Lone Wolf (The Wulf Pack Book 1)

To say Willow was nervous, was an understatement. Though no one would blame her for being so.

She followed Fury into the house, past countless guards, and through a set of wooden double doors.

She paused in her steps as he disappeared into the room. She took a few breaths, working up the courage to follow into the room.

When she finally stepped into the doorway, she was met with three sets of bright gold eyes. She took in the two men sitting in the room, both of which seemed to take her in aswell.

It was strange, even though she expected it, the three brothers in the room looked a lot a like, not like twins or anything, but there was no doubt they were all brothers. With their sharp features, their black locks and the striking gold eyes they all seemed to share, their was no doubt of who they were.

“Well hello,” came a sweet, feminine voice, when Willow turned she found a woman, sitting on the mirroring couch, opposite the brothers. Her dark brown hair and warm brown eyes braught a relaxing feel to fall over her.

She seemed to have a youthful glow about her, given away only by the slight scrunch near her eyes when she smiled kindly.

“Mother,” Fury greeted as the woman stood, her brown eyes moving from Willow to Fury as she approached him. Willow was a bit shocked as the woman pulled him into a hug, holding him just a bit longer than normal.

“This is Willow,” Willow felt self-conscious as the woman once more directed her attention on her.

She wiped her hands over her legs nervously, under the woman’s scrutinizing gaze, drawing her own attention to the fact that she was still in one of Rage’s shirts and sweatpants.

“What a delightful surprise,” the woman’s kind demeanor didn’t falter as she stepped before her, pulling her into a hug, “it is nice to meet you, My name is Joyce, but you can call me Joy if you would like,” her smile warmed Willow, drawing her attention from the trinity of tall, dark and golden eyed, brothes.

Willow was speechless as she stood before the kind woman, completely stunned. She had never really thought of there being a mother, let alone one like Joy.

“What brings you to us?” The woman smirked, looking over her shoulder and her sons, “It’s not everyday one of my boys brings home a girl,” all of them looked away from her, uncomfortable with her pointed comment.

“I...” she stuttered, what was she supposed to say? How could she explain everything as simply as the question.

“Rage sent her here,” Fury cut in and Willow smiled in thanks as he answered for her.

“Well I gathered that much,” Joy said, shooting him a look that had him bitting his tongue, “she is weiring his clothes and smells of him,”

“Mom,” Fury said in a warning voice as he sensed where this was going.

“Can’t a mother wonder why her son is bringing home a girl that was clearly with another one of her sons she hasn’t seen in 6 months?!” Her voice was raised, filled with emotion as she nearly yelled at Fury.

“Uh...” Willow wanted to explain, wanted to say something that would stop, whatever was happening between mother and son.

Joy turned back to her, her eyes shinning with unshed tears. She took a few breaths in an attempt to compose herself.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t seen my son in a long time, haven’t even talked to him at all since he left,” there was no longer a smile on her kind face, now replaced by a sad frown that made Willow want to reach out and hug her.

“Mom, I’m sorry, he barely spoke to me, just asked me to take Willow to the pack and then left,” sadness swelled in the room at his words. His family seemed to care about him, which made Willow wonder why he chose to leave.

“He saved me,” all eyes snapped to her as she spoke only to be diverted as someone stepped behind her.

She jumped when she felt his presence. Turning to find Rage’s twin standing behind her.

Well not his actual twin, but of all the brothers, he looked most like Rage.

He looked down at her, his gold eyes cold as he took in the sight of her. The powerful aura about him made it clear, he was the Alpha, the eldest of the brothers.

“Continue,” he commanded, a hint of irritation in his voice as he crossed his arms and stood there, waited.

“Ah...” she gulped, this had been exactly what she expected when she came here, yet it still made her nervous,” he saved me from my pack...” she trailed off, hoping she wouldn’t have to tell the whole story.

“And how did he do that?” the Alpha asked. The man nearly had her shaking before him as all waited, with baited breath, for the answer.

“He took me from them, I was running...” she choked on the memory that came to her.

“Why?” the Alpha asked, annoyance clear in his voice, he wanted to be done with this already.

“They...” she choked on the words as she fought through the memories, “they would lock me up...” a gasp resignated though out the room, each one shocked at her words, “they would hurt me... beat me...”

“It’s alright,” Joy stopped her as she sobbed, no longer able to contain the burning tears any longer, “you don’t have to tell anymore,” she placed her hand on Willow’s arm in comfort.

The room was quite as Willow tried to calm herself. The brothers silently spoke to each other, the eldest leaving the women and moving to them.

“It’s alright, you’re safe here,” Joy smiled sweetly, “after all, that is why Rage sent you here, right?” Willow smiled back, nodding softly at her words.

“Hunter,” Joy called, the Alpha looking behind himself at her, “I am going to find her a room, I want her to stay here, in the castle,”

His gold eyes snap to Willow, his brows drawing together as her took her in. Falling deep into thought about something.

“Very well,” he nodded once before turning his back dismissively to continue speaking to his brothers.

Joy smiled as she took her hand, leading her out of the sitting room and into the main entryway, that was bigger then the room they just left.

“We will have to get you some clothes too, we can’t have you running around in my son’s clothes,” she laughed at her own joke as she pulled Willow up the large, staircase that looked like it was carved from the same stone as the building itself.

Actually, as Willow took in the room as she passed, she noticed that all of the floors seemed to be made of stone, the walls on the other hand, seemed to be made of solid wood, like the houses they passed outside.

The second floor was slightly different, though the walls were still wood, now so was the floor. The wood was stained and warn but beautiful.

“The first floor is where the common areas are, like the kitchen, sitting rooms, reckroom, dinning room and such.” Joy explained as they took the hall down a long corridor, “the second floor is mostly guestrooms, that are usually empty and the library, the third floor is where the Alpha family lives. Usually the Beta families too, but our family is so big, there isn’t room,” she laughed, “they are on the other wing of the second floor,”

They stopped at the end of a the hall, right before a large window that lite their way.

“This is my favorite room,” she whispered with a huge smile, causing Willow to smile in kind.

When the door was opened, she gasped. It wasn’t a room, more like a suite or small appartment.

They stepped into a sitting room, containing a small, plush couch and two over stuffed chairs. They were facing a television, with a glass coffee table in between.

There was a soft carpet covering the wood floor and a few pieces of art hanging here and there.

To the left of them was a small door and what looked like a refrigerator built into the wall as well as a half circle table with three chairs, pushed against the wall.

Farther down the same wall was two additional doors that Willow guessed were probably the bedroom and bathroom.

“It’s beautiful,” Willow said to Joy, drawing another large smile from her.

“I’ll leave you to get some rest, there is a robe in the bathroom, if you would like to wash up. I’ll have some clothes dropped off,”

With another sweet smile Joy left. Willow could only gawk after her, bewildered by her kindness, it was something she had never really experienced.