Three months later
POV - Kyas
Man, I love full moon sunsets. Especially in the summer because the heat of the day isn't gone yet, and I can feel it on my skin for a little while. I mean... don't get me wrong, I like winter ones too, the nights are longer in the winter, but also colder, so it's a trade off. Winter nights are longer, but the people don't stay out, they prefer warm houses, so they are also lonelier, with more time to myself.
Summer though, I smiled, much better trade off. Shorter nights, but the people want to be out, socializing over barbecues, summer night pool parties, well, any parties. Food for my soul.
I chose a pine green tshirt, I've sworn off white, it triggered Elias when I wore it, black jeans, quickly becoming my favorite, as well as the grey shoes. I remembered when I learned how to wear and tie shoes, the hours spent with Elias to do it. I miss him.
I sighed. The trouble with Elias. Unfortunately, the night in the dungeon didn't change much, it just shifted him, changed his reasons. Before, it was jealousy and resentment keeping him cut off. Now its guilt and regret. Our bond is still black, just a different shade. He's still all about himself, and still cannot bring himself to care about anyone else.
I headed out my door, and down the hall, and caught Elias leaving his room as well. My breathing hitched, and he looked at me, and I involuntary stopped and backed up two steps. Shit. He saw it, and gave me another guilty look, before running away from me down the stairs.
I shook my head. That's getting better, Chaos had recovered faster, his step hadn't faltered around Elias in a while. Maybe its just that Chaos sees him in person more than me. Elias avoids my human form like the plague.
I decided to stop by Papa's office, and see if he wanted to make my rounds with me tonight, something other than command runs and chores, to do with him. Make something fun in the evenings, now that punishment was done.
As I stood waiting against the wall, Gamma Chris came out and went the other way down the hall. Papa then came out. I smiled, and was about to address him…
When he looked up, and right at me, and looked right through me. He was staring at my face, and didn't see me… at all.
He walked right past me. There…were…no…words… This feeling was… familiar, but I couldn't recall where it came from.
I…guess he didn't want to go. I continued with my plans… relegating that to things to deal with later.
The pack had pushed Chaos' Alpha punishment to the hilt, not letting it end one day before mine. He took it all, but thankfully, we were done, but the council is still waiting for Elias' to pull him out of his self-absorbed mindset. His determination to refuse to think beyond himself was becoming concerning.
An Alpha can't function that way, the pack suffers, and Alpha Carlisle had already done that to this pack once.
I headed outside to join my pack. I love this shit! People smile at me, and now, with my own dress style, they no longer mistake me for Elias. It's such an awesome feeling to hear people say my name - Mine! With the same (almost) affection I feel for them.
Chaos and I do something similar to patrols, but instead of guarding a pack border, we travel the streets and tracks of the residential areas just checking in with them, ensuring the bonds stay strong, and smooth out any snarls in the bond tapestry that we can see.
Tonight, I took the northern neighborhood road, meeting people already outside, waiving at some that stepped out onto porches to see me (awesome!), and just being among them. My patrol ended back at the packhouse and immediate area, and, as usual, some of the people from the neighborhood accompanied me, updating me on various happenings since I had seen them last.
While talking to a gathering of packmates around a cooling grill, I felt a tug on my shirt, and looked down to find four-year-old pup Mindy attached to me. I knelt down.
" Hey Mindy, did you come to see me?" I asked, mirroring the way Papa talked to pups.
She chewed on the collar of her deep blue dress, and nodded. I picked her up and smiled. "I'm So glad!" I told her. "I was hoping to see you too! Let's go find Mommy and tell her you found me, Ok?" She nodded and pointed and I saw Adele checking around, just having noticed she was gone.
I brought Mindy back to her mother, and nodded about how quick the little ones are, and then was called over by the kitchen door by Sean. As I passed, the kitchen staff was doing the last of the prep work for tomorrow, with Sheila squeezing oranges, Cathy mixing a French toast batter, and Elias, back toward me, cutting onions.
"Hey. Sean. What's up?" I said as I passed, and he asked me what I thought about an improvement project for the school. I was about to answer when I swore I saw a hint of blue pass the back of my leg, but didn't see anything when I turned, so began my response again, before hearing a clear, small voice say "Uh-oh, clean it up, get a towel."
I looked back through the doorway and Mindy had made her way into the kitchen, and was making her way to where Elias had been, but Elias had left, his onion only half cut. I saw a bit of water on the floor where he had been and it looked like she had seen it too. She reached up for the towel Elias had left at his station, and pulled.
Time slowed down as I saw the knife begin to fall. "Mindy!" I yelled and she turned toward me, the knife that would have sliced off her ear now landing blade first on her small little shoulder, then tilting down and slicing everything on the way to the floor. Blood blossoming on her prerty blue dress.
Mindy screamed, as I got to her, picking her up with one arm under her chest and belly, and taking the towel from her hands and pressing it to her back as I rushed her out of the kitchen, and across large packhouse lawn to the pack hospital, yelling for Adele to follow me. So much blood was dripping from this small little girl in my arms, she had no wolf to help her heal yet! This was bad!
I rushed in through the doors, shouting for help, let them take her from me, her scared, painful crying breaking my heart for her. I saw Adele rush in seconds later, and pushed for Mindy's father, Brian, and told him to get to the hospital. I sat in the waiting room, hoping for news.
I reached out for Alpha... nothing. Beta? Nothing. Gamma? Nothing. Any of the Deltas? Delta Matt answered.
'Kyas, what's up dude?' He said cheerfully.
'Delta, I'm trying to reach the pack leaders, but no one is answering. Is something wrong?' I asked.
'Not that I know of, let me ask the other Deltas.' He said back and dropped off.
A few minutes later he pushed back.
'Sorry, Kyas, Delta Jacob said that they got an urgent call from Trout Creek, they're under attack by rogues and our pack went to help.' He said.
'All of them?' I asked.
'I guess. Since that pack is our closest neighbor, it makes sense to take enough to ensure the rogues don't make it to our borders. Is there something wrong?' He sent back.
Oh no...
The shift ticked forward twice.
'Yes. I'll handle it. Thanks.' I said back.
'You sure? Your voice sounds fu-'
I dropped the link.
Elias…