “Samuel, it was never my intention to humiliate you in front of your pack.”

“Then why did you, Damascus?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“You went, as the phrase goes, from zero to sixty in seconds. You got aggressive towards your mate. You weren’t yourself.” I replied. “What on Goddess’ green earth were you thinking? Even your wolf was confused.”

“Delilah had no right to act as an Alpha. My patrol was investigating the area and she came bounding along with her tail up. It sent the wrong message-”

“-what other message could there possibly be?! You’ve yet to claim her as your mate, you haven’t even announced who she is to your pack. If I recall correctly, you have no intention of doing such, either.” I cried, exasperated. “Please, Samuel, help me understand.”

Samuel glowered at me, permitting entrance to a wolf who had brought our refreshments. “What’s there to understand, Damascus? If I announce Delilah to the pack, she’ll be exposed and an easy target for anyone looking to use her powers for evil. She’s too weak to fend for herself, and my pack will suffer the consequences for it. All it takes is one person to open their mouth about her, and her whereabouts.”

“Do you feel we cannot protect her?”

“Oh, absolutely. Nothing will stop anyone from trying to get to her. If she and I mate, and she becomes Luna of the pack, that’s just more leverage against her.”

“That… is the weakest excuse I have heard.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not trying to protect her. I can see right through you,” I admonished. “Though your idea has some merit, it’s not the real reason behind your refusal. From the very beginning, neither of you has been acting as a true fated pair would. Delilah’s case is understandable. Yours? Not holding even an ounce of water.”

Samuel stared at me, blinking slowly. “What… what are you saying, vampire?”

“I highly suspect,” I stated. “That you are hiding something from everyone. Something of major importance.”

“I have nothing to hide!” Samuel cried. “My pack is suffering from potential bankruptcy-”

“-Which has nothing to do with how you are treating your mate-”

“-My wolves distrust me more and more each day-”

“-Your fault, not hers-”

“-She can’t become Luna, she just can’t -”

“-And why is tha-”

“BECAUSE I AM THE ALPHA AND I HAVE SAID SO!” 

“So your reason is literally ‘because I said so ’.” I snorted in disgust. “How ridiculous.”

Samuel just glowered at me, eyes darkened. 

“Very well. Reject her now, Alpha, and we will leave your territory immediately,” I decided. “We will figure out what to do concerning Bethany and her mates later.”

Samuel and I both jumped when an angry voice interjected their opinion. “If Damascus and Delilah leave, so do we .”

Bethany, Cherise, and Armando had snuck into the office and were all baring their canines. Bethany’s eyes were full of fury, glistening brightly. Samuel let out a growl of warning, and Bethany and Cherise let out a combined growl of challenge.

Samuel snarled fiercely. “You’re not permitted to leave. I forbid it!”

Bethany smirked. “You know it is against the law to use an Alpha command to keep wolves in a pack. If I wish to leave, I will.”

“I will as well. I’d rather be a rogue with my mate than be a part of this miserable pack full of lies and deceit,” Cherise snapped. “There would be quite a few others who would follow us.”

“Such as?” Samuel challenged.

“The newly appointed Gammas, to begin with,” Armando replied coolly. “Several of your best fighters, your Omegas, and multiple unranked wolves.”

“With how discontent these wolves are, I’m surprised there hasn’t been an investigation opened on this pack by the Elders,” I interjected.

Bethany looked at me, her gaze softening. “Actually, I’ve filed a petition for just that.”

“YOU WHAT?!” Samuel leapt to his feet, claws extending in anger.

“Something has to be done, Sam! You did something to this pack, and ever since the Sakura Wolf got here it’s like a cloud has been lifted! Everyone is coming to realize that they aren’t happy here, that they aren’t happy with you as Alpha!” Bethany cried. “Either you come clean to us right now, or the investigation will make you!”

“HOW DARE YOU!” Samuel screamed, clutching at his chair.

“HOW DARE YOU !” Bethany screamed back. In an instant, Samuel had shifted and leapt at Bethany, snapping and snarling with intent to kill. Bethany shifted as well and the wolves tore into each other, knocking into furniture and crashing into Cherise and Armando. I stood up in a panic and yelled as the wolves broke through the closed door, splintering the wood as they tumbled into the hall. Glass shattered against the ground and one of them let out a pained squeal.

Cherise shifted and bounded after them, Armando on her heels. Blindly locked in combat, Samuel and Bethany made their way down the hall and smashed into a window. Bethany gained the upper hand, shoving her Alpha on his back onto the windowsill and slamming her paw on his throat. Samuel’s legs kicked at her belly, attempting to free himself from her choke hold.

Bethany’s snarling grew louder, and I realized from watching Cherise cower in fear that it was both a challenge for the Alpha position and Bethany going nearly feral. Armando raced forward and grabbed Bethany by the scruff, earning a sharp yelp, before pulling her off of Samuel. Samuel tumbled to the ground, panting for breath. Bethany struggled against Armando’s grip, demanding blood.

Samuel tried to scurry to his paws when Cherise leapt upon him, digging her fangs deep into his shoulder. Samuel roared and swiped blindly at her, slicing his claws across her cheek. Cherise squealed and Bethany went completely feral at the sight of her mate getting hurt. Samuel took off down the stairs and Bethany twisted herself out of Armando’s grip, both of them rushing to their injured mate’s side.

Bethany whined and licked Cherise’s bloody cheek before turning to me, ears loosely pulled back and eyes begging for help. I nodded and shifted into one of my many forms- a deep crimson wolf- and followed Samuel down the stairs. Other wolves in their human forms shrieked as their Alpha and I came streaking through the lower levels before racing out the door. Samuel had the advantage of a head start, but I had the experience of hunting down wolves.

I could hear Armando right behind me, furious and raging for revenge. Samuel kept his tail high as he ran, as though trying to wave the whole situation off to his pack as a mere argument. I bounded after him with my own tail raised, signaling that this was a challenge.

I will support you, Bethany, if you truly wish to challenge Samuel for the pack.

Chapter Text

Elder Lisa

I was sitting on my porch sipping at some coffee when I was alerted by a ruckus. I watched as my Alpha went streaking past with another wolf hot on his tail- an unusual wolf; dark crimson and as large as an Alpha. From the scent he left behind, it was easy to deduce he was most likely a vampire in a shifted form. One of the visiting vampires was following the wolves, proving my assumption to be true.

Everything all right over there, Alpha?

Everything’s fine! Don’t mind us!

I snorted. This doesn’t look like an average game of tag-

My mind link sputtered out as Alpha Samuel put up his mental walls. 

Something is definitely going on there, my wolf, Abacus, commented on in a sleepy voice. We didn’t shift much these days considering our age; being tired was a big part of our time.

I looked around for my phone and picked it up from the side table. After looking through my contacts, I called another Elder. It rang several times before going to his voicemail.

“Hello, you’ve reached the voicemail of Elder Tobias. I’m not available right now, please leave your name and phone number and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Farewell.” Click .

“Tobias. Lisa. We appear to have a situation concerning Alpha Samuel and I’d like to request an investigation be opened,” I stated simply. “He just went streaking past my cottage in his wolf form followed by two vampires- one of whom was using his own shifting ability. Believe me when I say it was most unorthodox.”

I ended the call there and sighed. 

This investigation has been a long time coming. We finally have due cause for it, Abacus yawned.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” I agreed. “It is past time- now, it’s time for some answers.”

With that agreement, Abacus went back to sleep and I went back to my coffee.

Chapter Text

Beth

Cherise whined as I licked her cheek again, concerned about keeping it clean.

Love, I’m fine. Really. The bleeding has stopped and it just stings now. Cherise nuzzled her head under my chin. You need to focus on your wounds!

Fuck my wounds! I snarled. Fucking Sam, how dare he swipe at you! I’ll kill him if he ever comes back!

Sweetheart, please-

He’s gonna pay for this. Just you wait. I growled, shaking the pack house. 

Beth! Cherise begged. Please, let Damascus and Armando deal with him. Let’s get you cleaned up and work on some reports or something, please?

I gazed into her beautiful amber eyes, letting out a sigh as I got lost within them. I buried my head in her shoulder and whimpered. I’m not- I’m not ready to lead the pack. I doubt there’s much choice now; I challenged Sam and an unfulfilled challenge will only brew dissent and fear. The pack is probably reeling with emotions right now.

Probably. I do smell a lot of fear, Cherise replied, pointing her nose into the air and sniffing a few times. She turned and licked my ear, tickling the sensitive skin with her whiskers. Perhaps you should make an announcement.

I groaned, then opened my mind link to as many members as possible. I assured them that there was no need to be afraid at this time, but that they needed to be on guard for any future changes in leadership. There was a lot of skepticism in response, and some relief. As Cherise had said, though- lots of fear.

The longer the challenge goes unresolved, the worse it will be- for all of us. Maria stated firmly.

I know.

We have a few options here. One, we can take Samuel down. Two, we can throw the fight once he comes back. Three… Maria trailed off in thought.

Three? I asked.

We get the Sakura Wolf involved.

Chapter Text

Delilah

I opened my eyes and stretched, feeling the effects of the sleeping spell wearing off. My heart was heavy, bearing the weight of feeling unloved by one of my mates, as well as the shame of my outburst. I couldn’t remember a time I had felt so angry… and yet, it had been a terrifyingly nostalgic feeling; as if I had experienced that anger before.

I remembered honing in on Sam, wanting to hurt him, to make him bleed for what he had denied me. If he truly didn’t want me, why hadn’t he rejected me? There was a specific phrase one had to use to reject their mate. All he had to do was say it, and I would accept the rejection. It would be painful, but it would be quick.

Amy would be enough for me. As much love as is in my heart, I feel I would be content to live with Amy and love her until the end of time. Sam… I couldn’t say such a thing. He had made me feel loved and wanted for the first few days of our relationship; in a matter of days- hours, maybe?- he had changed. His eyes weren’t full of love any more when he looked at me. The sparks- the truest sign of being mates, the beautiful sparks that explode from your touches- were fading. 

When I thought about Sam, my heart tore in pain. My soul begged to be released from the torture of not knowing what Sam wanted from me. He didn’t want me as his mate or his Luna- he’d merely said he did to try to escape my wrath. I couldn’t blame him. I feel like I’ve been coming out of a heavy fog in a slow manner since the healing session.

It was time; we’d put off another session for long enough. Cherry murmured her agreement.

Rejecting, or being subjected to such, means losing Spirit. I thought softly.

Yes. 

Will you survive?

I will.

Will you hold it against me and hate me forever?

Not at all.

I pondered for a bit, mulling over a few more unrelated thoughts.

I want to talk to mother, after the next session. Will you support me?

Always.

I chewed my lips, zoning out unintentionally as I thought about what I wanted to say. There was a knocking that startled me out of the zoning and dragged me back to reality. I still had bandages over my eyes, so I couldn’t see who was asking permission to come in. I bade them welcome anyway.

“Good evening,” a calm, dainty voice greeted me. “I am Elder Lisa. Are you Delilah?”

“Yes ma’am,” I answered politely.

“Goodness, you really did a number on this room, didn’t you?”

I blushed in embarrassment. “I-”

“No need to answer that. I’ve come to you today to see if you can provide me with any answers as to what’s been going on between you and Alpha Samuel.”

I gritted my teeth at the mention of his name. “I can’t promise to give you too much, but ask away, I guess.”

“Thank you. I will be taking notes, as well.” I heard the rustle of some papers.

“Notes?”

“Notes,” Elder Lisa affirmed. “Because an investigation is being opened.”

“A what?” I asked, bewildered.

“An investigation. Alpha Samuel has been acting in a most uncouth manner, and the Elders have been looking for due cause to investigate the matter. Your arrival has merely expedited things.” She said matter-of-factly. “Now, to business. Is Samuel a fated mate to you?”

I sighed, my heart aching. “He is. He… I… we haven’t exactly… been acting as other fated pairs do. The first few days with him, he looked at me as though I were his whole world.”

Scribble scribble scribble.

“Suddenly though- maybe within a few hours?- his eyes were hardened and I couldn’t see any love in them any more. If he were going to be like this, I’d rather have been rejected right away.” I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I spoke.

Scribble scribble. “Has he mentioned rejection at all?”

“No,” I sniffled. “But it’s pretty clear he does not want me.”

“Unfortunately, I must agree. He has not announced your presence to the pack, which, as you should know, is a massive breach of etiquette. You are a strange wolf in our territory; does the pack not have a right to know who you are and why you’re here?”

I mulled that over. “I mean… if I were a pack member, I’d be curious.”

“My point exactly.” Scribble scribble. “Now, I have to ask some very personal questions, all right?”

“Sure.”

“Have you two mated and marked one another yet?”

I snorted. “No. If you look at my marking spot, it’s bare.”

“Oh, dear me…” scratch scratch. “Terribly sorry. If it’s any consolation, that will make the rejection process- should it happen- much easier on the both of you.”

“Yes, I suppose it will,” I nodded. “What else?”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to answer this one, but I’ll ask anyway. What pack did you come from?”

I thought long and hard. We- mother, Katrina, myself- had to have come from a pack at some point. Didn’t we? I searched my memories, willing something- anything - to come forward. Alas, I came up empty-handed. “I can’t remember. Maybe it’s still locked away.”

“Do you have a last name, Delilah?”

“Oh yes, I do! My full name is Delilah Aniston James.”

“James?” Elder Lisa sounded surprised. “Was your father- oh, forgive me for being so tactless. I suspect you don’t remember your father yet either?”

“…No.” I swallowed hard.

Elder Lisa hummed. She wrote down a few more things, and as she did, the silence stretched between us. At long last, she shuffled around and I heard the scrape of the chair she was seated in being pushed back. “That’s all I need for today, dear. I advise you to expect some more visits, as other Elders will most likely come with the same line of questioning.”

“Okay,” I replied softly. “Okay.”

“Oh!” Elder Lisa cried out in surprise, and my hackles raised. “Hello, were you coming in? I was just leaving.”

“Hello, yes- I wanted to see if she’s awake.” Master Damascus’ voice reached my ears.

“She is. I’ll leave you to it, then,” Elder Lisa’s footsteps left the room, and Master Damascus’ stepped up to my side. He took my hand in his and I clutched him tightly. Neither of us spoke. I didn’t know what to say, and it seemed that neither did he. When we finally did speak, we started at the same time and interrupted each other.

“So-”

“I’ve failed-”

We stopped, and Master Damascus put his other hand over mine. “My apologies- you first.”

“I want to have another healing session, Master.” I said, my voice shaking a little. “I have so many questions, and the answers are so close. After that, I want to speak to mother.”

Master Damascus sounded shocked when he replied, “I see. First, before we get into that conversation, allow me to apologize.”

“For what?”

“My sweet girl… for everything. I’ve failed you.”

“Huh?”

“There were so many ways to help you, and I chose the worst of them. Coddling you, treating you as if you were made of glass. Letting your powers become wild and driven by emotion.” Master Damascus sounded guilty.

“That’s not your fault,” I admonished. “I think I am equally to blame.”

“Dear child…” Master Damascus’ voice wavered. “How are you so kind, with everything you have been through?”

I smiled. “It never made sense to me to be cruel.”

“I am thankful for that,” he chuckled. “Though I still hate that you suffered so much.”

We settled into a comfortable silence, and I focused on how kind his hands were as they enveloped mine. Since coming here, and finding my mates, there had been so many physical touches- and all of them, positive and kind. No one had hit me, or beat me, or kicked at me. Part of me wondered if I was too trusting; part of me knew it was because I was tired of being scared.

With that courage, I had to face her - my mother.

Nothing scared me more than the thought of seeing her again, feeling helpless and small and as if I were a tiny pup again. Yet, even if I felt that way again, I had to remind myself that I wasn’t alone. Amy, Master Damascus, the coven- they were all with me. I had my army; it was time to begin the war.

Chapter Text

Amy

Once Delilah had awoken, Master wasted no time in getting another healing session organized. He had said it would be best not to see Delilah for a little longer; she needed time to heal and think. This healing session was planned to be longer than the last, and we were all on edge. Depending on what was unbound, Delilah might be especially vulnerable and need all of us with her.

Excluding Sam.

Master had pretty much run the mutt off the territory, and Bethany had assumed command for the time being. The Elders were in the process of opening an investigation, and as soon as Sam was found he was to be reported immediately and captured. If he did not return within a few weeks, Beth would be given his title and assume leadership of the pack.

That would not solve the problem between my mate and hers, though. They needed to be able to reject each other face to face, speaking the specific phrase that broke the mate bond. Delilah would be all right, if not a bit distant for a little bit. Then, we could figure out what step to take next. Speaking of which, from what Master had told me, Delilah seemed to be taking big steps all on her own- including seeing to her abuser.

I couldn’t believe she wanted to speak to her mother- what could she possibly find out from her? I couldn’t fathom it, but I had to respect her wishes. Delilah was my whole world, regardless of Sam and his bullshit. My mate would never have to fear that I would treat her the way he did. I’d back her up, wipe her tears, and help her stand up again. If she wanted to speak to that wretched old woman, well- I really had no choice but to support her. I did make my displeasure at the fact known, though.

The day dragged by as the witches worked on Delilah, and I found myself pacing back and forth in the clinic hallway. Master was laying on a bench with his head in Beulah’s lap, eyes closed and seemingly enjoying the soft strokes Beulah made as she ran her hands through his hair. I wondered when they had gotten so close; it wasn’t really my business either way. It was most likely going to happen one way or another, really. Beulah had been harboring feelings for quite a while, as far as I knew.

Her face was content and serene, though her eyes were filled with worry. Despite all our pleas, Master had not been taking care of himself. He was looking very gaunt, exhausted, and in a disheveled state- a complete contrast to his usual prim and proper stature. None of us could recall ever having seen him like this before. Delilah was draining him, most likely unintentionally. He’d always spoken highly of the Sakura Wolf; none of us could have seen the current situation coming.

A high-pitched scream burst from Delilah’s room and the building shook. Walls cracked, dust dropped from the ceiling, and lightbulbs burst. Everyone dropped to the floor, covering their ears and howling in pain. The scream echoed in my mind and my ears, and my eyes were blinded with the pain. I cried out, holding my hands against my ears, and my eyes watered. 

We all shuddered as a massive shockwave of pain rippled through us, and with it, the lingering feelings of fear and anger. I curled up on my side, screaming silently as I endured it all. I couldn’t focus on anything other than the pain. Eventually, the pain gave way to white-hot rage, and I could feel my body heating up in response. The rage began to dwindle almost as soon as it hit, leaving me breathless with sorrow and despair.

The emotions ebbed away slowly, and when I could finally control myself and my senses, I sat up as carefully as I could. Beulah was shielding Master with her body, holding him close. Everyone else was scattered around, some still whimpering. Everyone had tears streaming from their eyes; residual emotions and pain responses. I looked at Delilah’s door, wondering if I should burst in and find out what happened.

Before I could get to my feet, the door opened and the witches stepped out, holding one another up. Master looked their way, wiping his eyes with his handkerchief. He made no movement to get up; he was just as paralyzed as everyone else.

The head witch stopped in front of him, offering a small smile. “All things considered, this was an excellent session.”

Master swallowed before trying to speak. His voice cracked a little as he managed to say, “Is she fully healed?”

The witch shook her head. “It will take some more time. We unbound the most painful memories, as you all felt. The sessions following this one will be far easier.”

“When- when can we go in with her?” I asked, stumbling over my words.

“She has asked for some time alone to gather her thoughts and compose herself emotionally,” the witch replied. “It would be best to let her come to you. In the mean time, allow me to fix up our surroundings.” 

She snapped her fingers and the building began to repair itself from the damage. Cracks sealed themselves, dust swept itself out the doors, plaster knitted itself back together, and furniture that had shifted askew righted itself. Shattered glass reformed itself, papers stacked themselves neatly, and mops set to work soaking up spilled liquids.

Oh, Delilah… I thought to myself. What happened to you? Will we finally find the answers you seek?

*************************************

It was well into the night before Delilah permitted anyone to come see her. She asked for me first, and I had to restrain myself from galloping to her side. I couldn’t help but speed walk to her side, though. Delilah kept her head down, staring at her feet. Her long hair swept down around her face, obscuring it from my vision. Her hands were clasped together loosely.

I put my arm around her and she leaned into me.

“Have the memories given you any answers?” I asked in a soft voice.

Delilah nodded. “They have.”

“Anything you want to share?” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her head.

“I had a dad. He loved me. He died…” She sniffled. “He loved me so much. When he died, I was sent to live with my mom. She never wanted me there, she hated- hates- me. Katrina’s dad… I really did kill him.”

I nearly choked. “What? How?”

“These,” Delilah stated, holding her hand up and manifesting a tiny pile of cherry blossoms. 

“Your blossoms?” I asked, impressed by her control.

“Yes. Dad trained me on how to control them… I guess I lost that control when I was bound. I don’t need lessons on that, any more, but I could use some training to add some finesse to my powers.” Delilah smiled sadly. “Dad… He had to die for me to live. Every day he got weaker and weaker… I was nine when he died.”

I hugged Delilah close, enveloping her in both arms. “I’m so, so sorry, baby.”

Delilah held my arm and let out a sob. “He loved me, Amy. He loved me! I had someone who loved me, once!”

“Are- you mean, as a parent?” I asked, confused. Delilah nodded. 

“My dad wanted me. He did everything with me. He worked so hard to keep me safe and happy… He trained me so fast. He had to. He was dying from the moment I was conceived.” Delilah gritted her teeth. “Mother… she made sure to tell me every chance she got that I wasn’t wanted. Katrina followed suit. It was my stepfather who tried to make me feel welcome and wanted, for some Goddess damned reason.

“As time went by, his affections ceased as well. I couldn’t accept him in my heart. Losing my father was too much for me. My stepfather… I killed him in front of the pack. When the pack turned on me in fear, I killed them too.”

I swallowed hard, imagining a pack of full grown wolves turning on a child like that. “Honeybee…”

“The pack was called ‘Clandestine’. I don’t know if that will help anyone, though.” Delilah stated.

We sat in silence for a while. I couldn’t think of what to say. What could I possibly say in this situation? My mate was responsible for the slaughter of an entire pack. It sounded like a clear-cut case of self defense from my angle, honestly, but I knew the wolves’ Elders wouldn’t see it that way. They’d sentence Delilah to death! Unless her status as the Sakura Wolf could save her… But I seriously doubted it.

Eventually, Master Damascus knocked on the door and we let him in. Beulah followed, holding his hand. Delilah burst into fresh tears and told him everything she’d told me, and showed him the control she had over the petals. He was shocked; to say the least. Yet, pleasantly surprised.

“I would never have expected that you’d master your powers at such a young age. Your father taught you well, Delilah.” He praised.

“What will the Elders say, though?” Beulah asked, bringing up the elephant in the room.

I dug my fingernails into my fists. “They wouldn’t dare harm her, would they? Considering…?”

Master shrugged. “It’s quite hard to say.”

Delilah let out a huge sigh, then squared her shoulders and stood tall, lifting her head at last. She looked regal and composed; and my heart fluttered. “Whatever the Elders decide, I must face them. I have committed a serious crime, and there are consequences. However, if we can just wait to summon an Elder until after I’ve spoken to mother? There are some unanswered questions that I suspect she can provide.”

Us vampires nodded. 

“Once that’s done, we contact Elder Lisa. She’ll know what to do,” Delilah stated, her Alpha aura emanating gently around the room. “Then, provided the Elders will let us, we take appropriate action against mother and Katrina from there. They cannot get away with what they’ve done.”

I smiled warmly. “Spoken like a true Luna.”

“First things first, though- we need to check on this pack. There’s no way they didn’t suffer through my shockwave, and they need comfort. Where is Sam?” Delilah asked, looking from Master Damascus to me.

“He…” I trailed off, unsure of what to say. Master stepped forward.

“He’s run off. No one knows where he is, Delilah.” He said. “But the Elders are looking for him, rest assured.”

Delilah’s brow furrowed in thought. “Then… has Beth taken over in his absence?”

Master nodded. “She has actually requested an audience with you as soon as possible.”

Delilah snorted. “That’ll depend on what the Elders decide to do with me. Maybe… No, never mind. If it’s all right, I’d like to go back to the pack house and rest before seeing my mom.”

We all nodded and she took my hand. Together we strode through the clinic and out onto the grounds. The moon was bright, though not full, and gave us some beautiful light amongst the darkness. Neither of us spoke; Delilah had far too much to ruminate on, and I was unsure of what I could do or say to help her.

When we reached the pack house, it was nearly empty save for a few lingering Omegas. One timidly approached us, bowing her head in submission.

“Luna, please permit me to speak?” She asked, her voice trembling.

“I am not a Luna,” Delilah scolded gently. “But you may speak.”

The Omega winced. “Elder Lisa is waiting for you in the Beta’s office. She said to send you up there right away, ma’am.”

Delilah and I looked at each other, feeling a deep sense of dread. Delilah looked back at the Omega, who flinched under her gaze. “Tell her we’ll be right there, please.”

The Omega’s eyes glazed over in her mind link, and we hurried up the stairs. 

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck…” Delilah panted, taking the stairs two at a time. “We weren’t prepared for this yet!”

“I- I know,” I gasped behind her. “My question is- is, how did she know we were coming?”

Delilah chuckled. “The pack must have called her.”

“Oh yeah,” I smacked myself on the forehead. We reached the door to the Beta’s office and Delilah knocked confidently. I was surprised that she was suddenly so different- the memories being unlocked had washed away a lot of her timidness. Elder Lisa bade us entry and Delilah pushed open the door.

“Please be seated.” Elder Lisa told us. We flopped down into the two comfy chairs across the desk from her. “Thank you. I’d like to begin by saying that at this time, the Council of Elders is curious as to what exactly happened today- but due to the investigation opened against Alpha Samuel, they are willing to wait for an explanation.”

Delilah shook her head in disagreement. “I need to explain it, as I am sure the Elders will want to hear exactly what I have to say. That shockwave was the result of my worst memories being unlocked; I may finally have the answers you seek.”

“Really?” Elder Lisa’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yes. I know who my father is, I know what pack I come from, and I know their fate.” Delilah nodded. Elder Lisa reached down and shuffled around for a moment before putting a notepad on the desk and clicking a pen, ready to write.

Delilah took a deep breath. “My father was Arden Boyce James, of the Clandestine pack.”

Elder Lisa’s jaw dropped, and her pen fell to the floor. Delilah stood and retrieved the pen, handing it back to the shocked Elder. She took it, and laid it and the notebook down on the desk before putting her head in her hands. I bit my tongue, watching her tremble in reaction to this revelation.

“Arden…” Elder Lisa said in a quiet voice. “I can’t believe it… You’re Arden’s daughter.”

Delilah glanced at me, and I picked up on her confusion. I shrugged. The name meant nothing to me, personally, other than it was Delilah’s father’s name. Delilah looked back at Elder Lisa, opening her mouth to speak once more, before being interrupted.

“You truly are the Sakura Wolf, then.” Elder Lisa sobbed. “Arden… Arden was a dearly loved man. He was supposed to become an Elder, provided he lived long enough. Your mother was not his fated mate, but he still impregnated her with you. He loved that woman so much- too much. He loved you so, so much. Oh, Delilah… You have no idea.”

Delilah looked down guiltily. “I-”

Elder Lisa held up a hand. “Give me a moment, dear. I wasn’t expecting this.”

Delilah went silent, and turned her head to look out the window at the dark night. I began to chew on my thumb nail in anxious anticipation. Elder Lisa took several more minutes before composing herself and clearing her throat. “The Clandestine Pack. What of them?”

Delilah sat tall. “I’m afraid that I am the cause of their untimely demise. I lashed out and killed my stepfather by accident via losing control of my emotions, and in fear, the pack turned on me. I killed them all, and I am prepared to face the consequences.”

“How old were you then?”

“Around thirteen, I believe.”

Elder Lisa counted on her fingers, eyes looking up at the ceiling. “You’ve been missing since then, haven’t you?”

“Yes- mother took me and Katrina and ran away.”

“That’s about… twelve years or so. You were a pup, and hadn’t even gotten your wolf yet.” Elder Lisa concluded, jotting down notes on her paper. “After she ran away with you, what did your mother do?”

Delilah’s face paled a little. “She would disappear a lot, leaving me and Katrina behind in a little abandoned barn. She’d come back with food and sometimes a stranger, who would take me away. I can’t remember what they’d do to me, but I always recalled waking up in a pile of moldy straw. I never woke up feeling whole, though, and I recall becoming more and more fearful. It was worse when I tried to fight the strangers- they’d tie me up with silver-infused ropes and let it burn my skin.”

“Those must have been the black magic witches who bound your memories and soul.” I remarked, sickened at the thought.

“Probably.”

Elder Lisa finished writing and put her pen down. She let out a tired sigh before slumping down in her seat. “Delilah, I really don’t know what I can say.”

Delilah closed her eyes. “As I said, I will accept the consequences. I have only one request, and it’s to speak to my mother tomorrow afternoon.”

“You’re free to do as you wish, for now. I’m not going to imprison you. However, I will accompany you tomorrow. I have questions for that woman, myself.” Elder Lisa snarled angrily. “For now, please, go get some rest.”

Delilah nodded and thanked the Elder before taking my hand and leading me to Sam’s room. We walked in silence, neither of us really having anything to say to each other. Delilah paused at the door when we finally reached the room, staring at the wood in contemplation. The guards stationed outside of the door bowed their heads. “Welcome, Luna.” 

Delilah let out a sigh of exasperation. “I am not a Luna, you two.”

The guards looked at each other momentarily before looking back down at the floor. “With all due respect, we- that is, the whole pack- have been ordered to treat you as such.”

“Oh? On who’s authority?” Delilah asked, surprise evident in her face. Before the guards could answer, Beth’s voice replied, “On mine.”

We all turned and bowed our heads in greeting at Beth. She walked up to Delilah and put her fingers under my mate’s chin, pushing her head up gently. “Delilah, as far as I am concerned, you are this pack’s Luna. I may be taking control at the moment, but it’s only temporary. Never, and I mean never, bow your head to me again. You outrank me.”

Delilah blinked, her eyes glossing with tears. She hugged Beth tightly, and Beth hugged her back. “It’ll be okay, Delilah. We’re going to bring Sam to justice, and we’re going to save this pack. You’re right where you belong.”

Delilah nodded, sniffling, and broke the hug. She took my hand in hers and led us into the room while Beth walked away. We settled down on the bed for a moment before Delilah wrinkled her nose in disgust. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She snorted. “It reeks of Sam…”

I got off the bed and helped her strip the sheets, dumping them in the laundry chute while she requested a volunteer bring her clean ones, as well as some room spray. A couple of lower ranked wolves came in, changing the bed and spraying the room with a flowery scent. It amused me, in a way, that Delilah suddenly couldn’t stand Sam’s scent. Naturally, Delilah had meant to change the bed herself, but I held her back while the pack members did their job. Once completed, they bowed their heads and stepped out and we cuddled back up on the fresh sheets.

I was unable to sleep; Delilah was out in mere minutes. Her soft snoring was interrupted by a whimper here and there- probably a nightmare of sorts. I shushed her and stroked her hair whenever she whimpered, assuring her I was right there. Hours passed in this way, and soon the sun was up and fully shining in the sky. Delilah startled herself awake around 9 AM, blinking and stumbling her way to the bathroom. When she came back, she cuddled back up and huffed.

“Wanna sleep a lil’ more,” she mumbled. I kissed her head and tucked her in.

“Go ahead, honeybee.”

The rest of the day was spent in intervals similar to this- Delilah would wake up, groggily use the facilities, and whine for more sleep. I obliged every time- it had occurred to me that she’d need far more rest than we expected to fully recover from the healing session. I’d mind-linked Master around 3 PM, asking him to apologize to Elder Lisa for us, adamant that Delilah needed to sleep as long as she possibly could. He agreed, of course, and had assured me he would see to it that Elder Lisa was informed.

Delilah woke up once crying and apologizing to me, begging forgiveness but she was just so dang tired and just wanted to sleep . I reassured her and rocked her gently, humming a few lullabies I’d long forgotten the words to as I did. She eventually went back into her deep sleep, and I took a cat-nap myself. We’d take as long of a rest as she needed before expending her energy on meeting with her horrible mother.

**********************************************

Delilah slept for almost two days. I made sure to get her to drink some water between sleeps when she groggily used the facilities, and somewhat had to force her to eat some oatmeal and fruit before going back down once. She was very cranky with me for that, and let me know it with a series of growls and grumbles. I rolled my eyes playfully, and reminded her, “Your body needs nourishment, dear. The quicker you eat- without making yourself sick- the quicker you can go back to sleep.”

Growwwwllllrrrrr…

“Yes, yes, you’re very scary. Now eat,” I patted her on the head. Delilah grumbled and ate half the oatmeal and all of the fruit, downed her milk and water, and curled back under the blanket with a series of huffs and a snarl. “Thank you, love.”

She grunted in response and was soon back in her deep slumber. I went to the bathroom and drew myself a bath, letting the hot water and luxurious bubbles soothe my worries away. I soaked for… I’m honestly not sure how long- when a commotion that barely reached my ears prompted me to get out of the tub. I wrapped a towel around myself as I stalked over to the window and looked down, biting my lip as I saw several warrior wolves led by Beth’s wolf racing into the surrounding forest.

I was about to mind link Master when I caught a glimpse of his red suit flash through the trees. If he was already out there, then I didn’t need to worry. I quickly strode out of the bathroom and to the bedroom door, cracking it open and questioning the guards stationed out front. “What’s going on?”

“Ah, Madam Amy! Alpha Samuel was spotted lurking around the northern border. Beta Beth has gone to retrieve him.” One of the guards explained.

I nodded. “Oh good. Elder Lisa needs him for the investigation, and I need him for- something else…”

“For the Luna’s rejection,” the other guard stated in a deep monotone. “We’re not stupid, Madam Amy.”

“Ezra! Mind your tongue!” the first guard warned, flashing his canines. 

“We all know it’s going to happen, so there’s no reason to pussyfoot around it,” Ezra snorted, keeping her monotone. “However, should it offend the delicate sensibilities of a vampire, I suppose I can keep that information to myself. Apologies, sir.”

I stepped out of the room and shut the door behind me so we wouldn’t disturb Delilah. “Do you have a problem with me?”

Ezra rolled her eyes. “Here we go…”

“Yeah, ‘here we go’ indeed. You started this, and I’m finishing it. The fuck is your problem, wolf?!” I snarled, standing tall.

“Madam-” the first guard tried to call my attention.

Ezra flashed her canines at me and extended her claws. “ My problem is that you vampires were allowed to just waltz in and claim our territory as yours!”

“ Ezra-! ” the other guard snapped.

“We haven’t claimed anything as ours, you belligerent mutt! All we wanted was to protect Delilah, and circumstances led to us needing to negotiate a treaty with your pack!” I extended my claws in response and flashed my fangs.

Ezra looked me dead in the eye and retorted, “Oh yes, it’s all because of Delilah , how could I forget about that?! Ever since she trespassed, it’s all been about her! Allowed free reign, no introduction to the pack, no feasible explanation as to who she is, much less what she is! Nothing has made sense ever since she got here!”

“ Ladies-! ”

I let a high-pitched growl rip through the air. “Are you blaming her?”

Ezra turned to fully face me, squaring up and looking me right in the eyes. “Your words, not mine. If Samuel weren’t such a shitty Alpha in the first place-”

“ Well, he is, and YOU should remember YOUR place, you ignorant dog! ” I bellowed. “Do you want to end up like him? Or worse, as a rogue?”

“And pray tell, just who is going to cast me from the pack? Your coven of bloodsuckers ?” Ezra challenged me. I threw the first punch, hitting her square in the jaw with a sickening crack . She stumbled backwards, holding her face in her hand, and I smirked as I saw the bone fragments jutting out of her flesh. I replied with a smart “If you’re lucky, it will be.”

Ezra’s eyes went black and she crouched, ready to shed her armour and shift. “Innna enhoy is…” she slurred, trying to speak around her broken jaw. 

“As will I.” I growled, getting into a fighting stance.

“ STOP!! ” the first guard hollered, jumping between us. “Ezra, stand down! ”

At his command, Ezra bowed her head low, keeping her lips curled in a sneer. Clearly, he outranked this bitch. The guard turned to me and held up my towel. “Madam, please put this back on and go into the room. I cannot afford to abandon my post to keep you two from killing each other.”

I hadn’t even noticed my towel had slipped off. I took it back and wrapped myself up once more, casting a vicious side eye to the wolf who dared challenge me. Without another word, I let myself back into the Alpha suite and froze.

Hen, the pastel witch, was standing over Delilah’s sleeping form. She froze when I walked in, looking guilty. One of her hands was on Delilah’s forehead, and my mate looked incredibly pale.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?! How did you get in?!” I demanded, reaching behind me for the doorknob in order to alert the guards.

“Wait, this isn’t what it looks like!” Hen cried, raising her hand towards me. 

“You have two seconds to explain,” I threatened, halting on opening the door.

“I was checking her eyes! My magic won’t interfere with those others’ magic, it’s been long enough.” Hen babbled. “Everything is healed as it should be, but-”

My eyes widened as I took in the scent of blood. In an instant, I was at Delilah’s side and had Hen by her throat. “ DID YOU HURT MY MATE?! ”

Hen cried out, clawing at my hand. “N-no, no I d-didn’t!”

“ Then why do I smell BLOOD?! ” I roared, slamming Hen up against the wall. Behind me, I registered the bedroom door being flung open, but I kept my attention on the witch. 

“H-her hand is cut, that’s all!” Hen pleaded, trying to wriggle away.

“ Her hand is cut ? Funny, it wasn’t while I was in here with her. If you had something to do with that, now is the time to come clean- and maybe I’ll kill you quickly enough that you won’t suffer.” I warned Hen.

“This is a slice from some kind of knife, or dagger.” a voice behind me said. Hen went pale, eyes wide.

I bared my fangs fully and hissed in fury. “ Tell us what you have done! ”

Hen screamed in terror, and I shoved my face against her neck, grazing her skin with the tips of my sharp teeth. She flailed, trying to beat me back from her, and kicked like a maniac. I snickered at her attempts and took a bit of delicate skin in a soft bite. “Last chance,” I hissed.

“ Samuel, get your ass in here and help me! ” Hen screamed before I bit down. The warm gush of blood filled my mouth and I gulped greedily. I focused on the coppery taste, relishing in its delicious, acidic aftertaste. Swallow after swallow filled me, and drained Hen further and further. Her cries became weaker, and her flailing and kicking became laughably feeble. Once I was sure she would live, but wouldn’t be able to cast any magic, I sealed the wounds with a lick and shoved her to the floor. 

Hen was deathly pale, and blood had smeared all over her shoulder and clothing. She took her breaths in ragged gasps, and her eyes were hooded. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand before turning to my mate. To my complete surprise, Sam was laying on the bed holding Delilah while Ezra bandaged her cut. Delilah was in an induced sleep; relief washed over me when I could see her brows furrow as she struggled to wake herself up.

Master Damascus raced through the door then, missing his suit jacket and thoroughly roughed up. His hair was askew and glasses missing; his once spotless white button up was smeared with dirt and tree sap. “Delilah! Amy! Are you-”

“We’re all right, Master,” I soothed him, opening my arms as he rushed over to me and held me close. “Delilah’s hand is cut, Hen had something to do with it-”

“Keep an eye on that witch, Adam!” Samuel barked. The male guard from earlier had shifted and his wolf was laying across Hen’s side, effectively keeping her from moving. Master Damscus tightened his grip around me and put a hand on the back of my head, forcing my face into the crook of his neck.

“Did you feed from her?” he asked in a soft, low tone.

“I had to, Master,” I replied. “If she’d been able to cast any magic it would have been so much worse.”

“Ezra, get Amy some clothes. I’m getting Beth and Elder Lisa, and the Gammas.” Samuel ordered. 

“Master…” I began.

“Hush. Later. Get dressed,” Master grumbled coolly. I complied, taking the clothes Ezra had grabbed for me. I thanked her begrudgingly and dressed myself, rushing to Delilah’s side as her eyes fluttered open. She looked around at all the activity in the room, coming to her senses and pupils dilating as she realized something was wrong. She bolted straight up, yelping as she put weight on her cut hand.

I shoved Sam’s hands off her and scooped her up, heading to the sitting area in the room. I plopped us down on the big couch and held tightly to my mate, shooting Sam a warning look. He sat down across from us, guilt written all over his face.

“You’d better have a good explanation as to why that bitch called for your help,” I glowered. Sam just looked down at his feet. I snorted, and Delilah pushed her face into the crook of my neck. Soon, we were joined by the ensemble of ranked members, Elder Lisa, and Armando- since his mates were the Betas of the pack, it made sense that he was there as well. He had helpfully dragged Hen over and laid her on the floor in front of everyone, propping her back up against a chair and patting Adam’s wolf in pride. Adam laid across Hen’s legs, and Ezra shifted to her wolf and sat next to them. 

Sam cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him in disgust and disdain. 

“I, uh… I suppose it’s time to explain where I’ve been the last few days.” He said sheepishly.

“Among other things!” I interjected, before being silenced by Elder Lisa.

“Start there, if it’s so important. You have a lot of explaining to do, Samuel.” she commanded. Sam opened his mouth to speak when the door to the room was thrown open. I held Delilah tighter and snarled, showing my fangs. Master Damascus leapt to his feet, fangs bared as well. Beth, Cherise, Armando, and the Gammas followed suit and rushed in front of us, defending Delilah from the new threat.

“You may be at ease, everyone. These are some of my associates and their Elite guards.” Elder Lisa explained. Sam went white as a sheet and stood up on shaking legs. “Don’t even think about it, Samuel, they’ll catch you before you’ve even shifted.”

Not heeding her warning, Sam jumped clumsily over the couch and was immediately apprehended and held down by two Elite guards. They hauled him back over the couch and threw him onto it, sitting down on either side of him while holding his arms. Sam blinked in bewilderment, processing what had just happened. Everyone slowly sat back down, wary of the newcomers.

“Good gracious, this situation is worse than I anticipated,” the new Elder shook his head. He looked towards me, and I let out a warning rumble. “Is she-?”

Elder Lisa looked at Delilah fondly, eyes soft. “She is- Arden’s daughter, Delilah.”

The new Elder made his way to us and knelt down, putting a hand on the blanket that Delilah was wrapped in. “We’ve been looking for you for a long time, Delilah.”

Delilah looked down at the floor. “For the massacre of the Clandestine Pack, I’ll assume.”

The Elder shook his head. “No, Delilah. Your father asked us to protect you- but your mother… she managed to hide you from us. Imagine, a mere human able to evade Elders!”

“ Wh- human ?!” Delilah gasped, looking up at the Elder. His eyes widened and he cleared his throat.

“You- you don’t know your mother is human?”

Delilah looked stricken with grief. “I’m- I’m a hybrid ?”

“Elder, you must be mistaken- Delilah is an extremely powerful wolf-” Master Damascus tried to cut in.

“There is no denying that, my good sir, but the fact of the matter is that this girl is half human. Prudence hid her from us well.” the Elder sighed. Delilah stiffened at what I assumed was her mother’s name. “Dear Arden, falling for a human woman as wicked as she…”

“Tobias, I think we’d best save that particular revelation’s discussion for another time, as we still have Samuel to deal with-” Elder Lisa prompted.

“But why was I delivered to her by Elders, then?!” Delilah cried out, startling everyone. “ They took me from my father’s burial straight to her !”

Elders Tobias and Lisa looked at each other in confusion before looking back at Delilah. “Er… Delilah, all Elders were under orders to retrieve you and bring you back to safety. No one, and I mean no one , wanted you to go to her . We knew she wouldn’t take care of you.”

“Do you remember the Elder’s name? Who took you to her?” 

Delilah closed her eyes, trying to remember. The silence stretched on, finally ending only as Delilah gave up. “...I can't remember…”

Master Damascus cleared his throat, garnering everyone’s attention. “It would seem that we have a lot to unpack here. Personally, I would like to advise that Samuel be placed in custody and we take care of Delilah first, due to the fact that she’ll be too distracted by this news to focus on him.”

“If Beth’s challenge goes unfinished with Samuel, the pack will suffer!” Cherise blurted out. “I’m sorry, Delilah, but we need to put them first!”

“Why are you apologizing to me ?! The pack should be the focus here!” Delilah shot back in agreement.

“Babe, this is huge for Delilah. She’s getting the answers she needs, and besides- remember what we talked about with Maria…” Beth tried to persuade her mate.

“There’s still the matter of that witch too, she needs to be placed in custody as well!” Armando snapped.

“Beta, Luna, we can handle the pack matters while this is all dealt with.” Gamma Louise interjected.

Delilah closed her eyes in annoyance, responding with “For fuck’s sake, why does everyone keep calling me Luna?!”

Elder Lisa answered quickly. “I have instructed them to do so, Delilah-”

“But I’m not their Luna! I am unmated and-”

“Delilah, my dear, please don’t lose your temper-”

“-if the challenge continues unfinished the pack will literally fall apart- ”

Everyone was speaking over each other at this point, and we were getting nowhere. I let out a sigh and looked over at Sam, who had the grace to look thoroughly embarrassed and was keeping his head down. The male Gamma also hadn’t spoken, and was merely watching events unfold. The arguing was bouncing off the walls, and my irritation was rising.

Goddess help us, because this is going nowhere fast.

Chapter Text

Katrina

“Hey, baby girl,” a soft, yet gruff, voice cooed. I groaned and shook my head, not wanting to open my eyes. “Come on, my little flower. Let’s wake up.”

I opened my eyes and looked into eyes as dark and beautiful as mahogany wood, and my heart leapt for joy. “Daddy!” I squealed, reaching my hands up to him. Daddy picked me up and kissed my face all over and I giggled as his stubble tickled my skin. I patted his cheeks with my hands and he chuckled.

“Little flower, I love you so much!” Daddy sang, swinging us around in a circle. I screamed in joy. “Daddy, we’re going to get dizzy!”

“Nonsense! You only get dizzy if you’re spinning!” Daddy insisted, continuing to spin up around.

“Daaaaddddyyyy! WE are spinning!” I shrieked.

“We are?” Daddy asked. “Are you sure?”

I tried to nod, but the velocity of the spinning prevented me from doing so properly. I yelled out, “Daddy, stop! Ahahahaa!”

Daddy stopped immediately and hummed while I buried my head in his chest. “Hmmm, so we were spinning!”

“I TOLD you!” I giggled into his shirt, clinging tightly with my little hands. “You didn’t listen to me!”

Daddy put me down and held my hand as he led me to the kitchen. “Today is a very special day, my little flower. Do you know what today is?”

I scrunched my face up as I tried to remember. I climbed into my chair and sat up straight. Daddy was putting together some breakfast together for us, and I knew mommy wasn’t home because she’d left with her suitcase last night. She’d promised to come home and bring me a present, so that must be the reason why it was special. “Mommy comes back today!”

Daddy laughed, a deep and hearty laugh, before setting a cup of orange juice and some toast in front of me. The toast was slathered with butter and jelly and there were some avocado slices on the side. “Well, yes, mommy does come home today. But there’s another reason that today is going to be so special!”

“How come?” I asked, tucking into my breakfast. Daddy sat down next to me with a cup of coffee. I don’t know why daddy liked coffee so much- I tried it once when he wasn’t looking and it was bitter and tasted like cinnamon. I hate cinnamon.

Daddy took a sip before answering me. “Today, your big sister is coming to live with us!”

I squealed in excitement. “Oh yeah!! Delilah!!”

I jumped out of my chair and danced and clapped. “Delilah’s coming to live with us! I get a big sister! La la la la laaaaa!”

“Remember how we’ve been working on her room?” Daddy asked. “And how you and I cleaned up the playroom?”

“Yeah!”

“It’s so she’ll feel comfortable here. She’s going to be very sad because her daddy died, so we want to make sure she has everything she needs,” Daddy explained.

I nodded. “I’m gonna make her super happy! We’re going to play with dolls and monster trucks and dinosaurs! We’re gonna color and dance and dress up and help mommy cook!”

I glared at my father suddenly, and he raised an eyebrow. “But… you’re still gonna be my daddy, right? She’s not gonna take you away from me?”

Daddy nodded. “Nothing will ever take me away from my little flower. I’m always going to be here for you, and now, I can be here for Delilah.”

I nodded and skipped to my room, breakfast forgotten, and got dressed in a blue shirt and purple overalls. I wiggled my crocs onto my feet and pranced back into the kitchen, where daddy was on the phone.

“…Yes, she’s dressed. We’re ready to meet her,” he was saying. He paused, listening, and I pulled his arm excitedly.

“Is that mommy? Is Delilah with her? Can I talk to them? Put me on speaker, daddy!” I badgered.

“-Hang on, dear, Katrina wants to talk to you,” Daddy said, and complied with my demand, putting the phone on speaker. “Okay, go ahead, honey.”

“Mommy!” I squeaked.

“Hi, sweetheart! Did you have a good night last night?” Mommy asked, her voice warm and hushed. 

“Yeah! Daddy and I made paskettis!” I replied, bouncing up and down.

“‘Spaghetti’, my love. What did you have for breakfast?” Mommy corrected me before moving on.

Whoops. I hadn’t finished eating yet. “I haven’t finished yet.”

Mommy laughed at that. “Well, finish up! You’ll need your strength if you’re going to play with your…”

“Sister?” I offered, clambering awkwardly onto my chair to finish eating.

“…yes. Delilah.” 

Daddy frowned. “Honey, we talked about this-”

Mommy interrupted him, and I shuddered at how dark her tone was. “They’re here, we’ll be back soon.”

Click.

Daddy growled softly, and I put my hand on his arm. He flinched and looked at me, his eyes softening. I took another bite of my toast before asking quietly, “Mommy doesn’t love Delilah, does she?”

Daddy sighed. “Why do you think that, my little flower?”

“She never smiles or sounds happy when we talk about Delilah. Also I saw her cutting up a picture of a man with Delilah in it with her fabric scissors. Mommy said not to use those on paper though!” I tattled. Daddy looked unsettled.

“Did you really see her do that?”

I nodded. “Mm hm!”

Daddy gripped the table and I saw his claws extend slightly, the tips pushed into the wood. That was bad- it meant his wolf was angrier than he was. “Daddy?”

“Hold on, sweetie,” he snarled gently. I sat in silence, waiting for him to control his wolf. Finally, he let out a big breath and looked at me. “I’m sorry, honey. Don’t worry about mommy right now, okay? You just focus on Delilah. Sisters stick together, right?”

I nodded happily. “Right!”

I couldn’t WAIT for my big sister to come home!

*********************************

“THEY’RE HERE! THEY’RE HERE!” I screamed, bouncing at the window as mommy’s car pulled up into our driveway. “DADDY!”

Daddy bent over me and looked out the window, a big smile plastered on his face. “Why, so they are!”

I screamed and ran to the door, but daddy scooped me up and said my name sternly. I went quiet and looked him in the eyes, beaming and hardly able to control my excitement. “Remember, honey, Delilah just lost her daddy, and she’s going to be sad for a while. She might not want to be hugged and she may not talk for some time, so if she asks you not to do something, listen to her, okay?”

I squirmed, nodding my head. I’d make Delilah happy again all by myself if I had to! She was my big sister!

“Also, Katrina, you must not go into her room without permission. That is her private space. She might spend a lot of time in there while she’s sad, and that’s okay.” Daddy admonished. “We are her family, and right now she needs our support.”

The lock on the door clicked and I turned around excitedly. “Okay! Put me down! Put me down!”

Mommy stepped into the house and smiled when she saw me. “Katrina baby!”

“Mommy!” I cried, running up to her and hugging her legs. She patted my head, and I asked, “Is Delilah here? Is my big sister here yet?!”

Mommy stiffened and nodded. “…She’s right behind me, baby.”

“YAAAAAAAAY!” I let go of her legs and bounced onto the porch. A tall girl was standing there, looking really sad, dressed in all black clothes, and holding a suitcase that was really beat up. Her eyes were shadowed with dark circles, and her hair was resting on her shoulders around her neck. “SISSYYYYY!”

I leapt for her to hug her before stopping myself, remembering what daddy said. She looked at me quietly, so I started talking. “I’m Katrina! I’m your little sister! Can I give you a hug? What’s your favorite color? Mine is purple because I can’t decide if I like red or blue better and they make purple! Are you hungry? We can ask daddy to make us grilled cheese sandwiches! Do you want to play with me?”

Delilah put a hand on my shoulder and I stopped talking. She smiled and said, “I would love to do all of that with you… would it hurt your feelings if I took a nap first?”

A nap?! Naps were boring! I was about to tell her no when daddy stepped up behind me. “Of course you can, Delilah. Katrina is just excited that you’re finally here. It’s all she’s talked about for a week.”

Delilah looked down at her shoes. “Oh.”

I let out a whoop and hugged her tight. I never wanted to let her go, ever! She was my sister and my new best friend, and we were going to have so much fun! After I let go, I took Delilah’s hand and dragged her to her room. “This is where you’re gonna sleep, and I’m in the room across the hall! We can have a sleepover tonight!”

Delilah let out a little laugh. “Okay, sure.”

She put her suitcase on the floor and opened it, pulling out clothes and putting them on the hangers in the closet. I hopped onto her bed and bounced on it, singing loudly to help cheer her up. While I bounced, I got distracted by a bird outside the window.

“Delilah look at that bird!” I pointed, bouncing extra high. Delilah turned and gasped, and I missed the bed. My foot slipped down the side of the mattress and I fell, slamming my head against the nightstand. “OOOWWWWW!!!”

“MOM!!” Delilah screamed, racing to my side. “MOM COME QUICK!!!”

Mommy came thundering into the room and grabbed Delilah, shoving her aside and scooping me up. “Katrina! What happened?!”

Daddy rushed into the room, looking panicked. “What’s going on?”

Delilah hurriedly said, “She was bouncing on the bed and bounced off the edge and hit her head!”

“WHAT?!” Mommy roared, holding me tightly. “WHY WEREN’T YOU WATCHING HER?!”

Delilah shrank back. “I was putting my clothes away-”

“YOU STUPID GIRL!” Mommy shifted me to one arm and hit Delilah with the back of her hand.

“PRUDENCE!” Daddy roared, grabbing her arm. 

“Mommy! Don’t hurt my sister!” I cried, holding my throbbing head. All the screaming was making it hurt.

Mommy turned to me and kissed my head, fussing over me. “My poor baby, that stupid girl hurt you. Let’s go get you some ice.”

What? Delilah didn’t hurt me! It was my fault. Daddy blocked mommy’s way when she turned to leave the room. “Apologize to Delilah.”

Mommy grit her teeth, and I held my breath.

“I SAID, apologize! There was no reason to hit her!” Daddy snarled.

“There was PLENTY of reason! She hurt my daughter!”

“DELILAH IS YOUR DAUGHTER AS WELL!” Daddy roared. His teeth were getting long and sharp and his eyes were turning amber.

“I NEVER WANTED HER!” Mommy shouted, pushing daddy aside and stomping away with me.

I was confused. Why didn’t mommy want Delilah? Why was she blaming her for my mistake? Why did she hit her? “Mommy?”

“Hush, darling,” mommy soothed. “Sit down and I’ll get you some ice.”

She put me on a chair and opened the freezer, shuffling things around and muttering to herself. Once she’d filled a bag with ice and twisted the lid back on, she put it on my head and I whined at the contact. It was cold, but soothing. I let my tears fall, just feeling so hurt and confused about everything that had just happened.

“What were you thinking, baby? Bouncing on the bed is against the rules.” Mommy finally asked.

“I dunno,” I pouted, sniffling. “It was fun.”

Mommy sighed. “Sweetie, we have rules for a reason…”

I tried my best to let out a growl. “There’s a rule that says ‘no hitting’, but you hit Delilah!”

Mommy grabbed my chin, squishing my cheeks together. “Don’t you dare growl at me!”

I stuck my tongue out and blew a raspberry at her. Mommy let my face go and rubbed her eyes with a sigh. “Delilah is a very bad girl, Katrina. She’s horrible, and I want you to stay away from her. You’re too innocent and I don’t want her corrupting you.”

“Cor- corroop- cor what?” I asked, rubbing my cheek. 

“She will teach you to do bad things. I do not want you near her.”

“But how will we play? Sisters stick together! Daddy said so!”

“ Daddy isn’t the one in charge of Delilah, I am,” Mommy grumped. “So what I say goes.”

I huffed. “You HIT her, and that’s wrong.”

Mommy narrowed her eyes at me. “Adults are allowed to hit bad children. Good children like you don’t get hit, because you follow the rules.”

I thought this over for a moment. “I didn’t follow the rules about bouncing on the bed, so I’m a bad girl.”

“No, you’re a good girl.” Mommy kissed my forehead. “You made a mistake. That’s all. You’ve learned a painful lesson today, and now you won’t do it again.”

That didn’t make any sense to me. How was I a good girl, when I broke a rule? Were adults really allowed to hit bad kids? Delilah looked nice to me, but was she really a bad girl? Most importantly, why did mommy not want Delilah? 

“Don’t think about it, Katrina. Just listen to what I say. Now, do you want some ice cream?” Mommy asked.

“YEAH!”

Chapter Text

Jason

I quietly observed the mess of conversation volleying back and forth from all sides. My mate nudged me and mind linked with me.

I know you’re observing all of this. Thoughts so far?

I hummed aloud before replying. The challenge is the first thing needing to be addressed, there’s no doubt about that.

How should that proceed?

Beth and Samuel need to step into a blessed ring and finish the fight. That’s the only way this will be resolved.

And the Luna?

Her issues will be resolved in due time.

I believe it’s time for you to speak, my love.

I nodded, closing our link, and stood up carefully. Everyone looked at me, and I cleared my throat. “Forgive me, Betas, Elders, Luna- but I have some insight to offer for resolving some of these issues.”

Everyone looked to Delilah, who scowled and nodded her head for me to continue. I bowed my head in respect and continued. “Firstly, the unfinished challenge absolutely must be addressed. Beta Beth must finish the fight with Alpha Samuel in a blessed circle, overseen by the Elders in attendance. Once the challenge is resolved, we can move on to the Luna’s issues concerning her place in the pack; as well as any personal issues. The prisoners are not going anywhere.”

Everyone nodded, taking my words seriously. Though I was merely a Gamma, I was smart- maybe even wise- and I was blunt. I had stood up to my previous Alpha several times before concerning his mistreatment, and I was not about to let myself or my mate be mistreated again. Speaking of which…

“There is another matter we need to take care of once the challenge is over,” I remembered. “Neither of us Gammas, nor any of the new wolves, have been officially accepted into the pack. We’re cut off from most mind links at this time, and the new members are growing restless.”

Elder Lisa shot a glare full of venom at Alpha Samuel, who had the decency to blush a deep crimson in embarrassment. “I see.”

No one spoke for a few minutes. It seemed no one really knew what to say. Then, Beth stood up and faced her Alpha. She gritted her teeth in a snarl, eyes burning.

“I, Bethany Jones, Beta of the Purple Crystal Pack, wish to finish my challenge with you, Alpha Samuel Morrison, for the title of Alpha.” She growled. Sam snarled back, and attempted to stand up but was restrained by the Elite guards. 

“I, Alpha Samuel Morrison of the Purple Crystal Pack, do not accept your wish to finish the challenge,” he retorted. “I demand that you concede; no more blood needs to be spilled.”

“And I, Elder Lisa, rebuke your refusal. The challenge will proceed immediately. As is tradition, the challenger and the challenged will fight until the other is too weak to continue; only by death or concession will the challenge be finished.” Elder Lisa sternly expressed. “Guards, take him to the training grounds at once. I will be there to create and bless a circle soon. Bethany, please prepare yourself and be there within the hour. Luna, Cherise, please prepare to attend, along with your coven and Gammas.”

The Elder strode out of the room gracefully and the Elite guards followed, dragging Samuel behind them as he struggled to break their grip. The fear in his eyes was evident; and he let out a frustrated roar. Beth and her mates followed, with Armando dragging the dazed witch along, and my mate and I brought up the rear. Delilah and her coven stayed, and I could hear them murmuring in hushed tones.

Carefully, we closed the door and padded down to our floor. Louise sighed once we reached our room and threw herself on our bed, stretching out on her back and throwing an arm over her eyes. She let out a frustrated groan and I chuckled, drinking in her beauty.

Louise was very thin, with a straight, tomboyish figure. She had tiny, imperfect breasts and a pancake ass that I adored spanking playfully. Her hair was thin and delicate, light blonde streaked with grey strands. Her voice was thick and she spoke with a bit of a slur. Her eyes were a tired green. She wasn’t what many considered a beautiful woman; but to me, she was a goddess.

Often, my beautiful Louise complained about her nonexistent figure. She’d stare at herself in the mirror, pinching her thighs and waist and arms, making faces of disgust and loathing. She’d ask if I wouldn’t rather be with someone more attractive and I always said no. Louise was my perfect woman, my perfect mate, flaws and all.

I was her second chance mate. Louise’s insecurities stemmed from childhood bullying, and her first mate had been no different. From what she’d told me, he’d made fun of her body, roaring with laughter before rejecting her in front of all her bullies. He said horrible things to her as she curled up on the ground in pain, mocking her and calling her derogatory names before screaming at her to accept the rejection.

Once she’d managed to get the words out, accepting the rejection and breaking the mate bond fully, the bullies and her ex-mate left her lying where she was, merrily going their way. Louise had laid there for hours, weeping inconsolably and wishing she would die. Her wolf howled with pain, lamenting the loss of her mate.

How this incredible woman managed to pick herself up and keep going was beyond me. We found each other several years later, and Louise was very wary of me. She’d tried to reject me at first, but I refused to accept it. I begged her to give me a chance, to let me prove I was different and that I could truly love her as she was. Louise took some time, but she eventually relented and we’ve been living in bliss ever since.

Regardless of the past, regardless of the heartless Alpha of our previous pack, and regardless of how Alpha Samuel was treating us now, as long as we were together we could face any storm. I climbed up on the bed and over my mate, gently placing my full weight on her body and moving her arm aside so I could kiss her beautiful face. 

“I hate this,” she whined, and I knew she was talking about Sam. “I hate this, Jay. The poor Luna doesn’t deserve this. The pack doesn’t deserve this. Why does he keep stringing Delilah along if he doesn’t want her?”

I hummed, kissing my mate’s forehead. “Only Moon Goddess knows, my queen. Perhaps it’s a bid for control; Delilah’s powers are impressive.”

Louise gasped. “You don’t think he’s trying to use her powers for some kind of plan, do you?”

“It’s not outside the realm of possibilities,” I mulled. “We know there’s some kind of spell afoot to keep the pack complacent.”

My mate growled, sending a shiver down my spine. She then wrapped her limbs around me, holding me tight. “I need a distraction, babe.”

“What kind of distraction?”

In response, Louise ground her groin against mine and I let out a rumble as I felt myself begin to harden. The scent of her arousal- musky, delicious, and moist- filled the room, and her limpid eyes went black with lust. “I think you know,” she purred.

I glanced at our clock, noting the time. “Well, I think we have time for a quickie.”

“Then hurry the fuck up and do me!” Louise commanded, releasing me and fumbling with her clothes. 

I chuckled. “Oh, if we have to…”

“We absolutely do!”

Louise threw her shirt to the side and struggled out of her pants as quickly as possible while I undressed myself in a more leisurely manner. I had barely kicked my pants and boxers off when she pounced off the bed onto her knees, wrapping her arms around my legs and resting her hands on my buttocks. I hissed as she unexpectedly and ruthlessly shoved her mouth over my cock, scraping her teeth against my sensitive skin as she did.

My hiss turned into a moan as my mate swallowed, her contracting muscles giving me a pleasurable tightening sensation. Louise sucked me off like her life depended on it, roughly shoving her head back and forth and breathing through her nose erratically. Her pace and suction was too much; my sensitivity and the building pressure threatened to push me over the edge. It was also getting slightly painful, if I was being honest. I placed my hand against her head and held her back after she slid her head backwards, forcing my cock free from her mouth.

Strings of saliva dribbled down her lip and chin, and she sat there panting, face flushed and eyes hooded. I chuckled and helped her stand before pushing her onto her back on the bed. “I know you’re frustrated, dear, and need the distraction, but that was a little much.”

“I- I just,” Louise panted. “I needed-”

I hushed her and teased along her slit with my fingers and she moaned, bucking her hips. “I hate that there’s no time to worship you properly, so I’ll give you a few good ones before we get to the main event.”

Louise let out a low howl while I slid my fingers into her folds and lubed them up with her slick juices. I pushed my index finger into her entrance, slowly pulling back before pushing back in. As I finger fucked her, I used my other hand to play with her clit, drawing out shuddered breaths and whimpers of pleasure.

I changed my tactic and curled my finger, reaching for her G spot. Louise let out a cry and her body contracted in response. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth in concentration.

“Yes, love…” I crooned. “Yes… give in to the pleasure… lose yourself in it…”

“AH!” Louise squealed, jumping as she hit her first, but small, orgasm. Her body began to relax in response to the release, and I used more pressure on her clit. The little bundle of nerves was more sensitive now that the first orgasm had hit, and Louise shivered and moaned. I switched from my hand to my tongue, lapping at her folds and humming. Her juices swept over my cheeks and saturated my beard, and I reveled in her taste. Musky, fresh, and a hint of acidity were the only words I could use to describe how my mate tasted.

My saliva added to the soaking mess of her gentians, and I lapped away greedily. I alternated between keeping my tongue firm and letting it go lax and loose to give my dear love different sensations, drawing forth another small orgasm. I traced her name over her clit then blew a cold breath over the heated, swollen skin.

“Jaaaay…” Louise whined, writhing in pleasure. “Jay, I need you. I need you now!”

Happy to oblige, I pulled my finger out of her vagina and replaced it with my cock, pressing the firm head against her yielding hole. I shoved in as far as I could go and waited while Louise adjusted after letting out a yelp at my entry. Once the discomfort passed, she let out a sigh and relaxed and I pulled back in order to begin thrusting. 

Louise dug her nails into my back and crossed her legs over my back as I pushed deep inside of her before pulling back out for the next thrust. The slapping of flesh was music to my ears, as were Louise’s sexy cries. She suddenly clenched her teeth and arched her back stiffly, and dragged her nails down my back. I purred, enjoying her reaction to a bigger orgasm. I resumed thrusting, this time going ham and letting myself go harder.

“FUCK!” She yelled, gripping at my hair. “FUCK! JAY!”

“Go ahead, Louise,” I growled, sweat pouring down my forehead. “Yell all you want, call my name, and cum for me! ”

I roared as Louise’s body clamped down on my shaft and drew forth another orgasm from her. I bit my tongue, trying not to release my seed quite yet. I wanted- no, needed - just a few more minutes to have my mate squirming beneath my body and drowning in pleasure. Louise’s eyes fluttered open slightly and I smirked as they rolled up, her gaze a clear indication that she was enjoying herself.

I felt the pull and tightening in my body that signaled I couldn’t hold it back any longer, and I slammed as deep as possible into Louise’s body before letting out a loud moan as I released my own orgasm. Louise screamed in pleasure and bore down on my back with her nails once more while locking her legs in place over my back, forcing me to stay on top of her as we both rode out the waves of pleasure.

Finally, exhausted, panting, and both of us satisfied, she released her hold and I slipped out. Cum dribbled out of her vaginal opening and slid down her taint, and I snickered. “My little mayonnaise packet.”

Louise sat up, horrified, and drew our blankets around her naked body. “I told you to quit calling me that!”

“But it’s cute!” I giggled, nuzzling and kissing her cheek. “Now, let’s take a nice shower and get to the training grounds.”

Louise nodded before looking at her watch and gasping, “Jay, we’re late!”

I froze, mind broken. “L-late? How are we late?!”

“Guess the quickie wasn’t quick enough,” Louise grumbled as she scrambled to find her clothes. “Let me just clean up what I can real quick while you get dressed.”

She sprang into the bathroom while I pulled my clothing back on begrudgingly. With no time to shower, every wolf around us would be able to tell exactly what we had been up to- and some of them might make fun of us for it. I could handle that, but I worried for Louise. As I mulled those thoughts over, Louise sprinted out of the bathroom and we made a break for it.

*************************************

Everyone had already gathered at the blessed circle when we arrived. A few smirks could be seen, as the scent of sweat and sex rolled off my mate and I. I bowed my head and apologized for our tardiness, which Elder Lisa waved off.

“No matter, you’re here now. Beth, Sam, step into the circle,” she commanded. Beth eagerly trotted in, stretching her arms over her chest. Sam was reluctant and only entered the circle when Elder Lisa barked, “NOW, SAM!”

Once they were in, Elder Lisa continued. “The circle has been blessed- no outside interference, no shifting, no mind linking will be allowed. As stated before, the fight ends when one dies or concedes defeat. No weapons will be permitted, and that includes claws. If you are ready, begin!”

Beth and Sam began to circle each other. He looked terrified, while she looked confident. Sam made the first move, zipping close to the ground and scooping Beth up by the legs, throwing her over his shoulder before falling backwards and slamming her down behind him. Beth flopped over, winded and surprised. Sam shoved his foot on her throat and pushed down. Beth scratched at his leg, coughing and sputtering for air.

“There’s no way he can take her down that easily!” Cherise screamed, being held back by Armando. “Beth-!”

Hearing her mate scream, Beth’s strength renewed itself and she twisted her body in order to kick Sam anywhere she could. Sam yelped in pain and backed off, allowing Beth to struggle to her feet, and she shoulder checked him in the pit of his stomach. Sam swung out a weak slap and Beth answered with a jab to the right and two left hooks to the ribs.

As they scuffled, dirt was thrown up in the air. Sam seemed inspired and grabbed a handful off the ground, strategically throwing it in Beth’s eyes when she let her guard down. She howled in pain, rubbing at her eyes, and Sam leapt upon her, throwing them both to the ground. He bit into her neck, and we all roared in indignation before Elder Lisa held up a hand to silence us.

“As long as his canines are not extended, biting is valid.” She stated grimly. We held our breaths. Beth hollered in pain, scratching blindly at Sam’s face and leaving deep gouges. Sam dug his fingers into Beth’s breast, eliciting a howl from Beth of rage and humiliation, before kneeing her in the small of her back several times.

Beth threw her elbow back in an uncoordinated fashion, trying to hit any part of Sam she could. She failed, only hitting air, and Sam dragged his fingers down the soft flesh of her breast, ripping several large gashes along the way. Beth screamed and her eyes rolled back in her head as her nipple was split in two from the attack. Everyone gasped, horrified. Blood poured from the wounds, soaking Beth’s shirt and the ground. Continuing to fight dirty, Sam swiped his hand against the ground and tossed a handful of dirt onto Beth’s wounded breast and rolled them both over, pressing the dirt into the injury. 

The sting was too much for Beth, and tears streamed from her eyes. Her composure was falling, and her thrashing becoming weaker and more desperate to get away. Sam released his bite from Beth’s neck, and everyone held their breath- only for Beth, Cherise, and Armando to let out ear-piercing, earth shattering screams of pain when he bit down on one of her marks as hard as he could.

Cherise and Armando collapsed, Cherise fainting from the pain almost immediately. Armando gasped for air, fighting the pain, and only went down after Master Damascus rushed to his side to comfort him as Delilah went to Cherise’s aid. Beth, seeing her mates go down in pain though her tears, roared in rage and bucked her body in jolting motions. Had they been standing, Beth might have been able to throw Sam off- but as it was, they were on their sides on the ground. 

Her attempts unsuccessful, Beth went limp, sobbing and cursing. Sam growled and, around his mouth full of her skin, asked if she conceded. Beth spat some blood out and snarled that she wouldn’t, and Sam bit down harder. Beth could only wail, going completely still as the pain claimed her body. Only when her eyes rolled back and closed did Sam let go, his mouth bloody and eyes clouded with anger.

He stood up, snarling viciously at us bystanders. “Let this be known, you idiots! I am the Alpha of this pack, and I will not tolerate betrayal!”

“You’re a fucking monster!” Delilah roared, holding Cherise close. “No one has betrayed anyone but you !”

“SILENCE, BITCH!” Sam commanded, using his Alpha tone.

“I WILL NOT BE SILENCED BY YOU!” Delilah used her Luna tone in response. Sam stepped out of the circle and shifted into his wolf, standing tall with his tail raised. He was a stunning white wolf with heterochromia- one gold eye, one blue.  Delilah followed suit, shifting into her massive silvery pink wolf, and took the same pose- only, her ears were pointed backwards and her mouth was drawn into an angry snarl, teeth fully exposed. Her eyes shone with pain and fury. Everyone around me looked confused as hell, and I wondered why.

Besides me, Elder Lisa gasped quietly. “It can’t be…!”

Sam swung his massive head to us, eyes bright with smugness. Delilah took her chance and leapt upon the wolf before her, and terrible cries filled the air. I grabbed Louise and we shifted, running to our Luna’s side to defend her. Master Damascus and Amy followed suit, as well as the two Elite guards and Elder Lisa. With so many of us attacking at once, Sam had no chance. He faced us all head on, shrieking in pain and looking this way and that frantically. Everyone was biting, clawing, punching, and kicking at him- all at once- and yet, he was managing to defend himself.

I felt a buzzing in the back of my mind and let it intrude, realizing it had to be a mind link.

This isn’t Sam! This isn’t Spirit! I don’t know who he is, but he’s an imposter! Take him DOWN!

I didn’t recognize the voice, but I knew I needed to obey it. I launched into the fray once more, latching onto a massive foreleg and going dead weight. The wolf tried to kick me off, to no avail. He let out a pained howl, and Delilah unleashed a burst of cherry blossoms, cutting up his fur and leaving tiny gashes all over his body.

Luna, cut deeper! I begged, knowing she couldn’t possibly hear me.

I can’t, I’ll cut everyone else up! You’re all in my path!

My eyes widened as I realized that it was Delilah who had been mind linking me before. Luna, tell everyone to get away! I’ll stay here and hold him!

You’ll get hurt!

That’s a risk I’m willing to take.

I closed my eyes, twisting my body so I could scratch at the imposter’s belly while keeping my jaws clamped over his leg. I stretched my hind legs out, trying to hit his belly or his dick. Whatever sensitive areas I could mangle to distract him, I would. If he was going to fight dirty in a blessed circle, then I’d follow suit outside of it. The wolf buckled and squealed in pain as I hit one of my marks; I hoped it was his dick.

I squinted my eyes closed as I felt myself getting sliced up and was relieved that my Luna was unleashing her petals in full force, cutting deeply and drawing out as much blood as possible. The wolf moaned and collapsed from the blood loss, crushing me with his weight. I had to let go of his leg while I struggled to shove him off me. Delilah had me in an instant by the scruff and yanked me to safety before tossing me as if I weighed no more than a pup.

I landed on my back with the wind knocked out of me and scrambled to my belly, watching as my Luna towered over the intruder and bit deep into his neck. 

Who are you?! She demanded. Tell us who you are, and why you’re here!

The wolf emitted a strangled snarl in response, and Delilah bit deeper. Suddenly, she dropped him in shock, eyes wide and blood smeared into her fur. H-how…?

I was about to speak when Master Damascus leapt onto the wolf and plunged a syringe deep into the wolf’s back. The wolf wailed and thrashed in pain, being forced to shift back into his human form. Sure enough, as the human took his proper features, we were all startled to see that it wasn’t Sam at all. 

The man passed out and Delilah shifted back, gritting her teeth and curb stomping him in the groin. The man wheezed and his body contorted in pain. Master Damascus and Amy grabbed Delilah and dragged her back as she spewed curses and threats at the unconscious being. The Elite guards each took an arm in their jaws and dragged the man towards the bunker, following commands from Elder Lisa to put him in a cell and restrain him with silver chains.

I heard Louise whine next to me and propped myself up on my front paws, looking at my mate and seeing her looking worse for the wear. I shakily stood up and licked at her cheek, my wolf furious that she was injured but thankful that she was alive. Oh, Louise…

Jason… she sobbed. Oh Jay, just look at yourself! 

It’s just a few scratches. I’ll live yet, much to everyone’s dismay, I joked. Louise nuzzled her head into my chest and huffed. I licked her ears, one of which was torn and bleeding profusely. Let’s take care of our Betas, and ourselves.

Beth was still in the circle, and it was easy enough to shift back to my human form and pick her up. Louise shifted and picked up Cherise, and Master Damascus picked up Armando. Amy still had a hold of Delilah, who was poised on her shoulder still hurling angry insults in the direction of the intruder. Elder Lisa tiredly led the way to the pack clinic, where a slew of nurses were ready and waiting with robes for everyone to put on before taking the unconscious members on gurneys and ushering the rest of us inside for treatment.

We were all separated from one another while the teams worked on us all in order of most wounded to least. Naturally everyone fussed over Delilah, wanting her out of there as quickly as possible. Delilah kept insisting they focus on the rest of us, her cries bouncing from her section while being ignored. A nurse pulled the curtain to my section aside and a doctor followed her in, assessing my wounds and administering aid. I winced and whimpered at the sting of the wounds being cleaned up. 

“Gamma, your mate is waiting for you when we’re done. Her ear is very delicate right now, but it was quick enough to stitch up. It’ll heal up,” the doctor said as he worked on me, examining how deep a cut went. “It won’t be perfect.”

“I understand.” I said softly, grunting as the doctor decided to stitch the examined cut up. It took some time before I was released and I immediately ran into the arms of my mate, breathing in her scent and peppering her with kisses. She let out a sob and I cupped her face in my hands, looking deep into her green eyes. “Oh, Louise, my love, my heart…”

“It hurts…” she whimpered. 

“I bet,” I soothed her. “You’ll have a funky scar, no doubt. But you know what?”

“What?”

“I’ll love you just the same,” I promised, pressing a long kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go back and get cleaned up.”

Louise took my hand in hers and we made our way back to the pack house, clambering up the stairs while an Omega called out that they’d send up some food. I waved in thanks, too tired to speak, and led Louise to the bathroom once we reached our room. We peeled off the robes the clinic had given us and I ran a bath with bubbles in it for us to wash up in.

Louise waited for me to get in first before settling in the water between my legs, her back pressed against my chest. We soaked up the warm water for a while before I wiped her down with a wash cloth, careful not to touch her ear. Once I had finished washing her, Louise turned and cleaned me up, taking care to avoid the stitches on my arm. Wordlessly, once we were clean, we drained the tub and wrapped ourselves up in warm towels to dry off. Our food had been delivered, so we ate in silence and curled up in bed after, gazing into each other’s eyes.

The silence was comforting, and while I was lost in the gaze of my mate, I felt myself succumbing to sleep. I knew she was doing the same, and I held her as close as I could before the full effects of sleep overtook us. Who knew what tomorrow would bring?

Chapter Text

Prudence

There was no end to my amusement over these creatures. Two guards who rotated shifts three times a day, my ankles chained together, limited meals and some medical attention here and there. I could hear Katrina’s voice every once in a while, and I had only called out to her once. She was too far for me to project my voice, and I was too weak. My body was slowly failing, but I had confidence that I would soon be restored to full health. 

I prayed every night to god that Katrina would be freed from this prison, and that she would finally receive the prestige and power she had been promised all her life. I prayed for Delilah’s salvation, asking him to cleanse her of her sins before sending her to hell where she belonged. One night, as I was performing my prayers, a commotion disturbed my worship. I watched a man get dragged past my cell by two wolves and listened to the sounds of a jail cell opening, followed by the jingling of chains before a heavy slamming of the cell door. 

“Imprisoning one of your own? How barbaric,” I giggled. 

Neither of the guards replied, as was normal. They thought themselves above me, and acted as haughtily as the previous pack of heathens I’d been forced to live in. All of this… because I was human. I’d been looked down upon, berated, teased- everything one could expect from a bunch of godless, demonic heathens. My faith never wavered; not even when my husband was destroyed in front of me. I know he is waiting for me up in heaven- and as much as I want to be with him, enveloped in his arms again- I must stay here for Katrina until her purpose has been fulfilled. 

Delilah was another story.

Ever since her damned father had impregnated me against my will, my life had been destroyed. He was the reason I’d learned about these abominations in the first place, and he had seduced me. He’d forced me to stray from the path god had given me, and he’d ruined me with his horrid little spawn. Not a day went by since I had learned I was pregnant that I didn’t repent and beg for forgiveness. When she was born, I could only feel a deep hatred for her and refused to even hold her. 

Her good for nothing sperm donor held her like she was the most precious treasure he’d ever seen and I felt sick. It was disgusting how he doted on that child. I was shunned by the pack and forced to live in a tiny shack of a house after Delilah’s birth. I had to clean their insufferable pack house with their Omegas in order to make enough money to eat, and I resented every minute of it. Every once in a while, Delilah’s deplorable father would drop off a box of food, necessities, and clothing for me. Unfortunately for me, I needed them and so I accepted the… donations.

Everything changed when I met my husband.

My dear, sweet, loving husband Araña.

I was attending some stupid banquet with neighboring packs when my husband found me. He was a warrior from another pack, and he was attending the banquet as a guard for his pack members when my scent hit him. He said I smelled like wintergreen berries and crisp winter air, and it was intoxicating to him. I gasped when we touched and my skin exploded in sparks and I just wanted Araña in my life forevermore.

Being that he was a warrior from another pack, he had to appeal and convince “my” Alpha to let me go. After great reluctance, the old bastard finally released me from their hold and I left everything behind, including Delilah and her bastard of a father. Araña respected my decision to leave them without a word, though he could not comprehend not wanting anything to do with the child. A wolf, after all, is a creature that needs its family around to feel whole. It was the subject of many arguments. 

When Araña and I welcomed our perfect Katrina into the world, I was in love. We bickered over whose turn it was to hold her, snuck around for extra kisses and pictures, and teased each other relentlessly over who Katrina would call for first when she could speak. 

It was her daddy.

Araña’s wolf, Tucker, was just as head over heels for Katrina and I would often come home from my new job as a secretary to see him curled up around her while the two of them napped. Nothing made my heart soar as much as seeing my beautiful family together. Every day was amazing and full of love and laughter. Every day I was appreciated, worshipped, adored, and loved by my mate. Every day I found myself blessed with my daughter and how amazing she was. Katrina was destined for greatness; everyone commented on her prowess.

One day, many years later, I received a message from my “old” pack- a letter explaining that Delilah’s beloved daddy had died and as I had never officially relinquished custody of her, I was to make the final decision as to whether or not she would come live with me or live elsewhere. I scoffed at this, but Araña was beyond excited. He and I fought over her, I didn’t want her anywhere near my perfect Katrina. He argued that Katrina deserved to have her sister with her and that they grow up together.

It was only when I threatened to leave him and take Katrina with me that Araña backed off. He begrudgingly gave me the time and space I needed to breathe, and in that time, I was contacted by a stranger. A strange letter appeared in my car one day, and curiosity drove me to read it. In a tight, jagged script, I read:

Madam,

It has come to my attention that you were the mother of the fabled Sakura Wolf. As her father is now deceased, I assume custody would befall you. I urge you to take her under your wing, and before your protest, I ask you to read why.

The Sakura wolf is immensely powerful and could potentially bring about the literal end of the world if not… handled… properly. She must be cut off from her powers if we are all to survive. I would therefore like to propose a deal: take custody of the child, and I will make the arrangements to keep her contained. 

She will become weak; and in time, I believe I will be able to take her power and transfer it to your much more deserving daughter Katrina. She shows the potential to become a powerful Luna, regardless of her half-breed status, wouldn’t you agree?

Give me Delilah, and all of your ambitions for Katrina will come to be.

There was nothing with which to contact the bearer of the letter with, though I read through again and again. Puzzled, I shook my head and started my drive home. As miles went by, my mind wandered… I had no love for Delilah, and somehow she was some all-powerful being now? Did her worthless father know of this? Why should I harbor her for this mysterious being? Katrina was the only child I needed, the only one I wanted. 

Parents always want what’s best for their beloved children, don’t you agree? a voice deep within my mind reasoned. Katrina only deserves the best, since she is the best.

This was true. Katrina was the only one deserving of this power, not that first born menace! I smiled to myself as I made my decision. Yes, Delilah would be sacrificed in order for Katrina to succeed. All I had to do was-

“Oi! Are you listening?”

I blinked and shook my head, coming back to reality. There were two wolves in the cell with me- one, the usual doctor, and the other I had no idea. She was short but imposing, and from what I could see she was clearly an authority figure. “Pardon? When did you two get here?”

The doctor sighed and pulled out some equipment to take my vitals with. “We’ve been here only a few minutes, ma’am. Long enough to have a whole conversation with you, which will now need to be repeated.”

“Get to it, then, mutt,” I smiled, offering no resistance as he put a blood pressure cuff around my arm.

“Lovely attitude, as usual,” he scoffed.

The other wolf cleared her throat and waited for me to look at her before speaking. “You are the mother of the fabled Sakura Wolf, are you not?”

“Why ask questions you already know the answer to?” I retorted. 

“I have my reasons,” the wolf said snidely. “And I’m sure you have yours for putting her through the years of memory repression, soul binding, and overall abuse-”

I snapped and shouted, “ Abuse ?! You call containing that- that monster an act of abuse ?!”

The woman smirked in response. “What else could it be considered?”

“I was keeping her under control, you uneducated fleabag,” I snarled. “Not that I have to justify anything, especially not to you , but I was making sure the rest of the world was safe- ”

“-by siphoning her blood off to deranged witches, giving her silver poisoning, literally repressing her memories and binding her soul, beating and starving her?! ” the woman demanded. 

I snorted. “It was all to keep her contained. Had the wolfsbane been a high enough dosage, her wolf never would have come to her and would have found Katrina as was promised.”

The doctor finished his examination and turned away from me, looking over a tray of instruments. The woman before me was clearly seething in anger, setting her jaws tight and presumably holding back her wolf. I relaxed, assured that she wouldn’t attack me. I held all the answers these deranged monsters wanted, and they wouldn’t dare harm me so long as I held them hostage. If they were smart, they would listen to my demands before I gave them anything else. 

“...It seems,” the woman said in a strained voice, “that you have no idea how wolves work. The Moon Goddess gives and takes; you cannot take a wolf from one to give another without her consent.”

“Your so-called ‘Goddess’ is a sham against all that is holy!” I snapped in response. “All of you heathens worship this false god, and it sickens me. There is only one true god who breathes life into his children, whose righteousness absolves us of our sins!”

“I am aware of your Christian god, and your religious practices sicken me just as much as ours sicken you,” the woman challenged. “But at least our Goddess has never been an excuse to start wars, pillage and plunder and destroy all that exists in the name of conquering other beliefs!”

“ How dare you! ” I shrieked, appalled by her blasphemy.

“How dare YOU! You mock our Goddess, yet when the truth is pointed out about yours you get your feathers ruffled.” the woman snapped back. “I am not here to debate on whose god or goddess is absolute with you, old crone. I am here for answers about Delilah.”

I turned my face away from her. “I will not comply.”

“I wasn’t asking,” the woman snarled. 

I laughed. “I wasn’t giving permission.”

The woman stood tall and drew in a deep breath. “I have ways of making you cooperate. Starting with that other daughter of yours.”

A scream of anguish echoed through the halls just then, and I realized the scream belonged to Katrina. My heart stopped and my blood turned to ice in my veins. “What have you done to her?!”

“Give me the answers I seek, old one, or things will get far worse,” the woman threatened. “I am not above using any tactics to get what I want- be it torture, threats, or what have you. The more you resist, the more Katrina will suffer. I’ll make sure of that.”

Katrina screamed again, followed by loud sobbing. I ground my teeth in anger. “What are you doing to her?!”

The woman looked at her nails, suddenly fascinated by them. “Oh, she’s just getting a whipping. A whip laced with silver, just like the one you allowed to be used on Delilah. See, I know that silver won’t harm you… but even a half-breed can feel the pain of the metal that destroys wolf lives.”

“You have the gall to call me a monster!” I yelled, wishing I had the strength to stand and leap upon the woman. “You’re torturing an innocent girl! She’s a child!”

“SO WAS DELILAH!” the woman thundered, the cell shaking with her anger. “Yet, that never stopped you, did it? Delilah’s screams and begging never stopped you. Common decency never stopped you. Now, it’s my turn to return the favor- to both of you.”

She then turned to the doctor, who nodded and handed her a syringe. She held the syringe in both hands, seemingly contemplating for a moment on her next move. “It will do us no good to let you die.”

I watched her carefully as she made her way over to me. 

“So, we won’t kill you,” she continued, taking my arm in hers. I tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong. “But we will make you feel the pain Delilah has gone through.”

She pushed the needle into my skin and injected a tiny amount of fluid. I waited for unimaginable pain to spread out, but nothing happened. She withdrew the syringe and rubbed the area she’d poked. “Have a wonderful night.”

The wolves packed up their things and left the cell. Katrina let out another wail and I cried out for her to be strong, and that we would get out of here soon, but it was to no avail. My poor, sweet daughter could not hear me. Tears formed in my eyes as more of her screams echoed through the cells, powerless to save her. As time went on, my skin around the injection site began to itch. I tried to reach up to scratch and realized that someone had shortened my chains and I couldn’t move my hands. The itching sensation spread through my whole body, and within moments everything from my eyeballs to my toenails was burning with the itching sensation. It felt like thousands of fleas were biting me all at the same time everywhere, and I screamed in irritation and thrashed against my bindings. 

“Katrina… Katrina!” I cried out in between my screams. “My baby!”

My heart was pounding, drowning out anything that could be heard with the sound. Eventually, the itching turned into a deep burning sensation and I writhed around in pain, gasping for air. I was blinded by the pain, and I was sure my heart was going to give out from the torture. At one point, when I was sure my heart was going to give out, I tried to comfort myself with imagining the pain Delilah would be going through when I finally got myself and Katrina out of here. I could hear myself laughing, and I hoped it would unsettle those wolves outside of my cell. 

They weren’t going to win this battle that easily.

Chapter Text

Katrina

I have never experienced this kind of pain before. I’ve never been on the receiving end of such cruel punishment before. Mom had always said that punishment was meant for those who were bad, or evil, and that I was neither of those things. She encouraged me to beat Delilah to keep her in place, praised me for showing my dominance through physical touch and verbal berating. I was taught that it was the right thing to do, especially if I were to become a Luna and keep a pack well in line.

I think… Mom might have been wrong.

When the wolves chained me on my belly to a cold, steel table and ripped the back of my shirt open, I was terrified that I was going to be raped. To my relief, I was told that no such thing would happen. I wasn’t expecting the stinging bite of the whip, however, and my skin burned with the distinct sensation of silver. No matter how much I howled and screamed and begged for mercy, they did not relent. 

What felt like an eternity later, the lashings stopped, and basic first aid was administered. The nurse said it was only ten lashings and I would recover eventually. I was given a new shirt to put on, but my wounds have seeped into the fabric and made it stick to my body. I’ve been debating just taking the damn thing off, but I don’t want my upper body exposed for all to see.

I haven’t been myself since learning that my wolf is dead from that awful meeting. How could I not notice that man was my mate? His scent should have intoxicated me, soothed me, and excited me. We should have been all over each other, like some of the seniors at school were once they turned eighteen. 

School…

I missed school, if you could believe it. I loved my classes, loved my friends, and loved how free I was of my depressing home with Delilah in it. Delilah didn’t exist outside of that house, to me. The only mission I had while I was at school was to find a pack to take mom and me in, and by any means necessary. As far as mom knew, I had slept with Ken to try my luck at getting us into his pack. I knew underage sex wasn’t the best ploy, but how else could I explain to my mother that my so-called diplomatic skills weren’t up to her standards?

I had wasted my time signing up for a speech and debate class. I couldn’t argue peacefully and rationally, I couldn’t stay on topic, and I stumbled all over my words. The only reason I passed that class was due to extra credit projects I took on- that, and a lenient teacher who understood how badly I was struggling and did his best to help me out. Because of this, I decided that if I told mom I had slept with a pack member, she’d be proud of my cunning and skill.

What actually happened, you may ask?

I got on my hands and knees and begged Ken to help us find sanctuary in his pack. I told him I would do whatever it took to get us in, and I couldn’t live this lone wolf life any more. I craved a pack, I needed other wolves around me. I cried for him to save us- to save me. If I could satisfy my mother by being mated to any high-ranking wolf, I’d be happy. As much as she wanted me to be a Luna, I had to admit to myself that maybe… maybe I wasn’t good enough to be one.

Ken made no promises, but promised he would petition his Alpha for us. He did, and Alpha Vandus allowed us into his grounds… But we all saw how that went. I tried so hard to follow the lessons mom had taught me, to behave exactly as she taught me and praised me for. Well, look at me now- mateless, wolfless, packless, and a prisoner.

My eyelids drooped, and I laid down on the hard stone bed on my stomach so as not to irritate my wounds. I laid there for a while, willing myself to sleep, and imagined what it would have been like to have my wolf. The breeze in my fur, the companionship of another soul, the earth beneath my paws. I imagined the embrace of a mate, the love and the bond between us…

“Katrina.”

I frowned at the voice calling my name and turned my head, trying to go back to my sleepy happy place. 

“Katrina.”

Whoever you are, leave me alone. I thought to myself.

“Katrina!” 

“What?!” I snapped, opening my eyes. Before me stood a beautiful woman, with long black hair, a silver dress, pale skin, and eyes that looked completely white. Around us was a dark cave, surrounded by pools of beautiful rainbow-colored water. “What the…?”

“Do you know who I am?” The woman demanded. I studied her carefully before shaking my head. “I have no clue.”

“I am the being you do not believe in,” the woman said. “Does that answer the question?”

I blinked a few times before catching on. “You’re- you’re real? The Moon Goddess?”

The woman nodded. I pushed myself up off the ground and swore at her. “You bitch! If you’re really real, why didn’t you save my father?! You let Delilah kill him! And what of my wolf?! Why is she dead?!”

The woman turned and began walking through the cave, and I followed her. “Don’t you fucking ignore me, you cunt!”

The woman kept walking, but she began to speak. “I do not wish to raise my hand to one of my own children, but should you continue to disrespect me, I shall not hesitate to do so. Your questions will be answered as I see fit, Katrina, but your belligerence and pride will be your downfall should you continue to act up.”

“Oh for the love of god, ” I complained. “Fine, I’ll shut up!”

The Moon Goddess whipped around, eyes burning with such an intensity that I shrank back in fear. “Do not take the name of that being in vain in my presence!”

I whimpered, and her features softened. “I may not be the god your mother follows, or you for that matter, but I will not allow disrespect for any of us. That goes for everyone- any and every deity that you can think of. We are all due the respect of our followers, just as we must respect the followers who follow nothing and take charge of their own destinies.”

“Atheists?” I asked.

“If that’s what they choose to call themselves,” The Moon Goddess nodded. “However, we are not here to discuss deities and religion. We’re here because of you.”

“What did I do?!” I demanded, though my gut churned. Did she know about… well, everything?

“What haven’t you done?” She retorted. “I had everything planned out for you, Katrina. A wonderful mate, a humble life, one of my precious wolves…”

I gulped.

“…Although, I am fully aware that you had nothing to do with her death,” The Moon Goddess stated mournfully. “Poor, sweet Peppermint… If only I could have stopped the whole ordeal. She was a good wolf, you know. You’d have loved her.”

I walked up next to the Moon Goddess’ side. “What… happened to her?”

The Moon Goddess sighed and took my hand. She led me to a cavern that glittered like millions of stars and sat me down at a little formation that looked like a table with benches. She flicked her hand and some tea and sandwiches appeared. She invited me to partake, and I did so with hearty appreciation.

After I’d munched on several sandwiches and downed three cups of tea, she spoke again. “What I am about to tell you will break your heart, and ultimately destroy some of your relationships. Can you handle this knowledge, Katrina, while finding out the truth?”

I nodded, putting my cup down.

“Katrina, I must start off by telling you that your mother has betrayed you- not just once, but all your life .”

I sputtered angrily, but bit my tongue. Surely there was a good reason for my mother to hurt me?

“I did warn you, my child. Now, to explain… Your mother, in a bid to exchange your wolf with Delilah’s, sold your wolf’s soul to a black magic witch. Exchanges of wolves is not possible without my own interference, and that is why your wolf died. I could not and would not allow the black magic contract to proceed, and it was by my own hand that Peppermint had to die.

“There was nothing else to be done. I grieved for the both of you, and I still do. Cherry was never meant to be yours, Katrina. Speaking of, do you have any idea just how long Cherry was fighting to get to Delilah?” She asked. I shook my head. “I thought not. Cherry has been fighting for over seven years to reach Delilah, thanks to all the evil your mother allowed to happen.”

“I don’t understand,” I sniffled, realizing I was nearly in tears. “I don’t- I-”

“Hush. Let me continue,” the Moon Goddess poured me some more tea. “Your mother is not a wolf herself. She was never meant to be one, and she never will. I’m afraid fate has much darker plans for her, and all in good time. The god she worships is just as appalled at her actions, and will not welcome her to their domain.”

I let out a sob, my heart shattering at the thought of my mother going to hell and knowing there was nothing I could do. 

“There has been so much damage done by her to both of her daughters, and she has done her best to teach you her ways. She has almost succeeded. Katrina, I have watched you since the day of your birth. I grieved with you when your father died. I grieved for the whole pack that was lost following his death. But you must know something- the truth of what happened to your father.”

“I don’t want to hear it!” I cried, angrily wiping my eye with the palm of my hand. “Delilah killed him, Delilah killed my father !”

The Moon Goddess smiled sadly. “You may choose to believe that lie, but the fact of the matter is that your mother killed him.”

“ NO! ” I wailed. “DELILAH did!”

“Your mother’s misdeeds were discovered by your father. He was petitioning the Elders to come rescue the three of you when she killed him. Delilah was merely the vessel of her hatred,” The Moon Goddess continued. “The poor girl was poisoned with a potion that made her rage boil past the point of control, slipped into her morning drink of milk at breakfast. Delilah was unable to control herself, and believe you me when I tell you Delilah was shattered by her actions. She loved your father, though she refused to admit it.”