Sorrow
Brooke
I sat in front of the old-fashioned red brick fireplace in the corner of my room. The warmth of the dancing flames soothed my erratic nerves. My father always hated the idea of fireplaces, but I always found comfort in them.
Something was off about today. My parents took a trip to the Summit as they did every year but have yet to return. It’s been a couple of weeks since their departure, and I could not shake the feeling that something terrible had happened.
I tried to communicate with them via telepathy but was met with only silence. My stomach turned, and a knot formed on the back of my neck as I rose from the fireplace to peer out of the balcony window. The wind outside danced through the trees in swirls of color, eerily similar to the colors I had seen on my 18th birthday just a few months prior.
Kali paced in the back of my mind, whimpering as if she felt pain and sorrow.
What’s wrong? Are you picking up on something that I’m just not feeling?
Mom, dad, not good.
Kali, talk to me. I don’t know what’s going on! They should have been home by now.
Kali refused to speak to me. All she could do was whimper as she receded to the back of my mind. A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“It’s open.” I groaned.
I turned to face the door to greet my visitor, my jaw dropped. “Elder Joseph, what’s going on?”
Elder Joseph never paid me any mind when he visited the pack. One would think he was attached to my father's hip, as they would spend so much time together.
Elder Joseph’s facial expression was one of great loss and sorrow. His eyes filled with grief and a frown no one could miss. “Brooke, I need to tell you something important, and I need you to remain calm.” He motioned for me to have a seat in the chair beside the bed. I followed the simple order.
He approached with weary footsteps as tears rimmed his eyes. He swallowed hard as he grabbed the tv remote. “I am so sorry, Brooke.” He croaked.
What the hell was he sorry about? I couldn’t bear to think until I remembered what Kali said.
“Elder Joseph, what’s going on?” I shouted, my hands gripping the sides of the chair.
“Your parents, Ingrid and Georgio….” Elder Joseph wiped the tears from his red-rimmed eyes and sat on the edge of my bed beside me. He flipped the TV on and placed his head in his hands, shoulders hunched in defeat.
A news reporter in New York appeared on the screen.
“Two bodies were found in the harbor late last night by a local fisherman and his hound. No evidence of foul play has been mentioned at this time. It looks like a classic scenario of the wrong place, wrong time. Locals say they saw what they thought was a pack of wolves chasing after the couple. Which is ….” I shut the TV off. I didn't want to hear what the humans had to say about this attack. Tears brimmed the corners of my eyes as I shifted my gaze to Elder Joseph, my heart beating erratically.
“What the hell happened!” I cried and pushed myself from the chair.
Elder Joseph shook his head in response as he cried. “I have no idea. They were attacked and murdered. It makes no sense. But the council will not rest until we get justice for your parents. As of today, you are Night Moons Alpha.” He sniffled. Rising to his feet, he placed a hand on my shoulder, which caused me to let out every single emotion bottled up inside.
I wrapped my arms around Elder Joseph and sobbed into his chest. The wails erupted from my chest caused pack members to howl within the pack mindlink. They felt it too. The departure of my parents was very sudden.
I never knew that sorrow and rage could be so tightly woven as I screamed, “What the f**k did they ever do to anyone!” Pacing the floor, fingers clenched into a tight fist. I cried, “They were loved by many. How could this be?” I continued to scream as I gripped onto Elder Joseph’s cloak.
He patted my back and cooed, “Shh, it’s going to be alright. We will get everything figured out as soon as we can, and I will have the council come here to organize your alpha ceremony.”
“I’m not ready to be alpha!” I pulled back from him and furrowed my brow. Tears streamed down my face as panic settled into my soul, another emotion joining the fray. “I’m not ready for this, and you know it!”
I paced the room, running my hands through my hair as Ky, my best friend from childhood, ran through my doors.
“Brooke, I just heard!” he ran up to me and embraced me in a bear hug. “I am so sorry!” He sobbed.
We cried for a few moments and through my tears, I was unable to speak.
Ky and I sank to the floor and I curled into a ball in his arms. The trembling in his voice caused me to look up at him.
"I know this is sudden, but you need Dimitri." He whispered through his own soft cries.
I shook my head and felt my eyes roll back. The emotional toll on my body was too much. I collapsed in Ky’s arms.
