The Sun beat on my face and my eyes opened with my first thought being of Rogan. My dream had taken me to the top of the mountain and the feeling that he nearly overcame me. My face was wet with the tears I’d cried even as I slept with the idea of simply seeing him. Just as I saw him thought something took him away just as fast and he vanished in a flash of hot red mist. I took a moment looking around just sitting where I was. These days it didn’t matter where I slept or what I did anyway. I surprisingly was in my today wrapped in one of Rogan’s shirts. I was struggling with the fact as time went on they were smelling less and less like him and more like me. I refused to allow anyone to wash them or take them. The Luna had tried once and I think she quickly realized that was a bad idea. I had luck by my side because the Alpha felt similar to me and I did utilize that to my advantage.
I had barely turned when I heard knocking on my door I already knew who it was and sure enough it was my mother Laura. She came in smiling to my eyes open. “Oh look at you all snuggled up in your bed today.” I already knew why she was so happy. Laura had begun checking on me as soon as things settled and continued to do so every morning as she came to the clinic. She had seen me in far worse places than a bed that was for sure. “Why are you so cheering?” I stated in a sarcastic voice. I loathed these moments because I knew what it all would mean. I would have no choice but for some food down just to make her happy. “I am always happy to see my daughter.” She grinned. She pulled something wrapped in tin foil and I prepared for what she was going to offer. My stomach grumbled and I pushed it to the side. The truth was I liked the feeling of it grumbling because it proved to me that I was still alive. “I thought today we could try a breakfast burrito, Rollo really seemed to like it.” She smiled sitting on the bed beside me. “Is that why you are so happy, Rollo? You two must have had a good morning.” Her face instantly froze which meant they did have a good morning but she didn’t want to tell me. “You know you don’t have to hide your happiness from me.” She looked down again almost ashamed that she had come in smiling now. “Mother, it’s okay to be happy.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “You have earned every right to be happy and I wish you two would pick a date for your mating ceremony already. It’s time.” She still barely moved as I spoke. I felt like I was making things worse just speaking but others needed to live I knew that especially the ones I loved. “I don’t think now is a good time Kelllina. I am very busy with the clinic running and there is still too much going on.” “Nothing is going on. There is no reason for you not to move forward with plans you had before Ro-” I couldn’t even say his name right now. I took a big gulp before speaking again, “Before things changed.” We were both quiet and I was trying not to think about how Rogan would agree with me right now because that only made the thought of him harder. I was trying to encourage others to move on when I couldn’t find a way to do so myself. Even my best friend Reese was gone. After her birthday ceremony when she realized Alex and her were not true mates she left the entire area deciding to go to college with humans no less. Even trying to reach out now she was gone never answering and I couldn’t blame her. There was a pain in thinking of all that could have been that just wasn’t there anymore. Meanwhile, Alex had moved on finding his mate quickly a shy girl a year older with a kind face but she was no Reese that was for sure. He tried to make things right with Reese but she was inconsolable especially when she realized she had no mate or at least none that had appeared. It was what drove her away and convinced them that she should focus on finding a career. I wasn’t even sure if she would even return. “Kellina I will think about what you said and even talk to Rollo but I will only agree if you eat this.” She now placed the breakfast burrito in front of me. I'd argued enough and decided it wasn’t worth it so I began to eat. She watched me quietly allowing me time to think. Everything had become quieter since Rogan had been away. I was fine with the quiet because it meant less time for people hovering over me. I couldn’t stand when people just constantly hovered over me as if I would break because at this point, I’d seen what breaking meant and there wasn’t any way I was giving up if I knew Rogan was out there. I finally halfway through the burrito was allowed to be left alone. As soon as my mother left the room and I could hear her making her way down the grand stairs, I threw it away and went my way to get ready for the day. I barely could remember the day but knew I was supposed to meet Erin for sparring and then take a walk with Gorm. I wanted to share with him my dream and see what it meant. I wasn’t sure where Rogan was standing and wished I could have made out more. My dreams felt more like everyone else’s anymore with small hints of what might be. I was holding on to a connection with a mate that seemed to be dissolving faster and faster all the time. I knew it was because we’d been away from each other for so long and the fact I had not marked him. I hated myself for not being quicker or smarter in the ways of mating before it all. I would have known what Rogan was doing and would have been able to save us both. All I could think of was that night and what might have been if I had only been smarter, stronger, and quicker which is why now all I did was continue to persevere and grow my powers. If the Red Crescent Moon pack dared to bare their paws on our land again, I would make sure they knew who the Crimson Priestess was and what I was capable of.I made my way down the stairs hoping to avoid any of the Alpha family but instead, I ran smack down into Roe. She was older now getting ready for puberty but yet still a little girl. Roe had beautiful black locks with curls at the end which made her positively adorable and hard not to resist. I realized she was running from Corgan who was chasing her laughing. “Oh Save me Kellina from my awful brother!” She exclaimed. “Oh, Roe you are the silliest,” I responded still pulling her behind me and squaring up with Corgan. He stopped and took note of the situation. Corgan had changed so much and looked more like a man now than he did when I’d first met him. He had looks similar to Rogan but leaner still very muscular and handsome with shorter hair than Rogan ever wore but still those same dark beautiful eyes. Anyone female wolf would be lucky to have Corgan as a mate. “This really isn’t fair.” Corgan folded his arms standing in front of me. “Still it’s good to see you Kel, arising from
She was furious on the mat and I wasn’t even trying to fight her. I knew she was hurting and was just tired of trying to keep going so if she wanted to put her energy into kicking my ass right now, I was going to let her. It did mean me holding back but since the day I meant Kellina I’d be holding back how I felt or really wanted to do in one way or the other. I had never seen another wolf be as broken as she had been in her life and still come out swinging. It was respect, complete awe of how she kept going, and love that made me feel this way. I had no mate of my own but had been told a thousand times how those feelings were for everyone else and so now watching her try to overcome losing her mate the way she had with no clue if he was alive or dead I could barely imagine she was here with me now sparring. Thud! I landed again on my back as she used all of her small frames to literally flip me over her shoulder. I tried to keep my smile inside my head so she didn’t know ho
I sat there on the mat for some time to the point the automatic lights went dark and remained in the quiet darkness until some of the other members of the pack came in turning the lights back on with their movement. I mumbled some apology about startling them and telling them to be careful as the lights were acting up. I was fairly sure they knew I was lying but nodded politely as I exited. I went up to my room and was grateful to find the hallways and other areas empty of anyone else. Erin had never told me off quite like that before and I was trying to not only absorb that but also the part about him being right. He was right that I hadn’t really acknowledged how everyone else was doing but I had been lying to myself for a while now. I kept telling myself that if I could just find Rogan everything would go back to the way it was. It was going on almost 2 years and there was no way that even if I found Rogan he would be okay. It would take a lot of effort to find normalcy again and e
I was frustrated and so sick of Kellina’s crap. I knew the real reason in my mind but I was about to admit it. The truth was I wanted her to get over it so perhaps she would consider other options like me! Let’s face it I was going to have a mate anytime soon and Rogan was gone. We could be together and it seemed like the most realistic and practical situation. After all one thing I did know was that we had an attraction to each other so what was the big deal? I didn’t know what I was missing. The big fucking problem was though she knew what she was missing and she couldn’t get over it. I hated it. I wanted it to go away but there wasn’t an answer. As I stormed outside I ripped off my clothes and went full-blown wolf. I made my way out of the gates and debated about my options and where I could go. I wanted to be alone so as I glanced around the terrain around me I choose to go behind the pack house towards the mountain. There was not nearly as much patrol because the odds of rogu
We prepared the surgical area as quickly as possible and waited for the arrival of Erin and the prisoner known as Gorm. I had never seen Gorm but knew he was a red wolf that had chosen to go rogue for the Red Cresent Pack only to be betrayed and left here with our pack. I had heard that he had helped Kellina and I was grateful for that. Kellina was my little sister in so many ways and I loved her dearly. She never seemed to get a fair chance at happiness and my heart hurt for her. Laura the white priestess who had become her mother through no formal adoption but through love was also just as kind and I knew Kellina’s pain killed Laura as well. My heart ached for both of them always not just as fellow priestesses but as family. My own family had been gone too soon to and I understood that pain. My father was killed in the rogue attacks but I still knew who he was and had fond memories of our time together. My mother died I believe of heartache years later and the pain of dealing wit
The day quickly faded and it turned to night still without any real reassurance that Eric or Gorm was alright. At some point, I’d been assisted to shower and change clothes and I replayed the entire event in my mind. The day hadn’t started well and it had only gotten worse. I worried for my friends and selfishly prayed they wouldn’t leave me. Eric and Gorm were the only two I had that I could count on for just about anything and they allowed me to be who I was which wasn’t anyone anymore. As I sat there waiting for answers I started to realize I needed to change my ways. I knew deep down everyone was right this is not what Rogan would have wanted for me or anyone. I was the only person who could change that but changing it would be harder. I enjoyed living in the darkness because it was better than trying to live with brightness without him. It didn’t seem fair or right that I should be happy or even feel anything else but sadness. Still, I knew Rogan inside and out and he would
“They are gone! How can they be gone like that?” I felt frustration and anger knowing that three of our best red wolves had been lost to what I best guess was the Mystic Moon Pack. My fist pounded into the cave wall as I had no other way to express my anger. I watched now as rock flakes fell onto the ground of the misty floor. “I know you are taking this on yourself but you mustn’t. We both know they went too far, farther than we had ever allowed. It was a miracle we were even able to recover two of their bodies.” Athena placed her hand gently on my shoulder but all I felt was the rage as I whirled around to face her. “They went too far because there is nothing to eat up here and they went where there are better hunting grounds and actual food Athena! Our pack can’t keep living like this much longer!” I glared into my mate’s eyes pleading for her to understand. It was Athena’s duty to lead our pack but I was her mate it meant just as much to me to guide alongside her. “What
It had been days and Gorm nor the other red wolf was awake. There was no identifying the other wolf as he was found naked. Erin didn’t have much information as he had just come up on them and realized it was going to be a battle to the end. Thankfully, he was all but healed besides some healing left on his neck. The only real thing we had to go off was that they had to still be members of the pack because as soon as our guards left to assist with the injured by the time they came back the two dead wolves were gone. I waited to hope that the red wolf makes it as he could be a lead to the Red Crescent Pack which meant a possible lead on Rogan. I tried not to get my hopes up as the days progressed because so far neither Gorm nor the red wolf woke up and it was now Friday. It was a tough time for everyone especially Sophia who had not only absorbed every word I had spoken by Gorm but had barely left his side. The last few nights I’d had to go and wake her from beside his bed just