When the World Returned to Colour
975 Words
He knew all about the parties held on the eastern shore of the lake by the Goodhaven Pack.
Over the years, he had often heard the distant music and laughter drifting through the forest to his cabin. The gatherings never bothered him. If anything, they were the closest connection he had maintained to the outside world since his self-imposed isolation four years ago.
Harvey Timbrell was the Alpha of a small wolf pack called Hope Paw, located roughly thirty miles beyond Goodhaven's border.
He had become Alpha on his fourteenth birthday.
Not because he wanted the position.
Because he had no choice.
His father had been ambushed and killed while hunting by a group of rogue wolves passing through their territory. Harvey had been far too young to lead a pack, but there was no one else willing or capable of taking on the responsibility.
So he buried his grief.
He abandoned what remained of his childhood.
And he became Alpha.
The early years had been brutal.
Hope Paw struggled to hold onto both its territory and its people. Harvey worked tirelessly to keep the pack together, earning respect through sheer determination and stubborn resilience.
Over time, they found their purpose.
Hope Paw became known for its warriors.
They offered protection to smaller packs and animal clans facing threats they could not handle alone. The work was dangerous, but it built a strong reputation throughout the region.
A reputation that protected his pack for years.
Until the night everything changed.
Harvey and several of his warriors had been returning from a job helping a family of fox shifters relocate. Their Alpha had demanded one of the daughters as a mate, and when she refused, the family feared for their lives.
The mission had gone smoothly.
His men were laughing and trading stories as they made their way home.
Then Harvey caught the scent.
Blood.
Without warning, he broke into a sprint.
The forest blurred around him.
His men followed immediately, confusion forgotten as they raced after their Alpha.
Harvey's steps slowed only when the pack house came into view.
The front door stood open.
A terrible silence hung over the clearing.
His warriors gathered behind him.
Someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
No one spoke.
Together, they approached.
Then they saw her.
Aunt Adeline sat motionless on the porch swing.
Her head rested against the back of the seat, exposing the deep s***h across her throat.
Her eyes were glassy and lifeless.
Yet somehow the terror she had felt in her final moments still lingered within them.
A strangled sound lodged in Harvey's throat.
Then a cry echoed from the pantry beside the house.
He ran.
Throwing open the door, he found a small figure huddled inside.
Annabelle.
His youngest niece.
She startled at the sudden movement before recognizing him.
"Uncle Harvey!"
She launched herself into his arms.
Harvey caught her instantly.
"They came," she sobbed. "They hurt Mummy and Aunt Adeline."
Her tiny hands clutched desperately at his shirt.
"And they took Seraphine."
Everything inside him stopped.
For a moment he couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
Slowly, he turned toward his men.
Already they were organizing search parties and calling pack members.
But Harvey barely noticed.
As he held Annabelle against his chest, he knew his life had changed forever.
Four years later, the pain remained.
Some days it dulled.
Most days it didn't.
Lost in old memories, Harvey barely realized how close he had wandered to the lake.
He should turn back.
The last thing he wanted was to cause problems with Goodhaven. Especially after Alpha Greythorn had generously allowed him to remain in the cabin hidden within Goodhaven's territory.
Yet tonight, for reasons he couldn't explain, he found himself unable to leave.
The forest was beautiful beneath the moonlight.
Silver beams filtered through the trees, illuminating patches of wildflowers and casting shimmering reflections across the water.
For a brief moment, Harvey focused on the beauty around him rather than the ache in his chest.
Then he saw her.
Everything stopped.
A flash of vibrant red hair danced across the lake.
Harvey stepped closer to the edge of the trees.
His breath caught.
A young woman was flying across the water on an inflatable ring, laughter carrying through the night air as a motorboat dragged her across the lake.
She should have looked ridiculous.
Instead, she looked radiant.
Alive.
For four years Harvey had moved through a world painted in shades of grey.
Now colour exploded back into existence.
The red of her hair.
The green of the forest.
The silver of the lake.
Everything suddenly seemed brighter.
Sharper.
Real.
His gaze followed her helplessly.
Then she looked at him.
Their eyes met across the water.
The connection struck him with the force of a physical blow.
A strange longing settled deep within his chest.
Not desire.
Not exactly.
Recognition.
As though some forgotten part of himself had suddenly awakened.
The boat continued forward.
He knew she would soon disappear from sight.
Without thinking, he spoke the only word that came to mind.
"Soon."
He didn't know why.
Only that he felt certain their paths would cross again.
Soon.
The certainty settled deep in his bones.
Shaking his head, Harvey turned away.
Perhaps tomorrow he would visit Alpha Greythorn and properly introduce himself.
The thought had barely formed when a shout split the night.
Harvey spun around.
His heart stopped.
The boat had turned sharply.
The inflatable launched into the air.
The young woman was thrown violently from it.
Time seemed to slow.
He watched in horror as she struck the water, skipped across its surface, and was hurled toward the shoreline.
Then she disappeared into the trees.
A sickening crack echoed through the forest.
The sound silenced every voice around the lake.
Harvey was already running before the echoes faded.
- Writer
