DARK DAYS

CHAPTER ONE

 Loss is an ugly thing. It is responsible for some of the darkest days of man and beast, for wars and abuses of justice, for personal struggle, nervous breakdowns and suicides. Yes loss is a terrible thing no matter who you are, or where you are from. Society is fascinated by the reactions of those who lose something or someone, the quarterback who loses the super bowl is asked the same question as the mother who loses a child: how do you feel? And later on, how did you get through it?

It's human nature to be fascinated by the dark days that loss creates in others, it's looked on as some terrible occurrence that happened to that poor unfortunate person, that unlucky person over there. Never to oneself. Just like a car accident that everyone slows down to see but not aid in, people who lose a loved one are put in a fish bowl. What are they going to do next? 

The truth is you never do get over it, it's always with you, you might think that you are over it, one day it will hurt a little bit less but it always stays with you. You feel it that day that you smile a little bit too wide, laugh a little too hard, that is when you feel the loss, that gut wrenching self deprecating, how can I be happy when they're gone.

People say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger...they lie. Sometimes what doesn't kill you destroys you.

She always thought her life resembled a play, one in which she was improvising every line because they forgot to give her a script. No, scratch that, that's not entirely true, she did get a script, the writing was horrendous, and so she shredded it. But the play part is accurate enough. It's not that she sought out drama it just found her. Considering who her father was and subsequently who she was that wasn't a shock, she was a thing of mystery. Her family, her pack and her kind were the very things that humans believed went bump in the night. 

Truthfully she was something that no one believed existed, it was common human knowledge, people just didn't turn into wolves without the help of a special effects team. Really she didn't know why it was so hard to believe, humans did so many things that she found to be unimaginable. Werewolves weren't cursed beings, or infected by a virus, you just can't make a werewolf, they are an entirely different species. An evolutionary schism from humanity that scientist hadn't found yet, thanks to the instinctive distrustfulness that they feel towards other species.

Her life wasn't easy, it wasn't hell on earth, but it wasn't easy. It never is when you are an alpha female in a pack where females are dominated absolutely by the men that believe they are superior. No an alpha female is treated like a horse, good breeding stock to be fought over and the biggest strongest male wins. That was the problem, that was why at four o'clock in the morning she was climbing out of the second story window of the house that used to be her fathers, used to be her haven. She knew that with her position her strength within the pack, that she wouldn't be mating or marrying for love, but silly her she did believe that she would have some choice in the matter, even if it were just the formality of being asked. She never dreamed that at the age of seventeen a man eight years older than her, a very ruthless man, would just tell her she was now his. 

Actually she couldn’t believe that he thought she would just bow her head and agree meekly to the arrangement, considering the circumstances. Though maybe he was smart enough to realize she wouldn't she reflect thinking about the four hundred pounds of muscle that stood guarding the front and back door. She almost laughed at the absurdity of it all, that she princess of the packs was fleeing her home lest the older man ravage her. It sounded too much like one of those sappy romance novels that graced her aunt's shelves. If there was a bit of hysteria in the choked back laugh it was to be expected, it hadn't been a good night. Making her way carefully long the edge of the low slanting roof of the living room, always remembering to be careful because werewolves don't bounce… cats do, she had to remind herself to breathe and not freak out. 

She hated heights almost as much as the fear that was building inside of her. The thoughts that were going through her head she chalked up to shock, knowing she was about one disaster away from a nervous breakdown. 

Ulrich, she thought bitterly making her way stealthily down a tree, this is all his fault, if he had just left well enough alone and not... she stopped herself. Reliving the night was not going to accomplish anything, stealth, she reminded herself. It was a good thing that the two prison guards, who were supposed to be ensuring she didn't leave the house, had more muscle than brains, hell more muscle than instinct even. What self-respecting wolf wouldn't have heard the seal of her window opening? She asked herself

disgusted. Then remembered that she should be happy that the steroids had killed their auditory senses. Once she was far enough away from the house she changed, and was off running as fast as she could. Knowing it wouldn't be long before Ulrich had a search party on her tail. She could only hope that her father had taught her well and that she was better at covering her tracks than they were at tracking them. It was going to be a long time before she could stop.

Sitting on your front porch with a stiff drink in your hand is such a cliché southern thing to do, Micah thought to himself, all he needed to complete the picture would be a rocking chair and a shotgun with a hound at his side. He gave a slow laugh, never mind the fact that this was Canada, and the closest he'd come to the Deep South was a ranch in southern Alberta. He was quite liberal minded but would use violence if need be, his six foot two frame screamed that he wasn't one to take lightly. 

Micah knew that he had done very well for himself, that his success was his packs success. Investments were risky, but when it goes your way you hit it big. He had needed the freedom that only financial stability can give, he still worked four nights a week at the docks loading and unloading cargo, but it was nice to know that he didn't have to. He also knew that there was no escaping the fact that he was currently the most eligible bachelor in his pack. At 28 he was actually overdue in finding a mate, he scratched his day old beard absently thinking about it, with dark green eyes and black hair he guessed he was good looking enough, he didn't concern himself with those types of things.

He was distracted by his musings as he heard footsteps coming from a few yards away, and smiled to himself. His pack, his family even though none of them were his blood. It was for them that he had bought just over a hundred acres of forested land, so that they had somewhere to live and hunt and not worry about running into hikers in the various national parks. The land was in the name of a wildlife organization, so that the next leader would take over the deed. In the past five years they had cleared land and built a small community, small simple houses, a meeting room that doubled as a hall where holiday parties were held for the entire pack, and that was it. They were still close enough to the town that they could drive in to work and get supplies. 

The mountains of British Columbia had been good to them, there was enough wildlife that they could hunt and not endanger other predators in the area, and the public thought of them as hippy throw backs living the commune lifestyle. Micah shook his head hearing voices to accompany the footsteps, two of his pack were going hunting, stealth was not their strong suit. In truth the only thing any of them had in common with hippies is co-existing in a community of their peers, but then again that was the definition of a society. 

"Hey Micah." Kaylie said with a wave as she and Lewis walked out into the clearing heading towards the woods.

Micah waved back grinning at Lewis's face, he looked like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And rightly so, Lewis was twenty and Kaylie was only sixteen. It was against their laws for him to try and claim her until she was seventeen, and her father was a big man, as well as wolf who did not like people fooling around with his daughter.

Dante, his second in command walked up the steps of the porch absently staring after Kaylie and Lewis, "That boys going to get castrated." He muttered his voice thick with his Aussie accent. 

"I don't know, he's not a total i***t, just slightly reckless due to hormonal imbalances." Micah responded with a shrug, "Have a seat." He murmured his eyes following Dante as he made himself at home.

"Troubles coming this way mate, I can feel it." 

Micah laughed, "Forgive me if I don't put much stock in your feelings. Weren't you the one he swore that Toronto was going to win the Stanley Cup?"

Dante threw a pillow at him, "When was the last time you went on a date?" He asked laughing.

Micah stood up, "Two nights ago." He estimated

"Not had s*x, gone on an actual date, you know where you liked the woman, talked to her. You can't let what Maria did totally turn you off of women. You don't have that luxury." Dante argued, Micah knew he was right he didn't want to hear it, but he knew he had a point. 

"Piss off." Micah growled, "Don't you have somewhere to be?" 

Dante stared solemnly at his alpha's back, "Worn out my welcome already huh? That was quick." He got he his feet and headed for his house he shared with two other single males. 

Micah sighed, "Dante!" he called out. Dante turned, " Come over for breakfast tomorrow, we'll do rounds together." Dante nodded his head and wandered off. 

Dante was right; something was going to happen, Micah just wasn't so sure that it was going to be bad.