Chapter 1 - Jackson

      I sit in the empty darkness of my office. Accepting the fact that my mate is gone. The war we thought was over has taken my mate with it. The one I had waited for. The one fated for me. Now what was I meant to do? How was I meant to continue as a strong Alpha? To lead our pack?

   I thought of my mate, my beautiful Ava, her damaged and bleeding body as I had seen it being brought back to the pack…

   I felt my heart crumbling to pieces I did not think could be put back together. My wolf, Micco had gone, to where, I was yet to discover. Him too, likely struggling to accept the loss of our fated one, our beloved girl…

    There was a knock at the door. I feel my anger building in my veins. Who would dare disturb me when they must know I was mourning the loss of my mate? My Luna…

      “What?!” My voice penetrates through the walls of the Alpha’s office of the packhouse.

       The door opens meekly,  “I am sorry to disturb you Alpha Jackson” Avery, one of the pack Omegas who helps around the packhouse begins to speak.

      I glare darky in her direction, hoping she will take the hint she is not welcome here, but instead she continues. “There is someone here wishing to speak with you, and I believe it will be of much comfort to you Alpha, sir.” With that she lowers her head as a show of respect and moves away from the door, allowing whoever had accompanied her access to my office.

      Someone to offer me comfort? Unless they had suddenly been able to resurrect my mate, there would be no comfort for me. And I could see nobody being of any help to me…

       I look away in disgust at her assumption she had the right to do this. Turning my chair away from the door, looking to the window of my office to see the busy pack outside, the people of my pack, my people, my family, working hard to return our pack to safety, to normality. Fixing the damage done by the brutality of the war, the animals that came to attack us. I should be out there helping them, leading the way as Alpha, yet instead I am here falling apart, mourning the loss of my mate.

        “Excuse me, Alpha Jackson” a frail voice utters from behind me, making me jump in spite of myself. I was aware she had walked in. So why she had made me jump I do not know.

       I turn to look at the small, elderly lady in front of my desk. Her greying hair twisted up into a tidy bun at the back of her head, and her green eyes still sparkled like they were young… quite creepy, I had to admit…

           “Ariella.” I greet her, not particularly happy to see her. This woman had always given me the creeps. My father, the Alpha before me, had always enjoyed her company, appreciating her visions in helping him run the pack, me however, I was not quite as understanding and believing in the expertise of a pack seer. Had little to do with her and asked her to stay away from me whether there were visions or not. Because I had no reason to believe they were true.

        “I wish to pass on my condolences Alpha Jackson. I felt the loss of your beautiful mate.” she said with a voice so soft you could barely hear.

        She felt it? Hmm, I am sure. Nothing to do with the fact the news has spread throughout the pack by now. I roll my eyes with displeasure at her presence.

        “If that is all?” I attempt to dismiss her.

        “No, I am afraid that is not all Alpha.” She says, this time with a little more force.

         I look up to her, by now fury is pulsating through my body. My dark eyes lock with her green ones, as she has the nerve to stare directly at me, with no fear showing. Like she is demanding a reaction.

        “I believe you came to pass on your condolences did you not Ariella? You have done that. Now I would appreciate being left alone to mourn the loss of my mate in fucking peace!” I yell.

         She raises her eyebrows at me, in a defiant move almost. As she then slowly nods her head. “Mourning is a natural path in moving on young Alpha…” She began.

        “Moving on?” I yell once more, my body trembling in anger. “My mate is barely cold, and you are talking of moving on. Show some respect you old fool!”

         She smirked at me now, as she nodded once more. “I apologise, for I feel you take what I say in the wrong manner, as you so often do young Alpha. As I said, mourning is needed as part of the path of moving on.” I glare at her, wanting to grip her by her neck and throw her from my office, but she glares straight back at me, those green eyes almost challenging me as she continues. “but this loss you are feeling shall be overcome young Alpha. You are meant for bigger things. Fate has things proposed for you…”

   “Can you leave now? You know how I feel about your beliefs and your visions. They will not help in my mourning if that is what you are hoping Ariella.” I say coldly, doing my damnest to hold my temper and not physically remove her from my office.

    She nods at me, a sad smile on her face. “I understand young Alpha. I wish you had the accepting mind of your father. I truly wish to help. I can only hope for the best for you in your healing. And your friend, our Beta.”

      “Our Beta?” I mutter. “What do you mean? What has happened to Cayden?”

      Panic began to fill me, had I lost my closest friend too? My second in command? My oldest friend? No please, no... I had been in my office for a good hour now, since leaving the body of my mate, since learning of her death, since needing some time to compose myself before going to see her once more. My wolf was tearing inside of my mind apart seeing her damaged and broken body. I needed some space.

     But there had been no news of Cayden. I was sure of that. He had been out there battling, like me. Though, I had put my block up on mindlinks so nobody could get hold of me once I was called to Ava's side. Turning off my phone too so that I was truly alone. Needing no disturbances. Truly needing peace to accept my beautiful Ava had gone.

        “Cayden is in one piece Alpha Jackson. He, as always will be by your side, until old age, of that I have no doubt. However, his mate, Lily, sadly, she has joined Ava on the path to meeting the moon goddess today. Fate chose that their time with us was short, and they were needed elsewhere…” Ariella began.

     “No!” I interrupt, my hands trembling worse than ever now at the old woman's words.

       My friend lost his mate too?! How did I not relaise? We feel the breaking of the bonds to pack as we lose someone. As someone dies. The bond to our pack snaps, we all feel it, especially me as Alpha. But, as terrible as it sounds, there has been so much of that lately with the fighting from the other pack, it has become such a familiar sensation… How did I not know?

      “I am so sorry Alpha. I thought you were aware.” She whispers.

      “When? How?” I utter.

      “About ten minutes ago, I believe.” She says quietly, I look to her in shock. How would she know? She was here ten minutes ago, was she not? News does not travel that quickly though pack. “And she was trying to help a wounded man, but he attacked her…”

      “How do you know this?!” I do not understand her words. There is no way for her to know all this. I need to find my friend, I need to find Cayden. Does he even know yet? He will be as broken as me!

     She smiles sadly, her big green eyes staring at me intently. “I think you know the answer to that young Alpha, if you look inside of the things we discuss, but it is if you are willing to accept the answers you find.”

       “I think you should go. I need to find Cayden.” I tell her. 

      She nods. “Of course, I would expect nothing else. But, before you do. I need to give you something. This is something I have kept with me for some time, I had written it down, I know it involves you…” she says as she hands me a rolled up piece of parchment. “keep it safe young Alpha, it could end many things and could bring a brighter future”.

     And with that she walked away. Leaving me with the parchment in hand, unsure of what the little old lady was actually talking about. My mind admittedly was not in the best of places right now, so I was stuggling to think straight, but somehow Ariella always managed to confuse me with her words. But it mattered little, I don’t believe a thing she says. And right now, I need to find my friend…