Scarlett

N o one really got much sleep that night in our household. I could see the light from Mama’s room on and then her tinkering away in the kitchen. She’s scared about me going, but she knows I need to do this. She wanted to come too, but Dad and I both are firmly against it.

The morning dawns cold and rainy, but the dark, gloomy skies are anything but dull within the kitchen Elijah and I have just stepped into. Indigo, Mama and Grandma Amelia stand there smiling.

“Surprise!” they shout, spreading their arms.

We, including Dad, who I now sense behind us, look around the kitchen; a large breakfast is laid out on the dining table with flowers and candles set down the middle.

Grandma Amelia’s freshly baked scones, croissants and tarts sit to the side with another basket holding freshly baked bread. Mama’s cakes and her delicious full English breakfast make my mouth water. And Indigo has made her banana and mango milkshakes that are so damn delicious, although she rarely makes them for us.

My eyes sting as I step into the kitchen and wrap my arms around my little sister, needing to hide my tears. She laughs, surprise clear in her voice.

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting a hug.” She then hugs me back, not just a pat, but a tight hug with a thudding heart.

I blink away the tears, watching as Elijah hugs Mama and kisses the top of her head and Dad hugs Grandma Amelia. My heart skips a beat. We’re hugging the ones we’ve always been at odds with.

Time seems to slow as I burn this moment into my memories, watching Elijah brush a fleck of flour from Mama’s black hair as he looks towards the table. “I am starved. This is the best going-away gift we could have gotten. Thanks.”

“I’m glad; you all need to eat well,” Mama responds, smiling as she leads him to the table.

And Grandma Amelia, who is a little red as she tries to blink her suddenly glistening eyes dry as she looks up at Dad.

“Now you better not go eating everything. Remember, it’s for everyone,” she scolds, but her voice holds no firmness as she tries not to smile. “Just you take care of yourself out there. I expect to see you back.”

“Of course, I promise,” Dad says, his smirk vanishing as he looks down at her, giving her a promise he will do his best to keep.

I now move back slowly and look at Indigo, giving her a small smile. “I’m honoured you made your awesome milkshakes for us.”

Her eyes glisten, but she shrugs. “Yeah, I was bored, so I thought why not…”

“She went to get the fruit yesterday and made sure she had everything,” Grandma Amelia snorts.

Indigo glares at her, blushing before she purses her lips. “That’s not-”

“Thanks,” I say softly, cupping her face. “Thanks, Indy.”

She smiles slightly. “Just… come back safe, ok.” Then her tears spill as she refuses to look at me, and I pull her into my arms again. I don’t care if we have a silent agreement to act like we don’t care. I don’t care if I’m mushy. I don’t care if I’ll be teased about this later.

She is my sister, my only sister, and she means the world to me.

“I will,” I whisper, unable to stop my own tears as she hugs me tightly. “I will, after I kill him, so even his shadow can never fall on us again.”

We part slowly and smile at one another. “You’re incredible. Remember it, because I won’t keep saying it.” She sticks her tongue out at me and I stick mine out at her before we both laugh and reach up to wipe away each other’s tears.

“I’m feeling jealous, Pixie,” Elijah says, as he motions to the seat beside him as he looks at Indigo.

I smile as she runs over and sits down and I take the last seat, which is beside Mama, as Dad is sitting beside Grandma Amelia.

Mama pulls the chair out for me, caressing my cheek as she moves my plate closer. “Now eat up.”

I nod, picking up my fork and knife as I look across at each and every one of them. Grandma Amelia pours tea for us all. Dad passes Mama the jug of fresh orange juice as he smiles at her, his eyes softening as he mind-links her something that makes her blush. Elijah and Indigo stuffing full scones in their mouths and trying to swallow them.

The dancing flames of the candles cast warm glows on their faces, a nice contrast to the pattering rain outside that can be seen through the windows.

My family has just grown stronger. There’s no tension, just happiness.

I feel Elijah’s eyes turn on me before he reaches over the table, licking his lips as he takes my hand.

I love you, Kitten.

I love you too, baby.

We smile at one another before we return to our food, but he doesn’t let go of my hand, his thumb brushing my knuckles as we all talk to one another before we have to leave.

The ground is muddy as fifty men from our pack, who will be joining us to face Zidane’s pack, are all ready to leave.

I am in the back of one of the cars with Elijah and Marcus, a pack warrior. Liam is driving and Aaron is in the passenger seat.

“We should get to the Black Storm Pack in another hour and a half,” Marcus says, looking out at a passing signboard.

“Oh, and the other packs are on their way. Two have already reached there,” Aaron says, tapping his knee as he looks ahead.

“How many men are we in total with the backup?” Liam asks, his face serious. He’s in full warrior mode and you can tell he knows what he’s talking about. He’s one of the best in this pack. We knew the rough number, but some things changed after Alpha Daniel had chickened out at the last moment.

“We’re looking at close to 600 wolves,” Elijah answers.

“That’s a good amount, considering how many of his men he kills off. The pack is strong but the numbers aren’t great. We will still be enough to handle him and his pack,” Aaron says, referring to Zidane. He isn’t wrong. When Candice was able to give us all the details, it was lower than what we expected. There were far more women and children than men. “With the setup of our squads, the pack layout, and taking everything into account, we still shouldn’t suffer too many casualties,” Aaron continues.

As Beta, he is the strategic one, but like Liam, I haven’t seen this side of him.

I don’t add to the conversation, my mind flitting off to the things I have learned about Zidane and what we saw when we went there. For many years, his pack had had plenty of rogue attacks, but soon his ways of ruthlessly torturing any trespassers became well-known and even the rogues backed off. I remember Grandma Amelia saying me being a part of the Blood Moon Pack is a blessing and helps keep the rogues away. That woman really does have faith in me. Zidane’s reign is one that needs to end.

Knowing I am getting closer and closer to facing him makes me once again wonder if I’ll be weak in front of him. Will I be able to do this? Am I strong enough? The fear and doubt are trying to claw through me, but I refuse to let them win.

Elijah’s arm tightens around me, and I know he can somewhat sense my emotions.

I feel guilt gnaw through me. Although I fight my nightmares, trying to squash them, it’s an unpleasant, unwanted, unpromised curse that he now has to share them with me.

I can see it in his eyes, the pain he feels for me, the regret he couldn’t be there, the anger that it happened at all. He tries to pretend that he doesn’t see them, but I know he does. A heart doesn’t lie and neither do the eyes.

Although I try to stay awake, he’s always determined to put me to sleep before he sleeps, and somehow it works. Although I can’t word how I feel, I try to show him through my actions. This silent understanding between us is never spoken, but I appreciate it.

“Everything is going to be alright, I pro-” He is cut off when something slams against our car with such force that we are pushed off the road, but it’s worse for the car that made impact, I see it thrown up into the air. The screech of metal crashing fills my ears as the car flips over and explodes, making me shield my face.

Another car smashes into ours as I hear one of the boys shout something, but my ears are ringing. Pain searing through my back, and it feels as if my head is about to split open.

The smell of gas, fire, and blood fills the air and coats my tongue. A strong sense of d éjà vu overcomes me as I remember the first time Cade had come for me. My heart pounds loudly when I catch the scent of several werewolves that I don’t recognise.

Fuck.

They’re here.