pack before.
“He gave his life to protect us all,” Michael said. “He was like a father to us.”
“I’m sorry,” Allison said meekly.
“That night was like something right out of a horror novel,” he told her. “The wind was howling so loudly it was deafening, and suddenly it just stopped. Dead silence. Made my ears ring. Then a fog rolled in that was so thick you couldn’t see a finger in front of your face. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Allison was silent as she waited for him to continue.
“We’d been having trouble with Victor’s pack for a while. They wanted our territory, but it’s been in our family for over a century. Thaddeus offered to allow Victor’s pack to blend with ours, but Victor… he’s mad for power. It wasn’t good enough for him.
“Thaddeus, ever the diplomat, invited Victor over to discuss it. He showed up, alright, but he brought his pack with him. It was Victor, along with the cronies you’ve met, Phillip and Earl, and two others, Pritchet and Sonny.
“Obviously, Victor had no intention of discussing things diplomatically. His pack attacked, we fought back, and ultimately we were outnumbered. Finally, Thaddeus ordered us to retreat.
“Naturally, we thought Thaddeus would follow us. But he stayed behind. He fought valiantly. He took two of those bastards down with him – Pritchet and Sonny. But as I turned back to look for him, I saw in the distance the evil glint in Victor’s eye as he sank his fangs into Thaddeus’s throat, and even from such a great distance I could hear that sickening sound as his flesh was ripped away from his body. I meant to turn back, to help him, but the Alpha’s command overrode my emotions and I just turned and fled as he’d ordered me too.”
“Oh, Michael,” Allison breathed.
“I’ve carried the guilt ever since,” Michael said, his voice breaking.
Michael bowed his head and resting his forehead on his knee. Allison stroked his hair, but she knew this was something she could do little to comfort.
“You know it isn’t your fault,” Allison said. “You had no choice but to obey your Alpha.”
“I still can’t help but feel that I should have done something,” Michael said, rolling his head back and forth on his knee. “And now I’ve gone and fucked everything up! Thaddeus is the rightful Alpha. He should be here, not me!”
“Michael, he gave his life for all of you because he trusted you,” Allison said.
“Well, that makes me feel better!” he groaned facetiously.
“No, no… I mean he trusted you to make the right decisions, because you will ,” Allison explained, her hand resting on his shoulder. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You’re only human… or… well, you know what I mean. I’m sure even Thaddeus made mistakes.”
“Perhaps,” Michael said. “But not as grievous as the one I’ve made. He never betrayed us.”
Allison sighed. This weighed heavily on her heart, because she knew that ultimately the responsibility rested on her shoulders. If she hadn’t come into their lives, the pack would still be together.
“You have to stop blaming yourself,” Allison said. “If I wasn’t here…”
“If you weren’t here,” Michael interrupted her, pulling to his feet and grabbing her shoulders firmly, “then I would still be wandering aimlessly through life with no purpose! You’ve given me purpose! For the first time in my life, I know what I’m alive for! I’m living for you!”
“My, what a pleasant sentiment.”
The voice startled them both, and they whirled in unison to face it. Luke was trudging up the hill toward them, followed closely by Logan, who hid behind him.
Luke kneeled beside the grave and pressed two fingers to his lips, brushing them through the grass over Thaddeus’s grave. Then he rose and approached Michael seething.
Logan cleared his throat uncomfortably
“He gave his life to protect us all,” Michael said. “He was like a father to us.”
“I’m sorry,” Allison said meekly.
“That night was like something right out of a horror novel,” he told her. “The wind was howling so loudly it was deafening, and suddenly it just stopped. Dead silence. Made my ears ring. Then a fog rolled in that was so thick you couldn’t see a finger in front of your face. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Allison was silent as she waited for him to continue.
“We’d been having trouble with Victor’s pack for a while. They wanted our territory, but it’s been in our family for over a century. Thaddeus offered to allow Victor’s pack to blend with ours, but Victor… he’s mad for power. It wasn’t good enough for him.
“Thaddeus, ever the diplomat, invited Victor over to discuss it. He showed up, alright, but he brought his pack with him. It was Victor, along with the cronies you’ve met, Phillip and Earl, and two others, Pritchet and Sonny.
“Obviously, Victor had no intention of discussing things diplomatically. His pack attacked, we fought back, and ultimately we were outnumbered. Finally, Thaddeus ordered us to retreat.
“Naturally, we thought Thaddeus would follow us. But he stayed behind. He fought valiantly. He took two of those bastards down with him – Pritchet and Sonny. But as I turned back to look for him, I saw in the distance the evil glint in Victor’s eye as he sank his fangs into Thaddeus’s throat, and even from such a great distance I could hear that sickening sound as his flesh was ripped away from his body. I meant to turn back, to help him, but the Alpha’s command overrode my emotions and I just turned and fled as he’d ordered me too.”
“Oh, Michael,” Allison breathed.
“I’ve carried the guilt ever since,” Michael said, his voice breaking.
Michael bowed his head and resting his forehead on his knee. Allison stroked his hair, but she knew this was something she could do little to comfort.
“You know it isn’t your fault,” Allison said. “You had no choice but to obey your Alpha.”
“I still can’t help but feel that I should have done something,” Michael said, rolling his head back and forth on his knee. “And now I’ve gone and fucked everything up! Thaddeus is the rightful Alpha. He should be here, not me!”
“Michael, he gave his life for all of you because he trusted you,” Allison said.
“Well, that makes me feel better!” he groaned facetiously.
“No, no… I mean he trusted you to make the right decisions, because you will ,” Allison explained, her hand resting on his shoulder. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You’re only human… or… well, you know what I mean. I’m sure even Thaddeus made mistakes.”
“Perhaps,” Michael said. “But not as grievous as the one I’ve made. He never betrayed us.”
Allison sighed. This weighed heavily on her heart, because she knew that ultimately the responsibility rested on her shoulders. If she hadn’t come into their lives, the pack would still be together.
“You have to stop blaming yourself,” Allison said. “If I wasn’t here…”
“If you weren’t here,” Michael interrupted her, pulling to his feet and grabbing her shoulders firmly, “then I would still be wandering aimlessly through life with no purpose! You’ve given me purpose! For the first time in my life, I know what I’m alive for! I’m living for you!”
“My, what a pleasant sentiment.”
The voice startled them both, and they whirled in unison to face it. Luke was trudging up the hill toward them, followed closely by Logan, who hid behind him.
Luke kneeled beside the grave and pressed two fingers to his lips, brushing them through the grass over Thaddeus’s grave. Then he rose and approached Michael seething.
Logan cleared his throat uncomfortably
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