In the arms of my father

1. Lost and Found

Brody's POV

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It's been exactly 2 months, 3 weeks and 5 days since my Little Flower was taken from us and not a day goes by that I don't worry for her safety. Is she being fed? Is she being mistreated? Is she even alive?

All these questions that I can't answer, because I'm not her true mate or even her chance mate.

It's killing me.

The not knowing is slowly but surely driving me crazy. I look unkempt, my eyes blood-shot, the dark heavy bags giving away the fact that I'm barely sleeping. I haven't shaved for maybe a week or two and I know that I've lost weight.

Most of us haven't eaten or slept enough since Alpha Mak and his Leading 3 burst through the Pack House doors, blood gushing from their open wounds. Our fierce leader looked the most broken, in body and in heart, tears pouring down his face, his chest and arms covered in wounds no normal wolf could or would've survived.

I will never forget the look of utter devastation in my Alpha's eyes as he yelled orders to my best friend Mikaera who was standing in a state of shock, "Notify all of Were Nation that we are at war. The Witch Nation and Hunters have stolen your sister, they took my Valen." His voice that is usually so confident and powerful cracked as his already broken demeanor crumpled in on itself.

The instant silence that overcame all within hearing distance, a testament of the blatant disbelief of not only the horrific sight of our fearless leaders, but also the news of the kidnapping of our newly returned future Guardian.

It was just meant to be a normal Guardian meeting.

They should have come back from that meeting together and whole, instead we are all frozen in place like we had all been transported to our most feared night terror.

A shout of grief from Valen's sister Manaia pulled a few of us out of our stupor. Drawing our eyes away from our fearsome but defeated Leading Four to the youngest Alpha sibling. We all watched as Manaia collapsed to the ground crying and calling for Valen to come back.

It didn't surprise anyone that Manaia and Valen became close so quickly. Over the years Manaia would often speak of her displeasure about not being able to leave the Pack to meet her sister. Hoarding over the few video recordings that Mikeara would take of his time with Valen, but we couldn't allow them to meet because Manaia had a big mouth and would have definitely let all our secrets slip before Valen would be ready to hear them.

We all watched the heartbreaking scene, as Manaia was engulfed in the arms of her mother continuing to sob out her grief. Then all hell broke loose, Mikaera running to the office to do his father's bidding, while the hospital staff came to take the Leading Four to the hospital wing, despite all of their protests. The pack members began shouting and demanding answers right then and there, it was pandemonium.

Doctor Spencer, who is the Packs head G.P and surgeon calmly assured the Alpha, that they can join the planning of the coming war and the search parties for his daughter as soon as they have been patched up, and not a moment before. It wouldn't do anyone any good to have the Leading Four at such a weakened disadvantage.

Those first 33 hours it was just, Mikaera, Hope, Blake, Kaiah, Kara and I in the office, we all had our set tasks that Mikaera quickly assigned.

Mikaera and Hope worked hard at contacting all the most powerful of the Wolf Packs, Lion Prides, Bear Sleuths, Thunders of Dragons and Tiger Streaks, to inform them of the coming war and the kidnapping of my Little Flower. While also organising those who were willing to temporarily migrate to our little corner of the world, to help with the search parties and added training for the coming war.

Kaiah and Kara took the organisation of the warriors, training, the first war strategy meeting and the search parties.

Blake was in and out of the office, being that he was tasked with the overseeing of Pack business and problem solving issues with our current situation as well as the Packs.

I was in charge of contacting all of the Guardian's to figure out what the heck happened, since the information that we managed to garner from our Leading Four were sketchy and incomplete. I also set up meetings to discuss restrengthening Alliance treaties in preparation for the war.

We worked diligently without sleep and very minimal food despite the kitchen staff sending carts of food and drinks to us.

The days and months following Valen's disappearance have been a blur of planning and action, greeting and assigning, training and searching.

So many Were's have come into our vast pack lands for safety, training and to join the search for our beloved Future Guardian and the war to come. We all know what's at stake. We aren't ignorant of the fact that if we lose Valen, our standing status on the species list will be all but null and void, for all Were kind. Much like the humans who lost their last guardian centuries ago.

They may have the numbers and yes they have advanced their knowledge and technologies but the majority of them have lost the true strength of their minds and bodies.

We of course won't lose that much, but we will be reduced to being outcasts no better than the Were Rogues that plague our Packs, Sleuths, Thunders Prides and Streaks. Bottom feeders.

Until we would eventually be shunned by everyone.

Sighing heavily, I peer at the dingy motel room's bedside table to take in the red digital numbers of the alarm clock. 4am never looked so depressing to me like it does right now. I force myself to close my eyes, at least trying to get in a few hours of much needed sleep before I have to get up to start the search all over again.

Unfortunately, Hypnos has no love for me. so I am reduced to spending the rest of the night, tossing and turning, throwing a few frustrated punches at the uncomfortable thin pillows and lumpy mattress.

After setting up the initial meetings between our Guardian Leading Four and the Guardians of the other species. I petitioned to Alpha Mak to be stationed with one of the search parties who were being sent to Great Britain and its surrounding countries. In my head I know that Guardian Ahzahn wouldn't be stupid enough to hide Valen in the country of his origins, but who knows, maybe that f*****g psycho d**k is a few screws loose of a working clock.

A lot of the younger Pack members stayed back in New Zealand, deciding school and searching New Zealand's remote areas in their spare time a better option. I don't fault them, in fact if it was anyone else I would have chosen to do the same, but it's not.

It's Valen, and I would move heaven and earth to keep my Little Flower safe and sound, even though she isn't destined for me. Nothing can take away the fact that I f*****g love that girl, I would do any thing for her.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I know, I'm being jolted by the sound of the blaring alarm clock, telling me that it's now 7am and it's time to get ready. Getting out of bed and heading to the shower on automaton, I quickly finish getting ready deciding to wear a pair of black tight fitting jeans, white tank, black sherpa and tan timberlands. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I note that I really have to do something about my thick beard and shaggy auburn hair. I just don't have time to worry about personal grooming, besides making sure my ass don't stink like s**t and my pits are B.O free.

Looking at the face in the mirror I whisper to no one, "Where are you Little Flower?" I watch transfixed as a tear tracks down the plane of my cheek to become lost in the rough hairs of my beard.

Fuck I miss her so much. Her smile, her taste, her hair, the way she smells, her eyes. What I miss about her the most, is the way her body responds to mine. She put a whole new and very welcoming spin on the 'Little Flower' nickname that I call her.

I gave her that nickname the first day she started at Levin North Primary School with me.

It was my second year and when I saw her walk onto the school grounds, she was wearing a little daisy in her black hair. She was so excited about her first day. No one told her that the older kids would pick on her for wearing something so innocuous as a flower in her hair. My poor Little Flower started crying when Lorelei Della Straedon pulled the flower out of her hair and pushed her to the ground and yelled out spitefully, "Naw little baby gonna cry over her flower? Only smelly dumb girls wear flowers in their hair."

When we got older and started at Horowhenua College. I always snickered in amusement at the bottle blonde Lorelei, who on occasion would turn up to school with a flower in her hair. Stupid b***h!

Wiping the wetness away from my cheek, I move to grab my backpack and step towards the door with a few deep breaths.

Time to show the world a strength that has been failing me for a while now. A second later the door across from mine opens to reveal the beautiful form of one of the shifters that I've been running around all of Great Britain with. Nodding at her without emotion I roughly greet her, "Morning Farrah."

Farrah looks up with a small sneer that she tries to hide and replies, "Morning...mutt."

We both turn our heads to the sound of someone tsking us in reproach as he makes his way past us and steps towards the elevator, "Be nice you two, it's too early in the morning for a clash of the ronion and the strumpet." he disparagingly declares.

With a dirty look at the interloper, Farrah steps towards the elevator also and growls deeply in her throat, "f**k yah, Wolf. I'm no' a harlot!" she says thoroughly irked, her Irish accent becoming more pronounced with her irritation.

Wolf pushes the button for the elevator and turns around with an amused look in his eyes, "Who says I was calling you the strumpet?" he points a thumb at me and with a cheeky grin and says, "He's the one f*****g my cousin, not you. No offence, just stating the obvious."

Chuckling quietly I nod my head in acceptance, "None taken, Wuruhi." I tell him using the Maori version of his name. I'm not sure what the Maori Princess Tomairangi was thinking when she named her 3rd born child 'Wolf', but I straight up think that it's a f*****g awesome name to choose. To the humans Wolf is a bad ass name, that they soon started using to name their own children. To us Were's, the name is not only blatantly informative but also humorous.

As a ding heralds the arrival of the elevator sounds, a sudden feeling of excitement and anticipation encloses around my whole being. A nudge on my right shoulder as I stand at Wolf's side causes me to glance surreptitiously at him, while he then asks curiously, "Do you feel that, man? Today is the day we find my cousin, I can feel it!" 

Nodding affirmatively we all step into the elevator before I answer him, "I feel it." The ride down to the main foyer is quiet as each of us are deep in our own thoughts. As the doors open and we move to step out, my phone starts ringing loudly. Pulling out the piece of technology, my heart quickens in palpitation as I spy the name lighting up my phone.

Walking towards the team of mixed Were's, I answer it with a quick, "Sebastian." I know that I'm not quite able to hide the nervousness in my voice.

"My people and I are in the Himalayas. We're giving you and everyone else two days to get to Joshimath." his deep and normally deadpan voice informs me with excitement.

Frowning in confusion, I just manage to push one word out of my mouth even though I know. Call it a sixth sense, but I can feel that the bloodsucker has found my Little Flower in a place that none of us even thought to look, "Why?"

"Deep in the mountain ranges, there's a series of caves easily distinguishable and just as easy to get lost in. We've found her!" he declares.

My heart stops for just a second, as my eyes find and hold onto the eyes of Valen's third cousin. He must see the joy shining through my eyes, because he is quickly making his way towards me while everyone else looks on curiously.

"What's going on?" Wolf asks urgently. I hold up my hand as I continue to listen to the instructions from Sebastian, all the while staring at Wolf as he listens in to the conversation. His face brightens up as a few tears slowly fall from his emotion infused eyes.

Finishing the conversation with Sebastian, I watch the faces of the people I have come to Europe with. They gaze back with bated breath waiting patiently for the reason why the two leading wolves in the search party is occupied on a phone, instead of jumping into the jeeps we bought, for another boring day of search and rescue. Grinning broadly I yell wildly, "Pack it up guys! We're climbing Mount Everest!"

The group of mixed breed Were's starts to make tracks, some grumbling in confusion and annoyance, others chittering with elation at the thought of a break in the monotony that has filled our days finally ending. Eager to head back to their rooms in excitement to pack up their belongings, Farrah stalks up to me and exclaims, "You're kidding me right? Why didn't my brothers go and check that place? We dragons know those caverns better than anybody!"

I grin and shrug my shoulders, "That may be true, but don't forget that since the tourism in that area picked up in the last few decades, your breed avoided that area like the plague...even if it is meant to be the birth place of your breed. So don't be too hard on them, they didn't know." I tell her quietly and watch as she pulls out her own phone to dial a number. She frowns in frustration as the person she is calling picks up and answers with an amicable, "Hey sis!"

"Don't ye, hey sis me ye f*****g Ludder! Why didn't ye think to check the Keep, ye scaley lizard! Cian, ye are supposed ta be our Leader and ye canna even do tha' right." She hisses angrily down the phone at her poor brother, any one would think that she was the eldest out of her siblings; with the way that she is chewing the poor bugger out.

Shaking my head in amusement, I decided to avoid the crowd clambering around the elevator waiting for the metal doors to open, and take the 7 flights of stairs that will lead to get me to my hotel room. I am so lost in thought that I don't even realise that quite a number of other Were's have decided to follow my lead.

"Hold on Little Flower. I'm coming for you."

______________________________________________________

The 8 hours and 45 minutes it took to get us from London to the Himalayas, and then the added travel time to get to the town of Joshimath, has left me hungry, sweaty and angry. I wish that my gift from the goddess was teleportation as opposed to being a blood bender.

I will always be grateful for this ability, because come on, who else can use blood as a weapon to form blades attached and unattached to my body, or protection barriers in a fight for myself, as well as boil, curdle, freeze, draw blood from every orifice of an enemy and bend that blood for my own use. My ability is more advanced than other blood benders in our pack, because I can bend the blood of the living and newly dead, heck I can bend the blood from anywhere and anyone.

It just takes focus and a fuckton of energy.

But that's beside the point, because right now? All I want is to get to Valen, so that I can hold her in my arms and never let her go, but knowing that creepy Vampire, he will most likely get to her before anyone else. I get it though, he is after all her second chance mate, as f****d up as that is.

I am aware of the ins and outs, because that cradle snatcher gave it to me before we left America.

Maybe Sebastian knew that she and I would have eventually turned our 'friends with benefits' relationship, into something more meaningful within the month of us returning home, and that's why he chose to trust me with his Chance Mate.  I'm not entirely sure why, but in those few short minutes, Sebastian told me everything.  From how Valen and he are mates to how he would not claim her or how wouldn't reject her. 

He loves her so much that he was willing to let Valen go without rejecting her for fear that she wouldn't survive it a second time, all the while knowing that in not claiming Valen, he would be left vulnerable to the pain of the mate bond every time Valen and I laid hands on each other, while also promising that he loves her so much, he would never allow himself to become intimate with anyone for as long as it takes to change the mindsets of all Supernatural kind.

I'm betting that the threat of Omredis, also helped him to make up his mind about walking away from her without formally rejecting her, as well.

I stood there in that hall surrounded by wolves, shocked to the point of being unable to respond because inter-species mindlink should not exist, it wasn't until we were flying over the Pacific Ocean that it dawned on me. Sebastian has the ability to telepathically communicate with all beings.

My mind processed everything that Sebastian shared with me so slowly, making me eventually feel so stupid. But I can't be too hard on myself, it was after all a very eventful night. Not at all what any of us expected.

Thanks to Tiernan and Valen deciding to willingly absolve their mate bond, Sebastian as her second mate would now be the one that would suffer the majority of the effect from the newly formed mate bond between he and Valen.  Knowing this, I tried my hardest to keep most s****l interactions between Valen and I to a minimum.  Which was hardly gratifying for myself, Valen never said anything though and I'm grateful.  I don't know how I would have been able to explain everything that I had learned from Sebastian.

It made me abundantly grateful that Valen would have to touch Sebastian in order to recognize him as her Chance Mate, after accepting Tiernan's rejection, as is per normal of any rejected or widowed Werefolk.  I wonder if it's different for a Vampire, or did he have to touch her in order to recognize her significance in his life.

I'm shoved out of my musings by the Tiger shifter next to me who is trying to gain my attention, "Gamma Brody, we have arrived." he stiltedly announces in a gravelly voice.

Looking around me, I notice that almost everyone has left the vehicles we hired from the Airport.  Nodding distractedly, I turn my head back to the giant man with the freakishly yellow topaz eyes and shock of black long hair, "Thank you, Tobias." I tell him gratefully before he too exits out of the vehicle.

Following behind Tobias, I make my way into one of the beautiful buildings that the other Were's are entering.  Passing through the door leading to the bar of the backpackers stay and stepping towards the towering, handsomely regal man with the blistering silver blue gaze.

Taking his outstretched hand, my lips widen into a smile as I greet him, "What's the plan, Sebastian?"

"Follow me." he briskly answers me and then turns towards another door. 

I mindlink Wolf, telling him he has to get his ass down to the bar and follow his nose because he is about to meet his first Vampire. Following Sebastian through a sequence of hallways, stairwells and open walkways isn't an easy feat, but only because he is a powerful Guardian and I am just me.

However, I somehow manage it until we reach a building with a set of dark double doors, opening them he steps into the building, confidently leaving the doors open for me to enter after him.

Just as I am about to go over the threshold, I hear laboured breaths behind me and turn to catch sight of Wolf barrelling down towards me, looking red in the face. Chuckling loudly, I beckon for him to hurry before walking into the room, I settle myself in the empty spot on the floor, in front of Guardian Sebastian.

Sebastian waits until Wolf takes his place beside me before opening his mouth to introduce himself and divulging the information that we needed to hear.

"Your team is the first to arrive. I have informed all the Guardian's on our side about where we are right now and that we've found her.  However, I have not told them what I am about to divulge to you now, we can do that together when they arrive." he eyes both of us gravely, he then turns his head to nod at the Vampire's standing at another door and then continues.

"Two nights ago, while my people and I were searching the back country of China, we came across a disbanded group of Witches. We ambushed them and was just about to capture them all and take them into custody.  Before we could, one of them stepped forward and declared that they mean us no harm and do not wish to participate in the coming war that is being forced upon us. We captured them anyway and took the appointed speaker of this group into a separate room for rigorous questioning and was sorely disappointed with the results." he expresses robotically.

"You mean, you took the Witch into a separate room for questioning and torture, right?" Wolf asks inquisitively to which Sebastian nods his head.

I perk up, "The Witch didn't squeal, so what's that got to do with why we're here, Guardian Sebastian?" I ask him in frustration.

Smirking derisively, Sebastian answers haughtily, "On the contrary, young wolf. The Witch squealed, as you so eloquently put it, a little too quickly for the liking of my macabre blackened heart."

He leans forward and stares intently into my eyes and then continues his narrative, "He revealed himself to be Emil O'Sullivan.  The second son of Guardian Ahzahn who happens to be soul mated to a Mermaid.  He explained that after being present at the Rejected Acceptance Ceremony of Valen and Tiernan and bearing witness to the unimaginable pain that the pair went through, Emil refused to reject his mate.  Much to the displeasure of his rigid and law abiding father. Ahzahn then ordered for the imprisonment and torture of his second son, Emil only managed to escape his imprisonment because his mother took pity on him and helped him to escape."

Guardian Ahzahn was most likely holding his son in custody in preparation for Omredis.  My heart picks up frantically as I realise that this story could have easily been Sebastian and Valen's fate, if Sebastian had chosen to be selfish.  Gradually a new found respect for the Guardian of Vampires and the strength and restraint it must have taken to ensure the safety of his second chance mate, even at the risk of his own sanity.  We both know, that given the circumstances, Valen would refuse to reject Sebastian irregardless of the consequences.

I watch closely as Sebastian gives me an indistictive nod when he sees that I understand where this is going and then says, "The mermaid in question is none other than Siernah, niece of Guardian Adarian. They found each other while leaving the Ceremonies on Shadow Moon Pack lands and after also witnessing the mess that a rejection and acceptance can make on one's body and mind, she also reciprocates Emil's feelings and refuses to reject her mate."

Sebastian leans in further and lowers his voice so that his next words cannot be overheard by any possible eavesdroppers, "Here's the cincher, Siernah told her Uncle straight away that she was mated to Emil and how she cannot abide by the rules of rejection after watching Tiernan and Valen.  Guardian Adarian agreed with his niece and went to great lengths to help Siernah and Emil meet in a secret place so that they could perform the Bond Acceptance ritual and run away together.  When everything was set, Emil snuck out of the Coven compound and thought that he was being careful enough to not be followed.  However, he was followed by one of the Guards, thinking that Emil was sneaking out to secretly partake of the night pleasures readily waiting on one of the street corners.  They were both captured before they could complete the ritual."

Moving backwards and straightening up, Sebastian peers between Wolf and I and shakes his head and then says, "This is a war for power, yes.  But it has now become a war for love.  After so many young and inexperienced beings bore witness to the Rejected Acceptance Ceremony between the Alpha and Guardian, no one wants to abide by the law.  In a way, after everyone heard what Tiernan said to Valen when she stopped due to the pain, and then later upon hearing the full story of why he went through with it...that kind of sacrifice has made so many people want to fight for love, no matter where it is found."

Frowning in confusion and shaking his head, Wolf asks incredulously, "What are you even talking about?  That asshole didn't sacrifice s**t for my cousin, not unless your talking about sacrificing his d**k for some wolf p***y!"

Once again we watch as Sebastian's head swivels from left to right as he looks at us in astonishment and then voices in amazement, "But of course, you are both unaware."

"Valen's crazy cousin, Bianca?  She manipulated Tiernan into thinking that if he accepted the mate bond with his true mate, then he would have to choose between his Pack and his love.  Realising that his people would eventually be left weakened if he followed Valen, he felt that the only way that he could protect and preserve the future of his pack was to sacrifice his heart, for the future lives of many."

"That crazy b***h!" I hear Wolf mutter under his breath. 

"But we would have moved the whole Pack to New Zealand!" I exclaim angrily.

"Yes, well.  By the time Tiernan realised this, it was too late.  Valen was walking out of his life, her heart poisoned against him after breaking his promise to her twice." Sebastian sadly says.

Scoffing loudly I enquire, "How do you know that this story is true, it could all be bullshit so those bastards can pull a quick one on us."

Shaking his finger in my direction and nodding his head, Wolf voices his agreeance quickly.

A slow grin lights up the Vampire Guardian's face as he eyes us approvingly, "You're suspicious. That's good Brody, you are smarter than your vacant looking face implies." he says disparagingly to which my wolf and I growl aggressively.

"Oh hush, young wolf. I mean no disrespect...well not much any way. The Mermaid Siernah was among the Witches we captured, they were protecting her with spells to hide her scent from us for the love they harbour for Emil. We unceremoniously poured water on her, and low and behold she turned into a Mermaid. The story is real and so is the intel that we've gained from Emil, my people have been scouting the mountain ranges here, and have found that there is only one entry into the caverns that has been overlooked by the Witches. The area is also teeming with Witches and Hunters, I am planning on heading a team later on tonight to see how far the directions from Emil will take us, in the hopes that I can catch Valen's scent."

"I'm coming, Sebastian!" I exclaim intensely.

Just as I notice that someone has entered the room with us, Sebastian grins, excitedly his incisors evilly flashing in between his pink lips, "Let's go get our girl, Gamma Brody."