Chapter 7
1364 Words
Kira
I've spent most of the evening preparing for the arrival of the Chiyads. Tomorrow, the challengers for our pack's Alpha Title will formally arrive and take residence within our borders. It's a really big deal and there's a formal welcome ceremony. My mother, Mistra, and I have been out gathering wildflowers for the welcome bouquets to the mothers of the challengers.
Honestly, it's super old-fashioned but Alpha Jason likes tradition. So, we're out trying to find whatever kind of wildflower blooms the night before the Spring Solstice just to keep him happy. But I guess when you're Alpha, you get what you want, right?
I can hear my mother foraging a short distance away from me. She always picks lavender if she can find it, but it may be too early. We do live in a rather temperate climate most of the year, but the extra snowfall this past winter killed off the early roses I was hoping to find.... and, I admit, take a few for myself. I love roses.
"Kira!" My mother calls through the shrubbery.
"Yea?"
"I think I found some marigolds. Do you think Chiyads like marigolds?"
"I don't know, but they smell foul, so I'm sure they'll be perfect."
"KIRA!" She scolds. But I can hear her softly chuckling to herself.
"When do you think we'll have enough?" I ask. "We can only haul two wheelbarrows back tonight and I doubt tonight's Patrol Guard will be looking for extra work."
I almost see her shrug in the early evening light. The sun hasn't set yet, but I didn't get a chance to eat after my own training session after taking Perrin to the Infirmary. Hangry is not a mood I want to be in for the next several hours.
She continues. "We either pick this evening or early tomorrow morning. Alpha Jason's been very generous with us ever since...." Her voice trails off.
She starts again, her voice stronger this time. "Giving us the honor of preparing the Mother Gifts is something we must not take for granted," she finished.
"I know..." I turn back to wrapping the chives in twine.
Sometimes it hurts to hear how much my mom misses Dad. We all do. Ethan sometimes I think would be lost if he didn't have Perrin. I sometimes think I would be lost if I didn't have Perrin...
I'm suddenly startled. I feel a soft pang in my heart. I sometimes think that Ethan and I have some type of connection. Like I can feel hurt when he's feeling hurt. Maybe the arrival of challenging Betas has Perrin on edge. I mean, he HAS been a little on edge lately. Well, OVER the edge, lately. His training sessions with Perrin have been grueling. I know he wants to honor the memory of our father and win back the Beta Title, but sometimes I feel he's pushing himself too far. Almost like he's physically in pain from the effort to bring honor back to our family.
I turn back to my work.
**
My thoughts drift to school, my flower bouquets, and off into nowhere. I'm sure it's been another hour or so, and I can hear my own stomach rumbling and I feel another small pang. An alertness--I guess. Hunger? Ethan?
"Mom?"
"Mmm?" I can hear her respond from somewhere in the twilight, but she's clearly lost in her own thoughts too.
"What was Ethan up to tonight?"
"I'm not sure honey." She still sounds distracted. "Why do you ask?"
"Ummm. Just wondering, I guess."
I can see the brief outline of my mother straighten amidst the bushes and turn in my direction. Even in her late forties, she maintained a beautiful slim figure and is quite beautiful for her age. "Is something wrong?"
"No...."
"Well, that was convincing."
I force a laugh. "Well. No, it's fine. Just curious where he is. Ethan wasn't training tonight because Perrin I force a laugh. "Well. No, it's fine. Just curious where he is. Ethan wasn't training tonight because Perrin was meeting with another she-wolf."
"That's RIGHT!" I hear her scuffling with her basket. "Poor thing. With the Mother's gifts and following Alpha Jason's list, I was so sidetracked. How did this one go? Any word from Perrin on a match?"
"No. I was in training earlier today, then I had to make a quick stop at the infirmary--"
"THE INFIRMARY?" Her voice cuts in, sharp with a mother's concern.
"Well, yea... it's nothing. Not a big deal I swear. And then I came straight to the pack house to pick you up--"
Before I can stand up, my mother has scurried toward me with a worried look on your face. She braces both of my shoulders. "Are you hurt? Did something happen in training?"
"No---" I force her hands down and look her straight into her beautiful eyes. "I'm fine mom, relax. I was helping out a friend."
She visibly relaxes, sweeping her deep raven hair behind her ear.
I wasn't sure why, but for some reason it didn't feel right to tell her Perrin was almost run over by a mysterious car in the parking lot outside the training gym. My mom hates the thought of Ethan and I training, but we don't have a choice. We're part of a pack. My dad understood that. We have an obligation to fulfill. And I'm trying so hard to train as hard as Ethan but with Perrin as his training partner, I'm feel like I can't keep up.
"So....." she piques an eyebrow up, continuing to look at me. She isn't satisfied with my story.
"So...." I continue, shifting back to my work. "Sooo.... if you're worried I was going to try and convince Jasmine to break it off with Perrin again, I wasn't."
I hear my mother sigh deeply behind me in frustration.
It's one thing to feel like you're living on the good graces of the pack's Alpha. It's another to know that he HATES his son's girlfriend and will try to do anything to break them up.... including recruiting my mother and me into trying to sabotage their relationship. But I like Jasmine, even if she thinks I'm probably secretly in love with Perrin for the number of times I've "interrupted" them at their spot or found some other reason to ruin their time together. Jasmine is really, honestly, a nice girl.
And my mother likes her, too. Jasmine makes Perrin happy. And when Perrin's happy, Ethan's happy... when Ethan's happy, I'm happy. And when Ethan and I are happy, my mother is at peace. Either way, Perrin happy is a good thing. I guess it's indicative of what their future Alpha/Beta relationship is going to be like. They're so in tune with each other.
But that aside, Alpha Jason has put us in an awkward position and I admit, it's a hard line to walk. He wouldn't be so bold as to tell Ethan to try something. I think Alpha Jason's really hoping that my brother will win back Beta given that Mark doesn't have any male sons to try in the challenge. So he can't really tell Ethan to mess with Perrin's relationship. Well, I mean, the Alpha CAN tell ANYONE in our pack to do what he wants. But I think Alpha Jason suspects that it would mess up Ethan and Perrin's training--and friendship, for that matter.
Part of me believes Alpha Jason prioritizes training and friendship in that order, too.
I'm distracted by small pang. I chalk it up to cramps and go back to my work. No sooner do I grab another cluster of rosemary when I hear a rustling in the trees up ahead.
"It must be the night duty." My mom has heard the noise too. The Night Guard usually comes around in big groups. I'm not surprised.
"MISTRA!" The leader of the Night Guard calls out before he's seen. My mother's body stiffens.
"What? What is it?" The ease with which panic enters her voice breaks my heart. But I can't blame her. My own stomach turns to knots.
"There's been an attack," the Night Guard replies. "It's Ethan."
- Writer
