Page 37 of Curvy Alpha Bride
What the fuck is going on in this pack?Mypack!
Chapter 13 - Mabel
Even though I was restless when I first went to bed, sleep crept up on me like a dark, slow-moving tide. My thoughts were mired in it, and I went deep into an almost dreamless slumber.
The perfect blackness was occasionally disturbed by lights and sounds, like memories flickering just out of reach. It disturbed me so much that I tried to wake up, but no amount of struggling brought me out of the clinging shadows.
Even when I dreamed of screams that ripped through the darkness, I couldn’t move, and my eyes wouldn’t open. It wasn’t until dawn began to break outside and light crept into the sky that I was finally able to wake.
When I get up, I expect to feel groggy and dull, but instead, I’m completely refreshed. Practically bouncing out of bed, I hurry to the kitchen, expecting to find Xavier there.
Maybe we can work on some of the town projects. Today feels like a day when great things could be accomplished.
The kitchen is empty, but I don’t worry too much. The car is still parked in the driveway, so I figure he can’t have gone far.
As I go to the counter to put on coffee, I look up towards the woods, and that’s when I feel it.
The woods seem menacing, ugly, and dark. I can’t explain the feeling of dread that suddenly attacks me as I stare towards the trees. Everything looks completely normal, even beautiful, but my instincts are telling me that something is terribly wrong.
I have to find Xavier.
As the sun gets higher, filling the valley with warm light, the sense of danger retreats with it, rushing back towards the woods in the company of shrinking shadows. I turn my back onthe wilderness and hurry out the front door, racing up the dirt track.
Within two strides, I shift into my wolf, and the scents of Xavier and a few of the council members flood my nostrils. Following the scatter of paw prints, I chase the smells towards town. I haven’t gone far when I hear the shouting.
As I head towards the clamor, the scent markers get stronger. A lot of people are gathered together, and they are angry and afraid.
What the fuck is going on?
When I see the group, I slow down a little, shifting back to my human shape as I walk towards them. Xavier looks over his shoulder at me, his eyes full of rage and fear.
I’m so shocked, I stop in the middle of the track. I’ve never seen Xavier this upset, and the situation has to be extremely bad to affect him like this.
The sounds of the rabble begin to separate, and I hear the wailing of the woman in front of Xavier, her voice clear against all the others.
“Dove!” she moans. “My sweet Dove!”
What happened to Dove?
I hurry towards the crowd now, my mind full of the young girl’s sweet voice and soft brown eyes. For an older teen, she had an innocence that was completely childlike, and the idea of her being harmed sickens me.
“You all knew this would happen,” Xavier accuses the crowd, his voice soft and threatening. “None of you are surprised by this.”
I stand quietly beside him, looking around the circle. Every single face wears a mask of shame—except Dove’s mother. Tears pour down her cheeks as she whimpers softly, staring at the ground as if she’s trapped in her own private hell.
“Xavier,” Serra says, her voice firm. “There are things we must discuss, but this isn’t the place to do it. If you could just—”
“Just what?” Xavier hisses, stepping towards her. His voice is still low and dripping with threat. His arms hang by his sides, and he keeps slowly clenching his fists.
I’ve never seen him so angry.
Xavier has always been known for his jokes and carefree manner. I’ve never seen him truly upset, and my fear rises sharply as I try to think of what got him into this state.
“Just calm down,” Serra says. “If you—”
“No,” he cuts her off, his voice still soft. “I’m not going to ‘just’ anything. You knew, all of you knew, and no one told me. I’ve lost a pack member, an innocent young girl, and I could have prevented it.”
Lost? How?
