Hidden In Plain Sight

The Dark Day

We have been training now for a few years. Our numbers of warriors had grown to well over 300. My parents spent the nights fighting about how now would have been the time that Dad would want to have started growing the family. As a Luna unable to grow the Alpha' family, my mother felt like a failure. She would cry after their arguments and then dad would storm out of the pack house. At first, it would be just a few hours, then slowly over time he would be gone all night. Mom would cry and whimper at first, quietly in the beginning. Then I could hear her screaming in pain.

I would run to her room to see if I could help. I called the pack doctor because I could see nothing wrong with her. After examination, he said that it was just grown-up pains and she would be fine. But every night the same thing. They fought, my dad would leave, then my mother would start to scream in pain. I would sit by her and rub her back, trying to help her through it. Each night it would last longer. I begged my mother to tell me what I could do to make it stop. She told me to just sit with her. That is all she needed.

After several months, I went to my father, hoping I could get more answers. I got the answers I was looking for, just not the way I wanted to get them. When I reached his study, I knocked. I could hear laughter on the other side of the door, and I was turning to leave.

"Come in," I heard my father say.

I entered and what I saw before me made me want to throw up. A she-wolf from the pack was lying on his desk wearing nothing, and he was between her open legs wearing nothing from the waste down.

"Marie, what are you doing here? I thought you were the other she-wolf I called for," my father shouted.

I backed out of the room with my eyes down. Backing into the person he thought I was. I turned and looked at her. Bleached blonde hair and a body a model would kill for. She walks past me. Turns to close the door and smirks at me. Then slams the door in my face. Well, that was my answer. Mother had told me that when a mated wolf willingly goes outside the mate bond, the other feels it. My mother was feeling my father's betrayal every night. Sometimes all night.

When I tried to tell my older brother, he just laughed it off. "Mom can't give him any more pups. What else would he do?"

My younger brother was more sympathetic. " Is mom in pain?" he asked.

"Yes every night," I told him.

We started staying with mom in shifts so that we could both get sleep and mom would never be alone. The pack slipped further and further into decline. A part of me prayed that someone would come and end the pack. How could an Alpha treat his Luna like this? I couldn't save my mother from this but made sure that when I became a Luna I would not suffer the same fate.

There was news of a band of Rogues who were wiping out packs to take land and women. Murdering children and men. My father had become weak from everything he had done to my mother. Beta Larry tried to keep the warriors in shape, but it was a daunting task. Seeing what my father was doing to my mother emboldened them. Those that wear mated began leaving their own mate bond and seeking whoever would mate with them. Even the young warriors were not immune to it. All that is except Bela and my younger brother.

When they were spotted on our land, my mother sent the younger warriors to protect the young children and woman. My older brother was left in charge. I was left as the final defense should the others fall. We heard the screams of the warriors as they fought. Getting closer to the pack house every second. Then the beating on the door started. I watched without understanding why my brother walked to the door and opened it. The rogues spilled in. One appeared to be the leader and when he saw my brother, he held up his hand to stop his army from moving forward.

"Ah, young Alpha. We have taken care of your father's weak warriors. Now wear is my prize?" The words dripped from his mouth, and it sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"She is guarding the woman and children. Don't worry, I will get her for you," my brother said, turning back to wear we hid.

Someone grabbed my arm and pushed me to the back. When I looked up I saw Bela looking down at me. *RUN* he mouthed and then turned to face those coming this way. The woman moved out of my way and came back together to hide my exit. I made my way to the secret passage in the wall, running down the corridor as fast as I could go. Hoping no one knew where it came out. When I reached the end, I saw a figure standing, as if waiting for someone. My heart sank, I would be captured.

When the figure turned, my knees almost gave out. It was Beta Larry, he was bloody but still alive, but barely on his feet. I ran to him.

"Beta, what happened out there?" I asked.

"Just before you were all sent away, I heard your brother whisper to some of his friends that he made a deal with the rogues to get rid of your father and all his followers. He would become Alpha and the rogue King would get a strong bride to rule at his side. If you didn't want to rule, he would just keep you and do with you as he pleased. I told my son to keep you safe. Get you out, and I would stay alive and get you to safety," he said.

He was holding the wall to stay on his feet. I took his arm, put it over my shoulder and we started off. His car was parked in a thicket just to the left of the opening. I helped him into the passenger seat and ran around to the driver's side. When I put the car in drive my foot put the petal to the floor and I never looked back.

We drove all night. Trying to get as much distance between ourselves and the pack lands. When we finally stopped, we had arrived in a human town. I went into the first motel we saw and asked for a room with double beds.

"My Uncle and I are traveling to my parents' funeral and don't have a lot of money," I told the desk clerk.

I was given a room key and I went to move the car closer to the room. Making sure no-one saw us, I helped Beta Larry into the room.

"We have to get you out of these bloody clothes and do what we can for the wounds," I said, trying to help him out of his shirt.

"Jade, stop. It's no use. They use silver blades and wolfsbane on silver arrowheads. I'm not going to heal no matter what you try," he said genitally.

"We have to try something," I sobbed out.

"Help me to the woods. I have just enough energy to shift. I will run back in the direction we came from. If they find me, maybe they will think I killed you to stop you from being taken. They may not look for you."

His reply brought new tears to my eyes, but I knew his logic was right. Our best chance was to split up. I helped him to the woods and watched as he shifted. He sat and howled once, then took off back the way we had just come from. Goodbye my friend. You will never know what you did for me.