Rose Wolf Petals

Little Red She-wolf

(Malikai’s POV)

How could this happen? I thought to myself as I looked at the little she-wolf. Fear, pain, and rage reflected in her eyes as he bore her fangs and snarled. “Go search the grounds now. Check for survivors. If you discover any rogues, KILL THEM!” I ordered. My gaze never left the little she-wolf. She turned and limped towards two bodies laying next to each other. My warriors that helped dispatch the remaining rogues and stayed nearby shifted out of her way. Her aura was so forceful that they automatically moved aside. We followed behind her at a little distance. 

She sat in front of two bodies and let out a howl that was world shattering and full of pain. It echoed in the air filling our ears and breaking our hearts while it shook us to our souls. The fires blazing from the pack houses burning gave an eeriness that made every shadow dance with the light. That and the rain made it difficult to recognize those who are living and almost impossible to recognize those who were dead that the little she-wolf mourned so loudly for. As I approached, I could see that the two she presided over were of a man and a woman. They laid on top of each other protectively and embraced each other as though they were trying to comfort each other in their last moments.

The small she-wolf continued to howl and wail as she nuzzled the two bodies. As I approached her, she whipped around and growled with the ferocity I only see in Alfas. I whined and lowered my head to show I was no threat. This was an unusual sight to see, however she needed comfort. Eli and I were both in agreement to let the threat go. I would usually snap the neck of anyone challenging or threatening me and only lower my head to the Elders. But this situation was different, pride and rank needed to be set aside. 

Eli, my wolf, commented mournfully, “she is too young to know this amount of pain.” I could feel his heart break alongside mine.

She realized I was no threat and let me go to her. I nuzzled her bowed head and she leapt into my chest, hiding her small body in my fur. I could feel her weep and shake in my fur. It broke my heart further to see any wolf like this, it's especially painful when they are so young.

I mindlinked with my warriors, “ any survivors?”

“Only that she-wolf,” Josh replied as he and the other continued their search of the surrounding area.

“She is a tough girl, I can smell her scent all over the death blows of the more recently deceased rogues along with her paw prints from the fights in the areas where the fire doesn’t distort what you can see and the rain hasn't washed the traces away. She either finished them off or took them out by herself,” Travis added in. I could feel a wave of awe travel through my warriors as they heard this.

“Who is she?” Luke inquired.

“I don’t know,” I replied. I somewhat recognized her scent but it was distorted with the blood of the rogues and the fires burning. I know I have met her before but when? My memory is all mottled. Snapping back from my thoughts, "we must bury the dead honorably and dispose of the rogues' corpses. Burn them with the pack houses or throw them off the cliff edge,” I ordered through mindlink as I looked around.

Suddenly a familiar hoarse little broken voice came from the small body of fur curled up in my chest. I Froze. ‘This isn’t possible. She can’t communicate through mindlink. This wasn’t mindlink… this was out loud and in wolf form.’ 

“She isn’t talking though mindlink,” Eli confirmed my shock.

"If you are trying to decide what to do with the rogues' bodies… throw those murdering bastards off the cliff… as for my family and my pack… please… I beg you, bury them with care under the Old Oak tree near the west side of the cliff,” I hear her voice enter my ears and accidentally broadcast over minklink.

“How can she mindlink with us? Is she already accepted into our pack?” A warrior quickly said and I shut the mindlink off as I replied with the only thing I could think to say, “Yes.”

She pulled away and looked me directly in the eyes. Her’s were still filled with rage and the pain of loss. “I can’t hear your mindlink, but by your actions and motions I understood you were making the next steps,” she spoke. Then she blacked out as she shifted back into human form. She hit the ground with a soft thud.

Now I knew why I recognized her, why her voice was so familiar, and why she was so small. Her identity was truly shocking. Some of the warriors sensed my shock and rushed closer. The girl lay bare for all to recognize her. She was the youngest Omega of the Crescent Cliff pack, Evelyn Rose. She is only 15 years old. “She shifted a year too early,” Eli said.

“How,” was the resounding question that echoed in everyone’s minds as though they could hear Eli.

I looked back at the bodies that lay behind her and a second shock hit me when I recognized them. The man and woman was John and Samantha Rose, her parents. I could feel myself weep for the girl. Sadness and pain vibrated through everyone around us as they saw who they were.

“Do as she wished, answer those prayers for her, my warriors,” my command rippled through them as this purpose strengthened our resolve to do what we could for the last remaining Crescent Cliff pack member. They moved with a purpose as though the Moon Goddess, herself, had requested this heartbreaking task to be completed.