The Broken Wolf
Chapter 49

Seth returns to the cabin, walking into the bedroom, surprised to see me up and dressed.

“You really are ready to get out of here, aren’t you?” he says with a sympathetic look on his face and I just nod in return.

He walks over and goes to put my shoes on me, but I smile at him and hold my hand up, reminding him of my healed hand.

“I keep forgetting,” he says with a smile and hands them to me.

“You’ve had to help me since we met,” I point out with a smile. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I’m happy to, though,” he tells me gently. “You know that, right?”

“I know,” I say, as I finish tying my shoes.

“You all have a good talk?” Robbie asks Seth.

Seth looks at him seriously and nods. “I think we’ve come up with something. I’m comfortable with it, but I’ll need to talk to Molly about it.”

“What’s going on?” I ask them, neither of them offering an answer.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about right now,” Seth tells me and reaches his hand out to me. “Let’s just worry about getting you somewhere you’re comfortable, OK?”

I start to answer him, but I’m hit by another memory.

Alex is carrying a tiny me through the woods, letting me lay my head on his shoulder as I cry.

“Your daddy’s just upset, Molly,” he says to me gently and sets me down on the ground. He kneels in front of me and takes my tiny hands in his. “It’s not your fault. Nothing is. Do you understand?”

“No, Uncle Alex. I don’t understand,” I tell him, confused about everything. “Is Jason OK? Why didn’t he come back with us?”

“Oh, Molly,” he says and I can see tears in his eyes. “They hurt him very, very badly. Promise me if you ever see those men again that you’ll run the other way as fast as you can.”

“I will,” I tell him seriously. “I’m very, very fast!”

“I know you are, I know,” he says, scooping me up into his arms again. “Let’s get you back home.”

“Is Daddy going to give me away because I was bad?” little me and big me feels my heart break into a million pieces at her innocent question.

—–

“I’ve got you, Love,” Seth says, gently cradling my face.

My l*p quivers and I sniffle. “Can we leave, please?”

“Yes, let’s go,” he says, helping me to stand. He looks down at me, confused. “Are you taller?”

I shrug at him. “I don’t know, but I think I have more muscle now.”

“I really think you’re like a whole inch taller,” he says at me in disbelief.

Robbie walks over, standing next to Seth and looking at me. “You’re definitely taller,” he says to me. “Someone could have warned me your eyes had changed color, too.”

I giggle at him a little. “I think my hair will be curly, too.”

Robbie walks out of the room and Seth takes my hand, leading me to the door, but I stop and pull him back. “Do I look OK?” I ask him, so self conscious about the facts that I’ve changed so much.

“You look amazing, Love,” he says to me, kissing my head.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone,” I tell him quietly, looking towards the door hesitantly.

Seth nods at me. “They know. They should leave you alone. Benjamin did insist that one of his men walk us to the cave, though.”

“I have an Alpha and a Prince with me,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Who would even try anything?”

“I think it just makes him feel like he’s helping, but I’ve been assured he’ll leave you alone,” he says and leads me towards the door.

I feel so nervous walking into the room and fix my eyes on the old, beaten up, wooden floors. No one says anything as Seth gently leads me to the door. We stop and I realize he’s trying to help me put my jacket on, so I cooperate and move to zip it, but he never lets go, zipping it up and pulling me to him. He places a k**s on my forehead. “Let’s go,” I hear him say gently as he releases me and the door opens.

“You’ll link your father when you arrive safely?” I hear Benjamin ask Seth.

“Someone will,” he says to him. “I think we’ll let Molly try to link her dad if she’s up for it.” and he places his hand on my lower back, leading me out and closing the door behind us.

I realize when I walk out that Robbie is outside, carrying the backpack that has our things in it.

“You’re coming with us?” I ask him, excited.

“Of course!” he tells me and throws his arm around my shoulders. “I’m not letting you guys have a party without me.”

We start towards the cave and are greeted by an older, blonde haired rogue man- the same one we had met that first day when Seth and Robbie went to replace the witch… my mother. He looks at us but when he sees me, he bows.

I look at him and it hits me, “Uncle Alex?” I ask him.

“Hey Princess,” he tells me with a crooked smile. “It’s nice to have you back. I heard you’re having a rough time.”

“She doesn’t want to talk about it,” Seth says, stepping between us and I’m thankful for how protective he is of me.

“I know, I know,” he says, throwing his hands in the air defensively. “Just know, if you’ve got any questions, I’m happy to answer them. Let’s get you back. Stay close, these woods aren’t safe for she-wolves.”

“They’ve been missing from here?” Seth asks him, surprised.

“She-wolves have been going missing from the rogue lands for a few years now,” he says with a disgusted look on his face. “No one ever thinks about checking

out here, but we’re part of this kingdom, too.”

“Once we get things settled with Molly, I’ll be back to ask some questions,” Seth tells him and Alex looks a little surprised.’’

“Trying to make nice with the father-in-law?” he asks Seth with a chuckle.

“No,” he tells him, almost offended. “I’m trying to be the man my mate expects me to be,” Seth tells him and squeezes my hand. I nod at him and he’s right. It’s been bothering me how the rogues are just cast out and everyone pretends they aren’t part of the kingdom. If it weren’t for his dad, I’d have grown up out here and could have been kidnapped.

We continue on, no one saying anything else. I note though that Robbie looks very uncomfortable with Alex, and I’m not sure why. I make a note to talk to him about it once we’re alone. We reach the entrance of the cave and walk in and I realize that my eyes are adjusting so that I can see in the dark. Seth notices my smile and looks at me, a questioning look on his face.

“I can see in the dark, now,” I tell him excitedly and Robbie turns to me, a huge smile on his face.

“Will you shift the next full moon?” my brother asks me.

“I’m not sure,” I say. “I hope so.” It hadn’t even occurred to me that I’d be shifting soon and I honestly feel excited.

“Let’s just get these memories worked out first, alright, Love?” Seth asks, pulling me to a much more reasonable goal at the moment.

“That’s the line there,” Alex says, stopping as we continue on. He looks at me and bows again. “We couldn’t have asked for a more deserving princess”.

I can feel Seth’s anger through the bond, and I’m not exactly sure why. I cross my arms and continue on, crossing the border, feeling more at peace as we pass onto the Lunar Falls territory. Seth’s anger is nearly overwhelming, and Robbie is still acting weird. It all just feels like it’s too much, so I just continue walking a little bit faster, hoping to get ahead of them.

“You trying to leave us?” Robbie asks me and I don’t even bother responding, I just continue moving.

Seth takes a few large steps to catch up to me and grabs my arm. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“I can feel your anger through the bond. It’s overwhelming,” I snap at him, realizing that it’s affecting me more than I’d even realized.

“Woah, woah,” he says to me, realizing how much I could feel it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I just don’t understand why Benjamin sent that guy with us. He’s acting like he knows you.”

“He does, though,” I tell him, trying not to think about the memories too much. “I don’t want to talk about it, yet. But he was there and took care of me when Benjamin didn’t.”

“I didn’t know,” he tells me, pulling me to his chest. “I’m sorry.”

I nod against him, trying my best not to cry again. “It’s all just so much. I didn’t even get time to get used to our bond before the memories came and wrecked me”

“I know love,” Seth says into my hair. “Your life really hasn’t been very fair. It will be better though, I swear. I’ll make sure it is.”

“Can you feel my emotions the way that I could feel your anger?” I ask him, afraid that he’s feeling this, too.

“I can, but I’m glad I can,” he says to me and tilts my face up to look at him. “I know you’re not OK because I can feel it. There’s no use trying to pretend you are. I can feel how terrible this has been for you, and I just want to make it better.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, feeling terrible that he can feel this.

“Don’t apologize,” he says to me and k****s me gently. “You haven’t done anything to apologize for. It won’t always hurt like this, Love.”

I nod and lay my head back on his chest, content for a moment with the feeling of his arms around me when a memory hits again.

—–

I’m in the cabin and my Daddy is crying and Mommy is hugging him. Calvin is sitting on the couch with his mommy and she’s hugging him. Everyone is sad. Andrew didn’t come back home and they said Jason was hurt badly and can’t come back. I miss my brothers. Calvin is mad at me, and so are his Mommy and my Daddy. Everyone is mad at me.

“Daddy, I’m sorry,” I say, peeking out from the hall.

“Just go to your room, Molly,” Daddy says sternly.

“OK, Daddy,” I say with a sniffle and go back into my room, sitting on my bed and hugging my doll. Everyone is mad at me, and no one will hug me.

—–

“Please don’t let me go,” I say to my mate and he pulls me tighter to him.

“I love you,” he whispers into my hair. “I’ve got you.”

“I know,” I tell him, taking in the feeling of being in my mates arms. “You might have to keep reminding me, though.”

“I’ll remind you every day,” he says, and leans down, scooping me up to carry me. I feel ridiculous being carried, but I also don’t want to leave his arms, so I don’t protest and just lay my head on his shoulder.

Robbie must have kept walking to give us some time because I realize as Seth continues walking, that he’s somehow ahead of us.

Seth carries me the rest of the way to Oliver’s. Oli opens the door for us when we get there and welcomes us in. He sits me on the couch in the living room and Oli tosses me my favorite blanket at his house and hands me a mug of hot chocolate. I can smell the beef stew he’s made me again, and it smells like love, and home and the happiest memories we had together.

“Thanks, Oliver,” I tell him and he pushes Seth out of the way to sit on the couch next to me and snuggle into the blanket with me.

“I’m going to kick them out and you can tell me everything.” he tells me and I smile, laying my head on the one person who chose to love me with no requirements or expectations. He just loves me for me.