Her Forever

Rosalie

Another crack of my back and I let out a howl of pain. “Oh, did I cause too much stress for you?” Anana said with mock sympathy. Her hand was on her chest as she bent over to get a better look at me. I growled, yes at her and let out another scream as another bone cracked somewhere on my body.

Anana started cackling while Astrid looked on in horror. “Please, let her be. What do you want?” Lolli continued to stand at the entrance of the door, looking behind her. Anana stood up straight, bouncing the fire like a sphere on her hand. “Just finishing the job I should have done a long time ago. Derek was so infatuated with her and was willing to do much for her, I just thought I’d kill her off. Hurt him even past death. He’s watching you know, that is his punishment. Watching the one he wanted to love. Now that his insanity was cured he is of sound mind and who knew he actually cared for the girl? Hades is such an evil man! Now I was going to get rid of the evidence of the branding bonds so none of this could come back to me but it looks like you healed up real nice,” Amanda growled, she was still trying to shield us from harm.

“Even though you have healed so nicely I still have to kill you, the dead don’t speak you see,” Anana spoke like it was nothing. The fire sphere vanished into thin air and started to stalk us closer. Her trench coat dusted across the floor, her nails were dark and elongated to talons, not the claws I was used to seeing. Another crack echoed through the foyer and I let out a grunt of pain. My throat was already sore from screaming and threatening to close up. I couldn’t give up, not now.

I tried to stand, but the broken bones in my body wouldn’t allow me to, even for a moment. I tried to curl up into a ball but even that was proven difficult. Going through so much pain in my past, you would think my tolerance for physical abuse would be strengthened but this was another level of pain. A large howl came from me, not a scream, but an actual howl. I was changing, really changing. Astrids grip on my head as I laid in her lap tightened as Anana came closer.

“I can’t mind-link anyone! No one will answer?!” Astrid screamed in terror and my grip on her hand tightened. Heavy, labored breaths left my lips in fear. We were all going to die here. Anana started to cackle again as she grabbed my ankle and ripped me from Astrid’s embrace. Shrills and howls came from Amanda who was now pinned in her spot, unable to move. “Your pitiful mind-link has been put on suspension,” Anana said lowly, “now, what to do with you….” She tisked as she circled me. The breaks of my bones were coming in slower and I couldn’t understand why.

“Have mercy on her, she needs her family to shift!” Astrid screamed who was now pinned to her spot. She tried calling closer but was failing.

“I know she does,” Anana sneered. “I indeed know, Wolves and their need for a pack and family is quite significant for a shift. I was going to just come and kill you but I like seeing you suffering like this.” Anana’s finger waved around in a circular motion as she saw my body contort into a new position. Grunts and short bursts of screams enveloped the room. “I think I want to take you back, see what happens when you are all alone during a shift. No one to guide you through the physical pain and the mental that comes along with it. Your past will certainly consume you. It would be amusing for my benefit.”

“You can’t! It’s suicide for a Wolf! Let her go, please! She never did anything to you!”

“That she didn’t. I’m just tying up loose ends. No offence,” she winked at Astrid. “And to think your poor mate has no idea what’s going on.” Anana twirled my hair and my mouth tried to elongate to snap at her. “So feisty,” she grinned. “It’s settled. I’ll take her.” Clapping her hands, Lolli came forward with her head hung low and tears in her eyes. She was being forced to do this, I couldn’t blame her but I couldn’t help but feel the hurt of her betrayal. Mouthing she was sorry, she took a piece of chalk and encircled us. Both Astrid and Amanda were begging for her to let me go but it was no use, within one large flash Lolli, Anana and me vanished into thin air.

Jack

“That’s it, continue to lunge forward when your attacker falters.” The twins had been practicing for about a week with me, they had great knowledge in defensive skills, just on target where they were supposed to be.

“AGAIN!” They both grabbed onto each other’s shoulders to wrestle their bodies to the ground. Once Phillip was pinned, I yelled for them to stop. “Excellent job Fredrick. I see who is the fighter and who has the brains.” Phillip g*****d and rolled his eyes he got up.

“I think we both take offence to that,” Frederick said dryly. Lending a hand, he sprung forward and gave a quick nod. “Thank you, Alpha.” I laughed as they started shoving each other.

Remembering what Rosalie wanted to ask, I got more serious with the boys. “I know you boys have had it rough the past month, after losing your parents.” The twins tensed as I brought up the subject. “I just have a few questions I wanted to ask you, away from your sister. See, things aren’t adding up and I need honesty within the pack, you know this.” The twins shuffled around and started looking at one another. “You aren’t in trouble, but I want you to answer truthfully, you know an Alpha can search out lies.” Both nodded as I continued.

I led them to one of the bleachers and waved them over to sit down, giving them some water in the process. They both sat nervously and stared into their drink cups. “I need, in your own words, what happened.” The twins again looked at each other and Phillip began to speak. “Alpha, to be honest we don’t know what happened.” Looking at them in confusion I nodded for them to go on.

“Our sister came running to us, we were at the pack lake swimming with Aria and Lolli came up and she told us to run. She had a bag full of clothes, food and some money and said it was an order. We didn’t question it, she was our sister and she was frantic. So we ran,” Phillip spoke.

“I thought it was strange, we didn’t get a mind-link or an order from our father, however we listened,” Frederick confessed. “After running for a few hours we stayed at a hotel, away from the pack lands and told us what happened. That there was an attack, rogues and destroyed everything and everyone, including our parents.” Frederick started to sob. I rubbed his back as Phillip continued.

“Lolli was beside herself, she didn’t cry much but the worry was in her heart, I could feel it through our sibling bond. We trekked on and followed her, she seemed to know what she was doing. We did go to town and then back into the forest, but it didn’t seem like a month. Time was short, when she told you and Luna that it had been over a month of traveling, we couldn’t believe it. I guess when you are mourning your pack members you lose track of time.”

My brows furrowed, this became more and more concerning with every new piece of information. The boys had no idea how long they were without their family, for all we know it could have just been a week. How were their clothes all tattered though?

“Your clothes though, they seemed so worn out? It must have been awhile that you were in the wild?” Phillip continued to shake his head. “No, Lolli gave them to us. She said it would help us when it came to finding a new pack. We argued about it, saying we shouldn’t lie to a new pack like that but she was insistent. We wanted to use our Alpha command on her but she’s our sister,” Phillip replied.

“We then thought of Aria, she needed a stable place so we ignored it since it wasn’t causing harm,” Frederick said dejectedly.

“Did you feel a break from your family bond? Did you feel your parents die?” Both of them looked at each other.

“No?” Phillip said, “I didn’t know if that was possible. She said they were dead so we believed her” . I brushed my hand through my hair. Something was wrong, really wrong. Even Lolli had lied to them. “It isn’t as strong as a mate bond breaking but it is still there, since you are alphas you can faintly feel a gentle break in the bond, you feel their sorrow but you are able to continue on with your life.”

I began mind-linking Rosalie but she wasn’t replying, I couldn’t even feel her on the property. Starting to panic I mind-linked Keith who I couldn’t contact either, it was static. “s**t, we’ve got trouble. Come with me, your Alpha training is going to be put to good use now,” I growled.

Running through the territory back to the pack house Wolves seemed confused, they were trying to communicate with one another through links. No one could respond. Many were holding their heads and speaking quickly to find out what happened. On the steps of the pack house, I find Keith laying face down in the dirt. Rolling him over, he was regaining consciousness but not fast enough for me to find out what happened. I bolted up the stairs to find my mother and Amanda on the floor, unconscious.

“What the hell happened?” I roared, turning around looking at the twins. Both were confused as I was but that didn’t stop Sampson being pissed off. Sampson came forward and took control and lifted both boys off the ground by their necks. Their hands scratched and pawed at my grip while anger was radiating off my body. They were scared, they should be.

“Where is my mate, you little bastards?! Took you in, gave you clothes, and you thank me by taking my mate!?” Sampson roared. Benjamin burst through the door, his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

“Alpha, I know what happened! Please let the boys go, it isn’t their fault!” Gripping the boys tighter we didn’t let go, who was he to command us?! The boys’ faces were turning blue until my mother came to. Her soft cry made me drop the boys and run to her. “Mother? Are you alright? What happened? Where is Rosalie?” I kneeled down to help her up.

“The Witch, the rogue Witch took her,” her hand was on her chest, “her Wolf is forcing a change due to the pack being in danger!” She screamed at me.

“f**k!” A forced change is the worst, it is when their Wolves try to come out sooner than they are ready due to stress, it happens especially those in leadership positions when they feel their pack is in danger. Her Wolf was doing more harm than good and now Rosalie will have the most painful transition because her body isn’t ready. The risk of dying from her first shift increased 10 fold and that doesn’t include the risks due to no family or me by her side. “Damnit!” I threw my fist into the wall behind my mother. Gasping for breath, Amanda had shifted back as she laid naked on the floor. I didn’t stare at her body, but I needed answers.

Benjamin went to a nearby couch and threw a blanket over her. “Could you not protect her?!” I used my Alpha tone on her. “Could you not maul a silly Witch!?” Amanda cowered in fear and my mother came behind me and put her hand on my shoulder to calm me. It didn’t work, only Rosalie could calm down Sampson now.

“I-I am sorry Alpha. She used her powers and held me still, I couldn’t move! None of us could!” She cried. “I tried! I tried! Rosalie tried to be strong too!” I knew Amanda tried, she was one of her best friends but that doesn’t help me now, how in the hell was I going to get her back.

Benjamin.

I turned and growled, my claws coming out as I stalked toward Benjamin. “How did you know the boys aren’t at fault. What information do you have?” Benjamin took a few steps back and reached in his back pocket, his hands shaking as he pulled out a piece of paper that had been read, a few wet spots covered the paper. Tears. His eyes were red as he held out the paper to me and I snatched it quickly.

Looking over the contents of the letter, I realized it wasn’t only Rosalie’s life in danger but also the entirety of another packs’.