by Tamara White
I don’t stick around for my father to finish, Nate and I bolt up the stairs panicking about Dani. We burst into the room just as Dani takes a sip from a cup. Nate beats me to it tackling her, knocking the cup away before she consumes any.
“What the hell guys?!” she’s looking up at us frustrated but it doesn’t matter. I pick up the cup and smell the silver. It’s all over the ground now so I throw a blanket over the puddle to mop it up.
“We just saw Cam’s dad and he said something about liquefied silver. Your water had silver in it Dani,” Nate says. We watch Dani pale and bolt out of the room. We follow after trying to get answers but she just keeps running until we get to her dad’s room.
“Where is she going?” I ask the others as we follow her.
“The water she was drinking, she poured into a cup for herself and gave her father the rest of the bottle,” Mitchell informs me a look of dread on his face.
Shit!
We round the corner and stop dead at the sight before us. Her dad is lying on the floor in front of his door, skin pale with tinges of grey. She’s trying to heal him but it’s too late.
“Dad, stop playing with me. You have to wake up!” she cries, shaking him.
“Dani, it’s too late, precious,” I say softly trying to pull her away. I don’t want her to be contaminated.
“No! It’s not! I have to save him!” she screams pushing me away.
I look up at Nate and the others. None of us know what to say. Nothing can make this better.
“What’s going on down here?” Laura calls, walking down the hall, James and Tim following closely. Laura gasps when she sees Greg splayed out on the floor as Dani tries repeatedly to heal him.
“Oh god, what happened?” she murmurs looking on in horror.
“Luke had someone poison Dani. We stopped her from being poisoned but she gave her father the contaminated bottle. We didn’t make it in time,” Nate explains his eyes not leaving Dani.
“It’s my fault,” Dani murmurs. “He wanted a drink of water so I grabbed a bottle from the fridge but poured myself some before giving him the rest of the bottle. I did this,” she says before dissolving into sobs on his chest.
Laura steps forward and pulls Dani to her feet. “Come on sweetheart. Let your mates take care of him. They will show him the utmost respect and we will give him the send-off he deserves. Let me make you some tea,” she offers leading a very numb looking Dani off.
“Make sure you have double the guards on my father. He had something to do with this. I won’t risk him getting more people hurt,” I order Tim, not even phased I’m bossing an Alpha around.
“Okay son, you take him down to the pack mortuary, and get him ready. We’ll meet you down there,” he says, taking off with James
“This is going to destroy her,” Jason whispers from behind me.
“I know,” I agree.
Watching as Laura leads Dani away I can’t help but feel responsible for this. I antagonized my father in to poisoning her.
My father will pay for this, even if I have to kill him myself.
WOW! Who knew it would end like that?! Well, okay maybe I did. I really hope you guys enjoyed reading my work this time around, and keep an eye on my Facebook pages for updates on the next one (don’t worry, it’s not too far away).
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Now because I love my readers so much, you can turn the page and rea chapter 1 of the second book which will be called… Her Protectors.
*UNEDITED AND MAY CHANGE*
CHAPTER 1
My fault, it’s all my fault.
I watch from the window while Cam carries my fathers motionless body to a building next to the house. He’s so gentle with him and all of my mates are there, helping if he needs it.
Why did this happen? How did this happen?
“Dani, sweetheart? Do you want to come away from the window? I’ve made some tea,” Laura murmurs softly wrapping her arms around me, steering me away from the window.
“Have this, it will help. Do you want something to eat?” she asks wringing her hands in her lap.
Shaking my head no, I have a sip of tea but I can’t do it. My stomach is in knots, the last thing I want is food or drink.
“Can we have a moment?” Tim asks from the door.
I don’t know where he went, all I remember is him being there one minute and gone the next.
“Dani, do you mind?” Laura asks softly.
“No it’s okay. I’m okay,” I tell her putting fake confidence in my voice. I’m anything but fine.
She watches me for a moment, then bows her head sadly before leaving Tim and I alone. I wait, wondering what Tim wants but we just sit in silence for hours. Finally, he decides to speak.
“How do you feel now?” he asks me.
“Honestly, I’m numb. It doesn’t feel real. I keep waiting for him to walk through the door and go ‘this is for having boys in your room. You didn’t think I knew, did you?’ It’s something he would do but I know it won’t happen no matter how hard I pray. In the moment when it does feel real, the pain is too much. Like I’m suffocating on my own air,” I gasp out trying to control my breathing.
“Shh, take it easy. Let yourself be numb. You need time to process, your wolf too. She’s mourning as well. Now that you’ve finally connected physically, every emotion you had is going to be three times as strong. It will tear you apart if you don’t take time,” he says from my side. I can tell he wants to hug me or offer some other kind of comfort but doesn’t want to cross any boundaries and make me uncomfortable.
“Thank you for letting me have a bit of peace of quiet,” I say thanking him.
“It’s okay. Don’t hold it against Laura. She hasn’t lost someone close to her. Both my parents died when I was your age. I remember the people constantly trying to make me feel better when all I wanted was time. I needed to get through the pain before I could focus on others. Your mother helped me get through the worst days of my life. There were times I didn’t want to live on this earth without them and Blair helped me through them one day at a time. Your parents were wonderful people Danielle. I know I’m not your mate and you may not want to now, but if you want to talk, my doors always open. You should know though, those boys out there, they love you and they feel horrible about what’s happened. I’d bet everything that they’re blaming themselves, just as much as you are. You may not be willing to talk about it now, and no one blames you, but don’t cut yourself off from them.
I cut myself off from so many friends while I was grieving that it felt impossible to get them back. Now, I have a few that I can rely on, your dad was one of them and my heart breaks for his death. Please don’t do the same. Go, talk to them, avoid your father if you aren’t ready but tell them that. Don’t just block them out.
As much as I hate to say this, you still have a trial to prepare for and the Elders may be sympathetic, but they won’t postpone it. Your mates are your rock in times like these, so give them a chance to prove they can help. Now, what do you want to do? Sit in here by yourself, or would you like me to take me to your mates?”
I don’t know what I want. All I know is either way I’ll be thinking about Dad’s cremation. How did it get to this?
This time last year, my biggest problem was I hadn’t shifted, we weren’t allowed to be near wolves and school. Now here I am ditching school, hanging around wolves, I’ve shifted for the first time and somehow my father is dead. How does that seem fair? Did I do this?
No one has bothered to explain to me the process of a wolf funeral either. Humans have a casket and get buried in the ground. What do we do?
“I think, I want to be with my mates right now if you don’t mind? Besides they’re probably all getting antsy without me. That’s the real reason you came here, right?” I ask smiling timidly.
It feels wrong to be smiling so
it probably looks awkward as hell right now. I knew it was only a matter of time before they hunted me down but figured they’d be smarter about it. Not just send Tim in like bait, to see how I’m doing.
“Ha! You got me. Seriously though, Cam’s close to losing it. Come on I’ll take you to them,” he says offering me his hand. We walk down the halls and I expect to end up at one of their rooms but he brings me to the movie room. Why here? Are they seriously just watching a movie as if nothing has happened?!
I’m getting super pissed off when Tim opens the door shoving me in and closing it firmly behind me. Bastard left me to face them alone.
“Thank god. We were worried,” Mitchell says noticing me first. All the others stop what they’re doing, to swarm me. They were moving the recliners in the room.
“What were you doing?” I ask curiously.
“Well dad said we should all stay together for a while, so he had two more mattresses brought in. We were just moving the recliners against the wall so we can crash here,” Nate sheepishly admits.
“That’s fine it’s probably safer,” I respond automatically glancing around. The mini fridge is gone. The same fridge I got the water from. The emotions rush me and I crumble to my knees in sobs.
My dads gone. He’s really gone.
My mates surround me, offering what comfort they can. “I feel like I’m dying inside. My heart hurts so much,” I gasp between sobs.
“Oh precious, I am so sorry. It should have been me,” Cam says clutching me to his chest, shedding tears of his own.
All of us cling to each other, the emotion overwhelming me, while my mates take the brunt of it. The can feel my sorrow, and mourn Dads loss with me.
We sit like this for what feels like forever, until I gain some control again. I need to know what’s going to happen now.
The boys all wipe the tears from their eyes, gaining composure while still offering me comfort.
“So what happens now? Do you hold a funeral for Dad?” I ask choking back another sob. It kills me to be discussing this.
“We don’t need to talk about this. Just leave it to us,” Jason says giving my shoulder a squeeze.
I jump up needing the room to pace, so I can explain. “it’s not that. I need to be distracted. Too much silence in my mind and I see his body lying there, eyes glazed over, skin tinted blue. Every time I blink, I see it, as if it’s burned into my mind. Talking distracts me from focusing, thinking makes it go away for that one millisecond of peace. I need not to see him like that,” I beg.
“Okay, Dani. I understand,” Pete murmurs holding me close. “Your dad will get a Viking burial. We light a pyre with the body of those of us who fall with honour. You father did the most noble thing any of us could have wished for, he raised you. We burn his body and send his spirit back to his mate, rejoicing in the reunion by going on a pack run. Your father did the packs a great honour by raising you and protecting you. Even in his last moments he saved your life. If you had of drunk from the bottle you would have surely died too. He protected you even if he didn’t know,” Pete tells me stroking my hair. Tears are still slowly leaking and at this point, I don’t know if they’ll ever stop.
“When does it happen?”
“It can happen at any time though most choose to have it at dawn. Is that something you want? We can do it at a different time?” Jonnie asks trying to please me.
“Can we see if it can be done at midday? Dad loved seeing the sun at its highest. He thought it was a sign from mom that she was looking over us because she was always happiest in the middle of the day,” I tell them trying not to get absorbed in the memories.
“Sure thing Dani. I’ll go, you guys stay with her,” Cam announces running out of the room before any of us can object.
I sit down on the mattress closest to me, while the others keep moving recliners against the wall. Pete sits beside me and I ask him for the truth, “Does he really blame himself for what happened to Dad?”
“Yeah, I think he does. He knows it was a result of his father but in his mind, it’s his fault for going to him for answers. No matter how much I try to tell him, that without seeing him, we wouldn’t have known the water was poisoned, he still doesn’t fully believe it.”
Jason sighs sinking onto the mattress next to me, pulling me to him for a hug. Laying down on the mattress together, I close my eyes and think of everything that has happened over the past few days. The trials have started, I’ve met my mates, my grandparents have showed up, cam and jake have both almost died, it just feels like too much. I’m tired. It leaves me wondering if it was the right choice to come back?
Since being here, more drama has unfolded in the pack then it did before dad and I moved. And now, Dad’s dead because of it.
“Dani?”
“Yeah?” I respond answering Jason.
He grabs hold of my hand, intertwining our fingers, softly sliding his thumb over the soft sensitive spot between my thumb and forefinger. It sends shivers through my body and I instantly feel guilty for it.
Close your eyes, Dani. Relax. Let us be here for you,” he murmurs softly against my head.
I do as he says trying to only focus on the now but it’s next to impossible. If I’m not seeing dad flash in my mind, I see my wolf looking sad and dejected curled up in the corner of my mind.
“My wolf doesn’t look good. She’s just as sad as I am,” I tell Jason sadly.
Can you die from grief? It feels like it.
“Do you want us to shift? We can all shift and huddle together offering her comfort if that’s what you need? Just tell us what we can do to help,” Nate says above me.
“I think, I would prefer to shift. She needs the comfort more than I do,” I confess.
“Alright go into the bathroom over there, just leave the door open enough so you can use your snout to open it. We’ll be waiting out here,” Mitchell says helping me up from the mattress. Pete and Jason both watch me with equal looks of sympathy.
Ever so slowly I walk into the bathroom, doing just as Mitch said leaving the door ajar and strip down until I’m bare. I let my wolf take over my mind until I can barely feel myself any more. We walk out to see my mates shifted, laying in a circle on the mattresses waiting for me. I climb over Nate and Jonnie until I get in the middle dropping from exhaustion.
They all huddle in closer making me feel warm, sae and loved. We all mourn together and it helps heal a part of me that I didn’t realize was breaking, my heart. The only thing that could complete this moment was if Cam were here.