THE STOLEN PIECE

CHAPTER 50 - WHAT IS LEFT

MARIA



I wasn’t sure what to say, he was smarter than what I thought he was, he noticed things… He has grown… I still see him as the little boy that shifted every time he was hungry or happy. But he has grown, he may be still a cub, but he is growing and trying to be part of the kingdom.

   -I…

   -I am going with you, David will stay here with Lucas and protect him, if anything happens he will mindlink me, and then we will come back here and help.

He said while looking at David.

   -Don’t worry if they decide to attack I will tell you and by the time you arrive I would have already killed every wolf that attacked us. So you can congratulate me. 

He said with a big smile.

   -That’s what you said but I would probably arrive here and you would be hiding down the bed.

Daniel smiled at him.

   -Let’s go and find Gabriel.

He said and opened the door, then a bunch of people took a step back and then walked away. 

   -Apparently, they like to stare at this door, stay alert Dave.

   -Yes.

Daniel looked at me and I exited the room. He walked really close to me. He still had his ears out and that definitely was giving us a lot of attention. I exited the hospital but I wasn’t sure where to go.

   -I found his scent, he went into the main house. 

When I started walking there, I saw the balcony of Mom and Dad’s room. Would they be mad when they see me? Could Gabriel be there being scolded by them right now? I need to start thinking about what I will say, I can calm down Dad but I am not sure about Mom. I kept walking and I stopped at the end of the stairs, I could see the door to Dad’s office.

   -The scent comes from there.

Daniel said pointing at the door. So Gabriel was definitely been scolded… I looked at Daniel and he was anxious.

   -Daniel stay here, I will go there alone.

I walked to the door and opened it just a bit.

   -Where are they?

   -They are helping the Kingdom, I’m taking care of the refugees and this place…

   -Well you are not doing a good job Beta, the atmosphere is hostile…Even between them.

   -I know that! Do you think I don’t know that? 

Gabriel was fighting with Beta Adams.

   -I have at least 15 different packs here, trying to act as one. They don’t trust each other, they don’t trust us! The fires have increased and gotten worse, the amount of members we have lost is countless and the worst part is that there are no traces of the bodies, the fire consumes it all.

I felt Daniel’s hand on my shoulder.

   -We need to go back, David said…

Then I felt a pull on my hand and noticed that the door was opening.

   -What are you doing here?

Gabriel said while he held the door.

   -David said Lucas is awake, but that he is struggling with pain.

-Let 's go.

Gabriel started running and Daniel followed him, I tried to keep up with them but they left me way behind. I knew I wasn’t as strong as them and that without Nova the breach was even bigger. When I arrived I had to push my way through a bunch of people, I wasn’t sure if they were nurses or doctors but I knew they were on my way. I felt something… and I was paralyzed… I knew this feeling… I had felt this feeling a long time ago… It wasn’t as intense as that time but it was still there. Then I heard Lucas’ screams. I need to keep it together. I kept pushing my way through and saw some doctors trying to approach Lucas, The twins growling at them, and Gabriel trying to keep Lucas on the bed, his stitches were breaking and a lot of blood was coming from the previously closed wounds. His screams were paining my soul, I haven’t heard screams like that since a long time ago. Gabriel looked at me with tears in his eyes. I walked towards Lucas but I was too afraid to touch him. I was trying to speak but…

   -Maria what do we do?

I could hear David’s worried voice. He was watching Gabriel that was trying to keep Lucas from moving, and Daniel was keeping the rest of the people that wanted to approach at a safe distance. Then I saw Eva, her mom was right next to her holding her hand. I… Lucas’ screams got louder.

   -Gabriel he needs wolfsbane…

My voice trembled and was soft but he heard me. I could see his movements changing in my direction. Gabriel looked at the people.

   -Eva I need you to bring the wolfsbane now!

Eva let go of her mother’s hand and started pushing people. The twins were still growling and I could see the faces of the wolves, they weren’t happy and getting angrier at the second. I couldn’t look at Lucas so I had my sight on the bunch of people then I saw a glimpse of the curly blond hair. Eva made it through with the bottle in her hand. I took it and took a syringe and then I injected the serum directly into his vein. I could feel static… but then it disappeared all in one. 

   -What did you just do? 

Eliot was standing in front of the doctors looking at me, he had a face I had never seen… I felt little, I felt helpless, Dirty? then Gabriel stood in front of me and the twins were by his side. I couldn’t keep being like this… What can I do to help?

.

.

.

GABRIEL

Maria fell to the floor and started crying. All of this was just too much for her. I was afraid she would hide again, that my sister would go back to being an empty shell… I was failing… I failed Sam, I failed Maria, I failed the twins, I failed the entire kingdom. I felt Lucas' strength vanishing. Then a doctor tried to get close but Daniel hissed at him. Ivory walked towards Daniel.

   -I told him to suture the wounds again, Lucas is losing blood.

Daniel took a step aside to let the doctor pass and then he started checking Lucas' wounds.

   -Gabriel I think you all need to rest. Come with me, I will take you to your room.

As Ivory said Eva took some steps and I swear I thought she was about to hug me, and I needed that hug, but instead she walked towards Maria and sat next to her, and held her. Maria’s cries were painful. I looked at the twins and they looked exhausted, they were anxious but the dark circles under their eyes told me that this day and the hours in the car have taken a toll on them. I walked towards Eva and Maria and then I spooned Maria in my arms. I stood up and as I walked out of the room people made space.

   -Ivory you are in charge of Lucas if something happens to him…

   -I understand.

Eliot growled at me, but when I made eye contact with him he instantly lowered his head. I kept walking towards our house, I knew the way but then I stopped. I looked around and I didn't like what I saw. This place needs all the help it could get, and me being away from the problem isn’t going to be useful. I stopped and walked back to the main house. It was impossible to not notice the looks the members gave us. I had a lot of work to do. I opened the door to my old room and for a moment I was shocked… I had forgotten that we took the wall that divided the rooms, I walked towards Maria’s bed and laid her on the bed. She was no longer crying but she was still sniffing. I took a blanket, I shook out the dust and then I covered her with it. I looked at the door and the twins were out.

   -Come here.

They both entered.

   -You can sleep on the bunk bed. I need to go back to the office. 

I walked out but before I closed the door I saw the twins dusting out the beds.

   -Keep an eye on Maria, if anything happens mindlink me.

   -We would have done that even without you telling us to.

David said while climbing into the bunk bed.

   -I wanted the upper one.

   -I am already here…

   -Dave I’m the older one…

I closed the door. They may be tired but if they can keep fighting they still have energy. I walked back into Dad’s office where Nathan was still looking at a ton of papers.

   -Let me help.

He didn’t even look at me. He didn’t take his eyes from the paper.

   -Let me help.

Nothing.

   -Let me help.

   -You already did enough.

He said, and still, he wasn’t looking at me.

   -I want to help.

Then he looked directly at me.

   -You are just like him!

I could see anger in his eyes and pain in his voice.

   -You think you can just come and go and that I will be able to control the pack, protect the pack, lead the pack, but you know what this is not a pack! This is a kingdom! and I can’t, I don’t have what it takes! I’m good at being the beta but I can’t be their Alpha and less their King Zac! 

As he spoke I could hear the desk being destroyed by his claws. Sabrina came running and hugged him, she had tears in her eyes.

   -He is not Zac, he is Gabriel, Nathan… Can you hear me? 

He was still looking at me with those eyes. 

   -Mom…

Harvey entered and looked at his Mom.

   -Let me help, I will take Dad.

Sabrina took a step back and then Harvey walked towards Nathan. 

   -Dad this is Happy, I’m ready to go to bed, come with me, come…

Nathan looked at Harvey and smiled at him.

   -Why are you still up? You were waiting for me, my little Happy?

   -Yes Dad, let’s go. You can read me a book and then you can continue your work okay?

   -Yes let's go.

Harvey took his Dad's hand and then the three of them left the office. I walked towards the desk and saw many claw marks, some were repaired, some were deeper and the directions… This wasn't the first time this happened. I sat and looked at the papers, they were the ones from the attacks, even before I left even before I was born. Then I looked at the wall and saw a map with red marks on it, with letters… I notice the letters on the papers, then a list, of members that were found dead, members that were taken in as refugees, and members that weren’t found traces of. I heard a noise and saw Harvey on the door.

   -He is trying to find something, he thinks the attacks are all related… He is losing himself with this research if we can call it that. It’s just a bunch of assumptions.

   -He looked normal…

   -He has his moments of lucidity, but when he starts looking at this stuff he just disappears and loses himself.

   -So the Happy?

   -He thinks I’m a little kid and he needs to tuck me into bed. He loses himself but he still has me as a priority isn’t it funny?

Harvey said while he looked at the map. I knew every place but there was one that I noticed.

   -Isn't this one wrong?

   -What?

Harvey looked at me and then at the map.

   -No that’s the Sand Storm pack… Well where the Sand Storm pack was, now the members that survived are here with us… And they resent us for that, they are kind of looners. 

I looked at the map, but I still felt that it was wrong. 

   -He comes here every night and every time he has and reads these papers, then he comes and adds pins to this map. He tries to lead the pack, but this is no longer a pack. We have lost many members and many others are out there trying to protect the packs that are left and finding survivors of the attacks. This is just a bunch of wolves that lost their leaders and are now stuck here, with the wolves that failed to protect them and their families.

   -Lost their leaders?

   -All of the alphas of the packs are killed during the attacks, we have only three beta’s as refugees, the rest are just gone… That was understandable, the alphas are always at the front of the battle, but still, without them, the pack just spreads and it’s hard to make them feel like a pack again. 

   -So they don’t feel part…?

   -They don’t even work with members of other packs, they only interact with each other. 

   -But we can…

   -No Gabriel there's nothing we can do! They don’t talk to us, they just exist here, we provided them with food and instructions but they only listen to my Dad! they don’t listen to anyone else.