Unique, Different, Found

by Violet Samuels

  I quickly catch sight of Comrade being tackled to the ground by a wolf much bigger and stronger than him. He struggles to get back up, but he's trapped. As the wolf makes a move to snap his neck, I'm over there in lightning speed knocking him off. He goes flying!

  No one, and I mean no one, will kill my loved ones tonight.

  Comrade gets up and nudges my side in a thankful gesture. I nod my head in return then split ways with him to hunt down anyone who threatens to hurt the ones I love.

  The war's still going strong, but the sun is down and the moon is up. Only a small number remain, with my pack being the one on top. Thankfully...

  Axel, Callum, Comrade and myself all fight together as we attack in a wall, bringing down at least five or six wolves at a time. Team work is the key. Only little numbers remain, under fifty for Damon's pack. All I hope is that we're the ones that triumph.

  After bringing down another six or so wolves, I spot a wolf trying to run away from the fight. I bark and start to run after the light brown wolf, but Comrade beats me to it. He charges towards the forest, but not before giving me a wolfy grin and a wink. I shake my head at him. Of course he decides to be funny near the end of a history-changing war. That's Comrade for you, always trying to impress.

  A howl is suddenly released as all of Damon's remaining wolves suddenly dart off in the direction to where Comrade just ran, Damon going with them. Axel growls loudly and is about to follow them, but I block his path before he can. He's in no shape to go after them with his injuries.

  'Axel, you're seriously battered and injured. You're in no shape to be chasing after them. Let them go,' I tell him sternly through the mind link. He growls at me in warning, but I stand my ground. He eventually shifts and starts to bark out orders.

  "Callum! Get the safe house unlocked pronto and get the pack doctors here stat! We have a lot injured and I am not losing any more wolves tonight!" he booms in Callum's direction. Callum quickly nods, still in his wolf form, and darts off towards the safe house.

  "To all of those who aren't currently dying or seriously injured, attend to a pack member! Keep asking them questions, whatever it takes to keep their eyes open!" he orders to the remaining pack members that are still standing on their feet. They all rush to the nearest pack member they see, whether they're in wolf or human form.

  I immediately attend to a nearby pack member who isn't awake, but still breathing. I place my ear to her chest and sigh in relief when I realize she's still alive and well. I think she's just knocked out...

  I bring my head back to look at her face and gasp at what I see. She can't be older than 14! She hasn't even shifted!

  "Axel!" I scream in panic. What is she doing here?

  Axel bolts to my side and takes my astonished and frightened face in his hands.

  "What is it, sweetheart? What's wrong?" he asks hurriedly.

  I point to the girl in utter disbelief. I still can't believe she's here. How did she get here anyway? Isn't she supposed to be in the safe house? Who is she?

  "Axel, she's a girl. She looks like she hasn't even shifted. No older than 14 probably. How did she get here?" I ask, totally freaked out. It's impossible...

  "I don't know, but we need to get her back to the pack house to be checked," he tells me calmly while kissing my forehead. I nod, feeling relaxed at his touch.

  "Comrade, get over here!" he calls Comrade as he places his hand on the girl's forehead, probably checking for her temperature.

  Instead of Comrade appearing straight away, he doesn't come at all. I look up from the girl's face and towards where I last saw him run off into the forest.

  "Comrade!" I call him as I get up and walk towards the place where he took off in his wolf form. "Comrade!" I call again in panic. Where is he? Did he ever come back from chasing that wolf? Oh please Goddess, no!

  "Comrade!" I screech before shifting and bolting into the woods, ignoring Axel's cries for me to come back. I try to pick up on his scent, which I do. Yes! But it's really faint though, so that dampens my mood. If his scent is still here then that means he can't be far! I know I'm holding onto false hope, but it's all I've got.

  Please, Comrade, be alive for me.

  I run for what seems like hours, when in reality, it's only a few minutes. The strong smell of blood and death fills my sensitive nose and I presume the worst. Have they killed him? Please, no! Moon Goddess, I swear, if you can hear me, please keep Comrade safe! Please! Let him be alive!

  I follow the scent for another few agonizing minutes until I come across a dead corpse. I gulp after skidding to a halt behind the dead body. I draw in a deep breath, the smell of death washing over me. Please don't be Comrade, please don't be Comrade... Then I flip the body over.

  I release the breath I'm holding as I realize it's the body of who Comrade was chasing. He must've finished them off. Question is, where's Comrade? I shift back into human form and look around. He's nowhere to be found, not even a scent.

  "Comrade!" I call loudly. I can hear the scattering of the forest animals, but no Comrade. "Comrade!" I call even louder this time, almost yelling. I get no answer in return as I start to run through the forest in my human form. He can't be dead! He just can't...

  "Comrade!" I cry out as tears stream down my face. I don't even try to stop them. I don't know where Comrade is and it's freaking me out.

  'Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead.' That's all I say over and over in my head. Even if I don't find him, I want him to be safe and alive. I won't know that though, now will I?

  'Comrade!' I try calling him through the mind link. I wait for a reply, with my panic bolting higher by the second. I don't get one. Not a whisper, not a mumble, nothing.

  A rustling in the bushes suddenly stops all my movements. My eyes widen and my mouth slightly opens. I spin around slowly, hopefully.

  "Comrade," I call in a whisper, knowing he will be able to hear me if it is him.

  The rustling becomes louder and a figure pops out of the bushes with worried eyes and a frown on his face.

  I stay frozen in my position, not knowing what to say or do. You know the moment when you think all your dreams are about to come true, but are completely shattered at the last minute leaving you helpless? That's exactly what I'm feeling now.

  The person who emerges from the bushes takes one look at me and engulfs me in a tight hug. I don't hug back though. Mainly because the person hugging me isn't the person I want to be hugging me. I remain stiff as a log.

  "Celina! Thank the Moon Goddess! You can't just run off like that, especially not after a war," Axel scolds with a heavy frown on his face. It's not Comrade scolding me with a heavy frown on his face. No. Instead, it's Axel.

  "He's gone, Axel," I whisper as my dams break and tears flood down my face. I don't sob or shake or do anything like that though. I just stand there and let the feeling of absolute disappointment and dread wash over me. No one in the whole world can match my pain right now.

  "Shh, Celina, shh. It's ok. We'll find him. I promise," Axel coos in my ear while rubbing my back soothingly. I nod into his chest and he carefully picks me up as he starts to carry me back to the pack house.

  Comrade will never be forgotten, ever. He will be found and whoever has taken him will have to deal with my wrath. Whoever touches my loved ones, is a dead man.

  END OF BOOK ONE

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  Here is a sample from the second book in the series:

  Remember the guardian who always made people laugh? Remember the guardian who always tried to help? Remember the guardian who had a backstory? Do you remember the guardian who ran into the forest and never returned? That guardian was forgotten, or so he thought.

  Did he escape?

>   No one knew other than the ones he loved the most.

  Was he loved back? Everyone knew the answer to that.

  Do you?

  This is a story of the guardian who was forgotten, saved, and loved…

  1

  In a world of war, hate, and love, I stand alone. In a world of sadness, happiness, anger, and forgiveness, I struggle alone. In a world of selfishness, honor, generosity, and empathy, I feel alone. I stand alone. I struggle alone. I feel alone.

  Alone, never again will I feel complete without knowing what's going to happen to me. Never again will I feel like my life has meaning.

  How do people cope with a situation like this? Three years. It's been three years since I was captured, without even a clue if they're coming for me. These three years have caused so much pain and many fallen tears. Three years have passed and my hope is slowly slipping away. Three years... and I'm still not found. I guess you can say I'm forgotten.

  Have you ever been forgotten? It's a horrible situation to be in. It makes you feel like you're not loved anymore, like no one cares. Being forgotten for so long can change a person. It can change a person so much... that he can't even remember himself. He can't remember the person he used to be. He can't remember the person who used to smile and joke around. He just can't remember.

  How will you feel counting the days that you've been forgotten? How will you feel counting the times you've been beaten? How will you feel counting the wishes you’ve made that never came true? How will that make you feel? Sad? Angry? Annoyed? For some, it may be happy. In all honesty, it makes me feel like a total and utter crap. It makes me feel like I'm not loved and that I never was.

  You know, for the past three years, all I've thought about was when they're going to come for me. When are they going to magically pop-up in front of me and say 'surprise’? When are they finally going to help me escape?

  Everyday though, I wake up to the same sight. Instead of their smiling faces, I'm met with my guards' stony faces. Instead of their twinkling eyes, I'm met with the dull light of the bummed light bulb. Instead of their warm embraces, I'm met with the cold feeling that always surrounds me. I'm always met with the total opposite of what I wish, want, and need. Again, I'm all alone.

  For the first year, I wished upon a star every night. I thought if all the fairytales were true, it would work and I'd magically beam back home. Believe it or not, I even tried The Wizard of Oz trick and clicked my heels together like Dorothy, while chanting: "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home." It never worked.

  During the second year, I stopped crying and tried to grasp a hold on things. I put up with the beatings and trained my brain to help protect me against it. I trained my wolf to stay away in the shadows of my mind. I just stopped being a baby and took hold of myself. That helped.

  Finally on the third year, after holding onto hope for so long... I let go of my last grip. My fingers uncurled from the thin strand and let it broke. I let my hope go. I became numb during the third year. I thought, "What the hell? No one cares anyway! What's hope gonna do, bring back my life?"

  So, I became a heartless piece of nothing that rotted away in a tiny cell. My sanity, love, and happiness decayed ever so slowly. I willed my life to come to an end quicker. I just wanted this nightmare to be over.

  As I sit on my poor excuse of a bed, a rag on the cold cement floor, I bury my face in my hands and think. I think about what my life would've been like if I didn't end up here. I could've met my mate. I could've gotten married and had pups with her. I could've made my way up the ladder to finally become a general in training. I could've had a life. I stand up and grip my hands on the metal bars that cover the small window of my cell. It's so high up that my eyes can only see through it ever so slightly.

  A beautiful sight greets me. Lush green grass is displayed on the ground, graceful butterflies are flapping their wings, wind is blowing lightly on my fingers, trees are swaying, and all I ever want is to rid myself of this confinement and get out into the world. This little window is the only way I’ll know how many days have gone and passed. How many days I've been alone. I let go of the bars with a sigh and plonk back down onto the floor. Why is my life miserable? Oh yeah! Because I decided to help the ones I loved without thinking it through. I just acted on what my bloody instinct told me to do. The sound of the heavy, soundproof, metal door opening draws my attention away from my depressing thoughts. It's about five o'clock in the morning, so no guards should start their shift until at least another hour or so.

  That only leaves one more person... Kate.

  "Comrade?" I hear her faint whisper through the dim lighting. "Comrade, are you awake?"Yep, that's right. It's me, the little second choice for everything. The guardian that's forgotten, I'm Comrade Hollow.

  I hurriedly scatter to the bars of my cell and stick my hand out into the darkness. "I'm here, Kate, follow my voice," I tell her in a hushed tone. The door may be soundproof, but it's still good to take precautions.

  Soon, I feel a small hand grasp my own. I slowly pull her to the bars and my eyes glimmer when I see her adorable face. Kate's a very pretty girl with waist-length dark blonde hair, and hazel eyes. She's short, about 5 ft. and 2 in. That's what you expect from a 13-year-old girl, though.

  "Why are you up so early? You might be caught!" I scold lightly. She giggles and rolls her eyes at my lame excuse. She's always up this early to talk to me, I should know better. "Comrade, you know I always come early on a Saturday ‘coz everyone's still asleep," she tells me back as she lightly smacks me through the bars. I roll my eyes "Yeah, yeah."

  Kate was only 10 when the war between the Nightfall and Moonlight packs happened. She was too young to fight but her parents weren't. Sadly, she lost both in the battle. She's still haunted by dreams of how they could've been killed. Since her parents died when she was at such a young age, even though it wasn't meant to be, she was put up for adoption. Here's a bit of a background story...

  Remember Damon? Yeah, I'm sure you all remember him.

  Well, the bastard got away and survived that bloody war. He survived the war so many other wolves didn't. He took what little pack members he had left with him and set himself up deep inside the woods of his territory. At least, that's where I think I am. As I chased and killed the runaway wolf, I was ambushed by his remaining pack members and got knocked out. I honestly wasn't in any condition to fight. I woke up in this cell and I haven't been out since.

  About two years ago, Damon met his mate, Phyre (pronounced fear-e). She's Spanish, if you didn't get that. From what I've gathered, she's weird, funny, shy and when she first met me, she was a bit awkward. Also, for some odd reason, she wears combat boots every day. Honestly, I think she's a good mate for Damon because she can keep him in check against his harsh, cruel, and angry ways. Phyre is much smarter and more controlled.

  On the other hand, that doesn't mean good news for me.

  Unfortunately, they found out they couldn't produce pups. Phyre, of course, was heartbroken. Then you had Damon. He went on a total rampage. And guess who got the wrath of his fists? Yep, it was little weak me. I got all the hits and kicks and just dealt with it. That's when my hope started to slip away slowly.

  Since there were many orphaned pups left from the war, Damon adopted one. That one is Kate. Kate was thrilled that she now had a family again, an alpha family at that. Phyre was also thrilled, but you could still see the sadness that lingered behind her eyes.

  Overall, Damon found his mate and they adopted Kate. Since then, she's been coming to see me every single chance she gets. The stupid girl... I've never asked her why though. I've never wondered why she's so intrigued with me.

  "So, my pretty little girl," I begin, earning a small giggle from Kate. "What's been happening up above? I haven't seen you for at least four days!" I exclaim with mock outrage. Kate breaks out into a full on laughter and a ghost of a smile graces my face. I love her laugh. It gives me peace and mak
es me believe that there are still good people in this horrid and cruel world. Kate's the only one that can make me smile like this. If it wasn't for her, I don't know if I'd be coping.

  "Well," she begins after her little laughing fit. "Mum has been trying to get Dad be happier and not angry all the time. You know, for certain reasons they can't help. Of course, he isn't angry around Mum and I. Um... Dad's been training all the newly shifted wolves. And apart from that, nothing much changed." For certain reasons, one of that is Damon still being angry about the baby situation.

  Yes, she addresses Damon and Phyre as dad and mum. Don't ask me why, ‘coz I will never do that. I think it gives her closure, knowing that she has replacement parents. I know her real parents can't be replaced though, never in a million years. No child should have to live through the pain of losing both parents in one day. I nod at her and rub my sore eyes. I sigh as I bury my face in my hands. "Has there been any word?" I whispered. Kate knows exactly what I'm talking about. I want to know if there's been any word from Celina, Axel, or even Callum. I want to know if they're coming for me.

  She puts on a sad smile as her eyes fill with sympathy. I instantly know the answer. No. "I'm sorry, Comrade, but nothing's been heard. If there is, then Dad's doing really well to keep it from everyone. I'm sorry," she repeats.

  I close my eyes and sigh heavily. Life just isn't fair. "You should go," I whisper, my face still in my hands. I don't want her getting caught down here, who knows what Damon will do to her.

  "Comrade..." she trails off with tears in her eyes. She hates it when I ask her to leave. It breaks her tiny little heart.

  "Please, Kate. Just leave," I whisper again as I bring down my face from my hands. The truth is, I don't want her to see me like this, like the broken man I know I am. She takes one look at my eyes and her bottom lip quivers, her head nodding. "I'll be back soon," she promises, then darts out of the room. She locks the door behind her, letting me wallow in my self-pity once again.