Wolf Pack

But the scene I saw was like a balm on my wounds, Jack entered the room wearing a huge bandage under his shirt, he entered with Lucca, talking and with a cup of coffee in his hands.

“Your husband went out to get some coffee, but he stayed by your side the entire time.” Hughes said running a hand through my hair.

“Hey, look who’s up? How are you feeling?” Jack said as soon as he laid eyes on me and walked quickly towards me.

“I… I think I’m fine. I was out for how long?” I asked trying to put one hand on my head, hitting my nose and realizing that I didn’t regain 100% my coordination.

“Now it’s night, honey, you’ve been out for like 8 hours.” Jack answered me.

“All that? And how are we going to do the ceremony?” I tried to get up, Hughes and Jack helped me to sit.

“Calm down my granddaughter, we’ve already organized everything, the ceremony will be rescheduled. The important thing is, that you’re fine. The administrative and traditional procedures will be resolved later. And the Council is dealing with everything.”

“I can’t believe this happened, it was all my fault….” I could only feel guilt...

“Don’t you dare blame yourself. You said it yourself, and you know that all of this was Otto’s fault, all his fault, and as much as I don’t think death is the best solution, he got what he deserved.” Now the words were Hughes’s, as much as I wanted to believe it, I still felt guilt, mostly for Marcus, he tried to defend me, he came between Otto and me.

“Hey, I know you’re feeling better, but we almost lost you, you need to rest. Everything will be resolved in time.” Jack sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his thumb across my cheek, it reminded me of what I saw.

“I saw them…” It was the only sentence I managed to formulate.

“See who Luna?” Jack asked, but all his faces were one of confusion.

“My parents… While I was out…. They talked to me.” I said and sighed trying to understand what happened.

“And what they said?” Hughes asked me with all the calm in the world.

“I asked if I was dead, and they said, no. That the prophecy wasn’t over yet, and that I had one more mission to complete, that they were proud of what I had already done, but that something else was missing.” I told what I could remember.

The three looked at each other, but no one had an answer for that. After all, what would I still have to fulfill?

I spent the night in the hospital, Jack stayed there with me, as much as we wolves recovered quickly, my injuries were very extensive, and it took me a little longer to recover 100%. I confess that having Jack with me, made me feel safer.

Christopher was still in our Pack, and we still needed to perform the ceremony, we just didn’t know exactly when and how. We had a meeting with all of them for lunch.

I went home, took a shower and when getting dressed for the meeting, I stopped in front of the mirror to analyze my body still with the drops of water from the bath, and for a few seconds I was staring at the scars of my injuries. I ran my fingers gently over every pink mark on my skin, every tooth mark and every scratch, my skin was still sensitive from every scar tissue, I was so lost in this moment and focused that I didn’t see Jack approaching. He leaned against the wardrobe and watched me. I lifted my gaze to face him.

“Wolves only get scars when the wound leaves them between life and death, right? Do you think I’ll get any scars?” I asked going back to running my fingers over the fine marks on my back staring at myself in the mirror.

Jack pulled me by the waist hugging me from the front and rested his forehead on mine closing his eyes. He sighed before starting to speak.

“I don’t know darling, but I was so afraid of losing you. I concentrated on your heartbeat and each second waiting for the next one was an eternity, I don’t know how I didn’t freak out, I think I knew you would need me. ”

“I really needed…” I opened my eyes and looked up at him, remembering in those moments that the only certainty I had was that he was there with me. “What do you think my father meant, with the prophecy not over? That I have something to do yet?”

“I don’t have all your answers Luna, but I promise to stand by you every step of the way.” Jack pulled my chin up, gently kissing my lips.

We changed and went to Hughes’ House, Christopher and Lucca were already waiting for us there and after Hughes joined us, we started the meeting.

“Luna, how are you feeling? We can postpone the ceremony more, but if you are well, we have availability for tomorrow, but we can postpone in a few weeks until you recover 100%.” Christopher asked me worriedly.

“No, tomorrow is fine. I’m already feeling good, I’m recovered, and I don’t want to keep our people waiting any longer.” I replied firmly, I was really finem, saw no reason to wait any longer.

Christopher took some papers from the table, and Lucca stared at him for a few seconds, he cleared his throat before starting to speak.

“The bodies were collected by the council, we are going to send the bodies of Otto and Marcus to the Forsaken to follow with the funeral process. Mina’s body is already released for you to proceed.” Lucca said moving other papers.

“Speaking of the Forsaken, we need to talk about the future of the Forsaken Pack.” Christopher said pulling out a folder.

For a few seconds the air was tense, almost as if it were hard to breathe.

“Excuse me sir but why would the Forsaken’s future concern us?” I asked a bit confused.

“With Otto gone, the Forsaken are leaderless.” Christopher said showing his palms trying to explain.

I still didn’t understand what that said about us, there are the Betas and all the leadership of the Pack to take over.

“What about his Betas?” Jack asked this time.

“They died 3 years ago in a raid, and Otto hasn’t elected a replacement couple yet, it was just him.” Christopher responded in his calm tone.

“We’ve been trying to find something legal about it since yesterday, but we haven’t found a solution.” Lucca said with all the tension in the world in his words, I didn’t understand why they were so cautious about it.

“Solution to what?” Hughes now asked also without understanding.

“You know how it works for the new leadership of any pack, the Forsaken would be no different, and Otto’s only living blood relative... is Luna.” Christopher pronounced my name as each syllable was said, a chill crept up my spine.

“And what does that mean?” I asked still not knowing.

“That by the Council you have the right to assume the Forsaken Pack as Alphas.” Christopher said slowly.

I expected my body to react with the worst emotion in the world to this, but I was taken by an unparalleled peace, maybe my emotions weren’t connected with my brain, but it was like I just found all this normal.

“Never.” Jack’s words were firm and incisive.

“Why never?” I asked trying to face him.

“Because it’s a Forsaken Pack, Luna.” Jack answered me like it was the obvious thing in the world.

“And we can’t even talk about it?” I tried to argue.

“No, because it’s a Forsaken Pack. Have you forgotten what they did to you?” Jack painted the bridge of his nose and tried to breathe but he was very upset. “Luna... You’re coming back from the hospital because your own grandfather tried to kill you, and he was simply the Alpha of the Forsaken.”

“But they aren’t all like that…” I stated this time, but my voice came out louder than I intended.

“Based on what experience did you come to that conclusion?” Jack said trying to stay calm.

“Marcus wasn’t like Otto….” I spoke in a low voice, it was still difficult to talk to him.

“Oh sure your ex boyfriend, who stayed with you on Otto’s orders and tried to attack and kidnap you, he’s a great example.” Jack said with his voice changed again, he was all changed, almost unrecognizable.

“He stood in front of me when Otto attacked me, he died in front of me for that, to try to defend me, and his Alpha from the suicide he was committing. He’s the one who told us about Otto’s illegal trade, and he did it all with a complete psychopath as his Alpha....As a leader. The person who was supposed to guide him to the best path was the one who got the worst out of him, imagine how he would be, if he had Hughes as Alpha or you? Have you ever thought about that?” My words came out as screams and a little choked up from the crying that took over me. Everyone looked at me in astonishment and in silence, I sniffed, sucked in the air and continued. “Everyone speaks well of my grandmother, that she she wasn’t like him, and she was a great Luna, you told me, my dad was a nice guy, he just needed time to adjust, how many more are there in this Pack? How many more wolves had their lives led and shaped by Otto, and found themselves with no way out. And don’t even try to say they could opt out, because you knew Otto and you know he would never let the wolves out because they didn’t agree with him. Actually a lot of wolves probably died because of it.“I said all that was in my heart, I stared at Jack waiting for an answer, he returned a look in silence, then Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose closing his eyes, thinking.

“Luna, it’s not just any pack, and we would be their Alphas, they need to trust us, and we need to trust them. We need to be a team, we need to be empowered to lead them. And I don’t see how that would be possible.” Jack said with his breath caught and now he was my sensible husband again. “When we talked about uniting the North and East Packs, it was already a super sensitive subject, and we agreed to talk about it a lot before. And it was normal Packs, and now you talk about uniting the Forsaken?”

“I’m not asking you to assume it like that, I’m asking us to talk about it, and maybe go there, see how they work. I’m not unreasonable Jack, if I see that they really don’t have a solution, I wouldn’t accept it…”

I stopped talking because I remembered something… and the next words came out of my mouth like a lullaby song, rhythmic, almost like a prophecy.

“There is still one step left for you to complete, it will be as difficult as everything else has been, but we know you will make it. The end of evil is very close. Then you will prosper. You have much good to do in this world, my dear. And we will always be here for you.”

I said as a tear rolled down, my father’s exact words to me, they were etched in my mind, I sat up slowly as I understood now what he meant.

“What is that?” Jack asked me

“My father’s words, while I was out, he told me exactly that.” I said looking at nothing trying to understand, the end of evil is very close…

“When good and evil come together, the fruit of that union will bring the end of evil, by joining the excluded Otto died on the day of our wedding….” I said while trying to assemble my thoughts . “Otto always thought that the prophecy talks about people but what if the evil isn’t him himself, it’s the Forsaken Pack? And if the prophecy was for me to really end all of this.” My words made everyone fall silent, not even Jack tried to argue, everyone looked at me in astonishment without really understanding.

But the tension was cut by the sweet scent of lunch and Alina’s scream.

“It’s served.”

Do you agree with Jack or Luna? Who is right in this argument? And does the prophecy now make more and more sense, or was it about Otto’s death?

Chapter a little longer this time, but I couldn’t cut it in half, let me know if you prefer longer or shorter chapters. I’m trying to update them more often.