Wolf Pack

“Did you know that?” Hughes asked with his eyes narrowing, trying to read Jack’s reaction.

“I’m just as in shock as you are, I had no idea, I came here as a baby, I don’t know anything about our lives before that.” I felt what he felt, and I knew it was genuine.

“And now?” I asked, I was the only one naive enough to have the courage to do that.

“Now I’m exiled, I can’t stay in the Pack. If Hughes gives me a day, I’ll leave tomorrow.” Jack’s words were like blades in the hearts of everyone there, it was clear what a shock it was, but they expected it, I didn’t.

Alina was in tears and Hughes ran his hands frantically through his hair, trying to understand.

“You can’t be serious, Jack has lived his whole life here, and he needs to pay for something his grandfather did?“ I said incredulously, my eyes filled with tears, and my voice came out shrill beyond my control.

“I have no choice Luna, the Council would force me to exile him, that’s beyond my reach.” Hughes said in a shaky voice.

“This can’t be happening. There has to be a way out.” I said feeling the tears flow as I took the folder, I tried to find a solution for this, but my brain just kept spinning in the same place, and all the documentation seemed legitimate. I had a mental snap, some intuition made me have an idea.

“How long can you hold that information from the Council?” I asked Hughes.

“I can wait two or three days to report, but that won’t make a difference Luna, it would just delay the inevitable.” Hughes said completely shaken, he couldn’t take his eyes off Jack, who was still stunned, staring into space, processing that. “Besides, Otto must report as well.”

“I get along with Otto. Give us those three days, report only after that, okay?”

“Give us? No no Luna, you’re not coming with me.” Jack said, and at the same time that the words came out of his mouth I felt my heart stop, it was like someone was squeezing it from the inside with their hands, I just felt pure dread and sadness.

Nothing could be heard after that, just silence, and Hughes started crying endlessly, I didn’t even have a choice but to go with Jack, he was my Soulmeet, it would be impossible to live away from him, and I couldn’t even imagine that.

“Can you hear yourself Jack? There is no more you or me, you know that, you know what happens if a wolf stays away from your Soulmeet.”

“Hughes held on without your grandmother.” Jack said with tears in his eyes, turning his face away, he couldn’t look at me.

“He barely held on, having no other choice, you know Luna could die from that, don’t you?” Alina said in tears too.

“Do you want to risk it?” The words tumbled out of my mouth as tears dripped down my face, I knew he wanted to protect me from a life of exile, but there was no point in this discussion.

“No, that’s not it.” Jack turned around and hugged me, he was already in tears too and his eyes were red, he held my shoulders as he looked me in the eyes saying. “This pack just got you back, and your grandpa, Alina, Ed, they would all lose you because of me, because of you going with me, into exile.”

He said as he looked me in the eyes and wiped my tears with his thumbs.

“But you have no choice but to be together son.” Hughes said walking over to us.

He stood in front of us, and I took a step back as Hughes took Jack by the shoulders, and looked deep into his eyes.

“I adopted you when you were still a child, after I had lost everything, it was you who kept me alive, I was able to teach you everything I know, and you were so many times the reason for my joy. I have you as a son, and The fact that you were my granddaughter’s Soulmeet was a sweet surprise. Seeing you go hurts my heart, and her having to go along, hurts me twice as much.”

The two embraced, and no one dared to break that silence, it was minutes there. Until Hughes spoke:

“And you my granddaughter,” He turned to me, eyes red from crying. “You don’t know how much it hurts me to see you leave, again, it’s like I lost you again, just now that you came back to us.”

I snuggled into his embrace, and said softly:

“You give us the three days?”

“I see no reason, but of course, I will report to the Council, not for another three days.”

Jack wanted to ask me why, but he sensed I had a reason.

We left the hall, speechless, Jack and I went to his house, to pack things up.

“Why did you ask for three days?” He was packing his bags, not sure what to take. “I don’t even know what I’m doing. Where are we going?”

That man who for so many times had been my faithful squire and my protector, who was a symbol of security and strength, was now without ground, his whole life summed up in a lie and exile, he had told me it was the greatest dishonor for a wolf, and I felt his disappointment.

“I asked for three days, because I want to investigate, let’s go to the Council to look in the records, maybe ask for an investigation, we can find some way out and I know we can’t do that being exhaled, that’s why I asked for three days. But for now let’s go to my apartment, it’s not a big deal, but for now it will be our home.”

“I don’t see why looking, if my grandfather really killed a human, there’s nothing to do.”

He had no hope.

“You really don’t suspect that Otto might have omitted or made something up? Some of the things might be real, but is everything?”

I felt him reborn, as if I had given him a dose of hope. He brightened.

“Maybe there’s something we can use to our advantage. You’re right.”

He hugged and snuggled me until he pulled me away to look into my eyes.

“Hughes might not report, but what about Otto? Even though he’s Forsaken, they can still report to the Council.”

“I think I’m going to need to talk to my grandfather.” I said pulling away, already knowing Jack’s reaction.

“No, never.” The first sentence was almost a scream. “He’s a monster, Luna, he tried to kidnap you, he let a Forsaken try to rape you and he swears on your death since before you were born, I’ll never let him be alone with you. I should talk to him.”

“He won’t even receive you, like it or not I’m blood of his blood, he should at least agree to talk to me. I’ll try to contact Marcus, ask for a meeting with Otto, in a public place, he won’t be able to attack me in the midst of humans. I might have Marcus’s number yet.”

“I won’t let you go alone.”

“Jack you don’t have a choice, I’ll choose a public place, with humans.”

“I don’t like that idea.”