by Rasi K
“Oh, I did want to meet you. But your dad and brother restricted me from being anywhere less than twenty yards around your surroundings.”
I laughed at that. It was so like them.
“Okay, so why this sudden meet then?”
“I wanted to tell you something.”, he said yet again scratching his neck.
“Okayyyyy.”, I drawled.
“Don’t worry, it’s a good thing. I want to tell you…”, he trailed.
“Tell me?”, I prodded him.
“I love you.”, he said breathlessly.
I waited for the bittersweet taste to settle on my mouth but it never came. Reality hit me hard on the face.
“Noah…”, I started.
“I know, I know. We didn’t have the best start, but I really do love you. We could always start over. I mean we are mates, we can always make it work.”, he babbled.
“No Noah, we can’t. I did love you. ‘Did’, it is in the past now. And just so you know, we were mates. We are no longer mates. You lost me the day you brought home Kira.”
“No Carol, don’t say such things please. It was a mistake. As for Kira, I don’t love her. She can’t love me like you do.”, he requested.
“No Noah, you have gotten it wrong. She is the one who loves you. And she is the only one who can love you so much.”
Chapter 43
Harath Pack
Today, I was going to meet mother at her place itself. I needed answers and I needed them soon. I located her in the kitchen, looking around for something to engage her. Well, I had a very fine job for her, which she will have to do, whether she likes it or not.
“Are you going to come in or just stand there gaping at me?”, mother asked with her back still turned to me.
Blame werewolf scents.
I shook my head before proceeding and plopping down on one of the stools.
“So what brought you here today?”, she asked sitting opposite from me.
“I want to know more about you and my mom. What happened to my grandparents? What pack do you actually belong to?”, I asked her.
I cut her off before she could reject me.
“No, mother, I am not taking no as an answer.”, I declared.
“As persistent as her”, she murmured before speaking up.
“Harath”, she murmured.
“What?”, I asked not hearing her properly.
“Harath, it is Harath pack. I come from Harath pack.”, she spoke out loud.
Third person’s POV
Years after Melaine was taken into the Sharp household, Harath pack was attacked for the first time in years. It wasn’t much of a fight. It was more of warning signal, which Matthew Sharp had wadded off in his ignorance.
Seeing their alpha’s attitude about it, no one thought much to it. It was a few days later when Matthew was punished for his ignorance. They were ambushed by the vampires. He didn’t even have time to put the she wolfs and pups safely into the safe zones. He managed to put a few of his pack members along with his children inside the safe tunnel before the vampires took lead. It was an intense fight. Hana and Melaine did not know anything else, other than the fact that they were being attacked. Even though they were seventeen year olds, Matthew believed that it was his duty to keep them out of the fight and protect them as long as he could. While focusing on getting his girls in safely, he had missed his mate who became the bait of the vampires.
The fight did not cease easily. It was days before all those who had been in the secret tunnel came out. The whole land was a mess. The houses were burnt and roofless. Lifeless bodies of their brothers and sisters lay along with those of the vampires. Hana and Melaine searched through the bodies for the three people they loved, with as much courage they could muster. When they found out that their bodies were not to be seen anywhere, they were relieved for a moment before they worried about their whereabouts.
All the pack members, who were left, looked up to Hana, seeing as she was the alpha blood in there.
She passed her condolences for their loss and gave them her gratitude for being a part of the pack before telling them to go join any pack they liked. She asked them to get back to her if they were to face any difficulty. The crowd dispersed rather upset, but they understood where she came from. Their pack was totally destroyed and it would take time to actually rebuild it. And it wouldn’t be easy to afford to it either. The gamma who had been the girls’ head trainer was rather reluctant in leaving them, but they convinced him saying they would come to him if they were to have any difficulty.
Later after everyone left, Hana turned to Melaine and asked her why she hadn’t gone.
“We are sisters, we don’t let go of each other no matter what.”
Chapter 44
Decisions
After my talk with mother, I decided to have a talk with Kira. I asked Daniel to search about her whereabouts, much to his dismay. While I waited for him to come with his report, I settled on spending some time with dad.
With all the visits throughout the day and him being busy with his work, we didn’t have time for each other nowadays. I went to his room to see him looking at a picture of mom and talking.
He was sitting on the corner of his bed with the picture of mom; he kept on the nightstand, in his hand. He held on to it like his life depended on it. Seeing that he kept away most of the pictures, his life did depend on the few he kept around.
I slowly crept inside the room and sat beside him. Upon seeing me he slowly wiped away the tears that had trickled down his cheeks. I rested my head on his shoulder, while he put his arm around my shoulder, taking the picture from his hand and tracing it. She looked the same as I had seen her.
“What were you telling her?”, I asked still tracing every inch of her face.
“I was telling how foolish Noah had been to reject you.”, he said.
“Dad? I need to tell you something.”
He nodded for me to continue.
“Yesterday, I talked with Noah.”, I said.
His eyes widened at that.
“He said he loved me.”
He continued to look at me, prodding me continue, confused as to where all this was going.
“I rejected him.”, I told and he visibly exhaled.
“But why did you do that? Don’t you love him?”, he asked looking down at me.
“No dad, my feelings for him died the day I was kidnapped.”, I said.
He flinched at the word kidnap. I guess it’s still a sour topic for him. I heard from Tah that he had been near insane for the five days when I had been taken away. He had become normal, only when he had heard the news about my location, from uncle. The pack members had thought if he would even become the same man he had been before.
He merely nodded at me before looking at mom.
“Dad, Kira loves him.”, I said not taking my eyes from mom.
“That’s good. He is a good guy at heart. That girl will do him good.”, he said nodding to himself.
“Dad?”
He hummed in response.
“Can you tell me how you met mom?”
“I will. I heard from your mother that you forced her into telling you everything, did you?”
I nodded smiling proudly at my accomplishment.
He shook his head laughing lightly while placing the photo carefully back in its place.
“It was a year after the attack. Orion and I had finished our training just then and were returning home. We were provided with a car to arrive back, but we ditched the ride and decided to go on our wolf forms. We had passed two pack lands and were on our way over here. Just before we could pass on the third pack land which seemed vacant, we smelled our mates. Assuming that the other was claiming what was ours, as his mate and vice versa, we growled at each other while running towards the place where the smell was coming from. When we reached there, two young women were there, combating each other. They seemed to have smelled us too, as they turned towards us just in time. We both
fell hard that instant. Our growling stopped eventually, when we found that it was just a misunderstanding. After that we sat with them and heard their stories. We felt bad for their family and promised to give them our full support to find them. When we came back, neither of our families was happy that we had rogues for a mate. When we explained them that they were from the pack that was recently invaded, they tried to be understandable. Keyword is try. Hana and Melaine did not have what could be called the best beginning with our parents, but they were getting at it. Most of the time, they remained to themselves. They were still trying to get some clues about their parents but to no avail. Some days Hana would go missing and wouldn’t be back for a few days. She had told me that she went in search of clues. I tried stopping her, and telling her to wait for us to find something, but she never paid heed to it. After a few tries I gave up and left her to it. That was what I thought had happened again, when she went missing, during the time she was pregnant with you, until she had been gone for months. I tried tracking her, but I couldn’t get any proper lead. When she returned back hurt, I scorned my ignorance.”, he said sighing.
“She was truly something.”, I said concluding.
“That she is.”, he said.
Later after Daniel brought the address, I dressed up and went to meet her.
I knocked on the door of the place, I was given address to.
I expected at least a red-rimmed eye Kira, but what I didn’t expect was a Kira who was primed up and looked like someone leaving somewhere.
She looked questioningly at me.
“Well, can we talk?”, I asked nervously. I was no good in this confronting thing.
After a moment of hesitation, she stepped aside opening the door wider and motioned for me to come in.
I sat on the couch that was there in the living room. She placed some water on the table before settling herself on the opposite of me.
“I heard that he rejected you.”, I blurted not knowing where to start from.
She simply shrugged as if it didn’t bother her in the least. Anyone with eyes could see the hesitation in her before she shrugged.
“He confessed to me yesterday.”, I blurted again. I really need to prepare what I should talk before I think of confronting anyone.
“If you came here to rub it on my face, the door is that way.”, she said in a hoarse voice pointing to the door while looking at me in the eye.
“No, no, no, I came here to talk truce with you. I wish you would give him a chance.”
“What do you think you are doing? Do you think you are a saint, giving away your mate to me?”, she asked, her tone sinister.
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. He needs a person who cares and loves him. I can’t be that person for him. If it is any comfort, I am leaving the pack.”
PART 3: SEPARATION AND NEW BEGINNINGS
Chapter 45
Matthew Sharp
I was finally leaving the pack. I had taken the decision long back, when mother had told me about how they had to send away their people, since they didn’t have adequate support. I had to do this at least for mom and mother if not for me.
Convincing dad and uncle was the hardest. They wouldn’t bother to listen to my explanation. They were not ready to let me out of the house much less the pack. They went as much as to house arresting me. Since they wanted to do the hard way, I decided on not having any food. They begged me as to what has to be done for me to eat. I told them that I wished for them to sit and listen to what I had to say.
I explained them the main reason as to how I want to fulfill my mom’s wish to rebuild the empire. Then I told them about the whole thing about Noah and Kira. Even though dad knew it already, uncle having heard it for the first time was more or less squealing at the happy news. I told them how I needed to give them space, for them to work out whatever it was that they had between them.
Tahliya on the other hand was a crying mess. I mean I might have shed a few tears here and there, but the thing is all she did was cry. I had to call Daniel, who didn’t so much as to acknowledge me, since I told him I would be going alone, to console her. She kept shouting profanities for leaving her alone and going. But I had no other choice.
Mother tried coercing me into bringing her along. I did think about it at first but later decided against it. I had to assess the situation there before taking anyone along.
In the case of Noah, he had kept his distance since the other day. I could tell he was shocked at my decision to leave, but he didn’t raise his opinion.
As for Kira, she is yet to make any move. After telling her about my departure I had immediately left her place. The ball is in her court now. Whether she takes it or throws it in the dust is up to her.
I took my duffel bag before going down to the living room where everyone waited. Everyone included Tah, mother, dad, uncle. Of course, Daniel didn’t feel the need to be present. Tears prickled in my eyes. I quickly dried them, before they could make an appearance. Once down I took turns hugging each of them, before going to the car that uncle and dad had arranged for me, which would take me to my destination.
I put in my duffel bag on the backseat and turned around to give them a final wave. My eyes darted around hoping that he would be around. Seeing that he wasn’t anywhere, I sighed giving up. I finally turned around and pulled at the handle. I settled and the car started at once. As the car sped, the tears that had been welled up poured down. The clouds blackened as if matching my mood.
Once the car came to a halt, I looked around and realized that we had reached an open ground which is likely to be the pack territory. I thanked the driver and went to fetch my bag.
“This is for you, ma’am.”, he said handing out an envelope.
“Who gave it to you?”, I asked.
“I don’t know his name, ma’am.”, he said shaking his head.
I nodded before taking my bag and stepping out. I moved into the pack lands, while the car veered back in the way we came.
This is it.
I eyed the half broken wood houses, half burnt trees, remains of bones here and there. My stomach knotted at the sight. Hearing it, is one thing, but witnessing it, is different.
In the distance I saw a hunched silhouette sitting on a broken branch. I neared it, to see a man, who could pass for my granddad, poking the ground aimlessly with a twig. It wasn’t until I stopped next to him that I realized that he wasn’t just poking but writing something. I tried reading it, but before I could decipher anything, it was ruined by the way he stood up alerted by my presence. He was good six feet tall. I was face-to-chest with him. He looked good, for an old man like him. He had brown eyes with green speckles. He seemed to have had brown hair, which had turned gray for the most of it.
“Hana?”, he spoke breathlessly.
“Who?”, I asked, not quite gathering what he said. I mean, I was busy taking in his appearance.
“Sorry, I took you for someone I knew. May I know what you are doing here?”, he asked, his voice hoarse.
“This is my mother’s pack and you are?”, I asked him not knowing his purpose here.
“What is your mother’s name?”, he asked with a hint of hope in his voice.
I wanted to ask him as to why he hasn’t answered my question yet, but I know better than to defy an elder, a stranger at that.
“Hana Dunbar”, I replied meekly.
“Matthew Sharp”
Chapter 46
The Escape
“Matthew Sharp”, he said putting out his hand.
“What?”, I asked him confused as to what he is telling.
“My name is Matthew Sharp, your grandfather.”, he said smiling sweetly.
Now I know, why I felt familiar, he is my granddad, of course he would be familiar.
“Caroline Dunbar”
“You know, you resemble her too much. You both would pass for twins with a few differences here and there.”, he said sitting back down.
“I know, I have been told and
I have witnessed it myself.”, I said remembering my dream.
“How is Hana? Hasn’t she come along?”, he asked looking around.
“You don’t know?”, I asked him, shocked.
“Know what?”, he asked confused.
“She- she died after giving birth to me.”, I said not knowing how to phrase it in a less blunt way.
“What? Those leeches, I will make them pay for it. How dare they kill my girl?”, he shouted before muttering profanities under his breath.
“I heard that you went missing after the attack all those years back, where were you?”, I asked remembering what mother had told me.
“I didn’t go missing, I was captured by the vampires along with my mate and my beta.”, he said dejectedly.
“Where are they?”, I asked looking around.
“They couldn’t make it out.”, he said.
“What do you mean?”, I asked him my interest highly piqued.
“After we were taken away, we were experimented on, but my mate, your grandmother couldn’t withstand it for long. I don’t know how long it was, but I know it was a little over few years. All the experiments they did on her drained her energy, slowly draining her life.”, he said looking down at the scribbles he had made. On closer inspection I found what was written in it. Amelia.
“What about Elijah grandpa?”, I asked worried.
“How do you know him?”, he asked surprised.
“He is Melaine mother’s dad, so of course I know him.”, I said as though it was the world’s obvious thing.
“You know Melaine?”, he asked yet again surprised but this time in soft tone.
“Yep, she has been my mother all along. She and mom found their mates in the same pack. She is the Luna of my pack.”, I said.
He nodded his head before speaking.
“I knew about your mom having a beta mate but I didn’t know Melaine found an alpha mate, much less the same pack.”, he said, slightly taken aback.