Willow From The Ashes (Children Of The Moon Book 1)

by Amelia Harding

  When I feel ready, I reach out. Calling to my wolf. Trying to feel her. Our connection is like a thread. Barely visible and elusive. I focus on that thread, reaching out.

  My fingertips are able to reach it and I can feel the pulse of the wolf that sleeps within me. The pull grows stronger by the second. The joy I feel threatens to break my concentration. My mind and body are in a trance.

  The thread is now grasped between my fingers and it grows brighter and more visible. I know my wolf had become dormant to protect me. I didn't have the strength to handle myself let alone keep a grip on my wolf.

  I hope she feels it though, feels that I'm ready. Feels that I'm sorry for letting her down, letting myself down. That she senses how important she is to me and how grateful I am to have her.

  She was my strength when I had none. Now that I've found my way, I'm never allowing us to suffer that way again as long as I can help it.

  The thread now thrums, wrapping itself around me. I can sense her, the sensation growing ever clearer. We wade through the fog until we are nearly touching. The fog begins to lift and I feel a tear drop from my eye. Gently leaning forward I touch my forehead to my wolves. "I've missed you, old friend".

  Chapter 33

  Hope

  Being able to reach my wolf and reestablish our connection is one thing. Shifting for the first time in years is another. There's a chance my wolf has been dormant too long so it will take time. I also fear the pain.

  There usually shouldn't be any after your first shift but it is possible my body has to go through the transition all over again. I can't really know, I've never heard or read about something like this happening before.

  Despite the apprehension, I decided to try. No sooner had I made that decision when I feel a touch on my cheek. I gasp in shock and open my eyes.

  I was so entranced in that moment that I didn't even sense anyone approaching. Right after the glee I had felt and following such an amazing day, the person before me was the last I wanted to see. Especially not this close, wiping tears from my face.

  I'm stunned and my first instinct is to shrink back. That's exactly why I do the opposite. I stand my ground, looking him right in the eyes.

  "What are you doing?" My voice comes out stronger than I feel. His eyebrow raises, most likely surprised at my tone and behavior. I'm pretty surprised too.

  His muscles shift and move so he is now sitting beside me. "You're the one crying in the middle of a forest alone freak". Daniel takes a sip out of a bottle I hadn't even noticed.

  From the smell, it is definitely some kind of alcohol. "I don't see how that would matter to you. It's a big forest, you could have gotten drunk somewhere else". At this point, I'm sure that my mouth and brain are no longer connected.

  A scowl overtakes Daniels' face and he gulps down another swig "You're a brave little bitch now, huh? that's cute". His tone is mocking and I immediately go to stand and walk away.

  I'm turning away when his voice stops me "You don't even know why I hate you, do you?" The question catches me off guard so I face him again. "Whatever your reasoning, it still wouldn't make it right". "Perhaps" is all he says.

  Finishing off the bottle he stands and approaches me. "Except all of this is your fucking fault. It's your fault you weren't good enough to make him stay". Daniel emphasizes by roughly poking my shoulder.

  "It's your fault I had to take over". Another poke. "Your fucking fault the pack crumbled". Another poke. "And it will be your fault that he'll hate me forever".

  Before the next poke comes I snap slapping his hand away. "I don't need to hear the rest. I don't even know what you're talking about. You had your own issues and took them out on me.

  The reason doesn't matter what does matter is that it will never happen again". My words are fierce with the slightest growl. Before he can get over his shock I turn and hurriedly walk away.

  I can feel Daniel catching up with me but I refuse to break out into a run. Not only would that show him I'm scared but it wouldn't make a difference.

  I can't get that far with how far out we are from the house. Finally, Daniel reaches me. Grabbing my arm he spins me around with more force than necessary "Don't just turn your back on me..".

  Whatever he wanted to say was cut off by my hand now covering his mouth. The slightest scent had been blown our way. A scent that caused my entire body to tense.

  Before Daniel can blow up I open up our mind link and ask Do you smell that? It is faint but it's there. I see the rage leave his eyes as he focuses.

  I can tell the second he catches the whiff because he looks alert and awake now. Vampire. The coppery tinge is unmistakable if you've ever had the misfortune of encountering one.

  Daniel and I both have although that was a memory long forgotten. Back before he hated me.

  We need to hurry and warn someone. I don't know why its here but a vampire crossing into pack territory is never good

  That is one thing we can agree on. Silently we take off towards the pack house with as much speed as possible without making our presence known.

  There's no way to know how close the vampire is. There's a cloudiness to Daniels vision that tells me he's trying to use the pack link to get the message out.

  Any luck?

  Daniel doesn't answer but gives a shake of his head. If only we were connected to Onyx Moon, I'm sure Maximus would have his link open.

  It's strange that the higher-ups in our pack must have blocked Daniel from being able to contact them through the link. That's unheard of.

  Rustling in a nearby bush catches our attention and we cautiously approach. Daniel signals for me to go around to the other side.

  I'm not sure what I was expecting but reaching in and dragging out a couple of kids, was not it. Our hands placed firmly over their mouths kept them from screaming and putting us all in danger.

  "What the hell are you two kids doing out here?!" Daniels' voice is low but harsh. The boy in his arms and the girl in mine must be no older than ten. "What Daniel means is that it can be dangerous out here this late. We have to go, there's an intruder".

  To their credit the two kids look at each other then nodded, understanding that they need to stay calm and follow.

  I've lost the scent I worriedly inform Daniel through our link. I hate not being able to tell what direction its coming from anymore.

  The wind is changing directions. If we don't do something soon he'll be alerted to our scent and know exactly where we are.

  This night just continues to get complicated. Suddenly my father's voice echoes in my mind. His incessant need to teach me about every detail regarding wolves and packs might save our skin.

  The river flows through here, we have to get there. Water dampens scent. Whoever the vampire is won't have a sense of smell freakishly keen enough to find any trace of it that's left over

  For a second Daniel almost looks impressed. Wordlessly we take the children's hands and slink our way towards the river. First, we guide the kids in and they do their best not to make a splash. Then, we join them making sure we all submerge ourselves.

  Coming back up we climb out and I grab the boy, whispering in his ear "Can you reach your Alpha? Tell him his brother sensed an intruder smelling of blood and sage Northwest about five miles within the border". The boys' eyes are sharp and he automatically starts trying to reach out. Daniel and the girl are crouched beside us.

  We need to keep moving towards the pack house. I look towards Daniel and shake my head in disagreement.

  As soon as the boy says he got through, I think we should head in a different direction towards the family homes. If we keep going towards the pack we'll be in the middle. The kids are with us, with the Alpha and enforcers going to meet the threat, our job is to get the children somewhere safe.

  I expected Daniel to argue with me or force us to go his way but he simply agreed. The boy gives us a thumbs up letting us know the message is out so we take off in our new direction, holding the kid's hands to ke
ep us from separating.

  I hope Maximus understood what I was trying to say. I didn't want to call it a vampire and risk panicking the kids. Please let them all be safe, let it be some misunderstanding. We don't need the kind of trouble that vampires bring.

  Chapter 34

  Maximus

  I was up late reviewing pack finances when I felt it. The distinctive tug that comes with a pack member trying to access the mind link.

  The hurried words coming from the young boy who I know to be Jonah, the son of one of our top Enforcers, were more than alarming. Without hesitation, I contact the Enforcers that should be patrolling and send them towards the direction give.

  I need to be there when my Enforcers arrive in case the intruder is what I think it is. Jonah said Daniel described an intruder smelling of blood and sage.

  Instantly the meaning was obvious, It's such a specific scent. If you've smelled it you know it's hard to mistake once you encounter it again. Shifting into my wolf will give me more speed and heighten my senses.

  The location in the message is incredibly far out. Further out than most pack members would be at this time which is a relief. Although Jonah and Daniel were there for reasons unknown. Through the link, I inform Carter and David.

  While I gave David the order to come with me to meet whoever is out there, I asked Carter to protect the pack house and surrounding members homes along with a couple of his most trusted guys.

  There's no need to alert everyone and cause a disturbance for a single supposed vampire. Caution is still necessary and a few trusted men should suffice in case there's some emergency.

  Soon, David is flanking me and we are joined by the two Enforcers that had been patrolling all in their wolf forms.

  Who tipped you off? Do we have any info? Davids' voice rings through the link. Daniel sent the message. The location is all we have so we have to tread carefully.

  Trees fly by but they're barely noticeable. Our singular focus is that location. The intruder must have been making his way towards the house because I catch onto his scent much sooner than anticipated.

  It also makes it obvious that he didn't simply stumble into the territory without notice, he had an aim and I don't fucking like where this might be going.

  Be on high alert, we're gaining on the intruder. David and I will meet him head on The rest will flank us on either side to cut him off

  Low growls of affirmation are all I need. This is far from my men's first rodeo. Still, unknown factors are dangerous. We break through a cluster of trees and immediately come across our target. My men get in defensive positions while I shift to confront our unwanted friend.

  The vampire is a man. Characteristically pale skin looking almost translucent in the moonlight. There's a smile upon his lips and zero tension in his body. It infuriates me and makes my blood boil. It's as if he is mocking us, clearly unperturbed at our arrival.

  "Are you aware you're trespassing on private territory?" The vampires' smile only widens as if amused by my question which only serves to further irritate me.

  "Yes Sir Alpha. I am, in fact, fully aware. I'm humbled to have you greet me personally". The growls from my men grow louder but they stay in position. No one is to move unless I give the order.

  "Does that mean you have business with me? Usually, those who don't have a death wish make it a point to get in contact instead of marching right in". The vampire doesn't seem at all fazed by my thinly veiled threat and it's pissing me the fuck off.

  "Announcing myself would have defeated my purpose for being here. I had two orders from my Master. One happens to be finding out just how easy it is to breach the Onyx Moon territory".

  With his admittance came my order. Before the vampire could even think of escaping my two Enforcers lunge. One catches his leg just as soon as he attempts to flash away. The other clamps down on his shoulder bringing the vampire to his knees.

  Now David has shifted back into human form and stands behind the now considerably less cocky vampire. He's boxed in an all sides. Squatting down puts us nearly face to face, I try to hold back my want to kill this intruder that threatens the safety of my pack. Unfortunately, there's more information we need to get out of him.

  "Then what pray tell is your second reason for disrespecting our rules?" An insufferable smirk may still grace his face but the pain he tries to hide is evident. I can hear sharp canines digging into bone breaking through muscle. "Why? to look in on the princess of course".

  "The princess? What the fuck are you talking about? Speak you leech". His smirk deepens but he says nothing. I command my Enforcer to add pressure but it is obvious he doesn't plan on saying anything else.

  For the first time, I look down at his right hand, in its grasp is a red ribbon with a tiny pawprint stitched in white. He follows my gaze and chuckles knowing it has been spotted. Twisting his fist open I yank the ribbon out.

  "This princess you seek, was this how you planned to find her?" I'm not surprised when he does nothing but laugh but his eyes confirm my suspicion.

  "The three of you, take him to the dungeons and throw him in a cell. Perhaps after a little talk with Kane, our friend will be a little more talkative". Kane was a top Enforcer and our best interrogator. Few meet with Kane and stay quiet for long.

  Through the link, I inform the Enforcers meant to take the next shift of the situation and order them to begin a full sweep earlier than expected.

  They are also told to bring in additional men to make sure we're covered. The additional men are told of an intruder and possible threat but not any specifics including the fact that the trespasser is a vampire.

  For now, that information is on a need to know basis. I don't believe anyone else will come tonight but we need to be sure. Beefing up security will give everyone peace of mind until we get the vampire to talk.

  Until then, it will be better not to alarm the pack members to anything being wrong. We need answers first and quick. So much of this makes no sense.

  Chapter 35

  Hope

  Soaking wet and on edge, we reach the cluster of houses. The boy we now know is named Jonah and the girl named Emma are siblings and guide us to their home. "We're in for a world of hurt aren't we?" grumbles Jonah now that we're in the safety of their neighborhood.

  "Why were you two out so late anyway? I'm willing to bet it's way past your bedtime". The kids look at each other looking guilty "We couldn't sleep and just wanted to run around without grownups always supervising". Emma's voice is soft and apologetic. Most likely a result of realizing there was real possible danger out there tonight.

  "You've already shifted? You both seem a little young to have gone through your transition yet". The irritation on Jonah's face makes it clear I hit a nerve. "I may not look it but I'm thirteen and Em is twelve. Just wait, I'll grow up to be just as big as my dad and I'll be a better Enforcer than anyone else in my group". Emma grabs his hand and I feel bad for poking at a sore spot for this young boy.

  "I don't doubt it. After all, you are the one who was able to get a message out to the Alpha. Without you who knows how long it would have been until we reached the pack. You did good future Enforcer".

  With a smile and a teasing wink, he seems to pull out of his stupor. There's a blush and a small smile on his face. "You were the bravest!" Emma squeals and hugs her brother. Although Jonah rolls his eyes he hugs back.

  "Which house is it?" Daniels' voice breaks through our little moment. In truth, I had almost forgotten he was there. Emma and Jonah point out a nearby home painted light yellow with cream shutters.

  "If you want you can go ahead, I'll get them there safely and then head back to the pack house. In the meantime, I'm sure Maximus will need to ask you some questions".

  "Alpha"

  "What?"

  "He's Alpha Maximus. Your superior. You'd do well to address him correctly". After barking the words out he turns and heads down towards the pack house. My cheeks redden and I glare at his back. I'm embarrassed
to have spoken of Maximus in such a familiar way but he doesn't have to be an ass about it. This entire night has been so weird and Daniel can't seem to pick an emotion and stay there.

  "Well, if we keep standing here we'll all catch colds. Let us go talk to your parents". I nearly laugh when they groan in almost perfect unison. "Now, now. It is better to get it over with. I'll do what I can to get them to go easy on you but I make no promises".

  If I'm being honest I'm pretty nervous myself. I need to wake their sleeping parents and somehow explain the events that occurred as vaguely as possible while also getting across that they can't speak about it to anyone for now. Speaking isn't my forte but I'll have to make it work.