Chapter 2

A small ceremony was held the next day to honor the wolves who were killed. But Falcone’s head lying there, separated from his body, that image burned into my mind. I knew it would take a long time to forget.

Of all the people who died, I'm sure Falcone’s was the most gruesome. His body was found some distance from his head. He had been beheaded mid-shift in an attempt to fight the soldiers.

His lower body had turned into his wolf form while his upper body was still human. The event left everyone visibly shaken. We were now down to just about forty pack members and we waited for the Alpha to address us.

It had been three days, and still nothing from him. In those three days, my grandmother's health worsened.

“Grannie Alba, we have to go see Dr Isabella,” I said over a dinner of oats and stale bread.

Now that our home had been taken, we moved into the house that belonged to the witch with nothing more than the clothes on our back.

Once that line was drawn, crossing it meant death. I didn’t know which pack had attacked us, but they were stronger and they had an upper hand.

She shook her head stubbornly. “It's too dangerous. Werewolves shouldn't be mingling so often with the humans, I can't have you do that. Plus, we don't have any money to pay for treatment.”

“Exactly! Which is why I should come along. Dr Isabella would help with little to no costs.”

“Please Grannie. I can't lose you too,” I spoke up again before she could argue any further, my voice cracking.

Her eyes softened and she nodded wordlessly.

I smirked internally. Works every time.

——

The visit to Dr Isabella went well and she asked that I get some drugs for Grannie Alba.

“I'll just stick to taking herbs,” my grandmother argued when we got back. “They've been working fine all this while. This only happened because of the stress from the other day.”

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. “If the herbs had been working, this wouldn't have happened at all.”

“We don't have any money. You know that, child.”

My hands paused in the sink where I was doing the dishes. “I'll pay a visit to Alpha Pelna,” I said with a shrug.

I could feel her piercing gaze on my back.

“The family is grieving their dead brother, Elara,” she started, making me turn swiftly to face her.

Grannie Alba hardly called me by name, when she did, it was serious. “Open Creek is a mess. I don't think the alpha would give you any money, much for an old woman who isn't even a part of his pack.”

I winced at her last statement. It was the truth, but the truth hurts.

Grannie Alba wasn't a part of Open Creek Pack. In fact, she wasn't a wolf. She had taken my mother under her roof many years ago when she found the sixteen year old covered in blood and shivering. It was a big risk she took and if she ever regretted getting involved with werewolves, she hasn't shown it.

“I'll find a way, I promise.”

——

Despite the conversation with Grannie Alba, I set out to pay a visit to Alpha Pelna.

Maybe I should have given it more of a thought before going over to the house. But I didn't.

Alpha Pelna had allowed me an audience, much to my surprise. But when I got inside, an even bigger surprise was waiting for me.

A loud crunch filled the room as I let out a loud cry. Alpha Pelna was towering over me as I knelt. The cane in his hand dug into my fingers until they cracked. Our pack might be a small and insignificant one now, but Alpha Pelna still had the strength of an Alpha.

I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.

“If it weren't for you. My brother would have been safe at home that night, away from any danger but instead, he went to see you!” He sneered.

Again, I probably should have thought it over before coming here.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about Falcone. I wish I could change things, please forgive me alpha,” I begged. The pain was intense because I was healing very slowly whilst the cane still dug into my flesh.

To my relief, he lifted the cane off my hand.

“I don't want to see your face again. Stay on whatever part of the land you've been staying because, so help me god, I'll kill you myself the next time I see you.”

Ideally, the words of an alpha would have weaker wolves like myself shaking and cowering but not Alpha Pelna.

He had made himself so small before his pack members that his words no longer had that effect. I just wanted to be away from him.

I nodded and didn't wait to be dismissed before I fled the building.

The last thing I wanted to do was go back home. My hand wasn't fully healed yet and Grannie Alba would ask questions. That and the fact that I still had no money to buy medications.

Thoughts swirled as I walked. My parents gone before I could get a grasp of life. My friends, either killed in one attack or bonded and gone. I thought of Grannie Alba who was struggling in pain, alone at home. The idea of losing her kills me.

Somehow, I found myself back in town. The familiar streets surrounded me. A thought creeped its way into my head and I was grateful for the hood I had covering my face.

Having passed this area several times, I was very aware of an abandoned warehouse that was right around the corner. It was difficult to miss if you didn't already know it's there.

I had no clue what used to be stored in the warehouse but I hoped it was something of value that I could resell in town.

As I approached the large metal gates, I expected it to be locked but it wasn't. I easily slipped through the open doors and into the building.

What I didn’t expect was to have guns pointed at my face before I even took five steps inside.