Chapter 102
-Dorothy-
The
past
had come back to haunt me once again. I walked through the dim house, a small dwelling that seemed much larger to the child’s b*dy 1 found myself in. Night had fallen and the house was dark. My father had told us to hide. Me and aunt Rita, We were supposed to be quiet.
The house was deadly silent as I padded down the corridor, barefoot and trailing a teddy bear behind me. The last gift from my mother, before she gave me what was left of her life. I tiptoed to the window, climbed onto the dusty sofa in the corner and peaked out through the glass.
It was dark outside, but down the street there was an orange light, glowing brighter by the minute. I thought it might be the sun making an early appearance. It wasn’t. As the flames are through the houses on our street, the cries of battle grew louder.
r
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Chapter 102
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Agonized, panicked screams of shifters being ripped from their homes, torn apart in the streets by terrifying invaders.
Wolves, big ones,
Their howls cut through the night, so loud I swore I felt the house shake
There were other monsters out there too. Pale, slender creatures with bright red eyes. I watched thern sink their teeth into the neighbors 1 had once knowIL
One of the creatures saw me and drew nearer, pressed its slined rose up against the glass, inches away from where I stood frozen in suddenters, I smiled, and crimson blood dripped from its sharp, white fangs.
“Dorothy! Get away from that thing! A shrill cry in my car, hunds lifting me into the air before the creature broke through the glass Aunt Kita held me tight against her chest and bolted through the house with the monster close behind us. I screamed in terror as the creature climbed the walls. Elongated claws us spindly arms stashed through the air as it wailed
and shrieked
Rita kicked the back door open and darted into the alleyway beynd. A cloud of smoke swirled around us, an orange haze obscuring the path. We evaded the blood-sucking creature, but more monsters came after us. Wolves.
1 watched the memory play out all over again from over my aunt’s shoulder as she ran. I watched my father mowed down by vicious snarling shifters. I watched my home disappear in the smoke.
Right before Rita hurled us into the woods, I caught a glimpse of someone familiar. An impossible anomaly that led me to realize that I was dreaming Johan stood silhouetted in the orange glow of the burning village. Watching me with empty eyes. his rotting b*dy was propped up like a puppet with invisible strings
I awoke to Ignatius shaking my shoulder, my mate crouching over me on the bed.
As soon as my eyes flew open. Ignatius pressed his forehead to mine, breathing heavily as if trying to calm down. “Are you hack: You were thrashing. I couldn’t wake you up
“I’m back. I croaked weakly, and my mate let the full weight of his b*dy crush me to the bed as he collapsed on my chest in
relief.
I looked over at the empty bed as I stroked his damp hair. “Where are the twins?”
“Outside.” Ignatius murmured against my n*eck, his hot breath on my ear. “Angle and Fae came over to say goodbye. Plato’s
Ignatius rolled to the side and rested his head on my chest, “I didn’t want to wake you, I thought you needed the rest”
“What rest?” I muttered dryly. “I feel like I’ve just run a marathon”
“With the way you were kicking your legs just now, you’d make a star athlete,” Ignatius adjusted his legs and winced. “You got me in the groin earlier, you almost ruined our chances of ever having any more kid”
“Sorry about that” 1 pecked a k*ss to his forehead and sat up Tm sure your balls will be fine.”
Anger. Far and Plato were waiting for us on the Iront porch. The twins were clinging to Plato, determined to make him stay Angle flashed me a warm smile when I emerged from the cottage, my tousled hair a dead giveaway of my tumultuous sleep
“Hey, sleepyhead. Long night? Angie rattled my already matted hair and I swatted her hand away with a grunt
Are you to supposed to be on the road already?”
ut to say goodbye” Far enfolded sur in a tight
i embrace, her Bural scent inunediatchy putting tur at case
his arms around
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Plato was the first to go,masking his nervousness under false bravado and a layer of thysalis leaves to cover his scent. He wasn’t a very inconspicuous person, seeing as everyone in the Bielke pack and all of our allies knew his face.
But he had gone out of his way to change his appearance as best he could. His long dark locks were replaced with a surprisingly complimentary buzzcut, and he topped it off with a hoodie and sunglasses that were far too big for his face.
The twins were sad to see him go, but he crouched down beside Ignatious and promised them he’d be back in a flash, Ignatius lifted Amelie onto his shoulder, and Elias clung to his fathers legs as they waved Plato off. The lone shifter. disappeared down the driveway, his confident stride giving way to a far more hesitant step the further away from us he walked
Then it was time for Angie and Far to leave, too. While Far went to get the car started, Angie pulled me aside to talk,
“Look,” she put both hands on my shoulder, talking under her heath while Ignatius glanced over at us with raised brows, “I can’t relay knowing that something is amiss around here. I won’t deny Far her vacation, go d knows she needs it
Angie, you need a break- I tried to lult her once I realized what she was getting at, but the she-wolf covered my mouth with her palm.
“Shush, shut up. You know I love you guys and I love this pack. Tan’t just take a break when something bad is going down. So Fae and 1 are going to gather intel on the road. I’ll let you know if we happen to replace any useful information.”
I rolled my eyes until she removed her hand, wiping my sleeve across my l*ps, “Why do you taste like french fries?”
“Balanced breakfast, Angie shrugged before forcing me to meet her gaze. “And Dorothy? Be careful, okay? These rumors could just be rumors. But you need to be on guard. Stay alive until we get back alright?”
1 gave her a little salute. Til do my best.”
Plate wasn’t the only one putting on a brave face. Angie’s smile was a tense one.
Once her and Fae had sped off down the driveway, an air of foreboding settled over Ignatius and me. He came to stand beside me, holding the twins to his chest as we watched the beaten up van disappear behind the treeline
For the first time in a while, we were truly on our own. It was a daunting thought. Evil was on the rise again and we had no idea how to handle it. No clue as to who our mysterious new for was, nor how to replace them. All we could do was be on guard. and prepare for the worst..
“It feels like the past is back to haunt us,” I stated solemnly
Elias leaned over Ignatius’s shoulder, reaching for me with an all too innocent grin. That smile terrified me. My children were vulnerable, and I could do nothing to protect them, nothing to secure their safety
I took the twins in my arms and Ignatious put a hand on my waist. Amelic leaned her head on her fathers shoulder and the four of us huddled together. Four parts of a greater whole.
“That’s not what’s happening,” he answered. Although he didn’t sound like he believed it himself.
Later that evening, we decaded to take a stroll through the seaside streets. We dropped the twins off with Fae’s mother, who was more than happy to keep an eye on them for a while. The widower rarely left her house, and she was always thrilled to love young
blood running amok on the property like Fac, Angie, and Gideon had done when they were children.
Amelie had taken a liking to the old lady and was particularly interested in her collection of witchy trinkers Ignatius had been alarmed to hear that his daughter might be taking after his own mother, but Amelse was a far cry from the person.
The Halbe pack was doing better than ever. Without the threat of constant warfare, and without the tyrannical Elliot for an Alphas, people of the Birlke pack were finally free to thrive Small stores and businesses had popped upt all over the place, and the Burke wade had become a popular vacation spot for inland packs.
Ipnative laad done night by his people, and day loved lum for it. We were greeted by passersby as we walked the xanly
ved Fruin shape window it should have been a peacchid evening, we should have
Chapter 102
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been proud of the community we had built.
But Ignatius had anxieties of his own. He was silent during our walk, only disclosing his feelings to me when we stood alone on the quiet beach.
“I’m afraid Dorothy
I looked up at my mate, and he suddenly looked far too old and far too young all at once.
“Afraid of what might happen?”
Ignatius nodded as we both sat down on the sand. Not too long ago, Ignatius had peeled off my wedding dress on this beach. and we’d mated under the moonlight without a care in the world.
Now the horrors of the past were clawing at our heels once again. All we could do was hold onto each other and hope for the
best
“I’m afraid for the future, for our family..” Ignatious paused, like it pained him to admit to his emotions. “And I’m afraid of looking into Elliots dealings.”
I shifted closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder as the wind whipped our hair around. “You’re worried about what miglu be buried in Elliots closet?”
Ignatius nodded gravely, propping his head on top of mind. “Tim afraid of the skeletons I might replace.”
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