The Alpha's Queen

Chapter 10

After listening to Terry and Jenny, I started thinking about my parents' past. I thought I was starting to understand the complicated choices and decisions they had to make. I couldn't imagine losing my family, having to leave everything that I know, living life on the run, all because someone decided to a***e the power entrusted in them. I’m not sure how things would have turned out, but I’m confident that I wouldn’t be the person that I am now. And I’m definitely sure that my family wouldn’t be what and who it is now. The life that I would have had, wouldn’t be anywhere near the life that I’m living at this moment. I never would have been able to meet my other half, the friends that I have made and the family that I’ve come to know since I’ve met and gotten to know everyone in the Golden Wolf Pack, would have never been so much as a blip on the road map my life.

Listening to Jenny tell her story, and what she has been through, how she has lost her family, and still being hunted by her former Alpha, I don’t know how I would be able to deal and function. 

I have a new respect for not only Jenny, but my parents as well as my aunts and uncles. They all had to leave everything that they’ve ever known, lost people they loved much, and yet, they still have a positive outlook on life. None of them let the tough days keep them in a foul mood. I don’t ever remember my parents being anything but optimistic about anything that could or did happen. I’m not saying that I never saw or noticed the adults in my life never had a bad day, or that they never seemed dejected or unhappy about anything. But, I can say that they never let the dark times get to them for long. Instead, they always looked towards the silver lining in every situation. Always looking towards the positive and encouraging us children to do the same. The strength it takes for someone to always remain upbeat says a lot about a person’s character. It’s a known and proven fact, those that can constantly keep a positive attitude, even in the times of heartache and pain, are stronger and have more grit then most others. 

After Jenny finished telling her story to the rest of the pack, everyone kind of sat around quietly. Not wanting to leave Jenny in case she felt the need to talk, or just needed the presence of someone other than herself, the whole pack wanted to stay in the media room. Of course, that meant we had to open the sliding doors since the room wasn’t big enough to accommodate just under 700 hundred bodies simultaneously. Hmm, maybe it’s time that we look into building on to the media room or building a game room that the whole pack can fit into at once. That would be an excellent room to have if a function needed to be switched indoors due to bad weather. But that’s getting off track. I need to, no, I have to stay focused on Jenny. There is something that she hasn’t revealed yet, and it has something to do with the shifters that we found out by the lake. Something is telling me that she knows and might be related to them. But since she hasn’t said anything along those lines just yet, I’m going to stay by her side as long as she needs me to be. Of course, I could always try to get the information out of Terry, not that I think he would tell me. I’m sure he will tell me that I would have to wait until Jenny is ready to speak up.

*****

A few days later, Terry and I were in our office when we were paged to come to the infirmary. One of the men found was awake, and the doctors believed he was stable enough to talk to us.

“Hi, I’m Terry the pack alpha, and this is our Luna Marizta. She is the one who found you the other day. You’ve been in our infirmary now for a few days, going in and out of consciousness. I’m glad to see you awake and looking healthy. I have a few questions that I need to ask you if you feel up to talking. But whether it’s now, or later, we still need to sit down and talk. You and your associates showing up here, unconscious and near death concerns me. And I need to make sure that my pack and family are safe at all times. If your presence here is going to in any way bring trouble, harm or any type of danger. Then I need to know so that I can prepare my warriors”. With an impression of distress, Terry pulled up a chair for the both of us.

Not giving the guy a chance to say anything, Terry jumped straight into the list of questions. And boy, did he have many questions, it seemed like Terry asked about a hundred questions. Rapidly shooting them out of his month, I don’t think he even bothered to take a breath it seemed like. I’m sure he did, but I don’t think I saw him pause long enough to inhale.

“Who are you? Why are you here? What brings you to my pack lands? What pack are you from? Who are the other people we found with you? How do you guys know each other? Are you rouges? Were you kicked out of your pack? What pack are you from? Are you looking for a new home or pack? Are you in danger or running from something or someone? Where have you been staying? How many people are you traveling with? Are there more people in your group? If so, where are they now? How did you end up in the condition and state we found you? Who attacked you? Or did you attack someone else and lose the fight? Why should I not kill you and your associates right now? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t contact all known Alpha’s about your appearance here on my land.

Until I know the answers to every question, I’ll continue to keep you and the others brought to the infirmary under surveillance with a guard posted outside each of the rooms until you're well enough to be moved into the holding cells. I hope you understand my first priority is to my pack. If I perceive that you’re here in any way to cause trouble or conflict, I will personally make sure that you're removed from my lands. With explicit orders never to return or face certain death. My family and my pack need to remain protected and continue to feel safe”.

Once Terry was done talking, he turned towards me and pulled me into his side. As hard as it was to lean into him, with the arm of the chair digging into my side, I remained. I’m sure Terry wanted to make our guest understand that we are an untied and strong pack, without any doubt that we could easily take care of our family and pack.

The look on the man’s face, he looked like someone just kicked all the wind out of him. I couldn’t say I blamed him, although Terry didn’t appear mad or anything. But, anyone could tell that Terry meant business and that he wouldn’t be pulling any punches. Nor would he be willing to let anyone hurt him, his family or his pack in any way. Not that I could blame him in any way, with all that I’ve been through in the last couple months, my protectiveness of my family as well as my new pack has grown into a monster. I don’t want to see anyone that I love or care for hurt in any way, shape or form. I kept looking into the man’s face, hoping to glimpse some type of reaction. But all that I could observe was that this was one scarred man, and Terry was only scaring him more with every question that was asked. I laid my hand on top of Terry’s and gently squeezed, trying to get his attention silently. Terry seemed not to understand my unspoken words, I gently leaned into him and spoke softly into his ear, “let me try talking to him.” I said, “I may be able to get something out of him. You’re only scaring him, which isn’t going to help us understand where he came from or what he and his companions are doing on our land.” Glancing at me briefly, Terry nodded his head at me, silently saying that I should proceed.

“Hi, this big, burly looking man is upset and worried about your presence here on our land. Please, before he becomes too upset, what is your name? Who are you, and what are you expecting to find here? Something has brought you here and I need you to share that information with me, with us. I need to understand how you and your companions end up in the state we found you. Who hurt you and why?” pleading with my eyes, I begged him to talk to me and say something, anything that would help us understand. Preferably before my loving mate shows his not so pleasant side and attacks the man. I’ve learned that when it comes to our pack and me especially, Terry is very protective. 

The strange man looked from me to Terry and back again. “I need to know if my traveling party can receive refuge here on your land before I can answer any of your questions. I understand sir, that it’s not normal for you to show amnesty to strange shifters that come onto your lands, but please sir, ma’am, can you grant this once? If you feel better about it, lock us into the dungeon, anything or any place would be better than having to return to the place where we came from.

Everyone standing with us was in shock by what this strange man said. The same questions were running through all our minds, trying to figure out who this man was. As well as the people that he was traveling with. It’s not everyday someone shows up on another pack's land and territory unannounced without having legitimate reasons. Let alone standing at death's door and looking like they’ve been tortured to near death.

Without saying a word, the warriors flocked this strange unknown man, as well as those that hadn’t been sent to the infirmary. Putting silver handcuffs on them while someone else held each arm stable. Turning to the side, Terry and I let the group pass before we started moving. Not knowing who they were, neither I nor Terry trusted these strange people at our backs. 

Down in the dungeon, many memories flooded back to me. I haven’t been down here since shortly after my coming here as a victim of a k********g. I remember how scared I was, not knowing where I was or who had brought me here. Not knowing if I was going to be killed or what happened to the rest of my family. I also remember those thoughts of misunderstanding when I was nothing but utter hatred from someone that I never met or even heard of before. Of course, at the time, I didn’t even know that shifters were real. And I definitely didn’t know that I was a shifter, along with the rest of my family. Being raised in a secluded area, with lots of land to roam. I thought it was normal for several branches of the family tree to live together. But apparently, due to our nature, or at least wolf shifters, prefer to live in packs together. Feeling more secure in the numbers of a large family, versus simply one or two people. I found out soon enough who my family and I truly were. Also, finding out, simultaneously, that Terry’s former third in command was in love with him. There by hating the fact that I was found and brought to Terry. Honestly, I couldn't care less about being Luna to all the wolf shifters in the pack. But it seems someone else craved the power that came along with the title, and she wasn’t too pleased that I was around.

All these thoughts and feelings, the new adversaries, enemies, frenemies and friends that I appear assembling at every turn. This makes it that much harder to know who I should and can trust. If someone had told me two months ago that I was a shifter, along with the rest of my family, I would have laughed at them. But now, with everything that I’ve learned, well to be completely honest, it scares me. Why can’t I just be a normal girl and live a normal life? Why did I have to grow up not knowing a major part of who I am? Why are my parents still scared of the people who drove them from their homeland so long ago? The biggest question I have is; does Terry truly love and care about me, or is it due to this bond that he claims all mates have, that makes him care about me? Is it possible that he doesn’t feel anything for me at all? How do I know that he isn’t in some way working with the people that are after my parents? Now that our family is no longer hiding, will we be hunted once again, just like my parents' pack was when they were younger? Will our family be the demise of the Golden Sun Pack? Will trouble and death follow my parents once again? Until these questions and many more were answered, I don't think that I’ll ever fully understand and know who I am.