Chapter 6 - Sunshine

Panic seized me, a suffocating wave threatening to drown me. "Father, please, don't do this to me," I choked out, my voice trembling. "I can't live without you and Mother."

"I've always wanted to do something for you, at least once in your lifetime," he said, his voice a low rumble of resolve. "You should run now. I will protect you from here."

"I don't want that! Let's run, please!" I spat, the words laced with desperation. With a surge of strength I didn't know I possessed, I dragged him from his spot. But as I turned, my heart plummeted. We were already surrounded.

Seraphina's arrival was as dramatic as ever. My gaze snapped behind me, and there she stood, her exquisite face a mask of cold indifference, regarding me as if I were no more than an insect. "I told you I would come back for you."

"You are evil!" my father roared, his aged voice cracking with fury. "You should protect us, but you're killing us!"

"Haha!" Seraphina’s laughter was a cruel, sharp sound. "Exactly. I protect the wolves who will forever remain beneath me. I do not protect threats to my throne." With that, she launched a brutal attack, her sword aimed directly at me.

My father shoved me, pulling me behind him, and the blade slid into his belly.

His eyes, wide and unseeing, went lifeless before me.

I swallowed, a silent scream trapped in my throat, as I watched my father crumple to the ground. Helpless, I knelt, cradling him in my arms.

My mother's grave.

My father's lifeless body.

All I wanted was to cease existing.

"No!" I screamed, my voice tearing from my lungs as I flung my gaze to the heavens.

Seraphina chuckled, a sound devoid of warmth.

"I expected that!" she declared, taking a deep, satisfied breath. "Now that all your protectors are gone, I'd like to see who will save you the next time I strike." Her eyes, sharp and triumphant, were fixed on me.

"What did I ever do to you?" I whispered, my voice raw with grief.

"Accept the rejection and depart this pack if you want a better life," Seraphina's loyal Delta responded for her, her voice laced with a chilling finality. She vowed as she walked away, leaving me with the ghost of victory in her eyes.

Accept the rejection?

I sniffled, wiping away tears, and pushed myself to my feet, the weight of my life’s unfolding crushing me. Would it have been better to reject the Alpha and die, rather than witness my parents, two gentle souls, suffer because of a mate bond I never desired?

I carried my father’s body to a secluded corner and began to dig his grave, right beside my mother’s, my tears falling like rain.

Hours later, he was buried. Night was already beginning to descend.

Would it be too late to reject the bond now?

If I rejected it, I would die. But at what cost?

My parents were gone. They would likely haunt me in the afterlife if I let their sacrifice be for nothing.

"Nothing, not even the Moon Goddess who has forsaken me, will spare you from your destined tears, Seraphina," I muttered, my voice hardening with a newfound resolve. "I know I am powerless now, but I will be your karma in this life." I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on my parents' graves.

I took another breath.

There was nothing left for me here. Only these graves.

I turned and fled my father's compound.

As I neared the pack borders, the familiar thunder of approaching horses reached me. I dropped to the ground, scrambling into the thick bushes, pulling leaves and branches over myself, praying I was hidden. The sounds faded, and I let out a shaky sigh of relief.

Emerging from my hiding place, I ran until I reached the borders. I paused for a moment, looking back. "Goodbye!" I whispered, and then I plunged past the borders of the Blackwood Pack. Without a second thought, I ran for my life.

I ran until my lungs burned and the forest grew thick and dark. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the soft earth. Looking up, I saw the faint shimmer of water and realized I was near a very classy fountain.

Grateful, I stumbled towards it, drinking deeply. The water was surprisingly clean, its taste comforting.

I scanned my surroundings. No sign of anyone. Not even a rogue. This was unlike the tales I'd heard of this forest. I drank until I could no more, then lay beside the fountain, succumbing to sleep.

A gentle tap on my shoulder jolted me awake the next morning. The touch sent a jolt of fear through me. My eyes squeezed shut. I couldn't bear to meet the gaze of a rogue. "I'm not evil," I pleaded, my voice a desperate whisper. "I'm sorry if I trespassed, but I have nowhere else to go." I braced myself, fearing the worst – rape, or worse.

"Get up, little dove! This is my territory. No one here bothers the innocent." An elderly voice, surprisingly gentle, soothed my fears.

I paused, then slowly opened my eyes. White hair framed a kind, weathered face. An elderly woman stood before me.

Relief washed over me. "You won't kill me?" I asked, my voice still shaky.

"That's not in my dictionary. Not to an innocent girl craving protection," she replied with a warm smile. "Follow me!"

I scrambled to my feet and hurried behind her. She led me around the fountain, and after a few minutes, welcomed me into a secluded building nestled deep within the forest. "Welcome to my secluded tavern!" she announced brightly. I looked around, surprised to see other wolves inside.

This part of the forest, it seemed, was not a place of chaos. Here, everyone lived peacefully under this woman's gentle rule. "Who are you?" I asked, my surprise evident.

"I'm the infamous Madame Evangeline," she declared, her eyes twinkling. "The purest, oldest, and most solitary werewolf in this forest. And this is my tavern. I love to cook and make wolves feel warm. But don't get too comfortable, because I'm not about to let you grow lazy." She moved towards the counter, pulling out an astonishing number of dishes, her gaze occasionally flicking towards me.

"You'll give me shelter, and in exchange, I have to wash all these dishes?" I asked, my voice filled with disbelief. The pile of dishes seemed insurmountable, more than three she-wolves could handle.

"Are you going to do it or not? This is your new home. You are always welcome, but you must work," Madame Evangeline stated, nudging a pot towards the dishes with her foot. "Here!" She then handed me a covered plate.

I touched it; it was warm. Glancing at her, I opened it, my eyes widening at the sight of steaming, delicious-looking porridge. "This is mine?" I asked, astonished. I couldn't recall ever being cared for by a stranger.

Madame Evangeline scratched her head and sat near the counter. "Just so you have the strength. You won't just have shelter and a home; you'll have food as well as clothing. You should really change out of that dress. It looks like you're about to walk down some aisle, and it's dirty too."