by Mandy Adler
“They are going to get closer Zach.” She said firmly, but gently. “This is my fight as much as it is yours. We just need to be prepared.”
I took a deep breath, knowing she was right but hating it all the same. “I’m sorry Lil but I’m not leaving your side until this mess is dealt with.”
I heard her soft laugh and I loosened my hold on her so I could look into those beautiful green eyes. “That doesn’t sound so bad to me.” She whispered. “You need to run.” She told me thoughtfully, and I knew my wolf was close and she could sense him. I nodded once and she smiled, taking me by the hand and leading me to the doors that led outside.
Lily
One of my favorite things to do was to run with him. There was playfulness to his wolf no one but me ever got to see. I knew he needed this run but truthfully, so did I. I hadn’t told him how scared I was to be so near to the people that killed my mother and took my dad. I’m sure he felt it in me, but he had so much on his plate right now, trying to protect me and the pack.
I still wasn’t good at the hunting but I flanked him as he chased down our prey. My wolf loved her mate as much as I did, and it was always unbelievable feeling of contentment. My wolf thought of things in much simpler terms than my human side did. She knew our mate would protect us and wasn’t afraid. My human side knew it as well… but the fear was always there. For my dad, my friends, for Zach, for everyone I loved. It was nice to let her take charge for a while, so that’s what I did. Our wolves hunted, played, then relaxed at the creek before retiring for the night.
“You’re getting better at shifting on your own.” Zach said he we walked back into the lodge.
I shrugged. “It feels more natural than it first did.”
“That’s good. Come on, lets head to dinner.” I let him take my hand and lead me into the dining hall. How he could eat again after just hunting was beyond me. The males were always hungry it seemed. Before we went in he stopped me and gently pushed me against the wall, caging me in with his arms on either side of my head. “Thank you for always knowing how to calm me.”
I let breathy laugh out. His being so close always made my breathless, no matter how many times we’ve done this. “You’re welcome.”
“Soon Lil, soon I want to marry you.” My breath caught in my throat. We have talked about it of course, but we never said when. “When this mess is done with. I want to be able to call you my wife. I love you and am ready to start our life together.”
“Me to.” I whispered back to him. Boy, did I want that to.
“Okay.” He back off, making me miss his warmth. “I just had to make sure we’re on the same page.”
Didn’t he know already? How could he not know how much I loved him by now? “Zach Carter.” I said as he reached to take my hand again. He cocked a brow at my tone. “Don’t you know how much I love you? I want those same things. I want to marry you, I want to start our life together. Don’t doubt any of that, do you hear me?”
“Yes ma’am.” He smiled, melting my slight anger into a puddle. “I just had to make sure Lil. Everything with you and I happened so quickly, I wasn’t sure if you were ready for marriage or wanted to wait a few years.”
“I’m ready now.” I laughed out.
He laughed lightly before taking my face into his warm hands. “Soon Il mio bel fiore. When this is over. I know you want your dad to walk you down the aisle, and I want that for you. When we deal with the mages, after everything has settled; you will become mine the human way. I will marry you, then our lives will really begin.”
I went on to our table as Zach went and grabbed our food. I sat next to Abby, who sat across from James.
“You two feeling better?” Abby asked me.
“Yeah. We’re good.” I smiled, thinking about what we had talked about before we came in here. I couldn’t wait for it all to become a reality.
“I called a pack meeting for after dinner. As Alpha female, you’re required to be there.” James told me through a mouthful of food.
“Gross.” I laughed, Abby threw her roll at him, smacking him in the face with it. “And that’s fine. I don’t mind being there, being it’s partly about me anyways.” He nodded, before chunking the roll back at Abby. I laughed as Abby came me a wide-eyed look seemingly to say, ‘can you believe this?!’
“Alright children.” Zach laughed as he sat next to James. “Let’s at least pretend to act like the leaders of this pack.”
“I’m not a leader.” Abby stuck her tongue out at him, making me giggle again as Zach set a plate in front of me. I eyed it, his obsession with me eating is ridiculous.
“Actually, being the pack witch is settled right between the pack second and third.” Zach stated as Abby’s eyes grew wide. “Which I will be announcing tonight. But I want to make sure this is what you want.” He leaned forward, towards Abby. “Do you want to be a member of this pack, to help protect all its members and help keep the peace between them?”
Abby nodded. “I’d be honored to be a part of something so… important.” She had tears shimmering in her eyes so I put my arm around her. “Sorry. I’ve just never had anything so permanent.”
“You’re family now.” Zach told her sincerely as James agreed. “It used to be a long-standing tradition to have a pack witch, but when the last battle went down we quit the tradition. I will be bringing it back. You also might find a mate, in the past a witch was almost always mated to a wolf, I just want to warn you. You might have a territorial, grumpy wolf of your very own soon enough.”
“I think I can handle that.” She hiccup-laughed. “Thank you for this Zach.”
He nodded once before gesturing for me to eat. I rolled my eyes but dig into the chicken anyways… turns out, I was hungry. I guess he was right when he said we burn through calories when shifting.
Zach
As I stood in front of my pack with Lily on one side of me and James, Abby, and Thomas on the other, I knew I had to protect this pack better than it was done during the last battle. I had to prove smarter than our elders. We couldn’t take another hit like that. We had to be cannier this time.
I watched as one of the youngest members ran to Lily and she hugged him before sending him back to his mother. She was a natural with the pups, they flocked to her. He was around two and the sight was a reminder that we were still rebuilding the pack, making it stronger. I would not let it go down again.
I waited until everyone had settled before speaking. “Brothers, sisters! I need your attention please. Trouble is among us once again. The mages are back, and now they want our Alpha Female Lily. I will not sit back and watch this pack once again be torn apart by those that mean us harm. I ask that we all come together once and for all and finish this fight that been going on for far too long.” I waited until some of the shocked murmurs quieted. “We are not alone in this any longer. I ask you to welcome Abby Greene to the pack, our newly appointed pack witch.” I turn to Abby and stand before her. “Abby Greene, do you promise to protect this pack and all of those who are in it? Do you swear to always do only what is for the good of the pack and to never bring harm here?”
“I do.” Her voice rang clear and sharp and I found myself proud of the bravery she was showing. It can be a challenging thing to stand in front of a group of shifters and not flinch.
“Then it is done. Abby will be lead in all things magic, she will guide our wolves and help in this upcoming battle. We will prevail.” I walked back and stood my place next to my mate. “I also have another announcement.” I took Lily’s hand in mine and notice she only held a slight tremble. “We have discovered that our Lily has some magic also. As it turns out she has mage blood from her father’s side, water magic. With her being an Omega, they morphed together and gave her a new power I have never seen. An incredible magic; she can heal.” I watched as my wolves processed this new information, watched as it clicked that the death rates would fall in her presence. I left out that she could force the shifting, for a group of contr
ol freaks that information would be hard to swallow. “This fight is now in our favor, they may have more magic, but we have more heart. We will stand together as one during this fight and we will win. We have more to lose than they do. We are family, each and every one of us.”
I watched with pride as my pack cheered, the light of hope they so needed lit their eyes. Lily squeezed my hand and I looked to see the same hope in her. We can do this, we will do this.
“Training will begin tomorrow, we will break into small groups and we will become stronger than ever. All those of age wanting to fight will be able to. But for now, let us run! Let us be who we are and we will show them that our pack is not one to be trifled with!”
I waited until all my wolves shifted and then I turned to Abby. “You can come with us, no one would harm you. You’re pack now and even their wolves know that. Just stay near me, Lil, James, or Thomas.” She nodded and I shifted, shaking my fur with the tingling of the second change of the day.
Lily came to me and nuzzled me, her wolf almost purring with contentment. My wolf stood tall, ready to protect our pack and our mate. Fight. Win. Protect ours. We ran, keeping Lily close and keeping an eye on Abby, who seemed to be sticking close to James. We ran with the pack, my wolf feeling pride that most of them chose to stick close to Lily. My wolf and I sat back and watch as she played with the other wolves, making sure it didn’t get out of hand and ending up with her hurt. But they were gentle with her, and she with them. Like, they instinctively knew her healer personality was gentle natured.
This was good, this was how a pack was supposed to act. We were going to do this, we are going to win.
Chapter Seven
Lily
I wandered around group to group as they were being trained, I had mostly mastered my healing with the help of a few willing pack-mates. With the training, there was always someone needing to be healed. I liked watching the unique styles everyone trained with. Zach was stern but patient with his, James’ way was almost playful, Thomas was quiet; leading with a since of style, Sue was almost harsh and I had stepped in a few times. She did not like when I did that. I was worried she was making them ruthless, I didn’t want them to kill unless absolutely necessary. I understood why Zach put her in charge of a group, she was a skilled fighter, but she lacked the heart.
I watched as she put a younger member down, biting too hard. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen. I saw the light in her eyes; she liked being in charge too much.
“Enough. This is training, not a real challenge Sue.” I stepped in. The young wolf gave me a grateful smile.
“You want them trained? This is how I do it.” She sneered back at me after she shifted to human, fully nude.
“I want them able to defend themselves and this pack, not turned into killers.” I stayed calm, she didn’t scare me like she once did. Zach and James have been training me almost every day since I’d first turned. She stood tall, meeting my eyes, which I knew was a challenge. She knew it too. The young batch of shifter slowly backed away. “You don’t want to do this, we are on the same side.”
“I’ve wanted to do this since you first walked into my school.” She laughed. “I’m ready to show everyone that you cannot protect this pack, you were never the right choice for our Alpha’s mate.”
My blood boiled. She had always had a thing for him I knew, but he was mine. “Alright then. Let’s get this out of the way, but then you train my way. Stop the torture and train them to fight, you stop playing the dominance games with them.”
“Whatever.” She said before she shifted into her wolf. Her wolf knew better than her human, she averted my eyes but held her ground.
“Okay.” I sighed before shifting into my own. I hated these stupid dominance games, but Zach had explained that it has always been this way, their wolves had to know who was in charge and fit to lead.
I stood my ground as she circled me, keeping the teachings I was taught in my head. Never take your eyes off her, don’t let her intimidate you, always keep your cool. I saw the moment she was going to pounce, her back legs bending ever so slightly. I swiped at her with my paw, knocking her off kilter. She stumbled before righting herself, then it began. She got a bite on my back leg, but I shook her lose. She was good, but I had been trained by the best. We were both bloody by the time I had her pinned beneath me. I knew it would come to this someday, Zach had been telling me so, but it made me sad all the same. We couldn’t have these petty moments when we were supposed to be working together to bring down the mages. I held her throat for a minute longer before releasing her. I shifted back and the kid I defended handed me a sun-dress.
“I’m not weak like I was Sue. Enough is enough.” I waited for her to shift back and put the dress that was handed to her on. “This needs to stop if are to win this fight. You are either on my side, the side of our pack, or you stay out of the fight. I will ban you from this battle. I won’t have anyone I can’t trust at my back, or at the backs of people I love. Decide now.”
I felt Zach’s pride at the back of my mind and knew he was watching, as I’m sure was everyone else.
Sue took a shaky breath before speaking, tilting her head to the side in a show of submission. “I will follow you Alpha.”
“Thank you. Start the training again with the knowledge that they are not killers, they need to be able to defend this pack, not kill without reason. Teach them how to do that.”
She nodded and I walked off. I still wasn’t used to sticking up for myself, but I can’t deny it feels good…right. I was finally starting to feel like myself, the person I was before I lost my mother. Maybe a little stronger and sure of myself now.
I saw Connor and some of the old members talking to Zach and walked over to them.
“I want to help you defend this pack. I know we are no longer active members, but let us do what we should have done years ago, let us fight with you.” Connor was asking Zach to fight with us! That would give us more numbers.
Zach stood silently for a moment before holding a hand out to his uncle. “I would be honored to have you fight alongside our pack again.” Zach opened his arm and tucked me under it as I approached. “I’m so proud of you.” He whispered for my ears only. I may have smiled. “I’m taking Lily in for the day, I think she’s had enough. You can take over training my group if you’d like.” Connor nodded. “Marc, Sue may need some pointers on how to train the younger group.”
“Yes Alpha.” They both chimed, and Zach and I headed in. He was right, I have had enough for one day. I think I could sleep for a week straight.
Zach
“You did great out there.” I told her as she rung her hands nervously.
“I hated to do that. But she was being a bully to that kid.” She frowned.
I slid my hands down her arms to sooth her. “That kid’s name in Malcom, and I’m sure he is very thankful for your interference. He’s not a submissive, but he’s pretty low on the dominance scale. I’m sure she scared the crap out of him.”
“Yeah. I remember what that’s like.” She laughed. “To be honest she still scares the crap out of me, but at least now I know she can’t hurt me… not really. You and James trained me too well.”
I laugh. She still doesn’t know how brave it makes her to stand up to someone she’s scared of, to do it for someone she doesn’t even know. “Go shower, I know you’re exhausted.”
“Okay.” She headed into the connecting bathroom to shower while I went to check on the training one last time.
They’ll be calling it a night soon. I don’t want them to train so hard they let themselves become over-worked.
I was glad to see Lily stick up to Sue, she showed the whole pack the she had their best interest in mind. That to her, they came first. They needed to know that, they needed to know that their Alpha Female was looking out for them. This will bring her closer to them, she will no longer be such an outsider.
They were still full force when I made it back outside. I was ha
ppy to see that Sue was taking a better approach to her group, Marc was standing by watching, speaking up where he needed to. James’s group was coming along nicely, he had some of the more dominant wolves. They needed someone more dominant than them in charge, which is why they went to either my group or James.
“Alright!” I called loudly enough for them all to hear me easily. “Let’s call it a night. I want you all to get some sleep, we will do this every evening for as long as it takes for everyone to be comfortable in their fighting skills. If anyone feels they need any extra attention let myself or James know and we will work something out. Good work today, you all showed great strength and determination.” I watched the proud smiles on their faces, they needed this. They needed to know they could be strong in their own rights.
“The pack is getting stronger.” Connor said as he walked up to me. “They are better in your hands than they ever were in mine.”
“Thank you. They work hard, they just needed a reason to fight. Lily gave them one, they are really starting to love her.” I told him honestly. Lily was what this pack needed to shake us back up.
“She’s a good girl. Sweet as all let’s out.” He replied lightly. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Thanks Connor, that means a lot.” And it did. Connor gave up a lot to raise me, and I could never repay him for it.
“You’re doing good my boy, keep up whatever it is you’re doing.” He clapped me on the back once. “Marc and I will be here tomorrow evening.”
“Alright see you guys then.” I stood and watched as the last of the pack made their way back into the lodge.
It’s times like these, when the lodge was quiet with sleep that I like to walk around it. I loved the feeling that they were all safe and happy. It never lasts long, but in these few moments I can believe that all will turn out right in the end. That my pack and everyone in it will remain safe, this family we built, I won’t let another event tear it apart like in the past. I made my way back to our room to discover Lily had passed out cold. I chuckled quietly, she had curled into a ball completely cocooned in the blankets. My mate was a cover hog, small price to pay for getting to lie next to her every night.
