Chapter 102


    -Dorothy-


    The


    past


    hade back to haunt me once again. I walked through the dim house, a small dwelling that seemed


    muchrger to the child’s b*dy 1 found myself in. Night had fallen and the house was dark. My father


    had told us to hide. Me and aunt Rita, We were supposed to be quiet.


    The house was deadly silent as I padded down the corridor, barefoot and trailing a teddy bear behind


    me. Thest gift from my mother, before she gave me what was left of her life. I tiptoed to the window,


    climbed onto the dusty sofa in the corner and peaked out through the ss.


    It was dark outside, but down the street there was an orange light, glowing brighter by the minute. I


    thought it might be the sun making an early appearance. It wasn’t. As the mes are through the


    houses on our street, the cries of battle grew louder.


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    Agonized, panicked screams of shifters being ripped from their homes, torn apart in the streets by


    terrifying invaders.


    Wolves, big ones,


    Their howls cut through the night, so loud I swore I felt the house shake


    There were other monsters out there too. Pale, slender creatures with bright red eyes. I watched thern


    sink their teeth into the neighbors 1 had once knowIL


    One of the creatures saw me and drew nearer, pressed its slined rose up against the ss, inches


    away from where I stood frozen in suddenters, I smiled, and crimson blood dripped from its sharp,


    white fangs.


    “Dorothy! Get away from that thing! A shrill cry in my car, hunds lifting me into the air before the


    creature broke through the ss Aunt Kita held me tight against her chest and bolted through the


    house with the monster close behind us. I screamed in terror as the creature climbed the walls.


    Elongated ws us spindly arms stashed through the air as it wailed


    and shrieked


    Rita kicked the back door open and darted into the alleyway beynd. A cloud of smoke swirled around


    us, an orange haze obscuring the path. We evaded the blood-sucking creature, but more monsters


    came after us. Wolves.


    1 watched the memory y out all over again from over my aunt’s shoulder as she ran. I watched my


    father mowed down by vicious snarling shifters. I watched my home disappear in the smoke.


    Right before Rita hurled us into the woods, I caught a glimpse of someone familiar. An impossible


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    anomaly that led me to realize that I was dreaming Johan stood silhouetted in the orange glow of the


    burning vige. Watching me with empty eyes. his rotting b*dy was propped up like a puppet with


    invisible strings


    I awoke to Ignatius shaking my shoulder, my mate crouching over me on the bed.


    As soon as my eyes flew open. Ignatius pressed his forehead to mine, breathing heavily as if trying to


    calm down. “Are you hack: You were thrashing. I couldn’t wake you up


    “I’m back. I croaked weakly, and my mate let the full weight of his b*dy crush me to the bed as he


    copsed on my chest in


    relief.


    I looked over at the empty bed as I stroked his damp hair. “Where are the twins?”


    “Outside.” Ignatius murmured against my neck, his hot breath on my ear. “Angle and Fae came over to


    say goodbye. to’s


    Ignatius rolled to the side and rested his head on my chest, “I didn’t want to wake you, I thought you


    needed the rest”


    “What rest?” I muttered dryly. “I feel like I’ve just run a marathon”


    “With the way you were kicking your legs just now, you’d make a star athlete,” Ignatius adjusted his


    legs and winced. “You got me in the groin earlier, you almost ruined our chances of ever having any


    more kid”


    “Sorry about that” 1 pecked a k*ss to his forehead and sat up Tm sure your balls will be fine.”


    Anger. Far and to were waiting for us on the Iront porch. The twins were clinging to to,


    determined to make him stay Angle shed me a warm smile when I emerged from the cottage, my


    tousled hair a dead giveaway of my tumultuous sleep


    “Hey, sleepyhead. Long night? Angie rattled my already matted hair and I swatted her hand away with


    a grunt


    Are you to supposed to be on the road already?”


    ut to say goodbye” Far enfolded sur in a tight


    i embrace, her Bural scent inunediatchy putting tur at case


    his arms around


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    to was the first to go,masking his nervousness under false bravado and ayer of thysalis leaves to


    cover his scent. He wasn’t a very inconspicuous person, seeing as everyone in the Bielke pack and all


    of our allies knew his face.


    But he had gone out of his way to change his appearance as best he could. His long dark locks were


    reced with a surprisinglyplimentary buzzcut, and he topped it off with a hoodie and sunsses


    that were far too big for his face.


    The twins were sad to see him go, but he crouched down beside Ignatious and promised them he’d be


    back in a sh, Ignatius lifted Amelie onto his shoulder, and Elias clung to his fathers legs as they


    waved to off. The lone shifter. disappeared down the driveway, his confident stride giving way to a


    far more hesitant step the further away from us he walked


    Then it was time for Angie and Far to leave, too. While Far went to get the car started, Angie pulled me


    aside to talk,


    “Look,” she put both hands on my shoulder, talking under her heath while Ignatius nced over at us


    with raised brows, “I can’t ry knowing that something is amiss around here. I won’t deny Far her


    vacation, go d knows she needs it


    Angie, you need a break- I tried to lult her once I realized what she was getting at, but the she-wolf


    covered my mouth with her palm.


    “Shush, shut up. You know I love you guys and I love this pack. Tan’t just take a break when something


    bad is going down. So Fae and 1 are going to gather intel on the road. I’ll let you know if we happen to


    find any useful information.”


    I rolled my eyes until she removed her hand, wiping my sleeve across my lips, “Why do you taste like


    french fries?”


    “Bnced breakfast, Angie shrugged before forcing me to meet her gaze. “And Dorothy? Be careful,


    okay? These rumors could just be rumors. But you need to be on guard. Stay alive until we get back


    alright?”


    1 gave her a little salute. Til do my best.”


    te wasn’t the only one putting on a brave face. Angie’s smile was a tense one.


    Once her and Fae had sped off down the driveway, an air of foreboding settled over Ignatius and me.


    He came to stand beside me, holding the twins to his chest as we watched the beaten up van


    disappear behind the treeline


    For the first time in a while, we were truly on our own. It was a daunting thought. Evil was on the rise


    again and we had no idea how to handle it. No clue as to who our mysterious new for was, nor how to


    find them. All we could do was be on guard. and prepare for the worst..


    “It feels like the past is back to haunt us,” I stated solemnly


    Elias leaned over Ignatius’s shoulder, reaching for me with an all too innocent grin. That smile terrified


    me. My children were vulnerable, and I could do nothing to protect them, nothing to secure their safety


    I took the twins in my arms and Ignatious put a hand on my waist. Amelic leaned her head on her


    fathers shoulder and the four of us huddled together. Four parts of a greater whole.


    “That’s not what’s happening,” he answered. Although he didn’t sound like he believed it himself.


    Later that evening, we decaded to take a stroll through the seaside streets. We dropped the twins off


    with Fae’s mother, who was more than happy to keep an eye on them for a while. The widower rarely


    left her house, and she was always thrilled to love young


    blood running amok on the property like Fac, Angie, and Gideon had done when they were children.


    Amelie had taken a liking to the olddy and was particrly interested in her collection of witchy


    trinkers Ignatius had been rmed to hear that his daughter might be taking after his own mother, but


    Amelse was a far cry from the person.


    The Halbe pack was doing better than ever. Without the threat of constant warfare, and without the


    tyrannical Elliot for an Alphas, people of the Birlke pack were finally free to thrive Small stores and


    businesses had popped upt all over the ce, and the Burke wade had be a popr vacation


    spot for ind packs.


    Ipnativead done night by his people, and day loved lum for it. We were greeted by passersby as we


    walked the xanly


    ved Fruin shape window it should have been a pehid evening, we should have


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    been proud of themunity we had built.


    But Ignatius had anxieties of his own. He was silent during our walk, only disclosing his feelings to me


    when we stood alone on the quiet beach.


    “I’m afraid Dorothy


    I looked up at my mate, and he suddenly looked far too old and far too young all at once.


    “Afraid of what might happen?”


    Ignatius nodded as we both sat down on the sand. Not too long ago, Ignatius had peeled off my


    wedding dress on this beach. and we’d mated under the moonlight without a care in the world.


    Now the horrors of the past were wing at our heels once again. All we could do was hold onto each


    other and hope for the


    best


    “I’m afraid for the future, for our family..” Ignatious paused, like it pained him to admit to his emotions.


    “And I’m afraid of looking into Elliots dealings.”


    I shifted closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder as the wind whipped our hair around. “You’re


    worried about what miglu be buried in Elliots closet?”


    Ignatius nodded gravely, propping his head on top of mind. “Tim afraid of the skeletons I might find.”


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